Dish of the Day

Ondokuz Mayıs University (OMU) Hemp Research Institute is drawing attention in both the health and industrial sectors with its newly developed hemp varieties, pain-relieving and wound-healing creams, and projects focused on producing rubber and biomaterials from hemp. With its expanding genetic pool and domestic variety candidates, the Institute aims to shape the future of the medical hemp sector in Türkiye.

Prof. Dr. Selim Aytaç, Director of the Hemp Research Institute, provided an overview of the Institute’s ongoing work and shared his assessment of the future of the hemp sector in Türkiye. He noted that significant progress has been made in recent years, particularly in the field of medical hemp. Stating that the Institute comprises three academic divisions, Aytaç explained that one of them operates in the field of agriculture and breeding. He emphasized their focus on developing new hemp varieties and stated that over the past one to two years they have conducted intensive studies on medical hemp varieties that have recently come to the forefront of Türkiye’s agenda.

Aytaç also reported that the Institute has projects related to the use of hemp in reedbed areas and that research on construction materials and biomaterial production continues without interruption. Highlighting the development of new varieties and candidate cultivars, he said, “This demonstrates that our genetic pool has expanded significantly.”

“Rubber and creams”

Aytaç stated that the Institute is carrying out projects in cooperation with different units to develop rubber from hemp. “Together with other units collaborating with our Institute, we are conducting a project aimed at developing rubber from hemp. In the medical field, we have developed pain-relieving and wound-healing creams derived from hemp. There was a need for legal regulation regarding both the production and use of hemp in the health sector. These regulations were on the agenda of our national bureaucracy. On 31 January 2026, two new regulations issued by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry clarified the details concerning the production and use of medical hemp. I believe we have taken an important national step toward advancing medical hemp in our country. At the very least, we have initiated the process,” he said.

“Hemp as a response to uncontrolled industrialization”

Drawing attention to the environmental pollution caused by intense industrialization worldwide, Aytaç stated: “In five years, the hemp sector in Türkiye will not be shaped solely by domestic dynamics but also by the countries and trade blocs with which we engage. For example, frameworks such as the Green Deal and the Paris Climate Agreement will influence our production model, both in agricultural and industrial terms. Following the environmental degradation caused by uncontrolled industrialization, a transformation is required to reduce or prevent further pollution. Hemp is considered to have advantages in this transformation process.”

“What matters is establishing the production model and developing the industry”

Pointing out that Türkiye is a strong country in the textile sector, Aytaç said: “We are strong in textiles. If we can expand hemp textile production and utilize the by-products of hemp textile manufacturing in the paper industry, we can become one of the countries that uses hemp effectively from an economic standpoint. Of course, many products can be produced from hemp. What matters is establishing the production model and developing the industry.”