Ukraine’s parliament has given initial approval to a medical cannabis legalization bill, the Kyiv Post reports. The law must still pass a second reading following any amendments and finalization by lawmakers before moving to President Volodymyr Zelensky for his signature.
People’s Deputy Iryna Herashchenko said on Telegram the measure is “not so much about medicine as about the industrial cultivation of cannabis and corruption schemes by the government regarding permits and the development of huge financial flows.”
The draft law backed by the Ministry of Health would establish a licensing system for the cultivation of cannabis strains intended for medical purposes and calls for strict monitoring of the production and distribution of medical cannabis and related products. Each batch of medical cannabis would be labeled with a unique barcode, ensuring tracking throughout the supply chain, the report says.
The plan is backed by Zelensky. A poll conducted alongside local elections in October 2022 found 65% of Ukrainians backed the reforms. (Full Story)