One of the main factors holding back the use of Industrial Hemp is its confusion with Marijuana. Unlike its cousin; however, it only contains trace elements of tetrahydrocannabinol or THC. In other words it cannot make you high. Despite this however, when we see a picture of a hemp leaf a smoke screen is thrown up which has prevented us from really engaging the full potential of this plant. My shirt and trousers for example are made of hemp, they are very comfortable, durable and very strong and of course… sustainable. And as you know the word for ‘shirt’ in Afrikaans is ‘hemp’ and you may have wondered why, well, quite simply, shirts were originally made out of hemp. Hemp is fast becoming a premier building material it is prized for its lightness, its negative carbon rating ad thermal properties. It is widely accepted in Europe and in the UK in particular, the government is building estates and homes using industrial hemp. Even Prince Charles, the Prince of Whales recently built a home using thermal hemp materials. Who knows perhaps Catherine and William will follow suite. This man Tony Budden and his business partner Duncan Parker are classic examples of two businessmen passionate about a cause, they’ve been lobbyists and activists since since 1996 for the use of industrial hemp through the application of a variety of innovative products. The overall aim however is to promote legislative change in South Africa.