Israel decriminalizes cannabis for three years

The decriminalization bill of consumption and possession of cannabis for personal use has just been unanimously approved by the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament. The new law replaces prison sentences with civil fines of 1,000 and 2,000 shekels for the first and second offences, i.e. approximately 230 and 460 euros. The third offence will give rise to a «conditional arrangement», i.e. community service or therapy as alternatives to prison sentences. Any further offences will result in criminal prosecution.

Approved on first reading by the Knesset in March this year, the bill was then examined in depth by the relevant parliamentary committee, the Labor, Welfare and Health Committee, which approved it on second reading yesterday without making any substantial changes. The entire text has now been unanimously approved on third reading by the full Knesset, and will take the form of a three-year pilot project, with the aim of assessing the law's impact on Israeli society and the economy.

The law will not apply to minors under the age of 21, soldiers and ex-prisoners, and the funds raised should be used for the education and prevention of young people in the field of toxicology, as well as for the treatment and rehabilitation of drug addicts.

A bill too rigid for some

Despite attempts by certain organizations, political parties and MPs to amend the law to make it more lenient, the text will be published in its original form. Indeed, the Labor, Welfare and Health Committee, headed by Eli Alalouf, refused all requests from representatives of Green Leaf, an Israeli political party known for its pro-legalization stance, as well as parliamentarians from other parties.

These demands concerned the reduction of fines to 23 euros (100 shekels) instead of 230, the elimination of the offence clause (which stipulates that in the event of contempt of the officer or non-cooperation previous sanctions can be applied instead of a fine), the non-application of the law to personal consumption in private places and the retroactive erasure of criminal records for cannabis-related offences. It was also proposed and rejected to make the three-year project a permanent law.

Despite the efforts of a number of MPs, including representatives of Green Leaf, no amendments were accepted. Nevertheless, this law marks a turning point for cannabis consumers in Israel: the previous law provided for prison sentences of up to three years and heavy fines.