Marijuana refers to the dried leaves of the Cannabis sativa or Cannabis indica plants, and it has been consumed by human beings for a very long time. The plant has more than 500 chemicals. One of these is THC, which is responsible for many of the psychotropic effects of the plant. Marijuana is consumed in many different ways, but most people prefer to smoke it.
Given that marijuana has been legalized in many places now, more people are starting to grow the plant indoors and outdoors. In this guide, we will cover the procedure of growing cannabis. We shall also look at the health benefits of the plant.
Benefits of Marijuana
One of the key health benefits of marijuana is that it helps with pain management. It does this by altering the pain perception pathways in the brain. Because it helps to reduce pain, marijuana is commonly prescribed to patients who are suffering from conditions like cancer, migraines, and multiple sclerosis.
Cannabis can also help with sleep management. In fact, about half of all marijuana users say that they use the medication to restore their sleep patterns. The improved sleep pattern may come about because of the reduced pain from cannabis use.
This medication is also great for people who lack appetite. It is known for limiting the feeling of nausea, and this makes it easier for you to eat. Here are other health benefits of marijuana:
- Improves the symptoms of mental disorders.
- It reduces inflammation.
- It reduces anxiety.
- It may slow tumor growth and kill cancer cells.
What Are the Requirements for Growing Cannabis?
When growing marijuana, you should carefully consider the soil type and seeds used. Looking for the best marijuana seeds, you can consider sites like pacificseedbank.com to buy and you’ll find all the best, feminized, and all amazing strains that you need for the awesome yields. On the other hand, while choosing the soil types, loam is the best for this crop. It is made up of sand, clay, and silt, and that means the plant will enjoy the best qualities of each soil type. At the same time, the worst qualities of each soil type will be minimized.
The soil you use should also have a pH of 6, but anything between 5.8 and 6.3 will work just fine. Before you start growing cannabis, you should purchase a test kit to confirm the acidity level of the soil. There are steps you can take to adjust the acidity level of the soil.
If you choose to grow the plants outdoors, you may not need to worry about the amount of light the plants are getting. When it is in a vegetative state, it requires a minimum of 13 hours of light per day. In this stage of growth, you can even provide light for 18 hours in the day.
In the flowering stage of the plant, you should expose them to light for 12 hours. At this stage, it is essential to keep the plants in darkness for 12 hours as well. You should try to be consistent with this schedule. For example, if you always keep them in darkness from 8 pm, this should be maintained every day. The darkness cycle should also be uninterrupted. If the plants are grown outdoors, you shouldn’t worry about moonlight, but you should avoid adding artificial lights during the darkness cycle.
You should also note that cannabis requires a large amount of water every day. One marijuana plant consumes about 22.7 liters or 6 gallons of water daily during the growing season. As the plant grows, you can water it less, usually every 3 to 5 days.
Another thing you have to consider is the nutritional requirements of marijuana. This plant requires three nutrients in large quantities, and these are nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium. These three nutrients form the cornerstone of the health of the cannabis plant. The plant will also require calcium, magnesium, and sulfur.
Growing Cannabis Indoors vs Outdoors
A key difference between growing cannabis indoors and outdoors is in the control you have over environmental conditions. This means you can grow the plant all year round.
On the other hand, growing the plant indoors can be extremely costly as you have to use a lot of electricity. It is worth noting that the plants will be susceptible to pests regardless of the place they are grown. However, in the outdoors, you will get some help from natural predators like ants and wasps.
Conclusion
Cannabis has been legalized in many places, and that means you are free to grow the plant indoors or outdoors. When planting the crop, you should ensure that you use loam soil and the right fertilizers. It is also essential to use sufficient amounts of water and light.
If you aren’t able to afford the required electricity, you should consider growing the plant outdoors, where it will be exposed to sunlight.