Search results

Following the trend in the world over and on the African continent, the Parliament of Ghana passed a new law in 2020, the Narcotics Control Commission Act (Act 1019) that eased the legal restrictions on cannabis cultivation and use, subject to obtaining license from the relevant authority/authorities. This paper aims to examine the implications of Ghana’s decision to legalise the cultivation of cannabis for industrial purposes for the production of fibre and for medicinal purposes.

The author adopted the qualitative analysis critical review methodology in sourcing information from peer-reviewed articles, coupled with the author’s own professional knowledge, background and training, to critically analyse and review the reasons behind Ghana’s decision to legalise cannabis cultivation and the implications such a major policy change/shift.

It was found that, while the law mentions industrial and medicinal purposes for the legalisation of cannabis, the real reason, at least in the immediate term, is mainly economic. This agrees with those of other African countries that have legalised cannabis cultivation but appears to contrast with those of Europe and America.

This research is limited to Ghana and the few African countries that have legalised cannabis cultivation so far. The main reason for the legalisation (economic benefits) may also change in the future when the economics of scale turn in the favour of the country. Therefore, Ghana’s case may not represent the case of all countries legalising cannabis cultivation.

The research implication of this paper is that it brings to the world the law on cannabis cultivation in Ghana. It provides a professional and scientific position paper on Ghana’s drug law regime regarding cannabis, thus, serving as a useful reference literature to the academic and research community on the topic. More importantly, it discusses the implications of such major policy change from an objective perspective, unravelling the real reason behind the State’s decision to legalise the cultivation of cannabis in Ghana.

This paper will bring to the fore the other consequences of Ghana’s cannabis cultivation legalisation policy change, which little attention has been devoted to so far.

This paper, apart from reference to other published texts on the topic, which have been duly acknowledged, represents the sole work of the author. It has not been produced anywhere or by anyone else either in Ghana or elsewhere.

This review aimed to identify and map published studies on self-care practices to manage common acute health conditions in the Philippines.

The authors conducted a scoping review in PubMed, Scopus, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), ProQuest Central, Journal Storage (JSTOR) and the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development – Health Research and Development Information Network (HERDIN). The authors included all studies on self-care practices to manage common acute conditions, namely low back pain, allergic rhinitis, general acute pain, cough, cold, diarrhea, constipation and stress, published up to 2021 in the Philippines. Information on the article type, aim of the study, study design and setting, population characteristics and size, and self-practices employed for the conditions were extracted and synthesized.

The authors identified various self-care practices for acute conditions among the general population and indigenous peoples in the Philippines from 26 studies included in the review: the use of medicines with and without a prescription, appropriate and inappropriate antibiotic use, use of medicinal plants and other traditional and alternative therapies and products, recreational activities and healthy habits and behaviors, and self-management or seeking care from traditional healers (albularyo or manggagamot) or health professionals. A number of considerations influenced their decision on how to manage symptoms, including perceived severity of the condition, availability and perceived effectiveness of treatment, cost, and advice from trusted sources of health information.

The authors searched five major databases and a local research database, but some studies may still have been missed in the review. The review also excluded intervention studies on the outcomes of self-care, which limits the authors' ability to make conclusions on the effectiveness of the different modalities of self-care.

Filipinos engage in a variety of “safe” (or evidence-informed) and “unsafe” (or harmful) self-care practices. While the term “self-care” is not routinely used by the general population and health providers, it is widely enculturated and practiced in the Philippines. Self-care benefits individuals and the health system, but there are also practices that increase risk of adverse outcomes and death including inappropriate antibiotic use, prescription sharing and reuse, and delays in seeking adequate treatment from a health professional. To leverage on self-care in advancing Universal Health Coverage (UHC) goals, the authors recommend a national strategy that provides guidance on how to practice responsible self-care, further research on the effectiveness and safety of alternative medicine and other priority areas, and better integration of self-care in the formal education and health systems. The authors also propose that the research agenda on self-care include acute health conditions, given their impact and burden on health and the economy.

This is the first published review of self-care practices for managing common acute health conditions, which captured practices of various groups and populations including indigenous peoples.

A shared set of moral standards, ethical principles and behavioral norms of social structure can be referred to as culture. Many health problems are strongly influenced by one’s cultural background. The purpose of the paper is to examine the scientific explanation of indigenous norms and practice of health healing.

This qualitative study considered in-person interviews to know the Tribals’ indigenous healing practice in Bangladesh. A focus group discussion with five tribal students was conducted to form a baseline on Tribals’ norms, rituals and information-sharing behavior. Around 35 tribal students were interviewed to find out their healing practices, norms and rituals on health issues. All these practicing indigenous knowledge were documented instantly. Peer-reviewed scientific papers from renowned databases were searched to have scientific evidence on each case. All the studies having negative or positive evidence were mentioned with each case.

The findings showed more indigenous knowledge with scientific disagreements on health aspects among the Tribals’ health practice in Bangladesh. However, the positive impact of such knowledge is not negligible. Therefore, showcasing the scientific tribals’ indigenous knowledge to a global audience is a strong recommendation.

Health and health care-seeking behavior among the tribal population in Bangladesh is not a new area of research, few studies have focused on the context, reasons and choices in patterns of health care-seeking behavior; obstacles and challenges faced in accessing health-care provision in the tribal areas in the country. However, research attempts to show the relationship between ecological knowledge and scientific indication is new in nature.

The pharmaceutical industry is one of the most essential areas of health in any country. It is defined as a system of processes, operations and organizations involved in discovering, developing and producing drugs. The supply chain in the pharmaceutical field is one of the most important strategic issues in the pharmaceutical and health-care industries. The purpose of this study is to reduce the total cost of the supply chain network and reduce the amount of distribution scheduling.

In this study, the authors designed a drug supply chain network with uncertainty-related corruption. The optimal number and location of potential facilities, the optimal allocation of flow between facilities, the optimal routing of vehicles and the optimal amount of inventory in production and distribution center warehouses were determined to achieve these two objective functions.

In evaluating the small sample size problem, it was found that the comprehensive benchmarking method was more efficient than the other methods in obtaining the mean index of the first objective function. The utility function method has also proved its efficiency in obtaining the mean of the second objective function indices, the spacing index and the computational time. Because of the inefficiency of GAMS software in resolving size issues, the modified NSGA II and MOPSO algorithms with modified priority-based encryption have been used. First, using the Taguchi method, the initial parameters of the metaheuristic algorithms are adjusted, and then, 15 sample problems are designed in larger sizes. To avoid generating random data, five problems were equally designed, and the averages of objective functions and metrics of met heuristic algorithms (number of efficient solutions, maximum expansion index, spacing index and computational time) were analyzed as the basis of evaluation and comparison. Therefore, using all the indicators and results of the NSGA II algorithm is recommended.

In this research, a biobjective modeling approach is proposed to minimize the total costs of the supply chain network (construction costs, storage costs and product transportation costs between centers) and advertising costs and to minimize distribution and transportation scheduling across each level of the supply chain network.

Cannabis use continues to increase worldwide, and a number of nation states are changing their cannabis policies. Policy changes require research into key populations, namely, people who use cannabis. This study aims to examine sociodemographic differences of young Finns who reported using cannabis mainly for self-medication versus mainly recreationally, as well as their reported effects of cannabis use.

The data come from an anonymous online survey (N = 247, 70.0% males, 25.9% females, 4.1% other) that was analysed using multiple logistic regression. The authors focused on whether various demographic indicators differed between those who reportedly used cannabis mainly for recreational purposes and mainly for self-medicinal purposes. The authors also qualitatively examined the respondents’ experienced effects of cannabis, both desired and undesired.

Being older and female, living in a smaller city and earlier age of initiation of cannabis use were statistically significant in predicting the medicinal use of cannabis. The majority of recreational effects were related to themes such as relaxation and pleasure, but many participants also reported desired medical effects. Similarly, many participants reported several undesired effects.

Understanding especially young people’s motivations to use cannabis, which include using it for various medical effects, can improve the design of harm reduction and treatment programmes as well as enhance the well-being of people who use cannabis.

This study gives a nuanced account of sociodemographic factors and motivations of young people who use cannabis in Finland as well as the reported effects it has on them, which complements data from national drug surveys.

The present work highlights the outstanding properties of Cannabis sativa that can be harnessed for various utilitarian functions and its climate friendly properties.

In this paper, the authors reviewed current research on all possible utilities from household work to manufacturing of various products that are environmentally sustainable. The authors have presented some of their research on this materials and also exploration of hemp as an archaeological material based on the findings from wall paintings of Ellora caves.

There are references of hemp use in mixing with earthen/lime plaster of western Indian monuments. Around 1,500 years of Ellora’s earthen plaster, despite harsh climatic conditions, survived due to the presence of hemp in the plaster that adds durability, fibrosity and its capacity to ward off insects and control humidity. Furthermore, the outstanding quality of Cannabis as carbon sequestrant was harnessed by Indians of ancient times in Ellora mural paintings.

This work discusses some relevant literature on the potential use of hempcrete aligned with Agenda 2030 of sustainable development goals.

There are several research going on in producing sustainable materials using hemp that have the least environmental impact and can provide eco-friendly solutions.

The authors impress upon the readers about multifarious utility of the hemp and advices for exploration of this material to address many environmental issues.

This paper presents both review of the existing papers and some components coming directly from their laboratory investigations.

This study assesses the SDG-related well-being of indigenous communities in India using bibliometric analysis and the ADO-TCM framework. It provides insights into their alignment with sustainable development objectives.

This study analysed 74 high-impact journals using bibliometric analysis to evaluate the well-being of India’s indigenous peoples about the SDGs.

This study analyses the well-being of tribal communities in India using existing scholarly articles and the ADO-TCM framework. It emphasises the importance of implementing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to promote the well-being of indigenous populations.

This study uses bibliometric analysis and the ADO-TCM framework to investigate factors impacting tribal community welfare. It proposes theoretical frameworks, contextual considerations and research methodologies to achieve objectives.

This study acclaims the social entrepreneurship based on cow rearing experiential tourism in Himachal Pradesh. This study aims to illustrate the role of indigenous cows in the Indian society, especially in the Northern Mountain regions by taking Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh as an exemplar. This study highlights the relevance of experiential tourism that elucidates on the basis of cow tourism pertaining to health, mental and spiritual rejuvenation. Lastly, the paper is an attempt to integrate social entrepreneurship and cow tourism highlighting the relevance of experiential economy in empowering the local community.

The case study elucidates on the whence of Swadeshi Kamdhenu Gaushala (SKG), an initiative of Mr Rishi Dogra and Mr Rajesh Dogra, their immaculate micro-management and its benefits to the local community. It highlights how SKG is uplifting the socio-economic standards of the local villagers and providing a distinctive learning experience of indigenous knowledge to visitors. This study is qualitative in nature that uses narrative analysis of secondary data to recognise the importance of indigenous Indian cows, and case study analysis of interviews of SKG proprietors to understand the micro-management, production of organic products and community engagement in their social entrepreneurship.

The SKG is not only helping the local community in their livelihood but also creating value and positioning to the place on the tourist map. This study sheds some light on the importance of cow products in sectors such as agriculture, green energy and for human health and nutrition. The study also crystallizes the challenges faced by the cow rearers, at last the paper sorted out the benefits of cow tourism and how it can result in community empowerment and development.

The case study on SKG helps us in understanding the importance of social entrepreneurs in community empowerment and also the intervention of tourism in the sector that can bring new and different vertical to the tourism industry with experiential learning of the tourist, which results in knowledge sharing about the benefits of Indian cows and helps in creating and placing such destinations on tourist maps. This study attempts towards contributing to the existing knowledge, highlighting the benefits of social entrepreneurship and cow tourism for the society in general and local community in particular.

This paper aims to examine the friction that has surfaced since the adoption of policy measures restricting access to tramadol, a synthetic opioid, in Nigeria in 2018. Our analysis reveals how non-licensed pharmaceutical actors, who have played an integral part in the supply chain, have been criminalised for activities that have previously been sanctioned by the state. This criminalisation has given rise to friction between what is perceived as illegal by the state and what is acceptable for other actors in the tramadol economy.

The paper is based on more than 20 in-depth interviews with illicit actors and regulators in the tramadol economy in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial centre, and a review of key policy documents, media reports and popular cultural outputs on tramadol.

The paper highlights the effects of prohibitionist policies and the voices of criminalised actors to provide a contextual view of the Nigerian tramadol economy. Relying on the concepts of friction and quasilegality, we show how social relationships have become the main backbone of the illicit tramadol economy and how they enable participants to resolve the pervasive friction between illegality and social acceptability of tramadol.

This paper provides an inside understanding of the nuances of the rarely studied illicit trade in synthetic opioids and how restrictive policies that are seemingly not well thought through have created friction in the Nigerian context.

This study aims to characterize the properties of natural cellulose fiber from the pseudo-stems of the curcuma zedoaria plant.

The fiber was extracted using the biological retting process (cold-water retting). The intrinsic fiber properties obtained were used to evaluate the possibility of using fiber for textile applications.

The average length of a curcuma zedoaria fiber was 34.77 cm with a fineness value of 6.72 Tex. A bundle of curcuma zedoaria fibers was comprised of many elementary fibers. Curcuma zedoaria had an irregular cross-section, with the lumen having a varied oval shape. Curcuma zedoaria fibers had tenacity and elongation value of 3.32 gf/denier and 6.95%, respectively. Curcuma zedoaria fibers had a coefficient of friction value of 0.46. Curcuma zedoaria fibers belong to a hygroscopic fiber type with a moisture regain value of 10.29%.

Extraction and Characterization of Curcuma zedoaria Pseudo-stems Fibers for Textile Application.