UN Concessions on Cannabis Are a Far Cry From Any Real Change

Earlier this week the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs approved, by a slim margin, a change to the classification of cannabis under the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs. Still remaining under the strict regime of the Convention, this change removes the label of a particularly dangerous drug from cannabis and cannabis-related products in the eyes of the UN. Although in the context of how UN Commissions tend to operate this change can be considered fairly significant, it is a far cry from any meaningful reform in the area of drug prohibition legislation.