CHATURANGA PRADEEP SAMARAWICKRAMA 
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SLMA opposes Govt move to allow cannabis cultivation
Colombo, August 20 (Daily Mirror) - The Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA), the academic body representing the nation’s medical professionals, has strongly opposed the government’s recent decision to allow foreign companies to cultivate cannabis in Sri Lanka.
In a statement, the SLMA urged the government to reverse the policy, citing multiple health, social, and economic concerns.
The association said the government’s justification of cannabis cultivation for “medicinal use” was misleading, pointing out that approved uses in countries such as the United Kingdom and United States are limited to very rare conditions. It added that global demand for cannabis for medical and pharmaceutical purposes has been declining since 2021, according to the International Narcotic Control Board (INCB).
The SLMA further warned that multinational cannabis companies are strategically expanding into new markets to recover losses and that permitting exports from Sri Lanka would be the first step toward dismantling long-standing protections against widespread cannabis use in the country.
It also stressed that secure plantations would be “practically impossible” to maintain in Sri Lanka, given the challenges enforcement agencies already face in controlling illegal drugs. Increased availability of cannabis on local streets was seen as a likely outcome of the new policy.
The association also highlighted the health risks of cannabis use, including mental disorders such as depression and schizophrenia, addiction, and serious lung ailments. It noted that cannabis is linked to impaired brain development in adolescents, self-harm, suicide, and road accidents already leading causes of death in Sri Lanka.
On the economic front, the SLMA argued that the expected foreign currency inflows would be minimal, amounting to a few million dollars in one-time investments. Compared to the $500 million remitted monthly by Sri Lankan expatriates, this was described as insignificant and insufficient to ease the country’s $100 billion debt.
“The decision represents the first breach of the dam that protected Sri Lankans from the scourge of widespread cannabis use,” the SLMA warned, adding that the move would only benefit foreign multinationals, while exposing Sri Lanka to significant public health and social costs.
The association concluded by appealing to the government not to proceed with the plan, warning it would cause “untold misery” to the people of Sri Lanka.
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