These types of incidents cast a pall over the petrochemical industry and reinforce the urgency of finding more environmentally-friendly—and human-friendly—solutions. Industrial hemp, not to be confused with marijuana, was recently removed from the federal government’s schedule of controlled substances in the 2018 Farm Bill. Yet, despite the surprising number of materials for which industrial hemp could serve as a petrochemical alternative, an array of infrastructural obstacles prevent hemp from becoming a viable challenger to petroleum-based industries. Eventually, these same types of solutions will help the hemp industry increase transparency and traceability from seed to shelf. While the trends favor hemp, they are unlikely to allow industrial hemp to outproduce or outcompete petrochemical products any time soon.

Source: Forbes April 04, 2019 15:00 UTC