The law on the legalization of medical cannabis entered into force on August 16. The Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) surveyed 1 067 Ukrainians about their attitude to legalization.
The survey showed that 43% of respondents are positive about the legalization of medical cannabis. Almost three times less Ukrainians (16%) have a negative attitude. At the same time, 41% have either a neutral or uncertain attitude to the legalization of medical cannabis.
At the same time, when sociologists "clarified" that it was a light drug — marijuana, the approval ratings changed somewhat. In this formulation of the question, 45% responded positively to legalization. The share of opponents, as well as those with a neutral or undecided attitude, also increased. 23% were negative, and another 32% were neutral or uncertain.
Sociologists also asked Ukrainians questions with an emphasis on the fact that this will ease the pain of many patients (especially cancer patients and wounded soldiers). In this context, 57% of Ukrainians already approved legalization. At the same time, 14% continued to have a negative attitude, and another 28% were neutral or undecided.
Legalization was supported the most, regardless of the wording of the question, in the central part of Ukraine (53%), the south (43%) the least. At the same time, the share of opponents is the highest in the east of Ukraine (24%), and the lowest in the west (14%).
Respondents from the age group of 60-69 expressed support for legalization more often than others (57%). The least number of opponents were among Ukrainians aged 18-29 (7%), and the most among the 40-49 age group (21%).
"Euro-Atlantic integration, which is definitely supported by the majority of the population of Ukraine, concerns not only socio-economic or security issues, but also the worldview dimension, in particular, on difficult, debatable issues. This also applies to the legalization of cannabis. The growth of a positive attitude towards the legalization of medical cannabis can be considered as one of the indicators of the modernization of the values of Ukrainians and their approach to European or Western ones, as well as the greater crystallization of Ukraine as a part of the European and Western world in general," said Anton Hrushetskyi, executive director of KIIS.
He reminded that not so long ago, Ukrainians demonstrated much higher conservatism. In particular, in one of the polls back in 2016, 85% believed that soft drugs should be "completely banned."
In a 2019 KIIS poll for Detector Media, 76% of respondents said they would not consume media that "consistently promotes the legalization of soft drugs or prostitution."
"Now we are observing fundamental changes in the minds of citizens, who are already favorably disposed to legalization. However, caution should be exercised. There remains a fairly large proportion of those who have a neutral or undecided attitude. In addition, the law has only just entered into force, and it is important what exactly the implementation will look like. One can expect narratives about "corruption in this area," about "turning Ukraine into a drug laboratory," about "the growth of drug addicts," etc. That is, the opponents of legalization retain the opportunity to influence public opinion, and this should be taken into account so that there is no retreat from the current (rather positive) state," said Hrushetskyi.
What is known about the legalization of medical cannabis
The law on the legalization of medical cannabis regulates its circulation for medical and industrial purposes, scientific and scientific and technical activities. Cannabis, its resin, extracts and tinctures are now allowed — they have been removed from the list of particularly dangerous substances.
The law simplifies the medical use of cannabis-based drugs, while at the same time providing for strict control by the National Police over the cultivation of this plant, the production and sale of drugs based on it.
An electronic system will provide transparency and control over the circulation of medical cannabis drugs. Every transaction with medical cannabis will be registered in it.
Medicines from medical cannabis will be made in the conditions of a pharmacy and prescribed according to a prescription. They can be bought only with an electronic prescription. Medicines from medical cannabis are expected to come in the form of oral drops, hard capsules, and toothpastes. Pharmacies must obtain licenses to sell these drugs.
Medical cannabis differs from ordinary cannabis in the content of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) — a substance that gives a narcotic effect, namely, causes a feeling of euphoria, changes consciousness and behavior. Medical cannabis has little THC, but a lot of cannabidiol, which relieves pain, relaxes, improves sleep and appetite.
The Ministry of Health notes that medical cannabis is effective in the treatment of more than 50 pathological conditions: chronic pain, arthritis, rheumatism, epilepsy, Alzheimerʼs and Parkinsonʼs diseases, diabetic neuropathy, various forms of sclerosis, etc. And they add that cannabis is used for medical purposes in 56 countries of the world.