4.2 tonnes of cannabis reserved each month for Israeli patients

According to a recent report According to the Israeli Ministry of Health, the country’s medical cannabis program serves more than 109,000 patients and distributes more than 4.2 metric tons of cannabis per month, including 56% for «pain,» generally in amounts ranging from 20 to 40 grams per month.

More and more patients

Israel's Medical Cannabis Program continues to expand its services to an ever-growing number of patients. The rate of increase, however, slowed slightly in December 2021 compared to November, rising by only about 1,300 patients, compared with an average increase of about 3,000 new patients per month throughout 2021. In total, as of the end of December 2021, the number of patients treated with medical cannabis in Israel stood at 109,352.

Patients Treated with Cannabis in Israel

The monthly amount of cannabis to which patients are entitled continues to increase. In December, it reached approximately 4.22 metric tons, including 89.5 % of flower and approximately 10.5 % of extract (CBD oil and/or THC).

However, these are eligibility figures, not actual «distribution» figures, which the Israeli Ministry of Health has not yet released. According to local sources, actual usage accounts for 85% of the total number of eligible individuals.

Amounts of medical cannabis available in Israel

The majority of patients treated at the medical marijuana are for pain (56%), or more than 61,000 of the 109,000 patients. In second place is the «other» category, with more than 15,000 patients, or approximately 15% of the total prescriptions for medical cannabis. This section addresses health issues that are not included in the list of indications, although the Israeli Ministry of Health does not specify which diseases are covered in this section.

Most patients—about 23% of them—have a license for 30 grams of cannabis per month; 20% of the patients have a license for 20 grams per month; and 20% have a license for 40 grams. The remainder are distributed among 50 grams (14%), 60 grams (8%), 70 grams per month (4%), and the rest with 80 grams or more.