Apr 03 (Kyodo) - A record 4,321 individuals were involved in cannabis cases in Japan last year, up 743 from the previous year for the sixth consecutive year of increase, with abuse of the drug by young people showing a marked rise, police said Thursday.
The number of those aged 14 to 19 involved in cannabis cases probed by the police jumped 4.4-fold from 2.0 per 100,000 people in that age group in 2015 to 8.7, according to the National Police Agency data.
The number of people in their 20s per 100,000 more than doubled to 15.5 from 6.9 in the same period, according to the agency.
Overall, 4.3 individuals per 100,000 were involved in cannabis offenses last year, more than doubling from 2.1 in 2015.
Of the 4,321 people, 609 were aged between 14 and 19, up 180, or up about 42 percent from the previous year, and 1,950 among those in their 20s, up 429, or about 28 percent.
The agency warned that young people are less aware of the risks associated with cannabis use compared with hard drugs such as methamphetamine and tend to begin taking cannabis out of curiosity.
"It is necessary to correctly inform them about the harmful effects (of cannabis) such as a severe influence on cognitive functions and higher risk of developing mental symptoms," it said.
Among the young cannabis offenders in 2019, 109 were high school students and six were junior high school students, with the youngest being a 14-year-old male student.
