Contents
Market Overview
Ukraine formally established its medical cannabis framework in August 2024, following the signing of the Cannabis Legalisation Law in February 2024. The decision was driven by broad public and political support for the use of medical cannabis to support patients suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and chronic pain linked to the ongoing conflict, as well as for seriously ill and palliative care patients.
According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Health, as many as six million patients could potentially benefit from medical cannabis treatment, highlighting the substantial scale of unmet medical need across the country.
In January 2025, the first medical cannabis products were added to Ukraine’s State Register of Medicinal Products, marking the country’s initial step toward an operational market. The three products — all full-spectrum cannabis oils — are produced by Curaleaf and currently represent the only authorised formulations.
While patient access has yet to begin, the development of a regulated market signals an important step forward for public health in Ukraine, as the country seeks to establish a structured, pharmaceutical-grade medical cannabis industry amidst recovery from war-related healthcare challenges.
Regulatory Framework
The Cannabis Law of Ukraine, which came into force in August 2024, removed cannabis resin and extracts from the national list of dangerous narcotics, enabling:
- Cultivation for medical and scientific purposes
- Manufacturing and processing
- Import and export
- Dispensation and handling of medical cannabis
Licences for cannabis-related activities are issued under the framework of narcotic drug control laws, with specific oversight by:
- The Ministry of Health
- The State Medical Service
- The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU)
Licensing and Compliance Requirements:
- Companies must obtain a licence for narcotics circulation, as well as a medical cannabis-specific permit.
- Cultivators must meet Good Agricultural and Collection Practice (GACP) standards and stringent security and transparency criteria.
- Given the time required to establish domestic cultivation, the government has temporarily eased import procedures to allow companies holding narcotics-handling licences to import medical cannabis Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) under authorisation from the State Medical Service, in agreement with the SBU.
Currently, all products are extract-based, and flower products are not authorised for medical use. Medical cannabis is classified as an Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) and may be used either in finished pharmaceutical products or in magistral preparations compounded by pharmacies.
Domestic production is expected to commence by 2028, following the construction and certification of compliant cultivation and processing facilities.
Patient Access
Who Can Prescribe?
Both primary care physicians and specialist doctors in Ukraine are authorised to prescribe medical cannabis, pending approval from a medical advisory committee.
Approved Indications:
The Ministry of Health has defined a comprehensive list of qualifying conditions, including:
- Chronic or neuropathic pain and/or spasticity
- Nausea and vomiting due to chemotherapy in cancer treatment
- Parkinson’s disease
- Tourette’s syndrome
- Lennox–Gastaut syndrome
- Dravet syndrome
- Tuberous sclerosis
- Weight loss and anorexia associated with HIV/AIDS
Prescribing Procedures:
- Each prescription must be approved by a medical advisory committee.
- Dispensation will occur through licensed pharmacies authorised to handle controlled medicines.
- Physicians must document that conventional therapies have been ineffective, unsuitable, or poorly tolerated.
Reimbursement:
There is currently no reimbursement mechanism for medical cannabis treatment in Ukraine; all costs will be borne out-of-pocket by patients until further policy development.
Products
In January 2025, Ukraine officially registered its first medical cannabis products in the State Register of Medicinal Products. All three products are Curaleaf-manufactured full-spectrum oils, produced to pharmaceutical standards and imported under special approval.
| Product Type | Composition | Cannabinoid Ratio | Manufacturer | Formulation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balanced Oil 1 | 10 mg/mL CBD + 10 mg/mL THC | 1:1 Balanced | Curaleaf | Full-spectrum extract |
| Balanced Oil 2 | 25 mg/mL CBD + 25 mg/mL THC | 1:1 Balanced | Curaleaf | Full-spectrum extract |
| High THC Oil | 25 mg/mL THC | THC-dominant | Curaleaf | Full-spectrum extract |
As of Q1 2025, no patients have yet received treatment; clinical protocols, pharmacy registration, and distribution systems remain under final regulatory development.
Market Development and Outlook
Ukraine’s 2024 legalisation marks the beginning of a long-term, institutionally managed medical cannabis programme aimed at addressing the country’s significant post-war healthcare burden.
Key short-term characteristics:
- Imports will dominate supply until 2028, when domestic production is expected to become operational.
- The market will remain extract-only, with products treated as pharmaceutical APIs under the strict oversight of the Ministry of Health.
- The focus will be on post-traumatic stress, pain management, and palliative care, representing large patient populations.
Medium-term expectations include:
- Construction of GACP-compliant cultivation facilities.
- Development of local manufacturing and packaging capacity.
- Gradual integration of medical cannabis into standardised healthcare pathways under Ministry supervision.
Ukraine’s medical cannabis framework is one of the most significant regulatory developments in Eastern Europe, combining strong public health rationale with a controlled pharmaceutical model aligned with EU standards.
