The Ministry of Health of Ukraine has approved the list of diseases and conditions for which it will be allowed to prescribe medical cannabis. This decision became an important step in reforming the medical system and providing patients with new methods of treatment.
The dosage and regimen of taking the medicinal product based on cannabis will be determined by the doctor individually, taking into account the patient's age, weight, state of health, concomitant diseases and other factors.
Children can also be prescribed such drugs, but only if the ratio of cannabidiol to tetrahydrocannabinol in them is more than 20:1, and the maximum daily dose does not exceed 25 mg/kg of body weight.
At the same time, medicines based on medical cannabis are not prescribed to pregnant and lactating women, to patients with a known or suspected personal or family history of schizophrenia or another psychotic disorder, as well as if the patient has severe personality disorders (the exception is depression, associated with the main disease).
Contraindications include hypersensitivity to cannabinoids or any other excipient of the medicinal product. For patients who have moderate or severe liver dysfunction, prescribing cannabis medicinal products is not recommended or is allowed with a reduced dosage.
Taking a medicinal product based on cannabis should be stopped if the desired therapeutic effect is not obtained within 4-12 weeks or in case of serious adverse reactions (including those related to the mental state).
List of diseases:
- malignant neoplasms;
– diabetic neuropathy;
– multiple sclerosis;
– damage to the trigeminal and facial nerves;
– neuralgia due to shingles;
– damage to nerve roots and plexuses;
– compression of nerve roots and plexuses in case of diseases;
– mononeuropathy of the extremities,
– polyneuropathy and other lesions of the peripheral nervous system;
– cerebral palsy and other paralytic syndromes;
– injuries of the spinal cord;
– intracranial injuries;
– nausea and vomiting due to chemotherapy in the treatment of neoplasms;
- Parkinson's disease, de la Tourette's syndrome;
- refractory (drug-resistant) epilepsy;
- diseases that lead to convulsive attacks in childhood: Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, Dravet syndrome, tuberous sclerosis;
- weight loss associated with anorexia in patients with diseases caused by the human immunodeficiency virus.
