Grow it or buy it?

To homegrow or not to homegrow? That is the question. As a semi-controversial topic in the legal cannabis industry, it might seem strange for an industry association to support the right of individuals 21 and older to grow their own products legally at home. Won’t that just cut into the legal market if everyone does this? People won’t buy from stores anymore or want weed from producers, right? On the surface that might seem a possibility, but just because people grow tomatoes at home doesn’t mean that they completely stop buying them at grocery stores. In my opinion, not only does homegrowing NOT hurt the commercial market but it can actually increase demand and create a more sophisticated consumer, who can drive producers to develop more nuanced and superior products. Why do I feel so confident about these statements? Look at homebrewing and the craft brew industry. Until the early 1980s, the most popular U.S. beers were mass-produced commodities with little or no character, tradition or culture. The industry was rapidly consolidating into only a handful of companies, making the opportunity for choice vanish along with opportunities for small businesses. The growth of homebrewing and a focus on smaller craft batches stemmed the tide and reversed the trend. The legal cannabis industry needs a dose of homebrewing enthusiasm. Many small business owners in this industry are really struggling, and consolidation is already happening. Product sales are being driven primarily by high THC numbers on the label… not quality or flavor. Sound familiar? I want to develop a strong industry built on consumer choice. I want quality products created by and sold by small, local, mom-and-pop businesses. I want an industry that cares about quality over quantity; that wants to develop sophisticated products for an informed consumer base. Just think about what homegrowers will purchase. They need their seeds and clones … and a good law can create a legal market for these from licensed producers and/or retailers. Homegrowers will also likely support other businesses including retailers, equipment suppliers, soil and fertilizer producers, and more. How wide can those economic ripples spread? Allowing home cultivation encourages the treatment of cannabis as a plant and gives people a way to engage in the legal marketplace, just as homebrewing encouraged people to purchase micro-brews at local businesses. Washington is the only state that has approved legalized adult use of cannabis but not home cultivation. From where I sit, it makes good economic and industry development sense to support the right of adults to grow at home. Lara Kaminsky is the Executive Director of The Cannabis Alliance, a Washington non-profit trade association that understands that the war on drugs has created misperceptions, mistrust and even fear about the industry and legalization. The Cannabis Alliance strives to change those perceptions, through education, advocacy and helping set the highest possible industry standards.