Absolutely, you should grow your own cannabis. If consuming cannabinoids is one of your things, then yes, you should try it. Growing pot is just like everything else—it’s difficult and complicated to be an absolute pro at it, but at the same time, anyone can do it. From a small tent to a little plot hidden behind the sunflowers in your yard, if you’ve got some space and some seeds, give it a shot. Here are a few reasons why:
It’s fun and relaxing
Growing cannabis is a huge industrial industry worth millions or whatever, but it’s also just a fun hobby. Maybe you are already into growing vegetables or herbs, but maybe you’ve never got dirt in your fingernails and the herb is just the gateway drug you need to try it. A lot of research has been done on “green care,” which is the therapeutic benefit of chilling with plants. A basement lit up with grow lights is the perfect mood booster. The only thing better is a hot summer day tending to your plants in the sunshine.
Or maybe you are a DIYer and into mending your own pants and brewing your own beer! Growing pot is like brewing your own beer, in that you should be really careful not to ruin your floors, only it smells way better.
You’ll know exactly what went into it
Pesticides, fungicides, fertilizers, mildew…the really bummer thing about industrial weed is that it’s sort of industrial. Not to say that there aren’t amazing growers out there at every scale who keep to strictly organic growing regimes and would trash any harvest that was contaminated in any way. It’s just that, despite efforts of states to regulate and oversee what goes into and comes out of commercial pot grows, there’s a limit to the control. Not to get all germaphobic, but growing your own is the best way to know what’s going into your smoke, the names of the cats who have been in the garden with it, and feel great about the whole thing.
You can make your own extracts and edibles
Extracts and edibles are the most value-added of anything you can buy in a dispensary. Facilities can take the tiny little buds too small to trim, the sugar leaves and the scraps and turn it into expensive and potent oils and candy bars. And so can you! You can start simple by simmering some butter, grab some everclear and mix up a tincture, and even explore safe ways of making your own dabbables, with or without solvents.
It’s empowering and could maybe save you money
For some people, growing pot is a lucrative hobby. You can focus on optimization, hone your craft, and maybe have enough surplus harvest to trade your friend for dog sitting. If your regular weed tab is over $100 bucks a month, well, growing your personal stash may just be the thing your budget needs. It’s like growing chickens. Some people spend a lot of money on a nice coop, and then they have all these extra eggs and they’re eating quiche for every meal. Know what I mean?
Power to the people!
The history of cannabis legalization in the US is still unfolding, but we can all see where it’s been going this whole time, and that’s pot stocks, apparently. The beautiful thing about legalization has been home grow rights. While the laws control who can start up a business selling pot to their friends, at least they grant everyone the right to grow their own plants, to decide how big they want them to be, and to share them freely with their friends.
If you are ready to get started, check out our blog on germinating cannabis seeds.