An unexpected industry may hold the answers that address increasing demand for innovation in commercial and urban farming affected by droughts, pests, and other environmental factors. As DARPA created the Internet, legal cannabis growers are advancing indoor growing methods to cultivate more crops for medicinal purposes and may define the future of agriculture. These innovative farming methods may also solve a serious problem impacting our local food supply, and ignite a new economy of farming for fruits, vegetables and greens.

Local farmers have struggled to keep up with the demand for organic produce without going broke. Consumers, on the other hand, have struggled with rising food costs resulting from limited supply of produce from local farmers, who put their soul into their crops. We believe the secret may lie in an industry built, not around cultivating fruits and vegetables, but in growing a weed.

The legal cannabis industry has created a ‘Green Rush’ in recent years. And, for the first time in history, Congress passed a bill last week to protect medical cannabis businesses and consumers in legalized States from the Federal government. Currently, 22 States support cannabis for medicinal purposes, with Florida, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania pending vote later this year.

The vote by the House came after an overwhelming shift in public opinion toward legalization as shown in a recent Pew Research Report. But even though a majority of Americans support legalization, and the recent vote from Congress, it is clear that a hard line of oppression against medical cannabis still exists in the US that keeps the Federal laws and key policies, such as taxes, a major challenge for these innovators.

From my limited experience in the indoor growing industry, I have been nothing less than impressed by the integrity and conviction of our customers. They not only do extensive compliance work with the government, but love what they do, most times working seven days a week nurturing their crop, creating jobs and, as a friend once told me, helping save our country’s economy.

Along the way, these smart and highly responsible farmers deal with the challenges experienced by other farmers with success. Additionally, cannabis farmers must work through unique industry issues such as paying their taxes in cash because banks refuse them, and an IRS policy, which does not recognize business expenses that other companies can deduct from their operations. Their resolve surpasses that of other entrepreneurs and, as a result, may lead to a new agricultural eco-system.

GrowLife works with many suppliers that have developed products, with unique IP (intellectual property) that help plants grow with increased yield and quality, while making them safe. Imagine that your products are going into creating a crop that will be consumed by very weak, sick children and elderly; now that’s accountability. The cannabis industry is more than about new tax sources, medicine and recreation; it’s about moving our agricultural economy back to the US and providing these crops in any community through our country.

My thanks go out to Congress for taking a step towards helping our innovators and our economy move forward.