The UN has officially recognized the medicinal properties …

The United Nations (UN) on Wednesday approved one of the biggest drug policy changes of decades, recognize the medicinal properties of cannabis and remove this plant from the classification of the most dangerous narcotics, although its consumption for recreational purposes is still prohibited.

The simple majority of the 53 states of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs – the United Nations executive body responsible for drug policy – has decided to remove cannabis and its resin from Schedule IV of the 1961 Drugs Convention.

In this agreement, cannabis has so far been classified in Lists I and IV, the latter reserved for the most dangerous drugs and under the strictest control, such as heroin, and to which a low medical value is given.

However, recreational use will continue to be banned in international regulations as it continues on List I, along with controlled substances but with therapeutic properties, such as morphine.

All European Union (EU) states except Hungary and many of the Americas added a simple majority of twenty-seven votes to approve the change, while a large chunk of Asian countries and Africa opposed it, with notable exceptions. like India or Morocco.

Research work

This change will facilitate research into cannabis, which contains active ingredients that have shown promising results in treating certain effects of Parkinson’s disease, sclerosis, epilepsy, chronic pain or even cancer.

Until now, medical research on cannabis was possible on a limited basis, as List IV listing acted as a drag due to restrictions and legal uncertainty due to the different criteria applied in each country.

About 50 countries have launched medical cannabis programs and this United Nations decision will encourage such policies, as well as further research into the plant’s healing properties.

“This will give new impetus to medical cannabis. And in countries that closely follow or even automatically adopt the United Nations position in their national legislation, it will likely lead to increased access to cannabis for research,” he said. Explain. Martin jelsma, analyst at the Transnational Institute think tank.

At this point, the expert stressed that Argentina “is a good example”, since in November, it decided to legalize the self-cultivation of marijuana for medical purposes and to allow the sale of its derivatives to for therapeutic purposes, based on the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation which has now been officially adopted.