New York: Rabbi calls for authorization of «kosher» medical cannabis»

The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America (UOJCA), or Orthodox Union (OU), whose mission is to certify kosher products. In 2016, while New York State legalized cannabis for medicinal purposes, The OU has sought to put its kosher label on cannabis products. But putting a label on a substance that isn't legal anywhere in the world raised some concerns.

Moshe Elefant, rabbi and general manager of the kosher certification department of the’Orthodox Union explains: «The day this question arose, I was entertaining a well-known rabbinical authority on another subject. After overhearing my telephone conversation, my guest confided in me that his wife suffered from chronic back pain, and that the only thing that gave her any relief was cannabis.»

Today, medical cannabis is available in New York City, subject to a doctor's prescription. As a result, more and more pharmaceutical companies are requesting kosher certification for their cannabis products. Vireo Health, a company specializing in medical cannabis, has launched products with the words «Orthodox Union» on the packaging.

In fact, this company is the only one to have been awarded the OU label. CEO Ari Hoffnung explains: «We operate in the largest Jewish community in the United States, and we are committed to meeting the needs of patients who adhere to specific dietary guidelines. Cannabis continues to get a bad press, even when it's therapeutic. When they see that a major Orthodox Jewish organization certifies a product, they know that the decision has been thought through and that it's a guarantee of reliability so I'm confident that the OU label will give medical cannabis a better image.»

Even if the rabbinical authorities in the United States accept medical cannabis with the «kosher» label, seeing people use it when they're not sick could chill them, creating some opposition to the plant.

To solve this problem, director Moshe Elefant wants to review all the scientific research on cannabis in order to emphasize its therapeutic side and exclude its harmful and psychoactive effects, which seem to frighten American rabbinical authorities. He explains that the fact that medical cannabis is legalized is not a sufficient reason to impose certification on a product, as health issues are just as important.

Finally in December 2016, Vireo Health announced that it had obtained kosher certifications for its cannabis products. The news made headlines across the press, and was widely criticized by kosher consumers.

«We're used to being criticized,» says Rabbi Elefant. to the Jerusalem Post. «Whatever our decision, there would have been people to challenge it. We try to do what we think is right. When we make a mistake, we're ready to admit it. But in the field of medical cannabis that's not the case.»

Mehdi Bautier