Pot is the Only Way

Taima (Japanese for cannabis) is Marijuana, which is hemp, also known as Asa, grown and cultivated for tens of thousands of years in our Japanese culture.
In the modern times where cannabis is known throughout the world for its positive properties,the reason this plant is against the law in Japan is not because it is a public health matter, or because it is a menace to society, but simply because it is ‘against the law’.

We have spent the last ten years or so on every possible occasion to inform the government, bureaucrats and the law enforcement community in Japan that such laws that incriminate pot-smokers and growers to be unconstitutional. However, their answer is always the same… ‘Then you must change the law’. This apparently is the mentality of our civil workers, who are supposed to work for the best interest of the people.

Just how much further can they insult the people?

There is a Japanese word, ‘Tax Thief’. This used to be an insulting term for the Japanese Self Defense Force during the high growth period of the Japanese economy. Under cold war, the Japanese Self Defense Force was completely incapacitated, and after they lost the World War, the Japanese military was stripped of all authority.

However, if you were to ask who is really at fault of the war, you may come to a conclusion that the bureaucrats played a bigger role in this aspect. The Imperial Forces did not point their guns at the people, but the bureacrats of the time centralized all thought and under mind control, locked up those who would not listen. The reason being, because it was ‘against the law’. …And they have never owned up to it.

After the war, we learned in school that Japan shifted from a military regime to a peaceful democratic country, but this was simply not true.
The General Head Quarters (GHQ) lead by Douglas McArther kicked out just the military elements, and the rest of the system remained under a different name.

Currently, all cannabis related judicial affairs, prosecution, policing, and the Ministry of Health and Labor (which acts sort of like the DEA) are all based on the old Department of Interior Affairs.

The government workers do not work for the people, but work for themselves and look out for their own best interest. They close all the doors to perception, listen to the powerful, and work only to benefit themselves. These are the teachings of cannabis. This is the sad and 
pathetic truth about our current government.

Looking back, those who smoke weed in Japan under prohibition are fortunate. This is because at some point, they chose free will over self interest. Besides,  who’s business is it really what other people may choose to smoke or eat.

If one’s actions cause harm to others, a free willed person shall understand this concept. Pot smokers know that if you don’t change, the world won’t either.

That’s why I teach the way of cannabis, and smoke with many others as possible.

When the Japanese equivelent of DEA raided Mr. Katsuragawa’s home, about 20 officers participated in this operation. His first thoughts were that perhaps some Yakuza’s have decided to raid his house. The police were vindictive and angry. They were using vulgar language and accused him of breaking the law.

Our Japanese constitution clearly states the right to pursue happiness. Mr. Katsuragawa was not spreading poison among the community, but merely helping out those who were sick and those who needed pot to simply better themselves spiritually.

At the questioning hearing of Mr. Katsuragawa, he claimed as follows:

The laws that incriminate those who engage in cannabis cultivation  are contradictory to the common interest of the people, and because cannabis has minimal negative affects on the user, the current laws are unconstitutional. Many cannabis offenders believe what they have done was not wrong, yet cannot speak the truth because they are afraid to be persecuted and prosecuted to the heaviest possible maximum sentences. The laws are really fucked up in Japan regarding pot. This is includes medical marijuana cases as well. He  also claimed that he would like to be the last person prosecuted for such injustice.

While locked up, Mr. Katsuragawa released a statement that he has put his fate in God’s hands, and that was willing to do his service to the people by fighting such unconstitutional marijuana laws.

The trial went far from smooth, while many different Japanese pro-pot groups supported his cause. After all, Mr. Katsuragawa was a famous pot advocate, and had written many published articles regarding this issue. He was truly the Che Guevarra of Japanese marijuana movement.The Japanese DEA operating under the Department of Health and Labor, claimed that Mr. Katsuragawa intended to destroy society by spreading poison among the public. They were going to make an example out of him for sure. He was held with no bail for a very long time, and was refused rights to visitation due to the fact that he might try to destroy evidence, so his visitations were limitted to short sessions with his attorney.

The Japanese jails are generally very clean, but it is also known to be as very hard time. The jails are extremely strict, and movement is minimal.  Mr. Katsuragawa stuck it out, until his bail was temporarily issued, and then shortly thereafter revoked, for he was considered a flight risk.

Mr. Katsuragawa released a statement through a letter from jail. He wrote, ‘It was wrong for me to continuously engage in criminal activity, and in that regards, I am willing to do the time. However, cannabis should be legalized, and the governmental agencies should recognize this fact that they already know – pot is harmless. Knowingly arresting innocent victims of the law is unconstitutional. There is simply no sense in enforcing a law for the sake of enforcing the law.’

Everytime Mr. Katsuragawa got into heated debates about marijuana with the cops, the cops always said the same thing. ‘We enforce the law because it is the law. The courts shall decide whether or not what you’re doing is justifiable.’

So Mr. Katsuragawa believed that the courts would read the overwhelming evidence that pot is not a dangerous drug, but a very resourceful plant that can be used in medicine, industry and culture. However, his hopes were too high. Here is part of the court dicision.

1 The attorney states that the negative properties of cannabis use has not been proven, and even if there is any such negative properties, it is less than that of alcohol and tobacco which is legal in Japan. Medical marijuana has proven itself to be useful in pain relief etc., and the anti-cannabis laws that send cannabis offenders to prison is a violation of our rights to pursue happiness. As far as self usage and medical usage is concerned, such anti-cannabis laws are unconstitutional and therefore invalid.

However, the anti-cannabis laws are established in the best interest of the people, because it is ‘public knowledge’ that cannabis may cause accute visual and audio hallucinations, cause mental derrangement and has properties that affect judgment and comprehension. Eventhough there are known differences among each user, not only in long term effects but also short term affects are reported.

Does this sound like proper information regarding cannabis? Absolutely not. Does it remind you of ‘Reefer Madness’? Japanese courts have really proven themselves to be ass backwards.

From the year 1998 through the year 2000, Mr. Katsuragawa had actually maneuvered his way into obtaining the Japanese marijuana license. This was nearly unprecedented, it was almost impossible for openly active pot-smokers to obtain such licensing at the time. Mr. Katsuragawa had went to the appropriate department which issues licenses for growing cannabis, and was tenacious at doing so. He explained the positive properties of marijuana, presented documents and made his case. Ultimately, he was issued a license to grow hemp for seeds and pulp collection purposes. His marijuana license stated that he was going to make paper, even though he was openly suggesting for many Japanese people to smoke pot.

Mr. Katsuragawa got away with this for two years, openly smoking pot and providing for others. However, there was a governmental guidence at the end of these two years, requiring him to stop growing high THC hybrids, and change strains to ‘Tochigi Shiro’, a notorious Japanese hemp strain that contains very low THC. As the new season came, he decided to apply for a new license for recreational purposes, including smoking and eating pot.

He had high hopes in the new liberal governor. He was denied the license, but yet continued to grow, and kept on providing to patients and friends. His application did not even end up in the governor’s desk. His little compound was full of weed, and blended in with the nature surrounding his country-side home.

One day, Mr. Katsuragawa asked his disciple, Mr. Shirasaka, to post an article on his website alongside his proudly grown crop. The article was appropriately titled, ‘Let’s Smoke Pot and See Through the Deception of the Bureaucrats of this Country’, subtitled, ‘At this Point, Pot is the Only Way’. Mr. Shirasaka was extremely shocked by his master’s actions, but dicided this was a perfect opportunity to find out if our governmental system is at work for the best interest of the people.

Mr. Katsuragawa had been very upset with the outcome of his first marijuana case he was on trial for in the past, especially for not fighting back. Mr. Katsuragawa however, had already won a license to smoke pot legally (or at least grow it). He could have been just as happy without this kind of legal mess he put himself to. But that was not enough – he wanted to fight for the rights  of all Japanese people to smoke pot. This is why Mr. Katsuragawa did what he did, to cause himself to get arrested. He was just a little bit surprised how quickly it happenned.

One morning, about 20 cops surrounded his compound, rushed into his room, identified Mr. Katsuragawa, and several others who happenned to be there, and charged them all with criminal conspiracy. These were just temporary charges. Mr. Katsuragawa admitted to everything he had done, while concealing the identities of his patients. However, he was caught with a substantial amount of plants, among other drugs, and the aforementioned (in Part 1) famous Japanese writer had already been busted for receiving pot from Mr. Katsuragawa.

Mr. Katsuragawa was ultimately charged as follows:

Delivery of Marijuana with intent to sell – 20g Marijuana, 3 grams hashish.

Possession of Marijuana with intent to sell – 3.5 kilograms of Marijuana, 33 grams of hashish

Cultivating Marijuana with intent to sell – 98 plants

Possession of methamphetamine – 0.192 grams (after testing)

Possession of illicit drugs – 0.217 grams MDMA (after testing) and 1.13 grams of Magic Mushrooms

Delivery of Marijuana with intent to sell – 30 grams (to the writer)

Mr. Katsuragawa prepared to fight the ‘unconstitutional’ marijuana laws in Japan, and stated that he hoped he would be the last person to be persecuted for the possession and cultivation of cannabis. As for the drug charges, he decided to plea no contest. These drugs were simply left behind by friends who came by at one point or another. His fight was all about pot.

On July 14, 2003, Mr. Naofumi Katsuragawa was arrested in Nagano by the Japanses DEA for cultivating over 100 plants of cannabis with intent to sell, half a gram of methamphetamine, ecstacy and  some magic mushrooms. He is very well known in the underground Japanese pot world, dubbed as ‘Che Guevarra’ of Japanese cannabis. He served 5 years in prison in Japan, for he was a second time pot offender, and due to ‘sales charges’. The truth is, Mr. Katsuragawa never collected any money for marijuana, with the occasional exception of people handing over donations for his overhead eventhough he tried to refuse to accept it. He was simply providing cannabis to his close friends and several patients with serious illness’. One of his patients happenned to be a famous writer, with glaucoma, and he was busted first for receieving cannabis from Mr. Katsuragawa. This writer died not too long ago. Mr. Katsuragawa simply followed him to jail, due to the tenacious and cruel Japanese DEA interrogations. From the very beggining, Mr. Katsuragawa had intent to be busted. He was not hiding. He was posting pictures of his own pot on his website. He wanted to simply provide cannabis to those who wanted it or needed it, medical or not. He was sending cannabis via courrier services, all over Japan. This lead to his second time arrest.

Regarding the first arrest, Mr. Katsuragawa has always felt that he was not able to prove his point in court, and since then, wanted to fight for cannabis in the judicial system. There is not really any other way to fight in court such injustices in Japan, unless you get arrested for a specific case. The conclusion? Though he fought his case vigorsously, he received a five year sentence (not suspended) for spreading ‘poison’ among the Japanese public, and was told that the poisonous properties of marijuana was ‘public knowledge’. In short, this is what he did his time for. The judge refused to answer the attorney’s question of what properties of cannabis constitutes to be ‘poisonous’ in Japan.

Mr. Katsuragawa had a co-defendant, Mr. Kazuhiko Shiraska, a disciple of his own. He was growing over 330 plants at his home openly in the Nagano prefecture, while applying for a hemp growing license (but without written permission) to grow under recreational usage (which was considered to be preposterous at the time), while preparing for the upcoming trials that were anticipated. He is currently the organizer of THC Japan, our website.

‘Are we going to be OK?’ Mr. Shirasaka asked Mr. Katsuragawa, prior to being arrested.

His reply was simply ‘ofcourse not’ but added ‘this shall be a bountiful experience for the both of us’.

So they went on, cultivating and harvesting marijuana outdoors, while posting their proudly grown cannabis online. Mr. Shirasaka, being a first time offender, and not having ‘intent to sell’ charges tacked on, received a suspended sentence of five years. His initial charges included ‘concealing illegal cannabis’ for Mr. Katsuragawa, then switched to illegal cultivation. He made bail after 50 days and only served that amount of time.

In Japan, there is no law against smoking or injesting cannabis. This is due to the fact that legal growers for the hemp industry in Japan may inhale fumes and other ‘poisonous properties’ which may be consumed while harvesting the plants. Japan has created an extremely low THC strain of cannabis for industrial hemp. This is called ‘Tochigi Shiro’, known to grow 20 ft tall plants producing hardly any THC. However, such plants sometimes turn to hybrids by freak of nature. For more details regarding cannabis and Japan, please refer to the article ‘Cannabis and Japan’ posted on our english site.

So you may ask, why did a cannabis activist possess methamphetamines and ecstacy, and shrooms? According to Mr. Katsuragawa, he had many people coming and going in and out of his house, and people started to bring different drugs. Being a true libertarian, Mr. Katsuragawa claims that he believes the choice is up to the ‘consumer’. He was not experimenting with methamphetammines, but he liked to trip occasionally, whether it was LSD or shrooms or MDMA.

During their  severe interrogations, Mr. Katsuragawa and Mr. Shirasaka refused to identify their patients and friends. One of Mr. Shirasaka’s cancer patients died during the trial.
Before his death, he jokingly asked for more pot.

Do you remember Paul McCartney getting busted in Japan for trying to bring in a couple of ounces of pot into Japan and was arrested and deported? Do you know the song ‘Band on the Run’? Laws have becom even stricter since then, and many Japanese growers have gone underground, growing pot mostly indoors. Pot also grows all over Japan from early spring to the end of fall. Many go and collect this hempy weed and make hashish and other derrivitives out of this low grade stuff.Imported pot and hashish from southeast asia, places like Nepal, India and Thailand, compensates for the weak pot growing wildly in Japan. Japan has very good pot and variety in general, but it is just not reccommended to engage in such activities in Japan, unless you are willing to do the hard time. Pot in Japan costs anywhere between $40 – $50 (4000 to 5000 yen) a gram, unlesss you buy wholesale or have friends who grow it. Wholesale prices of pot range from $9 – $15 a gram (900 – 1500 yen) through organized criminal elements, such as the Yakuza. Between friends, the prices are much more reasonable, if not free. 

The Japanese self-defense force, and the Japanese DEA equivelent burn cannabis plants every year but simply cannot keep up to the abundance of pot growing wild. Hokkaido is perhaps the most well known spot for this, however, hemp or Asa in Japanese has been growing in Japan for centuries, if not longer, all over the country. Historically, the Japanese have lived closely with this godsent plant. It is used in many shinto rituals, sumo, and imperial ceremonies that are behind closed doors today. Mr. Katsuragawa’s goal was to spread the usage of cannabis throughout Japan, and restore its marijuana culture. It is a well known fact that from our beggining as this geographically isolated island nation, the Japanese have lived in harmony with this wonderful plant, for medicinal, craft, industrial and shamanistic reasons.

Until the end of war, cannabis derrivitives had been sold at regular drugstores, alongside methamphetamines, which promoted intense labor and growth of Japan into an econimical giant. Pressure from the post World War II US Government (the general headquarters – Japan Occupying Forces) were souly responsible for making this cannabis crop illegal. Behind this, there was a timber industry that would have not wanted to compete with this fiber filled  plant, cannabis. Today, 16 states in the US allows medical marijuana, yet Japan doesn’t even allow to study cannabis for medical purposes. Therfore, big pharmaceutical companies from Japan do their research in America. They are currently lobbying to approve their own version of medical cannabis, a spray type inhaler. Such harsh Japanese policies are a reflection of the US Federal model of marijuana persecution.

Mr. Katsuragawa and Kazuhiko Shirasaka fought their cases to the bitter end. This report is intended to inform the world of the Cannabis Control Act of Japan, and it’s current problems.

However, you must know that in Japan, the conviction rate is close to 99% (!) after arraignment. Amnesty International has repeatedly warned the Japanese for it’s undisclosed interrogations and high conviction rate. Mr. Katsuragawa knew that his chances of winning his case to grow pot as being ‘unconstitutional’ were slim to none. Yet he chose to fight.

TO BE CONTINUED…