Cannabis law

A 22-year-old Greek woman was arrested in Athens on Thursday after importing cannabis from the US, reported the Hellenic Police on Sunday. 

The woman was arrested after receiving a suspicious package from the US, containing approximately 1.5 kilograms of raw cannabis. 

Narcotics investigators are looking into the connections of a 41-year-old man who was found to keep a large stash of drugs and cash in his home after being arrested in Athens last Tuesday.

Greek Police arrested seven people believed to be members of a gang that cultivated cannabis seedlings in a house in the region of Attica and seized 275 kilograms of processed and raw cannabis.

The Albanian parliament has approved a draft law on the use of cannabis for medical and industrial purposes, Albanian media reported.

According to information from Albanian media, the draft law also specifies a series of criteria that must be met by those who want to obtain a permit to grow the plant, as well as sanctions in case of possible violations.

Police in Athens have arrested a 66-year-old Albanian woman on charges of drug trafficking and forgery.

According to authorities, after an investigation on Tuesday into the suspect's involvement in cannabis trafficking in the Kato Patissia neighborhood, particularly near schools, her criminal activities were confirmed.

Criminal Ties

Montage by BIRN

In 2015, North Macedonia took what was then both a revolutionary and controversial step in the region by legalizing the cultivation of cannabis for medicinal purposes. Since 2017, the industry truly took off in the country, encouraged by a government which saw it as an economic growth opportunity.

Two men were arrested in the northern city of Thessaloniki on Wednesday afternoon for possessing and selling drugs, local police said Thursday.

Two people were arrested in the town of Igoumenitsa, Western Greece for the possession of 67 kilograms of raw cannabis contained in packages in their car.

They were nabbed on Sunday after police officers spotted what they deemed to be a suspicious car in the town and hailed it down for an inspection.

They found 45 packages of raw cannabis, weighing a total of 66.98 kilograms.

Narcotics officers in Athens and Crete are investigating the scope and reach of what is believed to be a major drug racket that imported large quantities of cocaine and other controlled substances from central Europe into Greece.

The government plans to table a draft bill shortly reforming the laws around cultivation and export of medical cannabis products, according to proposal presented by Development and Investments Minister Adonis Georgiadis at last week's cabinet meeting.