Medical marijuana is an alternative medicine. It relieves even chronic pain, brings relief to patients devastated by cancer, is an effective treatment for gastrointestinal diseases, neurological and rheumatic diseases. However, it also helps with many lighter ailments. Is medical marijuana legal in Poland? Where can it be purchased? How to buy marijuana legally? In which countries is medical marijuana legal?
Hemp legal, hemp illegal
When talking about the legality of marijuana, it is important to start with whether it is legal to grow hemp. Here it is worth distinguishing between two varieties of the plant: hemp seed (Cannabis sativa L.) and cannabis indica (Cannabi indica). The cultivation of cannabis with a high THC content is not legal in Poland. The situation is different with seed hemp, commonly known as fiber hemp, which is used in various industries.
Seed hemp cultivation is legal in Poland, although it requires a permit. Also legal in Poland are products based on the CBD cannabinoid (CBD dries, CBD oils, CBD cosmetics) found in large amounts in seed hemp. For these products to be allowed, however, they must meet one condition – the level of total THC contained in them (the sum of THC and THCA) must not exceed 0.2%. This is worth keeping in mind. Buying this type of imported products, you can end up with those with higher THC content, and this can expose the owner of such specifics to trouble with the law.
It’s also worth remembering that widely available CBD supplements are not a more readily available version of medical marijuana – they don’t have its medicinal properties. CBD oil contains trace amounts of THC, which undermines its medicinal and recreational properties (by comparison, recreational marijuana contains 3-20% THC). However, even with the use of CBD oil, there can be a slight positive psychoactive effect, such as stress and tension reduction, relaxation.
Is medical marijuana legal in Poland?
Medical marijuana, to be sufficiently effective, must have both CBD and THC in its composition. For this reason, some in the political community were reluctant to try to legalize medical marijuana. However, on November 1, 2017, a law went into effect that legalized medical marijuana. This means that the possession and use of marijuana is legal in Poland, provided that it is used for medical purposes. How to prove it? First, medical marijuana should always be stored only in its original packaging. Second, it’s a good idea to identify yourself with a certificate issued by a Carenabis marijuana treatment clinic. The prescription number for the cannabis preparation may also be useful.
How to legally buy medical marijuana?
Despite the changed law, access to medical marijuana is still quite difficult in Poland. First of all, you need to have a prescription for it issued by a doctor. Although such a prescription can be issued by any doctor, it should be remembered that many medics in Poland are still skeptical about marijuana treatment. Even those with less conservative beliefs often lack expertise in alternative treatments.
It is much easier to get a prescription at cannabis therapy
It is much easier to get a prescription at cannabis therapy clinics or pain management clinics. In order to obtain a prescription for medical marijuana, you must provide your doctor with medical documentation that confirms that there are indications for such treatment. The prescription can be filled at a pharmacy that sells marijuana. There are only a few dozen such pharmacies in Poland. The price of medical marijuana at a pharmacy ranges from PLN 60 to 80 per gram.
Medical marijuana in other countries
Medical marijuana is legal in almost all Western European countries. It can be easily purchased in countries such as Germany, UK, France, Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands, as well as in southern Europe: Spain, Portugal and Italy.
Medical marijuana is not legal in Scandinavian countries (Norway, Sweden) or Iceland. Medical marijuana has also not been legalized in most former Eastern Bloc countries, such as Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Albania. The exception is Romania, which legalized medical marijuana in 2013 as the 10th country in Europe.
