Health ministry ready to export cannabis

May 11, 2016

Health, nutritious and indigenous medicine minister Dr. Rajitha Senarathna said the government is ready to grow cannabis as an export crop. The minister said this addressing a function held at the water’s edge Battaramulla while introducing a new Ayurvedic medicine produced by the Ayurvedic Corporation.

The minister said in the past people’s health relied on indigenous medicines and later it became outdated. Since the traditional medicine is getting obsolete at present it is important to use modern techniques to revive the indigenous medicines.
 
The health minister said the following.

"Whatever the science it may be, it cannot evade the technology. It is the same with indigenous medicine. Earlier opium was imported from India for the use of indigenous medicines. Cannabis is required for the ayurvedic. That was the reason we thought to grow Cannabis. A proposal has come to export Cannabis to western countries.  We look forward to implement this. We should break from the island concept and go forward"

"We have a problem regarding the drug authority and we should resolve it soon. Higher officials in the drug authority are working based on the basic knowledge. However we need proper administration. We are creating a price structure for the private hospitals. We should stop selling medicines for different prices. This is not a business and we should consider this as a necessity service for the public"