Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961

The 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs is perhaps the most important piece of international drug policy legislation and is still a force today. Signed on March 30, 1961, in New York City, and ratified by 40 countries on December 13, 1964, the Single Convention codified several different individual treaties and agreements on drugs into one central piece of legislation.

The Single Convention specifically prohibited the production and supply of narcotic and other classes of drugs, except for specific medical and scientific purposes, created a schedule system of various drugs according to their restrictiveness, and established an enforcement body called the International Narcotics Control Board. The Single Convention is [Page 725]also notable because it was the first piece of international legislation to prohibit cannabis. It currently ...