Growing Weed UK Guide

Although the UK climate might seem like a completely unsuitable environment for growing cannabis, the truth is that cannabis has been grown in the UK for around 1000 years.

That said, the biggest obstacle for growing cannabis indoors or outside in the UK is the law. This article aims to explain the laws regarding growing weed in the UK and what you can do to grow your weed safely.

Growing weed indoors in the UK

When it comes to cultivating weed in the UK, most growers will opt for growing in an indoor environment. With the right home grow setup, you can create the perfect environment for raising a wide range of marijuana strains. For an indoors crop you need the following equipment:

• A tent, liner, or some other covering that will shield the seeds from natural light.
• A grow light that allows you to adjust brightness and heat.
• An extraction fan to maximize the amount of CO2 the plant receives. Alternatively, use an air conditioning unit with a CO2 generator if you have a sealed grow room.
• A carbon filter to remove any odors the plant emits.
• A container such as a pot or flower bed to grow your plant with a growing medium. Remember that the bigger the container, the healthier the plant.
• Filtered water that is free of any contaminants.

With your grow setup in place, you can begin easily growing any number of strains indoors. Some favorite strains to grow indoors in the UK include Gelato auto, Gorilla Glue auto, and Chemdawg.

Growing weed outdoors in the UK

The UK's climate, with its cold winters and limited sunlight, isn’t ideal for outdoor marijuana growing. However, its abundant rain ensures plants stay hydrated, and the long daylight hours in mid-year provide an extended photoperiod.

Despite the challenges, outdoor growing is possible, especially with cannabis seeds suited for the UK climate.

Many growers opt for discreet locations like hidden garden spots, balconies, or even guerilla growing—planting in wild, remote areas to avoid detection.

For rugged, low-maintenance setups, tough strains like Northern Lights Auto, White Widow Fem, and Jack Herer Auto are excellent choices for guerilla growth.

UK law on growing weed

While many countries are relaxing their laws when it comes to growing cannabis for personal use, in the UK cannabis is classified as a Class B drug, and it is illegal to grow your own without a license at the time of this writing.

This is despite the fact that the UK is one of the biggest exporters of medical cannabis and supplies in the world. It is possible to grow cannabis legally for commercial purposes, however to do so require a license given by the Home Office.

However, since 2016 there has been growing political pressure to legalize cannabis use in the UK, and in 2018 the use of prescribed medical cannabis was legalized in 2018.

Can you grow cannabis in the UK?

The only way to legally grow cannabis in the UK is with a government issued commercial license. The cost of this license is £580, with a further extension costing £326.

Growers must also be able to prove that their plants are purely for commercial purposes and not personal use, plus they need to provide information on the seed used, the THC content and whether it has been approved by the EU.

That said, despite these restrictions, many people can and do grow cannabis for personal use discretely.

Arrest and prosecution is largely at the discretion of the local police force, and growing a small amount of weed plants is unlikely to attract attention if sensible measures are taken.

Is it legal to grow high THC weed in the UK?

While it is possible to grow cannabis legally for commercial purposes, the licence issued by the UK Home Office does not cover plants that are high in THC levels.

Nonetheless, many people do grow high THC strains such as Godfather OG, Bruce Banner and Girl Scout Cookies for personal use.

Is it legal to grow CBD plants in the UK?

While it would make sense that a commercial licence would allow you to grow plants that are higher in medicinal CBD content, the truth is that the licence only permits for the harvesting of plant fibre and seeds, and not the CBD content itself.

As such, many who rely on CBD strains for their medicinal value choose to grow them in secret, with strains such as ACDC, Harlequin and Diesel CBD being very popular choices.

Is it legal to grow hemp in the UK?

The commercial licence granted by the Home Office does allow you to legally grow hemp in the UK for commercial purposes. The licence allows you to grow plants within certain limitations: for example, you cannot grow hemp near a school or publicly accessible area.

In addition, the seed used must be an EU approved strain with less than 0.2% THC content. As such, while growing hemp is legal, the act of openly growing it is stifled by outdated laws.

How many cannabis plants can I grow in the UK for personal use?

How many cannabis plants you can grow for personal use largely depends on how many you believe is a manageable amount. Nine plants are the maximum you can grow in order to be classed as a domestic operation by the local police.

Any more than this and you could be treated as a supplier of contraband, which is a category 4 offense.

However, if you only plan on growing one or two plants and the police become aware of your crop you will most likely only receive a caution, although this is still up to the discretion of the local authorities.

What happens if you get caught growing weed in the UK?

If you are unlucky to be discovered growing cannabis illegally by the local police, the penalty depends on the amount of plants they find.

Less than nine plants are considered a domestic operation and will most likely see you receive a minor penalty such as a fine or a caution.

However, more than nine plants can get you charged as a supplier of contraband, which is a category 4 offense with a penalty of 18 months in custody or community service.

More than 28 plants are considered a category 3 crime, which can net you between one and three years in custody.

A category 2 offense is where the authorities consider you to be running an operation capable of producing significant quantities for commercial use, which carries a penalty of between two and five years in custody.

Finally, if you have enough plants to be considered an operation capable of producing industrial quantities for commercial use and do not have a government approved licence then the penalty is five years in custody.

2021 Political view on growing weed in the UK

Despite the current laws regarding growing weed in the UK, there are some political parties that are in favour of changing the laws to make them more lenient or even outright legalisation.

Labour

As of this writing, the leader of the Labour Party, Sir Keir Starmer, has ruled out relaxing drug laws in the UK and supports the government’s current policy when it comes to cannabis.

However, he has stated that he may be in favour of less severe penalties for what he calls “low-level crime”. In addition, members of the Labour Party such as David Lammy have previously backed full legalisation, so this policy might change in the future.

Conservatives

The current Conservative Party policy aims to maintain the current drug laws and its associated penalties. Nonetheless, in 2018 the Home Secretary Sajid Javid announced that medical cannabis could be legally prescribed for patients with an “exceptional clinical need”.

This means that doctors can only prescribe it if there are no suitable pharmaceutical alternatives available.

Since then, Conservative MPs Crispin Blunt and Rob Wilson have set up the Conservative Drug Policy Reform Group, which aims to gauge public opinion with a potential view to future decriminalization and legalisation of cannabis.

Green Party

Ever since it was founded in 1990, the UK Green Party has pursued a policy of full decriminalization of cannabis. They aim to remove cannabis from the 1971 Misuse of Drugs Act and bring the possession, cultivation and trade of cannabis in line with the Dutch model.

They also aim to create a fully regulated trade for the import and export of cannabis.

Liberal Democrats

In 2017 the Liberal Democrats became the first major political party in the UK to support the legalisation of cannabis. They advocate for continued research and access to medical cannabis and supported the government’s move to allow doctors to prescribe it in 2018.

Under the former Liberal Democrats' leader Jo Swinson, the party has developed a policy of replacing the prohibition of cannabis with a regulated and taxed market, with more investment added to addiction and support services.

Scottish National Party

While the Scottish National Party has stated that they are not in favour of full decriminalisation of cannabis, they have come out in favour of medicinal cannabis use.

In 2016 the party passed a resolution at a party conference stating that current drug laws were “not fit for purpose”, and that medicinal cannabis and cannabis-based medicines should be freely available on the NHS.

While this would not fully legalise the possession and cultivation of cannabis, it would be a progressive move towards making it no longer a criminal offence.

UKIP

The UK Independence Party (UKIP) is not in favour of changing current drug laws. However, they have previously stated they would use current laws to punish suppliers rather than users.

As such, it is unlikely that this policy will benefit anyone growing weed unless they can prove it is entirely for personal use.

Tips for growing cannabis safely in the UK

Although there is hope that the laws surrounding cannabis growing will change in the near future, many people, including those who use cannabis medicinally and find it difficult to get it prescribed, are forced to break the law in order to grow their own.

Fortunately, there are ways to grow your own cannabis without attracting unwanted attention. The following are some tips on how to grow cannabis safely and discretely for your own use:

1. Keep your grow small

Grow only what you need for personal use to stay discreet and reduce risks. Fewer plants are easier to hide and result in smaller penalties if discovered. Micro growing is an efficient method for limited spaces.

2. Never tell anyone about your grow

Telling others about your grow increases the chance of being caught. Trust no one—less exposure means less risk of police raids, fines, or plant confiscation.

3. Use a filter when growing indoors

Cannabis plants are fragrant, which can attract unwanted attention. Use a strong carbon filter to eliminate the smell and keep your grow unnoticed.

4. Never sell your crop

Selling cannabis exposes you to both legal trouble and dangerous individuals. Growing strictly for personal use results in lighter penalties if caught.

5. Start a guerilla grow

For lower risk, try guerilla growing outdoors, especially in southern England. Choose secluded areas like dunes, meadows, or woodlands near water. Autoflowering strains thrive with minimal maintenance and short growing cycles.

Order seeds discretely at Weedseedsexpress to grow weed in the UK

While we wait for the laws surrounding growing cannabis in the UK to change, we have many customers in the UK who rely on our services to grow their own cannabis.

We are the #1 online seed shop with over 100 different strains available. We specialise in discreet, stealthy and fast shipping and delivery anywhere in the UK, so you can guarantee your seeds will arrive safely every time.