Seeds and Stems
By Rachael S
On a global scale, cannabis awareness can mean anything to different countries. It could be a celebration of the plant or a cautionary reminder for the public – Japan seems to be somewhere in between. Their rich history of using the hemp plant for resources and ceremonies doesn’t seem to include using it as medicine. Nowadays, CBD is more available than ever, and despite Japan’s strict laws against anything with THC, business is blooming. The only legal CBD products in Japan must be derived from just the stalk of the plant, which guarantees a zero THC yield. In this instance, seeds and stems have become the sought-after material! Only one low-THC strain called “Tochigi-Shiro” has been approved to be cultivated for research purposes. The strain’s home of Tochigi prefecture is also home to Japan’s Cannabis Museum, or “Taima Hakubutsu-kan”. Founded by Junichi Takayasu, the quaint wooden museum focuses on the agricultural history of cannabis and emphasizes how cannabis has been the center of Japan’s culture for centuries. “Omoshiroi!” (Interesting!)
Sources: Japanhemp.org, Japantoday.com, japantimes.co.jp, dailycbd.com, healthytokyo.com
https://healthytokyo.com/cbd-oil-japan/
https://japantoday.com/category/features/opinions/does-hemp-have-a-home-in-japan
https://features.japantimes.co.jp/cannabis/
http://www.japanhemp.org/en/fibre.htm
