Cannabis News
Ukraine Looking to Legalise Medical Cannabis
Ukraine news has understandably been focused for some time on conflict with Russia, but recently Ukraine’s health minister announced that the government was in favour of a bill to legalise medical cannabis.
“We understand the negative effects of war on mental health. We understand the number of people who will need medical treatment due to this exposure. And we understand that there is no time to wait,” he posted on Facebook.
Meanwhile, he pointed out that those who campaign against the legalisation of medical cannabis in Ukraine intentionally compare cannabis-based medicines with illegal cannabis to undermine their value as medicines and to undermine the possibility of its medical use.
New bill intends to encourage medical research
The new proposed bill wants to encourage medical research on cannabis and improve the quality of medical services for the population.
Cancer, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), neurological diseases, and chronic pain of neuropathic origin are some of the over 50 conditions hoped to be covered by the medication.
In addition, the proposal would implement a medical cannabis tracking system in order to provide information on all the stages of products’ circulation, as well as strict regulation of the cultivation, production, and sale of medical cannabis products.
An electronic prescription will allow patients to obtain medical cannabis products with the help of a prescription from their doctor.
To determine whether medical cannabis products contain sufficient levels of THC, a central executive body conducts laboratory tests performed by enterprises, institutions, and organizations.
In October 2020, then-candidate president Volodymyr Zelenskyy conducted a national poll that showed majority support for medical cannabis legalisation among Ukrainians. 65% of respondents said yes to the proposed bill.a
Ukraine News: Psychological Trauma as a result of War
Experts warn that Ukraine has already suffered enormous psychological trauma as a result of the conflict with Russia. This includes children, young adults, and the elderly.
Medical cannabis may assist with people’s resilience process during a time when more than 100 days of war have generated a mental health crisis.
Medical cannabis can improve treatment and prevent patients from suffering, as stated by the Ministry of Health in support of the bill.
The cultivation, sale, purchase, and other illicit activities associated with recreational cannabis will remain illegal in Ukraine.
Ukraine was one of the largest hemp producers in the world when it was a part of the Soviet Union. It used to grow hemp for industrial purposes on hundreds of thousands of hectares before the 1950s.
