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........

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