--The "one drop of potential" shown by science and the blind spot of the system that has been overlooked
Misconceptions about the word "marijuana"
When asked, “Is CBD (cannabidiol) safe for children to use?”, even doctors have difficulty answering the question. This is because the image of “CBD = marijuana” is still deeply rooted in Japanese society. However, CBD is actually a different ingredient from THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), which has a psychoactive effect, and is attracting attention in the medical field as a “neuromodulator” with an extremely mild effect. And now, this possibility is extending to “children”.
Scientific evidence for "CBD treatment" in pediatric epilepsy
Epidiolex, a CBD drug approved by the US FDA for children
In 2018, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officially approved the use of the CBD formulation “Epidiolex” for intractable childhood epilepsy (Dravet syndrome/Lennox-Gastaut syndrome). This was the first time in the history of the US that a cannabis-derived drug has been approved. The approval was based on the following clinical trials:
- In a study on Dravet syndrome (average age 9 years), the CBD group experienced a 39% reduction in seizure frequency.
- A significant reduction in seizure frequency was also confirmed in patients with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (age 4 and over).
- Many subjects reported improvements in sleep, appetite and behavior
As a result, the use of medical CBD for children has been expanded to the UK, EU, Israel, and other countries.
WHO also evaluates: "No risk of abuse or dependence observed"
In 2017, the World Health Organization (WHO) published a comprehensive evaluation report on CBD, stating:
“CBD has no evidence of dependence or abuse in humans and is generally well tolerated. It has demonstrated therapeutic potential for several disorders, including epilepsy.”
In response to this report, the WHO recommended that CBD be removed from the list of internationally controlled substances. In 2020, the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs adopted the recommendation, and CBD preparations were effectively removed from the list of substances regulated by international treaties.
Why are "unapproved drugs" so far behind in Japan?
CBD itself is legal in Japan (as long as it does not contain THC), but it remains unapproved as a medicine. Approved medicines such as Epidiolex cannot be imported or prescribed without a special approval system, which puts doctors at risk. Meanwhile, personal imports by parents also carry legal risks due to the possibility of THC contamination, and there have been reported cases of parents being arrested for importing CBD in the 2020s. This structural gap symbolizes Japan’s state of “risk aversion trumps ethics” in its medical policy and regulatory system.
"Does the kid next to you have a choice?"
Medicine is a means to save lives. And science always provides the “next option.” While the world is judging that “CBD can be an effective option for children” through repeated scientific evidence and ethical dialogue, if Japan is the only country that is not even at the “discussion table” — this may not be due to a delay in the system, but rather a poverty of social imagination.
