What is Medical Marijuana? The Complete Guide 2026 (Poland)

Medical marijuana evokes extreme emotions: for some, it is a medication denied to patients by bureaucracy, for others, a legal loophole for recreation. Polish law treats it differently than both of these narratives. Cannabis from the pharmacy is a pharmaceutical raw material for the preparation of prescription drugs, not a finished product with a leaflet. This text shows what the regulations say as read in the Journal of Laws, what indications systematic reviews currently have evidence for, why a teleconsultation is not sufficient for issuing a prescription, and what the responsibility for driving looks like. You will not find doses or prices here. We further explain why we consciously do not provide them and show which popular numbers from Polish internet sources have no backing in credible sources. Every regulation cited in this text has been read in the register of legal acts, and every scientific work has been verified in the European PMC database.

KEY INFORMATION
• Pharmacy cannabis on prescription is a raw material for prescription drugs, approved by the President of URPL (Art. 33a, Journal of Laws 2023, item 1939).
• The prescription is valid for 30 days, and the prescribed amount cannot exceed 90 days of use.
• The doctor must examine the patient personally (§ 7 sec. 2a point 2, Journal of Laws 2025, item 1678).
• The strongest evidence concerns chronic pain and spasticity (Whiting, JAMA 2015).

What is medical marijuana in Polish law?

In Polish law, medical marijuana is not a separate drug, but a pharmaceutical raw material. Article 33a of the Act on Counteracting Drug Addiction states that the herb of cannabis other than fiber, resin, and extracts from these cannabis may constitute a 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 (consolidated text: Dz.U. 2023 poz. 1939).

This structure has practical implications. The herbal product from the pharmacy does not have the characteristics of a medicinal product in the same sense as a painkiller tablet. The pharmacist dispenses it as a raw material, from which the doctor has prescribed a specific method of use, and the responsibility for selecting the strain and regimen lies with the person issuing the prescription.

The provision entered into the law through an amendment on July 7, 2017, and has been in effect since November 1, 2017 (Dz.U. 2017 poz. 1458). In Polish texts about cannabis, another reference circulates, most often „Dz.U. 2017 poz. 2150”. Under it lies the regulation of the Minister of Agriculture from November 9, 2017, on the labeling of foodstuffs, so a statement based on this is out of touch with reality.

It is worth distinguishing three legal situations that blend into one in conversations. The table below shows how they differ in terms of basis and access.

What is the difference between pharmacy-grade flower and flower from industrial hemp?

The boundary is determined by the content of the psychoactive substance in the plant, not by the trade name or the appearance of the inflorescence. Fiber cannabis are plants in which the sum of delta-9-THC and tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) in flowering or fruiting tops does not exceed 0.3% when calculated on a dry weight basis, rounded to one decimal place.

This distinction changes the outcome of laboratory testing. An analysis measuring only delta-9-THC will omit THCA, the acidic form that only converts to THC under heat. A sample described as compliant with the threshold under one method may exceed it under another, so the laboratory must report the sum of both compounds. The basis is Article 4 point 5 of the Act as amended by the Act of March 24, 2022 (Dz.U. 2022 poz. 763), effective from May 7, 2022. Previously, the threshold was 0.20%.

The frequently repeated statement that the Polish threshold results from EU regulation is inaccurate. These are two separate regulations with the same numerical value: national in the Act on Counteracting Drug Addiction and EU in Regulation 2021/2115, applicable since January 1, 2023. It is correct to say that the national threshold corresponds to the EU threshold.

However, another difference is more important for the reader. You buy fiber cannabis yourself and are responsible for what you do with it, while pharmacy cannabis is part of treatment conducted by a doctor. The quality of both cannot be compared without documentation, which is discussed further in the text about regulations on cannabis products and COA studies.

What indications have the strongest evidence today?

The broadest review gathered 79 studies with 6462 participants and assessed cannabinoids across several indications at once. Moderate quality evidence was found only for two: chronic pain and spasticity. For nausea and vomiting after chemotherapy, weight gain in HIV infection, sleep disorders, and Tourette's syndrome, the quality of evidence was low (Whiting i wsp., JAMA 2015).

The numbers from this review are more modest than the common narrative about the effectiveness of cannabis. Pain relief was reported in 37% of those taking cannabinoids compared to 31% in the placebo group, and the average improvement on a pain intensity scale from 0 to 10 points was 0.46 points. A complete response in nausea and vomiting after chemotherapy was observed in 47% compared to 20%, but it was based on three studies.

In spasticity, the average change on the Ashworth scale was 0.36 points in favor of cannabinoids, with a confidence interval from 0.69 to 0.05 points. The effect is therefore distinguishable from zero and simultaneously small.

It is also worth seeing what the evidence base looks like from the inside. Of the 79 studies, only four were rated as having a low risk of systematic error. Improvement in symptoms was visible in most trials, but not all achieved statistical significance. The authors noted an increased risk of short-term adverse events, including severe ones.

What does Cochrane say about neuropathic pain?

The Cochrane review included 16 studies involving 1750 people and examined cannabis preparations in chronic neuropathic pain. Pain relief of at least 50% was achieved by 21% of participants compared to 17% on placebo, and at least 30% relief was noted in 39% compared to 33% (Mücke i wsp., Cochrane 2018).

The authors' conclusion is more cautious than most summaries of this review in Polish internet: the potential benefits of cannabis preparations in neuropathic pain may be outweighed by potential harms. The reason is evident in the second half of the data. Neurological disorders were reported by 61% of participants taking cannabinoids compared to 29% on placebo, and mental disorders by 17% compared to 5%.

10% of those in the active group and 5% in the placebo group withdrew from the studies due to adverse effects. The authors rated the quality of evidence from very low to moderate, partly because studies excluded individuals with addictions and serious comorbidities, often those patients who in practice ask their doctor about cannabis.

In popular summaries, the same review is sometimes cited as evidence of a pain reduction of about 30% compared to placebo. Such a number is not present in it. Thirty percent is the threshold of relief, at which the percentage of patients was counted, and the difference between groups was a few percentage points.

Do cannabinoids work on cancer pain?

A separate Cochrane review gathered 14 studies with 1823 participants and focused solely on pain in adults with cancer. The conclusion is clear and uncomfortable: there is moderate certainty evidence that nabiximols and THC do not alleviate moderate to severe cancer pain resistant to opioids (Häuser i wsp., Cochrane 2023).

In four parallel-group studies involving 1333 individuals, no clinically significant advantage over placebo was found either in overall impression of improvement or in average pain intensity. There was also no difference in the number of individuals discontinuing treatment due to adverse effects and in the frequency of serious adverse events.

Low-certainty evidence indicates that a synthetic THC analog administered for eight weeks did not reduce chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy-related pain in patients with head and neck cancers and non-small cell lung cancer. CBD oil did not add value to specialized palliative care in advanced cancer.

The authors also noted that they found no studies using cannabis flower. All this knowledge comes from standardized preparations, so directly transferring it to pharmacy flower is an overreach. For cancer patients, this means a simple thing: talking to the attending physician makes sense, while promises from online forums do not.

One observation from this review is often confused with evidence of superiority. A single dose of synthetic THC performed better than placebo, but not better than a low dose of codeine in five studies with a single administration, involving a total of 126 individuals. Thus, the comparison with placebo only indicates that the substance works, not that it works better than a cheap drug known for decades.

What is known about drug-resistant epilepsy?

Here, the evidence comes from a randomized double-blind trial, so it carries more weight than observations from practice. It involved 120 children and young adults with Dravet syndrome and treatment-resistant seizures. The median number of seizures per month decreased from 12.4 to 5.9 with cannabidiol, while in the placebo group it decreased from 14.9 to 14.1 (Devinsky i wsp., NEJM 2017).

A reduction in seizures by at least half was achieved by 43% of participants compared to 27% on placebo. Overall condition improved by at least one category on a seven-point caregiver assessment scale in 62% compared to 34%. Five percent of children in the active group were completely seizure-free, and none in the placebo group.

The other side of the result is equally important. Diarrhea, vomiting, fever, drowsiness, fatigue, and abnormal liver function test results occurred more frequently than on placebo, and more participants taking cannabidiol withdrew from the study. This data comes from treatment in which cannabidiol was added to standard antiepileptic therapy, not replaced.

It is worth noting what this study does not say. It concerned one type of epilepsy and purified cannabidiol, not cannabis flower or a mixture of cannabinoids. Drawing conclusions from it about other forms of epilepsy or other preparations is not supported by the data.

Does medical marijuana help with PTSD and anxiety disorders?

This is an area where expectations diverge most from the evidence. A systematic review with meta-analysis included 83 studies, of which 40 were randomized and involved 3067 participants, and examined cannabinoids in depression, anxiety, ADHD, Tourette syndrome, post-traumatic stress disorder, and psychosis (Black i wsp., Lancet Psychiatry 2019).

For post-traumatic stress disorder, the authors found one randomized study with ten participants. Ten, not a thousand. Every statement about the effectiveness of cannabis in this diagnosis is currently based on a sample from which no clinical conclusion can be drawn.

Pharmaceutical THC, with or without cannabidiol, improved anxiety symptoms in individuals treated for other reasons, mainly due to chronic pain and multiple sclerosis, but the quality of this evidence was rated as very low. In one study, THC exacerbated negative psychosis symptoms. Across the entire collection, cannabinoids were associated with more frequent adverse events and more frequent treatment discontinuation due to them than placebo.

The authors' conclusion is clear: there is a lack of evidence that cannabinoids treat mental disorders, and the available evidence does not allow for recommendations to be formulated. For someone seeking help with anxiety or depression, this review suggests starting with a psychiatrist, not with flower.

Note the proportions within the collection of studies. Depression was the subject of 42 papers, including 23 randomized, anxiety 31 papers, and psychosis 11. The post-traumatic stress disorder, which is most loudly discussed in marketing materials, had twelve, of which only one was randomized. The volume of the topic on the internet does not correspond to the weight of the evidence.

How to read numbers from cannabis studies?

The most common mistake in texts about cannabis is confusing the difference between groups with the percentage of people who benefited. When a review states that relief was achieved by 21% of participants compared to 17% on placebo, the effect of the preparation is that four-point difference, not twenty-one percent. The rest of the improvement would also occur after a placebo.

The second measure that organizes the picture is the number of patients that need to be treated for one person to benefit. In the Cochrane review on neuropathic pain, it was 20 for relief at least half the pain intensity and 11 for thirty percent relief. The same paper provides the equivalent on the harm side: one additional neurological event occurs for every three treated individuals, and one psychiatric event for every ten.

The third thing is the quality of evidence, marked in reviews by the GRADE system. The same numerical result at very low quality means something completely different than at moderate quality, as it indicates how likely it is that further studies will overturn it. Low and very low ratings dominate in cannabis reviews.

So when you read a sentence about the effectiveness of cannabinoid therapy, check three things at once: the difference compared to placebo, the number of people in the study, and the quality of evidence rating. Without them, every number sounds stronger than it deserves.

What do the evidence about cannabis not say?

There are more gaps than findings, and it is worth naming them directly. The Cochrane review on neuropathic pain states that no information about long-term risk was found in the analyzed studies. The studies lasted from two to twenty-six weeks, while therapy for patients with chronic pain can be conducted for years.

The review on cancer pain noted that not a single study using cannabis flower was found. All comparable knowledge comes from preparations with established compositions, administered in the form of oral spray or capsules, not from vaporized flowers dispensed at pharmacies.

Studies on efficacy usually excluded individuals with a history of addiction and serious comorbidities. This means that a patient with several diagnoses at once, which is a typical recipient of such an article, is poorly or not represented in this data.

On the safety assessment side, the EFSA panel notes that the gaps indicated in the 2022 position have not been closed, and new studies have methodological limitations: non-standardized protocols, short observation times, and concomitant treatment. None of the analyzed studies addressed the impact on the immune system. Such a list of unknowns is neither an argument against therapy nor for it. It is a reason to make a decision with a doctor who knows your documentation.

Why is a teleconsultation not enough for prescription flower?

Because the regulation requires a personal examination of the patient. A prescription for a preparation containing a narcotic substance is issued after a prior personal examination of the patient by the prescriber if the prescribed preparation is listed in Annex No. 2 to the regulation (§ 7 sec. 2a point 2, consolidated text: Dz.U. 2025 poz. 1678).

In this annex, under item 4, cannabis other than fiber is listed along with extracts and pharmaceutical tinctures, and under item 5, cannabis resin. Pharmacy flower is therefore precisely the case where a remote visit does not replace an examination.

The regulation provides for exceptions, but they are narrow. The requirement for a personal examination does not apply to a doctor providing services under a primary health care agreement, excluding night and holiday care, if they continue treatment with the same preparation (§ 7 sec. 2d). A prescription issued without examination based on Article 42 sec. 2 of the Medical Profession Act requires that no more than three months have passed since the last examination of the patient (§ 7 sec. 2b).

A guide that advertises a remote visit as an equivalent path to the first prescription for flower sends the reader for a document that the doctor should not issue according to the regulation. Before scheduling a consultation, check what it looks like. the entire procedure for obtaining a prescription step by step.

How long is a prescription valid and for how many days of treatment?

The deadline for filling a prescription for narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, and preparations containing them cannot exceed 30 days from the date of issuance (Article 96a, paragraph 7, point 4 of the Pharmaceutical Law, consolidated text: Dz.U. 2026 poz. 612). For a regular electronic prescription, the same provision allows for 365 days, so the difference is twelvefold.

The quantity is regulated separately. A prescription can pertain to an amount that does not exceed the patient's demand for a maximum of 90 days of use, and for the same preparations, up to three prescriptions can be issued for consecutive periods, not exceeding a total of 90 days (§ 7, paragraphs 1 and 2 of the prescription regulation). Only one such preparation can be prescribed on a single prescription, and no other medications can be added to it (§ 6, paragraph 2).

The prescription must also specify the dosage method (§ 7, paragraph 3). If the total amount cannot be calculated from it, the pharmacist accepts the two smallest packages allowed for sale. This is why patients are often surprised when they receive less at the pharmacy than they expected.

What must a prescription for dried cannabis contain?

A prescription for a preparation containing a narcotic substance has mandatory additional elements compared to a regular prescription. In addition to the data required by the Pharmaceutical Law, it specifies the total amount of the substance or the amount expressed in dosage units and the size of the dose, with the total amount written out in words on a paper prescription (§ 6, paragraph 1 of the prescription regulation).

The written form is not just a formality. It protects against unauthorized additions of numbers and against misreading, and the same risk applies to every preparation in this group, not just cannabis.

The prescription must also indicate the dosage method (§ 7, paragraph 3). If the provided scheme does not allow for calculating the total amount, the issuing person accepts the two smallest packages allowed for sale in Poland, and for reimbursed medications, the two smallest packages from the reimbursement list (§ 7, paragraph 4). This regulation practically determines how much dried cannabis a patient will take home from the pharmacy with an imprecise record.

It's worth remembering this during the first visit. If the usage scheme is described vaguely, the amount dispensed at the pharmacy may differ from what you agreed upon during the conversation, and correcting the prescription requires contacting the person who issued it.

Why won't you find any dosages or prices here?

Because both would be pretending to have knowledge that this text does not possess. The dosage in a medical indication is determined by the doctor and recorded on the prescription, while an article on the internet does not know either your comorbidities or the medications you are taking. Providing a number would look like a recommendation, but it is not.

Behind this decision also lies an assessment of safety. The EFSA panel in its update on cannabidiol as a novel food states that safety cannot be established for individuals under 25 years of age, for pregnant and breastfeeding women, and for those taking medications simultaneously (EFSA NDA Panel, 2026). The reader of the text on medical indication most often belongs to the last of these groups.

Another matter is the number that has circulated in Polish texts about cannabis for years: the supposedly safe daily dose provided by WHO. The source address of this information is no longer active, and the latest EFSA assessment indicates a value several orders of magnitude lower. We have removed it from here and do not replace it with another.

We do not provide pharmacy prices for a simpler reason. They change more frequently than the article, depend on the strain, packaging, and pharmacy, and any number entered here in April would be outdated in July. For the current cost, ask at the pharmacy filling the prescription before choosing a preparation.

Jakie substancje zawiera susz konopny?

In addition to THC and cannabidiol, dried cannabis contains dozens of other phytocannabinoids and terpenoids, which are volatile compounds responsible for the aroma. A pharmacological review lists among them limonene, myrcene, alpha-pinene, linalool, beta-caryophyllene, caryophyllene oxide, nerolidol, and phytol, indicating that they have their own biological effects (Russo, British Journal of Pharmacology 2011).

This is where the popular name of the entourage effect comes from. However, it is worth reading how the author formulates this thesis. He writes about synergy, which "if proven," increases the chances for new therapeutic products, and proposes methods for studying it. This is a hypothesis to be tested, not an established mechanism, even though it is sometimes presented as a certainty in commercial materials.

Terpenoids are components of the daily diet and have a status of generally recognized as safe substances in the United States. The review notes that they act at concentrations of single nanograms per milliliter of serum when inhaled from the surrounding air, which is an interesting fact in itself, but says nothing about therapeutic efficacy.

The practical conclusion for the patient is this: the description of the strain is not the same as the expected effect. If you want to understand where the differences between strains come from, start with the basics described in the guide about this, what is worth knowing about marijuana.

Is vaporization less harmful than smoking?

Data indicates that yes, although they mainly come from observational studies. In a large internet sample, using a vaporizer was associated with fewer respiratory symptoms than smoking, even after accounting for age, gender, smoking cigarettes, and the amount of cannabis used (Earleywine i Barnwell, Harm Reduction Journal 2007). The effect was greater the more material the respondent used.

The reason is the chemistry of combustion. A comparison of smoke from marijuana and tobacco cigarettes showed ammonia in the mainstream smoke at concentrations even twenty times higher than in tobacco smoke, as well as hydrogen cyanide, nitrogen oxides, and aromatic amines at concentrations three to five times higher (Moir i wsp., Chemical Research in Toxicology 2008).

Regular smoking of cannabis causes visible damage to the large airways and is associated with symptoms of chronic bronchitis, which subside after cessation of smoking. At the same time, no clear association with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease has been demonstrated, and the pulmonary risk of even regular use is assessed as significantly lower than with tobacco (Tashkin, Annals of the American Thoracic Society 2013).

For a patient with a prescription, this is a practical argument, not an ideological one. The method of administration is discussed during the visit along with the dosage, as it affects the speed and duration of action.

However, data on vaporization has a limitation that the authors do not hide. They come from an internet survey, where symptoms were reported by the respondents themselves, not from a study with random assignment to groups. Therefore, the lower number of respiratory symptoms in vaporizer users is an observation, not a causal proof, although it aligns with what is known about the chemistry of combustion.

What adverse effects were recorded in the studies?

The list is long and repeats itself across reviews. The most commonly mentioned side effects include dizziness, dry mouth, nausea, fatigue, drowsiness, euphoria, vomiting, disorientation, balance disorders, and hallucinations. The JAMA review noted an increased risk of short-term adverse events, including severe ones.

The scale of this risk is often overlooked in texts promoting therapy. In the Cochrane review on neuropathic pain, nervous system disorders occurred in 61% of those taking the cannabis preparation compared to 29% on placebo, and mental disorders in 17% versus 5%. These are not marginal numbers.

Another issue is interactions with medications. Lists circulating online of drugs that "should not be combined with cannabis" are often supported by references to studies on completely different topics, so treat them as a signal for discussion rather than a source. The EFSA panel states directly that the safety of cannabidiol cannot be established in individuals taking medications simultaneously. A doctor or pharmacist will check the interaction list for your set of medications, having a complete list of the preparations you are taking.

The EFSA panel in its safety assessment of cannabidiol noted a consistent signal of liver toxicity in animal data, and in humans, a hepatotoxic potential, especially in combination with medications. There was also noted transplacental transfer and accumulation in the body. This is another reason why the decision about therapy is made with access to research results, not based on an article.

Is medical marijuana addictive?

Yes, although less frequently than nicotine and alcohol. In an analysis of data from a large population study, the cumulative probability of progressing from first use to addiction was 8.9% for cannabis, 67.5% for nicotine, 22.7% for alcohol, and 20.9% for cocaine (Lopez-Quintero i wsp., Drug and Alcohol Dependence 2011).

In Polish texts about cannabis, different values circulate regarding the same study, most often 32% for nicotine, 15% for alcohol, and 17% for cocaine. Each of these is understated compared to what the study reports, and the order of substances is sometimes rearranged. Cannabis addiction is real and simultaneously less likely than addiction to the two legal substances, which is a moderate conclusion in both directions.

The second number from this study is often overlooked, and it says more than the first. Half of the cases of cannabis addiction appeared about five years after first use, compared to about 27 years for nicotine and 13 years for alcohol. Thus, the transition to addiction is rarer but faster.

The risk increases in individuals with mental disorders and previous addictions in their history. This is precisely the same group that was excluded from studies on efficacy, so there is simply no evidence for the safety of therapy in this population.

The authors of the analysis point out one more thing. Predictors of the transition from use to addiction recur across substances, suggesting common mechanisms rather than a specific risk assigned to a particular plant. For the patient, this means a simple conclusion: if you have had a problem with alcohol or sleeping pills in the past, tell your doctor before starting therapy, as it changes the balance of decisions.

Can a patient with a prescription drive a car?

A prescription does not exempt one from responsibility for driving under the influence. Regulations do not recognize the category of privileged patients, so a driver after cannabis is liable just like anyone else. A meta-analysis of nine observational studies showed that acute cannabis consumption is associated with nearly double the risk of a traffic collision, and in fatal accidents, the risk was even higher (Asbridge i wsp., BMJ 2012).

Driving a vehicle under the influence of a narcotic is a crime under Article 178a § 1 of the Penal Code, punishable by imprisonment of up to 3 years (Dz.U. 2025 poz. 383). Driving after using such a substance is an offense under Article 87 § 1 of the Offenses Code, punishable by a fine of no less than 2500 PLN (Dz.U. 2025 poz. 734).

The popular statement about the threshold of 1 ng/ml requires clarification. The regulation on testing for substances acting similarly to alcohol sets the detection limit for delta-9-THC at 1 ng/ml in blood, and for the metabolite in urine at 20 ng/ml (Dz.U. 2014 poz. 948). This is a laboratory parameter, not a threshold for criminal liability. The act does not recognize a threshold for saliva at all.

Thus, the blood test result indicates whether the method detected the substance, not whether the driver was incapable of driving. The assessment of the state, i.e., the distinction between being under the influence and being after use, is made based on the entirety of the evidence, including the opinion of an expert. For the patient, the practical conclusion is one: it is advisable to separate the appointment date from the driving date, and in case of doubts, ask the attending physician about the interval.

Can you take pharmacy cannabis abroad?

Yes, but only with a document issued before departure, and the procedure has strict deadlines. When transporting to another EU country, the document is issued by the relevant provincial pharmaceutical inspector, according to the instructions for the certificate provided in Article 75 of the Schengen implementing convention (§ 5 of the regulation, Dz.U. 2026 poz. 827).

For import or export outside the EU, the document is issued by the Chief Pharmaceutical Inspector, at the request of the person receiving the medicinal product, to which a prescription or medical documentation confirming the use of the preparation is attached (§ 6 sec. 1).

In both cases, the document is issued for a specified period, not exceeding 30 days, based on an application submitted no later than 15 days before the day of crossing the border. The practical conclusion: a holiday trip with cannabis needs to be planned at least two weeks in advance, and the document will not cover a longer stay.

Separate regulations of the destination country apply, which may be stricter than Polish ones. The certificate issued in Poland is a document for Polish and EU procedures, not a permit to possess in any country in the world.

The regulation also describes the form of the document: it is issued on pink paper, with security features provided for public documents of the third category, and the electronic copy is retained by the issuing authority (§ 6 sec. 3 and 4). If someone offers you a scan or a certificate from an intermediary, that is not the document.

What are the consequences of possessing dried flower without a prescription?

Possession of narcotic substances contrary to the provisions of the law is punishable by imprisonment of up to 3 years (Article 62 sec. 1 of the Act on Counteracting Drug Addiction). If the act involves a significant amount, the penalty ranges from 1 year to 10 years (sec. 2). In the case of lesser importance, a fine, restriction of freedom, or imprisonment for up to 1 year is provided (sec. 3).

The lower limit for significant amounts has practical significance, as it excludes a custodial sentence. In popular texts, this provision is often summarized as "up to 10 years," which loses this very distinction.

Article 62a provides for the possibility of discontinuing proceedings when the subject of the act under sec. 1 or 3 is a minor amount intended for the perpetrator's own use, and the imposition of a penalty would be pointless due to the circumstances of the act and the degree of its social harmfulness. The law states that discontinuation may also occur before the issuance of a decision to initiate an investigation or inquiry.

The law does not define significant or insignificant amounts in terms of grams. This is done by case law, so any circulating conversion in the form of "over twenty plants" or "up to five grams" should be treated as a simplification, not the content of the provision.

The same mechanism applies to processing. The law defines processing as giving a narcotic a new form, so preparing butter or baked goods from pharmacy cannabis at home does not fall within what the prescription allows. Article 33a refers to raw materials for prescription medications, i.e., those prepared in a pharmacy, and does not contain a provision exempting the patient from responsibility for self-processing.

What changes does the amendment to the act from August 2026 bring?

For a patient with a prescription, nothing. The Act of July 3, 2026, amending the Act on Counteracting Drug Addiction and some other acts comes into force on August 27, 2026 (Dz.U. 2026 poz. 1004). In its text, the abbreviation THC and the word cannabinoid do not appear even once, and all mentions of cannabis refer to industrial hemp and agricultural procedures.

The amendment deals with substitution therapy, laboratories, reporting to the Chief Pharmaceutical Inspector, and changing the name of the EU agency. It does not touch the threshold for the content of psychoactive substances, does not change the classification of substances, and does not affect the principles of retail sale of industrial hemp products.

Two changes concern only individuals cultivating industrial hemp. The deadline for reporting changes in the producer register has been extended from 14 to 30 days (Article 47c, paragraph 3), and a monetary penalty of 10,000 PLN has been introduced for preventing inspections for entities conducting collection (Article 52b, paragraph 2). The law also clarified that cultivation for personal use is conducted without the possibility of further resale (Article 45).

Why is it worth mentioning at all? Because every amendment to the drug law triggers a wave of headlines about alleged legalization or raising thresholds. This one does neither, and statements that were correct before August 27 remain correct after that date.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is medical marijuana in Polish law?

It is a pharmaceutical raw material, not a finished drug. Art. 33a of the Act on Counteracting Drug Addiction allows for the use of cannabis other than fiber, resin, and extracts from them as raw materials for the preparation of prescription drugs, after approval for circulation by the President of URPL (Journal of Laws 2023, item 1939).

Is a teleconsultation sufficient for a prescription for dried flower?

No. A prescription for a product from Annex No. 2 to the regulation on prescriptions is issued after a prior personal examination of the patient (§ 7 sec. 2a point 2, Journal of Laws 2025, item 1678). Cannabis is listed there under item 4, and resin under item 5. Exceptions are narrow and pertain to the continuation of treatment.

How long is a prescription for pharmacy cannabis valid?

The fulfillment period cannot exceed 30 days from the date of issuance (Art. 96a sec. 7 point 4 of the Pharmaceutical Law, Journal of Laws 2026, item 612). The prescription itself can cover a quantity for a maximum of 90 days of use, and the doctor can issue up to three prescriptions for subsequent periods.

Which indications have the strongest evidence?

A review of 79 studies involving 6462 participants found moderate quality evidence only for chronic pain and spasticity (Whiting et al., JAMA 2015). For chemotherapy-induced nausea, sleep disorders, and Tourette's syndrome, the quality of evidence was low, and in opioid-resistant cancer pain, there was no superiority over placebo.

Can a patient with a prescription drive a car?

A prescription does not exempt from responsibility. Driving under the influence of an intoxicating substance is a crime under Art. 178a § 1 of the Penal Code, punishable by up to 3 years of imprisonment. A meta-analysis of nine studies showed nearly double the risk of collision after cannabis consumption (Asbridge et al., BMJ 2012).

Is pharmacy cannabis the same as hemp cannabis?

No. Hemp cannabis refers to plants in which the total delta-9-THC and THCA does not exceed 0.3% dry weight in the flower tops (Art. 4 point 5 of the Act). Pharmacy cannabis comes from cannabis other than fiber, requires a prescription, and is subject to regulations on narcotic substances.

Is medical marijuana addictive?

Yes, though less frequently than nicotine and alcohol. The cumulative probability of progressing from first use to dependence was 8.9% for cannabis compared to 67.5% for nicotine and 22.7% for alcohol (Lopez-Quintero et al., 2011). Half of the cases emerged about five years after first use.

Can pharmacy cannabis be exported abroad?

Only with a document issued by the provincial pharmaceutical inspector when traveling to an EU country or by the Chief Pharmaceutical Inspector outside of it. The document is issued for a period not exceeding 30 days, and the application must be submitted no later than 15 days before crossing the border (Journal of Laws 2026, item 827).

This article is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Before starting to use hemp or CBD for therapeutic purposes, consult your doctor, especially if you are taking other medications, are pregnant, or breastfeeding.

Author: Michał Waluk · Opublikowano: 2026-05-04 · Aktualizacja: 2026-08-10