May 30 (Japan Times) - Advocacy groups submitted a written request to health minister Norihisa Tamura on Thursday asking the government to reconsider its plans to criminalize the use of cannabis, asserting the need for “support over punishment.”
The Japan Advocacy Network for Drug Policy claims a harsher Cannabis Control Law could deny both jobs and housing to those convicted of minor drug offenses, leading people into a “vicious cycle” of poverty and crime.
Possessing cannabis is illegal in Japan, but some farmers are licensed to cultivate it, as hemp has been used from ancient times for items such as shimenawa (sacred Japanese rope) at shrines.
But are no penalties for using cannabis because of the possibility that licensed growers may inhale cannabis particles during cultivation.
In February, the health ministry submitted test results to a panel of experts showing cannabis particles were not detected in people who grow hemp.
Source: ANNnewsCH
