Last week, Japan launched the public-comment period for its marijuana reform measure, providing new details on how its budding marijuana industry would look over the next few months. This comes after the country’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare published a document suggesting changes to allowable THC amounts in some products in February.
Preliminary proposals suggest that Japan may become the first country to approve CBD in food.
Astrasana Holding AG managing director, Yves Antoniazzi, revealed that the company has been waiting a long time for this, noting that it was a big milestone for the global marijuana industry. He noted that Japan becoming the first country to approve CBD in food would make it easy for corporate companies to list CBD products in retail chains. Astrasana currently has a foothold in Japan’s CBD market.
This latest move by the country comes after it made a major step toward marijuana reform after approving a resolution to amend its decade-old Cannabis Control Act in October 2023. The amendment, which was approved by the House of Councillors in November last year, lifted a ban on marijuana-based pharmaceutical products and moved marijuana to a different class under its Narcotics Control Law.
After approving the amendment, authorities in the country began straightening out the details of these reforms. Since then, the marijuana industry has been waiting for an announcement from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare outlining the new framework.
The recently launched comment period shall run through mid-to-late June. It affords CBD businesses and medical professionals an opportunity to assess the draft measure and raise any concerns they may have before a final decision is made and the amendments enacted. The comments shall focus on different measures of the new legislation, including methods to analyze THC, law enforcement, first- and second-class reviews on cultivation licenses, and the development of related regulations and laws.
The amendment of these areas may allow Japan’s medical marijuana and CBD industries to flourish.
Currently, the country allows the sale of products with CBD but prohibits the sale of products with THC. Reports suggest that this may change, moving THC limits from 0 to 0.3%.
It is important to note that any individual found illegally using marijuana under the revised law could face up to seven years in prison. Prior to the 2023 amendment, only violations for export, import, possession and cultivation were punishable by law.
Regarding hemp, Japan allows the growing of commercial hemp under a strictly regulated licensing system.
While the proposed reforms may not be as extensive as advocates would have preferred, they nonetheless send positive signals to the wider marijuana industry, such as Cronos Group Inc. (NASDAQ: CRON) (TSX: CRON), and its actors regarding the possibility of ending prohibition around the world in the years to come.
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