The Korea Customs Service has urged special caution regarding the importation of various forms of cannabis products from overseas. The key point of the advisory is that purchasing cannabis in regions where it is legalized and bringing it into Korea is illegal and subject to punishment.
According to the Korea Customs Service on the 2nd, under the current Narcotics Control Act, even simple recreational foods such as jelly and chocolate containing cannabis ingredients are illegal to import into Korea without approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.
If recreational foods containing cannabis ingredients are imported without approval, they are subject to punishment, and there have been consistent cases of customs seizures and penalties for this reason.
In particular, in countries where recreational cannabis is legalized?such as 24 U.S. states, Washington D.C., Canada, Thailand, Uruguay, Malta, Luxembourg, Georgia, and South Africa?cannabis products in the form of recreational foods are manufactured and distributed, so caution is required when shopping online or traveling locally, the Korea Customs Service emphasized.
The definition of cannabis under the Narcotics Control Act includes marijuana and its resin, products manufactured using these as raw materials, chemically synthesized substances, and mixtures or preparations containing them.
Therefore, it is essential to accurately recognize how to identify products containing ingredients regulated by the Narcotics Control Act. Also, when purchasing products from online malls or locally in countries where cannabis is legalized, one must not buy products that have wording indicating cannabis ingredients (THC, CBD, CBN) or pictures/photos of cannabis leaves.
Even if such products are received as gifts from acquaintances living abroad, they are subject to punishment if detected during the import process into Korea.
According to the Narcotics Control Act, those who cultivate, possess, own, receive, transport, store, or use cannabis, or smoke (consume) the shells of cannabis or marijuana seeds, shall be punished by imprisonment for up to 5 years or a fine of up to 50 million won.
Additionally, those who manufacture, sell, broker sales, or possess or own cannabis for such purposes, and those who cultivate marijuana for export, sale, or manufacturing purposes, may be sentenced to imprisonment for more than one year.
Kim Hyun-seok, head of the International Investigation Division at the Korea Customs Service, said, “As the number of countries legalizing cannabis increases, awareness of the risks tends to decrease, so caution is necessary. The Korea Customs Service will thoroughly crack down on the importation of various cannabis products as well as major narcotics such as methamphetamine to create a safe environment for the public free from drugs.”
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
