Mothers in Argentina Illegally Grow Marijuana to help their kids.

Argentinian mothers of kids with severe diseases have banded together to illegally cultivate marijuana and fight for medical cannabis law reform. Despite their country’s prohibition of medical marijuana, a group of Argentine mothers are growing marijuana and producing cannabis oil illegally in an effort to help their children that have been diagnosed with diseases like epilepsy and autism. In a recent interview with VOA News, mother Valeria Salech explained that she’s given her 10-year-old son Emiliano cannabis oil since December 2015. The cannabis, she claimed, has helped to control his epileptic seizures. She said that just a few hours after administering the cannabis oil, Emiliano went from being in a catatonic state to making eye contact and smiling. Research has shown cannabis to be effective for reducing or even eliminating seizures. A 2015 study published in Epilepsy Behavior found CBD-enriched cannabis to reduce seizure frequency in 85 percent of children with epilepsy, with 14 percent reporting complete seizure freedom. Studies also indicate that marijuana can be beneficial for children with autism. A 2010 study found THC to reduce the hyperactivity, irritability, lethargy and inappropriate speech symptoms associated with condition. continue

13 Cannabis Medical Research Projects to be Funded by Israel..

13 Cannabis Medical Research Projects to be Funded by Israel. Israel’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development will be financing a collection of cannabis biochemistry and medical projects, The Times of Israel reports. The Agriculture Ministry, in collection with the Health Ministry, has reportedly allocated 8 million shekels ($2.1 million) to fund the selected projects. Israel has long established itself as a global leader in medical cannabis research. Israeli scientist Dr. Raphael Mechoulam was one of the first researchers to identify the cannabinoids cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in the 1960s and pediatric neurologist Dr. Adi Eran just last month obtained permits to study medicinal cannabis’ effects on autistic children and adults. This is the first time, however, the government has financially backed that Israeli research projects. The Health Ministry had published a call for research proposals and eventually selected 13 projects to receive funding. Seven of the studies will investigate biochemistry and medicine, including the potential therapeutic effects of cannabis on visual function, colon cancer, and multiple sclerosis, as well as the detection and characterization of new materials in medical cannabis strains. Other projects will explore cannabis’ effect on metabolic syndrome, its possible use to inhibit the development of harmful bacteria, and its potential ability to prevent organ rejection following transplants. The six remaining projects will be aimed at improving cannabis cultivation practices. The studies will explore methods for combating diseases and pests, planting and reproducing cannabis, and developing irrigation and fertilization technologies. Other projects will work at establishing a national genetic database for strains of medicinal cannabis and genetic engineering. continue

Israeli gov't to fund medical cannabis research.

Israeli gov't to fund medical cannabis research. The Ministries of Agriculture and Health will provide NIS 8 million in funding for 13 medical cannabis studies. The measure is the first cooperative effort of its kind between the Ministry of Health medical cannabis unit and the Ministry of Agriculture chief scientist unit. The studies, which will be financed through a fund operated by the chief scientist unit, will deal with biochemical and medical aspects, as well as improving medical cannabis crop yields.continue

Rare super cute dog breeds.

1) The Norwegian Lundehund is a small, purebred dog originating from Norway. The Norwegian Lundehund is known for being super alert, protective, energetic, and loyal. Most of these pups have either black, grey, red, white, or yellow fur. Their life expectancy is between 12 and 15 years, and they are comparable to the very popular Shiba Inu breed in size and appearance. 2)The Finnish Spitz is a medium-sized, purebred dog that is known for being intelligent, loyal, multi-talented, and playful. Besides looking like a tiny adorable fox, the Finnish Spitz has a number of other great qualities. They make wonderful watchdogs, are moderately easy to train, and are good with kids. 3)The Finnish Lapphund is a medium purebred dog known for its affectionate, courageous, gentle, and cheerful demeanor. These dogs are usually black, black and tan, brown, gray, red, or white in color. Not only are these dogs totally adorable, they are also very easy to train, great with kids, and known for being friendly, loving, loyal, quiet, and sweet. 4) At this point it seems like all the cutest dogs are from Scandinavia! The Norwegian Buhund is a medium purebred known for being energetic, alert, cheerful, and courageous. These pups are super low maintenance, very active, and good with kids. They also apparently make the cutest puppies of all time. more

The new antibiotics regulation for use in livestock.

The regulations require producers who raise cattle, cows, pigs, chickens, turkeys and other animals to obtain a veterinarian’s approval before using any antibiotics that also are important to human health. And antibiotics may no longer be used in healthy animals as a feed additive to increase weight. The routine use of antibiotics in animals that are also used in human drugs has been a growing concern of consumers and health professionals. The goal is to ensure these medically important antimicrobials that are given to food-producing animals in medicated feed and drinking water are used judiciously. The problem is that the more frequently antibiotics are used, the more quickly bacteria can develop resistance to them, rendering the lifesaving drugs less effective or ineffective. Health professionals and consumer groups have pressed the FDA and the livestock industry to avoid unnecessary or inappropriate uses of antibiotics. The regulation also require producers, vets and feed mills to document the use of prescribed antibiotics and keep those records on hand for several years.

Public Private Partnership : a platform for livestock economics and globalization of veterinary medicine.

Disease, Livestock Economics, and the Globalization of Veterinary Medicine offers a new and exciting comparative approach to the complex interrelationships of microbes, markets, and medicine in the global economy. 

It draws upon fourteen case studies from the Americas, western Europe, and the European and Japanese colonies to illustrate how the rapid growth of the international trade in animals through the nineteenth century engendered the spread of infectious diseases, sometimes with devastating consequences for indigenous pastoral societies. 

 At different times and across much of the globe, livestock epidemics have challenged social order and provoked state interventions, which were sometimes opposed by pastoralists.

 The intensification of agriculture has transformed environments, with consequences for animal and human health. But the last two centuries have also witnessed major changes in the way societies have conceptualized diseases and sought to control them. 

The rise of germ theories and the discovery of vaccines against some infections made it possible to move beyond the blunt tools of animal culls and restrictive quarantines of the past.

 Nevertheless, these older methods have remained important to strategies of control and prevention, as demonstrated during the recent outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Britain in 2001. 

 From the late nineteenth century, advances in veterinary technologies afforded veterinary scientists a new professional status and allowed them to wield greater political influence.

 In the European and Japanese colonies, state support for biomedical veterinary science often led to coercive policies for managing the livestock economies of the colonized peoples. 

   In western Europe and North America, public responses to veterinary interventions were often unenthusiastic and reflected a latent distrust of outside interference and state regulation. 

Politics, economics, and science inform these essays on the history of animal diseases and the expansion in veterinary medicine. read

Method of crop selection to generate millions in agribusiness.

Crop selection is very vital for success in agribusiness ,your choice of crop is dependent on factors such as adaptability, soil, light, temperature and market. These factors are key but selection is not limited to them, environment ,proper farming knowledge of crop and topography also plays a role. These tips will guide on selection of crops and also expand the study scope of farming techniques; 1) soil dynamics :The first step is to test your soil and identify which crops you plan to grow. The soil test report will give recommendations based on your soil and crop needs,you should always base plant nutrition decisions on a current soil test. Fertilizer is expensive, and soil tests are relatively cheap and the only indicator of true nutrient needs. Matching crops to the existing limitations of your soils is a smart step. Soil texture, compaction, cation exchange capacity and organic matter content are just a few of the variables that can impact the crop. Planting crops that are well-suited to your soil characteristics gives you a better chance of success. Growers can have an impact on soil characteristics through cultivation practices, by adding amendments, using certain planting methods, or employing techniques to alter factors such as soil temperature, moisture retention or compaction. However, working with a soil that already meets most of a given crop’s needs increases the chances of success. Mineral nutrition issues can be difficult to remedy and can have a major impact on certain crops. For example, boron is toxic to beans, but prevents hollow heart in brassicas. So if a soil is high in boron, grow brassicas. 2)Adaptability; Different varieties of the same species can have different nutrient requirements. Select varieties that are suited to your soil’s fertility levels, soil type and local climatic conditions. Using adapted varieties allows for increased disease resistance, and fewer inputs will be needed to reap a bountiful, healthy crop in an economically profitable manner. Most of the crops have hybrid seeds that have been locally adapted to different conditions across the country. Whether you are doing open field farming or greenhouse farming, knowing the suitable variety is a necessary step towards a good harvest. continue