Medical cannabis in Ukraine: where drugs are already available and how to get them

The development of the medical cannabis use system continues in Ukraine. After the relevant law came into force, the state gradually introduced mechanisms that should ensure patients’ access to drugs, as well as control over their circulation. At the same time, the relevant parliamentary committee continues to discuss issues that require further regulation.

This was discussed during a roundtable discussion at the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Health, Medical Care and Medical Insurance.

How medical cannabis was introduced in Ukraine

The path to the legalization of medical cannabis took several years.

In 2020, a nationwide survey was conducted at the initiative of the President of Ukraine, during which about 70% of participants supported the legalization of medical cannabis for the treatment of patients.

At the end of 2023, the Verkhovna Rada adopted a law that allowed the use of drugs based on medical cannabis for medical purposes. The document entered into force in the summer of 2024.

Today, the system is already working: the first licensed manufacturers have appeared in Ukraine, electronic prescriptions have been introduced, and some patients are already being treated with such drugs.

How the system works

The Verkhovna Rada Committee emphasizes that one of the main advantages of the new model is full electronic traceability of the circulation of medicines.

The system allows you to track the path of the drug from the moment it is prescribed by a doctor to the moment the patient receives it at the pharmacy, which minimizes the risks of illegal circulation and abuse.

You can obtain the drugs exclusively by electronic prescription, which is written by a primary or specialized medical care doctor in accordance with the list of diseases and conditions approved by the Ministry of Health.

Where can you already buy the drugs

Medicines based on medical cannabis are dispensed only by pharmacies that have received a special license.

According to the State Medical Service, the following already have the relevant licenses:

36 municipal business entities;

30 private business entities.

In total, the licenses cover 180 places of operation.

Currently, the drugs are already available in six pharmacies of the licensed operator, operating in:

Vinnytsia;
Dnipro;
Lviv;
Ivano-Frankivsk;
Ternopil;
Khmelnytskyi.
What issues still need to be resolved

During the roundtable, the participants discussed a number of practical issues that remain relevant for the full functioning of the system.

In particular, the following were discussed:

expanding the list of patients who can be prescribed drugs;
determining the dosage forms of medical cannabis;
the cost of treatment;
the procedure for licensing the cultivation of cannabis plants;
the mechanism for issuing quotas;
the features of prescribing drugs by doctors and dispensing them through the electronic prescription system.
The Ministry of Health has approved new rules for the manufacture of drugs

Another step towards the practical implementation of the system was the order of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine dated May 29, 2026 No. 706.

The document makes amendments to the Rules for the production (manufacture) and quality control of medicines in pharmacies.

For the first time, the procedure for the manufacture of medicines from the plant substance of cannabis, the requirements for their quality control, as well as the conditions under which Ukrainian pharmacies will be able to produce such drugs for patients have been determined at the regulatory level.

The specialized committee notes that further improvement of the legislation should make the system of using medical cannabis more accessible to patients who need such treatment, while maintaining effective state control over the circulation of these medicines.