We all have a fire inside us.
Something that makes us vibrate, that pushes us forward, even when everything seems blocked. For some, it’s cannabis. For others, it’s music, sports, painting, cooking, writing—it doesn’t matter. It’s not the passion itself that matters; it’s what it ignites within you. It’s that spark that turns boredom into obsession, that makes you forget time, that gives you a reason to wake up in the morning with something more than just obligations.
The difference between those who endure life and those who truly live it is right there. It’s in the ability to listen to that inner fire and give it space. Because that’s real freedom—being able to live off what makes you feel alive. Being able to create your own path, without relying on a system that dictates what to do, what to think, and how to exist.
And the most beautiful thing? This pursuit transcends everything—cultures, religions, borders, bank accounts. It doesn’t matter where you come from, who you are, or how much money you have. Passion is raw, universal, and accessible to anyone who dares to let it grow.
You can start with nothing. I started with nothing.
Son of a welder and a florist-turned-childcare worker, grandson of farmers.
What made the difference wasn’t hidden talent, it wasn’t luck. It was obsession, hard work, and the will to never give up.
And everyone has that fire inside them.
So.
Here’s my story.
The Birth of Botafarm
Botafarm’s story is the story of a guy who had nothing going for him. A country kid, skinny as a twig, lacking confidence, who never really found his place. A guy who spent his time overthinking, experimenting, searching for something bigger than the small life that had been mapped out for him.
I’ve always had a love for psychedelics, but weed was different. It was more than just getting high—it was a connection, a language I instinctively understood.
I started growing with a seed and a dream. I was 18, growing outdoors without really knowing what I was doing. Then, one day, like so many others, I got ripped off. Classic. That was the moment I decided I would never depend on anyone for my weed again. That day, without realizing it, I stepped into a world that would change my life forever.
But first, I had to learn.
Internet back then wasn’t what it is today. You paid by the hour, and you couldn’t use the phone while you were online. The few grow videos were all in English, and I didn’t understand a word of it. But still, I watched everything I could, found the few translated books available, took notes, tested, failed, tried again.
For a year, I absorbed every piece of knowledge I could find.
I had nothing. No higher education. Just a pharmacy assistant certificate, no advanced degree. I had spent years doing shitty jobs. I ended up working in a concrete factory in my village for minimum wage, no future.
So I saved every cent I could.
A year later, I finally bought my first indoor setup:
A 1m² tent, a 600W light, an exhaust fan, and ten B52 seeds.
That’s when reality hit me:
• 8 seeds died.
• 2 sprouted.
• Only 1 was female.
But that plant? I treated it like my life depended on it.
A 20L pot, Allmix soil, mineral nutrients.
I put all my energy, all my obsession into that grow.
And the result blew my mind.
Massive, resinous buds—better than anything I had ever smoked before.
Until then, all I had access to was garbage hash, laced Moroccan pollen, and once in a while, some overpriced Dutch nugs. But now, I had grown something better than anything I had ever had in my life.
My friends were shocked. So was I.
At first, I wondered if I had a gift.
But it wasn’t a gift. It was passion—so strong that it forced me to learn, to test, to improve.
And once you have that kind of fire inside you, nothing can stop you.
I kept going. Year after year, grow after grow.
I started traveling, going to Cannabis Cups, meeting people.
Then one day, life forced me to stop.
From a Broken Foot to a Growshop
I broke my foot. Couldn’t work. Stuck at home. Thinking.
And then I had a realization:
Why the hell was I driving 25km to Bordeaux to get my grow supplies? The traffic, the bags of soil, the bottles of nutrients…
Why couldn’t I just have everything right next to me?
In 2007, I opened my grow shop in Libourne:
Botafarm, Les Jardins d’Intérieur du Libournais.
Of course, as usual, people said it wouldn’t work.
Except for my parents, who believed in me.
So I went all in.
And that shop changed my life.
I had always struggled with self-esteem. I was anorexic, saw myself as a loser.
But through this plant, I learned I could create something meaningful.
The U.S. Changed Everything
In 2009, I took my first trip to the U.S.
New York.
Woodstock’s 40th anniversary.
Weed everywhere. Free bags being passed around.
The energy, the positivity, the freedom, the creativity.
I felt at home.
I started traveling more.
From a distance, with the help of my shop, I set up a garden in Los Angeles with a friend.
And over time, I met Marley, my ex-wife.
She wouldn’t leave the U.S., so I left everything behind—
My cat, my family, my friends—and I stayed.
Building, Hustling, Surviving
I did everything.
• Worked in dispensaries.
• Set up farms.
• Ran legal and illegal grows.
I saw everything in the cannabis industry—
The successes, the scams, the employers who stole from workers, the fights in grow rooms, the bosses who made you put PGRs in “organic” weed.
I held my ground.
I built my own operation in South Central.
A neighborhood where drive-bys happened more often than Amazon deliveries.
One of my workers, a guy I hired because he needed a second chance after prison, got shot in my street.
A bullet in the back, another in the leg.
Bled out.
Weeks later, Nipsey Hussle was murdered.
The whole neighborhood exploded.
I realized—I wasn’t a gangster.
I had balls, sure.
But I was a botanist first.
Botafarm Today
I’ve seen every side of this industry.
Today, I focus on what truly matters:
👉 Breeding elite genetics.
👉 Helping growers—beginners & pros—master the craft.
I built the first French seedbank across the U.S.
And I don’t claim to have “conquered” anything.
I just do my thing, live my passion.
But some people can’t stand that.
There have always been haters.
The truth is—I don’t care.
Because the only thing that matters is knowing what feeds your fire, and what kills it.
I’m not a corporate grower.
I’m a creator.
And as long as I stay true to that,
I know I’m exactly where I’m meant to be.
🔥 Trust yourself. The measure of a man isn’t how he falls, but how he gets back up.
Peace,
J.
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