Shocking Marijuana Situation in Kabukicho Terrifies with Students Buying to Make a Ruckus During Summer Vacation

On April 13, an incident occurred where a male student from Nihon University fell from a building and died. Marijuana components were detected in the deceased male student’s body, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Police is investigating the route of acquisition, suspecting the possibility of illegal drug use.

Additionally, there have been increasing opportunities to see news about young people using illegal drugs, such as the incident in which members of Nihon University’s American football team “Nihon University Phoenix,” whose club was disbanded in December ’23, were involved in using marijuana collectively.

According to the “Drug Abuse Prevention Information” on the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare’s website, the number of arrests for marijuana offenses has increased for eight consecutive years since ’14, with the percentage of those under 30 reaching an astounding 68.0% in ’21.

Why has marijuana use among young people increased so much? It is likely because social media has made it easier to obtain drugs.

In fact, we were able to speak with a person selling marijuana in Kabukicho, Shinjuku. According to the man, it is easy to purchase marijuana in Kabukicho, so it’s not surprising that students might buy it.

“Many of the people in Kabukicho who are involved in catching are selling marijuana. In my case, I buy it in packets (the bags containing the marijuana) for around 5,000 yen per gram. This can be used for a few sessions, I guess. I generally add a fee of 1,000 to 2,000 yen on top of that for selling.

My main job is guiding people to cabarets and sex shops, so I’m not looking to make money from selling marijuana. Instead, I earn by having people go to these establishments through my referrals in exchange for selling them marijuana.”

In Kabukicho, those who specialize in selling marijuana are some of the foreign catchers standing on the drinking street, and it seems you can buy a large amount of marijuana at once if you ask them. When asked how often marijuana is sold, the previous man gave this response:

“It’s about one person buying every day. Most of the buyers are ordinary people who look like salarymen. However, there are rumors that recently, with the summer vacation starting, students are buying quite a lot to make a ruckus with their friends.”

Due to students buying large quantities of marijuana, there is currently a shortage in Kabukicho, leading to soaring prices. In some cases, it seems that they are mixing in edible herbs to bulk up the product.

Selling marijuana is, of course, a crime. When asked if he is afraid of being arrested, the man responded without any sign of concern, saying, “I’m not worried about getting arrested,” and continued:

“I know quite a few people who have been arrested for marijuana possession. In Kabukicho, it’s common to get caught during a police stop. But if it’s just about 1 gram, you can get out quickly. It seems that if you become a dealer, the penalties are heavier, but those people are careful, so they don’t get arrested easily.”

Although it’s not reported, arrests for marijuana possession seem to happen regularly. This man says that several of his acquaintances have been arrested. Still, once someone becomes addicted, they end up frequently visiting dealers in search of marijuana.

Continuing the interview, we were able to speak with a man in his 20s who has used marijuana:

“I was given it by an acquaintance while hanging out at a club. At first, I thought it was just a regular cigarette, so I smoked it without paying much attention. After smoking, I was told it was marijuana, and over time, the way I perceived the music started to change.

It felt like I was experiencing the sound waves on my skin. Also, it seemed like time was slowing down. It was like listening to an orchestra in a high-quality movie theater just before falling asleep.”

There are frightening cases where people are unknowingly made to smoke marijuana. Additionally, many individuals become addicted after being encouraged by friends. In some countries, marijuana is legal, which might reduce resistance compared to other drugs, contributing to its popularity among young people.

However, in Japan, marijuana abuse is illegal. Beyond the risk of arrest for use, there are also cases where involvement or purchase of marijuana leads to trouble. It’s important to firmly refuse if offered marijuana.