Today we have brought for MPs the largest 5-meter tablet symbolizing the access to medicines for 2 million Ukrainian patients with different diseases.

Patients’ Action #WILL MY MP STOP PAIN? is called to draw attention of the MPs to Bill 10313 and to vote for it. Adoption of this law will allow studying and using medical cannabis, which will help to stop pain and sufferings of children and adults.

Patients with oncology, drug-resistant forms of epilepsy, post-traumatic syndrome and other diseases and disorders demand to be heard.

Dmitry Sherembey, Chairman of the NGO “100% LIFE Network”, the largest patients’ organization running the fight for affordable medicines, is convinced, “If there is a technology for sustaining life and making it easier, no one has the right to restrict people in having access to it. Let’s be honest, if one wants to use cannabis for pleasure, it can always be found in the market. There is no sense for MPs to pretend that they are fighting against distribution of narcotics. Drug dealers’ details can be found on every fence. The truth is that medicines based on cannabinoids are used for treatment of children and adults in many countries of the world while in Ukraine — no way! Life and health must be measured only by absolute magnitudes. 100% life = 100% access to treatment!”

Currently, nearly 2 million patients in Ukraine suffer from chronic pain and other disorders that can be avoided by taking phytocannabinoid-based active substances contained in hemp. In the meantime the use of medical cannabis is prohibited in Ukraine even for scientific purposes. This significantly complicates the access of patients to treatment. Bill 10313 will allow scientists to study and grow medical cannabis, while patients will legally use it for treatment.

Inna Ivanenko, Executive Director of the CF “Patients of Ukraine”, adds, “The appearance of legal medicines that will be available only on prescription and under the doctor’s supervision will allow correctly and effectively determining treatment in combination with other medicines. When buying medicines on the black market, people are afraid to consult doctors and resort to self-treatment. We are demanding the deputies not to drive people into a corner, not to turn them into criminals and already today to vote for bill 10313, which will relieve severely sick patients from pain.”

Inna Ivanenko