Whether or not to grow weed? (does it actually save money?)

[Ckbrew]

It is a satisfying chore. It gets me up in the morning and starts my day. Every morning I get to see the progress, make and feed the nute solution, check temp and RH for the last 24 hours, make adjustments, and play some tunes. I have the process down so well that I know what is coming next and don't need to stress about it.

 

[bboyfromwayback]

I smoke weed because I like it, nothing medical here. I started a long time ago because I was tired of dealing with the shady people who sold it but only grew every now and then. Since 2019 I’ve pretty much had something going in my tent 365 days a year

Currently there’s a few dozen brownies and cookies in my freezer plus a few sticks of canna butter to be turned into something. I have oil and tincture in my fridge. I have a big ass jar of canna caps. All made from plants I’ve grown. Not to mention I have over 2lbs of dried and cured smoke in jars and a few ounces of hash pucks. Oh and I just harvested 4 plants that are looking like 28-30oz more that I didn’t count

In a few years you could have that much by consistently growing 3-4 plants every 3-4 months and I also give a bunch away to family. We’d go broke if we depended on the dispensary

 

[wannabeagrower]

Yeah, it seems like a lot of growers say after you do a few grows, you end up with more weed than you know what to do with.

 

[bboyfromwayback]

Like anything, there’s a bit of a learning curve. You likely wont get much yield off a plant at first but you can solve that issue by growing a bunch of plants at the same time. There’s some cost upfront on equipment, your light being #1. Once you get your setup figured out cost is minimal. I spend less than $100 a year on nutrients and buy a new batch of grow bags every 5-6 grows

 

[bboyfromwayback]

Like anything, there’s a bit of a learning curve. You likely wont get much yield off a plant at first but you can solve that issue by growing a bunch of plants at the same time. There’s some cost upfront on equipment, your light being #1. Once you get your setup figured out cost is minimal. I spend less than $100 a year on nutrients and buy a new batch of grow bags every 5-6 grows and replace my filters once a year to be safe

 

[bboyfromwayback]

Sorry, I tried to edit and it made a double post. Seems to be happening a lot on here lately

 

[Smallgrow]

I agree with what the others have said. Get over the initial investment and the ongoing cost is quite low. I figure I’m about 1-2$ Canadian per day for electoral costs.
Obviously if it’s about money the price of dispo weed is the main consideration. We’re lucky here in Ontario the prices are pretty damn low, like good ounces from $100. I’d say at that price it’s debatable what’s cheaper, but like others I’m just hooked on growing and yes after a few grows if you get the hang of it you will have more than you can use and that opens the door to making other products which can be more expensive to purchase.

A couple words of advice
-Do your research on gear. Many of us have bought cheap gear to get started and ended up spending more cause it wasn’t adequate. That said there is lot of good gear for reasonable prices.
-I think you mentioned being in Massachusetts. I would think this means you will likely need a dehumidifier to keep you humidity down. It’s not always necessary base on your location but it is often left out of the discussion and a decent dehumidifier can be quite expensive. Skip the cheap ones on Amazon they won’t do it.
-Super soil or living soil in my opinion is the easiest cheapest system (and you grow great weed). Search on GWE main site there are a couple great grow guides like this one
https://www.growweedeasy.com/just-add-water-super-soil-grow-guide-easy-organic-weed

-Be prepared for failure in the beginning but don’t give up. Most of us got some decent smoke off our first grows, by the third or fourth most have more than they can handle
-If you pick out a set up post it here before you buy and get some feedback first.

 

[Radeon]

The initial investment sucks but in the long run it's worth it Why? Well, there is an unlimited number of strains you can grow to meet YOUR needs since you are a medical patient. You are not dependant on what the dispensary has and if it's in stock, on sale, or fresh. Two, you know what's been used to grow it. I like knowing my stuff is organic and no chems used. Three, it's rewarding. When it's all said and done and you did good it's sort of a rush. Like "Yeah, look what I did!" That first bowl is like waiting to open a Christmas present. Four, it gives you something to do. For someone that is disabled and has alot of time on his hands it breaks up the monatany of the week. It's boring being single and stuck at home. Walking is a chore for me. Putting on my boxers is a chore. Not much I can do that's physically demanding. Pain is a b. But, the little bit of work it takes to grow it actually gets me off the couch. No, it's not going to the gym but it's better than nothing. Just the stretching helps. Five, you learn alot about plants. If crap goes down, that knowledge can be used to grow food. Alot of problems you run into with cannabis also applies to other plants. Master cannabis, and you'll grow some bomb tomatoes. Six, my homegrown is better than anything you can get at the dispensary here. You would be surprised just how good some closet weed can be if you put in the effort. We are talking about 2-3 hits instead of a whole cone to get relief. It lasts longer. And not to mention the less need to re-dose. When you do re-dose, it's another hit or two and you are good for hours.

So in the end, for me, it has more pros than cons and since it's legal to grow here (medical patients only) it's a no brainer.
Why do people brew their own beer if you can buy it at the store? (I used to brew my own but everyone drank it too fast lol) Same reasons apply to beer. It's rewarding, it's yours, you control everything leading up to the finished product, and not many can do it. Difference with cannabis is that it's a medicine.

I consider growing pot a medical, mental, and financial beneficial hobby. So yes, in my opinion it's worth it. Peace....

 

[Radeon]

I also want to add that the grow rig I have in my grow log here (organic Godfather grow, look and you'll find it) took me 3 years to put together. Since 2023 I've been adding to it. Started with a 2x4 kit that came with everything including the 5 gallon pots. So think about that. Start off with what you can afford and upgrade when you have the extra cash. I didn't buy all that in one swipe. Piece by piece and I'm still adding to it......

 

[ductwizard2]

Radeon hit the nail on the head as far as giving you something to do. I'm also stuck in a chair and learning to walk again after losing some parts. I don't really get much pain relief outta of weed but it does relieve the boredom. as far as is it worth it? I started super cheap and got lucky by finding GWE and reading everything on there. Most hobbies cost you money, this one saves you cash

 

[wannabeagrower]

Thanks man, this helps.

 

[dmpmfd]

I started out in 2023 for health reasons when the doctor said think about the source of my purchases and do you know if they are modified (coated/laced/etc.). I sat there and said "well hell if" I grow it I'll at least be feeling content knowing the source of what I smoke. :hard-laugh: Haven't had any harvest like most of the photos I've viewed but hoping to get there soon. Definitely have more control of the variables of what I smoke (THC%, flavors, effects, plant types, etc.). Defiantly a big chunk of cash goes into starting out but long run I feel better off.

Forgot to add: Yes I spend a lot less growing compared to buying.

 

[Allotrope1000]

If you live in a legal to culitivate outdoors state, try growing XXL autos. Start indoors late April, get outside in ground or pot, harvest a bunch by Labor Day. You miss a lot of bad. fall weather.

 

[Radeon]

I have osteoarthritis. My.conditon worsens over time. It will never get better. If you don't get pain relief from weed, you smoking the wrong weed. I''ll take the "My weed vs Vic's" anytime, any day. With my stuff, better put on the dentist bib with the cold ass chain cause you gonna be drooling after a joint lol.....You know your stuff is good when people accuse you of lacing it cause it fucked em up beyond anything they have experienced before.....

 

[Radeon]

Here's what we pay $270 an o for in Illinois. Now, if you eat our "weed" that's 40% thca, how high you gonna get? Thca doesn't convert to thc until high temps (+230f). Eating it will do nothing. No buzz, no high. But real weed, REAL weed with thc, will mess you up if you eat it right out of the bag. Unless you heat the weed past 230f here in Illinois, there is MINIMAL thc. Brickweed has more thc than dispensary weed. Think about that.....People are being deceived. They dont' tell you that on the website. Thc content considers thca, not thc. Check out the website https://www.ntillinois.com/. They confuse thca with thc when listing thc content.....To make it more accurate, on the website, when listing thc content, do not consider thca. Only.list the .7% thc......It's deceiving. Am I right or wrong? Am I being a "D" or am I speaking truth?

 

[Radeon]

THCA is NOT the same as THC......It's misleading. A.con.....