Religious leaders oppose cannabis cultivation

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By Editor_1
Religious leaders march in Colombo to protest a rise in drug peddling in Sri Lankan schools in 2016 -Niranjani Roland/UCA News/File

COLOMBO – Religious leaders in Sri Lanka have urged the government not to promote the cultivation of cannabis for the sake of making income from export to ease the economic woes of the nation, with Venerable Omalpe Sobitha Thera, urging everyone to oppose the government’s effort to legalize cannabis.

“An attempt to legalize cannabis under the guise of economic crisis will create a serious cultural and health situation if these plans are launched,” Ven Sobitha Thera warned on Wednesday (16).

An acclaimed scholar, researcher and philanthropist, the Thera said an opinion is currently being formed in society that cannabis is a beneficial substance, which is not true.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe presenting the 2023 Budget in Parliament on Monday (14) said an expert committee would be appointed to oversee cannabis cultivation for export.

At present the cultivation of cannabis is banned in Sri Lanka even though it is allowed to be grown in certain quantities as it is used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine.

The Thera also emphasized that more attention should be paid to the destruction caused by substance use and alcoholism rather than the tax revenues.

State Minister of Tourism Diana Gamage said that the nation can earn about US$ 2 billion through investment in cannabis production.

“I see a way for Sri Lanka to recover through cannabis cultivation,” she said, adding that cannabis could be a way to revive the nation’s ailing economy.

However, the anti-corruption unit said that it would continue to conduct raids against illegal drugs (including cannabis) until an order is received from the government.

Sri Lanka has become a major transit point for drug traffickers and has been recording widespread drug addiction, with cannabis and heroin identified as the top two narcotic scourges in the country.

Currently, there are an estimated 45,000 regular users of heroin and about 600,000 users of cannabis in Sri Lanka, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.  It is further estimated that between 1–2% of heroin users are Injection Drug Users (IDUs). Sri Lanka is a low HIV-prevalence country.

A senior priest from the Archdiocese of Colombo said the government has ignored the lives of children and their future in its desperation to get much-needed US dollars into the country.

“The government should make efforts to enforce laws and eradicate drugs including cannabis from the country, not promote them,” said the priest who wants to remain anonymous.

“Some politicians misuse the Bible and say Jesus and his disciples used the drugs to carry out miraculous healings,” the priest said, warning people not to believe them.

Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith has recently issued a pastoral letter urging all parishes to denounce drug peddlers.

Besides, Catholic Church has also joined with other religious leaders to organize demonstrations against the increased abuse of illegal drugs.

– UCAN/ENCL

 

 

Editor_1
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