What is Hempcrete?

For thousands of years, humans have used hemp for an endless list of very classic necessities: rope, paper, fuel, wax and cloth, to name a few. However, for nearly a century, hemp has been effectively out of commission; guilty by association, shelved alongside its shorter, more potent cannabis relative.

Now, after a relatively brief hiatus, hemp is ready to make a comeback.

As entrepreneurs and innovators are slowly liberated from the archaic cannabis policies of the 1970’s and 80’s, modern applications of the cannabis plant – whether they be medicinal, recreational or practical – are emerging from the mist. Now, excitement is directed towards hempcrete, an all-organic (and non-psychoactive) building material derived from the hemp plant.

The fibrous inner-stalk of the hemp plant is reduced to chips and mixed with lime to create the sustainable analogue to concrete.  Although it possesses but a fraction of the strength of concrete, hemp is highly sustainable with a quick turnaround rate for harvest. As an eco-friendly alternative to typical industrial materials, the only thing hemp lacks now is legality.