Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led Himachal Pradesh government approved a pilot project for cannabis or hemp cultivation on January 24. 

• This move comes amid rising global recognition of hemp’s agricultural, medicinal and industrial value.
• According to the state cabinet, Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Agriculture University in Palampur and Dr. Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture in Nauni, Solan, will collaborate on a study which will evaluate the potential for cannabis cultivation in the future.
• The state’s agriculture department has been designated as the nodal agency for this initiative.
• Himachal Pradesh becomes one of the states, along with Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, and Manipur, to grant controlled permission for the cultivation of cannabis for medical and industrial purposes.