Marijuana is not kosher for Passover, a pro-cannabis advocacy group says, advising Jews who observe the week-long holiday’s special dietary laws to take a break from smoking the weed.
The Green Leaf Party announced Wednesday that products of the cannabis plant have been grouped by rabbis within a family of foods such as peas, beans and lentils that is off-limits to Jews of European descent during Passover.
But it said the rabbinical ban for the holiday beginning at sunset Monday, during which many Jews eat matzos, or unleavened bread, could be a blessing in disguise.
“Logic dictates that if the rabbis say cannabis is non-kosher for Passover, it is apparently kosher during the rest of the year,” Michelle Levin, a spokeswoman for the party, told the YNet news web site.
Trying to apply logic to religion, eh?
Funny….
The rules for “Kosher for Passover” are a little esoteric. I can’t begin to explain (or understand) some of them.
Somewhere – probably during the Middle Ages, it was decided to codify the rules for this and other things, and a bunch of learned men sat around and thought about things. The basic “don’t eat leavened bread” expanded into all kinds of related concepts, including very thoroughly cleaning all utensils used in food preparation and service. Things like requiring a local Rabbi to verify the cleaning and sign off on it came about. If any minute amount of “chometz” – materials not permitted for Passover – came into contact with it, it was also not permitted.
I think these guys may have had too much time on their hands when they started classifying things like beans….
But, other than avoiding matzoh (“Jewish Concrete”), you can get almost anything but bread these days that’s certified for Passover, so it’s just a nuisance. ‘Course, I don’t do cannabis (or tobacco), this particular topic is just fun.
Regards,
Stu.
Oy Vey!
So Is kosher weed blessed by a rabbi?
Now if only a rabbi said it is a Bitter Herb, then we could get it added to the seder plate! Dude, I got the munchies, pass the gefilte fish…
The rabbis are NUTZ.
Cannabis Sative is botanically not even CLOSE to a legume. It is an herb and its seed would classfy itself more closely to caraway or anise.
They’ve been smoking some of this product to come up with this.
What a bunch of meshugeners!
Cursor_
First of all, much more information is available from the Jerusalem Post article here: [edit: pls use tinyurl]
Reuters seems to have just picked up the email from the “Green Leaf” political party in Israel.
It’s difficult to understand how even if Canabis were considerd ‘kitniyot’ (legume is a very inaccurate translation, as sesame is included in the category) this would result in the prohibition of smoking the leaves/buds. The prohibition would most certainly apply only to the seed, and eating it at that. It would also only be relevant for Jews of Ashkenazic descent. Sephardic and Middle Eastern Jews would have no problem, some might even have an established tradition to smoke it on Passover!
In any event, the number of things classified as ‘kitniyot’ and hence forbidden to Ashkenazi Jews to eat on Passover is continually growing, and there is no real rigid definition. There is a movement afoot to end the custom of refraining from eating them, as it’s not entirely clear how it came about in the first place. See the end Jerusalem Post article for more details.
I don’t know anything about the Jews except Sarah Silverman is HOT! 🙂
Michelle Levin needs to brush up on her logic because it dictates no such thing. From the fact that some of the time cannabis is non-kosher it does not follow that some of the time cannabis is kosher. Some A’s are B’s does not imply that some A’s are not B’s.
Sam- I think Michelle is actually right on this one. She didn’t explain herself well, but she’s basically saying that since for something to potentially qualify as being kosher for passover, it must be kosher the rest year. Therefore, since it wasn’t dismissed on those grounds, but rather because it might be kitniyot (i.e. something like legumes), then it clearly is kosher the rest of the year. Which is pretty legitimate.
Of course, that’s silly since every plant is kosher. It also seems that there are two different discussions, one concerning hemp seed, and one concerning smoking marijuana. This doesn’t come through in the Reuters piece, you have to look at the Jerusalem Post article.
Good thing im not jewish… No dumbass, its puff, puff, give – and pass to the left!
*cough* *cough*
Nothing is stated in Jews law (Talmud) that a person can’t smoke, drink, or even take opium.
I don’t recall reading anything in the old and new testament either.
cannabis,
Is an herb, a natural substance and dosn’t appy to kosher law or passover law.
What is stated is the person should obey to the laws of the land.
In a nutshell
Passover is a ritual to remind the jewish people each year how they where let free from from the hardships of slavery.
Cannabis is not a bitter herb and that is what is used during a seder.
Thier are many different factions of the Jewish religion and each group interprets the law differently.
The reform jews being the most liberal while the orthodox being the strictest.