While light on details, an approval from Ukraine’s State Medical Service indicates another big step forward for medical cannabis in the country.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has backed medical cannabis since prior to his presidency and subsequent (but controversial) polling in 2020 indicated nearly 65% of Ukrainians surveyed supported legalizing cannabis for pain relief for severely ill patients.
Ukraine’s parliament finally passed a related bill legalising medical cannabis that was signed by the President in February 2024, and came into full effect in August last year.
The first list of qualifying medical conditions for Ukraine’s program was released in September last year, and then in January 2025 it was announced cannabis medicines should soon appear in Ukrainian pharmacies; most likely imported.
Earlier this week, a message posted on the State Medical Service website said (translated):
“On June 2, 2025, the State Medical Service issued the first permit for the right to import medical cannabis substances into the territory of Ukraine. The permit was issued for a substance that is registered in Ukraine and included in the State Register of Medicinal Products of Ukraine.”
And that was it, no further detail was provided.
But it’s not just medical cannabis moving ahead in Ukraine, the industrial hemp sector is making solid progress too.
Ukraine’s largest industrial hemp processing facility recently commenced operations in the country’s Zhytomyr region. The facility, housed in a repurposed abandoned flax mill will have a capacity of 14,000 tons per year and process hemp fiber for the local market and the European textile industry.
More recently, the country’s government said dozens of hemp businesses had registered in Ukraine’s eCannabis system since it began operating in March.
While things may not be moving as fast as some would like, given the impacts from the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine and internal bickering over legislation – something by no means confined to Ukraine of course – it’s a wonder there’s been any progress at all and a credit to all those involved in pushing things along.
Here’s hoping that when the fog of war finally lifts, cannabis could play a significant role in rebuilding Ukraine’s economy and helping heal its people.
While light on details, an approval from Ukraine’s State Medical Service indicates another big step forward for medical cannabis. Read More
