Where to legally buy marijuana and its substitutes in Poland
You can only buy marijuana legally at a pharmacy with a prescription Rpw. Check the three approved paths: pharmaceutical dried flower, hemp flower with up to 0.3 percent THC, and herbs.
Marijuana cannot be legally purchased anywhere in Poland except in pharmacies and only with a prescription from category Rpw. There is no store, vending machine, or legal online sale where it can be issued to a person without a prescription. However, two other things can be legally purchased: dried flower from industrial hemp, in which the total delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and tetrahydrocannabinolic acid does not exceed 0.3 percent of dry mass, and herbal mixtures without hemp. This text breaks down these three paths one by one: what exactly can be bought, where, what the law requires, and what none of them can replace. You will not find prices from the illegal market or ways to circumvent regulations here, as there is no version of this answer that would be both fair and useful.
KEY INFORMATION
• Hemp other than industrial hemp has been a pharmaceutical raw material for prescription drugs in Poland since November 1, 2017, that is, since the entry into force of the Act of July 7, 2017 (Journal of Laws 2017, item 1458)
• From November 7, 2024, a prescription for this herb can only be issued after a personal examination of the patient; an exception is the continuation of treatment in primary health care (Patient Rights Ombudsman, gov.pl)
• The boundary between marijuana and industrial hemp is 0.3 percent of the total delta-9-THC and tetrahydrocannabinolic acid in dry mass (Article 4 of the Act on Counteracting Drug Addiction)
• As of July 31, 2026, there were 1681 producers of industrial hemp and 76 purchasing entities registered in KOWR, and cultivation covered approximately 2171 hectares compared to 843 hectares in 2022 (KOWR, gov.pl)
• Herbal cigarettes are not milder than tobacco ones: a review in ACS Omega cites measurements showing they had higher levels of benzo(a)pyrene and carbon monoxide than regular ones (Abdel Rahman 2022)
• Possession is punishable when the amount allows for at least one use in a characteristic dose (resolution of the Supreme Court of October 28, 2009, I KZP 22/09)
Can marijuana be legally purchased in Poland?
Only in pharmacies and only with a prescription. Hemp other than industrial hemp is a narcotic, and the only path to legal circulation is through Article 33a of the Act on Counteracting Drug Addiction: the material can be a pharmaceutical raw material for the preparation of prescription drugs if the President of the Office for Registration of Medicinal Products allows it for circulation, and such permission is granted for five years.
This path opened on November 1, 2017, when the Act of July 7, 2017 amending the Act on Counteracting Drug Addiction came into force. Previously, the patient had no legal path in the country.
Outside of pharmacies, there is nothing. An advertisement, a friend, a foreign mail-order store: each of these sources is illegal, regardless of how the seller's site looks and what the description promises. A separate category that stores in Poland sell legally is dried flower from industrial hemp, but this is not marijuana and will not replicate its effects.
The three paths that the law allows look like this:
| Path | What can be purchased | What is needed | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacy with a prescription | Hemp other than industrial hemp as a raw material for a prescription drug | Prescription Rpw issued after a personal examination of the patient | Pharmacy |
| Legal hemp dried flower | Material from industrial hemp below the 0.3 percent threshold | Batch testing certificate with THC and THCA total | Hemp store |
| Herbal substitutes | Herbs and blends without hemp | Nothing that would be mentioned in the drug addiction prevention act | Herbal shop |
What does the process through a doctor and pharmacy look like?
It starts with a visit, not from the pharmacy. A prescription for cannabis other than fiber hemp can be issued by any licensed doctor who, after assessing the patient's condition, deems it necessary. From November 7, 2024, they can only do this after personally examining the patient, so a teleconsultation alone will not suffice.
An exception applies to the continuation of treatment by a primary care physician. The change is described in the statement of the Patient Rights Ombudsman, who in the same catalog lists cannabis other than fiber hemp alongside fentanyl, morphine, and oxycodone, as well as pharmaceutical extracts and tinctures from these hemp.
The patient chooses the pharmacy, but does not decide on the assortment. The prescription is filled as a compounded medication prepared from a specific raw material position approved by the Registration Office, so availability depends on what the pharmacy has in stock on a given day. A doctor's certificate, a patient card from a foreign clinic, or a test result issued in another country cannot replace the prescription; without a document from the pharmacy, there is no legal purchase. The entire process from the first visit to collection is covered in a separate guide on how to become a medical marijuana patient in Poland.
What is legal dried flower and where to buy it?
It is material from fiber hemp, meaning from plants in which the sum of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and tetrahydrocannabinolic acid does not exceed 0.3 percent calculated on a dry mass basis. Above this threshold, the law refers to the same material as cannabis other than fiber hemp and treats it as a narcotic. The entire legal difference lies in one number.
Cultivation is not free either. The producer must be registered in the fiber hemp registry maintained by the National Center for Agricultural Support, and purchasing entities are registered separately. According to KOWR data as of July 31, 2026, there were 1681 producers and 76 purchasing entities in the registry, and the cultivation area reached approximately 2171 hectares compared to 843 hectares in 2022.
For the buyer, the batch testing certificate is decisive. A result indicating only delta-9-THC does not say whether the material is within the threshold, as the threshold concerns the sum with the acid form, and in unheated dried flower, it is predominantly that. Material with such tests can be found in the category drought, and more broadly about the legality boundary writes a guide to the legality of hemp and CBD.
Which herbal substitutes are legal and are they safe?
Practically all of them are legal. Mullein, damiana, chamomile, lemon balm, or lavender are not subject to the drug addiction prevention act and can be sold without any registration. However, safe is a completely different word. Smoking any dried plant produces smoke, and smoke carries tar substances and carbon monoxide regardless of what is being burned.
A review published in ACS Omega (Abdel Rahman 2022) gathered comparisons of herbal cigarettes with regular ones, and the result is not encouraging: the content of benzo(a)pyrene and carbon monoxide was higher in herbal products than in tobacco ones, and with the same amount of tar substances, their smoke exhibited a higher mutagenic potential. The claim of a mild alternative is not supported by measurements.
A substitute makes sense when it comes to ritual, taste, or stepping away from nicotine, not for replicating the effects of cannabis. None of these herbs contain THC, and none will produce the effect that leads one to reach for marijuana. What can be replaced by what and at what cost is compared in a separate text about what to smoke instead of tobacco.
What are the consequences of purchasing from an illegal source?
The mere act of buying is not a separate type of crime, but what remains in your pocket afterward is. Article 62 of the drug addiction prevention act provides for a penalty of up to 3 years of imprisonment for possession of narcotic substances, and in the case of lesser severity, a fine, restriction of liberty, or imprisonment for up to one year.
The Supreme Court clarified when we are even talking about possession. In decision of October 28, 2009 (I KZP 22/09) it was determined that possession in an amount allowing for at least one-time use, in a dose characteristic for a given substance, capable of causing an effect other than medical in a person, is punishable. The purpose of possession does not matter.
Importing material from abroad is a separate act: the import and intra-community acquisition is described in Article 55 of the same law, so the neighbor's regulations do not transfer across the border with the luggage. The conditions for discontinuing proceedings under Article 62a and how the practice looks are laid out in the text about this, what the regulations say about possessing marijuana in Poland.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can marijuana be purchased in Poland without a prescription?
No. The herb of hemp other than fiber is a narcotic and reaches the patient only as a prescription drug prepared in a pharmacy based on a prescription with the Rpw category. An announcement, a friend, and a foreign shipment are illegal sources regardless of how the offer looks.
Is CBD dried flower the same as marijuana?
No. Dried flower from fiber hemp has a total delta-9-THC and tetrahydrocannabinolic acid content not exceeding 0.3 percent of dry mass, so it is not a narcotic in the meaning of the law. Above this threshold, the same plant material becomes hemp other than fiber and is subject to entirely different regulations.
Is purchasing marijuana in the Czech Republic a legal route for a Pole?
No. What is allowed in another country does not change the law in force in Poland: possession in the country is assessed by Article 62 of the Act on Counteracting Drug Addiction, and import and intra-community acquisition is a separate act described in Article 55. Traveling does not create a legal path for purchase for a resident of Poland.
Can I grow hemp at home for personal use?
Fiber hemp can only be grown after being registered in the register maintained by the National Support Center for Agriculture, and cultivation for personal needs is a separate case in this register, limited to one hectare and without the right to sell. Growing hemp other than fiber remains prohibited.
Who can issue a prescription for hemp herb?
A doctor with the right to practice who, after assessing the patient's condition, finds that there are indications. No additional specialization is required. From November 7, 2024, this must be done after a personal examination of the patient, and a teleconsultation will not suffice; the exception is the continuation of treatment by a primary care physician.
Can hemp dried flower be legally purchased in a store?
Yes, if it comes from fiber hemp and falls within the 0.3 percent threshold of total delta-9-THC and tetrahydrocannabinolic acid. The batch testing certificate determines this, not the description on the packaging. A result stating only delta-9-THC is not sufficient, as it omits the acidic form, which predominates in unheated dried flower.
Are herbal substitutes safer than tobacco?
There is no evidence for that. A review in ACS Omega from 2022 cites measurements where herbal cigarettes had higher levels of benzo(a)pyrene and carbon monoxide than regular ones, and with the same amount of tar substances, their smoke exhibited a higher mutagenic potential.
Is possession of a trace amount also punishable?
The Supreme Court determined in the decision of October 28, 2009 (I KZP 22/09) that possession in an amount allowing for at least one-time use, in a dose characteristic for a given substance, capable of causing an effect other than medical in a person, is punishable.
The article is for informational and educational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. The legal status described in the article is valid as of the publication date: regulations regarding hemp may change. Before making a decision, consult a lawyer or current legal acts.
Author: Michał Waluk · Published: 2026-08-24 · Updated: 2026-08-24
