Mazel Tov! Israeli Cannabis Company Obtained Kosher Certification

By Franca Quarneti via El Planteo. 

What happened? In Israel, a cannabis company called Seach Medical Group has obtained a kosher (or kashrut) certification.

What does this imply?

Kosher means cannabis was prepared according to Jewish dietary standards. Thanks to this certification, may incline more Jews - even Orthodox - to consume medical cannabis.

As reported by High Times, Israel is one of the most advanced medical cannabis markets in the world. In the country, there are more than 100.000 registered patients with cannabis licenses.

There is also evidence that Jews have used cannabis for religious reasons for thousands of years.

Although it is not strictly required for medications to be kosher-certified (in life-or-death situations, for example), it is preferred and recommended that they do.

This new designation of cannabis as kosher is likely to prompt other companies to obtain its certification, increasing sales not only in Israel but also in cities around the world, such as New York.

What does it mean that cannabis is kosher?

In dialogue with Forbes, Rabbi Yaakov Cohen, administrator of the company Whole Kosher Services (a firm dedicated to certifying kosher foods), explains: “Kosher certification goes beyond guaranteeing that a product does not contain prohibited ingredients. The designation also means that the product has been made in a clean facility under hygienic conditions.”

"When something has a kosher certification it means that there is another set of eyes that are looking at this product," Cohen expands. "Kosher basically, in its broad definition, means 'fit for consumption.'"

For instance, when it comes to the unadulterated form of the cannabis plant, getting kosher certification is not that complex because there are no animal products involved.

However, in the case of manufactured cannabis products, such as gummies or oils, the process is more extensive. Factories must be inspected four to six times a year, infusion oils must be kosher, and gummies must be free of gelatin (because it is derived from animal bones).

Photo cole-keister-on unsplash edited by El Planteo CC.