Sector roadmap discussed at the “Medical Cannabis and Value Chain Workshop”

Within the scope of the “Anadoludakiler: 81 Provinces, 81 Products Program,” carried out under the coordination of the General Directorate of Development Agencies of the Ministry of Industry and Technology, the product selected to represent Samsun was determined as hemp.

Following the decision of the Board of Directors of the Central Black Sea Development Agency (OKA), studies are planned to be carried out to increase the added value of hemp throughout the process from production to industry. The current state and future vision of the sector were discussed at the “Medical Cannabis and Value Chain Workshop” organized within the scope of the program.

Hosted by the Ondokuz Mayıs University (OMU) Cannabis Research Institute and organized in cooperation with the OMU Technology Transfer Office (TTO), OKA and MEDİKÜM, the workshop brought together public institutions, academics, sector representatives and stakeholders at Samsun OMTEL Hotel. During the day-long program, the production, processing, licensing and transformation of medical cannabis into final products were discussed in different sessions.

Rector Aydın: “The global market for hemp-based products has reached a volume worth billions of dollars”

Speaking at the program, OMU Rector Prof. Dr. Fatma Aydın stated that hemp-based products have created a growing economic field on a global scale.

“The global market for hemp-based products is growing every day and has reached an economic volume worth billions of dollars. This situation makes it necessary for our country to open a special chapter for hemp within its agricultural policies. Hemp is a strategic plant with a wide range of uses, from agriculture to textiles, from the automotive industry to food and feed, and from materials production to health,” Aydın said.

“The use of medical cannabis in the field of health has increased in recent years”

Stating that the use of medical cannabis in the field of health has increased in recent years, Aydın noted that the hemp plant contains more than 460 compounds, more than 100 of which are defined as phytocannabinoids. Drawing attention to the importance of THC and CBD compounds in particular for health-related research, Aydın stated that scientific studies indicate the supportive potential of medical cannabis in areas such as sleep disorders, pain, inflammation, neurodegenerative diseases, epilepsy and cancer.

“Samsun is one of the provinces where hemp cultivation is most concentrated”

Emphasizing that Samsun has historically been one of the provinces in Türkiye where hemp cultivation is most concentrated, Aydın stated that the Cannabis Research Institute, established within OMU in 2019, continues its studies with a genetic resource pool consisting of approximately 2,000 genotypes. Noting that Türkiye’s first domestic industrial hemp varieties, “Narlı” and “Vezir,” were developed as a result of breeding studies conducted within the Institute, Aydın said that the workshop would increase inter-institutional cooperation and contribute to the development of the sector.

Prof. Dr. Selim Aytaç: “As a country, we have very serious potential in hemp production and processing”

Speaking at the opening of the workshop, Director of the OMU Cannabis Research Institute Prof. Dr. Selim Aytaç stated that it is not sufficient to consider hemp only as an agricultural product.

“The real success lies in taking this plant from the field to laboratories and from there transforming it into high value-added final products. Therefore, we do not limit our focus only to production. As a country, we have very serious potential in hemp production and processing. The way to turn this potential into a global strength is through the harmonious, technology-oriented cooperation of bureaucracy, academia, investors and producers,” he said.

OKA Secretary General Dicle: “Local values will turn into economic power”

OKA Secretary General Mehlika Dicle stated that hemp was selected as Samsun’s representative product by a board decision taken in April 2026 in line with the views of sector stakeholders.

“The main purpose of the 81 Provinces, 81 Products Program is to identify the unique products of each province across Türkiye, increase the economic, social and cultural added value of these products, and develop them sustainably within the framework of a holistic roadmap. The program offers a strategic approach that addresses branding, innovation, promotion, marketing, capacity development and monitoring processes together. In the coming period, current situation analyses and roadmap studies will be carried out, followed by training, consultancy, market analysis, and technical and financial support mechanisms to strengthen the value chain,” Dicle said.

Stating that they do not regard hemp solely as an agricultural policy topic, Dicle added: “We see hemp as a multidimensional development area within the framework of rural development, social development, industrial transformation, medical technology, university-industry cooperation and local branding.”

TİTCK President Prof. Dr. Ayar: “This industry and this field, which people need, must be reactivated”

President of the Turkish Medicines and Medical Devices Agency (TİTCK) Prof. Dr. Ahmet Ayar said the following in his speech at the program:
 
“We have enacted a law initiated by the Ministry of Health and approved by our deputies in the Grand National Assembly for the safe, high-quality and effective use of medical cannabis in our country, a field that is growing at a rate of approximately 25 percent every year and whose dossier has been opened for the third time in world history to encourage its use. We have now published, and continue to publish, the secondary legislation for this law. Are we ready, together with its reasons and actors, or are we not? It is certain that if there are actors in the chain who cannot fulfill their duties, we will not be able to achieve success. Hemp acts through a mechanism known as the endocannabinoid system, which exists in the body and has widespread roles such as pain management, learning processes, increasing attention and regulating the digestive system. Compared with chemical substances that act through this system, it is considered to offer significant advantages in terms of issues such as liver damage, addiction formation or reduced effectiveness after use for a certain period. In this respect, it holds great promise. This industry and this field, which people need, must be reactivated.”

The first part of the workshop concluded with Rector Aydın presenting a gift to Prof. Dr. Ahmet Ayar.

At the event held at OMTEL Hotel, President of the Samsun Medical Innovation Cluster Association (MEDİKÜM) Ahmet Alp Doğru and Rector of Yozgat Bozok University Prof. Dr. Evren Yaşar also delivered speeches. Samsun Deputy Governor Mehmet Fikret Çavuş and OMU Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Çetin Kurnaz also attended the workshop.

A process extending from field to industry is targeted

Within the scope of the program, studies will be carried out on the production, processing, marketing and promotion processes of hemp. The aim is to evaluate hemp not only as an agricultural product but also as a strategic product that creates added value in industry, health, textiles and various other sectors. In this context, the goals include strengthening infrastructure, supporting producers, developing investment areas and making Samsun one of the leading national centers in the field of hemp.

The workshop addressed the regulatory, production, health and sectoral dimensions of medical cannabis

During the sessions held as part of the Medical Cannabis and Value Chain Workshop, many topics were discussed, ranging from medical cannabis production processes to regulatory arrangements, from its potential use in health to the future of the sector.

In the first session, chaired by Prof. Dr. Ali Kemal Ayan, the regulatory role of the Turkish Grain Board in hemp cultivation, quota allocation, application processes and production management were evaluated. The session also covered regulations on hemp-derived products, rules in the field of cosmetic products, global experiences regarding the legalization process of medical cannabis and the Turkish perspective.

In the second session, chaired by Prof. Dr. Evren Yaşar, the possibilities of using hemp in the field of health, particularly in cancer, as well as pharmaceutical dosage forms and examples of licensed medical cannabis products around the world were discussed. In addition, the role of cannabis in neurological diseases, the regulatory framework of the medical cannabis sector in Türkiye, the current situation, opportunities and stakeholder perspectives were evaluated.

The workshop also featured the experiences of sector representatives and examples of international practices, offering assessments that will contribute to Türkiye’s roadmap in the field of medical cannabis. The program concluded with a scientific discussion and evaluation session held within the scope of the panel presentations.