Commission on Narcotic Drugs, Sixty-first session
12-16 March 2018 – Vienna, Austria

The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights recognizes the right of everyone to “enjoy the benefits of scientific progress and its applications” and demands that states “respect the freedom indispensable for scientific research and creative activity.” It continues that “the steps to be taken by [States] to achieve the full realization of this right shall include those necessary for the conservation, the development and the diffusion of science and culture.”

The right to science and freedom of research with scheduled substances

Thursday, 15 March 2018 / 9.00 – 9.50 a.m. / Room M0E79

This side event will discuss both the conventions and the current barriers regarding research with scheduled substances, as well as present cutting edge scientific research on the therapeutic use of scheduled substances, such as cannabis, MDMA, psilocybin and ibogaine, as treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and problematic substance use.