Feds Want Input On Marijuana Reclassification

The day has finally come that the United States federal government is asking it's citizens for input on whether or not cannabis should be reclassified under the international drug control treaties. The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) is launching the first review of the international classication of marijuana since it was deemed Schedule 1 back in 1961. This is big news since this may be the first time the federal government has ever considered modern science and research on cannabis. The WHO sets the standard drug policy for countries involved in their drug control treaties, meaning if this review leads to a rescheduling it could effect many countries allover the world. The WHO Expert Committee on Drug Dependence will be in charge of addressing the classification of cannabis in June which will be followed by further analysis through the UN secretary-general.

But now, the United Nations World Health Organization is set to launch a review of the current international classification of marijuana, THC, cannabidiol and other related compounds and preparations, and it wants input from member nations. In turn, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is asking "interested persons" to submit comments that can inform the country's position on the issue before it weighs in with the UN.

Specifically, FDA is inviting input on the "abuse potential, actual abuse, medical usefulness, trafficking and impact of scheduling changes on availability for medical use of" cannabis and its compounds, the agency wrote in a Federal Register notice scheduled to be published on Monday.