A Flock of Sheep Broke Into Greek Cannabis Farm and Ate 600 Pounds of Pot

Merry Jane
Tue, Sep 26
Key Points
  • A flock of sheep in Greece invaded a medical cannabis farm and consumed over 600 pounds of weed after seeking shelter from a destructive storm.
  • The incident caused significant damage to the farm and its owner expressed a mix of amusement and frustration.
  • The storm also had a negative impact on Greece's medical cannabis industry, affecting the country's recent legal cannabis harvest.
  • While sheep eating weed may be rare, other animals like horses have been known to consume cannabis, and dogs are increasingly being admitted for accidental cannabis poisoning due to the legalization of marijuana.

A flock of sheep busted into a medical cannabis farm in Greece and devoured more than 600 pounds of weed, according to local news reports. 

This unusual pantry raid occurred after Storm Daniel, one of the most destructive cyclones in recorded history, blew through the Mediterranean earlier this month. The deadly storm pummeled Greece, Bulgaria, Turkey, and Libya with 52 mph winds and more rain than Europe has ever seen in a single month. The worst of the damage occurred in Libya, where the destruction of two dams left thousands dead and tens of thousands missing.

On top of the widespread flooding, death, and destruction, this extreme weather event also led to an unexpected tragedy at a small medical cannabis farm located in the Thessaly region of Greece. During the storm, a flock of sheep made their way into the farm's greenhouse to escape the rain and flooding. The danger must have triggered a severe attack of the munchies as well, because the herd started chowing down on the delicious cannabis plants that were growing inside.

All told, the sheep reportedly devoured more than 600 pounds of weed, completely eradicating the last of the farm's surviving crop. The unexpected snacking turned out to be a disaster for the farm's owners, but the sheep seemed like they were having a great time, at least. The farm's owner, Yannis Bourounis, told a local radio station that the stoned sheep were "jumping higher than goats, which never happens," Newsweek reports.

"I don't know if it's for laughing or crying,” Bourounis told TheNewspaper.gr, according to a translation by Newsweek. “We had the heatwave, and we 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. I don't know what to say, honestly."

The storm dealt a serious blow to Greece's nascent medical cannabis industry as well. Greece actually legalized medical pot back in 2017, but weak THC limits and regulatory hangups prevented the program from getting off the ground. Lawmakers passed a more robust, effective medical marijuana law in 2021, and the country's first medical cannabis production plant opened this year. This summer's droughts and the recent storm have wreaked havoc on the most recent legal cannabis harvest, though.

This may also be the first known account of sheep devouring hundreds of pounds of weed, but other mammals have been known to chow down on fresh bud from time to time. Back in 2019, Icelandic horse farmers discovered that their horses were getting high AF after snacking on wild cannabis plants. Veterinarians have even conducted research studies on feeding weed to animals, and found that although hemp is a great source of feed for cattle, high-THC flower is bad news for donkeys.

But out of all the animal kingdom, dogs are the most likely to get caught with their mouths full of weed. Veterinarians are reporting that a growing number of dogs are being admitted for accidental cannabis poisoning now that legalization is spreading. Unlike sheep, horses, or donkeys, dogs aren't particularly interested in eating raw bud, but they do go wild for THC gummies, brownies, and other infused treats. Most of these cases involve dogs that have chowed down on their owners' stash, but some recent reports claim that pups are also getting blazed after snacking on THC-laced human feces.

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