The Israeli government this week formally acknowledged the therapeutic utility of cannabis and announced newly amended guidelines governing the state-sponsored production and distribution of medical cannabis to Israeli patients.
A prepared statement posted Monday on the website of office of the Israeli Prime Minister stated: “The Cabinet today approved arrangements and supervision regarding the supply of cannabis for medical and research uses. This is in recognition that the medical use of cannabis is necessary in certain cases. The Health Ministry will – in coordination with the Israel Police and the Israel Anti-Drug Authority – oversee the foregoing and will also be responsible for supplies from imports and local cultivation.”
According to Israeli news reports, approximately 6,000 Israeli patients are supplied with locally grown cannabis as part of a limited government program. This week’s announcement indicates that government officials intend to expand the program to more patients and centralize the drug’s cultivation. “[T]here are predictions that doctor and patient satisfaction is so high that the number could reach 40,000 in 2016,” The Jerusalem Post reported.
The Israeli Ministry of Health is expected to oversee the production of marijuana in January 2012.
Similar government-sponsored medical marijuana programs are also active in Canada and the Netherlands.
By contrast, in July the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) formally denied a nine-year-old petition calling on the agency to initiate hearings to reassess the present classification of marijuana as a schedule I controlled substance, stating in the July 8, 2011 edition of the Federal Register that cannabis has “a high potential for abuse; … no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States; … [and] lacks accepted safety for use under medical supervision.”
FUCK the government.
tHANK YOU GOD. WHEW!
Mazzeltov!
Congratulations to Israel! It’s the last nation on the planet I’d expect to wage war on its own citizens.
Now if the U.S. government would only have a Pauline moment, a Road-to-Damascus moment!
There is just too much evil, misery, and waste linked to cannabis prohibition! From executions for it in China and the Middle East to all the shit here in America!
As painful as it may be for those who haven’t been
financially ruined by cannabis prohibition,
KEEP RUNNING THE ECONOMY INTO THE GROUND UNTIL
CANNABIS IS LEGALIZED!
Uncle Sam will continue to deny any scientific facts that support cannabis use and I venture to say they will threaten sanctions of some kind against the Israeli government for supporting medical cannabis.
This is a game changer.
Welp thats it guys it wont be long now. As Im sure you all know that the jews pretty much own the major news outlets IE: CNN. So if their approving it as a culture we will be close behind. Plus money is envolved sooo……well you know.
“a high potential for abuse; … no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States”, that part literally makes me laugh out loud. It’s so factually a lie, it has now become laughable to most; including me.
Oh and the other line that cracks me up also is “lacks accepted safety for use under medical supervision.” I mean anyone with even a limited knowledge of the benefits of Marijuana, know that the statement is a factual lie.
However with the way the U.S. is currently “struggling”, I would imagine we will be one of the last countries to change our laws over to the factual side.
Kewl the more posative stances on Marijuana the better. Notice how the last paragraph notes how the DEA notes that cannabis has “a high potential for abuse” really? What about alcohol the hypocrites they go home and consume to relax after a hard days work? Last I herd alcohol has a very high potential for abuse and the withdrawls can kill a person. I work in a hospital and have for 20yrs and don’t think I have ever seen a pt in THC withdrawls. Hmmm Maybe the THC could help with the alcohol DT’S?
The US Government has it’s head up it’s ass! Who are they to tell a Physician what is an acceptable drug. IN addition, their reasoning is that Cannabis has “a high potential for abuse;REALLY?????????????? Wake up and smell the alcohol! I don;t see how this is still an issue in 2011. Someone organize a massive civil disobedience showdown and let Washington enough is enough! We don’t need a daddy telling us what we can or cannot do. I am a consenting adult.
The Israeli government is a criminal organization, I know because i am Israeli living in Tel Aviv. All the Israeli government did was to put themselves in charge as the only, i repeat, the only MJ dealer in Israel. today the growers sell directly to the smokers. what the government did was put themselves in the middle and they are going to buy the weed and sell to people. they will make all the money and have all the control over the growers and smokers. they will make everyone suffer as they are used to. don’t be fooled with words. all they want is all the money and all the control over MJ. they are criminals and they use their power to make everyone suffer…
Hmmm….the U.S. usually threatens nations that are lax on enforcing marijuana laws (like Morocco and Lebanon, for example) with trade sanctions. Wonder how they’re going to deal with their Middle Eastern favorite and best military weapons customer now? I find this simply wonderful!
I’d seriously consider making aliyah to Israel just for this, but am somewhat opposed to having to serve in the IDF. I already served in the U.S. Army and one army was enough, thanks.
i guess i know where i’m going next summer… 🙂
This has gone on long enough and more and more of us are gaining on the problem,s with these stupid laws of probation against Gods greatest medicine ever grown on this earth. People like Ashlinger and now Leonhart both pupets of a messed up system have put our medicne in a catagory with cocain and LSD. Like they say {Man made cocain,LSD and alcohol. God made Cannabis}.We were lied to now laughted at in our seriousness of this problem and how we should resolve it.How could a country let a man suffer when the relief is there but your a criminal because you use it. It’s B.S! Kemo kicked my ass and still I suffer with the after math of the toxic drugs they purged through my body. I put my neck on the line for this great country for 6 yrs. and I’m afraid to use a God given medicine they used here in American befor the like’s of Ashlinger or Leonhart the puppet’s of the system the DEA needed to keep their monies coming in at the expence of the American tax payer’s you and me. Now it’s time they work for us and stop all the lieing. There has never been a drug war it’s a way for the rich to get richer.And the polotican’s use our live’s as game peice’s STOP THE WAR ON HUMANITY.
I’ve read that the quality of the government produced pot in Canada is very poor. I hope the Israelis do it better.
Israel is also building the infrastructure for charging stations all over the country. Vote the neanderthals out in 2012 ! It’s time. If they are still spewing those old lies about MJ, vote them out ! Let’s face it, if they are so behind the times in regards to MJ, they are most likely behind the times about everything else, too. Look at what they’ve done to our economy. We can stop going to jail or the morgue and fix the economy at the same time. 2012 !
It is good news. Maybe they didn’t show Reefer Madness (a mind poisoner and bad joke) to their kids, and the real truth about cannabis will somehow make it into the American press. On the other had, I hate to see any government agency manage something this lucrative. Can you imagine the graft? The only way to stop this is to let everybody/anybody grow.
This is because of my potimism philosophy.
I’m sure Congress and the President will see the light now,right? I mean, how could’nt they.They are definitely solving all our other problems they had nothing to do with…right? I can’t wait to see the coverage now on Fox and CNN.Can anyone out there tell me what the Poll numbers are for the average Joe nickel sack worker that flat out refuses to ever be drug tested again by any employer?, Like myself.Course I guess it would’nt matter anymore anyway because Corporate America does’nt hire real Americans anyhow. All their hiring is done abroad or they bring in foreign workers so they can keep the lockout in place.Anyway I have faith in Congress, I’m sure they’ll do the right thing now…Right???
The israeli culture has been flirting with Hashish for centuries.No?possibly thousands of years. It’s refreshing that they are getting back to their roots and enjoying something that was part of their heritage and should be…
And just think,this is part of the “Wave” that was caused by the 215 Amendment that was brought into law in California in 1996..
Imagine the Religious -Right Wing -Conservative Republican,Tea -Bag(what ever they call themselves) how shocked they would be to realise that the geographical area where the Bible was transcribed was an area that is indigenous to the Herb-Kaneh-Bosm is a Hebrew word.
Yet how out of touch they are…making Hashish a felony, because it can be “manufactured” by something like a human hand rubbing a Cannabis flower.. How about “we stomp on some grapes and make some Wine.is that some kind of evil Fabrication as well? Let us enjoy the bounty of the Earth the way God intended… Unless you believe in “Darwins Theory”
“a bunch of apes trying to hump each other for domination and control’ if that’s the case then it’s time to start evolving idiots.
I think I read this somewhere, 1 hin of olive oil, 500 shekels of myrrh, 500 shekels of cassia, 250 shekels of fragrant cinnamon, and 250 shekels of sweet CALAMUS, (which professional entomologists deciphered to be CANNABIS). Congradulations Israel for acknowledging God’s medicine –
A side effect of normalized use of cannabis for medical reasons might be that, over time, we notice that regular users of presumably high-quality marijuana do not suffer from the many feared negative consequences that drug warriors have imagined. Maybe even prohibitionists will come to realize that, at any potency, this actually is a non-toxic plant that causes dramatically less harm to users than alcohol or tobacco.
People our government doesnt want to give up the grip hold on marijuana. Why else would they own patents for it (U.S. Patent Office issued patent #6630507 to the U.S.Health and Human Services filed on 2/2/2001) yet they say it has no accepted value? Do you know that the people hired by the government to research marijuana is ONLY looking for negative sideaffects of marijuana and not positives? Look at what ness said on the 11th comment. He lives in Isreal and knows whats happening. Its taking the money form the growers that are just trying to get by and hands it over to a government who will spend the money on war and policing to protect their income. If Marijuana is legalized it won’t be from the will of the people but yet a government that has no where else to turn to gain income.. I have a feeling marijuana legalization will be too little too late for our country to try and rebound off of since the top ten percent and large corporations continue to want tax cuts putting us in debt a trillion a year.
Sorry the patent is 6630507.. check it out!!
DEA you are not my authority. i feel sorry for them, the money in their pockets force them to be ignorant. yes it is sad and angering. but it’s a fallen soldier of love. it’s never funny.
This is great news! And, as the guy from tel-Aviv says this puts the Israeli government in the position of middle man. Bad News!
This now makes 3 foreign countries – each no larger than America’s armpit (NJ) – 3 countries are now light years ahead of America on drug policy. SHAMEFUL!
The DEA is a government funded terrorist organization.
They are heavily armed, while pot smokers are generally unarmed. You call that a war? I call it DICTATORSHIP.
What a joke! Does anyone on this planet like to be laughed at? Michelle Leonhart [thinks] she knows more than Israel, Canada, Portugal, and the Netherlands. Perhaps it’s because she [doesn’t think]. Any way – ha! ha! ha!
It will be interesting now to see what pressure or sanctions the U.S. tries to impose on the Israelis for pulling their heads out of their asses.
Well as much as I don’t like the Israeli government… at least they changed something.. But they’re still controlling it too much. I wouldn’t be surprised if the USA is next in line for something like this. Whether you like it or not, the Israeli (jewsish) government has power in our country. Their lobby is very powerful, if they want it legal here it will be.
Jewish* 😀
Way to go Israel!
When the 2012 election gets near,if NORML would be so kind as to post all of the politicians names who are against marijuana, we will be kind enough to vote them out of office! It’s time for them to go!
Due to our legal situation as a non-profit organization, it makes it complicated for us to come out and directly endorse specific candidates.
However, you can check out the facebook page for our Political Action Committee here:
http://www.facebook.com/normlpac
Through our PAC we post letters and position statements from legislators as we receive them or as our followers submit them. There are plenty already available, check them out and see if your elected officials have taken a public stance.
The NORML blog is the best news resource on the topic and you guys do GREAT work!! I just wanted to say good job and keep up the good work.
I have sadly come to believe that America’s leaders are some of the stupidest and greediest people on the planet. They cannot be trusted to do the right thing since they typically choose to do whatever benefits themselves. Regardless of the decision by Israel’s more intelligent leaders, I don’t expect for America’s leaders to jump on board anytime soon…
@34 – I too wish we had a list of politicians that would let us know who is for/against legalizing marijuana… I’ve been wishing that for a quite a while now. That would probably speed up the process of legalization tremendously!
If pot was legal the DEA would be forced to focus on hard drug dealers. People heavily armed and violent. Most of the pot is also produced and sold within the United States.
Most of the arrests come from the marijuana trade as it is more popular for illegal drugs. Most times the pot dealers also go quietly when arrested.
If you were a DEA agent who would you rather bust? A pot dealer or a big cocaine Cartel that is connected in Latin American countries where violence comes natural? Those are the people havily armed with no intentions of going to prison. I think the answer is that anyone would rather focus on busting people in the pot trade.
If you worked in law enforcement you would rather go after a person that is less likely to shoot back.
The risk of getting shot would go up if their only focus was on hard drug dealers.
Michelle Leonhart once said the increased violence in Mexico was a sign of success in winning the war on drugs. Maybe she would like to tell it to the Mexican town where it was recently reported that the whole police force quit their job in fear of the Cartels. Apparently those cops have no intentions of getting shot at over the war on drugs. If that was going on in the U.S the drug war would have ended by now.
Every American facing cancer in their own body or a family member needs to know ISRAEL has been the leader in curing this medical malady, and is the leader in medical solutions of many modern illnesses. For a measley 2 billion bux a yr. ,they sure give back a lot more than the billion per week into IRAQ or Afghanistan.
I hate when people say that marijuana is legal because politicians and big pharma want more money. If they would legalize weed, more people would use it and part of the proceeds would go to them….duh. They would still have treatment centers for them and people on probation would still be drug tested for marijuana as they are for alchohol. More people would also be busted for other things because the time used for busting people for weed would be replaced by catching people doing other illegal things, mainly small pety crimes like traffic tickets and stuff like that. If they were to legalize weed, traffic tickets would probably go up in price so the politicians can get there money. That’s why we need to stop thinking that weed is illegal because politicians want more money. They just need to strategize want they want to do and unfornunatly, they have more important things to do right now. Just give it time and effort. WEED WILL BE LEGAL!
I meant illegal on the first line….oops
This is just my opinion but right now the DEA is controlling what class marijuana stays in for the scheduled class. Their organization gets funding for the war on drugs. Their main drug to make busts on is marijuana.
DEA’s job is not traffic tickets and other crimes. They are strictly a drug enforcement administration.
When they make drug busts it’s more money they get to seize for their organization. New cop cars, new surveillance equipment, and other toys.
There is corruption in this country as well as other countries. There is no telling how many people in law enforcement put some unmarked cash into their own pockets during a drug bust.
Now with the pharmacutical, politicians as well as other people have shares in drug companies. People trade stocks and if a company is doing good the stock will go up. When a company is doing bad the stock will go down, profit margin drops. Drug companies are a billion dollar industry and CEO’s have the money to lobby against changes in laws. Fund money to a politician’s campaign if they promise to protect your interests or give them personal checks if they back up your business. People are greedy when it comes to money.
If pot competes with some of the top selling legal drugs in America, that can drive a stock up or down when the shareholders panic on the future of prescription and over the counter drug sales. People aren’t growing their own morphine supply or making lab type pills for their own medical needs. They are however, growing marijuana.
You can grow a plant! You can grow medicine when it comes to marijuana.
Since medical use of marijuana has become more accepted more people have decided to try marijuana as a medicine for their medical problems. If people decide they like marijuana better, they switch to using marijuana. The drug companies do not control marijuana at this point in time. Patients are getting it from dispensaries that get the pot from licensed growers or they are growing their own.
This is amazing! Israel legalizes marijuana for medical purposes!
I want to see this on ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, FOX, etc., and I want to hear Obama and his minions explain WHY marijuana is legal in Israel and why Israel discovered THC and not the United States!
Food for thought…
If israel is finally grasping the benefits of cannabis, it’s only a matter of time before America follows suit. One benefit that nobody can ignore is money. The GOP can’t ignore how much revenue they can bring in. In Texas alone we bring in an annual estimated 30 billion if taxed like alcohol, imagine how much the whole country could bring in annually and how fast we could get out of debt as a nation.
Good for Israel! Every government, every state, every city, every person that comes to realize that cannabis is good medicine is good news.
Michelle Leonhart
Anyone can be a hard ass – that’s easy – but – not everyone can be a good attorney. If it’s the DEA’s job to enforce the laws “on the books” – why isn’t she bound to do that instead of making her own personal laws. If anyone has to go – it’s her – she’s the Coyote. She is the “Master Prohibitionist.” She is the enforcer of evil!
Exodus 30:23 (he uses KANEH BOSM to make holy oil)
@ 22 Prince Charles – Calamus is a plant’s name. It is a reed that grows by water. The name comes from a Greek myth. Calamus was a son of a god. He was in love with a youth (that’s right its a homo myth). The youth was killed in a accident and Calamus was transformed into the reed. The wind through the reeds on the banks of rivers is said to be the sighing of the god for his lost love. I love Greek myths.
It is hard to believe that a government is finally adopting a grown up attitude vis-a-vis the marijuana.
The world is starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel of prohibition.Wise move and millions of thanks to Dr.Raphael Mechoulam whose pioneer work on THC help pave the way to a better world.
Another great step for mankind. Now if we can wean the DEA off their “money maker” attitude towards marijuana and get American politicians to wake up we will have peace in this country
The Israeli government always has the best interests of its people in mind whenever it does anything. Their government has always been quick to adopt the use of anything that was recognized as performing a useful function. Also, they are not afraid of world opinion—in Israel, a spade is a spade is a spade. Too bad the United States Government can’t get its head out of its ass long enough to realize that. We will be the last country on earth to legalize pot because of the government’s boneheaded arrogance and the idiotic international stance America takes on the subject. Ignorance is rampant! We will never run out of that.
Israel has a plan because they are in control of their own lives. Plans are for those who are in control of their own lives. They recognize marijuana and its uses as a good thing ( a gift from GOD ).
Wonder how they could put fake weed and fake zanbars and fake coke on the market but can’t put the most researched and sucessful drug ever in the hands of people that need it! Big Drug companys should see an investment opertunity not a threat. Democracy is Shot to hell!
Has the american government stated their opinion on this news? From what i can tell, if i didnt know about this wonderful website i wouldn’t know about this at all. I have seen no news coverage about this decision made by the israeli government. This needs more attention.
Calamus was a mistranslation in the Septuagint of the hebrew kaneh bosm. Chris Bennet writes about that and the conscousness effecting aspects of cannabis in general eg http://www.cannabisculture.com/backissues/cc05/kanehb.html
Does anyone know why the cannabis political party in Israel called itself – ale yarok – green leaf, instead of kaneh bos(m) – cannabis?
Remember the memorable words of President Nixon (to Bob ?)?
“You know, it’s a funny thing, every one of the bastards that are out for legalizing marijuana are Jewish. What the Christ is the matter with the Jews, Bob? What is the matter with them? I suppose it is because most of them are psychiatrists.”
Statement (26 May 1971) as quoted in Newsweek (27 May 2004)
This is a strange continuation certain people getting rights over others. i don’t support the state of israel, the funding in US taxpayer dollars, and the threat of terrorism due to israels occupation.
glad they get to smoke their cake and eat it too. Mods dont like comments about Zionism?
Israel recently completed a study that said Cannabis can be used to successfully treat PTSD. Meanwhile, America founders in the Neo Dark Age and goes backwards instead of forward. America will not authorize medical studies of medical Cannabis. Also, too many doctors are afraid to ask to study it because of the possible impact to their career.
I recently read an article on the medical corps of the Roman Army during the days of Ancient Rome. They were able to save up to 80% to 90% of their wounded soldiers that reached a field hospital. They also had medical techniques and medicines that got forgotten in the Dark Ages. The Romans goal was to save as many soldiers as possible and nothing—-nothing—-was allowed to stand in the way of that. No religious taboo, no law, no bias was allowed to interfere with saving lives. Any new medical discovery was used immediately if it was successful. They never let any religious taboo or law interfere with research. Now, contrast that to 21st century America where religious superstition does not allow proper stem cell research, medical cannabis, and adequate dispensation of the “morning after” pill. America is not the “bright city on the hill” as ol’ Ronnie Reagan said. We are the dark, dirty, superstitious Medieval village, foundering in ignorance and burning people at the stake.
its not about the government ..its about big bussiness.. Alcohol tobacco big pharma … they run the show..and if if its legallized ..they will all loose billions…
60. Nixon was a stooge. He was a puppet – bought and paid for by David and Nelson at the 5th Avenue Compact. Tricky Dick said – shaking his little jitter bug head “I’m no crook.” Not only a crook but our long national nightmare. And – China was in the bag before Tricky Dick went there. That was just a photo shoot.
60. Paul
Nixon: “What the Christ [himself a Jew] is the matter with the Jews?” Tell me about the rabbits George!
“I suspect – many of them are newly converted Republicans that voted for you – but – have since recognized their mistake.” Too bad ya got a little too big for your britches – and – they set ya up like bowling pins and Oswald. That little piece of missing tape didn’t mean shit- Butterfield was tapping you from the basement – down there with the rest of the “plumbers.”
If you think there’s something wrong with them – then – there’s something wrong with them. If you think there’s nothing wrong with them – there’s nothing wrong with them. The answer lies in “your” mind.
The DEA is a wicked out of control monster. Motivated not by logic, science, or religion, but by money and greed. They do not care about humanity. They have no respect for human life, they kill people or throw them in prison over inocent little weed. Cannabis has never hurt anyone. Pure lunacey motivated by big money. The good news is millions of people are sick and tired of the DEA and things are going to change. They will be downsized, because nobody wants to pay for their retarded policy anymore except ignorant, misinformed people. Educated people will not stand for the waste, fraud and abuse of our government resources anymore. The drug zar and president Obama are puppets and need to be fired asap. Please do not vote for Obama and Bush’s drug zar in the presidential election. Why is the DEA wasting money and valuable resources on cannibis instead of focussing their attention on the real problems? Like the out of control distribution of narcotics. Thousands die and more prostitute, steal,and destroys lives just to get there hands on that little pill. The drug zar did mention they need to focus more on the narcotics cause it does seem to be a problem, what an idiot. Fire him please! This type of greed is destryoing our country. Peace and love will make our economy strong, not war and greed. We need to educate not descriminate. We the people have the power.
Hilary was absolutely correct – “It won’t be legalized – there’s too much money in it.” They’re already making more off/from its illegality than they would if they legalized it.
@ 22 & 59 – Walt Whitman wrote several homoerotic poems – these are called the “Calamus Poems” – due to the Greek myth I recounted. Here is one.
http://www.bartleby.com/142/61.html
Sorry, but I love philosophy and poetry. I think I’ll go smoke up a cannabus dream now.
Our government probably have the DEA in Israel to check out the situtation and come up with some kind of POLITICAL or FEDERAL BLACKMAIL against their country on marijuana decisions. BIG BROTHER and FEDERALISM going beyond our borders with the message we are the American Taliban of Drugs.
I still don’t understand how OUR Government can have Patents on “Medically benificial” compounds found in Cannabis.and in the same breath say Cannabis has no medical value…Look up US Patent #6630507. see for yourself
The Israelis run the USAs State Department, they run the Dept of Defense, they run the Dept of Homeland Security, and nearly every national politician kowtows to their puppet-master in the USA, AIPAC.
If they ran the DHHS and the DEA, cannabis would already have been re-legalized in the USA. Perhaps if we increased the amount of foreign aid to Israel enough, they might consider taking over those government agencies as well.
With the current status quo regarding both mainstream political parties here in the USA, such a fanciful concept is the ONLY way that the Feds will change MMJ laws … fascist bastards!
[Editor’s note: Yah, yah, yah….sure…Jews run the world….please express your warped and antisemitic views some where else.]
Didnt know there were so many Israeli hating Muslims trolling NORML. Good Job Israel, and its ok to take the distribution into the gov.’s hands. Atleast its a step in the right direction of legalization. Better than nothing at all. Its better off in the governments hands than untaxed drug dealers and gangs.
Re:73
Who needs to troll NORML with anti Israel comments
when stuff like 75 “[…] ISRAEL-PALESTINAAmerican Jew was not allowed to enter Israel on suspicion of converting to Islam” is posted automatically?!
The U$A must think it gets something for the billions it gives to Israhell each year?!
If Henery Ford had his way there would not be an oil shortage, he built a car out of hemp, to be run on bio-diesel made from hemp.
I have never used my V.A. benefits for a home or business. I’m inquiring as to whether I could gain a legal license of growing and distributing medical marijuana in Jerusalem, Israel and setting up a business there though I am an American citizen.
Sincerely, Messianic Rabbi/Composer
Richard LeMar Zadworny retired OS3UDT/SEALS Petty Office.
Its not possible to open shop only a few people have been authorized to grow. And the Israeli govt didnt allow the growers to charge ANY fee. Unlike the CA govt it considered any exchange of money as drug dealing. It has since changed the law to allow for a processing fee of 400 shekels a month (roughly $100), but that is good for monthly supply which ranges based on the doctors Rx. Some people receive 120g/ month ( 4 joint/day 1 joint= 1g)
Now that the government of Israel grows Cannabis for hospitals, it’s high time the USA, who backs Israel with military weapons, legalizes Cannabis throughout the USA to show the world that Cannabis heals all wounds.