Volodymyr Verbianyi in Kyiv takes a look at Ukrainian efforts to approve medical marijuana — a bid to help soldiers cope with the effects of the drawn-out war.
Coming soon
Russia’s invasion has inflicted immense hardship across Ukraine, and tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians are suffering from injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder. Against this backdrop, the country is poised to legalize medical marijuana as soon as this month in a bid to offer its veterans some potential assistance.
Discussions in Ukraine about cannabis accelerated after the start of the war and culminated in July, when the nation’s parliament in an initial vote passed legislation allowing it for medical purposes.
Final debate of the bill could take place at parliament’s next meeting, the head of its health committee, Mykhaylo Radutskyi, told Bloomberg in a phone interview. That session is set for early November, two lawmakers said. The exact schedule of parliamentary meetings isn’t made public for security reasons. One of the lawmakers said the legislation may be approved this month.