Ukraine President Signs Medical Cannabis Legalization Bill

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed the country’s medical cannabis legalization bill into law on Thursday, according to a Reuters report.

With the president’s signature, the country’s national medical cannabis program is set to launch in about six months, with draft regulations for the program expected within about three months.

The bill specifically legalizes medical cannabis access for people suffering from cancer and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) resulting from the country’s defense against the ongoing military invasion by Russia, but lawmakers previously said they were being pressured to include other conditions including Alzheimer’s disease and epilepsy. The Ministry of Health of Ukraine — which backed the proposal — will be able to specify other debilitating diseases and conditions for which cannabis could be prescribed, the report said.

The new law requires patients to be prescribed medical cannabis by a doctor, and adult-use cannabis will remain strictly prohibited. Medical cannabis production and manufacturing in Ukraine will require special licenses; additionally, the law will allow for the import of cannabis products including raw materials.

Zelensky, who called for the legalization of medical cannabis during his 2019 presidential election campaign, had praised the bill.

Numerous studies have found cannabis to be an effective treatment option for patients suffering from PTSD and, in the U.S., the vast majority of state-legal medical cannabis programs allow patients with PTSD to access the program, according to the Marijuana Policy Project.