CBD is not expressly legal in Israel, but is treated the same as all other cannabinoids, under the medical cannabis regulations. However, these regulations are not strictly enforced when it comes to CBD. Medical cannabis has been legal in Israel since the 1970's and is the origin of much of the world's important findings on the science behind cannabis. Israeli companies - benefiting from a favorable climate and expertise in medical and agricultural technologies - are among the world’s biggest producers of medical cannabis.

The Israeli government’s stance on CBD has been nebulous at best. The compound was not specifically included in the country's medical cannabis regulations though CBD falls into this regulatory structure by default; as with all cannabinoids, CBD-only and CBD-dominant products can only legally be obtained by prescription from one's doctor at a pharmacy. While there is limited information on the availability of prescription Epidiolex for patients in Israel, it appears to be marketed and regulated in the same way as any pharmaceutical, rather than as a part of the medical cannabis market.

Efforts by Israel’s Ministry of Health to exclude CBD specifically from the country's Drugs Ordinance came very close to success before collapsing in December 2020, leading up to a change in government. It remains to be seen whether 2021 will usher in new attempts at legalizing or descheduling CBD, though the new administration is expected to be less warm to the idea. The lack of clarity around CBD reflects the country's historically confusing and contradictory regulatory approach, which was only reinforced with Israel’s decriminalization of cannabis, while import and export of non-medical hemp and CBD remain illegal.

Beginning April 2019, Israel decriminalized possession of the plant and allowed home grows of cannabis; while offenders will still face fines, they will not be arrested upon any of their first three offenses. Despite these changes, it does not appear likely that CBD sales outside the medical cannabis realm will be allowed in the near term.

High CBD, low THC cannabis strains have been available on Israel's medical market for some time, so medical patients are familiar with the benefits of CBD. In fact, much of the initial research done on CBD was completed in Israel by Dr. Mechoulam from a purely scientific/medical perspective.

According to The Israeli Anti Drug Authority, Israel has one of the highest prevalence rates of "recent" (in the past 12 months) cannabis use in the world, at 27% of adults aged 16-64, thus a legal and accessible CBD market would likely gain quick popularity and thrive. Today, however, CBD is not difficult to find through illicit channels in Israel; it is available at smoke shops or through other channels because the laws against it are not strictly enforced.

Importers and licensed cannabis growers in Israel may sell high CBD or CBD-only products through the formal medical market, though this is not very common on the domestic market. Most global CBD companies will not ship non-medical CBD products to Israel because of the regulations and risk of confiscation. Epidiolex does have a presence in Israel as a pharmaceutical drug.

• Further research done in Israel on the benefits of CBD for specific medical conditions

• Changes in regulations following the formation of a new government

• Israel is one of the oldest medical marijuana research and business centers in the world, hosting dozens of cannabis companies and clinical studies, and pioneering cultivation science