Joint inspection teams from the Greek police and the Ministry of Development will begin nationwide raids on kiosks and mini-markets Thursday to seize cannabis product inventories, as a new law banning retail sales of all cannabis products takes immediate effect with mandatory jail terms for non-compliant shopkeepers, and no grace period.
The legislation, introduced by the Ministry of Health, extends the ban to vending machines and requires that convicted merchants serve actual prison time before any portion of the sentence can be converted to daily financial fines — a consequence of recent Greek Penal Code reforms that eliminate suspended sentences for this category of offense.
Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis said the crackdown targets a regulatory blind spot that allowed low-THC and CBD products to circulate freely through neighborhood convenience outlets, creating easy access for minors.
"The goal of this emergency regulation is to establish absolute oversight over the supply chain and halt the unregulated circulation of these products," Mr. Georgiadis said.
The law also establishes a Digital Registry for Cannabis Product Control within the Health Ministry, which will track authorized products from production or import through to licensed dispensaries — effectively removing cannabis derivatives from general commerce entirely.
Associations representing Greece's ubiquitous 24-hour kiosks, known locally as periptera, have raised concern over the abrupt financial impact of an overnight enforcement regime.
Officials gave no indication that their objections would delay Thursday's raids.
By Vassilis Venizelos