In Slovenia, startup Rolkaz Collective is crowdfunding its business to produce skateboards from marijuana cousin hemp.
The “deck” of the skateboard—the main part that the rider stands on—is made from hemp. Rolkaz uses an industrial-grade variety of the fast-growing plant that is grown and processed in Europe. Other materials in the skateboards include flax fiber and bamboo. Skateboards are usually manufactured using non-renewable materials such as aluminum and polyurethane.
The boards come in a standard 28-inch ‘Drifter’ board, which sells for $195, as well as a smaller, 24-inch ‘Mala’ board for about $175. The company aims to raise £19,397 (USD25,000) on a Kickstarter campaign launched earlier this month to fund production.