Cannabis 101 Cannabis education and information on ways to consume how to grow or harvest and more. Cannabis 101 Costs of Growing Cannabis at Home vs. Buying Bud at a Dispensary Trevor Hennings Cannabis traditionally has been produced on a small scale to evade the law for decades. As a result many people have connections to someone who has dabbled in cultivation. With the legal market however consumers now can purchase an array of products without considering cultivation much like grocery store produce. Grocery stores are supplied by farms that take care of the cultivation for us and grow a product at a reasonable price. This is for the most part also true for cannabis but lets take a look at the numbers and see how the finances compare between growing your own supply and buying it from a medical dispensary or an adult use retail store. How Much Does Cannabis Cost at a Store or Dispensary? The ability to walk into a store and purchase any number of cannabis products is a luxury that should not be taken for granted. Flowers concentrates and edibles that range in potency flavor effect and smell fill the shelves of your average shop. Many of the products require expensive machinery and a high level of skill to produce. The diversity of flower and quality genetics is something most consumers could not dream of 20 years ago. However these products are subject to high taxes and regulations that make packaging and distribution expensive. Costs Estimates of Store-Bought Cannabis (click to enlarge) How Much Does It Cost to Grow Your Own Cannabis? Growing your own product has its own set of benefits and drawbacks. Taking cultivation into your own hands gives you complete control of the products used to growyour cannabis giving you full knowledge of the process and a better understanding of the plant. It also allows you to explore growing techniques genetics harvest times and curing strategies. This all requires time and effort but sharing the fruits of your labor with your friends and family is unparalleled. RELATED STORY Indoor vs. Outdoor Cannabis Growing: 3 Key Differences However at the same time its also important to realize the difficulties that can arise from growing your own cannabis. Pests mold and other diseases can rapidly sabotage a grow and leave you with a bad crop. Additionally if youre completely new to growing you could make some costly mistakes as you learn through trial and error how to raise healthy crops with strong yields. If youre curious about the approximate costs of growing your own cannabis at home keep in mind that the pricing varies between growing indoors vs. outdoors as well as the size of the space in which youre choosing to grow. Growing Cannabis Indoors For our indoor cannabis grow cost estimates the space we calculated costs for is a 6 ft by 6 ft grow space. Were using soil as our growing medium and only one room will be used for both vegetative growth and for flowering.Also lets assume were in a temperate climate where the use of A/C will not be necessary which will save us some energy costs. RELATED STORY How to Grow Cannabis Indoors Not included in the price estimates is the cannabis plants themselves. For this exercise well use sixclones to save space and reduce our vegetative growth time. A single clone can cost between $10-$30 but higher-quality clones can be more expensive.Our plants will spend around a month in vegetative growth and around 8-10 weeks flowering. Cost Estimates of Growing Cannabis Indoors Equipment Cost (USD) Built grow space (6 ft x 6 ft) $250 1000 watt light setup (ballast HPS bulb hood) $200-$600 Metal halide bulb $30-$100 6-inch inline fan $80-$200 Carbon filter $85-$120 Six 10 gallon pots $20-$40 Two 30 gallon water tanks $50-$100 60 gallons of soil $60 Nutrient starter kit $50-$100 Hardware (trellising zip ties stakes) $50 3.5 months of electricity to power equipment $700 TOTAL COST RANGE: $1575 to $2320 AVERAGE COST: $1948 With a 1000-watt bulb ideally you could produce up to a gram per watt. Realistically as an enthusiast starting out you might find yourself anywhere between that and a half gram per watt. This assumes you avoid pests and disease and you feed your plants to keep them healthy. You should set aside an hour or more a day to observe and work in the garden to keep your plants happy. Small Closet Grow If a 6 ft x 6 ft space is unrealistic you can consider growing in a much smaller space using a grow tent kit. The grow tents dimensions start at 2x2x5 ft and get more expensive the larger you go. You can buy a 2x2x5 kit for under $1000 that includes everything youll need to grow cannabis besides the soil and plants themselves. A kit will allow you to grow two to four plants in one to three gallon pots. In a space this size you would most likely use a 400-600 watt light and have a return ratio similar to the larger 6 ft x 6 ft room. Cost Estimates of a Small Closet Cannabis Grow Equipment Cost 2'x2'x5' grow kit $900 Four 3 gallon pots $20 20 gallons of soil $20 TOTAL COST: $940 Growing Cannabis Outdoors Growing cannabis outdoors can be a very simple startup process. The largest concern is the climate in which you live. It needs to be sunny and dry enough to promote growth and prevent rot. Additionally it needs to stay sunny and warm long enough into the fall to allow the plants to finish flowering. Growing in a greenhouse can help with the temperature and moisture-related issues with cultivation but climate still dictates your ability to grow outdoors. RELATED STORY Outdoor Cannabis Grows 101: Everything You Need to Start Growing Outside For this estimate we will assume you are growing in a climate where the plants can be outside from the start of the season (July) to the end of the season (October). Again we will use clones to start (which are not included in our cost estimates). Cost Estimates of Growing Cannabis Outdoors Equipment Cost 45 gallon smart pots (5 count) $80-$140 Soil (20 gallons 12 count) $300-$500 Soil amendments $100-$200 Nutrients $150-$500 Watering tank (250 gallons) $500 Mixing tank (50 gallons) $100 Water pump $200-$600 Hardware (trellising zip ties stakes hoses valves) $400 TOTAL COST RANGE: $1830-$2940 AVERAGE COST: $2385 Highyields of quality product can be produced outdoors. A plant grown in a 50-gallon pot should net you between 1-2 lbs of flower. Youll need to consider the cost of the time you will put into your garden; an hour a day on average should allow you to take care of your plants. Some days will require nearly no time while others will require more. Also the property required to grow outdoor cannabis is a factor. Most people growing outside do so on large properties for security reasons and odor issues. Keep in mind that many of these costs will be lower in simpler smaller gardens. Growing a plant or two in your yard can cost very little especially if you already own much of the equipment from growing other types of plants and produce. Of course many of these startup materials can be re-used for your next harvest as well. Estimated Price Per Gram of Indoor and Outdoor Cannabis Grows Yield Cost Price Per Gram Indoor 6'x6' - 500 grams $1948 $3.90 Indoor 6'x6' - 1000 grams $1948 $1.95 Indoor 2'x2' - 200 grams $940 $4.70 Indoor 2'x2' - 400 grams $940 $2.35 Outdoor - 2000 grams $2385 $1.19 Outdoor - 4000 grams $2385 $0.60 Looking at these totals youll find that growing can be done for a much lower price than purchasing your product at the store. However labor and property are not included in these costs. Someone will have to check in on the garden daily and spend time pruning trimming feeding watering and monitoring the plants for signs of disease rot or mold. Growing cannabis is strenuous and can be difficult but if youre looking for a new hobby and have the time to dedicate to growing you might find yourself saving money and enjoying yourself. Labor Costs and Their Impact on Price Per Gram When including estimated labor costs of $20 per day for the growing period the prices change significantly. (We adjusted the labor time needed for the 2x2 space at $10 per day because the size of the space is much more manageable.) Indoor 6x6 space: $140 per week x 14 weeks = $1960 Indoor 2x2 space: $70 per week x 14 weeks = $980 Outdoor space: $140 per week x 20 weeks = $2800 Estimated Price Per Gram of Home Grows Including Labor Yield Cost (Including Labor) Price Per Gram Indoor - 500 grams $3908 $7.82 Indoor - 1000 grams $3908 $3.91 Indoor 2'x2' - 200 grams $1920 $9.60 Outdoor - 2000 grams $5185 $2.59 Outdoor - 4000 grams $5185 $1.30 Reflecting on the costs between purchasing cannabis and growing your own in addition to the benefits that each method has to offer might have you clearly leaning to one side or stuck in a stalemate. Cannabis is not cheap or easy to grow and chances are you will get higher quality more diverse products at the local shop. However if you want to explore producing your own crop and if it feels less like labor and more like a hobby then perhaps a personal garden is the way to go. costsdispensariesgrowingretail stores Trevor Hennings Trevor is a freelance writer and photographer. He has spent years in California working in the cannabis industry. More Cannabis 101 How to Pack and Smoke a Bowl of Cannabis What is Hash and How Does It Relate to Cannabis? How to Train Your Cannabis Plants for Better Yields and Potency Why Does Smoking Cannabis Make Your Eyes Red? Tips for Watering Your Cannabis Plants Effectively Grow Basics Cannabis 101 Indoor vs. Outdoor Cannabis Growing: 3 Key Differences Cannabis 101 Diagnosing Nutrient Deficiencies in Sick Cannabis Plants Cannabis 101 When is the Right Time to Harvest Cannabis? Cannabis 101 Your Guide to Drying and Curing Cannabis Buds The post Costs of Growing Cannabis at Home vs. Buying Bud at a Dispensary appeared first on Leafly. by Trevor Hennings at Leafly