Does my BUT look big in this? Is cannabis kosher..
One big issue, two opposite opinions, and this week, we look at taking crime out of cannabis
Cannabis is bad news, and about as kosher as a bacon butty. Jews should get high only on their achievements and aspirations.
Forget the bongs and reefers. Jews are instructed to be “of good health in body and mind,” and to eschew “indulgences”.
Granted, more and more places around the world may be decriminalising Mary Jane smoked for pleasure, but this does not mean that we should accept the weed and its apathetic effects.
That should be the case no matter how many giddy Israeli rabbis bless as “kosher for Passover” the green leaves before them, as an esteemed 88-year-old did recently.
Medical marijuana? Fine. It’s arguably a mitzvah. But pot as a pastime? Please! It’s neither recreational nor spiritual.
In the words of Yoseph Needelman, author of Cannabis Chassidis: “Pot alienates you from your responsibilities and needs.”
And, latching on to the inevitable analogy, he adds:“It’s not like alcohol, which makes you feel warm.”
Jews should consider it forbidden fruit for good reason. Let’s keep our High Holy Days more Holy than High. If you want a stimulant, chocolate’s good.
Give the bong the boot, and stick to L’Chaim, not L’Higher.
BUT
Others say that’s yesterday’s view. The world’s a-changin’. In years to come, we’ll realise we lived through one of history’s most senseless prohibitions. If a rabbi reacts with disgust to your ganja confessional, remember that the advice is context-dependent, i.e. it’s currently illegal here.
But context is everything. In the past, rabbis were far more enthusiastic. It comes down to place and time. Do you think the 19th or early 20th century Jews of Baghdad, or Yemen or Morocco thought twice about smoking a bit of top-drawer hashish?
Medical marijuana will force it full circle. Israel already has eight approved cannabis-growing companies, which will soon benefit from exports worth hundreds of millions of shekels, and next March, CannaTech, the hugely successful International Summit for Accelerating Cannabis Innovation, will be held in Israel, a country dubbed “ground zero for cannabis research”.
In contrast to the UK, where government ministers plug their ears to the deafening swell of sense, an Israeli committee of experts is expected to recommend decriminalisation in the next two months. No one expects social disintegration there as a result. Let’s take a leaf (ahem) out of the Israeli book. Long known for it high-tech, it will soon be known for its “high” tech. L’Chaim!
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
