Ukraine should apply the best and most effective medical practices in the world

Article 3 of the Constitution of Ukraine stipulates that the highest social value in Ukraine is a human being, his or her life and health, honor and dignity, inviolability and security. According to Article 27 of the Constitution of Ukraine, the state has a duty to protect human life.

Therefore, the right to life is an inalienable right of every person, and the state is obliged to take care of creating conditions for effective and accessible healthcare for all citizens.

During his speech in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on the occasion of the Constitution Day of Ukraine, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized: "All the world's best practices, all the most effective policies, all the solutions, no matter how complicated or unusual they may seem to us, must be applied in Ukraine so that Ukrainians, Ukrainians, all our citizens do not have to endure the pain, stress and trauma of war. In particular, we must finally honestly legalize cannabis-based medicines for all those who need it, with appropriate scientific research and controlled Ukrainian production."

The legal use of medical cannabis for medicinal purposes is not the first time that this issue has been discussed. At the same time, access to cannabis-based medicines can help reduce the severity of pain in cancer patients or patients with epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, or psychological disorders.

The emergence of conditions caused by the war has further actualized the issue of ensuring patients' access to medicines based on medical cannabis. According to the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, more than two million Ukrainians are currently in need of such medicines. At the same time, the continuation of hostilities will lead to an increase in the number of people with various psychological and mental health problems that will require solutions.

Draft Law No. 7457 "On Regulation of the Turnover of Cannabis Plants for Medical, Industrial, Scientific and Technical Purposes to Create Conditions for Expanding Patients' Access to the Necessary Treatment of Cancer and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders Resulting from the War" provides for expanding patients' access to medicines based on medical cannabis and facilitating therapy for certain diseases and conditions.

The draft law was developed on the basis of modern international research and recommendations confirming the possibility of medical use of medical cannabis in treatment. Today, there is a large number of scientific studies and conclusions of specialized international institutions confirming the therapeutic effect of medical cannabis and its effectiveness for medical purposes.

Adoption of Draft Law No. 7457 will be another step towards humanism and focus on people's needs, as it will ensure controlled circulation of medical cannabis, which has already been implemented in more than 56 countries, including Germany, Italy, Czech Republic, Poland, Austria, Denmark, Belgium, Norway, as well as Israel, the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada, etc.