Japan takes one step forward and two steps back in announced cannabis regulation

Last week, Japan's parliament approved a bill to legalize products with substances derived from cannabis for medicinal purposes. Despite representing an advance in regulation, the diploma maintains a very conservative stance in relation to cannabis and increases the penalties related to the use of the plant. The possession and cultivation of cannabis were already prohibited, but now Japan also wants to criminalize its use, establishing a prison sentence of up to seven years for anyone who violates the rules. 

Currently, in Japan, medicines made from cannabis plants are only allowed in clinical trials, but several patient associations have called on the government to provide access to medicines with cannabidiol (CBD), already approved in many other countries for conditions as severe as Epilepsy, says the The Japan Times.

The Parliament of Japan. Photo: DR | Kyodo

According to the revised laws, which come into force one year after enactment, the cannabis plant and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are designated as narcotics to be regulated.

Through the changes that Japan intends to implement, there will be two types of license to cultivate cannabis: one for those who grow it to make medicine and another for industrial purposes, such as hemp.

However, legal changes associated with cannabis cultivation in Japan are only expected to come into effect two years after the announcement.

Just over a month ago, Tokyo welcomed the third edition of CBD Journey & CannaCon, the largest CBD and hemp exhibition and conference in Japan. At the time, speaking to Cannareporter, Roger Nakazawa, one of the organizers of the event, said that cannabinoids and cannabis are expected to be increasingly used in Japan, especially in the medicinal field.

According to The Japan Times, Japan previously did not penalize cannabis use, in part to protect hemp farmers, who might accidentally absorb some substances in the process of growing and processing the plant for use in industrial hemp products. However, the country reversed its position, citing growing concerns that the lack of a drug ban is promoting drug abuse among younger people. Although consumption has increased among Japanese teenagers, the number of cannabis-related offenses and arrests made by the police, Drug Enforcement Agency and Coast Guard decreased by around 4,1% compared to 2021.