The Transnational Institute delivered a statement after CND Member States voted on all the WHO's recommendations. A longer version of the statement can be found here.
The cannabis review also underscores the profound disconnect between decision-making in international bodies and the growing momentum for drug policy reform across the world. More than 50 countries worldwide have adopted medicinal cannabis programmes, while Uruguay, Canada, Mexico, Luxembourg, 15 US states and several other jurisdictions have moved, or are moving to, legally regulate cannabis for non-medical use. By resisting evidence and change, the international drug control system runs the risk of becoming increasingly isolated and irrelevant.
“We welcome the long overdue recognition that cannabis is a medicine. However, this reform alone is far from adequate given that cannabis remains incorrectly scheduled at the international level. The original decision to prohibit cannabis lacked scientific basis and was rooted in colonial prejudice and racism. It disregarded the rights and traditions of communities that have been growing and using cannabis for medicinal, therapeutic, religious, and cultural purposes for centuries and has led to millions being criminalised and incarcerated across the globe. The review process has been a missed opportunity to correct that historical error”, said Ann Fordham, Executive Director of the International Drug Policy Consortium.