Cannabis — Israel

Cannabis is illegal in Israel, but since 1 April 2022 possessing or using it for your own consumption is normally handled as an administrative offence with a fixed fine - 500 shekels for possession, or 1,000 shekels for using it in a public place - instead of prosecution. It is still an offence: paying the fine is not a conviction, but a prosecutor can decide to bring charges instead, and the fine track does not apply to soldiers, certain police and prison-service personnel, or prisoners. There is no legal way for a visitor to buy cannabis, the medical programme runs through Israeli specialist doctors, and bringing cannabis into the country is a separate and far more serious offence that is banned outright in airports and at border crossings.

Possession for your own use normally draws a fixed administrative fine of 500 shekels; using cannabis in a public place draws 1,000 shekels, and a public place includes a motor vehicle and anywhere visible from a public place. Paying the fine is not a criminal conviction, but the conduct remains an offence: a prosecutor may file charges instead before a fine notice is served, and you can also be prosecuted if you ask to be tried. The fine track does not apply to soldiers, certain police and prison-service personnel, or prisoners. Selling, supplying and importing cannabis are separate and far more serious offences, and the UK Foreign Office warns that if you are caught with drugs in Israel you can expect a prison sentence.