The Israel agricultural ministry will classify medical cannabis cultivation as a farming sector, entitling between 15 and 20 cannabis cultivators to grants, water quotas, support, and training in cannabis growing.

The decision to consider cannabis production as a farming sector indicates Israel’s intention to become more involved with medical cannabis exports, which could amount to over $1.1 billion annually.

Israel’s Ministry of Agriculture said the use of cannabis for medical purposes is relatively new in Israel, and its status is still controversial; however, it is slowly gaining popularity in many countries, and an increasing number of studies confirm the positive effects of the drug.

The ministry financed 13 biochemical studies to help the growth of the cannabis farming sector.

“The studies are enabling researchers to conduct basic and applied research, and to develop tools and research infrastructure for the next generation of medical cannabis products,” the ministry said.

During this reclassification of medical cannabis cultivation in Israel, Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan initiated legislation to decriminalize social cannabis earlier this month.

In January, the minister announced a policy shift, that would affect adult offenders with fines for the possession of less than 15 grams of cannabis, but they would only suffer criminal records after the fourth strike.

“We are promoting this policy as an important step forward, which will enable us to shift the emphasis from criminal enforcement to measures of education and public awareness,” he said.