World Health Organization gives CBD initial boost, plans to look at cannabis overall

, World Health Organization gives CBD initial boost, plans to look at cannabis overall

Cannabis got a big boost from international health authorities Wednesday when the UN’s World Health Organization said that CBD should not be scheduled as a controlled substance, an initial finding that comes about a month after the agency reviewed cannabidiol therapies.

The WHO also said that it wants to take a closer look at cannabis overall. And it scheduled a May review of “cannabis and cannabis related substances.”

Recommendations from the WHO, an agency of the United Nations, don’t carry the force of law. But they are important guideposts for health authorities worldwide, and the agency’s evaluation of new drug therapies carry big consequences for drug makers and patients.

The WHO’s initial decision on CBD said that the drug “is not likely to be abused or create dependence” and has “some therapeutic value for seizures due to epilepsy and related conditions.”

The WHO postponed a final decision on CBD until the “Special Session on Cannabis” by its Expert Committee on Drug Dependence in May.