Greece Sanctions Medical Cannabis Conference in Athens
More than 120 representatives from legal companies around the world gathered in Athens, Greece, to participate in the Balkannabis 2018 exhibition, dedicated to advancements in the medical cannabis industry. Although the event focused on therapeutic cannabis use, only various tools and devices for consuming cannabis buds or extracts were displayed—no actual cannabis was present.
Alongside many regional activists and international cannabis business representatives, numerous members of the Greek parliament and government attended the event to learn about the latest developments in therapeutic cannabis applications.
Balkannabis 2018: Greece Joins the Ranks of Legalization
Greece recently became the sixth European Union country to legalize medical cannabis, joining Portugal, Spain, the Czech Republic, Finland, and the Netherlands. “A completely new chapter is opening in our country’s history, as Greece will now be one of the European nations allowing its citizens access to cannabis-based medicines,” said Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras during a press conference announcing the legalization plan.
Some commentators note that Greece is finally legalizing the cultivation and use of one of humanity’s oldest technical crops, which the Greek historian Herodotus wrote about over two thousand years ago, becoming the first Western author to describe the plant’s various qualities and properties.
Just a few months after the Prime Minister’s announcement, Deputy Minister of Agriculture Yiannis Tsironis formally instructed officials to begin drafting regulations for the distribution of medical cannabis. The exhibition in Athens further demonstrates the government’s commitment to cannabis reform. Many national politicians attended, and most parliament members expressed support for the event. The government is actively working to advance reform and open the retail cannabis market as soon as possible.
Balkannabis is not the first cannabis-themed exhibition in Athens in recent years. Last year, the city hosted a cannabis business investors’ conference, which included participants from Europe, Canada, and Israel. The ruling SYRIZA party hopes that such events will attract potential investors interested in developing cannabis plantations in Greece.
Cannabis and the Greek Economic Crisis
For the past decade, Greece has faced a deep economic crisis. Despite the 2008 global financial crisis being long over, the Greek government still struggles to restructure the economy, while creditors from the European Central Bank continue to squeeze the country’s limited budget.
The current administration hopes that creating a new economic sector—producing and exporting medical cannabis—will help ease the national debt, if not solve the country’s financial woes entirely. Prime Minister Tsipras and his close associates support any foreign investment in the future Greek cannabis market. He estimates that in the first year of legal medical cannabis production and sales, Greece could earn about $2.3 billion in tax revenue.
In addition to attracting businesspeople and investors, the exhibition aimed to educate the Greek public about therapeutic cannabis use. According to analysts and public opinion polls, most Greeks already support even full cannabis reform.
Government Support for the Cannabis Industry
Balkannabis featured products from all segments of the legal medical cannabis market. Exhibitors included producers of medicinal cannabis extracts, companies making foods with these extracts, cultivators of various plant strains, and breeders developing new therapeutic hybrids. The exhibition also showcased the industrial hemp sector, demonstrating how plant fibers can be turned into useful products—from textiles and cosmetics to affordable, durable building materials and clean, safe transportation fuel.
The event hosted 35 invited speakers from 17 countries, who gave lectures on the therapeutic and industrial uses of cannabis. Among them were patient activists who shared personal stories about how cannabis helps treat chronic illnesses and save lives.
With official sponsors including the Greek Ministry of Agriculture, the Athens city administration, the Attica regional government, and the Ministry of Industrial and Economic Development, it’s clear that Greece is positioning itself as a new and active producer of legal cannabis in Europe.