Drugs in Japan?

[Pilisher]

So I was sitting around thinkin about my city today. I realized that there are alot, alot, alot of drugs around here, and pritty much 1/2 the people in highschool get high. I live in Cambridge Ontario in Canada, if you've ever been there, you know how sketchy and plain it is, hence why the people do drugs. THEN I sat down to cruze the net, stoped by OP9 and I figured I'd ask if there are problems with drugs in japanese cities? Is it the same as here, where out of the way little towns and boring commuter cities have lots of drugs?

[SlickWilly440]

Is Ontario the only providence in Canada where marijuana is legal, or is it all over Canada?

I read once in a Japanese Slang book that when U.S. troops invaded Japan in WWII, they found marijuana growing all over the place. My guess is that the government or the population as a whole didn't even think that smoking it would get one high. Once they did find out, it of course was made illegal.

Something tells me that there was some type of thread about drugs in Japan, but I tried the search function and didn't find anything.

I think the red light districts of Japan or Roppongi is the place to find most of the drugs.

[Pilisher]

Actually, its legal to have under something like a few grams on you, but its still illegal to have more than like 5 grams on you, to be selling it, and to be smoking it....the only purpose to the law was that the police didnt have to arrest all the high teenagers lol. Its really dumb, it should just be legalized... to piss off the yanks.

[SlickWilly440]

But if it's illegal to smoke it, what's the point of carrying around a few grams? Do you mean legal to carry, and smoke in a private area, but not in public?

[japanat]

There are no legal recreational drugs in Japan. And while they can be found, the penalties for possession are pretty harsh. The most popular ones here, according to the press, are meth, pot, ecstasy.

But it's not like where I grew up in Colorado, where nearly half of high school students had tried something, and 1/4 had been high in the last month. A lot of the drug use in Japan is associated with American military bases, yakuza business and/or yakuza wise-guys (the low-level thugs), and the musician/artist scene. Students tend to abuse alcohol, maybe use drugs in certain locales, but certainly not to the scale of the States or Canada.

I know that none of my students have tried anything, and I think that only 2 of the people I've taught over the years were users. I also taught the head of the Kobe branch of the National Police Agency's narcotics squad. He gave me info on the arrest rates, as well as the seizure rates, and it was surprising. They catch numerous shipments on container ships coming into Kobe port, and the volume can be pretty damn impressive.

[erbiumfiber]

What japanat said.

The penalties are not worth the risk. Here they actually hunt down users, not just dealers as in the U.S.

So, people make up for the lack of drug use by seriously abusing alcohol instead. And, with no carding at bars (or stores) and beer in vending machines, high schoolers have no problem accessing as much alcohol as they need. As I've mentioned before, my daughter bought chu-hi for me from the neighborhood supermarket while wearing her school uniform...

[ミュー]

Japan is the only reason I'm not on a couch somewhere drawling "maaan these muffins are aweeeesomeeee hehehehehehe"

[4letterwords]

I made the mistake of getting high once in Japan at a huge underground rave with some friends from high school, one of them got busted and was kicked out of school and got like a month of jail time.

Thank the stars I wasn't caught. I will never do anything like that in Japan again. Learned my lesson.

[stsparky]

People doing marijuana makes me superparanoid - especially in Japan. I was so flipped out that this gypsy asshole was smoking in front of other foreigners at the Guest House I was staying at back in 1988 - I checked out immediately warning the landlord. She refunded my rent.

I stayed at the twice as expensive Washington Hotel in Shinjuku but the sexy JTB lady who arranged it got me a great deal. :D

[羽之助]

You can get marijuana in Iwate if you know the right people. But I wouldn't, as it is not worth the risk. And apparently the reason why Canadian JETs are so common up here is because an American in Morioka got caught growing it in his apartment ... smart move, eh?

[japanat]

You can get marijuana in Iwate if you know the right people. But I wouldn't, as it is not worth the risk. And apparently the reason why Canadian JETs are so common up here is because an American in Morioka got caught growing it in his apartment ... smart move, eh?
NOVA? Actually NOVA teachers have been busted in two well-publicized cases over the last 5 years, the last one just a few months ago.

[羽之助]

I heard it was JET. NOVA is just not surprising.

[ミュー]

You can get marijuana in Iwate if you know the right people. But I wouldn't, as it is not worth the risk. And apparently the reason why Canadian JETs are so common up here is because an American in Morioka got caught growing it in his apartment ... smart move, eh?
LOL, I know a Canadian JET in Tono... that explains everything :P
Morioka is totally a weed town, which I know even without participation >>

[SlickWilly440]

I made the mistake of getting high once in Japan at a huge underground rave with some friends from high school, one of them got busted and was kicked out of school and got like a month of jail time.

Thank the stars I wasn't caught. I will never do anything like that in Japan again. Learned my lesson.


Was it ecstasy? How was it?

[4letterwords]

weed, and horrible... I guess after the rave some of the people went to a park and smoked some more and my best friends friend got caught.

[stratman]

I have couple Japanese friends (who're back in Japan now) who'd smoke weed in CHINA but not Japan. You know your drug policy is messed up when you're more scared of Japanese than Chinese prisons.

Though my best Japanese friend has a high-school friend that can get it. But that's in the middle of nowhere, also known as Yamagata-ken.

[Knife-Fingered Sue Sanderson]

There were two wastes-of-scholarship-money on my exchange program who'd sneak off campus during lunch and get high. Everyday we prayed they'd get caught, but ah! alas no, they managed to live in Japan for 4 months without any problem at all.

And I don't mean that they were wastes because they got high. During our trip to Nagano, they threw apples (good, delicious, given to us kindly for free by Japanese farmers) towards cars on the highway. One kid got stuck in a room with them, and they stayed up all night, stole his pillow and hit him with it, kept their music on, puked on his stuff...they just weren't pleasant people.

[Pierrot le Fou]

There are no legal recreational drugs in Japan. And while they can be found, the penalties for possession are pretty harsh. The most popular ones here, according to the press, are meth, pot, ecstasy.
Incorrect.

Various hallucinogens are in varying states of legality. And they are most certainly recreational. Until 5/2003 Mushrooms were legal. Until 4/2005 synthetic hallucinogens (not LSD, but more like mushrooms) were legal. Today fly agaric is still legal (but not as fun), and I believe that mescaline still is.

The most popular drug for the locals is meth. Meth was invented by a Japanese scientist, and was doled out in hefty doses to soldiers during WWII. After the war, organized crime got its grubby little paws on the military stocks of the stuff, and started selling it to the population. I believe they call it 'shabu' and it is quite the problem. Marijuana and the like are publicized, because it's more of a 'fashionable' drug here as it's expensive and not so potent, so more famous people get caught with it.

There is also ecstacy here, but very little, and the purity isn't exactly anything to write home about.

You can get marijuana in Iwate if you know the right people. But I wouldn't, as it is not worth the risk. And apparently the reason why Canadian JETs are so common up here is because an American in Morioka got caught growing it in his apartment ... smart move, eh?
An American also got caught in Osaka recently. It happens every year or two -- a JET does something dumb, gets caught, and CLAIR sends out a newsletter explaining that it's illegal and that the penalties are harsh, and all the BOEs give a chat to their employees.

Actually, its legal to have under something like a few grams on you, but its still illegal to have more than like 5 grams on you, to be selling it, and to be smoking it....the only purpose to the law was that the police didnt have to arrest all the high teenagers lol. Its really dumb, it should just be legalized... to piss off the yanks.
I don't think it's legal. Decriminalized. Possession only results in a fine -- no arrest or permanent record. I do not believe it's legal anywhere in the US or Canada.

[aargon]

There probably are drugs available in Japan but i would say its nothing compared to the levels you see in NY or london. If its not half drugged people bumping into you, its people calling out "pills? pills? pills?" everywhere you go.

Actually dance clubs here in tokyo are pretty tame because hardly anyone is on E and beers are 5X the normal price.

Its hard to have a really, really, really good night out without the help of Mr E and Alcohol....
________
Mazda J platform specifications (http://www.ford-wiki.com/wiki/Mazda_J_platform)

[Pierrot le Fou]

Its hard to have a really, really, really good night out without the help of Mr E and Alcohol....
That's really sad. Really really sad. I like obliterating my brain very much, but I don't find it a pre-requisite of a 'really really good night out.'

[japanat]

Various hallucinogens are in varying states of legality. And they are most certainly recreational. Until 5/2003 Mushrooms were legal. Until 4/2005 synthetic hallucinogens (not LSD, but more like mushrooms) were legal. Today fly agaric is still legal (but not as fun), and I believe that mescaline still is.I had no idea. Huh! I guess you can imagine that this is information my narcotics-agent student wouldn't give...

[jindojim]

烏羽玉 (ubadama) is the Japanese name of peyote. You can probably find a living one at a big shop that specializes in cacti. It seems quite legal...although I think most people who bother purchasing the plant don`t recognize it really as a drug. As for the dried buttons though, I`m not sure about their availability.

Fly agaric seems to be available at some shops. I don`t think it`s very popular though.

I believe you can even mail order these drugs if you`re that desperate.

Anything else besides those is gonna be dealt with harshly if you`re caught.

Its hard to have a really, really, really good night out without the help of Mr E and Alcohol....
I`m sure you still manage to have a good time with Mr. Right Hand and Mrs. Lotion

[Pierrot le Fou]

japanat: Does this narcotics agent work for Japan customs, recently transferred from Kobe to Befu port? Around 50?

jindojim, I don't want the actual cactus (because it's a pain to get the mescaline out of it), but the powdered stuff that I have seen in head shops. And fly agaric probably isn't popular because it's even more foul-tasting and intestine-churning that other fungii. If that's even possible (it is).

Yech.

Also less fun (less heady, more body, a lot 'faster')

[koku]

PLF, be honest with us. What do you know and what can you safely get to what extent? I think you've dabbled in some "fun" that most people don't believe they can risk. Share a bit with us.

[bigmouthstrikesagain]

I, too would be interesting in hearing more about the drug scene in Japan. All I know is I saw lots of cannabis leaf merchandise (like pictures of it on clothes) in Asahikawa when I was there and yet I'm pretty sure the kids there had no idea what it actually represented. Also I've heard that Japanese people will freak out and think you're a criminal if you tell them you smoke pot/do drugs but I guess that makes total sense if their drug laws are more strictly enforced and users are targeted.

[aargon]

I`m sure you still manage to have a good time with Mr. Right Hand and Mrs. Lotion

Speak for yourself - and then some :clap:

pop it baby pop it :duh:
________
BMW R1100RT (http://www.cyclechaos.com/wiki/BMW_R1100RT)

[japanat]

I saw lots of cannabis leaf merchandise (like pictures of it on clothes) in Asahikawa when I was there and yet I'm pretty sure the kids there had no idea what it actually represented.I was in Village Vanguard today, and that shop is full of rastafarian and ganja paraphernalia and posters. But I'm pretty sure the mama-sans that were walking around and picking out stuff weren't gonna head home and get stoned.


PLF,
The guy I taught was in his 50s 10 yrs ago, a Hyogo Prefectural police inspector who specialized in drug and weapon's smuggling, along with the occasional wetback. But I quit that job 8 or 9 yrs ago.

[ミュー]

Wait a tic, peyote and mescaline are legal!? I wonder if there's bars devoted to flipping out somewhere around here... :D

[bigmouthstrikesagain]

It's possible peyote is legal but mescaline is not. In canada (and possibly the states) peyote is illegal and so is mescaline, however, peruvian torch cactii as well as some other types of cactii which contain mescaline are legal. Of course, it is illegal to extract mescaline from them. In Canada, headshops will sell ground up peruvian torch which is completely legal but be warned cactus tastes disgusting and will likely make you sick.

I bet there is a vending machine somewhere in japan selling peyote buttons and packets of cactii...

I have actually heard of some vending machines in japan selling some psychoactive research chemicals (basically ecstacy alternatives) but it may just be an urban legend.

[jindojim]

Yeah...trip out with a bunch of people that you don't know in an unfamiliar location.

Real smart.

I'm not gonna dismiss its existence. But...a bar for people who want to trip out just doesn't sound right. Hallucinogens aren't a "party drug" if you know what I mean.

And, bigmouthstrikes again, it's pretty clear that if peyote and other mescaline-containing plants can be sold in pill form, mescaline is pretty legal here. And..as for the legality of peyote itself:
http://www.artifaith.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=42&cPath=3_13&zenid=7421a60025fbdd45363a3fbc38897eaa


pop it baby pop it :duh:
Huh??

[RandomPasserby]

Fly agaric doesn't grow in the wild in Japan? Isn't it the mushroom in Mario games?

[ミュー]

Yeah...trip out with a bunch of people that you don't know in an unfamiliar location.

Real smart.

I'm not gonna dismiss its existence. But...a bar for people who want to trip out just doesn't sound right. Hallucinogens aren't a "party drug" if you know what I mean.
I always found it quite the opposite. Many a place used to exist up in the JP before the ban on Shrooms that sold them for in-house consumption.

[Pierrot le Fou]

The guy I taught was in his 50s 10 yrs ago, a Hyogo Prefectural police inspector who specialized in drug and weapon's smuggling, along with the occasional wetback. But I quit that job 8 or 9 yrs ago.
Ah, there's a customs agent living in the area (now working in Befu port) who does much the same, but on the customs side rather than the police side. He got to do fun things like wear a bullet proof vest while searching a person's house who had a firearm delivered to him and the like.

Different guy I s'pose, but similar line of work. Oh the stories he tells.

Wait a tic, peyote and mescaline are legal!? I wonder if there's bars devoted to flipping out somewhere around here... :D
No there isn't. At least not where they sell it. It'd be very difficult to do because these substances (like it or not) are poisonous if consumed, and therefore cannot be sold for consumption. If you're in a bar where they are sold and consumed, the owners are screwed.

It's possible peyote is legal but mescaline is not. In canada (and possibly the states) peyote is illegal and so is mescaline, however, peruvian torch cactii as well as some other types of cactii which contain mescaline are legal. Of course, it is illegal to extract mescaline from them. In Canada, headshops will sell ground up peruvian torch which is completely legal but be warned cactus tastes disgusting and will likely make you sick.

I bet there is a vending machine somewhere in japan selling peyote buttons and packets of cactii...

I have actually heard of some vending machines in japan selling some psychoactive research chemicals (basically ecstacy alternatives) but it may just be an urban legend.
The thing about Japan is that they have to illegalize each substance distinctly. It's pretty nutty. And it takes a while. So after the mushrooms went poof, out came the 'psychoactive research chemicals' (which were FAR more like mushrooms than E if you ask me, not that I've done 'em mind). Then those went away, and we have fly agaric.

As far as mescaline, I just don't know. It's probably illegal to extract the mescaline would be my guess, but the cactii probably aren't. Much like the rest of the world. If anyone wants to test that, lemme know.

PLF, be honest with us. What do you know and what can you safely get to what extent? I think you've dabbled in some "fun" that most people don't believe they can risk. Share a bit with us.
As I've said, Fly Agaric and Peyote are available. Whether or not they're 'safe' depends on how big of a cretin you are, and how much experience you have with nasty-tasting fungii and the like. Hallucinogens, as jimmy said, are not party drugs, and aren't particularly 'fun' in the way people think.

Yeah...trip out with a bunch of people that you don't know in an unfamiliar location.

Real smart.

I'm not gonna dismiss its existence. But...a bar for people who want to trip out just doesn't sound right. Hallucinogens aren't a "party drug" if you know what I mean.
Yeah, doesn't sound like my idea of a good time. Bars are pretty foul places when you're zonked out.

I always found it quite the opposite. Many a place used to exist up in the JP before the ban on Shrooms that sold them for in-house consumption.
A few of my buddies and I went to this bar on Kiyamachi in Kyoto called 'mushroom' assuming it was such a place. But it wasn't. So they got some elsewhere, consumed them there, washed them down with beer, and decided that it was a poor idea (beer tastes foul after those things, nauseous just considering it).

Yech.

Nature is far better. Maruyama Koen during Sakura season, the banks of Kamogawa, Arashiyama, anywhere but a bar. Too dark. Too dreary.