UN delays cannabis reclassification to December

A United Nations Organization (UN) postponed the vote to reclassify cannabis in the drugs table for December 2020. The 63rd session of the CND (Commission on Narcotic Drugs), which took place from the 2nd to the 6th of March in Vienna, Austria, was marked by deep divisions among the international community over the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO).

The session, chaired by Ambassador Mansoor Ahmad Khan, of Pakistan, was to vote on the adoption of the WHO recommendations on the placement of cannabis in the narcotics tables. However, the vote would eventually be postponed to the end of 2020, due to disagreements between member states.

The WHO presented to the UN Secretary-General six recommendations derived from the critical analysis carried out by the Expert Committee on Drug Dependence on cannabis. On the last day of the 63rd session, the commission decided to continue the debate on the scheduling of cannabis and plant-related substances recommendations. The vote on these recommendations is scheduled for the next session, which will take place in December 2020.

"Many of Wednesday's statements show that the chances of approval in December still look slim," Andres Lopez, former head of Colombia's National Narcotics Fund, told to MJBizDaily. “There is a big challenge ahead to convince at least undecided countries to support the WHO recommendations,” he declared. Therefore, rather than voting on these recommendations, which would have far-reaching implications for the global industry, the CND decided to postpone the vote.

What does the WHO recommend?

The WHO report recommends several changes to the policy with regard to cannabis, which could have significant implications for the industry. The WHO suggests that:
– the classification of cannabis in the international drug control conventions should not be so restrictive, proposing to remove it from Annex 4 of the 1961 Convention, the category reserved for the most dangerous substances;
– THC in all forms should be removed from the 1971 Convention and placed with cannabis in Schedule 1 of the 1961 Convention, significantly simplifying its classification;
– Pure CBD and CBD preparations containing no more than 0,2% THC should not be included in any way in international drug control conventions;
– Pharmaceutical preparations containing 9-THC, if they meet certain criteria, should be added to Annex 3 of the 1961 Convention, recognizing the unlikely likelihood of abuse;

Lack of consensus delays decision
The delay in the decision underscores the difficulty of reaching agreement on cannabis policy at a level that transcends national borders. Given the current lack of consensus, perhaps the postponement of the vote was the best outcome, in order to give the opportunity to approve these recommendations in the future, rather than being rejected now. A forced vote this week would likely have resulted in a negative result. “This is a very important issue, but at the same time a very sensitive one because of the differing opinions – not just among states, but also among people in general,” said CND President Mansoor Ahmad Khan.

The president of the CND said during Wednesday's session that "it became clear that some delegations do not have a clear understanding of the implications and consequences of the recommendations, while others are already prepared to vote." During an informal dialogue, Khan said he "tried to work around the problem to try to balance these two positions", thus proposing to postpone the vote "to preserve the integrity of the international scheduling system".

A review of the website to MJBizDaily, projects that:

• About a third of the voting members of the CND are fiercely against any change in the status quo the cataloging of cannabis;
• Another third are still trying to figure out how to interpret the WHO recommendations;
• The rest of the members are ready to vote, but support is timid.

Tomas Sadilek, director of government affairs at the Prague-based International Cannabis and Cannabinoid Institute (ICCI), told to MJBizDaily that pressuring countries to vote could have an “irreversible negative outcome”, possibly even deterring governments, from medical cannabis regulations.

Europe in favor of WHO recommendations
the spanish website Public announced that the Commission signed the WHO recommendation, which considers that cannabis should be included in the lists of narcotic drugs at a level that guarantees control and that possible harm caused by consumption can be avoided. However, it does not prevent access to preparations related to the plant for medical use or for scientific research, which have already shown “the possibility of therapeutic use in treatments for pain or other medical conditions, such as epilepsy or spasms associated with multiple sclerosis”.

The European Commission proposed in December, as published by the Spanish website Public on 14 February, that the 12 Member States with the right to vote in the CND approve the withdrawal of cannabis from List IV, but requesting a new report from the WHO.