The Costs And Revenues Of Growing Marijuana

People start growing and cultivating marijuana for a variety of different reasons. Perhaps you are underwhelmed with the quality of the weed you purchase or you just want to bring in some extra cash. Some people grow purely for medicinal reasons and others grow for social reasons. Without a prescription, you’re likely going to be stuck with low-quality, overpriced weed—a problem that leads a lot of people to growing their own.

Growing marijuana isn’t difficult as long as you put enough time and effort into the hobby. Spending just a few hours every week can produce some fantastic results. If you’re growing just for yourself, then you don’t really require huge yields. A starter kit costs as little as $80 and can give you a nice start. Of course, growing marijuana always comes with some risks that vary depending on your location. Download my free grow guide to learn more about growing marijuana at this link.

If you’re growing purely for private use, then marijuana cultivation doesn’t need to be that pricy. Growing outdoors is easiest, because all the things needed to grow marijuana are essentially free. The sun rises every day, the plants get water from rain, and the soil is full of nutrients. In reality, to grow outdoors, all you have to do is buy some marijuana seeds. Of course, buying pots and growing your plants in fertilized, nutrient-rich soil could improve your results exponentially. You’ll see an example list with prices a little further down.

Growing indoors can also be inexpensive. CFL lights can provide you with an adequate yield without any spikes in your electric bill. A grow room with only a few plants doesn’t require a fan and/or carbon filter to reduce the smell. All you really need are seeds, soil, pots, CFL lights, and a small fan, which should only cost around $80 (or less if you’re good with your hands). Professional systems that produce higher yields generally only cost a few hundred dollars. You can buy a plug and play grow box from our friends at GrowersHouse or build a small grow room yourself. Below are some shopping list examples:

New marijuana growers frequently ask things like, “What kinds of yields can I anticipate?” or “How much good marijuana can I get from a single plant?” Of course, every situation is different and many variables determine how much usable marijuana you will end up with.

Indoor

Good lights are one of the most important factors when growing marijuana indoors. Veteran growers can achieve yields of around 1 gram (0.035 ounces) per watt of light. For example, a 400-watt HPS lamp can produce around 400 grams or 14 ounces of good marijuana. A grow room containing 1200 watts of light will translate to 1.2 kilograms or 42 ounces of good marijuana. The correct equipment, nutrient quantity, air quality, space between plants, and other important factors all contribute to the success of any indoor garden. For beginners, the yields will probably look like the following:

An average of around 1.5 to 2.0 oz  (3.5 oz for advanced growers) with 200-watt CFL lamps in a grow cabinet that measures 3.5 x 1.5 x 6.5 ft.

An average of around 3.0 to 5.0 oz  (9.0 oz for advanced growers) with a 250-watt HPS lamp in a grow cabinet that measures 3.5 x 1.5 x 6.5 ft.

An average of around 4.5 to 9.0 oz (14 oz for advanced growers) with a 400-watt HPS lamp in a grow room that measures 3.5 x 3.5 x 7 ft.

An average of around 5.0 to 10 oz (21 for advanced growers) with a 600-watt HPS lamp in a grow room that measures 4 x 4 x 8 ft.

An average of around 9.0 to 18 oz (36 for advanced growers) with a 1000-watt HPS lamp in a grow room that measures 5 x 5 x 8 ft.

Outdoor

Simply placing your seeds on some dirt and letting them sprout without proper nutrients or care will get you maybe a few ounces of marijuana. With perfect conditions outdoors, you can yield up to around 18 ounces (500 grams) for each plant. It’s important to have at least two meters of space between the plants. The plants also need enough water and nutrients without contracting any diseases or being attacked by pests. Containers (if you use them) should be the 50-liter (15-gallon) variety. Germinating the plants early in the season allows them to grow much larger. It may be in your best interest to germinate the seeds indoors so that you have total control over the temperature and humidity.

For some, growing marijuana might just be about having your own home-grown weed. But, you really have to tend to your plants and make sure they’re happy, so to speak. Everyone can grow cannabis. If you can’t grow indoors, then maybe try your garden or a terrace on the rooftop. Forests, parks, cornfields, or a friend’s garden are also applicable locations. Check out my free grow guide for more tips on selecting a site.

If you want start growing please download my free grow guide and order some high quality seeds at this link here. We ship seeds to the US, Australia and many other countries. All customers get 24/7 grow support.

Robert

The founder of I Love Growing Marijuana, Robert Bergman is a marijuana growing expert that enjoys sharing his knowledge with the world. He combines years of experience, ranging from small-scale grows to massive operations, with a passion for growing. His articles include tutorials on growing... [read more]