Last year, Canada legalized recreational marijuana, and it gave a big impact to the world. Like this, since the deregulation for hemp has been moved forward overseas, the number of countries and regions that legalize medical or recreational use have been increasing, and the hemp industry has also been developing rapidly. On the other hand, Japan has left behind by the world-wide trend due to the Cannabis Control Act that substantially prohibits cultivation for medical use and even safe harmless industrial use. Like the Edo period when international exchanges except with the Netherland and China were strictly prohibited, Japan is even now sealed off to the outside world on hemp.

We have decided to begin “The Campaign to Re-Open Japan for Hemp” in order to overthrow the present situation of closed Japan. Japan where the population is aging is the  promising market for hemp products that is necessary for health and comfortable life. Telling the good points of hemp products to Japanese people, we need the strong campaign to increase the domestic distribution of hemp products by importing them.

ASACON 2019 is the first step of this campaign and the Japan’s first international conference on hemp business on a full scale. With inviting the worldwide hemp companies and prominent hemp researchers and having them introduce hemp products to Japan, it is one of the main purposes of this conference to have overseas understand the fascination of Japanese market.

We endorse “The Campaign to Re-Open Japan for Hemp” and welcome Japanese companies that hope to cooperate with foreign companies expanding the hemp industry/business globally. Please join ASACON 2019, and let’s aim at expanding the Japanese hemp market together!