Top 5 Reasons You Should Grow Your Own Cannabis
By: The Herb Clinics
So, you’ve thought about growing your own cannabis at home, you’ve looked at lights in stores, followed growers through social media and asked questions. Here you sit, still unsure if growing cannabis is right for you. Here are the top 5 reasons you should consider growing your own cannabis!
1: You don’t have to have a green thumb
Many people believe that if they can’t keep a houseplant alive, how are they supposed to justify spending the money to grow cannabis indoors? I WAS ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE!
The truth is, Cannabis is a very resilient plant….my first grow was a learning experience, I left lights on too long, I didn’t make it home to water every night, I probably pruned too much or too little, I didn’t have guidance. You know what? My plants turned out amazing!! I was so relieved; I really could grow cannabis!
The most important part of having a successful first grow is being set up by someone who knows what they are doing, don’t just go out and buy a random light, Miracle-Gro and shovel dirt from your backyard. Spending the time before you grow to figure out which system will work for you, which plants you want to grow, and finally how much time you see yourself being able to spend in your garden will go a long way!
2: It will save you money in the long term
Considering growing your own cannabis can be a deterrent when you see a large price tag that goes along with a full 4 plant growing setup. This needs to be weighed against the arguments; how much cannabis am I consuming? And how much am I paying for that cannabis? Let’s use two points as an example:
1: The Herb Clinic in St. Albert offers an installed 4 plant grow set-up for $3600. This set-up can produce 500-800 grams of dried cannabis every 8-12 weeks.
2: The national average of cannabis consumption is 2.1 grams per day.
Now, having this info lets consider if we paid for cannabis at three different prices; how long would it take to pay off the unit? How much cannabis would I have produced? How much would I have bought?
AT $8/Gram
A person would spend 504 dollars per month on cannabis. To pay off The Herb Clinic grow unit it would take 7 Months.
In these 7 months, you would complete 2 full crops having a total between 1000-1600 grams.
In this time, you will have only bought 447.3 grams.
AT $10/Gram
A person would spend 630 dollars per month on cannabis. To pay off The Herb Clinic grow unit it would take 5 3/4 Months.
In these 5 3/4 months, you would complete 1 full crop and your second would be in the flower stage having a total between 500-800 grams.
In this time, you will have only bought 359.1 grams.
AT $12/Gram
A person would spend 756 dollars per month on cannabis. To pay off The Herb Clinic grow unit it would take 4 3/4 Months.
In these 4 3/4 months, you would complete 1 full crop and be starting your second, having a total between 500-800 grams.
In this time, you will have only bought 299.25 grams.
So again, ask yourself, “How much cannabis am I consuming, and is growing right for me?”
3: Its Therapeutic!
Gardening also allows us all to be nurturers, it gives us a sense of responsibility and allows us to connect to other living things. Spending time growing your own plants reduces stress levels and helps keep us in a better mood. It helps us relax and let go, forgetting about things that may be going on and allowing us a chance focus on the positives in our lives.
A study done in the Netherlands tested the hypothesized stress-relieving effects of gardening. They took gardeners, had them perform a stressful activity then randomly assigned either gardening or reading. To measure the effects, they used cortisol salivary tests and self-reported mood. Both gardening and reading led to decreased cortisol, but the decrease was larger in the gardening group.
The link may be found here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20522508
4: You have control!
From the strain you grow to the final product you consume, growing your own cannabis allows you the freedom to choose what you grow, what you grow it with, and what type of product you consume at the end.
Strain selection can begin with finding seeds in a batch of something you like, purchasing seeds from a reputable source, receiving clones as gifts from friends already growing, or if a medical patient; signing up with a Licensed Producer to receive clones directly from them. Growing your own cannabis lets you choose what goes into your grow with the freedom of multiple places to access these materials.
Choosing which nutrients to use, which growing medium (soil, coco, etc.), which lights to use are all additional steps under your control. Sitting down with an experienced grower can make all the difference in these decisions.
**Most cannabis farmers average 0.7-1.3 grams per watt, choosing a good quality light will make a large difference in your garden!
If you don’t like to smoke cannabis or you’re looking for a particular strength of oil, that’s okay! Growing your own allows you many options of consumption. First, cannabis that is in its vegetative state is going to keep producing leaves, these leaves may be juiced and have many dietary benefits when consumed this way. We are also able to, as cannabis growers, create our own oils, topicals or concentrates.
5: Enjoying the fruits of your labor!
Whether you built a new deck, cooked an incredible meal, or grew your own cannabis, each item has more satisfaction when you completed it yourself! Knowing what went into growing that cannabis; the trimming, the feeding, the singing, the conversations…don’t judge! The plants love it! Enjoying your first harvest is a moment you won’t forget, it’ll inspire you to keep growing, keep learning, and keep producing a better final product!
