Doctors warn about a hole in Polish cannabis laws

Doctors are warning about a hole in Polish cannabis laws.

Despite the conservatism of the state, poorly prepared regulations have given access to the availability of soft drugs. You can legally buy them at the pharmacy.

Packaging, a prescription from every doctor, a lack of clear indications, and unprepared pharmacists have all made experts criticize the way medical marijuana became introduced to the market.

The medical community supporting hemp treatment warns the health department that the product might now be more for drug addicts than patients.

Some fear Polish cannabis laws did not prepare doctors and pharmacies

Some specialists indicate that the idea of using medical marijuana became distorted. No-one supervises the quality of the products and who actually gets them.

“Many shops operate online which makes them easily accessible to minors,” says Dorota Gudaniec, who actively fought for the introduction of medical cannabis. In addition, Gudaniec’s son is the first medical patient in Poland.

“We are not prepared. The product went to pharmacies, but most pharmacists have no training in how to dispense it. As well as that, doctors also have a problem,” admits the head of the pharmacy at the Warsaw oncology centre.

“The preparation must be given to anyone who brings a prescription. They can only check that it is not counterfeit, but they do not verify that it has been issued for medical purposes.”

Professionals worry that cannabis isn’t monitored effectively

According to the law, cannabis can be prescribed by any doctor except a veterinarian. The doctor is who determines the dosage.

Perhaps it wouldn’t be a problem if it wasn’t for the fact that the Polish market received a preparation with the highest possible concentration of the so-called THC (19%).

According to some doctors, it is not suitable for many patients who have been waiting and fighting for years for legal and cheap access to therapies based on medical cannabis.

The biggest risk is that no one monitors the drug. The regulations introducing the possibility of “grass” treatment do not require it. 

There is also no leaflet, as with traditional medicines, warning about side effects, telling about the dosage method and information in which diseases it should be used.

The imperfections in Polish cannabis laws

Additionally, Michał Kidawa from the National Bureau for Drug Prevention also points to imperfections.

He says that the regulation should specify a list of diseases that can involve the use of cannabis.

“The choice is up to the doctors. Therefore, it is the doctors who bear a great responsibility, who will receive such a product and in what concentration,” adds Kidawa.

He also admits that it depends on medical ethics whether it will serve for recreational or medicinal purposes.

For the time being, they are looking at the market, which may pose a risk that marijuana will reach drug addicts.

“Until now, we have not had any signals of irregularities,” Kidawa emphasizes.

—

(Featured Image by DimaLiss)

First published in biznes.interia, a third-party contributor translated and adapted the article from the original. In case of discrepancy, the original will prevail.

Although we made reasonable efforts to provide accurate translations, some parts may be incorrect. Hemp.im assumes no responsibility for errors, omissions or ambiguities in the translations provided on this website. Any person or entity relying on translated content does so at their own risk. Hemp.im is not responsible for losses caused by such reliance on the accuracy or reliability of translated information. If you wish to report an error or inaccuracy in the translation, we encourage you to contact us.