Weed is great for so many things. From alleviating pain to making bad movies watchable, there are no limits to what a great smoke sesh can do for your body and soul.
But that's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what the plant can do as a whole. Here are some incredible ways you can use the cannabis plant other than smoking it.
Fuel your car.
In the same way corn has proven to be an alternative energy source, hemp biofuel could soon be a legitimate way to fuel your car.
Do your body good.
While hemp and marijuana come from the same species, cannabis sativa, there are dozens of different hemp plants that are very unlikely to get you stoned. Add hemp seeds to your granola or parfait and you've got a killer dose of essential amino acids, protein and omega-3 fatty acids.
And with a THC level of 0.001 percent, you could eat a whole barrel and still pass those "random" drug tests.
Build a house.
"Hempcrete," a concrete-like material made from hemp mixed with limestone, can be used as a super-strong building material that doubles as an air purifier.
As the plant-based material cures, it draws carbon dioxide out of the air, effectively making it cleaner to breathe. It truly boggles my mind we aren't all living in hemp houses already, considering Hempcrete is fire resistant and naturally regulates a structure's humidity levels.
Feed the cows.
Instead of wasting precious resources growing massive amounts of crops like corn (which can, instead, be used to feed people), hemp can be used as food and bedding for livestock.
What cow wouldn't want to sleep on a bed made of weed?
Drink water out of it.
Cannabis-based plastics are the ultimate alternative to regular water bottles. Hemp plastics degrade much faster because they're plant-based, but they're also stronger than corn- and soy-based plastics.
It's the way of the future, brah.
Wear it.
Unlike most fabrics that deteriorate with each spin cycle, hemp fabric actually gets softer every time you wash it. Acre for acre, you can produce much more hemp than cotton, making it the material to beat when it comes to fabric.
As mentioned above, hemp is naturally fire retardant as well, so feel free to cozy up to that campfire.
So, if hemp is such a great multi-tasker, why aren't we seeing it sold outside of health food stores and farmers' markets?
Believe it or not, it's still illegal to grow hemp in the United States, thanks to the Controlled Substances Act of 1970. Luckily, the 2014 US Farm Bill put some measures in place to allow industrial hemp cultivation for research purposes.
And as of last year, the Industrial Hemp Farming Act was brought to the House and Senate. If that gets passed, the government will lift all federal restrictions on hemp cultivation, which is good news for everyone.
With changing attitudes and some urging from the general public, hopefully we can see this wonder plant take off in the very near future.
