JERUSALEM, March 5 (Reuters) - The Israeli government voted on Sunday in favor of decriminalizing recreational marijuana use, joining some U.S. states and European countries who have adopted a similar approach. Selling and growing marijuana would remain criminal offenses in Israel. “Israel cannot shut its eyes to the changes being made across the world in respect to marijuana consumption and its effects,” Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked said in a statement. In the United States, 28 states have legalized marijuana for medical use and since 2012, several have also approved marijuana for recreational use. About 25,000 people have a license to use the drug for medicinal purposes in Israel, one of the world leaders in medical marijuana research.

Source: Huffington Post March 05, 2017 20:48 UTC