No other country is making such a big fuss with some 1%. This shows the strict awareness Japanese society has against drugs.

Saturday 20th December, 06:22 AM JST

Shingo Katsuno, vice president and an expert on Japan’s drug issues at Hyogo University of Teacher Education. He says the “epidemic” scare stories on high profile busts and drug dealers on university campuses are more indicative of how much Japan continues to resist marijuana. (Reuters)

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6 Comments

neverknow2 at 08:18 AM JST - 20th December

an expert on Japan’s drug issues

This could be debated. How many companies has this man worked for? How broad is his experience?
bakabaka at 08:54 AM JST - 20th December

Japanese society has a strict awareness against ganja, but amphetamine use is widespread and always has been since it was legal after WW2.
kfsosaka at 01:35 PM JST - 20th December

Amphetamines helps you work harder where dope makes you take the day off.

Drug issues are always about government control rather then health.
mark_in_japan at 02:26 PM JST - 20th December

Likewise with alcohol: numbs you to the fact that you are being worked to death, letting you forget about that minor detail of your life for a little while (nevermind such inconsequential side-effects like cirrhosis of the liver, wife-beating, and drunken driving deaths). Of course it is sanctioned by the government.
openyoureyes at 08:38 PM JST - 20th December

the strict awareness Japanese society has against drugs.

how much Japan continues to resist marijuana.

you mean how strict and resistant the Japanese establishment is towards marijuana. the people are too ignorant to be either aware or resistant.
Kawasaki at 12:12 AM JST - 21st December

Well at least one group of people is very happy about the Japanese policy on ganja : the Iranian guys standing around neighborhood streets of Tokyo pulling in 100million yen a year in cash in income...