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Eligibility for Medical Cannabis and Applying for a Permit to Use Medical Cannabis

26 December 2023

People suffering from cancer, Crohn's disease, colitis, Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, PTSD, or terminal diseases, and people suffering from a neuropathic pain may be eligible for medical cannabis, which may help them in situations where medications or other treatments have failed to help.

To apply for a permit for using medical cannabis you have a choice of two options:

  1. Go to a doctor who is authorized to issue a permit for medical cannabis. Click here (Hebrew) to see the list of IMCA certified and authorized doctors. Once the doctor decides to recommend the use of medical cannabis, he can issue the permit during the medical appointment.
  2. Go to a specialist in the relevant area of expertise, and once he decides to recommend cannabis treatment, he will issue an online request to the Medical Cannabis Unit. The request to the Medical Cannabis Unit will be forwarded to the Cannabis Unit doctor, and once the permit is approved, it will be sent by email.

 

Who is eligible for medical cannabis

Medical cannabis can help treat and alleviate certain medical conditions. Here you can find some information on diseases, medical conditions, and the required conditions for obtaining a permit for treatment with medical cannabis. Note the cases in which a permit for medical cannabis will not be granted.

People who meet one of the following conditions are eligible for a medical cannabis permit:

  • Patients suffering from an active oncological disease.
  • Patients undergoing chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or radiations.
  • People who have undergone a significant treatment in commonly used medications.
  • Patients suffering from loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting due to the illness itself or as a side effect of treatments.

Patients who meet all the following criteria will be eligible for a permit for medical cannabis treatment:

  • Eligibility for medical cannabis is considered if drug treatment has been tried ineffectively and proven unsuccessful.
  • An immunomodulator (such as Imuran or Puri-Nethul( for at least three months.
  • At least three treatments with Anti TNF (such as Humira or Remicade).

For eligibility, submit the following documents:

  • Pharmacy medication purchase report.
  • A recommendation from a gastroenterology specialist, who has been treating you for at least three months.
  • Medical supervision and documentation reports on your medical condition.

Patients suffering from the following conditions meet the required criteria to get eligibility:

  • Neuropathic pain from a clear organic source.
  • Patients treated regularly in a recognized pain clinic, for at least one year.
  • After commonly applied treatment options, such as medications, did not help.

For eligibility, submit the following documents:

  • A recommendation from a pain clinic.
  • Clinic’s medical supervision reports.
  • Pharmacy medication purchase report.

Patients who meet all the following criteria will be eligible for a permit for medical cannabis treatment:

  • Patients suffering from Parkinson’s disease treatment after at least one year of treatment.
  • Patients suffering from chronic pain or pains caused by rigidity characterizing the disease, with no response to commonly used pain therapy.
  • On the recommendation of a neurologist who has been treating the patients for at least one year.

Patients who meet all the following criteria will be eligible for a permit for medical cannabis treatment:

  • Patients diagnosed with severe epilepsy for at least one year.
  • Patients suffering from a significant functional impairment, substantially limiting their daily life.
  • Patients with a seizure frequency of at least once monthly, during a recorded drug treatment.
  • Patients for whom at least four antiepileptic drugs had not helped.
  • On a recommendation of a neurologist who has been treating the patients for at least one year.

Patients who meet all the following criteria will be eligible for a permit for medical cannabis treatment:

  • Patients suffering from medium or higher severity PTSD, lasting for over three years and meeting a minimum of 30% disability criteria (according to the National Insurance or Ministry of Defense clauses).
  • People who have undergone at least two commonly applied pharmalogical interventions ineffectively, each for a minimum of two months.
  • People who have undergone two commonly applied psychological interventions ineffectively.
  • On a recommendation of a psychiatrist who has been treating the patients for at least one year, or a recommending psychiatrist, including a recommendation of the primary care psychiatrist.
  • The recommendation will be submitted on an appendix added to the request for a palliative cannabis treatment for PTSD patients (HE).

Patients who meet all the following criteria will be eligible for a permit for medical cannabis treatment:

  • Patients diagnosed by a doctor specializing in neurology, psychiatry, or geriatrics.
  • Patients under continuous medical supervision.
  • Recurring complaints on behavioral disorders unresponsive to treatment are recorded.
  • PTSD patients who were treated with commonly used medications and environmental treatment which had not been proven effective.
  • After ruling out medical conditions that may be manifesting as behavioral disorders treatable by other means.

Who is not eligible for medical cannabis?

  • People with an active psychosis or were in a psychosis state in the past.
  • People who suffer from anxiety attacks.
  • People who have first-degree relatives with a psychiatric background.
  • People who have a history of addiction or substance abuse.
  • People who suffer from severe Congestive Heart Failure. A cardiologist’s assessment should be included, stating there is no objection to medical cannabis treatment.

Apply for medical cannabis

If you are eligible for a medical cannabis permit, you may submit a request using one of the following two options:

1. Go directly to a doctor who is authorized to issue permits for medical cannabis

The first option is to go to one of the doctors certified and authorized by the Medical Cannabis Unit (Hebrew). Once the doctor decides to approve the use of medical cannabis, he can issue the permit and a medical cannabis prescription during your medical appointment.

After issuing the permit , you can purchase the medical cannabis at one of the authorized pharmacies (Hebrew).

Pay attention to the following highlights:

  • Authorized doctors are only certified to issue permits as part of public health services. These doctors are not certified to issue licenses privately
  • Oncological patients can receive this service in oncological departments at hospitals across the country

2. Submitting an online request by a specialist

The second option is to go to a specialist in the relevant area of expertise.

Once the doctor decides to recommend cannabis treatment, he will issue an online request to the Medical Cannabis Unit and include the required documents.

After submitting the request, you will get a text message on your mobile phone with a direct link to the request application system. If necessary, every patient can add documents directly to the system and perform more actions, such as adding or changing a legal representative, address update, etc.

Important notice: referring to a specialist to receive recommendation, opening an online request for a permit, and Medical Cannabis Unit’s evaluation, are all free of charge.

It should be mentioned: the information on this page is provided as a service. If there is a contradiction or discrepancy to the Medical Cannabis Unit and the Ministry of Health’s regulations, the regulations prevail.

Apply for medical cannabis

More information on the submission of an application for license to hold and use medical cannabis or an application for modification of the form of treatment, as well as further details, are available on the Government Payments Website.

Information on the Government Payments Website

Note

Note

The information on this page is provided as a service. In the event of a contradiction or inconsistency with the procedures of the IKR and the Ministry of Health, the procedures will prevail.