CANNABIS: Without a doubt the most notorious flowering plant that has been amongst us since the dawn of time. The plant belongs to the Cannabaceae family and can be subdivided into three species: Sativa, Indica and Ruderalis. Archeological findings confirm that cannabis was already used for medicinal, recreational, and industrial purposes in prehistoric societies in Eurasia and Africa. This is long before the ancient Greek Historian Herodotus ever wrote about the use of cannabis in the 5th century BC. From that point on the cannabis plant has hardly left the sphere of debate as it went through varying periods of widespread adoption and prohibition. The different ways of using and consuming cannabis did however stand the test of time. Why? Because history and science have proven that cannabis is an extremely useful and versatile commodity.

A particular variant, Cannabis Sativa L. has proven to be extremely useful for industrial purposes. Since the 16th century, the plants have been cultivated on a large scale for the production of sails, rope, garments and paper. This is no surprise considering that cannabis is a high yield crop and one of the strongest natural fibers. It is also anti-bacterial, resistant to rot, discolouration, uv-light, abrasion and has insulating properties. Cannabis, when composited with other materials, can even be used as a construction or isolation material. The ongoing list of possibilities make cannabis a material to be reckoned with.

Cannabis does not only win in terms of its versatility, it also wins in terms of environmental impact. Cannabis is carbon negative, can grow without pesticides, purifies the soil in which it grows which makes it highly beneficial for crop rotation. It is furthermore a viable alternative to popular natural materials with a more negative impact on the environment like wood, cotton & wool. We are looking at a winning commodity on all fronts. It merely needs a push in the right direction.