Japan to Ban Cannabis Ingredient CBN from June

Tokyo, May 31 (Jiji Press)--Japan's health ministry is set to ban the production, sale, possession and use of cannabinol, or CBN, an ingredient derived from cannabis, from June.

An animal experiment conducted following reports of apparent health hazards associated with CBN has found that the substance is highly likely to cause symptoms such as hallucination.

The ministry will regulate CBN as a designated drug under the pharmaceutical and medical devices law through a revision of a relevant ordinance. The amended ordinance is set to take effect in June.

CBN is produced by oxidizing tetrahydrocannabinol, which is regulated under the narcotics control law. Cookies, gummies and e-cigarettes containing CBN were on sale because it is believed to have relaxation effects and help improve sleep.

Problems related to CBN have been reported, including a case in which a student of Yamanashi Gakuin University in Kofu, the capital of Yamanashi Prefecture, central Japan, jumped from the second floor of a dormitory after eating cookies containing the substance in May last year.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]