Amid the flood of news, an event has gone relatively unnoticed—one that is truly significant for millions of Ukrainian patients and hundreds of thousands of veterans. Namely, the Committee on National Health Issues has approved the draft law on medical cannabis and recommended it for consideration in the session hall of the Verkhovna Rada. 

Behind this simple sentence lies tremendous work and great hope that the cause we’ve devoted so much effort to will finally end in victory. At last, all the disputes among those involved in this issue and the draft law have been resolved. Compromises have been reached, and the text of draft law No. 7457 now satisfies almost everyone. 

Let me remind you of the history of our struggle—because patient organizations have been fighting for the legalization of medical cannabis since 2018. That was the first time we raised this topic and brought it into the public space. 

Many prejudices and the stigma associated with cannabis as a narcotic plant prevented the general public from viewing it as a medical treatment. However, even then, there were people who understood that international experience and scientific research justified considering medical cannabis as an effective treatment for many illnesses. 

Back then, our petition collected 25,000 signatures well ahead of the required timeframe. In response—and by the way, this was the first precedent of so-called direct democracy—a draft law was developed. Unfortunately, it didn’t make it to a vote before elections ushered in a new Verkhovna Rada. 

We, along with millions of patients in Ukraine who suffer from pain, were forced to wait. But the next draft law, which we called “The Law for Sofiika,” named after a little girl with drug-resistant epilepsy who was only helped by cannabis-based medication, was never adopted for political reasons—it was introduced by a “non-popular” political party. Incidentally, Sofiika’s family has since left Ukraine and moved to Poland to access the only medication that helps the girl. 

Yet we never lost hope. Six months ago, a new draft law No. 7457 was developed: “On Regulating the Circulation of Cannabis Plants for Medical, Industrial, Scientific, and Scientific-Technical Purposes to Create Conditions for Expanding Patient Access to Necessary Treatment.” 

This draft was submitted to parliament and passed its first reading. This meant that the text was sent back for revisions and coordination with all committees and ministries, and opened for public discussion by civil society and activists. 

You won’t believe it, but the draft law received 838 amendments! Most of them related to controlling the production of raw materials and ensuring patient access to medicines. Once this law is passed, Ukraine will establish strict oversight over the production of medicinal cannabis products at all stages of manufacturing. 

For example, cultivation of cannabis plants will only be allowed for legal entities with the appropriate license, permits, and certification, and only using registered seeds. 

Strict requirements for cultivation facilities will include 24/7 video surveillance accessible to the National Police, security provided by the National Police, and other measures. Each plant and each batch of medical cannabis will have specific coding to enable tracking from cultivation to licensed pharmacies. Patients will be able to obtain these medications from pharmacies licensed to sell narcotic medicinal products, based on an electronic prescription. 

In addition, there has been significant public concern about changes to the List of Narcotic Drugs. According to the draft law, the Cabinet of Ministers will be required within three months to amend the list of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, and precursors, approved by Resolution No. 770 of the Cabinet of Ministers. These amendments would move cannabis, resins, extracts, tinctures,

and THC from Table I (prohibited substances) to Table II (substances allowed in circulation but under strict control). 

After the law’s adoption and the development of necessary regulations, Ukraine will not only be able to manufacture medical cannabis substances domestically but also import them if they are registered as medicinal products. However, the import of cannabis plants themselves will remain prohibited. This means that patients won’t have to wait for cannabis-based medicines to be produced in Ukraine—they’ll be able to access necessary treatments at pharmacies immediately. Overall, this law will reduce the wait time for accessing medications from 5–7 years to virtually immediate availability. 

The war has brought immense pain that we must overcome—any help for people who are suffering is invaluable. And that includes nearly all Ukrainians today: many have been directly affected, many have lost loved ones, and there are countless military personnel dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder, injuries, and concussions. All these people deserve the right to live a dignified life, free from pain and suffering. 

We sincerely hope that Ukraine will finally bring its legislation into line with international standards, that members of parliament will heed the demands of patients, and that they will adopt this draft law, which will grant millions of patients access to treatment! 

Dmytro Sherembey, Head of the NGO “100% LIFE,” exclusively for UP. Life