Israeli Police Chief: It's Time to Reevaluate Position on Marijuana

The times are a changing when it comes to government policies on marijuana, as more officials and members of police are voicing their support for legalizing the drug recreationally, from Colorado to Israel, where the medical marijuana industry, in particular, has been absolutely flourishing.

The latest advocate for legalization comes in the surprising form of police chief Yohanan Danino, who said to a group of Jerusalem high school students in Beit Shemesh that they would be "surprised to hear" Israeli police's current policy on marijuana. “More and more citizens are demanding marijuana use be permitted,” Danino said, reports the Times of Israel. “I think it’s time for the police, along with the state, to reevaluate its traditional position.” Danino joins a growing chorus of Israeli pro-marijuana supporters, from comedians and musicians to political groups like Aleh Yarok, who ran a successful campaign asking residents to donate money, and in exchange receive a gram of marijuana once it becomes legalized. Maybe the notion wasn't as far-fetched as we originally thought? According to the Times, Danino has also spoken to members of the Knesset on reevaluating government stance on cannabis. He even once claimed in an interview that he “does not care about individuals smoking joints on their balconies,” and has held conversations with police chiefs in Amsterdam and other regions where it's decriminalized. Preach. A member of Jewish Home, MK Yinon Magal, told Walla last week that he and Danino had a conversation recently, and "reached an outline that will allow recreational use of cannabis to be decriminalized, as long as consumers remain law-abiding citizens." Sounds like a pretty ideal situation.