If you’re from Virginia and wondering how to grow cannabis for personal use, look no further. Enter Grow Depot, whose mantra is “From seed to success,” according to CEO Adam Dobbins.

Dobbins told Sandra J. Pennecke from The Virginian-Pilot that Grow Depot is much more than a money-making opportunity. Dobbins and his team strive to empower and educate others to spark needed conversations in the cannabis industry. “Everybody is curious; there’s a big buzz,” said Dobbins, reports Yahoo News. 

On October 9th, Grow Depot, the gardening and hydroponics retail store at 2404 Virginia Beach Blvd., had its grand opening. Grow Depot has everything for Virginians looking to grow their own cannabis, from lights and nutrients to soil and tents. The store aims to help customers grow their plants, whether that’s vegetables, herbs, or cannabis.

What was once a Family Dollar turned into the Grow Depot, a 7,925 square-foot operation available with a classroom and woodshop to further educate consumers with a hands-on approach.

In addition, Grow Depot also has a team of professionals called the Dirt Squad, which are licensed heating, ventilating, and air conditioning technicians and electricians who want to deliver knowledge and help to those growing plants in their homes. The Dirt Squad also offers custom build-outs and plant sitting services.

CEO Adam Dobbins is a former Navy SEAL who was forced into medical retirement after an accident. He told The Virginian Pilot that he and several others banded together to create the Grow Depot business model when legislation changed in 2021 to make possession up to an ounce of cannabis and the personal cultivation of up to four cannabis plants per adult in Virginia.

He said it was all too “taboo” to begin the operation before the new legislation, but now, “everyone’s talking about it and showing their plants.” One of the members on board is Dobbins’ wife Cheryl, who works at Grow Depot as an expert for oil tinctures and edibles.

Dobbins was diagnosed with colitis and searched day in and out to find cannabis products that would benefit him after trying medications that weren’t of any help. He added that he knows veterans using cannabis for severe brain injuries and PTSD. 

Additionally, Dobbins said home growers could obtain some beneficial therapeutic properties from the act of gardening. Now, with the new legislation in Virginia, many are looking to begin growing plants from their homes, and Grow Depot hopes to make that process much easier.