Law to legalize medical cannabis introduced in Rada (Ukraine)

Legalize cannabis in Ukraine

The Ukrainian government has submitted a bill on the legalization of medical cannabis to the Verkhovna Rada, initiated by Denis Shmygal, head of the country’s government, according to the document card on the Rada website.

Three days earlier, the Ukrainian Ministry of Health reported that the government supported the bill. The Ministry stated that the initiative implies the introduction of strict control in this area: from licensing of cannabis cultivation for medicinal purposes to the labeling of each batch of products and release of medicines only by prescription.

The Ministry of Health expects that this measure will expand treatment options for certain diseases. According to the ministry, medical marijuana alleviates more than 50 pathological conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder resulting from war; neurological disorders; digestive diseases; and chronic pain of neuropathic origin. In addition, according to the Ministry of Health, cannabis-based drugs are used to alleviate symptoms in cancer patients.

According to the head of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine Viktor Lyashko, medical cannabis is no competitor to narcotic drugs, and has no pronounced psychoactive effect.

In the summer of 2021 MPs considered a bill on the legalization of medical cannabis, but it did not pass the first reading. In the same year, the Ukrainian government passed a decree removing several substances extracted from cannabis from the list of prohibited substances for circulation; medicines based on them are used to alleviate adverse reactions after chemotherapy.

Certain forms of medical cannabis are used for treatment in a number of countries, including Israel, Canada, and some U.S. states.