Israel Experiences Another Disruption to Cannabis Shipments

Israeli police told the operators of the cargo terminal at Ben Gurion Airport, the country’s main international airfield, to stop shipments of medical marijuana. Israel is one of the top importers of medical cannabis flower in the world, so any delay could be costly for importers and exporters.

Additionally, this is the latest in a series of disruptions to legal cannabis shipments in recent years. In 2020, Israel increased import requirements, limiting cannabis export opportunities. The issue this time is the two companies that manage the cargo terminal didn’t have the appropriate permits. The companies handling the shipments had informed manufacturers and importers that imports and exports wouldn't be allowed until further notice. But that was before the intervention of Yuval Landschaft. To resolve the impasse, Yuval Landschaft, head of the Israeli Medical Cannabis Unit, issued a temporary license, which will be valid until Aug. 21, 2022. Israel is one of the largest federally regulated medical marijuana markets in the world. At this time, it is unclear if that will be enough to satisfy police authorities beyond the August deadline.