Sheikh Medical Group made history last night (Wednesday) when it became the first and only cannabis company in Israel with a shemita approval for growing medical cannabis and a kosher certificate for its products, according to a report to the stock exchange.
The certificate emphasizes that the produce that Sheikh has grown in Israel and marketed to date, both on behalf of the company and on behalf of other marketing companies, is a product of a sixth crop and was planted before Rosh Hashanah 5752. Current.
The works in the company’s greenhouses Photo: Sheikh Medical Group
Rabbi Yosef Efrati, who heads the kashrut body that gave the shemita permit, examined the form of cultivation on the farm, and what adaptation of this form to the definitions required of cultivation in the permit in the shemita year. For example – growing in a greenhouse – “under a roof”, growing detached from the ground, planting the plant under a full roof, not a greenhouse, things related to irrigation and care of the plant and cuttings and more.
The kashrut body gave the farm a series of instructions and changes required to meet the kashrut requirements, examined the adjustments made and conducted periodic inspections to see that all the rules of cultivation according to the provisions of Jewish law were observed.
“The owners of the company wanted to work in the Land of Israel as God intended”
The Israeli cannabis company founded by the Sarid family, a third generation of farmers, who were exposed through their father’s disease to the positive effects of the cannabis plant on a variety of diseases, say that the company is defined as Jewish, observing Shabbat, and this is the second time the company observes shemita. , 7 years ago they did so.
“As a Jewish society, society does not take steps that are contrary to Jewish law and the spirit of Judaism,” the Kippah News Society says.
Sheikh Medical Group’s cannabis seedlings Photo: Sheikh Medical Group
In the Medical Group discourse, it is said that a demand arose from the field as early as the previous year of the shemita from many customers, some of whom do not declare themselves religious, but there are halakhic things that are important to them. “In practice, the desire of the owners of the company was to do the will of God and to work in the Land of Israel as God intended.”
In its announcement to the stock exchange, the company emphasizes that in its estimation, “receiving the shemita certificate and kosher certificate for the company’s products, as part of its focus on the Israeli market, may expose and make the company’s products accessible to new target audiences, with emphasis on the traditional Haredi market. Even if they were raised during a shemita year, and that the issuance of these approvals may have a positive effect on its financial results in the coming years. It has an advantage in this context. “