A day after partial decriminalization of cannabis in Israel, thousands of patients left with no medicine

Israel’s medical cannabis reforms went into effect on April 1–leaving an estimated 5,000 to 9,000 patients without medication as the largest cannabis supplier in the country was forced to switch to new facilities.

 

 

Tikun Olam supplies over 15,000 Israelis with medical cannabis on a monthly basis, out of approximately 38,000 that have prescriptions for the drug. Last month, the company informed patients that due to the new cannabis rules, it would be necessary to move to a new facility and the company will be unable to provide the drug in the form of flower. Although consumers who use oils are expected to continue filling prescriptions as usual.

“Patients that need that certain type of treatment will go to different companies, because we didn’t have enough product to provide them,” said Maayan Weisberg, a foreign spokesperson for Tikun Olam. “We are working as quickly as we can to get back to the production and up to regulation.”

Both the producer and the Ministry of Health blame each other. Tikun Olam blames the Israeli industry’s strict reforms, with the government claiming that the company failed to prevent a foreseeable product shortage. Tikun claims that the company gave the Ministry considerable notice before the move, whereas the Ministry says the process to make change for patients requires time and patience.

A spokesperson for the government estimates that patients could obtain new licenses through an alternate medical supplier within 10 days, although patients are highly skeptical.

FILE PHOTO: An employee checks cannabis plants at a medical marijuana plantation in northern Israel.

So far an estimated 5,000 patients have run out of medication completely, with another 3,000 or more expected to run out this week, Medical Cannabis Association CEO Dana Bar-Oh told Times of Israel.

Caught in the conflict are thousands of chronically or fatally ill patients, many of whom are in pain and unsure where their next medicine will come from. Around 5,000 patients have already run out of their medicine, and an additional 3,000-4,000 will likely run out next week, according to Dana Bar-On, the CEO of the Medical Cannabis Association.

“These are the damages of the reform,” Bar-On said. “This is just the implementation process. This is how much much consideration they have for patients—they had no problem leaving 8,000 patients, some of whom are dying, with no medicine.”

“This problem shows why cannabis reform is so important, and must be carried out according to strict procedures and regulation of medical cannabis in pharmacies,” a spokesperson for the Health Ministry said.

Meanwhile, Israelis activists and medical cannabis patients are fighting the reform.

“It’s a completely non-scientific reform, and it’s going to force us to take something that we don’t even know exactly what it is,” Bar-On charged. “It goes against everything we know from the research world. It is completely unfounded and has the potential to do harm.”

“We’re very sad that this has happened, and we’re doing everything in our power from all aspects to change it as fast as possible,” said Weisberg.

The reforms are expected to standardize rules surrounding the storage, quality, transportation, distribution and dispensation of medical cannabis.