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Cannabis in Ukraine is legal for medical purposes.
The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic was one of the biggest producers of hemp, and before the 1950s, it had over 150,000 hectares dedicated to hemp cultivation.[ citation needed ] Cannabis wasn't widely used as a recreational drug in Soviet Ukraine, most of the grown hemp would be used for its other natural resources such as oil and fiber. [1]
According to Article 106-2 Code of Administrative Offences Ukraine, cultivation (without intent to sell) up to 10 cannabis plants qualifies as an administrative violation, with a fine of from 18 to 100 non-taxable income units (₴300-1,700 in 2011) and the seizure of plants. [2]
The limit for possession without intent to sell, for which no criminal liability is given, is up to 5 grams of cannabis.[ citation needed ] However, there are plans to raise this limit to 10 grams. [3]
A march was planned for 28 October 2017, taking place near the Government of Ukraine. [4] [5]
On 30 January 2019, the Ukrainian Association of Medical Cannabis created a petition with the backing of 16 public organizations on the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament) website. The petition said that medical cannabis could greatly help over two million Ukrainians suffering from a wide range of ailments, including epilepsy, cancer and post-traumatic stress disorder. Acting Health Minister Ulana Suprun supported petition and called for the promotion of legalization medical cannabis.
In March, the petition received the required 25,000 signatures for consideration by the Verkhovna Rada. Subsequently, the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Human Rights, National Minorities and Interethnic Relations unanimously supported the petition and it was registered in the Verkhovna Rada on 20 May.
The legalization of medical cannabis was supported by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy in an interview to RBC-Ukraine on 18 April 2019.
On 25 October 2020, Zelenskyy announced a non-binding national referendum. The fourth question was: "Do you support the legalization of cannabis for medical purposes – to reduce pain in critically ill patients?" Former Minister of Health Ulana Suprun wrote on her official Facebook page that "Cannabis should be available to all patients who need it. There are about 2 million such patients in Ukraine." 64.88% of the participants responded positively, with 29.53% voicing their opposition.
Public activists with the participation of the non-governmental organization "Ukrainian Hemp Association" [6] [7] and employees of many shops related to the cannabis industry in April 2023 began to assemble a team to hold a peaceful action to stop the stigmatization of cannabis and to encourage public support for its decriminalization. On 20 April 2023, the activists started a campaign including free distribution of hemp seeds to everyone. The campaign was supported by large seed shops in Ukraine, such as ErrorSeeds. As part of the effort, decriminalization activists sowed cannabis seeds throughout Ukraine, particularly in public places. Their effort was primarily focused on the legalization of medical cannabis, but also recreational cannabis.
In April 2021, some THC- and CBD-containing drugs were approved for medical use (namely Dronabinol and Nabiximols). [8]
On 7 July 2023, The Ministry of Health of Ukraine supported the legalisation of cannabis-based medicines, which was advocated by Zelenskyy and deputy head of the department, chief state sanitary doctor Ihor Kuzin. [9]
On 13 July 2023, the Verkhovna Rada voted on a bill to legalize medical cannabis in the first reading, with 268 votes in favor. [10]
On 21 December 2023, the Parliament adopted the bill on medical cannabis #7457 in the second reading. [11]
President Zelensky signed the bill into law on February 15, 2024. [12]
In the United States, increased restrictions and labeling of cannabis as a poison began in many states from 1906 onward, and outright prohibitions began in the 1920s. By the mid-1930s cannabis was regulated as a drug in every state, including 35 states that adopted the Uniform State Narcotic Drug Act. The first national regulation was the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937.
Drug liberalization is a drug policy process of decriminalizing or legalizing the use or sale of prohibited drugs. Variations of drug liberalization include drug legalization, drug relegalization, and drug decriminalization. Proponents of drug liberalization may favor a regulatory regime for the production, marketing, and distribution of some or all currently illegal drugs in a manner analogous to that for alcohol, caffeine and tobacco.
Ukraine does not recognize same-sex marriage or civil unions. The Constitution of Ukraine defines marriage as between "a woman and a man". The issue of legal recognition for same-sex couples has become particularly acute after the start of Ukraine's accession to the European Union in 2022 and the Russian large-scale invasion of Ukraine during the Russo-Ukrainian War.
Cannabis political parties are generally single-issue parties that exist to oppose the laws against cannabis.
In Colorado, cannabis has been legal for medical use since 2000 and for recreational use since late 2012. On November 7, 2000, 54% of Colorado voters approved Amendment 20, which amended the State Constitution to allow the use of marijuana in the state for approved patients with written medical consent. Under this law, patients may possess up to 2 ounces (57 g) of medical marijuana and may cultivate no more than six marijuana plants. Patients who were caught with more than this in their possession could argue "affirmative defense of medical necessity" but were not protected under state law with the rights of those who stayed within the guidelines set forth by the state. The Colorado Amendment 64, which was passed by voters on November 6, 2012, led to recreational legalization in December 2012 and state-licensed retail sales in January 2014. The policy has led to cannabis tourism. There are two sets of policies in Colorado relating to cannabis use: those for medicinal cannabis and for recreational drug use along with a third set of rules governing hemp.
In the United States, cannabis is legal in 38 of 50 states for medical use and 24 states for recreational use. At the federal level, cannabis is classified as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act, determined to have a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use, prohibiting its use for any purpose. Despite this prohibition, federal law is generally not enforced against the possession, cultivation, or intrastate distribution of cannabis in states where such activity has been legalized. On May 1, 2024, the Associated Press reported on plans by the Drug Enforcement Administration to move marijuana to the less-restrictive Schedule III.
The legal history of cannabis in the United States began with state-level prohibition in the early 20th century, with the first major federal limitations occurring in 1937. Starting with Oregon in 1973, individual states began to liberalize cannabis laws through decriminalization. In 1996, California became the first state to legalize medical cannabis, sparking a trend that spread to a majority of states by 2016. In 2012, Washington and Colorado became the first states to legalize cannabis for recreational use.
Cannabis in Iowa is illegal for recreational use if classified as marijuana but consumable hemp products including CBD products are legal for consumers to possess and registered retailers to sell. Possession of even small amounts of marijuana is a misdemeanor crime. The state has a medical program for patients with qualifying debilitating medical conditions that allows for the legal sale and possession of no more than 4.5g of THC per patient every 90-day period. Allowed modes of consumption are oral & topical forms including, but not limited to; tablets and tinctures, nebulizable inhalable forms, suppositories, and vaporization.
Cannabis in North Dakota is legal for medical use but illegal for recreational use. Since 2019 however, possession under a 1/2 ounce has been decriminalized in the sense that there is no threat of jail time, though a criminal infraction fine up to $1,000 still applies. The cultivation of hemp is currently legal in North Dakota. In November 2018, the state's voters voted on recreational marijuana legalization, along with Michigan; the measure was rejected 59% to 41%. Two groups attempted to put marijuana legalization measures on the June 2020 Primary and the November 2020 elections, but were prevented from doing so by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cannabis in Virginia is legal for medical use and recreational use. The first medical marijuana dispensary opened in August 2020, and adult recreational use became legalized in July 2021.
Cannabis in the United States Virgin Islands is legal for recreational use since January 18, 2023, under territorial law. Legislation to legalize was passed by the territorial legislature in 2022, and was signed into law on January 18. Medical use was legalized in 2019 through a bill that passed the Senate 9–4. It remains illegal under federal law.
Ulana Nadia Suprun is a Ukrainian-American physician, activist, and philanthropist who served as the acting Minister of Healthcare from 2016 to 2019. Prior to her government career, Suprun served as Director of Humanitarian Initiatives for the Ukrainian World Congress.
Cannabis in North Carolina is illegal for any use except for very limited medical usage, though decriminalized for possession of 0.5 ounces or less for individuals with three or fewer misdemeanor convictions.
Cannabis in Missouri is legal for recreational use. A ballot initiative to legalize recreational use, Amendment 3, passed by a 53–47 margin on November 8, 2022. Possession for adults 21 and over became legal on December 8, 2022, with the first licensed sales occurring on February 3, 2023.
Cannabis in Hawaii is illegal for recreational use, but decriminalized for possession of three grams or less. Medical use was legalized through legislation passed in 2000, making Hawaii the first state to legalize medical use through state legislature rather than through ballot initiative.
Cannabis in Germany has been legal for recreational usage by adults in a limited capacity since 1 April 2024. As of February 2024, it has been assessed that 4.5 million Germans use cannabis.
Cannabis in Italy is currently legal for medical and industrial uses, although it is strictly regulated, while it is decriminalized for recreational uses. In particular, the possession of small amounts of marijuana for personal use is a civil infraction. The possible sanctions for possession vary from the issuing of a diffida to first offenders, that is an injunction not to use the drug again; to the temporary suspension of certain personal documents for repeat offenders. Conversely, the unauthorized sale of cannabis-related products is illegal and punishable with imprisonment, as is the unlicensed cultivation of cannabis, although recent court cases have effectively established the legality of cultivating small amounts of cannabis for exclusively personal use. The licensed cultivation of cannabis for medical and industrial purposes requires the use of certified seeds; however, there is no need for authorization to plant certified seeds with minimal levels of psychoactive compounds.
The list includes and details significant events that occurred in the global history of national-level implementations of, or changes made to, laws surrounding the use, sale, or production of the psychoactive drug cannabis.
Krystal Gabel is an American cannabis rights activist, politician, and writer. Gabel, a candidate for governor of Nebraska in the 2018 election, at age 33 was the youngest of a record number of women who ran for governorships, nationally. In 2020, Gabel ran for Nebraska Public Service Commission in the Republican primary.
A general mobilization into the Armed Forces of Ukraine has been taking place in Ukraine since 2014.
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