Legal marijuana: cheaper than from a dealer, exotic flavors. We describe how the market is coping with restrictions.

• In Poland, you can legally buy medical marijuana under many trade names, often at a lower price than from a dealer and without the threat of criminal liability.
• Although the number of prescriptions temporarily dropped after the tightening of regulations in 2024, the consumption of "herb" from pharmacies is on the rise again
• It is relatively easy to get a prescription these days - all you need to do is visit a specialist clinic and complain about back pain or sleep problems.

Lemon Haze, Chocolate Diesel, Chem SiS, Gorilla Glue – these are just some of the trade names for medical marijuana. They differ in flavor (for example, Lemon Haze has a noticeable citrus note, while Chocolate Diesel has chocolate) and THC and CBD content. What they all have in common is that in many places, you can get a prescription from a doctor and then smoke them without fear of prosecution. What's more, they can even be cheaper than from your local drug dealer.

In 2025, 277,500 prescriptions for medical marijuana were issued, and 236,000 were filled, according to data from the e-Health Center , sent to our editorial office. In the first half of 2024, pharmacies sold 2.18 tons of the "herb," and in the same period in 2025, 2.24 tons ( a 2.6% increase). For comparison, 4.6 tons of raw material were sold in all of 2023 .

As a reminder, as of November 7, 2024, a doctor must personally examine a patient before issuing a prescription for medical marijuana. The exception is doctors in primary care clinics (but not nighttime and holiday medical care, which is also classified as primary care).

The regulations introduced by the Ministry of Health were intended to combat prescription machines (so-called prescription machines) for certain substances. The intention was to encourage citizens to purchase them for non-medical purposes.

In Rynek Zdrowia, we reported that in the first month after the restrictions were introduced in November of last year, the number of marijuana prescriptions dropped by 57 percent. We don't have the latest data on the number of prescriptions, but the total weight of the raw material sold suggests that the market has not only filled the gap left by the restrictions but is actually growing, although this is far from the pathological growth (hundreds of percent annually) seen during the reign of "prescription machines."

According to our information, the market has adapted to the new situation, so it is once again easy to obtain a prescription and legally smoke medical marijuana, despite the lack of medical indications.

There are specialized clinics that prescribe the drug solely based on a patient's back pain or difficulty sleeping. A visit costs approximately 120 PLN , and the prescribed amount of cannabis is enough for 2-3 months , depending on the intensity of use.

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