TOPIC

The scientific pilot programs proposed by Project Four 2029 are not just theoretical. Countries such as Switzerland and the Netherlands have already created similar programs in different ways.

The international drug treaties allow countries to conduct legitimate medical and scientific cannabis programs. Although the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) has criticized these efforts, its position on cannabis has become less influential as more countries move toward reform.

One way for the United States and other like-minded countries to strengthen the legal foundation for their cannabis programs is through something called Inter Se modification.

Under international law, countries that have signed the same treaty can make a separate agreement with each other. This is known as an Inter Se modification. Although this approach has been used with other treaties, it has not yet been tested under the three international drug treaties.

An Inter Se agreement would allow a group of participating countries to legally regulate the production, sale, trade, and adult use of marijuana among themselves without violating their broader treaty obligations. The participating countries would still have to respect the rights of countries that chose not to join the agreement and continue promoting public health and other goals of the treaties.

There are good reasons to consider this approach. Countries such as Canada and Switzerland have reported positive results from their adult-use cannabis programs, including less youth access, lower beer sales, and smaller illegal markets. Those results strengthen the public health argument for an Inter Se agreement and could make it easier for other countries to support the idea.

If the United States entered into an Inter Se agreement with countries such as Canada, it could legally begin trading marijuana with other participating countries while remaining consistent with international law.