Members of the Rada supported the bill on medical cannabis: what it provides for

Members of the Verkhovna Rada have passed a bill on the legalization of medical cannabis by a majority vote, allowing the use of cannabis-based medicines, their production and research. The law will come into force six months after its publication.

In the second reading, 248 MPs voted in favor of the bill No. 7457. MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak said that the vote for the legalization of medical cannabis was "on the verge."

"For clarity, the votes dropped to 227 on the amendments... It was on the verge," he wrote on his Telegram channel and added that the law would come into effect approximately in the second half of 2024.

What does the law on medical cannabis legalization provide for?

The adopted draft law regulates the circulation of cannabis only in medical, industrial, and scientific activities. The distribution of marijuana for recreational use will remain prohibited.

According to the draft law, the production of medicines based on medical cannabis will be strictly controlled at all stages. Only legal entities that obtain a license and a GMP certificate will be able to grow it.

The cultivation process will take place under round-the-clock video surveillance with access for the National Police. Each plant will be individually coded to track the movement of plants to the patient.

Medical cannabis-based medicines will be available only by electronic prescription. The doctor will prescribe it according to the patient's condition, as is currently the case with morphine.

On December 20, Maria Mezentseva, MP, Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Ukraine's Integration with the EU, Head of the Ukrainian delegation to PACE, said that more than 70% of Ukrainians support the legalization of medical cannabis for medicinal purposes.

According to her, there are currently more than 6 million patients with various diagnoses who need such medicines. These include seriously ill patients, cancer patients, civilians with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and wounded soldiers.

According to the new law, the National Police and the State Agency on Medicines will oversee the licenses and circulation of medical cannabis.

"We have taken into account many of the fundamental points emphasized by our colleagues. But now it is very important not to trust the fakes that are spreading on social media. The draft law on medical cannabis is aimed exclusively at treating Ukrainians who really need it. Medicines only by prescription, only medicinal products and modern production in Ukraine to avoid all possible corruption risks," the press service of the Verkhovna Rada quoted Mezentseva as saying.

The MP added that common sense should prevail in the issue of medical cannabis circulation, as it affects the health of Ukrainians and the country's defenders.

As reported by OBOZ.UA, earlier Olga Stefanishyna, a member of the parliament and one of the authors of the bill, said that cannabis would be grown only in special greenhouses, where each bush would be marked with a unique barcode.

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