GERMAN car makers Daimler-Benz is looking at ways of introducing cannabis into the structure of its vehicles.
Marijuana plant fibres are being used in place of glass fibre to reinforce plastic components such as head rests.
Previously the law prevented the use of cannabis, but from this year new legislation in Germany has allowed hemp to be cultivated for industrial purposes.
The fibres, which hold small quantities of the drug, proved to be better than flax.
A statement from Daimler-Benz said: ``Hemp fibres can be cultivated without the use of insecticides. Initial investigations have shown that hemp surpasses flax in terms of performance potential, and promises to be more economical.''
The company has been exploring the idea of replacing glass fibre with natural materials since 1991.
Its Mercedes-Benz subsidiary pioneered the concept in Sao Paulo, Brazil, using coconut fibres and other ingredients in its trucks.
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