Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology Dr Jitendra Singh said, Jammu is going to pioneer India’s first Cannabis Medicine Project.
Key points
- ‘Cannabis Research Project’ of CSIR-IIIM Jammu is a first of its kind in India.
- 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 the patients suffering from malignancies and other diseases.
- The signing of scientific agreement between CSIR-IIIM and IndusScan was historic not only for J&K but for whole of India as it has the potential to produce those kinds of medicines which have to be exported from foreign countries.
- Cannabis is a plant which is otherwise prohibited and known for abuse.
- Under a tripartite agreement of CSIR with Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), CSIR-IIIM has completed the exploratory research on Cannabis after license for cultivation of Cannabis for scientific purpose was granted by J&K Govt.
- CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine is the pioneer in the Cannabis research and obtained the first license for cultivation in the country.
- Following this, many other states like Uttrakhand, Utter Pradesh, Manipur, Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh have started making the policy and rules for use of Cannabis for scientific purpose.
- Cannabis is a wonder plant from which FDA has approved the drugs such as Marilnol/nabilone and Cesamet for 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 pre-clinical and clinical studies would be completed.
