🇺🇦 Ukraine Overview
Ukraine established a medical cannabis framework in August 2024, following the signing of the legalisation law in February 2024. The decision was driven by public support to legalise medical cannabis to aid and support patients suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and pain caused by the conflict, as well as seriously ill patients and those in need of palliative care.
According to the figures of Ukraine’s Ministry of Health, an estimated six million patients could benefit from medical cannabis following the public health effects of the war.
As it will take a while to establish domestic production facilities in Ukraine, the first domestic supply is forecasted to enter the market in 2028; therefore, the country’s medical cannabis market will rely on imports for the time being.
In January 2025, the first medical cannabis products were added to Ukraine’s State Register of Medicinal Products; all three products are full-spectrum oils produced by Curaleaf. Currently, no patients have received medical cannabis treatment.
🇺🇦 Regulations
The Cannabis Law in Ukraine came into effect in August 2024, which removed cannabis resin and extract from the list of dangerous substances, allowing the cultivation, manufacturing, import/export, dispensation, and handling of medical cannabis.
Companies, educational institutions and research and development (R&D) projects associated with medical cannabis related activities require a licence for the circulation of narcotic drugs and permits/licences for their medical cannabis activity.
Companies can obtain medical cannabis cultivation licences, but they must meet strict safety and transparency requirements and meet GACP compliance. As it will take some time for the first cultivators to operate in the market, the Ukrainian Government and Ministry of Health have eased the procedures for medical cannabis imports, allowing companies with a narcotics handling licence to obtain medical cannabis active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) import permits issued by the State Medical Service in agreement with the Security Service of Ukraine.
Medical cannabis products must undergo strict requirements and are applied as Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients as a finished or magistral product. Currently, the country is an extract-only market.
🇺🇦 Patient Access
Who Can Prescribe?
In Ukraine, primary care and specialised doctors can prescribe medical cannabis.
What are the Treatable Pathologies?
The Ministry of Health has approved a list of diseases and conditions for which medical cannabis will be prescribed. These include:
- Chronic or neuropathic pain and/or spasticity
- Nausea and vomiting due to chemotherapy during the treatment of neoplasms.
- Parkinson's disease
- Tourette’s syndrome
- Lennox-Gastaut syndrome
- Dravet syndrome
- Tuberous sclerosis
- Weight loss associated with anorexia in patients with diseases caused by the human immunodeficiency virus.
A prescription for medical cannabis is possible only with the approval of a medical advisory committee.
Reimbursement
Currently, there is no reimbursement for medical cannabis in Ukraine.
Products
In January 2025, the first medical cannabis products were successfully registered into Ukraine’s State Register of Medicinal Products. All three products are full-spectrum products produced by Curaleaf; two balanced oils with ten milligrams/millilitres or 25 mg/ml of CBD and THC and one high THC product with 25 mg/ml of THC.