Let’s talk about hemp cannabis. Imagine you’re attending a party and someone brings up hemp. The room splits instantly find more. The room splits instantly. Here’s the real kicker: both sides are missing the whole picture.

Hemp is the quiet cousin to marijuana that doesn’t make a fuss at family gatherings. It has so little THC, (the substance that makes you high), that it would not even make a fly buzz. This plant has caused more controversy than any celebrity on Twitter.

Rewind a little. Hemp was a cool material in the past. We’re talking making ropes for ships which discovered new lands, and writing paper to declare independence. That’s old-school cool.

Hemp is enjoying a revival today. But it’s not without drama, thanks to the misunderstood association between hemp and marijuana. In the U.S. the 2018 Farm Bill was an attempt to rehabilitate hemp’s reputation by allowing farmers to grow it again legally. They missed out on a lot during the prohibition years!

What can’t the plant do? Clothes? Check. Hempcrete is a sustainable building material. Yup. Car parts and biodegradable styrofoam straws have also joined the party. Hemp batteries are also being discussed – imagine one day charging your phone using a plant!

There’s still more! Hemp is that friend who insists you help them move because they own a pickup truck. It is an eco-hero because it grows quickly without pesticides or much water.

We still look down on hemp due to its close ties with marijuana. It’s the same as refusing to watch “Game of Thrones”, because dragons are in it, and thinking that all fantasy shows have the same plot.

I’ll tell you something funny: despite its incredible environmental benefits and uses, hemp can get you in trouble quicker than you can say sustainable. People can’t separate hemp from its psychoactive cousins.

Hemp’s future is bright (wearing sunglasses because it is so bright). We’re starting to see some real innovation as more people realize what hemp can do without the high-flying behavior of its cousin.

Next time someone mentions hemp, or any other topic for that matter at a party, share some of these interesting facts. You will either be called the most interesting person at the party or you’ll find yourself in a heated debate with your aunt Karen over whether plants really can save the world.

Keep an eye out for this green wonder. It’s quietly plotting a world dominance tour, one sustainable product per time.