Volodymyr Zelensky stresses the need to legalize medical cannabis in Ukraine

The President of Ukraine calls for the legalization of medical cannabis to help Ukrainians overcome the trauma of war with Russia.

In a speech to the Ukrainian Parliament on Wednesday, President Volodymyr Zelensky 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».

«In particular, we must finally legalize cannabis-based medicines fairly for all who need them, with proper scientific research and controlled Ukrainian production,» he said, as reported by Ukrainska Pravda.

The president stressed that access to medical cannabis could be a therapeutic option for citizens who have endured more than a year of intensive conflict following Russia's invasion of the country in February 2022.

During his presidential campaign, Mr. Zelensky also expressed support for the legalization of medical cannabis, stating in 2019 that he would find it «normal» to allow people access to cannabis «droplets,» which could be a reference to the cannabis tinctures.

Zelensky's cabinet took measures to legalize medical cannabis, last year, approving a reform bill which has yet to be passed by Parliament.

Health Minister Viktor Liashko said the bill would allow «the circulation of cannabis plants for medical, industrial, scientific and techno-scientific purposes, in order to create conditions for expanding patient access to necessary treatment of cancer and post-traumatic disorders resulting from war».

«We understand the negative impact of war on mental health status,» he said. «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 lose.».

The change in policy would put Ukraine in stark contrast to its aggressor, which has taken a particularly firm stance against cannabis policy reform at international level, via the United Nations. In particular, the country has condemned Canada for legalizing cannabis and is using its restrictive legislation to strain diplomatic relations with the USA by imprisoning Marc Fogel, an American citizen facing a 14-year sentence in a Russian prison for possession of medical cannabis, or WNBA player Brittney Griner who was detained before being released as part of a prisoner exchange negotiated by the Biden administration.

Last year, the Russian Foreign Ministry's deputy said that legalization efforts in the US and Canada were issues of «great concern to us», according to a message posted on social networks by the ministry's official account. «It is worrying that several European Union member states are considering violating their drug control obligations.»