Ukraine: Medical Cannabis Market Overview 2025

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.

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:

Licences for cannabis-related activities are issued under the framework of narcotic drug control laws, with specific oversight by:

Licensing and Compliance Requirements:

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.

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:

Prescribing Procedures:

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.

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.

As of Q1 2025, no patients have yet received treatment; clinical protocols, pharmacy registration, and distribution systems remain under final regulatory development.

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:

Medium-term expectations include:

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.

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