BREAKING: Ukraine Legalizes Medical Marijuana

Ukraine’s unicameral parliament, the Verkhovna Rada’ passed a bill Thursday on the legalization of medical marijuana. The bill was approved in a 248-16 votes, reported the Odessa Journal.

The legislation was recently blocked by a single opposition party and hundreds of its “spam amendments.”

In June 2023 Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed his support for legalizing medical marijuana. He said at the time that Ukraine should undertake an effort to create the best mental and physical rehabilitation sector in Europe by building centers and educating personnel.

"In particular, we must finally honestly legalize cannabis-based medicine for everyone who needs it, [with] the relevant scientific research and controlled Ukrainian manufacturing,” Zelensky said.

Kira Rudik, member of the Ukrainian Parliament, leader of the political party Golos and VP of ALDE, praised the news on an X post.

@GolosZmin party was the first in the @verkhovna_rada to insist on the importance of legalizing medical cannabis in Ukraine. Today it’s done ✅ Keep working! pic.twitter.com/ahKDHsGN6R

— Kira Rudik (@kiraincongress) December 21, 2023

Under bill 7457 the “circulation of varieties of plants of the hemp genus (Cannabis) for medical purposes, products of their processing and medicines produced (made) from them is allowed in scientific and scientific and technical activities, as well as in medical practice,” reported Ukrainian News.

Recreational cannabis remains illegal and will be treated as a crime and investigated by the police in accordance with the law.

It is expected that the law will take effect in six months.

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Photo: Benzinga edit with images by Trey Musk via Pexels and BestStockPhoto on Shutterstock