Opponents of marijuana legalization often suggest—without good evidence—that cannabis is a “gateway drug” to using more dangerous substances such as cocaine and heroin. According to a recent poll, growing marijuana in your own home can be a gateway crop for gardening.
According to a new survey, 2/3 (66%) of the 1,327 cannabis growers surveyed said that they grew their marijuana in backyard gardens and then started growing tomatoes as well.
Nearly a quarter of the respondents to this poll stated that they had never grown tomatoes before cultivating their very first cannabis plant.
Jessica Hanson (co-founder and managing Director of Homegrown Cannabis Co.), who conducted the latest survey, stated in a recent press release: “We’ve said it for years. After people taste the joy of cultivating their own marijuana, they just can’t quit.” Cannabis isn’t just a gateway to other drugs, but also a way into growing your own cannabis. You’ll soon have a garden full of zucchini and tomatoes.
After cannabis, basil, strawberry, chili peppers (including cucumbers), lettuce and lettuce were the most popular crops that people wanted to plant after growing marijuana.
The company also identifies what it calls a “generational change” in the gardening culture.
Millennials are more likely than baby boomers to have grown tomatoes before cultivating marijuana. Homegrown Cannabis Co. said that trend was most prevalent in state that have enacted cannabis legalization laws, but it was also common in jurisdictions that have maintained prohibition—requiring people who grow marijuana to do so “discreetly.”
Hanson explained that “Cannabis is a great way to learn patience, detail-oriented attention, and the care needed to produce healthy tomatoes.” They also go well together in the garden. “One for the salad and one for your Soul.”
Gardening is a great way to stay active and build your skills. And to that point, a federally funded study released earlier this year found that adults are more physically active on days they used marijuana—evidence that contradicts the “lazy stoner” stereotype.
Another report from last year found that people who use marijuana take more walks on average compared to non-users and e-cigarette users. According to the study published in Preventive medicine reports, marijuana users were no less likely to do basic exercises and strength training than non-users.
In another stereotype-busting study that was published in 2021, researchers found that frequent marijuana consumers are actually more likely to be physically active compared to their non-using counterparts.
Other recent studies have also challenged widely held beliefs about marijuana users. For example, a report last year concluded that there’s no association between habitual marijuana use and paranoia or decreased motivation. Researchers found that the research did not show any evidence of a marijuana hangover.
A 2022 study on marijuana and laziness, meanwhile, found no difference in apathy or reward-based behavior between people who used cannabis on at least a weekly basis and non-users. This study showed that frequent marijuana users actually felt more satisfied than abstainers.
Side Pocket Images. Photo by Chris Wallis.