The Health Minister for Israel, Nitzan Horowitz, announced earlier this week that cannabidiol (CBD) is to be removed from the country’s list of dangerous drugs.
The popular cannabinoid, will be available for use within cosmetic, food and medical products in approximately two years Haaretz reports, following necessary preparations by Israeli authorities.
This will come as welcome news to citizens across the country, in addition to domestic and international stakeholders holding an interest in the thriving cannabis market in Israel.
As one of the pioneering countries to permit patient access to medical cannabis, in addition to being a world leader in cannabis research, Israel’s laws around CBD have long seemed incongruous with its general attitude towards to plant.
Why is Israel changing its CBD laws?
CBD has fast become a popular ingredient for wellness products across the world. Heralded for its multitude of health benefits, whilst not being a psychotropic cannabinoid like Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), consumers in many countries around the world are used to seeing the ingredient used in products on the high street.
December 2021 saw Horowitz appoint a committee to examine substances that should perhaps be removed from Israel’s list of dangerous drugs.
In addition to recommending that CBD be exempted from its current status as a dangerous drug, recommendations were issued around the quantities of THC permitted in CBD products in Israel.
Albeit the committee recommended a THC limit of 0.2%, Horowitz took the decision to raise this to 0.3% THC, bringing Israel in line with a handful of European countries on the matter.
Whilst the country readies itself for CBD product sales, the committee recommends continued research into the safety of such food and cosmetic products, in addition to creating a robust enforcement system to ensure only products that meet the regulatory requirements make it onto Israeli shelves.
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