Is CBD Legal in Japan? What Travellers Need to Know About CBD Oil and Products

Is CBD legal in Japan? What changed on 12 December 2024

Japan amended the Cannabis Control Act and the Narcotics and Psychotropics Control Act, and MHLW states that the first stage took effect on 12 December 2024. A second stage on 1 March 2025 covers cannabis cultivation licences. The key change for products is that regulation moved from plant parts to components. MHLW explains that the old system regulated parts such as leaves and flower heads, while the new system regulates harmful components, mainly THC.

As a result, a CBD product is not a narcotic by name or by plant part. It becomes a narcotic when its delta-9-THC exceeds the residue limit for its product type. In addition, MHLW's reform briefing says that components that easily turn into THC, such as THCA, are treated as narcotics.

The THC limits for CBD products in Japan

The Narcotics Control Department (NCD) lists three THC limits by product form, which MHLW also publishes on its cannabis law amendment page. The unit ppm is the same as mg per kg.

The NCD handbook defines each form. For example, an oil is a product with at least 90% glycerin and fatty-acid compounds, and the water-based form is a liquid with viscosity below 100 mPa·s. Products that are over their limit are regulated as narcotics.

These limits are tiny, and a label is not proof. The NCD asks importers to supply a certificate of analysis with the method, limit of quantification and lot number, which most retail CBD products do not carry for the exact batch you hold.

Can you bring CBD to Japan? What the official sources say

The NCD's CBD handbook says its pre-check is not a legally required step and that an answer from the NCD does not exempt a shipment from customs inspection. It adds that if a controlled substance is found, the importer may be punished for importing it. The pre-check is also performed by the importer, not a courier or agent.

Separately, the NCD's page on carrying medicines explains that narcotic medicines for your own treatment need advance permission, applied for two weeks before arrival or departure. That route concerns prescribed medicines. The NCD's English page lists cannabis as a category but gives no cannabis procedure, so it does not tell you how to carry a CBD product.

CBN and "full-spectrum" products

MHLW states that CBN (cannabinol) became a designated substance on 1 June 2026, and that manufacture, import, sale, possession and use of CBN-containing products are prohibited. MHLW's announcement gives penalties of up to 3 years' imprisonment or a fine of up to 3 million yen for standard violations. The NCD's CBD page defines CBD-related products as those containing CBD or CBG and carries the same CBN notice.

Therefore, a product that lists CBN, or that does not disclose every cannabinoid, is a poor candidate for your luggage. Check the full ingredient list, and treat any missing information as a reason to leave the product at home.

The use ban and penalties

The amendment also created a use offence. MHLW states that unauthorised use of cannabis and similar narcotics now falls under the Narcotics and Psychotropics Control Act, and its summary of the reform gives up to 7 years' imprisonment for possession and for unauthorised use. Medical use is possible only under a doctor holding the relevant licence, as MHLW's guidance for patients explains.

We did not verify the penalty range for importing a narcotic on an official page fetched for this article, so we do not quote one. Customs lists penalties under the Customs Act for prohibited imports.

Cannabis-derived medicines such as Epidiolex

MHLW's reform briefing describes Epidiolex as a foreign-approved cannabis-derived medicine for treatment-resistant epilepsy and says the reform allows such medicines to be used under narcotics licensing. This is a policy statement. We could not confirm on an official page today whether any cannabis-derived medicine is approved, imported or prescribed in Japan, so we do not say that one is.

• Do not carry a cannabis-derived medicine until the NCD has told you the procedure in writing.
• Ask your prescriber for a letter that names the active ingredient, the dose and the diagnosis.
• MHLW has published guidance for patients using cannabinoid products, including patients in clinical research. Discuss this with your treating doctor.

Our guide to controlled medicines in Japan explains the other categories.

Step by step: what to do before you travel

1. Decide whether you need it in Japan. Most travellers can leave CBD at home.
2. Do not pack it. This includes oils, gummies, vape liquids, creams and capsules.
3. Check the ingredient list for CBN. A product containing CBN is prohibited in Japan.
4. If it is a prescribed cannabis-derived medicine, ask your prescriber for a letter and contact the Narcotics Control Department before you book.
5. Allow time. The NCD says its CBD pre-check can take one to two months, and it does not cover customs inspection.
6. Keep official guidance with you if you carry any prescribed medicine, and check the rules again close to departure.

What to do if it can't come in

• Leave it at home or give it away before you fly. Do not post it to yourself in Japan.
• If you use it for a medical reason, talk to your prescriber about alternatives for your trip. Do not stop a prescribed medicine because of travel paperwork.
• If you are already in Japan with a product, do not use or sell it, and ask the NCD or the prefectural pharmaceutical affairs division. In a 2022 case, MHLW asked people holding CBD products found to contain THC to hand them to the regional Narcotics Control Department, the prefectural pharmaceutical affairs division or a public health centre.
• If you need care in Japan, find a doctor who can communicate in English, or book an interpreter for the visit.

For other medicines, see our guide on how to bring medication to Japan, and our explanation of Import Confirmation (yakkan shoumei).