TOKYO, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) — Japanese well being ministry on Monday mentioned it plans to ban HHCH, an artificial compound derived from hashish, as early as this week, after many individuals who consumed so-called “cannabis gummies” containing such ingredient had been taken to hospital.
Keizo Takemi, minister of Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare, instructed a press convention that the ministry will add HHCH, or hexahydrocannabihexol, to the checklist of designated substances as early as this week and prohibit its possession, use and distribution.
The minister additionally suggested the general public to chorus from consuming cannabis-derived gummies.
Earlier this month, 5 people fell unwell after consuming gummies distributed by a person at a competition in western Tokyo, native media reported.
In Japan’s western prefecture of Osaka, in the meantime, greater than 10 individuals have been despatched to hospital this yr after consuming gummies doubtlessly containing hashish derivatives, with signs similar to vomiting and numbness, in line with the prefectural police.
In response to a sequence of reported well being points linked to the consumption of “cannabis gummies,” the well being ministry’s Narcotics Control Department performed an on-site inspection on Monday at an organization in Osaka that engaged within the manufacturing and sale of the gummies.
The inspection, following the detection of HHCH in gummies discovered at a retail retailer in Tokyo final week, revealed the presence of such gummies within the warehouse, prompting the ministry to situation a gross sales suspension order till the outcomes of the part evaluation can be found.
According to native media studies, the Japanese well being ministry can also be contemplating banning all substances with buildings much like HHCH, which might trigger hallucinations and reminiscence impairment.
THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, is already banned in Japan as one other psychoactive constituent of hashish.