The Story of Jews and Cannabis with Eddy Portnoy

Different Leaf: the Podcast

Can kush be kosher? Of course it can! This episode, we're diving into the long and fascinating history of Jews and cannabis with Eddy Portnoy, historian of Jewish culture and the Director of Exhibitions at the New York City YIVO Institute for Jewish Research.
Eddy tells host Brit Smith about the religious, ritual and cultural connections between Judaism and marijuana. They discuss evidence of hash residue at an ancient synagogue, the historic letters written by a Jewish woman asking to buy hashish, the key Jewish members of the modern cannabis movement like Israeli chemist Dr. Ralph Mechoulam and American botanist Ed Rosenthal, and more.
Eddy also covers some of the items on display at the YIVO Institute's new exhibit "Am Yisrael High" all about Jews and Cannabis in Manhattan NYC, which runs through the end of 2022, and features their prized menorah bong. Find out more at Yivo.org/Cannabis
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