Some Things Are Worth More Than Money

Every once in a while, you run into someone in the 420 community who tells on themselves without even realizing it.

You’ll be talking about culture, passion, legacy, or respect for the plant — and they’ll cut you off with one question:

“Yeah, but how much money you making?”

And when the answer isn’t what they expect, their brain just… shuts down.

Recently, I had a conversation (if you can call it that) with someone who could not — and I mean could not — understand how a person could voluntarily write for a cannabis magazine without getting paid, or judge a Cannabis Cup without cash on the line. He straight-up said, word for word:
“I’m not gonna trust somebody on the internet. I don’t even trust my own mother.”

First of all… that’s a whole different article.

But more importantly, it exposed a mindset that’s way too common in this industry: money is the only motivation. If there’s no paycheck, no cash prize, no immediate return — then in their world, it must be a scam, or somebody’s getting played.

Here’s what they don’t understand.

Weed Isn’t Always Currency

A lot of real growers — especially experienced ones — don’t measure success by how much product they can flip. They’ve got jars. They’ve got pounds. Flower isn’t rare to them; respect is.

So when a Cannabis Cup asks for an ounce to enter, it’s not a loss. It’s not a sacrifice. It’s an opportunity.

An opportunity to say:
“I grew this.”
“I stood on my work.”
“And the community judged it against the best.”

And let’s be clear — we’re not talking about some plastic trinket from a carnival. These trophies are legit. But even if they weren’t, that’s not the point.

The point is bragging rights.
The point is knowing — without question — that you’re the best indoor or outdoor grower in the 518 / Capital Region.
The point is reputation, not reimbursement.

The Long GameLong Gametrain Most People Don’t See

What really separates people in this industry isn’t talent — it’s patience.

Some folks can’t wrap their heads around working hard today for something that doesn’t pay off until later. Sometimes way later. Months. Years. Down the road when everything finally connects.

Building platforms, businesses, relationships, and trust doesn’t always come with an instant payout. Sometimes you put in real energy, real effort, real heart — and all you get back at first is experience and a few more gray hairs.

But that doesn’t mean it didn’t matter.

It means you’re playing the long game.

Helping People Is an Investment Too

Here’s another thing the money-only mindset misses: you can actually do things for other people, just to help them, without expecting immediate compensation.

And when those people succeed — when they grow, win, or break through — they remember who was there for them. They remember who showed up before there was anything to gain.

That’s when it comes back around.

Not always in cash.
Sometimes in opportunities.
Sometimes in doors opening.
Sometimes, in loyalty, you can’t buy.

A real win-win.

Two Types of People in This Industry

There are people in cannabis who are here for the money.
And there are people who are here for the culture.

The culture people care about:
    •    being respected by their peers
    •    making others happy with their flower
    •    building something real over time
    •    and surrounding themselves with people who move like family

They want friends and business partners who actually look out for each other — not transactional relationships where everyone’s counting dollars and watching their own back.

They could not care less about your cash.

Money matters, sure. Nobody’s pretending otherwise. But when money is the only thing you see, you miss everything else that makes this community special.

You Can’t Take It With You

Here’s the part that really gets ignored in these conversations:

You can’t take money with you when you die.

What you do take is the love you showed your community, the respect you earned, and the way people remember your name when you’re not in the room anymore.

That’s the real return on investment.

I’m not going to name names. That’s not my style. I’m not here to embarrass anyone. If the shoe fits, they already know it fits — assuming they ever stop listening to themselves talk long enough to read this.

Some people are just so negative they become energy vampires. And honestly, they’re half the reason the rest of us need to smoke in the first place.

But I’ll say this:
If you’re growing weed purely for the money, you’re in the game for the wrong reason.

The real ones know —
some things are worth more than money.

— OG Strain
Strain’s Strain Reviews (Talk Cannabis)
The Plug’s Pages Magazine