What does the process of obtaining a prescription for medical marijuana in Poland look like?

Medical marijuana has been legally available on prescription in Poland since November 1, 2017, but the procedure has several conditions that are easy to overlook. There is no closed list of diseases. There is no separate certificate that a doctor must obtain. There is also no reimbursement. However, there is a requirement that came into effect on November 7, 2024, which changed the starting point of the entire process. A prescription for cannabis herb may only be issued after a personal examination of the patient, and teleconsultation is no longer sufficient except for one exception. Below we guide you through the procedure step by step, from compiling documentation to filling the prescription at the pharmacy, and show where the regulations set firm boundaries and where the decision is left to the doctor.

KEY INFORMATION
• Medical marijuana has been legal in Poland since November 1, 2017, under the Act of July 7, 2017 (Dz.U. 2017 item 1458), which added article 33a to the Act on Counteracting Drug Addiction.
• Since November 7, 2024, a prescription for cannabis herb other than fiber hemp, its extracts, and cannabis resin is issued after a prior personal examination of the patient. The exception applies to a primary care physician who continues started treatment under a contract with the NFZ (Dz.U. 2024 item 1600).
• Any doctor authorized to issue prescriptions for narcotic drugs can issue an Rpw prescription, regardless of specialization.
• Cannabis herb other than fiber hemp is a pharmaceutical raw material for compounding medicinal products and requires permission from the President of the Office for Registration of Medicinal Products.
• Cannabis flower is not reimbursed, so the patient covers the full pharmacy price.

What is the procedure for obtaining a prescription for medical marijuana?

The procedure consists of five stages: compiling documentation, personal examination and assessment of indications, issuing an Rpw prescription, filling at the pharmacy, and follow-up visits. None of these steps is a formality, but only the second has a firm basis in a regulation-level provision today.

The first stage is entirely the patient’s responsibility and usually determines the pace of the rest. The doctor assesses whether the condition has proven resistant to previous treatment, which can only be demonstrated with documents: descriptions of prior therapies, discharge summaries, lists of medications with doses. For chronic pain, a symptom diary kept for several weeks before the visit helps, as it shows symptom variability better than a one-time report.

The time to complete the entire process then depends on two factors beyond the patient’s control: the date of the in-person visit and the availability of the specific raw material in wholesalers. Therapy starts at the lowest dose and is gradually increased, so the first prescription is rarely the final one. A detailed version of this process, along with a list of documents, is described in our guide for people newly becoming medical marijuana patients.

Since when has medical marijuana been legal in Poland?

Since November 1, 2017. On that day, the Act of July 7, 2017, amending the Act on Counteracting Drug Addiction and the Act on Drug Reimbursement (Dz.U. 2017 item 1458) came into force, adding article 33a to the 2005 Act. The act has the status of binding in the ELI register.

The construction adopted by the legislator is unusual and explains most of the later difficulties for patients. Cannabis herb other than fiber hemp and pharmaceutical extracts and tinctures from such cannabis were not approved as ready-made medicines. They became pharmaceutical raw materials intended for compounding medicinal products, and introducing such raw materials to the market requires permission from the President of the Office for Registration of Medicinal Products, Medical Devices and Biocidal Products. The permission is granted for five years by administrative decision, and the application procedure is regulated by article 33b of the same act.

From the patient’s perspective, this means the pharmacy does not dispense a package from the shelf but compounds a medicinal product from raw material approved by a separate decision. This explains the dependence of availability on individual permits and deliveries rather than demand. It also explains the gap between legalization and actual trade: the regulation was in force, but before the first raw material obtained permission and reached wholesalers, pharmacies had nothing to prepare the medicine from. The current state of the Act on Counteracting Drug Addiction was published in a consolidated text (Dz.U. 2023 item 1939), which remains binding in the ELI register.

What changed on November 7, 2024, regarding issuing Rpw prescriptions?

Since November 7, 2024, a prescription for cannabis herb other than fiber hemp, its extracts, and cannabis resin is issued after a prior personal examination of the patient by the person issuing the prescription. The same requirement applies to fentanyl, morphine, and oxycodone, as all these substances are listed in Annex 2 to the regulation (par. 7 sec. 2a point 2). The change was introduced by the Ministry of Health regulation of October 29, 2024 (Dz.U. 2024 item 1600), published on October 30 and effective seven days after publication.

Verification under par. 7 sec. 2a point 1 also applies to prescriptions for cannabis herb: before issuing, the doctor checks in the e-health system or in the interview that previously prescribed and dispensed medications are insufficient for therapy. This verification is not required for a primary care physician with an NFZ contract, except for night and holiday care (par. 7 sec. 2c). For substances outside Annex 2, i.e., other narcotic drugs groups I-N and II-N and psychotropic substances groups II-P to IV-P, personal examination is not required.

There is one exception to the personal examination requirement. It does not apply to a doctor providing services under a primary care contract if continuing treatment with a substance from Annex 2, e.g., a medicine from cannabis herb (par. 7 sec. 2d). This does not apply to night and holiday care contracts. The exception covers continuation, not initiation of therapy, and is tied to a specific type of NFZ contract. A private clinic doctor, even if continuing treatment, does not benefit from this exemption.

The practical effect is simple. The first Rpw prescription for cannabis flower cannot today be issued solely based on a teleconsultation, even if the patient sends complete documentation. If you read an older article presenting teleconsultation as a full path to the first prescription, it describes the state before November 2024. The consolidated text of the regulation including this change was published in Dz.U. 2025 item 1678. The earlier consolidated text from March 2024 expired on December 1, 2025, so citing it is misleading. Since then, as of September 23, 2026, the regulations have not changed: the last amendment remains that of November 2024.

For which indications do doctors prescribe cannabinoids?

Polish regulations do not contain a closed list of indications. The decision is made by the doctor based on clinical assessment and available evidence, which is very uneven. Two major reviews from 2015 and 2017 set the reference point today and are worth reading together as they answer different questions.

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report (NASEM, 2017) organizes evidence on a five-level scale. The highest level is conclusive evidence, then substantial, moderate, limited, and finally insufficient. These levels are not decorative as they indicate how many high-quality studies support the conclusion. The highest ratings were given for three indications: chronic pain in adults, spasticity in multiple sclerosis, and nausea and vomiting after chemotherapy. For sleep disorders secondary to other diseases, evidence was moderate. For anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder, evidence was limited. For epilepsy and symptoms of Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, evidence was insufficient.

The meta-analysis by Whiting et al. in JAMA (Whiting et al., 2015) included 79 randomized studies with 6462 participants, of which only four were assessed as having low risk of bias. The same work noted an increased risk of short-term adverse effects, including serious ones. The most common were dizziness, dry mouth, nausea, fatigue, drowsiness, vomiting, disorientation, and hallucinations. The statement sometimes circulating in articles that the review showed a low risk of serious adverse effects reverses the authors’ conclusion.

Who can issue an Rpw prescription for medical marijuana?

Any doctor authorized to issue prescriptions for narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, regardless of specialization. Neurologists, oncologists, anesthesiologists, psychiatrists, palliative care doctors, and family doctors have the same formal rights in this regard.

The only requirement is an active license to practice and access to the e-prescription system. There is no additional “medical marijuana” certificate required by law, and no state institution issues such a document. If a clinic refers to its own certificate as authorization, it describes internal training or a commercial course, not a legally provided title. This distinction can be important when patients compare offers and try to assess what they are paying for.

Practice differs from rights. Many primary care doctors do not conduct cannabis therapy independently and refer patients to specialists because selecting strain, dose, and regimen requires experience that the right to issue prescriptions alone does not provide. After starting treatment with a specialist, a primary care doctor can continue it, and this situation fits the exception to personal examination described above. For the patient, this is often the cheapest part of the entire process because visits under the Fund contract do not generate costs, and a continuation prescription does not require new diagnostics. The condition is a stable dose and a doctor willing to take over care.

How does an Rpw prescription differ from a regular prescription?

An Rpw prescription is used to prescribe preparations containing narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances under special supervision, and its issuance is subject to additional formal requirements. The most important concerns the form: a prescription for a product with Rpw availability category is issued only electronically (art. 95b sec. 1a Pharmaceutical Law), and such a category applies to compounded medicinal products from cannabis herb (art. 33b sec. 4 of the Act on Counteracting Drug Addiction). The prescription states the total amount of the substance or the number of dosing units with dose size and dosing instructions (par. 6 sec. 1 and par. 7 sec. 3 of the regulation). The quantity written in words, mentioned in the same provision, applies only to paper prescriptions.

The patient receives a four-digit code which, together with the PESEL number, is used to fill the prescription at the pharmacy, and the informational printout contains the dosing schedule set by the doctor. A prescription for narcotic drugs is valid for 30 days from the date of issue, while a regular e-prescription can be valid up to 365 days (art. 96a sec. 7 points 1 and 4 of the Pharmaceutical Law). After this period, a new visit is required. Delaying filling carries real risk, especially when the patient is waiting for a specific raw material delivery.

Such prescriptions are filled by pharmacies. Retail trade in narcotic drugs is conducted by pharmacies and pharmacy points that ensure proper storage conditions (art. 41 sec. 1 Act on Counteracting Drug Addiction), and compounding such substances in pharmacies does not require a separate permit (art. 35 sec. 3). However, not every pharmacy stocks the raw material, so it is worth calling ahead before the first fill to confirm availability. Since the pharmacy compounds the medicinal product and does not dispense a ready package, preparation takes some time and rarely happens immediately.

I have a prescription for medical marijuana: what next?

You have 30 days from the date of issue to fill it (art. 96a sec. 7 point 4 Pharmaceutical Law). At the pharmacy, provide the four-digit access code and PESEL number or show the prescription information from email, SMS, printout, or Internet Patient Account (art. 96b sec. 2 and 2a). The information in email, printout, and Internet Patient Account includes the medicine name, quantity, and dosing instructions, while SMS usually contains only the access code (art. 96b sec. 1, 2, and 2a).

First, call the pharmacy and ask about the prescribed item. Cannabis herb medicine is compounded from raw material the pharmacy has in stock, not dispensed as a ready package (art. 33a sec. 1 of the Act on Counteracting Drug Addiction). If raw material is lacking, you have two options described below: another pharmacy or a new prescription for a similar profile item.

The quantity on one prescription is limited. It may cover up to 90 days of use, and the doctor can issue up to three prescriptions for consecutive periods, also totaling 90 days (par. 7 sec. 1 and 2 Ministry of Health regulation, consolidated text Dz.U. 2025 item 1678). The prescription must state the dosing instructions. Without them, the pharmacy will not dispense any amount of medicine (prescription regulation, consolidated text Dz.U. 2025 item 604).

After receipt, keep the flower in the original package with the pharmacy label. This, together with the prescription information, confirms at a police check that the medicine comes from a pharmacy.

How to find a doctor conducting cannabis therapy?

Two paths make sense: a specialist clinic matching the primary disease and a clinic specializing in cannabinoid therapy. After the November 2024 change, the first visit must be in person, so distance from residence ceased to be a matter of convenience and became a condition for starting treatment.

When choosing a clinic, four questions work well. How many years has the doctor conducted cannabinoid therapies and for which indications? Are the prices for the first and follow-up visits provided before booking? Does the facility conduct monitoring, i.e., is someone available by phone between visits? Is there a procedure in case of raw material shortage at the pharmacy? Answers to these questions say more about care quality than declared specialization.

One clear warning sign is the promise of a prescription before examination. A facility that promises to issue a prescription with a guarantee or after teleconsultation alone describes something the regulation today does not allow when starting therapy. An assessment of indications that ends with a predetermined result is not an assessment. Refusal can also be justified because the doctor is responsible for the benefit-risk balance, and contraindications include, among others, psychotic disorders in history and pregnancy. The patient can then request a written justification or consult another doctor; this is a normal, not appeal, procedure.

How much does medical marijuana therapy cost?

The patient covers the full pharmacy price because cannabis flower and extracts other than fiber hemp are not on the list of reimbursed medicines. Reimbursement covers only selected ready-made medicinal products containing cannabinoids, approved for narrowly defined indications, not raw materials for compounding.

The total cost consists of three items: medical visits, the raw material itself, and equipment if therapy involves vaporization. Pharmacy prices vary and change faster than any article, so we do not provide a price per gram here; a number given once would become outdated before the reader’s first visit. We maintain a current summary separately in the text about medical marijuana prices in pharmacies, where updates appear.

The cost can be reduced in two ways that do not require therapeutic compromise. The first is transferring continuation to a primary care doctor after dose stabilization, eliminating some paid visits and fitting the exception to personal examination described above. The second is comparing offers from several pharmacies before filling the prescription, as differences can be noticeable, and an electronic prescription is not tied to a specific address. It is worth calculating the cost monthly, not per single purchase, as only then does the daily dose set by the doctor become clear.

Which strains reach Polish pharmacies?

Raw material comes to Polish pharmacies from several foreign producers, mainly from Canada, the Netherlands, and Germany, with varying THC and CBD content. The list of approved items changes with permissions from the President of the Office for Registration and deliveries, so any enumeration quickly becomes outdated and it is not worth planning therapy based on a specific brand name.

For the patient, the cannabinoid profile is more important than the brand because it determines dosing and tolerance. Raw materials with high THC and trace CBD are dosed differently than those close to a one-to-one ratio, and strains with predominant CBD are used in other situations. The doctor selects the profile based on indication and the patient’s previous experience, not on the producer’s popularity. Changing strain during therapy usually means returning to a lower dose for several days because the reaction can differ even with a similar composition.

Only one preparation containing a narcotic substance can be prescribed on one prescription (par. 6 sec. 2 of the Ministry of Health regulation, consolidated text Dz.U. 2025 item 1678), so a backup variant cannot be added to the same prescription. It is worth agreeing with the doctor on a raw material with a similar profile in case the prescribed item disappears from wholesalers. We maintain a current overview of what can actually be purchased in a separate text about medical marijuana strains available in Poland.

What to do if the medicine is unavailable at the pharmacy?

Supply interruptions are a recurring phenomenon in this segment because the raw material is imported, and each item depends on a separate permit and supply chain. The first step is to ask the pharmacy about the date of the next delivery and the possibility of reserving with an already issued prescription.

If the interruption prolongs, the second step is to contact other pharmacies nearby, as availability can be very local and differ even within one city. An electronic prescription is not tied to a pharmacy, so the patient can fill it where the raw material is available, provided it is within the validity period. This period is often more important in practice than availability itself because after it expires, the procedure starts anew.

The third step belongs to the doctor. They can issue a new prescription for raw material with a similar profile, which often proves faster than waiting for delivery. That is why the question about contact between visits weighs heavily when choosing a clinic: with stable therapy conducted by a primary care doctor, changes can be possible without another specialist visit. It is worth storing the supply in the original package, at room temperature, and away from light, as terpenes evaporate faster than cannabinoids, and they account for some differences between strains.

Is it allowed to transport medical marijuana across borders?

Transport is possible only with appropriate documents and only to certain countries. Within the Schengen area, a certificate issued under art. 75 of the Schengen Implementation Convention confirms that the patient is carrying medicine for personal medical use. The certificate is issued for a specified time and quantity according to the prescribed dosing.

Since July 12, 2026, the document for travel to another EU country is issued by the relevant provincial pharmaceutical inspector, and for import and export outside the EU by the Chief Pharmaceutical Inspector. The application must be submitted no later than 15 days before crossing the border, and the document is issued for no longer than 30 days (par. 5 and 6 of the Ministry of Health regulation of June 8, 2026, Dz.U. 2026 item 827). We described the entire procedure in the guide on how to transport medical marijuana abroad.

Outside the Schengen area, each country has its own regulations, and some treat possession of THC-containing preparations as a crime regardless of prescription. This applies to several Asian countries and the Middle East, where penalties can be many years. In the United States, regulations vary by state, and at the federal level marijuana remains illegal, which matters at airports and when crossing state borders.

Consequences of transport without documents can be serious because legally it is not a customs matter but transport of a narcotic drug. Before every trip, it is wise to confirm requirements at the diplomatic mission of the destination country. The certificate must be applied for in advance, as the application is submitted at least 15 days before crossing the border. If therapy allows a few days’ break, some patients choose it instead of formalities; however, the decision to interrupt medication is made by the treating doctor, not the patient.

Is it allowed to drive after using medical marijuana?

No. A legal prescription does not exempt from liability for driving under the influence of a narcotic drug, and Polish regulations do not provide any exemption or tolerance threshold for patients. Showing an Rpw prescription during a traffic stop changes nothing.

The distinction often confused concerns detection time and effect duration. THC can be detected long after psychoactive effects have worn off, especially with daily therapy when the substance accumulates in fat tissue. Feeling capable is therefore not reliable: a patient who feels well and functions objectively well may still test positive. The opposite situation also occurs, as presence of the substance does not necessarily mean impaired reactions, but the law does not provide gradation here.

The practical conclusion for those starting therapy is one: planning transport is part of treatment planning, on par with dosing. This also applies to the first days after dose or strain change, when the body’s reaction is least predictable. Preparations containing only cannabidiol are a different matter because cannabidiol is not psychoactive and is not internationally controlled, as confirmed by the WHO Expert Committee (WHO ECDD, 2018). However, cannabis flower contains measurable amounts of THC even when cannabidiol predominates.

Does over-the-counter CBD complement therapy conducted on prescription?

Products with cannabidiol are available without prescription, and some patients use them alongside therapy conducted by a doctor. The WHO Expert Committee (WHO ECDD, 2018) recommended that pure cannabidiol not be internationally controlled because it has no potential for abuse or dependence.

However, combining requires discussion with the treating doctor, not a self-decision. Cannabidiol affects cytochrome P450 enzyme activity, through which many drugs are metabolized, so adding it to therapy changes the conditions under which the dose was selected. Special caution is required for patients taking opioids, benzodiazepines, or antiepileptic drugs. The same applies in reverse: discontinuing cannabidiol products also changes these conditions and is not a neutral step.

The distinction also has a formal dimension that is easy to forget. A cannabidiol product bought in a store is not a medicine and does not replace therapy conducted on prescription, even if it contains the same cannabinoid as pharmacy raw material. It is also not subject to the same quality requirements, so the manufacturer’s analysis certificate has different weight than for a compounded medicine. If you are looking for such products, you will find them in the hemp oils category, but the decision to add them to treatment should be left to the treating doctor.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can any doctor issue an Rpw prescription for medical marijuana?

Yes. An active license to practice and access to the e-prescription system are sufficient, and specialization has no formal significance. The regulations do not require an additional certificate authorizing cannabis therapy. In practice, patients see doctors with experience because dosing and strain selection require skill.

Can a prescription for medical marijuana be obtained after a teleconsultation?

Not when starting treatment. Since November 7, 2024, a prescription for cannabis herb other than fiber hemp is issued after a personal examination of the patient (par. 7 sec. 2a point 2 of the Ministry of Health regulation, consolidated text Dz.U. 2025 item 1678). The exception applies only to a primary care physician who continues started treatment under a contract with the National Health Fund, excluding night and holiday care.

How long is a prescription for medical marijuana valid?

30 days from the date of issue. This is stipulated in art. 96a sec. 7 point 4 of the Pharmaceutical Law for prescriptions for narcotic drugs, while a regular e-prescription can be valid up to 365 days. One prescription covers a supply for up to 90 days of use, and the doctor can issue up to three prescriptions for consecutive periods, totaling up to 90 days (par. 7 of the Ministry of Health regulation).

Does the National Health Fund reimburse cannabis flower?

No. Cannabis flower and extracts other than fiber hemp are not on the list of reimbursed medicines, so the patient pays the full pharmacy price. Reimbursement covers only selected ready-made medicinal products containing cannabinoids, approved for narrowly defined indications and dispensed under different rules.

Does every pharmacy dispense medical marijuana?

Any pharmacy can, but not every one stocks cannabis flower. Retail trade in narcotic drugs is conducted by pharmacies and pharmacy points that ensure proper storage (art. 41 sec. 1 of the Act on Counteracting Drug Addiction), and there is no separate authorization to dispense cannabis flower. Availability depends on the supply of a particular pharmacy, so it is worth calling ahead to confirm the prescribed item.

For which indications is the evidence strongest?

The 2017 National Academies report recognized evidence as conclusive or substantial for three indications: chronic pain in adults, nausea and vomiting after chemotherapy, and spasticity in multiple sclerosis. In other areas, including anxiety and epilepsy, the evidence was classified as limited or insufficient.

Is it allowed to drive after using medical marijuana?

No. A prescription does not exempt from liability for driving under the influence of a narcotic drug, and the regulations do not provide a tolerance threshold for patients. THC can be detected long after the perceptible effect has worn off, so subjective feeling is not a reliable indicator of driving ability.

Is it allowed to cultivate cannabis for personal medical use?

No. Polish law does not allow cultivation for medical purposes by the patient. Cannabis herb other than fiber hemp is a pharmaceutical raw material whose introduction to the market requires permission from the President of the Office for Registration of Medicinal Products. Cultivation outside this procedure remains a prohibited act.

This article is for informational and educational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. The legal status described is valid as of the publication date: cannabis regulations may change. Consult a lawyer or current legal acts before making decisions.

Author: Michał Waluk · Published: 2026-05-11 · Updated: 2026-09-23