In this article we debunk the myth of “never getting high on your own supply”, at least when it comes to legal marijuana. But first, we must caution, if you absolutely hate DIY projects and detest high quality home-grown plants, then this isn’t for you.
If you’ve been intimidated by the perceived complexity of cultivating marijuana then we have great news for you, it’s actually not that hard! There is a reason this amazingly robust plant is referred to as “weed”.
If you’re new to cultivating or a beginner grower we recommend this beautiful cultivation techniques poster by Goldleaf that lays out a lot of industry speak in an easy to understand visual medium.
If you’re like us and you find yourself spending way too much of your paycheck at the dispensary, then growing your own cannabis at home may not only be a fun little adventure but also a huge long-term cost savings!
Not only is buying cannabis for medicinal and recreational purposes now legal in several states and throughout Canada, it’s also legal to grow your own in most of those places.
And while you may be hesitant to try growing cannabis in your home when you can just visit your local dispensary, since they are pros when it comes to high quality flower, inventory management and delivery.
But if you do have a little extra time and some motivation, growing your own fresh herb can be a highly enjoyable and rewarding experience. Here are ten reasons why you should give it a try.
Benefits of Fresh Homegrown Cannabis
Some of the potential benefits of homegrown cannabis should be obvious. For starters, you have control over what you grow and how much of it you have.
Instead of worrying about your local dispensary running out of the strain you like, you can be sure you always have what you need – or at least have a backup stash when your dispensary doesn’t have what you want.
1. Medicinal Uses
If you have the time, space, and ability, anyone who uses cannabis for medicinal reasons should give homegrown cannabis a try. You likely can’t afford to run out of cannabis, so simply having a bunch for backup can be a life-saver.
Plus, you likely know the specific strain or type of cannabis that helps with your condition, so you’ll know exactly what you need to grow and what you need access to at all times.
Additionally, growing at home allows you to be highly selective in the strain you have access too since you can buy whatever type of seeds you need online.
For chronic pain sufferers higher CBD content flower is preferable, yet most dispensaries usually only have a few CBD dominant strains, because they appeal to a crowd that is chasing high THC content for recreation.
Growing your own means you’ll always have a reliable supply of whatever strain you need to medicate yourself.
2. Recreational Uses
For recreational users, growing your own cannabis can be a more enjoyable experience than buying from a dispensary. As mentioned, you know what strains you like, so you can grow your favorites so you never run out.
Frankly, there’s also something to be said for the enjoyment of consuming something you grew yourself. Any gardener will tell you that a vegetable they grew themselves always tastes better than something they bought from the grocery store.
This fact couldn’t be more obvious in terms of the number of home garden companies that are shifting their business models to embrace home-grown cannabis cultivation, including the titan of the industry, Scotts Micracle Gro. The same is true of cannabis you grow yourself.
3. A Rewarding Horticultural Hobby
There might be a little work involved in growing your own cannabis, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be a fun and rewarding hobby. You might not think of yourself as having a green thumb, but if you have a passion for cannabis, it could be the perfect outlet.
You’ll likely have a lot of fun gaining all of the knowledge and skills necessary to grow cannabis at home. It’s fascinating stuff, and it’ll make you appreciate what the dispensaries are offering even more.
Furthermore, no longer is growing at home a fully DIY affair. Today there is a MASSIVE market of home-grow suppliers catering to individuals looking to grow low-medium yields, with kits including everything you need for a healthy plant including lighting, watering systems, nutrients and fertilizers and self-contained grow tents.
If you’re brand new to this whole cultivation thing check out our step-by-step guide on exactly how to go about learning the art of cultivation as well as some of the best avenues to learn with.
4. You’ll Save Money in the Long-Run
Let’s be conservative and say you’ll yield 15 ounces every three months. That’s 60 ounces per year. And let’s be conservative again and say that an ounce costs $150 (incredibly cheap depending on your location and the bud quality).
That’s $9,000 worth of cannabis every year. With the highest-end grow boxes running under $3,000, you’re saving money within the first year.
Of course, you’ll want to weigh your yearly cannabis budget against the initial investment, but you can get all the equipment and soil and seeds that you need for under $500 if you’re thrifty.
And if you only spend 30 bucks a month on cannabis, that’s $360 per year, so you’ll save money pretty quickly there as well.
There are no concrete stats about average marijuana consumption that I could find, but it’s fair to say that 99% of cannabis users will eventually save money if they grow their own, even compared to street prices.
5. It’s Easier Than You Think
Admittedly, you can’t just snap your fingers and grow your own cannabis. You should know that there will be a little work required, but growing cannabis in your home is probably easier than you think.
There is so much information and so many resources at your disposal that it’s more accessible than ever for home growers to get started.
Also, there are so many different methods for growing cannabis that you can pick the one that fits the amount of time and effort you want to put in. Contrary to popular belief you don’t need a ton of space and you can even get started cultivating ganja in your closet!
You don’t have to spend all day tending to cannabis plants in a greenhouse if you don’t want to. Instead, you can try automated growing systems that do most of the work for you, allowing you to basically grow cannabis in your sleep.
There are complete self-contained, wifi-enabled, app supported home grow cabinets that look like they were designed at NASA.
So next time you have some friends over you can source direct from your own home supply, how sweet is that?
6. It’s a Fun Learning Experience
Believe it or not, learning can be fun, especially when you’re passionate about the thing you’re learning about. If you enjoy using cannabis and learning about different strains, there’s even more knowledge for you to gain when it comes to cultivating cannabis plants.
If you’re not confident in your growing knowledge, there are a wide variety of cannabis cultivation training programs, many of which can be completed online, making you a certified cultivar in no time!
If you don’t want to go that deep then there are plenty of cannabis growing guide books for sale on Amazon that are written by absolute legends.
You may not be an expert right off the bat, but some strains are extremely easy and serve as a great way to get started. With time, you’ll learn more about the growing process and slowly get better at it.
If you’re a true cannabis enthusiast, that process will be its own reward, almost as rewarding as the plants themselves.
7. You’ll Never Run Out
Once you start growing cannabis at home, you won’t have to worry about running out or your local dispensary selling out of your favorite strain.
It might take a little bit of time, but eventually, you should be able to grow enough cannabis plants to meet your needs. Think of the peace of mind you’ll gain knowing that you’ll never have to make an emergency trip to your dispensary again.
For example, the highly popular strain OG Kush can yield 18 ounces every eight weeks when grown outdoors – and even more when grown indoors. That means you’d have to smoke more than 8.4 grams every day to run out.
Additionally, if you roll with a similarly minded type of crew then being able to hand off a bag of fresh nugs as a parting dinner party gift would be the dopest thing you could do right?
“Here you go Barbara, you almost forgot your Bubba Kush 98 honey!”
Seriously though, being able to share a plant that is so beloved with others who value it’s significance as much as you is a wonderful thing and being a home grower allows you to be that person!
8. Control Growing Conditions
Do you know the exact source of the cannabis you use now? Most people don’t, which can be a problem. After all, you’ll want to know for sure whether or not the cannabis you use was sprayed with pesticides or might be tainted with dangerous heavy metals.
Unfortunately, it’s hard to guarantee that the cannabis you buy from your local dispensary was cultivated in a safe and responsible way; companies aren’t always forthright and honest about their growing methods.
The only way to ensure ideal growing conditions is to grow your own cannabis at home, where you’ll have full control over growing conditions.
Of course, if you want to use pesticides, that’s your choice. But at least you’ll know for sure what’s being put into the soil that’s growing your plants.
9. Choose Your Strains and Get Experimental
Even casual cannabis users know that there are so many different products and strains available nowadays, especially since several states and most of Canada have legal dispensaries.
If there are one or two strains that you prefer over others, you can focus your home growing efforts on those specific strains so you’ll always have what you want.
On the other hand, if you grow cannabis at home, you’re also free to experiment any way you like. If you hear about new strains or just want to try something different, it’s easy to do when you can just grow it yourself.
We’ve found Seedsman Seeds to have the largest seed catalog in the industry and with some of the highest customer satisfaction scores, they’re the go-to for home-grow seed sourcing.
Your homegrown plants can also help open the door to experimenting with other types of consumption, like cooking edibles or oils. At the end of the day, when you grow cannabis at home, the possibilities are practically endless.
10. It Could Lead to an Exciting Career
If you find that you have a knack for growing, you can pivot your hobby into something more.
The cannabis industry is continuously growing by monumental leaps and bounds, and its wide-spread social acceptance will likely lead to federal legalization, making interstate commerce a distinct possibility.
This would be like finding out you have a knack for home brewing at the tail end of alcohol Prohibition.
Data intelligence indicates that the legal cannabis industry is still in it’s early stages of growth, so getting in now means you’re joining a rapidly rising tide in an industry where the sky is the limit in growth.
If being starting your own cannabis business is too much responsibility or too big of a project, there are plenty of existing cultivation companies looking to hire experienced growers for well-paying full-time growing positions.
But even if it doesn’t turn into a career, the cannabis growing community is a lively space with a huge number of enthusiasts. You can join the message board, receive and offer advice, and be one of the first to discover new strains.
If you love cannabis in general, there’s no better way to immerse yourself, and it may just make you a fortune.
Why Growing Your Own Cannabis is Worth a Try
Now is the time to take control of your cannabis use by dictating the strains you grow and the growing conditions that produce the cannabis you use.
It will save you money, ensure that you’re always stocked, and gives you a great hobby that you can share with a knowledgeable community locally and worldwide.
While startup costs do exist, they’re minimal upfront expenses that will pay for themselves in spades. And once you have a good setup, the additional costs will be limited to higher power and water bills and bags of soil.
Weigh the costs versus the rewards, consider the excitement and satisfaction of growing it yourself, and decide if you’re willing to put in the (probably minimal) effort. Like a gym membership, it probably won’t hurt to at least give it a try.
Good luck, and happy growing!