How the marijuana ‘green rush’ fell apart
I live on the Oregon&#x2F;California border, where a lot of growers spilled over from Humboldt County and elsewhere.  I&#x27;ve seen a few ups and downs in the market, but nothing like what happened over the last two years.  There was a moment in 2020 when more acres of weed were being grown than <i>alfalfa</i>.  Neighbors were signing multi-year contracts to rent out their water rights.  And oh, all of the terrible behavior that the rush brought with it.  So much plastic, everywhere.<p>And just like that, it&#x27;s gone.  All the big-money growers went to Oklahoma, and only a few remain.  Which, I guess makes sense.  The only reason they were here in the first place was because of the regulatory environment-- Not because land is particularly cheap or water particularly abundant.<p>I&#x27;m in the wine world, so I suppose I have some sour grapes, so to speak.  In the boom times, a single cannabis plant could throw off $500 worth of product.  Plus, the indoor grows were usually doing multiple harvests per year.  Whereas my plant takes half a decade to establish, then produces $10 of fruit in a good year.