Sri Lanka, Nov. 4 -- The government plans to offer local investors the opportunity to participate in the country's cannabis cultivation project, which has so far been limited to foreign companies, Deputy Minister of Health Hansaka Wijemuni said.

He noted that only foreign investors have been selected under strict conditions by the Board of Investment (BOI) for the initial phase of the project. These investors are expected to sign memorandums of understanding (MoUs) later this year, with cultivation activities scheduled to begin next year.

A total of seven companies have been approved for the project, and some have received government approval to export cannabis leaves, flowers, and other plant parts.

Despite opposition from certain gro...