To cement its transition from online cannabis seed shop to “full-blown consumer brand,” I Love Growing Marijuana (ILGM) rolled out a U.S. Home Grow Tour over the spring that brought together beginner- and intermediate-level cannabis home growers for hands-on lessons and curated moments of community connection.
Across six cities, a blend of expert-led grow classes, wellness workshops, cannabis cooking demos, influencer appearances, hikes and performances were all on the agenda, and attendees were ultimately sent home with starter seeds to begin their own growing journey. Altogether, the effort was aimed at furthering ILGM’s broader mission to normalize home growing and make cultivation more accessible.
The cross-country mobile tour, powered by educational cannabis platform Leafly, was anchored by a sleek Airstream trailer featuring a large cannabis flower graphic, a map of the tour and a QR code tied to a sweepstakes on the exterior, effectively turning the vehicle into a roving billboard. The journey kicked off in Los Angeles in March at the Rolling Loud music festival, and strategically wrapped on April 20—or 4/20, the unofficial weed holiday—in New York at Mary Fest. In between, ILGM made its way to Palm Springs, Phoenix, Boulder and Chicago.
“We see a lot of companies talking about [cannabis] genetics, and, of course, strong genetics are important. But to a lot of beginner and intermediate growers, that doesn’t mean a lot,” says Ernst Rustenhoven, ceo at ILGM. “They just want to grow a good plant. They want to have the education, and they don’t know how to start. So it’s just getting them to start growing, giving them that first-hand experience on how to germinate the seed, because that’s where it all starts.”
By the time the program wrapped, ILGM and Leafly had garnered 29 million impressions, and secured 10,000 email signups through a sweepstakes that yielded the winner the tour’s tricked-out Airstream trailer. Not too shabby for ILGM’s first foray into live events. So we asked Rustenhoven for his top insights on how the experiential strategy ignited success.
Cultivating Connection
Home growers are still a niche group, but as legal growing expands across the U.S., more consumers are joining the ranks, and they’re looking to relate to fellow cultivators. ILGM even has the data to back it up: A recent brand survey found that 48 percent of home growers see community as vital—not just for learning, but for finding a sense of belonging.
In that spirit, ILGM incorporated intentional opportunities for community connection across the tour, like a consumption-friendly hike in the Rocky Mountains during the Boulder stop. The hands-on grow classes themselves, hosted every hour, were also designed to build community.
“[It’s] being with people who also don’t know where to start, and sharing these experiences,” says Rustenhoven. “And sometimes you have a couple of growers in there who have already got a couple of grows. So you can also learn from each other. That’s, I think, a very approachable experience that a lot of people feel like they want to join. In Palm Springs, we had people driving four and a half hours to attend our grow class.”
Localized Programming
ILGM and Leafly tailored each tour stop to the city’s local culture for an extra layer of authenticity. In Chicago, for instance, where culinary is a key passion point, attendees could participate in a cannabis cooking demo led by a local chef, and terpene-infused food and beverage tastings. Meanwhile, in Palm Springs, where wellness is a top priority, consumers could take an influencer-led yoga class.
Spheres of Influence
With the cannabis industry still tangled in red tape, ILGM says creators played a critical role in the Home Grow Tour strategy, and its wide-reaching success. Appearances from industry influencers like Koala Puffs, Deisha Dabs and Jungle Cae, as well as local creators in each market, significantly amplified ILGM’s story and helped showcase the brand’s authority in the cannabis space. Ultimately, ILGM gained more than 2,000 Instagram followers over the course of the tour, in addition to earning millions of impressions.
The ‘Edutainment’ Factor
The Home Grow Tour was strategically built to blend education and entertainment in a way that made learning fun and approachable. And the hands-on aspect to the grow classes was critical to ensuring attendees were both engaged and gaining practical knowledge that they could put to use as soon as they got home.
“We’re all about connecting people, building community, bringing education and making sure that home grow is actually a fun experience. It should be super enjoyable,” says Rustenhoven. “It was fun to bring that together, and to see people learning and actually sharing the passion for this beautiful plant.”
Step Inside the Tour:
Photos: Courtesy of ILGM
