''weGrow'' was a national

hydroponics Hydroponics is a type of horticulture and a subset of #Passive sub-irrigation, hydroculture which involves growing plants, usually crops or medicinal plants, without soil, by using water-based mineral Plant nutrition, nutrient Solution (chemi ...

franchise that sold products and services to help patients cultivate

medicinal marijuana Medical cannabis, medicinal cannabis or medical marijuana (MMJ) refers to cannabis products and cannabinoid molecules that are prescribed by physicians for their patients. The use of cannabis as medicine has a long history, but has not ...

. It was the first hydroponics store in the US that openly talked about cultivating cannabis for medical use. It was branded as the "first honest hydro store" and called the "

Wal-Mart Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores in the United States and 23 other ...

of Weed" by

CNN Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...

History

weGrow was founded in January 2010 by

Dhar Mann Dharminder "Dhar" Mann (born May 29, 1984) is an American entrepreneur, film producer, YouTuber, and influencer. He is best known for his video production company, Dhar Mann Studios, that creates short films for social media platforms such as Y ...

and Derek Peterson. They began franchising the brand in October of that year. weGrow currently has franchises in

Sacramento, California Sacramento ( or ; ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat, seat of Sacramento County, California, Sacramento County. Located at the confluence of the Sacramento Rive ...

, and

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona. With over 1.6 million residents at the 2020 census, it is the ...

, with a non-retail distribution hub in

Oakland, California Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, California, Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major We ...

. weGrow stores did not sell marijuana, but sold the supplies and services that cultivators need to grow marijuana. They also provided education and advice on all aspects of medical marijuana cultivation. Stores gave indoor grow demonstrations using real (non-marijuana) plants and offer classes on how medical marijuana can be safely and responsibly cultivated. On-site medical doctors performed patient evaluations, and expert technicians advise customers on building professional grow rooms. A fourth weGrow store opened in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, on March 30, 2012, the same day that the six approved medical marijuana cultivators were announced in D.C. The weGrow D.C. store is owned and operated by franchisee Alex Wong. The store is 2,500 square feet and is located at 1522 Rhode Island Avenue NE. The weGrow D.C. location grand opening was attended and covered by numerous media outlets, including Huffington Post, USA Today, the Washington Post and many others. In early 2011, the weGrow store was closed and Peterson filed lawsuits against the company, citing unpaid debts. He accused Mann of running a "hydroponzi scheme" in a '' Mother Jones'' interview. A spokesman for Mann said that Peterson fabricated the allegations in retaliation for Mann's decision to downsize their partnership; Mann successfully countersued Peterson for a cash settlement and stocks in Peterson's own company.

Past closed locations

weGrow had four retail spaces. * Oakland, California – This store opened January 28, 2010, initially under the brand “iGrow.” It reopened as weGrow on October 3, 2010. The store was originally a hydroponics superstore, but the franchising of the weGrow brand turned this store into a non-retail distribution hub. * Sacramento, California – The first weGrow franchise opened this store on February 26, 2011. * Phoenix, Arizona – A franchisee opened this store on June 1, 2011. The Phoenix store was the largest weGrow store, at . * Washington D.C. – A franchisee opened this store on March 30, 2012.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:weGrow category:2010 in cannabis American companies established in 2010 Cannabis companies of the United States Hydroponics Medicinal use of cannabis Retail companies established in 2010