Ukraine has officially issued its first ever permit for medical cannabis to be imported into the country, bringing patients one step closer to receiving treatment.
It represents the latest development in Ukraine’s nascent but rapidly evolving medical cannabis programme, after the country officially enshrined it into law last August.
Iryna Rachynska of campaign group, Patients of Ukraine, told Business of Cannabis: “For more than five years, the patient community has been fighting for medical cannabis to become available in Ukraine, and now we are seeing the first real results of this struggle.
“This means that the system is preparing to introduce cannabis-based medicines into medical practice, and it gives us hope for an improved quality of life for patients who need this treatment.”
It should not be forgotten that this rapid rate of progress is taking place as Ukraine is enduring some of the most vicious Russian strikes in the ongoing war to date.
The fact that politicians, medical professionals, regulatory bodies and industry advocates are collaborating to push through reforms while many are literally in bomb shelters should serve as an example to the rest of the world that meaningful change is possible even under the harshest of circumstances.
‘Access to treatment is now a right, not a privilege’
On June 02, 2025, Ukraine’s State Medical Service issued the first permit for the right to import medical cannabis substances into the country.
While the successful importer was not named directly, the government noted that ‘the permit was issued for a substance that is registered in Ukraine’, and included in the State Register of Medicinal Products.
As previously reported, on January 09, 2025, the first products were added to Ukraine’s State Register of Medicinal Products, a process which is required for all API’s coming into the country.
These included three full-spectrum oils from Curaleaf, two balanced oils with either 10mg/ml or 25mg/ml of THC and CBD, and one with just 25mg/ml of THC.
Given that it remains the only company to see products registered to date, it’s clear that Curaleaf’s products will be the first to be imported to the country. This has also been verified by local sources.
Ongoing delays
When the first products were registered in January, it was expected that patients would have access to them within weeks.
However, the country’s strict pharmaceutical standards, supply chain development and the need to educate pharmacies and medical professionals mean the process is moving more slowly than advocates had initially hoped.
Ms Rachynska explained that coordination between ‘the manufacturer’ and the Ministry of Health is ongoing, and the authorisation documentation has now been issued, detailing the requirements for packaging, labelling and storage conditions are being agreed upon in accordance with national standards.
“At the same time, negotiations are underway with a number of Ukrainian pharmacies and pharmaceutical companies to create pharmaceutical products based on (the first imported API). The implementation is being carried out in close coordination with the Ministry of Health, but requires time to adapt regulatory procedures and train staff,” she continued.
“However, it should be understood that this is a complex and multi-level procedure. The regulatory framework, although largely formed, is still incomplete for the full implementation of medical cannabis.
“In particular, CMU Resolution No. 589 provides for the annual approval of quotas by the Cabinet of Ministers, without which neither import nor cultivation of cannabis is possible. In 2024, the relevant import quotas have not yet been approved, which is the key reason for the delay. There is also uncertainty about the procedure for issuing master forms in pharmacies and the lack of a clear mechanism for including new items in the register of authorised drugs.”
Part of this complication is the fact that Ukraine will be using a magistral system, meaning pharmacies will be required to produce these preparations in-house.
Each Pharmacy will need to acquire licences for retail trade, manufacturing of medicines and trafficking in narcotic substances, limiting the number capable of handling medical cannabis to around 200.
Furthermore, as we reported in January, despite significant interest from international cannabis businesses, many companies are struggling to get their products registered due to the strict and unique standards demanded by Ukrainian authorities.
These strict regulations stem from Ukraine’s active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) registration process, which is uniform across all APIs regardless of their nature and is not a necessary step in countries like Germany or the UK.
Regarding these standards, Ms Rachynska suggested that while they serve the guarantee the highest quality treatment for Ukrainians, ‘these strict requirements are holding back the market’.
“This delays patients’ access to treatment. Therefore, it is important for the regulator to find a balance: to maintain high standards, but at the same time adapt the conditions to ensure that medicines enter the country as soon as possible.”
What this means for patients
The campaign to make medical cannabis available in Ukraine has been ongoing ‘for years’, but the Russian invasion served to accelerate efforts, with the Ministry of Health estimating that around 6m citizens, including military personnel and civilians who have suffered due to the war, could now benefit from treatment.
“Of course, this is not an instant solution to all problems and not a panacea, but it is a very important start,” Ms Rachynska continued.
“So far, patients have not had time to feel real changes, as the implementation process is still ongoing. But we are glad that Ukraine has finally joined the civilized world, where access to treatment is a right, not a privilege… For millions of people, it is an opportunity to get rid of chronic pain, nausea, seizures and other severe manifestations of diseases that significantly impair their quality of life.”
However, despite the post-war prevalence of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among Ukrainians being a driving force behind legalisation, for now the condition will not be on the list for which medical cannabis can be prescribed.
Ms Rachynska explained: “The patient community insists on the inclusion of PTSD in this list, as its prevalence has increased significantly since the beginning of the full-scale war. We are actively working to expand this list, as we understand how important it is for a large number of people, both civilians and military.”
This is despite the fact that the need for PTSD treatment has tripled since the Russian invasion, and medical cannabis is regularly prescribed to help treat it in numerous countries including Israel and Canada.
“The fact that PTSD is still off the list is an ignored need of millions that the state is still not ready to recognise.”
Looking ahead, while Ms Rachynska says it is ‘too early’ to talk about a fully-fledged awareness campaign, her organisation is currently working with the NHSU Academy to develop a training course for doctors so that they are ready to prescribe the drugs when they appear in Ukraine.
“Later, we are preparing a public awareness campaign – through the media, patient organisations, stigma removal campaigns, explaining the difference between medical and recreational cannabis.
“We urge international manufacturers to pay attention to Ukraine and help our patients with medicines. There is demand, preparations are underway, and Ukrainian patients are waiting for affordable, high-quality treatment.”
This article was originally published by Business of Cannabis and is reprinted here with permission.
The post ‘Access to Treatment Is Now a Right, Not a Privilege’: Ukraine Approves First Medical Cannabis Imports in Major Step Toward Access appeared first on Cannabis Health News.
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Author: Business of Cannabis
