Japanese smokers are campaigning to destigmatize cannabis
Cannabis possession is severely punished in Japan. According to the news portal Sumikai Quantities already in possession for personal use can result in a 5-year prison sentence and a fine of 2,000,000 yen (about US$15,000). Even tourists who are legally allowed to use cannabis for medicinal purposes in their home country are not allowed to carry hemp while in Japan. As a rule, however, foreigners only get fines in the event of a cannabis offence.
In the tranquil small town of Nasu, which is located on the Japanese main island of Honshu in the district of the same name, cannabis activists have been doing this since 2001 Time-Museum, which is intended to arouse interest in the cultural and historical background of useful, medicinal and intoxicating herbs.
That Museum fits the small town in Tochigi Prefecture, as this region of Japan is the largest source of cannabis, which is then processed into various products, such as fishing nets, footwear or rope. Since hemp fibers are robust and tear-resistant, they are particularly suitable for textile production. Junichi Takayusu is the director of the exhibition site and a longtime cannabis activist. Wants to help destigmatize the cannabis plant. In addition to guided tours, he also offers hemp fiber weaving workshops in his museum. Handicrafts with hemp are threatened with extinction in Japan.
This content was originally published here.
