Contents
Market Overview
After years of regulatory inertia, Greece’s medical cannabis market officially became operational in February 2024, marking a long-awaited turning point for both patients and investors. The first medical cannabis products became available on 19 February 2024, more than seven years after the original legalisation in 2017.
The estimated medical cannabis market size for 2025 is over €13 million, with projections suggesting growth to €XXX million by 2029 (Prohibition Partners Market Sizing Forecasts, 2025–2029).
Although Greece was among the first European countries to legalise medical cannabis, political changes and the slow development of regulatory frameworks delayed patient access for nearly a decade. This prolonged period involved complex rulemaking around cultivation, manufacturing, product approval, and clinical prescription.
The market is currently dominated by Tikun Olam, the first company to bring medical cannabis products to patients in Greece. Tikun Olam’s facility in Examilia became operational in 2024 and is presently the sole authorised supplier, with three flower strains on the market and expansion plans into extracts.
Medical cannabis imports remain prohibited, making Greece a domestically contained market for now. However, exports began in Q4 2024, with Tikun Olam shipping its first medical cannabis products to Switzerland, followed by 49 kilograms exported to Germany in Q1 2025.
Meanwhile, domestic production capacity is set to expand rapidly. Curity Pharma received its operational cultivation licence in March 2025, signalling the emergence of additional players in the market.
Regulatory Framework
Greece legalised the medical use and cultivation of cannabis in 2017, reclassifying it from a Schedule A narcotic (no medical value) to Schedule D (medical value recognised). The move followed intense public advocacy from the MAMAKA patient group, which pushed for legal reform under the then-prime minister.
Subsequent legislation defined a detailed regulatory structure through several laws and decrees enacted between 2018 and 2023, including:
- Law 4523/2018 — Legalised cultivation and production of medical cannabis.
- Article 71 of Law 4864/2021 (Government Gazette A’237) — Added to Law 4139/2013, introducing a ban on imports of medical cannabis products.
Under these provisions, companies are required to obtain:
- An establishment licence and/or operational licence, issued jointly by the Ministries of Development & Investment, Health, and Rural Development & Food.
- Approval from the Greek National Organisation for Medicines (EOF), which grants marketing authorisations for medical cannabis products.
Products are classified as finished pharmaceutical products, and authorisation requires full compliance with pharmaceutical standards, including:
- Product development documentation
- Analytical and validation methods
- Stability and risk management data
- EU-GMP compliance for manufacturing
Compared to most European markets, Greece’s marketing authorisation pathway is among the most rigorous, effectively mirroring the process for conventional pharmaceuticals.
Patient Access
Who Can Prescribe?
Only specialist physicians are permitted to initiate medical cannabis prescriptions in Greece. Eligible specialities include:
- Anaesthesiology
- Neurology
- Pathological Oncology
- Pathological Infectiology
- Rheumatology
Follow-up and Renewals:
Repeat prescriptions may be conducted by a pathologist or general practitioner, provided the patient undergoes specialist review every six months.
Approved Indications:
- Prevention and treatment of severe nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or HIV/hepatitis C therapy.
- Treatment of chronic pain associated with cancer or neurological disorders (e.g., neuropathic pain, phantom limb pain, trigeminal neuralgia, postherpetic neuralgia).
- Management of spasticity linked to multiple sclerosis or spinal cord injuries.
- Appetite stimulation (orexigenic effect) in palliative care for cancer or AIDS patients.
- Rheumatological conditions.
Clinical Conditions:
Prescriptions may only be issued when conventional therapies have failed, are not tolerated, or are deemed clinically infeasible for the patient.
Reimbursement:
There is currently no reimbursement available for medical cannabis treatment in Greece. All costs are borne out-of-pocket by patients.
Products & Prices
As of early 2025, three medical cannabis flower products are authorised and commercially available in Greece, all produced by Tikun Olam Hellas.
| Product | Package Size | Retail Price (5g) | Retail Price (10g) | Price per Gram | THC | CBD | Product Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erez | 5g / 10g | €75.41 | €150.83 | €15.10 | 19% | 1% | High THC |
| Avidekel | 5g / 10g | €75.41 | €150.83 | €15.10 | High THC | Low CBD | High THC |
| Midnight | 5g / 10g | €82.96 | €165.91 | €16.60 | Balanced THC:CBD | Balanced | Balanced |
(Prices as of March 2025; Source: Tikun Olam Hellas)
Tikun Olam plans to expand its product portfolio in 2025 with the launch of extract-based products, pending marketing authorisation. The EOF also expects additional products to enter the market once other operators complete the authorisation process.
Domestic Production
Tikun Olam Hellas currently leads Greece’s production landscape.
- Facility location: Examilia, Corinthia.
- Total area: 56,000 m².
- Greenhouse cultivation: 16,000 m².
- Primary processing: 1,000 m².
- Production & packaging unit: 1,500 m².
Curity Pharma, based in Larissa Industrial Park, received an operational licence in March 2025.
- Total facility: 60,700 m².
- Hybrid greenhouse: 5,000 m².
- Production area: 1,800 m².
Domestic capacity is expected to increase sharply through 2026, as more companies progress through the licensing and authorisation pipeline.
Outlook
Greece’s entry into active medical cannabis production and patient access in 2024 represents a watershed moment for the Southern European cannabis industry. The combination of strict pharmaceutical standards, domestic-only supply, and emerging export activity positions Greece as both a regulated patient market and an export-oriented producer.
The short-term outlook includes:
- Increased product availability through 2025–26 as more producers secure EOF authorisation.
- Expansion of exports to Germany, Switzerland, and additional EU markets.
- Gradual growth in patient numbers as physician familiarity improves.
Greece is set to become a regional leader in high-standard medical cannabis production, aligning with EU pharmaceutical norms while supporting a growing domestic market.
