Health Ministry panel seeks to halt use of medical cannabis in smokable form

Committee notes potentially harmful effects, spiking number of users as it recommends stricter guidelines and a more limited use of the drug

As Israel has earned the distinction of having one of the highest rates of medical cannabis consumption per capita in the world, the Health Ministry’s special committee on medical cannabis recommended on Sunday that Israel stop the use and marketing of medical cannabis for smoking within the next three years.

The plan will phase out the smoking of medical cannabis, and instead, patients will use extracts or precision inhalers, due to health risks and inconsistent absorption.

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 committee.

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.

Smoking medical cannabis increases tobacco consumption

The committee’s recommendations come on the heels of the 2023 recommendation by the Israel Medical Association that medical cannabis be administered primarily in oil form so that the harmful effects of smoking are mitigated.

The medical group noted that smoking cannabis “is more typical of recreational consumption than of consumption as part of medical treatment” and added that the “widespread practice of mixing cannabis with tobacco” is a factor in “an increase in tobacco addiction and an increase in smoking rates.”

Treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Since the mass terror assault in southern Israel that led to the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7, 2023, there has been a rising interest in various treatments for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), including medical cannabis.

Currently, about 17% of Israel’s cannabis patients are being treated for this disorder, according to Health Ministry data.

However, the committee argued that if cannabis treatment is part of the medical health system, then it should be monitored like all other medical treatments with clear doses, patient guidance, testing of side effects, and an established protocol for discontinuing treatment.

“There is a widespread belief among the public that cannabis is a magic cure, and this is not the case,” said Bodenheimer.

He said that there is a more than 20% risk of developing addiction, even among those who use it for medical purposes.

The committee said that while long-term damage caused by cannabis is proven, the benefit for PTSD sufferers is not sufficiently proven in studies. It expressed concern about the ability of patients to return to regular functioning.

The committee recommended using cannabis only in severe distress situations, such as insomnia or flashbacks, and only as an accompaniment to proven psychotherapy.

It also recommended that doctors sharpen the warning signs of addiction in order to protect patients and prevent their condition from worsening.

The dispensing of medical cannabis would be transferred to the health insurance funds within about a year, ensuring continuity of treatment and allowing the treating physician full access to a patient’s medical history.

Renewal of prescriptions beyond six months would be subject to a meeting with the prescribing physician.