How Japan Is Gradually Rethinking Cannabis

Tokyo Reported

14 hours ago

Despite some of the strictest cannabis laws in the industrialised world, Japan is quietly undergoing a cultural shift. Beneath the rigid surface of prohibition, attitudes toward cannabis – especially among younger generations and within creative subcultures – are gradually evolving. While legislation remains unchanged, public curiosity, wellness trends, and global influence are beginning to challenge long-held taboos.
Unforgiving Law, Relentless Stigma
Cannabis remains highly illegal in Japan. The Cannabis Control Act of 1948 prohibits possession, cultivation, and distribution, with violations punished by prison sentences of up to five years for personal use and up to ten years if linked to trafficking or profit. Even the smallest infraction can end a career and provoke intense media scrutiny.
In 2020, actor Yūsuke Iseya was arrested for possessing 13 grams of marijuana and received a suspended sentence. Earlier cases involving celebrities like Pierre Taki and Erika Sawajiri led to similar public reckonings – including immediate removal from commercial campaigns, erased film roles, and public apologies delivered through tightly controlled press conferences. In Japan, punishment doesn't end with legal sentencing – it continues through prolonged social exclusion.
A Legal Loophole and a Booming Market
Yet even in this environment, cannabis-derived products are finding a way in – so long as they're THC-free. CBD, the non-intoxicating compound found in cannabis, is legally permitted in Japan if extracted solely from hemp stalks or seeds. This distinction has enabled a booming CBD industry in Tokyo and beyond.
The Japanese CBD market was valued at approximately ¥18.2 billion (around $130 million USD) in 2023, more than doubling since 2019. According to Statista's latest forecast, the market is projected to grow steadily and exceed ¥24.4 billion (roughly $175 million USD) by 2027. This surge reflects a rising demand for cannabis-derived wellness products, despite Japan's ongoing restrictions on THC.
Trend-conscious districts like Harajuku and Shibuya now house CBD cafes, skincare boutiques, and even yoga studios that incorporate CBD into wellness rituals – an ironic contrast to the nation's zero-tolerance stance on THC.
This duality has sparked debate among legal experts, with some calling for clearer definitions of what should be considered a cannabis 'drug' versus a wellness supplement. For now, CBD's popularity offers a culturally acceptable way for consumers to interact with the cannabis plant – without the social and legal consequences.
Cultural Undercurrents and Global Influence
Despite low reported use – less than 2% of Japanese people say they've ever consumed cannabis, compared to over 40% in the U.S., according to UNODC data – underground interest is growing. Young adults, especially those exposed to Western culture via music, fashion, and streaming platforms, are quietly shifting perceptions.
Japanese hip-hop, streetwear, and nightlife increasingly borrow from cannabis-infused aesthetics. Artists like KOHH have referenced weed in lyrics. Visual design elements – from stylised leaf motifs to green-themed branding – have crept into fashion. Though subtle, these signals mark a generational change that's harder to detect in surveys but easy to spot in street culture.
Globally, Japan is also under pressure to modernise. Nearby countries like Thailand have moved to legalise medical cannabis, and South Korea now permits some medicinal use under strict regulation. In 2023, Japan's Ministry of Health took a small but meaningful step by recommending revisions to the Cannabis Control Act that would legalise specific medical cannabis formulations such as Epidiolex, already approved in the EU and U.S. for rare seizure disorders.
Such changes are incremental, but they indicate that the conversation – long absent from mainstream discourse – has officially begun.
The Risky Business of Seeds and Access
Where recreational use remains criminalised, demand often shifts to discreet, private alternatives. Some users cultivate their own cannabis, risking harsh penalties in exchange for personal supply. They often obtain seeds online through international seedbanks that operate in a legal grey zone. Platforms like Herbies Seeds, known for global distribution, are frequently cited in user forums and cannabis communities as a source of high-quality genetics – though importing even ungerminated seeds remains illegal under Japanese law.
With growing digital literacy and access to encrypted messaging, such practices continue to spread below the radar. But the risks are real: Japanese customs and cybercrime units are well-resourced, and arrests for seed importation, while rare, can result in serious legal consequences.
A Culture in Transition
Japan's cannabis culture isn't being driven by protests or mass movements. Instead, it's evolving through quiet interactions – a CBD latte here, a discreet vape pen there, a whispered conversation between university friends or music producers backstage.
Whether this gradual change will lead to meaningful legal reform remains unclear. But what's certain is that the rigid narratives around cannabis – once seen as absolute – are beginning to soften. For now, Japan remains a place where the plant is both feared and cautiously explored, vilified in headlines and quietly discussed over drinks.
In this contradiction lies the truth: change, in Japan, rarely comes as a wave. It arrives slowly, patiently – and by the time it's visible, it's already well underway.