Orthodox Union Issues First Medical Marijuana Kosher Certification

January 1, 2016

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All you kosher people out there have no fear – the first certified kosher marijuana will soon be here!

Vireo Health of New York announced Wednesday that it has obtained kosher certification from the Orthodox Union (OU) for its non-smokable medical marijuana products. The company is one of five certified medical marijuana distributors in New York State and will be the only kosher certified vendor.

“Being certified kosher by the OU will not only help us serve the dietary needs of the largest Jewish community in the United States, but also combat unfortunate stigmas associated with medical cannabis,” said Vireo CEO Ari Hoffnung in a statement.

The OU is the largest and most well recognized kosher certification organization in the US. Thousands of products are certified kosher each year by the OU.

Hoffnung added that the certification approval “sends an important message to New Yorkers of all faiths and backgrounds that using medical cannabis to alleviate pain and suffering does not in any way represent an embrace of ‘pot’ culture.”

CEO of the OU’s kosher department, Rabbi Menachem Genack, said in a statement that the medical marijuana being distributed by Vireo was “developed to alleviate pain and suffering in accordance with the New York State Compassionate Care Act.”

“Using medical cannabis products recommended by a physician should not be regarded as a ‘chet,’ a sinful act, but rather as a mitzvah, an imperative, a commandment.”

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