The aim of this thesis is to sum up the information connected with marijuana and cannabis topic in relation to their effects, use and misuse. At the beginning of my research three hypotheses have been determined . They have been based on the electronic questionnaires which have been answered by respondents in lower secondary schools. The results of my thesis are shown in its applied part. According to the questionnaire the first hypothesis has been confirmed. 17,68 % of survey participants have tried marijuana at least once in their lives. The second hypothesis has not been taken to be true, because although there is a prevention in primary schools, it doesn't provide pupils ' awareness of this problem completely. The third hypothesis has been proved false as well, because more than 50 % of the respondents said that they have already learnt about cannabis in Science. Key words: marijuana, hemp drugs, cannabis, Cannabis sativa

The main objective of the research was to understand hemp processing at different stages through numerical simulations. Processing of hemp materials involves breaking the hemp into different sizes of particles and separating those particles into fractions of different sizes. Numerical models were developed using the discrete element method (DEM) to simulate hemp processing using a hammermill and separations of different hemp particles using a 3D vibratory screen-type separator. The models were implemented using a commercial DE code, the Particle Flow Code in Three Dimension (PFC3D). In the models, virtual hemp, hemp fibre and core were defined using clusters of PFC3D basic spherical particles which are connected by the PFC3D parallel bonds. The microproperties (e.g. particle stiffness and friction coefficient, and bond stiffness and strength) of these particles were calibrated. For calibrations, virtual tests were performed using PFC3D for hemp stem, fibre, and core. Those virtual tests included direct shear tests of fibre and core particles, tensile tests of fibre, and compression tests of hemp stems. The microproperties of these particles were calibrated through comparing results from the virtual tests with results from laboratory tests or literature data. Those calibrated particle microproperties were used in the PFC3D models developed for simulating the hammermill for hemp processing and the 3D vibratory separator for particle separation. These two machines were constructed using various PFC3D walls and lines, and had the main features and operational conditions as the real machines. The hammermill model was able to predict the power requirement of hammermill and particle dynamic behaviours (kinetic and strain energies) within the hammermill. The separator model was capable of predicting the separation efficiency of the 3D vibratory separator for separations of different hemp particle mixtures. The behaviour of the models reflected the real behaviour observed experimentally. The model results were reasonably good as compared with literature data and the test results. The models developed have the potential to simulate many other dynamic attributes of hemp particles with the machines. This study has laid a solid foundation for future studies of biomaterial-machine interactions using the DEM.

ABSTRACT The aim of this work was to produce enzymatic hemp seed protein hydrolysates (HPH) followed by bioassay guided fractionation to identify antioxidant and antihypertensive peptides. Therefore, simulated gastrointestinal digestion of isolated hemp seed proteins was conducted using consecutive actions of pepsin and pancreatin to produce HPH, which was then separated by membrane ultrafiltration to obtain peptide sizes of <1, 1-3, 3-5, and 5-10 kDa. Evaluation of HPH and its membrane fractions for antioxidant and antihypertensive properties showed that they significantly (P<0.05) scavenged radicals, reduced and strongly chelated metal ions as well as inhibited lipid oxidation. During a 24-hr test, the HPH reduced systolic blood pressure (SBP) of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) after oral administration by a maximum of -30 mmHg when compared to -15 mmHg for the membrane fractions. To reduce production cost, hemp seed protein meal (HPM) was directly hydrolyzed to a protein hydrolysate (HMH) and was shown to also reduce SBP during 4-8 weeks of dietary feeding. The attenuation of SBP correlated to suppressed plasma levels (0.047-0.059 U/mL and 0.040-0.054 µg/mL) of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) and renin, respectively, when compared to the control rats (0.123 U/mL and 0.151 µg/mL). A total of 23 peptides were identified to be present in the HPH. WVYY and PSLPA showed superior in vitro antioxidant properties, while ACE activity was inhibited by WYT (89%), WVYY (91%) and PSLPA (90%). Renin activity was inhibited by WYT (77%), SVYT (87%) and IPAGV (75%). However, oral administration to SHR showed that the pentapeptides (PSLPA and IPAGV) were more effective SBP-reducing agents (-40 mm Hg) when compared to the tri- (-13 mmHg) and tetrapeptides (-36 mmHg). These results show for the first time in literature, the bioactive properties of hemp seed peptides and indicate their potential use as ingredients to formulate antioxidant and antihypertensive functional foods and nutraceuticals.

There is great interest in the plant Cannabis sativa (hemp) as a source of technical fibres for the reinforcement of polymers in composite materials due to its high mechanical properties. As a natural fibre hemp also offers biodegradabilty and is therefore an inexpensive and renewable alternative to glass fibres However, the environmental benefits of natural fibres cannot be fully exploited if the manufacturing of their composites involves polluting processing steps. Unfortunately, there is still a lack of environmetally sustainable processing methods yielding technical fibres of sufficient quality. Enzyme application as a biotechnological processing method is a good candidate for this aim and is therefore actively investigated at present. In this work the effects of a range of enzymes on the morphological, compositional and mechanical properties of hemp was investigated. The enzymes were firstly characterised and then applied to hemp fibre for differing periods of time. After visual inspection, a set of fibre samples were selected and subjected to further analysis by Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), tensile testing and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The commercial formulation Pectinex® Ultra-SL emerged as the most efficient in terms of treatment time and fibre quality. The effectiveness of treatments was further investigated by developing a novel experimental method that correlates the adhesion forces measured by atomic force microscopy (AFM) on the fibre surface to the properties of the fibres or composites. In order to identify correlations between the adhesion forces and fibre or composite properties, hemp fibre was subjected to four distinctly different treatments to obtain significant differences between fibre properties. The fibres and composites were then analyzed using a combination of FTIR, tensile testing, 3-point bend testing, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and SEM. Based on this comprehensive dataset the AFM data was correlated using the software SPSS. The information derived from AFM (adhesion forces and surface topology) was useful in the clarification of fibre modifications evoked by the treatments.

ABSTRACT The aim of this work was to produce enzymatic hemp seed protein hydrolysates (HPH) followed by bioassay guided fractionation to identify antioxidant and antihypertensive peptides. Therefore, simulated gastrointestinal digestion of isolated hemp seed proteins was conducted using consecutive actions of pepsin and pancreatin to produce HPH, which was then separated by membrane ultrafiltration to obtain peptide sizes of <1, 1-3, 3-5, and 5-10 kDa. Evaluation of HPH and its membrane fractions for antioxidant and antihypertensive properties showed that they significantly (P<0.05) scavenged radicals, reduced and strongly chelated metal ions as well as inhibited lipid oxidation. During a 24-hr test, the HPH reduced systolic blood pressure (SBP) of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) after oral administration by a maximum of -30 mmHg when compared to -15 mmHg for the membrane fractions. To reduce production cost, hemp seed protein meal (HPM) was directly hydrolyzed to a protein hydrolysate (HMH) and was shown to also reduce SBP during 4-8 weeks of dietary feeding. The attenuation of SBP correlated to suppressed plasma levels (0.047-0.059 U/mL and 0.040-0.054 µg/mL) of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) and renin, respectively, when compared to the control rats (0.123 U/mL and 0.151 µg/mL). A total of 23 peptides were identified to be present in the HPH. WVYY and PSLPA showed superior in vitro antioxidant properties, while ACE activity was inhibited by WYT (89%), WVYY (91%) and PSLPA (90%). Renin activity was inhibited by WYT (77%), SVYT (87%) and IPAGV (75%). However, oral administration to SHR showed that the pentapeptides (PSLPA and IPAGV) were more effective SBP-reducing agents (-40 mm Hg) when compared to the tri- (-13 mmHg) and tetrapeptides (-36 mmHg). These results show for the first time in literature, the bioactive properties of hemp seed peptides and indicate their potential use as ingredients to formulate antioxidant and antihypertensive functional foods and nutraceuticals.

The main objective of the research was to understand hemp processing at different stages through numerical simulations. Processing of hemp materials involves breaking the hemp into different sizes of particles and separating those particles into fractions of different sizes. Numerical models were developed using the discrete element method (DEM) to simulate hemp processing using a hammermill and separations of different hemp particles using a 3D vibratory screen-type separator. The models were implemented using a commercial DE code, the Particle Flow Code in Three Dimension (PFC3D). In the models, virtual hemp, hemp fibre and core were defined using clusters of PFC3D basic spherical particles which are connected by the PFC3D parallel bonds. The microproperties (e.g. particle stiffness and friction coefficient, and bond stiffness and strength) of these particles were calibrated. For calibrations, virtual tests were performed using PFC3D for hemp stem, fibre, and core. Those virtual tests included direct shear tests of fibre and core particles, tensile tests of fibre, and compression tests of hemp stems. The microproperties of these particles were calibrated through comparing results from the virtual tests with results from laboratory tests or literature data. Those calibrated particle microproperties were used in the PFC3D models developed for simulating the hammermill for hemp processing and the 3D vibratory separator for particle separation. These two machines were constructed using various PFC3D walls and lines, and had the main features and operational conditions as the real machines. The hammermill model was able to predict the power requirement of hammermill and particle dynamic behaviours (kinetic and strain energies) within the hammermill. The separator model was capable of predicting the separation efficiency of the 3D vibratory separator for separations of different hemp particle mixtures. The behaviour of the models reflected the real behaviour observed experimentally. The model results were reasonably good as compared with literature data and the test results. The models developed have the potential to simulate many other dynamic attributes of hemp particles with the machines. This study has laid a solid foundation for future studies of biomaterial-machine interactions using the DEM.

Licentiatavhandling (sammanfattning) Alnarp : Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet. / Härtill 3 uppsatser.

The aim of this thesis is to sum up the information connected with marijuana and cannabis topic in relation to their effects, use and misuse. At the beginning of my research three hypotheses have been determined . They have been based on the electronic questionnaires which have been answered by respondents in lower secondary schools. The results of my thesis are shown in its applied part. According to the questionnaire the first hypothesis has been confirmed. 17,68 % of survey participants have tried marijuana at least once in their lives. The second hypothesis has not been taken to be true, because although there is a prevention in primary schools, it doesn't provide pupils ' awareness of this problem completely. The third hypothesis has been proved false as well, because more than 50 % of the respondents said that they have already learnt about cannabis in Science. Key words: marijuana, hemp drugs, cannabis, Cannabis sativa

abstract: This study investigates the fabrication and mechanical properties of semicontinuous, hemp fiber reinforced thermoset composites. This research determines if off-the-shelf refined woven hemp fabric is suitable as composite reinforcement using resin pre-impregnated method. Industrial hemp was chosen for its low cost, low resource input as a crop, supply chain from raw product to refined textile and biodegradability potential. Detail is placed on specimen fabrication considerations. Lab testing of tension and compression is conducted and optimization considerations are examined. The resulting composite is limited in mechanical properties as tested. This research shows it is possible to use woven hemp reinforcement in pre-impregnated processed composites, but optimization in mechanical properties is required to make the process commercially practical outside niche markets. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.S.Tech Engineering 2012

Bast fibrous renewable materials, as commercial crops for the manufacture of textile based and other products, have been used for thousands of years to satisfy certain human needs, such as for shelter, clothing, source of energy and tools, and to sustain the livelihood of many communities in countries, such as in Asia, Europe and Africa. Concern for the environment has led to a number of global initiatives that favour the use of natural fibres. It is forecast that the global fibre demand by 2050 will be 130 million tonnes, which the cotton and synthetic fibre production will not be able to meet. Other than the environmental concerns, the renewed global interest in natural fibres, such as flax and hemp, forms part of a strategy to satisfy the fibre demand. South Africa, notwithstanding the fact that the flax and hemp industries have long been established for thousands of years in Europe, Asia and Egypt (Africa), has no history of the breeding, growing, processing and production of these cash crops. The renewed global interest in these crops has also stimulated interest from South Africa with respect to the development of a flax and hemp fibre industry so as to address some of the socio-economic challenges confronting the country today in its attempts to bring about real development in the rural areas through the cultivation and complete beneficiation of these fibre crops. In this regard, the relevant stakeholders, namely government, research councils, tertiary education institutions, farmers and communities worked together to investigate whether South Africa has the agronomic and climatic conditions, technical expertise as well as the necessary processing and production infrastructure to support the development of a local flax and hemp agro-industry. The purpose of this study was firstly to evaluate the performance of EU flax and hemp cultivars grown under different agronomic conditions in South Africa, and their effect on straw biomass yield, fibre yield and total fibre yield per hectare as well as associated fibre properties, and secondly to undertake mechanical fibre modification trials aimed at producing flax and hemp fibres with fibre diameters close to those of cotton. The minimum fibre diameter targeted being 20μm. In accordance with the project objectives and work plan, selected dew retted flax and hemp straw samples from the various planting sites selected by the Agriculture Research Council – Institute for Industrial Crops, representing all the agronomic conditions under investigation, were taken to the CSIR for fibre extraction and testing. A relatively inexpensive and easy to operate Russian designed and manufactured machine, the CMT-200M breaker-cum-scutcher, was used for fibre extraction and the resultant extracted fibre bundles were further refined, using a steel comb, to obtain optimal fibre separation before their physical and chemical properties were evaluated. Results obtained in this research study proved that the climatic and agronomic conditions in South Africa were suitable for the cultivation of flax and hemp, notwithstanding the fact that the fibre yields achieved for hemp were lower than the minimum criteria of 23 percent, and that for flax only just exceeded the 25 percent minimum. The lack of local technical expertise on the growing and retting of flax and hemp, contributed to the low fibre yields. The planting parameters which were found to produce good results for the cultivation of hemp were the October planting date, using a row spacing of between 12.5 to 25 cm, with a seeding density of between 80 – 100kg, and the application of 50 – 100kg nitrogen fertiliser. The use of extra artificial lighting and herbicide treatment did not appear to beneficially improve the hemp fibre yields. Similar considerations for flax cultivation in the Southern Cape region, particularly Oudtshoorn and Outeniqua, indicated that May to July planting dates, using inter-row spacing of 25cm and sowing density of 63kg seed.haˉ¹, produced a fibre yield and total fibre yield per hectare above the minimum values of 25 percent and 0,8 tonnes per hectare, respectively, quoted in the literature.