How to become a medical marijuana patient in Poland? Guide 2026

Guides on medical marijuana in Poland repeat several numbers that cannot be verified and omit regulations that truly determine the course of therapy. This text does the opposite. Every term, limit, and sanction below comes from a specific editorial unit of the applicable act, verified in the Journal of Laws registry, not from a repeated approximation found online. Here you will find answers to questions about why the first prescription requires a personal visit, how many days of use one prescription can cover, what exactly the penalties are for driving a car, and what document is needed when crossing the border. Separately, we show which popular numbers we removed from this guide and why none of them could be traced back to a source. The order of the sections corresponds to the order in which these matters arise in the patient's life, from the first visit to traveling abroad. The legal status is described as of August 10, 2026.

KEY INFORMATION
• A prescription for cannabis other than fiber hemp is issued after a personal examination of the patient; exceptions apply to the continuation of treatment and situations where no more than 3 months have passed since the last examination.
• The fulfillment period for prescriptions for narcotic substances is 30 days from the date of issuance, compared to 365 days for a regular e-prescription.
• One prescription can cover an amount corresponding to a maximum of 90 days of use.
• The law does not recognize an exception for a patient behind the wheel: Article 178a § 1 of the Penal Code provides for imprisonment of up to 3 years.
• The value of 1 ng/ml of THC in blood is the limit of detectability of the method, not a threshold of liability.

What is the legal basis for medical marijuana in Poland?

According to one provision of the Act on Counteracting Drug Addiction, Article 33a states that the herb of cannabis other than hemp and extracts, pharmaceutical tinctures, and other extracts from these cannabis plants may constitute a pharmaceutical raw material intended for the preparation of prescription medications, after obtaining a marketing authorization issued by the President of the Office for Registration of Medicinal Products.

This distinction changes the perspective on the entire therapy. Pharmacy cannabis is not a ready-made medication with a leaflet and registration indications, but a raw material for a prescription medication. The authorization for a given raw material is issued for five years, and the responsibility for selecting the strain, dosage, and method of administration lies with the physician issuing the prescription. This is where the variability in practice between clinics comes from: the regulation does not impose a protocol, but merely allows the raw material to be marketed.

The basis was introduced by the Act of July 7, 2017, amending the Act on Counteracting Drug Addiction, which came into force on November 1, 2017. The current consolidated text of the Act on Counteracting Drug Addiction is Dz.U. 2023 poz. 1939. The amendment of July 3, 2026, effective from August 27, 2026, does not change anything regarding patient access to the raw material or the rules for issuing prescriptions. Step by step, we have described the procedure for obtaining a prescription in a separate przewodniku po procesie uzyskania recepty.

For which indications is the evidence strongest?

For chronic pain and spasticity, and even there we speak of moderate quality evidence. A systematic review encompassing 79 randomized studies and 6462 participants found moderate quality evidence for the use of cannabinoids in chronic pain and spasticity, and low-quality evidence for nausea and vomiting after chemotherapy, weight gain in HIV infection, sleep disorders, and Tourette's syndrome (Whiting et al., 2015).

A newer review broke down the picture by type of cannabinoid, which has practical significance for the patient, as herb, dronabinol, and oromucosal spray are not the same substance. The authors analyzed 152 randomized studies involving 12,123 people and obtained 84 comparisons (Bilbao i Spanagel, 2022).

The authors' conclusions are cautious: cannabinoids are effective for several indications, provided their different pharmacology is taken into account. Post-traumatic stress disorder, ADHD, depression, and anxiety fall into the category of low or no evidence, which does not mean that a doctor cannot propose therapy, but that there is no basis for promising effectiveness.

Can a prescription be obtained via teleconsultation?

Usually not for the first one. The Regulation of the Minister of Health regarding narcotic drugs requires that a prescription for preparations listed in Annex 2 be issued after a prior personal examination of the patient by the prescriber. In this annex, alongside fentanyl, morphine, and oxycodone, there is a position covering the herb of cannabis other than hemp and extracts and pharmaceutical tinctures, and separately cannabis resin.

This is the most commonly overlooked element of the entire process, and it determines the choice of clinic. The regulation is stated in paragraph 7 section 2a point 2 of the Regulation of the Minister of Health of September 11, 2006, consolidated text Dz.U. 2025 item 1678. This same section requires prior verification in the system or gathering an interview to determine whether previously prescribed products are insufficient for pharmacotherapy.

There are exceptions, and there are two. A prescription without examination, in the mode provided for teleconsultation, can be issued if no more than 3 months have passed since the last examination of the patient. Separately exempt is the doctor providing services under a primary health care contract, outside of night and holiday health care, when continuing treatment with a previously started preparation.

The practical conclusion is that the model "everything remotely from the first contact" does not fit within these regulations for cannabis herb. The first visit is to be in-person, and only subsequent ones may occur remotely, provided they fall within the three-month window from the last examination. When planning therapy, it is worth arranging a calendar of visits so that this window does not close.

What should be prepared before the first visit?

Two things weigh the most: documented history of previous treatment and a complete list of medications taken. The first is necessary because the regulation requires the doctor to establish that the previous pharmacotherapy is insufficient. The second is important because cannabinoids significantly alter the metabolism of other substances, and the doctor cannot predict this without a complete list.

It is advisable to bring hospital discharge summaries, descriptions of imaging studies, laboratory results from the last six months, and a symptom diary kept for two to four weeks. The diary does not need to be complicated: time, symptom severity on a scale from 0 to 10, length of sleep, and what exacerbated the symptom. Such a record provides the doctor with a reference point that a single conversation cannot replace.

The list of medications has measurable significance. Cannabidiol affects enzymes involved in the metabolism of many drugs and the P-glycoprotein responsible for their excretion, and nearly half of those taking it in studies reported adverse effects, dose-dependent (SSRIs, SNRIs, and other psychotropic medications). A meta-analysis of twelve studies involving 803 people shows where the real risk lies: abnormal liver tests and drowsiness mainly occurred in studies on childhood epilepsy, where cannabidiol was administered together with clobazam or valproate, and after their discontinuation, the only significant complication remaining was diarrhea (Chesney i wsp., 2020).

Which medications may interact with cannabis therapy?

Those metabolized by liver enzymes of the cytochrome P450 family, and the list is longer than usually stated. Studies on microsomes of cells with overexpressed individual enzymes have shown that each of the main cannabinoids competitively inhibits a different set of them, so the interaction profile depends on the strain composition, not merely on the fact of consuming cannabis.

What is more interesting is what the metabolites do. In the plasma of individuals using cannabis, they persist longer and at higher concentrations than the cannabinoids themselves, and the two main metabolites of THC inhibited the aforementioned enzymes at lower concentrations than the parent compounds. The authors indicate that it is the circulating metabolites that may account for a significant portion of the interactions, which is usually not considered when planning therapy (Nasrin i wsp., 2021).

Practically, this means one thing: before the first prescription, the doctor should see a complete list of medications, including over-the-counter drugs and supplements. Enzymes from this family metabolize, among others, anticoagulants and antiepileptic drugs, as well as a significant portion of psychiatric medications, so changes in their activity translate to the concentration of the medication the patient is already taking. This is not a reason to avoid starting therapy, but rather to begin it with a complete chart.

It is also worth knowing the state of knowledge about absorption. A systematic review of the pharmacokinetics of cannabidiol in humans established that absolute bioavailability was measured only for the inhalation route, where it was 31 percent; for no other route was it attempted to be determined, despite the availability of intravenous forms. The authors emphasize the scarcity of data and discrepancies between studies (Millar et al., 2018). Therefore, converting the dose between vaporization and oral administration does not have a solid numerical basis.

How much time do you have to fill the Rpw prescription?

Thirty days from the date of issuance. The deadline arises from Article 96a, paragraph 7, point 4 of the Pharmaceutical Law, which establishes such a period for prescriptions for narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, and precursors of category 1. In comparison, a regular electronic prescription has a validity period of 365 days, while a prescription for antibiotics is valid for 7 days.

The second limit concerns quantity and is often confused with the first. A prescription for preparations containing narcotic substances of group I-N may cover an amount not exceeding the patient's demand for a maximum of 90 days of use, and the doctor may issue up to three prescriptions for consecutive periods, also totaling up to 90 days. Thirty days is the window for purchasing the medication, while ninety is the maximum supply that the prescription can cover.

From a technical standpoint, an electronic prescription generates two numbers: a forty-four-digit access key and a four-digit code. In the pharmacy, you only need to provide the code along with your PESEL number, and this is the same procedure you know from any other e-prescription. The current consolidated text of the Pharmaceutical Law is Dz.U. 2026 poz. 612.

How to find a pharmacy that actually has the goods?

By phone, before leaving home. Hemp flower appears as a pharmaceutical raw material for a compounded medication, not as a ready-made product from the general shelf, so the pharmacy must have both the appropriate authorization and the specific strain physically in stock. These two conditions are independent, and the second is often more problematic than the first.

When calling, provide the full name of the strain and the weight from the prescription right away, not just the term "medical marijuana." Strains differ in their THC and CBD content, and the pharmacy will not substitute one for another without a new prescription, as they are different raw materials. Also, ask about the possibility of reserving: many pharmacies will hold an order for a day or two, which can be important if getting there takes half a day.

If your strain is not available, you have two options. The first is to order and wait for delivery, keeping in mind the thirty-day prescription fulfillment period, which runs regardless of whether the pharmacy has the goods. The second is to contact your doctor and get a new prescription for an available strain with a similar profile. The second option is often quicker but requires a visit or a teleconsultation within a three-month window from the last examination. We track which strains are currently available in the compilation of available strains.

What does the beginning of therapy and dose titration look like?

It starts with small doses and increases slowly over a week or two. Practical guidelines for the pharmacology of medical cannabis recommend starting with modest levels and titrating over even two weeks, and the total daily dose of THC is usually advised to be limited to 30 mg or less, preferably together with cannabidiol, to avoid psychoactive effects and the development of tolerance (MacCallum i Russo, 2018).

Specific numbers are provided by a consensus of twenty experts from nine countries, developed using the Delphi method for chronic pain. In the basic protocol, treatment starts with a strain rich in cannabidiol, at a dose of 5 mg twice daily, increased by 10 mg every two to three days, up to 40 mg per day. Only at this level is the addition of THC considered at a dose of 2.5 mg, increasing it by 2.5 mg every two to seven days. The cautious protocol starts with THC at a level of 1 mg per day and increases by 1 mg every seven days (Bhaskar i wsp., 2021).

The third variant from this consensus is often overlooked, yet it is closest to Polish practice. In the rapid protocol, treatment starts immediately with a balanced strain, at 2.5 to 5 mg of each of the two cannabinoids once or twice daily, increasing by the same amount every two to three days. The upper limit for THC is the same in all three variants and is 40 mg per day. This is higher than the 30 mg suggested in the practical guidelines cited above, and this discrepancy speaks to the state of knowledge: two independent expert compilations provide upper limits for the same substance that differ by one-third.

Take the first dose in the evening, on a day without planned driving and without obligations. Record the time of intake, the dose, the form, the severity of the symptom before administration, and after one, two, and four hours. These records are the only objective basis on which the doctor will assess during the follow-up visit whether the dose needs adjustment. If the therapy is to be conducted through vaporization, choose the equipment before the first dose; we have compiled a review of devices in the category vaporizers.

Why can't a patient with a prescription drive a car?

Because neither the Penal Code nor the Code of Offenses provides an exception for a person using a narcotic drug on prescription. Article 178a paragraph 1 of the Penal Code states that anyone driving a motor vehicle under the influence of a narcotic drug is subject to imprisonment for up to 3 years. Upon conviction for this act, the court additionally imposes a monetary penalty of at least 5000 zlotys.

A milder state is described by Article 87 paragraph 1 of the Code of Offenses: driving a motor vehicle after using a substance acting similarly to alcohol is punishable by detention or a fine of no less than 2500 zlotys, and the court then imposes a ban on driving vehicles. The distinction between being "under the influence" and "after use" thus determines whether the case follows the path of a crime or an offense.

There is also the figure of 1 ng/ml cited as the threshold of liability. This is a misunderstanding. This value comes from paragraph 3 of the regulation of the Minister of Health of July 16, 2014, and indicates the limit of detectability of the method for delta-9-THC in the blood; for urine, the regulation specifies 20 ng/ml for the metabolite 11-nor-9-carboxy-THC. The act does not contain any threshold for saliva (Dz.U. 2014 poz. 948).

Regarding the ability to drive, a study on driving on public roads showed that after vaporizing cannabis with a predominance of THC and balanced cannabis, the ability to maintain a lane significantly worsened between 40 and 100 minutes after administration, and between 240 and 300 minutes, the difference compared to placebo was no longer significant (Arkell i wsp., 2020). What documents to have with you during a check, we outlined in the text about kontroli policyjnej a medycznej marihuanie.

What about tests at work and traveling abroad?

A urine test does not measure what most people think it measures. In a study conducted in a closed ward, under medical supervision around the clock, THC was detected in the urine of some chronic cannabis users even after several days, and in one case after 24 days of abstinence. The authors explicitly state that these results exclude the use of these compounds as indicators of recent intake (Lowe i wsp., 2009).

For the patient, this has a dual meaning. A positive test result does not prove that you took a dose today or that you are under the influence, but it also does not exempt you from consequences, as in many workplace regulations, the mere presence of the substance counts. A conversation with an occupational medicine doctor and presenting a prescription before a periodic examination resolves more issues than explaining after the fact.

Who to inform and who not to is determined by law, not courage. An occupational medicine doctor is a medical professional bound by confidentiality, as described later in this text, so information shared with them does not automatically reach a supervisor. The HR department or direct supervisor are not listed in the catalog of exceptions to this confidentiality, so except in cases where disclosure is mandated by separate laws, the decision to inform them rests with the patient. If the industry requires monitoring examinations, it is more sensible to establish with the occupational medicine doctor how to describe the therapy in the certificate than to hope that the issue won't come up.

When traveling, the procedure described in the regulation of the Minister of Health dated June 8, 2026.. When traveling to an EU country, the document is issued by the appropriate provincial pharmaceutical inspector, according to the instructions specified in the decision of the Executive Committee dated December 22, 1994, regarding the certificate provided for in Article 75 for the purpose of transporting narcotic substances. When importing or exporting outside the EU, the document is issued by the Chief Pharmaceutical Inspector, at the request of the person receiving the product, along with a prescription or medical documentation.

The two deadlines are identical in both cases and determine the planning of the trip: the document is issued for a period not exceeding 30 days, and the application must be submitted no later than 15 days before the day of crossing the border. The document issued by the Chief Pharmaceutical Inspector is printed on pink paper with security features designated for public documents of the third category.

Jakie prawa ma pacjent, gdy lekarz odmawia?

The patient has the right to request a second opinion, but cannot force it. Article 6, paragraph 3, point 1 of the Patient Rights Act gives the patient the right to request that the doctor providing them with services seek the opinion of another doctor or convene a medical council. However, paragraph 4 of the same article allows the doctor to refuse if they consider such a request to be unfounded.

Paragraph 5 is the key: both the patient's request and the doctor's refusal must be recorded in the medical documentation. This is a real tool, as the entry in the documentation remains and can be referenced in proceedings before the Patient Rights Ombudsman or the medical chamber. Asking for a refusal to be noted in the documentation costs one sentence and changes the nature of the conversation.

Confidentiality is protected separately. Article 13 of the Act grants the patient the right to keep confidential information obtained in connection with the practice of the medical profession, while Article 14 imposes a corresponding obligation on those practicing the medical profession and lists a closed catalog of exceptions. Employers and insurers are not included in this catalog. The consolidated text of the Act is Dz.U. 2024 poz. 581.

How to plan the budget and continuity of therapy?

Start with the calendar, not the amount. Three deadlines set the rhythm of the entire therapy: 30 days to fulfill the prescription, up to 90 days of use covered by one prescription, and 3 months from the last personal examination, after which a teleconsultation is no longer sufficient to issue another prescription. Together, they mean that an in-person visit must occur at most quarterly, and obtaining the medication cannot wait.

We do not provide specific rates per gram, and this is a conscious decision. Prices for the raw material are set by pharmacies, vary between strains and suppliers, and every number we found in Polish guides led to a source that could not be opened or verified. Providing such an amount here would mean copying someone else's unverified number, which is worse for the patient's budget than having no number at all.

What can be said without guessing: hemp flower as a raw material for a compounded medication is paid for by the patient themselves, and the cost of the raw material is added to the visits and a one-time expense for the administration equipment if the therapy is based on vaporization. You can determine the current price of a specific strain most quickly by calling the pharmacy you check for availability, and this is the only source that is accurate on the day of purchase.

Which numbers will you not find in this text and why?

You will not find here the percentage of Polish doctors issuing Rpw prescriptions, the number of licensed pharmacies, the tonnage of flower sold in a given year, or the percentage of patients hiding therapy from their employer. All these numbers circulate in Polish guides; we checked them individually, and none could be traced back to a source that the reader could open and verify.

The pattern was the same every time. A sentence with a specific number and the name of an institution, and under the reference, the homepage of the service or a general informational subpage where that number is not present. The reference responds, the response code is correct, so upon a cursory check, everything appears to be verified. Only opening the page shows that it does not lead to any report.

We noticed that the most dangerous numbers are the plausible ones. A claim about a few percent of doctors or about one and a half thousand pharmacies sounds credible and no one questions it, yet no one can point to a measurement. In the guide on which the reader plans treatment and expenses, such a number is worse than its absence because it appears to be knowledge.

However, we checked what could be verified at the source: every term, limit, and sanction in this text comes from the consolidated text of the act read in the Journal of Laws register, and every claim about efficacy or safety comes from a study whose abstract we opened and compared with the statement it is supposed to support. Where there was nothing to verify, there is no statement.

What to remember from this path?

That most problems arise not from pharmacology, but from deadlines. The first prescription requires a personal examination because cannabis other than fiber is listed in an annex naming the preparations subject to this requirement. Subsequent prescriptions can be issued remotely, but only within a window of three months from the last examination. The prescription has a 30-day validity, and one prescription covers at most 90 days of use.

That the state of evidence is narrower than popular narratives suggest. Moderate quality evidence pertains to chronic pain and spasticity, while high quality is only for cannabidiol in epilepsy. The rest of the indications fall into the category of low or no evidence, so the conversation with the doctor should focus on probability, not promises.

And that behind the wheel, a prescription does not protect against anything. The law distinguishes between being under the influence, punishable by up to 3 years in prison, and being after use, punishable by arrest or a fine of no less than 2500 zlotys. The value of 1 ng/ml, sometimes cited as a threshold, is the limit of detectability of the laboratory method. Planning transport without your own car is part of the therapy, not an addition to it.

Sources

We checked legal acts in the Journal of Laws register: for each, we read the consolidated text and the status of validity, not just the response code of the page. We checked scientific works in the Europe PMC database, opening the abstract and comparing it with the statement it is supposed to support.

1. The Act on Counteracting Drug Addiction, consolidated text Dz.U. 2023 item 1939 - art. 33a, pharmaceutical raw material for compounded medications.
2. Ustawa z 7 lipca 2017 r., Dz.U. 2017 poz. 1458 - entry into force on November 1, 2017.
3. Prawo farmaceutyczne, tekst jednolity Dz.U. 2026 poz. 612 - art. 96a ust. 7 pkt 4, termin realizacji 30 dni.
4. Regulation of the Minister of Health dated September 11, 2006, consolidated text Dz.U. 2025 item 1678 - § 6 paragraph 2, § 7 paragraphs 1, 2, 2a, 2b, and 2d, and annex no. 2.
5. Regulation of the Minister of Health dated July 16, 2014, Dz.U. 2014 item 948 - limits of detectability for blood and urine.
6. Regulation of the Ministry of Health from June 8, 2026, Journal of Laws 2026 item 827 - § 5 i § 6, dokumenty na przekroczenie granicy.
7. Ustawa o prawach pacjenta, tekst jednolity Dz.U. 2024 poz. 581 - art. 6 ust. 3-5 oraz art. 13 i 14.
8. Whiting P.F. i wsp., 2015 - review of 79 randomized studies and 6462 participants.
9. Bilbao A. i Spanagel R., 2022 - 152 randomized studies by cannabinoid type.
10. Bhaskar A. i wsp., 2021 - Delphi consensus on dosing in chronic pain.
11. Arkell T.R. i wsp., 2020 - study on driving ability after vaporization.
12. Lowe R.H. i wsp., 2009 - prolonged excretion of THC in urine in chronic users.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get my first prescription for medical marijuana remotely?

Usually not. The Minister of Health's regulation requires a personal examination of the patient before issuing a prescription for products listed in Annex 2, which includes cannabis other than fiber hemp. A prescription can be issued without an examination if no more than 3 months have passed since the last examination of the patient.

How many days is the Rpw prescription valid?

The execution period is 30 days from the date of issuance or from the noted execution date "from the day". This is due to Article 96a, paragraph 7, point 4 of the Pharmaceutical Law, which covers narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, and precursors of category 1. A regular e-prescription, for comparison, has a validity period of 365 days.

For how many days of therapy can one prescription be issued?

For a maximum of 90 days of use. The doctor can also issue up to three prescriptions for consecutive periods, the total of which also does not exceed 90 days of use. Additionally, only one product containing a narcotic substance can be prescribed on one prescription, and no other medications may be included.

Can a patient with a prescription drive a car?

There is no exception for this. Article 178a paragraph 1 of the Penal Code provides for imprisonment of up to 3 years for driving under the influence of a narcotic substance and a monetary penalty of at least 5000 zlotys. The state after use is subject to Article 87 paragraph 1 of the Misdemeanor Code: arrest or a fine of no less than 2500 zlotys.

Is 1 ng/ml THC in blood the threshold for liability?

No. This is the limit of detectability for the laboratory method for delta-9-THC in blood, defined in the Minister of Health's regulation of July 16, 2014. For urine, the regulation specifies 20 ng/ml for the metabolite 11-nor-9-carboxy-THC. The act does not specify a threshold for saliva at all, even though such a number circulates in guides.

How long does THC stay in urine?

Longer than the common "few days" suggests. In a study conducted under supervised abstinence in chronic users, THC was detected in urine for 3 to 24 days after cessation. The authors conclude that the result of such a test is not an indicator of recent substance use and does not say anything about current impairment.

What documents are needed when crossing the border?

When traveling to an EU country, the document is issued by the provincial pharmaceutical inspector; outside the EU, it is issued by the Chief Pharmaceutical Inspector. In both cases, the document is issued for a period not exceeding 30 days, and the application must be submitted no later than 15 days before the date of crossing the border of the Republic of Poland.

Is medical marijuana addictive?

The risk exists, but it is lower than with nicotine or alcohol. In an analysis of an American population study, the cumulative probability of transitioning from use to dependence was 8.9 percent for cannabis, compared to 22.7 percent for alcohol and 67.5 percent for nicotine (Lopez-Quintero i wsp., 2011).

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 · Opublikowano: 2026-05-11 · Aktualizacja: 2026-08-10