A Festival to Demand Cannabis Legalisation in the Greece of Syriza

A few days ago, hundreds of people met in the iconic Syntagma Square in Athens in order to ask for the legalisation of marijuana, a very different aim to that of the numerous civil protests provoked by the crisis that have made the place famous.

Those attending the Athens Cannabis Protestival, that included members from the Syriza party, are demanding that the government of the Greek prime minister, Alexis Tsiparas should bring about a change in cannabis legalisation in order to allow citizens to consume and grow marijuana at home for both medicinal and recreational purposes. 

The event took place in a festive atmosphere full of green banners containing messages such as “Nature is not illegal” or “Cannabis is a medicine”. The organisers explained during the event that legalisation is changing in the rest of the world and that Greece should follow the example of Uruguay, who legalised cannabis in 2013. 

Using social networks, the organisers of the festival have claimed that there is proof to show that depenalisation will bring about positive results for citizens, stabilising the number of consumers, helping to reduce cannabis- related crime and improving the health of patients who need medicinal marijuana for treatment. 

Furthermore, according to the cannabis supporters, marijuana regulation could have positive effects for Greek public funds, as they would benefit from taxes and the creation of 40,000 jobs; that would help the Hellenic Republic to escape the financial crisis.