The Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) expressed their deep concern over the announcement that foreign companies will be permitted to cultiavte cannabis in Sri Lanka.
In a letter to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the SLMA strongly urged the government to reverse this decision, citing multiple health, social, and economic risks.
The association criticized the government’s use of the term “medicinal use” as misleading. Citing the International Narcotic Control Board (INCB) which stated that the amount of cannabis grown for medical and pharmaceutical purposes has significantly decreased since 2021, they claim that even in countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States, the approved use for cannabis is approved only for a very limited number of rare conditions.
The association further emphasized that there is no need to cultivate cannabis in large quantities as only small amounts of cannabis are required to produce medicines in use and for further research. It warned that this decision could pave the way for multinational cannabis companies that are facing billion-dollar losses to strategically expand into new markets and dismantle long-standing restrictions, ultimately normalizing widespread cannabis in Sri Lanka.
They also highlighted that, considering the difficulties law enforcement already faces in combating illegal drugs, it would be “practically impossible” to secure cannabis plantations in the country. According to The SLMA, the new policy is likely to increase the amount of cannabis available on local streets, worsening health risks of cannabis use such as 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 font, the SLMA argued that the anticipated foreign exchange inflows would be minimal, consisting of one-time investments of a few million dollars. In contrast to the $500 million that Sri Lankan expats send each month, this was described as insignificant and inadequate to ease the country’s $100 billion debt.
“The decision is the first breach of the dam that protected Sri Lankans from the scourge of widespread cannabis use,” the SLMA warned. They pointed out the doubt that so-called “investors”, enforcement agencies or politicians, backing he initiative would take the responsibility when cannabis is inevitably used in the streets of Sri Lanka.
Concluding that multiple industries are eyeing the profits from these “investments”, the SLMA urged the government not to proceed with the plan, stating that it would bring “untold sorrow” to Sri Lankans. (Newswire)
