Israel – Deputy Health Minister Ya’akov Litzman announced on Monday that medicinal marijuana will now be available in pharmacies, a decision that will result in more doctors being allowed to prescribe the drug.
Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
Litzman said on Monday that there was disorganization in the administering of medical marijuana.
“Today there are drugs like morphine that are dispensed in a proper way and we will do the same with this,” Litzman said, referring to cannabis.
“There will be a prescription and we will supervise,” he added.
Litzman said that as soon as marijuana is available in the pharmacies, the Health Ministry will make sure that improper use of the drug does not spread.
The policy up until Litzman’s decision was that only special Ministry of Health appointed physicians were allowed to prescribe medical marijuana, a policy criticized by many for its bureaucratic obstacles.
MK Tamar Zandberg (Meretz) praised the deputy health minister’s decision.
“In past years the medicinal marijuana issue has reached a dead end that caused doctors to feel helpless and caused suffering to patients,” Zandberg said.
Labor MK Shelly Yacimovich similarly lauded the decision.
“This is a 180 degree turn from the current Health Ministry policy.” Yacimovich said that what is required now is daring, persistence and the ability to execute the policy.
Content is provided courtesy of the Jerusalem Post
Strange Bedfellows, the haredi Litzman, Mertez MK Tamar Zandberg and
Labor MK Shelly Yacimovich. Maybe the left will start appreciating just what a devoted man to the nation’s health Rabbi Litzman is.
And in other, unrelated, news the Israeli government announced today and expected 500% increase in Aliyah in 2016, or as the government spokesperson said, “we expect 2016 Aliyah to be an all time high”.