Why Delaying Cannabis Legalization in Ukraine is a Mistake: Urgent Considerations

Medical cannabis has been shown to be beneficial for at least 20 conditions, including chronic neuropathic pain in adults and children, epilepsy treatment, hormonal disorders in adolescents, phantom pain in military amputees, and post-traumatic psychiatric disorders in both military and civilian populations.

Cannabinoids are known for their palliative effects in oncology patients, providing pain relief and improving sleep. In addition, medical cannabis is used to suppress nausea and vomiting from chemotherapy in both adult and pediatric oncology.

According to worldwide randomized studies, THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) has the ability to inhibit the growth and proliferation of cancer cells by modulating cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2) and inducing apoptosis (cell suicide) in cancer cells.

In general, modern medicine recognizes at least 20 pathological conditions where cannabis component THC plays a key role. However, since cannabis is not legalized in Ukraine, doctors are not allowed to prescribe these medications. Moreover, they are not even allowed to recommend such therapy, although global evidence overwhelmingly supports the use of cannabis in certain patient categories. The only recommendation for such patients is to seek treatment abroad.

In Ukraine, opioids remain the primary drugs for treating chronic pain, narcotic analgesics with a long list of unwanted side effects (nausea, dizziness, bowel dysfunction, narcotic dependence, etc.). The worst aspect is opioid tolerance, where these drugs cease to have an analgesic effect on the patient.

The question of whether to legalize medical cannabis in Ukraine has only one answer today: "yes."

Most importantly, the legalization of medical cannabis does not imply its decriminalization. Like opioids, cannabis must have medical and pharmaceutical documentation. It cannot be purchased in a supermarket like chewing gum, for example. It can only be obtained with a medical prescription and only with an electronic prescription.