It was a 40-word paragraph in the middle of a 7400-word speech but it got people talking. In his 2020 State of the Nation Address, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced: 'This year we will open up and regulate the commercial use of hemp products, providing opportunities for small-scale farmers; and formulate policy on the use of cannabis products for medicinal purposes, to build this industry in line with global trends.'
This came after the Constitutional Court's 2018 ruling that SA's existing cannabis laws were unconstitutional, and at a time in which the discussions around CBD oils and medical marijuana are becoming increasingly widespread and increasingly serious - while still shrouded in a cloud of stigma.
So, when Tony Budden talks about his hemp business and his green home built out of hemp-based materials, it can be difficult to see beyond one's own prejudices. If you're stuck on the idea of a dreadlocked rasta living in a house made out of weed, you're unlikely to pay much attention to the significant difference between marijuana (which contains tetrahydrocannabinol - THC, or the stuff that makes you. high) and hemp (which contains hardly any THC and perhaps disappointingly - won't get you high).
Budden is a normal guy. The founder of hemp-based product store Hemporium, he has lived in SA's first hemp house since it was built in Noordhoek, in Cape Town's south peninsula in 2011. His furnishings are made of hemp, his shirt is made of hemp, and the soap in his bathroom is made of hemp... And that's the point. Hemp, he argues, is an eco-friendly and versatile plant, with hundreds of consumer-product applications.
The construction industry is starting to catch onto that. 'Growing preference for eco-friendly products in thermal insulation, coupled with rising use of the product as a fibreglass alternative is expected to drive the growth, a report by Grand View Research claims.
'Rising consumer preference for green buildings owing to increasing environmental pollution is expected to drive the demand for hemp-based construction materials in the forthcoming years, the report continues. 'In addition, rising consumption of hempcrete a concrete made from shives and lime - in Europe is expected to further propel the demand for industrial hemp over the forecast pe...
This came after the Constitutional Court's 2018 ruling that SA's existing cannabis laws were unconstitutional, and at a time in which the discussions around CBD oils and medical marijuana are becoming increasingly widespread and increasingly serious - while still shrouded in a cloud of stigma.
So, when Tony Budden talks about his hemp business and his green home built out of hemp-based materials, it can be difficult to see beyond one's own prejudices. If you're stuck on the idea of a dreadlocked rasta living in a house made out of weed, you're unlikely to pay much attention to the significant difference between marijuana (which contains tetrahydrocannabinol - THC, or the stuff that makes you. high) and hemp (which contains hardly any THC and perhaps disappointingly - won't get you high).
Budden is a normal guy. The founder of hemp-based product store Hemporium, he has lived in SA's first hemp house since it was built in Noordhoek, in Cape Town's south peninsula in 2011. His furnishings are made of hemp, his shirt is made of hemp, and the soap in his bathroom is made of hemp... And that's the point. Hemp, he argues, is an eco-friendly and versatile plant, with hundreds of consumer-product applications.
The construction industry is starting to catch onto that. 'Growing preference for eco-friendly products in thermal insulation, coupled with rising use of the product as a fibreglass alternative is expected to drive the growth, a report by Grand View Research claims.
'Rising consumer preference for green buildings owing to increasing environmental pollution is expected to drive the demand for hemp-based construction materials in the forthcoming years, the report continues. 'In addition, rising consumption of hempcrete a concrete made from shives and lime - in Europe is expected to further propel the demand for industrial hemp over the forecast pe...
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South African Garden And Home (Digital) - 1 Issue, April 2023