Do you remember the old stories that said hemp was solely for hippies and rope? Get rid of them. hempaware.com/ has been around for a long time, and it’s always been strong and obstinate. But it’s never had as much potential or faced as much doubt. When you talk to your neighbors about hemp, some may be interested and others will be doubtful. What’s all the buzz about?

Let’s take off the bandage: hemp and marijuana are not the same thing, but they are related. Hemp is less about getting high and more about getting your hands dirty and planting seeds. Farmers can grow it in bad soil, in the sun, and when it’s thirsty for water, but not as much as cotton. That’s not a little amount of money, especially because the lack of water is just becoming worse.

Think about what you’re wearing some mornings. T-shirt made of cotton? Are you talking about synthetics? Try hemp cloth and you’ll feel the difference. It’s tough but soft, like a gentle tug-of-war in each weave. How can a plant be so resilient and also keep you cool when the temperature rises? It seems like the world perpetrated a practical joke. Some people even say that your garment will endure longer, exhibit less wear, and keep more stories woven into its seams.

But clothes aren’t the only thing we should talk about. Textiles barely touch the surface. Builders see hempcrete as a blend of recollections of old mud dwellings and new, green ideas. Some people think it breathes, taking in carbon dioxide and giving off a smell that makes you want to take a deep breath and relax. Some people talk about hemp bioplastics, which don’t pollute the pond and break down in a way that doesn’t hurt nature.

Things aren’t all good, though. Laws often fall behind, getting tangled up in their own shoelaces when hemp is brought up. Regulators are afraid of the “forbidden shadow” of its psychoactive relative, so they have to deal with a lot of red tape and paperwork. The truth? Farmers need to maintain the THC levels in their plants very low. If they reach too high, the crops will be torn out faster than weeds after a rainstorm.

Hemp seed hearts and oil shine like hidden gems on the shelves of grocery stores. Put them on your salad or mix them into smoothies. They are full of protein and good fats, but you can’t hear them. Folklore in a blender, ready for anyone who wants to feel more energetic and have reduced cholesterol.

The tide is changing. A lot more individuals are asking tough questions. Is hemp merely another health fad, or is it a sleeping giant that could help people live and work in a more environmentally friendly way? Every talk, every field sown, adds to the bucket of knowledge. People who don’t believe can argue, but the proof is there. Hemp comes up in conversations with everyone from environmentalists to moms in the suburbs, sometimes in socks and sometimes in snack bars.

Pull a thread and see how many different ways hemp is woven into the next thing. And maybe, as the story goes on, those raised eyebrows won’t signify doubt anymore; they’ll represent awe. That’s something worth telling others about.