Ukraine's parliament votes to legalise medical cannabis products
A look back at the Verkhovna Rada vote on medical cannabis, held a day after a presidential appeal to NATO.
What did Ukraine's parliament decide on 7 April 2021? The Verkhovna Rada voted to legalise the use of medical cannabis products, a step that placed the subject firmly on the national agenda.
The vote came as security questions dominated public life. On 6 April 2021, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called on NATO to speed up Ukraine's accession to the alliance. He pointed to a growing build-up of Russian troops and military hardware on the country's borders, and asked for help in ending the conflict in the Donbas with pro-Russian separatists.
The two developments, a day apart, showed the range of business before Ukraine's institutions: a domestic health-related measure approved in parliament, and an appeal on defence and diplomacy made at the highest level of government.
