Have you ever stopped and thought about why you grow cannabis? Whether you’re new to the grower community or a master grower, it’s always good to reflect on what drives us to plant cannabis seeds season after season. 

There are tons of benefits to growing your own cannabis seeds that help tilt the balance in favour of cultivation. From saving money to improving the quality, growing cannabis is an invaluable skill for any cannabis connoisseur.

See if any of these reasons resonate with you.

Getting your perfect strain

Marijuana strains affect everyone uniquely. We develop our favourites based on how they smell, the highs they give us, or simply the way they look. A benefit to growing your own cannabis seeds is ensuring that your plant contains all of the things you like most about the strain.

Cultivating your own cannabis at home gives you a better chance of getting plants with the right genes to grow the strain you’re expecting. This is known as gene- and pheno-hunting. Experienced growers can breed their own plants that only contain the best characteristics to make your ultimate strain!

Quality control for plants

Growing cannabis at home gives substantial control over the final result of the plant’s quality. The better the grow, the bigger the yield, potency, appearance, and overall health of the buds.

Several variables impact the quality of cannabis when growing at home. Light, soil, nutrients, water, environment, and care all affect the quality of your plant. Plant a high-yielding cannabis strain like Lemon Ice to get a harvest that supports your consumption habits. Modify your growing techniques to improve the taste of the cannabis. Plant uniquely coloured strains like the Exotic Purple Autoflower to add some purple and pink colour to your grow room.

In addition to controlling the type of cannabis plants you’ll grow, home cultivation also ensures your environment is free of pests, diseases, and other things that can harm your plant.

Discretion

The stigma about cannabis in Amsterdam is more relaxed than in many other parts of the world. If you’re cultivating in legalized areas that still carry social stigma, growing cannabis at home is a great way to enjoy it privately.

Cannabis users cover the spectrum of demographics who use it for recreation and/or medical purposes. With a good growing setup, not even your neighbours will know you like indulging in cannabis.

Cost-saving

If you’re a frequent smoker, you’ll be surprised at the cost-saving benefits of growing your own cannabis seeds. After an initial upfront investment for your grow setup, you can theoretically grow weed forever!

Check out this post for all you need to grow weed. With successful indoor grows, you can yield upwards of a quarter-pound of buds from a single plant alone. Outdoor grows can bloom 1 to 3 pounds of buds. Since weed is a plant, it reproduces by yielding seeds or using the cloning method. So, you can look forward to a nice harvest of buds every season.

Keep in mind your local laws about the number of plants you’re allowed to grow indoors.

Satisfies Green Thumb

We all have our hobbies. Some enjoy rowing our canals, while others prefer making art or cooking. For many cannabis growers, cultivation is their hobby of choice.

If you love gardening or ever cared for a plant at home, then you may find a new love in growing cannabis at home. There’s nothing more satisfying than watching a plant go from a tiny cannabis seed to a mature plant full of buds.

Growing cannabis seeds isn’t as simple as planting and harvesting. It’s a multi-week process of caring for the plant, cleaning, maintenance, and plenty of trial-and-error until you perfect your techniques. The best growers are always the ones who enjoy the process.

Convenience

A benefit to growing your own cannabis seeds is having access to cannabis when and as much as you need it. Growing cannabis at home gives the freedom of knowing your strain is always available with no ‘store hours’. Convenience is especially beneficial for medical cannabis users. Grow cannabis plants to have an ample supply in every season.

Learning and skill-building

School is in session! Knowing how to grow cannabis is a handy skill to have. It means you’ll always have access to cannabis and have an overall better appreciation of the plant.

Treat your cannabis plant like your plant child. Like all living things, it has a life cycle. You’ll learn something new at each stage. Different strains also grow differently, so no two grows are the same. The more you grow, the more you will improve the quality and size of your harvest.

Paying attention to the environment and nutrients you put into your plant helps you understand terpenes, cannabinoids, flavour and aroma profiles, and more. Your awareness of these enhances your cannabis experience, from growing to consumption.

Ready to experience the benefits of growing your own cannabis seeds for yourself? Get a head start on at-home cannabis cultivation with our high-quality cannabis seeds.

Change is inevitable for the cannabis industry. Weed enthusiasts worldwide have embraced the many changes in cultivation and consumption. New Cannabis growing information has transformed the popularity of growing at home, while information about the plant itself has ushered in a new era of who and how we consume cannabis. Here’s why you should be excited about the future outlook of cannabis!

Why Change is Good for the Cannabis Industry

Examining the major trends in the global cannabis industry shows that change and innovation are here and transforming many aspects of it. It’s more popular than ever, thanks to legalization and more societal acceptance. These trends also show that this transformation will continue happening, which can change the way you consume and grow cannabis.

Why is it important? For many, legalization allows the opportunity to start growing your own cannabis and enjoying the benefits of the plant—from the high to medical benefits. Also, improvements in how we grow cannabis make it more accessible to more people. Not to mention more diverse products for consumption than just flowers.

Changes in the industry help promote growth that we can all take advantage of. The foundation is laid for new, more innovative ways to transform cannabis consumption and cultivation.

Innovation Creates New Ways of Cultivating Cannabis

Growing cannabis indoors is the preferred solution for frequent consumers. The advantages of growing your own cannabis include being more budget-friendly on your wallet and achieving better quality. If these are reasons why you choose to cultivate cannabis, we have great news for you!

Cannabis cultivation is no longer a secretive act. It’s developed into a global community that loves sharing tips, tricks, and setup ideas that improve the growing process. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned grower, you can find innovations that resonate with every stage of your grow.

Some of the latest trends you can benefit from to improve your plant yield and quality include experimenting with growing techniques like hydroponics or using better-quality seeds. Amsterdam Genetics is instrumental in developing the best quality cannabis seed strains perfect for indoor growing.

The popularity of growing cannabis has led many companies to create grow setup kits that simulate natural environments or experiment with DIY options to tailor a setup to the available space in your home. 

These are just a few examples of how the availability of cannabis growing information can improve the way connoisseurs cultivate their own plants in the comfort of their homes.

Benefiting from Trends Affecting Cannabis Consumption

Global trends in cannabis consumption have had monumental effects on the industry. One of the most significant trends is increased legalization. Now, more countries are adopting policies that allow citizens to grow and consume cannabis. Other consumption trends include diverse products which transform how we consume cannabis and also a decline in social stigma for frequent users. 

So, what does this mean for you? If you’re in one of the legal countries, you can now openly enjoy cannabis! Growing cannabis at home for personal use is an excellent option to support your consumption habits. Innovations in cultivation mean you can produce your own high-quality cannabis without the need for a large space of commercial-grade equipment. Research your country’s laws about cannabis consumption and cultivation before engaging in any cannabis-related activities.

Additionally, we’re finding more people adopting the use of CBD. Although CBD products have no psychoactive effects, they contain several health benefits. These benefits are recognized by many institutions that now get recommended by doctors as ways to treat issues such as anxiety, stress, sleep trouble, seizures, pain, and more. Medical benefits for THC and CBD are still being researched for their validity, so most information is suggestions of potential benefits.

With new ways of consuming cannabis in the form of edibles, oil, or tablets, you no longer have to worry about the smell. This trend has attracted many more users of cannabis who initially were averse to the scent.

And yes, this also means it’s much more acceptable to sport your favourite cannabis-themed t-shirts.

Negative Impacts to the Cannabis Industry

The industry has a lot of upside, thanks to the latest trends. However, these trends aren’t without their downsides. From cultivation to consumption, there are things you should be mindful about.

• Wrong information – sharing information via the internet and social media is easier than ever. There’s just as much inaccurate cannabis growing information as it is info that can benefit your grow. Make sure your sources are credible when sourcing information. Our blogs provide a great information source developed by veteran growers and cannabis experts.

• Inaccurate CBD content – products that contain CBD often mislead customers about the contents and benefits. Make sure your CBD products come from credible sources, like our partner SupMedi, which conducts lab testing and provides customer reviews about their product experiences.

• Seed Quality – not all cannabis seeds come with the same quality. Here at Amsterdam Genetics, we’ve developed cannabis seeds for nearly 40 years. Each strain is carefully formulated with the perfect gene mix fit for growing quality plants and suitable for indoor settings.

From sharing valuable cannabis growing information to providing the best quality cannabis seeds, Amsterdam Genetics is your source for cannabis cultivation as we continue navigating the rapidly changing global cannabis landscape.

We examined the key trends in cannabis growth around the world. Now, it’s time to explore the main drivers behind them. Cannabis popularity has exploded globally with several trends in the overall market, cultivation, legalisation, and product innovations.

The exciting thing is understanding the reasons behind the global growth to explore possibilities of continued expansion and how it can affect you as an avid cannabis consumer.

Legalisation

Let’s be honest—none of the recent changes we’ve seen in the cannabis industry would be possible without the growing support for the plant in politics. What was once considered criminal activity with harsh penalties has now become a mainstream product widely used worldwide.

The Netherlands was always at the forefront of legalisation, and many consider it the ‘birthplace of cannabis culture.’ Many other countries globally are growing their support for the plant for numerous reasons. It provides an excellent tax source, stimulates economies, and provides health benefits.

Cannabis is far from being accepted everywhere, but every step in the right direction will lead to further use and popularity for the plant.

Consider the local laws and regulations in your country before cultivating or consuming cannabis.

Societal Acceptance

The days of cannabis being considered counterculture are quickly fading. It’s long been a taboo topic in places like Amsterdam, where it has been publicly acceptable for decades. But in other countries, with recent legalisation laws like the US and Thailand, societal concerns are beginning to ease. It’s now becoming a mainstream topic freely discussed in professional settings, politics, and everyday conversations.

Cannabis popularity spans all age ranges, from teens in the legal age range for cannabis consumption who enjoy it recreationally to elders in society who use the plant for medical benefits. Even consider elders who enjoy recreational consumption and teens who turn to CBD as an alternative medicine.

Innovations in cannabis products have significant effects on it becoming more acceptable to use in many places. You no longer have to be paranoid about reeking of potent weed smell. There are alternatives to getting your daily dose of THC, such as eating edibles or using vape devices.

Another great thing about cannabis being more acceptable is finally being able to wear cannabis-themed merchandise. Show support for your favourite seed brand by checking out our collection of clothing, headwear, and accessories.

Health Benefits

Cannabis isn’t just a substance to consume to achieve a “high.” More users are turning to the plant for its medical properties. Cannabis research has shown many benefits to consuming it, such as pain relief, aiding sleep, reducing anxiety, treating nausea, and much more. While many health benefits aren’t conclusive yet, you can find positive trends for the benefits reported by frequent users. Note that cannabis affects everyone differently and can yield different results for you.

THC isn’t the only chemical compound in cannabis plants that offers medical benefits. One of the latest health trends emerging in recent years is CBD. CBD, or cannabidiol, is the non-psychoactive component in cannabis that has potential medical benefits of anti-inflammatory effects, improving sleep, treating seizure patients, skincare benefits, etc. Like THC, these benefits aren’t conclusive and should be carefully examined if you’re taking CBD to treat certain symptoms.

Cannabis is categorised as medical or recreational in many countries. Medical cannabis is typically the first to get the green light approval for legalisation and promoted in medical settings. Doctors now recommend CBD products to treat specific ailments, and products like tablets, supplements, and topicals are widely available.

Technology

As technology improves, we’ll continue to see innovations for cannabis trends in cultivation, product development, and science. We’re always excited about new technology that helps our community of growers achieve better quality indoor grows. 

Some of these tech advances pushing cannabis cultivation forward are new growing techniques like hydroponics adaptable to smaller growing spaces. Also, lighting and growing tent kits that help stimulate more natural environments for plants to thrive. Artificial Intelligence is one of the latest developments that can rapidly transform indoor cannabis cultivation by providing data and information about your grow setup to maximise yields.

Better technology helps with developing new ways to consume cannabis and CBD. For example, it gives the ability to extract certain compounds from the plant better to make oils.

Experimentation

One of the best ways to continue positive growth trends with cannabis is by experimenting. Cannabis popularity has inspired people all over the world to test innovative ways to use, consume, and grow cannabis. As it becomes more widespread with legalisation and social acceptance, users have better access to the tools necessary to take cannabis to the next level.

Amsterdam Genetics has evolved over the last few decades to support many of these trends. It’s allowed us to develop a collection of more than 40 different strains of premium cannabis seeds, partnering with a credible CBD company for CBD supplements and nutrition, and even expand our footprint with delivery in multiple European countries.

It makes it easier for us to reach growers like you! Come along as we continue to transform with the global cannabis industry.

Hydroponics is a popular method for growing cannabis indoors. It’s a water-based system with many advantages over soil-based systems, such as improved yields and faster plant growth. With its popularity booming amongst cannabis users, we’ve decided to give you a rundown on these systems.

Keep reading to find out how to use hydroponics with cannabis and which system is best to grow indoors.

The Basics of Hydroponics Systems

As its name suggests, the main feature of all hydroponics systems is water. Unlike traditional growing methods, hydroponics eliminates the use of soil and uses other mediums to help suspend the plant’s roots in water.

There are six types of hydroponics systems for growing cannabis:

• Deep Water Culture (DWC)
• Wick
• Ebb & Flow
• Drip
• Nutrient Film Technique (NTF)
• Aeroponics

These systems are categorized as active or passive based on the mechanics needed to manage them during the growing process. Here are details about each system and how they’re used for growing cannabis indoors.

Passive Hydroponics Systems

These simplified hydroponics systems use less energy since they don’t require additional tools to deliver the water solution to your plants.

1. Deep Water Culture (DWC)

The most popular hydroponics system for growing cannabis is Deep Water Culture (DWC). It’s also the simplest passive system to set up. DWC completely submerges plant roots in nutrient-rich water while the plant is suspended above the solution. Air is provided via a pump inserted into the water—sometimes called an active system due to the air pumps.

Many beginners experimenting with how to use hydroponics with cannabis start with this system because of the simplicity. It’s a great option for growing indoors since you only need one bucket to fit in a small space.

An alternative method of this system is the Kratky method. This alternative doesn’t fully submerge the plant roots but allows them to touch the water surface lightly, offering lots of air room for the roots.

2. Wick

This hydroponics method is set up similar to an Ebb and Flow system. It’s passive since it relies on using a wick (string or other fabric) instead of a pump to transfer water from the reservoir into your growing tray. It can be set up as a recovery system—the water drains back into the reservoir and is recycled back through the wick.

Due to limits of water transfer via wick, this isn’t as popular for growing cannabis. Cannabis plants need much more water and nutrients to reach their full potential.

Active Hydroponic Systems

Systems categorized as active require moving parts to help make them function properly. These systems vary from simple to complex.

3. Ebb and Flow

This method may also be called the Flood and Drain method, which gives a better idea of how it functions. It’s an active hydroponics system that periodically floods your main growing tray with a nutrient-rich water solution for your plants to drink before draining back into a separate reservoir container.

It’s an active system because it requires a pump to provide water to your plants from the reservoir. It works on a timer to give plants just enough water before a period of air between cycles.

4. Drip

The Drip hydroponics system is a way to deliver water to your plants automatically. A drop system is routed to your plants and tickles water on a timer for the exact quantity needed.

This active system requires some skill to set up the correct drop functionality.

5. Nutrient Film Technique (NFT)

The NFT method is one of the most complex hydroponics systems for growing cannabis. It works similarly to an ebb and flow system, except it uses a tilted growing tray to drain the water back into the reservoir below. The tilted growing tray holding your plants eliminates the need for a drain timer since a measured amount of water is pumped into it to allow for drinking.

This method is uncommon for small indoor grows due to its complexity.

6. Aeroponics

This is a special kind of hydroponics system that’s one of the most complex to design. Cannabis plant roots are suspended in the air and receive frequent sprays of nutrient-rich water to keep them moisturized. To create this system, you need timers, a spray fountain, and accurate targeting for delivery.

Since these require lots of active equipment, indoor growers with a small amount of plants avoid this method.

Getting Started With Hydroponics

Anyone can get started with using hydroponics systems to grow cannabis indoors. There are two ways: build your own or purchase a kit. The DIY method of building your own hydroponics system can be exciting, and you can customize it to your exact specifications. Cannabis plants vary in size depending on the strain, and you can tailor your setup for each grow.

We recommend beginners start with a kit to ensure you have all the basics. These kits come with equipment to hold the water, cannabis plants, and may contain other tools like nutrient solutions.

You can weigh your options based on the costs to build the system, the size you need for your indoor grow, and your skill level.

Get started with your hydroponics system using our premium cannabis seeds.

We’re in the midst of an evolution for growing cannabis indoors. Growers are exploring new growing techniques to develop the best quality weed with yields that will blow your mind. Indoor cannabis growing with hydroponics is one of the most exciting trends for growers. It achieves impressive yields and better quality at faster rates than other traditional methods.

If it’s your first time hearing about hydroponics, this post will give insight into how it’s elevating the way we grow cannabis at home.

What is Hydroponics?

Hydroponics is not a new agricultural practice, but more cannabis growers are starting to incorporate the method into their home grow setups. It’s a water-based growing method that submerges plant roots directly into nutrient-rich water instead of in soil. This direct transfer of nutrients to the roots allows several advantages for growers and plants.

Why Growers Prefer Indoor Cannabis Growing With Hydroponics

There is an ongoing debate over whether hydroponics or traditional soil growing methods are better for cannabis plants. Choosing which method is best is a matter of preference and convenience. With the right skills, you can see advantages to either one. Those in favour of hydroponics like this method for the following reasons:

• Indoor-friendliness
• Costs
• Yields

While these can change depending on your specific growing setup, it’s a good baseline to see why it’s becoming so popular in recent years.

Indoor-friendliness

Growing cannabis indoors is effective for growers living in regions with unfavourable climates for year-round cultivation—like Amsterdam! Hydroponics gives growers the flexibility to grow plants in every season.

Hydroponics is a cleaner way to grow weed indoors. It avoids attracting pests associated with using soil and makes it more convenient for cleanup since you only use liquid-based solutions.

Costs

Growing weed at home can give significant cost savings for regular consumers. Hydroponics can be a cost-saving method if budget is a big concern for your setup. Hydroponics typically has a higher initial cost to set up the system. However, it’s a more efficient use of water, nutrients, and other additives in the long run. It allows you to provide the plant with exactly what it needs to grow with no water going into the soil, for example. Other systems feature recycling water systems like the Ebb and Flow hydroponics method. 

Yields

One of the biggest advantages of indoor cannabis growing with hydroponics is improved yields. Growers seeking ways to increase the quantity and quality of their cannabis can experiment with hydroponics as a way to improve. It’s an excellent way to get the maximum yield potential when using our premium cannabis seeds.

Achieving better yields with Hydroponics

Once you know the basics of growing cannabis indoors, the next step is learning how to improve your yield. Did you know that switching your growing method can lead to significant improvements? It sounds like a simple solution. However, the very nature of hydroponics is designed to create strong and healthy plants ready to produce tons of cannabis buds when it’s time to flower.

Here’s some insight into how hydroponics works, leading to improved growth rates and yields per plant.

1. Better nutrient delivery

Hydroponics is one of the most effective ways to deliver the perfect amounts of nutrients to a cannabis plant. This is especially necessary with indoor grows since you lack essential elements for plant growth, like natural sunlight or nutrients found in soil.

This method provides a direct delivery system from nutrients artificially added into the water solution to the plant’s roots. Using the right amount of nutrients, you can ensure your plant gets precisely what it needs to grow. Nutrients lead to healthy and happy plants that will ultimately produce amazing yields. 

2. Faster Growth

A cannabis plant can take months to go from seed to harvest. The good news is that hydroponics can shave some time off the growth schedule and get you closer to enjoying your harvest much sooner. But how does it work?

Related to the direct delivery of nutrients, it’s also the reason why plants grow faster in a hydroponics system. Roots do not have to dig through soil to find the nutrients they need to grow. Giving the roots these nutrients directly will allow them to focus their energy on growth. 

Think of it as ordering delivery food right to your front door vs. going to the grocery store to buy food. Both result in eating a meal, but the person who ordered delivery will start eating much faster than the person who has to go out and find food. The same works for hydroponics!

Indoor cannabis growing with hydroponics is a solution for growers seeking ways to improve their yields. Use this method along with our other tips to increase cannabis yields indoors, and you may soon find yourself with more weed than you can handle! That’s definitely a good problem to have!