European researchers probing hemp cellulose for use in high-tech gels
German and French researchers are studying new ways to extract cellulose from waste hemp fibers to make aerogels, high-tech materials that have a wide range…
Biocomposites
Ahead for the industry: Fiber and food, sure, but hemp will be relegated to a ‘specialty crop’
[Last of three parts] Despite the cloud that has descended over U.S. Hemp, a dwindled number of hearty survivors are sticking around, turning their attention…
Canada’s Alberta province pushes dual cropping for fiber and grain
The Canadian province of Alberta is moving fast to develop infrastructure to support dual-cropping of hemp grain and fiber through ambitious initiatives that look to…
Michigan developer cancels farming plans as investors balk over strategy
Michigan-based Heartland Corporate Holdings LLC (“Heartland Industries”) has canceled plans to grow 5,500 acres of fiber hemp this year after potential investors backed out, citing…
‘Without a large unicorn, there’s no success for an investor to replicate’
INTERVIEW: Jesse Henry is CEO at Michigan-based Heartland Industries, a biotech startup that engineers hemp materials as additives for polymers to produce stronger, lighter, cheaper,…
Researchers say hemp-based rebar could replace steel in construction
Researchers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (USA) say they have developed a hemp‐based rebar reinforcing technology for cement construction. Alexandros Tsamis, assistant professor of architecture and…
Lack of rules hinders development in Morocco’s Rif, but co-op keeps building
The Moroccan government last year passed a law that could give impoverished farmers in the country’s Central Rif a chance to give up illegal cannabis…
Hemp fiber valued for its sustainability
[Fourth in a series of recaps on industry developments in 2021] From textiles to plastics to makeup, applications for hemp fiber are quickly multiplying as…
NY bill would push hemp-based packaging for state’s cannabis products
A New York lawmaker has introduced a bill designed to increase demand for hemp-based packaging biocomposites while helping the state meet its climate mitigation goals….
Michigan company gets grant for hemp-based soil research
Michigan-based Heartland Industries has received a $360,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in support of Hemp4Soil, a soil innovation program. The three-year…
