Polish Pharmacists Open to Medical Cannabis but Want More Training
A survey of 422 Polish pharmacists found broad support for medical cannabis use but significant gaps in confidence about advising patients.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Nearly half (48.9%) of Polish pharmacists believe cannabis should be used exclusively for medical purposes, while 47.6% support both medical and recreational use. Over 90% consider cannabis effective for adults, and 70% for children. However, many lack confidence in providing detailed patient guidance.
Key Numbers
422 respondents. 48.9% support medical-only use. 47.6% support medical and recreational. Over 90% believe cannabis is effective for adults. ~70% acknowledge potential for children. 66%+ comfortable discussing cannabis generally.
How They Did This
Cross-sectional survey of 422 pharmacists and pharmacy students in Poland using a custom questionnaire on attitudes, concerns, and experiences with medical cannabis.
Why This Research Matters
Pharmacists are often the last healthcare touchpoint before patients use medical cannabis. Their knowledge gaps and confidence levels directly affect the quality of patient care.
The Bigger Picture
Poland legalized medical cannabis in 2017 but uptake remains limited. This survey suggests the pharmacy workforce is willing but underprepared, a pattern seen across many countries in the early years after medical cannabis legalization.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Convenience sample may not represent all Polish pharmacists. Self-reported comfort levels may not reflect actual knowledge. Survey conducted in 2021, attitudes may have shifted since.
Questions This Raises
- ?What specific educational programs would most effectively prepare pharmacists?
- ?Has pharmacist comfort with medical cannabis increased since 2021?
- ?How do pharmacist attitudes affect patient access and outcomes?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Over 90% of Polish pharmacists consider medical cannabis effective for adults
- Evidence Grade:
- Single-country convenience sample with self-reported attitudes; may not generalize broadly.
- Study Age:
- 2025 publication based on 2021 survey data from Poland.
- Original Title:
- Concerns, Beliefs and Attitudes of Pharmacists About Medical Cannabis Use in Poland.
- Published In:
- Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland), 13(21) (2025)
- Authors:
- Merks, Piotr, Cameron, Jameason, Kazmierczak, Justyna, Białkowski, Artur, Świetlik, Dariusz, Borowska, Mariola, Wierzba, Waldemar, Bołkun-Skórnicka, Urszula, Śliż, Daniel, Blicharska, Eliza, Fedorowski, Jarosław, Vaillancourt, Regis, Religioni, Urszula
- Database ID:
- RTHC-07124
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Do pharmacists support medical cannabis?
In this Polish survey, the vast majority considered medical cannabis effective, though opinions split on whether recreational use should also be legal. Most were comfortable discussing cannabis generally but less confident giving detailed advice.
Is medical cannabis widely used in Poland?
Despite being legalized in 2017, medical cannabis use in Poland remains limited. This survey suggests pharmacist education gaps may be one barrier to wider clinical integration.
Read More on RethinkTHC
- CBD-oil-quality-guide
- anxiety-medication-after-quitting-weed
- cannabis-chemotherapy-nausea
- cannabis-chronic-pain-research
- cannabis-epilepsy-CBD-Epidiolex
- cbd-anxiety-research-evidence
- cbd-for-weed-withdrawal
- cbd-vs-thc-difference
- medical-benefits-of-cannabis
- quitting-weed-before-surgery
- quitting-weed-medication-interactions
- quitting-weed-pregnancy
- quitting-weed-pregnant
- seniors-older-adults-cannabis-risks-medications
- weed-breastfeeding-THC-breast-milk
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-07124APA
Merks, Piotr; Cameron, Jameason; Kazmierczak, Justyna; Białkowski, Artur; Świetlik, Dariusz; Borowska, Mariola; Wierzba, Waldemar; Bołkun-Skórnicka, Urszula; Śliż, Daniel; Blicharska, Eliza; Fedorowski, Jarosław; Vaillancourt, Regis; Religioni, Urszula. (2025). Concerns, Beliefs and Attitudes of Pharmacists About Medical Cannabis Use in Poland.. Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland), 13(21). https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13212657
MLA
Merks, Piotr, et al. "Concerns, Beliefs and Attitudes of Pharmacists About Medical Cannabis Use in Poland.." Healthcare (Basel, 2025. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13212657
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Concerns, Beliefs and Attitudes of Pharmacists About Medical..." RTHC-07124. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/merks-2025-concerns-beliefs-and-attitudes
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.