International

Japan must change legislation to make cannabis-based drugs available

Published

2 years ago

October

Antonio João Costa

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Japan May Change Its Strict Regulations to Allow Medical Cannabis Use | Photo: Herb

A panel of health experts from Japan's Ministry of Health last week recommended reviewing the country's anti-drug laws to allow for the importation and use of cannabis products for medicinal purposes, said the Reuters.

The recommendation was written with the aim of satisfying the country's medical needs while bringing Japan into line with international drug control standards, the committee said in a report.

The legislative review would apply to cannabis products, the safety and efficacy of which are well supported by robust legal frameworks governing pharmaceuticals and medical devices. Japan is a country with very strict legislation on controlled substances, and the importation, production and use of illicit substances, even for medicinal purposes, is prohibited.

The committee's report noted that only 1,4% of people in Japan have ever used cannabis, compared to 20-40% in Western countries.

Revision of Japanese law will be necessary before the epilepsy drug Epidiolex can be made available, as it is derived from cannabis. However the report states that this product is already in clinical trials in Japan.

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[Disclaimer: Please note that this text was originally written in Portuguese and is translated into English and other languages using an automatic translator. Some words may differ from the original and typos or errors may occur in other languages.]

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