UN Commission removes marijuana from list of most dangerous drugs

The United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs decided this Wednesday (2.Dec.2020) to remove marijuana and cannabis-derived resin from the list of substances considered most dangerous, recognizing the medicinal properties of the plant. The change meets a WHO (World Health Organization) recommendation made in January 2019.

© Maj. Will Cox/Released
Decision does not interfere with countries’ power to establish their own drug rules and laws

The decision was made by 27 votes to 25, with one abstention, during a vote by the Vienna-based commission in Austria – the UN central agency for drug-related policies.

Now marijuana and cannabis resins are now reclassifying and leave “List 4 of the 1961 Drug Convention”, which includes substances considered “Particularly susceptible to abuse and the production of harmful effects“Like heroin, and “Unable to produce therapeutic advantages”.

It now moves to List 1, which includes other narcotics such as morphine, which the WHO also recommends control, but admits that the substance has less harmful potential.

The decision does not remove the need for countries to establish controls against drug misuse. The measure also does not have the power to change, by itself, the policies adopted by each nation on marijuana and its derivatives. This is because recreational marijuana will remain banned under international regulations.

The decision follows a recommendation from WHO itself and was approved by 27 countries. Another 25 voted against, and a representation abstained. In addition, delegations rejected other recommendations such as removing all lists of some components of cannabis.

Among the 27 member states of the commission that voted in favor of the change are: Germany, countries of the European Union (EU), with the exception of Hungary, Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, United States, Mexico and Uruguay.

Among the countries that voted against the recognition of the medicinal properties of cannabis are: Brazil, Cuba, Russia, nations in Asia and Africa, with exceptions like India and Morocco. The abstention came from Ukraine.

Live on Facebook, the Minister of Citizenship, Onyx Lorenzoni, said that the federal government was against the WHO recommendation to remove cannabis from the list of the most dangerous substances, considering that the proposal eases and reduces control over the substance.

“Brazil reaffirmed at this meeting of the UN narcotics committee that the Brazilian position is consistent with most countries in the world in the sense of not making any flexibility for the planting or use of marijuana outside the use of cannabidiol, outside the medical components and diseases where there is flexibility to use this product and there is an effective action of this product ”said the minister.

“Any loosening in the control of this type of substance, it will obviously worsen the situation of recreational use of this type of product and which will have devastating consequences for the whole of Brazilian society”, defended.

Onyx Lorenzoni also said that in Brazil, since last year, the use of cannabidiol can be adopted for medicinal purposes in situations of pathologies where the patient has a positive response to use. In December 2019, Anvisa (National Health Surveillance Agency) approved the regulation for the manufacture, import and commercialization of drugs derived from cannabis.

“Brazil has already authorized it so that this product can be purchased, processed and elaborated in the various presentations here within the Brazilian territory and can be made available to those patients who, eventually, may benefit”, said.

“Now there is a very clear movement to try to make marijuana use more and more flexible without any limits and without any control. That the government of President Jair Bolsonaro will not allow. ”