Ukraine unveils diseases approved to benefit from medical cannabis

The Ukrainian government legalized medical cannabis at the beginning of the year, In particular, to deal with the impact of the war with Russia on veterans.

Following the legalization signed by the president Volodymyr Zelensky, the department Ukrainian health has officially listed the medical conditions that qualify for cannabis-based treatments.

Conditions of access to medical cannabis

Under the new cannabis law, Ukrainian patients suffering from various pathologies can now access cannabis-based treatments. The Ministry of Health has published a comprehensive list of some 20 conditions that can be treated with cannabis-based products. These conditions are are as follows :

• Multiple sclerosis
• Neuropathy
• Zona
• Cerebral palsy
• Spinal cord injuries
• Complications of chemotherapy
• Parkinson's disease
• Childhood epilepsy
• Weight loss associated with eating disorders

Although the law already defines these eligibility conditions, the ministry of health indicated that this list could be extended in the future in line with new medical research. A medical advisory board has been set up to evaluate and recommend any new pathologies likely to benefit from cannabis-based treatment.

Zelensky and other government representatives expressed the hope that medical cannabis can help soldiers cope with the physical and psychological wounds caused by the ongoing war with Russia.

Despite these hopes, the post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is notably absent from the list of eligible conditions. While some legislators and human rights advocates had lobbied for the inclusion of post-traumatic stress disorder, the final legislation did not adopt it as a qualifying condition.

Strict controls on medical cannabis

While medical cannabis has been legalized for patients suffering from specific pathologies, the Ukrainian government has made it clear that recreational use of cannabis remains strictly forbidden. Visit ministry of health emphasized that all medical marijuana will be heavily regulated and monitored by the state to ensure the appropriate use of these treatments, which can bring relief where other drugs are inadequate.

The translation of a statement from the Ministry of Health indicates that «cannabis-based medication should be discontinued if the desired therapeutic effect is not obtained within 4 to 12 weeks, or in the event of serious adverse effects (including those related to the mental state)».

Cannabis production and control

The implementation of the Ukrainian medical marijuana involves coordination between different government bodies. Visit ministry of agrarian policy will oversee the cultivation and processing of cannabis for medical purposes, from the growth of cannabis plants to the production of the medicines derived from them.

In addition, the national police and the’national drug agency will be responsible for enforcing the law with regard to the distribution and prescription of products. cannabis-based. As a result, only authorized patients and care providers will have access to medical cannabis, thus maintaining the strict controls promised by the government.

The Chairman Zelensky stressed the importance of adopting global best practice in healthcare, particularly in view of the physical and mental toll that the ongoing war has taken on Ukrainian citizens.

In a speech to parliament, he stressed the need to legalize visit cannabis-based medicines, He declared that «all the best practices in the world, all the most effective policies, all the solutions, however 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».