In Homer's Odyssey (circa 700 BC), Helen of Troy administers nepenthes (νηπενθές) — literally 'no-grief' — to the wine of Telemachus and Menelaus, a drug from Egypt that banishes sorrow and anger and brings forgetfulness of every ill. Many scholars believe this mysterious substance was cannabis, given its Egyptian origin and described effects.

Herodotus, the 'Father of History,' provided the most famous ancient account of cannabis use in his Histories (circa 440 BC). He described the Scythians' funeral rituals in vivid detail: they would erect small tent-like structures, place red-hot stones inside, and throw cannabis seeds upon them, producing a vapor that made them 'howl with pleasure.'

The physician Dioscorides, in his monumental De Materia Medica (1st century AD), documented cannabis's pharmacological properties in detail — describing its use for earaches, inflammation, and as an analgesic. This text remained the primary pharmaceutical reference in Europe for over 1,500 years.

Cannabis was grown throughout the Mediterranean world for both hemp fiber and medicinal use. Greek farmers cultivated it alongside other crops in the warm, dry climate.

The Greeks were aware of the distinction between fiber hemp and psychoactive varieties, as evidenced by their different descriptions of the plant's uses.

Greek cannabis use was primarily through burning (fumigation), drinking (infusions), and topical application (poultices and oils).

The Scythian method documented by Herodotus — vaporizing cannabis on hot stones — represents one of the earliest recorded concentrate consumption techniques.

Cannabis was freely used in ancient Greece for medicine, ritual, and recreation. There were no prohibitions.

Modern Greece has decriminalized personal cannabis use and legalized medical cannabis.