Kyrgyzstan

Law No. 66 of 22 May 1998 on Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and Precursors defines the sowing and growing of hemp as prohibited cultivation, and the Criminal Code penalises cannabis cultivation and trafficking despite the vast wild cannabis stands of the Chui Valley. Some secondary sources state that industrial hemp may be grown with licences, while Kyrgyz agronomic literature from 2023 argues the 1998 law must first be amended to allow hemp as an agricultural crop, so the status of lawful hemp seed remains unresolved. Periodic legalisation proposals from officials and politicians have not been enacted. There is no lawful retail or collector market for viable cannabis seed.