1. Impaired judgment may cause you to act in a way that would inconvenience or hurt someone.

2. Second hand smoke.

I’m Dutch, living in Japan. You have a really skewed perception of The Netherlands. Really, we have less of a drug problem than the US. By far. And even so, the (hard) drugs that do cause problems are illegal in The Netherlands you know.

Do you really think ruining someone’s life by sending them to prison for ten years is an adequate response to a “crime” that is as damaging to the “criminal” and his environment as smoking a cigarette? I hate second-hand smoke, but criminalising that is silly. (Although I support efforts of banning smoking from the workplace, which includes bars and restaurants. Smome outside if you want to smoke.)

Of course legalization of marijuana is the way to go. It eases an unnecessary burden on the legal system and creates no problems to speak of. Even if the propaganda (which I assume your relatives were fed) says something else: This is a quite harmless substance. Stoners hurt no one. Demanding jail time for the possession of marijuana is absurd.

Very recommendable movie: “Grass – the legal history of marijuana” narrated by Woddy Harelson.

Another question that popped into my mind: So, big brother state had to take this “evil drug” away from him, because it is supposedly such a health hazzard, but it is ok for your health to be so overweight like you have to be for sumo?

I hope that this wrestler will serve some jail time to see that the crime always has a legal punishment. Moreover, I would demand longer +10 year sentences for all drug offences, regardless of the amount or type.

We aren’t talking about coke or smack, here.

Wonder if he actually felt a need to smoke just to work up his appetitie to be able to gorge on more chanko-nabe and get fat for the ring…maybe some of his stable-mates felt the need, too? But that’s just wild speculation.

I can respect a zero-tolerance policy on drugs (and I have never, and will never use any myself), but anything more than a stern warning and a suitable fine would be way out of proportion.

I would love to here your rationale for actually wanting to deport him Mr Wolf.

In other countries he could probably get away with claiming that it wasn’t his joint. He wasn’t actually caught redhanded. It was in a wallet that was out of his possession for how long?

The joint could have been put there at any time, by anyone:
Some crazed gaijin-hating sumo worker or stable mate could have stolen his wallet, planted the joint and left it to be “found” and turned in to the cops. The cops tehmselves could have planted it.

But yeah, this guy is an idiot.

Still, legalizing weed could be a great way to cut down on the ridiculously high stress levels and suicide rate in Japan.

On a side note – kids today – what type of moron stores his stash along with his PHOTO ID????

it’s just fucking weed, people.

Wakanoho, sumo’s wildman known for his leap frog tachi-ai, has been found to have had in his possession a small amount of marijuana. This does not bode well for him. The Nihon Sumo Kyoukai must be right PISSED….