With Israel having one of the world's highest rates of medical cannabis consumption per capita, a Health Ministry committee on Sunday recommended an end to the use and marketing of medical cannabis for smoking within the next three years. The plan would phase out the smoking of medical cannabis, due to health risks and inconsistent absorption. Instead, patients would use extracts or precision inhalers.
There has been a sharp uptick in the number of medical cannabis license holders, jumping from 33,000 in 2019 to 140,000 in 2025, said Dr. Gilad Bodenheimer, head of the ministry's mental health division, and chairman of the ministry's special committee on medical cannabis.
He also said there has been a marked spike in use among men and people under the age of 45. According to the data presented to the committee, 62 percent of patients consume more than 30 grams (about one ounce) of cannabis per month.
There is widespread use of preparations with high THC concentrations, which appear in about 88% of licenses, as well as an almost complete dominance of consumption by smoking.
Read more at The Times of Israel
