It’s official! At the turn of March and April 2026, the long-awaited bill decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana was submitted to the Sejm. The chances of changing the harsh law have never been greater, and citizens have now been given the opportunity to officially voice their opinion. Instead of prison – decriminalization.
What exactly does the new bill propose?
Currently, Polish law is among the most restrictive in Europe. Possession of even the smallest amount of marijuana for personal use is a crime punishable by up to three years in prison. However, as Forsal portal informs, there is finally a concrete parliamentary project on the table with the loud slogan “15 grams, one bush and zero penalties”.
It assumes that possession of small amounts of marijuana for personal use would no longer be prosecuted ex officio, and citizens would be able to legally grow a single plant at home. It’s worth recalling that prosecution for a “joint” costs the state budget hundreds of millions of zlotys annually.
Experts’ voices and summit talks
As activists emphasize, the current prohibition policy in Poland has proven simply ineffective. Instead of combating real crime, law enforcement agencies are focusing on punishing ordinary citizens. However, the shift in sentiment is clearly visible even at the highest levels of government.
“We’ve had a very substantive conversation. In over 20 years of experience, we’ve never encountered such substantively prepared officials.” Representatives of the Wolne Konopie association recently reported after an official meeting at the Ministry of Justice, which was widely described by the Bizblog portal.
This type of openness to dialogue on the part of decision-makers gives great hope that this time the project will not end up in the parliamentary freezer.
Skeptics warn: what about safety?
Of course, the proposed changes have not gone unnoticed and are also generating strong opposition. Critics of decriminalization – including some conservative groups and some representatives of the uniformed services – argue that a more lenient law will send a dangerous message to society, potentially leading to an increase in marijuana use, especially among young people. Opponents of the bill also often fear that tolerance for cannabis will facilitate the use of harder substances, raising the issue of a potential threat to road safety. However, supporters of the bill counter with hard data: the experiences of countries that have decriminalized possession (such as the Czech Republic and Germany) do not confirm these gloomy scenarios; in fact, they demonstrate that relieving the police allows them to address real crime.
Will Poland finally take this historic step? The coming weeks and public pressure will show whether we are ready for decriminalization.
Sources: Forsal / Bizblog (Spiders Web) / PAP
What do you think about this story?
Join the conversation. Please keep comments relevant to the article.
Write a comment