Cannabis in Israel - a stoner's perspective

[Medical Marijuana]

Cannabis in Israel
Marijuana and hash in the holy land

Policy and practice of cannabis in Israel: Legislation & enforcement, tolerance & availability, weed & hash - everything you need to know about cannabis in Israel.

Marijuana and hash are very common in Israel generally, and in Tel Aviv in particular. some party fliers you find in bars and restaurants are even perforated into roaches so even if you aren't interested in a party you are at least more equipped. Most people in Israel are relatively open-minded about weed; some political parties in the Israeli parliament now support some form of marijuana legalization. The pro-cannabis legalization party, "Ale Yarok" (i.e. "Green Leaf"), although they haven't reached the election threshold yet, gain a lot of support from young people, especially students.

Legislation: Marijuana and Hashish are illegal and so is any related action (buying, selling, growing, smoking).
The Israeli law doesn't distinguish between different kinds of drugs in terms of severity. However, there is an amount defined by the law as "for personal use" which is 15g (1/2 oz) for weed and hash.

Law Enforcement: The police usually ignore marijuana smokers, but will probably arrest you if you got into any other kind of trouble and was carrying pot.
There are some undercover cops (remember that an unmarked police car usually has a license plate ending with 00 e.g. 99-764-00). However, searches are rare, but if they do occur and less than the maximum amount for personal use (15g) is found, you may only be taken to the police station to make a record which is not considered criminal, and is cancelled after a year.

Spots: If you hang around long enough you'll know where to find it; Local connections always work best. Recommended areas to ask or find are Hayarkon street, next to the beach, and Allenby – the nightclub street.
Equipment - bongs, rolling papers etc. - can be bought in almost every kiosk; a bong would cost about 10-15 shekel ($2-3). Tel Aviv is full of these 24-hour kiosks which sell cigarettes, booze and a wide variety of after-hour products. There has recently been some legislation prohibiting the sale of bongs, but not all kiosk owners comply with it. It's usually safe to ask them about scoring: obviously they don’t sell it themselves but might lead you in the right direction. Still, always be cautious with who you ask and how you ask it.

Brands:
Most of the weed in Israel is local stuff, smuggled from Sinai, Egypt. It has fine quality, although many times the material is low in THC levels.
There is some home-grow here and there, which is usually better (it should be, if it's sold). This includes hydro, but that's hard to find unless you have local conections.
Most hash is smuggled from Lebanon (allegedly with the involvement of Hizballah) and it usually has very good quality.
Charras, the cannabis oil exract, is smuggled in small amounts, mostly from India. It's rare and more expensive, but it is well worth it.

Prices: Generally prices are low in Israel:
50 grams (almost 2 oz) local marijuana - 200 shekel ($45).
"Specials" like skunk, home-grown hydro or White Widow (if you’re lucky enough to find) - 1 gram for 40-50 shekel ($11).
A "tolla" of hashish ("finger", 8-10 grams, 1/3 oz) - 200-250 shekel = $45-55.
A "tolla" of charras - around 400 shekel ($90).