⚖️ Legal Status at a Glance — Athens, Greece
Overview
Athens is the gateway for most visitors to Greece, whether they stay for the Acropolis or head straight to the ferries at Piraeus and Rafina for the islands. The single most important fact: in Greece, possessing even a small amount of cannabis for yourself is a criminal offence, not a fine. Police can arrest you on the spot and put you in front of a prosecutor.
The easy-going reputation of the islands does not match the law. Mykonos, Ios and Santorini operate under the same rules as Athens, and in 2026 police have repeatedly targeted dealers who sell to tourists. The CBD shops that once sold hemp flower lost that trade in May 2026.
The Law Right Now
Greece's drug law is Law 4139/2013. Under Article 29, anyone who acquires, possesses, uses or grows cannabis in quantities justified only by personal use faces up to 5 months in prison. Courts weigh quantity, purity and the user's habits. If the act was entirely occasional and unlikely to recur, the court can acquit, and a conviction under Article 29 is not entered on criminal record certificates.
Everything beyond personal use is trafficking under Article 20: buying, selling, transporting, importing or storing for others carries at least 8 years in prison and a fine of up to €300,000. Handing a joint to a friend can fall under this article.
Law 5302/2026, published in Government Gazette A' 78 on 20 May 2026, bans every form of retail sale and distribution of dried cannabis flower to consumers, whatever its THC or CBD content. The National Organisation for Medicines (EOF) is inspecting shops and online sellers. CBD oils and cosmetics are still sold.
Driving under the influence of drugs is a criminal offence under Article 46 of the new Highway Code (Law 5209/2025, in force since 13 September 2025), with a prison sentence and licence withdrawal.
Medical cannabis is prescription-only. The first prescriptions were filled in Greek pharmacies on 19 February 2024; treatment is not reimbursed and there are no dispensaries.
Realistic Consequences
A tourist caught with a gram or two in Exarchia, Omonia or Monastiraki should expect the cannabis to be seized and, often, to be arrested and taken to a police station, then before the prosecutor. For a clearly personal amount, the realistic outcome is a misdemeanour case that ends in acquittal or a suspended sentence, with no entry on record certificates. That is still a night or more in custody, a court date and, if you have left the country, a case continuing without you. There is no on-the-spot fine to pay and walk away.
Buyers are not treated as bystanders. On 8 June 2026 police in Omonia arrested a kiosk worker for selling cannabis, the kiosk owner, and the 29-year-old customer. Escalation to trafficking comes from anything that looks like supply: several wrapped portions, scales, cash, or shared purchases.
📡 Regulation Pulse
- 21 August 2026: nine people arrested on Mykonos in a ring that used three tourist transfer van companies to sell cocaine, MDMA and cannabis to visitors.
- 24 June 2026: an earlier Mykonos network using tourist vans is dismantled; police estimate its profits at over €700,000.
- 8 June 2026: Omonia kiosk bust; 251 g of cannabis seized, seller, owner and buyer arrested.
- 20 May 2026: Law 5302/2026 bans retail sale of dried cannabis flower regardless of THC content; EOF orders immediate compliance.
- 8 May 2026: drug-squad raid on a dealing apartment in Exarchia linked to Strefi Hill; five arrested.
Public Sentiment
The most-cited Greek survey is old: a 2018 diaNEOsis/MRB poll found more than 7 in 10 Greeks opposed legalising cannabis for personal use, while more than 8 in 10 backed medical use. Policy has followed that split. Greece opened medical access in 2024 and tightened the hemp market in 2026, with no recreational reform on the table.
Practical Advice for Visitors
Do not buy from street sellers in Exarchia or Omonia. These are active police targets, and a purchase during an operation can get you arrested with the dealer.
Do not buy hemp flower from a "CBD" shop. Sale of dried flower has been illegal since May 2026 regardless of THC content. Stick to oils and cosmetics if you want CBD.
Do not buy from drivers, promoters or "friends of friends" on Mykonos, Ios or Santorini. The 2026 Mykonos rings were built on selling to tourists, and police build their cases on those sales.
Never share or pass cannabis to anyone. Supply to others is trafficking under Article 20, with a minimum of 8 years.
Do not carry cannabis through Athens International Airport or onto ferries. Police regularly arrest couriers at the airport, and bringing cannabis into or out of Greece is prosecuted as trafficking.
Do not drive, or rent a quad or scooter, after using cannabis. Drug driving is a crime under Law 5209/2025, with a prison sentence and licence withdrawal.
If arrested, ask for a lawyer and an interpreter before signing anything. You will be brought before the prosecutor; a personal-use case can end in acquittal, but only if it is presented as one.
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