<center>https://s16.postimg.org/fno8hubyd/Ford_Hemp_Car.jpg</center>

A car made from hemp could hold the key to creating ‘green’ carbon neutral vehicles. Earlier this week I stumbled upon a youtube video titled ‘My Way Or The High-Way: Eco Cannabis Car.’ The green girl I am and with all the controversy surrounding cannabis, my attention was sparked. 

In the video, Bruce Michael Dietzen of Renew Sports Cars in Florida shows off his stylish sports car with a body made from about 100 pounds woven hemp, which is cheap, lighter, as impact-resistant as fiberglass, stronger than steel, and eco-friendly.

Additionally, the car runs on biofuel, which has a much lower carbon footprint than petrol (and to some sources, biofuel even beats electric-powered cars when it comes to carbon footprint) 

<center>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kgg0zpckGRU</center>


### Apparently, Bruce Michael Dietzen’s car isn’t as revolutionary as you may think. 

A few years ago,  a Canadian company (Calgary-based Motive Industries INC) developed an electric-powered three-door hatchback made from hemp composite, which is completely impact-resistant and made entirely out of hemp.

The car weighs approximately 2,500 pounds and has a top speed of 90 km per hour. It’s powered by a motor made by TM4 Electrodynamic Systems and runs about 100 miles before it needs a recharge. 

<center>https://s18.postimg.org/6wvwvl4zd/cfa87ea1b6cb23a8849b566de15a0078.jpg</center>

However, since the unveiling of their first prototype, a few years back, and the solid plan to take it to production, everything all of a sudden became very silent. I wonder what happened there...
 
But again, this cute little car wasn’t the first hemp car ever been built….


## True mastermind of the hemp mobile: Henry Ford


The first idea of a hemp mobile came from Henry Ford and laid hidden for over 75 years. In 1941 he produced the first prototype of the “Green” car which was made from 70 percent industrial hemp, a resin binder, and other cellulose fibers (soy, flax wheat straw and ramie). It was powered by hemp fuel made from the agricultural waste.

The actual percentage of hemp in the car is highly debatable and ranges from anywhere near 10 percent to 50 percent and more. Even though hemp may only be present for 10 percent, all other fibers come from natural, inexpensive sources too. Henry Ford was definitely on to something great.

<center>https://s22.postimg.org/c4nsrfe2p/Ford_Hemp_Car.jpg</center>

While they say the car was running cheaply and smoothly, the first ever hemp car never made it to the public. 

<center>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srgE6Tzi3Lg</center>

While marijuana and hemp come from the same plant, they are not quite the same thing. Marijuana is the smokable part or the buds of the plant, while hemp is not smoked. Hemp are fibers from stalks, stems, and seeds. Today, hemp is used to make clothing, paper, building materials, food, among many other wonderful uses.

In the forties, however, marijuana was a dangerous and illegal drug, and for some reason, hemp was prohibited too. Some believe (and I wouldn’t be surprised if it is true) that the petrol industry has something to do with outlawing hemp to stop the hemp car production and keep the gasoline flowing.

Thanks for reading. Until next time!

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