Across the country, a growing number of U.S. veterans are trading rucksacks for root balls—and they’re reshaping modern agriculture and the legal cannabis space in the process. Agriculture has long offered veterans a tangible mission, a team-first culture, and purposeful work outdoors. The numbers back it up: the USDA counted 370,619 farm producers with military service in the 2017 Census of Agriculture—about 11% of all producers—and updated 2022 data show nearly 289,000 farms have at least one producer who served.
Why the farm, and why now? Many veterans describe agriculture as a familiar rhythm of planning, logistics, and stewardship—skills honed in uniform. Federal on-ramps also exist: USDA’s Farmers.gov hub for military veterans aggregates help with loans, conservation programs, and disaster assistance, while the NIFA “AgVets” grants fund hands-on training through nonprofits to move veterans into viable farm careers. These supports lower barriers for first-time producers and help translate military leadership into entrepreneurial farms and greenhouses.
Cannabis cultivation has become a particularly strong magnet. Although VA clinicians cannot prescribe cannabis, the agency explicitly states that veterans won’t lose benefits for state-legal use and encourages candid conversations with providers. That clarity has helped destigmatize veteran participation in the legal market—even as federal law remains complex—opening space for veteran-led cultivators to build compliant, transparent operations.
Some of the movement’s most visible standard-bearers are veteran-founded cannabis companies that tie cultivation to research and advocacy. Helmand Valley Growers Company, founded by Marine Raiders, channels its brand toward studying cannabis for PTSD and reducing veteran suicides—pairing commercial operations with clinical partnerships and data collection. These efforts signal a maturing sector where growers don’t just sell flower; they invest in evidence and public-health conversations that matter to their community.
The impact isn’t only therapeutic or cultural; it’s economic. Veteran-aligned hemp and cannabis businesses are creating jobs, gaining recognition from federal workforce programs, and—when markets allow—moving from boutique grows to scaled facilities that can supply consistent, contaminant-tested biomass. Recent reporting highlighted a hemp/cannabis firm honored by a federal agency for its veteran employment commitments, underscoring how this talent pipeline strengthens local economies while offering meaningful post-service careers.
Still, the path isn’t frictionless. State licensing can be costly and competitive, wholesale prices volatile, and indoor grows energy-intensive. Veterans pursuing cultivation often blend USDA resources with cannabis-specific mentorship, equity programs where available, and partnerships that share compliance expertise. The discipline and after-action mindset veterans bring—iterate, document, improve—can be a decisive edge when dialing in genetics, integrated pest management, and quality systems at scale. Pair that with mission-driven branding and transparent lab results, and veteran growers stand out in crowded shelves.
For veterans considering the jump, three steps can de-risk the leap. First, map the support stack: talk to a USDA veteran coordinator about financing and conservation incentives; if interested in cannabis, learn your state’s licensing tiers and start small with micro-cultivation or a nursery license where permitted. Second, seek community: veteran agriculture nonprofits and AgVets grantees offer hands-on training that compresses the learning curve. Third, stay health-forward: if you use cannabis, keep your VA care team informed so your record reflects a coordinated, safety-minded plan within the rules.
From greenhouse tables to field rows, veteran growers are fusing service values with plant science—and in doing so, they’re giving the broader industry a blueprint: lead with purpose, measure what matters, and invest back into people. It’s a quiet revolution rooted in discipline and care, and it’s taking deeper hold with every harvest.
