Hemp honey has been produced at TİGEM's Amasya facilities for three years, including this year. Last year's production was bought wholesale by one of Turkey's largest honey companies.
Hemp honey produced in Turkey
TİGEM plants hemp in the Amasya region each year for seed and research purposes. It uses Narlısaray, a native Turkish variety. For details on hemp varieties, read this article.
A local honey producer works with TİGEM and obtains honey from native hemp using hives placed on the land. Production in Amasya has, in fact, continued for three years including this one. Last year's honey being bought wholesale by one of Turkey's largest honey and propolis companies is a notable development, demonstrating commercial interest in hemp products.
What is hemp/CBD honey?
Honey produced from hemp is a very new product. It should, however, be divided into several categories. More important than whether it comes from hemp flowers is its cannabinoid content.
Hemp honey containing CBD
CBD is one of over 100 phytocannabinoids in cannabis. Mainly used in healthcare, it has recently become a favorite of the food industry, with CBD being added to almost every kind of product. Many honey producers have naturally sought to make CBD honey too.
Honey with naturally occurring CBD
This is honey described as being produced naturally by bees from high-CBD hemp. Hives are placed beside fields of a CBD-rich variety, and the bees make honey from pollen collected from its flowers. CBD occurs naturally in honey made this way. To our knowledge, only one Swiss honey producer uses this method. Because it is natural and labor-intensive, the resulting product has a high selling price.
Honey with CBD added afterward
As the heading suggests, this is ordinary honey with CBD subsequently added. It is widely available in Europe and America.
Cannabinoid levels
We were most interested in the honey's cannabinoid levels, but could not obtain detailed information from either the producer or relevant Turkish institutions. With our assistance, the honey was sent to a German laboratory specializing in cannabis. QSI is described here as a body inspecting Germany's cannabis agency and one of only two organizations worldwide capable of technical honey analysis.
The report shows the honey's cannabinoid levels. We were pleased that THC was recorded as “0.” The article interprets this as showing that hemp grown from the native seed contains no THC, and that the honey has no intoxicating effect. It also considers the report important for growers: the first report of zero THC and no intoxicating effect in the native hemp variety.
CBD content
The disappointing part is the almost negligible CBD content. The CBD industry is growing rapidly worldwide and consumers are turning to products containing it. Naturally occurring CBD could therefore be a major advantage for this honey, requiring a native variety rich in CBD. Although hemp honey without CBD feels incomplete, taking a step in Turkey is significant. Our native seeds' cannabinoid levels appear suitable for edible foods, but certainly need enrichment for products requiring higher levels, such as CBD oil.
Because regulations at the time still prohibited CBD product sales in Turkey, the honey purchased by the private company was intended for overseas markets.
