Photo: Светлана Зайцева (Getty Images)
More and more, cannabis is being accepted as a regular part of society. Around the world, the plant is used for more than just getting high, providing an alternative to pain pills and other medications. Now the World Health Organization is recognizing all the benefits and taking a pro-plant stand.
The WHO is making a call for marijuana and its components to be reclassified under international treaties. This will remove the plant and cannabis resin from Schedule IV, which was signed officially in a drug convention way back in 1961.
Looking out for those in need: Cannabis Company Offered Free Weed To Federal Workers During Shutdown
Schedule IV is a category of drugs, substances, or chemicals that are defined as ones with low potential for abuse and low risk of dependence, according to the DEA website. Drugs like Xanax, Ambien, and Tramadol are in that category — weed probably doesn’t belong there.
The WHO is also calling for delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, to be removed from a 1970 treaty. As reform like this becomes more popular, it seems it’s only a matter of time before cannabis is more universally accepted than demonized by people who call it something lame like “the devil’s lettuce.”
Let’s throw a few back: New THC-Infused Beer Coming to Weed Dispensaries in Maryland
The United States has made long strides in cannabis reform with several states legalizing casual use in recent years. Some countries, like Russia, refuse to get with the program. Maybe if they took a toke of some they’d realize it’s not so bad and we’d all just hang out and be cool with each other.
