Government panel said to back legalizing marijuana sales

Committee will reportedly recommend setting up authorized shops to sell the drug for recreational use to those 21 and older, but ban smoking it in public

Illustration of a man smoking a joint. February 11, 2020 (Yossi Zamir/FLASH90)

A government task force evaluating the legalization of marijuana in Israel is reportedly set to recommend that cannabis be sold in special stores to those over the age of 21 for recreational use.

The inter-ministerial committee made up of representatives from the Israel Police, Public Security Ministry, Health Ministry, Education Ministry, Finance Ministry, and Justice Ministry is also set to propose a blanket ban on smoking marijuana publicly, Channel 13 reported on Tuesday night.