Medical cannabis reform leaves at least 5,000 patients with no medicine
As activists sue and Health Ministry delays reform implementation, thousands of patients of largest provider are stranded without treatment
Tuesday, April 2, 2019
The Health Ministry’s medical marijuana reform, which was supposed to go into effect on April 1, has forced the country’s largest medical cannabis supplier to temporarily close as it relocates its farm, stranding at least 5,000 patients, and possibly as many as 9,000, without access to their medicine. Tikun Olam provides 15,500 people per month with medical cannabis, out of the approximately 38,000 who have prescriptions in Israel. Last month, it informed patients that due to the cannabis reform, which requires it to move to a new facility, it will be unable to provide cannabis in flower form (including loose flowers, pre-rolled joints, and pills filled with crushed flowers), although patients who use cannabis oil can continue to fill their prescriptions.
