I done two tours of duty in Vietnam
And I came home with a brand new plan
I take the seed from Colombia and Mexico
I just plant it up the holler down Copperhead Road

And now the DEA’s got a chopper in the air
I wake up screaming like I’m back over there…

Steve Earle’s 1988 country/rock song “Copperhead Road” is a reminder that, not too long ago, growing your own marijuana could attract harsh retribution from law enforcement.

Now, growing marijuana on your own land is becoming a national hobby, as legal and safe as gardening and golf.

Many of my friends enjoy working in the soil in their backyards. Lately at parties and neighborhood barbecues, they’ve been regaling me with tales of planting high-THC cannabis seeds next to their heirloom tomatoes. Even in states where homegrowing marijuana is illegal, the police are often indifferent.

Leading indicators of social change often occur right in front of your eyes, at home. But evidence of the grow-your-own marijuana boom isn’t just anecdotal.

In a new report released July 26, marijuana research firm New Frontier Data revealed that home cultivation is picking up momentum. This trend is a milestone for the marijuana industry and could presage profound changes for the industry.

A crazy quilt of rules…

Rules pertaining to homegrown cannabis vary greatly by state (see chart).

Of course, growing your own marijuana remains illegal at the federal level. But restrictions against homegrown marijuana continue to ease in states throughout the country. About half of the states where marijuana is legal now allow homegrown marijuana to some degree.

More states recently jumped aboard the grow-at-home bandwagon. They include Michigan, where adults over the age of 21 can now cultivate up to 12 cannabis plants in their homes. In Connecticut and New York, patients participating in medical programs are now permitted to cultivate up to six plants.

In New Frontier’s survey, 48% of respondents reported having been cultivating for a year or less. One-quarter (25%) reported growing only one or two plants at a time. Another 35% reported growing three to six plants, which is the legal limit in several states.

Homegrowers tend to consume their own cannabis. Nearly three-quarters (72%) reported either exclusively or mostly consuming flower which they have grown for themselves. The following chart breaks down the motives:

Homegrowers cultivate cannabis for many personal reasons. Some grow pot because of a lack of other sources (14%), or to breed hybrid strains unavailable for purchase (36%).

The coronavirus pandemic has been fueling the trend toward home cultivation, as cooped-up consumers increasingly turn to marijuana and become more self-reliant in obtaining it.

Read This Story: COVID Delta: A Profit Catalyst for Cannabis

We’re witnessing the birth of a decentralized cottage industry. Homegrown pot could dent the sales of large marijuana growers. But it also could spark entrepreneurship and nurture a plethora of start-ups and neighborhood small businesses.

The marijuana industry has been consolidating, with large-cap food, beverage and cosmetics companies scooping up smaller players. The momentum behind homegrown marijuana is a countervailing force that’s already generating new opportunities for the pick-and-shovel companies that cater to home growers.

In many industries, history shows that “disruptive” innovation has a way of emerging in unforeseen ways. From young tokers who simply want to get high, to elderly cancer patients who want to alleviate pain, marijuana consumers are increasingly growing their own stash.

Pick-and-shovel plays tend to be less volatile that other types of marijuana companies because they provide essential value-added services to a wide roster of clients in disparate industries. Pick-and-shovel companies might not offer the exponential growth of pure-play marijuana companies, but they’re considerably less volatile and risky.

Among marijuana agricultural companies, some of the fastest-growing offer controlled environment systems that use as little land, water and energy as possible. They’re eco-friendly, cost-effective and accessible to individual home growers.

Ancillary companies that benefit from homegrown marijuana include the familiar brand names that you’ll see on the shelves at your local do-it-yourself hardware store. That’s where you’ll find an increasing number of Americans who are buying topsoil and fertilizer for their tomatoes, cucumbers, squash…and cannabis sativa.

Looking to make money on the inexorable mainstreaming of marijuana? For our report on the best pot stocks, click here now.

John Persinos is the editorial director of Investing Daily. Send your questions or comments to mailbag@investingdaily.com. To subscribe to his video channel, follow this link.