A bill has been passed by the Japanese Diet to legalize cannabis-derived medicines.
Clinical trials are underway in Japan for Epidiolex, which is prescribed worldwide for epilepsy patients. There have long been many calls to legalize the use of cannabis-derived medicines due to the growing medical needs of epilepsy patients.
At the same time, a ban on the use of marijuana was also included. Currently in Japan, “possession” and “transfer” of marijuana were prohibited, but there was no law regarding “use.
From now on, “use” of marijuana will be considered a violation of the law and will carry a maximum penalty of 7 years in prison.
The proposed amendment is expected to go into effect within one year of its promulgation.
Under the proposed amendment, THC would still be illegal and classified as a narcotic.
In addition, there will be new license categories for cannabis cultivation.
One will be for cultivation of cannabis for medicinal purposes and the other will be for industrial hemp.
Japan has long taken a tough stance on marijuana, including medical cannabis, but the impact of global deregulation of cannabis and the growing demand from epileptic patients and others for access to medical cannabis has led to a change in the law.
Although THC will continue to be classified as a narcotic, the legalization of medical cannabis use is a major step forward for Japan.