Is Hemp the Real Gateway… to Tomatoes?

For decades, critics have warned that cannabis is a “gateway drug,” supposedly leading straight from one puff to a life of dangerous habits. Turns out, they were right about one thing: hemp really is a gateway. Just not in the way they imagined.

A recent survey of home growers (from states where it’s legal) suggests that cultivating cannabis often inspires people to branch out — not into hard drugs, but into gardening. In fact, about two-thirds of respondents said that once they started with cannabis, they added tomatoes to the mix. Others soon found themselves planting cucumbers, basil, peppers, and zucchini. (The survey was highlighted in a recent cannabis industry news piece.)

Apparently, cannabis teaches patience, attention to detail, and care — the same skills you need to coax a tomato from the vine. One for your salad, one for your soul.

But Not in North Carolina

Now, let’s be clear: in North Carolina, growing cannabis at home is illegal unless you have a state-issued hemp farming license. So these so-called benefits of home growing don’t apply here. Our hope, though, is that one day laws will relax, and more people everywhere can legally enjoy the full spectrum of what cannabis — and maybe even tomatoes — can bring to life.

Busting the Lazy Hempster Myth

Meanwhile, research keeps chipping away at old stereotypes. Multiple studies show cannabis consumers are actually more active than non-consumers. They take more walks, garden more, and are just as likely (or more likely) to exercise.

So maybe it’s not about couch-lock at all — maybe it’s about garden-lock. Once you’ve watered one plant, you might as well pull a few weeds, tie up the tomatoes, and grab some basil for dinner.

A Generational Shift

The same survey also found a cultural divide: while less than a third of baby boomers grew cannabis before growing tomatoes, nearly two-thirds of millennials did. In states where it’s legal, cannabis isn’t just a crop — it’s a lifestyle.

👉 Takeaway: Hemp isn’t a gateway drug. It’s a gateway to gardening, to good food, and maybe even to better health. Just… not in North Carolina.