The move is even more important when you consider that cannabis was placed into Schedule IV without ever having been subject to any scientific assessment. Schedule IV for cannabis is a relic of the most extreme international drug laws inherited from 1950s morals and is representative of long discredited value systems connected to racism, intolerance, disrespect for indigenous peoples and cultures that were the hallmark of the colonial age.

The WHO has the sole responsibility in the treaty to issue these recommendations: today’s vote by governments gathered at the UN was required to pass them into international law. The removal from Schedule IV is, therefore, phenomenal news for millions of patients around the world and a historical victory of science over politics.^[2][3]

In addition to the removal from Schedule IV, beyond our expectations, WHO proposed an ambitious plan to harmonize and embed flexibility into the treaty framework for the access and availability of cannabis medicines. WHO endeavoured to create space for governments to adjust their national policies to fit their needs.