Israel: Health minister’s medical marijuana plan gets underway

[bombadil.360]

October 22, 2015

http://www.timesofisrael.com/health-ministers-medical-marijuana-plan-gets-underway/

Health Minister Yaakov Litzman’s program to overhaul and increase the use of medical marijuana in Israel received a major boost Thursday, as the first stage of his two-part reform plan got underway.

The ministry announced the beginning of a training program for doctors who will then be allowed to prescribe marijuana. The two-day training is aimed at specialists in oncology and psychiatry, as well as family doctors, pediatricians, orthopedic surgeons and others.

The training is the first phase of Litzman’s reforms; the second phase includes dispensing cannabis by prescription in pharmacies. Currently, medical cannabis is only dispensed by people with a special Health Ministry license.


According to Army Radio, doctors who complete the two-day course will have a license to prescribe cannabis, and the plant will be added to the roster of medicine they can prescribe to patients.
Head of the Israel Medical Association Leonid Eidelman stressed that signing up for training will be a voluntary decision for practitioners.


“Doctors who want to use cannabis in treatments will learn how to,” Idelman told Army Radio. “They will learn when to give permits and when not to.”


The Health Ministry intends to train as large a number of doctors as possible in order to increase the availability of medical marijuana.

Litzman’s approach to the issue of medical marijuana is more lenient than predecessor Yael German, who resisted efforts to make cannabis more accessible to patients.

 

[aridbud]

Israel has always been waaay ahead of the curve concerning health, medical procedures, etc. Learned that way back being in health care regimen.

KUDOS for them, setting a positive example.

 

[bombadil.360]

Hello aridbud

yes, the research on medical cannabis in Israel is very advanced, and also Israel has a crazy good weather for outdoor growing...

however, up until now (hopefully!), getting access to medical cannabis was very difficult and a long bureaucratic process with tons of idiots trying to block people in need from their medicine.

like the article says, the former health minister, Yael German, is a clueless woman with zero knowledge about anything and she was just there as minister for being very well connected, and she shot down all efforts to free medical cannabis...

not only that, she also shot down a very cool proposal of legalization for peace, where instead of dropping bombs, tons of herb would be dropped instead and have a huge smoke fest for peace

what has everyone surprised though, is that it took an ultra-orthodox man to become the health minister and set the record straight!

Yaakov Litzman never had seen marijuana in all his life and had only heard rumors about what it is... until he saw with his own eyes the plant, the buds, and how wonderful it was, and that was all it took for him to give a strong helping hand to the cause. saying that this guy is cool and wise is more than appropriate for sure.

btw, this is an Israeli style protest against the former clueless health minister Yael German:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSOUP7Rs0Nk



peace!

 

[armedoldhippy]

she sounds just like...nearly every Republican in THIS country! (and more than a few Democrats too, i'm afraid) "it is hard to get someone to understand something when their livelihood depends upon their not understanding it"

 

[aridbud]

Thanks for your explanation, bombadil. I've read articles about the medical side of cannabis in Israel being a bit more progressive than other parts of the world. However having the WRONG people oversee it, it's like climbing up a slippery slope.

I do know the use of particulate nanotechnology (as far as cancer) has definitely outshined our best efforts here in the states and Israel continues to be on the forefront of cancer treatment (and other illnesses, too)!! And WHO was the first country to assist after the Haitian earthquake tragedy? It wasn't America (yet in proximity, we were just a hop, skip and a jump)....I'll give you a hint....country's name started with an "I".

 

[bombadil.360]

was it Ireland? Iceland? India maybe? Indonesia? um... I give up...

 

[aridbud]

was it Ireland? Iceland? India maybe? Indonesia? um... I give up...

Nope....'twas Israel that came to the rescue of Haiti within hours of the quake!!!

 

[bombadil.360]

Nope....'twas Israel that came to the rescue of Haiti within hours of the quake!!!

hehehe... to keep with the sarcasm, tell that to the U.N, arid, they probably wrote a "resolution" against Israel for helping Haiti too soon hehehe...

 

[aridbud]

hehehe... to keep with the sarcasm, tell that to the U.N, arid, they probably wrote a "resolution" against Israel for helping Haiti too soon hehehe...

Whoa, that'd open up another can of worms! Personally, I'd like to have the worm castings from nations in agreement (or not). ;o)

Anyway, Israel will prevail!