On April 20, selected Israeli pharmacies will begin selling prescription cannabis products. Twenty pharmacies will participate in the pilot program for the regulation of medical marijuana sales in Israel, the main component of the country’s cannabis reform, spearheaded by the Ministry of Health and approved by the government in 2016.

According to the health ministry, 900 cannabis entrepreneurs have already filed for permits to grow and process cannabis since the reform was first put in motion.

RELATED: International Cannabis News

Obtaining a medical cannabis prescription in Israel had traditionally been a long and complex process which required a doctor’s recommendation and an approval from a special committee. Those who have a prescription could only purchase medical cannabis at a few designated dispensaries. With the implementation of the new reform, Israeli doctors will be able to prescribe cannabis-based medications, which will be sold at ordinary pharmacies.

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The initiative to legalize medical marijuana is within 1,000 signatures of qualifying for November's ballot.

According to the most recent numbers from the Utah Elections office, organizers for the Utah Medical Cannabis Act have more than 133,000 verified signatures, which is more than the 113,000 needed to get on the ballot. Organizers have turned in a total of 172,000 signatures, but nearly 40,000 have been determined to be invalid.

RELATED: Workers Forged Signatures on Utah Petitions for Medical Marijuana and Count My Vote, Charges Say

However, organizers must also get signatures equal to 10 percent of the last presidential vote in 26 of Utah's 29 Senate districts.

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San Diego’s legal marijuana stores could run short of recreational cannabis this summer when the seasonal rise in tourism sends the demand for cannabis soaring in a city that’s emerged as a mecca for the sale of marijuana.

Analysts and retailers say the government hasn’t been approving cultivation licenses fast enough to meet anticipated demand. And the state is preparing to prevent the sale of cannabis that doesn’t meet quality control standards, which could tighten the supply.

“There is a worry among our members that there could be a shortage over the summer,” said Dallin Young, executive director for the Association of Cannabis Professionals, a San Diego-based trade group.

“With the increase in tourists, in addition to the already high demand among San Diegans, there just might not be enough adult-use cannabis to go around.”

San Diego attracts about 35 million tourists a year, roughly 8 million of whom visit during July and August.

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JEFFERSON CITY — A medical marijuana bill hit a brick wall in the legislature Wednesday when a committee killed it.

While the bill's sponsor believes there's still a chance for the legislation, some medical marijuana advocates say the outcome was inevitable. 

HB 1554, sponsored by Rep. Jim Neely, R-Cameron, would provide access to medical marijuana for people who suffer from terminal illnesses; however, it failed to make it out of the Legislative Oversight Committee on Wednesday.

Last year Neely sponsored House Bill 437, which would have legalized access to medical marijuana for people suffering from "epilepsy or an irreversible debilitating disease or conditions." It failed to gain traction after being approved by a committee.

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