For the first time in Sri Lanka, the government has granted permission to foreign investors to legally cultivate hemp under strict conditions. Accordingly, hemp cultivation is to begin on a 64-acre land in the Mirigama area. These cultivations must be carried out under strict safety measures in accordance with the existing laws and regulations of Sri Lanka.
This project is supervised by the Board of Investments of Sri Lanka (BOI), and the Ministry of Public Security is also supporting it. The primary objective of this project is to export products for pharmaceutical production and research using hemp. Currently, there is a high demand for hemp in the world and scholars have been showing for some time that a large amount of foreign exchange can be earned by exporting high-quality hemp.
Dr. Wasantha Sena Welianga was the first to initiate a public debate on hemp. He wrote a research book titled Trailoka Vijaya, which began the process of debunking the misconceptions about the hemp plant in society.
Later, Member of Parliament Diana Gamage brought a proposal to Parliament to legalize hemp cultivation. Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe proposed to cultivate hemp for export in his 2022 budget proposals and was instrumental in setting up the legal framework for it.
Out of 37 applications submitted for this project, 7 foreign investors who met the qualifications have been selected and have been issued a temporary license for an initial period of 6 months. The cultivation period is to be extended in the future depending on how their projects are implemented during this period.
To start the project, an investor must make an initial investment of at least US$5 million, and a US$2 million bond must be deposited with the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.
This information has been confirmed by Dr. Dhammika Abeygunawardena, former Commissioner General of the Department of Ayurveda.
Accordingly, in addition to constructing a strong security fence around the cultivation area, it is also mandatory to obtain the protection of the Special Task Force (STF) and the Sri Lanka Police.
The hemp cultivated through this project must be exported in its entirety without being used in Sri Lanka, and laws and regulations have been imposed to destroy any part of the hemp plant (seeds, leaves, roots) without releasing it into the external environment.
According to the Poisons, Opium and Dangerous Drugs Ordinance No. 17 of 1929, hemp (Cannabis sativa) is a substance whose cultivation, import, export, sale and possession are prohibited by the laws of Sri Lanka.