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Former Marine Corps Employee Arrested in Japan for Cannabis

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Charles Yecla, a US Marine Corps employee, was recently caught buying and selling cannabis in Japan. Now he is facing four years in Japanese prison.

At the time of his arrest, sometime between August and October 2019, Yeclaw was a civilian living in Japan and working for Marine Corps Installations Pacific. He is accused of purchasing cannabis through the mail, and violating the country’s strict rules on cultivation and illegal sales.

On the first day of his trial on November 24, 2020, Yecla pleaded guilty. On December 1,

a Japanese court ruled that he will be sentenced to four years and four months for the crime, along with a fine of $9,600. According to the still-very-conservative Japanese courts, Yecla “spread marijuana’s evil influence far and wide.” While the Marine Corps have confirmed his employment, they have not provided any further comment about the incident, or released an official statement. When asked for comment, they brought up the Privacy Act, which is meant to protect the privacy and rights of those associated with the armed forces.

Japanese police claimed that Yecla had been purchasing cannabis since February 2017 from a Japanese bar manager, Hinori Tokito. Tokito was allegedly growing cannabis in his backyard in order to sell it on the internet.

Yecla has been charged with selling cannabis to 13 customers, and his teenage son, who allegedly sold cannabis to two high school students, was also implicated. He was accused of selling cannabis from January to August of 2019, and earning more than $67,000 in revenue from selling cannabis. Half a pound of dried cannabis and six plants were also found in his home.

It’s not yet clear how the Marine Corps will respond to this arrest, if at all, or if any action will be taken, but the penalty for cannabis possession, cultivation and sales in Japan is still severe. The only recent steps Japan has taken in regards to cannabis of any kind was five years ago when the country began to discuss the nation’s hemp laws. Since then, little progress has been made.

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