Israel is considering a temporary proposal to decriminalise recreational cannabis put forward by justice minister Gideon Sa’ar to fulfil a campaign promise.
If approved, recreational use would be treated as an administrative offence, similar to a traffic violation, as opposed to a criminal one.
Sa’ar said many Israelis have effectively been “made into criminals” by cannabis use, which he added “violates their personal rights and undermines trust between citizens and law enforcement”.
Smoking cannabis is currently subject to fines starting from 1,000 shekels for first offenders, with a fourth offence considered criminal.
The new rules, which would prevent users from being prosecuted and restrict fines to Israeli Defence Force soldiers, police and minors, must be approved by the constitution, law and justice committee.
