A prominent British rabbi has welcomed the prospect of medically prescribed cannabis being given kosher certification in the US.

New York rabbi Moshe Elefant, who runs the Orthodox Union's certification agency, is in talks with several companies who want their medical marijuana to be classified as kosher.

But Rabbi Abraham Pinter, headteacher of Yesodey Hatorah school in Stamford Hill, said pure marijuana was already kosher, and that made it a better form of medication than non-kosher drugs.

The rabbi said: "If it's a prescribed drug, I see no moral problem with it. If it's prescribed in the US it must be a good thing.

"If it can be kosher, it is more desired than medication that isn't kosher. Weed is kosher, as far as I know. It's a natural product.

If the weed is in it pure form, I see no reason why it wouldn’t be kosher

"If it's in pure form, I see no reason it wouldn't be kosher.

"I would question why if it's in pure form it needs certification to be kosher, but the Americans will do anything to make a buck."

Twenty three states in the US - plus Washington DC have enabled doctors to legally prescribe marijuana, while four states have agreed to fully legalise the drug.

Marijuana is currently completely banned in Britain, with a maximum prison sentence of five years for unauthorised possession of the Class B drug.