Although the World Health Organization released a report over the summer saying that marijuana is a “relatively safe drug” that brings about no significant issues, the agency’s leader, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, remains skeptical about legalizing the herb for recreational use. However, he continues to be open-minded when it comes to patients using cannabis for its therapeutic benefits.
In a recent interview with AFP, Ghebreyesus said that “we believe that people who need it, especially for pain management, should have it. There should be access.” Yet, considering that “any addictive substance is not good for human health, we wouldn’t encourage countries to follow those who are actually… legalizing it.”
The WHO chief’s comments are a bit confusing considering that the agency’s Drug and Dependence Committee said just months ago that the only adverse reactions people can expect when using marijuana are “euphoria, laughter and talkativeness.”
The report went on to explain that not only is cannabis “safe” but also “it is not associated with acute fatal overdoses.” The overall message behind the review is that marijuana does not belong in the Schedule I dangerous drug classification. Yet, the agency has not yet made that recommendation.
The legalization of marijuana is catching on across the globe. Both Uruguay and Canada have legalized the leaf nationwide for adult consumption, as have nine American states — a number which could easily reach 11 by the time the midterm election plays out. Mexico’s new presidential administration is expected to usher in a similar concept once it takes over in December.
Perhaps more importantly, there is speculation that the United States government will go to work in the coming months to end marijuana prohibition at the national level – this is especially true if the Democrats win back the U.S. House. So, it is conceivable that the issue of allowing marijuana to be handled like alcohol and tobacco will be a hot topic of discussion in 2019.
Interestingly, the Trump administration recently called for public input on the cannabis plant and the policies that surround it. The overall goal was to include these comments in an official statement that will go to help WHO “consider whether to recommend that certain international restrictions be placed on these drugs.” More than 20,000 people provided the federal government with their opinions on this issue. WHO is expected to offer testimony next year as to whether the cannabis plant requires consistent Schedule I restrictions as outlined under the International drug treaties.
Considering the details of the WHO’s latest findings, Ghebreyesus’ primary concern with recreational pot use is smoking. The agency has determined that this specific delivery method is really the only variable in cannabis consumption that poses a threat to a person’s respiratory health. But “When novel drug delivery modes other than smoking become more widely available (e.g. vaporization, sublingual or oral administration), associations between cannabis use and cardiovascular events may become less pronounced, or even absent,” the report reads.
