Hemp At The Winter Olympics: Cannabis Used In Track Construction

By Franca Quarneti, Via El Planteo. 
Construction with hemp derivatives is becoming mainstream around the world, and these tracks made with hemp fibers for the 2022 Winter Olympics in China are proof of that.

As reported by Green State, last year China ordered large quantities of NForce-Fiber (a concrete reinforcement made from hemp fibers) from Canadian manufacturer Greenfield Technologies.

The product was used to reinforce the concrete and reduce cracks in the construction of bobsleigh and luge tracks, and two modalities of tobogganing, located in the Xiaohaituo ski center, 180 km from Beijing.

In dialogue with Journal of Commerce, Stephen Christense, vice president of the Canadian company, assured that the decision to use hemp fibers for the tracks was due to the fact that this material would create the most uniform and economical track in the shortest possible time.

Regarding the construction industry, Christense stated, “Construction can be a conservative industry, and concrete is dominated by some very large players (...) Third-party testing by reputable firms went a long way to help us gain acceptance.”

One of the greatest benefits of using hemp for construction is its sustainability. For example, hempcrete (or hemp concrete) absorbs CO2 as it settles and is made from biodegradable materials.

Photo By Rowan Simpson via Unsplash.