Data & Analysis
Post-telemedicine-ban recovery: the EU's most complete regulatory risk case study.
Poland's medical market experienced a severe contraction after telemedicine restrictions in November 2024, with prescriptions falling 54% in two months. The market has since recovered fully — December 2025 volumes exceeded the pre-ban peak for the first time, demonstrating resilient underlying demand.
Poland is the primary data source for telemedicine restriction modelling. Its recovery trajectory is used to forecast Germany's bear-case scenario.
Medical cannabis in Poland is regulated under the Law on Preventing Narcotics Addiction (LPNA) and the Pharmaceutical Law Act, with corresponding Ministry of Health regulations.
Companies must hold both a standard business activity authorisation and a narcotic authorisation issued by the Chief Pharmaceutical Inspector (ChPhI) to manufacture, process, import, or distribute medical cannabis.
Product market authorisations last 5 years and are issued by the President of the Office for Registration of Medicinal Products, Medical Devices and Biocidal Products. The process typically takes over two years. Products are authorised as raw cannabis forms, processed in pharmacies.
Cultivation: Only research institutions can cultivate medical cannabis, requiring a special ChPhI permit. Only one entity has received such a permit to date.
November 2024: Poland's Ministry of Health restricted telemedicine for medical cannabis — initial examinations must now be conducted in person. Remote consultations are only permitted after an in-person initial assessment.
Who can prescribe: Any doctor permitted to prescribe narcotics. In practice, most prescribers are specialists in Neurology, Oncology, or Anaesthesiology. Patients can also obtain prescriptions from GPs, specialised health clinics, and medical cannabis clinics.
Approved conditions: No official restricted list — the prescribing physician decides based on clinical evidence. Main indications include:
Reimbursement: None. Patients pay out-of-pocket.
Dispensed volumes (pharmacy data):
Approximately 30 authorised flower products available. Average price: €12.80–€13.80 per gram. Majority of products priced at €12.80/g.
Origin: approximately 68% from Portugal, 32% from Canada. Most products are packaged in Germany and exported to Poland.
Product split: 79.4% flower, 20.6% extracts. Eight extract products authorised as of March 2025, marketed by PharmaCann, CanPoland, Aurora, PhytoPur Bio, and Vetos Farma.
Extract products are primarily used for magistral preparations, with some pharmacies also offering magistral vape cartridges and resin products.
Approximately 40 products in total have received marketing authorisation as raw material products (flowers, extracts, vapes). All are packaged and dosed at the pharmacy level based on individual prescriptions.
Poland is an entirely import-reliant market — no active domestic commercial cannabis cultivation exists.
Import volumes (official data):
Early years saw significant supply shortages due to burdensome import permit and product authorisation processes. Supply chains have strengthened as more companies have received permits and marketing authorisations.
Yes, since November 2017. Patients need a prescription from a licensed physician. The market primarily operates through pharmacies using imported flower, with 5,447 kg dispensed in 2025.
Poland implemented telemedicine restrictions in November 2024 following concerns about prescription abuse. Prescription volumes fell 54% in just two months. The market recovered through in-person consultations — December 2025 volumes exceeded the pre-ban peak, confirming the underlying patient demand remains.