Some months ago I wrote about Israel’s potential rise as a cannabis superpower and recent news suggest the country is living up to its reputation as a leader in medical cannabis.

In January the government announced plans to open the local medical marijuana market to new farms and sellers.

Adding to the developments on a governmental level, Israeli startups are utilizing cannabis for medical and technological advancements all the while working their way around regulations and other hurdles.

TEL AVIV – Israel’s ultra-Orthodox health minister will propose a new plan to open up the market for medical marijuana, Ynet reported.

The Health Ministry, under Yakov Litzman of the religious party United Torah Judaism, published a plan to open the medical marijuana market to new farms and sellers.

“Even today there are pharmacies giving out all kinds of other medicines such as morphine,” said Litzman. “We will also sort out cannabis. There will be registration and we will supervise it.

“But it will be to the same standard as medicine.”

Israel’s medical marijuana program kicks into high gear.

Medical marijuana will soon be available in Israel pharmacies in the form of pre-rolled cigarettes, cookies and oils, as reported by The Times of Israel.

The number of prescribing doctors and farmers allowed to cultivate marijuana will also rise substantially, according to an Israel Health Ministry reform.

Currently patients must wait months to get a marijuana prescription because there are only 36 doctors in the country who are permitted to prescribe the drug, as The Times of Israel reported.

But no good news for patients awaiting permits.

The Health Ministry is moving ahead on a comprehensive plan on medical cannabis that would lift many restrictions that currently make life difficult for patients, doctors, growers and marketers of the plant.

An outline of the plan is now available for public scrutiny and comments, and next week it will be discussed by the Knesset Health Committee in the presence of Health Minister Yaakov Litzman, who is pushing for the plan.

There are currently 23,000 registered users of the herb to alleviate pain and neurological symptoms as well as cancer patients and PTSD sufferers.

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These encouraging results add to the Company’s previous successes noted among leading tomato growers in beta sites in Israel and Spain. Following these successful results, the Company has begun sales of its GateKeeper systems in Israel.

More growers and more prescribing doctors, says reform, but stronger enforcement to stop drug ‘trickle’ into recreational market

Medical cannabis is set to hit pharmacy shelves in Israel in the form of cigarettes, cookies and oil, while the number of doctors permitted to prescribe the natural painkiller and the number of farmers allowed to grow it will substantially increase, according to a Health Ministry reform.

At the same time, the entire production and supply chain will be strictly supervised to ensure that medical cannabis, also known as marijuana, is kept out of the recreational drug market, the Yedioth Ahronoth daily newspaper reported Tuesday.

Israel is considered a leader in cannabis research for medical uses, but many Israelis still face heavy bureaucracy to obtain the treatment.

A Knesset lobby for the use of medical cannabis has been established with Likud MK Sharren Haskel at its head, it was announced on Thursday.

“It has become accepted that medical cannabis has significant health benefits and an important place in the development of the world of medicine,” Haskel said, “but there are many impediments to its use. The trend is to limit this development, even though there are many seriously ill patients who need it.”

Israel is a leader in cannabis research for medical uses.

A Knesset lobby for the use of medical cannabis has been established with Likud MK Sharren Haskel at its head, it was announced on Thursday. “It has become accepted that medical cannabis has significant health benefits and an important place in the development of the world of medicine,” Haskel said, “but there are many impediments to its use. The trend is to limit this development, even tough there are many seriously ill patients who need it.”

Cannabis rugelach? It's not too exotic for Mindy Segal's new venture.

A New York company is preparing to market what it says is the world’s first kosher-certified marijuana.

The Orthodox Union has certified Vireo Health of New York’s non-smokable medical marijuana products, Vireo announced in a news release Wednesday. Vireo is one of five medical marijuana providers selected to participate in a New York state medical marijuana program that goes into effect next month; none of the others will be certified kosher.