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WHO
https://www.who.int/teams/health-product-and-policy-standards/controlled-substances/who-review-of-cannabis-and-cannabis-related-substances
In January 2019, the WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, made a series of recommendations to the United Nations to update the scope of control over cannabis and cannabis-related substances. These new recommendations reflect the emerging therapeutic role of cannabis-based medicines while continuing to prevent diversion, misuse, and other public health harms that can result from cannabis use.
These recommendations are the result of a multi-year review process conducted by the Expert Committee on Drug Dependence (ECDD), an independent scientific advisory body to the WHO. Based on a scientific assessment of potential health risks and therapeutic benefits, the ECDD recommends the appropriate classification of psychoactive substances in international drug conventions. The review process leading to these recommendations may begin with a surveillance phase to monitor risk and therapeutic use and to assess available data to determine whether a full review is necessary and to confirm that evidence-based recommendations are feasible. A subsequent screening review allows for an initial in-depth assessment, which may be followed by a critical review to develop timeline recommendations.
This ECDD review of cannabis and cannabis-related substances was initially requested by Member States in 2009 through CND resolution 52/5. The Committee then launched the process in 2012 with a review of cannabis at the 35th, 37th, and 38th ECDD meetings. The decision for a formal review was recommended on the basis of:
Increased use of cannabis and its components for medical purposes;
The emergence of new pharmaceutical preparations linked to cannabis for therapeutic use;
And
That cannabis had never been subject to a formal prior review or critical review by the ECDD.
Formal reviews were conducted during the 39th, 40th, and 41st ECDD sessions, taking into account both the best available scientific evidence and data from Member States provided through the WHO annual ECDD questionnaire. In addition, Member States, members of the public, civil society groups, representatives of the pharmaceutical industry, and other stakeholders were also able to comment on the DPE's assessments and recommendations during open sessions at all DPE meetings. A vote on the recommendations of the 41st DPE was deferred to allow for further dialogue between the DPE and Member States through several rounds of questions and answers during the intersessional meetings of the CND.
The vote is now scheduled for December 2020.
Also read on cbd.fr : Reclassification of cannabis.
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