Cannabis a God-given gift- MP Diana Gamage

Claiming that cannabis is a ‘God-given gift’ to Sri Lanka, MP Diana Gamage yesterday (16) proposed to make it a commercial crop in Sri Lanka and start exporting products made with cannabis to uplift the country’s hard-hit economy.  

Participating in the debate on the Appropriation Bill 2022, Gamage said Sri Lanka should legalise cannabis.  “Tea, coconut and rubber are considered as commercial crops in Sri Lanka. But now, we are importing all of them. Many African countries and China have started to export tea. But Sri Lanka is blessed with a god-given gift named, cannabis. We should legalise cannabis and start exporting products made with cannabis. We can uplift the country’s economy in that way,” she claimed. 

 Gamage said she has many products made with cannabis such as toothpaste, cannabis oil and food products in her home.  “I wanted to bring some of these products to the House, but I could not. Cannabis oil is beneficial for various Ayurvedic treatments. We should not see it only as a forbidden drug. Instead, it should be seen as a medical alternative.”