WeGrow Store

weGrow was a retailer of cannabis-growing products. It was branded as the "first honest hydro store" and called the "Wal-Mart of Weed" by CNN.[1] It was a national hydroponics franchise in the US that sold products and services to help patients cultivate medicinal marijuana. It was the first hydroponics store in the US that openly talked about cultivating cannabis for medical use.

For the school, see WeWork.
weGrow
TypePrivate
IndustryMedical Marijuana & Retailing
Founded2010 (2010)
Number of locations
4 (closed): Oakland, California, Sacramento, California, Phoenix, Arizona, Washington D.C., United States
Area served
Nationwide
Number of employees
More than 30 people (2011)
Website(defunct)

History

weGrow was founded in January 2010 by Derek Peterson.[2] He began franchising the brand in October of that year. weGrow currently has franchises in Sacramento, California and Phoenix, Arizona, with a non-retail distribution hub in Oakland, California.

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.[3]

Locations

weGrow had four retail spaces. All locations have closed, and its website redirects to an affiliate marketing website.

  • Oakland, California – This store opened January 28, 2010, initially under the brand “iGrow.” It reopened as weGrow on October 3, 2010. The 15,000-square-foot (1,400 m2) store was originally a hydroponics superstore, but the franchising of the weGrow brand turned this store into a non-retail distribution hub.[4]
  • Sacramento, California – The first weGrow franchise opened this 10,000-square-foot (930 m2) store on February 26, 2011.[5]
  • Phoenix, Arizona – A franchisee opened this store on June 1, 2011. The Phoenix store was the largest weGrow store, at 21,000 square feet (2,000 m2).[6]
  • Washington D.C. – A franchisee opened this store on March 30, 2012.[7]

In the media

In February 2011, Geraldo Rivera talked about the first marijuana superstore to hit California.[8] The store was also featured in Time Magazine[9] in February 2011. The grand opening of the Phoenix weGrow store was featured on numerous national media outlets: CNN[10] aired a segment about the opening of the "Walmart of Weed" on May 31, 2011 and Reuters reporter David Schwartz wrote a story that was picked up by hundreds of online media outlets about the first medical marijuana superstore in Arizona on June 2, 2011.[11] The Arizona grand opening event was also covered internationally by The Guardian on June 2, 2011[12]).

A fourth weGrow store opened in Washington D.C. on March 30, 2012, the same day that the six approved medical marijuana cultivators were announced in D.C.[13] The weGrow D.C. store is owned and operated by Franchisee Alex Wong.[14] The store is 2,500 square feet and is located at 1522 Rhode Island Avenue NE.[15] The weGrow D.C. location grand opening was attended and covered by numerous media outlets, including Huffington Post,[16] USA Today,[17] the Washington Post [18] and many others.

weGrow has also been covered in multiple franchise publications including The Franchise Hound[19] as well as The Franchise Times.[20]

In 2011, National Geographic aired a documentary called "Marijuana Gold Rush" featuring the weGrow Store.[21]

References
  1. Michael Martinez (May 31, 2011). "'Walmart of Weed' to open in Arizona, promote growing your own". CNN. Retrieved July 27, 2011.
  2. Harkinson, Josh. "Weedmart: Marijuana Superstores. IPOs. Reality TV". Mother Jones. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  3. Ye Tian (June 2, 2011). "WalMart of Weed: A National Enterprise". OaklandNorth.net. Retrieved July 27, 2011.
  4. David Schwartz (October 6, 2010). "Medical Marijuana Superstore Opens in Arizona". Reuters. Retrieved July 27, 2011.
  5. Schwartz, Carly (February 25, 2011). "weGrow, Walmart of Weed, Set to Open in Sacramento". Huffington Post. Retrieved July 27, 2011.
  6. Michael Martinez (May 31, 2011). "'Walmart of Weed' to open in Arizona, promote growing your own". CNN. Retrieved July 27, 2011.
  7. Michael Felberbaum (March 29, 2012). "WeGrow Medical Marijuana Store Sets Up Shop In D.C. As Nation's Capital Implements Cannabis Law". Huffington Post. Retrieved April 6, 2012.
  8. "This Exists: Marijuana Superstore Opens in California". Geraldo Rivera (FOX). February 27, 2011. Retrieved July 22, 2011.
  9. Christy Choi (February 28, 2011). "Want to Grow Your Own Bud? Head to California's 'Wal-Mart of Weed'". Time Magazine. Retrieved July 22, 2011.
  10. Michael Martinez (May 31, 2011). "'Walmart of Weed' to open in Arizona, promote growing your own". CNN. Retrieved July 22, 2011.
  11. David Schwartz (June 2, 2011). "Medical Marijuana Superstore Opens in Arizona". Reuters. Retrieved July 22, 2011.
  12. Adam Gabbatt (June 2, 2011). "Medical Marijuana Superstore Opens in Arizona". The Guardian. London. Retrieved July 22, 2011.
  13. Martin Austermuhle (March 30, 2012). "Scaled-Back and Toned-Down 'Walmart of Weed' Opens in Northeast". DCIst.com. Archived from the original on May 4, 2012. Retrieved April 6, 2012.
  14. Mike Conneen (January 24, 2012). "weGrow coming to D.C." ABC News. Retrieved February 13, 2012.
  15. Barton Eckert (January 23, 2012). "weGrow set to open marijuana-growing supply store in D.C." Washington Business Journal. Retrieved February 13, 2012.
  16. Michael Felberbaum (March 29, 2012). "WeGrow Medical Marijuana Store Sets Up Shop In D.C. As Nation's Capital Implements Cannabis Law". Huffington Post. Retrieved April 6, 2012.
  17. Michael Felberbaum (March 29, 2012). "'Walmart of Weed' opening store in Washington D.C.". USA Today. Retrieved April 6, 2012.
  18. Rachel S. Karas (March 30, 2012). "D.C. hydroponics store caters to those who wish to grow medical marijuana". Washington Post. Retrieved April 6, 2012.
  19. KDelGrande (June 1, 2011). "Marijuana Superstore Opening as Franchise in Arizona". Franchise Hound. Retrieved July 22, 2011.
  20. Sean Kelly (August 2011). "Growing Franchises". Franchise Times. Retrieved August 15, 2011.
  21. "Review: Marijuana Gold Rush". Celeb Stoner. December 3, 2011. Retrieved April 19, 2012.


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