The use of cannabis in the world for any purpose has always been the subject of intense attention among medical professionals and public opinion. And our country is no exception! The stages of legalization of medical cannabis in Ukraine are still going through a thorny path of legislative vicissitudes and changes.
But in the last year, the issue of the legal status of cannabis and its legalization in Ukraine has made significant progress.
An important event took place on February 13, 2023. The President of Ukraine signed Law №7457 on regulating the circulation of medical cannabis. The law will enter into force six months after its promulgation.
The main goal of the law is to increase access to medical cannabis preparations for the treatment of a number of diseases. According to the Ministry of Health, more than 2 million Ukrainians currently need cannabis-based drugs. The adopted law declares that the circulation of varieties of plants of the genus hemp (Cannabis) for medical purposes, products of their processing and medicines produced from them, is allowed only for the purpose of their use in medical, scientific and scientific and technical practice.
Distribution and consumption of cannabis for recreational purposes among the public will be prohibited. Therefore, a potentially important new tool can be considered the introduction of a traceability system for the circulation of varieties of hemp plants.
The issue of cannabis legalization in Ukraine opens up a wide space for discussion of new business prospects. This can be a significant stimulus for the development of new sectors of the economy, not only in the field of the production of medical and cosmetic preparations based on Cannabis plants, but also the industrial cultivation and processing of hemp. Further scientific research into the properties of existing varieties of hemp and their subspecies is also of interest.
In one case or another, the adoption of the law does not mean that cannabis plants and drugs based on them will be widely available to Ukraine already this year. We can safely predict that some time after the adoption of the law, the electronic registers defined by the draft law will be formed, algorithms for controlling the circulation of plants, conditions for granting quotas, etc. will be prescribed.
Vitaliy Kovbasa, a leading lawyer at the Miasphera consulting company, talks about the prospects and conditions for the legalization of cannabis-related activities in Ukraine.
“Rejecting skepticism and assessing the situation objectively, we can state this process will not be clearly defined in the nearest time. Those who wish to pursue cannabis-related activities in the future need to worry about the legal side now. The most important thing before starting such activities is to ensure the availability of appropriate licenses and pass the appropriate certification procedures,” Vitaliy comments.
What should be taken into account?
Licensing, namely obtaining a license for:
Certification, namely:
Therefore, all types of activities related to the circulation of hemp plants are allowed only if the subjects of such activities have the appropriate licenses and undergo the appropriate certification procedures.
Disclaimer: This article doesn’t promote the use of drugs or any other illegal substances. The text is a description of the history and scientific studies of the influence of cannabis on society, man, and his physical and mental health.
