Through Javier Hasse and Nicolas Jose Rodriguez.

“I envision a future where the Fords, the GMs, the Stellantis of the world take plastics out of their cars and infuse them with industrial hemp to replace those plastics and reduce their carbon footprint,” says Isiah Thomas , NBA Star, Cannabis Entrepreneur and CEO of One World Products OWPCthe largest black-controlled, licensed hemp and cannabis producer in Colombia.

While that may sound innovative, even in 2022, hemp cars were already a reality some 80 years earlier. In 1941, Henry Ford presented a prototype car with a body made primarily of plant-based materials such as soybeans, wheat, hemp and flax. Ford went even further and asked Rudolf Diesel, the inventor of the diesel engine, to develop a special, unique propulsion system for this car: the vehicle should also run on vegetable and hemp oil.

Nowadays, Thomas’ company also works on hemp car parts. According to a recent agreement with Stellantis STLAthe sixth largest automaker in the world, owner of Chrysler, Citroën, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, Peugeot and other portfolio brands, One World Products will develop and supply hemp-based bioplastic components for automotive interiors and exteriors.

Chanvre Hemp Jars, COUR TESY

according to a last reportNot only is hemp a greener alternative to traditional plastics that would help curb the massive impact the auto industry has on CO2 emissionsbut it is also stronger than steel and lighter than fiberglass. Furthermore, many hemp plastics fully biodegradablebringing their production closer to carbon neutrality.

While the hemp materials space isn’t very crowded yet, a few other companies have seen its potential as well. In Argentina, a brand called Chanvre makes the most beautiful hemp goggles you’ve ever seen. Similarly, Nebraska-based Hemp3D, which also makes eyeglasses, recently released a hemp-made chess set. And the US-based Santa Cruz Shredder also uses hemp…