Cultural attitude toward stoners

[Guest]

So what is the attitude toward Japanese people who are discoverd to be stoners in your society?

Are they treated badly or are they merely ignored?

What I mean by that is are they tolerated or do people view them as junkies.

 

[Japanfreakier]

They are viewed as junkies. America was so successful at wiping out cannabis in the society that now-a-days most Japanese dont even realize that "Cannabis"="Asa" which is considered a holy plant in the shinto religion. When the Emperor ascends to the thrown he must be dressed in pure hemp clothing. Unfortunately Japanese are almost completely ignorant of Cannabis and it's many uses.
But there are not many stoners to begin with in this country. Not many people can recognize a stoner, they'll think your just stupid. The big problem in Japan since the end of the war is Meth. Meth was first made in Japan and given to their soldiers in large quantities during the war. After their defeat, meth addicted soldiers returned to a shattered country and stores and stores of the chemical. So they can tell a meth junkie a mile away but can talk to a stoner and not realize it.

 

[Mighty Mouse]

Unfortunately Japanese are almost completely ignorant of Cannabis ...

Actually, that is in us stoners favor

MM

 

[naga_sadu]

They are viewed as junkies. America was so successful at wiping out cannabis in the society that now-a-days most Japanese dont even realize that "Cannabis"="Asa" which is considered a holy plant in the shinto religion. When the Emperor ascends to the thrown he must be dressed in pure hemp clothing. Unfortunately Japanese are almost completely ignorant of Cannabis and it's many uses.

That's really sad. My grandpa has been to Japan in the 20s and 30s. Comparing his tales to what you've said and what I myself have seen now (same as what you've written), there's a huge perception change...really sux

Hopefully common sense will prevail sometime in the near future...

 

[Mighty Mouse]

Hopefully common sense will prevail sometime in the near future...

Sadly, that's lacking in the culture to a large extent.

MM

 

[naga_sadu]

Just curious on this one tho...

I'm sure the older Japanese have been around even before this prohibitionist gulag. I wonder what their take on the issue is, esp. considering the ones who were alive before the Japanese Gov started bowing to Uncle Sam's dictates (on mmj)...

 

[Japanfreakier]

I haven't really studied the history a lot, but from what I've seen cannabis is depicted a lot in old art works with geisha smoking long pipes. And the cannabis leaf is also depicted in many old prints and fabrics. But for some reason I don't have a feeling of it ever being used wide spread for it's psychedelic properties. Although there is a native indica, known from the local nickname "Dosanko" which means 'A person from Hokkaido (the most northern island where it grows abundant in the wild). It was widely used for it's hemp value though. Sometimes you see old guys on TV saying that it's a shame because they wish they could use hemp in cloth, shoes, or what ever, for it's superior quality, but never some old guy saying how buzzed he used to get.

 

[etrusco]

Samr

Samr

They are viewed as junkies. America was so successful at wiping out cannabis in the society that now-a-days most Japanese dont even realize that "Cannabis"="Asa" which is considered a holy plant in the shinto religion....

This remembers me what's happened here in Italy...
Until the WW2 we were the n°2 hemp-producing country in the world, and here too the vast majority of people do not even realize that "marijuana" = "cannabis" = "canapa" and it was one of our finest products in the past century!!

Of course the trick is changing the name with a mexican one and let people believe it's a different, stranger and dangerous thing, similar to heroin...

I remember a granny telling me a story of when she was young, lived in the countryside and grew fruit, *hemp*, and so on...
Probably, if she sees me smoking some of that very same plant she would call the police... Or maybe I can show her some pot and saying: "look, stupid: that's the very same you grew when you were a child!"

Better don't try!

 

[Mighty Mouse]

Probably, if she sees me smoking some of that very same plant she would call the police... Or maybe I can show her some pot and saying: "look, stupid: that's the very same you grew when you were a child!"

Better don't try!

MM

 

[Guest]

etrusco: very interesting story on Italian hemp history. I like it.

nowadays you can smoke right front of Koban, small police office has about 2 officers,
and they can't notice the smell. I did many times accidently, but very risky....

if you want you can smoke everywhere even in the Tokyo Disney Land or Koukyo,
where top of the people live....
I'm not saying that I encourage you to smoke in Japan.

 

[Japanfreakier]

lol, I like adventure island in Disney and I once smoked behind the koban before you enter by mistake but they are getting wise to it.

 

[Ted Shred]

are there any regions or cities in japan that are more tolerant to cannabis use?Hokkaido, perhaps?

 

[Japanfreakier]

Well there have been smokers in Hokkaido for along time and it's a kind of special place in Japan where people have a different attitude, more freedom if you will. But still far from being able to smoke a joint in open.