Growers Network's Canna Cribs

Nick Morin, CEO of Growers Network and creator of Canna Cribs, saw an opportunity to fill a hole in popular cannabis culture that would entertain and educate anyone who was into marijuana.

What is Canna Cribs?

“Canna Cribs was born out of necessity. I saw a major void in TV entertainment for cannabis growers,” says Morin. “What do growers watch when they come home from work? Imagine if there was a show for cannabis professionals, like Shark Tank for entrepreneurs. Growers need entertainment that is equally interesting and educational. This inspiration sparked a creative conversation over a bowl with my roommate Nate (Lipton), the host of Canna Cribs. We brainstormed the episodic story arc and potential episodes for Season 1.”

The first season of Canna Cribs is well underway with a crew of 10 people working on the show from production to post-production, all of whom are passionate about cannabis and the industry.

Canna Cribs began as a YouTube web series, but anyone interested in watching it on their TV can find and stream it on Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Prime, and other streaming boxes.

Naturally, producing a new show on a shoestring budget comes with its fair share of challenges, including where to find some top-shelf grooves for the Canna Cribs soundtrack.

“The biggest challenge in post-production is getting access to popular music to use on our soundtrack,” says Morin. “Who knew licensing music was so expensive?”

Aside from having to use royalty-free tunes, it’s easy for the crew to get fully absorbed in the massive grow operations they’re featuring. The second episode of Canna Cribs toured Spokane’s Phat Panda, a massive 60,000 square foot weed-growing facility.

“There are so many challenges to making a show like this. The biggest challenge in production is making sure you do not impose too much on the grower’s time or the cleanliness of their facility,” says Morin. “It is easy to get lost in the beauty of a multi-million dollar grow operation.”

It's by growers for growers

Canna Cribs is a show made by growers for growers, so it’s educational as well as entertaining. Given that, Morin says the Canna Cribs audience consists of both cannabis professionals and hobbyists checking out the featured grow operations.

“Growers from all around the world serve as our primary audience demographic,” Morin says. “It doesn’t matter if you are managing a 50-acre hemp farm in Estonia or a closet grow operation in your California dorm. You will both enjoy our show, along with bringing value back to your grow operation. Growers are always looking to get any edge they can to sharpen their skills and improve their grow operation.”

Despite being new to the world of video production, Morin and the Growers Network crew still find ways to enjoy themselves and have some memorable moments when they’re out filming.

“I think it’s a toss-up between getting picked up in a private plane for Episode 1 or smoking a 10-gram joint right after finishing up filming Episode 2,” says Morin, who has been affiliated with the marijuana industry since graduating from college.

Going forward, the Growers Network team is hoping to take Canna Cribs around the globe with the show’s second season as they plan on filming in some historically cannabis-friendly countries.

“Ideally, we would love to travel around the world to film the leading grow operations,” Morin says. “Season 2, we plan to film the first grow operations in Jamaica and Uruguay. If our sponsors pay for it, we will fly anywhere in the world to film. We will be touring 20-40-acre greenhouses and outdoor operations even larger than that.”

Never one to shy away from big goals, Morin is dreaming about signing a deal with Netflix. And, who knows? Down the road, Canna Cribs just might be found on the streaming giant.

“We are on a path and we will continue to climb that path until we achieve our vision,” says Morin. “In 10 years from now, who knows where this unwavering perseverance will get us?”