Why Japan Now Tightens Cannabis Prohibition

In Japan, the use of cannabis among young people is apparently so widespread that the current national conservative government felt compelled to amend the Cannabis Control Act, which only came into force in a revised form this year, so that the use of hashish and cannabis is now also punishable.

Since Thursday, a strict ban on cannabis has been in effect for everyone, and violations can be punished with long prison sentences. Until now, only the possession and sale of cannabis was prohibited in Japan’s constitutional monarchy, but not private consumption.

With the revision of the “Cannabis Control Law” and the “Narcotics and Psychotropics Control Law”, cannabis was definitely classified as a narcotic in Japan

This is now set to end because more and more young people are smoking joints. In 2023, there were 6,703 cannabis-related crimes in Japan, more than ever before. 72.9 percent of cannabis offenders were under the age of thirty. Specialists in Japanese prohibition say that the increase in users is due to the fact that consumption has not been prosecuted to date.

This has increased young people’s willingness to try new things. The change in the law is intended to stop this trend and ensure that fewer people become addicted to drugs. It is emphasized that cannabis is a gateway drug to methamphetamine – the substance that is most popular in Japan’s performance-oriented society .

With the revision of the “Cannabis Control Law” and the “Narcotics and Psychotropics Control Law”, cannabis was definitely classified as a narcotic in Japan. The change means that the possession, distribution and consumption of hemp products containing THC are considered a criminal offense. The maximum sentence was increased from five to seven years.

The tightening of the law in Japan is primarily intended to give the police more leeway in pursuing cannabis criminals. Previously, the police could only arrest people who had marijuana on them. Now, positive urine, blood or hair samples can also lead to criminal prosecution. But despite all the setbacks, there is also a step forward.

The revised law allows the medical use of medicines containing THC, provided that appropriate studies prove their effectiveness and safety. The Ministry of Health wants to develop a licensing system for cannabis cultivation by the end of 2025. A distinction will be made between whether the purpose is medical or not.

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(Featured image by Jezael Melgoza via Unsplash)

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First published in HanfJournal. A third-party contributor translated and adapted the article from the original. In case of discrepancy, the original will prevail.

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