--The "gaps" facing the educational field and literacy for the next generation
The question beyond "Marijuana = No, absolutely not"
“That’s a bad drug, isn’t it?” an elementary school student said to a classmate who was using CBD to treat epilepsy.
He didn’t mean any harm. He just learned that at school. In the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s educational guidelines, cannabis is taught as a “harmful drug” as part of “education to prevent drug abuse.” **No information on “medical use” or “progress in international legalization” is included. The possibility of “cannabis as a life-saving drug” is not taught in Japanese classrooms.
He didn’t mean any harm. He just learned that at school. In the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s educational guidelines, cannabis is taught as a “harmful drug” as part of “education to prevent drug abuse.” **No information on “medical use” or “progress in international legalization” is included. The possibility of “cannabis as a life-saving drug” is not taught in Japanese classrooms.
The “Institutional Vacuum” Facing Drug Education in Health and Physical Education
In Japanese elementary, middle and high schools, “drug abuse prevention education” is incorporated into health and physical education classes. The content is very simple, as follows:
- Narcotics, stimulants, marijuana, etc. “have adverse effects on the mind and body when used”
- Even one use can lead to “addiction, crime, and social breakdown”
- “Even if you are invited, have the courage to firmly refuse.”
The “marijuana” dealt with here is portrayed as a “monolithic evil” that is separated from the context of medicine, industry, and science. As a result, collateral damage has been created in that children and their families who receive CBD treatment are subject to “misunderstanding and prejudice.”
“My child’s seizures have stopped with CBD, but his classmates think it’s a drug.” (Mother of an elementary school student undergoing CBD treatment)
The world's educational scene is shifting to "education of choice"
In the United States, Canada, and Israel:
- Educational materials have been introduced in schools that clearly teach the difference between medical marijuana and recreational marijuana.
- Workshops for parents and teachers have also been institutionalized to share “diverse cannabis literacy” with the entire society.
In parts of the UK:
- In health classes, students learn about the difference between science and law through discussion, covering topics such as “medical approval of CBD preparations” and “cases where CBD is prescribed for intractable epilepsy.”
In these countries, the educational approach that teaches about marijuana not in general terms as “good” or “bad,” but as something whose meaning changes depending on the context has taken root.
The purpose of education is not to teach the "right answer"
When asked, “How do we explain ‘medical marijuana’ to children?”, the educational field has remained silent until now. However, children receiving CBD treatment are already in the classroom. And the fact that it is **cannabis-derived medicine** that is protecting their lives is undoubtedly there. The role of education is not to “judge all knowledge as good or bad.” It is to develop the ability to think about the unknown and to build a foundation for understanding and empathy for others.
Is there any knowledge that children don't need to know?
It takes time for a society to update its systems, but education can be changed starting tomorrow.
- Introduce the latest information about medical CBD into “drug education” in health and physical education classes
- Adding perspectives on “multifaceted aspects of cannabis” and “scientific literacy education” to teacher training
- Families with children who require medical care will work together with schools to create a place for co-education that reduces misunderstandings
These are by no means “movements to lift the ban.” They are a step toward a society in which children can know that there are options to save their lives.