Cannabis and hemp-derived materials are increasingly being explored in environmental technologies as well as medical and industrial research.

In this study, researchers developed nanographene–manganese oxide composite nanoparticles using a green synthesis approach and evaluated their ability to capture carbon dioxide. The material showed effective CO₂ adsorption, favorable adsorption behavior and reusability across repeated cycles.

The findings highlight the potential of plant-assisted nanomaterials for more sustainable carbon-capture technologies.

“In this study, hybrid composite nanoparticles (MnO-NG/green) containing nanographene (NG) and manganese oxide (MnO) were produced by using an environmentally friendly synthesis approach, and their CO₂ adsorption performance was investigated in detail.

The conventional method was used to synthesize MnO-NG composites, which were then compared with MnO-NG/green composites prepared via green synthesis using bioextract from the hemp plant.

The composite nanoparticles were structurally characterized using various analytical methods, including FTIR, XRD, SEM, TEM, EDX, and BET analyses. The surface morphology of the composites obtained through green synthesis demonstrated a more homogeneous and regular distribution of MnO nanoparticles on the NG surface.

BET analysis revealed that the specific surface area of the MnO-NG/green composites was 629 m²/g, with a mean pore diameter of 4.65 nm. CO₂ adsorption tests were conducted at 273 and 298 K under 1 bar, and it was determined that the MnO-NG/green composites achieved 5.81 and 4.94 mmol/g CO₂ uptake capacities, respectively.

These values were significantly higher than those of NG (2.59-2.07 mmol/g) and conventional MnO-NG (4.43-3.74 mmol/g) composites. Analysis of the adsorption isotherm models indicated that the experimental data were better fitted by the Langmuir model. The calculated isosteric heat of adsorption (Q _st, 19.4-24.5 kJ/mol) suggests that the adsorption of CO₂ by MnO-NG/green composites predominantly occurs via physisorption. The MnO-NG/green composites demonstrated high structural stability and thermal resistance in five-cycle reusability tests, showing a reuse efficiency of 97%.

This study clearly demonstrates that the production of MnO-NG/green composite nanoparticles via a green synthesis offers a promising approach.”

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42110753

“This study provides a strong demonstration of the successful production of nanographene-manganese oxide (NG-MnO) composite nanoparticles via an environmentally friendly green synthesis method and of the use of this structure as a high-performance adsorbent for CO₂ capture applications. Superior properties were exhibited by MnO-NG/green composites produced using bioextracts from the hemp plant”

“In conclusion, the achievement of sustainable material production through a green synthesis approach with low environmental impact is not the study’s only accomplishment. The development of a high-performance, reusable, and environmentally friendly adsorbent that can contribute to the reduction of CO₂ emissions is another. The resulting MnO-NG/green nanocomposites could be used in many different ways, from in the lab to in industry, which makes them a good choice for next-generation adsorbents in carbon capture technologies.”

https://pubs.acs.org/acsodf/article/11/17/25730/5145806/Green-Synthesis-and-Characterization-of

Hemp protein is being explored as a functional ingredient in advanced food and material systems, but its performance depends heavily on how it interacts with other molecules.

In this study, researchers examined how formic acid interacts with hemp protein and how those interactions influence the protein’s structure, solubility and ability to stabilize Pickering emulsions.

The findings help explain how hemp protein can be modified to improve emulsion stability, supporting its potential use in food, pharmaceutical and other formulation technologies.

“Anti-solvent precipitation using formic acid (FA, 0-98%, v/v) was developed to fabricate hemp protein nanoparticles (HPNs) for Pickering emulsion stabilization.

FA ≥10% (v/v) increased hemp protein solubility from 38.0% to 86.9% by solubilizing storage globulins, yielding HPNs with tunable sizes (100-780 nm), high ζ-potentials (>30 mV), and adjustable contact angles (57.7°-126.6°).

HPNs prepared at 40% FA exhibited optimal interfacial properties, including the lowest interfacial tension and highest emulsifying activity index (∼1800 m²/g), forming Pickering emulsions with 3-week stability and solid-like rheology.

Spectroscopic analysis revealed concentration-dependent conformational changes: invariant Raman spectra confirmed intact primary bonds, while fluorescence and UV-vis indicated initial unfolding (10-40%) followed by refolding (50-98%), and FT-IR showed that β-sheet content peaked at 61% (40% FA), which correlated with optimal interfacial performance.

Molecular dynamics simulations elucidated a dynamic “besieging effect” where numerous FA molecules collectively disrupted edestin’s hydrogen-bond network via weak interactions (binding energy -3.1 kcal/mol), inducing transient conformational expansion.

This work demonstrates the feasibility of FA as a solvent system for hemp protein nanoparticle fabrication and provides mechanistic insights into unconventional protein-solvent interactions, offering a foundation for future food-grade applications.”

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42637338

“Tunable hemp protein nanoparticles with adjustable wettability are fabricated for Pickering emulsion stabilization.”

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S096399692601865X?via%3Dihub

As cannabis legalization expands, questions remain about how society should respond when minors possess, use or attempt to purchase marijuana.

This study surveyed more than 1,500 U.S. registered voters about penalties and interventions for underage cannabis-related behavior. Respondents generally showed stronger support for parental notification, community service and drug education than for jail time, while support varied depending on the specific offense.

The findings provide a snapshot of public attitudes toward balancing accountability, prevention and punishment in the legalization era.

“Background: As adult nonmedical marijuana use becomes legal in many U.S. states, policymakers have adopted a range of responses to underage marijuana-related behaviors, often emphasizing punitive consequences. The extent to which these approaches align with public preferences remains unclear.

Methods: Data were drawn from an online survey of 1502 U.S. registered voters recruited from a national opt-in online panel. Analyses assessed support for a range of consequences for underage marijuana-related behaviors (i.e., possession, use, sale, and use of false identification), with selected bivariate comparisons across demographic groups.

Results: Respondents supported penalties for using false identification (89%) and selling marijuana (84%); fewer supported penalties for possession (59%) or use (57%). For attempted purchases, parental notification (79%), community service (64%), and drug education (58%) were more commonly endorsed than jail time (18%). Several differences by age, sex, race/ethnicity, and parent status were observed.

Conclusions: Respondents generally expressed greater support for parental notification, community service, and education as a response to underage violations of marijuana laws than for punitive responses. Policies that emphasize supportive, health-oriented responses, alongside stronger adult and industry accountability, may be more consistent with public attitudes and more effective than punitive responses in advancing youth protection goals in legalized contexts.”

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42640046

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10826084.2026.2722321

Hemp seeds contain more than protein and fatty acids—they also provide complex polysaccharides that may have biological effects.

In this animal study, researchers examined polysaccharides from stir-fried Cannabis sativa seeds in rats with blood deficiency syndrome. Using metabolomics and gut microbiota analysis, they found changes in metabolic pathways and intestinal microbial communities associated with the treatment.

The findings suggest that hemp seed polysaccharides may influence blood-related physiological processes through interactions between metabolism and the gut microbiome.

“This study evaluated the therapeutic potential of raw hemp seed polysaccharides (HSP) and stir-fried hemp seed polysaccharides (FHSP) in a rat model of blood-deficiency syndrome induced by cyclophosphamide and acetylphenylhydrazine.

Both HSP and FHSP are acidic heteropolysaccharides primarily composed of arabinose, galacturonic acid, and galactose, but differ in molecular weight, monosaccharide ratios, and microstructure. Methylation and GC-MS analyses indicated that HSP and FHSP shared similar major glycosidic linkage types, predominantly including →5)-Araf-(1→, Galp-(1→, →4)-GalAp-(1→, and →6)-Galp-(1→, but differed in their relative molar proportions.

In vivo experiments showed that both HSP and FHSP significantly improved hematological parameters (RBC, WBC, HGB, and HCT), regulated cytokine levels (EPO, G-CSF, TNF-α, and IL-6), and alleviated splenic damage. Compared with HSP, FHSP produced more pronounced improvements in several evaluated indicators under the present experimental conditions.

Mechanistic analyses suggested that the beneficial effects of FHSP may be associated with the JAK1-STAT1 signaling pathway, amelioration of splenic metabolic dysfunction involving arachidonic acid, glutathione, riboflavin, and arginine and proline metabolism, and modulation of the gut microbial community.

These findings suggest that FHSP has potential for alleviating blood deficiency syndrome and provide new insights into the further development and application of hemp seed polysaccharides.”

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42629028

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0963996926014754?via%3Dihub

Cannabidiol (CBD) is also being explored as a component of advanced wound-care materials, where its biological properties could be combined with biodegradable polymers.

In this study, researchers developed levan–CBD biocomposite sponges and evaluated their structure, stability and suitability for use as natural, non-toxic wound dressings.

The findings suggest that incorporating CBD into biocomposite materials may offer a promising approach for creating new wound-care products with both structural and bioactive properties.

“Wound healing is a complex process; therefore, new dressings are frequently required to facilitate it.

In this study, porous bacterial levan-based sponges containing cannabis oil (Lev@CBDs) were prepared and fully characterized.

The sponges exhibited a suitable swelling ratio, proper water vapor transmission rate, sufficient thermal stability, desired mechanical properties, and good antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The obtained Lev@CBD materials were evaluated in terms of their interaction with proteins, human serum albumin and fibrinogen, of which fibrinogen revealed the highest binding effect.

Moreover, the obtained biomaterials exhibited antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, as well as being non-hemolytic material as indicated by hemolysis tests. Furthermore, the sponges were non-toxic and compatible with L929 mouse fibroblasts and HDF cells.

Most significantly, the levan sponge with the highest content of cannabis oil, in comparison to others, retained its non-hemolytic, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties after prolonged storage in a climate chamber at a constant temperature and relative humidity.

The designed sponges have conclusively proven their beneficial physicochemical properties and, at the preliminary stage, biocompatibility as well, and therefore can be considered a promising material for wound dressings in future in vivo applications.”

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37722631

“The biomaterials consisting of levan sponges enriched with cannabis oil are expected to be suitable wound dressing due to their highly effective characteristics”

“Overall, these results showed that prepared sponges enriched with cannabis oil might have significant potential for applications in wound healing, tissue engineering, and cell culture.”

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0141813023038308?via%3Dihub

Cannabidiol (CBD) is being explored in food technology as a functional ingredient that may help protect fresh produce and extend shelf life.

In this study, researchers developed a transparent, edible coating containing encapsulated CBD nanoparticles and applied it to strawberries to evaluate effects on quality, preservation and storage stability.

The findings suggest that CBD-based edible coatings may offer a new approach to reducing spoilage and maintaining the quality of fresh fruit during storage.

“Cannabidiol (CBD) has been shown to have antioxidant and antibacterial effects. The investigation into CBD’s potential as an antioxidant and antibacterial agent, meanwhile, is still in its initial stages.

The study goals were to prepare encapsulated cannabidiol isolate (eCBDi), evaluate the effect of eCBDi edible active coatings on the physicochemical properties of strawberries, and determine whether CBD and sodium alginate coatings could be used as a postharvest treatment to promote antioxidation and antimicrobial activity and prolong the strawberry shelf life.

A well-designed edible coating on the strawberry surface was achieved using eCBDi nanoparticles in combination with a sodium alginate polysaccharide-based solution. Strawberries were examined for their visual appearance and quality parameters.

In the results, a significantly delayed deterioration was observed in terms of weight loss, total acidity, pH, microbial activity, and antioxidant activity for coated strawberries compared to the control.

This study demonstrates the capability of eCBDi nanoparticles as an efficient active food coating agent.”

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37140618

https://pubs.acs.org/aamick/article-abstract/15/19/23834/1226785/Influence-of-a-Transparent-and-Edible-Coating-of?redirectedFrom=fulltext

Cannabidiol (CBD) is increasingly being explored in active food-packaging materials, where its biological properties may help improve preservation.

In this study, researchers incorporated a CBD–cyclodextrin inclusion complex into a pectin-based composite film and evaluated its physical, structural and functional properties for food-packaging applications.

The findings suggest that CBD-containing biopolymer films may offer a promising approach to developing more functional and sustainable packaging materials.

“To reduce environmental pollution and improve human health, developing green active food packaging materials is very necessary.

In this study, a novel antioxidant and antibacterial composite film was produced by incorporating inclusion complex (CDIC) of cannabidiol (CBD) with 2,6-di-O-methyl-β-cyclodextrin (DM-β-CD) into pectin.

The pectin films loaded with CBD and hemp leaf water extract (HLE) were prepared for comparison. Comprehensive characterizations showed CBD was encapsulated by DM-β-CD and CDIC was evenly dispersed into pectin matrix, forming the compact and intact film. The composite films showed good mechanical properties and biodegradability. CDIC film showed the highest transparency and smoothness (Rrms/Rmax: 2.6/16.8 nm). The addition of bioactives reduced the water-binding capacity and CDIC film had the strongest hydrophobicity. Besides, DM-β-CD encapsulation improved the thermal stability of CBD in CDIC film.

Benefiting from encapsulation and excellent bioactivities of CBD, CDIC film showed excellent antioxidant capacity and antibacterial activity, effectively inhibiting colony growth and maintaining the strawberry color in strawberry preservation.

This work could provide a novel eco-friendly candidate for food packaging material and expand the use of CBD in food industry.”

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38945317

“CDIC film showed excellent antioxidant capacity and antibacterial activity.”

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0141813024043307?via%3Dihub