Japan’s Suntory CEO steps down amid THC supplement investigation

Takeshi Niinami resigned as CEO of Japanese beverage maker Suntory on Monday after police launched an investigation into his purchase of a supplement suspected of containing THC. The psychoactive compound in cannabis is banned under Japanese law, and authorities searched his Tokyo home after the purchase was flagged in a separate case.

Niinami informed Suntory’s board of the probe on Aug. 22 and stepped down less than two weeks later. At a briefing in Tokyo, Suntory president Nobuhiro Torii said the resignation followed a finding that Niinami had shown a “lack of awareness” required of someone in his position regardless of the investigation’s outcome. Niinami has denied wrongdoing, stating that he believed the products were legal CBD supplements and that he “had no intention of breaking the law.”

Niinami, who previously led convenience store chain Lawson, became Suntory’s first CEO from outside the Torii family in 2014. He expanded the company’s global presence, including overseeing the $16 billion acquisition of U.S.-based Beam Inc. that added bourbon brands Jim Beam and Maker’s Mark. His departure comes as Suntory reported a 36% year-on-year drop in first half profits and faces rising costs tied to inflation and U.S. tariffs, leaving Torii with direct oversight during a period of financial and leadership strain.