Jammu to pioneer India's first Cannabis Medicine Project; curbs substance abuse, bolsters medicinal use [details]

Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh on Sunday said that Jammu is going to pioneer India's first Cannabis Medicine Project.

'Cannabis Research Project' of CSIR-IIIM Jammu is a first of its kind in India initiated under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in Private Public Partnership (PPP) with a Canadian firm, which has great potential to put the substance of abuse for the good of mankind, especially for patients suffering from neuropathies, cancer and epilepsy.

Dr. Jitendra Singh said this during a visit to the Cannabis Cultivation Farm of CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine at Chatha near Jammu to get first-hand information about the cultivation practices for Cannabis in the protected area of the institute and research work being carried out on this important plant.

The Minister said that this project of CSIR-IIIM is also important from the perspective of Atma- Nirbhar Bharat as after getting all the approvals, it will be able to produce export quality drugs meant for different kinds of neuropathies, diabetic pains, etc.

 Cannabis will be used as medicine for patients

The Union Minister said since J&K and Punjab are affected by drug abuse, this kind of project will spread awareness that this substance of abuse has diverse medicinal uses, especially for patients suffering from malignancies and other diseases.

He said that the signing of the scientific agreement between CSIR-IIIM and IndusScan was historic not only for J&K but for the whole of India as it has the potential to produce those kinds of medicines which have to be exported from foreign countries.

He complimented the efforts of the CSIR-IIIM for pioneering research in exploring the therapeutic properties of Cannabis, a plant that is otherwise prohibited and known for abuse. The Minister expressed his satisfaction with the research work conducted on Cannabis Project by CSIR-IIIM and also acknowledged the immense potential of cannabis-based treatments in addressing various health conditions.

This kind of project will give an impetus for huge investment in Jammu and Kashmir, he added.
While appreciating CSIR-IIIM for this project, Dr. Jitendra Singh said, CSIR-IIIM is the oldest scientific research institute in India with a history of discovering the mint way back in the 1960s, the centre of purple revolution and now the Cannabis Research Project of CSIR-IIIM is going to make it more prestigious in terms of scientific research in India.

Cannabis cultivated on one acre of protected area

During the field visit, Dr. Singh took stock of the one-acre protected area where CSIR-IIIM is presently doing large-scale cultivation of superior accessions of Cannabis.

The Minister also visited the glass houses with climate control facilities where research work on improving the varieties for desired cannabinoid content is being performed.

Dr. Singh emphasized the importance of using the latest technology and cultivation practices for increasing the produce that would help the farmers. He also stressed the need for developing newer indigenous varieties that would suit the environmental conditions of our country. He also highlighted the role of biotechnology in this endeavour and encouraged the researchers to continue pushing the boundaries of scientific development.

While briefing the media on the occasion, Dr. Singh said Cannabis is a wonder plant from which the FDA has approved the drugs such as Marilnol/nabilone and Cesamet for the treatment of nausea and vomiting, Sativex for neuropathic pain and spasticity, Epidiolex, Cannabidiol for epilepsy and being used elsewhere in countries. In J&K, the license was granted to CSIR-IIIM, Jammu for research and protected cultivation, and upon permission of GMP manufacturing, the rest of the pre-clinical and clinical studies would be completed.