AMENDMENT TO POLISH REGULATIONS – EASIER RULES TO FACILITATE THE CULTIVATION OF HEMP AND POPPY SEEDS
May 7, 2022 marked the introduction of the amendment to the Polish Act on Counteracting Drug Addiction. The amendments to the Polish regulations make it possible to cultivate non-fiber hemp, carried out in research institutes, in order to obtain the raw material intended for the preparation of drugs. The act also transfers the obligation to monitor the cultivation of poppy and fibrous hemp from local government authorities to the National Center for Agricultural Support.
The cultivation of hemp and poppy seeds in Poland is a controlled sector. The current legal status contains regulations according to which the producer and the buyer of poppy or hemp annually submitted an application, together with all the documentation, to the relevant authorities (mayors, city presidents) or voivodeship marshals for a decision authorizing the cultivation or purchase of poppy or fiber hemp. The new solutions abolish these requirements. To be able to grow hemp or poppy, one will only need to submit an application to the National Center for Agricultural Support. Additionally, on the basis of the current regulations, the voivodship parliament is responsible for determining the area of poppy and hemp. This solution had a limiting effect on the cultivation area and the development opportunities of the national bioeconomy. The new regulations abolish this obligation. In addition, the catalog of destination and purposes for which poppy or industrial hemp can be used is to be expanded.
The new act transfers the obligation to monitor the cultivation of poppy and fibrous hemp from commune heads (mayors, city presidents) competent for the location of the cultivation to the National Center for Agricultural Support. It is proposed that purchase monitoring should also be carried out by the National Center for Agricultural Support (currently the monitoring of purchase is carried out by marshal offices). Entities that will grow poppy or industrial hemp will be entered in the register kept by the director of the appropriate local branch of the National Center for Agricultural Support. In addition, the act will include a provision obliging the National Center for Agricultural Support to carry out inspections of poppy or hemp producers and buyers, control of information contained in applications and control of poppy and fiber hemp cultivation.
The new regulations stipulate that checks must be performed on at least 10 percent of poppy producers and 10 percent of hemp producers in a given harvest year.
The cultivation of poppy and hemp can be carried out for the following purposes: energy, veterinary, fodder, composite materials, reclamation, beekeeping, fertilizing, as natural plant protection products. In addition, the project proposes that poppy and industrial hemp could also be grown for own needs, scientific and research purposes, and for the cultivation of new varieties of poppy and fiber hemp.
- Publication date: January 16, 2026 Pharmaceutical production is one of the most regulated activities in Poland, Europe, and globally. The reason seems obvious: creating drugs can cause numerous complications, health problems, and in extreme cases, even death, depending on the individual patient’s health contraindications. Due to the above-mentioned reasons, the process of creating a new […]
- Publication date: January 16, 2026 On January 15, 2026, our colleague, Zofia Kubic, had the opportunity to participate in the LifeScience Kraków Cluster meeting, representing the KG Legal Kiełtyka Gładkowski law firm, a member of the cluster. The meeting was held as a Cluster Breakfast and was concise and strategic in nature, focusing primarily on […]
- Publication date: January 16, 2026 Prepared by Konrad Byrski, KIELTYKA GLADKOWSKI KG LEGAL One of our lawyers, Konrad Byrski, had recently the opportunity to participate in the Legal and Psychological Congress, which aimed to exchange views, discuss and present interesting issues regarding the participation of expert psychologists and psychiatrists in various types of proceedings provided […]
- Publication date: January 15, 2026 The draft act amending the Act on the Provision of Electronic Services and certain other acts represents a significant step in adapting Polish legal regulations to the rapidly evolving digital landscape. The growing number of entities operating online, new methods of electronic communication, and the vast scale of data processing […]
- Publication date: January 13, 2026 The NewConnect exchange operates as an alternative trading system operated by the Warsaw Stock Exchange. It was established to create a space for small and medium-sized companies with high potential, which can be tapped thanks to the capital injection NewConnect seeks to offer. In November 2025, the WSE announced changes […]
- Publication date: January 09, 2026 On 20 September 2024, an amendment to the Act of February 4, 1994 on Copyright and Related Rights entered into force. The purpose of the amendment was to implement two directives of the European Parliament and of the Council (EU) of April 17, 2019, into the Polish legal system: 1) […]
- Publication date: January 09, 2026 Much of the EU’s pharmaceutical legislation was adopted over 20 years ago. It is clear that much progress has been made in this area since then. Furthermore, due to the nature of European Union legislation, these regulations are fragmented into numerous smaller regulations and directives. To address both of the […]
- Publication date: January 09, 2026 Disclosure obligations under MAR Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 2014 (the so-called MAR Regulation) imposes a number of key information and disclosure obligations on issuers of financial instruments and persons discharging managerial responsibilities. The main disclosure obligations contained in the aforementioned regulation […]
- Publication date: January 07, 2026 The Listing Act is a legislative package proposed by the European Commission and adopted by the European Parliament and the Council. Its goal is to increase the attractiveness of public securities markets for companies, primarily by facilitating access for small and medium-sized enterprises (hereinafter referred to as SMEs). The changes […]
- Publication date: January 07, 2026 The European Union has launched a comprehensive regulatory framework for biotechnology and support for businesses in this field. It is estimated that approximately 80 percent of active pharmaceutical ingredients are imported, particularly from countries such as China and India. The European economy cannot afford this current state of affairs if […]
