According to a report by EFE on December 6, Japan’s Diet (the “daily session of the Diet”) has passed a legislative amendment to legalize cannabis (marijuana)-derived drugs, which aims to make up for its recreational restrictions. Existing legal gaps in penalties for sexual use.
Previously, Japan only allowed cannabis-based drugs for clinical trials, but patient groups have been demanding access to cannabidiol products derived from the plant, which are already approved in Europe and the United States. , used to treat diseases such as intractable epilepsy.
Under the amendment, the use of cannabis-derived medicines will be allowed, while the cultivation of the plant will also be allowed to collect raw materials for pharmaceuticals and other products. The amendment passed Japan's House of Representatives on Wednesday with majority support from the ruling coalition.
Changes to the Cannabis Control Act will come into effect one year after they are enacted, with new regulations expected to affect cannabis and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive substance in the cannabis plant.
In a pioneering move for the country, these substances will be classified as narcotics, making their possession, transfer or consumption prohibited and punishable under the country's Controlled Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.
Although the cultivation, possession, and trafficking of marijuana are already prohibited and punishable in Japan, the use of these specific substances is not. This will change when the legal revision comes into effect, and recreational use may be punishable by up to seven years. years in prison.
The reason why the law does not penalize cannabis use in Japan is because of the wide range of traditional uses in which the cannabis herb is grown, such as for making clothing, condiments or for extensive religious ceremonies related to Shintoism (Japan's native religion). .
However, due to an increase in marijuana-related arrests, especially among young people in their twenties, Japanese authorities decided to regulate it. The new changes will see the existence of two different cannabis cultivation licenses, one of which will allow for the manufacture of medicines, while the other will allow for other purposes, such as the manufacture of cannabis grass products that include clothing.
These legal changes related to growing cannabis will take effect two years after being enacted.
