A treatment for rare and severe forms of epilepsy, derived from cannabis and already approved in the United States and the European Union, is currently undergoing clinical trials.
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New hope for some patients. The Japanese Parliament definitively adopted a legislative reform on cannabis to authorize medicines derived from this plant, Wednesday December 6.
A treatment derived from cannabis against rare and severe forms of epilepsy, already approved in the United States and the European Union, is currently undergoing clinical trials in the archipelago. Medical cannabis, to calm the pain or anxiety of certain patients, is already authorized in many European countries, in Israel and in several American states.
Tougher sanctions against consumers
Tokyo, however, has strengthened its ban on the recreational use of marijuana, which was until now subject to a legal loophole. Legislative reform now clearly prohibits cannabis for recreational purposes, and penalties for cannabis users or possessors have been toughened, up to seven years in prison.
“As more and more young people turn to marijuana use, we hope this reform will put a stop to this trend”, declared the government spokesperson. Only 1.4% of Japanese say they have already tried cannabis, according to the Japanese Ministry of Health, compared to more than 40% in France and around 50% in the United States.
