2 Keio students nabbed for dealing cannabis on campus

Thursday 30th October, 11:48 AM JST

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proxy at 07:52 PM JST - 30th October

Sorry for posting again, but even more interesting is that the kanji for Prime Minister Aso means the "origin of marijuana." The "a" kanji is a pictograph of two cannabis plants hung up to dry for the purpose of smoking.
isthistheend at 08:51 PM JST - 30th October

Sorry but no way Jose. If it was legal here (wake up, hello?) the natives would become more goofy than now. Probably crime would increase, and Sumimasen, Gomen Ne, Watakushi desu ka? would become jargon for all smokers. And lets not forget, smoking is smoking is smoking is smoking. It all does damage to the lungs, and due to the deeeeeeep inhaling that accompanies the act of the MJ users, its got to damage lots of their vessels, plaque build up etc. I've read numerous articles about it, and know someone who's been an addict all his adult life. Its like Marion Jones, "oh I didn't love myself enough" to what? She never admits to knowledgeably taking the drugs. It becomes one long string of, "chill out man, don't bother me." But in the hands of these people, I'm not so sure it would work that way. Seems like it would get them more uptight, when the blood sugar level plummets after the 10-12 hour high.
Wottock_Hunt at 11:46 PM JST - 30th October

Cannabis users may not be dangerous, but dear sweet Jayzus they're boring.
yasukuni at 12:08 AM JST - 31st October

Notimpressed. I didn't say there was a link between marijuana and car-jackings. I was responding to surprise that two university students using it making the news. There are a lots of things that make the news here because they are rare, whereas they are so common in some western countries that they aren't newsworthy. Regardless of what some of you may think, the percentage of Japanese university students who have smoked pot in Japan is small. But it is increasing, and will continue to increase - no doubt thanks to gaijin who try to convince them that its cool and harmless etc etc.

Gaijintraveller. I think that alcohol was legal and in use for a long time and then for a short time made illegal. Prohibition is what you are referring to, I assume. If that's the case I am aware of it.

And for others of the pot lovers, I have direct experience with many people who started with pot and than went on to harder drugs, and wrecked their lives.

The overwhelming majority of Japanese are against the use and legalization of marijuana, saddened when elite university students smoke it, and outraged that gaijin are in some way involved in the selling and spread of drug taking.

My personal plea is that if there are any of you out there who want to change Japan in this regard, is that you stop doing so. If you can't, get on a boat and go home and smoke your head silly in your own country. This is Japan.

Neither hard drugs, nor soft drugs like pot have done the US any good.
ptolemy at 12:12 AM JST - 31st October

Gee I don't know historical pot smokers like Bob Dylan, George Harrison, David Gilmour never hurt anyone. They all seem pretty chilled out to me, and except for the dearly sainted George Harrison are still toking today.
Youdontknow at 02:15 AM JST - 31st October

Why do the cops always go after the little guy here? If they had any balls, they'd arrest the gangster scum that supply this crap!
kjunluc2 at 06:02 AM JST - 31st October

isthistheend: Killjoy! Party pooper! I hope Willie Nelson gets you.

Jest jestin'. However, I do wish I had a bushel basketful.
conqueror_of_Uranus at 12:48 PM JST - 31st October

Freakenese at 06:29 PM JST - 30th October

Anybody know the history of pot in Japan? How far back does it go? I would love to see some ancient Japanese painting with a Samurai smoking a fat blunt.

During the feudal era in Japan, marijuana was smoked by the rural populace as a recreational drug. It was also a sacred plant, burned as an offering in many Shinto rituals, some still to this day.

Taxes were collected by the regional warlord in the form of rice, making sake an expensive luxury that only the warrior class and government officials could afford. Thus, Marijuana, or Hemp that was plentiful in the countryside, and cultivated for oil and fibers was the peasant's drug of choice.

In the Edo-jidai, Marijuana was smoked in brothels and gambling houses, most famously depicted in the Ukiyo-e "Lovers smoking pipes".

A prostitute and her client are depicted smoking marijuana from traditional pipes while engaging in foreplay; suggesting that marijuana was popular as an aphrodisiac.

It was not until the US occupation after WW2 that Marijuana use was made illegal. Until then there were no laws concerning Marijuana, other than government taxation on industrial hemp by-products.

College kids smoking weed.....

In other news: The sea is salty.
Freakenese at 07:10 PM JST - 31st October

Proxy and Conqueror, Thanks for the info. Interesting reading. It seems strange to me now that the general population in Japan seems so Freakenese about it now.

I especially like how the new Emperor clothes had to be made from hemp, and his family has their own special hemp/pot patch.
Nessie at 09:19 AM JST - 1st November

Notimpressed, it sounds like we agree.

Wottock, LOL as usual.

The overwhelming majority of Japanese are against the use and legalization of marijuana, saddened when elite university students smoke it, and outraged that gaijin are in some way involved in the selling and spread of drug taking. My personal plea is that if there are any of you out there who want to change Japan in this regard, is that you stop doing so.

I completely agree that this is for the Japanese to decide, but they seem to have decided it according to misinformation, and the policy is inconsistent with policies and attitudes toward the more harmful drug, alcohol. Japan can't make an informed decision without being information on the genuine risks in comparison with other drugs.
taniwha at 09:33 AM JST - 1st November

Freakenese

Anybody know the history of pot in Japan

I don't, but I do have anecdotally evidence, that marijuana was grown in Japan for a variety of uses. I'm not sure for how long back but it would seem to be further back than WW11. It is still grown in hill areas by locals. This is what old Japanese men have told me... As I said it is only anecdotal.

Legislating against the use of these types of drugs internationally was largely if not wholly the result of governments adopting the relevant policies passed into law in the US over the last century. It began with the creation of the FDA in 1906, the Harrison Act in 1914 against private use of opiate derivatives. The law is relevant to anti-marijuana laws to follow for one very strange reason that explains quite a lot. A tax was charged for the exchange of opiates for non-medical purposes. It was several thousand dollars, far more than the actual appointed value of the substance. Failure to pay the tax meant a Federal crime. In other words this law amounted to a criminal prohibition against possession of cocaine etc for private use.

The US Tax department was then the location for the law enforcement arm for criminalizing drugs was placed. That was for several decades, and in short the reason why the first legislation against marijuana was called the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937.

That, as far as I am aware, is the origin of the first law against Marijuana use.

My argument is the use of drugs should be decriminalised, just to take it out of the hands of gangsters, and profiteers. People should be allowed to harvest and grow these plants. Research should be done on possible medical use. The use of marijuana should be placed within the same legislation as affects tabacco. Warnings on packets of the health risks etc.
Nessie at 11:38 AM JST - 1st November

I don't, but I do have anecdotally evidence, that marijuana was grown in Japan for a variety of uses. I'm not sure for how long back but it would seem to be further back than WW11. It is still grown in hill areas by locals. This is what old Japanese men have told me... As I said it is only anecdotal

Hemp for rope is what I heard, particularly up here in Hokkaido and particulary for wartime use. I met a women the other day who told me the kanji for her name meant "hemp."

That, as far as I am aware, is the origin of the first law against Marijuana use.

Yeah, in the US. As I'm sure you know, there were prohibitions in the Middle East from centuries ago. Interestingly, the first tobacco prohibition in Japan was during the Edo era, and it was initiated because smokers in gangs were beating each other with long pipes (I kid you not)!

My argument is the use of drugs should be decriminalised, just to take it out of the hands of gangsters, and profiteers.

Agreed, although I'm uncomfortable with calling the current situation "profiteering," unless in reference to swelling enforcement budgets.
elbudamexicano at 07:07 PM JST - 2nd November

One thing I really hated back in the US, was working with fools who were high, yes on weed, etc..and the minute their buzz would go away they just became so iirritated about anything, this is one thing I do not miss about the USA and I hope Japan can try to keep cannabis illegal.
taniwha at 07:57 PM JST - 2nd November

Nessie

Yes, I have heard similar. I didn't know about tobacco prohibition in Japan. The reason you cite for it makes sense though. Prohibitions around the world seem uniformly to be about ensuring the workers concentrate on the task of enriching their masters, which putting it a little too simplistically perhaps but its true enough nevertheless.
kornholio at 05:33 PM JST - 4th November

quoted as telling police that they had smoked marijuana with other students of the university and that they had tried it out of mere curiosity

hhhhmmm... you don't have grams of the stuff if you wanna merely try it out for curiosity.