As the winter weather subsides, and clocks have since been moved forward for daylight saving time, many responsible adults in states that have legalized cannabis for adult use are contemplating whether or not to grow their own cannabis.
Personal cannabis cultivation for adult use is now legal in Alaska, Oregon, California, parts of Nevada (has to be more than 25 miles away from a store), Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, and Washington D.C.
Each state has its own provisions regarding plant limits and possession limits, so always make sure you are familiar with your state’s laws. A great resource for up-to-date info is NORML’s state cannabis law database.
For adults in Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada (where applicable), and California, this is the first sun-grown cannabis season since legalization took effect.
Chances are if you live in those states and haven’t grown for medical purposes previously, you may now be thinking about starting at least one plant. Below are six reasons Green Flower came up with to try to nudge you into taking the cultivation leap.
#1) It’s an expression of freedom
Whenever someone asks me why I grow cannabis, I almost always answer with ‘because I legally can.’ I’m usually saying it quite proudly with a big grin on my face.
Cannabis activists have fought for a long time to end prohibition and to create freedom for responsible adults to cultivate their own cannabis.
Cultivating cannabis to eventually consume it is a perfectly good motivating factor, but I have always felt that growing cannabis honors all of the activists who have sacrificed so much to free this amazing plant.
#2) It’s extremely fun and rewarding
You will be hard pressed to find a hobby that is as fun and as rewarding as cultivating your own cannabis. Cannabis plants grow relatively quickly compared to other plants, and are far funner to consume than the average garden item!
It doesn’t matter if you have consumed cannabis on a daily basis for decades, are new to consuming cannabis, or are back from a long hiatus, cultivating your own cannabis that you use for wellness purposes is an empowering thing.
Caring for your plants, and even just staring at them in admiration is a very uplifting experience. The cannabis plant is one of the most beautiful plants on the planet, and growing one or more plants from start to finish is an experience that every adult should complete at least once in their life.
#3) You have control over what you consume
The average cannabis consumer is getting more sophisticated and knowledgeable every day. It is paralleling the same increase in consumer awareness in other agricultural products.
It’s especially important to know where your cannabis comes from because in many cases you are smoking it. Smoking an agricultural product requires that it be even cleaner than when the product is eaten, which in itself should involve a high level of scrutiny.
When a person cultivates their own cannabis, they have control over what type of medium it is grown in, what types of nutrients the cannabis plant(s) is fed, and can ensure that no harmful products were used in the course of cultivating and harvesting the cannabis.
The only way to know exactly what is in your cannabis is to grow your own. That in itself is enough reason to get a personal garden going!
#4) You can gift it to other responsible adults
Arguably the biggest reason why I started cultivating my own cannabis once legalization took effect in Oregon was to gift it to other people I knew.
I was fortunate enough to have grown cannabis previously, and my prior experience has helped me cultivate enough cannabis that I can consume enough myself, and also gift my excess to people that I know.
A lot of my friends and family do the same, which has resulted in a scenario in which all of us rarely pay for cannabis and never run out of supply. It’s a beautiful thing.
#5) You can save money
Depending on the cultivation method, growing cannabis can be a relatively cheap endeavor. Cultivating cannabis is not as easy as putting a seed in your yard and watering it every day, but it also doesn’t have to be as elaborate as what some movies have portrayed.
If you want to have a state-of-the-art indoor hydroponic garden, or a light deprivation greenhouse with retractable roof, then you will have to shell out some dollars.
But if you are like many people on the West Coast that put one strong clone in a 10-gallon pot of good soil,and shower it with love, water, and the occasional nutrient, you are not out that much money and the potential bounty to be acquired can be significant.
#6) It’s relatively easy if you temper your expectations
Growing a plant outdoors in a container and having it yield several ounces, if not over a pound, is not uncommon. The main ingredients are time and patience.
As with anything, it takes time and practice to master the craft of cultivating cannabis. But if you have realistic expectations when you start, and keep them throughout the life of your plant(s), the odds are in your favor that it will work out in the end.
If you are a new grower, try one plant outside in a container. Each grow season add to your garden’s size until you are at your jurisdiction’s limit.
If you go into it extending yourself financially on a garden with unrealistic expectations, you are setting yourself up for failure. Don’t be that person!
