Hemp is a source of a lot of innovation these days. We did a little digging and compiled a list of just a few of the top hemp industries in 2021.
Hemp Building Materials
The construction business is seeing a hemp boom. Hempcrete, as the name suggests, is a building material similar to concrete, but is made through mixing wet hemp fibers found in the plant’s core and binding it with a lime base. Other hemp construction materials include insulation, particle boards used as dry walls, ceilings, and slabs, as well as facade panels.
Two big companies in the hemp construction materials segment include Hemp Block USA and Hempitecture.
Hemp Fabrics
Hemp fiber offers an incredibly durable and strong textile that has been used for centuries as fabric material. Produced from the outer layer of the cannabis sativa stalk, hemp fabric is often compared to cotton or canvas, though it is suggested that hemp is three times as strong as cotton.
Some hemp fabric companies include Hemp Fabrics and Envirotextile in the United States.
Hemp Batteries
One particularly awesome product derived from hemp is the hemp battery. Acting as a supercapacitor, hemp batteries are able to deliver extra energy after storing energy while braking. At this time, these batteries cannot reserve the energy of a regular lithium battery, but the industry is hopeful hemp batteries will someday be used in battery-powered vehicles.
One company on the frontlines of this innovation is Hemp, Inc.
Hemp Plastics
Along the lines of biofuel, hemp bioplastics also takes a product that is destructive to the world and replaces it with something of benefit to the earth. Hemp plastics will biodegrade at an astonishing three to six months, and can be recycled. It also does not leave behind dangerous CO2 as it degrades.
Three top hemp plastics production companies in the United States are Hemp, Inc., The Hemp Plastic Company and Sana Packaging.
Hemp Biofuel
Using hemp as a biofuel can truly change the world for the better. Derived from hemp seed oil, hemp biodiesel can be used as fuel in diesel engines and has a 97% conversion rate into biodiesel. Growing hemp leaves the earth in better condition after it’s harvested, so it’s a win-win for the environment.
Though the possibilities for biofuels are great, the hemp industry has not yet found a market for biofuel as it’s still in the research stage.
Hemp Vehicles
Yes, a whole airplane was built entirely from hemp by the company Hempearth. And on first look, it seems like a pipe dream, hemp is actually a material ten times stronger than steel and lighter in weight, requiring less fuel and allowing more weight on board. Hemp makes economical as well as environmental sense, as it produces little to no environmental impact.
Can you imagine driving a car made of hemp and also fueled by hemp? The future looks bright!
Hemp Medicine
Both CBD oil and hemp seeds aid in remedying several ailments, including general pain, rheumatoid arthritis, digestion, Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, nerve damage, acne, and eczema. Hemp also produces the amino acid, arginine, which aids in heart health, and antioxidants that help regulate the immune system.
Canopy Growth Corporation recently purchased a CBD skincare company called This Works. New Age Inc. is also in the medicinal hemp business, having partnered with Docklight Brands and Marley+CBD drinks. CV Sciences sells the top CBD oil brand in the country, Plus CBD Oil.
Happy to see the hemp industry becoming the “billion dollar cash crop” that Popular Mechanics named it in 1938. It’s about time!
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