Marijuana Rolling Onto International Stage

While we try to hash out how to handle marijuana laws across the U.S., World Health Organization is bringing their findings to the global stage. WHO was tasked by secretary general of United Nations to deliver a recommendation on the level of international control necessary for cannabis, according to a Mother Jones report. It is of no surprise to our cannabis law firm that the first report from WHO described marijuana as a “relatively safe drug.”

An international team of marijuana experts contributed to the report, which was presented to the Expert Committee on Drug Dependence. The report analyzed both THC and CBD and found evidence it has medical benefits, particularly in relieving symptoms of cancer treatments, pain relief, and anxiety. It also concluded that driving under the influence of cannabis is risky, but not as risky as alcohol. Marijuana use also can also be risky for pregnant women and children.Americans have been all abuzz about cannabis for many years now, with California first to legalize medical marijuana in 1996 when voters passed Proposition 215. Yet it is still illegal at the federal level thanks to its classification under the Controlled Substances Act. Not only is marijuana considered a Schedule I narcotic in the U.S., but it also was identified as a Schedule I narcotic under the treaty of the United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, also known as the ’61 Convention. WHO’s findings could potentially change all that. Rescheduling cannabis internationally wouldn’t change any laws, but it would demonstrate a change in mindset that could get productive conversations started.

When you think of cannabis in other countries, maybe you think of the infamous coffee shops in the Netherlands, though for the most part marijuana is still illegal there. It was decriminalized and allowed to be consumed in restricted locations. Only recently did the country ease up on some of the growing and smoking laws. You’ll be more likely to have a green-friendly vacation visiting one of the hundreds of cannabis smoking clubs in Spain. Or simply plan a trip in the near future to our neighbor’s the north. Canada is on track to become the second country to fully legalize marijuana, Uruguay being the first.

As with California, our Riverside medical marijuana attorneys know other countries might need to be eased into a new understanding of cannabis. Even though the drug has been used for healing purposes for centuries, because of intense and politically motivated anti-marijuana campaigns, we all must re-educate ourselves on this highly beneficial drug. Once people see for themselves the good it can do, they open up to at least exploring medical marijuana legalization. In addition to Canada and the Netherlands, Chile, Australia, Germany, Peru, Israel, and Australia allow cannabis for medical use. The findings from WHO could open the doors for many more to follow.

Rescheduling marijuana internationally would not only be a victory for countries around the world, but also for medical marijuana users and dispensaries right here in Southern California. If medical professionals globally can agree that cannabis is safe and beneficial, it bolsters the arguments advocates, like our experienced legal team here in Riverside, have been making all along.

The Los Angeles CANNABIS LAW Group represents growers, dispensaries, collectives, patients, defendants, workers and those facing criminal marijuana charges. Call us at 949-375-4734.

Additional Resources:

The Countries With The Most Relaxed Weed Laws, Feb. 28, 2018, By Burgess Powell, High Times

More Blog Entries:

Medical Marijuana Study in Israel Lights Way for Cancer Treatments, April 2, 2018, Medical Marijuana Lawyers Blog