FDA To Re-Open Public Comments On Descheduling Cannabis Under International Treaty

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a notice Wednesday that it will give people more chances to comment on the question of dropping cannabis from the most restricted class of drugs for the purposes of international treaties.

An unpublished notice was filed Wednesday by the FDA in the Federal Register indicating it will officially open comments on the issue on Thursday. The public will then have 30 days to submit comments electronically or by mail on the question of “rescheduling” cannabis.

Cannabis currently is in the category of the most controlled substances under a 1961 international treaty, deemed to be more dangerous than any therapeutic benefits are worth.

See Also: DEA To Allow More Research Licenses For US Cannabis Growers

While there are skeptics, much of the medical community in recent years has come to think of cannabis as having legitimate medical uses, potentially significant ones.

Rescheduling the drug under international treaties wouldn’t make cannabis immediately legal in the United States, where it remains federally prohibited, even though it’s legal in certain states. But it would be considered a step toward further government acceptance of its medical potential.

The FDA move is in response to an ongoing review of the drug classification system by the United Nations. The UN’s World Health Organization has recommended rescheduling cannabis.

Click here for more information about the upcoming Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference Oct. 22-23 in Chicago.