Flock of sheep devours hundreds of pounds of grass in Greece

A flock of sheep grazing near Almyros in the Thessaly region of Greece entered a medical cannabis greenhouse and ate at least a hundred kilograms of marijuana, local reports said. The incident was triggered by displaced livestock in Greece after Storm Daniel hit the Mediterranean country.

NPR reports that over 600 pounds of cannabis were consumed by sheep in the Thessaly incident, while other sources say 220 pounds of cannabis were consumed. In any case, it was a huge amount of medical cannabis. Sheep across Europe are known to be attracted to the consumption of cannabis and often become unruly or behave strangely due to the effects.

A farm owner said the sheep were noticeably high, especially because it caused them to jump around in ecstasy, but admitted the situation was hilarious. It has only been months since the first medical cannabis operations launched in Greece.

“I’m Michel Martin,” said a reporter for NPR.” A flock of sheep with a severe bout of food cravings hit the jackpot after sneaking into a greenhouse in Magnesia, Greece. Her reward was 600 pounds of medical marijuana. The sheep sought shelter after Storm Daniel brought heavy rain and flooding to the region. After the festival, farm owner Yannis Bourounis said the sheep jumped higher than the goats, which he said never happens. Probably a lot higher than goats.”

Sheep typically graze on grass, legumes, clover, herbs (wildflowers), and other pasture crops. Wildflowers are usually one of their favorite foods and they eat herbs first and then the other plants. Apparently it’s not the only flower they’re looking for.

Storm Daniel devastates animal feed in Greece

The Greek reporter reports that the area of ​​Thessaly was recently flooded thanks to Storm Daniel, killing over a hundred thousand animals and 17 people. Floods swept across Thessaly and parts of central Greece.

“I don’t know if it’s to laugh or to cry,” farm owner Bourounis told TheNewspaper.gr after learning that sheep had eaten the cannabis.

“We had the heat wave and lost a lot of production. We had the floods, we lost almost everything. And now this… The herd entered the greenhouse and ate what was left. To be honest, I don’t know what to say.”

It has been found that not only mammals, but almost all animals – including vertebrates and invertebrates – have endocannabinoid systems. This includes, of course, sheep and even microscopic creatures like hydras, which have neural networks. This is often why THC is not recommended for smaller pets as the effects may be too strong.

The mayor of Tyrnavos, Yiannis Kokouras, said: “If there is no immediate assistance with animal nutrition, the animals that survived the disaster will starve.” The flood has devastated livestock and agricultural production not only in the region, but dealt a serious blow across the country. Large livestock populations were lost and unfortunately this is the period of the production process. Country and country roads were destroyed. Thousands of hectares of farmland are under tons of water.”

Agriculture in Thessaly – the breadbasket of Greece – is particularly affected. It also caused livestock to search for food in unusual areas. It is estimated that nearly 70 percent of the cotton crop in Thessaly, Greece, was destroyed. Farmers near Mount Pelion overlooking the plain of Thessaly say their apple crops were also destroyed by the flood.

“There is already a flock of sheep roaming through the village and causing a nuisance,” said Swansea County Councilor Ioan Richard. “There could be an outbreak of psychotic sheep rampaging through the village.”

Medical cannabis in Greece

The sheep in Thessaly appear to be attracted to cannabis after eating over a hundred kilograms. In January 2023, Greece’s first medical cannabis production facility was inaugurated in Examilia, near Corinth. Tikun Europe, a subsidiary of Israel-based Tikun Olam, invested €40 million in Greek operations covering 56,000 square meters in Examilia. The site also has 21,000 square meters of greenhouse space – close to the sheep infested area.

The investment was initially welcomed by then Greek Development and Investment Minister Adonis Georgiadis, who said at the time that it was “a product that we can export throughout Europe because this factory can carry out large exports to all major European countries.” ”

With the new medical cannabis laws come new responsibilities that were not previously a problem, such as livestock access to medical cannabis.

In 2014, sheep ate £4,000 worth of grass on a farm in Surrey. USA Today reports that in 2016, stoned sheep with high cannabis consumption “caused chaos” and went on a rampage in Rhydypandy, a Welsh village, after eating leftover plants from a cannabis factory that had been illegally dumped on the side of the road.