Smoking Pot. Is it Kosher?

In short, yes.

But what you have to understand about something “being kosher” is that the rules of kosher encapsulate not only what is/isn’t to be consumed, but the behavioral/cultural aspects of said consumption as well.

In other words, something may be kosher to eat, but the activity itself may not be.

So, to give the long answer of “yes, pot is kosher,” I want to break down both aspects.

The main rules in the consumption facet of kosher are that when a living thing is involved (animals), the animal must be a kosher one; other than that, things are pretty much, by default, kosher. Also, whenever a food is processed (soda, chips, sandwiches, etc.), the food must be watched to make sure no non-kosher materials were used.

Fun fact: Animals that are considered kosher are, by default, kosher too. What must be considered, however, is that the animal or food product that is packaged must be certified and labeled as such. This process in Jewish culture is highly regarded and much debated. As a result, the Jewish community one belongs to trusts a certifying procedure that, to them, makes something officially kosher.

Plants, including fruits, veggies, and (in this discussion) marijuana, are not processed and furthermore aren’t considered “not kosher” ingredients as established by rabbinic and Old Testament law, and therefore do not need a certification to be kosher.

Which is good news for farmer’s market enthusiasts and stoners alike in Colorado.

I specify Colorado in my last statement because outside the state, smoking pot is not considered kosher. That’s the second part of the equation: Kosher is much more than just the laws of certification and subsequent consumption. To be kosher, an activity must be considered appropriate and acceptable.

For this reason, one may say that “the dress isn’t kosher,” or “that nude beach isn’t kosher,” if you catch my drift.

Luckily for kosher-abiding Coloradans looking to get their Bob Marley on, one of the laws that dictates acceptability is one called “dina d’malchusa dina,” which loosely translates to “the law of the land is the law.”

This is to say if something is considered acceptable — kosher, if you will — by the place in which you reside, it’s considered acceptable to Jews as well. Therefore, marijuana is considered kosher in our lovely state with its legalization laws, but not anywhere it’s still considered illegal.

A contesting law which challenges this one but ultimately doesn’t make the activity not kosher is one called “Chai Bahem” which loosely translates to “live by them,” with the emphasis on live (and that’s “chai” as in life and not the tea).

This rule — established by Maimonides, the ancient and health-conscious medieval rabbinic scholar — is a commonly cited one in Jewish culture that is used to govern health-risky things, like smoking cigarettes. Smoking cigarettes, depending on one’s stringency to the Chai Bahem law, can therefore be considered not kosher. Turns out your worried Jewish mother-in-law actually has a reason for fretting about your health and safety, eh? So, as applicable to smoking weed, the act (debatably so) can be considered not kosher due to the health risks involved.

After all is said and done, if you’re in Colorado or another state where marijuana is recreationally legal, if you want to smoke the herb but keep kosher, simply partake and know you’re within the guidelines.

Mazel tov!