Is Hemp Legal in Greece?

Industrial hemp cultivation in Greece is fully legal as of 2026 and operates under the EU Common Agricultural Policy. Growers must use varieties listed in the EU Common Catalogue with a maximum field THC of 0.3%, raised from 0.2% by Regulation (EU) 2021/2115 effective January 2023. Cultivation requires annual registration with the Ministry of Rural Development and Food and notification of plot coordinates, sowing certificates, and harvest dates; ELGO-DIMITRA conducts in-field THC sampling.

Greek hemp acreage has expanded steadily since 2016, when Joint Ministerial Decision 1218/56009 reopened commercial cultivation after decades of prohibition. Permitted end uses include seed, oil, fiber, animal feed, cosmetics, textiles, and bioplastics, alongside extraction for CBD subject to the rules above. Hemp seed and hulled hemp seed are authorized foods. Unlicensed cultivation, failure to use a registered variety, or a field THC test above 0.3% reclassifies the crop as illicit cannabis under Law 4139/2013, exposing growers to felony charges and forfeiture of CAP subsidies up to EUR 1,500 per hectare.