Netanyahu announced that he would consider reform, Kahlon promised to close the files, and Bennett began talking about Cannabis. Why, in the first election campaign for years without a green leaf, can cannabis make headlines? Which party clearly opposes self-use? And who did not respond?
The legalization of cannabis and a change in the perception of non-incrimination rose more than once to the agenda of the previous Knesset. Although the issue has been on the agenda and in some opposition parties has been an integral part of the platform for a long time, not everything worked easily. Delays, postponements, quite a few internal struggles and coalition struggles. So why did everyone put cannabis on their heads now?
Some of the parties conducted in-depth surveys of issues of interest to the public, and were surprised to discover that many voters see legalization as an issue that will motivate them to choose one party or another or contribute to the formulation of their decision.
The same public is divided into patients who have to undergo suffering on the way to long-awaited approval and to wait in long lines to receive medical cannabis, and to a population that holds cannabis for self-use and has been discriminated against in the past, or is interested in leading a non-incrimination.
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Moshe Feiglin, who until recently was considered a representative of the deep settler right, is approaching the threshold of restrictions, among other things, because of his platform on social and economic issues, but also because of the commitment to promote legalization in every city in which he sits.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has so far reservations about the issue, and while members of his previous coalition tried to move things, he was suspicious of the issue. But yesterday, and following the buzz around the issue, Netanyahu chose to mention achievements in the field of expanding medical cannabis and cannabis export.
“I brought some changes in this area, we increased the use of medical cannabis, we brought Israel to one of the highest levels in the world,” Netanyahu said. “Second, they told me that there is a global market, so I allowed the growers to grow it and turn it into a significant export sector for the State of Israel.”
Netanyahu also addressed the question of legalization, but did not express a clear position: “Now I am examining the question you raised, I will give you an answer soon.
In the “blue and white” list they preferred to provide an evasive answer. “Blue and White” will support the continued policy of non-incrimination and encourage research, development and production in the field of medical cannabis,” the list said.
“Blue and White” did not address the question about the party’s specific policy on how to issue permits for medical cannabis consumption and the possible sale of cannabis for personal use.
The chairman of the “Identity” party, Moshe Feiglin, put the issue as one of the main topic in a party platform, and the relative ascendance of Basik is largely attributed to his position on the issue.
Feiglin set up the issue as one of the main topic in a party platform. Feiglin promoted legalization as his first goal and as a condition for entering the government in future coalition negotiations and said he would join the candidate with whom he would go the most in implementing his policy.
In an interview, Feiglin said: “People here simply die, suffer because of this story that is not legalized, and if I do not pass it now as a condition, it will never happen here. The relative ascendance of Basik is largely attributed to his position on the matter, and it is also the case that apparently caused all other parties to address the issue.
In the party, “all of us” this week put the cancellation of the first criminal case for cannabis users, as was first published. In the framework of the demand to be raised in the coalition negotiations, Minister of Finance Moshe Kahlon will request the cancellation of criminal cases opened to about 120,000 cannabis users, which is their first and only offence.
The party said that they support legalization in a balanced and controlled manner and in accordance with its implementation in other countries around the world, including medical cannabis, but also private use. However, they did not specify which countries are the right model for Israel. “When it comes to practical legislation, like most laws, a comparison will be made with other countries and we will implement it,” he said.
The Labor Party noted in its platform for the forthcoming elections that Israel should move towards the legalization of cannabis and allow personal consumption in a legal and supervised manner and that the party supports policy measures that promote legalization, non-incrimination and providing appropriate assistance and services to patients in medical cannabis.
“The party will act to promote the legalization of cannabis, which will allow for limited and regulated domestic growth, regulation and supervision of the cannabis market and the abolition of the black market, cannabis removal from the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance and the cessation of criminalization and incrimination of personal use, including retroactive removal of files opened for personal use.”
The party will also work to “remove barriers to patients treated with cannabis, eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy, and instill in patients the appropriate services for patients in medical cannabis, as well as promote and stimulate medical research with the goal of making Israel a research power on the subject.”
The new right-wing party this week first raised the issue on its own initiative and at its election headquarters even for the first time a team formed the party line on the subject.
Education Minister Naftali Bennett, chairman of the party, presented a very general position at Tel Aviv University yesterday: “As far as I’m concerned, what will not harm human health, whether it’s more popular or less popular. Harms and does not destroy people’s lives – as far as I’m concerned it’s a green light, if it’s harmless – as far as I’m concerned. “
In the party platform, as of now, there is only reference to the subject of medical cannabis: “We want to allow patients to use medical cannabis without unnecessary bureaucratic difficulties, in the quantities and doses needed to cure their illness and alleviate their suffering.”
Meretz said that the party supports the legalization and noted that they were the first party to serve in the Knesset, which introduced the issue to the platform in 2003. They also added that in the current Knesset, party chairman MK Tamar Zandberg proposed a bill for legalization in the Colorado model.
The Colorado model is one of the most progressive in the field, including the sale of cannabis for personal use in commercial stores, and a ban on selling it on the black market.
Torah Judaism said they support the easing of the bureaucratic process of approving medical cannabis for patients – but oppose cannabis consumption for private use.
“UTJ opposes the legalization of any drug, in accordance with the requirements of the law,” the party said. “United Torah Judaism supports the easing of conditions and bureaucracy for users of medical cannabis by law, and we will support any way and any law that will make it easier for medical cannabis users who have legal permission to do so.”
“The unification of the right-wing parties is of paramount importance in that patients treated with medical cannabis will accept it, in all its forms, with no unnecessary bureaucracy,” said the late list.
On the right-wing list they refused to address the question of their position on the subject of cannabis legalization for private use.
Yisrael Beiteinu said in response that “this is a serious issue, and it is a mistake to deliver it through an election prism, which must be addressed by the competent authorities, such as the Anti-Drug Authority, the Ministry of Health and the Israel Police.”
The Balad-Ra’am list said they support regulating the use of medical cannabis, but oppose cannabis’s own consumption.
“The list of Balad-Ra’am for full regulation for medical use and the removal of all restrictions that cause harm to many patients,” the list said. “We do not support legalization for private use.”
Hadash said it opposes a policy that turns adults and normative people into criminals in the eyes of the law and supports leniency, including non-incrimination. The party expressed support for the easing of policy on medical cannabis. “Today, the policy forces many patients to wait many months in line and experiment with other drugs before the desired treatment is approved.”
This is the position of the Hadash party alone, because at this stage there is still no platform formulated with Ta’al, the party of MK Ahmad Tibi, who ran with the Knesset.
In the party of MK Orly Levy-Abecassis, the subject of cannabis was placed at the center of the campaign, and the draft states that cannabis should be treated as a prescription drug that a doctor can prescribe to the patient. “Those who have received a prescription for cannabis should be treated in the same way as aspirin, Prescription only, “the platform said.
As for self-use, Gesher expressed its support for the election platform. “From a glance at the changing world and the dynamic reality in which hundreds of thousands are rubbing themselves into the criminal world and becoming criminals against their will, fearing that what is marketed and sold by the criminal world is unknown and unregulated and may pose a greater danger, And the crime among normative citizens, we have reached the understanding that it is better to regulate the use and in particular to supervise the use of cannabis for personal consumption.”
The party stressed that they support the non-incrimination of cannabis consumers.