A woman smokes during an event marking Israel's government's approval of a new policy to decriminalize personal marijuana use in Tel Aviv, Israel February 4, 2017.

The cabinet approved on Sunday the decriminalized use of marijuana in Israel.

According to the proposal formulated by the Public Security and Justice ministries, any first-time offender caught using marijuana in public would receive a fine rather than face criminal action.

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Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan, who led the reform, said that "the government's approval is an important step on the way to implement the new policy, which will emphasize public information and treatment instead of criminal enforcement."

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To implement the policy, an inter-ministerial team will be set up to propose amendments, regulations and the required changes to carry out the new policy.

>> Read more: How cannabis became illegal in Israel in the first place | Is marijuana kosher? | Meet the king of Israel's medical marijuana industry | Marijuana matzo balls: Jewish food gets a green twist >>

MK Tamar Zandberg (Meretz), the chairwoman of the Knesset Special Committee on Drug and Alcohol Abuse, said that "this is an important step, but not the end of the road. It sends a message that a million of Israelis who consume marijuana aren’t criminals. We will carry on following the details in the committee and ensure that the change is implemented."

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Erdan is set to attend a special committee discussion on the decriminalization reform on Monday.

The proposal was based on the conclusions of a committee headed by Public Security Ministry Director General Rotem Peleg, with the recommendations accepted by Erdan.

The panel recommended shifting focus from criminal prosecution of users to administrative fines and educational campaigns. Criminal prosecution, Minister Erdan said in January, should only be used as a last resort.

The panel recommended switching the focus on marijuana usage from the criminal level to the educational one, and expanding responses to marijuana use beyond opening criminal files and prosecuting users.

According to the new policy, first-time offenders that are caught using marijuana in a public place will incur a fine of 1,000 shekels ($271) but the offender will not face criminal charges. The fine will be doubled on the second offense. The third offense will lead to probation, with the record of the offense only being expunged after a brief period. Only on the fourth offense will criminal charges be pressed.

The money from the fines will go to financing antidrug education and treatment.

According to the new policy, if a minor is caught using marijuana he would be criminally investigated only if he refuses to take part in a treatment program, Erdan said.

Erdan had said that Israel's marijuana arrest policy was reexamined due to legalization efforts around the world.</s>Marijuana has been decriminalised in Israel which hopes to emphasise “treatment instead of criminal enforcement”.

The government’s cabinet amended the law so that those caught using cannabis in public will not be prosecuted until their fourth offence.

It signals a major change in approach for a country that is seen as a world leader in marijuana medical use research.

“On the one hand we are opening ourselves up to the future,” the country's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, told the Israeli cabinet before the vote. “On the other hand, we understand the dangers and will try to balance the two.”

If the new policy is ratified by the country's parliament, first-time offenders will incur a 1,000 shekel fine (£221), second-time offenders will be fined double and third-timers will face a "probation’ period".

The money raised from fines will reportedly finance anti-drug education and treatment.

Children caught using marijuana will be criminally investigated if they refuse to take part in the treatment programme, according to public security minister Gilad Erdan, who led the reform.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime says almost nine per cent of Israelis use cannabis.

About 25,000 people of the country's 8 million population have a licence to use the drug for medicinal purposes.

"Israel cannot shut its eyes to the changes being made across the world in respect to marijuana consumption and its effects,“ said justice minister Ayelet Shaked, in a statement.

In the United States, 28 states have legalised marijuana for medical use and since 2012, several have also approved marijuana for recreational use.

Sentencing for cannabis possession in the UK, a Class B drug, varies between a £90 on-the-spot fine and a five-year prison sentence.

Currently, people can be prosecuted after being caught using the drug for the first time.

Cannabis is linked to lung cancer, an increased risk of developing schizophrenia, hallucinations, infertility and harm in unborn babies.</s>File photo: A home-grown marijuana plant is seen at an undisclosed location in Israel January 28, 2014. REUTERS/Baz Ratner

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - The Israeli government voted on Sunday in favor of decriminalizing recreational marijuana use, joining some U.S. states and European countries who have adopted a similar approach.

"On the one hand we are opening ourselves up to the future. On the other hand, we understand the dangers and will try to balance the two," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his cabinet in broadcast remarks.

According to the new policy, which must still be ratified by parliament, people caught smoking marijuana would be fined rather than arrested and prosecuted. Criminal procedures would be launched only against those caught repeatedly with the drug.

Selling and growing marijuana would remain criminal offences in Israel.

"Israel cannot shut its eyes to the changes being made across the world in respect to marijuana consumption and its effects," Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked said in a statement.

In the United States, 28 states have legalized marijuana for medical use and since 2012, several have also approved marijuana for recreational use.

Shaked said Israeli authorities would now put their focus on education about the possible harmful effects of drug use.

Marijuana use is fairly common in Israel. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has said that almost nine percent of Israelis use cannabis, though some Israeli experts believe the numbers are higher.

Israeli police figures showed only 188 people were arrested in 2015 for recreational use of marijuana, a 56 percent drop since 2010, and many of those apprehended in that time were never charged.

About 25,000 people have a license to use the drug for medicinal purposes in Israel, one of the world leaders in medical marijuana research.

In February, a government committee gave an initial nod for the export of medical cannabis, though final legislative measures will likely take months.</s>Israeli politicians have voted in favour of decriminalising marijuana for recreational use on Sunday (5 March).

The Middle Eastern country will only follow the Western developments towards liberalising laws regarding the the possession and use of marijuana if the policy is ratified by its parliament at a later date.

According to the policy, if approved, those smoking the drug would be fined rather than arrested and prosecuted, with criminal procedures only launched against those repeatedly caught.

Selling and growing marijuana would remain criminal offences under Israeli law.

In a televised address to his cabinet, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the changes.

"On the one hand we are opening ourselves up to the future," Netanyahu said, reported Reuters. "On the other hand, we understand the dangers and will try to balance the two."

Marijuana use is fairly common in Israel with 9% of the population using the drug, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

Police figures cited by AFP showed a relatively lax approach to enforcement of smoking the drug.

Only 188 people were arrested in 2015 on charges relating to recreational use of marijuana, with only a handful of those formally charged and taken to court.

By adopting the changes, Israel joins a number of US states and European countries that have started to decriminalise the drug.

In the US, 28 states have legalised marijuana for medical use and since 2012, several have also approved marijuana for recreational use.

In a statement, Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked said: "Israel cannot shut its eyes to the changes being made across the world in respect to marijuana consumption and its effects."

Authorities should now put their focus on education about the possible harmful effects of drug use, Shaked said.</s>JERUSALEM (JTA) — Israel’s Cabinet voted to decriminalize recreational use of marijuana.

The cabinet voted on the policy at its regular meeting on Sunday.

An inter-ministerial committee will now create legislation in order to implement the new policy, which still must be ratified by the Knesset. Thecommittee will present its recommendations to the government by May 7.

The proposal was submitted by Minister for Public Security Gilad Erdan of the Likud Party and Minister of Justice Ayelet Shaked of the Jewish Home Party.

“The government’s approval is an important step on the way to implement the new policy, which will emphasize public information and treatment instead of criminal enforcement,” Erdan said.

Under the proposed policy, first-time offenders in possession of up to 15 grams and smoking publicly would be fined and not receive a criminal record. The fines would continue, doubled, until the fourth offense, when the possessor of the marijuana can be indicted. First-time minor offenders would be referred to a treatment program.

Prior to the vote, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “This must be done cautiously and in a controlled manner. On the one hand, we are open to the future. On the other, we also understand the dangers and we will try to balance between the two.

Using marijuana for medical purposes is legal in Israel. About 25,000 people have a license to use marijuana for medicinal purposes in Israel

Last summer, the government approved a plan to increase the number of doctors who can write prescriptions for medical cannabis, remove limits on the number of marijuana growers, make cannabis available at public pharmacies, and make it possible to receive medical cannabis with just a doctor’s prescription.</s>A woman smokes during an event in Tel Aviv marking the Israeli government’s approval of a new policy to decriminalize personal marijuana use on Feb. 4. BAZ RATNER / Reuters, file

According to the new policy, which must still be ratified by parliament, people caught smoking marijuana would be fined rather than arrested and prosecuted. Criminal procedures would be launched only against those caught repeatedly with the drug.

Selling and growing marijuana would remain criminal offences in Israel.

“Israel cannot shut its eyes to the changes being made across the world in respect to marijuana consumption and its effects,” Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked said in a statement.

In America, 28 states have legalized marijuana for medical use and since 2012, several have also approved marijuana for recreational use.

Shaked said Israeli authorities would now put their focus on education about the possible harmful effects of drug use.

Marijuana use is fairly common in Israel. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has said that almost nine percent of Israelis use cannabis, though some Israeli experts believe the numbers are higher.

Israeli police figures showed only 188 people were arrested in 2015 for recreational use of marijuana, a 56 percent drop since 2010, and many of those apprehended in that time were never charged.

About 25,000 people have a license to use the drug for medicinal purposes in Israel, one of the world leaders in medical marijuana research.

In February, a government committee gave an initial nod for the export of medical cannabis, though final legislative measures will likely take months.</s>At a time when many American states and European countries are loosening marijuana laws, the Israeli Cabinet approved a plan that would impose fines rather than criminal penalties on those caught using the drug in public.

JERUSALEM — Israel, which has been at the forefront of research into medical marijuana and the drug’s commercialization, took a major step Sunday toward officially decriminalizing its recreational use.

At a time when many American states and European countries are loosening marijuana laws, the Israeli Cabinet approved a plan that would impose fines rather than criminal penalties on those caught using the drug in public.

Growing and selling marijuana, which is widely used here recreationally and medicinally, would remain illegal.

“On the one hand, we are opening ourselves up to the future,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the Cabinet. “On the other hand, we understand the dangers and will try to balance the two.”

The decision still requires the approval of Israel’s parliament, the Knesset.

Until the decision Sunday, people charged with marijuana use could face heavy fines and even incarceration, though the official policy in recent years effectively amounted to decriminalization. There were fewer than 200 arrests in 2015.

About 25,000 Israelis, in a population of 8.5 million, hold permits to use medical marijuana to ease symptoms of cancer, epilepsy and other diseases, but that number is expected to grow rapidly.

Under the new rules, people caught using marijuana publicly a first time would face a fine of about $270 rather than criminal charges. Fines would rise with repeated offenses, with criminal charges filed only after a fourth offense.

The new rules were drafted, after much debate, by Gilad Erdan, public security minister. “The government’s approval is an important step on the way to implement the new policy, which will emphasize public information and treatment instead of criminal enforcement,” he said after the cabinet’s decision on Sunday.

Israel has been active for decades in studying the use of marijuana for medical purposes, and the government and private industry have been working to turn it into a major business, including for export.

ICan: Israel-Cannabis, a venture fund and technology incubator for startups in the medical marijuana business, praised the decision.

“This step, although not legitimizing use, is due to reduce the negative perception of the plant as ‘immoral or ‘criminal,’ increasing openness to its outstanding medicinal and wellness properties,” Saul Kaye, a pharmacist and the fund’s chief executive, said in a statement. “The decision will significantly increase entrepreneurship and investment into cannabis in Israel.”

While marijuana use has long been overlooked by authorities in Israel, police have continued enforcement against growers and dealers. A campaign is underway for the law to distinguish between those growing small amounts, particularly for medical purposes, and those growing it commercially. The Cabinet decision Sunday did not address that issue.</s>Holy smokes! The Israeli government has taken a step toward decriminalizing marijuana use.

Israeli media say Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Cabinet has approved a measure that would reduce penalties for possession of marijuana. If caught, smokers would pay a fine, instead of facing criminal charges.

Netanyahu said ahead of Sunday's meeting that a "new enforcement policy" should be drawn up "cautiously and in a controlled manner."

The decision does not mean that Jerusalem will now have Amsterdam-style coffee shops. The Haaretz daily said a committee would study ways to regulate the use of pot.

Opposition lawmaker Tamar Zandberg told Haaretz: "This is an important step, but not the end of the road. It sends a message that a million Israelis who consume marijuana aren't criminals."</s>Sign up for one of our email newsletters.

JERUSALEM — The Israeli government voted Sunday in favor of decriminalizing recreational marijuana use, joining some U.S. states and European countries who have adopted a similar approach.

“On the one hand, we are opening ourselves up to the future. On the other hand, we understand the dangers and will try to balance the two,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his Cabinet in broadcast remarks.

According to the new policy, which must still be ratified by parliament, people caught smoking marijuana would be fined rather than arrested and prosecuted. Criminal procedures would be launched only against those caught repeatedly with the drug.

“Israel cannot shut its eyes to the changes being made across the world in respect to marijuana consumption and its effects,” Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked said in a statement.

In the United States, 28 states have legalized marijuana for medical use and since 2012, several have also approved marijuana for recreational use.

Shaked said Israeli authorities would now put their focus on education about the possible harmful effects of drug use.

Marijuana use is fairly common in Israel. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has said that almost nine percent of Israelis use cannabis, though some Israeli experts believe the numbers are higher.

Israeli police figures showed only 188 people were arrested in 2015 for recreational use of marijuana, a 56 percent drop since 2010, and many of those apprehended in that time were never charged.</s>JERUSALEM (AP) - Holy smokes! The Israeli government has taken a step toward decriminalizing marijuana use.

Israeli media say Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Cabinet has approved a measure that would reduce penalties for possession of marijuana. If caught, smokers would pay a fine, instead of facing criminal charges.

Netanyahu said ahead of Sunday's meeting that a "new enforcement policy" should be drawn up "cautiously and in a controlled manner."

FILE - In this Nov. 1, 2012 file photo, an Israeli woman works at Tikkun Olam medical cannabis farm, near the northern Israeli city of Safed, Israel. The Israeli government has taken a step toward decriminalizing marijuana use. Israeli media said Sunday, March 5, 2017 that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Cabinet has approved a measure that would reduce penalties for possession of marijuana. If caught, smokers would pay a fine, instead of facing criminal charges. (AP Photo/Dan Balilty, File)

The decision does not mean that Jerusalem will now have Amsterdam-style coffee shops. The Haaretz daily said a committee would study ways to regulate the use of pot.

Opposition lawmaker Tamar Zandberg told Haaretz "this is an important step, but not the end of the road. It sends a message that a million of Israelis who consume marijuana aren't criminals."

FILE - In this Nov. 1, 2012 file photo, a marijuana plant grows at the Tikkun Olam medical cannabis farm, near the northern Israeli city of Safed, Israel. The Israeli government has taken a step toward decriminalizing marijuana use. Israeli media said Sunday, March 5, 2017 that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Cabinet has approved a measure that would reduce penalties for possession of marijuana. If caught, smokers would pay a fine, instead of facing criminal charges. (AP Photo/Dan Balilty, File)
Israel changes its law regarding marijuana use. Instead of facing criminal charges, first-time offenders who smoke marijuana in public places will only receive a fine.