The arrest of a 47-year-old woman on Thursday in Evosmos district of west Thessaloniki again brought the issue of cannabis vending machines under the spotlight, with authorities charging that a specific machine lacked an electronic age-verification system and allowed purchases using only a bank card.
Such as process is deemed as allowing for the sale of cannabis productors to minors.
The woman was the legal representative of the establishment where the machine was located.
Earlier in April, the prosecutor’s office of the Thessaloniki court of appeals ordered a preliminary investigation into the legality of distributing certain products through vending machines. The probe aims to determine whether cannabis products sold in this manner are appropriate for minors.
Under current Greek law, commercially available cannabis products must contain less than 0.2% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Even these low-THC products are strictly prohibited for sale to minors.
A health ministry draft bill released for public consultation on April 11, introduces stricter measures targeting the sale of tobacco and alcohol products to minors via vending machines, including outright bans and severe penalties.
Regarding cannabis, the bill proposes raising the allowable THC limit to 0.3%, alongside a series of tighter regulations. These include a ban on retail sales of dried cannabis flowers and the establishment of a comprehensive regulatory framework for businesses selling cannabis products.
The framework would require special licenses for retailers and mandate a minimum distance of 500 meters from schools.
Officials expect these measures to significantly curb the sale of cannabis products through kiosks and vending machines.
Notably, the sale of cannabis products via vending machines was not addressed in a 2025 law, passed last July, which focuses on protecting minors from tobacco and alcohol. The law explicitly bans the sale of heated tobacco and nicotine products through vending machines but makes no mention of cannabis.
Although earlier drafts of the legislation included provisions for cannabis products, these were ultimately omitted from the final version.
The upcoming measures may provoke backlash from segments of the cannabis retail industry, with some stakeholders warning that the regulations could threaten their viability.
