Zelenskyy is pushing for legalization of medical cannabis to help Ukrainians suffering from “war trauma”.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday urged lawmakers to legalize medicinal cannabis, saying the treatment could bring relief to people in the country suffering from “war trauma”.

Selenskyj said this in a speech to his country’s parliament.

“We need to finally legalize cannabis medicine fairly for everyone who needs it, with proper scientific research and controlled Ukrainian production,” said Zelensky, quoted by UPI.

“All the best practices in the world, all the most effective measures, all solutions, no matter how difficult or unusual they may seem to us, must be applied to Ukraine so that Ukrainians, all our citizens, do not have to endure the pain, stress and trauma of war ‘ he added, according to the news organization.

Last year, Russia invaded and subsequently occupied parts of Ukraine. This marked a bloody and costly escalation of hostilities between the two countries. In April, citing a “collection of alleged US intelligence documents” published online, Reuters estimated that “up to 354,000 Russian and Ukrainian soldiers were killed or injured in the Ukraine war.”

As UPI noted, “Selensky’s support for legalizing medicinal cannabis also remains consistent, as shown in 2019 during his presidential campaign when he said it was ‘normal’ to allow people access to cannabis ‘droplets.’ “

Zelenskyj’s comments on Wednesday also reflect recent statements by his cabinet.

Earlier this month, Ukraine’s Health Minister Viktor Liashko said in a Facebook post that the government had introduced legislation to legalize medical cannabis treatment. In the post, Liashko cited the ongoing war with Russia as a reason for providing the treatment.

“We understand the negative consequences of the war for the mental health camp,” Liashko wrote in the Facebook post. “We understand the number of people who will need medical treatment on their last breath.”

“Cannabis drugs are not ‘competitors’ to drugs, and measures to regulate their circulation are very different. Medicinal cannabis contains cannabidiol, which does not have a pronounced psychoactive effect and is therefore not suitable for recreational use,” Liashko continued. “At the same time, we were prepared by the legislature for the preparation of a new cycle of production of cannabis-based preparations in Ukraine: from the development of this processing to full production.”

In the first month of last year’s Russian invasion, several cannabis companies in the United States reached out to provide financial assistance to Ukraine.

MediThrive CEO Misha Breyburg donated the proceeds from the sale of weed to a charity that provides aid to Ukrainians. Breyburg also had the MediThrive pharmacy in San Francisco’s Mission District painted in the blue and yellow colors of the Ukrainian flag.

“Russian invasion of Ukraine hits MediThrive founders. “CEO Misha Breyburg and his colleagues are Ukrainian Jewish refugees who immigrated to the United States as children from Odessa, Ukraine, in the 1970s,” the company said in a statement at the time. “MediThrive believes that everyone should have access to medicines and quality healthcare. The Medi in our name tells of our humble beginnings as a medical cannabis dispensary, dispensing the cannabis prescriptions of cancer and AIDS patients. In the 1990s, the pharmacy opened its doors to patients under the United States Compassionate Care Act. We are the oldest cannabis dispensary and delivery service in San Francisco. Today, we’re more than just a medical and recreational cannabis provider; Our roots are deep in our community.”