Legislation legalizing medical marijuana in Ukraine officially takes effect today.
In February, President Zelenskyy signed the legislation into law, following approval through the nation’s Verkhovna Rada with 248 of the body’s 450 members voting in favor.
Under the new law, which moves marijuana from the most prohibitive Schedule I list of drugs to Schedule II, those with a qualifying condition who receive a recommendation from a physician are authorized to possess and use medical marijuana. Although the law at the time of passage only applies to severe illness like cancer as well as war-borne post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), proponents of the measure have said that the country can expand the list of qualifying conditions once it’s passed.
“Cannabis, its resin, extracts and tinctures are excluded from the list of particularly dangerous substances. Previously, their circulation was prohibited—now it is allowed, but with certain restrictions”, said the Ministry of Health in a public announcement.
The statement continues; “In order to ensure the cultivation of medical cannabis in Ukraine, licensing conditions have been developed, which will soon be considered by the Cabinet of Ministers. Also, the entire chain of circulation of medical cannabis, from import or cultivation to dispensing to a patient in a pharmacy, will be subject to license control.”
Zelenskyy said in an address to parliament earlier this year; In particular, we must finally honestly legalize cannabis-based medicine for everyone who needs it, [with] the relevant scientific research and controlled Ukrainian manufacturing. All the world’s best practices, all the most effective policies, all the solutions, no matter how difficult or unusual they may seem to us, must be applied in Ukraine so that Ukrainians, all our citizens, do not have to endure the pain, stress, and trauma of war”.
Minister of Healthcare Viktor Liashko said the bill would regulate “the circulation of cannabis plants for medical, industrial purposes, scientific and scientific-technical activities to create the conditions for expanding the access of patients to the necessary treatment of cancer and post-traumatic stress disorder resulting from war.”
According to polling released last year, 65% of those in Ukraine support legalizing medical cannabis.
