Whether you’re new to medical cannabis or are experienced with growing medical marijuana, you may be wondering whether it’s better to grow marijuana indoors or outdoors? Some believe indoor cannabis cultivation is best while others swear by outdoor cannabis cultivation. But really, there is no such thing as the best type of growing environment for cannabis. It all about preference: what’s right for where you live and your budget.
Rules to Know about when Growing Cannabis at Home
Even though recreational cannabis use is legal in Canada, there are different rules when it comes to growing adult-use cannabis and medical marijuana. As you’ll see, Health Canada treats those who grow medical cannabis at home very differently from medically authorized growers.
Case in point, recreational cannabis users can only legally grow four plants.
If you have the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR), which is a grow your own license, the amount you can grow is only limited by your prescription and health needs; the higher the prescription, the more cannabis plants you can grow both indoors and outdoors.
If the prescription provides a number of grams per day, you can grow up to approximately five times that number in plants. If your prescription is for 25 grams, you can grow up to 92 indoor plants and 24 outdoor plants.
If the prescription is for 95 grams per day, you can legally grow up to 347 indoor plants, 91 outdoor plants, and 34,125 grams in storage.
With an ACMPR authorization you can also designate someone else to grow for you. If you don’t have the room or a space to grow the number of plants you are authorized for than you can connect with another authorized ACMPR grower who can be designated to grow your plants for you. You will need to supply all the materials, etc. but they can grow on your behalf alleviating issues like space, achieving the right growing conditions and so on.
Indoor Medical Cannabis Cultivation Pros and Cons
The biggest advantage to growing medical cannabis indoors is you get complete and total control of the temperatures, lights, humidity, and airflow. Because indoor conditions are controlled, you can develop yields with elevated CO2 levels, which produces higher THC levels than outdoors. Keep in mind, that you can’t replicate the sun’s full spectrum of light indoors, so indoor cannabis plants tend to be smaller in terpene profile.
The biggest downside of indoor medical marijuana cultivation is the cost. Maintaining artificial lighting, heating, and ventilation is not very energy efficient.
Outdoor Medical Cannabis Cultivation Pros and Cons
Growing medical cannabis outdoors is the most natural and cost-efficient way to grow cannabis. You don’t need to pay for lights or a cooling system; all you need is good soil and sunlight. Nature takes care of the rest.
For example, it’s not uncommon for indoor growers to have issues with spider mites. Over time, growing cannabis outdoors attracts marijuana-friendly insects and organisms that can help fight mites.
On top of that, outdoor cannabis benefits from a broader, more intense spectrum of sunlight. This allows plants to grow to their full genetic potential, which includes great flow density and richer terpene profiles.
There are some disadvantages to growing cannabis outdoors. Namely, the plants are exposed to the elements all the time. The environment, weather, pests, and animals can have a big impact on the all-important cannabis flower.
Medical Marijuana Consulting and Grow Your own Licenses
Whether you want to grow your own medical marijuana indoors or outdoors or need help acquiring your Health Canada ACMPR license, a nurse practitioner or patient advisor at Medical Marijuana Consulting (MMC) can help.
MMC helps patients from across Canada get access to medical professionals who are experts on medical marijuana. We can provide a prescription, offer help getting coverage for prescription costs (if eligible), refer you to a licensed producer, and help you apply for the ACMPR license.
At MMC, we want to make access to medical cannabis as simple as possible for as many people as possible. Join our Ambassador Program and receive $15 for every person you refer to MMC that becomes a patient.
To learn more about Medical Marijuana Consulting and how you can secure a prescription as part of your personalized medical cannabis treatment plan, book a consultation online, contact us at 844-312-5143, or email us at patientcare@medmc.ca.
