• Says no country in the world has developed by exporting cannabis

By Ajith Siriwardana

The National Authority on Tobacco & Alcohol (NATA) Chairman Dr. Samadhi Rajapaksa yesterday condemned the proposal to legalise cannabis for export purposes, claiming that no country in the world has developed by exporting cannabis. 

 He told a news conference that the claim that it was only for export purposes is just to hoodwink the people.  “This tag ‘only for export purposes’ will go away soon. There will be people smoking Cannabis in every junction. I challenge anyone to prove with examples if there is any country in the world which has earned dollars and developed by exporting cannabis as refined oil or as a medicine,” he said.

The National Dangerous Drugs Control Board Chairman Sakya Nanayakkara said Sri Lanka has not passed any laws to export cannabis.

He said Sri Lanka has entered into three international agreements with regard to drugs and that Sri could not either export or import any part of cannabis or refined product of cannabis according to the three agreements.