Alleging that cultivation of cannabis will only benefit foreign multinationals, the Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA), has urged the NPP government to reverse this decision.
The SLMA has said the government’s justification of cannabis cultivation for “medicinal use” is misleading, pointing out that approved uses in countries, such as the United Kingdom and the 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 has warned that multinational cannabis companies are strategically expanding into new markets to recover losses and that permitting exports from Sri Lanka will be the first step toward dismantling long-standing protections against widespread cannabis use in the country.
The group 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 SLMA has 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 which is already a leading causes of death in Sri Lanka.
The SLMA has argued that the expected foreign currency inflows will 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 debt.
“The decision represents the first breach of the dam that protected Sri Lankans from the scourge of widespread cannabis use,” the SLMA has warned, adding that the move would only benefit foreign multinationals, while exposing Sri Lanka to significant public health and social costs.
The SLMA has appealed to the government not to proceed with the plan, warning it would cause “untold misery” to the people of Sri Lanka.