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In 2024, hempcrete was officially recognized in United States residential building codes. Hempcrete is made from mixing hemp hurds, lime, water and a binder, and then forming the solution into blocks. It can be used as insulation for walls, floors and roofs.

This recognition was a drastic turning point for the material, going from an experimental option into a code-approved solution, which stated that hempcrete could legally be used for homes. The reworked policy provides guidelines for how hempcrete can be mixed, installed and applied.

Hemp has a complicated history that explains why it isn’t more widely used today. In the 1700s, farmers were legally required to grow hemp for rope, textiles and other essential goods. Over time, hemp became associated with marijuana, even though the two don’t produce the same psychoactive effects. The Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 grouped hemp with cannabis, despite their differences, and the hemp industry declined entirely. Hempcrete couldn’t fully develop because of this, but recent shifts in legalization and........

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