A civil society group advocating for the decriminalization of cannabis on Saturday held a rally outside the Legislative Yuan in Taipei calling on the government to end its “war” on marijuana.
At the “2025 Green Sensation” event, the Taiwan Weed Safety Education Association urged lawmakers and President William Lai (賴清德) to eliminate discriminatory policies against the use of marijuana, the association’s promotional materials said.
It also called on the government to ease limits on tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), align cannabis policy with international norms and remove marijuana from government anti-drug campaigns.
Photo: CNA
The event featured performances by the jazz band Soul Heist (盜魂) and the rock band Chillsome (秋山), as well as a march.
“There are still many misunderstandings about marijuana among the general public in Taiwan,” a volunteer in his 20s surnamed Wu (吳) said, adding that he hoped the event would encourage more people to pay attention to the issue.
The same day, the Ministry of Justice reiterated that cannabis remains illegal to possess or use, and warned that such offenses would be prosecuted as serious crimes.
Cannabis contains more than 65 chemical compounds, including THC and cannabidiol (CBD), which are classified as Category II narcotics under the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act (毒品危害防制條例), the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau said.
THC affects the central nervous system and can lead to physical dependence and mental illness, although CBD may be legally used for medical purposes under the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act (藥事法), it said.
Any product containing more than 10 parts per million of THC qualifies as a Category II narcotic under the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act and the Controlled Drugs Act (管制藥品管理條例), unless approved for medical or scientific use, Food and Drug Administration Deputy Director-General Wang Der-yuan (王德原) said.
Under the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act, a person convicted of using a Category II narcotics, such as cannabis, may be sentenced to up to three years in prison, while those convicted of possession may be imprisoned for up to two years.
LOUD AND PROUD Taiwan might have taken a drubbing against Australia and Japan, but you might not know it from the enthusiasm and numbers of the fans Taiwan might not be expected to win the World Baseball Classic (WBC) but their fans are making their presence felt in Tokyo, with tens of thousands decked out in the team’s blue, blowing horns and singing songs. Taiwanese fans have packed out the Tokyo Dome for all three of their games so far and even threatened to drown out home team supporters when their team played Japan on Friday. They blew trumpets, chanted for their favorite players and had their own cheerleading squad who dance on a stage during the game. The team struggled to match that exuberance on the field, with
Whether Japan would help defend Taiwan in case of a cross-strait conflict would depend on the US and the extent to which Japan would be allowed to act under the US-Japan Security Treaty, former Japanese minister of defense Satoshi Morimoto said. As China has not given up on the idea of invading Taiwan by force, to what extent Japan could support US military action would hinge on Washington’s intention and its negotiation with Tokyo, Morimoto said in an interview with the Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times) yesterday. There has to be sufficient mutual recognition of how Japan could provide
UPDATED TEST: The new rules aim to assess drivers’ awareness of risky behaviors and how they respond under certain circumstances, the Highway Bureau said Driver’s license applicants who fail to yield to pedestrians at intersections or to check blind spots, or omit pointing-and-calling procedures would fail the driving test, the Highway Bureau said yesterday. The change is set to be implemented at the end of the month, and is part of the bureau’s reform of the driving portion of the test, which has been criticized for failing to assess whether drivers can operate vehicles safely. Sedan drivers would be tested regarding yielding to pedestrians and turning their heads to check blind spots, while drivers of large vehicles would be tested on their familiarity with pointing-and-calling
A Taiwanese man apologized on Friday after saying in a social media post that he worked with Australia to provide scouting reports on Taiwan’s team, enabling Australia’s victory in this year’s World Baseball Classic (WBC), saying it was a joke and that he did not hold any position with foreign teams or Taiwan’s sports training center. Chen Po-hao (陳柏豪) drew the rage of many Taiwan baseball fans when he posted online on Thursday night, claiming credit for Australia’s 3-0 win over Taiwan in the opening game for Pool C, saying he worked as a physical therapist with the national team and
RSS