Sometime around 1976 the Japanese State Department (Gaimusho) asked me for advice.
I was known for my articles on Japan in the leading American hippie journal, CoEvolution Quarterly.
The question was “‘What should Japan do about drug use by young Japanese?.”’
My advice was to allow young Japanese to smoke pot, there were no serious long- term effects. Allowing pot use would avoid the creation of an underground of rebels.
The Japanese government explained that they could not follow my advice. My alternate advice was to create a sub rosa travel program for young Japanese to Honolulu where there was a Japanese- speaking community and pot was widely available.
The government adopted my alternate advice.
Now during the no-travel pandemic they have a problem with pot use.