Promising Growth for Hemp Green Building Products

As the debate over medical marijuana grows (ha ha) in the U.S., there’s a a parallel dialogue taking place over the industrial applications for its botanic cousin, hemp.

Among the known uses for this fast-growing plant is an eco-friendly green building substitute called “hempcrete” that LEED professionals and sustainable builders the world over should keep their eye on.

Using the tough interior core of the plant stalk (called “hurds” or “shiv”) and a lime-based binder, a non-toxic concrete and insulation alternative (hempcrete) is born. Could this be one of the reasons behind the recent 300% growth in the international hemp market?

It’s certainly the reason for Matthew Mead, founder & CEO of Hempitecture, to be giving the plant so much of his time and energy. His venture, which originated from a research project while a student Hobart and William Smith Colleges, is currently live on Kickstarter.

The team hopes to raise $25K to help fund the construction of a public hemp building at the Idaho BaseCamp in the “unforgiving” region of the Lost River Mountain Range. To learn more about the project, visit the crowdfunding platform or check out this extensive interview with Mead from last week.

What makes hempcrete so attractive is that hemp is (a) a rapidly renewable resource and (b) absorbs high amounts of carbon dioxide both while it’s growing and even afterward in hempcrete form. While its compressive strength is significantly weaker than residential grade concrete, structural timber framing easily provides the necessary framework for it to become a viable building solution.

But how bright is the future of hempcrete given the current U.S. federal regulations on hemp production?

Currently, only twenty-three states have passed legislation allowing the production of hemp for industrial research purposes – with Hawaii’s governor just recently passing signing a bill into action. However, another dozen have at least introduced such legislation. It’s worth noting that each of these state-level bills are unique, and for more information on your particular state’s status, I encourage you to visit the Vote Hemp site.