The Advantages of Growing Marijuana
At some time in life, almost everyone who enjoys a good smoke has thought of growing their own cannabis seeds. Some dream of having an endless supply of high-quality weed, while others think of the profits they may make or the strains they could grow. Still, others see cannabis cultivation as yet another challenge to be met.
While growing marijuana is still against federal law, recreational weed has been legalized in 11 states (including Oregon, California, and Colorado) and the District of Columbia. As of now, 23 states have medicinal marijuana laws, which means that smokers across the country are eager to grow their own crops. At-home cultivation has numerous benefits, but many are reluctant to make the commitment. In this guide, you’ll learn some of the advantages of growing cannabis, as well as a few things to think of when making the decision.
Greater Accessibility
Though it’s still frowned upon in some circles, the vibe around cannabis is much more relaxed than it was before. Regardless of current laws on home cultivation, we’ve come far from the days of strict prohibition. Furthermore, educational materials are widely available, in print and online. Not only will you learn about cannabis, but you’ll also find out how to grow your own! There’s never been a better time to grow your own, and it all starts with high-quality seeds.
Quality Control
A primary reason to grow your own cannabis crop is the level of quality control you’ll enjoy. When growing your own weed, you’ll know just what you are getting. For instance, if you planted Sour Diesel seeds, you’re sure to get Sour Diesel plants. If the crop is well-maintained, the product will be just as potent and flavorful as anything found in a dispensary.
Large-scale cultivators often use pesticides to keep crops bug-free. Certain products are regarded as safe and there are stringent rules on others. Unless you’re growing your own bud, though, it’s impossible to guarantee that the product will be pesticide-free. New growers often make mistakes, and cannabis cultivation comes with a certain degree of trial and error. There are numerous ways to grow cannabis indoors, some of which work better than others. With all this experimentation, you’re sure to become a proficient grower and you may never need to visit a dispensary again.
Greater Purity of Cannabis
In America’s new recreational cannabis market, recent customers complained of moldy products, bringing about a recall. Though it should be avoided, a healthy person can likely consume moldy cannabis without knowing. However, for a consumer with a compromised immune system, mold may bring lung problems and other health setbacks. As the industry shifts toward the mass-production model, large-scale cultivation techniques involving chemicals are becoming commonplace. When you grow cannabis at home, you’re more likely to end up with the pure, unadulterated product you want.
Saving Money
Another significant advantage of at-home cannabis cultivation is the money you’ll save. When purchasing marijuana from dispensaries, you’ll pay a set price per ounce or gram. Those numbers change when growing bud at home, as you’ll be paying for startup supplies and increased power consumption. Increases may be negligible if you’re only growing a few CBD plants, but costs add up quickly.
The size of the harvest will depend on lighting and strain selection. Some plants just produce more buds than others, and it’s important to research different strains to learn about average yields. Let’s assume that you’re only growing one plant, which will produce about five ounces of consumable buds. Your expenses will include electricity (approximately $70 more per month), water (likely less than $25), and the price of seeds. That cost varies widely, but you’ll always get the best deal at weed-seeds.ca.
Add those costs up, and you’ll probably pay less than $300. This figure assumes a 10-week flowering time. Each ounce will cost $60. Compare that to products found in dispensaries, which may cost upwards of $300 per ounce depending on strain and strength. For frequent smokers, the cost difference makes at-home cultivation a great idea.
Reconnecting With Nature
When people grow their own cannabis, they get the chance to observe a fascinating (but slow) maturation process. Taking time to look at the plants throughout their growth stages will help you learn how they develop and what they need during each phase.
Observation is just one part of the educational process. It’s equally important to offer the right responses at the right time. Sometimes, doing the right thing means doing nothing at all; at other times, it means knowing how to act against disease, nutrient deficiencies, and other threats. Growers become invested in their plants’ life cycle, and they’re richly rewarded with potent, sweet-smelling buds.
Less Worry About Running Out
This is a deal-breaker for some cannabis consumers. Running out of weed is never a good thing, but it happens to the best of us. With plants that produce five ounces or more every ten weeks, though, it’s tough to imagine running out. In fact, you’ll probably have plenty to go around!
If there’s more than one smoker in the house and a single plant won’t cover everyone’s needs, it’s easy to plant a few more seedlings. Most states that permit medical and recreational marijuana allow users to grow multiple plants. For example, Colorado lets users grow four plants indoors, while California restricts garden size.
When growing more than one cannabis plant (or cultivating them at all) it’s important to ensure compliance with state and local laws. Even if cultivation is legal, there are still rules to follow. It takes just one or two serious cases to ruin it for everyone, so know the law before growing.
How Much You’ll Learn
Growing weed is a real learning experience, and it’s amazing how much knowledge a grower can gather. Cultivators learn the essential techniques of plant care and cultivation, and they also learn a great deal about cannabis plants themselves. Each strain is unique, and they all behave differently when grown and consumed.
For new consumers and those just getting into the legal cannabis market, knowledge of different strains may be lacking. A first-time seed buyer may want to find a strain that gives them the high they’re looking for, so knowing the differences between Sativa and Indica strains will be beneficial.
Once you’ve begun to learn about cannabis strains, the thirst for knowledge will only increase. Home growers often become fascinated by medical marijuana studies, as they provide an opportunity to learn why and how cannabinoids behave how they do. For some growers, the chance to learn something new is a great reason to start growing their own crops.
Location and Convenience
Earlier in this guide, we explained that some consumers choose not to grow their own weed because it’s inconvenient. However, similar logic can be applied to the decision to grow cannabis at home. Not everyone lives down the street from a dispensary, and some people are homebound because of injury or illness (but are well enough to tend to their plants).
Growing weed at home might be the right choice simply because dispensaries are inconveniently priced or difficult to access. If you are on a tight budget because of recurring medical bills, it’s much easier to afford this beneficial medicine if it can be grown at home for less than half the price of dispensary products.
Some consumers choose to grow their own marijuana because it eliminates the need to visit a dispensary. Like other beneficial plants such as aloe, it’s good to have a supply of cannabis nearby when it’s needed.
The Experience Gained and the Patience Learned
hough the benefits are enormous, growing cannabis requires dedication and effort. You’ll have to water the plants properly, give them the right amount and type of light, and give them supplemental nutrients when necessary. That’s not the end of the hard work, though; once the plants produce flowers, it’s harvest time.
To harvest the buds, start by cutting the branches from the plants. Then, trim the leaves from the flowers before drying them for at least a week. Afterward, the buds should be left to cure for about two weeks. Growing cannabis requires patience—even after harvesting the buds at about ten weeks, you’ll still have to wait almost a month before enjoying them.
Opening the Door to Other Hobbies and Gaining New Skills
Home cannabis growers often find themselves interested in cultivating other crops. Additionally, the knowledge gained when growing weed may spill over into other areas of life. A successful grower must also be a good plumber, carpenter, designer, and electrician. Each of the above skills gives the grower a chance to get into a new hobby, and those skills stick around for a lifetime.
Stress Relief and Relaxation
Most enthusiasts agree that gardening is a stress-relieving hobby, and cannabis cultivation is no exception. From start to finish, a grower will encounter numerous challenges. By becoming well-acquainted with the plants, you’ll gain valuable cultivation skills. Taking time out of your busy day to tend to a growing crop will help you forget about your troubles for a little while.
Discretion
Though most consumers wouldn’t have a problem with seeing a friend or family member at a dispensary, others would rather not disclose their habits to coworkers and others. Growing weed at home is much more discreet than visiting a dispensary.
Making Extracts and Hash
Is it better to enjoy hash and other extracts than it is to smoke cannabis? If you’d rather have an extract, growing marijuana and using the shake (plant material) is a rewarding way to get the desired product. It’s easy to make bubble hash at home with low-cost tools. Use bubble hash bags to separate the trichomes from the shake, and then use the derivative to make infused creams, butter, oils, or hash. These products offer all the medicinal benefits of cannabis and can be used in situations where smoking is impossible. Depending on the plant type you’re growing, it may be very quick and easy to get a substantial amount of hash.
Getting the Benefit of the Whole Cannabis Plant
No matter how cannabis is consumed—as a vape, a bud, or an edible—you’ll get the benefit of the flavonoids, terpenes, and cannabinoids within. These compounds may work together to reduce pain, control nausea, lessen inflammation, and suppress the growth of cancer cells. Known as the entourage effect, the benefits of these compounds are more powerful when combined.
Cross-Pollination
Once you’ve mastered the basics of cannabis cultivation, experimenting with different strains can be fun and exciting. Cross-pollination serves two purposes: it blends plant genetics and aids in seed banking.
In some cases, gardeners cultivate marijuana just for the seeds. For potent marijuana, it’s important to keep female and male plants separate. However, if there are two plants with great genes, cross-pollination will provide the seeds needed for future crops. Start with products from weed-seeds.ca, experiment with plant genetics, and build a private seed storehouse!
Creating New Strains and Enjoying The Results
Do you plan to sell seeds or other cannabis products for profit? It all starts with the right seeds and growing techniques. By retaining control of the plants, growers find it easier to test different strains. When a gardener finds a strain that works for them, they’re all but guaranteed to end up with top-quality cannabis seeds. Some of the world’s most popular cannabis varieties are the result of experimentation by breeders and growers, like the latest development of autoflowering seeds using ruderalis strain hybrids. With cross-pollination and strain experimentation, growers can become self-sufficient in time.
In Closing
Learning how to cultivate cannabis will leave you with a great crop and skills that last a lifetime. In the end, taking time to care for plants and watch them grow is just as rewarding as the final product. When it’s time to harvest those buds and start another crop, you’ll do so with confidence. Growing marijuana requires a lot of work and dedication, but the results are worth it. Get a great start on your next Tennessee or Delaware greenhouse crop with high-quality 420 and 710 seeds from kindseed.com.
