[El Gato]

If anything, it appears to be considerably more difficult to grow high-potency marijuana than to distill alcohol.

Quite probably, but I suspect growing "good stuff" is no more difficult than growing good tomatoes, or good wine grapes for that matter. Or making good drinkable beer. (Wouldn't know about that either, almost all beer tastes like something that should be put back into the horse or bull it came from, but that's just me, others have differing opinions, and are welcome to them)

[Know your rights]

I suspect growing "good stuff" is no more difficult than growing good tomatoes

I'm not aware that one has to prevent fertilization to get good tomatoes.