The United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs has removed marijuana from its list of most dangerous drugs.
The agency made the decision on Tuesday through a voting process.
Marijuana which is also known as cannabis sativa is no longer a Schedule IV controlled substance, a category encompassing the most dangerous substances such as heroin.
UN stated that marijuana is now on a list of Schedule I drugs alongside cocaine, fentanyl, oxycodone and others.
Drugs in the Schedule I category which is a subgroup of Category I, require the highest international control levels.
The drugs are considered to be “highly addictive and highly liable for abuse,” but also “particularly harmful and of extremely limited medical or therapeutic value.”
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendation that was launched over two years ago to reclassify marijuana contributed to the UN's decision.
In the recommendation WHO argued that “the inclusion of cannabis and cannabis resin in Schedule IV is not consistent with the criteria for a drug to be placed in Schedule IV.”
The agency considered marijuana's benefits including reducing pain and nausea, in addition to easing symptoms of medical conditions such as anorexia, epilepsy and multiple sclerosis.
The committee cited its “limited robust scientific evidence on the therapeutic use of cannabis.”
Despite being illegal in many parts of the world, including Kenya, Cannabis Sativa is the world’s most popular drug and the highest value therapeutic crop known currently.
The cultivation, possession and use of marijuana or Cannabis Sativa are a criminal offence under the Penal Code in Kenya because it is considered a narcotic.
Even though the drug is widely used or abused by many people locally in the country, if convicted the user can be jailed for between 10 and 20 years.
Through research, scientists have hailed marijuana's medicinal value with findings indicating that it is effective in fighting chronic pain, some cancers, glaucoma, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and depression among others conditions.
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