The government is moving to tighten restrictions on cannabis-related products, with the relevant health ministry announcing an immediate ban on the sale of cannabis smoking products and related items at kiosks and mini markets, amid growing concerns over youth access and inadequate market oversight.
Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis said the measures will take effect as early as next week, telling a local television channel that “all cannabis products must be withdrawn from kiosks and mini markets.” The minister said the government is preparing additional legislative provisions that will be submitted to Parliament in the coming days as part of a broader crackdown on what he described as an “uncontrolled market.”
The move follows the parliamentary approval of a broader healthcare bill titled “Creation of an Innovation Fund – Patient Access to New Medicines and Therapies … and Other Provisions,” which passed by majority vote on Friday and includes several measures aimed at regulating the cannabis-products market more strictly.
Under the new framework, retail sales of cannabis-related products will be prohibited at kiosks, mini markets, and vending machines. The legislation also establishes a new digital registry for the monitoring of cannabis products within the ministry, designed to strengthen oversight of the supply chain and improve market traceability.
The government intervention comes after a series of incidents over the past year involving minors consuming cannabis-derived products such as gummies and vaping oils, incidents that prompted heightened concern among public health officials and school authorities. Local media have documented increasing debate in recent months over the availability of hemp-derived and cannabis-adjacent products in convenience retail outlets and the lack of consistent regulatory enforcement.
Georgiadis said the government aims to “put an end to lawlessness” in the sector, arguing that stricter supervision is necessary to protect minors and prevent easy access to potentially harmful products.
At the same time, the ministry reiterated that medical cannabis will continue to be dispensed exclusively through physician prescriptions and regulated pharmaceutical channels, rather than through private online platforms or unlicensed retail networks.
