• University of Ruhuna Senior Prof. in Crop Science K.K.I.U. Arunakumara explains SL’s potential for industrial cannabis/hemp, which can earn at least a $ 1 b mkt. in approx. 5 yrs.
• GoSL has not banned cannabis; only rulers from other nations – Dutch/British – have
• Environmentalists should address the destruction of these plants as we are losing SL’s genetic resources

Cannabis presents a significant, largely untapped opportunity for Sri Lanka, both economically and agriculturally. However, the plant’s potential, ranging from industrial hemp to medicinal and recreational uses, has remained unexplored under local conditions despite the Government’s recent decision to facilitate the commercial cultivation of cannabis for export.

Noting this, Senior Professor in Crop Science at the University of Ruhuna K.K.I.U. Arunakumara explained that identifying high-quality local varieties and conducting rigorous research is essential to harness this potential effectively. By lifting barriers and supporting research institutions, he added, Sri Lanka can develop competitive advantages, create value-added products, and even integrate cannabis into tourism initiatives.

He made these remarks during an interview with The Daily Morning, where he stated that gradual, regulated steps will allow the country to benefit from this plant while addressing social perceptions and ensuring safe, sustainable cultivation. 

Following are excerpts from the interview:

What do you think about the potential of cannabis as an export crop and SL’s capacity to succeed in it?

Cannabis is a plant that can be commercially used in four key ways. One of the most widespread uses involves industrial cannabis or hemp, which Sri Lanka does not discuss much. Sri Lanka’s biggest potential is regarding industrial cannabis. This suits the dry zone best, and our farmers have an inherent knowledge of how to farm this plant. It can be seen in areas like Thanamalwila. Industrial cannabis is mainly for fibre products. We can have at least a $ 1 billion market in around five years if we do this right. Another form of use is seeds and seed oil, which does not take place at all in Sri Lanka. The third and fourth are medicinal purposes and recreational use, with the latter receiving social pressure demanding a ban.

Of these uses, what we are trying to do at the moment is to export cannabis for medicinal purposes, which I think has a low potential to reach the expected results. This is due to several reasons. Over 70 countries have relaxed the relevant laws, while only a handful has completely removed those laws. If we are exporting, our target should be the countries that have completely removed those laws. The issue is that those countries are producing the cannabis that they need, which raises a serious challenge in finding suitable markets. 

Secondly, any export good should have a competitive advantage, meaning that it must possess qualities that enable it to compete effectively with products from other countries. In this case, we can’t get a competitive advantage because the said foreign firms will be farming seeds brought from or identified by their countries, not necessarily local ones. They also have to do this, as those seeds have known results, including regarding quality, and they focus on their target markets. In the case of Sri Lankan seeds, there are no known results for them, and it takes time to identify and farm seeds or varieties of high quality.

At the same time, at present, the largest global market for cannabis is for recreational use, which is not at all targeted through our project. Countries like Thailand and Canada focused on recreational uses, to which we have not paid attention. In a context where Sri Lanka has a fast-growing tourism industry, I have an issue with the fact that we ignored the country’s potential due to bans. If we look at the global cannabis market last year (2024), it was as high as $ 70 billion and is rising rapidly. However, the largest share goes to recreational cannabis.

What do you think about the existing legal situation concerning cannabis in the context of farming cannabis?

Cannabis was first mentioned in writing in Sri Lanka’s earliest medicinal book, the Sarartha Sangrahaya, which was written in Anno Domini 341. In 1675, the Dutch imposed a ban on cannabis, and the fact that a ban was imposed means that it was being cultivated. Nowhere has it been mentioned that the people were getting sick due to consuming it. On the contrary, its good impacts have been discussed. The Dutch and the British had different targets. They wanted to grow tobacco in Sri Lanka and earn, and to achieve that, they banned cannabis that was available locally. A Sri Lankan Government has not banned cannabis, but the rulers from other nations have. We are in a situation where we are unable to lift the ban. If we can’t lift the ban on cannabis, we should be able to ban or restrict the crop that they introduced, i.e. tobacco. If we compare the two, especially regarding negative impacts on health, tobacco causes considerably more damage than cannabis. Looking at the statistics, at least around 20% of the Sri Lankan population smokes tobacco, and the impact on health is massive. If the Government can’t completely lift the ban on cannabis due to social pressure, the best alternative is to opt for industrial hemp which provides fibre. 

The social perception of cannabis has become a key topic in light of the Government’s plans to allow commercial cannabis farming. How do you suggest we address public attitudes and concerns regarding cannabis cultivation?

I admire the Government’s decision as a positive step. However, ideally, a multi-pronged approach should be taken, although no such approach took place. The social pressure surrounding cannabis is not real. It was not us who banned cannabis. The ban was imposed to promote tobacco, and a ban was imposed as we cultivated cannabis. Cannabis was nothing new, and it was in our culture.

The ban is extremely ineffective. The farming of cannabis has been banned. But, according to the Police media, during the period from December 2023 to December of last year (2024), over five million illegally cultivated cannabis plants had been seized. On average, at least 100 g of dried flower can be obtained from one tree. In addition, other parts of the plant can also be used. But, if we take only the flower, i.e. 100 g from five million trees, we have illegally produced at least 500,000 kg in a year. With the average value of a kilo being over Rs. 350,000, and considering the uses of other parts of the plant as well, the worth produced exceeds $ 1 billion. 

As far as cultivation is concerned, the ban has not been effective. In addition, if we look at the number of people arrested over drug-related charges during the past few years, at least 30% of them had been arrested over cannabis use. In this case also, the ban has not been effective. Even the smuggling of things like Kerala cannabis also continues despite the ban. However, the public does not see this ineffectiveness, and even the media only reports arrests. In some cases, regulation works better than a ban when it comes to controlling certain things, and that too has not happened. In this context, this initiative has been taken without any system to remove social pressure, which is also a failure.

We all recognise Sri Lanka as an agricultural country. However, in general, we don’t recognise that this is an island, which has limited land. If the land we have is limited, we should choose the most profitable crops. However, we are not there yet. We don’t show the potential of this plant or publicise its positive uses. Instead, we only talk about its negative aspects. Over 70 countries have lifted bans on cannabis and especially the nations that imposed a ban in our country have today lifted certain bans pertaining to cannabis. At the same time, other drugs are on the rise and we don’t have a proper system to control them. Our media use has not reached a place where we discuss that we need alternatives. We need to take measures to deal with this situation. However, this can’t be done overnight. It should be approached step by step, gradually. Nobody who criticises cannabis today also criticises the Sarartha Sangrahaya or other literature that mentions cannabis. We can raise awareness and gradually change social perception. I am not suggesting unrestricted freedom, but we should identify its potential and benefit from it.

What best practices can you propose to benefit from cannabis cultivation?

A wide relaxation of laws is necessary under proper regulation and a proper legal framework. However, if we are to do that, we should first stop destroying illegal cannabis cultivations. Environmentalists should also address the destruction of these plants, as what we are losing are our genetic resources. These genetic resources could become extinct not only in Sri Lanka but even globally. Existing illegal cultivations, once seized by the Police, should be made available for research. A major issue we are facing at present is that the ban on this plant has not been lifted at least for research purposes. Australia first lifted the ban to allow research. For selected research institutions and researchers, already farmed cultivations present an ideal opportunity to identify the best varieties.

The plant contains tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), and their ratio determines whether a variety is best suited for medicinal or recreational purposes. Generally, if the THC percentage is high, it is more suitable for recreational use. For medicinal purposes, the THC percentage should be as low as possible, while the CBD percentage should be as high as possible. These cultivations can be used to identify high-CBD and low-THC varieties among our local strains.

At the same time, the Government should intervene to provide the necessary encouragement for local varieties by removing legal barriers, allocating funds for research, and providing support to the relevant institutions. This would allow us to develop varieties with a competitive advantage. Only after this should permission be granted to grow local varieties for export purposes.

Moreover, as a start, we should use this plant to contribute to Sri Lanka’s tourism industry. It is acceptable to allow the recreational use of this plant under strict regulations and in spaces designated specifically for tourism. To enable all this, proper regulation is necessary, and a cannabis regulation authority should be established in the country. It is important to note that we are not in a position to compete in the global market by exporting cannabis as a raw material. We should definitely focus on value addition, and it should be handled by those with the necessary expertise. Failure to do so will prevent us from reaching the expected targets.

If we follow these steps, over time, we would be able to reach a point where we can derive significant economic benefits from cannabis.

What is your opinion about research surrounding cannabis in SL?

In Sri Lanka, no research has been conducted on this crop. For over 300 years, the possession of the plant remained illegal, and after 1935, it was criminalised. Therefore, even researchers had no access to the plant, and no local studies were carried out. Only after addressing this gap can we focus on the agricultural side of cannabis.

No research under local conditions has been conducted in our country to develop the agrotechnological packages needed for cultivation. However, foreign countries have developed such packages. Current efforts for cultivation in Sri Lanka are based on controlled environments. Other countries already possess the necessary agrotechnological knowledge, and we would only need to make slight adaptations. However, when it comes to open-field farming, an agrotechnological package has not yet been developed in our country.

Regarding harvesting, processing, and value addition, no research has been conducted due to legal barriers. Most existing studies are either literature-based ones or sociological ones that focus on the social impact of cannabis. At least, high-quality research has not been carried out even by Ayurveda practitioners. Sri Lanka has not paid attention to even related clinical studies. All this is due to the existing bans on cannabis.