Israel continues on the path to decriminalize cannabis possession

Israel is a country that has positioned itself as a pioneer over the last few years, not only in the cannabis industry, but also with regard to legislation of the plant. In the latest attempt, the Minister for Justice, Ayelet Shaket, proposed that the criminal proceedings applied now should be replaced by financial punishments.

This new draft bill, which has quite a lot of backing from legislators as well as from among civic society, would make it possible for the possession of cannabis for personal use to stop being considered as a criminal act. Despite that, it has not been possible for the bill to go ahead, due to above all, the opposition of the Public Safety minister, Gilad Erdan.

Despite that, this should not be viewed as a defeat. Erdan has also agreed to form a committee in order to examine the terms of the bill and create a version that pleases everyone. Consequently, it is possible to hope that over the coming months the country could celebrate the decriminalisation of consumption.

If approved in the future, Israel would allow the possession of up to 15 grams for anyone over the age of 21. Likewise, under the guidelines of the new law, people that were discovered consuming cannabis would continue to be punished, but with a fine. If it was in their houses, the figure would be around 300 shekels (about 70 euros). If the interception took place in a public space, the amount would rise to 1500 shekels (344 euros).

Cannabis is widely accepted among citizens, a reason why the minister herself stated that its consumption was too widespread to continue considering it as a crime. In fact, Israel has one of the highest rates of legal cannabis consumption per inhabitant. Also, 21,000 people have a license to use the plant as a medicine.

Therefore, it seems that this is an ideal environment for a bill of this nature to pass without further complications. This is not the first time that the country has tried to progress in this regard. In March, similar legislation, which would have allowed up to 5 grams of cannabis for personal use, also ended up being rejected by legislators.

For now, it will be necessary to wait for the verdict of the committee in order to find out if the bill finally gets the green light. Meanwhile, and in comparison with previous attempts, what can indeed be affirmed is that the nation is still willing to make progress when it comes to recognising the freedom of cannabis consumers.