Medical marijuana legalization has officially taken effect in Ukraine as of Friday.

About six months after President Volodymyr Zelensky signed the medical cannabis legislation into law, the policy change is now being implemented. The president and other officials have said access to medical cannabis can help soldiers address physical and mental wounds incurred during the nation’s ongoing war with Russia.

“Cannabis, its resin, extracts and tinctures are excluded from the list of particularly dangerous substances,” the Ministry of Health said in an update on the new policy. “Previously, their circulation was prohibited—now it is allowed, but with certain restrictions.”

“In order to ensure the cultivation of medical cannabis in Ukraine, licensing conditions have been developed, which will soon be considered by the Cabinet of Ministers,” it said. “Also, the entire chain of circulation of medical cannabis, from import or cultivation to dispensing to a patient in a pharmacy, will be subject to license control.”

“We will remind you that the law refers only to the medical, not recreational, use of cannabis-based drugs.”

“This is a significant step forward in providing care to patients who need specific treatment,” the ministry added in a Facebook post.

As the country has prepared for

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