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FACT BRIEF

Did the UN vote to classify cannabis as a ‘medicine’?

By Victoria Eavis
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NO

The U.N. Commission on Narcotic Drugs voted on December 2, 2020, to remove cannabis from the strictest drug-control list, Schedule IV of the 1961 Convention on Narcotic Drugs, where it had been listed alongside dangerous, addictive drugs with little to no therapeutic value, such as heroin.

This reclassification does not certify cannabis as a "medicine," contrary to claims in some social media posts.

The drug will remain on Schedule I, which includes drugs that carry a risk for abuse, but have notable potential for therapeutic uses.

See a full discussion of this at Lead Stories
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
United Nations UN commission reclassifies cannabis, yet still considered harmful
UN Office on Drugs and Crime Final act of the UN conference for the adoption of a single convention
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Lead Stories
Lead Stories is a fact checking and debunking website at the intersection of big data and journalism that launched in 2015. It scouts for trending stories, images, videos and posts that contain false information in order to fact check them as quickly as possible. It actively monitors the fake-news ecosystem and doesn’t wait for reader tips or reports before getting started on a story.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.