Top Trends in the Hemp Business for 2021

The hemp industry is booming—and if you want to stay ahead, you need to keep up with the latest trends in the hemp business. From rising CBD sales to sustainable product packaging, 2025 is shaping up to be a year of innovation and growth. Whether you’re a startup or an established hemp brand, knowing what’s changing in the market can help you make smarter business moves.

We’ll take a look at trends in the hemp business to keep an eye on this year.

First, What is Hemp?

While the term hemp is familiar to most people, many aren’t really sure what it means. Is it another word for marijuana? Something different? Many just don’t know.

Hemp and marijuana are both classified as cannabis (biologically). But, there are many differences between the two.

Hemp is a variety of cannabis Sativa L., a plant that can be separated into male and female plants. The different parts of the hemp plant can then be divided to make different products.

The plant’s stem is suitable for creating fibers. Its seeds can provide protein, and its leaves are useful in making oils.

Hemp fibers can be used to make many different products, including:

Paper
Textiles
Rope

Hemp can produce THC, but it cannot produce enough for people to use hemp to get high. Hemp produces much higher CBD concentrations, which is responsible for its effects and why some people choose to smoke hemp.

5 Hemp Trends to Watch

The cannabis and hemp industries continue to evolve, and the future looks bright. Here are five trends in the hemp business that experts are watching this year.

1. Continued Hemp and Cannabis Legalization

Though hemp is now legal in many countries, including Canada and the United States, it is not legal everywhere. And marijuana is not yet legal everywhere. Though Canada legalized cannabis in 2019, in the United States, just 34 states have legalized its use. But, the trend toward mass legalization continues, and keeping an eye on trends in the hemp business can help entrepreneurs anticipate opportunities and challenges in 2021 and beyond.

2. Increased Hemp Farming

Farming is a tough battle these days. Severe weather brought on by climate change, trade wars, politics, and new technologies impact farmers and their livelihoods. Many are turning to hemp to save their farms. Growing and cultivating hemp offers many benefits. Hemp leaves the soil in good condition, allowing it to be grown in the same field multiple times, whereas other crops have to be moved around. Plus, hemp plants also clean the soil, making it environmentally friendly and profitable for farmers. With the increasing popularity of sustainable farming and its many benefits, keeping an eye on trends in the hemp business shows that hemp farming is likely to continue growing.

What Will Be The Future Of The Marijuana Industry

3. More Hemp Health and Personal Care Products

As consumers continue to see the benefits of both hemp and CBD, the demand for more products containing these ingredients continues to grow. The health and beauty industry is starting to cash in on the benefits hemp and CBD offers our skin and our bodies in general. Hemp personal care products have recently started to appear. Some have suggested that it is a more natural way to improve skin’s texture, fight acne, and more. Keeping an eye on trends in the hemp business, it’s likely that even more hemp products will start to appear on the market in the personal care sector in 2021.

4. Hemp Pet Products Will Grow

It is estimated that Canadians spend more than $6 billion on their pets each year—and this number is only increasing. That’s because Canadians consider their furry friends to be part of the family and are spending more to keep them healthy, happy, entertained, and comfortable. CBD and hemp pet products such as hemp chew toys and oils are becoming even more popular among pet owners. Many pet owners see hemp and CBD oils as a natural way to help relieve pet’s joint pain and other issues they may experience. Looking at trends in the hemp business, it’s clear that as people’s devotion to their pets continues to grow, so will the hemp pet product industry.

5. More Hemp Clothing on the Market

One of many uses of hemp is to provide fibers used to create products like clothing. Though I don’t think we can expect hemp clothing to take over the market and ultimately knock out products like cotton, keeping an eye on trends in the hemp business shows that the number of hemp clothing products on the market will likely grow. Though hemp is known for being slightly stiffer than other fabrics, like cotton, it is seen as just as, if not more, comfortable and can be useful in creating tops, pants, bags, and more.

Factors Driving the Hemp Revolution

Many factors are driving the hemp industry’s growth. Chief among them is the demand for more hemp products.

This demand is partially driven by people’s increasing desire to find more sustainable and environmentally friendly products. Many of the latest trends in the hemp business reflect this shift, with hemp (and CBD) often seen as more natural remedies and preferred over prescriptions or products that contain synthetic ingredients.

The economic benefits hemp offers are also driving its growth. In addition to offering farmers another crop to grow and harvest, hemp can also boost the country’s economy as a whole.

Growing Your Hemp Company

If your company is looking into selling hemp products or expanding your line, consider using us to help you create your hemp packaging. With many options, we can help you customize your packaging and even offer custom clothing made of hemp fibers.

Final Thoughts on Trends in the Hemp Business

The hemp business keeps evolving—and staying ahead of key trends gives your brand a competitive edge. From innovative product lines to eco-conscious packaging, 2025 is full of opportunities. Keep researching, adapting, and listening to your customers. For a deeper dive into hemp market data, visit the Hemp Benchmarks resource center for updated insights and pricing trends.

Continued legalization of the hemp and cannabis industries, more farmers turning to hemp as a crop of choice, the addition of more hemp products (for people and pets), and even using hemp more for things like clothing are all trends in the hemp business we should watch this year.