Israeli Rabbinim Strongly Warn Against Use of Medical Marijuana in a Kol Koreh

A group of influential rabbis from Israel has released a Kol Koreh, banning medical marijuana in many situations.

The letter deterred the Jewish community from using medical marijuana and was published by two prominent Charedi Batei Din, the Bais Din of Rav Nissim Karelitz and Rav Shmuel Vosner. It was also consequently signed by multiple other Israeli Rabbanim.

In response to several doctors now prescribing medical marijuana even in the mildest of cases, the letter reminded readers that it is still considered “samim”.

Source:(Melanie Lidman/Times of Israel)

The letter goes on to read, “The Gedolei Yisrael have already paskened that using plants which are known as drugs is a Torah violation, regardless of the strength of the ingredients, whether light or heavy. Every type [of these drugs] is prohibited. Even using it occasionally, even one time, is completely prohibited. Using these drugs brings people to engage in more stringent sins of the Torah, and causes a person to lose his mind and abandon his Creator. In the end, it destroys one’s soul, Hashem yishm’renu.

Therefore we proclaim that even when doctors give patients “medical marijuana”, one is not permitted by halacha to take these drugs, unless it is at a minimum a safek pikuach nefesh (a possible life and death matter). One [who is in this situation] must ask a shaila from Rabbanim who have semicha from our communities, and not chalilah rely on doctors, because we are dealing with a Torah transgression.

Certainly, anyone who sells or deals [these drugs] to healthy people, is violating severe Torah prohibitions, and is considered ‘Machtiei Rabbim’.”