Pubdate: Mon, 26 May 2014
Source: Jerusalem Post (Israel)
Copyright: 2014 The Jerusalem Post
Contact: http://info.jpost.com/C002/Services/Feedback/editors.html
Website: http://www.jpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/516
Author: Yonah Jeremy Bob
Page: 7

COURT REJECTS CHALLENGE OVER SUPPLY OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA BY COMPETITOR

Jerusalem District Court Judge Nava Ben-Or last week rejected a 
challenge to aspects of the government's current policy permitting 
the use of cannabis for medical purposes.

The decision, in favor of medical supplier Sarel Corporation as well 
as the Health Ministry, the Finance Ministry, and other related 
parties, was handed down Thursday, but was announced by the court on Sunday.

Ben-Or sat as an administrative judge on a petition by the Barak 
Corporation seeking that aspects of the cannabis policy be declared 
invalid. One was that the government failed to advertise properly the 
tender for which corporations would have a right to distribute 
cannabis and receive exemption from certain regulations.

Barak first said there was no proper advertising for the tender, then 
amended its objection to claim that it was apparently designed to 
cover up an insider process for picking Sarel and other winners.

The court rejected Barak's claims, stating that most of its concerns 
about the impact of any advertising and policy problems were 
premature and have not yet occurred. It also noted Barak's 
significant delay in making its objections.

A spokesman for Sarel said that Barak's objections were phrased in 
the language of constitutional and principled objections, but that 
really Barak was fighting to maintain its position as a leading 
distributor of cannabis, with little competition and without having 
to meet new, higher industry standards.

The petition in dispute mostly referred to developments since 2011 
and disputed the state granting special rights to Sarel and others at 
least through June 30, 2014.

The new policy is part of a push to bring Israel into line with 
requirements of a 1961 international convention on the issue.

Medical marijuana  smoked, baked into cookies, infused into oils, and 
consumed in other forms  is sought worldwide to ease the pain and 
suffering of patients with cancer, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, 
Parkinson's disease, Tourette's syndrome, Crohn's disease, and other diseases.

There are currently more than 14,000 authorized Israeli users; in 
four years, the figure is expected to triple. But only now are 
clinical trials on the positive and negative effects of medicinal 
cannabis being launched.

Judy Siegel-Itzkovich contributed to this story.
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