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Overcast Pot products to be certified kosher
But state medical marijuana program lacks doctors certified to write recommendations
Marijuana products made for medicinal purposes by Vireo Health of New York, in upstate Perth, will include the identifying label of the Orthodox Union, the world’s largest and most recognized kosher certification agency. A shortage of state-certified doctors, however, could limit patients’ access to treatment.
Vireo is one of five companies that was approved to manufacture medicinal marijuana in New York state after the Compassionate Care Act, which was approved in June 2014, was signed into law that July. It went into effect on Tuesday. The law allows registered patients to use medical marijuana if they have been diagnosed with certain “severe debilitating or life-threatening conditions.”
For people who need to use medicinal marijuana and keep kosher, this is important, said Rabbi Moshe Elefant, the chief operating officer of OU Kosher, in Manhattan. “A lot of [Jewish] people won’t eat or consume anything that is not kosher. Obviously, [Vireo] believes there is a market for these products. … I have to tell you, we are getting a reaction from people telling us that, unfortunately, they have to have marijuana for their pain-management regimen. We are happy we can help alleviate their pain.”
The OU will certify that Viero’s vaporizers, cartridges, oils and capsules are kosher. Elefant said that OU officials visited Viero’s manufacturing facility to ensure that all the ingredients used to make medical marijuana met the criteria to be considered kosher.
“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 Ari Hoffman, Viero’s chief executive officer. “[This announcement] 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. Patients should never feel guilty or ashamed for using a product recommended by their physicians.”
“The Torah commands us to heal our selves, and people should do things that are safe,” the Woodmere resident said. “If it is the appropriate usage, if the physician recommended it, if the rabbi recommended to follow the doctor’s orders, there is no transgression of Torah principals.”
Issues with new law
A medical marijuana dispensary is scheduled to open in Lake Success, but that appears to be one of the few signs that the new law has gone into effect. The state Department of Health does not have a count of how many doctors are certified (a four-hour course is needed) to write a recommendation so a patient can register for the program.
“I think that both the approval of the Lake Success dispensary and the Orthodox Union endorsement are encouraging indicators that cannabis is becoming more acceptable as a form of treatment,” said Paige Kumm, a spokeswoman for Compassionate Care New York. “The current program in New York is very restrictive in terms of patient access. We get dozens of calls every week from patients trying to find out more information about the program, because information is scarce.”
To obtain medical marijuana, a patient must receive a Department of Health Medical Marijuana Program certification signed by a registered physician. The patient must then access the department’s online Patient Certification and Registration system, at http://on.ny.gov/1SgBUwA, to apply for a registry identification card. The process requires photographic identification, documentation of permanent or temporary state residency and designated caregiver information, if applicable. A patient who is under 18 or who is otherwise incapable of consenting must apply through a proxy.
“The Department of Health encourages patients who have a qualifying condition and believe they may benefit from medical marijuana therapy to speak with their treating physician about whether the medical use of marijuana is appropriate for their condition,” the DOH said in a press release.
Missy Miller, an Atlantic Beach resident whose 15-year-old son, Oliver, is a candidate for the drug to combat the seizures he suffers each day, said that the lack of doctors investing the time to take the course is a hurdle for many patients. Oliver suffered a pre-birth stroke that caused blindness and developmental delays.
“I am pretty happy about a dispensary opening fairly close by,” Miller said. “As far as this helping Oliver get his medicine, I’m afraid that Oliver and many other patients are hitting the same obstacle, which is finding a physician who has taken the required DOH course. I am praying that over the next few weeks more physician learn about the course and take it so that more patients can get their recommendations and register for the program.”
