Homemade weed is tastier and healthier. Besides, growing weed is pretty much a straightforward process.
Cannabis can be used to treat many conditions such as depression, chronic pain, insomnia, migraine and much more. You can buy a range of CBD, and in some countries THC products, from pharmacies in many countries. However, it should be said that the CBD or THC content in such products is often too low to have much of an effect.
This is why an increasing number of people with long-term health conditions are choosing to grow their own medical weed. With a bit of effort, you can enjoy a quality product that is right for your personal requirements in terms of strength and effect.
If you want to produce CBD or THC oil / weed, then growing the raw material yourself is an important step. Curious how? Let’s get started!
What do you need to grow medical marijuana (checklist)
- Cannabis seeds
- Growing medium - potting compost, rock wool or coconut coir are all possibilities. Many growers also successfully grow weed in water using a hydroponic system.
- Fertilizer
- Canes or a trellis for additional support as the plants grow
For indoor growing
- A hygrometer for measuring humidity
- Lights / heating
- A grow tent
- Ventilation and extractor fans
THC or CBD?
The first thing you need to do and the most important decision you will make is selecting the strain.
Strains rich in CBD where the percentage of CBD is greater than the percentage of THC, allowing you to keep a cool head after ingestion. The effect of CBD is more focused on the body.
Do you love the physical effects of THC? Choose a species that has a higher percentage of THC and is known for its physical stoning. Do you prefer to have a broad smile than a feeling of numbness? Go for a strain that gives a clear mental high.
> Check all our high THC seeds
> Check all our high CBD seeds
The best medical marijuana strains
Not all weed is the same. There are enormous variations, and you can spend hours browsing online catalogs to find the best strain for medical use.
To get you started, here are five strains that are extremely popular for medicinal use:
1. Northern Lights
Northern Lights is an iconic strain that was first developed in America around the 1970s and brought to the Netherlands in the 1980s, where it quickly became a coffee shop staple. Northern Lights is derived from the Afghani Indica which is reflected in its properties - it is quite a compact plant but one that produces a lot of THC.
It was initially developed for indoor cultivation but can also be cultivated outside. She is noted for its resistance to disease and mold, as well as being generally straightforward to grow.
Northern Lights has a sweet taste and gives a comfortable stoned body feeling, ideal for relaxation and for alleviating pain.
More information: Northern Lights seeds
2. Harlequin
Harlequin is a great Sativa-dominant CBD strain with amazing medical properties. She was created by crossing Colombian Gold with the Nepali Indica, Thai landrace and Swiss landrace
When growing Harlequin CBD, you will soon notice the beautiful Sativa growth and flowering. Tall cannabis plants with an excellent distribution of branches and leaves. You therefore don't have to worry about pruning your cannabis plants.
However, it is advisable to take support into account, as this cannabis plant produces long branches that could otherwise bend or even break off.
By week 8-9, these cannabis plants bloom into fully-fledged, harvest-ready cannabis plants that are good for a high yield of cannabis. Moreover, they are easy to grow and therefore also very suitable for the novice growers among us.
For medicinal users, this cannabis strain mainly offers relief against pain and inflammation. Besides, this is also a delicious cannabis strain for recreational smokers.
Due to the very low THC content, you will barely experience any effects from the THC, but purely the therapeutic and medicinal effect of CBD. All of this comes without any unpleasant side effects, so what more could you wish for?
More information: Harlequin CBD seeds
3. White Widow
White Widow is a so-called "white" cannabis strain with a high THC content. The first White Widow was created by crossing a Brazilian Cannabis Sativa with an Indian Cannabis Indica.
According to stories, this Hybrid Indica was created by years of cultivation and selection in the mountains of Kerala. Characteristics of both species from this cross are, therefore, instantly recognizable. The buds of this marijuana plant are sturdy and compact and covered with white crystals.
You may well have heard of White Widow as it is one of the most famous strains ever. As the first White Widow plants came from Dutch soil in the early 1990s, this strain is known as a real Dutch Classic. In the Netherlands, it quickly became a bestseller in all coffee shops, not much later this vigorous plant became known all over the world, making it available almost everywhere today.
White Widow strain is a potent strain of marijuana that can be spacey or psychoactive. This makes it very popular among patients suffering from PTSD, anxiety, chronic pain, as well as headaches.
More information: White Widow seeds
4. ACDC
ACDC is a promising hybrid cannabis strain which contains a high CBD content. Logically, the patient benefits significantly from the effect that CBD has on the body, such as the strong analgesic effect, particularly in the case of pain caused by cancer and as a result of heavy and tiring chemotherapy.
Besides the fact that the CBD content is high, the THC content is also very low (up to 3%). This ensures that a moderate psychoactive effect comes into play. The strain focuses mainly on relieving and eliminating the side effects of regular treatments.
ACDC offers effective pain relief from the adverse effects of systemic treatments in cancer patients, in addition to many other conditions.
More information: ACDC seeds
5. Sour Diesel
Sour Diesel is a cross between Northern Lights, Super Skunk and 91 Chemdawg.
It is a characteristic strain of Sativa origin and has nicely balanced genetics (70% Sativa and 30% Indica). She is known for her super-production and short flowering.
It is enormously appreciated for its incomparable and euphoric clear effect. This effect is not very cerebral, which will therefore allow users to be able to taste its tropical fruit aroma during the day without becoming amorphous.
Sour Diesel has demonstrated its great character by winning several cannabis contests and is great for medical use. Think of stress, depression and pain. As the pain melts away in long-lasting relief it’s a top choice among medical patients.
More information: Sour Diesel seeds
Growing medical marijuana - Step by Step
Even if you don't think you have green fingers, follow this step-by-step plan to be able to grow your own medical weed from your own harvest in a matter of months!
- Germinating
- Growing seedlings
- Vegetative phase
- Flowering phase
- Harvesting
- Drying and curing
- Storing your weed
Step 1 - Germinating your cannabis seeds
You have just received your carefully chosen seeds. Before you enthusiastically put them in the ground, it is important to germinate them. This ensures that the first root is strong and grows well downward.
If you ordered autoflower weed seeds, the exact time of germination is not very important. You can start germinating from the end of April.
There are many ways of germinating seeds; you can plant them directly in the soil or germinate them on damp cotton wool or tissue paper - the secret is to handle the seeds carefully and buy them from a reputable seller such as Weedseedsexpress.
Whichever method you choose, allow the seeds to germinate in a dark and warm place. It might sound strange, but seeds naturally germinate underground (where there is no light). Sunlight can burn sensitive young taproot.
Wait at least 24 hours before checking on the seeds. All seeds will not necessarily germinate at the same time. It may take up to a week for all the seeds to root. Look at them at the same time every day.
As soon as a root of at least one centimeter is visible, carefully grab the seed with tweezers and plant it one centimeter deep in the ground. For best results, place it in a small pot on the windowsill.
Reading tip: how to germinate cannabis seeds?
Step 2 - Growing the seedlings
Your seedlings are in the ground or containers - now the fun really begins! The first leaves may appear a week after germination. First two leaves, then two more.
The seed supplies enough nutrients to produce only six more leaves. Subsequently, cannabis seeds mainly feed on what is in their environment. Soil rich in compost is sufficient to grow the plant until mature leaves emerge.
Give your young plants a little water every day. Place them outdoors, in the open, and in full sun, as soon as your plant has more than six leaves. It could take one to three weeks. If growing indoors, follow the recommended lighting schedule carefully for the vegetative phase.
Reading tip: Your guide to the Cannabis Seedling Stage
Step 3 - Vegetative phase
Before the plants flower and produce cannabis, it is vital that they have a strong structure, necessary to support branches hopefully heavy with dank, resinous buds. If you are growing outdoors in the ground, this happens naturally, but plants don't just drink water.
Nutrition is also vitally important for your plant in the form of fertilizer - cannabis plants are very similar to tomato plants in that respect. Water a little every day with water in which you dilute a thimble of nutrients, and you will soon have a sturdy plant that can bear heavy flowers.
Reading tip: Your guide to the Cannabis Vegetative Stage
Step 4 - Flowering phase
Now is the time for your plant to bloom. Your goal in these exciting times is to increase the yield. In any case, this means that you need to give a little water each day with a few plant nutrients.
From the start of flowering, it may take six to twelve weeks for your plant to be ready for harvest. But how do you know when it's time to harvest?
Reading tip: Your guide to the Cannabis Flowering Stage
Step 5 - Harvesting
Take a good look at the flower using a magnifying glass or a special microscope.
The resin glands or trichomes also grow on plants other than cannabis. Here's what they look like on cannabis.
You can sometimes tell by the color of a cannabis plant when it is ripe for harvest: it turns amber. From these glands arises a sticky substance with a sweet, herbaceous odor. It is this scent that gives cannabis its character.
The longer the plant flowers, the more these resin glands turn from transparent to amber. The trick is to harvest your cannabis when most of the resin glands are no longer translucent and turn milky white. It doesn't matter if the discoloration is not uniform.
The parts to be harvested are the flowers with the most sticky resin. However, it is a good idea to use the leaves around the flower to make cannabis oil or CBD oil.
Prune the large bracts around the plant. Cut the branches on which the flowers are located.
Reading tip: How to harvest cannabis?
Step 6 - Drying and curing your medical cannabis
Your harvest is almost good to go. You can now dry it for a week or two in the garden shed or attic, and your homemade cannabis will be ready to use. Drying is an important step, as fresh cannabis contains a lot of moisture. And that has compositional consequences when you use your crop.
Reading tip: How to dry and cure cannabis?
Step 7 - Storing your weed
You may not have time to make your oil or other extracts immediately after drying. In this case, store your cannabis airtight. Will you keep it for a maximum of a week? You don't need to take any special measures, and you can store the harvest in any Tupperware.
Do you want to keep it longer? Choose a TightVac vacuum pot. These pots allow the air to be removed from the container so that your harvest can be stored without odor for a long time.