Legalize medical cannabis or not? An eternal question on which the deputies still cannot make a decision. This discussion has been going on for many years. Now the Ministry of Health brought the issue to public discussion. In Ukraine, the use and research of cannabis is still prohibited, although the number of Ukrainians with cancer has long reached a million, and many of them are very much in need of pain relief.
According to Viktor Pakhmurny, a psychiatrist and associate professor of the Department of Applied Psychology at the Odessa National Maritime University, this should be done as soon as possible. After all, epileptics, cancer patients, patients with Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and glaucoma have long been asking for the legalization of medical cannabis in Ukraine. We are talking about hundreds of thousands of people for whom the use of marijuana is a chance for a full life.
"When we talk about derivatives, so-called "alkaloids", then there are two of them. One of them has some narcotic effect. Second - no. We are talking about tetrahydrocannabinol. Cannabidiol does not have such a narcotic effect. It is the ego that is used for medical purposes. In many countries, it did not cause problems. I don't understand what we are arguing about? We strive to be a civilized society - this is how we should act accordingly," explains Viktor Pakhmurny.
Moreover, the psychiatrist is outraged that ordinary legal alcohol causes much more harm to the body - a deceptive way to calm oneself after stress. Viktor Pakhmurny notes that addiction to cannabis is three times less than to alcohol.
"Cannabinol is a natural substance. Therefore, marijuana is much safer than the synthetic drugs we use. But alcohol is a destructive way to calm down, primarily for the brain. But with cannabis, it is different. It has a tranquilizing, calming effect on the human brain. Therefore, it is used for post-traumatic stress disorder," the psychiatrist added.
