The United Nations Commission for Narcotic Drugs voted to remove cannabis from its Schedule IV classification of drugs, reflecting changes in global attitudes toward the substance, according to the New York Times. Schedule IV classification is generally reserved for the most dangerous drugs, such as heroin or addictive painkillers; cannabis had been listed alongside them since the U.N. Convention on Narcotic Drugs in 1961. While the World Health Organization had recommended removing cannabis from Schedule IV in 2019, the move proved politically divisive, delaying the vote. Even though the vote has now passed, it was close, 27 to 25, and it pitted countries such as the United States and members of the European Union, which favored the reclassification, against nations including China, Egypt, Nigeria, Pakistan and Russia, which opposed it.

As it is with all U.N. votes, individual countries may react however they want, as they control how cannabis is treated in their jurisdictions. However, said the Times, many countries look to global conventions for guidance. Furthermore, proponents of legalization see the vote as an important symbolic win on the growing acceptance of cannabis as a legitimate industry.