NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 8, 2026--
Royal Queen Seeds (RQS) has just released its third annual homegrown survey, and the data overwhelmingly shows that while consumers differ in how and why they use cannabis, concerns about pesticides and product transparency are consistent across all demographics. As cannabis consumption steadily rises, nearly three in four cannabis consumers (72%) say they are very concerned about pesticides in their cannabis products.
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This survey was conducted online, among U.S. adults ages 21+, by The Harris Poll on behalf of RQS, one of the world's largest cannabis seed banks, and additionally found that two-thirds of cannabis consumers (67%) say they would choose cannabis grown without pesticides even if it has lower THC — showing a preference for quality and safety over potency.
This prioritization may be unsurprising, given a recent slew of pesticide scandals in the regulated cannabis market. In the survey, 65% of cannabis consumers say recent press coverage of cannabis topics has made them more likely to want to grow cannabis at home versus buy it.
“Consumers today are more informed and more intentional about what they put into their bodies,” said Shai Ramsahai, President of Royal Queen Seeds. “Blindly buying products just because of a high THC percentage is a fading trend. People want cannabis they can trust, and many are turning to home cultivation to take control over quality and safety.”
For many, growing at home offers a direct way to control quality and ensure a clean product and interest in home cultivation is rising alongside these concerns, with 3 out of 5 Americans aged 21+ (61%) supporting the legal right to grow the plant at home. The survey also found there is a preference for cannabis over alcohol among cannabis users, along with some insights for why Americans use cannabis.
Other Impactful Insights Include:
More details can be found on the Royal Queens Seeds website here.
Survey Method
This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Royal Queen Seeds from March 17-19, 2026, among 2,017 adults ages 21 and older, among whom 851 are cannabis consumers (i.e., ever consume cannabis). The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +/- 2.7 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. This credible interval will be wider among subsets of the surveyed population of interest. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact royalqueenseeds@mygrasslands.com.
About Royal Queen Seeds
Established in 2007 in Amsterdam, Royal Queen Seeds (RQS) is the market leader at the forefront of the global cannabis genetics industry, recently recognized as “Best Seedbank of the Year” at The International Cannabis Awards. Driven by an inherent passion for the plant, RQS meticulously tests each seed for germination, vigor, yield and both recreational and medical efficacy. This dedication, combined with relentless research and development, allows RQS to pioneer and anticipate market trends while delivering top-tier genetics curated by its team of biologists.
The company is also a respected cannabis educator that offers comprehensive grow guides, resources and instruction for cultivators. It has developed an extensive range of modern genetics — including autoflowering and proprietary F1 hybrids — that cater to the varied needs of contemporary growers at every skill level, from hobbyists to professionals.
Multiple Cannabis Cup victories and prestigious "Best Seed Bank'' awards speak to the company’s outstanding breeding and innovation. RQS operates online in Germany, the United Kingdom, U.S., and over 20 countries across Europe. Headquartered in Barcelona, brick and mortar locations can be found in Amsterdam and Durban (South Africa). Learn more at www.royalqueenseeds.com.
Nearly Three in Four Consumers Are Very Concerned About Pesticides in Cannabis as Home Grow Support Remains Strong, New Survey Data Reveals
Nearly Three in Four Consumers Are Very Concerned About Pesticides in Cannabis as Home Grow Support Remains Strong, New Survey Data Reveals
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the U.S. will work with Iran to “dig up and remove” its enriched uranium that was buried under joint U.S-Israeli strikes last summer.
The president said on social media that “There will be no enrichment of Uranium” and that none of the material had been touched since the June attacks.
Trump had previously said the U.S. would retrieve the deeply buried material, which is expected to be an intensive undertaking, if it struck an agreement with Iran.
Trump added: “We are, and will be, talking Tariff and Sanctions relief with Iran.”
Trump's remarks came hours after the U.S., Israel and Iran agreed to a ceasefire. Sporadic attacks were reported after the deal was announced.
And Israel said the deal did not apply to its fighting with the Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon. A series of Israeli strikes hit several areas in central Beirut on Wednesday, the state-run National News Agency reported.
Loud booms could be heard throughout the city and smoke was rising from several points. It was not immediately clear what was targeted, but several of the strikes were in busy commercial locations.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran, the United States and Israel agreed to a two-week ceasefire, an 11th-hour deal that allowed U.S. President Donald Trump to pull back from his threat to unleash a bombing campaign that would destroy Iranian civilization. Hours after the announcement, Iran and Gulf Arab countries reported new attacks Wednesday.
It was not clear if the sporadic attacks would be enough to scuttle the deal, which U.S. Vice President JD Vance called “fragile.”
Even before the new strikes were reported, much about the deal was unclear as the sides presented vastly different visions of the terms.
— Iran said the deal would allow it to formalize its new practice of charging ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, but the terms were not clear, nor was whether ships would feel safe using the crucial transit lane for oil. It also was unclear whether any other country agreed to this condition.
— Pakistan, which helped to mediate the deal, and others said fighting would pause in Lebanon, where Israel has launched a ground invasion against the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group. Israel said it would not.
— The fate of Iran's missile and nuclear programs — the elimination of which were major objectives for the U.S. and Israel in going to war — also remained unclear.
In the streets of Tehran, pro-government demonstrators screamed: “Death to America, death to Israel, death to compromisers!” after the ceasefire announcement and burned American and Israeli flags.
The chants underscored the anger animating hard-liners, who have been preparing for what many assumed would be an apocalyptic battle with the United States. Trump warned Tuesday that “a whole civilization will die tonight,” if a deal wasn’t reached.
Trump initially said Iran proposed a “workable” 10-point plan that could help end the war the U.S. launched with Israel on Feb. 28. But when a version in Farsi emerged that indicated Iran would be allowed to continue enriching uranium — which is key to building a nuclear weapon — Trump called it fraudulent without elaborating.
Trump also suggested American warships would be “hangin’ around” the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of all traded oil and natural gas passes in peacetime. That could be a potential flashpoint in days to come.
Iran’s demands for ending the war, meanwhile, include a withdrawal of U.S. combat forces from the region, the lifting of sanctions, and the release of its frozen assets.
All are likely nonstarters for Trump and other Western nations.
Pakistan said that talks to hammer out a permanent end to the war could begin in Islamabad as soon as Friday.
Israel backed the U.S. ceasefire with Iran, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said early Wednesday that the deal doesn’t cover fighting against Hezbollah. Israel’s military said later that fighting and ground operations continue.
Hezbollah has not confirmed if it will abide by the ceasefire, though the group has said it was open to giving mediators a chance to secure an agreement. An official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment publicly, said the group would not stop firing at Israel unless Israel agreed to do the same.
While Iran could not match the sophistication of U.S. and Israeli weaponry or their dominance in the air, its ability to control the Strait of Hormuz since the war began proved a tremendous strategic advantage: The chokehold roiled the world economy and raised the pressure on Trump both at home and abroad to find a way out of the standoff.
The ceasefire may formalize that control — and give Iran a new source of revenue.
The plan allows for both Iran and Oman to charge fees on ships transiting through the strait, according to a regional official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss negotiations they were directly involved in. The official said Iran would use the money it raised for reconstruction.
That would upend decades of precedent treating the strait as an international waterway that was free to transit and will likely not be acceptable to the Gulf Arab states, which also need to rebuild after repeated Iranian attacks targeting their oil fields.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said passage through the strait would be allowed under Iranian military management — further clouding the picture of who would be allowed to transit the waterway.
Nevertheless, news of the ceasefire drove oil prices down and pushed stocks up Wednesday.
U.S.-Israeli strikes have battered Iran and its leadership, but they have not entirely eliminated the threats posed by Tehran's nuclear program, its ballistic missiles or its support for regional proxies, like Hezbollah. The U.S. and Israel said addressing those threats was a key justification for going to war.
Tehran insisted for years that its nuclear program was peaceful, although it enriched uranium up to 60% purity, a short, technical step from weapons-grade levels.
That stockpile of highly enriched uranium is still believed to be buried, and Tehran referred to the program differently in two versions of the ceasefire plan that it released. The version in Farsi included the phrase “acceptance of enrichment” for its nuclear program. That phrase was missing in English versions shared by Iranian diplomats with journalists.
A senior Israeli official said the United States had coordinated the ceasefire with Israel in advance and said Israel’s government credited “the massive crushing of the regime’s infrastructure” with securing the agreement.
Speaking on condition of anonymity because they were discussing private diplomatic conversations, the official said Washington had committed to pressing for the removal of nuclear material and dismantling of Iran’s ballistic missile program.
Shortly after the ceasefire announcement, Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates all issued warnings about incoming missiles from Iran. That fire stopped for a time, then hostilities appeared to restart.
An oil refinery on Iran’s Lavan Island came under attack, according to Iranian state television. Its report said that firefighters were working to contain the blaze but no one had been hurt. It did not say who launched the attack.
The island is home to one of the terminals that Iran uses to export oil and gas. The U.S. military’s Central Command did not respond to questions about the strike.
A short time later, the United Arab Emirates’ air defenses fired at an incoming Iranian missile barrage. Kuwait’s military forces, meanwhile, responded to an “extensive wave” of drone attacks.
More than 1,900 people had been killed in Iran as of late March, but the government has not updated the war’s toll for days.
In Lebanon, where Israel is fighting Iran-backed Hezbollah militants, more than 1,500 people have been killed. and 1 million people have been displaced. Eleven Israeli soldiers have died.
In Gulf Arab states and the occupied West Bank, more than two dozen people have died, while 23 have been reported dead in Israel, and 13 U.S. service members have been killed.
Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Magdy from Cairo and Metz from Ramallah, West Bank. Associated Press writers Edie Lederer at the United Nations, Natalie Melzer in Jerusalem, Abby Sewell in Beirut, and Aamer Madhani in Washington contributed to this report.
Displaced children sit on a truck with their packed belongings as they wait for an official ceasefire decision between Iran and the United States that they hope will include Lebanon and allow them to return to their villages, in the southern port city of Sidon, Lebanon, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)
A demonstrator holds a picture of Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei during a gathering after announcement of a two-week ceasefire with the United States and Israel, in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
A government supporter chants slogans during a gathering after the announcement of a two-week ceasefire with the United States and Israel in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
People check the damage of a coffeeshop at the site of an Israeli strike in the southern port city of Sidon, Lebanon, Wednesday, April, 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)
Men carry the coffins with the bodies of Pierre Mouawad, an official with the anti-Hezbollah Lebanese Forces party, and his wife during their funeral in Yahshush, Lebanon, Tuesday, April 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
The White House is seen in Washington, Tuesday, April 7, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. EDT. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)
An Iranian cluster munition missile explodes in the sky over northern Israel, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
Activists protest near the White House in Washington, Tuesday evening, April 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Pro-government demonstrators chant slogans as they hold Iranian flags and a poster of the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei in a gathering after announcement of a two-week ceasefire in the war with the United States and Israel, at the Enqelab-e-Eslami, or Islamic Revolution, Square, in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
