Ukraine: Human Rights Commission confirms plans to legalize medical cannabis

Two months ago, Ukrainian newspapers reported that a parliamentary committee was working on a draft bill to legalize medical cannabis. However, the committee members had not yet officially voted on the matter. Today, that has been done. The Committee on Human Rights, National Minorities, and Interethnic Relations has confirmed that it will introduce a bill to authorize the therapeutic use of cannabis.

Upholding the «right to life»

The decision was made unanimously (only three of the nine members were present) following a committee meeting on May 15. «The group’s decision was as follows: we will submit a bill that will pass its first reading; we will adopt it as a basis; and we will continue to consider possible new developments,» explains Georgiy Logvinskiy, the committee’s vice chair. The committee also decided to create a working group that will include members from other parliamentary committees. It will also ask the government to amend the list of controlled substances, a change that is essential for medical cannabis to be approved.

During the meeting, the committee chair, Hryhoriy Nemyria, noted that the decision to consider the legalization of medical cannabis stemmed from a citizens’ initiative— This decision follows a civil petition which had gathered more than 25,000 signatures last March—citing the constitutional right to life and to medical care. In fact, the bill in question will be called «the Right to Life Bill.» This right, common to all constitutions, is increasingly engaged in the calls for legalization by medical cannabis patients.

«The main reason why we, as committee members, are prepared to support this petition and defend unpopular positions is that [the ban] violates people’s right to live a normal life,» says Georgiy Logvinsky. NGOs were also present at the committee meeting. Among them was the organization «Athena: Women Against Cancer,» whose president is Nina Reznichenko emphasized that Some of its members were already using medical cannabis and would benefit greatly from a change in the law: «At least eight women have used medical cannabis illegally and survived as a result. They were driven into the hands of illegal dealers.».