Ukraine has come close to legalizing medical cannabis

In the first reading, the Verkhovna Rada supported the draft law, which provides for the legalization of medical cannabis. 268 people’s deputies voted for the document.

It is about the draft law No. 7457 “On regulation of circulation of cannabis for medical, industrial purposes, scientific and technical activities to create conditions for expanding patient access to the necessary treatment of oncological diseases and post-traumatic stress disorders developed as a result of war.”

The document envisages legislative changes that allow the use of cannabis for medical purposes, to treat diseases or relieve symptoms in patients.

The draft law states that according to the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961, the parties that ratified it are obliged to limit the circulation of any narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursors only to medical and scientific purposes, in particular, and by introducing licensing of such activities for the purpose of circulation control. But they are not obliged to prohibit their use for these purposes, as well as in industry.

In the context of allowing the circulation of hemp in certain areas, we are talking only about plants of the hemp family (Cannabis) with a permissible percentage of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) concentration. THC can have a psychoactive effect on a person if it is regularly consumed in high concentrations.

The authors of the document indicate that the expediency of the therapeutic use of cannabis has been confirmed for various conditions and diseases. These include multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, diseases of the digestive tract, drug addiction, mental health problems, chronic pain of neuropathic origin and palliative care.

Adoption of the document should strengthen guarantees of access to necessary medical services and medicines, including medicines made on the basis of Cannabis.

Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy talked about the need for legalization of medical cannabis in Ukraine. According to him, the world’s best practices and solutions, no matter how complex and unusual they may be, should be applied in Ukraine so that Ukrainian citizens do not have to endure the pain, stress and trauma of war.