The CBD revolution in Japan. In Tokyo, in the Meguro district, there is a rather special café. The Japanese don't just come for a cup of coffee. They come to relax and de-stress. According to owner Kota Shinomura, this is a real need of the Japanese. He says some people even end up crying when they confide and open up. And this, even more since the global health crisis.
Shinomura believes that in the next five years the CBD market will be bigger than the tobacco market. The proof is that he plans to open a second store in Shinjuku.

They believe in the potential of CBD:

• HealthyTokyo, a company founded by a former doctor, has been importing CBD into Japan since 2016 and selling it in the form of oils, cosmetics and pet products in Harajuku and Haneda Airport.
• Camelback Coffee, the famous coffee shop in Tomegaya, offers the extract of CBD.
• Magokoro, a vegan cafe in Kamakura, offers additional CBD oil in dishes, but also sells CBD-infused soaps and oils.
• The former Miss World Japan even recently launched “Mukoomi”, a line of CBD beauty products. She says CBD cleanses her skin and improves the quality of her sleep.

Japanese CBD:

All the CBD offered in Japan comes from companies based in countries where its extraction is legal. A model not really ideal for Japanese professionals who hope to be able to grow hemp directly on site. But it should not be won, because there is still an old law that dates back to when the United States occupied Japan. This prevented the cultivation and sale of hemp in the country.

The Japan Clinical Cannabinoid Association (JCAC) and the Japan Green Zone are fighting to legalize hemp. The cultivation of cannabis in Japan is said to date back 10 years and the plant is revered as sacred. It would be a symbol of fertility and purity in Shintoism. Hemp fiber was also used to make curtains and ropes in Shinto and Buddhist places of worship.

Seen as a human rights issue, the legalization of medical marijuana could benefit Japan. In this increasingly labor-poor country, this would be a way to revive agricultural industries and resume large-scale farming.

In July 2019, the Hokkaido Industrial Hemp Association launched a campaign to begin planting 20 hectares of hemp, all with the goal of hemp being used in foods, health products and cosmetics that will be grown in the hemp revolution. CBD in Japan is on the way.

The campaign denounces outdated international standards and the harmful association of hemp with cannabis that has plagued its development since 1948.

As you know, busy Japanese people really need to relax. And that's where hemp comes in. It was also crucial to the revival of Japanese agriculture. Making rice does not bring in enough money, and to send young people back to the countryside, what better way than to create jobs through the cultivation of cannabis?