Japanese health officials propose allowing the import of medical cannabis

Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare said in late September that it supported an amendment to the country's drug law, known as the Cannabis Control Act. The agency expressed the need to allow the importation and authorization of cannabis for medical purposes.

Medical cannabis would be regulated like pharmaceuticals and «would apply to cannabis-based products whose safety and efficacy have been confirmed by laws governing pharmaceuticals and medical devices» such as the’Epidiolex or the Sativex.

According to documents published on September 29 by Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, a wide range of people contributed to the review and recommendations, including professors and health professionals. According to the report, only 1.4 % of Japanese claim to have ever used cannabis.

In March 2019, Epidiolex began clinical trials in Japan. At the time, the country reported 3,000 residents with Dravet syndrome and 4,300 with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, two severe forms of epilepsy.

In its current form, the Cannabis Control Act restricts all forms of cannabis progress, including hemp. despite their shared history.

In January 2021, the Hokkaido Industrial Hemp Association (HIHA) has issued a statement concerning the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare's survey on cannabis and other drugs.

«The Cannabis Control Act is a deeply unreasonable law that restricts all cannabis, regardless of the amount or even presence of THC and even prohibits the cultivation of hemp from abroad that does not contain any of these substances», writes HIHA.

«First of all, with regard to the Cannabis Control Law and the problems associated with its application, we would like to recommend the development of a more reasonable law formulated on the basis of discussions made public to the citizens of Japan and based on scientific knowledge.»

HIHA concluded that the Cannabis Control Act prevents the’hemp industry since its promulgation in 1948.

«In order to develop a hemp to match those overseas and protect national interests regarding industrial hemp, this country must revise the Cannabis Control Act and other related laws as soon as possible, position the hemp industry appropriately within the legal system, and strike a balance between controlling drugs and encouraging the industry.»

In August 2021, Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare published a report detailing its recommendations for allowing medical cannabis for patients. Earlier in the year, in May, the Ministry met again to continue the discussion on medical marijuana, and the need for treatment for those who abuse cannabis and how to deal with young people's consumption.

In December 2021, games company Capcom teamed up with the Osaka Prefectural Police to use its fictional Ace Attorney character to campaign against cannabis use among young people. According to the Japanese National Police Agency, 5,482 people were caught violating the country's cannabis law (4,537 were in possession of cannabis, while 273 were illegally selling the plant and 230 were arrested for illegal cultivation).

Paul McCartney, member of the Beatles, was banned from Japan for 11 years for carrying 250 grams of cannabis in 1980.