Tarpon Springs ‘hemp house’ owner an ambassador for the crop

TARPON SPRINGS — Bob Clayton’s first encounter with hemp was at a health food store where the fibrous plant was sold in bottles as an ideal source of protein and omega acids.

At the time, he had no idea of the many uses for the tall cannabis plant, which Florida farmers are banned from growing due to its association with its psychoactive relative, marijuana.

The two happen to come from the same plant, but industrial hemp’s chemical makeup doesn’t produce a high.

What its fibrous stalks can produce is durable clothing, paper and even car dashboards.

Clayton, a retired engineer, also saw its potential as an Earth-friendly fiber for construction.

The walls of his three-bedroom, two-bathroom home near the Sponge Docks in Tarpon Springs are built of “hempcrete,” making his residence the first “hemp house” in Florida.

Now Clayton has been drafted to be an ambassador for the versatile crop, which...

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