From ingestible oils and gummies to skin lotions and makeup, products made from cannabidiol, an extract of the cannabis plant devoid of its psychoactive properties, are rapidly gaining popularity in Japan.
CBD, as cannabidiol is commonly known, is touted to have numerous health benefits, such as helping treat stress and anxiety and possessing anti-inflammatory properties. CBD items are now readily available in shops in cities around the country, while trials for a British-manufactured CBD drug have also started this year.
Kazuma Uehara, 31, runs a trendy cafe in western Tokyo that sells CBD products. Named Hammock, several of the woven sling beds hang from the cafe’s ceiling, while the timber walls and rustic decor contribute to a relaxed atmosphere.
Kazuma Uehara, store manager of Cafe Hammock that sells CBD products in Mitaka, Tokyo, is pictured on June 10, 2022. (Kyodo)
Uehara first learned about CBD in early 2020 after it was recommended to him by the supplier who provided the cafe with its namesake hammocks. “I was struggling with insomnia at the time,” Uehara said.
He started eating CBD gummies, and after just a few days Uehara said he found himself sleeping better. “I wasn’t able to sleep for more than two or three hours, but then it went up to six or seven.”
Uehara now sells CBD oils and gummies at the cafe, and says some customers come in specifically to buy the products. “We have been asked if it’s really legal before,” he said. “But other…
