When the new year rolls into view, gardeners ready their green thumbs. During the first couple months of the year, growers start planning how they will cultivate their garden for the outdoor season, and the same is true for weed enthusiasts. Sprawling from March to November, depending on geographic location, the growing season is make-or-break time for growers everywhere — but for those that have never sprouted a seed, how do they begin?
Today, we will take a look at what you need to know to purchase weed seeds to start your own legal, safe, and effective medical marijuana garden.
Can I Legally Buy Marijuana Seeds?
Navigating the murky waters of the marijuana industry can be difficult, particularly when states have different approaches to how they legislate the plant. While it is still federally illegal, some states have taken it upon themselves to either legalize, decriminalize, or make medicinal available to their people.
Where Can I Buy Cannabis Seeds?
To grow great flower that can meet your physical and mental wellness needs, it is important to have the right seeds in your garden. Genetics make a huge difference, and acquiring unknown seeds can be a great way to shortchange your growing experience. Here are some common places you can purchase seeds from:
From a Dispensary
In states where cultivation is legal, growers can locate seeds at dispensaries. To purchase seeds from a dispensary for the purpose of cultivation, growers must live in a legal medical/recreational state while possessing a license to grow. In these states and situations, growers can simply reach out to their nearest medical dispensary for local guidance.
Order Seeds Online
Ordering seeds online is a different animal altogether. The acquisition of seeds online is best served through a professional conduit with a good reputation. Breeders are an ideal place to turn to when it comes time to acquire seeds. Places like Sensi Seeds, Dinafem, and Green House Seeds all showcase how the services work.
Before ordering or attempting to acquire seeds, confer with your local legislation to stay abreast of any and all restrictions. Growing is still federally illegal, so experiences will vary from one state to the next.
Consult the charts below to learn where you can and cannot cultivate weed legally.
How the Law May Impact Shopping for Seeds
Marijuana seeds are considered just the same as an edible, a gram of flower, or some sugar wax. The legality of the products will depend entirely on the state an individual is located within as well as their licensing agreement with the state. People living in medical states can purchase and consume cannabis legally only if they have a medical card.
For Medical Use Only
Even though federal legalization is still a long way off, some states have taken it into their own hands to speed up the process. Medical marijuana has been legalized for approved patients in certain states. Medical-grade weed can be prescribed to individuals for the treatment of anything from cancer to nerve pain.
To acquire medical approval for a medical or card, individuals must register with an approved medical marijuana program. Approval in these programs requires an underlying condition that is approved by state legislators.
- Georgia
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kentucky
- Nebraska
- North Carolina
- Wisconsin
- Arkansas
- Delaware
- Florida
- Kansas
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- New Hampshire
- New Mexico
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Utah
- Texas
For Recreational / Medical
States that have adopted legalization for recreational use are much more flexible when it comes to consumption and cultivation. Here are the states where recreational cannabis is completely legal.
- Colorado
- Washington
- Oregon
- Alaska
- California
- Washington D.C.
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Nevada
- Michigan
- Guam
- Illinois
- Vermont
- Arizona
- New Jersey
- Montana
- New York
- Virginia
- Connecticut
States Where Cannabis Is Fully Illegal
While advances in the push for legalized weed have been impactful around the world and throughout the United States, some portions of the nation are still holding out against both medicinal and recreational seeds.
There are only a handful of states where it is completely and fully illegal.
- Idaho
- Alabama
- South Carolina
- Wyoming
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
Establishing Your First Grow
After consulting about the legality of cannabis cultivation within your state, you should become aware of your medicinal limits. A medicinal card will approve the cultivation of limited plants.
In Illinois, an approved medical card for cannabis allows for the cultivation of up to five plants within your home. These plants must be in a locked room and inaccessible to anyone under the age of 21. All plants must be hidden from public view and grown only with permission from the property owner.
Upon deciding to establish your first grow, you will need to pick the seeds that you are going to work with. Seed banks provide growers with a range of different seeds, including strain-specific varieties.
Common seeds include
- Regular Seeds – A mixture of both male and female seeds. Cultivators prefer regular seeds because they have never been backcrossed like feminized and autoflowering seeds have. Regular seeds will need to be weeded through to discard any males.
- Feminized Seeds – Feminized seeds are ready to go out of the bag. Guaranteed to be females, feminized seeds give growers the best bang for their buck when looking for bud-producing fems.
- Autoflowering Seeds – These seeds change from the vegetative state to the flowering state based upon their age, not any changes in the life cycle. Autoflowering seeds are an ideal way for new growers to get to their first harvest quickly. Traditionally, autoflowering seeds are less potent, though their ease of use makes up for that lack.
No matter what seeds you start with, be prepared to undergo trial and error. Sprouting weed seeds is an act of luck and practice in hard work. Most growers advise starting with nearly twice as many seeds as you plan on raising through to cultivation.
