India’s first Cannabis medicinal project in Jammu to attract huge investment in J&K

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh chairing a review meeting of CSIR-IIIM project at Jammu on Thursday. —Excelsior/Rakesh
Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh chairing a review meeting of CSIR-IIIM project at Jammu on Thursday. —Excelsior/Rakesh

Dr Jitendra reviews project of CSIR-IIIM

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, June 8: In a significant development, India’s first of its kind Cannabis Research Project having potential to produce export quality medicines for neuropathies, cancer and epilepsy has been taken up by CSIR-IIIM Jammu with international collaboration.
The project is likely to give an impetus for huge investment in Jammu Kashmir and bring the Union Territory on international map for export quality medicines.
This was informed by Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh while chairing a review meeting of the Cannabis Research Project with the top officials of CSIR-IIIM and J&K Union Territory Science and Technology Department, here today.
“Cannabis Research Project of CSIR-IIIM Jammu with Canadian collaboration is the first of its kind in India which has a great potential to produce export quality medicine for Diabetic neuropathy, neurologias, cancer and epilepsy,” he said.
Dr Jitendra Singh said 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. 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 the history of discovering mint way back in 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.
The Union Minister stressed that for such a kind of important project, synergy between institutions like CSIR-IIIM, IIM, IIT, AIIMS etc is imperative to look for various technicalities involved in it like the marketing strategies that can be done through IIM, clinical trials through AIIMS, technical support through IIT etc as all these institutions are only situated in a radius of few kilometres in Jammu which is now the hub of education in India.
During the meeting, Dr Jitendra Singh also directed CSIR-IIIM, J&K DST and other stakeholders in this project to hold a workshop so that the challenges and issues involved in it can be redressed on the spot and the work on the project is not stalled but increased.
The meeting was attended by Director CSIR-IIIM, Dr Zabeer Ahmed; Commissioner DST J&K, Sourabh Bhagat; DG Codes J&K, Shadi Lal Pandita; Excise Commissioner J&K, Pankaj Kumar Sharma; Dr Shakti Gupta, Director AIIMS Jammu; Dr Shashi Sudan Sharma, Principal GMC Jammu; Dr Suarabh Saran, Principal Scientist CSIR-IIIM; Dr P P Singh, Principal Scientist CSIR-IIIM; Er Ab Raheem, Chief Scientist CSIR-IIIM besides other officers of CSIR-IIIM and DST J&K.