Greece pushes retail hemp flower ban as its own advisory body flags EU conflict

What changed

Greece is moving to end retail hemp flower sales inside a broader health bill. After a public consultation that closed on 27 April 2026, the government tabled the package in the Hellenic Parliament on 5 May 2026. At its core, Article 41 raises the industrial hemp THC ceiling from 0.2% to 0.3% but adds a new paragraph 3A that strips dried flower from the legal exemption for raw harvested hemp products.

The draft text says dried Cannabis sativa L. flower with up to 0.3% THC, when sold or supplied to consumers at retail, “does not constitute a raw harvested product.” Retail sale, distribution, consumer supply, purchase and use of that flower inside Greek territory would be “totally prohibited.” Import, storage and wholesale supply would remain allowed only for industrial processing into cosmetics, foods or dietary supplements.

Penalties are steep. Articles 48 and 49 of the same bill provide fines of up to EUR 100,000, licence withdrawal and prison sentences of up to five years for operators who trade flower outside the narrow industrial channel.

What the government’s own advisers said

Greece’s Economic and Social Committee (OKE), the statutory body that reviews draft laws before parliament, did not back the blanket approach. In its formal opinion on the bill, OKE found that Article 41 “moves against the European trend where CBD flower distribution is permitted under specific conditions” and “excessively restricts economic activity, squeezing an entire class of retail trade.”

OKE also argued that banning domestic retail “will not eliminate the distribution of these products but will abolish domestic and controlled retail trade without any overall control of consumer access.” Its recommendation was to replace the prohibition with stricter market supervision, age limits, traceability and higher fines for bad actors.

Industry lawyers and store owners made the same point during consultation. Of 845 comments filed on the full bill, exactly half targeted the cannabis chapter alone – more objections than every other section combined.

Why EU law matters here

The fight is not only national politics. The landmark CJEU ruling in Case C-663/18 (Kanavape, November 2020) held that CBD is not a narcotic and that member states cannot impose blanket marketing bans on CBD products lawfully made elsewhere in the Union without a proportionate, evidence-based public health justification.

Italy’s hemp sector has already used that precedent to challenge flower restrictions, and Italy’s Council of State referred questions to the CJEU in November 2025. A ruling there, expected no earlier than late 2026, could give Greek operators a ready-made legal hook if Article 41 passes.

Separately, trade groups note that Greece may not have filed the required TRIS notification under Directive 2015/1535 before moving the cannabis provisions – the same procedural argument Italy raised with the European Commission.

What it means for buyers

• Flowers are the target, not all CBD: The bill aims at dried retail flower. Medical cannabis remains outside these proposals. Processed CBD products would need to fit whatever licensed retail framework Articles 45-49 create.
• Do not assume cross-border shopping fixes it: Consultation submissions warned that Greek consumers could simply order flower from other EU websites if domestic shops close – without age checks or quality control.
• 0.3% THC is not a flower green light: Raising the farm THC limit does not legalise consumer flower sales under Article 41. The two changes move in opposite directions.
• Watch parliament, not rumour: As of July 2026 the bill is in committee inside an omnibus health package. Nothing is final until a plenary vote.

Context across Europe

Greece would join France’s edibles crackdown and Italy’s Article 18 flower squeeze in tightening a product category the EU still treats unevenly. For shoppers comparing markets, the pattern in 2026 is familiar: governments bundle a reaction to semi-synthetic “intoxicating hemp” products with rules that also hit low-THC CBD flower sold in specialist stores.

Sources

• Business of Cannabis (8 May 2026) – Greece hemp flower ban and OKE EU warning
• Greek Ministry of Health – public consultation on the draft bill

Related guides

• Is CBD legal in Italy? (2026 country guide)
• Is CBD legal in France? (2026 country guide)
• Is CBD legal in Germany? (2026 country guide)
• Best CBD oils in Europe 2026 – lab-checked comparison

FAQ

Is CBD flower banned in Greece in 2026?

Not yet in final law. Article 41 of a May 2026 health bill would prohibit retail sale of dried hemp flowers nationwide if passed. The bill was in parliamentary committee as of July 2026.

What is Greece Article 41?

Article 41 raises the industrial hemp THC limit to 0.3% but adds paragraph 3A, which removes dried hemp flower sold to consumers from the legal exemption for raw harvested hemp products.

Why did OKE oppose the Greek flower ban?

Greece's Economic and Social Committee said the blanket ban conflicts with EU trends on controlled CBD flower sales, is disproportionate and would shut legal domestic shops while leaving uncontrolled cross-border online sales.