The Ukrainian Cabinet has supported a bill to legalise medical cannabis as the number of patients requiring the medicine increases due to the country’s war with Russia.
As the war between Ukraine and Russia continues, Ukrainian Health Minister, Viktor Liashko, has said there is no time to waste in legalising medical cannabis.
Currently, cannabis use in Ukraine is illegal for both medical and recreational purposes, however, hemp production for industrial use is legal if the plant does not exceed THC levels of 0.08 per cent, and a licence is required for cultivation. Only a handful of specific cannabis-based medicinal products have been approved for use in the country including Nabilone, Nabiximols (Sativex) and Dronabinol.
The bill, originally introduced in 2021, will develop a legal framework to regulate the production and circulation of cannabis for medical, industrial and scientific purposes. The country is hoping to increase patient access to treatments for a number of different conditions, including for cancer care and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) obtained as a result of the Ukraine-Russia war.
Due to the war, many of the oncology clinics in the country have been closed, as pointed out by Freedom March on its website – an independent cannabis law advocacy organisation operating in Ukraine since 2005. The organisation advocates legal access to medical cannabis, its decriminalisation and the public monitoring of law enforcement, and defends those accused of cannabis possession in court.
In a blog on its website, Viktoria Romaniuk, a member of the Athena, Women Against Cancer organisation, highlights that “most oncological medical centres are now closed, and in several cities, they were shelled by Russian troops”, meaning patients are unable to receive treatment.
Romaniuk also highlights that many citizens are moving to West Ukraine because of fighting, meaning it is becoming more difficult to provide all patients with medication.
In a public statement, Liashko commented: “We understand the negative consequences of war on the state of mental health. We understand the number of people who will need medical treatment as a result of this impact. And we understand that there is no time to wait.
“Therefore, we have already prepared a legislative basis to ensure a full cycle of cannabis-based drug production in Ukraine: from cultivation and processing to full-fledged production.
“Communication campaigns against cannabis drug manufacturing deliberately label the drug based on it and illegal cannabis in circulation in order to diminish its value as a medical drug and discredit the very idea of its use in for medical purposes.
“In fact, cannabis drugs are not “competitors” to narcotics, and measures to regulate their circulation are completely different. “Medical” cannabis contains cannabidiol, which has no expressed psychoactive effect, so it’s not interesting for recreational use.
“At the same time, we still propose to establish strict control over the cultivation, production and implementation of drugs, understanding the sensitivity of this issue in society and are ready to gradually develop this industry, showing the results of treatment and help Ukrainian patients.
“Historically, cannabis-based drugs have been used to reduce pain, spasms and muscle strains, treat anorexia, PTSD, and anxiety disorders. In addition, they are used in the treatment of individual types of epilepsy, glaucoma, psoriasis, parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis. An important purpose of this medication is to alleviate the pain and suffering of seriously ill and palliative patients, including cancer patients and HIV patients.” [Translated from Google]
Liashko suggested that under the bill, cannabis will not be imported into the country but will be produced in Ukraine, reducing costs for patients.
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