Medical cannabis now available in all pharmacies in Greece

The Greece has officially submitted the medical marijuana available to patients in the country. After a a seven-year journey fraught with obstacles And thanks to these appeals, people like Anna Paga, a 60-year-old mother of three, are finding hope and relief.

Long-Awaited Accessibility

Anna Paga’s story illustrates the struggles and triumphs of countless patients grappling with chronic pain and debilitating illnesses. For years, Anna Paga endured the torment of the’psoriatic arthritis, navigating a maze of treatments with little respite. The actual accessibility of the medical marijuana marks a turning point in his arduous journey.

«I burst into tears… the end of danger and fear,» Ms. Paga told the’Athens News Agency, as she described the emotion she felt upon receiving her prescription through the Greek electronic system. Her story, as reported by various media outlets, reflects the profound nature of this legislative change.

Paga’s story mirrors that of many patients who have sought relief through alternative therapies despite the limitations of conventional medicine. Before the legalization of medical marijuana In Greece, people like Paga have resorted to illegal means, grappling with the inherent risks and uncertainties.

«Excruciating pain… I couldn’t sleep,» recalls Paga, emphasizing the heavy toll his condition took on him. However, with the introduction of the pharmaceutical cannabis, Paga's life has changed. Thanks to meticulous adjustments to her dosage and expert advice, she has seen a remarkable improvement in her symptoms, giving her a glimmer of hope amid the darkness of her illness.

What does the Greek medical cannabis program allow?

Last week, the first dried cannabis-based products became available to Greek patients, and the first patient received her prescription.

The medical marijuana will now be available in Greece to treat conditions such as nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and combination therapy for HIV or hepatitis C, chronic pain, spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injuries, as well as an appetite suppressant in palliative care.

The medical specialists who are now authorized to prescribe medical cannabis include anesthesiologists, neurologists, and pathologists specializing in cancer, infectious diseases, and rheumatology.

Once a prescription is issued by a specialist, it can be renewed by other doctors every six months, but the treatment must then be reevaluated by a specialist.

Medical cannabis is considered a «non-reimbursable treatment,» which means that none of the costs are covered by the government or insurance, but that the «cost is high.».

Patients will have to pay the full cost of their prescription, which will be €82.96 for a 5-gram package and €165.91 for a 10-gram package—more than €16.50 per gram.

This price was reportedly set based on the two lowest average prices in the EU, but the cost is expected to decrease as more products enter the market.

Business of Cannabis believes that only one product is currently available—a balanced CBD/THC formulation supplied by Tikun Olam Europe—but that versions with higher THC content are expected to be introduced to the market in the coming months, as patients and doctors become accustomed to the first product.

The product will be available in pharmacies, and the Tikun Olam product will be distributed by two companies, Lavipharm and Pharmaserve-Lilly.

Open the program

The Medical cannabis has been legalized in Greece in 2017, after a campaign launched by mothers of children with severe epilepsy gathered more than 45,000 signatures. It could then be legally prescribed for three conditions.

Despite this, only a handful of patients have been able to obtain medical cannabis-based pharmaceuticals such as Epidyolex and Sativex through individual import requests, often after lengthy and complicated bureaucratic battles.

In 2021, an import ban—seen as a measure to protect the Greek domestic market—further restricted access to medical cannabis products.

Although the’the ban on cultivation and production has been repealed In March 2018, plans to authorize the sale of medical cannabis in pharmacies were not announced until 2022.

According to Dr. Chrysoula Karanastasi, an anesthesiologist and leading figure in the Hellenic Medical Society for Cannabinoids, the pharmaceutical cannabis represents a complementary approach rather than a cure-all. Emphasizing the importance of informed decision-making and personalized treatment plans, Dr. Karanastasi highlights the complexities inherent in cannabis-based therapies.

Despite the progress made in terms of accessibility to the medical marijuana, challenges remain on the horizon. In particular, patients must cope with the financial burden of treatment, as the Greek health insurance does not take medical cannabis into account.