Did Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy put forward the legalization of cannabis in Ukraine? No, that's not true: Zelenskyy spoke about licensing cannabis-based medication in an effort to help Ukrainians suffering from Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental health disorders that might arise amid the conflict.
The claim appeared in a video (archived here) where it was published by @pollman7 on July 15, 2023 with the text on the video (translated from Russian):
Member of International Affairs Committee Maria Butina. "After cannabis legalization in Ukraine, recognition of same-sex marriages will follow."
This is what the post looked like on TikTok at the time of writing:
(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Wed Jul 19 14:11:43 2023 UTC)
During his speech in Verkhovna Rada on June 28, 2023 the Ukrainian President delivered a message of rehabilitation assistance "so that Ukrainians do not have to endure the pain, stress, and trauma of war." "In particular, we must finally legalize, for those in need, medicines based on cannabis, with appropriate scientific research and controlled Ukrainian production," he added.
In June 2022 the Ukrainian government adopted a bill ratifying the use of medical cannabis, however as of July 19, 2023, the law has not been passed.
Chief Medical Officer of Ukraine Ihor Kuzin clarified the protocol of using cannabis-based medication and said it would be dispensed as a prescription only drug "and their conditions of use and dosage will be determined based on clinical protocols developed in line with global practices."
Ukrainian Minister of Health, Viktor Liashko, estimated nearly 15 million Ukrainians would require psychological assistance with 2-3 million in need of medical treatment. The Health Ministry of Ukraine mentions that medical cannabis can relieve symptoms of over 50 psychological conditions.
