Ukraine’s Psychedelic Policy: One Year Later

Written by Iona Grahame

A year ago, Tadeusz Hawrot wrote about the beginnings of a promising development in drug policy; the potential rescheduling of psychedelics in Ukraine. The Ministry of Health had published proposal documents suggesting the rescheduling of classic psychedelics for scientific and educational purposes, alongside a draft by-law suggesting how this research could be conducted. A 30-day public consultation window was opened, allowing business, universities and individuals to express their views.

As war the continues and the scale of the mental health fallout grows, we revisit this story to report on any progress and developments.

Friction and Progress

A year on, the rescheduling has not yet been approved. I caught up with Tadeusz, who outlined the two prongs delaying progress. First is the technical side, which involves the legal and regulatory requirements needed to enable research, development, and, ultimately, clinical implementation. Secondly, on the political side, hesitation lingers from Soviet era-borne cultural stereotypes on the legitimacy of such drugs, as well as concerns about international implications. These are the major considerations facing governments across the world. For Ukraine, where rescheduling must happen before medical use is approved, they are inextricably linked.

Nonetheless, several developments indicate that progress and interest remain across multiple levels of the system in Ukraine.

Government initiatives in 2025 indicate the ongoing pursuit of solution-oriented approaches to the growing mental health burden. Firstly, the government adopted a new law that aims to shift the current centralised approach to mental healthcare towards a more community-based system. In August, the government also introduced a new national drug strategy with the explicit goal of developing and implementing "new methods for treating post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental disorders using narcotic drugs.”  These suggest an encouraging political context for emerging treatments, including psychedelic-assisted therapies.

Alongside policy developments, practical engagement at the institutional level remains active. A February 2026 roundtable in Kyiv, led by the Ukrainian Psychedelic Research Association (URPA) and the International Renaissance Foundation, focused on the specifics of "regulatory challenges and ways of implementing psychedelic-assisted therapy in Ukraine.” Moreover, the non-profit organisation Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPs) supported 55 Ukrainian therapists in attending a psychedelic training programme in Lviv. The event was attended by politicians and officials, and had explicit government support.

Researchers are also highlighting the myriad benefits of psychedelic-assisted therapy to Ukrainian society. A study published last year highlighted the potential economic impact of MDMA-assisted group therapy, and found that treating 1,000 patients with PTSD could cost $1.1 million, prevent 19.2 deaths, gain 717 quality-adjusted life years, generating a net social savings of $2.6 million over three years. Pushing the angle of the social, clinical, and economic value of psychoactive compounds may provide a more tangible entry point into cautious political and social structures.

Looking Forward

The compounding stress on the country’s mental health system due to the ongoing war creates a precedent for evolutionary and adaptive thinking in the field of mental health. Progress, however, remains ongoing, with both prongs outlined by Tadeusz needing to be pushed further. However, the stage continues to be set for Ukraine to become, as URPA co-founder Oleh Orlov described, a “regional leader and ultimately global hub” for psychedelic research.