Gen Z Cultivators: Growing More Now!

In an industry still steeped in old school, “heady” tradition and scarred by prohibition, a new generation is rewriting the rules of cannabis cultivation. Meet Generation Z: tech-native, wellness-forward, and unburdened by the cultural baggage that kept their predecessors in survival mode. These young agriculturists are not just growing weed; they’re also growing the future of the industry demonstrating what it means to thrive during uncertain times.

For this cohort, cannabis is more than a plant. It’s a lifestyle, a statement, and a story worth telling. From hash to hardware, Gen Z growers are infusing the space with innovation, intention, and a dash of digital swagger.

Tech, tools, and fearless farming

If legacy growers are the roots, Gen Z cultivators are the fresh green shoots reaching for the sun in surprising new ways. They bring new tools, new tech, and a bold new mindset, and they’re not afraid to experiment.

“Gen Z benefits from a wide variety of products in the technical field,” said German cultivator Felix “Grow Tent Ninja” Schaudin, a member of the generation. “If you don’t want to grow organically — or simply don’t have the time for it — there are already automated systems on the market where basically only a few steps are required during a run. To a certain extent, this also digitizes the grow.”

From AI-assisted cultivation to Bluetooth-controlled automation and real-time livestreams, Schaudin predicts cultivation’s future will be rooted in wellness and optimization and shaped by data and connectivity. Having come of age during a global health crisis, Gen Z consumers read product labels and ask questions. They want clean cannabis, and they want it grown with purpose. Gen Z growers are determined to deliver.

“I think that our generation will be the one to make further progress in the coming years through the use of modern tools and artificial intelligence,” Schaudin said. Emerging tools can help with “the optimization of the ripening process, the reading of DNA sequences, and the possible discovery of new cannabinoids and terpenes.”

Although not a grower himself, Ay Papi’s Justin Lee has observed the shift. “People of all ages are thirsting for something better, something cleaner — sort of like we’re seeing with food,” the solventless hash brand’s founder and chief executive officer said. “Organic used to be considered luxury — and it still is — but I think people are more aware of it now.

“The average organic shopper used to be a lot older than [organic shoppers are] today,” Lee continued. “Now, you have younger people waking up, being more proactive about health and wellness, and understanding that the ingredients they use, even if they’re more expensive, are worth it for the benefits. That means I can gear my products in a way that is more accessible to the younger demographic while still appealing to older people.”

That same awareness is pushing young cultivators to experiment with not just what they grow, but also how they grow it. 

“In order to attract younger consumers, you have to continue to innovate,” Lee said. “They’re used to Apple and iPhones having [new devices] annually, so for us, that means we need to bring new flavors and do new pheno hunts every year so we always have something new to showcase.”

Lee also noted that while traditional growers tend to be more set in their ways, younger growers often bridge generations: Many of them come from legacy families, but they’re fresh enough to be fearless when it comes to trying new ideas.

“You see them taking more risks; innovating because you always have to trial and error, but it’s almost like the younger generation just isn’t afraid to fail,” Lee said. “They understand [failure is] just part of the process. Growers are really getting innovative with breeding projects today as a result; some are doing pheno hunts with over 100 different types just to find two or three that work. They’re very committed, and they’re also more willing to utilize and implement technology.”

In cannabis’s current era, who you are matters just as much as what you grow. No one understands that better than Jesse Robertson, a California cultivator and CEO of Sticky Fields whose viral videos and unfiltered presence helped him develop international recognition. While not a member of Gen Z, he recognizes the importance of tech literacy and employs tactics common among the younger generation.

“I’m glad Gen Z growers are getting more comfortable,” Robertson said. “As soon as Instagram came out, a friend called me and said, ‘Hey, none of your friends know what you’re doing. Why don’t you share it?’ So I did. One of my first videos got a million views, and it blew me up all over the world. I went to the Emerald Cup afterward, and people recognized me at every coffee shop. This whole community took me in, and all I did was share a picture of me shaking up a giant cannabis plant. It was pretty cool.”

Ever since, Robertson pushed his online presence, making his face synonymous with his farm.

“If the consumer knows who the grower is and can digitally connect with them, they might find the method behind their product,” Robertson said. “Meaning, they might be able to follow us online and find how genuine we are. With social media, you get to understand that you’re not just dealing with a corporate structure. You’re dealing with a person, and they’re growing your plant with love and care.”

Younger growers understand and embrace authenticity in branding, Robertson explained. For a generation raised on influencers and indie brands, personality and purpose are powerful differentiators. For them, social media is more than marketing. It’s also storytelling, community-building, and proof of presence.

Schaudin agreed. “In the past, people relied on anonymous nicknames in forums,” he said. “I would argue that Gen Z is much more spoiled by today’s setup. Thanks to legalization, access is easy, even without a VPN [virtual private network] or paranoia about persecution.

“However, I would also argue that Gen Z is finding a connection to a healthy lifestyle, especially with cannabis,” he continued. “The way people consume cannabis is also changing. While the older Europeans predominantly use tobacco when consuming weed and hashish, the new generation leans toward modern tobacco-free or less-harmful consumption methods, such as inhalation without combustion. Extravagant pre-rolls and elaborate, hand-blown dab rigs are also becoming more common on Instagram stories.”

Lifestyle signals matter deeply. In fact, for many of the youngest consumers, those are the only thing that matters. From blinky Mylar bags to candy-named strains, lifestyle branding drives demand, and Gen Z cultivators know how to speak that language.

“Gen Z grew up with trends moving fast,” Schaudin said. “It’s fair to say that packaging, marketing, market prices, and demand have changed dramatically. In the past, hash from Morocco and poorly grown weed from neighbors or elsewhere was predominantly available in Europe. Nowadays, you can easily look at menus on your smartphone, and you can see demand depends on the popularity of a brand or strain.”

Old school, meet new roots

The market may be shifting, but the old guard isn’t being left behind. In fact, there’s an unexpected bridge connecting past and present: hash.

Traditionally associated with old-school cannabis culture — temple balls, Moroccan bricks, hot knives — hash is finding new life through rosin, which is becoming a cross-generational connector.

“It’s very much attracting old school traditional [producers] and the new-school young consumer, in the sense that hash is a traditional form of concentrate, but when pressed into rosin, it’s old school meets new school,” Lee said. “You see older heads used to more traditional hash opening up their minds to rosin, and you also see younger generations who maybe experienced rosin first making their way back to dry seed hash.”

In Germany, Schaudin is seeing a similar rise in the popularity of combustion-free concentrates. “In my circle of friends in Germany, I am currently experiencing an increase in the popularity of hash concentrates,” he said. “This is presumably because combustion-free vaporization is becoming more popular. The internet, and social media in particular, makes information readily available, so new standards and trends are set relatively quickly. But I will say, hash is the future.”

Beyond flavor and consumption method, hash represents something deeper: heritage and connection. The traditional concentrate is a thread that ties today’s techy growers to the roots of cannabis tradition. Hash also represents a space where innovation can shine without erasing the past.

Cultivation, content, and clout

The days of hiding behind the leaves are over. Gen Z growers are going on camera, turning cultivation into content, and becoming public figures.

Robertson has been ahead of the curve. For Lee and Schaudin, the connection between creator and consumer is the foundation of their marketing. Whether via livestream, app, or Instagram grid, today’s cultivators are shaping culture while they shape the plant.

“There’s a reason people want to buy directly from the farmer,” Lee said. “We’re working on an app that will let us do just that: streamline sales, lower prices for consumers, and increase [return on investment] for cultivators. We want to revive sungrown flower and give people access to quality without the markup.”

Gen Z didn’t invent cannabis cultivation, but they are reimagining it. And in doing so, they’re redefining what it means to be a cultivator: innovator, storyteller, healer, entrepreneur, artist.

“I’m not jumping into the [artificial intelligence] world,” Robertson said. “That’s the young growers’ realm. But I do know it’s going to work. There will be more people smoking in ten years because of them, and that’s a better world for all of us.”

Lee noted success will require regulatory adjustments, particularly in California, where the current rules make maintaining a legal grow difficult regardless of age.

“Every year, we’re seeing a lot of farms go out of business due to regulations,” said Lee. “Taxation is insane, and when you look at the trickle-down of what the farmer makes, there are a lot of things that need to change. Where the younger generation can help this process is by utilizing technology to innovate and streamline direct-to-consumer purchases more efficiently. We’re seeing that in food, too. If people have an avenue to purchase from a farmer, they will.”

Gen Z may not be reinventing the grow process from seed to sale, but they’re redefining what it means to be a cultivator in the modern era. With equal parts innovation and intention, they’re building brands, shaping culture, and proving that in cannabis, the future grows differently.

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