According to a statement from Israel’s Justice Minister, the country is planning to legalize recreational cannabis within nine months.
The move will be done all while balancing “liberalism and responsibility,” said Justice Minister Avi Nissenkorn on Thursday.
With the recommendations of an interministerial team, marijuana will be sold to users aged 21 and up, but not for consumption in public. They will be able to buy the cannabis at specialized stores and will be required to show identification.
The team had been reviewing the matter, alongside Likud MK Sharren Haskel and Blue and White MK Ram Shefa, who have been leading their respective parties’ efforts on the issue.
“It’s time to make progress and legalize cannabis in Israel,” Nissenkorn said. “This is a significant, holistic and responsible reform, which shows the State of Israel isn’t ignoring reality and is going in the footsteps of developed countries.”
Per the new law, marijuana will not be allowed to be taken into or out of the country. The stores will be allowed to make deliveries but will be barred from selling cannabis edibles that resemble candy.
The state will “ensure the prices are reasonable” to avoid encouraging customers to go to the black market, according to the interministerial team’s recommendations.
There will likely be a blanket ban on smoking cannabis in public spaces and the law will not allow home growing of the plant without a license. The team has recommended that the matter be weighed at a later stage.
Recreational use of the drug is currently illegal, though the Public Security Ministry partially decriminalized it in 2017.
