Israel, a leader in marijuana research and health technology, is attracting international investment as it tries to position itself as a cutting-edge exporter in the rapidly-growing market for medical-grade cannabis.
With estimates that the global market for medical marijuana could reach $50 billion by 2025, the Israeli government is set to allow the local industry to start exporting and projects annual revenues in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
The strategy is to create medical-grade cannabis with quality and efficacy ensured along the entire supply chain from cultivation to manufacture and distribution.
In contrast to the United States, which is currently the biggest legal marijuana market, authorities in Israel are liberal in their support of research and development.
Licensed marijuana growers work with scientific institutions in clinical trials toward the development of cannabis strains that treat a variety of illnesses and disorders.
There are about 120 studies ongoing in Israel, including clinical trials looking at the effects of cannabis on autism, epilepsy, psoriasis and tinnitus.
The health ministry wants to share its acquired knowledge and train doctors from abroad. Talks are underway with Australia, Germany, Brazil and others, says Yuval Landschaft, head of the health ministry's medical cannabis unit.
Read more at Reuters
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