Why Israel Is A Global Leader In Cannabis

This article was originally published on The Fresh Toast and appears here with permission.

Israel has become an international giant in the cannabis country. That is especially unique considering the region.

Israel is a global leader in cannabis, But currently the country is being rocked with protests as citizens feel the country is moving to an unhealthy form of government. Long a beacon of democracy, it is has been a steadfast partner of the United States and has developed a robust technology industry. Benjamin Netanyahu, who is again the country’s leader after some bruising elections has been forcing changes on the government structure which would give more authority to the prime minister. This would come at the expense of the Supreme Court and a check on everyone’s power. Continued protest could destabilize the country.

Israel has been a tech and medical tech innovator and been conducting extensive research on medical cannabis. A key focus is on adherence, safety, and effectiveness of medical cannabis, as well as the epidemiological characteristics of the patient population. In addition, there has been research on the impact of cannabis consumption during immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) immunotherapy.

One of the most prominent figures in cannabis research is Raphael Mechoulam, a pioneering Israeli chemist who identified the structure and function of the key compounds of cannabis. Mechoulam and his team at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, began to break down the chemical structures of THC, the psychoactive compound in marijuana, to assess how it did what it did — namely, make users high. He continued this research for decades at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

The cannabis research in Israel has been conducted in collaboration with various institutions, including the Clinical Research Center Faculty of Health Sciences Soroka University Medical Center, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be’er Sheva, Israel Research Department Tikun Olam -Cannbit Pharmaceuticals Tel Aviv, Israel, and the Raphael Mechoulam Institute for Drug Research Medical Faculty Hebrew University Jerusalem, Israel.

Israel has also become a global investor in the cannabis market. They see a global market that will be profitable. Recently, tobacco giant Philip Morris bought an Israeli cannabis firm for up to $650M.  Investment firms in the country has been making bets in the US, Canada and Europe for starts up believing in the long term growth and profits of cannabis.

Research institutions work closed with government agencies and law enforcement to secure product. Despite the amazing amount of research and investment in cannabis, marijuana is still illegal in Israel, and researchers have had to develop contacts within law enforcement to procure a supply for their studies.  It is decriminalized in Israel, so smoking pot in Tel Aviv and other places will not get you in trouble. Officers aren’t very strict when it comes to cannabis consumption, especially if you’re not causing any harm to the community. Being Israel, they have premium product available from black market dealers.