Yes you read that right, and its not a recent discovery, hemp (a strain of cannabis) has been used as a building material for thousands of years. Mixed with lime and water it's a great sustainable building material as it grows really fast and can capture carbon, but also has acoustic and thermal properties, resistance to fire and insulation properties. At a time when the world is exploring many innovative ways to cut emissions, this is propitious development.
If only we can grow more of it, faster, and get past the negative connotations still associated with this incredible and versatile plant.
It can be cultivated in 90 to 120 days, which is 100 times faster than oak trees. It is lighter and less expensive than wood, and according to recent studies, it can capture carbon twice as effectively as a forest of trees.
