In recent years, CBD vending machines have popped up all over the country. In them one can purchase completely legal and non-drug products such as CBD oils, dried CBD or hemp teas. Not long ago, we reported on a Law and Justice (PiS) councilman who opposes such vending machines because, in his opinion, hemp products are an "initiation into the world of pure drugs." Now Law and Justice MP Artur Szałabawka has spoken on the issue, going one step further and advancing the theory that the goal of vending machine owners is to "tame the public with marijuana" The Health Ministry has also spoken on the subject of statutory changes on the issue.
Law and Justice wants to restrict CBD vending machines by law
MP Artur Szałabawka believes that CBD vending machines could subliminally encourage people to reach for marijuana, so he wrote an interpellation on the issue, pointing out his concerns.
It is hard to resist the impression that the goal of companies installing such vending machines is to tame the public with marijuana per se. The user is not able to immediately distinguish between "the harmless one" and real marijuana. It's a kind of subliminal action aimed at encouraging young people to turn to stimulants. Particularly dangerous, in my opinion, is the installation of such devices in the vicinity of schools, as is the case in Szczecin, where a vending machine of this kind has been installed near one of the elementary schools. There are also reports that the Police, during inspection activities, have found products in vending machines that exceed permissible levels of THC
-we read in an interpellation submitted by Law and Justice MP
Artur Szałabawka asked the ministers several questions, including whether the ministries are currently working on improving the safety of children and young people by restricting the installation of vending machines with cannabis products near schools, and at what stage is the work underway? If not, does the ministry plan to introduce such restrictions?
At the same time, Mr. Shalabawka requests that the minimum distance for locating vending machines with cannabis products be formally defined, to be 1,000 meters from school facilities of any grade.
In addition, I call for an increase in the frequency of inspection inspections of such devices (vending machines). The above measures, of which I am deeply convinced, will allow to increase the safety of children and adolescents in contact with stimulants
-wrote the MP
Read also: Szczecin: Law and Justice (PiS) councilman claims that vending machines with hemp products are a prelude to "pure drugs"
In response to the interpellation, Maciej Miłkowski, Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Health, made these statements, among others:
Extract from the herb of hemp other than fibrous hemp (which is a source of cannabidiol - CBD), is listed in Annex No. 2, item 113 GROUP I-N ODTOIDS to the Regulation of the Minister of Health of August 17, 2018 on the list of psychotropic substances, narcotics and new psychoactive substances (Journal of Laws 2018, item 1591, as amended). On the other hand, tetrahydrocannabinols (THC), i.e. isomers and their stereochemical variants, are listed in Annex 1, item 96 of the aforementioned Regulation of the Minister of Health and constitute PSYCHOTROPICAL SUBSTANCES OF GROUP I-P.
- Maciej Miłkowski wrote.
The Undersecretary of State's statement shows that he completely doesn't know what he's talking about, as the source of CBD is not extract from hemp other than fibrous hemp but extract from perfectly legal hemp seed.
Maciej Miłkowski's response to the interpellation contains a lot of information, which, however, does not contribute much as it is, for example, definitions of fibrous hemp. The most important, in our opinion, statement contained in the response is information on planned amendments to the Law on Counteracting Drug Addiction in terms of vending machines with hemp products.
The Minister of Health is aware of the phenomenon of vending machines offering cannabis products, and responding to the question in the interpellation, I kindly inform you that it is anticipated that work on amending the Law on Counteracting Drug Addiction in the aforementioned regard will be undertaken at the next amendment of the aforementioned law.
-informed the Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Health.
