The Ministry of Health in Poland has expressed support for the decriminalisation of up to 25 grams of cannabis and the cultivation of up to four plants at home, according to the cannabis activist organisation Wolne Konopie.
The Wolne Konopie (Free Hemp) Association is a social initiative founded in 2006 “seeking to normalize the status of cannabis in Poland,” according to the group’s website.
In a series of blog posts titled The Path To Decriminalisation, Vice President of Wolne Konopie Jakub Gajewski outlined the group’s work with a health ministry official to draft a bill on the decriminalisation of cannabis, which was “approved by the competent department of the ministry”.
“In July, we held a meeting in our own group, where we established a strategy for further action. We met with the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Michał Kołodziejczak, and gained his personal support for our projects and a promise of action in this area in the Ministry of Agriculture,” said Jakub Gajewski.
“We also held a meeting with an official from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration, who subsequently forwarded our bill for further work and it landed on the desk of the legal department at the Police Headquarters.
“We also plan to organise consultations with representatives of ministries, industries and MPs from various groups, which will help us gain additional votes.”
While the move to decriminalize cannabis has been welcomed by the Ministry of Health, Gajewski stated that he does not believe the timing is right for the bill to be put to parliament, citing resistance from The Polish Prime Minister, Andrzej Duda.
“Currently, submitting a bill does not make sense, because Andrzej Duda will veto it. However, we see a chance for decriminalization in the second half of the term, provided that Poles elect a president who is not associated with Law and Justice,” Gajewski said. “In this matter, we are to meet with the potential presidential candidate Rafał Trzaskowski to discuss sentences that qualify for pardons.”
Under current law, it is illegal to possess or use cannabis in Poland. According to the Act on Counteracting Drug Addiction, possession can be punished with up to three years in prison. However, support for reform is high amongst members of the public. A survey conducted by the Public Opinion Research Center (CBOS) in February 2024 found that 73.4% of Poles are against people being punished for the possession of small amounts of cannabis for personal use.
The quotes in this article were machine-translated from the original Polish publications.
This story first appeared on leafie, view here
Author: Liam O’Dowd
