- Introduction
The “Regulation on Hemp Cultivation and Control” and the “Regulation on Products Derived from Hemp,” which came into effect after being published in the Official Gazette dated January 31, 2026, introduce important regulations regarding the production and usage areas of hemp.
Hemp production and industry, which were strictly prohibited under the Law No. 2313 on Control of Narcotic Drugs that forms the basis of the regulations, had begun to be recognized as a more important economic value in the face of the increasing usage areas of hemp over the years. With these new regulations, the procedures and principles regarding the use of hemp in a wider area under certain standards and state supervision have been determined.
- Regulation on Hemp Cultivation and Control
In the Regulation prepared by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, hemp cultivation is separated according to its final use purposes, and separate rules are stipulated for each group.
2.1. Hemp Cultivation for Fiber, Seed, and Stalk Production
Under this heading, regulations regarding classical and traditional hemp farming are included. In this type of hemp cultivation, the fiber, seed, and stalk parts of the plant are used in areas such as textiles, construction, paper, and oil production. The flower and leaf parts of the plant, which contain narcotic substances, are mandatorily destroyed in accordance with the Regulation.
Growers will notify their request to cultivate hemp for this purpose between January 1st and April 1st to the highest local administrative authority of the place where they will cultivate. Growers who meet the conditions stipulated in Article 5 of the Regulation are issued a cultivation permit covering only one cultivation period following their application.
According to the Regulation, hemp cultivation for this purpose is permitted in 21 provinces. These provinces are: Amasya, Antalya, Bartın, Burdur, Çorum, İzmir, Karabük, Kastamonu, Kayseri, Konya, Kütahya, Malatya, Ordu, Rize, Samsun, Sinop, Sivas, Tokat, Uşak, Yozgat, and Zonguldak. It is also stipulated that the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry may add new cities if needed.
2.2. Hemp Cultivation for Flower and Leaf Production
2.2.1. Cultivation for the Production of Medicinal Products and Health Products
In hemp cultivation for the production of medicinal products and health products, the production and use of flowers and leaves from the plant is involved. To produce for this purpose, an application must be made to the General Directorate of the Turkish Grain Board (“TMO”) between January 1st and April 1st.
The cultivation permit regarding the production to be made within this scope is subject to stricter conditions. Unlike fiber, seed, and stalk production, a supply contract signed with the manufacturer where medicinal products and health products will be sold, a production site permit for the place where medicinal products and health products will be produced, and other documents listed in Article 8 are also requested here.
The cultivation areas are also kept more limited in cultivation within this scope. According to the Regulation, hemp cultivation for the production of medicinal products and health products; can be carried out within the site of the General Directorate of the Turkish Grain Board Afyon Alkaloids Factory, in an organized agricultural zone, or within the provincial administrative borders where facilities that have obtained a production site permit from the Ministry of Health are located. The conditions that the cultivation area must have all-around camera systems, adequate lighting and alarm systems, high security measures taken, and that the place must be closed and have air-conditioning properties are explicitly regulated.
2.2.2. Cultivation for the Production of Personal Care Products and Support Products with Non-Narcotic Levels
Cultivation of these products, which are produced from hemp with a tetrahydrocannabinol (“THC”) content of no more than 0.3% and have no narcotic effects, is also regulated under Flower and Leaf Production. Requests for cultivation for the production of these products will be made to TMO between January 1st and April 1st. Furthermore, it is regulated that the production of these products can be done in the 21 provinces where production permission is given for fiber, stalk, and seed purposes, and in the provinces where medicinal products and health products are cultivated.
2.3. Hemp Cultivation for Scientific Research Purposes
Universities, Ministry research institutes, and organizations with research permits will also be able to carry out production for scientific research purposes by applying to the General Directorate of Agricultural Research and Policies (“TAGEM”) with the documents listed in Article 14 regarding hemp cultivation for the three purposes mentioned above.
2.4. Inspection, Traceability, and Penal Sanctions
A multi-layered structure has been established in the Regulation regarding the inspection of hemp production. Accordingly, it is regulated that a technical team consisting of personnel from the Provincial/District Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry will check whether the hemp cultivated for the purpose of fiber, seed, and stalk production and the production of care and support products is cultivated appropriately for its purpose from planting to harvest. Inspections regarding hemp cultivation for the production of medicinal products and health products will be carried out by a control committee formed by representatives of the Provincial Directorate of Agriculture, the Provincial Directorate of Health, and TMO.
It is regulated that the growers’ permit document will be canceled if it is determined during the controls that a transaction contrary to the provisions of the Regulation has been made or if the grower abandons growing the product at any stage. In case of cancellation of the permit document, the destruction process of the hemp is initiated.
It should not be forgotten that in addition to administrative sanctions, productions made outside the scope of the permit or without a permit will raise criminal liability under the Turkish Penal Code and Law No. 2313.
- Regulation on Products Derived from Hemp
While the procedures and principles regarding the cultivation of hemp for specific purposes are regulated in the “Regulation on Hemp Cultivation and Control,” the chain is completed by regulating the processing, licensing, and marketing processes of the cultivated hemp in this regulation prepared by the Ministry of Health. The regulation determines the competent authorities in these processes to protect public health, envisions a strict inspection system to ensure product safety, and designates the Ministry of Health and the Turkish Medicines and Medical Devices Agency (“TMMDA”) as the competent authorities.
The Regulation stipulates that hemp-derived products cannot be produced and put on the market without the permission of TMMDA. Also, it is regulated that the sale of the products will be carried out exclusively in pharmacies, and medicinal products and health products can only be purchased with a doctor’s prescription.
The Regulation establishes a strict connection with the “Regulation on Hemp Cultivation and Control” to ensure raw material safety. Manufacturing companies can meet their raw material needs from the hemp plant cultivated in accordance with the other Regulation. In the regulation, the process of hemp’s transformation from the field to the final product is recorded with a QR code and electronic tracking system.
- Conclusion
With these two Regulations containing important regulations regarding hemp cultivation and products derived from hemp, it is seen that the understanding of hemp as merely an agricultural product has begun to change, and the plant is also being evaluated as a health and industrial product with a higher added value. On the one hand, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry inspects the production areas and raw materials; on the other hand, the Ministry of Health inspects the final product and sales channels; with this system, the sector can be placed on a safer ground, and hemp can be opened up to wider markets.
Attorney at Law Ali Ak