{"id":4759,"date":"2022-03-10T19:21:40","date_gmt":"2022-03-10T19:21:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/wp-home\/?p=196831"},"modified":"2022-03-10T19:21:40","modified_gmt":"2022-03-10T19:21:40","slug":"israeli-justice-minister-signs-regulation-decriminalizing-cannabis-possession","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/?p=4759","title":{"rendered":"Israeli Justice Minister signs regulation decriminalizing cannabis possession"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>  <title>Israel set to decriminalize cannabis | Leafly<\/title>     <!-- This is Index Exchange, a script\/\/3rd-party integration that interjects GAM. It needs to be 'ahead' of GTM in the DOM, which comes from Cephalopod. GTM loads GAM. This script needs to setup it's interjection stuff before GAM loads. --> <!-- End Index Exchange --> <!-- Quotes = strings--><!-- No quotes = boolean-->\t   <!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v18.1 (Yoast SEO v18.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->                   <!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. --> <\/p>\n<p> <!-- BEGIN Sailthru Horizon Meta Information --><\/p>\n<p><!-- END Sailthru Horizon Meta Information -->  <!-- Google Publisher Tag --> <!-- End Google Publisher Tag --> <!-- Google Tag Manager --> <!-- End Google Tag Manager --> <!-- Chartbeat --> <!-- End Chartbeat --><br \/>\n <!-- Google Tag Manager (noscript) -->   <\/p>\n<div id=\"copy_clipboard_success\" class=\"fixed top-0 left-0 right-0\">\n<div class=\"bg-white p-lg container mt-xl flex justify-between elevation-low rounded\"> <span class=\"flex items-center\">     <span class=\"ml-md\">Link copied to your clipboard<\/span> <\/span> <button id=\"copy_clipboard_close_btn\">    <\/button> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <!-- End Google Tag Manager (noscript) -->   <title>Leafly<\/title>     <title>Leafly \u00ae<\/title>                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              <title>Loading\u2026<\/title>                     <\/p>\n<div class=\"bg-white fixed flex hidden inset-0 items-start md:h-auto md:items-center overflow-auto\" id=\"age-gate-container\">\n<div class=\"bg-white md:h-auto mx-auto p-lg text-sm w-full\" id=\"age-gate\">\n<p><label for=\"select-country\">Where are you from?<\/label><\/p>\n<div class=\"age-gate__info\">\n<p><button class=\"button\" data-testid=\"age-gate-no-button\" id=\"tou-cancel\">no<\/button><button class=\"button ml-md\" data-testid=\"age-gate-yes-button\" id=\"tou-continue\">yes<\/button><\/p>\n<p><label class=\"checkbox__label my-xl\"><span class=\"text-xs\" id=\"remember-user-label\">Remember me for 30 days. <br \/>I confirm that this is not a shared device.<\/span><\/label><\/p>\n<p class=\"error error--underage hidden\">Darn! You&#8217;re not old enough to use Leafly.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"hidden age-gate__loading\">Redirecting you to<span class=\"redirect-domain\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"text-xs mt-auto\">By accessing this site, you accept<br \/>\nthe <a class=\"py-xl\" data-testid=\"tou-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/info\/terms-of-use\">Terms of Use<\/a><br \/>\nand <a class=\"py-xl\" data-testid=\"pp-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/info\/privacy-policy\">Privacy Policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"container my-xl\">\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col md:col-9\" id=\"article-content\">\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap\" id=\"h-as-federal-cannabis-reform-slowly-trudges-forward-in-the-united-states-israel-is-poised-to-decriminalize-cannabis-possession-nationwide\">As federal cannabis reform slowly trudges forward in the United States, Israel is poised to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.haaretz.com\/israel-news\/.premium-justice-minister-sa-ar-signs-new-regulation-decriminalizing-marijuana-in-israel-1.10666727\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">decriminalize cannabis possession nationwide<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>On Wednesday, March 9, Justice Minister Gideon Sa\u2019ar signed a regulation that renders cannabis possession and personal consumption subject solely to an administrative fine. The regulations are anticipated to be approved imminently by the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, and will go into effect immediately.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, earlier this week, Sa\u2019ar and Israeli President Isaac Herzog announced plans to facilitate expungement efforts for past offenders.<\/p>\n<p>The regulations come in the nick of time. A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.haaretz.com\/israel-news\/.premium-marijuana-decriminalization-goes-into-effect-in-israel-what-does-that-mean-1.7069271\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">temporary, similar order<\/a> from 2019 was set to expire at the end of this March.<\/p>\n<p>The regulations mark a huge step forward after efforts to fully legalize cannabis in Israel\u2014led by then-Justice Minister Avi Nissenkorn\u2014<a href=\"https:\/\/www.timesofisrael.com\/israel-announces-plan-to-legalize-recreational-cannabis-within-9-months\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">failed in November 2020<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Although a far cry from full recreational legalization, the decriminalization effort\u2014spearheaded by Sa\u2019ar and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jpost.com\/israel-news\/article-696008\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">first introduced this February<\/a>\u2014marks significant progress for cannabis justice in Israel.<\/p>\n<p>The new regulation decriminalizes cannabis possession and personal use for all Israelis, including individuals with criminal records. The only exceptions are minors, soldiers, police officers, and soldiers serving as prison guards. Fines would be capped at 500 shekels, equivalent to about $150. (Israel legalized medical marijuana in the early \u201890s.)&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/news\/lifestyle\/is-cannabis-against-your-religion\" class=\"wp-block-leafly-blocks-leafly-single-inline-block leafly-inline-related-story\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"border border-deep-green-alt border-l-0 border-r-0 my-xl p-md font-bold\">\n<p>Related<\/p>\n<p>Is Cannabis Against Your Religion?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a> <\/p>\n<p>The regulations take a bold stance on expungement, enabling Israelis with prior cannabis possession convictions (but not those with additional criminal charges) to submit a request to have their records completely voided. Israelis with pending charges would similarly be able to petition to have those charges dropped.<\/p>\n<p>The concurrent expungement effort, President Herzog and Minister Sa\u2019ar <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.il\/en\/departments\/news\/press-060322\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">explained in a statement<\/a> released on March 6, comes \u201cout of a desire to erase the label of criminality and the associated stain from anyone who has previously committed the offense of personal possession or use of cannabis.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The expungement process is nonetheless nuanced; Herzog and Sa\u2019ar additionally insist that, \u201cevery request will be considered on its merits, according to its particular circumstances, on an individual basis.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>Israelis seeking to have their records expunged are encouraged to apply <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.il\/he\/service\/pardon_request\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>via a simple form<\/em><\/a><em> found on the website of the Pardons Department at the Justice Ministry.<\/em><\/p>\n<div id=\"author-box\" class=\"p-lg my-xxl bg-white rounded border border-light-grey elevation-low\">\n<div class=\"mb-lg\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/israeli-justice-minister-signs-regulation-decriminalizing-cannabis-possession.jpg\" alt=\"Max Savage Levenson's Bio Image\" class=\"lazyload inline-block mr-md rounded-full border border-light-grey\"> <\/p>\n<p>Max Savage Levenson<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"text-sm\">Max Savage Levenson likely has the lowest cannabis tolerance of any writer on the cannabis beat. He also writes about music for Pitchfork, Bandcamp and other bespectacled folk. He co-hosts The Hash podcast. His dream interview is Tyler the Creator.<\/p>\n<p> <a class=\"text-sm font-bold underline text-green\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/news\/author\/max-savage-levenson\">View Max Savage Levenson&#8217;s articles<\/a> <\/div>\n<div class=\"leafly-sailthru-signup p-lg my-xl bg-white rounded elevation-low border border-light-grey\">\n<p class=\"text-xs pt-lg\">By submitting this form, you will be subscribed to news and promotional emails from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\">Leafly<\/a> and you agree to Leafly&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/company\/tos\">Terms of Service<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/company\/privacy-policy\">Privacy Policy<\/a>. You can unsubscribe from Leafly email messages anytime.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p> <!-- Chartbeat --> <!-- End Chartbeat -->  <!--\nPerformance optimized by W3 Total Cache. Learn more: https:\/\/www.boldgrid.com\/w3-total-cache\/ Served from: _ @ 2022-03-11 04:00:24 by W3 Total Cache\n--><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Israel set to decriminalize cannabis | Leafly Link copied to your clipboard Leafly Leafly \u00ae Loading\u2026 Where are you from? noyes Remember me for 30 days. I confirm that this is not a shared device. Darn! You&#8217;re not old enough to use Leafly. Redirecting you to By accessing this site, you accept the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. As federal cannabis reform slowly trudges forward in the United States, Israel is poised to decriminalize cannabis possession nationwide. On Wednesday, March 9, Justice Minister Gideon Sa\u2019ar signed a regulation that renders cannabis possession and personal consumption subject solely to an&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4760,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4759","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-marijuana_information"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/israeli-justice-minister-signs-regulation-decriminalizing-cannabis-possession.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4759","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4759"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4759\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4760"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4759"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4759"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4759"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}