City entrepreneur puts hemp to positive use

TYPE OF CANNABIS CAN HAVE VARIED COMMERCIAL USES

- WILLIAM TELFORD

A PLYMOUTH businessman is at the forefront of a construction revolution which could see buildings made out of a type of cannabis.

Rich Evans and his companies, Mirreco and Hempademics, are working with partners including the University of Plymouth on a project which could see hemp grown across the country and used to make buildings, and even cars.

Industrial hemp is a botanical class of cannabis grown specifically for commercial use, and its fibres can be fashioned into anything from rope and fabrics to building materials. The University of Plymouth has already built a free-standing classroom out of hemp.

Mr Evans, who became interested in the commercial possibilities of hemp while living in Australia for a decade, described industrial hemp as the world’s strongest known fibre. He said: “Hemp is an amazing plant, it grows fast, cleans the atmosphere and can be used as a building material. It has about 25,000 uses. Hemp rightfully holds the claim as the miracle crop of the future.”

For thousands of years, industrial hemp was used by various civilisations to make horseshoes, ropes, boat rigging, food, medicine, clothing and construction materials.