Both President Zelensky and Health Minister Viktor Liashko have publicly expressed support for the change in law, claiming it could help the country deal with the trauma of two years of Russian war.

The Ministry of Health has estimated that the number of people requiring these treatments has “tripled” since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, with up to six million people now living with not only PTSD and other mental health issues, but chronic pain related to their injuries and cancer.

Although the second reading was delayed due to numerous amendments from the opposition parties, 248 MPs voted in favour of legalization in December 2023.

Following the official signing of the bill, Ukrainian ministries will spend the next six months drafting the necessary legislation to allow the import of cannabis-based medicines into the country, as well as the domestic cultivation of medicinal cannabis.