New York Company Says It Will Be The First To Offer Kosher Certified Medical Marijuana

There are all kinds of foods that can be kosher, so why not marijuana? A pot grower in New York says its products have been certified kosher by the Orthodox Union, and will be ready to go when the state’s medical pot program starts up in January.

Vireo Health of New York was one of five companies picked by New York to grow and distribute medical pot. It says it’ll now be the first “medical cannabis company in the world” to have the “OU” symbol on its oils, vaporization cartridges and other products, reports the New York Daily News.

“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.

The company’s growing operation is in upstate New York, and it also has plans to open a dispensary in Queens sometime in January.

New York law allows medical marijuana to be used to treat 10 serious illnesses and conditions, including cancer, HIV and AIDS, Lou Gehrig’s, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s diseases, epilepsy, some spinal cord injuries, and multiple sclerosis.

Kosher cannabis: New York medical pot grower says products are certified by the Orthodox Union [New York Daily News]

by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist