Thursday’s recommendation by a health ministry panel to allow cannabis-based medications might herald a historic shift in the nation’s strict drug laws. Since the group advocated for tighter laws against non-medical marijuana use, the modification may have no bearing on Japan’s zero-tolerance approach to marijuana usage for recreational purposes.
The expert group for the health ministry recommended on Thursday that the government amend the laws to allow for the import and manufacture of drugs formulated with chemicals derived from cannabis. But it also pushed for tighter regulations to clarify that using cannabis recreationally is against the law.
Paul McCartney, a former Beatles member, was detained for nine days in 1980 after marijuana was found in his luggage. Other international celebrities have also suffered under Japan’s strict anti-cannabis laws. The government has been discussing, meanwhile, whether to permit the use of cannabis-based medicines, which are already utilized in many other countries to treat conditions including severe epilepsy. (cannabis.net) Full Story