Japan frets over growing marijuana problem
- added November 04, 2008
- 55 responses
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- TrikyNiki
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Judging by recent coverage, Japan is in the midst of a marijuana epidemic that is ensnaring everyone from students to suburban housewives and sumo wrestlers.
A slew of arrests for drug-related offences among elite scholars has sparked widespread indignation that more youngsters are choosing to while away their university years in a fug of marijuana smoke.
While police once focused their attention on amphetamines and other stimulants, recent statistics show a dramatic increase in cases involving cannabis. In the first half of this year the number of cases in which suspects were questioned or arrested stood at 1,202, a 12% increase on the same time last year. The number of cases involving the cultivation of cannabis at home was up by almost 50%, the national police agency said.
Recreational marijuana use hit the headlines this summer when three Russian sumo wrestlers were kicked out of the sport for allegedly smoking the drug. In recent months newspapers have reported arrests for dealing, cultivating or possessing marijuana at some of Japan's best universities.
Daytime TV shows, meanwhile, blame foreign suppliers for corrupting gullible Japanese teenagers and, increasingly, bored housewives, as they move out heavily policed city centres into the suburbs.
The Mainichi Shimbun, often a progressive voice on other issues, devoted part of its front page yesterday to a fuming editorial warning of the potential ruination of Japan's finest universities by the evil weed.
Of the recent campus arrests, it says: "It is rational to believe that these cases are just the tip of the iceberg, and that 'drug pollution' at university campuses is more widespread than generally thought."
Smokers who prefer not to risk buying from dealers - who charge, on average, six times the going rate in the Netherlands - are growing their own. Accordingly, the number of people arrested for growing the plant at home, many with seeds bought on the internet, has risen fivefold over the past 10 years.
Japanese law takes a dim view of the recreational use of soft drugs. The 1948 cannabis control law calls for prison terms of up to 10 years and hefty fine for anyone found importing, exporting, growing, selling or buying cannabis.
Japanese activists are pushing for a change in the law to permit the use of cannabis among sufferers of diseases such as cancer, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's.
"Cannabis is harmless compared to alcohol and tobaccos, but still the government overreacts and ruins the lives of anyone found with it," Koichi Maeda, the founder of the Japan Medical Marijuana Association, told the Guardian. "We asked the government to provide evidence of the harm they say marijuana causes, but they couldn't."
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They need SOMETHING over to calm themselves down. The Japanese are known to be way too stressed. Hey, who knows...... maybe this will relax people and reduce their suicide stats!
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- ScratchyPants
- 13 days ago
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"We asked the government to provide evidence of the harm they say marijuana causes, but they couldn't."
They never will....
In fact the evidence points the other way...
It's a medical miracle, and it's here to stay... -
When is mankind going to realize that declaring plants illegal is absolutely absurd?
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problem? smoking pot is not a problem.
Japanese students killing themselves for failing the countrywide university exams is a fucking problem.
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- krush_producions
- 13 days ago
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MARIJUANA IS GREAT! They have nothing to worry about.
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- DeliaTheArtist
- 13 days ago
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Who cares!? The rest of the world wants to learn something from us look at our "War on drugs". Talk about disaster!
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Maybe if they smoked some, they'd stop fretting.
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It's only a problem because they think it's a problem...
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i cant blame them. the youth there has so much pressure coming from there parents to desighn a giant robot that battles with laser swords. so they smoke a bit. who cares? and more importantly, whos gonna stop them from growing a flower?
power to the plant!!!
snoogins japan!! -
Marijuana is just a plant that some people happen to smoke. I don't see the problem.
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- rebelution07
- 13 days ago
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Considering that we, the US, gave Japan most of their laws after we occupied them, there's no surprise that their reaction to weed is similar to the ours.
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- dariustwin
- 13 days ago
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Alright yall, I love the smoke, but I will admit that kids who smoke alot at an early age tend to have a more difficult time adjusting to the ridiculousies of western life, (i.e. bureaucracies). Furthermore, japan is a very stressful country focused on personal attributes, i bet you were right krush (or is it kush lol?), ganja could prevent some hefty suicide statistics. I think that some people in Japan would do well to light it, smoke it, pass it, and so on. But as with all good things, moderation is the key, and the Japanese know that better than anyone.
"We asked the government to provide evidence of the harm they say marijuana causes, but they couldn't."
Haha, wurd, very dishonorable. -
It's not on the rise, it's just being sensationalized in the media more.
The same thing happened with violence in Japan.-
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- flyingkick
- 13 days ago
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I forgot what I was gonna say.
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I wouldn't be surprised if the rise in media attention does nothing but further fuel the 'problem.'
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I read it as they were having trouble growing marijuana.
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- joshuaheller
- 13 days ago
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Maybe there's a glaucoma epidemic
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Miso tastes soo good after a fat bong rip, I think dey are on to something.
This is great news I was under the impression that the Japanese thought the nail that sticks out gets hammered in.
Nice to know some also like to get hammered.
Bonsai Cannabis for the win!-
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- VegaNerDiva
- 13 days ago
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Some of the brightest minds on the planet enjoy some bud on a regular basis....naturally
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The fact alone that the government really can not give scientific evidence of this plant being harmful is auesome!! King Kong aint got shit on GreenS!!!!!!
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- Truthhhhhhh
- 13 days ago
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speaking of problems .. a lot of problems could be solved if we'd fully utilize the hemp plant
the seeds, stalk, leaves and certainly those sweetly pungent flowers -
something about this story reminds me of smash bros...
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Assumed they were all on drugs...
Where else do the over-the-top game shows and cartoon-like fashion come from?
Well, same difference. If that is the kind of shit they come up with sober, God only knows where this new refer madness epidemic will take them.
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- damnneargenius
- 13 days ago
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When are people going to get over this? Alcohol is legal and a lot more people die from drunk driving, alcohol poisoning and other issues. But that's still legal. So give me a break. Unless you're going to outlaw something that is CLEARLY having a negative affect on society, then shut up. And I mean Japan and the US.
Until then, Smoke on.