Reply #31: people can brew their own beer and wine- but liquor stores do just fine.

[dysfunctional press]

the VAST majority of people aren't going to grow it- many of them, people who live in apartments, for instance- don't have the space.
if you grow outdoors- there's one growing season and one harvest per year. and the harvest from a planter box on the balcony isn't going to see most people thru to next year's harvest. indoor growing might be an option for some- but the smell is going to be a drawback to a lot of people(or their spouse).
and people who grow in their backyard garden would have to find a way to protect against thieves that might show up in the middle of the night around harvest time...