The resurgence of Cannabis sativa L. (industrial hemp) has great potential to support the robust circular economy systems suitable for sustainable agriculture development. Traditionally, industrial hemp has been largely produced for industrial and medicinal purposes. However, the crop suffered an unfair blanket ban during the greater part of the 20th century after it was classified as a drug crop. While it is true that some varieties are psychoactive, there exist other varieties with low tetrahydrocannabinol concentration (&lt;1%). Hemp exhibits several characteristics that support circularity. Of note are its biological characteristics, versatility and effective resource utilization. This review focuses on the role of industrial hemp in a circular economy. The crop has the potential for whole-plant utilization, high efficiency in utilization of production resources and environmental sustainability. It is a good source of biodegradable polymers, thus offering a crucial source of renewable energy alternatives to petroleum-based fuel, minimizing greenhouse gas emissions, pollution and unsustainable dependence on fossil resources. The crop requires less water, fertilizers and is highly adaptable to diverse environments, thus making it a crop perfectly suitable for climate-smart agriculture. It has considerable carbon sequestration potential, making it a good candidate crop for phytoremediation of contaminated soils. Hemp can contribute to rural development through employment creation and crop diversification.&nbsp; However, despite these benefits, several bottlenecks for its adoption persist including difficult licensing frameworks, inappropriate processing infrastructure and low consumer awareness that retard market uptake. Overall, there is still great potential of sustainable economic transformation. 
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The Dynamics of Industrial Hemp within Circular Economy Systems: A Review