Weed is not cheap. There’s no getting around it.
And if you’re a frequent consumer, it’s highly needed to find cost-effective ways to do so, or you’ll be staring at your bank statements every month. So instead, it is far better for your mental health to find better ways to spend your time and money on cannabis consumption.
Cannabis cultivation at home is more popular than ever! It’s partly due to cannabis’ growing global acceptance, but it’s also due to the availability of specialized growing equipment. In addition, numerous valuable tools can make growing high-quality buds at home much more accessible.
Growing cannabis allows you to avoid those additional fees, but it also comes with its own set of expenses. So how much money are you going to save? Let’s do the math because there are a lot of variables at work.
Outdoor Startup Costs
You’ll need some equipment to get started growing cannabis. This is a little more difficult because the cost of creating an outdoor business can vary greatly. If you’re growing outside in a suitable climate, you can buy some seeds (~$40), soil (~$10), and cannabis nutrients ($65) and spend less than $150 to harvest a few ounces per plant. This is usually sufficient for the average backyard or patio grower.
There are various marijuana seeds for sale on the market (regular, feminized, and auto-flowering). You can get the best one you need from marijuanaseedcity.
Growing in optimal conditions outdoors, on the other hand, could allow you to harvest up to 18 ounces per plant – but you’ll have to spend more money on water, soil, fertilizer, and equipment. You can choose to save money on other supplies such as water pumps and a watering tank, but it will take much longer to water your plants, and you should also consider the cost of time.
A lovely outdoor growing setup will likely cost you around $2-3000, including a greenhouse to protect your plants from harsh conditions.
Indoor Startup Costs
An indoor setup has a similarly broad price range. If you’re growing a few plants only (and don’t mind the smell), you can forgo carbon filters and quality ventilation and build a low-cost setup for as little as $450.
A complete professional setup will yield a higher production but will cost between $1400 and $2400 to put together.
Costs of Operation
There are some recurring costs after you make your initial investment in equipment and start growing. These will be the costs of electricity, water, and your labor – you may not be paying yourself directly, but your plants will require time and attention, so there is an opportunity cost.
Electricity will be the most expensive recurring cost, likely costing $25-60 per month. Using LED lights will help you save energy and have a longer lifespan than an HPS bulb.
Savings
On average, one can purchase an ounce of cannabis at a dispensary in Canada for around $200. Leafly has an excellent table that shows how much it costs to grow a gram of cannabis in various configurations.
Assuming a gram costs $7, growing your own should save you at least $4 per gram. And this is true regardless of the setup! Of course, it will take some time to recoup your initial investment, but growing your cannabis will save you a lot of money in the long run.
An ounce of marijuana costs about $200, or $6-$7 per gram. An ounce of homegrown cannabis will cost approximately $3 per gram or $84-90 per ounce.
How to Keep Costs Down
Growing cannabis can be costly, exceptionally if you choose a more sophisticated setup. Here are some ideas that help you to save money without sacrificing quality:
- Pre-made grow boxes should be avoided. If you decide to use a grow box, you can usually build your own for less than half the price of a pre-made one.
- Should use LED lights instead of compact fluorescent lights (CFLs). LEDs are more energy-efficient which produce less heat, so you’ll need less air conditioning.
- Set up an exhaust system if you have air conditioning. At its most basic, this is a fan that exhausts hot air from your grow room. It’s a lot less expensive than running the air conditioner!
- If the opposite is true and your grow room is too cold, try insulating it or using a more significant, hotter produce light. That will be less expensive than running a heater.
- Train the plants. This is extremely inexpensive – all you need are some twist ties or twine – and can significantly increase your yields.
Cannabis cultivation can be costly, but it does not have to be. You can begin with a simple setup and see if you like it before progressing to a more complex system. Just remember to carefully plan your growth space ahead of time to ensure that it is as cost-effective as possible!