India is experiencing significant growth in research and development (R&D) in the field of medicine. The 'Cannabis Research Project' of CSIR-IIIM Jammu, which is the first of its kind in India, is one of numerous projects conducted in medical research.

'The Cannabis Research Project of CSIR-IIIM Jammu is a first of its kind in India and has a great potential to produce export quality medicine for neuropathies, cancer, and epilepsy,” said Union Minister Jitendra Singh while chairing a review meeting with the top officials of CSIR-IIIM on June 8.

The Minister emphasised that this project can widen the scope of investments in Jammu and Kashmir. During the meeting, Dr. Jitendra Singh said 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 that have to be exported from foreign countries.

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 the 1960s, the centre of the 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 Minister also called for synergy between institutions like CSIR-IIIM, IIM, IIT, AIIMS etc. In addition, he said, “It 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 a few kilometres in Jammu, which is now the hub of education in India.”