No, this isn’t a drug inquisition.

I mean, is your house built with hemp.

I have heard of using hemp for many things, from a drug to food to clothes, but not as a construction material.

Rolf Priesnitz reports that houses built from hemp have been found to use less energy, create less waste and take less fuel to heat than conventionally constructed homes. He lists building-related uses including: concrete additive, pressed structural panels, paint, foundation walls, plaster, acoustic absorption, insulation, and more! There are apparently thousands of uses for hemp, and it has a long history of usage in the construction industry.

Why, then, is it so uncommon? Well, it’s illegal to grow industrial hemp in the US.

Nonetheless, perhaps the quick and pesticide-free growth of industrial hemp will make it a viable building product soon!

:: Natural Life Magazine:: Social Design Notes