Hemp can be processed into a variety of insulation products that are safer than fiberglass and easy to install. Hemp-based plastics are completely biodegradable. Like soybeans, hempseed can be made into many nutritious food products, yet it is easier to digest. Non-dairy cheese, milk, and even ice cream can be made by soaking and processing the hemp seed. Seed cake can be processed into a flour for making high-quality breads, cakes, pastas, and cookies.
Hemp seeds can be ground, soaked, or crushed for their oil content.
Until the 1930's, hemp oils made up the majority of resins, paints, shellacs, and varnishes. Hemp was once indispensable to world commerce. China discovered the world's first paper industry by using hemp to make scrolls and until the late 19th century the world relied on hemp for its paper. The great writings of Confucius and Lao Tsu were transcribed on hemp paper, which doesn't turn yellow or brittle, and thus the wisdom was handed down from generation to generation. Hemp-based rope and fabric dated at around 400 B.C. have been found in Stuttgart, Germany.