‘Growing Belushi’ Co-Star On Cannabis Biz, Legalization And Growing Weed

Since its 2020 debut on the Discovery Channel, Growing Belushi, a reality TV show starring performer Jim Belushi and his cannabis farm in Southern Oregon, has become a popular mainstay. Currently, in its third season, the show features a cast that also includes Belushi’s cousin Chris Karakosta, who works as a general manager on Belushi’s Farm. A former Florida restaurant chain entrepreneur, Karakosta fell into his current spot while visiting his famous relative’s farm. There he quickly became smitten with the healing power of cannabis and the industry’s numerous opportunities.

When not parlaying his business savvy and experience to Belushi’s Farm, Karakosta has become a fan favorite with TV viewers due to his sparring with his cousin. Recently, Karakosta took a break from his jampacked schedule to talk about his daily routine at the farm, his thoughts on federal legalization and his advice to aspiring growers.

This Q&A was edited for conciseness and clarity.

Iris Dorbian: What do you find most surprising about working at the farm?

Chris Karakosta: How difficult farming is, and how a city guy like me fumbles at almost every attempt. Our staff has found great humor watching me perform any farming chores.

Dorbian: What exactly do you do at the farm?

Karakosta: My primary job is to fill in for Jim, who is a busy guy and can’t be there all the time. I do my best to see that his visions are considered in the decision making each day. Also, I facilitate the crew — whatever they need, food, love, babysitter, a shoulder to lean on. They are the ones who make what we do successful.

Dorbian: It’s been 10 years since Colorado became the first state to legalize recreational weed. What are the biggest positives facing the industry and your business?

Karakosta: That 70% of Americans believe cannabis should be legalized shows the public is understanding that the plant is medicine.

Dorbian: What are the biggest challenges you see moving forward?

Karakosta: There are many but for starters, collecting data to understand consumer needs. Genetics are critical and everyone is trying to create consistency in each product. However, the experience for each user is different, so it’s difficult to promise outcomes. And each harvest is different, which is the same with cultivating grapes for wine production. Also, consumer demands are so different. Consistency will not be so attractive to some users.

Dorbian: Where is the biggest growth happening?

Karakosta: Full spectrum hemp is taking off. We have a lot of customers who are big fans of Belushi’s Farm pet CBD.

Dorbian: What are your thoughts on federal legalization? Any predictions on when it could happen?

Karakosta: The majority of the U.S. population supports legalization, and many politicians are getting that message. They also see the added tax benefit to the government and the curbing of illegal growers. It’s unfortunate, but I agree with Representatives Nancy Mace (R-South Carolina) and Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon) that full legalization is still some way off. We have to keep working to remove cannabis from Schedule 1 and cannabis companies should have full access to the banking system and be treated the same as other companies under the tax code.

Dorbian: Based on your experience at the farm, what advice would you give to anyone interested in being a grower/cultivator? What should they do and what should they not do?

Karakosta: Two things: First, like most startup businesses, do not go into this undercapitalized. This project would never have survived without Jim’s commitment. It takes a ton of capital to invest in growing. It’s a constant cost from seed to finished product with no guarantee of revenue. The value of the finished product changes daily. I’ll make projections for Jim, and he eventually loses confidence and won’t even review them because the bottom line never happens the way I’ve projected. Second is staffing. It took years for us to develop a team. It doesn’t happen right away. We managed to end up with a team that we consider family, and their work is second to none.