iGrow Medical Marijuana: A California Growth Industry

The California economy is in trouble, but there’s at least one industry in the state that’s booming: medical marijuana.

Even though medical marijuana has been legal in California since 1996, the people working in the industry continue to operate in the shadows of legal uncertainty. Dispensary owners and growers live in constant fear of being raided by federal agents who maintain that marijuana, medicinal or otherwise, remains illegal under federal law. And for years, indoor marijuana growers have dropped big bucks on growing equipment while keeping mum about what exactly it is they’ve been growing.

In Oakland, however, things are changing. Earlier this year iGrow (now called weGrow) became the first hydroponics store to come out of the grow closet and proclaim to the world that they exist to help farmers grow more and better medical marijuana. iGrow’s slogan? There’s no such thing as a $10,000 tomato!

We went to iGrow, the first US hydroponics superstore catering explicitly to pot farmers, to learn more about the burgeoning medical marijuana industry in California.

Approximately 6.5 minutes. Produced by Paul Feine and Alex Manning.

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50 Comments

  1. Alessandro Fin on October 19, 2020 at 7:51 pm

    @SharkDude1 not the same quality at ALL!! plus u cant grow all year round



  2. NikeBlazer623 on October 19, 2020 at 7:54 pm

    been smoking for 2 years an still healthy an i go to the gym 5/7.



  3. Bane Knight on October 19, 2020 at 7:54 pm

    Another excuse to use drugs, fabulous!
    We need people working and boosting up the economy!!!
    We can’t afford to have 100,000 human-beings high 24HRS!!!
    WAKE UP WORLD!!!!!!!!



  4. Sondre7 on October 19, 2020 at 7:55 pm

    Green jobs FTW!



  5. SharkDude1 on October 19, 2020 at 7:55 pm

    Really? So what is the cost of a person just growning it in there backyard? Five bucks at the most.. Makes no sence to spend 10 grand when you can just grow the plants in your own yard.



  6. Bane Knight on October 19, 2020 at 7:57 pm

    very eloquently spoken until 2:16 — that laugh, says it all!



  7. DeimosSaturn on October 19, 2020 at 7:58 pm

    @SharkDude1 Well, as with any kind of agriculture, the more sophisticated your tech, the bigger your harvest will be. If you just plant corn in your back yard, sure, you’ll grow enough corn to eat for a month, but you wont have enough corn to feed 50 customers for a month.



  8. Newt Gingrich on October 19, 2020 at 8:04 pm

    @blogegog I recently left high school and now have a degree level job, earning above the national average. I am also getting promoted in just under two months. Don’t assume you know everything about a person just because they smoke in their spare time 😉



  9. Cason Snow on October 19, 2020 at 8:04 pm

    @jjepen21 You can be realistic about tax and regulations and still be libertarian.



  10. Weed is Beer on October 19, 2020 at 8:04 pm

    YES ON 19!!



  11. Xiampartyboyx on October 19, 2020 at 8:05 pm

    @plantlife102 does your mind limit you to only pot?? i dont think soo !! :]



  12. Howard Stern on October 19, 2020 at 8:05 pm

    Gambling is more addictive and has divided more families than pot



  13. Newt Gingrich on October 19, 2020 at 8:06 pm

    @blogegog You’re right. I can’t convince you, so I won’t bother trying any more.



  14. donotswallow on October 19, 2020 at 8:07 pm

    @MagnusIan I agree, but the economic argument doesn’t hurt.



  15. Zindar on October 19, 2020 at 8:08 pm

    People should stop obeying politicians and just live free, rather than begging for permission from some strangers that have no legal authority.



  16. Birdy Breaks on October 19, 2020 at 8:10 pm

    5:13 Harold & Kumar



  17. Newt Gingrich on October 19, 2020 at 8:10 pm

    @blogegog Keep telling myself what? That I have a good job?



  18. Len Schulwitz on October 19, 2020 at 8:11 pm

    Pot is the new bubble economy, but what a fun bubble!



  19. Cason Snow on October 19, 2020 at 8:12 pm

    @AnarchistDictator Well. Tax is better than jail. Can’t have your cake and eat it too.



  20. libertyfizz on October 19, 2020 at 8:12 pm

    @MagnusIan Why don’t you calm the fuck down, Magnuslan. You did state that pot should not be taxed or regulated. Which I said I agree but it isn’t a realistic political position to take. My comment about being realistic not making me less Libertarian should have been directed at jjepen21.



  21. FiveofHearts1 on October 19, 2020 at 8:12 pm

    The only problem with the Semi Truck growing arrangement is, if too many people get involved in that? It’ll drive the price WAY down since the market will be flooded. I wouldn’t complain though.



  22. ColorHerSunshine on October 19, 2020 at 8:14 pm

    Amazing



  23. kugelchen05 on October 19, 2020 at 8:14 pm

    thx for upload!



  24. fatalbert911 on October 19, 2020 at 8:15 pm

    is this a career choice?, i now know what i want to do with my life GROW MEDICAL MARIJUANA =)



  25. Omar Osorio on October 19, 2020 at 8:16 pm

    The walmart of grow stores I rather buy from a local shop where you really get to know the people and owner.



  26. TheIntJuggler on October 19, 2020 at 8:17 pm

    Just let people grow it in there backyard. It would be cheaper.



  27. Alpha Male on October 19, 2020 at 8:19 pm

    Well done videos! I really appreciate the extra effort to creat quality instructional videos!



  28. FatherTime89 on October 19, 2020 at 8:20 pm

    @NewBrazdolph Sorry ma’am.



  29. Rigo mortis on October 19, 2020 at 8:22 pm

    sweeeeettt. too bad for prop 19 :/



  30. coffeebuzzz on October 19, 2020 at 8:22 pm

    I have grown and used weed for nearly 20 years. Not once have I seen any dangers arise from it. Users aren’t violent, nor are they criminals. The only violence I can see, is if men in blue shirts turn up with guns and dogs.



  31. aero 8924 on October 19, 2020 at 8:24 pm

    Smart money is on Eric Holder showing up there with a few federal swat teams next week.



  32. leafwatch on October 19, 2020 at 8:27 pm

    @blogegog You blame it on the weed, but it’s clearly the fault of prohibition that suppressed the entrepreneurial sophistication and tech creativity you can see in this video. When it is legal, as in Portugal, the user rate actually goes down, people can use it openly just like alcohol so parents and responsible people are more in control, not the criminals. Our drug problems are the fault of the Drug Wars that criminalize and jail innocents while making rewards high for drug lords.



  33. Rick van Steensel on October 19, 2020 at 8:27 pm

    @coffeebuzzz

    there are a few smokers criminal . Or even addicted .
    I’ve noticed over the years that the effects on people are very diffrent .

    Ofcourse you have connouiseurs , fun smokers , medicalpeople ……………………………………………………………. but there are also people who are really addicted to it !

    It just depends on the person’s IQ .
    I would never recommend some1 smoking with a IQ lower than 99



  34. Boss Dogg on October 19, 2020 at 8:29 pm

    BULLSHIT



  35. Dr.Trollish on October 19, 2020 at 8:30 pm

    Hey stupid fuck how many jobs do you think the medical legalization of marijuana has created just in Cali alone ? Thousands… Plus the people that frequent these places all work, how do you think they get the money for the weed they buy. The only thing prohibition does is give money and power to drug dealers on the corner that shoot up the place and the drug cartels in Mexico. Ya prohibition is working alright. Working to make the criminal element stronger and stronger and boost your tax’s.



  36. Xiampartyboyx on October 19, 2020 at 8:31 pm

    how can you watch this and hate? HOW I DEMAND ANSWERS AS A CITIZEN. IM DIEING AND I WANT MY MEDICINE.



  37. L07EK on October 19, 2020 at 8:32 pm

    @sagan4win park wayyyyyy far away then. That sucks man :/



  38. neogigo on October 19, 2020 at 8:32 pm

    OMG a home depot for weed!!!



  39. st8yboy on October 19, 2020 at 8:33 pm

    it would be easier for everyone to just decrimalize it



  40. Magnum Jesus on October 19, 2020 at 8:34 pm

    @libertyfizz Calm the fuck down, libertyfizz. I never stated that pot shouldn’t be taxed or regulated in some form. Jesus.



  41. Alessandro Fin on October 19, 2020 at 8:35 pm

    thank you california for NO on prop 19 you fail at life!



  42. BONELESS on October 19, 2020 at 8:37 pm

    wtf does that has to do with anything ?? lmao



  43. groooveman85 on October 19, 2020 at 8:39 pm

    nice shop



  44. PureLiberalFire on October 19, 2020 at 8:39 pm

    Marijuana prohibitionism is IDENTICAL to alcohol prohibitionism in the 1920s. So immoral and impractical. How do people NOT know this??

    I guess: "Against stupidity the gods themselves contend in vain!"



  45. emorelated1 on October 19, 2020 at 8:39 pm

    I would love to help… No criminal record.



  46. AllForTheGame on October 19, 2020 at 8:42 pm

    Grow your own,
    visit GROWRELENTLESS dotcom for premium grow boxes



  47. AdamaGeist on October 19, 2020 at 8:42 pm

    @blogegog

    You’re not that bright, are you? I mean, that’s just pathetic.

    I directly correlated your argument to another potential argument, and explained how your argument could be used against other groups. How the judgment of ‘value’ is such a loose and slippery thing.

    So, to answer? My grandmother, the last one alive, is around 90. She can’t remember things well, and sometimes forgets how we’re related, or my name. It’s sad to see her like this, and I love her. She’s my grandma.



  48. frackin on October 19, 2020 at 8:42 pm

    I guess if the tax & reg people get it legal that would be good, but I’m pretty sure it will be used as a way to legislate ‘morality’ by the do-gooders and we’ll end up with 50%+ taxes before long.
    Great vid!



  49. HanFyren on October 19, 2020 at 8:46 pm

    Shame prop 19 failed. Would be a great stepping stone on the way to a more sensible drug policy world wide.



  50. st8yboy on October 19, 2020 at 8:47 pm

    @StylistRhymist on your own there mate