Medicinal cannabis gets blessing from on high

In the latest sign that the consumption of cannabis for medicinal purposes is being legitimized, the Church of England has reversed its previous policy of refusing to invest in schemes seeking to profit from the drug’s use.

The religious authority will now consider taking a punt on the sector, provided a company gets no more than 10% of revenue from selling recreational cannabis, the threshold it uses for most of its other ethical exclusions, such as tobacco, pornography, gambling and high-interest lenders, according to The Financial Times.

Around £12.6 billion ($16 billion) is invested in the church’s portfolios and among those now considered ethical enough to warrant consideration will be responsible producers of cannabis, which was legalized for medical use in the UK less than a year ago.