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The observer for WHO recalled that, at its fortieth meeting, the Expert Committee had considered a critical review of cannabidiol and had recommended that preparations considered to be pure cannabidiol should not be scheduled within the international drug control conventions. (...) Cannabidiol had been shown to be effective in the management of certain treatment-resistant, childhood-onset epilepsy disorders. It had been approved for that use in the United States and the European Union. Cannabidiol could be chemically synthesized or prepared from the cannabis plant.

In addition, the Commission will have before it for consideration a recommendation by WHO that preparations considered to be pure cannabidiol should __________________ * E/CN.7/2019/1. (...) E/CN.7/2019/12 V.19-00596 6/15 Annex I Extract of the notification dated 23 July 2018 from the Director-General of the World Health Organization to the Secretary-General containing a recommendation on cannabidiol, including the relevant extract from the report on the fortieth meeting of the Expert Committee on Drug Dependence With reference to article 3, paragraphs 1 and 3, of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961 as amended by the 1972 Protocol, I am pleased to submit the recommendations of the Expert Committee on Drug Dependence at its fortieth meeting, as follows: Cannabidiol The Committee recommended that preparations considered to be pure cannabidiol (CBD) should not be scheduled under the international drug control conventions. (...) Extract from the report on the fortieth meeting of the Expert Committee on Drug Dependence Cannabidiol CBD is one of the naturally occurring cannabinoids found in cannabis plants.

The Commission further decided not to add a footnote to the entry for cannabis and cannabis resin in Schedule I of the 1961 Convention as amended to read “Preparations containing predominantly cannabidiol and not more than 0.2 per cent of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol are not under international control”. (...) Furthermore, if recommendation 5.2.1, to add dronabinol and its stereoisomers (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) to Schedule I of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961 as amended by the 1972 Protocol,10 is rejected, recommendation 5.6, to add certain preparations containing dronabinol to Schedule III of the 1961 Convention as amended, will be deemed to be rejected; (iv) Given the time limitations of the online interpretation platforms, States members of the Commission will be provided with an opportunity to make statements in explanation of vote immediately after the completion of votes o n all recommendations, to be followed by statements by other Member States and stakeholders. __________________ 2 To delete cannabis and cannabis resin from Schedule IV of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961 as amended by the 1972 Protocol. 3 To add dronabinol and its stereoisomers (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) to Schedule I of the 1961 Convention as amended. 4 To delete dronabinol and its stereoisomers (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) from Schedule II of the Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971, subject to the adoption by the Commission on Narcotic Drugs of the recommendation to add dronabinol and its stereoisomers (delta-9- tetrahydrocannabinol) to Schedule I of the 1961 Convention as amended. 5 To add tetrahydrocannabinol (isomers of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) to Schedule I of the 1961 Convention as amended, subject to the adoption by the Commission on Narcotic Drugs of the recommendation to add dronabinol and its stereoisomers (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) to Schedule I of the 1961 Convention as amended. 6 To delete tetrahydrocannabinol (isomers of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) from Schedule I of the 1971 Convention, subject to the adoption by the Commission on Narcotic Drugs of the recommendation to add tetrahydrocannabinol to Schedule I of the 1961 Convention as amended. 7 To delete extracts and tinctures of cannabis from Schedule I of the 1961 Convention as amended. 8 To give effect to the recommendation of the fortieth meeting of the Expert Committee on Drug Dependence that preparations considered to be pure cannabidiol (CBD) should not be scheduled within the international drug control conventions, by adding a footnote to the entry for cannabis and cannabis resin in Schedule I of the 1961 Convention as amended to read “Preparations containing predominantly cannabidiol and not more than 0.2 per cent of delta-9- tetrahydrocannabinol are not under international control”. 9 To add preparations containing delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (dronabinol), produced either by chemical synthesis or as preparations of cannabis, that are compounded as pharmaceutical preparations with one or more other ingredients and in such a way that delta-9- tetrahydrocannabinol (dronabinol) cannot be recovered by readily available means or in a yield that would constitute a risk to public health to Schedule III of the 1961 Convention as amended. 10 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 976, No. 14152. (...) Decision 63/20 Consideration of a proposal from the World Health Organization to add a footnote to the entry for cannabis and cannabis resin in Schedule I of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961 as amended by the 1972 Protocol to read “Preparations containing predominantly cannabidiol and not more than 0.2 per cent of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol are not under international control” At its 1st meeting, on 2 December 2020, the Commission on Narcotic Drugs decided by a roll-call vote of 6 votes to 43, with 4 abstentions, not to add a footnote to the entry for cannabis and cannabis resin in Schedule I of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961 as amended by the 1972 Protocol 14 to read “Preparations containing predominantly cannabidiol and not more than 0.2 per cent of delta-9- tetrahydrocannabinol are not under international control”.

E/CN.7/2020/14 7/12 V.20-00034 Annex I Extract of the notification dated 24 January 2019 from the Director-General of the World Health Organization to the Secretary-General on cannabis and cannabis-related substances, containing scheduling recommendations on substances controlled under the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961 as amended by the 1972 Protocol, and the Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971, including the relevant extract from the report on the forty-first meeting of the Expert Committee on Drug Dependence With reference to article 3, paragraphs 1, 3, 5 and 6, of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961 as amended by the 1972 Protocol, and article 2, paragraphs 1, 4 and 6, of the Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971, I am pleased to submit recommendations of the Expert Committee on Drug Dependence at its forty-first meeting regarding the review of cannabis and cannabis-related substances, as follows: Cannabis and cannabis-related substances Cannabis and cannabis resin • To be deleted from Schedule IV of the 1961 Convention Dronabinol (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) • To be added to Schedule I of the 1961 Convention • To be deleted from Schedule II of the 1971 Convention, subject to the adoption by the Commission on Narcotic Drugs of the recommendation to add dronabinol and its stereoisomers (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) to Schedule I of the 1961 Convention Tetrahydrocannabinol (isomers of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) • To be added to Schedule I of the 1961 Convention, subject to the adoption by the Commission of the recommendation to add dronabinol and its stereoisomers (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) to Schedule I of the 1961 Convention • To be deleted from Schedule I of the 1971 Convention, subject to the adoption by the Commission of the recommendation to add tetrahydrocannabinol to Schedule I of the 1961 Convention Extracts and tinctures • To be deleted from Schedule I of the 1961 Convention Cannabidiol preparations • To give effect to the recommendation of the Expert Committee on Drug Dependence at its fortieth meeting that preparations considered to be pure cannabidiol (CBD) should not be scheduled within the international drug control conventions, by adding a footnote to the entry for cannabis and cannabis resin in Schedule I of the 1961 Convention to read “Preparations containing predominantly cannabidiol and not more than 0.2 per cent of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol are not under international control.” (...) Accordingly: Recommendation 5.4: The Committee recommended deleting extracts and tinctures of cannabis from Schedule I of the 1961 Convention. 5.5 Cannabidiol preparations At its fortieth meeting, the Expert Committee on Drug Dependence considered a critical review of CBD and recommended that preparations considered to be pure CBD should not be scheduled within the international drug control conventions. (...) In keeping with the recommendation that preparations considered pure CBD not be controlled, and recognizing that trace levels of Δ9-THC may be found in such preparations, such as the concentration of 0.15 per cent in Epidiolex, while acknowledging that chemical analysis of Δ9-THC to an accuracy of 0.15 per cent may be difficult for some Member States: Recommendation 5.5: The Committee recommended that a footnote be added to Schedule I of the 1961 Convention to read “Preparations containing predominantly cannabidiol and not more than 0.2 per cent of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol are not under international control.”

Substances recommended for critical review Preparations containing almost exclusively cannabidiol (CBD) Chemically, cannabidiol (CBD) is (1’R,2’R)-5’-Methyl-4-pentyl-2’-(prop-1-en-2-yl)- 1’,2’,3’,4’-tetrahydro-[1,1’-biphenyl]-2,6-diol. Cannabidiol is normally taken to refer to the naturally occurring (-)- enantiomer. Cannabidiol has not been previously pre-reviewed or critically reviewed by the Expert Committee on Drug Dependence.

:aline Beam test is due to cannabidiol and closely related compounds of similar str ucture . (...) (7) "Structure of Cannabidiol, a prod,..tct isolated f rom the Marihuana E::tract of fiiinne seta v! (...) er ientia 2, 55-60 (1946). (12) "Cannabidiol anq Cennabol, .constituents of -Cannabis indica resin."

. __________________ 3 To delete dronabinol and its stereoisomers (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) from Schedule II of the Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971, subject to the adoption by the Commission on Narcotic Drugs of the recommendation to add dronabinol and its stereoisomers (delta-9- tetrahydrocannabinol) to Schedule I of the 1961 Convention. 4 To add tetrahydrocannabinol (isomers of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) to Schedule I of the 1961 Convention, subject to the adoption by the Commission on Narcotic Drugs of the recommendation to add dronabinol and its stereoisomers (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) to Schedule I of the 1961 Convention. 5 To delete tetrahydrocannabinol (isomers of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) from Schedule I of the 1971 Convention, subject to the adoption by the Commission on Narcotic Drugs of the recommendation to add tetrahydrocannabinol to Schedule I of the 1961 Convention. 6 To delete extracts and tinctures of cannabis from Schedule I of the 1961 Convention. 7 To give effect to the recommendation of the fortieth meeting of the Expert Committee on Drug Dependence that preparations considered to be pure cannabidiol (CBD) should not be scheduled within the international drug control conventions, by adding a footnote to the entry for cannabis and cannabis resin in Schedule I of the 1961 Convention to read “Preparations containing predominantly cannabidiol and not more than 0.2 per cent of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol are not under international control”. 8 To add preparations containing delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (dronabinol), produced either by chemical synthesis or as preparations of cannabis, that are compounded as pharmaceutical preparations with one or more other ingredients and in such a way that delta-9- tetrahydrocannabinol (dronabinol) cannot be recovered by readily available means or in a yield which would constitute a risk to public health to Schedule III of the 1961 Convention.