Sheep munch 100 kilos of cannabis post-storm in Thessaly

GREECE: In the wake of Storm Daniel’s deluge, which submerged the central Greek region of Thessaly two weeks ago, a flock of sheep unexpectedly breached a greenhouse, consuming approximately 100 kilograms of cannabis plants, as disclosed by a local farmer on Thursday.

The extreme weather conditions that plagued Greece throughout the season led to the destruction of vast stretches of farmland, leaving surviving livestock struggling to find nourishment. In an unexpected turn of events, a herd of sheep, desperate for sustenance due to the extensive flooding, turned to a nearby cannabis greenhouse, resulting in an unusual incident.

Reports indicate that the sheep, unable to find fresh grazing grounds due to the flooding, resorted to consuming nearly 100 kilograms of the cannabis crop. The greenhouse, located in the vicinity of the town of Almyros in central Greece, had already suffered significant damage from the combined effects of a heatwave and Storm Daniel.

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The owner of the cannabis crop lamented, “I don’t know if it’s for laughing or crying. 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.”

While a shepherd had noticed unusual behavior in the sheep, the specific nature of their behavior remains unclear. Storm Daniel, which swept through Thessaly over three days earlier in the month, caused widespread flooding, resulting in the loss of more than 100,000 animals and livestock, according to officials.

During the tempest, hundreds of residents were rescued via airlifts or lifeboats from their inundated homes, and numerous crops were washed away. This rainstorm, which claimed the lives of 17 people, marked Greece’s most intense recorded rainfall since 1930 and followed a summer marked by devastating wildfires.

The incident involving the sheep consuming the cannabis crop stands as a curious anecdote amid the broader challenges Greece has faced due to the relentless and extreme weather conditions this summer.