Today, we mostly smoke it.  Industrial hemp is strictly regulated, and it is very hard to obtain such licenses which allows hemp farmers to grow weed. Medical marijuana is not permitted, because there is a clause in the Cannabis Control Act that prohibits any medical application of cannabis. However, it is important to note that this law was implemented by the occupying forces of the United States shortly after the war. Until then, Japan had it’s own medical marijuana, mostly tincture products derived from East Indian marijuana.

The pot scene in Japan is deeply underground, but there are estimates that count between one to two million potheads in the entire country. It is bigger than most people seem to think, but very well hidden. About 3000 people a year get busted for cannabis related offenses.  Strict, lengthy sentences await those who are busted with intent to sell. Same goes for those who get busted more than once. First time offenders (???) usually get a suspended sentence, whether it’s for possession or cultivation. It is not highly recommended to smoke pot or grow it in Japan these days, or even try to smuggle any cannabis products including seeds. Seed importation has now officially become a punishable offense unless you can prove the seeds are processed for cooking or for some other reason besides cultivating the ganja.

There is absolutely no sense to the Japanese Cannabis Control Act, which is full of contradictions. First of all, there is no law against the usage of pot, only possession. Even though modern studies have suggested time and time again about the positive medical properties of marijuana, the laws about medical marijuana have yet to be amended. Japanese doctors and scholars are prohibited from even studying the medical properties of cannabis.

The Japanese media has always treated cannabis issues with extreme sensationalism, but this is changing. Much of this is due to the legalization of cannabis in two states in the United States. Perhaps the media is beginning to come to its senses. As medical cannabis is the hot issue these days internationally, the Japanese pot legalization scene has put their focus on eliminating the clause that prohibits the clinical application of cannabis. The universal idea is to eliminate PART 4 section 2 and 3 of the Cannabis Control Act that makes it illegal to even study marijuana in Japan. Most Japanese legalization groups have come to agreement about this. Whether or not they can unite and achieve such goals is a whole different matter. The Japanese cannabis legalization scene is an extremely small community with limited resources. Most groups are not working together, for one reason or another. It is time to for all legalization groups to overcome their personal differences and unite.

Vice travels to Nagano to interview key players in Japan’s legalize Cannabis movement. They talk to us about their cause, their experiences with the law, how cannabis has helped some of them overcome serious illness, and the possibility for changing Japan’s harsh drug policies. We also pay a visit to the Hemp Museum in Miasa Mura to learn more about Japan’s historic and forgotten relationship to the forbidden plant.

BY: SHIRASAKA KAZUHIKO & SHIGERU ASO

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN,

WE ARE AN ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO THE LEGALIZATION OF CANNABIS IN JAPAN. WE WOULD DEEPLY APPRECIATE IT IF YOUR POLITICAL PARTY WOULD ANSWER OUR QUESTIONNAIRE BEFORE THE ELECTIONS FOR THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, REGARDING THE CANNABIS CONTROL ACT AND THE FUTURE DRUG POLICIES OF JAPAN. PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT THE RESULTS WOULD BE POSTED ON OUR WEBSITE.

QUESTIONNAIRE

ATTENTION: __________ PARTY

PLEASE CIRCLE THE APPROPRIATE ANSWER

REGARDING: DRUG POLICIES

THE CURRENT JAPANESE DRUG POLICIES ARE MODELED AFTER THE U.S., AS WE HAVE A ZERO TOLERENCE POLICY ON ALL ILLICIT DRUGS. HOWEVER, IN EUROPE FOR EXAMPLE, THEY HAVE A VERY DIFFERENT APPROACH. MANY COUNTRIES TODAY APPLY A HARM REDUCTION POLICY, AIMED TO REDUCE THE NEGATIVE IMPACT OF DRUGS ON NOT ONLY INDIVIDUALS BUT SOCIETY AT LARGE. IN SUCH COUNTRIES, SALES OF HARD DRUGS USUALLY REMAIN PROHIBITTED, BUT FOR THE END USER AN APPROACH TOWARDS THEIR BETTER HEALTH AND RECOVERY IS THE ULTIMATE GOAL, AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO INCARCERATION. THE SO-CALLED LEGAL DRUG SCENE ALSO NEEDS ATTENTION, FOR WE HAVE NO MEDICAL OR SOCIAL PROGRAMS TO HELP THOSE WHO ARE IN DIRE NEED OF RECOVERY FROM SUCH HARMFUL UNKNOWN CHEMICAL SUBSTANCES.

SO HERE IS OUR FIRST QUESTION…

QUESTION 1

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE HARM REDUCTION POLICY?

A. THE ZERO TOLERENCE POLICY IS SUFFICIENT

B. IT IS NECCESSARY TO CONSIDER THE HARM REDUCTION POLICY

C. DO NOT HAVE AN ANSWER

D. OTHER (PLEASE ELABORATE)

REGARDING: PERSONAL USE OF CANNABIS

CANNABIS HAS BEEN STUDIED THOROUGHOLY AND EXTENSIVELY THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, ESPECIALLY IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES, AND USAGE OF CANNABIS HAS BEEN PROVED SCIENTIFICALLY TO BE LESS HARMFUL THAN TABACCO AND ALCOHOL. THE ONLY MODERN COUNTRIES THAT PUNISHES PERSONAL CANNABIS USE WITH INCARCERATION IS THE U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND JAPAN. HOWEVER, IN THE U.S., MANY STATES HAVE DECRIMINALIZED SIMPLE POSSESSION OF CANNABIS, AND WASHINGTON STATE AND COLORADO STATE JUST LEGALIZED THE CANNABIS FOR RECREATIONAL USE.

QUESTION 2

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT PERSONAL CANNABIS USE BEING PUNISHED BY INCARCERATION?

A. INCARCERATION FITS THE CRIME

B. MUST RECONSIDER OUR POLICIES, AS OTHER NATIONS HAVE

C. DO NOT HAVE AN ANSWER

D. OTHER (PLEASE ELABORATE)

REGARDING: OFFICIAL INFORMATION ON CANNABIS

IN OUR COUNTRY, OUR GOVERNMENT DOES NOT HAVE ANY PUBLIC OR OFFICIAL SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION OR DATA REGARDING CANNABIS. CANNABIS WAS BANNED BY THE U.S. OCCUPATIONAL FORCES FOLLOWING WORLD WAR TWO. WE HAVE OBTAINED THE ONLY OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND LABOR, AMD FOUND OUT THAT THEIR DATA IS NOT BASED ON ANY SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE. EVEN THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND LABOR OFFICIAL ADMITS THAT THEY HAVE NO MEDICAL OR SCIENTIFIC DATA REGARDING THIS SUBJECT.

QUESTION 3

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE FACT THAT OUR GOVERNMENT USES A DRUG SAMPLE KIT IMPORTED FROM THE UNITED STATES OVER 15 YEARS AGO FROM UNKNOWN SOURCES AS EVIDENCE TO BAN THE PERSONAL USE AND CULTIVATION OF CANNABIS?

A. OUR CURRENT POLICIES ARE SUFFICIENT

B. WE MUST DO MORE MEDICAL RESEARCH ON THIS TOPIC

C. DO NOT HAVE AN ANSWER

D. OTHER (PLEASE ELABORATE)

REGARDING: THE STUDIES OF MEDICAL CANNABIS

IN MANY FOREIGN COUNTRIES, IT HAS BEEN PROVEN THAT CANNABIS HAS VARIOUS MEDICAL PROPERTIES, AND SOME COUNTRIES ALLOW THE SALE OF MEDICAL CANNABIS. IN JAPAN, UNTIL THE END OF THE WAR, PHARMACIES SOLD CANNABIS TINCTURE FOR MANY DIFFERENT ILLNESS’ AS WELL. HOWEVER, DUE TO THE CANNABIS CONTROL ACT PART 4, EVEN CLINICAL TESTING IS STRICTLY PRHIBITTED BY LAW, PUNISHABLE BY INCARCERATION.

QUESTION 4

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT OUR CURRENT DILEMMA THAT DOES NOT ALLOW FURTHERING THE STUDIES FOR MEDICAL CANNABIS?

A. MEDICAL CANNABIS STUDIES SHOULD REMAIN BANNED

B. MEDICAL CANNABIS USE MUST BE STUDIED AND THERFORE THE LAWS MUST BE CHANGED

C. DO NOT HAVE AN ANSWER

D. OTHER (PLEASE ELABORATE)

REGARDING: INDUSTRIAL HEMP

UNTIL THE END OF WORLD WAR II, WHEN CANNABIS CULTIVATION WAS SEVERLY RESTRICTED BY THE OCCUPYING FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES, JAPAN FOR TENS OF THOUSANDS OF YEARS HAD A BIG HEMP INDUSTRY, AND ALSO THIS CROP WAS A BIG PART OF OUR CULTURE AND SOCIETY. CURRENTLY, IN MANY COUNTRIES THIS CROP HAS BEEN FOUND TO BE EXTREMELY USEFUL AND ECO-FRIENDLY. HOWEVER, IN OUR COUNTRY, THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND LABOR WHO OVERSEES AND REGULATES THE CANNABIS CONTROL ACT RESTRICTS INDUSTRIAL HEMP DUE TO NON-SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE. SUCH CANNABIS CONTAINS EXTREMELY LOW THC LEVELS, BUT THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT SEEM TO ALLOW SUCH AN INDUSTRY TO FLOURISH.

QUESTION 5

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF INDUSTRIAL HEMP WITH LOW THC LEVELS?

A. EVEN INDUSTRIAL HEMP SHOULD BE STRICTLY REGULATED

B. INDUSTRIAL HEMP WITH EXTREMELY LOW THC LEVELS SHOULD NOT BE STRICTLY REGULATED

C. DO NOT KNOW

D. OTHER (PLEASE ELABORATE)

THAT’S IT! THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION.

(…TO BE CONTINUED, AS WE GET SOME REPLIES FROM 13 POLITICAL PARTIES)

three fields of cannabis
five houses
eight or nine children

The above poem was written by Japan’s world famous HAIKU poet, SHIKI MASAOKA in the late 1800′s. This poem was written about SHIKI’s ideal life, which consists of the above mentioned ideas. He wished to have cannabis fields, for he loved them. He wished for five houses to live in, and finallly 8 or 9children. This is not his only poem regarding cannabis.

at the evening
always comes
a storm of cannabis

The above is another example of SHIKI’S cannabis related poem. From his many poems written about cannabis, or ASA in Japanese, it is quite obvious that SHIKI was a great admirer of pot. His poems in its original form consists of 5 syllables, 7 syllables and 5 again. This minimalistic artform is called HAIKU in Japan. This poem is apparently a scenery that SHIKI must have loved, where he stood and enjoyed the beauty of cannabis blowing in the wind.

Here is another one.

evening rain
sparrows make noise
in the cannabis fields

This poem realistically portrays a scenery of sparrows within cannabis fields during the evening rain. Simple, yet very beautiful. SHIKI also wrote the following:

so amazing
the technique of
cutting down cannabis

This poem expresses the amusement SHIKI felt while watching the cannabis plants getting cut down. This used to be quite a site before cannabis prohibition was imposed upon Japan by the United States right after World War II.  As portrayed in SHIKI’s poems, it is clear that the Japanese lived in harmony with cannabis and nature throughout history. Believe it or not, the cannabis plant grows all over Japan, even to this day. However, the government burns down almost all of these plants every year. This act is nothing short of environmental destruction. The Cannabis Control Act completely contradicts with our rich cultural history with cannabis, and cannabis cultivation. The CCA denies our traditions of whichmany include ceremonies involving cannabis in our Shinto and animistic rituals.

There are many other poets and many different artforms in Japan that involve cannabis. It is uncertain of when cannabis was brought into Japan, but it is very clear from our ancient scriptures that we worshipped the cannabis plant. The cannabis seed dates back 10000 years to the JOMON period of Japan which was discovered in ancient clay pots. Shamanism was prevelent, and we used cannabis in shamanistic rituals. It is about time we got rid of the Cannabis Control Act that imprisons thousands of people a year. This is the only way to restore our true cultural heritage and restore cannabis as a medicine. For the record, until the CCA was imposed, Japanese drugstores used to sell E.INDIAN CANNABIS TINCURE as medicine for asthma, pain relief, insomnia, etc. It is sad to admit that the Japanese Cannabis Control Act even prohibits medical merijuana, even though we have a rich history of using this godsent plant as a  way to heal ourselves physically, spiritually, and emotionally.

The ancient Shinto manuscript, KOJIKI, is the first book ever written in Japan. It describes the colorful world of animism, our belief system in Japan that there are spirits and gods in everything and anything in the land of the rising sun. We refer to this as YAOYOROZUNOKAMI, which lierally means 8 million gods, that we have praised and worshipped throughout history. This includes the god of cannabis, the god of wind, thunder, etc. We basically have gods and goddesses for everything, and that is embodied into the deep psyche and spirituality of the Japanese people and culture.

In this book, KOJIKI, there is a chapter called IWATOBIRAKI. This means the opening of the stone. In our mythology, AMATERASUOOMIKAMI, the sungodess hides behind a stone, and the world is covered in darkness and gloom. The other gods are freaked out by this, so they gather around the stone and they throw a big party to call the sungoddess back into the world to enlighten the land. In the end of this story, AMATERASUOOMIKAMI hears the noise of the party and gets curious as to what’s going on, and while she opens the stone and peaks through the cracks, a Japanese powerful giant pulls AMATERASUOOMIKAMI out from behind the stone. Then the land was full of sunshine once again.

For further details on KOJIKI, information on this story can be easily obtained online, or perhaps at any big city library.

As marijuana activists in Japan fight the unconstitutional Cannabis Control Act, we have used this metaphor time and time again, as a symbol of the Japanese cannabis liberation movement. The Japanese CCA was established by the General Head Quarters(GHQ) lead by Douglas McArther right after the war as an industrial solution to enrich the chemical fiber industry.

Japan has always been living with cannabis, and it was seen in our beautiful nature alongisde rice patties and in mountainous areas. At one point, during the war, our government encouraged to grow cannabis in order to make up for short supplies.

Now the fucking government burns millions and millions of cannabis plants that grow naturally throughout the land. This is nothing short of environmental terrorism, and destruction of natural resources and habitat. Besides, why burn perfectly fine weed, without inhaling it. I refer to this weed as Cannabis Japonica.

Our history is rich with Haiku’s and stories about cannabis. The emperror of Japan has a tight connection with weed as well. When the last emperror died, the government arranged for cannabis to be grown for one year in Shikoku prefecture in order to use in ceremonies for the heir apparent.

At any rate, as more and more of us declare civil disobedience to the Cannabis Control Act, we shall open the stone once again, and our land shall flourish with light and cannabis. Let’s get stoned!

Growing up in Japan, I never had a problem obtaining good weed. Hashish and dried cannabis are both prevelent in Japan. It grows wildly there too, believe it or not. The self defense force spends a lot of money every year erradicating this wild cannabis, burning something like a million plants a year. What a waste of money and even bigger waste of good commercial weed.

I first smoked weed when I was 14 at an International School in a decent size city in Japan. I had a son of a movie star as a roommate, and he was spoiled rotten. He introduced me to weed for the first time. He got the stuff from his mom, who was some sort of talent agent. These type of people are well known to have weed in Japan. We used to smoke out together and listen to music, giggle all night, just like any other pothead does so. 

Back then, perhaps 25 years or so ago, Filipino weed was very popular in Japan. This stuff was rough, meaning that it had a lot of stems and seeds, and tiny tiny buds. But it worked. Back then, Filipino weed cost about 3000 yen (about $30) per gram retail, and extremely good Thai weed (yes, including Thai Stick) cost just a little more. Weed was weed, and the quality didn’t seem to matter so much. We were just lucky to have it. Or it seemed so at the time. Basically, back then it was all about availability and the weed’s quality didn’t affect the price so much. I pretty much stayed stoned all through high-school. Well, until I got kicked out for using other illicit substances.

Hashish, on the other hand, has always been high quality in Japan. Hashish is definitely bigger in the Tokyo area, and regular bud is more popular among the streets of the greater Osaka area. A lot of the good hashish used to come through Nepal, India and other hippie spots via backpackers and post-draft International travelers who sold jewelry on the streets.

Now the market is dominated by syndicated foreign interests and of course, the Yakuza. In my day, it was the norm for us to have to go see a local Yakuza representative or a made member, just to buy some weed. Nowadays, everybody grows their own. This is the greatist difference I see in the Japanese pot scene in the last 25 years. The wholesale price used to be about 900 yen ($9) to 1500 yen ($15) per gram depending on where the merchandise came from and how much you bought. Popular weed was from Hawaii, such as Maui Waui and Hawaiian Red Beard. This stuff cost up to 5000 yen ($50) a gram, but would keep you stoned all day long. Unpopular was Black Indian Hashish which is surprising because this shit was good and cheap, around 2000 yen ($20) a gram. This stuff was rock hard, and stamped with a dragon on each brick. Oxidized and turned black on the outside, the inside is actually light green when fresh. I’ve seen many variations of this hashish with various stamps, but the dragon was by far the most popular. Well, now I’m talking Tokyo circa ’89, when the Japanese famous ‘bubble’ economy was booming, and I heard even absurd prices such as 12000 yen ($120) a gram for some super bomb shit from Cambodia, aka Cambo in Roppongi area of Tokyo. As for the Indian Hashish, this stuff was so potent it spun me like a top.

Now my friends in Japan are struggling to even give away the shit, let alone sell it, because the market is so flooded. In Japan, it is no longer that hard to find pot anymore. You just have to know the right people. Or know where to look. Plus you gotta remember, everybody’s paranoid, because the laws are so strict. For example, for simple possession of any amount for any reason, medical or not, you will go to jail. If you’re caught cultivating, you will go to jail. You do anything with pot, you face up to 5 years in prison, 7 if it’s considered 
with intent to distribute, and 10 or more for special highly felonious charges. First time offenders will eventually get off with a suspended sentence, but it is hard jail in Japan, even compared to the United States. Atleast, that’s my opinion after experiencing both quite extensively. They both suck hard in different ways. 5 years in a Japanese jail is a very long stretch, and the government hits pot smokers with senteneces that compare to rape and assault 
charges. I’ve seen people get 5 years for murder. So be very careful, especially if you are on a suspended sentence. There is no second chance – if you catch a charge while on suspended sentence, you will do the time for the initial sentence plus the time for the new charge. This is how most pot smokers go from jail to prison.

American prisons are fucked up, because they have become such hostile environments. Japanese prisons are fucked up because of the ultra strict rules and regulations. At ant rate, it is best to avoid jail in any country. Usually jail sucks. It’s just not worth it to go to jail over a little bit of reefer – or any amount for that matter.

Japan has a big time meth problem. Crystal Meth was invented by a Japanese scientist and was used during the war to promote Kamikaze style piloting, and after the war to promote hard labor to rebuild the country. It is an unfortunate problem that sometimes the suppliers of 
weed are the same ones who spread methamphetamine throughout the Japanese society. This problem is gradually being solved, because as I said before, most pot-heads in Japan turned to indoor and outdoor cultivation.

The internet played a big role too. Access to information regarding pot has become readily available to the Japanese public, and therefore there are more and more pot heads every year.The internet has extensive information about how to grow indoors, outdoors, in various mediums. This changed the game quite a bit.

There is also a huge reggae and hip-hop scene in Japan that played a big role in spreading the word about cannabis. Many Japanese Rastafarians moved to the country side to grow pot. There was some sort of a hippie movement prior to this, but I am too young to know about it. Perhaps my parent’s generation knows a little more about this subject.

But don’t forget – in Japanese society it is taboo to even openly discuss the subject matter of cannabis. If you stand out of a crowd, you have a great chance of getting busted. Being a foreigner (well I’m half American) doesn’t help either. Racial profiling by the police is very common in Japan. The police will target foreigners and confront them, and may ask (or order you) to empty your pockets. YOU DON’T HAVE TO FOLLOW THEIR ORDERS. Remember, such cooperation with the police is purely voluntary. But they are tenacious as hell, and it is common that if you argue with cops, you may end up wasting hours of your time.

At any rate, the Japanese pot scene is changing dramtically. More than 3000 citizens are busted for cannabis related charges every year. It is estimated that more than a million Japanese have tried cannabis in one form or another. As the Japanese travel abroad, they often bring home the practice of smoking pot back to their country. Hopefully the laws will change in the near future – Japan has a rich history with this plant, dating back to 10000 years ago, and we were stripped of the right to smoke weed by the American occupying forces, also known as the GHQ (general headquarters) right after the war. Until then, we even had medical marijuana sold as tincture in pharmacies.

The legal battles will go on, and some day we shall restore cannabis back into our mainstream culture to the fullest extent.

The Japanese media went ape shit over this incident. They completely freaked out. It was just like watching ‘Reefer Madness’, but this was reality. The media criticized the doctor for being a doctor and a cannabis user at the same time. They claimed it was unethical for a doctor to use cannabis. In Japan, it is considered by the courts that it is ‘common public knowledge’ that cannabis is a dangerous drug that needs to be strictly regulated, regardless of the rich history between the Japanese and cannabis. Perhaps one of the oldest evidence of cannabis cultivation in the world dates back to the Jomon period of Japan, where over 10000 year old clay pots were discovered containing cannabis seeds. These seeds were used for food, medicine, etc., and the hemp was used for clothing and making rope, and again, medicine. It is also self evident that cannabis was used in animistic and shamanistic rituals throughout Japanese history.
Perhaps Japan and Korea are the two main modern countries that persecute small time pot-users. However, this does not justify ruining someone’s life, especially over a pathetic 0.15g bust. 
On the 18th, the Japanese police raided the doctor’s office located in Kyoto University and his private home. They found nothing else – but the damage was done. Just about all media receives information from the police, and then they publish it, broadcast it or whatever, but no media is even sympathetic to this doctor. It is clearly mob mentality, lynching this poor doctor with harsh words as if he had just killed somebody.
In any other modern country, this won’t even make the news, would it? This is the reality of the Japanese media towards pot use. They even compare notes after the police conferences to make sure they all have similar articles. It is strictly taboo to even discuss cannabis unless it is in a negative context. Perhaps the saddest part about this is that these media guys know for sure about the positive properties of marijuana. Some are pot-smokers themselves. Many have travelled abroad, enough to know that marijuana is harmless. There is just no mood to talk openly about cannabis use in Japan. Not even medical marijuana. 
On the other hand, the Japanese seem to welcome this new trend of pot-smoking. The numbers are increasing dramatically. About 3000 persons are arrested every year for possession and cultivating charges. However, the consequences of doing so may seem to be harsher than ever. It is about time to decriminalize or re-catagorize cannabis as a less dangerous drug. Alcohol and amphetamines are the true problems in the Japanese drug scene, not marijuana.
As for the doctor, we wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.

Due to it’s strict laws against cannabis in general, the Japanese pot scene is deeply underground.  However, it is estimated that over one million Japanese have tried cannabis in one form or another. This is due to excessive traveling done by the Japanese throughout the world, experiencing cannabis for the first time and bringing home the practice of smoking weed. The huge reggae and hip-hop scene in Japan contributes greatly to this culture as well.

At one point and time, cannabis use in Japan was limited to musicians and celebrities occasionally getting caught for pot and then lynched by the media. Sort of like what happened to Paul McCartney in 1980, except he was simply deported. Today, this scene is changing dramatically.

About three thousand people are busted every year for possession, cultivation and intent to sell charges regarding cannabis.  Simple possession alone is punishable of up to 5 years in prison, though fisrt time offenders (without intent to sell) are most likely to receive a suspended sentence. However, if you are caught again during the suspended sentence, your time 
for the first case is tacked on with the new charge, so you end up with an asshole full of time in an ultra-strict penitentiary. In japan, the conviction rate after indictment is 99%. Amnesty International, World Health Organization  and many other internationl groups have repeatedly warned Japan about this outrageous and quite unbelievable conviction rate, from the perspective of human rights. In Japan, due process rights are clearly violated. Once arrested, you may be held for ten days in a jail located in the nearest precinct, with no formal charges and you may be subject to severe interrogations. Then they could delightfully add on another ten days, if  the prosecutor agrees (which they usually do).  Most people break down during such harsh interrogation sessions and end up signing an affidavit against their best interest. Due to new laws, today a detainee may get one free 15 minute visit from an attorney during this initial incarceration. This is limited to minimal legal advice and notification to friends and family. It is also not uncommon that you are refused visitors for pot charges, because you are considered a risk to destroy evidence.  Bail is always atleast a million yen, which is 
about 10000 US dollars,  cash only, and sometimes even 2.5 million  yen being roughly 25000 USD. This money comes back if you show up at all your court dates. However, don’t count on being bailed out, because this is not always allowed either.  Sometimes they refuse bail because one may be considered ‘habitual’ or perhaps because one may try to flee. 
However, eventhough such strict penalties await those who get caught, pot is bigger than ever since this crop was made illegal. Until the end of war, and the General Head Quarters (GHQ - the Japanese Occupying Forces by the United States) lead by Douglas McArther decided that hemp should be illegal, pot grew everywhere in Japan.  Hemp was warshipped in the animistic 
sense, and grew alongside rice patties and blended in with the local nature. Seeds that date back 10000 years ago have been discovered from the early JOMON period, making Japan perhaps the oldest nation to use cannabis as a crop, and most certainly in shamanistic rituals.

The Japanese public, especially the youth are becoming more and more educated about pot, and there are many who grow indoor hydroponics and practice outdoor guerilla growing. Many import pot from southeast Asian countries, and some travel north to Hokkaido to collect the Japanese ’home-grown’ which grows wildly.  Some purchase pot from the Yakuza, the Japanese mafia. But for the most part, the scene is very underground where clones are traded among friends, and seeds are bought online. The internet also played a big role in the booming of marijuana in Japan. Readily available non-biased information was now here for everyone. Growing methods are all over the internet as well for anyone brave enough to try it.

The Japanese activism in cannabis culture is a complicated issue. The reason being, that their are no channels to go through to change laws by the people unless you are a member of the parliament. Lobbying such parliamental executives is probably the most important aspect of this battle. The courts have proved themselves to be non-functional already. The tragedy 
is that the only way to fight such unconstitutional law is to get caught, and then claim that the Cannabis Control Act is unconstitutional. The courts have already admitted that the Ministry of Health and Labor does not hold any evidence that pot is a dangerous drug. However the courts always say ‘it is public knowledge that cannabis is dangerous’.

It is still taboo in Japan to even talk about pot openly. If you do, you will most liekly be labeled a dangerous person. Hoever, it is quite ironic that most Japanese people don’t even know that cannabis plays a big role in Japanese history. Most poeple don’t know the plant they walk by everyday on the way to school is pot. Most poeple don’t know that hemp and marijuana is the same thing.

Medical marijuana is no exception. Very few recognize the unbelievable aspect of cannabis to heal, eventhough the Japanese have a rich history in using this plant as medicine to cure constipation, asthma, menstral pain, and so on. The Japanese Medical Association talks about cannabis the same way they talk about amphetamines. The truth is, the Japanese have used this 
plant for rope, clothing, spiritual enhancement, healing and for Shinto rituals for thousands of years. Our rich cultutaral heritages such as Sumo, Shrines, Animism, Shintoism would not exist if it wasn’t for cannabis. This all changed when we lost the war, and the Americans put a ban on cannabis. Some say it was to protect the chemical fiber industry, some say that the Americans saw it as being an ‘immoral plant’.

At any rate, the Japanese are toking up, legal or not. In clubs, in street corners and in the safety of their own home, pot smokers unite. The youth are very open to the usage of cannabis, and it is even ‘fashionable’. The restoration of Japanese pride will only come with the restoration of cannabis in our culture.