In the last few years, digital clinics have been launched in Europe and elsewhere. Now, the wave has broken.
In this special, MEDCAN24 explores the global reaction to cannabis telehealth. We examine how Australia’s criminal prosecutions, Poland’s reversed policy, and Germany’s proposed legislation show that telehealth has become both a lifeline and liability for policymakers.
Within the next couple of days, we will be exploring the possible impact of an identical change in Germany. Part 1 can be found here.
Germany released a draft law earlier this week that will severely restrict the growing medical cannabis telemedicine market.
It was followed by a similar move in Australia. This market has also seen a massive increase due to the easy access provided by the relatively new platforms.
Germany’s draft law that requires new patients have a face-to-face consultation, and prohibits prescriptions from being delivered directly to the patient’s home, has not been passed yet, but it’s already caused outrage among many in the industry.
The impact of the Polish cannabis market is difficult to estimate, but it’s a case study that many German cannabis entrepreneurs are looking at for insights.
Many see Poland’s crackdown on telemedicine as a warning, while others view its rebound as a sign of hope. Regardless of the outcome, this appears to be a new reality in developing medical marijuana markets.
Poland Crackdown
Polish Minister of Health in August of 2024 announced plans to restrict the use of medical cannabis online. This proposal has many parallels with Germany’s latest draft of amendment.
When this was implemented in early November 2024, ‘e-visits’ or online consultations were restricted.
Effectively, this meant that private doctors from specialised cannabis clinics could only issue an ‘e-prescription’ (there are no physical prescriptions for medical cannabis) after conducting an in-person examination of the patient.
Although Poland’s primary care doctors, or POZs, can still issue prescriptions online, they do this only in a small number of cases due to ongoing cautions and the lack education about cannabis.
In contrast to Germany, the legislation in question was initially designed to address the dramatic increase in Fentanyl and oxycodone prescriptions. After a consultation, the list was updated to include medical cannabis after a similar rapid increase in prescriptions.
Mikołaj Rusin, a specialist in the Polish medical cannabis market, told MEDCAN24You must understand that Poland had issues not only with marijuana, but with all prescriptions. In 2024 there was an uproar over telemedicine prescriptions of fentanyl, and other opioids. This was the real problem.
It was initially only for hard drugs, like fentanyl. The medical cannabis was not included. But then the medical chamber raised a crucial point: they said that when we legalised medical cannabis and allowed it to be prescribed via e-prescriptions, it felt—at least to doctors—like we were legalising recreational cannabis.”
The impact of the number
According to the latest official data from the e-Health Centre, Poland’s official registry, collated by Hemp & Health, Poland’s medical cannabis prescription numbers peaked in October 2024, just a month before the rules change was implemented.
The time has come. MEDCAN24 Reports said that the news about the change in plans had prompted a scramble at last minute.
“In mid-2024, the market was exploding—around 75,000 patients a month. The companies were thrilled. Companies were excited.
After the ban on e-prescriptions, which took place on November 7, everything was different. Some patients were given 100-120 grams of opiates in just one appointment.
In October, data from PEX showed that patients bought a record number of 90,388 cannabis-based packages from pharmacies. This represents a 15% increase month-onmonth. Total expenditures reached PLN42.67million, which is nearly PLN5.7million more than the total of 2022.
Sales at pharmacies increased in the weeks leading up to November, when new rules were implemented. Patients bought as much as they could. One person told the organization that patients didn’t seem to care about manufacturers or prices.
But, just as Rusin said, it accelerated the impending crash. The number of prescriptions dropped by 54% in the last months of 2024 after online prescriptions became restricted.
According to published data, after stagnation in 2025 the market started to grow again in March. It increased by 23% from February. Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.
Many German investors have been watching the market rebound.
Rusin said: “It had been a steep fall. In March, a few clinics of high quality opened. I estimate about 20% of patients went to the black-market and never returned.
They haven’t changed, only their patterns of buying have. The cost of goods has increased, and they are buying less.
“Before, a telemedicine visit cost around 100 złoty—about €25. Now, an in-person visit is closer to 200 złoty (€50). Add in the product and prescription fees, and the total cost is well over €150. It’s an expensive barrier.
Some clinics offer more than one prescription per visit, while most issue only one. This means that if you are a frequent consumer, it will cost more and be more difficult.
Real World Impact
Rusin notes that although the market seems to be improving, it is still well below the explosive growth of 2024.
Rusin said that before the new legislation was passed, 20 tons of goods were allowed to be imported into Poland. This figure, many thought, represented an unrealistic sales goal.
At this stage, the sale of 10 tons would be considered an outstanding success.
This news will be disappointing for business owners who are in the middle of a boom. When you zoom out and look at the overall impact, does this help patients or the entire market?
Rusin replied: “It all depends.” He added, “On the one hand, I think it’s a good thing. In some cases, we had clinics that were not professional. One doctor wrote up to 500 prescriptions per day. That’s insane. It’s absurd.
The clinics now are more professional. “Now, the clinics are much more professional. They have proper doctors on staff, and they take good care of documentation. It’s an important positive.
It’s not a problem for the patients, but it is a big issue from their perspective. There are often no local clinics in smaller towns, with populations between 50,000 and 100,000. Patients have to travel to major cities like Warsaw or Poznań. This costs money and time, particularly when prices have already increased.
From a commercial standpoint, this is also more difficult. The pharmacies don’t want to make a commitment because they are unsure if rules may change. Currently, only cities in Poland with over 100,000 residents can benefit from the medical cannabis industry.
Two years ago this market was booming. Some people were reassured by the new regulations on eVisits. I think that as a sector, we could actually learn something from this. He said: “I can see that the industry has grown more professional in the last six months. Those who have remained are more dedicated, and on the whole, this should produce good results for us all.”
In the last few years, digital clinics have been launched in Europe and elsewhere. Now, the wave has broken.
In a special report, MEDCAN24 examines global opposition to cannabis telehealth. In this special series, MEDCAN24 investigates the global backlash against cannabis telehealth.
We’ll dive into the impact of similar changes in Germany over the next few days. Part 1 can be found here.
Germany released a draft law earlier this week that will severely restrict the growing medical cannabis telemedicine market.
It was followed by a similar move in Australia. This market has also seen explosive growth due to the easy access provided by the relatively new platforms.
Germany’s draft law that requires new patients have a face-to-face consultation, and prohibits prescriptions from being delivered directly to the patient’s home, has not been passed yet, but it’s already caused outrage among many in the industry.
The impact of the Polish cannabis market is difficult to estimate, but it’s a case study that many German cannabis entrepreneurs are looking at for insights.
Many see Poland’s crackdown on telemedicine as a warning, while others view its rebound as a sign of hope. It seems that the medical cannabis market is now facing a new reality.
Poland Crackdown
Polish Minister of Health in August of 2024 announced plans to restrict the use of medical cannabis online. This proposal has many parallels to Germany’s latest draft of amendment.
When this was implemented in early November 2024, ‘e-visits’ or online consultations were restricted.
Effectively, this meant that private doctors from specialised cannabis clinics could only issue an ‘e-prescription’ (there are no physical prescriptions for medical cannabis) after conducting an in-person examination of the patient.
There are still primary care doctors in Poland who can issue online prescriptions. However, due to continuing caution and the lack of information about cannabis, very few actually do.
In contrast to Germany, the legislation in question was initially designed to address the dramatic increase in Fentanyl and morphine prescriptions. After a consultation, the list was updated to include medical cannabis after a similar rapid increase in prescriptions.
Mikołaj Rusin, a specialist in the Polish medical cannabis market, told MEDCAN24You have to know that Poland has had many problems with prescriptions. It’s not only with cannabis. In 2024 there was an uproar over telemedicine prescriptions of fentanyl, and other opioids. This was the real problem.
“No. At first, it covered only hard drugs such as fentanyl or other opioids. The medical cannabis was not included. But then the medical chamber raised a crucial point: they said that when we legalised medical cannabis and allowed it to be prescribed via e-prescriptions, it felt—at least to doctors—like we were legalising recreational cannabis.”
The impact of the number
According to the latest official data from the e-Health Centre, Poland’s official registry, collated by Hemp & Health, Poland’s medical cannabis prescription numbers peaked in October 2024, just a month before the rules change was implemented.
The time has come. MEDCAN24 Reports said that the news about a change in schedule had prompted frantic last-minute preparation.
“In mid-2024, the market was exploding—around 75,000 patients a month. The companies were thrilled. Companies were excited.
After the ban on e-prescriptions, which took place on November 7, everything was different. “Some patients received 100 to 120 grams per visit.”
PEX data in October revealed that patients had purchased 90,388 packages containing cannabis products in pharmacies, a 15 percent increase from the previous month. The total amount spent reached 42,67 million PLN, nearly 5 million PLN more than all of 2020.
Sales at pharmacies increased in the weeks leading up to November, when new rules were implemented. Patients bought as much as they could. “They didn’t give a damn about the prices or who made them,” one person told an organisation.
As Rusin had predicted, the crash was exacerbated. The number of prescriptions dropped by 54% in the last months of 2024 after online prescriptions became restricted.
According to published data, after stagnation in 2025 the market started to grow again in March. It increased by 23% from February. Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.
Many German investors have been watching the market rebound.
Rusin said: “It had been a steep fall. In March, a handful of quality clinics began to open. However, I estimate that around 20% have turned to the underground market.
They have stayed but changed their patterns of buying. Partly because of the rising cost, they’re purchasing less.
“Before, a telemedicine visit cost around 100 złoty—about €25. Now, an in-person visit is closer to 200 złoty (€50). Add in the product and prescription fees, and the total cost is well over €150. It’s an expensive barrier.
Some clinics offer more than one prescription per visit, while most issue only one. This means that if you are a frequent consumer, it will cost more and be a hassle to return frequently.
Real World Impact
Rusin says that despite the apparent recovery of the market, the growth rate is well below what was seen in 2024.
Rusin said that before the new legislation was passed, 20 tons of goods were allowed to be imported into Poland. This figure, many thought, represented an unrealistic sales goal.
At this stage, the sale of 10 tons would be considered an outstanding success.
It is understandable that this news would be disappointing to business owners at a time when the market was booming. If we zoom out and consider the impact on the market and patients over the longer term, is this a good thing?
Rusin replied: “It all depends.” He added, “On the one hand, I think it’s a good thing. In some cases, we had clinics that were not professional. One doctor wrote up to 500 prescriptions per day. That’s insane. It’s absurd.
The clinics now are more professional. The clinics hire the right doctors and take great care in documenting everything. It’s a whole new level. It’s an important positive.
But from a patient’s perspective, this is a serious problem. Many smaller cities with between 50,000-100,000 residents lack local clinics. Patients have to travel to major cities like Warsaw or Poznań. This costs money and time, particularly when prices have already increased.
From a commercial standpoint, this is also more difficult. Pharmacy owners are hesitant to invest because they do not know when the regulations will be changed again. Currently, only cities in Poland with over 100,000 residents can access the Polish medical cannabis market.
Two years ago this market was booming. Some people were cooled off by the new regulations governing eVisits. I think that as a sector, we could actually learn something from this. He said: “I can see that the industry has grown more professional in the last six months. Those who have remained are more dedicated, and on the whole, this should produce good results for us all.”
Cannabis Law Resources in Poland
Discover essential legal information about the cultivation of cannabis, its sale, and regulations governing medical products in Poland. You can use these resources to learn about the requirements for certification, permissions and compliance.
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Polish News Registration and Interests of Cannabis Businesses
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Permissions for Cannabis Sales in Poland
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Authorization for Importing or Manufacturing Medical Products
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Permission for Manufacturing or Importing Medical Products
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Certificate of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)
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Registration of Medical Products in Poland