With 268 out of 405 deputies voting in favor, the Ukrainian parliament has advanced a medical cannabis legalization draft law on first reading.
A second reading is anticipated soon, and, if lawmakers formally adopt the draft law, it will head to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's desk for a signature. Zelenskyy has signaled support for the plan, going so far as to urge the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, to fast-track the draft this summer.
According to the Kyiv Independent: "The draft law proposes to license the economic activity of cultivating hemp for medical, industrial, and scientific purposes. It aims to help Ukrainian war veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, people with cancer, and other serious diseases to get pain relief and reduce other symptoms."
