As many Israelis prepare to “rest the land” during the upcoming agricultural sabbatical year as commanded in the Book of Exodus, a debate has been sparked among rabbinical authorities as to whether locally grown cannabis will be subject to a complex set of guidelines. Will religious Jews be permitted to benefit from the plant in any way while observing the biblical laws of shmita that were set from on high?
The debate stems from the biblical commandment that residents of the
Holy Land observe seven-year cycles culminating in a Jubilee every 50th
year, with specific laws dictating matters such as loan forgiveness and
the return of property titles. Most of the laws, however, deal with
agriculture, and include restrictions on planting, tending, harvesting
or even claiming ownership of crops that grew in one’s own field.
Free weed for all
ReplyDeleteWell there's the heter mechirah, the otzar beis din and frankly, why can't there be hydroponics?
ReplyDelete