Scottish pioneers to research into Cannabis and super-lettuce with new funding
In 2021, the International Narcotics Control Board found that the UK dominated medicinal cannabis exports, contributing 43% of all global production. The UK is also a big consumer of illegal weed with as much as £3.57 billion spent on it in 2023. Cannabis varieties and end-produce currently vary significantly.
A pioneering Scottish research institute has now received funding to carry out research into the growing need for medicinal cannabis by helping to standardise the product to meet pharmaceutical quality.
The James Hutton Institute was formed in 2011 to create a world-leading research institute for land, crops, water, and the environment. They have now received £2.4 million to fund research into medical cannabis, vertical farming, and "super-lettuce." Their scientific approach could help the UK maintain its position as “the world’s largest producer and exporter of medical cannabis.”
The groundbreaking project will take place in the newly established Advanced Plant Growth Centre in Dundee. With the funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), they will use environment manipulation and the development of “new cannabis plant architectures” to help standardise the product.
The director of the Advanced Plant Growth Centre, Derek Stewart, said:
“These are exciting projects for the James Hutton Institute team to be involved with. Medicinal cannabis is an increasingly important remedy and is becoming key in alleviating degenerative and neurodegenerative/dysfunctional diseases. We will play an important role in furthering pharmaceutical quality of these plants, reinforcing the UK’s importance on the world stage.”
Medical cannabis is still relatively uncommon in the UK, even though it was legalised back in 2018. These are changing times, however, and the willingness of companies to invest in large-scale research hopefully shows the direction of travel. Medical cannabis is likely to become more widespread as the stigma still attached to it by many, including many NHS staff and GPs, is reduced.
The institute is also researching "super-lettuce" and vertical farming and aims to pave the way for a new era of ‘hyper-efficient’ urban agriculture. By identifying key traits and optimising them for growth in previously unviable locations, the institute aims to improve both yield and quality.
Article sourced from: heraldscotland.com
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