Taking Stock – Legalization of Polish Medicinal Cannabis Seven Years Later: Users’ Perspectives

Abstract

Background It has been seven years since Poland legalized medical cannabis. Doctors in Poland are allowed to prescribe medical cannabis, which can be then obtained via pharmacies. However, no evaluation has been produced to explore what this policy has achieved. Method This article uses online surveys (N = 571) and qualitative interviews to explore what Polish cannabis users think of the current system. Results Most users – medical and recreational – think that it is currently easy to obtain a prescription for medical cannabis in Poland, and medical cannabis from a pharmacy. The users seem to have a clear preference for cannabis clinics as a source of prescriptions for medical cannabis over traditional doctors. Doctors in cannabis clinics seem much more inclined to prescribe medical cannabis. Many respondents, however, agree that the current system remains too expensive, and many users also raise concerns about the quality of cannabis available from pharmacies and strain variation. Conclusion This article shows the emergence of a unique drug policy/model. The access to medical cannabis has improved significantly since the early stages of the policy. Notably – contrary to the wishes of the policymakers who wanted to create a “strict” medical model with the use of pharmacies, both – medical and recreational users seem to be benefiting from the current system.