Legalization of cannabis: what, how, when, why

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine approved in the first reading the bill No. 7457 on the legalization of medical cannabis. This document has caused a lot of controversy, so let's try to figure out what is involved in this matter.

Judging by the title, the future Law is intended to legalize the circulation of plants of the hemp genus for medical and industrial purposes, as well as in scientific and scientific and technical activities. The goal is to create conditions for increasing patients' access to treatment for oncological diseases and post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD), received, in particular, as a result of the war in Russia. At the same time, limited legalization of cannabis, its resin, extracts and tinctures, as well as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) - the first and only cannabinoid currently approved for medical use in some countries - is envisaged.

Why do Ukrainians need the legalization of medical cannabis? Currently, there is no regulation in the state in the field of handling substances belonging to narcotic and psychotropic substances, but at the same time necessary for providing quality medical services, preventing suffering of patients and helping them recover from complex diseases. In Ukraine, this issue is especially relevant for children with epilepsy, cancer patients and patients who need palliative care for incurable diseases, as well as for war veterans with PTSD. Currently, the legislation prohibits any activity related to cannabis, its resin, extracts and tinctures, as well as THC. In the context of the legalization of hemp, we are talking exclusively about cannabis with a permissible concentration of THC. Its degree has yet to be established by the Cabinet of Ministers.

The authors of the bill believe that the legalization of medical cannabis will ensure access of Ukrainian patients to the necessary medicines, will promote the development of medical science and the pharmaceutical industry through clinical trials of cannabis-based drugs, will allow the cultivation of hemp with the permitted amount of narcotic substances, and will also contribute to the attraction of international investments in the science and industry of Ukraine. Currently, it is proposed to monitor the circulation of varieties of hemp plants (cannabis), processing products and medicines based on them by marking each batch and unit of packaged products with a bar code, keeping an electronic register of their movement, as well as by selling drugs exclusively on the basis of a doctor's prescription. At the same time, retail trade will be carried out in pharmacies with a license for this type of activity.

As People's Deputy, member of the VRU Committee on National Health, Medical Assistance and Health Insurance Olha Stefanyshina noted, there will be strict regulation by the Ministry of Health, there will be electronic red prescriptions.

"It will not be possible to just buy something somewhere and get some satisfaction. These are drugs that will be strictly controlled, licensing conditions will be introduced, which will stipulate that such drugs will be grown only on closed soil, meaning in greenhouses," the deputy noted.

She added that the National Police of Ukraine will also monitor the cultivation of hemp with the help of video surveillance cameras, and the Ministry of Health will monitor the process at the "doctor-patient" level. At the same time, the People's Deputy expressed confidence that during the second reading of the draft law in the Verkhovna Rada, there will be opposition, but she promised that the draft law will still be refined, and comments from other factions will be taken into account.

It is also currently planned that Ukraine will ban the export of domestically produced hemp. In order for the cannabis that will be grown in Ukraine to be used for its own production within the country, amendments are already being prepared to prohibit the export of raw materials from Ukraine, to grow only for the needs of Ukrainian patients and not to turn Ukraine into a raw material appendage for growing hemp.