The difference is that distilling takes a considerable amount of skill, expertise and capital if the distiller is not to produce unpalatable - and often dangerous - rotgut. Brewing maybe not so much. Growing weed on the other hand takes soil and water. Anyone can do it. The govt is making a stand on the allegation that illicit grow is potentially dangerous and using that to justify the weed shop raids that have been happening. Open to comments from frequent users as to the validity of this allegation.
Respectfully, I think you're missing a bit here. "Illicit grow is potentially dangerous" is an overgeneralization of one of the reasons I've heard used to justify the raids.
A huge part of the overall concerns that the government has with current "weed shops," is inconsistencies inherent in craft growing, concentrate extraction and/or baking.
When g-men start selling this, they "need" to have a consistent product in-terms of THC (or CBD) content. Depending on where you are in the world, this can range from around 0.5% all the way past 25% (THC) in dried flowers. Without clear testing and labelling, there is a public safety risk when/if you injest unexpected/unintended cannabinoids.
With the demand and distribution model the LCBO seems interested in, they'll literally need tons of dried flowers with identical (or a tolerable range of) THC levels from single, marketable strains. This is close to impossible unless VERY specific conditions are created during the grow and reproduced on future grows. This is all but impossible for craft growers favoured by current "weed shops," and is unlikely possible to be reproduced by different (less than industrial-sized) growers.
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It's absolutely different than home distilling or brewing, but it's not as simple as 'Plant seed in soil. Add water and sunlight. Enjoy.' The big difference, from a safety perspective, is that when you screw up when growing or are just mediocre at it, the end product is typically much less 'dangerous' than bad moonshine as it more than likely suffers from low THC levels.
So why care about a home grower sticking to his/her legal 4-plant limit?
In addition to the public safety risk that a market containing consumer-grown, unlabeled cannabis might pose, I imagine the LCBO and its handlers won't want competition, especially after they start spending public funds on this scheme.
Restriction-free options for home growing, plus the initial cost of equipment for a grow, plus limits on personal amounts of dried flowers will absolutely ensure the black market survives, and perhaps even thrives, thus defeating the very purpose of legalization.
Even at 4 plants, that's a huge amount of product. More than most can/should use for personal. At 3 or 4 months per grow (much faster with the right gear or one grow per season outdoors), that could be 10-16lbs (or more) per year per household. I'm not sure what you'd do with that kind of bud, other than turn it over and start again. Selling it will be illegal, and I imagine the LCBO will want to ensure they have as little competition as possible... and the LCBO can't compete with free.
Even small grow ops can be dangerous because of the lighting/power needs. Someone trying to save themselves a few $$$ can very easily create a safety hazard, in-particular if left unattended without automatic fire protection systems. Any landlord should be concerned about the damage even a small grow may cause unless done right (moisture damage in-particular). Neighbours in a condo or apartment building may resent hallways that constantly smell like someone decided not to vent their farm outdoors... (etc.)
Letting someone grow outdoors in your average neighbourhood would, IMO, invite crime. At 6-12ft tall right now (September), outdoor plants in Ontario are hard to hide. What happens if those skeevy neighbourhood teens get a hold of them? If you need to fence your pool in this province, I imagine public safety will take a front seat over all else here as-well.
Just my thoughts.
