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Comment by saturdaysaint | Hacker News Reader

Funny, it's practically an old hippy canard that there wouldn't be much money to be made if it were legal. I'm sure that there's money to be made somewhere, but this is a pretty easy plant to grow/cultivate if it's ever legal to have a few plants in your backyard - far easier than brewing your own beer.

My guess is that the money will go into building a few solid brands. I wouldn't be surprised if edibles were the focus here, too - they're much easier to make at scale than by individuals, a lot of people probably prefer eating to smoking, and they provide a lot of opportunity for brand differentiation.

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I've never used cannabis, and I certainly couldn't be bothered to grow it even if it was legal. Nor would I be interested in smoking. But I might try it in edible form if only just to have experienced it.

(And this is not down to lack of access - despite never having tried cannabis, I'd have no problem getting hold of some today if I suddenly decided I had to try it, which shows just how much of a total failure criminalisation of it has been)

I definitively agree with you. There'll be plenty of people who'll want to grow their own, but also plenty of people like me or somewhat more interested, that'd be interesting in trying or indulging in it now and again, but who's not interested in tending for a plant (just like I'm not growing my own vegetables...), not interested in smoking, and not interested enough to pay attention to how to find a good quality product, who'd prefer to be able to just recognise a large brand that'd be a sign of sufficient quality and trust.

For that kind of market segment price matters less than recognition - I'd happily pay a "not having to spend time researching what to look for on the internet" premium of 100% or more if I at some point decide to try, the same way I drink alcohol so rarely that when/if I do I stick to a handful of well known brands that I'm comfortable with.

"just like I'm not growing my own vegetables..."

This keeps getting brought up, and I'm not really saying there's not a good business here, but the economics are vastly different. A tomato plant might save you $3 and provide you with a meal or two. If states aim to keep prices near current street prices, a good harvest from a few plants could provide north of $500 worth of value for a minimal outlay of money (quite possibly nothing) and little work.

One day, perhaps General Mills will get into it, most likely via acquisition, and move cannabis edibles into their established brands.

Like a "Get Baked with Betty Crocker" product line.

It's pretty easy to grow basil or change your car's oil but Olive Garden and Jiffy Lube are still in business.

Would that be true if basil was going for $200 an ounce?

Many things are easy, most of those things we don't do our self. Having the plane is not the endgame, you need to make it consumable.

Far easier to by a pack of joints or brownies just like normal brownies or cigarettes.

I also think there is money to be made in things like coffee shops, Amsterdam style.

True. I just suspect that it's closer in terms of technical complexity to growing tomatoes or selling tomato sauce than it is to making beer. And, yeah, I'm sure a lot of investors will jump at the chance to invest in the "Prego" or "Classico" or even "GardenFresh" of pot. But I also suspect that if tomato sauce was $100 a jar, there would be a much more robust community of homegrowers. I just find the economics/incentives fun to think about.

I'd think rather then edibles it'd be hash. Hash can be quantified much easier then the plant, and if it were legal I can see disposable hash ecigs becoming a trend. Plus it's easier to just extract from entire plants and filter then it is to trim and cultivate good looking plants.

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