Despite the fact that a lot of people in Japan still see cannabis and hemp negatively, there is a movement to utilize the cultivation to help reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
On April 15, a Shinto ritual was held at the community exchange center on the grounds of the historic site of Saiku to commemorate the start of a project called Amatsu Sugaso in Meiwa-cho, Gifu. The project plans to expand hemp production and promote related industries, and its members consist of the town of Meiwa-cho, Mie University, Kogakukan University, and Isema, a company in Minami Ise, Mie that is engaged in hemp cultivation under license from Mie Prefecture.
In Meiwa-cho, there was a Saiku, a shrine where the “Saio,” a princess serving the Ise Jingu Shrine, lived until about 700 years ago, and hemp was actively cultivated for use in clothing and rituals. At the Shinto ritual held at the site of the Saio Shrine, Mayor Tetsuya Sekoguchi gave a speech, saying, “I hope that the revival of hemp culture will lead to the revival and revitalization of not only Meiwa-cho and Mie Prefecture, but also of Japan. This was followed by lectures by researchers and producers from Tokyo Imperial University.
In addition to industrial promotion, the project has another major objective: to reduce CO2 emissions. In March, they issued the “GX Declaration on hemp” with the aim of reducing CO2 emissions through hemp cultivation (GX means “Green Transformation,” a term that refers to the transformation of the economy and society toward decarbonization). Mie University plans to cooperate in the study of CO2 reduction, and two local agricultural production companies have also expressed their intention to participate in the cultivation.
Iseasa, the only producer in Mie Prefecture, called on surrounding municipalities to expand hemp production, and the town of Meiwa responded to the call. The town has declared itself a “Zero Carbon City” aiming to achieve zero CO2 emissions by 2050. The town is planning to develop a CO2 reduction plan centered on hemp cultivation and submit to the Ministry of the Environment this summer.
Deregulation
Hemp was once widely cultivated in Japan, with 37,000 people growing it nationwide in 1954. It has been used in rituals and clothing since ancient times. However, with the spread of inexpensive foreign fibers and synthetic fibers, the number of producers has decreased, and by the end of 2021 there were only 27 producers. The total cultivation area is only 7 hectares.
The strict regulation is another reason why the number of growers is decreasing. According to the Cannabis Control Law, the use of cultivated cannabis plants is limited to the fiber and seeds obtained from mature stems, and the flowers and leaves cannot be used in principle, regardless of their content of the narcotic component THC. In Hokkaido, seeds obtained from harvesting are not allowed to be sown in the field, and cultivation licenses are strictly screened by the prefectural government.
Since hemp is cultivated in about 40 countries and the market is expected to grow in the future, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare plans to submit a bill to revise the Cannabis Control Law and other related laws to the Diet within this fiscal year in order to ease regulations on hemp cultivation.
