Cannabis use fairly common in Israel

Marijuana and hashish consumption is fairly common in Israel, with almost nine percent of Israelis using cannabis, Reuters quoted the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime as reporting.

These drug consumers today spend between double to triple what they would have before 2011, when Neighboring Arab states descended into political turbulence and bloodshed.

"I just paid 5,200 shekels ($1,492) for a plate (100 grams) of hash. Two or three years ago it would have cost 2,000 shekels," complained one Israeli who said he smokes the drug daily.

To meet market demands, suppliers have been increasingly dealing home-grown "Hydro", which is marijuana grown on water.

"We see more and more labs operated inside flats, basements, and private homes equipped with automatic ventilation, watering and even fertilization," police said. "This cannabis yields high-quality drugs in relation to that smuggled over the borders."

Medicinal marijuana has also been seeping into the illegal drug market, according to users and police.

Hydro-marijuana and medicinal marijuana both sell for the same street rate - about 1,000 shekels for 10 grams.