UN agency warns countries against abuse of marijuana intended only for medical use

By Roy Mabasa

The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) of the United Nations on Wednesday urged governments around the world who have allowed the medical use of cannabis in their respective countries to ensure that the programs are not used to “de facto legalize” cannabis for non-medical use.

(PIXABAY / MANILA BULLETIN)

In its 2018 report, the INCB also called on governments to “limit the indications for medical use to those for which there is evidence of efficacy, restrict use to medicinal cannabinoids, and monitor the prescription and use of cannabinoids to minimize their diversion and abuse.”

On January 29, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved House Bill 6517 or the Act Providing Compassionate and Right of Access to Medical Cannabis and Expanding Research into its Medicinal Properties and for Other Purposes.

HB 6517 would make it legal to use marijuana to benefit patients suffering from debilitating medical conditions.

The bill defines this as any disease causing wasting syndrome, severe and chronic pain, severe nausea, seizures including those characteristics of epilepsy, or severe and persistent muscle spasms.

Prior to the bill’s approval, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said President Rodrigo Duterte has already made his stand on several instances favoring the legalization of medical marijuana.

“Since the President already made a statement that he’s in favor of limited use of marijuana… logically, then he will support… and sign any bill that would be consistent with his stand,” Panelo said press briefing in December last year.

The INCB noted in its report that programs of medical use of cannabinoids in Canada and some states in the United States are “poorly regulated.”

“Those programs are inconsistent with the international drug control treaties in failing to control cannabis production and supply. They fail to ensure that good-quality medicines are provided under medical supervision and they enable cannabis and its derivatives to be diverted to non-medical use,” the INCB said.

The INCB also concluded that “medical cannabis” programs may also have been used by advocates of the legalization of cannabis use to facilitate the legalization of non-medical cannabis use, which is contrary to the international drug control treaties.

“Such programs have used very broad definitions of ‘medical use’ and allowed commercial businesses to supply illicitly produced cannabis,” it said.

The INCB pointed out that in the United States, “those programs also appear to have reduced public perceptions of the risks of using cannabis and have weakened public concern about cannabis legalization.”

“Governments that allow the medicinal use of cannabinoids (compounds found in the Cannabis sativa plant) should monitor and evaluate the effects of the programs. Such monitoring should include collecting data on the number of patients who use cannabinoids, the medical conditions for which they use them, patient and clinician assessments of their benefits, and rates of adverse events.

Governments should also monitor the extent of diversion of cannabinoids to non-medical use, and in particular their diversion for use by minors,” the INCB added.

Similarly, the Vienna-based INCB recommended that States comply with the international treaty requirements that are designed to prevent diversion to non-medical use.

“The treaties require that States license and control cannabis production for medical use, provide estimates of the national requirements for cannabis for medical purposes and ensure that medicinal cannabinoids are used in accordance with evidence on their safety and effectiveness and under medical supervision,” it said.

In addition, the INCB explained that while evidence suggests that cannabinoids can relieve symptoms of some medical illnesses, it does not, however, justify the “medical use” of cannabis by smoking.

“Smoking a crude plant product is not a safe or reliable way to obtain standardized doses of cannabinoids,” the UN-backed agency said.

The INCB, an independent and quasi-judicial control organ for the implementation of the UN drug conventions, is also tasked to monitor enforcement of restrictions on narcotics and in deciding which precursors should be regulated.