Sri Lanka's Minister of Health and Indigenous Medicine Dr. Rajitha Senaratne said that the government plans to take steps to cultivate and export cannabis for medicinal purposes.

The Health Minister the government has received a proposal from Western countries to cultivate and export cannabis for the production of Ayurvedic medicine. He said the government plans to implement the proposal.

The Minister made these remarks addressing an event held in Colombo to introduce new products of the Sri Lanka Ayurvedic Corporation.

Pointing out that no science can ignore the technology and the traditional medicine also should use the modern technology, the Minister said production of pills should be started for the traditional Ayurvedic medicines

RAMESWARAM: The Sri Lankan navy arrested four Indian fishermen and seized 165kg of ganja from them in the wee hours of Tuesday.

The incident happened a week after four Rameswaram fishermen had been apprehended by the Sri Lankan navy on charges of smuggling ganja.

According to Sri Lankan navy's website, four Indian fishermen were arrested by a naval craft of the North Central Naval Command during a routine patrolling in the seas north-west of Talaimannar and seized 165kg of ganja.

A dhow and fishing gears were also taken into naval custody. The arrested fishermen along the contraband were to be handed over to customs for further action, the website said.

Sri Lankan Navy personnel today arrested four Indians for trying to smuggle ganja from here to the island nation and seized from them 80 Kgs of the contraband, police said. 

Nambuvelu, Oomayyaraju, Murugaraj and Muthuraj tried to smuggle the ganja in a stolen boat. They tried to jettison the gunny bags containing the ganja into the sea on seeing the navalmen. But before they could offload all the stock, the naval personnel managed to nab 80 kg of ganja from them, police said. 

All the four had been remanded by a court in Sri Lanka, police said.

hree individuals have been arrested on suspicion of involvement in a large scale marijuana racket in Sellakatharagama, Kataragama.

The three were arrested in a raid carried out by a group of undercover officers from the Narahenpita Excise Drugs Unit.

Two hundred (200) kilogrammes of marijuana and two three-wheelers allegedly used for transporting the Marijuana were taken into police custody.

The suspects will be produced before the Tissamaharama Magistrate Monday, June 15.

Hickey to Discuss Medical Marijuana Industry with Sri Lankan Officials

HOUSTON, TX / ACCESSWIRE / January 12, 2015 / Solanbridge Group Inc (SLNX) is pleased to announce that Earle G. Hickey, President of Solanbridge Group NS, Inc., will be in Sri Lanka this week and plans to meet with the newly elected Executive President of Sri Lanka His Excellency Maithripala Sirisena, concerning the benefits of medical marijuana. This will be Mr. Hickey's fourth trip to Sri Lanka.