An Israeli national has been reported dead at the Tokyo Airport as the result of an overdose after authorities said he tried to smuggle over a kilogram of cocaine and other stimulants in his stomach.

According to an article in the Mainichi, a national daily newspaper in Japan, authorities with the Metropolitan Police Department filed charges with public prosecutors Wednesday, accusing a suspect in his 50’s, who was not named in the article, of violating the Stimulants Control Act by swallowing multiple wraps of illegal stimulants and getting on a flight from France to Japan with the intent of bringing the drugs into the country for distribution and sale. 

The Mainichi said the deceased man collapsed inside the plane on January 2 as it arrived at the Tokyo Haneda Airport From France. He was taken to a hospital where he was later pronounced dead. 

The suspect reportedly had 89 individual packets or wraps of cocaine and other stimulants. Medical staff told the Mainichi that none of the wraps burst, so it was unclear how the suspect succumbed to drug poisoning, but authorities with the Metropolitan Police Department’s narcotics and firearms control division surmised the drugs must have seeped out of the wraps somehow. 

The process of smuggling drugs this way is referred to as “body packing.” A study on this practice by the National Institute of Health defined body packing as “the way of psychoactive substances smuggling by swallowing of carefully prepared packages with drugs into the gastrointestinal tract or by insertion them into the vagina or the rectum, especially in order to avoid finding them by the custom service.”

During the study, researchers administered 60 wraps of cocaine totalling 500 grams to an otherwise healthy 29-year-old Polish male to monitor and observe how his body would react to the introduction of so many foreign objects.

“During the 37-hours stay in our department the patient was monitored (blood pressure, heart rate, temperature), laxatives and oral fluids were administered. All the packages were evacuated through the natural way and it was followed up by the control abdominal radiography. No symptoms of acute cocaine intoxication or any other complications were observed,” the study said.

Now you might be wondering, as I was while writing this, how exactly a person might go about smuggling drugs inside their body without ending up dead, as this man did. Well, some light internet digging netted me a few answers.

A Vice profile on a Dutch cocaine smuggler illustrated how easy some believe this process to be. The girl, who was given the moniker Sharon, told Vice she began smuggling drugs from the small Caribbean island of Curacao to the Netherlands because of how common and easy it was in the area.

“A lot of people would ask you to smuggle for them if they knew you were Dutch. But I always told them that I wouldn’t. Well, until I ran into a friend I knew from back home,” Sharon said to Vice. “She asked me if I would smuggle some stuff for her and I decided to do it. Everybody did it back then. Every flight would have at least ten or 20 people with drugs on it. Even little old grandmas were selling drugs in Curacao.”

Packing the drugs is very important, as evidenced by the case at the Tokyo Airport, because if the packaging breaks it can cause overdose and death extremely quickly. Sharon told Vice that in her case, the cocaine was packed in plastic, wrapped in a latex glove then taped shut with a particular kind of packaging tape. Afterwards, additional layers of plastic and latex were added. 

“It was really well packaged,” Sharon told Vice. “Some people had a hard time getting it down, though. They’d practice with a piece of carrot or something like that.” 

Sharon also attested that she had a friend die at the age of 19 from a packaging burst. The kicker is Sharon was under the impression that she never took this risk, because she only ever swallowed boiled cocaine. I was unable to confirm if there was any accuracy to this information. 

 “That was pure coke, though. I only swallowed boiled coke, which won’t kill you. Or, at least, that’s what they told me,” Sharon said to Vice. “I’ve seen a lot of drug mules get dropped off at A&E [the emergency room], actually.”

The test for whether packaging would hold up on its journey from esophagus to toilet bowl was simple, according to Sharon. She would simply drop it into a cup of water and if it sank to the bottom, it required repackaging. If it floated, down the hatch.

“It’s not that complicated,” Sharon told Vice.

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A recent press release issued by BYND Cannasoft Enterprises Inc. provided a glimpse into the status of Israel’s medical cannabis industry and a recent increase in patients.

The company explained that there has been a rapid rise in medical cannabis patients, about 2,000 in just one month. As of November, that brings the total number of medical cannabis patients in Israel to 132,000, with many patients having recently sought medical cannabis to help treat post-trauma conditions. Approximately 60,000 of those patients fall within the age range of 21-45, 40,000 are between 46-65, and 24,000 are older than 66. The remaining percentage is much smaller, but applies to patients under 20 years old, especially children with autism or those who suffer from epilepsy.

BYND Cannasoft noted that there has also been an increase in dosages for medical cannabis patients as well due to the recent events. According to the company’s data, 25,709 patients are licensed to use up to 20 grams of cannabis per month, while 20,516 are permitted to use up to 30 grams, 29,752 are allowed to use up 40 grams, 27,382 are allowed to use 50 grams, 13,211 are allowed to use 60 grams, and approximately 15,000 patients use 70 grams or more.

The Israel Ministry of Health initially opened up access to medical cannabis in August. At the time, The Jerusalem Post noted that there were at least 100,000 Israeli citizens who held medical cannabis patient licenses. The ministry approved regulatory reform to allow physicians to prescribe cannabis immediately for treatment, rather than only being reserved as a last resort. This change is expected to take effect in December.

Shortly after the Israel-Hamas War escalated in October, the Israeli Cannabis Magazine reported on many patients’ fears about running out of medical cannabis. The publication shared one patient’s perspective: “Since the events started, due to stress, I smoke a lot, much more than usual, sitting at home and smoking and the monthly supply is nearing the end. My next prescription will only open in two weeks, I don’t know what I will do next week,” the unnamed individual said. At the time the story was published on Oct. 9, there were an estimated 125,000 medical cannabis patients in Israel.

Due to concerns about using more medical cannabis than some are allotted, the Ministry of Health announced that any patients whose license has already expired, or is set to expire soon, would be granted a three-month extension. In fiscal year 2022-2023 (between April 2022-March 2023), Israel imported 20,907 kilograms (about 46,000 pounds) of dried cannabis from Canada.

Israeli Cannabis Magazine recently reported that some medical cannabis companies such as Intercure-Kandok, Peace Naturals, Bull Pharma, Shih, Madukan, Plantis, Greenmed, Canonic, Terrapin, and Harmoni Pharmacy have been offering medical cannabis to patients who live in southern Israel, and specifically for those who live near the Gaza Strip.

Two employees from Intercure, one of Israel’s largest cannabis companies, were kidnapped by Hamas. Many other employees’ families were killed in the initial attack as well. Intercure CEO Alexander Rabinovich released a statement about the attacks. “Despite the despicable barbaric terrorist attack against the residents of Israeli towns and villages, we stand strong. We support the families of those murdered and injured, among them, several of [the] Company’s employees from Kibbutz Nir-Oz,” Rabinovich said. “…The Company is committed to support the communities and provide its products to patients living in the affected areas and all the survivors of the terrorist attack. Bringing relief is our mission statement. Together, we will win. עם ישראל חי”

In February 2023, the Ministry of Health and State of Israel issued BYND Cannasoft a license “…to engage in medical cannabis without direct contact with the substance.” BYND Cannasoft is an Israel-based software and cannabis company that is developing a proprietary customer relationship management software (CRM) aimed at helping small and medium-sized cannabis businesses.

“Israel is a small country, and although we continue to take a business-as-usual approach, every one of us is directly impacted, either personally or through our family and loved ones,” said BYND Cannasoft CEO and director Yftah Ben Yaackov. “BYND Cannasoft supports and stands with all of the Israelis affected by this tragedy. In Israel, the cannabis and pharmaceuticals industries are part of the critical infrastructure sector, and I am very proud of how the team is coming together to work through this horrific situation.”

The company is also developing a device called an EZ-G that targets CBD oil to treat specific vaginal conditions such as ovarian cysts, vaginal scarring, vulvodynia, vaginismus, vaginal dryness, candid and fungal disease, pelvic floor dysfunction, and more. Yaackov added that they’ll continue to develop the EZ-G for FDA-approval, but will refocus on cannabis to help “those impacted by the war who are seeking treatment from psychiatric and pain clinics.”

In other recent news, an Israel-based company called SyqeAir recently received approval from the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration for the creation of its metered dose cannabis inhaler, called the SyqeAir Inhaler. “We are excited to collaborate with healthcare professionals and organizations in Australia to expand access to the SyqeAir Inhaler, enabling patients to benefit from reliable and consistent medicinal cannabis treatment,” said SYQEAir CEO Hagit Kamin.

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Raphael Mechoulam, the first person to synthesize THC, earning him the moniker the “Father of Cannabis Science,” has died, Analytical Cannabis reports. He was 92 years old, and his legacy will most certainly live on for centuries to come. The esteemed chemist is also called the father of cannabis research. Some of his additional game-changing contributions to drug science include isolating and synthesizing other cannabinoids, such as cannabidiol (CBD), cannabigerol (CBG), and cannabichromene (CBC). 

While THC, CBD, and CBG are basically household names today, that would not be the case if it weren’t for Dr. Mechoulam, so smoke one out for him in remembrance. A medicinal chemistry professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel, his work laid the groundwork and got the ball (or blunt) rolling to prompt future breakthroughs, such as illumination into the human body’s internal cannabinoid receptors in the 1980s and ’90s, as detailed in the 1993 academic paper titled Molecular characterization of a peripheral receptor for cannabinoids. 

Make sure to pay your respects today, as Dr. Mechoulam’s friends and fellow scientists are, as you pass the peace pipe around with your buddies. “This is a very sad day for me, for the science community and for the cannabis community. Professor Raphael Mechoulam or as we called him Raphi, was one of the greatest scientist[s] I ever met and was my teacher and mentor in many aspects. I truly believe he [deserved] a Nobel prize!” wrote David “Dedi” Meiri, an associate professor at Technion, the Israel Institute of Technology, and one Mechoulam’s colleagues, in a touching online statement. “Thank you Raphi for all the great things you did and discover[ed] in your life and thanks for all the help and support you gave me. Rest in peace my dear friend,” he continues. 

Born in Sofia, Bulgaria, in 1930, Mechoulam and his family relocated to Israel, where he began studying chemistry. His inspiration to start his successful hunt for THC began after wise observance of other drugs’ mechanisms. In an interview with CNN in 2014, Mechoulam pointed out that: “Morphine had been isolated from opium in the nineteenth century, early nineteenth century, cocaine had been isolated from coca leaves [in the] mid-nineteenth century. And here we were, mid-twentieth century, and yet the chemistry of cannabis was not known. So it looked like [an] interesting project.” According to the National Library of Medicine, in 1964, he succeeded. And the story behind how Mechoulam obtained the cannabis he studied may surprise you. 

While working as a chemist in the early 1960s at the Weizmann Institute, Mechoulam got some weed from the Israeli police with his goal already in place: to discover and isolate what makes pot psychoactive. Once THC and other cannabinoids, such as the aforementioned CBD and CBG, were identified, in 1992, Mechoulam and his team discovered the chemical arachidonoyl ethanolamine, which you know as anandamide (derived from the Sanskrit word ananda, which means bliss). Anandamide is something our body’s endocannabinoid system produces on its own (as if we are built to use cannabis) and activates the CB1 receptor. 

Deeply passionate and hardworking, Mechoulam continued his research right up to his death. At the age of 88, at the cannabis conference CannMed in California in 2019, he announced another breakthrough, synthetically stable cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), the main phytocannabinoid in fiber and seed-oil hemp, which contains anti-inflammatory, anti-convulsant, and anti-cancerogenic properties, and that’s likely just the tip of the iceberg. “We have taken the unstable acid molecules of the cannabis plant and synthesized them to provide a stable, consistent basis for researching new therapies across a wide range of medical needs,” Mechoulam explained at the conference. He also used his stage time to encourage the scientific community to invest more into cannabis research, as enough time has already been lost, citing the many people from the past who would have vastly benefited from medicinal cannabis should it have been available. “Did we have to wait 30 years? No,” he said. “We could have helped thousands of children, and we didn’t.” 

Rest in Power, Dr. Mechoulam, and may everyone lucky enough to have access to the results of his work enjoy the power of plant medicine today. 

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Using a bioreactor, a company in Israel cloned hemp cells to culture them into a powdery biomass that contains all of cannabis’s active compounds and can be dialed up to 12 times the potency. Not to be confused with the horticultural practice of cloning, Rehovot, Israel-based BioHarvest Sciences is cloning at the cellular level.

One of the perks of this technology is the potential to minimize waste. “Portions of the plant matter from the cannabis plant are waste that can be avoided using BioHarvest Technology,” BioHarvest CEO Ilan Sobel told High Times in an email.

“Cannabis plants are grown mostly just for the flower,” Sobel continued. “The flower contains the critical trichomes which are the source of cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids. BioHarvest’s technology allows it to grow cannabis cells with 93% trichomes in its bioreactors.”

The biomass is not grown like a typical plant; instead it’s produced in a bioreactor. “We don’t grow the plant at all,” Sobel told The Times of Israel. “We grow them in huge bioreactors in just three weeks—while regular cannabis takes 14 to 23 weeks. Our tech can also significantly increase the levels of active ingredients, as a percent of the weight, versus what is found normally in the plant.”

And gram for gram, the team at BioHarvest say their cannabis biomass requires less water and resources than plants.

Sobel and BioHarvest insist that the cells are not genetically engineered, and that they’re identical to cells found on living plants. So while the technology may sound far-reaching to the untrained ear, it’s a great way to avoid unwanted plant matter waste and increase potency. The biomass they produce is full-spectrum, containing the variety of phytocannabinoids you’d find in a plant.

“Our composition has significant amounts of both major cannabinoids such as CBD and THC as well as significant amounts of what have been termed minor cannabinoids,” Sobel told The Times. 

The team is able to crank up the potency by tinkering with the conditions inside the bioreactor. He continued, “By adjusting specific conditions to which the cells are exposed, we can create different desired compositions of active ingredients, meaning we can dial up and down the various cannabinoids [compounds].”

The team does not reveal the proprietary technology in detail, but said they have the power to increase potency 12 times, simply by changing the environment inside the bioreactor.

If you’re trying to picture in your head what it looks like, they provide a basic explanation.

BioHarvest Sciences team invented Bio-Plant CELLicitation, which is described in detail on the website. A plant is selected that contains important active phytochemicals. Then they are cut them into small pieces and inserted into a Petri dish on a solid medium that contains nutrients. Like a plant, the cells need light, oxygen, and nutrients. Then those cells are stored in a cell bank for perpetual production. They are biofarmed and when the biomass grows enough, it’s harvested into a powder and the powder can be used for different purposes.

BioHarvest Sciences say that each gallon of water produces 54 times (!) more bioreactor material than plant material, and land requirements are slashed by over 90%.

This system also enables producers to avoid contaminants and also avoid the variation in cannabis compounds that nature dictates in plants.

On May 12, BioHarvest announced the composition of their biomass, saying that trichomes represent 93% of the cannabis biomass produced using the proprietary Bio-Plant CELLicitation technology, and the bitter taste of plant matter is significantly reduced.

“The bottom line is that we can make cannabis and hemp far more useful than before, at lower cost to our planetary resources,” Sober told The Times. “It is a wellness and sustainability solution from Israel that can provide a truly inspiring contribution to the world.”

Dr. Yochi Hagay and Dr. Zaki Rakib founded BioHarvest after meeting in 2007. Beyond cannabis, BioHarvest Sciences’ first product, Vinia, is derived from red grape cells and contains a rich complex of polyphenols which is good for cardiovascular health. The company currently has a footprint in the U.S. and Canada.

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Recently, President Joe Biden announced a plan to pardon those convicted of simple cannabis possession, which left many wondering if this could be the first step towards full legalization or the federal declassification of cannabis. Though nothing official has been announced, there are many in the legal cannabis industry that wonder whether the U.S. will go the same route as Canada, who fully legalized in 2018.

Shimmy Posen, a Canadian attorney with over a decade of experience working with cannabis corporate finance, mergers, and acquisitions believes that this will eventually lead to the U.S. legalizing cannabis, much like Canada did in 2018. He said it is inevitable due to the global market and how much capital the cannabis industry can generate in international markets. “Being at the forefront of all this, my desk has become a trading floor for certain peripheral elements of these deals. I felt like a sports agent at times,” Posen said. “It got to be very complex, because there were lots of intricacies of how much growers could own, whether they would allow franchising or not and so much more that had to be ironed out. It was very knowledge-centric.”

Posen said he has worked with several Israeli and American companies that went public but is interested in countries where cannabis sales are legal.  “Anywhere in the world really, where cannabis was touching capital markets, we were aware of it at my desk, and advising clients and helping them build businesses. Some of the more recent deals include the Sundial acquisition.”

Posen said that in the global marketplace of cannabis, Canada stands out due to its legal status. “What distinguishes Canada from the rest of the world is this government truly allowed cannabis into the capital markets to interact with the financial systems,” he said. “But, in countries like the U.S. they still have issues with cannabis in banking systems due to the federal legality issues. We don’t have that problem in Canada since the illegality was removed.”

Posen said that he thinks Canada is a global leader, but admits the system isn’t perfect and has its flaws that need to be worked out. “One thing Canada got wrong, is they lumped under one umbrella THC and CBD,” Posen said. “Lots of people have issues coming into Canada on flights with CBD products, especially from the U.S., because they don’t think it’s a problem. But CBD is a controlled substance in Canada; you can’t buy it over the counter at a gas station or pharmacies, you can only get it at licensed dealers since it’s regulated and controlled. People fly in and get in trouble quite often because they don’t know this.”

Another problem Canada faced, according to Posen, is that once cannabis was legalized in 2018, for a period of around a year, only flower [was] allowed to be sold.” It took about a year for other products such as vapes, concentrates, and edibles to be available legally, so there was a market for all these products in the ‘black market,’” Posen said. “I don’t call them ‘black market’ though; I refer to them as the legacy market. Now, consumers can buy all these products in the legal retail stores. But it was a big mess. Canada has certainly taken a bullet for the rest of the world to see how this could work for totally legal cannabis  But, many of the legacy market underground stores are starting to transition into the legal markets because that is the future. No one goes out to buy moonshine; they buy known brands of hard liquor. Same [idea] with cannabis. This just takes time, it’s a process.”

Posen said that he thinks the cannabis sector in the global financial marketplace will continue to grow exponentially and even skyrocket. “The projectiles are clear. The industry is such a behemoth today and it’s only going to grow. It’s global already, and that’s without full legalization from countries like Germany and the U.S., so you can imagine what will happen when those countries fully allow legal cannabis,” he said. “One leading country especially for medicinal cannabis is Israel, who really started the industry standard for medical cannabis.” 

Posen said he is keeping an eye out for countries like Mexico, Thailand, Germany, and the U.S., among others but thinks eventually, most countries will allow legal, regulated cannabis sales. 

He thinks the recent announcement by Biden regarding cannabis convictions to be a first good step. “I suspect that eventually, the federal illegality will be removed, or the U.S. will just let the states determine what they want, kind of like how it went down during prohibition—just let local jurisdictions determine what they want to do.”

Although reluctant to offer a date or timeline, Posen said he believes that legalization is coming to the U.S. “As soon as it happens, it will remove many of the obstacles the U.S. faces in the public capital markets. Also, many other  countries will follow immediately and also legalize because many countries only have it illegal because of the U.S.,” Posen said. “People want individuals to make their own decisions, but at the same time not promote it for children. It’s about freedom but responsible use. The sky’s the limit.”

For more information, or to contact Mr. Posen, please visit the Garfinkle Biderman page.

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According to a press release from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) on Aug. 24, the agency announced that it recently seized 592 kilograms (approximately 1,305 pounds) of cannabis in a recent move.

Using a CBSA detector dog in addition to “a wide range of detection tools and technology,” law enforcement was led to 1,036 vacuum-sealed bags of “suspected cannabis” bound for export on May 26. In addition to the first seizure, another was conducted on June 26 which involved 300 kilograms (661 pounds) contained in 100 bags—netting 892 kilograms (almost 2,000 pounds) of cannabis in total between the two seizures.

“Regardless of the mode of entry (air, marine, land, rail), it is illegal to bring cannabis (and cannabis products) into or out of Canada without a valid Health Canada permit or exemption,” the agency wrote in a press release. “CBSA officers have the authority to examine in-bound shipments as well as goods for export. Personal, mail, courier, and commercial shipments are subject to the Customs Act and may be examined for prohibited goods, including cannabis and cannabis products. Avoid seizures, fines or arrest: Don’t bring it into Canada. Don’t take it out of Canada.”

Rahul Coelho, CBSA A/Director, Metro Vancouver District, Pacific Region explained that exportation is only legal for those who have obtained the proper certification. “Although cannabis has been legalized and regulated in Canada, it remains illegal to import or export cannabis and cannabis products without a valid permit or exemption issued by the Government of Canada,” Coelho said. “These significant seizures demonstrate our commitment to intercepting illegal narcotics—at import and export—and contribute directly to disrupting criminal organization activity.”

According to the Canada Cannabis Act, only licensed parties may import or export cannabis in Canada, and “only for medical or scientific purposes.” All individual shipments require a permit, and permit applications are approved on a case-by-case basis.

Cannabis exports for Canada were valued at $53 million in 2020, which according to Prohibition Partners was a 229% increase from 2019 export data. Between 2018-2020, Canada exported 30,000 kilograms (approximately 66,000 pounds) of dried medical cannabis, as well as 35,500 liters (more than 9,000 pounds) of cannabis oil overseas.

Many other countries have legalized cannabis for import and export. Israel, one of the top countries in the world for cannabis research, approved cannabis exportation in May 2020. “This is a significant step for exporters and the Israeli industry, which will enable both expansion of export opportunities as well as rising employment … in the field,” said former Israel Economy Minister Eli Cohen about the decision.

Last year in July, Colombia legalized medical cannabis export as well, specifically for flower. “Colombia starts to play big, and with this decree we are putting ourselves at the forefront in terms of regulatory competitiveness, at least in Latin America and the Caribbean,” said Colombian President Ivan Duque. “We are opening the space to do much more in cosmetics … [including] food and beverages and even textiles.” Previously, Colombia approved legislation in 2016 to regulate cannabis production and sales, but exports remained banned until 2021.

A recent study revealed that in Canada, cannabis flower is still the most popular consumption method (according to data collected between 2018-2020). “The findings highlight the rapidly evolving nature of the cannabis product market, including notable shifts in the types of cannabis products used by consumers. … Although dried flower continues to dominate the market, it has begun declining with a notable shift towards increasing popularity of processed cannabis products,” researchers wrote about their findings. After flower, cannabis edibles and vape oils were the second and third most popular during the specified time frame.

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Israel is the most advanced medical cannabis market in the world thanks to the ground-breaking research of Israeli scientists. There are over 100,000 patients with valid cannabis licenses. Beyond this, there is evidence that Jews have used cannabis for religious reasons for thousands of years. 

But so far, modern Orthodox, or even slightly less observant Jews—both in Israel and beyond—have been leery of taking cannabis, even as medicine. And when it comes to these kinds of decisions, it is usually Israel that has the final say.

The reason? Cannabis as medicine had not been certified as kosher—or kashrut—before in Israel (although burgeoning attempts exist in the U.S.). The term “kosher” refers to regulations that prohibit observant Jews from eating certain foods and require that others be prepared in a certain manner—in other words according to Jewish law.

This has now changed. A kashrut certification for Seach Medical Group was issued—and further was discovered as the company listed on the stock exchange. While this has not helped the performance of the company’s stock, it may well herald a new day in Israel and beyond for medical cannabis brands with the right certifications and market reach. Namely, more Jewish people—including those who are Orthodox—may be inclined to use medical cannabis. If a product is kosher, they can consume it even on Shabbat (holy days) and other religious holidays.

Is Cannabis Kosher?

This is a big issue on the cannabis front (and not just in Israel). It is also complicated because of the grey areas created by legalization. For example, some observant Jews would not take any cannabis—particularly if it had any THC in it on Shabbat (the weekly holy day that exists from sundown on Friday until Sunday morning). In life or death situations, Jewish law does not require that medicines are designated as kosher, but it is usually preferred and recommended that any medicine is certified as such.

Now that a cannabis company has been certified as kosher in Israel, the doubt can end. 

Not only will this (of course) increase the use of medical cannabis domestically, it will also begin to open the discussion outside of the country as well. Starting with the U.S.

Type the words “kosher” and “cannabis” into your browser, and you will see that there is already a trend in the U.S. (starting with California). This is also a conversation in New York.

How might this certification be added to create a different but highly accurate test for purity and healthiness? Not to mention create a unique branding and market entry opportunity?

Does Cannabis Need Kashrut Certification?

As a plant, cannabis is not something that would typically require kosher certification. This is a stamp of approval granted by a rabbinic agency, which will check ingredients, the production process, and the production facility. Consider it a kind of Talmudic GMP meets ISO.

It is usually applied to meat and places where food is processed. However, it is also applied to medicine.

The significance in Israel, of course, is that both the medicines and edibles market can now be certified as kosher. This will undoubtedly drive additional sales as large new percentages of the population can partake. According to the most recent reports released by the Israeli government, the majority of the country identifies as religious. Forty-two percent of the population identify as secular.

In the United States, this means that beyond any state (and presumably federal when it comes) certifications for cannabis, any company hoping to reach the Jewish market in states like New York will also do well to consider this kind of certification.

The Global Jewish Cannabis Market

Walk into any mainstream German grocery store these days and you will find a special kosher section. Indeed, Jews all over Germany import New York state manufactured wine for use in their ceremonies.

There is a huge global niche market for kosher products—and with just a few destination points outside of Israel.

This starts with the U.S. (and just behind them, the U.K.).

In the U.S., 2.4% of the population is Jewish, and 21% of New York identifies as such—the largest concentration of Jews outside of Israel. California comes second with about 1.5 million Jews, with Florida, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania rounding out the top five states.

This is a targetable population. And now, thanks to the rabbinical approval in Israel of a cannabis medicine, that conversation can happen globally.

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Smokey Monkey, based in Tira, has just defied the odds. It has become the first medical cannabis cafe in Israel. This is a place where people can legally buy and use medical cannabis.

Its owner, Kama Shbeeta, a former psychiatric nurse, is on a mission to change the stigma associated with cannabis use. In founding the cafe, he hoped to become an alternative to the black market for those who need help in treating their chronic pain and to help patients consume the drug more safely.

At first, Shbeeta received death and arson threats from people who wanted to burn his establishment to the ground. However, gradually, the neighbors began to understand what he was doing. Now people with medical cannabis licenses can come together in a safe place and experiment with different types of cannabis in an establishment which is already advertising itself as a place where Palestinians and Israelis can heal together.

Smoking the Cannabis Peace Pipe

The fact that a cannabis cafe opened in Israel is news enough. The exact location, however, is also significant.

Smokey Monkey is located in a town called Tira. This name means “The Fort” in both Arabic and Hebrew. It is part of a cluster of Arabic villages near the so-called “Green Line.” This refers to the green ink used to draw the line demarcating the first borders of Israel on the map while the Armistice talks created the country after WWII. The border stood until the Six-Day-War in 1967. After this, the territories beyond this line were subsumed by Israel and are better known today as East Jerusalem, the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, the Golan Heights, and the Sinai Peninsula (although this reverted back to Egypt in 1982).

The area includes farmland considered to be the most fertile in all of Israel. For this reason, by 1976, Tira had 2/3rds of its arable land expropriated by the Israeli state. Today, the area is known for its high crime rate and youth unemployment.

On the cafe’s Facebook page, however, it is clear that so far, Arabs and Jews have come together to treat their illnesses with cannabis in a vastly different way. 

Where Israel Stands on The Legalization Discussion

Israel has been a leader in terms of cannabis research, as well as medical legalization. Recreational reform, sadly, continues to stall.

On April 1, 2019, the government decriminalized the use of cannabis by those over the age of 18. Possession of home-grown cannabis is no longer a criminal offense. That said, adults caught in public with small amounts of cannabis were still liable to pay a fine of $275 for the first offense, $550 if caught a second time, and, if caught three times in 7 years, liable for criminal prosecution until this year.

On March 9, Justice Minister Gideon Sa’ar signed regulation that makes possession and consumption solely an administrative fine — and both a cheaper one, and one that does not increase for a subsequent “offense.” Such regulations also replace the older laws, set in 2019, which expire at the end of this month. Fines are capped at about $150 per offense. Minors, soldiers, police officers, and soldiers serving as prison guards are still excluded from use.

While still not full legalization, this is at least a holding action of the status quo after efforts to enact full recreational legalization failed in November 2020.

Israelis who wish to have their criminal records for possession of cannabis wiped off the books can also apply, with this form, to the Ministry of Justice to have their “crime” expunged.

The patrons of the Smokey Monkey may be the first Israeli cannabis users to be able to enter a cannabis cafe, but of course, they will not be the last.

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Fines would be capped at about $150 dollars.

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Israeli Justice Minister Gideon Sa’ar proposed new guidelines last week which further move the consumption of cannabis away from a criminal offense and propose essentially creating an administrative one, punishable with a maximum fine of 1,000 shekels (about $310). Fines would also be limited for members of the Israeli Defense Forces, police, and minors who are excluded from the new regulation. Possession will now be treated like a traffic offense.

Prosecution will not be allowed except under “exceptional cases” and does not distinguish between a first and subsequent offense.  Under current guidelines, possession is fined on the first and second offense. Under current regulations, a first offense is fined at 1,000 shekels. A second offense is 2,000 shekels and a third offense is considered a criminal violation requiring a conditional settlement deal. A fourth offense could result in conviction.

The new guidelines are still temporary—there is every sense of a holding action here—but are set to replace the measures in place since 2019 and which expire in March. 

However, this is far from the full and final victory many Israelis have been hoping, if not lobbying, for. Without this extension, the use of cannabis would have reverted to a fully criminal offense. 

Full legalization was proposed two years ago by the previous justice minister, Avi Nissenkorn, but this has been delayed by a change of government. The new government, however, appears to be content with hanging on to the status quo, no matter how temporary, instead of actually codifying full recreational reform into law. 

The new legislation still needs to be approved by the Constitution and the Law and Justice Committee.

Israel is not the only country now hanging onto prohibition laws by a thread after proposing a final change. The government in Luxembourg has repeatedly stalled on their promise to bring full reform into law by next year, proposing a seed market instead. Portugal’s reform, long in the works, was also stymied last year by the fall of the last government. In Germany, despite the new traffic light coalition putting this issue on their agenda, recent discussion has been to push the entire conversation back so the government can focus on COVID.

The Oldest Medical Market

Israel has the distinction of having the world’s oldest medical market as well as the largest one. The depth of research in the country leads the world simply because cannabinoid science was invented here by Raphael Mechoulam after WWII.

Even these developments have not been without controversy. Despite leading the world in cannabis research for the latter half of the last century and the first two decades of this one, Israeli patients have had to fight for further reform and access just like in other countries. In 2014, for example, Israeli parents, frustrated with a lack of access to even low-THC cannabis, threatened the government that they would immigrate to Colorado. The threat worked, and greater access occurred within the next months.

Recreational reform, however, along with exports has repeatedly stalled over the last years mainly due to opposition from the country’s extreme right wing as well as the overarching issues of flying in the face of international law, which still regards cannabis as a Schedule I drug.

What Could Move the Needle in Israel?

At this point, the Israelis, just like other countries, are on the verge of full reform, but nobody really seems to have an appetite for moving forward too aggressively. 

The entire discussion also remains a highly politicized one, just about everywhere.

That said, Israel is likely to move forward with reform this year or next if either the United States or Germany decides to implement federal recreational reform. In the latter case, the Israelis have been eyeing the growing medical market with interest—indeed some firms now sell their products here (although not flower). Israeli firms were also left out of the first cultivation bid here in 2017, and none won the bid as of 2019. That went to Canadian firms Aphria (now merged with Tilray), Aurora and Demecan, a German firm which essentially replaced Wayland.

Former Israeli politicians like Ehud Olmert and Ehud Barak (both former prime ministers), Tzipi Livni, former foreign minister, former police commissioner Zohanan Danino and retired Shin Bet security agency director Yaakov Peri are all flocking to the industry now, trying to move the issue domestically with their domestic capital.

Over 100,000 Israelis have permits to consume the drug medically, a 16-fold increase in just the last decade. This increase has come largely because of protests and subsequent reform which make it easier for doctors to prescribe cannabis for a range of conditions, including chronic pain, cancer, PTSD, epilepsy and similar conditions.

Medical cannabis consumption was 43 metric tons in 2021 according to the Health Ministry and worth around $264 million—about $7 million less than the entire European market (of which Germany is the largest consumer).

Full recreational reform will clearly juice the industry here, just like everywhere else.

The question remains, however, when this final move will come. In the meantime, small victories count.

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