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.

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 customers are at ease and trust that it’s okay as it’s just another product being sold at the cafe.”

But while the CBD industry grows, possession of the plant it is derived from remains highly illegal in Japan, stemming from a law enacted in 1948 criminalizing cannabis following the end of World War II and subsequent U.S. occupation.

In reality, hemp has been used from ancient times for items such as “shimenawa” sacred Japanese rope at shrines, with some farmers still licensed to cultivate the plant.

Despite recreational cannabis use being far from widespread in Japan, a record 5,783 offenses involving the drug were documented last year. Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Shigeyuki Goto has said the government will “strengthen crackdowns and promote comprehensive measures” against drug abuse.

On the other hand, a CBD medication called Epidiolex has become the first of its kind to be trialed in the country for patients with rare and severe forms of epilepsy, and amid strong support…