The Cabinet of Ministers supported the bill "On regulating the circulation of cannabis plants for medical, industrial purposes, scientific and scientific-technical activities to create conditions for expanding patients' access to the necessary treatment of cancer and post-traumatic stress disorder resulting from the war". This was announced by the Minister of Healthcare of Ukraine Viktor Lyashko.
The Ministry of Healthcare of Ukraine understands the negative effects of war on mental health. Also they know the number of people who will need medical treatment as a result of this exposure.
Viktor Lyashko stressed that there is no time to wait, so the government will prepare a legal basis to ensure the full production cycle of cannabis-based drugs in Ukraine: from cultivation and processing to full production. The health minister added that false narratives were spread before the war about the alleged harm of medical cannabis. However, to alleviate people's concerns, the sale of cannabis-based medicines will be strictly regulated.
"Cannabis drugs are not" competitors "to drugs, and measures to regulate their circulation are completely different. Medical cannabis contains cannabidiol, which has no pronounced psychoactive effect, so it is not interesting for recreational use," said Victor Lyashko.
The minister stressed that cannabis-based drugs are used to reduce pain, muscle spasms and cramps, treat anorexia, PTSD, and anxiety disorders. In addition, they are used to treat certain types of epilepsy, glaucoma, psoriasis, parkinsonism, and multiple sclerosis. An important task of these drugs is to alleviate pain and suffering in critically ill and palliative patients, including cancer patients, HIV patients.
