The use of the naturally occurring cannabinoid CBD (cannabidiol) possesses no likely abuse potential and therefore should not be subject to international drug scheduling restrictions, according to recommendations finalized today by the World Health Organization’s Expert Committee on Drug Dependence.
Concludes WHO: “Recent evidence from animal and human studies shows that its use could have some therapeutic value for seizures due to epilepsy and related conditions. Current evidence also shows that cannabidiol is not likely to be abused or create dependence as for other cannabinoids (such as Tetra Hydro Cannabinol (THC), for instance). The ECDD therefore concluded that current information does not justify scheduling of cannabidiol and postponed a fuller review of cannabidiol preparations to May 2018, when the committee will undertake a comprehensive review of cannabis and cannabis related substances.”
A preliminary report issued by WHO in November affirmed, “[T]here is no evidence of recreational use of CBD or any public health related problems associated with the use of pure CBD.”
In September, NORML submitted written testimony to the US Food and Drug Administration in opposition to the imposition of new international restrictions regarding CBD access. The FDA is one of a number of agencies that advised the World Health Organization in their review.
Despite the international health agency’s acknowledgment that CBD is therapeutic, safe, and well-tolerated, it remains classified under US law as a schedule I controlled substance.
“The domestic classification and criminalization of cannabidiol as a schedule I controlled substance is out of step with both available science and common sense,” NORML Political Director Justin Strekal said. “It is yet another example of the US government placing ideology over evidence when it comes to issues related to the cannabis plant.”
Text of the WHO recommendations are online here.
WHO and these people in the United Nations are woefully behind the power curve, but they are catching up. I just hope their momentum doesn’t stall, and even if it does legalization must still go forward. It’s way overdue that the government allows the cannabis community to take reins of the all things cannabis out of the hands of the (Mexican) cartels. People are tired of the violence that cannabis prohibition causes, tired of the shattered lives, broken up families, and the outsourcing of the U.S. supply to foreign countries, mainly Mexico filling the demand for what can’t be produced in the U.S. either by the latino cartels or by legal U.S. citizens and enterprises that pay taxes.
This new tax legislation had better have language in it that allows the standard deductions for cannadollars from legalization–yeah, even if you have to specify cannabis in locations where it is legal. You prohibitionists, mostly Rs in the Congress, used the Alabama Roy Moore diversion to ram the tax bill through, huh?
Cannabis doesn’t belong any kind of Schedule, and must be completely de-scheduled.
Prohibitionists, just get out of the way. Legalize!
Thank you Paul for your diligent reporting on this very important issue.
So the World Hypocrite Organization kept the deceptive “pure CBD” language in their final report? Irony is, it’s only written that way to protect pending synthetic, single molecule CBD patents. But due to rampant mislabeling none of the vendors of CBD oil know what they’re selling whether its plant extract, synthetics or olive oil. Our patenting and labeling laws are pathetic in the U.S.
That answers the question of whether GW Pharma’s patents on CBD are worth more to the WHO than the Sackler’s international mission to poison us with opioids… because Purdue is counting on this Congress to keep real whole plant remedies to opioid addiction (you know, whole plants with a variety of open source molecules that work synergistically as medicine should…) like marijuana and kratom in schedule 1 of the CSAct.
What these parasites weren’t counting on is Doug Jones taking a Senate seat against accused pedophile and rabid prohibitionist Roy Moore last night in voter supressed Alabama. (Hell, knowing what I know about voter supression from the Republican cro$$check program I didn’t count on Jones winning either).
That puts marijuana reforming Senate candidates in play for 2018 not only in Nevada, Arizona and Tennessee, but even a super marijuana reforming ally Beto Orourke into play for Ted Cruz’s Senate seat. (How in the Hell has Cruz not had a creepy sexual misconduct allegation yet?! He “liked” incest porn from his office laptop, threw his staff under the bus for it and all after threatening to incarcerate Texans for “touching one’s genitals inappropriately” as Texas Surgeon General).
The U.S. is on a powerful marijuana reforming revolution to take Congress next year… but only if WE join our local NORML chapters, continuously vet our candidates and contact our Congressman and get involved.
While the World Health Organization is actually studying the science of cannabis and finding it very safe with medical benefits, the Nazi-Like jerk known as Jeffrey Sessions is continuing to try rid the world of it.
See this for more:
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/heres-jeff-sessions-discussed-secret-anti-marijuana-activists/
I think the world needs to rid itself of Sessions and his Un-American compadres!
Sessions and his ilk are,imo, people who have no personal experience with weed, and are holding on to the mindset of those who still believe it’s a battle between “hippie commie fags”, and Nixon’s Silent Majority. Sessions may eventually be forced by facts and voter sentiment, but he’ll never willingly consent to de-scheduling, or admit to his own ignorance.
Sessions might get “forced” out by Trump just out of spite for recusing himself from the Russia investigations.
Sessions is NOT ignorant of the medicinal benefits of marijuana for reducing opioid addiction or treating seizures. It is precisely because he knows of its benefits that threaten his life investment in pharmaceutical companies like CVS or the makers of lethal prescriptions mislabeled for epilepsy like Depakote that make him such a rabid prohibitionist, and guilty of murder and treason against the national security interests of the American people.
Incidentally, if anyone is wondering what we in the marijuana legalization movement just gained in the Senate by the likes of Doug Jones, here it is;
https://www.google.com/amp/s/m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_5a0e39b6e4b023121e0e9130/amp
“Marijuana: Legalize and/or decriminalize marijuana?
Jones: Yes. Legalize medical marijuana and decriminalize recreational use.”
The Republican backed pedophile Roy Moore was a full prohibitionist, renouncing marijuana even as his son was busted with possession during the campaign.
I was very happy when Doug Jones won the Alabama election! The prohibitionist republicans be damned!
Doug Jones big win is a win for the entire country; at least those of us that believe in personal freedom and protecting the children from sexual predators…
The same World Health Organization– admittedly probably mostly a different department of it– 6-1/2 years ago on May 30, 2011 published an estimate that 6,000,000 poor pwffswckers die each year from “tobacco smoking related illness”, tending toward 8,000,000 per year by 2030 as more in India and China who got hooked as teens in the 70’s and 80’s die off in their 50’s and 60’s.
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Recent USA estimates 480,000 a year from “tobacco” (over 90% combustion monoxide overdose $IGGERETTE format), maybe 100,000 each for alcohol and pHARMa malfunction, near or over 50,000 for opioids, not to mention guns.
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So, @MarkM,you’re dead (oops) right about tobacckgo, but to clarify my view is the main problem is not the tobacckgo nor the cannabis but the faulty combustion $moking consumption method. I think NORML should prioretize this because of the known fact that some former nico$ig addicts can testify that cannabis (in some way that they know how to teach) helped them kick that most pernicious of human habits.
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1. Replace tobacco if possible with cannabis– or basil, chamomile, damiana, dandelion, eucalyptus etc. but if nicotine is retained,
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2. Substitute a Vaping method (temperature under 400F) for $moking
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3. Learn how to use (and make more of for other folks) a 25-mg-serving size flexdrawtube oneheater.
I’ve tried a toke or two of some high-CBD bud awhile back… I think it was called Red Dragon. And… nothing. No buzz. The bud looked and smelled awesome, but I didn’t feel a thing.
No doubt, I probably benefited from the CBD, but then again, I figure I get my minimum daily requirements of CBD from my allotments of indicas.
How ironic: this weed is mainly for kids.
Do not attempt to take it away from them!
Contradiction: “The bud looked and smelled awesome, but I didn’t feel a thing.” If it conveyed visual and smellitory information, it EDUCATED you (good!)– not to worry about “feel” (passivity-promotional code language for “fail” in Depressivist jargon– sitting and waiting for it to do something to you rather than you do something to it– perceive, interpret, react, pursue, achieve).
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Why not just rank both high-thc and low-thc cannabis in with pro-education herbs of many tastes and textures: alfalfa, basil, buchu, cannabis, chamomile, damiana, dandelion, eucalyptus, etc. Sift dry herb to 1/16th” particle size, SlowSmoooooothVapetoke 25mg in screened quarter-inch-diam. 1heater via flexdrawtube. See Wikiversity.org/Smoking-cessation/Alternative-Herbs, sign in, edit, improve, add suggestions.
I really need to find out how to get this and get off of pain pills, but don’t know where to look. Thank you.
Well don’t look at Sweet Leaf dispensaries in Denver; they got busted for “looping” too much weed to the same outta state clients and Denver Police shut damn near all their local dispensaries down just a few days ago. If you go to legal dispensaries, just buy what you need or what the law requires. (Too bad the Marino-Hatch bill doesn’t stop CVS or Walgreens from looping deadly opioids on us… what a sad hypocrisy our drug laws have become).
Anyhow Nancy, if you live in a non legal state or don’t qualify for medical, I recommend three words; “Non-violent Civil Disobedience.”
Check out Ministry of Hemp. They have reviews of some of the top CBD oil brands, and they ship nationwide.
You’re in the same boat as am I. Where I live we have MMJ. That being said recommending drs are few and far between, as are any dispensaries. Also the $250.00 is cost prohibitive. At the moment I take some strong opioids for my neck and back. My dr is not onboard with cannabis use.
Let’s test your critical thinking skills. It is time to play a Sesame Street game. Ready?
Which one of these things is not like the others?
A) opioids
B) tobacco
C) alcohol
D) cannabis
Answer: D.
Opioids, tobacco, and alcohol are each and all deadly dangerous. Each one of these drugs has taken hundreds of thousands of lives.
Cannabis has never killed a soul. Cannabis is perfectly safe for human consumption, and is very good for your health.
Therefore, cannabis is not like the others, and it does not belong with the others.
Was that really so hard? I don’t think so.
Marijuana prohibition is a lie. Those who promote it are frauds. They are corrupt. They are goddamn liars.
Are you shocked that I cussed on Sesame Street?Then you don’t grasp the full meaning of the word:”profanity.” You can call me Oscar the Grouch, if you like, but I will never, ever, ever stop calling “Bullshit” on marijuana prohibition.
By the way (to get a jump on commentor Mexweed, who I just know is listening): tobacco is the worst of all the drugs, and kills more people than all the other drugs combined. It’s not even close. Quit smoking cigarettes NOW! I promise, you won’t regret it.
Jeffrey Sessions would, no doubt, be quite stymied with this question since he sees no difference and seems to hate cannabis even more than any of the other options.
By the way, I find the Saturday Night Live skits hilarious the way they portray the Sessions character. They are really spot on!
Science doesn’t appear to be recognized by the current U.S. administration, sadly. Also, thanks for clearing up the legal status of CBD, I was actually under the impression that it may very well be legal and not under the same classification as the planet. Apparently and unfortunately, that’s not the case. Given the World Health Organization’s stance on the matter, one would think that the U.S. federal government would adopt policies reflective of their stance, which I assume is based in no small part on currently medical science. Unfortunately, as many of us have become all too well aware, this administration just doesn’t care for science and would rather suppress it than accept it when it contradicts their policies.
Would be nice to live in a more rational country that uses the available information to make informed decisions. One can wish!
Oops, meant to say same classification as the plant*, not “planet” (typo! lol).