WeGrow
weGrow, branded as the "first honest hydro store" and called the "Wal-Mart of Weed" by CNN, was a national hydroponics franchise 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. History. weGrow was founded in January 2010 by Dhar Mann and Derek Peterson. They 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. Locations. weGrow had four retail spaces. All locations have closed, and its website redirects to an affiliate marketing website. In the media. In February 2011, Geraldo Rivera talked about the first marijuana superstore to hit  California. The store was also featured in Time Magazine in February 2011. The grand opening of the Phoenix weGrow store was featured on numerous national media outlets: CNN 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. The Arizona grand opening event was also covered internationally by The Guardian on June 2, 2011). 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. 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. weGrow has also been covered in multiple franchise publications including The Franchise Hound as well as The Franchise Times. In 2011, "National Geographic" aired a documentary called "Marijuana Gold Rush" featuring the weGrow  Store.