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Buying, receiving, possessing or using
Article 191(1) provides for 2–5 years' imprisonment for this category of conduct. The provision concerns drugs for personal use rather than trafficking.
Türkiye · cannabis law · 2026
Weed and Cannabis in Turkey in 2026: Laws, Possession & Istanbul
The main 2025–2026 change
What Changed in Turkey’s Cannabis Laws in 2025–2026?
In July 2025, Law No. 7557 expanded Article 23 of Law No. 2313 and created a more detailed legal framework for certain cannabis-derived medical, health, support and non-intoxicating personal-care products. These products are subject to the authorization or registration procedures required by law and are distributed through a regulated channel.
On January 31, 2026, the new framework was further detailed by regulations covering hemp cultivation and cannabis-derived products. This was an important change for the medical and industrial supply chain, but it did not legalize recreational marijuana or create ordinary cannabis dispensaries.
Law No. 7557
Expanded Law No. 2313 beyond a narrow drug-active-ingredient framework to broader categories of cannabis-derived products.
New cultivation regulation
Set rules for fibre, seed and stalk production, as well as medical, health, personal-care and support products.
21 provinces
The basic list for fibre, seed and stalk cultivation covers 21 provinces.
Method
If you'd like to learn more about making a purchase, click the link.
Personal use
191
Marijuana Possession for Personal Use in Turkey: Article 191
Article 191 covers buying, receiving and possessing a narcotic or psychotropic substance for personal use, as well as using it. Paragraph (1) provides for a prison sentence of 2 to 5 years, while the same article also establishes a special investigation process that includes deferred prosecution, supervision and, where necessary, treatment.
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Five-year deferral of public prosecution
During the investigation, Article 191 provides for a five-year deferral of the filing of a public criminal case under the article’s special procedure.
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Probation and treatment
The minimum period of supervised probation (denetimli serbestlik) is one year. It can be extended in six-month periods for up to two additional years. Treatment may be imposed where necessary.
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Breaching the regime has consequences
Failure to comply with obligations, refusal of treatment where it is required, or a further offence during the deferral period can cause the criminal process to continue. Article 191 should therefore not be described as simple decriminalization.
The code does not set a universal cannabis threshold such as "up to 5 g is legal." Weight can matter when authorities assess the circumstances and distinguish personal use from trafficking, but Article 191 does not create a gram-based safe harbour that makes possession lawful.
Istanbul · buy weed · dispensaries
Can You Legally Buy Marijuana or Weed in Istanbul?
There is no ordinary legal recreational cannabis market. Istanbul has no licensed coffeeshop or dispensary system through which an adult tourist or resident can legally buy marijuana flower for non-medical use. Istanbul has no separate exemption: Articles 191 and 188 apply just as they do elsewhere in Turkey.
Buy for yourself
Buying for personal use is itself covered by Article 191.
Dispensary / coffeeshop
Istanbul has no licensed recreational retail model.
Giving to another person
Supplying another person can move a case beyond personal-use Article 191 and into much more serious criminal-law territory.
Tourist
Tourists do not have a separate exemption from Turkey’s national criminal law.
Article 188 · airport · border
Can You Bring Marijuana, THC or CBD Into Turkey? Airport, Border & Article 188
Article 188 separates production and trafficking offences from personal-use Article 191. Illegal manufacture, import or export of narcotic substances falls into one of the most serious drug-offence categories. A foreign medical card, lawful status in another country or a small amount should not be treated as automatic permission to cross the Turkish border with cannabis.
Article 188(1)
20–30 years
for unlawful manufacture, import or export of narcotic or psychotropic substances, plus a judicial fine.
Article 188(3)
at least 10 years
for unlawful sale, offering for sale, supply, transport, possession and other conduct in a trafficking context, plus a judicial fine.
For ordinary medicines, Turkish Customs allows a reasonable quantity for personal treatment when the traveller can present an appropriate medical document or prescription. Cannabis, THC or CBD products should not automatically be treated as ordinary travel medicine; their own controlled-substance and product status must be checked separately before travel.
Cultivation · hemp
Can You Grow Marijuana in Turkey?
Turkey does permit licensed hemp/cannabis cultivation under specific regimes, but this is not recreational home cultivation. Law No. 2313 and the 2026 rules separate the licensed agricultural and medical supply chain from unlawful cultivation for obtaining cannabis.
Home growing for personal cannabis
Law No. 2313 separately provides criminal liability for cultivation solely to obtain cannabis needed for personal use: 1–3 years' imprisonment.
Cultivation to obtain cannabis for other purposes
A more serious rule applies to cannabis cultivation intended to obtain cannabis for other purposes: 4–12 years' imprisonment.
Licensed hemp production
The 2026 regulation permits cultivation for fibre, seed and stalk in 21 provinces, subject to licensing and control procedures.
Medical / health-product cultivation
Flower and leaf production for medical or health products is subject to separate security, quota, TMO and facility rules. This is a licensed industrial system, not personal grow.
Medical cannabis · CBD · pharmacy products
Medical Cannabis and CBD in Turkey: What Is Allowed in 2026?
The key distinction in 2026 is that Turkey expanded the regulated legal supply chain for certain cannabis-derived products, while leaving the criminal prohibition on recreational marijuana in place. Law No. 7557 expressly addresses medical products, health products, non-intoxicating personal-care products and support products, subject to authorization or registration through the health-regulatory system.
The framework also provides for pharmacy-only sale of the covered products. The 2026 regulation uses a maximum of 0.3% THC and no narcotic effect for certain support and personal-care categories. This is a product standard for regulated categories, not a general permission for any CBD oil, flower or imported product below that percentage.
Medical products
Subject to the relevant health-regulatory authorization and product-specific rules.
Health products
A regulated product category, not a recreational cannabis market.
Personal-care products
The rules use ≤0.3% THC and no narcotic effect for the relevant category.
CBD
A product cannot be treated as automatically legal because it is labelled CBD; composition, THC content, authorization/registration and route of sale or import all matter.
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Driving after cannabis use
Can You Drive After Using Marijuana in Turkey?
Turkey’s Road Traffic Law separately regulates driving after the use of narcotic or psychotropic substances. For a driver, this is not merely an extension of Article 191: separate administrative consequences apply, including a five-year driving-licence suspension, and the circumstances can also trigger criminal-law procedures.
Licence
Driving after using a narcotic or psychotropic substance can result in a five-year suspension of the driving licence.
Testing
Refusing a legally required test has its own administrative consequences and should not be treated as a way to avoid enforcement.
Official sources
Turkey’s Cannabis Laws: Official Sources and 2025–2026 Rules
The key conclusions are cross-checked against the Turkish Penal Code, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Turkish Customs and official regulatory publications. The July 2025 changes and the rules published on January 31, 2026 are treated separately.
Justice · TPC
Turkish Penal Code No. 5237 · Articles 188–191
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Justice · Probation
Probation Services Regulation · Article 191 treatment / supervision framework
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Health Ministry · 2025
Law No. 7557 · cannabis-derived medical, health, personal-care and support products
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Agriculture · 2026
Regulation on Hemp Cultivation and Control · January 31, 2026
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Agriculture · 2026
Ministry implementation meeting on the 2026 hemp regulation and 21 authorized provinces
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Customs · 2026
Passenger rules for medicines brought for personal treatment
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Law No. 2313
Unauthorized cannabis cultivation and separate sanctions for cultivation to obtain cannabis
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Legal review of this page: September 15, 2026.
FAQ · Turkey cannabis law
Frequently Asked Questions About Weed, Marijuana and CBD in Turkey
Is weed legal in Turkey?
No. Recreational cannabis is not legal. Buying, receiving, possessing for personal use and using cannabis fall under Article 191, while trafficking, sale, import and export are governed by Article 188.
Is there a legal amount of marijuana for personal use in Turkey?
Article 191 does not set a gram threshold that makes cannabis possession lawful. Personal use and trafficking are distinguished by the circumstances of the individual case, not by one universal number.
What does Article 191 provide?
Paragraph (1) provides for 2–5 years' imprisonment for buying, receiving or possessing a drug for personal use or using it. The same article also provides a special five-year deferred-prosecution process, at least one year of supervised probation and treatment where necessary.
Can you legally buy weed in Istanbul?
There is no ordinary legal recreational retail market, licensed coffeeshop system or recreational dispensary network. Buying for personal use is itself covered by Article 191.
Can you smoke weed in Istanbul?
Istanbul has no separate cannabis legalization rule. Use is covered by Article 191, and the place of use does not make possession or use lawful.
What are the penalties for selling marijuana?
Article 188(3) provides for at least 10 years' imprisonment and a judicial fine for covered domestic trafficking conduct such as unlawful sale, offering for sale, supply and transport.
Can you bring cannabis into Turkey by plane?
Unlawful import of narcotic substances is governed by Article 188(1), which provides for 20–30 years' imprisonment and a judicial fine. A product being legal in another country is not automatic permission to cross the Turkish border with it.
Can you grow marijuana at home for yourself?
Turkey does not have a legal personal-grow regime. Law No. 2313 provides for 1–3 years' imprisonment for cultivation solely to obtain cannabis needed for personal use.
Is industrial hemp legal in Turkey?
Yes, under a licensed regime. The 2026 regulation permits fibre, seed and stalk cultivation in 21 provinces subject to authorization and control procedures.
Is medical cannabis legal in Turkey?
Turkey expanded its regulated framework for certain cannabis-derived medical and health products in 2025–2026. This does not create a recreational or general cannabis-flower dispensary model.
Is CBD legal in Turkey?
Not every CBD product should be treated as freely legal. Status depends on composition, THC content, product category, authorization or registration and the way the product is sold or imported.
What does the 0.3% THC limit mean in the 2026 rules?
The threshold is used for certain cannabis-derived support and personal-care product categories. It does not mean that every cannabis or CBD product below 0.3% THC can be freely possessed, bought or imported.
What happens if you drive after using cannabis in Turkey?
Road-traffic law provides separate administrative consequences, including a five-year driving-licence suspension, and other legal consequences may apply depending on the circumstances.
What changed in Turkish cannabis law in 2025–2026?
Law No. 7557 expanded the legal framework for certain cannabis-derived medical, health, personal-care and support products, and the January 2026 regulations detailed cultivation and the product supply chain. Recreational marijuana was not legalized.
Are cannabis rules different in Antalya, Bodrum or Izmir than in Istanbul?
The core recreational-cannabis rules are national. Antalya, Bodrum, Izmir and other tourist cities do not have a separate legal regime allowing tourists to buy or possess recreational marijuana.