MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 03rd December, 2020) The UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) in an historic vote of 27 in favor and 25 against has removed cannabis from the most dangerous category of drugs, where it had been placed for 59 years, the UN said in a press release.
"In reviewing a series of World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations on marijuana and its derivatives, the CND zeroed-in on the decision to remove cannabis from schedule IV of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs � where it was listed alongside deadly, addictive opioids, including heroin," the press release read.
At the same time, cannabis and cannabis resin remain on Schedule I of the 1961 convention and continue to be controlled under the this document.
The removal of cannabis from the list of highly dangerous drugs opens the way for medical research on the properties of marijuana, according to the UN.
The Russian delegation opposed all previous WHO proposals to ease cannabis control and voted against the recommendation to remove it from Schedule IV.
Currently, more than 50 countries have adopted medicinal cannabis programmes while Canada, Uruguay and 15 US states have legalized its recreational use.
