Medical Cannabis Legalization Enters Into Force In Ukraine As War With Russia Grinds On

The Ukranian law allowing the distribution of cannabis plants for medical, industrial and scientific purposes is in effect as of Friday.

The news comes some six months after Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, signed a bill that legalizes medical cannabis into law. The Ukrainian Parliament successfully unblocked the approval of a medical marijuana legalization bill in January.

Zelenskyy and other Ukraine officials said cannabis is useful for overall health as it provides citizens with ways to deal with the pain, stress and trauma of the Russo-Ukrainian War that started in 2014. Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

The Ukrainian healthcare ministry reported in September 2022 that over 90% of Ukrainians have developed at least one symptom of PTSD since the war started and that 57% are at risk of developing PTSD.

Read Also: Weed, War And Taboo In Ukraine: ‘Whoever Wants To Sell You Marijuana Is Going To Scam You’

The new law mentions cancer and war-induced PTSD as conditions for which medical cannabis can be prescribed to patients. However, according to the chair of the health committee, lawmakers received positive feedback on cannabis use from patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease and epilepsy, reported Marijuana Moment.

"Cannabis, its resin, extracts and tinctures are excluded from the list of particularly dangerous substances," noted an update from the country's Ministry of Health on the new policy reform. "Previously, their circulation was prohibited—now it is allowed but with certain restrictions."

The document also shed light on how the new program would work.

"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," according to the announcement. "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."

Meanwhile, many soldiers have already been using cannabis to cope with their pain, even though they've been reluctant to admit cannabis use in public, due to the plant's legal status. 

"I know a lot of guys who lost their legs or arms and turned to cannabis," a French soldier fighting for Ukraine, who wanted to stay anonymous, told the outlet. Many soldiers are dealing with "phantom pain" from amputated limbs and cannabis seems to offer them relief.

Read Next:

• Ukraine ‘Global Epicenter Of PTSD’: Cannabis Can Help, But It’s Stuck In Legal Limbo

Read more at Marijuana Moment