Israel’s first medical cannabis center to open in November
The center houses physicians who specialize in psychiatry, orthopedics, gastroenterology and cardiothoracic surgery.
By IDAN ZONSHINECANTEK-brand medical cannabis in at their indoor growing facility in Mavki'im, in southern Israel.(photo credit: RAPHAEL KADISHZON)
Israeli medical cannabis company CANTEK has announced it will open the country’s first medical cannabis center in Tel Aviv this coming November, which will house their medical cannabis consultation project, the "Tree of Knowledge," as well as a cannabis-pharmacy and clubhouse.Since acquiring the control of both Shlomi Sandak’s “CannabiSandak” and Ilan Gil’s “Green Medical Services,” CANTEK's "Tree of Knowledge" has become Israel’s largest medical cannabis consultation center.Sandak and Gil, two of Israel’s most prominent medical cannabis activists now run the center, guiding patients through the entirety of the lengthy bureaucratic process of getting a medical cannabis license, for the price of NIS 1,200.The center houses physicians who specialize in psychiatry, orthopedics, gastroenterology and cardiothoracic surgery, to help patients who suffer from a variety of conditions which can be aided by medical cannabis, including PTSD, autism, Crohn’s disease, chronic pain and cancer.In addition to the Tree of Knowledge, the new center will also feature a cannabis-pharmacy (with products from a variety of brands) and a clubhouse, where patients can discuss and compare treatments and receive informational lectures about medicinal cannabis.The Jerusalem Post met for an interview with representatives from CANTEK on Monday in their Tel Aviv location, which currently serves as a management office, a day before renovations began on the building.“The room that we’re sitting in right now is going to be the center’s safe. In about three months, this room will be filled with over 200 kilograms of cannabis.” CANTEK’s VP of business development, Oren Dolfin, told the Post.Dolfin said that while most pharmacies have safes designed to fit up to 15 kg of cannabis, their larger version will be able to keep the supply steady and reliable.When asked about the reason for a need to streamline the medical consultation process specifically for cannabis, Dolfin said “Regulation is always the biggest obstacle. We have a system that guides [patients], telling them what to do and how to approach the government in order to get a license. We have about a 90% success rate.”“Medicinal cannabis is often treated as a last resort. Many people must first try all the classic treatments in the medical system before they are prescribed cannabis, including dangerous and addictive opiates,” Dolfin added.“10% of Israelis have been diagnosed with PTSD. 17% of the population has chronic pain. That’s up to 27% of the population that could qualify for a license,” CANTEK’s VP, David Shisel told the Post.CANTEK was founded in 2016 by Shmuel Capuano, Netsah Israel and Daniel Machluf in the Haredi-majority city of Beit Shemesh.Last November, the company signed a deal with cannabis retailer “Together,” who agreed to provide almost NIS 200 million worth of cannabis products to CANTEK in the next five years, with CANTEK experts overseeing growing operations to ensure quality.Capuano, who serves as the company’s chairman, ironically had his first experience with medical cannabis only after starting his own medical cannabis company, due to him suffering from chronic pain caused by a dislocated disc in his lower back.“I realized that a lot of the pain I was experiencing was a product of repressed emotions. I thought of it like a medicine, but when I actually experienced it, I realized it’s more than just a medicine, and actually works within the person to help them heal emotionally as well,” Capuano told the Post.Capuano said that despite CANTEK’s role as a medical cannabis retailer, the objective of the consultation center itself is not meant for profit, but for education and research into medical cannabis.“We have very experienced, knowledgeable people with us, but there’s a lot more we can still learn. In the process of offering these services, we can gain more knowledge and share that knowledge with others,” Capuano said.
