Tokyo police make first arrest since cannabis use made illegal

Tokyo Police have made their first arrest for the use of marijuana, after cannabis laws were recently updated in December.

On Monday, March 31st, 2025, it was disclosed that the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department had recently arrested and indicted two individuals, a 44-year-old male identified as Tsuyoshi Takahashi and an unnamed female, for the alleged use of marijuana within Tokyo.

These arrests are particularly noteworthy as they represent the first instances of arrests made by the Metropolitan Police Department specifically for the “crime of using marijuana” since a revision to Japan’s Cannabis Control Law (CCL) came into effect on December 12th, 2024.

The arrests were made by officers from Asakusa Police Station in Tokyo’s Taito Ward

According to the police, the arrests followed a street questioning conducted by officers in the Taito Ward of Tokyo.

During the interaction, dried marijuana was reportedly discovered within the vehicle occupied by Takahashi and the female individual.

Subsequent urine tests administered to both individuals yielded positive results for cannabis metabolites, indicating recent marijuana consumption.

Both Takahashi and the female have reportedly admitted to the charges against them.

Prior to the December 2024 amendment to the Cannabis Control Law, Japanese legislation primarily criminalized the possession, cultivation, sale, purchase, and import/export of cannabis buds and leaves.

Notably, the law did not explicitly criminalize the act of marijuana consumption itself, a point often cited as a “legal loophole”.

The revised laws open up the potential use of cannabis in medical products as well as criminalizing illicit use

This omission was historically attributed to a desire to avoid penalizing hemp farmers who might inadvertently inhale psychoactive substances during cultivation.

The 2024 revision of the Cannabis Control Law (CCL) and Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Control Law (NPSCL) included new regulations that raise the possibility legally allowed medical marijuana and cannabis-derived medication provided their safety and efficacy are verified.

However, in response to a rising number of cannabis-related offenses among younger individuals, and recommendations from a Ministry of Health panel, changes were also included to close the loophole regarding marijuana consumption.

The amended law, which went into effect in December 2024, explicitly criminalizes the use of marijuana, aligning Japan’s legal framework more closely with international norms and the treatment of other controlled substances under Japan’s Narcotics and Psychotropics Control Law.

Under the revised Cannabis Control Law, the penalties for marijuana-related offenses, including use, possession, transfer, and now usage, can be severe, potentially reaching up to seven years of imprisonment.

This represents an increase from the previous maximum penalty of five years for simple possession.

Smoking Areas in Japan remain solely for tobacco products

The tightening of regulations reflects a broader trend in Japan of maintaining a strict stance against drug-related crimes, even as some other industrialized nations have moved towards more lenient cannabis policies.

The arrest and indictment of Takahashi and the unnamed female by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department signify the active enforcement of the newly enacted “crime of using marijuana.”

These cases are likely to be closely followed as they establish precedents under the revised legal framework.

It is anticipated that the criminalization of marijuana use will empower law enforcement agencies to more proactively address cannabis-related offenses.

Source: TBS