University in Israel Opens First Medical Cannabis Course

The Ariel University in Israel just announced that it will be opening up a course on medical cannabis. The course, which was recognized by the Council for Higher Education, was brought to light by Dr. Michael Dor, a longtime lecturer for Ariel University’s Faculty of Health Sciences.

The course accepted 117 students into the program, with many more who were turned away due to the class size limitation. According to The Jerusalem Post, it’s set to be an all-encompassing medical cannabis information class, which will focus on the history and current status of medical cannabis, legal background and regulations, the scientific components of cannabis, clinical uses, cannabis cultivation, types of technology used and many more useful topics. The class is intended for students in the medical administration field with at least one year of study under their belts.

This course will be taught by Dr. Dor, who is a prominent figure in the health sector. Many other Israeli doctors and researchers have become notable figures in the cannabis community. Raphael Mechoulam from Hebrew University was one of the first to identify cannabis’ main active ingredient, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

While recreational cannabis use in Israel is illegal, a large growth in demand for medical cannabis has led to the country’s unique progress in allowing it to be used as a treatment for a variety of conditions. Many patients in Israel who suffer from chronic pain, lack of appetite and nausea were granted allowance to use medical cannabis by the Health Ministry.

Israel has reduced the effect of the stigma on cannabis through education and scientific discoveries. This realistic approach to understanding cannabis is a great example that many other countries are slowly beginning to follow.