Kosher Ganja Any One?

Certified Kosher Medical Marijuana Soon To Be On The Market

Vireo Health, a New York based company, has reportedly said it will soon offer the first certified kosher medical pot.

One of only five companies licensed by the New York State Department of Health to produce and sell medical cannabis has announced that all of the company’s products produced in New York have been certified as kosher by the Orthodox Union (“OU”), the world’s largest and most widely recognized kosher certification agency.

According to the company, the trademarked ‘OU’ symbol will appear for the first time ever on medical cannabis products, including the Company’s vaporization cartridges, oils, and capsules. These products will be made available for purchase to qualifying patients in Vireo’s four New York State retail dispensaries, scheduled to open in January, in White Plains, Queens, Binghamton, and Albany.

“Being certified kosher by the OU will not only help us serve the dietary needs of the largest Jewish community in the United States, but also combat unfortunate stigmas associated with medical cannabis,” said Ari Hoffnung, Chief Executive Officer of Vireo Health of New York.

“Today’s announcement sends an important message to New Yorkers of all faiths and backgrounds that using medical cannabis to alleviate pain and suffering does not in any way represent an embrace of ‘pot’ culture. Patients should never feel guilty or ashamed for using a product recommended by their physicians.”

Meanwhile, Rabbi Menachem Genack, Chief Executive Officer of OU Kosher said, “We are pleased to grant kosher certification to Vireo Health of New York’s medical cannabis products which were developed to alleviate pain and suffering in accordance with the New York State Compassionate Care Act,”. “Judaism prioritizes health and encourages the use of medicine designed to improve one’s health or reduce pain. Using medical cannabis products recommended by a physician should not be regarded as a chet, a sinful act, but rather as a mitzvah, an imperative, a commandment.”