Sunshine Coast soil has been frost-free since early March, and climate change notwithstanding, the traditional seasonal arc of greenthumbery means the hopeful seeds of spring are germinating in many a garden.
Supplying those gardens with fertilizer, earth, pesticides and more are the Coast’s nurseries, and by the start of May, many are awash in sales.
This spring, I presumed there would be an extra buzz in the air, since for the first time, gardeners can sow weed seeds, legally.
The new federal legislation, in effect since last October, authorizes adults to grow a maximum of four cannabis plants per household (as long as your home isn’t a daycare, and the plants aren’t visible from public locations).
Of course, the Sunshine Coast already has its fair share of producers. A 2016 study identified approximately 600 cannabis grow operations Coast-wide.
But what about the amateurs? The Sunshine Coast is famous for its temperate climate, homesteaders and skilful gardeners. Surely nurseries are being inundated with questions from clientele curious about cannabis and eager to purchase just the right plant mix or container for their pot.
As it turns out, not a single nursery of the half dozen I spoke with have seen a substantial shift in their business this spring. What a buzz kill.
Some haven’t received any inquiries and aren’t catering their product offerings to cannabis growers.
One Gibsons-based garden centre has dipped a toe. Organic growing kits, minus the seeds, have been on prominent display in their bustling greenhouse for several weeks now, but so far no sales, according to the business owner I spoke with.
I have to admit I’m a little let down. Come on, Sunshine Coast gardeners, where’s your DIY spirit? Your sense of botanical adventure?
Another phone call and a glimmer of hope. It turns out one nursery owner in Halfmoon Bay is toying with the idea of setting up a little display to educate customers trickling into the store asking about strains, organic nutrients and the do’s and don’ts of cultivation, as well as regulations.
That was as close as it got to a business revolution.
I wracked my brain for reasons why legalization isn’t bringing new business opportunities to those in the business of growing.
Perhaps it’s the price of seeds – about $50 for a pack of four on bccannabisstores.com. Or maybe it’s because Google lets people seek answers without the stigma that lingers in the post-legal world.
But I’ll wager the answer is closer to the response I received when I put the question to the Gibsons nursery owner. “Just about everybody in this area knows how to grow it.”
