--The voices of Japanese families torn between the law and humanity
One drop stops 100 seizures a day
“That night, for the first time, he didn’t have a seizure. When I saw my son sleeping, I cried too,” says a mother whose 7-year-old son suffers from intractable epilepsy. She tried CBD (cannabidiol) oil, a product that was recommended to her by a doctor overseas and prescribed in the United States. It is a cannabis component with no psychoactive effects, and was approved for medical use by the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) in 2018. However, the product is “banned from import” in Japan. If trace amounts of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) are detected during customs clearance, you could be arrested for violating the Cannabis Control Act.
“I want to help children, but if I help them, I might become a criminal.”
It has yet to be made clear how many families have suffered as a result of this “ethical twist.”
We know it works, but we can't use it - the contradictions in the system
Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome are considered to be particularly difficult to treat among pediatric intractable epilepsy. Many antiepileptic drugs are ineffective for these conditions, and seizures of tens to hundreds of times become commonplace. However, multiple clinical trials have shown that the CBD formulation “Epidiolex,” approved by the U.S. FDA, significantly reduces the frequency of seizures for these conditions. Despite this, in Japan:
- “Epidiolex” is an unapproved drug and cannot be officially prescribed.
- Personal import requires approval from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare and a certificate of complete THC-free status
- If trace amounts of THC are detected upon import, it will be subject to criminal penalties.
In other words, what is recognized as a “medicinal drug” around the world is considered an “illegal drug” in Japan.
"Institutional Vacuum" as a Humanitarian Issue
This is not just an administrative delay. It is a “humanitarian issue” in which the system deprives people of treatment options. In Japan, too, petitions are being launched by families calling for the medical use of CBD, and policy dialogues with lawmakers are beginning. However, at this point in time, no concrete system has been put into place. Yosuke Imai, a neuroscientist at Kyoto University Graduate School, said:
“CBD is just one option. However, the fact that there are no options at all is itself a problem in terms of the ethics of modern medicine. If the ‘way to most gently reduce suffering’ for children is blocked by law, then we can no longer call ourselves a medical nation.”
Is it okay to ask families the question, "Should I protect my life or obey the law?"
Many families, knowing the risk of their actions being illegal, still search for and import CBD, and sometimes get arrested. There is a choice between “law or life” that individuals cannot bear. However, this choice is an area where society and institutions should bear the “responsibility to establish.”
Should the system be on the side of protecting children?
In Japan, the mere mention of the word “marijuana” tends to stifle discussion.
However, what lies beyond these words are children who just want to live normal lives.
- May not be covered by insurance
- There may be restrictions on use
- May only be approved under medical supervision
That’s fine. However, the current situation where there is “no choice at all” is not ethical. What is needed now is **social maturity** in terms of how the system will accept scientifically approved treatments.