Israel’s Confounding Medical Cannabis Reforms

Until now, patients in Israel received their medical cannabis directly from the growers who were familiar with the different strains and their medical applications and matched them to meet a patient’s needs. The cost per patient was a fixed monthly fee of about $100, regardless of the quantity they received. With the new reform, patients receive their cannabis medicine at an authorized drugstore, and pay for exactly what is dispensed to them, at about $40 for 10 grams. For some patients, this is good news. Nevertheless, for those whose treatment entail larger amounts of cannabis, such as cancer patients and those on palliative care, the new pricing structure can make the treatment cost prohibitive.