Ukrainian Parliament Legalizes Medical Cannabis
Today, on December 21, the Ukrainian Parliament passed a bill in the second reading aimed at legalizing medical cannabis. This was reported by the ruling party "Servant of the People" on their official Twitter account.
The new bill regulates the use of cannabis exclusively in medical, industrial, and scientific fields. Simultaneously, the distribution of marijuana for recreational use remains illegal and subject to prosecution under current Ukrainian law.
The party "Servant of the People" stated, "Currently, Ukraine has over 6 million seriously ill patients — both military and civilian — who require medications based on medical cannabis to combat cancer, epilepsy, PTSD symptoms, Parkinson's disease, and other severe conditions."
The production of medical cannabis-based products will undergo strict control at all stages. Only legal entities holding the appropriate licence and GMP certificate will have the right to cultivate medical cannabis. The cultivation process will be under continuous video surveillance with access granted to the National Police. Each plant will have an individual code to trace its movement to the end consumer.
Patients will only be able to obtain medical cannabis-based medications with an electronic prescription issued by a doctor based on the patient's condition, similar to the process for morphine. It is noted that these medications will only be available at pharmacies with the necessary license and compliance with storage conditions.
The law will come into effect six months after its publication, approximately in the second half of 2024. Ukraine's Chief Sanitary Doctor, Igor Kuzin, emphasized that the Ministry of Health will compile a list of diseases and conditions for which medications based on medical cannabis may be prescribed.
"The use of medical cannabis and medicines based on it is a widespread global practice. This decision expands access to essential medications for millions of people: cancer patients, those with multiple sclerosis, and patients requiring palliative care. Medications based on cannabis are allowed in 56 countries, including EU member states, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States," stated Igor Kuzin.
As a reminder, the bill on the use of medical cannabis was registered in parliament in early June 2022 at the initiative of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. On June 28, 2023, President Volodymyr Zelensky, addressing the members of parliament, highlighted the necessity of finally legalizing medical cannabis in Ukraine.