Ukraine To Legalize Medicinal Marijuana Due To War With Russia

Ukraine is set to legalize medicinal cannabis to treat both psychological trauma & stress-related diseases caused by the war with Russia. The country’s parliament approved a bill that will allow for the use of marijuana for “necessary treatment of oncological diseases and PTSD." The proposal spent a year under review after its introduction in 2022, with 16 of the 248 lawmakers against the bill & 33 absent from the vote. "All the world’s best practices, all the most effective policies, all the solutions, no matter how difficult or unusual they may seem to us, must be applied in Ukraine so that Ukrainians, all our citizens, do not have to endure the pain, stress and trauma of war," said President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The new law allows doctors to prescribe cannabis & entrepreneurs to obtain a license to grow hemp plants while under 24-hour surveillance. The parliament website revealed that patients with prescriptions can enter or leave Ukraine with small amounts of the drug. However, recreational use will remain a crime, which, if the bill is signed, will come into effect midway through 2024, lawmakers estimate. Ukrainian MP Maria Mezentseva said over 70% of people in the country supported the idea of legalizing cannabis for medicinal purposes.