With THC standard regulations-premonition of a green rush in Japan

 CBD is a component contained in hemp plants and is said to be effective in improving sleep quality, relieving tension, and anti-inflammatory effects. In recent years, the market has expanded rapidly, mainly in Europe and the United States, and it is called a green rush instead of a gold rush. In Japan, healthy foods and cosmetics containing CBD are gradually increasing. On the other hand, hemp contains a regulatory component called THC. In Japan, THC removal proof is required when importing CBD products. Under the current law, CBD extracted from flower ears and leaves is illegal, but the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare suggested a revision of site regulations in May this year. With the legislation in place, expectations are rising for the arrival of the green rush in Japan.

CBD is a type of phytochemical contained in hemp plants. In recent years, its use has expanded to health foods, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and the like.

In addition to CBD, hemp contains hundreds of phytochemicals such as THC, CBN, and CBG. These are called cannabinoids, which are abundant in spikes and leaves, and are also contained in trace amounts in stems, roots, and seeds.

Ingestion of multiple cannabinoids at the same time is said to be more effective (antrage effect). THC is regulated in many countries, including Japan, to produce psychological effects such as euphoria and euphoria.There are more than 100 varieties of hemp. Of these, "Cannabis Sativa ssp sativa" and "Cannabis Sativa ssp indica" produce a large amount of THC and are classified as so-called marijuana.

On the other hand, varieties with low THC production are called hemp. THC concentration standards are set in the United States and the EU, and only varieties that pass these standards are officially cultivated as hemp.

In the United States, hemp with a THC concentration of less than 0.3% was designated as an industrial hemp in 2018. In January of this year, the concentration standard was raised to 1.0%.

Under current Japanese law, CBD extracted from hemp spikes, leaves and immature stems is cannabis. In addition, hemp cannot be cultivated in Japan for the purpose of using it in health foods and cosmetics.

Therefore, CBD extracted from mature hemp stems and seeds by overseas manufacturers is used. Also, when importing raw materials and final products containing CBD, it is necessary to prove that THC has been removed.

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has (1) a certificate showing that it is extracted and manufactured from mature cannabis stems or seeds, (2) analysis method and detection limit (LOD), and a component analysis report signed by an analytical institution / analyst. , ③ We are requesting the submission of an overview of the stems, etc. that are the raw materials, and a photograph that shows the equipment used for manufacturing.

With regard to hemp, movements toward law revisions have become active earlier this year.

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare reviewed the regulations of the current Cannabis Control Law at the "Study Group on Drug Countermeasures for Cannabis, etc." on May 14, and indicated a policy based on the presence or absence of THC rather than the extraction site. 

This reflects the fact that leaves and spikes contain a large amount of THC, and when confirming the extraction site, the presence or absence of THC is used as a criterion.

In the first place, it is irrational to secure only stems with a low CBD content, which leads to an increase in production costs, and there are many voices calling for regulations focusing on the components rather than the parts. Many manufacturers welcome this move.

The study group also mentioned deregulation of cannabis-based drugs using cannabinoids contained in cannabis. It is said that it will proceed with legislation for the use of the intractable epilepsy drug "Epidiolex" and clinical trials using cannabinoids.

The purpose of this is to deregulate cannabis drugs. Although it is clearly distinguished from healthy foods and cosmetics containing CBD, which does not claim to be effective or effective at this time, it is necessary to pay attention to future revisions to the drug list.