Uncovering the Potential and Handicaps of Non-drug Hemp Cultivation in South and Southeast Asia

Abstract

Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is a multi-million-dollar industry in several temperate countries. In South and Southeast Asian region, it remains a neglected and underutilised due to several legal, political, and cultural barriers. Therefore, very limited research has been done on value chain of hemp in this region. Nevertheless, as discussions are ongoing on the legalization of hemp in some of the countries in the region, interest in research and development of hemp is growing. The objective of this review is to identify what has been done on hemp in the region and outline the potentials and challenges in adopting hemp as an industrial crop in tropical South and Southeast Asia. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were used to select and review research articles. Out of the 12,210 studies, 36 were selected for review and analysis. The results demonstrate the potential of hemp in the South and Southeast Asian region in terms of genetic diversity, growth habits, environmental and health benefits, and value-added products. To motivate the commercial cultivation, several key aspects were identified that includes development of region/location specific cultivars, introduction of site/cultivar specific management practices and development of proper market facilities. The review concludes that hemp can be a potential candidate for crop diversification across South and Southeast Asia.

A Comparative Study of Chemical Profiling and Bioactivities between Thai and Foreign Hemp Seed Species (Cannabis sativa L.) Plus an In-Silico Investigation

“…However, a complete structural alignment of all fatty acids found in this study was provided in a Supplementary File. Figure 3A demonstrates a re-scoring docking function in each category, starting from the final intermolecular energy (1), the final total internal energy (2), the torsional free energy (3), the unbound system's energy (4), and the estimated free energy of binding (5) of the summarized re-scoring function of five fatty acids and their esters. Only category 3, torsional free energy, agreed with the previous experimental report focusing on the different activities between fatty acids and their ester counterparts.…”

“…Hemp is of interest in the Asia region, and cannabis research is of rising interest in Malaysia. Moreover, there have been reports of criminal cannabis production from other tropical nations, such as India, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka [ 5 ]. In 2018, Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health permitted the cultivation of hemp for both industrial and medicinal uses.…”

Surface functionalization of cellulose derived from hemp by tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) and poly vinylidene fluoride-based composite separator membrane for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs)

“…Hemp, known as the residue material which is derived from cannabidiol (CBD), is a promising biomaterial that has attracted several attentions in recent years, especially in Thailand, as a substitute for other cellulosic fibers because of its biodegradability, fast-growing capability, low cost of manufacturing [19]. It has extensively been employed in the textile, composite, pulp and paper, and biorefining sectors.…”

Surface functionalization of cellulose derived from hemp by tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) and poly vinylidene fluoride-based composite separator membrane for of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs)

“…The strong inter-/intra-hydrogen bonding of the OH-groups in the MCC structure can form the crystal chain that performs as a magni cent reinforcement bio-ller for composite materials, which enables the improved ion conductivity, electrolyte uptake, and electrochemical properties of the separator membrane [18]. Hemp, known as the residue material which is derived from cannabidiol (CBD), is a promising biomaterial that has attracted several attentions in recent years, especially in Thailand, as a substitute for other cellulosic bers because of its biodegradability, fast-growing capability, low cost of manufacturing [19]. It has extensively been employed in the textile, composite, pulp and paper, and biore ning sectors.…”