If you enjoy smoking marijuana, then you might want to start growing it. The new Canada marijuana laws, going into effect on October 17th, allow adults in Canada to grow their own! You’ll be able to buy seeds of your favorite strains, cultivate them yourself, and harvest the products you grow for consumption.
On a federal level, adults 18 years of age or over will be able to grow up to 4 cannabis plants for their own personal use. However, provinces set their own restrictions. Quebec, Nunavut, and Manitoba won’t allow adults to grow their own marijuana. Most provinces restrict the use of marijuana before the age of 19, although those in Alberta will be able to grow at 18.
You can grow weed indoors or outdoors (although you may need permission from your landlord) and smoke your own product. Here are some frequently asked questions on growing marijuana on Canada and a beginner’s guide on how to do it.
What are the laws on growing marijuana in Canada?
Canada Cannabis Laws state that, as of October 17, 2008, adults 18 years of age or older are permitted to possess up to 30 grams of legal cannabis. They will also be able to grow up to 4 marijuana plants from licensed seeds or seedlings.
With provinces setting their own marijuana laws, this can vary depending on where you are in Canada. The majority of provinces restrict weed use to adults 19 years of age or older. You’ll have trouble buying marijuana products, including seeds, and growing them.
Quebec and Alberta allow weed consumption from 18 onwards. However, Quebec legally restricts residents from growing their own, along with Nunavut and Manitoba.
Provinces may also set their own restrictions on growing amounts. Depending on where you live, you may also have restrictions on growing from your landlord. But for the most part, Canadians will have no problem growing providing it’s on their own resident and up to 4 plants.
Where do I get marijuana seeds in Canada?
Many dispensaries and marijuana stores, both online and physical, will sell seeds alongside other marijuana products. You can plant these yourself in your own home and begin to grow and harvest them.
Marijuana seeds come in a few different forms. The cost of your seeds will depend on the strain and the type of seed you get:
- Regular cannabis seeds are the most common and least valuable kind of seed. These have an equal chance of growing as either male or female plants. Male plants don’t produce flowers and contain barely any THC, making them useless to most growers. Growers will want feminized plants, which deliver a higher yield and high-quality marijuana.
- Feminized seeds are much more popular amongst buyers. These are genetically altered to produce feminized marijuana plants. As such, you’ll get a high yield of potent produce containing THC, CBD, and other cannabinoids.
- Autoflowering seeds grow much faster than other seeds, making them perfect for beginner growers. They generally start blooming within 2 to 3 weeks. You can also get autoflowering feminized plants for the best results.
You can also find seeds in all different strains, be it indica, sativa or hybrid. As such, you should look for a feminized (or autoflowering feminized) seed pack for your favorite strains.
How do I start growing marijuana?
Once you have your seeds, you can start working on growing your own marijuana. There are various methods of growing. You can grow both indoors and outdoors, and many people switch between both depending on the season.
Growing marijuana is easy to learn, but you’ll need a few things. Light is important, as is the temperature and ventilation of your grow space. You’ll need to feed your plants with nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and calcium. You can do this either by adding nutrients to the water or creating some composted soil with nutrients.
How to grow marijuana indoors
Many people choose to grow their marijuana plants indoors. This gives you much more control over the light and temperature, often leading to faster grows.
You can do this somewhere cool and enclosed. Many people use a closet or a spare room. You can even use a tent. Many people buy specialized grow boxes for marijuana- these often include features to help you with factors like light, temperature, and ventilation.
Fit your growing space with bright lights and ventilation. Many people install air conditioners. In the early stages, you’ll ideally want a space with a temperature of around 70-85°F. Drop this by about 5 degrees when they’re beginning to flower.
In the early stages, you should give your seedlings around 18 hours of light for around four to six weeks until they begin to flower. In the later stages, you can reduce this to 12 hours.
You can choose to grow in containers with soil or special pre-fertilized “super soil”. You can find this in some head shops or even make your own. Many indoor growers use hydroponic growing. This is a soilless method where you keep plants in a water solution mixed with essential nutrients.
When growing in soil, make sure you water your plants when the soil begins to feel dry about an inch in. You should also mix water with essential nutrients to ensure the best growth.
How to grow marijuana outdoors
Growing marijuana outdoors gives you less control over things like temperature and light. However, it’s a lot simpler and cheaper to set up.
Many of the principles here are the same as growing indoors. You can plant your seeds in fertilized soil or regular soil and add water with nutrients. Outdoor plants will need to be watered more often- especially in warmer months. When your plants are seedlings, you will need to ensure the soil doesn’t get dry. You may need to water multiple times a day in this case.
In wetter months, you need to avoid your plants being damaged by waterlogging. Raised plant beds or digging a ditch to divert water away from your plants will ensure they get the water they need without being affected by fungal diseases.
You may want to also build a fence or cage around your plants to avoid pets or wild animals getting at them. It’s also best to grow them away from other plants and feed them with nutrients to keep them healthy and pest-free.
Marijuana is known as weed due to its ability to grow fast, and some climates even have free-growing marijuana.
How long does marijuana take to grow?
The growth time of your plants depends on a lot of factors. In general, you could be looking at 3-6 months when growing outside depending on the strain and conditions.
Indoor growing is generally faster. You can expect your plants to be flower within around 2 and a half months.
Autoflowering plants grow even faster. These can flower in as little as 6-8 weeks. Many people use autoflowering seeds for this reason.
You can also take a clone of an existing plant. By taking a cutting from one of your grown marijuana plants and replanting it in another pot, you can reduce the growth time by a few weeks.
How much does it cost to grow weed in Canada?
Growing your own plants can be a cost-effective way to consume marijuana, especially as you can regrow clones from your plants. However, it will take some investment.
The cost of seeds will largely depend on the strain and type. Regular seeds are the cheapest due to the fact that male plants are useless for people looking to grow consumable marijuana. Feminized seeds cost more and autoflowering seeds can drive up prices further.
As an example, a pack of 10 regular Afghan seeds would cost you around $65 whereas 10 feminized Afghan seeds would cost about $85. Autoflowering/automatic seeds would cost more- around $120 for 10 on average. Prices vary significantly depending on the strain.
You will also have to spend some money on growing equipment. Outdoor growing doesn’t take much investment- you’ll want to buy some fertilized soil or nutrients for water and possibly some growing containers and fencing.
Indoor growing will take a little more investment. Between lighting, containers, and air conditioning, you may be looking at $1,000, although smaller grows will be cheaper. Some stores sell grow kits which contain everything you need to grow at affordable prices.
There’s also a lot of time investment put into growing. Unless you’re ready to take on the project for months, it’s better to simply buy marijuana online.
Conclusion
As new marijuana laws go into effect soon, many Canadians will be looking to grow their own weed. While you’ll need to spend some money on seeds and growing equipment, it can be a rewarding project for marijuana enthusiasts.
Providing you’re an adult and have your own growing space, you can easily start growing your own plants and drying them out for consumption. It may take a few months to enjoy the fruits of your labor, but you can keep growing for more homemade weed.
Growing and selling weed can also be a profitable business opportunity. If you plan to do this, check the Government of Canada website for rules and application forms.
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