[xkcd-sucks]

Is this "hemp plastic" like polyethylene made from hemp feedstock, or is it something like reformed cellulose? And what makes hemp different from corn or soybeans in this application?

There's active development and use of biomanufacturing of common chemicals because it has the potential to be much cheaper and less complicated than existing processes.

For example, fermenting sugar directly into ethylene at room temperature/atmospheric pressure using engineered yeast is simpler and safer than converting ethanol into ethylene in a multi step process involving high temperature and pressure, hydrogen feedstock, platinum catalyst, etc. Assuming you actually have bugs that can do the one step conversion.

But if this ethylene is polymerized into polyethylene and made into 6-pack rings, those are going to kick around for a thousand years in the ocean shedding microplastics and choking birds regardless of whether they were manufactured in a biological or "traditional" process.

Likewise, if the input to a biomanufacturing process is roundup-ready soy ("worst of the best"), that could be worse for the environment than a "traditional" catalytic cracking process fed by recycled plastic ("best of the worst")

[BTCOG]

Quite a bit of difference from other plants. Hemp grows a very large woody stalk and can grow 6+ feet tall and resemble a small Christmas tree-sized pine tree in one season. Cannabis produces oils/sap much like a pine tree and these oils are super conducive to polymers. Soybeans do not, are tiny, and don't suck CO2 from the air like an air purifier.