Yo, bro, how are you? I spent some time on a b̶r̶e̶a̶k̶ holiday travelling around Turkey. I’ll say straight away, I didn’t fully manage to take a break… On my trip, already heading towards home, I met an Azerbaijani driving a car from Germany for a client in Georgia. We *** some *** from his Turkish dealer over engaging international conversations.
So, here’s what I’m getting at. From my journey I brought you a souvenir: a trip through an Istanbul grow shop (I visited a couple, but unfortunately only one allowed photography)! I’ll also tell you how things stand overall with our absorbing hobby in this region.
I’m the law here
Cannabis was used in Turkey for many centuries, primarily for industrial and medical purposes. However, in the 20th century, under pressure from international treaties and changes in public opinion, cannabis became illegal.
At present, the laws in Turkey are quite harsh. A person growing cannabis for personal needs faces one to three years in prison (according to legal practice, 20–25 cannabis plants may be considered cultivation for personal use).
Possession of cannabis after harvest may be classified as an offence involving drug possession or illegal drug trafficking. Anyone who ***, *** or possesses cannabis for consumption is sentenced to two to five years in prison.
Offenders have the option of treatment instead of imprisonment. If they seek help from a doctor before they are caught, the doctor is not legally required to report it to the police. An offender can also choose probation as an alternative to imprisonment (up to three years). However, repeat offenders cannot choose probation a second time.
The situation with seed material is not encouraging at all. Although sending cannabis seeds to most European countries is legal, it is prohibited in Turkey. Seeds cannot be freely sold in online or offline shops, and they cannot be sent into the country by post. All of this risks confiscation and criminal prosecution.
As a bonus, I want to say that if you’re a foreigner and get caught with ***, you may not be imprisoned, but your chances of deportation are close to 100%. So, man, be careful.
The Turkish web
Cannabis pages on the Turkish internet get banned, just as they do back in our vast homeland. But despite this and the possible harsh punishment for consumption and cultivation, growing is well developed in the country, with several major grow shops: GrowKent, Probitki, MagicPlant and others. There is even a seed shop with a wide selection, KushSeed. And if you look hard, you can come across local seedbanks Degenetica and ExtreemeSeeds. There are also growing communities Yesiloda and Tohumsuz (the latter is an equivalent of our Dzagi).
In brief, people in Turkey want to ***, discuss their favourite topic and try to avoid the risk of being caught ***. So they grow carefully and discreetly, both outdoors and indoors.
Home sweet home
I love dropping into grow shops while travelling; my passion is finding out how each shop is stocked and presented and what makes it stand out. And I want to warn you: in Turkish grow shops, talking about cannabis is of course not customary.
This time I visited the Istanbul shop Toprakvesu.com. Here’s what the guys say about themselves:
“We are Turkey’s first progressive horticulture shop. We offer the best the world has to give, from simple to complex, to your doorstep since 2009. Thanks to their skills in hydroponic growing, our staff have extensive knowledge of all products and are always at your service to make growing a positive and useful part of your life. Your satisfaction is our happiness.”
The shop looks impressive, tidy and minimalist, with no cannabis imagery except in veiled form in the plant graffiti on the walls, and of course a hop cone. The floor area is no less than a hundred square metres, with a full range of goods needed for a cycle from seed to harvest. Consumption products are not sold in Turkey’s grow shops, nor are seeds. But there are trimming scissors, bags for separating trichomes into *** and safe packs in the form of silicone and plastic containers for flowers/oils/***))
The choice of lights is extensive: in the hall hangs a range of the latest MarsHydro models and a few no-name COB lights. There are also good old HPS lamps.
There are plenty of fertilisers for every taste, from the smallest packages to 20-litre bottles. I think the range is even wider than in some Russian grow shops, and it definitely pleases me more than the selection in Georgia.
There are hydroponic systems, substrates, grow bags and air pots for fans of every growing method. Even my sore point: metre-long trays that, unfortunately, I can’t find in my own neighbourhood.
In general, an ordinary grower will be spoilt for choice here, and even several cycles won’t be enough to try everything.
Shall we go?
Reuse in action: seedlings in coffee cups near a Turkish grow shop. So, bro, with these conditions and prices, I’ll say one thing: if you’re looking for a country to relocate to and wondering whether it’s realistic to grow good *** in Turkey, the answer is definitely yes. Is it dangerous? Also definitely yes, as in any other country where cannabis has no legal status.
Maybe you’re that lucky person, a Turkish grower, and can tell us about the situation first-hand? Or do you simply know more facts about cannabis in Turkey? Drop into the comments, bro; I’d be glad to hear more from you!