Israel’s Minister of Justice Gideon Sa’ar has proposed new temporary regulations to decriminalize recreational cannabis.
If the new regulation is approved, recreational cannabis use would not be considered a criminal offence but instead be an administrative offence, like a traffic violation, reported Ynet.
“Many Israelis have been, in practice, made into criminals,” due to marijuana use, said Sa’ar.
He added that “it violates their personal rights and undermines trust between citizens and law enforcement.” He also mentioned that he was fulfilling a campaign promise.
The new regulation must be approved by the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee.
According to the report, smoking marijuana is currently illegal. A first offence is fined 1,000 shekels (about $310), and a second offence is 2,000 shekels ($620). A fourth offence is considered a criminal one.
The new regulation would prevent users from being prosecuted, and fines would be limited to 1,000 shekels for Israeli Defence Forces soldiers, police and minors, who are excluded from the new regulation.
JNS