While not formally released by The World Health Organization (W.H.O.) but circulated among cannabis advocates; it is reported that the W.H.O. wants to remove the entire marijuana plant, including resins and Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), from their Schedule IV (most restrictive category) classification. If this comes to bear, it will be a major step towards medical testing and study to truly find the benefits of the plant in all forms.
The W.H.O. would also seek separate classifications between CBD and THC in their international conventions and provide as much distance between the two as possible. Extracts and tinctures would be removed from their 1961 treaty under the recommendations. Pharmaceutical preparations containing THC would be reclassified in Schedule III.
If both recommendations are taken simultaneously, it would be a reversal on earlier regulatory views on the potential dangers and therapeutic benefits of the plant. This could open the way for Medical testing and studies to be conducted within the US. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would promptly need to revisit their stance on not meeting the criteria for federal controls. No person or governing body would be able to argue about the health benefits and therapies of CBD.
For the Insurance World, this would be a step towards Federal decriminalization which will be necessary for the most insurance carriers to entertaining coverage in the Cannabis Marketplace. This reclassification of CBD and THC would be a boost for U.S. Politicians seeking to de-classify Cannabis as a Schedule 1 narcotic.