MAGAZINE FEATURED CANNABIS CULTIVATION

A magazine recently published by a Tokyo-based company carried an article
detailing how to cultivate cannabis, even after the Tokyo metropolitan
government previously designated another of the publisher's magazines
featuring a similar article a harmful publication for juveniles.

The metropolitan government designated the latest magazine a harmful
publication and gave a stern warning to the company, while declaring it
will deal severely with publication of similar potentially criminal
material featuring illegal cannabis cultivation.

Actually, however, the local government is struggling to take
countermeasures under existing laws and ordinances.

The publisher is Core Magazine in Toshima Ward, Tokyo.

The magazines in question are published on an irregular basis, with a past
feature article discussing how marijuana is smoked overseas.

In the March 2008 issue, it carried an article titled "The Reality of
Cannabis Pollution," which detailed--with photographs--how cannabis is
grown.

The issue included a DVD that contained images of growing cannabis.

The metropolitan government concluded later that month that the magazine
could lead to crimes by allowing readers to imitate the cultivation
method, and designated it a harmful publication under its ordinance for
sound development of juveniles.

At the time, the publisher reportedly told the metropolitan government:
"We failed to consider the content of the article. We'll be careful from
now on."

However, the publisher printed a similar article on "cannabis cultivation
on balconies" in another magazine it published in December--nine months
after the previous magazine was designated a harmful publication. Like
before, the magazine included a DVD containing related images.

The publisher reportedly apologized to the metropolitan government,
saying: "The article was written by an outsider, and our check system
dealt with it inadequately. We won't carry similar articles ever again."

Commenting on this problem, a metropolitan government official told The
Yomiuri Shimbun, "It was extremely inappropriate for a magazine that
juveniles can easily get hold of to carry such an article."

He added: "We took a countermeasure that we believed was best based on our
ordinance. But we can't do anything further under the current Cannabis
Control Law and our ordinances. All we can do for now is just trust the
publisher's word, but that could be a cat-and-mouse game."

When books or magazines are designated as a harmful publication by a local
government, they must be placed in a special corner at bookstores and
convenience stores to keep them away from readers under 18.

However, there are no regulations about the publication itself, allowing
the magazine published in December to be readily available on the
Internet.

= Cannabis cases hit new high

The number of suspects in cases involving the possession and cultivation
of cannabis reached 2,149 between January and October last year, up 334
from a year earlier, the National Police Agency said.

The figure, if annualized, marked a record high, according to the NPA.

Between January and June last year, 73 people were charged with cannabis
possession--the largest-ever figure for the first half of a year.

In a recent case, a sumo wrestler, Wakakirin, was arrested Jan. 30 on
suspicion of jointly possessing cannabis in violation of the Cannabis
Control Law.

The police quoted the suspect as saying, "I became interested [in
cannabis] after reading about it in a magazine."