Cultivation of opium is illegal in Turkmenistan. Illegal cultivation, however, does occur, particularly in remote mountain and desert areas. Opium poppies cultivated in Turkmenistan are grown almost exclusively on very small plots of land which are rarely larger than a few hundred square feet. Most production is intended for the personal use of the grower and his or her family. There is also some processing of opium resin and poppy straw extract for domestic consumption.
Cannabis is also present in Turkmenistan.
Demand Reduction . A limited drug and alcoholism treatment program, including an addiction reference center, continues to operate under the Ministry of Health. The addiction center is continuing its efforts to create a counternarcotics educational curriculum and conduct research on the causes of drug abuse. However, its efforts are hampered by concern among some GOT officials that prevention programs will create increased interest in drug use. In addition, in 1997, several thousand people, many of them arrested for narcotics-related crimes, were released from prison under a Presidential Amnesty Act.