After telemedicine ban, Polish medical cannabis takes off again

The Polish medical cannabis market has gone through a full cycle of regulatory upheaval and recovery, the results of which are more complex than the overall figures suggest.

After a Restrictions on telemedicine prescriptions in November 2024, which led to an immediate drop in patient access; monthly distribution volumes fell by more than half in just a few weeks.

The regulatory change—which required in-person consultations for medical cannabis prescriptions—effectively dismantled the telemedicine-based growth model that had fueled the rapid expansion of the market.

By the end of 2025, pharmacy sales had not only recovered but had surpassed pre-ban levels, reaching a new all-time high in December.

However, the rebound in volumes masks a fundamental economic reset. Total revenue for 2025 fell to approximately 253 million PLN (about 60 million euros), which is about 19% less than 2024 levels, with the average price per gram falling by approximately 28%. Operators are now selling more products, but with significantly lower margins.

The data, obtained from the Polish National Health Authority and analyzed by Business of Cannabis, Centrum e-Zdrowia, cover 84 consecutive months of pharmacy dispensing records, from January 2019 to December 2025. They constitute one of the most detailed sets of government data available in Europe on how the medical cannabis market responds to a sudden tightening of regulations.

A Structural Change

The anterior expansion phase had been driven by lightly regulated telemedicine platforms that had reduced barriers to prescribing and expanded geographic coverage.

Following the ban, more formal clinical structures replaced this model. Some providers are now deploying prescribers to temporary satellite sites in smaller towns to partially restore access, but the obstacles remain greater than they were during the telemedicine boom.

The result is not only a market recovery, but also a complete overhaul of the market:

• Higher volumes
• Lower average prices
• Tighter margins
• More structured clinical monitoring
• A Different Competitive Landscape

In short, the Polish market has shifted from rapid expansion focused on access to margin compression and increased professionalism.

Why is the Polish market important in Europe?

The Polish market is being closely monitored as a complement to markets such as Germany, Australia, and the United Kingdom. It now offers rare evidence that patient demand for medical cannabis can remain strong even after significant regulatory tightening, but also demonstrates how quickly price pressure can reshape operators’ economics.

Few jurisdictions have experienced and documented a full cycle of shock and recovery in this way. For countries debating stricter regulatory oversight, Poland now offers a real-world regulatory stress test.

The new report on the Polish medical cannabis market is available from Prohibition Partners.