An intolerable situation

Anybody remember October 7 or the prolonged war still raging?

Apparently our  governement does not.

In the entire enlightened world, people know that CBD is an effective natural treatment for many things including anxiety. In the entire enlightened world CBD products are OTC and people are free to treat themselves. That such a treatment is available OTC should make physicians dedicated to the well-being of their patients delighted. And in a country whose citizens are under extreme stress while mental health facilities are completely overwhelmed, anyone with a heart would be glad that an innocent and effective agent is free for public self treatment.

But apparently our government cannot find its heart. (Maybe it has gone missing in someone’s  pocket.)

CBD products were actually held hostage in Israel – and ONLY in Israel – as a Schedule 1 dangerous drug simply because it derives from the cannabis plant. This unique an unconscionable situation was reversed during the brief tenure of the sole non-Netanyahu government in recent memory, by Health Minister Nitzan Hurwitz. Two and a half years ago. But the erstwhile Health Ministry, for reasons one can only imagine, has made no move to permit or regulate sales for the consumer (aka citizen). The result has been a sort of cat and mouse situation of providers dedicated to public mental health finding ways of importing and delivering some CBD products. Once Schedule 1 was history, I made concerted efforts to have contacts with these providers in order to make CBD more easily available for autistic children, most of whom respond well to CBD without THC, and for adults with anxieties. The latter population has increased dramatically since October 7th.

All seemed to go smoothly until January 23, when the present government was sworn in. Since then many shipments have been held up for months at a time by the tax authorities, either VAT or Customs agents, and by October 7th the supply seemed problematic. This is bad enough. But since October 7th, the situation has been aggravated, and a number of providers can no longer reliably ensure prompt delivery. In Israel! In 2024!

The purpose of this blog is to call for an immediate public inquiry. Who gave instructions to the VAT and Customs people to harass CBD importation. Who is responsible for the delay in the Ministry of Health’s responsibility to make a now perfectly legal herbal remedy readily available? Who can give the order to settle finances with CBD providers at some more opportune moment, not at the cost of human suffering. As a private citizen and physician I have no access to the answers, but I feel it my responsibility to raise these questions.

There have been times when I have suggested that if one substitutes “Chelm” for “The State of Israel” things become more clear. The State has now literally declared Chelm – legal to posses, purchase or use CBD but not legal to sell it. If it weren’t a cause of increased human suffering, it could evoke a smile. But in 2024 it is no longer funny, but rather what philosopher Adi Ophir calls an AVLA – a systemtic increase in unnecessary suffering.