India, Jan. 27 -- In the wake of popular demand for cultivation of cannabis in the Himalayan state, 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.

With this decision, Himachal Pradesh becomes o...