The Japan Times reports on the rising popularity of cannabis in the country
Many young people have been found involved in cannabis offenses recently, apparently because the illegal substance is priced lower than stimulants and the number of countries that have legalized it has increased, police officials and experts say.
Last year, Japanese police arrested or took other actions against 5,342 people for alleged cannabis possession or other related acts. About 70% of them were aged between 10 and 29.
According to the National Police Agency, the number of such people has been on the rise since 2014. In 2021, the annual number hit a record high of 5,482.
In 2013, 80% of drug offenders were linked to stimulants, but the share has steadily decreased. In the first half of this year, the number of people that police either arrested or took other actions against for cannabis-related offenses exceeded the number of offenders linked to stimulants for the first time on record.
A survey conducted between October and November 2022 on 911 people who violated the cannabis control laws found that one-third of the offenders under 30 said they obtained cannabis via the internet, with most of them using social media.
Among other offenders in the age group, many said they discovered cannabis through friends and acquaintances. In many such cases, offenders used cannabis out of curiosity and without any sense of guilt.
“Cannabis is priced lower than other drugs, making it easier for young people to buy it,” said Tatsuo Shinozuka, visiting professor of forensic toxicology at Yokohama University of Pharmacy. “I guess they start using it, feeling that it’s like smoking.”
“Recently, people can buy and sell cannabis through social media,” a senior NPA official said. “There have been cases in which young people with no connection with criminal organizations quit their companies and become traffickers.”
“We’ll keep on telling the public about the dangers of cannabis,” conveying the stories of past abusers’ experiences, the official added.
Some recent arrests of young people allegedly involved with cannabis have highlighted the trend as well.
A 21-year-old member of Nihon University’s American football team was arrested Saturday for alleged possession of cannabis and an illegal stimulant, investigative sources said.
The arrest came after police searched the team’s dormitory in Tokyo two days ago. The team is a 21-time winner of the Koshien Bowl, the national college football championship game.
Noriyasu Kitabatake is suspected of being in possession of 0.019 gram of cannabis and 0.198 gram of the illicit stimulant at the dormitory in Nakano Ward in early July, the sources said.
Also on Thursday, three male students from Asahi University in Gifu Prefecture were arrested on suspicion of selling marijuana for profit.
All three students are 20 years old, and the police suspect that they were selling the cannabis online through social media.
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/08/06/japan/crime-legal/young-cannabis-offenders-in-japan/
