The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, with a majority of 248 votes, has passed a bill on the legalization of medical cannabis.

Public debates on the need to legalize medical marijuana have been ongoing in Ukraine since 2016. President Volodymyr Zelensky, during his pre-election campaign in 2019, expressed support for this initiative.

The legalization was advocated by scientists, doctors, psychologists, and patient associations. Since the beginning of the war, activists have also drawn attention to the fact that access to legal medications based on medical cannabis could help people suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Now, after adoption, it will take six months for the law to take effect.