From prohibition to conditional demedicalization: a clinician-informed policy pathway for cannabis use disorder in Iran

Mehdi Sayyah, Hamidreza Namazi

Global debate on cannabis policy has been dominated by jurisdictions moving toward legalization or regulated markets, leaving prohibition contexts analytically underserved. Iran maintains full criminalization of cannabis alongside rising use among young people, no approved pharmacotherapy for cannabis use disorder (CUD) — although off-label options are sometimes used, no medication is approved for CUD in Iran — an…