Turkey approves sale of medical cannabis in pharmacies
New legislation regulates production, tracking, and distribution of low-THC products for therapeutic use
Published on 07/24/2025

Amendments to Certain Health-Related Laws and Decree Law No. 663," allows for regulated production and distribution of therapeutic products based on medical cannabis with low THC content - less than 0.3%. Image: Canva Pro
The Turkish parliament has approved new legislation introducing significant reforms in the healthcare sector, including the controlled sale of medical cannabis products in pharmacies, as reported by Turkiye Today.
The new law, titled "Amendments to Certain Health-Related Laws and Decree Law No. 663," allows for regulated production and distribution of therapeutic products based on medical cannabis with low THC content - less than 0.3%.
Strict supervision from cultivation to pharmacy
The new legislation establishes a detailed control system:
- The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry will be responsible for the cultivation and harvesting of cannabis;
- The Ministry of Health will oversee processing, licensing, record-keeping, and sales in pharmacies;
- The entire product lifecycle will be monitored by an electronic tracking system to ensure safety and compliance;
- Only licensed pharmacies will be allowed to market medical cannabis products, and their use will remain restricted to medical prescription.
Medical cannabis on the international stage
The use of medical cannabis is widely adopted in countries such as Germany, Canada, Israel, Australia, and the Netherlands, especially in the treatment of chronic pain, cancer, and neurological disorders.
According to Taner Ercanli, a board member of the Turkish Pharmacists Association:
"We are referring to pharmaceutical-quality products, not illicit street cannabis. They are approved and regulated by the Ministry of Health and have no place in the illegal market."
Ercanli also highlighted the analgesic and antidepressant effects of medical cannabis, reinforcing its distinction from recreational cannabis.
The political drive behind medical cannabis
The political openness to medical cannabis in Turkey began in 2019 when President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan publicly encouraged the return of plant cultivation after decades of stagnation.
As a result, production jumped from 280 tons in 2020 to over 1,700 tons in 2024, according to official data.
Today, industrial cannabis cultivation is authorized in 19 of the country's 81 provinces, with plans to expand to other regions. The measure is part of a national strategy for rural development and Turkey's integration into the global medical cannabis industry.