A surprisingly robust, yet green, alternative to plastic packaging has been developed from the hemp plant–an age-old form of the cannabis plant that doesn’t get people high. The non-toxic plastic alternative is a stretchy thermoplastic that can extend up to 1,600% of its size. The material also has a high “glass transition temperature”—a quality that allows plastics to stay durable when it comes into contact with boiling hot water—according to a study published this week in the journal Chem Circularity. “Very few, if any, plastics made from natural resources have this quality,” said study co-author ... Professor Gregory Sotzing. The research team hopes that cannabidiol (CBD) from the hemp flower can replace bisphenol-A, the synthetic industrial chemical found in today’s processed plastics, because bisphenol-A is “a known endocrine disruptor”—meaning it can disturb the delicate balance of our hormones. Prof. Sotzing says the hemp material is suitable for producing transparent plastic films, coatings, and other common materials currently made from petroleum-based materials such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which is widely used in single-use water bottles, [and] food packaging. PET requires large quantities of fossil fuels ... and, once discarded, breaks down into tiny particles called “microplastics” that leach chemicals (including PET) into water, air, and food, which are linked to inflammation and cell damage.