Israel's medical marijuana pioneers look to cash in on $20bn market Country has seen 500 companies apply to join ‘green rush’ in cannabis products after more than 100 studies in pharmaceutical use
Monday 3 April 2017
The promise of the new industry and treatment regimes is already being demonstrated by Tikun Olam at its clinic in a quiet sidestreet of Tel Aviv.
Hetem, a worker on Tikun Olam’s medical marijuana farm in the Galilee hills in Safed, northern Israel.
Israel’s oldest medical cannabis clinic and production company – whose name references the Jewish religious principle of “healing the world” – has been going for 10 years and now has 9,000 patients, including several hundred children.
The company’s chief scientist, Zvi Bentwich, one of the early proponents of the medical use of cannabis in Israel, believes acceptance of the utility and research into cannabis has turned a corner after decades in which it was regarded as beyond the pale.
What scientists have been discovering, he says, is that the constituent elements of cannabis – sometimes working in isolation, sometimes together – have multiple medical applications for a range of conditions, from colitis to epilepsy, autism and a host of others. “What has changed is that clinical trials of cannabinoids accepted to the golden standard double-blind testing in a clinical situation – which had been very limited – have expanded in the last 10 years.”
Aharon Lutsky, chief executive of Tikun Olam, sees huge potential for growth. His company is already working in partnership with others around the globe. “I believe the use will increase dramatically,” he says. “It is a very good medicine with minor negative effects, which is already helping with the treatment of a large number of diseases. When I look at public opinion, five years ago it was against its use, with even patients hesitant. Now it is regarded as very legitimate.”
