Japanese Health Ministry panel recommends allowing cannabis-based drugs

A Health Ministry panel in Japan said on Thursday that the country should allow the use of cannabis-based medicines, while also suggesting tougher laws on cannabis use, Reuters reports. While the recommendation could lead to a historic change in Japan’s zero-tolerance drug laws, the use of cannabis for non-medical purposes would remain prohibited.

The Japanese government has been debating the legalization of cannabis medicines, the report says, and the panel said the government should enact these reforms. Currently, the epilepsy drug Epidiolex is undergoing clinical trials in Japan, but national cannabis laws are expected to be revised in order to allow patients access to the drug.

According to a national police agency report, Japan recorded a record 5,482 people involved in cannabis-related criminal cases in 2021, an increase of 448 from the previous year, with 70% of offenders in their twenties or younger. Overall, 5.6 people per 100,000 were involved in cannabis offenses in 2021, nearly double the rate of 3.0 in 2017.

Japan’s Cannabis Control Law criminalizes the import, export or cultivation of cannabis and simple possession is punishable by up to five years, according to the law firm Ohara and Furukawa. Possession with intent to profit is punishable by imprisonment of up to seven years and/or a fine of up to 2,000,000 yen. Cultivating, importing, or exporting cannabis to Japan can be punished by up to seven years in prison, and engaging in any of these acts with intent to profit is punishable by a sentence of up to 10 years in prison.

In a survey of 829 drug-using offenders by the National Police Agency, more than 70% said they did not think cannabis was harmful.

The Health Ministry report noted that only 1.4% of Japanese had ever used cannabis, compared to 20-40% in Western countries.

The panel’s recommendation was based on meeting Japan’s medical needs and harmonizing with international standards, the report said. The reforms would apply to cannabis products that have been confirmed to be safe and effective under laws governing pharmaceuticals and medical devices.

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