Berlin, 2020-09-04: “The EU Commission’s plans to classify CBD as a narcotic drug seem to be fundamentally opposed to the WHO’s assessment. The CBD industry urgently needs clarity! The potential consequences could be catastrophic for many players in the European and German CBD market,” said Dr. Stefan Meyer, President of the German Industry Association Cannabiswirtschaft (BvCW). “Numerous companies and jobs would be affected by the implementation of the Commission’s so-called ‘preliminary assessment,’” Dr. Meyer continued. “These considerations go against the interests of consumers, producers, distributors, and many regulatory bodies alike.”

In a letter to the BvCW, the EU Commission confirmed that it intends to consider cannabidiol (CBD) as a narcotic drug under the international drug control conventions in its “preliminary assessment.” A final decision is still pending.

The WHO states on the classification of CBD under the drug control conventions:
“Cannabidiol […] does not meet the criteria for control under either the 1961 or the 1971 Conventions. As it does not meet the criteria of the 1961 Convention, it cannot be considered a narcotic drug.” (Source: E/CN.7/2020/CRP.4, p. 70)

According to the BvCW and other organizations (such as EIHA and VCA), the EU Commission’s assessment does not align with scientific evidence and should therefore be withdrawn. The cannabis industry had already expressed its concerns in a letter to the German government regarding the EU Commission’s potential reclassification of CBD as a narcotic, and informed the drug policy and agricultural policy spokespersons of the Bundestag parties.

*Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of the two main active ingredients in Cannabis sativa plants. It is primarily extracted from low-THC industrial hemp varieties and used in a wide range of products.

You can find the previous press release on this topic here.
The current press release is also available as a PDF here.

Attachment:

Excerpts from the BvCW letter to the EU Commission dated 04.09.2020:

“[…] Many market participants in the CBD sector are very concerned about the EU Commission’s considerations to classify CBD as a narcotic drug.

The WHO’s Expert Committee on Drug Dependence (ECDD) published extensive reviews on cannabis and certain cannabinoids in 2018, which led to a re-evaluation of these substances by the WHO.

On July 23, 2018, the WHO recommended to the UN Secretary-General that CBD(-products) not be subject to international drug control. It stated:

‘There are no case reports of abuse or dependence relating to the use of pure CBD. No public health-related problems have been associated with the use of CBD.’ (p. 3) […]

The reclassification has since been discussed at multiple sessions of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND). The protocols clearly show that the EU asked specifically about CBD, and the WHO responded:

‘The recommended exemption from control for cannabidiol is based on the fact that it does not meet the criteria for control under either the 1961 or 1971 Conventions. As it does not meet the criteria of the 1961 Convention, it cannot be considered a narcotic drug.’ (E/CN.7/2020/CRP.4, p. 70) […]

Thus, in our view, the EU Commission received a very clear summary of the WHO’s assessment: CBD is not a drug (under the drug control conventions).”

In light of this, we seek answers to the following questions:

To what extent does the EU Commission question the WHO’s competence in assessing CBD?

Which other institutions does the EU Commission consider to have greater scientific authority on CBD than the WHO?

On what basis is the EU Commission considering the classification of CBD as a narcotic drug?

Will the EU Commission oppose an international re-evaluation of cannabis and other cannabinoids? If so, which cannabinoids are affected, and why?