The start of legal weed sales in Washington was more of a soft launch than a grand opening. But big things are afoot. Specifically, Eastern Washington’s newly legal pot farmers are expecting twelve- to fourteen-foot-tall monster outdoor marijuana bushes come harvest season.

The Stranger’s insightful feature, “Where Does Your Legal Weed Come From?” takes readers on a tour of Washington’s legal mega-farms, and it’s guaranteed to make some California growers salivate.

As California struggles to regulate even medical marijuana, it’s great to see regulations actually working in Washington. Man-sized pot plants are an attractive robbery target, so Washington licensees must install adequate security measures. It’s already working.

“Earlier this month, a man jumped over the fence to steal a handful of early-maturing plants. ‘He set off the alarm when he opened the greenhouse,’ says the farmer, pointing to a hut in the corner of his field of pot bushes. ‘The cops were very happy to help me out. He is in jail now.’”