1961Peer-reviewedWell documented
The Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs
On the timeline · around 1961 ·
What happened
The 1961 UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs consolidated global drug treaties and placed cannabis among the most tightly controlled substances, committing signatory nations to prohibit its non-medical use.
Why it matters
It globalized cannabis prohibition, binding most of the world into a single restrictive framework that still shapes drug law today.