The Turkish Parliament recently passed a law allowing low-THC medical cannabis products to be sold at pharmacies, Türkiye Today reports. Under the law, the use of medical cannabis products will be strictly limited to prescribed medical treatments.
The legislation puts the cultivation and harvesting of cannabis plants under the purview of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, while the Ministry of Health will be tasked with processing, licensing, record-keeping, and pharmacy sales. Medical cannabis sales will be tracked through an electronic monitoring system.
Taner Ercanli, a board member of the Turkish Pharmacists’ Association, told Türkiye Today that medical cannabis would be available for its analgesic and antidepressant effects.
“We’re referring to pharmaceutical-grade products, not illicit street cannabis. These are approved and regulated by the Ministry of Health and have no place on the black market.” — Ercanli to Türkiye Today
Leyla Sahin Usta, deputy group chairman for Turkey’s ruling Development and Justice Party (AK Party), indicated during a press conference last month that cannabis would also be cultivated for “health and support” and “personal care” products.
Turkey joins 50 other countries in legalizing medical cannabis products or pharmaceutical medications derived from cannabis. Prior to the new law, only medical CBD products, such as Sativex, were available via prescriptions.
