PhD Mirela Holy VERN University Zagreb International Conference on the Economics of the Decoupling ICED Cannabis as a plant A ll plants can interbreed with each other Cannabis as a plant ID: 933410
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Slide1
Cannabis potentials for the development of the bio economy and the green transformation of Croatia
Ph.D. Mirela Holy, VERN’ University, Zagreb
International Conference on the Economics of the Decoupling (ICED)
Slide2Cannabis as a plant
A
ll
plants
can interbreed with each other.
Slide3Cannabis as a plant
Ordinary hemp (European and East Asian
cannabis
sativa
) is grown in Croatia.
The best soils for growing are alluvial and black soils.
Plant reacts to soil quality so it varies considerably in height and overall development.
Cannabis is an environmental indicator of soil fertility status.
Today, only those types of
cannabis
that have less than 0.2% THC are allowed for cultivation in Croatia.
Slide4Cannabinoids from the hemp
Most of the compounds that protect against predators and solar radiation are produced in the female flower.
More than 160 cannabinoids from
cannabis
have been identified, and the number is constantly growing (THC, CBD, CBN, CBC, CBG, THCV).
Current legal status of cannabis in Croatia prevents use of the plant’s full potential – economic, environmental and social.
Slide5Economic potentials
Cannabis
fiber is characterized by exceptional strength, elasticity, longevity and water resistance: textile and footwear, paper, ropes, sails, fishing nets, fire hoses, bags, horse equipment…
Cannabis
fibers
are used successfully in automotive industry instead of plastic and metal.
Cannabis
plastic is biodegradable and environmentally friendly. The first car bodies were made of
cannabis
fiber
.
Hemp concrete has exceptional thermal properties and reduces environmental impacts by up to 98%.
Hemp seed has yield between 600-1300 kg / ha. From the seeds is obtained oil of high nutritional value usable in human nutrition, but also oil for paints and varnishes.
Slide6Social potentials
Many scientific studies have confirmed that cannabis is a safe and low-risk drug.
Cannabis
oil has a beneficial effect on human health because it contains more than 55% linoleic acid, more than 15% alpha-
linolenic
acid, more than 1.5% gamma-
linolenic
acid, as well as omega -3-c18 acids. The last three for humans are essential acids. The ideal ratio between linoleic and alpha-
linolenic
enables the production of hormones that promote cell renewal and strengthen the immune system, and in this sense, this acid composition is the most suitable for the human body.
In the pharmaceutical industry,
c
annabis
is used as a medicine to relieve the symptoms of multiple sclerosis, chronic and neuropathic pain, glaucoma, in recovery from chemotherapy and in AIDS therapy.
Clinical trials of drugs for epilepsy, glioma (brain cancer) and diabetes, ulcerative colitis and schizophrenia are being conducted.
Slide7Environmental potentials
Cannabis
can improve the environment, not only in terms of cleaning up contaminated soil, but also in terms of mitigation, i.e. reducing CO2 emissions. Global warming is a consequence of greenhouse gas emissions, and
cannabis
can reduce them because it absorbs more CO2 than trees.
The phytoremediation characteristics make
cannabis
an extremely sustainable crop because, in addition to the already mentioned CO2 absorption,
cannabis
also removes radioactive chemicals and toxins from the soil.
Slide8Bio economy and green transformation of Croatia
The concept of bio economy is very important for a sustainable economy. Bio economy is defined as the production of renewable biological resources and their conversion into human food, animal feed, bio-based products and bioenergy.
The bio economy includes agriculture, forestry, fisheries, food, pulp and paper production, as well as parts of the chemical, biotech and energy industries. Its sectors have a strong innovation potential thanks to the use of a wide range of sciences (natural sciences, agronomy, ecology, food and social sciences), which enable industrial technologies (biotechnology, nanotechnology, information and communication technologies and engineering) and local and traditional knowledge.
Slide9Bio economy and green transformation of Croatia
Productivity in all sectors of the Croatian bio economy is only 38% of the EU average, Croatia annually generates 13,000 euros of value added per employee in the bio economy sector, and the EU average is 41,000 euros.
Croatian economy is much more inefficient than the EU average in the use of material resources for the production of economic wealth, so in 2017 it was 1.19 EUR / kg, while the EU average was 2.04 EUR / kg.
Croatia is rich in natural resources and there is a lot of space for far better use of potential in the field of bio economy, namely: agriculture, forestry, fisheries, food production, pulp and paper, textiles, as well as parts of chemical, pharmaceutical, biotechnological and energy industry (biomass).
Slide10Conclusion
Full legalization and liberalization of cannabis
would
greatly increase the productivity of the Croatian bio economy because all parts of the plant are usable. Cannabis
is
bio resource for several industries: construction, paper, textile, food, cosmetics, chemical, paint and varnish industry, pharmaceutical, automotive, aerospace industry, but also as an energy source (biomass).
Cannabis
can
also help in promotion of the year-round tourism.
Cannabis
products have a high added value, which can significantly increase the productivity of Croatian bio resources.