Euromonitor’s analysis suggests that Israel’s cannabis market, currently dominated by high-THC products from the T20/C4 category, will become more diverse. This diversification includes a shift towards balanced products (e.g., T10/C10) and high-CBD products, which are expected to be available without prescription shortly.
Brandon DeCarlo Coleman, Euromonitor’s analyst and report author, explains, “We anticipate increased availability of balanced and CBD products following recent and anticipated Ministry of Health reforms.” He elaborates, “In February 2023, concerns over high-THC product usage led to new regulations limiting new patients to balanced products. Now mandatory, this ‘Start Low and Go Slow’ approach has led to a surge in balanced product offerings.”
Coleman notes another regulatory change impacting market dynamics: “The Ministry of Health’s plan to prohibit the display of exact THC percentages on medical cannabis packaging will shift consumer focus away from THC concentration, promoting consideration of other product attributes.”
Once again: Legal Medical Cannabis Finds Its Way to the Israeli Black Market
The issue of medical cannabis leakage from the legal market into the illicit trade in Israel persists, with recent reports highlighting a significant seizure of over 100 kg of medical cannabis discovered at a private residence in the Tel Aviv area.
Last February, charges were brought against two Israeli individuals in their twenties and thirties following the discovery of 27 boxes bearing the logo of the Israeli Ministry of Health’s medical cannabis unit in the warehouse of the apartment they occupied.
These boxes contained silver bags resembling those used in licensed medical cannabis cultivation facilities in Israel, collectively holding more than 103 kg of cannabis. Additionally, 176 grams of hashish and four individual packages of medical cannabis were found within the apartment.
According to the indictment, the primary defendant, residing in Ramat-Gan (a city near Tel Aviv), claimed that the warehouse belonged to other family members and was utilized for storing confectionery equipment.
He denied involvement in the case, stating that he was unaware of the contents of the boxes. Despite holding a permit for medical cannabis use, he asserted that he could not detect the odor of the drugs due to his regular consumption. He emphasized that he would not have been associated with the illicit activity if he had known about it.
