Jewish Authorities Approve New York's First Brand of Kosher Marijuana

The most conservative and Orthodox Jews (and, at times, even more moderate ones) only make, buy and consume what is considered kosher; that is, products compliant with their religion's rules. About a year ago the Orthodox Union of New York began to consider the possibility of religiously approving the use of medical cannabis.

Rabbi Moshe Elefant, Operations Director of the foremost agency certifying products as kosher, held talks with patients and associations to determine whether or not to allow cannabis to be used as medicine amongst those who follow Judaism.

Upon the start of the new year, the same institution granted permission for the first marijuana products in the region to be accepted by the community. The company Vireo Health was issued the first license with these characteristics, one which will make it possible to produce non-smokeable, medical cannabis products intended for the Jewish community.

CEO Ari Hoffnung, said that the decision will help meet the nutrition needs of the largest Jewish community in the US and dispel "the unfortunate stigmas associated with medical cannabis." He added that the news sends an important message to representatives of all religions and backgrounds, who might now understand that the medical use of this plant can be essential to alleviating many patients’ pain and suffering.

However, the effective implementation of this certification remains to be seen, since state regulations tend to disregard religious rules, and the state programme that makes the medicinal plant available is still quite restrictive. The authorities will be responsible for deciding who can have a prescription for the medical use of cannabis, and what products one can consume. In any case, America's Jewish community wields great power over political decisions, so this step is likely to have a major impact.