Yesterday, the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs vehemently snubbed a recommendation to let off CBD processes with not more than 0.2 percent THC from international regulation. This rebuff came during the landmark vote on altering how marijuana will be legalized in two drug accords.
The U.N’s 53 member countries of the policymaking institution had a summit in Vienna about voting on six WHO (World Health Organization) recommendations. The United Kingdom, the U.S, Germany, and Colombia were part of the broad group of forty-three nations that voted against the Recommendation 5.5 proposal.
This proposal would have included a footnote on the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs and set a THC limit for CBD preparations. Six countries voted to approve the CBD footnote, and the remaining four had a neutral stand.
Representatives from multiple countries explained that their balking votes on the proposal were due to unclear phrases and its lack of adherence to drug treaty decrees. Gerhard Kuentzle, the German Ambassador and Permanent Representative, said that the establishment of the 0.2% threshold lacks scientific backup. He added that the proposed wording fails to feature disparate interpretations regarding the computation of that threshold.
Kuentzle also said the drafted recommendation fails to provide the required legal certainty and lacks an appropriate CBD solution. However, the opposition welcomes more consultation with all the recommendation stakeholders on a suitable amount of international regulation for marijuana processes with minimal THC content.
U.S dissenting vote concentrated on procedural and legal elements. Glick Ethan, America’s advisor on UN issues, said that the U.S didn’t refute the recommendation’s scientific background. He added that CBD has not shown abuse potential.
According to Kitsell Corinne, UK’s Permanent Representative and Ambassador, the proposal would have gone against her country’s existing norms. She also pointed out that the country rejected the chosen THC threshold.
Canada’s Williams Paul seconded the U.S in citing that Recommendation 5.5 had scientific backup. He said that cannabidiol does not meet international regulation criteria under drug conventions related to dependence and abuse risk.
