Four 18-year-olds arrested for possession of drugs

How about just arresting the one who was holding?

Perhaps they were all holding something, the article says "in their possession" .

the four are two correspondence course high school students and two company employees

Does that mean there four students plus two employees, or four students and two of them are employees? This is an awkwardly written sentence.

Moderator: Not at all. It is quite clear.

Gotta know when to tell the popo to stuff it when they ask if they can search your car. I never have any contraband as I'm not into that, but I've had cops ask if they can search me / my car for "dangerous items". I said yes once because they had pulled me over for a broken tail light and only gave me a warning. I didn't want them to change their mind and write me a ticket. Usually, I just ask if they have a warrant. They say no. I say no. I move on.

Are you talking about Japan Dan?

It seems that you can tell the J-cops "no", when it comes to searching your possessions. They require a warrant, unless you agree to the search, that's why they ask you, in broken English, "Body Check, Okey?" But of course, they can just call in and get a warrant....

0.9 grams of dried cannabis and an inhaling device.

Less than a gram and an 'inhaling device' and it makes national news? It's absolutely ridiculous! Also, couldn't they have just said 'a pipe'?

"I don't answer questions."

"I don't consent to searches."

"Am I being detained under suspicion of a specific crime, or am I free to go?"

The only things you should ever say to the police.

Be polite, be respectful, but be firm in exercising your rights.

Are you talking about Japan Dan?

He is indeed. Cops regularly take liberties.

Know your rights, friends: the Japanese for warrant is reijo 令状, and you can refuse any request for a search if there isn't a warrant.

I understand that the law doesn't allow for searches without approval from a suspect without a proper suspicion of having committed an offense. But I have also read (in Japanese), that refusal of a search can be considered as the basis of suspicion of having committed an offense.

So what I'm trying to figure out is the realty vs. the ideal. The ideal is that refusing a search would mean the police can just leave you alone without searching you. What I'm questioning is whether the reality lives up to that or no. That's why I asked if Dan's experiences were in Japan or not.

@Strangerland Yes, of course.

Thanks. Good to know. I've never been asked to be searched, but if asked, I'd like to refuse on principle just to see what happens.

People don,t understand the stucture of the law in Japan, If police suspect you are under the influence of drugs the law allows for them to be DETAIN, This law is structure with driving under the influence of Alcohol law. being under the legal drinking age these four and suspected of being under the influence also allow for them to be detain. Even if you are ask to blow in the bag and pass the law still allows for them to detain. This detaining allow for the accuse to prove their innocents by under-going testing at the accuse expense. If you turn a positive, I don,t know, I assume they pay. If the Police stop you in Japan they are going to arrest you. It is rare for them to pull up a person without issuing a fine or arrest. It best to tell the truth about what they want to know. If you got nothing to hide, you will have no worries.

"Dried cannabis," huh. Not the wet kind? An inhaling device? Like an apple with a hole cut in it?

It is rare for them to pull up a person without issuing a fine or arrest. It best to tell the truth about what they want to know. If you got nothing to hide, you will have no worries.

I have been stopped for "speeding" 3 times where I was not ticketed, fine or arrested. (Bravado and stubbornness can go a long way) I have been stopped twice for cracked tail light and no fine was issued, nor was I arrested.

I was stopped and questioned when I went to watch a fire. No fine there. Wasn't arrested either. They did however ask if they could check me for (you guessed it!) "dangerous items".

Never say never.

Less than a gram and an 'inhaling device' and it makes national news? It's absolutely ridiculous! Also, couldn't they have just said 'a pipe'?

No it didn't make the national news, just JT

... Fuji TV reported that ...

@ Strangerland - I've been stopped and searched several times (for being gaijin in public), but not recently. I find the best way to get things over with quickly, is to be pleasant and cooperate.

They did not have DRUGS...they had some dried up weed, nothing more.

I find the best way to get things over with quickly, is to be pleasant and cooperate.

I'm always pleasant with the police. But I don't like the idea of being searched without reason. I'm rarely in a rush to be anywhere, so if I had the time, I'd politely and pleasantly refuse out of principle, just to see where it goes.

If the Police stop you in Japan they are going to arrest you. It is rare for them to pull up a person without issuing a fine or arrest.

Huh? The police stopped me to check my bicycle registration number, no fine, ticket nor was I arrested.

If you are stopped they have to have a REASON to arrest you,just stopping you is not enough,if not they would be arresting people left and right all the time. They have to have evidence or enough proof that you did something that they can arrest you for, I have been stopped plenty of times, never searched just asked to take a breathalyzer,only to be told to "safety drive" as I wave goodbye and look at the disappointment on their face when they realized I was completely sober.

How about decriminalization of the harmless plant?

Frederic: It does harm when abused. Alcohol does more harm when abused and it is regulated. If pot was legal and regulated the Harm Factor would drop. If it was legal and regulated back in the 70,s when the THC level were around 11-12% today percent of harm to user would be non-exsistance. THC levels is now up around 14-16%. with the the increase of THC level so with mental illness. Really the social impact of Alcohol is more harmful then Cannabis.

How about decriminalization of the harmless plant?

It certainly makes sense to do that doesn't it? However, the problem is that anyone can grow it, and if that happens, the alcohol industry stands to lose ALOT of revenue, as people might opt for MJ over AL as it doesn't cause a hangover, and doesn't make you act like a muppet. One of my Japanese friends was trying to get a license to brew his own beer, (I wasn't even aware you needed that) but the process was so long and hard he finally gave up. He told me that brewing your own booze without a brewing license even if it is inside the privacy of your home carries a similar penalty to doing drugs.

This is about money and vested interests folks. Nothing more. If the J-gov could find a way to monopolize the cannabis industry it would become legal overnight.