(COLOMBO) -The Sri Lankan Government has endorsed a proposal for the cultivation and export of Cannabis locally known as ganja in order to earn more foreign exchange for the cash-strapped treasury, local media reported.
According to the reports the proposal made by Tourism State Minister Diana Gamage was endorsed by the Cabinet of Ministers.
Gamage, a maverick politician has led the campaign to legalize Cannabis which is a banned narcotic substance in the Indian Ocean island-nation.
The process of inviting foreign investors for this purpose will be carried out through the Board of Investment (BoI) in the future.
She added that local investors will also be provided with the opportunity but their investments will have to be made in US currency.
Gamage had earlier also called for the relaxation on operational hours at liquor outlets both in hotels and elsewhere in a bid to encourage more foreign guests.
“Some in the country insist to cling on to an age old culture while some on the other hand are seeking to promote the tourism industry that took a harsh battering during the Covid-19 pandemic some two years ago. It takes two to tango”, she said.
Earlier last month another left-leaning female politician called for the legislation of prostitution in the country as an option for those who cannot find a decent job with a decent salary.
