Japan Approves Bill for Medicinal Cannabis Use

Japan's parliament passed a bill permitting cannabis-based medical products and criminalizing its use for non-medicinal reasons.

The upper house of the National Diet of Japan passed the revised cannabis and narcotics control laws during the day, which will enter into force within a year from promulgation, Xinhua news agency reported.

Cannabis
Cannabis has a long history of medicinal, recreational, and industrial use and comes from a bushy plant with thick sticky flowers called Cannabis Sativa

‘Although Japan already prohibits cannabis possession and distribution, the country will now restrict its use solely to medicinal purposes. Violating this law could result in a prison sentence of up to seven years. #cannabis #marijuana #Japan’

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Under the revised laws, cannabis and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), () a psychoactive chemical found in the plant, will be dealt with as narcotics, the use of which will be banned to prevent young people and others from abusing it.

Japan's Health Ministry's Approval for Cannabis-Derived Ingredients

Growing the plants to produce medical products will also be allowed. In November, Japan's health ministry approved the ban on a cannabis-derived ingredient named hexahydrocannabihexol, or HHCH, after so-called "cannabis gummies" containing such an ingredient has rendered many ill in the country.

The synthetic compound was designated as a controlled substance. An expert panel of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare approved the plan to prohibit the possession, use and distribution of HHCH, officially taking effect from December 2.

Violators of the ban under the pharmaceutical and medical device law can be imprisoned for up to three years or fined up to 3 million yen, or 20,235 US dollars, the report said.

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Reference:

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) - (https://www.ch.ic.ac.uk/vchemlib/mim/bristol/thc/thc_text.htm)

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