As the Marijuana industry reaches BILLIONS, the UN has finally woke up.

Agriculture

https://www.laestrella.com.pa/cafe-estrella/salud/201202/onu-reconoce-oficialmente-propiedades-medicinales-cannabis

The United Nations (UN) has recognized the medicinal properties of cannabis on Wednesday in a vote in Vienna of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, the executive body on drug policy of the United Nations.

The simple majority of the 53 States of the Commission have decided to withdraw cannabis and its resin from Schedule IV of the 1961 Convention on Drugs, which means that the medical usefulness of this plant is officially recognized, the recreational use of which will continue to be prohibited in international regulations.

Almost all the States of the European Union – with the exception of Hungary – and many of the Americas have added a simple majority of 27 votes to approve the change – one of the most important on drugs in recent decades – while a large part of Asian and African countries objected.

In that Convention, cannabis is 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 little medical value is granted.

This change will facilitate research with cannabis, which has active ingredients that have shown promising results in the treatment of Parkinson’s, sclerosis, epilepsy, chronic pain and cancer.

A controversial recommendation  

The vote came almost two years after a World Health Organization (WHO) ruling that recognized the medical utility of cannabis and recommended its removal from List IV.

At the same time, it proposed to keep cannabis in List I, where narcotics are under international control due to their addictive nature but accessible for medical activities, a situation in which other narcotics are found, such as morphine.

That recommendation – now adopted – was based on the WHO’s first critical study of cannabis, the world’s most popular drug with some 200 million users, according to UN estimates.

The WHO is responsible for scientifically assessing for the Commission both the possible therapeutic properties and the harm generated by drug addiction under international control, and its recommendations are usually adopted without much controversy.

International division  

However, in this case the vote was preceded by a huge debate and several postponements in the last two years due to the differences between those States in favor of change and those that demanded to maintain the “status quo”.

The EU countries -except Hungary- along with others such as Argentina, Canada, Colombia, the USA, Mexico, Uruguay and Ecuador, among others, have supported following the scientific criteria of the WHO.

Around 50 countries have launched different medical cannabis programs and this United Nations decision, predictably, will promote such policies as well as research with the plant.

Argentina already decided in November to legalize the self-cultivation of marijuana for medicinal use and will allow the sale of oils, creams and other derivatives of the plant for therapeutic purposes, based on the WHO recommendation that has now been officially adopted.

Until now, medical research with cannabis was possible in a limited way, since the inclusion in List IV acted as a brake for many laboratories due to the restrictions and the different legal criteria applied in each country.

The states that voted against the change, led by Russia, China, Brazil and Pakistan, consider that relaxing cannabis control now sends the wrong message at a time when some countries, such as Canada or Uruguay, have legalized marijuana by violating international deals.

Those States against any change, including Cuba and Venezuela, consider that this decision trivializes the use of cannabis and minimizes the damage to health that it produces, such as an increase in certain mental disorders.

The change comes when several countries such as Canada, Uruguay and a dozen US states have legalized the use of marijuana and others such as Mexico, Luxembourg or Israel have ongoing legal initiatives in the same line.

No Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

International Relations
MULINO visible in support of MADURO combatant in Venezuela.

https://apnews.com/article/edmundo-gonzalez-venezuela-panama-mulino-maduro-bb4637ef847d330bdb1e90a555c6197c PANAMA CITY (AP) — Days before Venezuela’s presidential inauguration, self-exiled Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo González was in Panama Wednesday rallying regional support for the opposition’s claims that he won the July election against President Nicolás Maduro. Accompanied by a dozen former Latin American leaders, González met with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino …

Agriculture
Debate over accessing protected resources in Panama to continue in 2025.

https://www.laestrella.com.pa/panama/progreso-o-riesgo-ambiental-debaten-impacto-del-corredor-del-caribe-HA10104210 The SCJ lifted the suspension of the Caribbean Corridor, a decision supported by tourism sectors and criticized by environmentalists for its environmental and social impact on Colón. The project promises development, but faces questions about sustainability “A ruling of justice” is how Cristóbal Valencia, president of the Portobelo Chamber …

Human Interest
Process of RE-PATRIATION of migrants has begun. Transport financed by US taxpayer.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqjlqk0wv1no Panama on Tuesday started repatriating undocumented migrants on flights financed by the United States. The move comes less than two months after José Raúl Mulino was sworn in as Panama’s president. Mr Mulino campaigned on a promise to “close” the Darién Gap, the dangerous stretch of jungle which more …