Nihon University suspends football team again over cannabis allegations

It’s only herbs

Just legalise it and stop the law ruining young lives.

Cannabis use causes spelling errors.

Moderator: The errors have been corrected.

The "war on weed" has long been lost. The sooner governments wake up from their alcohol-addled delusions to this reality, the sooner society can recover some sanity and the suffering they have caused to millions can end.

Elvis is here Today  04:47 pm JST

Just legalise it

No, let's not. Let's not engage in cultural imperialism by trying to foist this negative aspect of Western culture onto Japan.

Japan is spot-on for its tough stance on marijuana.

Legalize pot? Take a soft stance on it, like in the West? No way.

Most Japanese don't want marijuana in their country. They don't want it as part of their culture. So, respect it. Isn't that what the "progressives" always tell us? To respect all cultures?

Funny how that concept gets set aside when it doesn't suit "progressive" purposes.

and stop the law ruining young lives.

Drugs ruin young lives.

And legalizing marijuana will only send the message -- the false message -- that marijuana is entirely harmless.

Well, it's not.

It has harmful effects of its own, to say nothing of the fact that (yes, go ahead and deny it, pot fans, but it's true) it's a "gateway" to more serious drugs like heroin and cocaine. Hardly anyone gets addicted to those drugs without starting off first in life with marijuana.

Marijuana frequently introduces young people to the whole drug culture. And even when it doesn't act as a "gateway," again, it has harmful effects of its own.

Pothead Myth: "Marijuana isn't addictive."

Fact: Wrong, potheads. It is. Or at least it can be.

Source: https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/marijuana/marijuana-addictive

Not to say that everyone who uses pot gets addicted to it. But many do, as the above-linked article explains.

This pothead idea that "no one gets addicted to weed" is evidence of what marijuana can do to one's ability to think sharply and to not be ignorantly biased.

And legalizing marijuana will only send the message -- the false message -- that marijuana is entirely harmless. 

Well, I can tell you feel strongly about this subject. But might I say nothing much in this life is "entirely harmless" so why pick on green.

Legslise it, you can control and manage it; and probably make some money out of it, too. And take the herb out of the hands of the crack and heroin dealers. Criminalise it, you get a bunch on innocent 20 somethings with a record and a tainted future over something that if managed differently could have had an entirely different impact on their lives.

Pothead myth: "Marijuana is harmless."

Fact: Marijuana is not harmless at all. Come, let us count the ways:

Using marijuana can affect performance and how well people do in life. Research shows that people who use marijuana are more likely to have relationship problems, worse educational outcomes, lower career achievement, and reduced life satisfaction.

At least 1 in 10 marijuana users (and as high as 1 in 6) become addicted to it.

Marijuana can cause permanent IQ loss of as much as 8 points when people start using it at a young age. These IQ points do not come back, even after quitting marijuana.

Studies link marijuana use to depression, anxiety, suicide planning, and psychotic episodes.

Research shows that marijuana affects timing, movement, and coordination.

People who drive under the influence of marijuana can experience dangerous effects: slower reactions, lane weaving, decreased coordination, and difficulty reacting to signals and sounds on the road.

Marijuana-related traffic accidents have greatly increased in U.S. state and Canadian provinces where marijuana has been legalized (dispelling the myth that bringing the drug into the "mainstream" and out of the "black market" is safer).

Source: https://www.samhsa.gov/marijuana

Cannabis has been around in Japan for many years. A girlfriend I had many years ago admitted to me that she used Cannabis. In those days it was mostly affluent young Japanese who used it, and because of Japan's corrupt legal system, they got away with it. Foreigners, of course, were hauled over the coals.

Just go to the closet country which is Thailand for a week and enjoy as it is fine if used in a private setting

Drugs ruin young lives.

Over-simplistic nonsense. Bad choices ruin young lives.

Fact:  Marijuana is not harmless at all. Come, let us count the ways…

If you do not smoke or drink alcohol of any kind then I understand your aggressive stance against marijuana. If you do smoke or drink then your position doesn’t make much sense.

There are a number of J combinations that are deemed no no’s from the off. 

Vinegar and baking soda (Home DIY cleaning solution) that some sage will swear can remove nearly all stains and grease from any surface. However when combined creates carbon dioxide seriously explosive if stored/trapped in a container.

Then we have Bleach + Vinegar, another mythical combo go to capable of killing bacteria, germs. viruses you name it, However mixing bleach and vinegar creates a highly toxic chlorine gas. Just don't go their.

The most lethal combination of all is cannabis and the zero intolerance of a J society/police force government that rightly or wrongly deems the herb a menace to anything it come into contact with, potentially locking up any person in possession and throwing away the key.

Have Gin and Tonic ice and a slice stay out of jail.

I hope these kids learn their lesson, and take better efforts not to get caught in future.

No, let's not. Let's not engage in cultural imperialism by trying to foist this negative aspect of Western culture onto Japan.

Open a history book buddy. You might learn something. The US occupation is the reason its so strictly prohibited.

Japan isn't the US or Europe.

If you suddenly legalized it you'd see a lot of rifts and conflicts within families, at school, in the office.

Gradually doing things, i.e. having discussions about the pros and cons out in the open, might lead to a greater acceptance of it without the headaches.

Marijuana can cause permanent IQ loss of as much as 8 points when people start using it at a young age. These IQ points do not come back, even after quitting marijuana.

do you think alcoholic are any better?? What japan drink every night at ikazaya ? Japan has an alcoholism issue swept under the rug you can’t find a treatment center. At least cold quit turkey with weed won’t kill you like alcohol withdrawal symptoms.

If you suddenly legalized it you'd see a lot of rifts and conflicts within families, at school, in the office.

Completely baseless claim

Quo Primum Today  05:09 pm JST

Most Japanese don't want marijuana in their country. They don't want it as part of their culture.

Googling "oldest artistic representation of cannabis" brings up a cave painting found in Kyushu which has been dated back to the Jomon era about 10000 years ago. 

If this represents the 75 years that cannabis has been outlawed in post-war Japan, then this

represents the amount of time cannabis and hemp was an integral part of Japanese culture.

The etymology of Jomon refers to woven hemp ropes which are part of Shinto rituals and led early 20th century American scholars to describing Japan as having the finest grown hemp in the world. Wild Japanese cannabis was regarded for it's medicinal potency and easily available at the apothecary during a time when cannabis elsewhere was assayed at less than 2% THC.

My samurai ancestors, from the Chiba clan naturally, were hemp farmers.

Quo Primum Today  05:09 pm JST

Let's not engage in cultural imperialism by trying to foist this negative aspect of Western culture onto Japan.

Cultural imperialism is the Americans changing the laws in 1949 to destroy a thriving hemp textile industry and to impose their own values of petroleum based drugs over a potent, natural anti-inflammatory that could be called panacea for it's ability to prevent illness. The properties of cannabis to also heal physical aches and pains explains the usage (and arrests) of sumo wrestlers, football players and mma fighters in Japan. Cancer rates have exploded since the occupation and it's the Ministry of Health that continues to push for cannabis regulation to this day because it's competition for their lucrative, side effect laden alternatives. 

Universal health care makes up the largest expenditure of tax revenue in Japan, so anything which can reduce those costs as well as improve the quality of life of an aging society needs to be seriously considered.

And then there is this

Cannabis consumption is associated with lower COVID-19 severity among hospitalized patients: a retrospective cohort analysis

Notably, active users had lower levels of inflammatory markers upon admission than non-users for CRP (C-reactive protein), ferritin, D-dimer and procalcitonin. Based on univariate analysis, cannabis users had significantly better outcomes compared to non-users as reflected in lower NIH scores, shorter hospitalization, lower ICU admission rates, and less need for mechanical ventilation.

https://jcannabisresearch.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s42238-022-00152-x

If this "-" represents the 75 years that cannabis has been outlawed in post-war Japan, then this

"------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------" represents the amount of time cannabis and hemp was an integral part of Japanese culture.

I am born with the driest imaginable English sense of humour.

When challenged at my favorite izakaya a few Fridays back to suggest a means to manufacture a future J product with the potential to create unlimited wealth.

I opinioned/opinionated straight faced, gaining through purchasing a disused underground world war 2 air raid shelter complex...... an example....

Local delicacy cultivated in Tokyo-area WWII bomb shelter a culinary hit

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20230506/p2a/00m/0li/023000c

However to create a cannabis farm.

Then to manage design a clandestine means of an undetectable distribution network using a blockchain encryption strength financial payments methodology/communications technology plus an electric scooter home delivery, masquerading as a take away food service,

My lawyer friend head start spinning like the protagonist from the classic exorcist films.

The Izakaya regulars were nearing a collective stroke, while the rest chins bouncing on a off the bar, multiple tumble weeds rolled in the silence.

The owner aghast pointedly suggested I refrained forthwith an understatement.

Lesson learnt?

Any mere thought of Cannabis decriminalization is not joking matter.

All I can say is, inebriated Japanese people, particularly overworked salarymen, are some of the most unhinged and insufferable drunks I have ever come across. These guys are the true nuisance to society. Not people who use marijuana.

If marijuana in Japan even modestly reduces the number of these idiots running around causing problems, I am all for it.

Let Japan be Japan. If their government doesn't allow weed, then don't expect them to. Not every country has to legalize weed. Different cultures have different values when in comes to mind altering substances.

Expel these drug fiends from the University and incarcerate the guilty students for 5 years.

Quo PrimumToday  05:21 pm JST

*Pothead myth: **"Marijuana is harmless."*

I don't know anybody who has said that it's "harmless". I guess there are no potheads on this site. It's a drug which means there are hazards but most are low impact and are rarely debilitating. The vast majority of recreational users can easily control and manage it.

*Fact: **Marijuana is not harmless at all. Come, let us count the ways:*

Using marijuana can affect performance and how well people do in life. Research shows that people who use marijuana are more likely to have relationship problems, worse educational outcomes, lower career achievement, and reduced life satisfaction.

Your site provides no empirical evidence about this and I'm not surprised. To compare users to nonusers, you have to some baseline numbers for frequency as a control group standard. What are the baseline numbers for relationship problems and reduced life satisfaction (which is purely qualitative in nature).

At least 1 in 10 marijuana users (and as high as 1 in 6) become addicted to it.

If only 1 in 10 or as the site states, only 10% become addicted, it's not really that addictive is it.

Marijuana can cause permanent IQ loss of as much as 8 points when people start using it at a young age. These IQ points do not come back, even after quitting marijuana.

"However, not all of the studies on the link between marijuana and IQ have reached the same conclusion, and it is difficult to prove that marijuana causes a decline in IQ when there are multiple factors that can influence the results of such studies." This also comes directly from your source.

Studies link marijuana use to depression, anxiety, suicide planning, and psychotic episodes.

"It is not known, however, if marijuana use is the cause of these conditions." This comes from the link you yourself provided.

Research shows that marijuana affects timing, movement, and coordination.

Well it is a drug after all. No one's denying that. But compare these factors to alcohol consumption.

People who drive under the influence of marijuana can experience dangerous effects: slower reactions, lane weaving, decreased coordination, and difficulty reacting to signals and sounds on the road.

Marijuana-related traffic accidents have greatly increased in U.S. state and Canadian provinces where marijuana has been legalized (dispelling the myth that bringing the drug into the "mainstream" and out of the "black market" is safer).

It's already illegal in many places to smoke and drive. It may not be as bad as alcohol but it's best to not smoke and drive. What drug is recommended to drive on?

*Source: **https://www.samhsa.gov/marijuana*

Searched for the total number of fatalities every year in Japan from smoking some pot, but can’t seem to find the data.

Any mere thought of Cannabis decriminalization is not joking matter.

Only among the "uneducated", beloved of politicians gaslighting for votes.

The history of cannabis in Japan was for producing hemp. Our family home in Nagano is next to a village called Miasa where for 2,000 years hemp was produced. Miasa means beautiful hemp village.

http://www.japanhemp.org/en/miasahouse.htm

The NFL do not suspend players for smoking dope anymore

for alleged possession of cannabis

Just legalise it already!?! It causes fewer problems than alcohol!

Occasionally, a student will talk about a celebrity scandal involving drugs. When I ask what drugs were involved, they invariably don’t know. How is this not of significance when different drugs have vastly different outcomes for the user and society. In the case of cannabis, it makes you relaxed, laugh at stupid things, and go a bit paranoid for a while. So why is there always such a fuss in Japan when this particular drug is involved and not, for example, domestic violence caused by excessive alcohol consumption? Tax perhaps?

GOD put marijuana on this planet for a reason as it is medicinal. So law should not dictate who can use it or not it’s part of nature

I respect Japanese law, and think it’s stupid to smoke it in Japan. But I will also point out the inanity of their laws for a plant that is medicinal at best, and mostly harmless at worst.

This stance is called accepting reality while aiming/hoping for a better world.

The NFL do not suspend players for smoking dope anymore

Are there any non-dopes that still call it dope?

Quo PrimumToday  05:09 pm JST

Respectfully, your entire post is utterly incorrect. I encourage you to do research on the lack of negative health effects of marijuana and exactly why it is a “gateway” drug. You will find that your opinion is not based on science or facts.

I hope other posters replied to you in a respectful manner.

Fact:  Marijuana is not harmless at all

As per Douglas Adams: Mostly Harmless.

What's wrong with having a hard stance on drugs? Rules are not for debate just because you broke them.

Collective punishment is a human rights violation and this is collective punishment.

Strangeland, Marijuana has long turn side effects like alcohol,you are smarter than this,I do not drink or smoke, because I do not need outside stimulants to cope with the world

Mostly harmless.

* google is marijuana a stimulant

What's wrong with having a hard stance on drugs?

Because by trying to police adults who want to intoxicate, it instead creates a black market that is more harmful to society than the drugs ever were.

Collective punishment is a human rights violation and this is collective punishment.

I don’t necessarily disagree, and I have issues with collective punishment. But I do have to ask by what definition it’s a human rights violation. Honest question as I don’t know the answer to that.

@Strangerland

International law, covered by the Geneva convention.

ushosh123Today 12:28 am JST

What's wrong with having a hard stance on drugs? Rules are not for debate just because you broke them.

Making people disappear for nonviolent and non-national security offenses is a disgrace. Even more so if there is no claim that a person is selling them.

What happened to Due Process?

A lot of emotions on this thread instead of facts. Let’s introduce some facts - please remember the lack of long term studies on marijuana is due to people’s ignorance-born fear:

https://www.healthline.com/health/weed-vs-alcohol#long-term-risks

https://www.goodrx.com/well-being/substance-use/is-cannabis-safer-or-healthier-than-alcohol

https://www.mpp.org/special/marijuana-is-safer/

I haven’t even touched the pecuniary benefits to the government of legalizing marijuana.

$3.8 billion US in 2022.

https://www.marijuanamoment.net/states-have-generated-over-15-billion-in-marijuana-tax-revenue-since-2014-though-earnings-declined-last-year-report-finds/

So, yes, all of you who are against marijuana are obviously allowing your feelings to dictate your opinions. Facts are more appropriate.

Meanwhile, the US is now trying to downgrade marijuana from Schedule I drug to the lower risk Schedule III drug

"US health officials look to move marijuana to lower-risk drug category"

https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/hhs-official-calls-move-marijuana-lower-risk-drug-category-bloomberg-news-2023-08-30/

The Department of Health and Human Services is formally recommending that the Drug Enforcement Administration ease government restrictions on marijuana, which remains illegal at the federal level even though 40 states allow its use in some form.

Nearly 40 U.S. states have legalized marijuana use in some form, but it remains completely illegal in some states and at the federal level. Reclassifying marijuana as less harmful than drugs like heroin would be a first step toward wider legalization, a move backed by a majority of Americans.

Marijuana is currently classified as a schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act, meaning it has a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use, along with drugs like heroin and LSD.

HHS is recommending reclassifying marijuana to say it has a moderate to low potential for dependence and a lower abuse potential, which would put it in a class with ketamine and testosterone.

Marijuana legalization advocates see this initial step as significant in and of itself: For the first time, the federal government is formally recognizing cannabis’ medical contributions.

If the DEA were to reschedule cannabis to Schedule III, it would most notably eliminate an IRS code intended to prevent drug dealers from claiming tax deductions for business expenses.

That alone could save the marijuana industry hundreds of millions of dollars a year. Small-business owners who spoke to NBC News said the inability to deduct what would otherwise be ordinary business expenses is their single biggest financial burden.

This “debate” has been long settled, for the most part, in areas in which the population is educated to think for themselves instead of blindly following authority figures.

Thinking for yourself is liberating, I strongly recommend everyone try it.

Most Japanese don't want marijuana in their country. They don't want it as part of their culture. So, respect it. Isn't that what the "progressives" always tell us? To respect all cultures?

Quo Primum: I think you are right that Japanese people generally don't want it in their society -- indeed, they are obviously getting along fine without it. But a lot of that has to do with the over-the-top scapegoating and demonization by the police. Given that it is less harmful physically than alcohol, and that it has a swag of benefits as well if used mindfully, I think Japan is wrong to crack down so hard on it. I think its the police who are ruining these young people's lives, not the weed.

International law, covered by the Geneva convention.

Thank you. A fact check confirms this is true.

Dochira -

Japanese people are clearly very interested in marijuana, which is why we are reading more and more articles such as this.

Stranger - I have to say that I admire you because you admit when you are incorrect, most of the time. Your insistence on facts and logic is also extremely enjoyable.

To the posters saying legalize it.

Should Japan really go down that slippery slope and teach the youth that drugs are ok?

No

They should punish people like Singapore

Stranger - I have to say that I admire you because you admit when you are incorrect, most of the time. Your insistence on facts and logic is also extremely enjoyable.

Thank you, though to be fair I hadn't actually made an assertion this time, as I truly didn't know whether collective punishment was considered a human rights violation or not, and was honestly asking the question.

To the posters saying legalize it.

Should Japan really go down that slippery slope and teach the youth that drugs are ok?

When you start your "logic" with a logical fallacy (https://www.grammarly.com/blog/slippery-slope-fallacy/), you show that the rest of your post can be safely ignored as having no value, since it is predicated on a logical fallacy.