Katelyn Baker
Well-Known Member
Elected officials aren't the only ones gearing up for what's next for legalized marijuana after voters this week passed a ballot measure allowing shops to sell the leafy drug beginning in 2018, and residents to cultivate plants in their homes soon.
Storeowners who sell products that can be used to grow marijuana say that in the 48 hours since Question 4 was approved, they've seen an uptick in first-time customers interested in becoming ganja gardeners.
"A lot of people now are really getting the green light, and thinking to themselves, 'Hey, why don't I do this myself?'" said John Napoli, owner of Boston Gardener, a hydroponic and organic gardening supply store in Roxbury. "Foot traffic has doubled in the store in a few days. People who have never done it before is who we are seeing a lot more of come in."
The ballot measure allows for the legal possession and use of one ounce or less of marijuana for adults 21 and older beginning Dec. 15. The new law passed Tuesday, 54 to 46 percent, clearing the way for what many expect will become a multi-billion-dollar industry.
As for places to purchase pot, marijuana shops can open at the start of 2018. However, state officials this week said they hope to delay the target date to give regulators time to formulate best practices for handling the changes to state law.
Question 4, among other things, allows for the average of-age person to grow up to six marijuana plants, with a limit of 12 plants per household. This way, they can enjoy a homegrown product and avoid buying pot on the black market or waiting a year to visit a shop.
That provision is what has many curious first-time growers coming into shops like Napoli's, with questions about where to begin.
Napoli said soil, fluorescent lights for indoor growing, and pots used to house marijuana plants have been popular items. To aid buyers with newfound green thumbs, he directs them to where to find seeds, and offers books and literature about growing operations.
"What we are seeing primarily is people who are saying, 'I have never done this before, I always wanted to try it, can you help me out?'" he said. "And we have everything anybody would need to grow their own cannabis at home."
Conversations on Web forums like Reddit have also sprouted for those confused about how a seed becomes a plant with a smokeable product.
And at the Northeastern Institute of Cannabis, in Natick, which educates people about the cannabis industry, officials have been busy handling questions from prospective students.
"The day after the election, we saw an immediate increase in phone calls and email inquiries," said Maggie Kinsella, a spokeswoman for the school, in an e-mail. "We definitely expect an increase in student enrollments."
She said they offer a "Grow Room Design" class that goes over how to grow, which can be applied to home-growing, but the school plans to expand its "Law and Regulations" class and create an advanced curriculum for the future, too.
Eli Constantinou, owner of GYOstuff (the GYO stands for Grow-Your-Own) in Cambridge, said he, too, has witnessed a steady flow of novice cultivators with a laundry list of questions coming to his business in the past two days.
"Literally overnight in online sales, we noticed an uptick. And a lot more people came through the shop yesterday and today," he said. "[Question 4 passing] had an effect."
GYOstuff carries starter kits, seed-starting supplies, lights, odor-reducers, humidifiers, and harvesting tools for small-to-medium growing operations - but not just specifically for marijuana.
"You come in, tell us what you're looking to do and how much space you're dedicating to it, and how many plants you are looking to grow," said Constantinou. "And we will take it from there."
The store also offers classes to break down the process, step by step. Shop owners say growing weed can be a tricky and time-consuming hobby that requires months of patience.
From seed to pipe, it can take up to four months to grow marijuana. And, as with anything new, there's a learning curve, Constantinou said.
"But most people find once you get set up, it's real easy to maintain," he said. "We have people from all walks of life that are having no problem with it."
To accommodate the demand for a spot in the classes offered, Constantinou said GYOstuff has doubled slots available, from 75 to 150 per week. As a promotional stunt, they also dropped the prices.
"We're celebrating Question 4. We felt that by doing this we are giving back to the community," he said. "Right now, it seems to be, 'I want my plants, dammit!'"
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: 'Grow-Your-Own' Shops Say There's A Budding Demand For Pot Information
Author: Steve Annear
Contact: 1-888-694-5623
Photo Credit: Drew Angerer
Website: The Boston Globe
Storeowners who sell products that can be used to grow marijuana say that in the 48 hours since Question 4 was approved, they've seen an uptick in first-time customers interested in becoming ganja gardeners.
"A lot of people now are really getting the green light, and thinking to themselves, 'Hey, why don't I do this myself?'" said John Napoli, owner of Boston Gardener, a hydroponic and organic gardening supply store in Roxbury. "Foot traffic has doubled in the store in a few days. People who have never done it before is who we are seeing a lot more of come in."
The ballot measure allows for the legal possession and use of one ounce or less of marijuana for adults 21 and older beginning Dec. 15. The new law passed Tuesday, 54 to 46 percent, clearing the way for what many expect will become a multi-billion-dollar industry.
As for places to purchase pot, marijuana shops can open at the start of 2018. However, state officials this week said they hope to delay the target date to give regulators time to formulate best practices for handling the changes to state law.
Question 4, among other things, allows for the average of-age person to grow up to six marijuana plants, with a limit of 12 plants per household. This way, they can enjoy a homegrown product and avoid buying pot on the black market or waiting a year to visit a shop.
That provision is what has many curious first-time growers coming into shops like Napoli's, with questions about where to begin.
Napoli said soil, fluorescent lights for indoor growing, and pots used to house marijuana plants have been popular items. To aid buyers with newfound green thumbs, he directs them to where to find seeds, and offers books and literature about growing operations.
"What we are seeing primarily is people who are saying, 'I have never done this before, I always wanted to try it, can you help me out?'" he said. "And we have everything anybody would need to grow their own cannabis at home."
Conversations on Web forums like Reddit have also sprouted for those confused about how a seed becomes a plant with a smokeable product.
And at the Northeastern Institute of Cannabis, in Natick, which educates people about the cannabis industry, officials have been busy handling questions from prospective students.
"The day after the election, we saw an immediate increase in phone calls and email inquiries," said Maggie Kinsella, a spokeswoman for the school, in an e-mail. "We definitely expect an increase in student enrollments."
She said they offer a "Grow Room Design" class that goes over how to grow, which can be applied to home-growing, but the school plans to expand its "Law and Regulations" class and create an advanced curriculum for the future, too.
Eli Constantinou, owner of GYOstuff (the GYO stands for Grow-Your-Own) in Cambridge, said he, too, has witnessed a steady flow of novice cultivators with a laundry list of questions coming to his business in the past two days.
"Literally overnight in online sales, we noticed an uptick. And a lot more people came through the shop yesterday and today," he said. "[Question 4 passing] had an effect."
GYOstuff carries starter kits, seed-starting supplies, lights, odor-reducers, humidifiers, and harvesting tools for small-to-medium growing operations - but not just specifically for marijuana.
"You come in, tell us what you're looking to do and how much space you're dedicating to it, and how many plants you are looking to grow," said Constantinou. "And we will take it from there."
The store also offers classes to break down the process, step by step. Shop owners say growing weed can be a tricky and time-consuming hobby that requires months of patience.
From seed to pipe, it can take up to four months to grow marijuana. And, as with anything new, there's a learning curve, Constantinou said.
"But most people find once you get set up, it's real easy to maintain," he said. "We have people from all walks of life that are having no problem with it."
To accommodate the demand for a spot in the classes offered, Constantinou said GYOstuff has doubled slots available, from 75 to 150 per week. As a promotional stunt, they also dropped the prices.
"We're celebrating Question 4. We felt that by doing this we are giving back to the community," he said. "Right now, it seems to be, 'I want my plants, dammit!'"
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: 'Grow-Your-Own' Shops Say There's A Budding Demand For Pot Information
Author: Steve Annear
Contact: 1-888-694-5623
Photo Credit: Drew Angerer
Website: The Boston Globe
