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For one very particular niche of Japan’s economy, the first Saturday of December marked a black spot on the calendar: It was the first day of the country’s new ban on products – such as gummies, pre-rolled joints and vape cartridges – that contain hexahydrocannabihexol (HHCH), a semi-synthetic cannabinoid that produces an effect similar to THC, the main psychoactive ingredient of marijuana.
“From a business perspective the losses are huge,” said the manager of one CBD shop in Tokyo’s bustling Shinjuku district, speaking through a translation app. “I ended up throwing away a considerable amount of the products I ordered.”
For Japan’s mostly young, growing community of cannabinoid users, the sudden HHCH ban amounted to a personal inconvenience, and for many businesses it meant a major blow. At the Shinjuku shop, HHCH products had been the top seller, purchased by a few dozen Japanese and foreigners daily, the manager said.
But in a time when much of the world is moving toward looser marijuana and recreational drug policies, the new ban also served to highlight Japan’s exceptionalism: HHCH and its numerous semi-synthetic cousins have gained popularity in the country precisely because THC itself remains highly illegal. Following the HHCH prohibition, the health ministry also hinted it might crack down even harder, with a comprehensive ban on similar THC alternatives.
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