News:2021-01-01/Policy/verity-of-cannabis-nddcb-official-position-paper

1 January 2021

Policy

Sri Lanka·

Verity of Cannabis — NDDCB official position paper

Sri Lanka's National Dangerous Drugs Control Board published an official position paper on cannabis, arguing against legalization. The document asserted that the December 2020 UN vote removing cannabis from Schedule IV did not authorize countries to relax domestic cannabis laws, and that media reports suggesting otherwise were "misinterpretation." The NDDCB cited 301,989 estimated drug addicts in Sri Lanka (297,162 men, 4,736 women) with cannabis as the dominant substance. The paper acknowledged that national and international organizations were "attempting to create a social discourse to legalize Cannabis" with transnational corporations "providing financial aids," and warned that Southeast Asian countries including Thailand which legalized medicinal cannabis were facing "adverse consequences." The NDDCB distinguished between THC-dominant marijuana (15–20% THC) and CBD-dominant hemp (under 2% THC), acknowledging hemp's therapeutic value and minimal diversion risk, while maintaining opposition to any relaxation of existing law.

Source: https://www.nddcb.gov.lk/Docs/research/Verity%20of%20Cannabis.pdf

2021-01-01 Policy Verity of Cannabis — NDDCB official position paper Sri Lanka's National Dangerous Drugs Control Board published an official position paper on cannabis, arguing against legalization. The document asserted that the December 2020 UN vote removing cannabis from Schedule IV did not authorize countries to relax domestic cannabis laws, and that media reports suggesting otherwise were "misinterpretation." The NDDCB cited 301,989 estimated drug addicts in Sri Lanka (297,162 men, 4,736 women) with cannabis as the dominant substance. The paper acknowledged that national and international organizations were "attempting to create a social discourse to legalize Cannabis" with transnational corporations "providing financial aids," and warned that Southeast Asian countries including Thailand which legalized medicinal cannabis were facing "adverse consequences." The NDDCB distinguished between THC-dominant marijuana (15–20% THC) and CBD-dominant hemp (under 2% THC), acknowledging hemp's therapeutic value and minimal diversion risk, while maintaining opposition to any relaxation of existing law. https://www.nddcb.gov.lk/Docs/research/Verity%20of%20Cannabis.pdf