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The Schmooze

Israeli Cannabis-Based Skincare Products are Here

What if we told you there was a skincare line containing cannabis?

What if it couldn’t actually get you high but can still aid in certain skin diseases?

Now that I have your attention —

In the Holy Land of Israel there are pharmacists truly doing God’s work. The Israeli-European skincare company MGC Pharmaceuticals has created a line of CBD-based products to meet the needs your skin has that can’t possibly be met without the legalization of marijuana.

In case you are still living under a rock in Abraham’s tent, you should know that Israel not only legalized medical marijuana, but it is also a world leader in Cannabis research. Saul Kaye, a pharmacist and the CEO of iCAN Israel-Cannabis, a leading cannabis tech startup accelerator, told Israeli tech publication No Camels about how research led to these high-ly acclaimed skincare products. Cannabis has been showed to aid in the management of “psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, some of the chronic autoimmune skin diseases. Once we started to see that it is effective topically, it is very natural that CBD would go into a broad range of topicals [i.e. skincare products],” he said.

Once a symbol for Bob Marley, the pervasive green leaf is now a key graphic plastered on everyday items. Israeli companies in the medical field of, er, weed, are entering into joint ventures with cosmetic companies already on the market, No Camels reported. MGC Derma, for example, is another cannabis-based cosmetic compan, co-founded by Roby Zomer.

“MGC Derma started as a pharma company. We know how many milligrams of CBD are in our products,” Zomer said. Cosmetics, he felt, were a natural next step.

MGC Pharma creates their cosmetics from cannabidiol, humans test the products, and MGC Derma sells the skincare line. The 18 formulas on the market have proven to relieve redness, dryness, and oiliness, claims Zomer. Their skincare line hit UK fashion brand, Harvey Nichols’ shelves today.

Even Israel’s famous Premier Dead Sea company will create a product line that uses CBD compounds. Mariah Carey, the celebrity face of the brand, has not yet announced whether or not she will be supporting the line.

In the words of one lone commenter on the recent news of these cannabis skincare products: “Let’s Get Groovy Israel.”

Bonnie is an intern for the Forward.

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