Cannabis Cultivation At Home Is On The Rise, Here's What A New Report Says

A new report from New Frontier Data (NFD) showed that U.S. home weed growers will produce more than 11 million pounds of dried cannabis flower this year. The report notd that in 2020, Colorado produced 816,000 lbs. of dried flower while generating $2.2 billion in legal sales.

NFD conducted a survey involving 4,682 cannabis consumers and 1,250 non-cannabis consumers. "Home growers, as consumers, tend to be intentional with their use and prolific in their consumption of cannabis." However, "only one in three home growers report being the only ones to consume what they grow; nearly half (49%) say that they share with friends or family," stated Noah Tomares, NFD senior research analyst.

The role residential cultivation plays in the national cannabis supply is notable, supplementing the stocks of both commercially legal and illicit growers. Most growers (62%) keep six plants or less at a time while harvesting up to three times a year (73%).

What About Regulations?

Those practices fall in line with most state regulations, which limit home cultivation to six plants at a time per person. Those who grow more than six permitted plants may do so legally as part of state-sanctioned medical collectives. Others still participate in illicit markets.

So, briefly, six percent of cannabis consumers grow their own cannabis, which translates to 3 million growers

• By 2030, about 4.1 million Americans will be cultivating their own cannabis at home
• While 7% of adult-use consumers are likely to cultivate their own cannabis, the figure goes slightly lower to 5% for medical consumers and 4% for those who purchase cannabis from the illicit market
• 38% of home growers know someone working in the cannabis industry which is twice more compared to non-growers
• Most home growers cultivate six plants or less each time and harvest up to three times a year

Medical Cannabis Home Cultivation

According to the report, registered medical patients are twice as likely to have tried growing cannabis at home compared to users who have never registered. “Registered patients who are home growers are also likelier to claim that they alone consume the cannabis they grow (39%) as compared to consumers who have never registered as medical patients in their state (29%).

“Almost half (47%) of currently registered medical patients report growing seven or more plants at a time,” continued the report.

The Future Is Green

"Even after seeing the effects as access increases, the flower's relative market share declines, and new markets emerge, it is likely that domestic growers will continue to produce their own flowers." Production is a key indicator of whether a home grower shares their flowers: "Half of those producing less than 1 ounce reported consuming it all themselves, while about a quarter (26%) of those producing 3 pounds or more consumed it alone," reads the NFD report.

Image by New Frontier Data

Established producers are likely to become increasingly efficient and expand their operations with experience. NFD projects that by 2030, home growers will produce more than 15 million pounds of dried flower a year. "Brands and growers are already well aware of the competitive challenges posed by other corporate growers, but understanding the nuances of personal cultivation will become increasingly important," the report concluded.

Photo: Courtesy Of Matthew Sichkaruk On Unsplash