Cannabis is a plant with freedoms greater than most commodities it seems. It is free enough that one individual can overgrow the system. Consumers seek a variety of genetics that expands into hundreds of different strains. A craft beer market can compete with cannabis’ flavour profiles, given hops and cannabis share similar terpenes; the two species of plants are within the same family, after all. Yet, brewing beer comes with thick layers of precisely timed chemistry compared to sprouting a few seeds. Growing good buds takes a lot of skills. Unlike crafting a beer though, it is not at all intimidating to begin the process of creating your own cannabis plants.
Unscalable standards – The victorious mom and pop
Producers have had objections to consumers growing their own crops, hence the scarcity of legal seeds. Seeds are still bountiful regardless of their origins, though. In fact, they are being shared in the millions. Activist Dana Larsen runs the operation, Overgrow Canada to do exactly that, overgrow the system by sharing a million seeds for free. Cannabis should always be left in the hands of consumers or small mom and pop growers. Upscaled production of cannabis just cannot compete with the quality found in a smaller garden, and seeds themselves are the originating avenue for a consumer to access true cannabis freedom.
Sustaining a diversity
The diversity of cannabis is heavily refined down to the cultivator’s choice. This is to meet generalized demands, which is now predominantly in the recreational market. Producers will keep a small selection of supply to fill the needs of medicinal patients, yet those provisions still fall drastically short of adequate. Cannabis requires diversity to mend so many different ailments – the writing author still is waiting on proper CBG strains to help with mood stabilization, for example. It is through seeds and the hunt for the perfect phenotype, and through breeding that we find so many corners of cannabis’ capabilities buried within intricate aromas.
Cannabis market won over by personalized potentials
An overgrown market where production and genetics are in the consumer’s hands is a market with an intensely personalized supply; perfect for the cannabis industry. Some smokers may reminisce over a strain they smoked fifteen years ago. Well, if they are lucky a breeder may have a perfectly preserved set of seeds from that strain. It is through propagation materials that we are given time capsules into cannabis’s past, as well as the ability to evolve therapeutic potentials. Only individuals can fully exploit the narrow niches that are found within national cannabis production.
Sharing overgrown genetics of cannabis
Prohibition partially existed due to the knowledge that cannabis cannot be tamed into a regulated monopolization. People are free to try and create their own flowers from an expansive field of genetics. Many are thrilled to attempt to grow some weed, even though there may be struggles with pests and nutrient levels. The process is simple enough. Plants can even be grown for their seeds which can be shared amongst a million consumers. People can Overgrow the system. However, as it stands currently, we can only legally do that if the plants and seeds originated from legal genetics. Medicinal patients have access to a wide range of legal genetics that cannot be shared with the recreational markets. Follow CLN’s latest series on seeds to find exactly what Act truly disbars us from this freedom.
Photo Courtesy of Overgrow Canada