Hemp is used for food (hulled seeds, seed oil and protein powder), fiber (textiles, rope, paper and composite materials), building materials such as hempcrete, animal bedding and absorbents, and flower that is processed into CBD and other cannabinoid products. In the United States today, flower brings in most of the money: USDA figures for 2025 put floral hemp at $574 million of the crop’s $739 million total value, while fiber was worth about $13.5 million.
Hemp is the same species as marijuana, Cannabis sativa, bred and regulated for very low THC. It has been called “the plant of 30,000 uses,” and while that number is a slogan rather than a count, the plant really does supply three distinct raw materials: seed, stalk and flower. This guide explains what each part becomes, where the real market is, and what the 2025 federal law change means for hemp in 2026.
Hemp Uses at a Glance
| Plant part | Main products | Status in the U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Seed (grain) | Hulled hemp seed (“hemp hearts”), hemp seed oil, protein powder, animal feed research | Hulled seed, protein powder and oil cleared by FDA for food in 2018 |
| Bast fiber (outer stalk) | Textiles, rope and twine, specialty paper, insulation, auto-part composites | Small but growing; processing capacity is the bottleneck |
| Hurd (woody inner core) | Hempcrete, animal bedding, absorbents, particleboard | Hempcrete is in the 2024 model residential code as an appendix |
| Flower and leaves | CBD oils and other cannabinoid products, smokable hemp flower | Largest share of value; directly affected by the 2025 law change |
| Whole plant | Bioplastics, biofuel, soil-improving rotation crop | Mostly research and niche products |
What Makes Hemp “Hemp”?
Under the 2018 Farm Bill, hemp is Cannabis sativa with no more than 0.3% delta-9 THC by dry weight. Anything above that is marijuana under federal law. Fiber and grain varieties are bred for tall stalks or heavy seed heads and contain very little THC, which is why industrial hemp does not get anyone high.
That definition is changing. A federal funding law signed November 12, 2025 counts total THC (including THCA) and sets tight limits for finished products, with key provisions taking effect in November and December 2026. The changes hit intoxicating hemp products and high-THCA flower hardest; seed, fiber and hurd uses are not the target. Our federal laws page and hemp flower guide lay out the dates.
Food: Hemp Seed and Oil
Hemp seed is the most familiar consumer use. In December 2018, the FDA completed its review of three GRAS notices for hulled hemp seed, hemp seed protein powder and hemp seed oil, with no questions about their safety as food. The agency notes these ingredients contain only trace THC and CBD and cannot make anyone high.
Nutritionally, hulled hemp seed is dense. USDA’s FoodData Central entry lists, per 100 grams:
- About 553 calories
- 31.6 grams of protein
- 48.8 grams of fat, most of it polyunsaturated
- About 27 grams of linoleic acid (omega-6) and about 9 grams of alpha-linolenic acid (omega-3), roughly a 3-to-1 ratio
- 700 milligrams of magnesium
A three-tablespoon serving (about 30 grams) therefore supplies roughly 9 grams of protein. Hemp seed oil is used in salad dressings, supplements and cosmetics. You will sometimes read that hemp is the only plant with all essential amino acids. That is a myth: soy, quinoa and others qualify too.
Hemp seed products are not CBD products. CBD comes from the flower, and the FDA has not approved adding CBD to food.
Fiber: Textiles, Rope and Paper
Hemp’s long bast fibers made rope, sailcloth and canvas for centuries. Today they go into clothing (often blended with cotton), twine, specialty papers such as cigarette and rolling papers, nonwoven mats, insulation and molded composite panels used in some car interiors.
Hemp fiber is strong and durable, but turning stalks into fine textile fiber requires retting and decortication equipment that the U.S. largely lost after hemp was outlawed. That is the main reason domestic fiber remains small. USDA’s 2025 National Hemp Report counted 21,693 acres harvested for fiber, producing 67.3 million pounds worth about $13.5 million.
Hemp paper does not need decades of tree growth, since the plant matures in a single season, but it is costlier to make than wood pulp, so it stays in niche markets. One persistent myth: the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were not written on hemp paper. Both are on parchment, made from animal skin.
Building: Hempcrete and Hurd
The woody core of the stalk, called hurd or shiv, mixes with a lime binder to make hemp-lime, or hempcrete. It is a lightweight, insulating, non-load-bearing wall infill, typically cast around a timber frame. It is not a replacement for structural concrete.
The International Code Council added Appendix BL, Hemp-Lime (Hempcrete) Construction, to the 2024 International Residential Code. Appendices apply only where a state or city adopts them, so check locally. In Washington, adoption of Appendix BL was proposed to the State Building Code Council in 2026 and was still pending when we checked.
Hurd is also sold as highly absorbent animal bedding for horses and poultry, and as garden mulch.
Flower: CBD and Cannabinoids
Most U.S. hemp is now grown for its flower, which is extracted for CBD and other cannabinoids or sold as smokable hemp flower. USDA put the 2025 floral crop at 16,880 acres and $574 million, about three-quarters of all hemp value. That concentration is why the 2025 federal change matters so much to growers: products made from flower carry the most regulatory risk. For what the research does and does not show about CBD, see our guide to what CBD helps.
Fuel, Plastics and the Environment
Hemp biomass can be made into ethanol, its seed oil into biodiesel, and its fibers into bioplastic composites. These are real uses, but none is a large commercial market in the U.S. today, and claims that hemp could replace fossil fuels are not supported by production data.
Older hemp boosterism also claimed the crop needs no pesticides and enriches any soil. Treat those claims with care: hemp has pests and diseases like any crop, and its environmental footprint depends on how it is grown, retted and processed.
A Short History of American Hemp
- Colonial era to 1800s: hemp was a staple crop for rope, sailcloth and canvas.
- 1937: the Marihuana Tax Act made growing hemp expensive and bureaucratic, and production collapsed.
- 1942: during World War II, the USDA briefly urged farmers to grow hemp for military rope with its film “Hemp for Victory.”
- 1970: the Controlled Substances Act treated hemp the same as marijuana.
- 2000s and 2010s: farm-state and libertarian politicians, including Rep. Ron Paul, pushed bills to separate industrial hemp from marijuana.
- 2014: the Farm Bill allowed state hemp research and pilot programs. Colorado, Kentucky, Oregon and other states began licensing growers.
- 2018: the Farm Bill removed hemp from the Controlled Substances Act.
- 2025 to 2026: Congress tightened the hemp definition to close the intoxicating-hemp loophole.
For how marijuana itself is regulated, see our state law index and the guides for Washington and Oregon.
Uses of Hemp FAQ
What is hemp used for?
Food (seeds, oil, protein powder), fiber (textiles, rope, paper, composites), building material (hempcrete), animal bedding, and flower processed into CBD products.
Can you get high from hemp?
Not from hemp seed, fiber or industrial varieties, which contain very little THC. Some hemp flower and hemp-derived products have been bred or processed to be intoxicating, which the 2025 federal law change targets.
What is the difference between hemp and marijuana?
Both are Cannabis sativa. Federally, hemp has no more than 0.3% delta-9 THC by dry weight; marijuana has more. The new federal definition counts total THC.
Is hemp seed good for you?
It is a nutrient-dense food. USDA lists 31.6 grams of protein and 48.8 grams of mostly polyunsaturated fat per 100 grams of hulled seed. It is high in calories, so portions matter.
Is hempcrete legal to build with?
Hemp-lime construction is an appendix in the 2024 International Residential Code, but it applies only where your state or city adopts it. Ask your local building department.
Was the Constitution written on hemp paper?
No. The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are written on parchment. Hemp was common in early American paper and rope, which is likely where the myth started.
More background is in Cannabis 101. For hemp rolling papers, see our hemp cone guide.
For adults 21+ in legal states. General information, not medical advice.
