The Canadian cannabis company Hempearth has designed the world’s first airplane that is made from and powered by cannabis. The primary material used is hemp - the non-psychoactive member of the cannabis family. Not only does this totally functional plane run on 100% hemp oil, but it was made entirely from cannabis. Everything from the seats, the wings, the plane walls and even the pillows contains hemp. This natural and earth-friendly material had been used for numerous purposes since ancient times, but in recent decades it fell into disuse due to confusion with its psychoactive cousin marijuana. This is finally changing as people realize the benefits of hemp, and this airplane is a symbol of that change.

Hemp is economical and easy to grow using very little water. In addition to being environmentally friendly, it is ten times more durable than fibreglass, flame retardant, and extremely lightweight. Hempearth CEO Derek Kesek says: “This plane project is our first experiment with industrial hemp, and we plan to explore many other uses. Once we establish structural testing and information from this project we will apply it to other forms of construction. The sky may not be the limit.” Even though hemp is not psychoactive, Canada’s recent legalization of recreational marijuana could boost the use of hemp in that country by eliminating the false stigma that has been attached to all cannabis products.