Ukraine Votes to Legalize Medical Marijuana to Help 'Ease Stress' From War Against Russia
Ukraine voted to legalize medical marijuana this week in an effort to help ease the stress from the nation’s ongoing war with Russia.
Dec. 21 2023, Published 4:00 p.m. ET
Ukraine voted to legalize medical marijuana this week in an effort to help ease the stress from the nation’s ongoing war with Russia, RadarOnline.com has learned.
The new law, which is scheduled to come into effect in six months, passed Ukraine's parliament on Tuesday in a 248-153 vote.
The new law, which is scheduled to come into effect in six months, passed Ukraine's parliament on Tuesday in a 248-153 vote.
According to the Associated Press, the law to legalize medical marijuana was proposed by Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Smyhal.
Although many Ukrainian lawmakers opposed the proposal, Prime Minister Smyhal and the law’s other 248 supporters argued that legalizing medical marijuana would ease stress and help treat post-traumatic stress disorder as thousands of soldiers return from the frontlines of the Russo-Ukrainian war.
The Associate Press noted that Kyiv would require a doctor’s prescription to obtain the newly legalized medical marijuana and that recreational cannabis use would remain a criminal offense once the new law goes into effect next year.
As RadarOnline.com previously reported, this development comes as Kyiv considers mobilizing an additional 500,000 troops onto the frontlines to fight against Russia.
The law to legalize medical marijuana was proposed by Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Smyhal.
The war, which launched in February 2022, is quickly approaching the two-year mark.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would not immediately commit to deploying 500,000 fresh troops and he is reportedly planning to hear “more arguments” on the proposal before he makes a final decision.
“This is a very serious number,” Zelenskyy acknowledged during a news conference on Tuesday night. “I said that I need more arguments to make this decision.”
"This is a difficult year that is coming to an end,” the Ukrainian leader added. "We are not ready to give up.”
The medical marijuana development comes as Kyiv considers mobilizing an additional 500,000 troops onto the frontlines to fight against Russia.
Also surprising are reports that Kyiv is debating taking a page out of Vladimir Putin’s book and mobilizing imprisoned Ukrainian convicts onto the frontlines of the ongoing conflict.
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Insiders revealed earlier this week that Kyiv is allegedly organizing a plan to free Ukrainian prisoners in exchange for military service.
While President Zelenskyy was said to be “hesitant” to approve the idea, several Ukrainian military commanders backed the possible plan.
Kyiv is also reportedly debating mobilizing imprisoned Ukrainian convicts onto the frontlines of the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian conflict.
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“I am absolutely fine with using prisoners as fighters,” Major Maksym Zhorin said regarding the idea. “The only thing we need to understand is that this is a rather complex human resource with certain peculiarities which must be taken into account.”
“With the right selection of officers who would command them, I believe this is a real deal,” he added.
"If a person wants to fight, he should be at war,” Lieutenant Andrii Illenko echoed. "If they really want to fight, they should have such an opportunity.”
"There are completely wild situations where this would not work,” the Ukrainian lieutenant acknowledged. “But I believe that now it is necessary to create an appropriate legal framework.”
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