Kosher is a term widely used to describe food that is fit for consumption under Jewish law. Taboos on pork and shellfish are accepted aspects of the regulations governing what is kosher (also known as kashruth in Hebrew). Other restrictions govern the ritual killing of cattle and ban the mixing of meat and milk products. Furthermore, kosher certification ensures that a product does not include prohibited substances.
If you examine a package of Happy Garden CBD products attentively, you’ll see that the product is kosher certified. In reality, Star-K kosher certification, situated in Baltimore, Maryland, has approved all Happy garden CBD oils.
But how could a plant that was banned almost everywhere until recently be certified as kosher? We discuss this and more below.
The Jewish population in the U.S. accounts for approximately 1.8% of the overall population, and kosher adherents make up a small portion of that. However, kosher certification is found on up to 60% of ingestible on the shelves of your average grocery shop.
This polarity reflects how important kosher certification is to many consumers beyond the Jewish population. For instance, vegetarians and vegans may be confident that packaged items do not include meat. Because kosher requirements are more stringent than halal, Muslims may rest confident that certified kosher food complies with their faith’s dietary guidelines.
Kosher certification assures customers that a company’s products are produced in a sanitary and well-run environment. Since many licenses like USDA Organic are not accessible for cannabis goods and facilities, Happy Garden CBD’s kosher certification demonstrates its commitment to providing excellent CBD products to its buyers.
A casual observer would assume that because cannabis has never come into contact with milk, meat, or pig, it is naturally kosher – especially if it has been properly blessed. But it isn’t that easy. This is why the popular Kosher Kush strain, which won many High Times Cannabis Cup honors in the last 10 years, isn’t truly kosher.
It takes more than a rabbi’s blessing to become kosher. It refers to a set of rules that govern a wide range of topics, including meat, dairy, pests, wine, and fish. And there are a lot of specifics in those statutes.
If you explore the history of cannabis research, it’s almost unbelievable that kosher cannabis has taken this long to become a common conversation. After all, Israel is the birthplace of three of the world’s most widespread faiths and cannabis research.
In the 1960s, THC and CBD molecules were discovered by Dr. Raphael Mechoulam, a professor at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. As a result of his efforts, the Israeli government supported more medicinal cannabis research in the 1990s than in other countries.
Though recreational marijuana use is illegal in Israel, it has been authorized since the 1990s when prescribed for medical use. Using medicinal cannabis products prescribed by a doctor should not be considered a chet, or a sinful act, but rather a mitzvah, or a commandment.
While cannabis is virtually nonexistent in Jewish texts, it is discussed in the Shulchan Arukh, where its oil is mentioned as suitable for lighting Shabbat candles. We wondered if using such a candle would lead to hotboxing around the dinner table and ultimately concluded that it depends on how cleanly the oil was burning. In any event, this would suggest that its use may not be abominable.
There are no animal products in the plain plant, so it’s rather easy to deem kosher. Although insects might be caught in flower buds, you’ve eliminated that concern because you smoked it.
In contrast, processed cannabis products like CBD oils, gummies, creams, etc., are a little more tricky. All materials included in formulations must be kosher, and production plants are audited four to six times a year to ensure they are hygienic and well-maintained. For instance, gummies must not include gelatin, a product derived from animal bones.
Smoking is one of those things that rabbis can’t seem to agree on, and marijuana adds to the confusion.
Smoking is well-accepted to be harmful to one’s health; therefore, indulging appears to violate the commandment not to degrade the body. But, as King David’s poetic soul points out, the Lord protects the unsuspecting. Therefore, a total ban is not only unnecessary but also irreligious.
There’s no reason cannabis wouldn’t be kosher if smoked under regular conditions. However, some rabbis only apply this to medical marijuana, not recreational use. One crucial exception to smoking’s relative acceptability is on Shabbat and holidays, where starting fires are not allowed.
Happy Garden CBD specializes in producing and selling the best CBD oils, which are completely Kosher certified. There is no reason to lose out on the benefits of our oils because you are avoiding going against kosher rules.
If you need want information on our products, feel free to reach out.
