Greece to legalize medical cannabis

The Greek Parliament has announced that the cannabis is now legal for medical use.

«From now on, the country is turning the page, and Greece is now one of the countries where the prescription is no longer required. medical cannabis for patients in need is legal» a announced the first ministere Alexis Tsipras.

The joint decision by the Ministries of Health and Justice was published in Friday's edition of the Gazette du Gouvernement.

Cannabis will no longer be classified in Table A of drugs (the Greek classification of authorized and prohibited substances), where it sat among the most restricted narcotics alongside heroin and LSD, but in Table B, alongside methadone, cocaine and opium.

Further announcements are expected to follow, including the possibility of registering as a licensed cultivator. Greece will soon be setting up a national production and distribution network for medical cannabis.

Once the legal framework for cultivation is ready, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has announced that the import of cannabis-based medicines will be authorized.

This decision follows July 2016 announcement from the Greek Minister of Health, promising that a panel of experts would examine the legalization of cannabis for medical use.

This reform of the law is particularly significant for Greece, a country with a long tradition of highly restrictive (and ineffective) laws since the 1890s. And this announcement is the latest in a series of moves towards liberalizing cannabis laws.

In March 2013, the cultivation of varieties whose THC not exceeding 0.2% THC had been legalized. In April 2016, the conditions for growing these hemp varieties were put in place.

After Tsipras' July 2016 announcement, he had confirmed in April 2017 that things were moving in the right direction and that doctors would be able to prescribe cannabis under certain conditions.

Before Prohibition, Greece had a thriving export industry for hashish from southern Greece. A little further down, in Crete, growing conditions were (and still are) conducive to abundant harvests. National cannabis consumption has always been very high.

Greece has a favorable climate, a long history of cultivation and consumption, and a need to boost its economy. The Greek government should therefore continue its efforts towards controlled regulation of cannabis (cultivation, sale and consumption) in the coming years.