The Legal Framework for Cannabis Cultivation in Turkey: What Did the 2026 Regulation Bring?

We first wrote this article in September 2024, when the regulation on cannabis cultivation for medicine raw materials was published. That regulation was repealed on January 31, 2026, and a new, broader regulation replaced it. Below, we summarize in plain language the rules in force today, who gets which permit from where, and how fields are inspected. This is not a growing guide; it is a map of the legal framework.

A short history: from 1933 to 2026

• 1933: Law No. 2313, Uyuşturucu Maddelerin Murakabesi Hakkında Kanun (Law on the Control of Narcotic Substances), was published. It is still the main law on cannabis; growing cannabis without a permit is prohibited.
• 2016: The Regulation on Cannabis Cultivation and Control set rules for permitted cultivation for fiber, seed and stalk in 19 provinces.
• 2023: With Law No. 7442, cultivation for flowers and leaves as a medicine raw material was written into law. TMO would do this work itself or have it done under a quota.
• September 2024: The Regulation on Cannabis Cultivation and Control for the Production of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients was published. The first version of this article was about this regulation.
• July 2025: Law No. 7557 defined medical products, health products, personal care products and supplement products derived from cannabis, and required all of them to be sold only in pharmacies.
• January 31, 2026: The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry's new cultivation regulation and the Ministry of Health's product regulation were published on the same day. The 2016 and 2024 regulations were repealed.

Today there are three separate routes to cultivation

Cultivation for fiber, seed and stalk

This route is the traditional farming of cannabis for its fiber, seed and stalk. Cultivation is allowed only in the 21 provinces listed in the regulation and in the districts of these provinces; it is prohibited outside them. Applications are made each year between January 1 and April 1, and the following documents are required: an application form; a document and written pledge showing no record of drug, smuggling or terrorism offenses; a Farmer Registration System document; a sketch map of the land; and a certified seed document for a variety with no narcotic effect.

The provincial or district agriculture directorate reviews the application within one month and inspects the land on site. If it is approved, a permit valid for a single growing season only is issued and reported to law enforcement. After harvest, the grower must immediately destroy the leaf and flower residues under the supervision of the technical team. You can find details about the permitted provinces and field inspections in our article on the 21 permitted provinces.

Cultivation for flowers and leaves

CBD and other cannabinoids are found mostly in the flowers and leaves. That is why flower and leaf production is subject to much stricter rules. Applications are normally made to TMO between January 1 and April 1; for 2026, TMO sets the application dates.

For medical products and health products, cultivation takes place on the grounds of TMO's Afyon Alkaloids Factory, in an organized agricultural zone, or in a province with a facility that has a production site permit from the Ministry of Health. The facility must be enclosed and climate-controlled; it must be monitored by cameras all around and have an alarm system and enough private security staff. Camera recordings are kept for two years. Those with a cultivation permit and a production site permit start production by signing a cultivation contract with TMO; those granted a quota must start cultivation within 18 months.

For supplement products and personal care products, cultivation can take place outdoors or indoors, but only in the provinces permitted for fiber, seed and stalk and in provinces where medical products are grown. Indoor sites must comply with the indoor production registration system; outdoor sites must be open to inspection, and entry by outsiders must be prevented. Here there is no requirement for a contract with TMO; a cultivation permit and a production site permit from the Ministry of Health are enough.

On both routes, detailed criminal record requirements apply to the applicant, its partners, its managers and the staff who will work there.

How is the quota set?

Cultivation for flowers and leaves follows a quota set by the President according to the country's supply and demand. TMO submits applications that meet the requirements to the Quota Allocation Commission. Taking into account public order, public health, international obligations, the feasibility of the project, the applicant's production capacity and the world market, the commission decides whether to grant a quota and how much. The commission may allocate a quota that differs from the amount requested.

Under the Presidential Decision of 2024 for medicine raw materials (decision number 9072), the national quota was 5,000 square meters of land and at most 120,000 plants a year; no quota was required for scientific research. As of October 2026, we could not find a separate quota decision in the Official Gazette for the new product types covered by the 2026 regulation.

Inspection: the Technical Team and the Inspection Board

• Technical Team: It is made up of two agricultural engineers from the provincial or district agriculture directorate and law enforcement staff. It inspects sites for fiber, seed and stalk and for supplement and personal care products. It checks the seed certificate and invoice and inspects the site at least once a month from sowing to harvest.
• Inspection Board: It is formed with representatives from agriculture, health, TMO and the narcotics units of the police or gendarmerie. It inspects medical product and health product facilities at least once a month.

At harvest, flowers and leaves are weighed, packaged and recorded under the supervision of these teams; the information is entered into the Ministry of Health's registration system. The product is taken in a sealed vehicle to a production site approved by the Ministry of Health. Surplus and unusable parts are destroyed with an official report. If cultivation beyond the quota or the permitted area is found, the permit is canceled and the case is reported to the judicial authorities.

Unpermitted cultivation

Growing cannabis outside the permitted places is prohibited, whatever the purpose. Cannabis grown without a permit is destroyed and the matter is reported to the judicial authorities; the provisions of the law also apply to those who go beyond the area or purpose stated on their permit. This rule applies to growing at home as well.

After harvest: the Ministry of Health's domain

The processing of harvested flowers and leaves, and the licensing, sale and export of products, fall under the authority of the Ministry of Health and the Turkish Medicines and Medical Devices Agency (TİTCK). We describe this stage in our article CBD oil production from cannabis in Turkey.

Cannabis-derived products, including CBD, may be sold only in pharmacies (Law No. 7557; regulation of January 31, 2026). Those classed as medicines or health products are dispensed with a prescription; the regulation does not state a prescription requirement for supplement products with a THC content of at most 0.3%. As of October 2026, there is no approved (licensed) CBD medicine in Turkey. For the current situation: Regulations guide.

The regulation is not without debate

While the bill was being debated in 2025, the Turkish Medical Association argued that, apart from restricted medical use, no cannabis market open to personal use should be created, especially for supplement and cosmetic products. The bill was passed with these provisions. Details are in our article The TTB's warning.

Conclusion

With the 2026 regulation, cannabis cultivation was brought under a single roof: permitted farming in 21 provinces for fiber, seed and stalk; TMO and quotas for flowers and leaves; TAGEM for research. Every route is built on permits, records and regular inspection. How the rules will work in practice will be shown by TMO's application calendar and the quotas it grants.

Frequently asked questions

References