Japan

TOKYO - The Japanese unit of Britain's Jazz Pharmaceuticals PLC (JAZZ.O) said on Thursday it had started a phase III trial of a cannabis-based drug for epilepsy. The trial follows a recommendation by a health ministry panel in September to revise Japan's drug laws to allow for the importation and

Japan, which has strict laws against the use of marijuana, should consider approving the import, manufacture and use of medicines derived from cannabis, subject to the same approval process as pharmaceuticals, a health ministry panel said. At the same time, the country should do more to discourage

Japan’s health ministry plans to revise current law in a way that would forbid certain substances of cannabis instead of parts of the plant, making it easier to allow certain medical marijuana products. Could Japan be the next country in Asia to embrace medical marijuana? It’s looking that way. (