Cannabis Jew Magazine: Championing Jewish Representation in Cannabis Culture, Countering Bias, and Promoting Trade with Israel
Cannabis advocacy is a Jewish issue essential to combatting antisemitism, alleviating suffering and supporting Israel’s health care system⏤now even more vital in the wake of the unprecedented, horrifying massacre of Jewish men, women and children. In a global climate of escalating threats against Jewish communities, it is imperative to seek innovative ways to represent and defend Jewish culture even while we mourn and try to recover from our collective pain and loss.
This past summer I founded Cannabis Jew Magazine (CJM) to rise to this challenge and introduce a distinctly Jewish perspective within the cannabis press, serving as a powerful tool to combat stigma, enhance appreciation for Jewish culture, and promote intra-industry trade with Israel.
CJM is a digital, monthly publication accessible at cannabisjew.com that covers cannabis news from a Jewish perspective, highlights Jewish contributions to the cannabis industry and provides a resource to learn more about cannabis in Jewish culture and Israel’s innovative national medical cannabis program. CJM provides content that allows us to take pride in the Jewish history of cannabis research and oppose the stigma that makes this impossible—even within our own community.
The inaugural issue is now live and features tributes to Dr. Mechoulam by a variety of Jewish researchers, doctors, growers, and advocates, a stunning Front Page illustration by Steve Marcus, “Cannabis Rabbinics” with Yosef-Needelman Ruiz, an interview with Dr. Peter Grinspoon about his new book Seeing Through the Smoke, an inside look at the Pushkina Festival in Afton, NY by Aaron Genuth, as well as regular columns such as “Mensch of the Month,” “Canna-Jewish Product Review,” and a review of GemmaCert for our column on “Israeli Tech Growers Want.”
CJM is devoted to ending the stigma attached to cannabis use and those who consume with dialogue and commentary about the Jewish relation to the herb infused with humour, Yiddish and Hebrew, written by an international group of contributors who work in the industry as researchers, advocates, authors, growers, executives, doctors, and journalists.
Platform:
- CJM is a dedicated platform for Jewish professionals in the cannabis industry.
- CJM fosters a sense of community for “cannabis Jews” who align their cannabis use with Jewish tradition and practice.
- CJM celebrates the rich Jewish history of cannabis research and advocacy.
Resource:
- CJM serves as an engaging, informative resource for professionals in the cannabis industry.
- CJM provides insights into Jewish culture and Israel’s national medical cannabis program, facilitating and promoting trade with Israel.
In every issue, CJM highlights the noteworthy contributions of Jewish professionals who are committed to expanding access to medical cannabis and alleviating suffering to help repair the world. Through insightful articles that explore the role of cannabis in Jewish history and culture, CJM strives to educate, inform, and empower its readers; fostering a deeper appreciation for the intersection of Jewish heritage and the cannabis industry while breaking down barriers that have long clouded this remarkable history.
Cannabis advocacy may not seem directly connected to supporting Israel and the vitality of the Jewish community, but it plays a critical role in addressing the biases that perpetuate negative perceptions about Jews and Israel. Anti-cannabis ideology denies the right to consume the herb and dismisses the medical benefits of cannabinoid therapy first discovered by Israeli scientists. From this perspective, the Jewish history of cannabis research appears problematic and suggests⏤for those who are “anti-cannabis”⏤that there is something wrong with us, or we need Jesus (or both).
If we don’t Represent and take pride in the Jewish relation to cannabis, we risk ceding the narrative to other groups in the public forum, including Neo-Nazis who for decades have been circulating their own explanation for our prominent role in cannabis science. It’s imperative that we find creative ways to share and celebrate the Jewish history of cannabis advocacy, using our language and humour to engage and educate, in order to end the stigma that perpetuates negative judgements about Jews and Israel. This is critical at this moment of collective trauma when access to medical cannabis is even more vital to our recovery and Israel’s health care system. With your support, we can effectively counter the implicit bias fueled by anti-cannabis ideology, diversify the cannabis press and foster positive perceptions of Jews and Israel.
Through my educational outreach efforts with Licensed Producers in Nova Scotia, I’ve learned that the need for accurate information about medical cannabis policy in Israel coupled with misinformation about Jews and Jewish culture has hindered opportunities for intra-industry trade deals with Israeli cannabis companies. CJM creates an online space for cross-cultural communication about the Jewish relation to cannabis in the service of countering bias and facilitating trade with Israel.
Join us in supporting Cannabis Jew Magazine and become an integral part of the movement dedicated to countering the stigma that prevents Jewish pride in our culture and support for Eretz Israel. Our mission is to foster a vibrant and informative platform where the cannabis industry and Jewish heritage converge, creating a space for education, promotion, and the celebration of the Jewish legacy of cannabis research as an essential form of tikkun olam.
I founded the company and launched the inaugural issue of Cannabis Jew Magazine (CJM) without any external capital, investors, or grants. I am now reaching out to seek your help to keep CJM in circulation, covering cannabis news from a Jewish perspective and fostering diversity in the cannabis press. Your support is vital in achieving this goal. I am currently seeking $35,000 in early-stage financing to support our growth over the next 4-5 months. This investment will enable us to expand our readership and generate revenue from advertising sales, subscriptions, and a limited merchandise offering. 
Together, we can create a platform to celebrate the Jewish history of cannabis science, end the stigma in our community, enhance appreciation for Jewish culture and support Israel’s economy. These efforts are especially important now, when Israel is in a state of war and access to medical cannabis is critical for Israelis to cope with the trauma and ongoing conflict.
This media company combines my lifelong commitment to Jewish education with my gratitude for medical cannabis, my interest in cultivation, and Ahavat Israel. Please join me in this meaningful endeavor as we work together to represent Jewish voices in the cannabis press, combat bias, and promote trade with Israel. Your interest and support are deeply appreciated, and your contribution is invaluable in ensuring the continued success and sustainability of CJM.
Thank you for being a vital part of this journey to celebrate Jewish culture and increase access to the herbal remedy that has always helped us recover from the past and feel some hope about the future. L’chaim!
