Cannabis in Japan


Cannabis in Japan has been illegal since 1948. Use and possession are punishable by up to five years' imprisonment and a fine. Cultivation, sale, and transport are punishable by up to 7 to 10 years' imprisonment and a fine.

History

Ancient history

has been cultivated in Japan since the pre-Neolithic period, for its fibres and as a food source, and possibly as a psychoactive material. While archaeological evidence supports the use of cannabis as a textile, there is no conclusive archaeological evidence for its medicinal use.
The Japanese term for hemp, taima, is derived from the Chinese term ta mà.

Hemp cultivation

A 1914 USDA publication notes:

Cannabis Control Law (1948)

The Cannabis Control Law was first developed in 1930, with modifications made in 1947, 1948, and 1963. The 1948 law adopted a licensing system for dealers, and punishments for unlicensed use or sale.

Popularization

Cannabis began to gain some favor as a drug in Japan in the 1970s as incomes rose, but remained less popular than amphetamines. In 1972, there were 1,460 cases of narcotics crime, and 853 cases of violation of the Cannabis Control Law.

Supply

Most cannabis consumed in Japan is imported from other countries; some illicit cultivation sites were found in Japan in 2009, but most of them were small. In a notable exception, in 2016 a raid in Wakayama Prefecture seized over 10,000 plants, which police deemed an "extraordinary amount" compared to past raids.

Cannabis Museum

The Taima Hakubutsukan was established in Nasu, Tochigi Prefecture, in 2001, by cannabis historian Junichi Takayasu.