Officers from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department have inspected six herb stores in Shibuya.
Police said Saturday there have been a string of reports of ill-health and even deaths attributed to “legal herbs” as their popularity increases. So far this year, 91 people have been taken to hospital by ambulance after smoking the herbs, police said, NTV reported.
Police said they have asked the stores to stop selling hallucinatory herbs.
© Japan Today
25 Comments
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showmethemoney
No. You turn around 180 degrees and ask the government to legalize marijuana and peyote instead. That will save more lives and make this a freer country.
Herve Nmn L'Eisa
Prohibition laws don't work. Today, people will use unnatural stuff instead. Some people will turn to dangerous chemicals instead of chooming maui wowie. Even presidents are known to have partaken avidly, from George Washington to others in the choom gang.
The chemicals people use now sometimes are very dangerous.
Laguna
showmethemoney, I agree wholeheartedly. These "herbs" are exactly not that: they are chemical monstrosities of dubious origins and dangerous chemicals.
Marijuana, on the other hand, is a safe, natural plant. Regulated like alcohol and tobacco, it is relatively safe; more importantly, it would stream people away from dangerous but legal substances.
Stuart Walden
Police asked them or told them?
Two very different things.
nath
A lot of legal herbs, including tobacco (not really a herb, but smoke-able) are more dangerous and detrimental to health than marijuana. The only reason it hasn't been legalized is because of the stigma that has been placed on it and because tobacco companies stand to lose immensely should pot be legalized. These 'legal' herbs like Spice etc are so laden with chemicals it's a shock that they haven't been banned yet.
avenger
Why need any kind of drugs?
Stuart Walden
Religious type are we?
ACrowe
I keep hearing about these "herbs" but I still don't know what's in them, where are they made, and what kind of high do they give.
Disillusioned
Everything in moderation. these 'herbs' are only dangerous if the inexperienced smoke huge amounts of them. But, just what is in them remains a bit of a mystery.
Dennis Bauer
@showmethemoney
i do not agree completely, legalizing without the proper governing, will still cause problems. it should also adhere to strict rules like food.
Kakukakushikajika
@ACrowe They get you pretty high but as said nobody has any clue what's in it so at your own risk! I recommend some nice and fresh weed but illegal in Japan and it will not change any time soon as they still consider marijuana as a hard drug and pot smokers as heroin addicts...
heretoolong
It used to be legal here in Japan, we can "thank" the US and the GHQ for screwing that up. Just look at the Japanese word for weed, Taima, 大麻, how many names, especially girls names, have the "麻” in it? It grows natural in so many areas in Japan from Kyushu to Hokkaido, and Japan has a long history of using it both for clothes and recreational purposes.
It's asinine that something like tobacco, which companies actually put nicotine in to make you addicted are legal, while weed isn't. Why is alcohol legal? Look at some possible examples of what happens when people drink to much: drink and drive and hit somebody, get into fights, and in the extreme cases, people die. Does any of that ever happen with weed? NO.
The world is against legalization of weed because of Americas War on Drugs. How much money has the US wasted on ALL OF ITS WARS? Enough is enough. Something as simple as weed shouldn't land you in jail, shouldnt get you deported, and shouldnt be illegal.
I say it shouldnt be illegal if we have substances like tobacco and alcohol, which cause more problems than weed, are legal.
cactusJack
I think the reason there is a 'War on Drugs' is because the politicians are afraid of losing their control of the people.
Mirai Hayashi
legal herbs = hazardous illegal herbs = safe
go figure
showmethemoney
I said nothing about governing, so don't assume.
MJ can be regulated as much as alcohol. It would be much better though I support MJ regulation being a little more relaxed.
Herve Nmn L'Eisa
Heretoolong, I completely agree with you. How many have been killed or incarcerated as a result of the War on Drugs? Latest is that the war is a lost cause. Even former President Carter supports legalisation, and it's rather unlikely that he was a choom gang participant.
At the heart of the War on Drugs is the control of the masses(chattel or tax-cows). The governments want to dictate what is ingested or what the chattel refrain from ingesting.
The herbs currently available are risky, but so are lots of other things. That's the individual's responsibility.
Thunderbird2
I've seen what smoking 'weed' can do to people. It isn't safe.
Here in Scotland Marijuana is a banned class B drug, while Cannabis is a class C drug, possession of which can result in a hefty fine. Tobacco is to be banned from public display soon, and the price of alcohol is increasing to stem the tide of abuse.
I am totally in favour of the police in Tokyo cracking down on this stuff. The last thing you want is Japan turning into some part of California with pot-heads wandering around, getting into cars and killing even more people.
And no, this isn't religion talking, I'm an Athiest.
Novenachama
Herbs can be extremely fatal and unfortunately too many people take for gospel what they read and believe it. Every plant and herb has a purpose and that purpose just may not have anything to do with medicinal remedies. Therefore you should get advice only from someone that has a professional background in the study of herbs. Hence Herbal medicine is a wonderful alternative to assist with a variety of ailments and can benefit the human body. However they are dangerous and can be toxic. I would always consult a holistic or homeopathic professional before self-medicating because it could be your life. After all these are drugs from the earth.
Herve Nmn L'Eisa
Thunderbird, you've GOT to be kidding!!!!
Thunderbird2
Nope, I'm not kidding.
ExportExpert
Thunderbird2May. 28, 2012 - 06:36PM JST
Here in Scotland Marijuana is a banned class B drug, while Cannabis is a class C drug
Please explain to the uninformed the difference between marijuana and cannabis.
I think you either have been smoking too much or need to start.
Herve Nmn L'Eisa
Thunderbird, cannabis IS marijuana. MANY people have seen and experienced its effects and probably NONE would say it isn't safe. If you were referring to the other "herbs" then you may have a point. LOTS of people past and present have smoked copious amounts without ill effects, except possibly Barry. And its medicinal benefits are well documented.
Erik Lars
Smoke some weed and the answer will come to you...
napoleancomplex
what kind of herbs are we talking about here? basil?
Un deux cover
I have used these legal herbs on a number of occasions from the dogenzaka head shops, and I would like to clarify what you are getting. If you buy herbs for smoking 'Spice' and other analogues then, even if you have smoked cannabis before, this varies anywhere between similar to 'skunk' strength to way way stronger. Some websites claim 80x stronger than 'skunk' and even after one 'puff' I have seen people pass out for up to 6 hours - this is not basil. It is in fact synthetic cannabinoids which are intense and neither sociable nor friendly - since you are comatosed !
Now; the powders... these again are synthetic analogues of MDMA, Coke, Speed, etc, with a small part of the molecular architecture altered to evade current classifications under the drugs legislation. It is the same cat and mouse game that sports people play with the authorities. Again, it is impossible to predict what you are getting, but be assured, all come with a significant 'down' at the end, and an unpredicatble 'high'.
They are both short and long term russian roulette, and also look like the real thing so while people think they are legal ( they likely are ), if found you will still be arrested, detained, until analysis is conducted.
Hope this clarifies some of the vagueness above, and for what its worth I will not be going back there any time soon.
M