The Cannabis Landscape
It started in 2012, when voters in Colorado and Washington approved ballot measures to legalize the recreational use and sale of cannabis, making these two states the first in the U.S. to do so.
Much more recently, November 7, 2023, Ohio joined the 23 other states that have since enacted recreational cannabis laws. Ohioans voted for an initiative that legalizes and regulates the cultivation, sale, purchase, possession, use, and home growth of recreational cannabis.
But what does that mean for the good people of Ohio and others in recently legalized states? When can they expect to be able to buy from a dispensary? The answer is complicated and can vary tremendously depending on the state. It starts when officials begin the process of setting up the regulatory infrastructure to oversee a new industry, which is complex and cumbersome: local control guidelines, procedures for licensing dispensaries, taxation schedule, application approval process…on and on it goes.
In Colorado, for instance, there was a period of a little over a year between when voters approved legalization and when the first cannabis dispensaries opened.
In the state of New York, on the other hand, almost three years after legalization was signed into law, there are few state-licensed retailers. What often happens to fill the void? Unlicensed storefronts start up, creating an open black market. Cannabis from unlicensed shops and other subterranean providers is notoriously unclean, some dangerously unsafe.
Now that more than half of Americans live in places where recreational marijuana is legal (check out the details), and consumers want to know what’s in their cannabis, there’s tremendous interest in growing at home. But here's the thing: it’s not that easy. Cannabis, despite being called weed, requires very specific environmental conditions to survive and thrive: temperature, growing medium, lighting, nutrients, PH levels, humidity, air flow…..just one misstep and your hard work is down the drain.
There is a Better Way to Grow at Home!
Our automated grow machine, Annaboto, does the hard work for you – you literally add water and push a button. The combination of hydroponics, robotics and AI monitor and adjust your plant’s growing environment – removing all the guesswork and enabling you to enjoy watching it thrive. You can even monitor your plant remotely when you travel. The hardest part will be deciding which strain to grow. No wait, we’ve even made that easy for you by partnering with an awesome seed company.
No licensed dispensary? No problem. Invest in your cannabis future. Grow your own at home with Annaboto, for pesticide-free cannabis all year round.
One last note of caution: legalization comes in many variations, and the rules for growing at home vary widely, depending on the state in which you live. Know before you grow!
And, if your state hasn’t legalized yet, contact your elected officials!