Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, described as “the leading living ultra-Orthodox halachic authority,” by the Times of Israel, has asserted that, under normal circumstances, the marijuana plant, considered to be a member of a religiously restricted group of foods, is allowed during the holiday if used medicinally.
During the eight-day Passover holiday, there are strict dietary rules, but, after sniffing the leaves of the marijuana plant, Kanievsky determined that it had a “healing smell,” and blessed the plant for medicinal use.
Previously, Rabbi Efraim Zalmanovich, who wrote a book on alcoholism in the context of the religion, had determined that smoking and distributing marijuana was kosher — as long as it was being used medicinally.
“Taking drugs to escape this world in any excessive way is certainly forbidden,” he said.
