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Missourians who have a medical marijuana card have options when it comes to getting their medicine. While most cannabis customers choose to purchase their medical marijuana from a dispensary, many are exploring the option of growing their own cannabis.
Cultivating your own crop of medical marijuana can be a rewarding hobby that will teach you more about how the natural medicine provides relief. If you’re considering starting to grow cannabis from home, we're here to help! Her are some tips and information to get you started.
Why Grow Your Own?
You don’t have to grow your own cannabis plants to have a great experience with medical marijuana. There is an incredible array of high-end medical marijuana products at local dispensaries. But, those products come with a price tag, and if you walked away from your dispensary with sticker shock, you should know that home cultivation is a less pricey way of getting your medicine.
If you have a green thumb, growing your own cannabis could be rewarding. There’s something to be said for caring for your own plants; after all, they’re going to be taking care of you.
Of course, there is some start-up cost, such as growing supplies, licensing and educational items, such as a beginning grower’s guide, that you may want to purchase. But, those items will pay for themselves over time as you save money not having to pay dispensary prices for your medical marijuana.
You Need a Home Cultivation License and MO Medical Marijuana Card
The first thing you’ll need in order to legally grow your own cannabis plants is a home cultivation license and Missouri marijuana card. The good news is that we can help you apply for both together!
Once you complete your HIPPA-certified telehealth evaluation with one of the helpful physicians at Missouri Marijuana Card, your next step is to simply submit your application and select that you also want to grow your own plants. At that point, you’ll be asked to discuss the security measures you intend to have in place for your grow area.
You’ll Need an Accessible Grow Area
It’s important to note rule 10 CSR 30-95.010 of the medical marijuana program set by the Department of Health and Senior Services. It states that your growing location must be accessible upon request by any department official.
Your grow facility can be an outdoor shed, a closet in your home, a section or your basement, or anywhere else in your residence, provided it is fully enclosed and locked.
It’s important that your grow facility cannot be accessed by anyone except for the marijuana patient or their caregiver. You can even have an outdoors location, as long as it is not visible from ground level or any adjacent permanent structures.
You’ll want detailed information about your proposed grow site handy when you fill out your application. You will be asked for the address and to give a description of the grow site, and you will also be required to pay an additional hundred dollar fee upon submitting for your home cultivation license.
Take a Look, It’s in a Book
Growing cannabis is a little more complicated than simply putting a seed into dirt, watering it, and waiting for your marijuana to grow. Learning about cultivation can be an exciting project. You’ll want to make some decisions, such as what strain(s) to grow, and whether or not to grow your medical marijuana inside using a hydroponic system or outside, allowing your cannabis to flourish with natural light.
Purchasing cannabis grower’s guides will save you time and effort as you begin home cultivation. A few books we like for beginner’s include How to Grow Marijuana: The Easiest Guide to Growing Weed by Murph Wolfson, The Cannabis Grow Bible by Greg Green, and Ed Rosenthal’s Marijuana Grower’s Handbook.
How Many Plants Can I Grow?
Medical marijuana is highly regulated by state law, so it’s important to make sure you aren’t growing more plants than allowed. You may only grow cannabis for your own personal use or, if you are a caregiver, for the use of your patient. So, you’ll want to pay close attention to the total number of plants you are growing.
According to the Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services, if you have a Missouri cultivation card, you are allowed to grow up to six flowering plants (this term refers to the buds that contain THC). Additionally, you may have six non-flowering plants and six cloned plants grown from clippings. This allows each home cultivator a total of eighteen plants.
What Supplies Do I Need to Grow Medical Marijuana?
In order to get started, you are going to need some basic supplies. Many of these can be found at your local home depot or gardening store. If you can’t find what you need locally, you should be able to purchase it online via a mega site like Amazon or a cannabis-specific supplier, such as Pot Farmers Mart.
Remember - cannabis needs air, water, light, and nutrients in order to grow. As long as you have these things, you can begin basic home cultivation. Here is a basic list of supplies you’ll need to get started:
Seeds - Do a little research in advance and select a strain that is known to provide the effects you want from your medical marijuana. Remember, you can always grow a different strain later. A grower’s early stages are all about experimentation and learning. You’ll need to stop by a Missouri dispensary or buy from a seed bank.
Lights - If you are growing outdoors, you’ll want to make sure your plants are in an area where they’ll get plenty of sunlight. If you are indoors, you’ll need to purchase some grow lights. We recommend finding a nice LED grow-light. Your electric bill will thank you!
A Grow Medium - It’s up to you to decide whether or not to grow in soil or with a hydroponic system. For beginners, we recommend soil. If you are using a hydroponic system, you might use pebbles or a lava rock.
Nutrients - These are added to the soil or water to help the plant during the growing phase.
Pots and/or Buckets - These are specifically for those who are growing indoors, as your plant needs a place to grow.
Ventilation - Your plants need air to grow, and you’ll want plenty of carbon dioxide to be flowing through your space. Getting some fans is a good idea.
You’ll have the opportunity to get more detailed equipment, depending on how serious you become as a home cultivator. The above supplies should help get you started on the journey of growing your own medical marijuana!
The Internet Is Your Friend
For many of us, this goes without saying, but we’re going to say it anyway - the internet is chock full of information that will help you as you begin growing medical marijuana. You are inevitably going to hit some speed bumps on your cannabis grower’s journey. Chances are, for any problem you’re going to face, someone else has a solution - and they’ve posted about it.
Before panicking, do a quick google search, and the odds are pretty high that there will be a solution. You may even find a handy step-by-step guide or video that walks you through how to solve your problem.
Growing Medical Marijuana Is a Journey - Enjoy It
Your journey as a home cultivator will be a rewarding one. As you go, you’ll get better at growing, harvesting, and caring for the plants that provide you with the medicine that makes your daily life better. Remember - there are so many resources out there to help you if you hit any bumps in the road. Before you know it, you’ll be harvesting a cannabis plant you grew yourself and enjoying relief with pride in knowing that you didn’t even have to leave the house to get your medicine!
You Can’t Grow Without a Card
Whether you plan to grow your own cannabis plants or get your medical marijuana from a dispensary, you’ll need your Missouri medical card, and we can help with that! Our doctors are standing by to take you through a quick and easy evaluation to see if you qualify. Schedule an appointment with a marijuana professional online by CLICKING HERE, or give us a call at (877) 303-3117 to talk to a patient support representative.
Doctors Who Care.
Relief You Can Trust.
At Missouri Marijuana Card, our mission is helping everyone achieve wellness safely and conveniently through increased access to medical marijuana. Our focus on education, inclusion, and acceptance will reduce the stigma for our patients by providing equal access to timely information and compassionate care.
Call us at (877) 303-3117, or simply book a medical marijuana evaluation to start getting relief you can trust today!
Check out Missouri Marijuana Card’s Blog to keep up to date on the latest medical marijuana news, tips, and information. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to join the medical marijuana conversation in Missouri!