Geneva, 7th June 2018.
On the year of its 70th birthday, the World Health Organization (WHO) is finally taking steps to repair an injustice that it co-created: the affirmation that Cannabis had no medical value, based on biased scientific processes, as a ground for global prohibition of traditional and recreational uses of Cannabis, as well as severe restrictions to medical access and research.
This week in Geneva, for the first time ever, the WHO drugs committee has heard the voices of doctors, patients, and researchers, and has started to analyze and weigh the harms and benefits of Cannabis for health neutrally. Their conclusions are likely to change international law and impact home policies globally.
The NGO FAAAT think & do tank has been working to facilitate and broaden the interactions, dialogue, and inputs between WHO, civil society, and governments. For this event, we coordinated a Joint Civil Society Statement to the Experts[1] endorsed by 106 NGOs from 35 countries in all continents. Among them are organizations of scientists, doctors, human rights, affected populations, patients, students, users or addiction professionals.
This contribution criticizes the numerous bias found in the preparatory process and the documentation of the 40th Expert Committee on Drug Dependence (ECDD) meeting.
106 organizations have endorsed the statement, from Afghanistan, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, El Salvador, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, Santa Lucia, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Trinidad and Tobago, the United Kingdom, Uruguay, United States of America and Zimbabwe. The full list is visible unfolding the box below:
List of the 106 Civil Society Organizations endorsing the Joint Contribution to ECDD40: Procedural, methodological and terminological bias.
Country | Name of the organization | Short name | |
The Netherlands |
Alliance for the Abolition of Cannabis Prohibition | Verbond voor Opheffing van het Cannabisverbod | VOC |
USA |
Americans for Safe Access | ASA | |
Belgique |
Anti-prohibitionist Liason | Liaison Antiprohibitionniste | |
Spain |
Aragon Federation of Cannabis Users Associations | Federación de Asociaciones Cannabicas de Aragón | ARAFAC |
Argentina |
Argentinian Cannabis Organizations Front | Frente de Organizaciones Cannábicas Argentinas | FOCA |
Argentina |
Asociación Cañamera Manuel Belgrano | ||
Argentina |
Asociación Civil Cannabicultores de la Cordillera Chubutense | ACCC | |
Argentina |
Asociación Civil Cogollos del Oeste | ||
Argentina |
Asociación Civil Rosarina de Estudios Culturales | ||
Argentina |
Asociación Cultural Jardín del Unicornio | ||
Argentina |
Asociación Edith Moreno Cogollos Cordoba | ||
Paraguay |
Association of Victims of State Crimes | Asociacion de Victimas de Crimenes de Estado | |
Australia |
Australian Medical Cannabis Council | ||
Austria |
Austrian Cannabis Network | ||
Spain |
Basque country Federation of Cannabis Users Associations | Federación de Asociaciones Cannabicas de Euskadi | EUSFAC |
UK |
Beckley Foundation | ||
Bolivia |
Bolivian Students for Sensible Drug Policies | Estudiantes por una Política Sensata de Drogas Bolivia | EPSD Bolivia |
Canada |
Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy | CSSDP | |
Argentina |
Cannabis and health | Cannabis y Salud | |
Italy |
Cannabis Impatient Patiens | Pazienti impazienti Cannabis | PIC |
Austria |
Cannabis In Action TV | CIA-TV | |
Czech republic |
Cannabis War is Over campaign | ||
France |
Cannabis Without Borders | Cannabis Sans Frontières | CSF |
Trinidad and Tobago |
Caribbean Collective for Justice | CCJ | |
Santa Lucia |
Caribbean Drug & Alcohol Research Institute | ||
Afghanistan |
Center of Excellence in Harm Reduction and Dependency | ||
Argentina |
Civil Association for the study of natural therapies against epilepsy and associated pathologies HYGIA | HYGIA Asociación Civil para el estudio de terapias naturales contra la epilepsia y patologías asociadas | |
Colombia |
Colombian Cannabis Entrepreneurs Network | Red de Emprendedores Cannabicos de Colombia | RECC |
Costa Rica |
Costa Rican Association on Drug Studies and Interventions | Asociación Costarricense de Estudios e Intervención en Drogas | ACEID |
USA |
Criminal Justice Policy Foundation | CJPF | |
Argentina |
Cultivando Con Ciencia | ||
Argentina |
Cultivo en familia | ||
Germany |
Die Linke party - Drug policies section | LAG Drogenpolitik NDS von die linke | |
Spain |
Dosemociones | ||
USA |
DRCNet Foundation | DRCnet | |
UK |
DrugScience | ||
France |
ECHO Citoyen | ||
Jamaica |
Ethio-Afro Diaspora Unity Millennium Council | EADUMC | |
Belgium |
European Coalition for just and effective drug policies | ENCOD | |
International |
European Industrial Hemp Association | EIHA | |
El Salvador |
Evangelical Protestant Church of El Salvador | Iglesia Evangélica Protestante de El Salvador | IEPES |
Spain |
Federation of Cannabis Users Associations | Federación de Asociaciones Cannabicas | FAC |
South Africa |
Fields of Green for All | ||
International |
For Alternative Approaches to Addiction, think & do tank | FAAAT think & do tank | |
USA |
Foundation of Cannabis Unified Standards | FOCUS | |
France |
French-speaking Union for Cannabinoid Medicines | Union Francophone pour les Cannabinoïdes en Médecine | UFCM-Icare |
Spain |
Fundación Renovatio | ||
Germany |
Green Help Network | Grüne Hilfe Netzwerk | |
Germany |
Hanfparade | ||
USA |
Help Not Handcuffs | ||
Ireland |
Help Not Harm | ||
USA |
Hemp Industries Association | HIA | |
Austria |
Hemp Institute | Hanf Institute | |
Germany |
Hemp Museum | Hanf Museum | |
Paraguay |
Human Rights Program "Dreamt Patry" | Programa DD.HH "Patria Soñada" | |
Hungary |
Hungarian Medical Cannabis Association | Magyar Orvosi Kannabisz Egyesület | |
Greece |
Iliosporoi Network | ηλιοσπορος | |
International |
International Center for Ethnobotanical Education, Research and Service | ICEERS | |
International |
International Medical Cannabis Patients Coalition | IMCPC | |
Israel |
Israeli Green Leaf Party | Ale Yarok | |
Greece |
Kannabio social hemp cooperative | Kanabio Κοινωνικη Συνεταιριστικη Επιχειρηση | |
Germany |
Knowmad Institute | ||
Czech republic |
KOPAC Patient Organization for Cannabis Medicines | Pacientský Spolek pro Léčbu Konopím | KOPAC |
El Salvador |
La María Guanaca | ||
Chile |
Latino America Reforma | ||
Czech republic |
Legalizače | ||
The Netherlands |
Legalize | ||
Austria |
Legalize Europe | ||
Afghanistan |
Madawa Addiction and Health Care Organisation | ||
Paraguay |
Mamá Cultiva | ||
Argentina |
Mama Cultiva Asociación Civil | ||
Colombia |
MamaCoca | ||
Argentina |
Medical Cannabis Users Association of Argentina | Asociación Para Usuarios de Cannabis Medicinal | APUCaM |
Mexico |
Mexican Students for Sensible Drug Policies | Estudiantes por una Política Sensata de Drogas Mexico | EPSD Mexico |
USA |
Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies | MAPS | |
Peru |
Museum of Sacred, Magical and Medicinal Plants | Museo de Plantas Sagradas, Magicas y Medicinales | |
Uruguay |
National Cannabicultors Federation | Federación Nacional de Cannabicultores | |
France |
National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws France | NORML France | |
Argentina |
Necochea | ||
USA |
Patients Out of Time | POT | |
France |
People Who Use Drugs' Selfsupport Organization | Auto Support des Usager.e.s de Drogues | ASUD |
Portugal |
Piaget Agency for Development | Agência Piaget para o Desenvolvimento | APDES |
Argentina |
Plantemos Libres | ||
Mexico |
Por Grace Asociación Civil | ||
Chile |
Psiconautas | ||
Argentina |
Revista Haze | ||
Switzerland |
Romand Group for Addiction Studies | Groupement Romand d'Étude des Addictions | GREA |
Bolivia |
Seed Action | Acción Semilla | |
Argentina |
Solidary Growers Argentina | Cultivadores Solidarios Argentina | |
Argentina |
Solidary Growers of Argentina | Cultivadores Solidarios Argentina | |
Spain |
Spain Responsible Regulation platform | Regulación Responsable España | |
Spain |
Spanish Observatory for Medicinal Cannabis | Observatorio Español del Cannabis Medicinal | OECM |
International |
Students for Sensible Drug Policy | SSDP | |
Ireland |
Students for Sensible Drug Policy Ireland | SSDP Ireland | |
Switzerland |
Swiss Safe Access for Cannabinoids | SSAC | |
France |
Themis Collective | Collectif Thémis | |
Uruguay |
Union of Cannabis Oils and Creams Producers | Unión de Productores de Aceites y Cremas de Cannabis | UPACC |
Argentina |
United Cannabis Entrepreneurs of Argentina | Emprendedores Cannábicos Unidos de Argentina | ECUA |
UK |
Users’ Voice | ||
USA |
Veterans Ending The Stigma | VETS | |
USA |
Veterans for Medical Cannabis Access | VMCA | |
Argentina |
Veterinary Medical Cannabis | Cannabis Medical Veterinario | CANNVET |
USA |
Virginians Against Drug Violence | ||
Argentina |
Women and Cannabis | Mujeres y Cannabis | MyCA |
Zimbabwe |
Zimbabwe Civil Liberties & Drug Network |
Beyond those regrettable bias, the ECDD Experts were given a broad and complete overview of the challenges, threats or human rights violations provoked by the current regulatory framework surrounding Cannabis.
Among the stakeholders present at the Monday hearing[2], all pointed out the barriers to access for therapeutical purposes or the disproportionate impact of criminal justice measures that derivates from the current Scheduling, particularly over minorities and women.
However, series of technical issues made difficult a real concentration of the Experts on some statements, betraying the known heaviness of the “Organization” and its difficulties in preparing an event of such historical importance.
Some history.
In the 1950’s, with irrelevant, partial, and biased data, the WHO gave the green light to the inclusion of Cannabis in the strictest United Nations’ drug control Schedules[3]. These Schedules classify Cannabis and its derivatives as “particularly liable to abuse and to provide ill effects” and with “no or very few therapeutic effects.”
But a real formal scientific review of Cannabis has never been done – although the WHO, by mandate, has been responsible since the 1960’s for undertaking risk assessments of all drugs that have dependence or abuse potential[4], and furthermore mandated since the 2000’s for updating its reviews every 20 years.
These assessments are carried out utilizing a thorough review of all relevant existing data about the drug under consideration, including state of the art scientific evidence, but also field data, pre-clinical research, and even documented patients experiences. In charge of these assessments are the WHO’s independent ECDD Experts[5], who issue recommendations on whether the drug (plant or substance) under review should be placed under international control or not, and which should be the appropriate Schedule to recommend[1].
Until two years ago, the WHO has been stifling attempts of the ECDD to review Cannabis, thus maintaining the prohibitionist status-quo and the absence of recognition of the medicinal applications of Cannabis and cannabinoids internationally. Every time they were bounded to bring Cannabis on the agenda, WHO officials placed it under the “update” agenda item – the lowest possible level of debate, not leading to any assessment, and without policy implication. Worse yet, the content of these updates was subject to strong criticism from part of civil society[6].
In 2016, after considerable effort from members of the scientific community, governments, and organized civil society, the WHO finally decided to launch the process of reviewing Cannabis. In November 2017, the Committee met to discuss various issues, several harmful new psychoactive substances, but also Pre-reviewed Cannabidiol (CBD) as a first step (Pre-review[4]) in the complex issue of Cannabis and its derivatives. The Committee arrived at the preliminary conclusions that CBD is a particularly safe substance with promising therapeutic applications and that “current information does not […] justify scheduling of the substance.”
Last year in November, FAAAT had joined efforts with the European Industrial Hemp Association (EIHA)[7] to present a statement on this occasion.
This week, at last, the WHO convened a special 40th meeting of its Expert Committee[8] entirely dedicated to Cannabis, for the first time. While the Committee addressed the final part of the process for CBD (Critical review[4]), they just begun with the most funny part, undertaking the preliminary Pre-review process for “Cannabis“, “Cannabis resin”, “Cannabis extracts”, “tinctures of Cannabis“, “∂-9-THC” and “Isomers of THC”.
The 4 days meeting began Monday 4th June, with an afternoon of hearing testimony from MDs, patients, and researchers, and ended today. Other international institutions known for their critical views over medicinal Cannabis such as the INCB (International Narcotics Control Board) were present[9]. The outcome of their work will not be known for several weeks, and formally presented to all the countries of the United Nations during December’s reconvened session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs[10].
To the exception of CBD, and unless a last minute dramatic switch happens (common for the WHO system), the process is expected to continue forward to a Critical review that could very well turn into a change of scheduling under the drug control Conventions, for Cannabis and (or) its derivatives[11].
FAAAT think & do tank (a non-profit NGO only funded with your finantial support) will continue following the issue and pushing the WHO towards the most robust, credible and evidence-based standards concerning Cannabis policies, starting this Saturday 10th with a discussion with officials of the WHO ECDD Secretariat, in Geneva[12]. And of course, all information will continue to be updated on www.faaat.net/cannabis
- [1] Joint Civil Society Statement: faaat.net/publications
- [2] Pictures of some stakeholders present: twitter.com/FAAATnet/status/1003704862960472064
- [3] Schedules of the drug control conventions: faaat.net/think-tank-en/crimson-paper-1
- [4] The ECDD review process explained: faaat.net/think-tank-en/crimson-paper-3
- [5] The ECDD explained: faaat.net/think-tank-en/crimson-paper-2
- [6] Michael Krawitz, International Prohibition, the Next Battleground: https://cannabisnow.com/international-prohibition-the-next-battleground/
- [7] EIHA-FAAAT Press release for the 39th ECDD: eiha.org/media/2017/12/17-12-15-EIHA-FAAAT-PRESS-COMMUNICATE-WHO-ECDD-CBD-OUTCOME.pdf
- [8] WHO website, Fortieth meeting of the Expert Committee on Drug Dependence:
- who.int/medicines/access/controlled-substances/ecdd_40_meeting/en
- [9] INCB, Press communiqué: incb.org/incb/en/news/news_2018/incb-participates-in-the-40th-meeting-of-the-who-expert-committee-on-drug-dependence.html
- [10] Commission on Narcotic Drugs, Meetings of the current year:.unodc.org/unodc/en/commissions/CND/CND_Meetings-Current-Year.html
- [11] The webportal of FAAAT think & do tank: faaat.net/cannabis
- [12] Journée Société civile & politiques du cannabis: www.cannareg.ch