The Israeli Ministry of Health expects to triple the production of medical cannabis to combat market shortages
Cannabis cultivation licenses in Israel. Last July we published an article entitled “More rules to solve the medical cannabis crisis in Israel”. In our article we explained that due to the serious crisis of medical cannabis, the Minister of Health announced the implementation of new standards. In reality, one of the new rules is the granting of these seven new crop licenses and not allowing growers to sell their product directly to customers.
With the granting of these new seven cannabis cultivation licenses, the Ministry of Health expects to be able to triple the current supply of medical cannabis to supply pharmacies
One of the seven new producers is Elpis Flora, which recently suffered a fire that destroyed its harvest. And another of the new producers has failed in the tests required by the Ministry.
This new change will begin to take effect next Sunday. The news has been received with great joy from the new producers and patients. By having seven new growers, the high prices of medical cannabis are expected to decrease and the limited supply to increase.
Moshe Bar Siman Tov, general director of the Ministry of Health of Israel, says that with this reform shortage will no longer be a problem.
One of the seven new producers is Elpis Flora, which recently suffered a fire that destroyed its harvest. And another of the new producers has failed in the tests required by the Ministry.
This new change will begin to take effect next Sunday. The news has been received with great joy from the new producers and patients. By having seven new growers, the high prices of medical cannabis are expected to decrease and the limited supply will increase.
Moshe Bar Siman Tov, general director of the Ministry of Health of Israel, says that with this reform shortage will no longer be a problem.
As of now, growers will not be able to sell cannabis directly to patients. All medicinal cannabis products must be sold to pharmacies so that the state can regulate quality and improve supplies. If you remember the article we published last July you will see that the incorporation of pharmacies as intermediaries increased prices and led some producers, who saw their profits cut, to rebel against the rules.
The Ministry of Health accuses producers of deliberately saving their stock to generate shortages and increase prices. The ministry has also promised incentives to producers that accelerate compliance.
The health minister has assured that growers have promised to deliver their products to pharmacies. From now on, medical cannabis can be purchased in more than 70 pharmacies. Previously, the only point where you were certain that you could buy medical cannabis was at the Abarbanel Mental Health Center, in downtown Bat Yam. The patients went desperately to the pharmacies without finding anything.
Bar Siman Tov believes that the new measures will mainly affect patients and producers. Previously, patients with a medical cannabis license bought cannabis directly from growers, who were paid a fixed amount of approximately $ 105 a month, regardless of the amount they had been prescribed. Now, 40 percent who are already buying in pharmacies are paying $ 51 for 10 grams, which means that anyone who buys more than 20 grams is paying more than they paid before the reform. With the new reform, the Ministry of Health has requested that prices be limited to approximately $ 280 per 120 grams.
The ministry has promised that it will not allow sellers to take advantage of patients and will do everything possible to make medical cannabis prices reasonable. The reform has come to prevent these abuses. Tripling the cannabis crop will help a lot.
For their part, the seven new producers can be of great help in keeping prices low. Everyone has the obligation to respect the new regulation, supplying all products directly to pharmacies. The minister insists that what most worries him is the shortage of medical cannabis and rising prices.
