Wikipedia's first sentence called it “illegal but decriminalized partially”. Today it says “violations under the dangerous drugs ordinance”.
Measured, not asserted. Every count, date and revision on this page was taken from Wikipedia's own history and checked against the live article. The words quoted are theirs.
Machine-checked against the full current article on 2026-08-03.
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The opening as it read in 2025
Professor Raphael Mechoulam of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem isolated THC from cannabis in 1964 (along with Yechiel Gaoni) and later discovered anandamide . The possession, use, and distribution of cannabis without a license in the State of Israel are violations under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance. A decade ago, despite these regulations, enforcement was relatively lax, partially influenced by a political movement advocating tolerance. Over the years, the enforcement approach has progressively become more lenient. As of 2021, cannabis use has been fully decriminalized, with it being treated as an administrative infraction primarily when used in highly visible public places. There is a possibility that cannabis may be legalized for recreational use by adults aged 21 and older in the future, with regulations akin to those for alcohol. Public and cross-party political support for the complete decriminalization of cannabis increased in the 2010s with increasing usage for both medical and recreational purposes, and the establishment of a political party primarily devoted to this cause; on July 19, 2018, the Knesset approved a bill for decriminalization, although the supporters of recreational cannabis use insisted that this did not represent complete decriminalization. The law came into effect on April 1, 2019. On June 25, 2020, further legislation designed to decriminalize possession of up to 50 grams of cannabis began its passage through the Knesset. Under current rules, citizens caught using cannabis in public cannot be arrested if they have no previous record of cannabis use, but may face fines of up to 1000 NIS . The money collected from these fines is used to support education and rehabilitation programs. Israeli scientists have conducted research into the properties and medical applications of cannabis since the 1960s, with notable discoveries first made by Raphael Mechoulam and Yechiel Gaoni of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem , who isolated THC from cannabis in 1964 and later discovered anandamide , and cannabis has been legal to use for medical purposes since the 1990s. A survey in 2017 found that 27% of Israelis between the ages of 18 and 65 had consumed cannabis in the last year, up from 8.8% in 2009, the highest rates of annual cannabis usage in the world, followed by Iceland and the US at 18% and 16% respectively. "The Holy Land of Medical Marijuana: How a country the size of New Jersey became the epicenter of medicinal marijuana" .
This is Wikipedia's own text, saved in our repository. Their copy of it is revision 1297579124.
The opening as it stood in 2020
The social and legal aspects of cannabis use in Israel Professor Raphael Mechoulam of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem isolated THC from cannabis in 1964 (along with Yechiel Gaoni) and later discovered anandamide . Cannabis in Israel is illegal but decriminalized partially, although home use and possession of up to 15 grams and below is not enforced by the authorities but there are reports of enforcing occurring in low visibility, private places such as one's garden or private home. It is allowed for some specified medical usages. Citizens caught using cannabis in public for the first and second times cannot be arrested if there are no previous record of Cannabis use, but may face fines (1000 NIS (approximately $280) for first timers and 2000 NIS (approximately $560) for second timers), using the money collected from these fines to support education and rehabilitation programs. On June 25, 2020, Legislation designed to decriminalize possession of up to 50 grams of marijuana passes another hurdle. On July 19, 2018, The Israeli Knesset approved the bill for decriminalization, although the Israeli Cannabis community insists that this is not a real decriminalization. The law went into place on April 1, 2019. A survey in 2017 found that 27% of Israelis between the ages of 18 and 65 had consumed cannabis in the last year, up from 8.8% in 2009 , the highest rates of annual cannabis usage in the world, followed by Iceland and the US at 18% and 16% respectively. "The Holy Land of Medical Marijuana: How a country the size of New Jersey became the epicenter of medicinal marijuana" .
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 964846657.
The opening as it stood on October 6, 2023 5 passages from the previous snapshot no longer appear
Professor Raphael Mechoulam of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem isolated THC from cannabis in 1964 (along with Yechiel Gaoni) and later discovered anandamide . Cannabis in Israel is allowed for specified medical usage, and is illegal but partially decriminalized for recreational use, with prosecution for home use and possession of 15 grams or less generally not enforced by the authorities.Public and cross-party political support for the complete decriminalization of cannabis increased in the 2010s with increasing usage for both medical and recreational purposes, and the establishment of a political party primarily devoted to this cause; on July 19, 2018, the Knesset approved a bill for decriminalization, although the supporters of recreational cannabis use insisted that this did not represent complete decriminalization.The law came into effect on April 1, 2019.On June 25, 2020, further legislation designed to decriminalize possession of up to 50 grams of cannabis began its passage through the Knesset.Under current rules, citizens caught using cannabis in public cannot be arrested if they have no previous record of cannabis use, but may face fines of up to 1000 NIS .The money collected from these fines is used to support education and rehabilitation programs.Israeli scientists have conducted research into the properties and medical applications of cannabis since the 1960s, with notable discoveries first made by Raphael Mechoulam and Yechiel Gaoni of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem , who isolated THC from cannabis in 1964 and later discovered anandamide , and cannabis has been legal to use for medical purposes since the 1990s. A survey in 2017 found that 27% of Israelis between the ages of 18 and 65 had consumed cannabis in the last year, up from 8.8% in 2009, the highest rates of annual cannabis usage in the world, followed by Iceland and the US at 18% and 16% respectively. "The Holy Land of Medical Marijuana: How a country the size of New Jersey became the epicenter of medicinal marijuana" .
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 1166906558.
Today
Wikipedia's first sentence called it “illegal but decriminalized partially”. Today it says “violations under the dangerous drugs ordinance”. Read the current article and compare.
2020
Oct '23
2025
Counts in the opening at each snapshot. Green: the word gained ground. Red: it was cut. Grey: no change.
What Wikipedia says this is
Every article opens by defining its subject. This one was redefined since 2020, and today's defining sentence is their current revision.
Then
illegal but decriminalized partially
Now
violations under the dangerous drugs ordinance
Struck red text is no longer in the article; dotted amber text was rewritten. Every revision id links to Wikipedia's copy; the text shown is our own saved copy. Data: /data. Wikipedia text is CC BY-SA; quoted for the record; not affiliated with Wikipedia.
