Ministry of Health responds to use of medical marijuana

Igor Radziewicz-Winnicki, Under-secretary at the Ministry of Health, wrote a letter to the HFHR regarding the legal options of using marijuana for medical purposes. The letter responds to the proposals presented in the HFHR’s critical study “Medical marijuana: waiting for legislators’ response”.

The Ministry of Health points out that medicinal products with cannabis plants other than fibre crops may legally be used for medical purposes, for instance by way of the targeted import procedure.

“We have requested opinions from National Consultants in relevant medical specialities. They responded by emphasising that the therapeutic efficacy of drugs with active substances present in cannabis plants other than fibre crops – or the absence of medical indications for their use in treatment of individual diseases – must be scientifically proven”, reads the letter.

According to the Ministry of Health, “the matter requires to be further investigated in clinical trials conducted pursuant to applicable rules, which will determine an appropriate dosage of active substances contained in a medicinal product, adverse effects or possible interactions with other drugs”.

The Ministry’s statement is silent on any legislative changes that would de-penalise persons using marijuana for medical purposes.