Kosher Marijuana: New York Company Says Medical Cannabis Conforms To Jewish Dietary Law

A New York company says it will soon roll out world’s first kosher medical marijuana. The Orthodox Union (OU), one of the oldest Orthodox Jewish organizations in the U.S., has certified Vireo Health’s medical cannabis as conforming to the Jewish dietary law the Orthodox, the company said, in a statement.

“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,” Ari Hoffnung, chief executive officer of Vireo Health said, in the statement. He added that the kosher medical marijuana will pass an “important message” to all faiths and backgrounds that “using medical cannabis to alleviate pain and suffering does not in any way represent an embrace of ‘pot’ culture.”

According to Vireo, its medical pot will be the world’s first kosher cannabis. The OU said in the statement that it gave kosher certification to Vireo's medical marijuana after inspecting the company’s facilities to ensure the cannabis was grown and processed according to kosher standards.

“Using medical cannabis products recommended by a physician should not be regarded as a sinful act, but rather as a mitzvah, an imperative, a commandment,” Rabbi Menachem Genack, chief executive officer of the union said.

The company’s kosher pot products are will hit dispensaries in New York state in January.