ATHENS – The use of marijuana in Greece is fifth or sixth in Europe, said Nikos Thomaidis, a Professor of Analytical Chemistry at the University of Athens, the highest concentration in the capital and surrounding area.

He told state broadcaster ERT that is based on an analysis of wastewater at the European Monitoring Center for Drugs which has been ongoing since 2011 and tracks how much cannabis is being smoked.

Curiously, usage dropped during the first phase of a COVID-19 lockdown from March-September 2020 as it did around the European Union, because users couldn’t reach drug dealers.

“In Athens we saw an increase in use from October 2020 to March 2021. In March 2021 we had quite high use, which corresponds to about 10 percent of Attica’s population,” he said.

“Cannabis use increases in winter and decreases in summer,” according to the data, the professor said and that it’s used more in southern Europe as well as Paris and London and in The Netherlands, where it’s legal.