I've recently read some posts about the new happenings in California: people getting permits issued for 7 acres of greenhouses +. It refreshed in my mind some questions and critiques I've had for a while now.
At what point is someone growing too much weed? On some level, with basic marketplace principles, people growing insane amounts of weed shuts out mom & pop growers and younger folks attempting to get started. Factor in collusion with legislators (e.g. bureaucratic hoops, costly/implausible compliance restrictions, and even limiting number of permits issued) and the problem is exacerbated.
Now the greed argument is a bit of
although, I feel I ought to add my 
quickly: if you're in California and have 99 flowering plants outdoors (which I actually think, while still a lot, isn't going too far) and you're a skilled grower with some funds, say you average 10lbs per. Even selling for $1500/lb that's grossing almost 1.5 million dollars... Holy shit, Batman. ...and people want to have 7 ACRES of greenhouses? Does anybody need that much annual revenue?
BUT, I think what's more interesting than the debate over greed (which, while I don't think people should go to jail over cannabis, I think that greed ought to be a punishable offense) is the question of whether or not people with several acres of greenhouses with hundreds and hundreds of plants - or a dozen warehouses; you get the idea - are actually even growing anymore.
What I mean by that is backyard farmers and guerrilla growers might sometimes have some helpers, but they're still really engaging with the plants, doing shit themselves, actually physically gardening. With several acres of greenhouses or a dozen warehouses the individual isn't so much gardening anymore as supervising or micromanaging workers (who probably not earning a fair share). In this sense, by "growing" insane amounts of weed, individuals are actually distancing themselves from the art of cultivation; they've, at least at some level, become less of growers and more of managers. While they may still 'show them how it's done', they're nonetheless distanced the actual growing process. Their job is less about caring for the plants and more about keeping people in line and getting logistics in order.
I question whether or not some of these folks explicitly recognize themselves as being less and less part of the gardening process; moreover, I wonder if it takes a toll on them in terms of their happiness and wellbeing (assuming that growing was something they pursued not just for profit, but out of enjoyment and a sense of purpose).
Just some musings of mine. Maybe I'm an idiot, but I can't help but think that there's something much more satisfying about being an involved grower taking ownership of, pride in, care and responsibility for one's garden as opposed to being in some sort of managerial position.
Hopefully others can comment. If this phenomenon which I suspect is real, acknowledging it might not just be good for the profession and its up-and-comers, but also the individuals who love growing but now feel themselves dispersed in the world of logistics and management.
At what point is someone growing too much weed? On some level, with basic marketplace principles, people growing insane amounts of weed shuts out mom & pop growers and younger folks attempting to get started. Factor in collusion with legislators (e.g. bureaucratic hoops, costly/implausible compliance restrictions, and even limiting number of permits issued) and the problem is exacerbated.
Now the greed argument is a bit of
although, I feel I ought to add my quickly: if you're in California and have 99 flowering plants outdoors (which I actually think, while still a lot, isn't going too far) and you're a skilled grower with some funds, say you average 10lbs per. Even selling for $1500/lb that's grossing almost 1.5 million dollars... Holy shit, Batman. ...and people want to have 7 ACRES of greenhouses? Does anybody need that much annual revenue? BUT, I think what's more interesting than the debate over greed (which, while I don't think people should go to jail over cannabis, I think that greed ought to be a punishable offense) is the question of whether or not people with several acres of greenhouses with hundreds and hundreds of plants - or a dozen warehouses; you get the idea - are actually even growing anymore.
What I mean by that is backyard farmers and guerrilla growers might sometimes have some helpers, but they're still really engaging with the plants, doing shit themselves, actually physically gardening. With several acres of greenhouses or a dozen warehouses the individual isn't so much gardening anymore as supervising or micromanaging workers (who probably not earning a fair share). In this sense, by "growing" insane amounts of weed, individuals are actually distancing themselves from the art of cultivation; they've, at least at some level, become less of growers and more of managers. While they may still 'show them how it's done', they're nonetheless distanced the actual growing process. Their job is less about caring for the plants and more about keeping people in line and getting logistics in order.
I question whether or not some of these folks explicitly recognize themselves as being less and less part of the gardening process; moreover, I wonder if it takes a toll on them in terms of their happiness and wellbeing (assuming that growing was something they pursued not just for profit, but out of enjoyment and a sense of purpose).
Just some musings of mine. Maybe I'm an idiot, but I can't help but think that there's something much more satisfying about being an involved grower taking ownership of, pride in, care and responsibility for one's garden as opposed to being in some sort of managerial position.
Hopefully others can comment. If this phenomenon which I suspect is real, acknowledging it might not just be good for the profession and its up-and-comers, but also the individuals who love growing but now feel themselves dispersed in the world of logistics and management.
