Pros & Cons: Growing Sativa Cannabis

Cannabis isn’t just legal to buy in Canada, it’s also legal to grow at home. You’ll need to be of legal age and adhere to provincial laws- for instance, Manitobans need a medical license to grow and you’ll need to be 19 years of age or 18 in Quebec and Alberta. However, as long as you follow the law, you can grow up to four active plants either indoors or outdoors.

Growing cannabis is different depending on the kind of strain you grow. While indica cannabis plants are short, bushy, and primed for indoor growing, growing sativa cannabis plants can be slightly more challenging. With that said, they can also produce impressive yields of potent, uplifting weed. Here are some of the pros and cons of growing sativa cannabis.

Sativa Cannabis Plants Produce Great Yields

One of the main reasons why some growers opt to grow sativa plants instead of indica plants is that they can produce some of the best yields. While indica plants are short and bushy and usually grow to around 3-6 feet, sativa plants can grow as tall as 20 feet high under the right conditions.

While growing tall plants can have its drawbacks, one of the benefits of this is that you can produce a great deal of marijuana with each plant. As sativa cannabis plants grow, they’ll begin to develop plenty of long, narrow buds packed with THC-rich marijuana. This is perfect for growers who want to produce large quantities of weed.

How much marijuana you’ll be able to grow depends on numerous factors, including the specific type of sativa strain you’re growing and the conditions it’s given. However, sativa cannabis plants can produce some very impressive yields as long as you’re willing to put the time and effort in.

Sativa Plants Take Longer To Grow

Many people choose to grow sativa plants when they want tall-growing plants that yield plenty of marijuana. However, this does come at a price. Although sativa plants can grow to impressive heights, they take longer to grow compared to indica plants.

Naturally, the time it takes for your cannabis plant to grow will depend on the growing conditions and the strain you’re growing. However, while indica plants can usually flower in around 7 to 9 weeks, sativa cannabis plants take 10-16 weeks to flower on average. As such, you’ll likely be waiting much longer to enjoy your homegrown sativa cannabis.

There are ways around this. For instance, you might want to use autoflowering seeds. These are made by crossing feminized seeds for sativa strains with cannabis ruderalis seeds, and they grow much faster as a result. You can also try growing sativa-dominant hybrid strains. Some of these strains inherit the faster growing times from their indica genetics.

It’s Hard To Grow Sativa Cannabis Indoors

Another one of the key problems with growing sativa cannabis plants is that they’re generally much harder to grow indoors. Unless you have a huge grow room, setting up a designated indoor growing space for plants that can grow up to 20 feet tall can be a hassle. Indoor growers often rely on indica plants as their short, bushy stature means they can be grown even in small spaces.

Many users prefer indoor growing as you can control the amount of light, heat, and humidity your plants get. This allows you to give your plants the perfect conditions for optimal growth, resulting in them growing faster and producing larger yields. While growing sativa plants indoors isn’t impossible, many people don’t have an enclosed space to grow such tall plants indoors.

With that said, growing sativa cannabis is ideal for users who prefer outdoor growing. As long as you have favorable weather, you can set up an outdoor grow space and grow huge sativa plants. Plus, outdoor growing generally requires less effort and investment as you don’t need to set up artificial lighting or air conditioning. Still, you’ll have a hard time doing this during Canadian winters.

Sativa Strains Give You An Incredible High

Although you’ll have to overcome a few obstacles when you grow sativa cannabis, the results are often worth it. Sativa strains are generally rarer than indica strains, especially as they’re more difficult to grow. Nonetheless, many users prefer to grow sativa strains anyway due to the stimulating high they can give you.

Sativa strains are known for giving you the best mental high. They can instantly boost your mood and make you feel euphoric and uplifted. They’re perfect to use in the morning or daytime as they can boost your energy and motivation, unlike many indica strains that make you feel lazy and couch-locked.

These strains are also great for medical users- especially users looking to target mental health issues. For instance, sativa strains are generally considered the best strains for reducing symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression. They also provide soothing physical effects and can help counteract chronic fatigue.

There Are Many Great Sativa Strains To Choose From

Another reason why you might want to grow sativa cannabis is that there are tons of fantastic sativa strains out there. Although they aren’t as prevalent as indica strains, many sativa strains are among the most popular and well-loved strains overall. You can also delve into sativa-dominant strains which are just as popular.

For instance, Jack Herer is a hugely popular strain for users who want to increase their mental focus and creativity. It’s also a popular strain for medical users. Sour Diesel gives you one of the most stimulating head highs while still offering soothing relaxation. Other great examples include Candy Land, Ghost Train Haze, and Grape God.

What’s more, many sativa strains contain higher levels of CBD and CBN. These cannabinoids offer extra benefits, making these strains among the best for medical users. Although growing sativa cannabis can take longer, it’s worth it for the results.

Conclusion

There are some significant drawbacks to growing sativa cannabis. These plants usually take longer to grow and are much harder to grow indoors than indica plants. With that said, you’ll be rewarded with high yields of stimulating marijuana packed with medical benefits. 

If you don’t mind the time and effort you have to put in, growing these strains is worth it. With that said, you don’t necessarily need to go through the whole process of growing. It’s now easier than ever to buy weed online, and you can find a range of sativa, indica, and hybrid strains available for delivery at WCCannabis.ca.