Poland has long had one of the most oppressive laws in Europe regarding the use of Cannabis, but as recent events suggest, the current regime is willing to break the same laws in order to block a perfectly legal science experiment and jail its participants. The 10-year long experiment aimed to study long-term effects of cannabis on a range of medical patients and healthy persons over the age of 30. On the 30th of October, two BioInfoBank scientists were illegally detained under the pretense that they need to give a short statement at the police station. During the interrogation they found out they are being charged with running an “illegal experiment” and an “illegal grow operation”.

J?drzej Sadowski, one of the detained was the project coordinator, the other scientist was a technician in charge of taking care of the plants. Both are scientists from an A-grade research facility – institutes awarded that grade are well-regarded in the whole world. BioinfoBank was well aware that the Polish government may try to crush the study. That’s why all the police institutions, including the narcotics division were informed, as well as government institutions, inspectorates, and commissions – the cooperation went well and there were no complaints. The cannabis was cultivated since February, complete with all the necessary licenses. Why then did the police come and confiscate the plants? Was it an order given by some politician or rather by the organized mob? We lean toward that second option, with cannabis trade in Poland fully controlled by the mafia, who are using the police to fight their competitors. The underground market in Poland is defined by the connections with the local police department. The fact that the cannabis plants were illegally confiscated can suggest that the mafia remains in successful cooperation with the Police.

On the 30th of October the study became illegal. The attack was carried out without even informing the scientists beforehand. The institute’s lawyers have never witnessed such display of “arrogance, hostility and ill will” towards them and the detained. There has been enormous pressure to remove the scientists’ liberties by putting them in prison, despite the fact that there were no charges presented to them at all! The detainees were let go without charges after 48 hours of jail time, but they now suffer from severe anxiety, insomnia and loss of concentration from psychological abuse and being denied basic human needs, such as food, water, and toilet access. They are in danger of being removed from the research institute.

The police entered the institute without a warrant, and videotaped it so that it looked like they were busting an illegal operation. They confiscated the plants, the scientists’ private cellphones as well as the monitoring tapes documenting the whole event. The aim of this attack was to block the BioInfoBank project at any cost. They ultimately succeeded in that, because now the lawyers have to fight to get the cannabis plants back, which can take months. The project cannot continue until then. The media will not report on this. Poland is still an oppressive country with no regards to the law and public health. This event is not only an attack on BioInfoBank, it’s an attack on science.

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