Sri Lanka's government wants to grow its own marijuana. Facing a lack of the fresh weed for use in traditional Ayurvedic medical preparations, the government ministry responsible wants to be excepted from laws that have made marijuana illegal on the Indian Ocean island since the 1890s.
The Ministry of Indigenous Medicine this month broached a plan to grow 4,000 kg (8,818 lb) a year of marijuana, also known as cannabis, on a proposed 20 acre (8 hectares) farm."We are interested in getting some approval to grow some cannabis with government sponsorship, but there must be controls. It is under study," Reuters quoted Asoka Malimage, Secretary to the Ministry of Indigenous Medicine as saying.