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Urban Guerilla Cannabis Growth

Back in 2018 I spent a year in Rome (where my wife is originally from). For months I -illegally- grew outdoor marijuana plants.

Following the US waves of legalization and the creations of hundreds of private smoke clubs in Spain, Italy’s politicians passed early 2018 about CBD (a non psycho-active component of the cannabis), making it “semi-legal”... The whole country went ballistic: shops and retailers popped up all over the country, people invested in stores, land, equipment... an industry was born from a day to the other, empowering people, bringing millions of euros in tax revenue, fighting the mafia where it hurts...

A couple of years down the road, it all turned to shit. Thanks to legislators, constantly revising the law, it was now impossible for most people to become successful in this new sector, leaving few big players in charge, what’s left for us? Not much if you ask me, at least not the “legal way”A couple of years down the road, it all turned to shit. Thanks to legislators, constantly revising the law, it was now impossible for most people to become successful in this new sector, leaving few big players in charge, what’s left for us? Not much if you ask me, at least not the “legal way”

My wife and I chose a different path and started to grow our own little plantation, right in the center of the Italian capital, hidden in plain sight. Urban guerilla cannabis growth at its finest: by the end of spring, we were scheduling the hourly life of 23 plants (some grew taller than 7 feet) weeks in advance. Outdoor conditions in an urban setting are really challenging and growing marijuana is a real science, an art, some would say, but at the end of the day, it was worth the trouble... we spent the following month enjoying our harvest.

Photographs: Virginia Villari

Check her blog www.enjoytheride.info and follow her on Instagram