Laws on Medical Marijuana Use Enters Force in Ukraine

A new law that legalizes medical marijuana use in Ukraine entered force on Friday, Aug. 16.

The law, signed by President Volodymyr Zelensky in February, declassifies cannabis, its resin, extracts and tinctures from the list of “particularly dangerous substances” (List 1) and moves them to the list of “permitted under strict control” (List 2), lifting existing ban on circulation but with certain restrictions.

The law also stipulates that the content of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in dried straw of medical hemp must be equal to or exceed 0.3 percent, according to a press release by the Ministry of Health.

Recreational use of marijuana continues to be illegal in Ukraine.

Purchasing medical marijuana

Obtaining marijuana-based medicine would require an electronic prescription that indicates the dosage, its form and the names of the active substances contained.

“Medicines from medical cannabis will be made in a pharmacy setting and prescribed by prescription to patients for whom conventional medicines do not have a therapeutic effect or cause adverse reactions that are poorly tolerated,” read the press release.

The ministry said the products are expected to be available as oral drops, hard capsules, and dental pastes. It made no mention of plants or vape oil.

Imports and exports

The new law allows licensed importers with permits from the State Medical Service to import raw materials required with a set quota to produce the end products. It made no mention of exports to other countries.

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Users with valid prescriptions can also cross the state border with the medicines if they are within the prescribed amount, but it’s not clear if Ukraine acknowledges prescriptions from other countries that also legalized medical marijuana.

It could also pose a legal risk if the neighboring nation does not recognize the use of medical marijuana when crossing the border.

Growing conditions and licensing

Ukraine also developed licensing mechanisms for the cultivation of medical marijuana, which is subject to review by the Cabinet of Ministers.

“Also, the entire chain of circulation of medical cannabis, from import or cultivation to dispensing to a patient in a pharmacy, will be subject to license control.

“Among the requirements for the cultivation of plants of the hemp genus are cultivation in closed soil conditions; provision of round-the-clock video surveillance with provision of free access to it by the National Police; adherence to good plant source cultivation and harvesting practices (GACP),” read the press release.

Purchasing plant seeds also requires a quality certificate and registration in the State Register of plant varieties suitable for distribution in Ukraine. State laboratories will conduct testing of THC content to ensure state control over the process.

Authorities are also developing an electronic inventory system, expected to be operational by autumn this year, to keep track of the entire production and purchasing process.

“The system will include information on the production of medical cannabis seeds, sowing, cloning, planting plants and planting material, sending samples for laboratory testing, collecting plants, transporting, purchasing, manufacturing medicines, destroying waste, dispensing at a pharmacy, etc.

“Seeds, planting material, plants, intrapharmacy preparations, medicines, waste, etc. will be subject to accounting,” said the ministry.

As Kyiv Post reported in December 2023, Ukraine’s Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization estimated that up to seven million people in Ukraine may require cannabis-based medications, including military servicepersons with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, civilians experiencing pain, and patients with cancer and epilepsy.