The decision adopted last December by the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs has allowed a change in the classification of cannabis in the Single International Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961, leaving countries free national interpretation to recognize and judge the therapeutic value of this substance, said Dr. Tinasti in an interview with MAP.

Cannabis was listed in two schedules of the 1961 Convention, namely schedule 1 which imposes strict controls to avoid detour to the illegal market, and schedule 4 stipulating that this substance has no therapeutic value just like other substances, he recalled.

From now on, this is no longer the case since the new decision of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs of the United Nations has removed cannabis from Schedule 4, leaving it up to countries to decide on the medical use of this substance, he explained, noting that this new deal "does not change the fact that it is still in Schedule 1 that the controls will always be very important, as for highly addictive substances".

"What Morocco is doing is therefore fully consistent with international law in controlling the use of psychoactive substances, and their ingredients such as THC," he said, noting that its marketing "will be strictly controlled under a medical system and not a simple sale or recreational use as is the case in some American States”.