It’s hard times all around and people handle this kind of economic pressure in different ways. Some are forced to sell million dollar homes and yachts’ while handing over the key to the private jet. Other however people are being productive and seeing how good their green thumb is by growing marijuana.

Typically much of the growing happens on the west coast with big operations with thousands upon thousands of pot plants. However according to law enforcement there is a whole new breed of small ‘family’ grow ops happening not only on the west coast but also in the Appalachia region on the east coast.

Ed Shemelya, who leads the marijuana eradication programme in the Appalachia region, says a new type of grower is emerging wholly different to the family cartels that have cultivated the drug for generations. "We are seeing a lot more individuals who wouldn’t normally be growing marijuana. They are not your professionals."

Shemelya puts it down to the dire economy in this part of America. The region is almost entirely dependant for jobs on coal mining, which has suffered severely from the recession.

"People are growing marijuana to supplement their income or support themselves in poor economic times. This is about economic necessity," he said.

Source: Guardian – Americans grow cannabis to beat the recession

At $2,000 per plant (sounds a little low to me) this kind of ‘family’ operation can help just about any family through some hard times – if they’re not caught that is.