Ukraine Legalizes Cannabis for Medical Use
Ukraine’s new bill on medical cannabis has officially become active on Aug. 16, six months after it was signed into law by President Volodymyr Zelensky. The law will permit access to cannabis for war veterans suffering post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and people with serious illness such as cancer.
Ukraine has greenlit cannabis for medical use. The new law will allow access to cannabis to some of the most vulnerable groups of patients, such as war veterans with PTSD as well as cancer patients. The distribution and sale of medical cannabis will be strictly controlled by the Ukrainian government. Recreational use of cannabis remains prohibited in Ukraine.
Ukraine Legalizes Medical Cannabis for Veterans and Oncological Patients
Medical patients in need of cannabis will need a doctor’s prescription to access the plant medicine. Cannabis is expected to be available to patients in the form of oral drops, hard capsules, and dental pastes, according to the Ukrainian Ministry of Health.
The new medical cannabis law in Ukraine looks largely designed to help out growing groups of patients, such as those with PTSD.
Bill 7457 will authorize the economic activity of farming hemp for medical, industrial, and scientific purposes “to create conditions for expanding patients’ access to the necessary treatment of oncological diseases and post-traumatic stress disorders,” the Kyiv Independent reported.
It’s considered that PTSD may affect roughly 30% of Ukrainian soldiers and veterans, the outlet wrote.
Since the start of the war in Ukraine, health authorities have seen a substantial jump in new PTSD patients. The number of Ukrainians with PTSD in the first two months of 2024, registered with the national Electronic Healthcare System (EHS), was reportedly the same as in the entire year 2021, or the year before the war.
Ukraine’s parliament showed overwhelming support for Bill 7457 at the first reading in July 2023. The bill was subsequently passed with 248 votes in favor during a second reading at the end of December 2023. In February, the legislation piece was signed by President Zelensky, and it was due to take effect in six months, or now in the summer.
Ukraine’s medical cannabis legalization has happened at high speed. Most countries usually take multiple readings of the law before passing legislation. However, Ukraine continues to be in a state of war and that has quickened things up, especially to accommodate the increasing number of people who may benefit from cannabis medicines during these difficult times.
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- Philippine Lawmakers Vote to Legalize Medical Cannabis
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Stephen Andrews
