Can I Smoke the Shirt? And Other Hemp Questions We’ve Answered Since 2013

After more than a decade in hemp retail, we can confidently say one thing:

There is no such thing as a silly hemp question.

There are confused questions. Curious questions. Very fair questions. Questions whispered quietly at the counter. Questions asked with a completely straight face. Questions asked by people who already think they know the answer. And, occasionally, questions that have stayed with us forever because they were simply too good to forget.

One of the classics from the early days?

“Can I smoke the shirt?”

To which the reply was, naturally:

“Yes, but start with the pocket first. It’s really strong.”

For the record: please do not smoke your shirt. Hemp clothing is for wearing, washing, loving, repairing and wearing again. But that question tells you a lot about what the early days were like.

When Made In Hemp first opened its Long Jetty store in 2013, hemp was still deeply misunderstood in Australia. People were curious, but often unsure what hemp actually was, what it could be used for, whether it was legal, whether it was food, whether it was cannabis, whether it was clothing, whether it was skincare, or whether we were all just being a bit suspiciously enthusiastic about a plant.

So, we answered questions. A lot of them.

And honestly? We still do.

“Can You Eat Hemp Seeds?”

This was one of the big ones.

In the early days, the answer was more complicated than it should have been. Hemp seed foods were widely accepted in many parts of the world, but Australia was still catching up. For years, hemp seed products sat in a strange regulatory space where people were interested, businesses were ready, and the law had not quite found its sensible shoes yet.

Thankfully, hemp foods were eventually legalised for sale as food in Australia, and the question shifted from “can you eat it?” to “how do I use it?”

Much better question.

Today, hemp seeds are used in smoothies, salads, breakfast bowls, baking, snacks and all the places you would normally use seeds or nuts. They are soft, nutty, easy to sprinkle and much less dramatic than the early legislation made them sound.

Read more about how far hemp foods have come in Australia.

“What Does Hemp Taste Like?”

This is a very reasonable question, and thankfully the answer is not “green lawn clippings”, despite what some people may fear.

Hulled hemp seeds have a soft, nutty flavour. Hemp seed oil has a richer, earthy, nutty taste and is best used cold rather than heated. Hemp protein powder is more rustic and grassy, which is a polite way of saying it is very much a plant protein and not pretending to be a vanilla milkshake.

Our usual advice? Start simple.

Add hemp seeds to food you already like. Sprinkle them over breakfast, mix them through a salad, blend them into a smoothie, or add them to bliss balls. Hemp is much easier to love when it is not being forced to carry the entire recipe on its little seedy shoulders.

“What Actually Is Hemp?”

This is where our old poodle and pitbull analogy comes in.

Hemp and marijuana are both part of the cannabis family, but they have been bred for very different purposes.

Think of dogs. A poodle and a pitbull are both dogs, but you would not confuse one for the other at the park. Same broader family, very different traits, very different purpose, very different energy.

Hemp is grown for things like fibre, seed, food, oil, textiles, building materials, skincare and low-THC agricultural uses. Marijuana or high-THC cannabis is bred for very different cannabinoid outcomes.

That difference matters, because hemp has spent a very long time being judged by its wilder cousin.

Poor hemp. Always having to explain the family tree.

“Is Hemp Seed Oil the Same as CBD Oil?”

No, and this is one of the most important questions we answer.

Hemp seed oil is pressed from the seed of the hemp plant. It is a nutritional oil and skincare ingredient. It does not naturally contain meaningful CBD or THC when produced correctly from seed.

CBD oil is different. CBD comes from the flowering parts of the cannabis plant and is regulated very differently in Australia.

This confusion has caused an enormous amount of misunderstanding over the years, especially because the phrase “hemp oil” gets used loosely online. Sometimes people mean hemp seed oil. Sometimes they mean CBD oil. Sometimes they mean something vague and overpriced in a tiny bottle with a leaf on the label.

We are big fans of calling things what they actually are.

Learn more about the difference between hemp seed oil and CBD oil.

“Is Hemp Better Than Cotton?”

This one usually starts at the clothing rack.

Someone touches a hemp shirt, looks surprised, and says something like, “Oh, this is much softer than I expected.”

Then comes the cotton question.

Hemp has a lot going for it as a fibre. It is strong, breathable, durable and tends to soften beautifully with wear. It is one of those fabrics that often gets better as it becomes more lived in, which is exactly what we want from everyday clothing.

Compared with conventional cotton, hemp is often discussed for its lower water needs, durability and suitability within more sustainable fibre conversations. Of course, no fabric is perfect, and every textile depends on how it is grown, processed, dyed, transported and cared for.

But as a long-term clothing fibre? Hemp is a bit of a quiet overachiever.

It does not need to shout. It just keeps showing up, wash after wash.

“Why Does Hemp Clothing Last So Long?”

Because hemp fibre is tough.

Not “scratchy hessian sack” tough. More like “reliable friend who owns a trailer and always brings snacks” tough.

Hemp clothing has a naturally strong fibre structure, which is one of the reasons it has historically been used for rope, canvas, sails and workwear. Modern hemp fabrics are much more refined and wearable, especially when blended with fibres like organic cotton, bamboo or elastane, but that underlying strength is still part of the appeal.

Customers often come back years later still wearing hemp pieces they bought ages ago. That is one of our favourite things to hear.

“Oh Wow, Your Skincare Is Made Here?”

Yes. And we love this question.

Many people assume skincare just arrives from somewhere mysterious in finished packaging. So when customers realise our Made In Hemp skincare is made by us, it often changes the way they see the range.

Our hemp skincare is part of the hands-on side of the business. It is made in-house, shaped by years of customer feedback, and built around practical products people come back for again and again.

Hand creams. Healing balm. Body butters. Face creams. Soaps. Lip balm. Face oil.

The green jars have changed over the years, but the idea has stayed the same: hemp seed oil is a beautiful ingredient, and simple, useful skincare can be genuinely lovely.

Explore our hemp skincare range.

“What Is That Smell?”

If you have ever walked into one of our stores and asked this, there is a good chance the answer was:

“The soaps.”

More specifically, the essential oils from our hemp soaps and body care products.

It is one of those store details people remember. The smell of essential oils, fresh soaps, hemp fabrics, timber shelves and whatever has recently been made, packed, opened, tested or enthusiastically discussed.

For us, that scent is part of the Made In Hemp experience. It says: there are real products here, made by real people, with real ingredients. Also, someone has probably just walked past the soap shelf and said, “Ohhhh, that smells good.”

“Is Hemp Sustainable?”

This question has become much more common over the years.

In 2013, people were often still stuck on “is hemp legal?” Now, customers are more likely to ask about sustainability, natural fibres, farming, fabric choices, packaging and whether hemp can be part of a better future.

That is a good shift.

Hemp has long been valued for its versatility. It can be used for seed, oil, fibre, textiles, building materials, skincare ingredients and agricultural applications. It grows quickly, has strong fibre potential, and continues to attract attention for its role in more sustainable product systems.

But we also try to keep the conversation realistic. Hemp is not magic. It is not going to single-handedly fix every environmental issue while wearing a cape made of compostable packaging.

It is, however, a very useful plant. And useful plants deserve serious attention.

“Do People Still Ask Weird Questions?”

Yes.

Thankfully.

The questions have changed, but the curiosity has not. These days, people ask more about CBD, medicinal cannabis, fabric blends, skincare ingredients, Australian-grown hemp, hemp protein, omega balance, sustainability, bulk foods and where the industry is heading next.

But every now and then, a question comes along that reminds us of the early days.

Those questions are part of the job. Actually, they are part of the joy of the job.

Because every question is a doorway. Sometimes it leads to a conversation about food. Sometimes clothing. Sometimes skincare. Sometimes farming. Sometimes legislation. Sometimes the difference between hemp seed oil and CBD oil. Sometimes, apparently, it leads to a conversation about whether a shirt can be smoked.

And after more than a decade, we are still here for it.

Still Answering, Still Learning

Made In Hemp has grown a lot since the early Long Jetty days, but education is still at the centre of what we do.

We have answered hemp questions in stores, at markets, over the phone, by email, through blog posts, beside clothing racks, near soap shelves, at the counter, and probably while trying to eat lunch.

We have explained the same concepts hundreds of times, and somehow, they still matter.

Because hemp is still misunderstood. It is still evolving. It still sits across food, fibre, farming, skincare, sustainability and medicine in a way that few plants do.

And we still believe it is worth talking about properly.

So if you have a hemp question, ask us.

We have probably heard it before.

And if we have not, excellent. We love a new one.