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