December 02, 2020
Caddie hopes horse trading won’t stop cannabis reschedule
Medical cannabis advocates hope a United Nations body will this evening change the status of cannabis as a narcotic.
The 63rd session of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs in Vienna is voting on a World Health Organisation recommendation to remove cannabis and cannabis resin from Schedule IV of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs.
New Zealand Medical Cannabis Council chair Manu Caddie hopes there won't be a repeat of the previous session he witnessed in 2018 when the issue got sideswiped by political mud-slinging between countries over terrorism and other issues.
"While I am optimistic the rational, sensible people see the science as demonstrating the value of descheduling this drug I am less optimistic the politicians on the day can get beyond the politics whatever else is happening in the world and make a good decision because there is always trade-offs and horse trading in these forums that is not about the issue they are supposed to be there for,"
Manu Caddie says descheduling should help people in countries where the sanctions on cannabis use can be as severe as those for drugs like heroin and synthetic opioids like fentanyl.
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