Japan's budding CBD industry may be on the verge of losing its all-time high.
Japan's government passed a series of amendments to its once-ambiguous drug laws late last year, but as plans to finally implement these reforms are being worked out, there are concerns that the changes will improve the country's prosperity and Questions have been raised about what this means for the hitherto free-spirited country. Industry of cannabis-derived products.
According to several draft regulations announced last month to implement some of the latest changes to the Cannabis Control Act, and which are being held for public hearing until June 29, the government will The plan is to severely limit the legal amount of alcohol. CBD products may include:
Regulating THC limits for hemp and CBD products is common around the world, with some US states capping it at 0.3%, but Japan's proposed new cap for the oil 0.001% (even lower for beverages and other forms of products). This has been condemned by advocates and experts as unrealistic and likely to spell the end for Japan's CBD industry, with some neighboring countries like China recently also effectively Substances are completely prohibited.
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Toshiki Inoue, founder of cannabis brand Chillaxy, told TIME that “90% of companies will go out of business if this happens,” adding that there are “almost no” CBD products sold in Japan. added. You can adhere to the 0.001% THC limit.
The proposed rules could take effect as early as October, and the potential for drastic changes has spooked those in Japan's CBD industry. The CBD industry has grown six times in market size from 4 billion yen to 24 billion yen between 2019 and 2023. 150 million dollars).
Amid growing public debate over the use of CBD in Japan, lawmakers passed a reform bill late last year that promises to tighten regulations on recreational cannabis. This included closing a loophole that previously allowed consumption to carry the same penalties as possession (with a maximum penalty of seven years in prison). )—while simultaneously moving to legalize cannabis-derived medicines, regulate CBD products, and promote domestic cannabis cultivation.
Supporters and observers were initially optimistic that the introduction of formal regulations for CBD products would open up the medical cannabis market and allow the industry to operate with more legitimacy. But those hopes were dashed in late May when authorities announced details of how they plan to implement the amendments, including proposed stricter THC limits on CBD products.
The ensuing backlash has spread beyond Japan, with international experts arguing that it is nearly impossible to safely manufacture CBD products containing such low concentrations of THC.
“Most cannabis-derived preparations that can be safely used in consumer products will contain at least trace amounts of THC,” U.S.-based medical cannabis expert Ethan Russo wrote in a letter to Japan's Ministry of Labor. This is stated in the letter. Green Zone Japan, a Japanese cannabis legalization advocacy group.
Some point out that it is much more difficult to detect such trace amounts of THC during the screening process with existing equipment. “It's very difficult for most laboratories to meet standards in a stable way, and many labs may be cheating,” said the CEO of cannabis company Atavis and one of the industry's most prominent Roger Nakazawa, one of the supporters, says:
“I don't think we should be free without rules. Of course we need to set some rules,” he told TIME. “But if we are too strict, the black market will get bigger, no one will be able to control quality, and public health will be affected,” he warns.
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Such concerns are already rippled among people who use CBD to alleviate medical conditions. Experts say Japan's explicit legalization of cannabis-derived medicines applies only to highly regulated medicines for extreme cases, such as Epidiolex, which is used to treat severe epilepsy. states that it is highly likely. But a group of people who use CBD products recreationally for conditions ranging from cancer to chronic pain have started a petition to protest the proposed THC limit, saying it would seriously impact their quality of life. claims to give.
Meanwhile, Inoue and Nakazawa remain cautiously optimistic that authorities will revise the regulations they originally proposed for CBD products, following strong opposition from a variety of parties. .
“I want people and politicians to understand the potential of this market and use it in the right way,” says Nakazawa.
