Sisira Jayakody, Minister of State for Indigenous Medicine says that steps will be taken to obtain legal approval for the export of medicinal cannabis through Parliament within the next three months.
“We are stuck within the framework of traditional rules. Indigenous drugs were banned in our country, especially by Western imperialists and colonial rulers. It also shattered our traditional knowledge system. Western pseudo-scholars began to ridicule our country’s indigenousness, indigenous medicine, and indigenous knowledge system.
We are overcoming the challenges of changing these conditions. As the Ministry of Indigenous Medicine, we are working to change the traditional legal system. In particular, we are moving towards a system of legalizing those traditional medicines that once existed in our country, as suggested by the Hon. Ministers and Parliamentarians several times in this House.
The western colonial rule banned the use of high-quality medicinal cannabis, especially in the treatment of cancer, neurological disorders, as well as antidepressants, painkillers and cosmetics. Therefore, we sincerely hope that in the coming period, within the next three months, all the necessary legal action will be taken to see through this Parliament the legal approval required for the export of medicinal cannabis – for export only – and that action will be taken before this Parliament for approval. “
Minister of State Sisira Jayakody stated this while participating in the budget debate in Parliament yesterday (30).
