Developments and restoration of hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) cultivation in Turkish agriculture

Abstract

Agricultural life from time to time in Turkey has experienced very serious transformation with administrative developments. Products such as poppy, sugar beet and tobacco are a few examples of products that have heavily occupied the public opinion with the political developments from time to time. Hemp is an agricultural product that is not only in Turkey but all over the world is on the agenda and closely related to public order. Hemp ( Cannabis sativa L.), also known by the names of cannabis and hemp among the people, was in fact one of the main fiber plants that were widely used in weaving in the past. In fact, archaeological findings suggest that the oldest weaving samples were obtained from hemp fibers. On contrast to this, it is a plant that is used in the production of drugs that have harmful effects on human life and public order in the process. Although there is also a deeply rooted agricultural history, sowing of it was banned in Turkey within the framework of international relations in 1949. This ban has had remarkable consequences in agricultural as well as industrial terms. In the following process, the positive aspects of hemp that emerged with good intentions in economic life were further understood but when it comes to 2016, hemp cultivation was permitted in some provinces with the condition of being controlled. In this study, the development of hemp in Turkish agricultural life from past to present and the point reached today are discussed in the focus of Agricultural Geography. In this context, the first practices in Sinop and Amasya, one of the 19 provinces where hemp cultivation is permitted, were examined on-site and interviews were made with the producers about the developments that may arise for the decision taken.