In Hokkaido there’s weed, weed everywhere, but not a drop to smoke

Master Blaster

Japan tends to be a very drug-shy country. Most people you talk to will say that they’ve never gone anywhere near substances like marijuana, and according to a Public Library of Science survey, 98 times out of 100 they’re telling you the truth.

And yet you might be surprised to hear that there is an abundance of cannabis growing wild all over the northern island of Hokkaido. But before you go booking a ticket, you may want to learn why.
■ Crops as high as an elephant’s ear

The wild plants found in Hokkaido have existed there for centuries. Japan had long used hemp for fabrics, rope, and paper, and the government oversaw vast fields of it in production. Hokkaido Seima Kaisha, founded in 1887, was among the biggest growers in Japan. However, even before then, with all the cultivation going on it was only natural for nature to take its course and wild plants to begin popping up outside of fields.

http://en.rocketnews24.com/2014/12/03/in-hokkaido-theres-weed-weed-everywhere-but-not-a-drop-to-smoke/