A serving of hemp seeds fulfills the human daily requirement for protein and is a great alternative to meat. Hemp seeds are rich in essential nutrients such as iron, magnesium and zinc that our bodies can’t make on their own. Hemp Oil contains high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which have anti-inflammatory properties and can prevent diseases related to inflammation. It could potentially be a key food source for world populations faced with malnutrition due to lack of food..

Homes with walls built from hempcrete, a concrete like material with a core ingredient of industrial hemp, are fire-resistant, bug-free, rot-free, and mold-free. Houses made from hemp are exceptionally quiet from exterior and interior noise. They are also 100 percent biodegradable and can be a way to live a carbon-neutral lifestyle– since the walls can actually sequester carbon.

Hemp farming uses very little water, about half as much as cotton. In order to farm the cotton for a single tee shirt and jeans, it takes approximately 5,280 gallons of water. A hemp tee shirt and pants, comparatively, takes 80 gallons– which comes mainly from rainwater. Cotton is grown in parts of the world where water is scarce, and relies heavily on irrigation.

Hemp fibers are far stronger and more durable than their cotton and synthetic counterparts. It is the longest, strongest, and most elastic natural vegetable fiber. The strength of hemp creates textiles that get softer with age and repeated washing, but won’t lose integrity or shape like cotton. Hemp clothing is also breathable, naturally moisture-wicking and resistant to mold and fungi.

Hemp removes toxins and radioactive chemicals from the soil. Scientists planted it at Chernobyl to reduce soil toxicity after the nuclear disaster. It is a highly effective phytoremediation plant, meaning it restores balance to environments by cleaning the soil, air and water.

The basic building block of plastics is cellulose taken from petroleum, but toxic petrochemical compositions are not the only way to derive plastics. Plastics can be derived from plant cellulose, and since hemp is the greatest cellulose producer on Earth (hemp hurds can be 85% cellulose), it only makes sense to make non-toxic, biodegradable plastic from hemp and other organics, instead of letting our dumps fill up with refuse.