Cannabis Home Growing

“What I’ve learned from growing my own pot is that it’s an awful lot of fun. The plants are beautiful and lovely. They grow like crazy and truly respond to you. What I end up doing in the morning is making some coffee and wandering around in my underwear in the garden. I’ll pluck off a leaf here and there while I water them and tell them how lovely they are…. It’s wonderful.”

 - David Crosby


Homegrown's alright with me
Homegrown is the way it should be
Homegrown is a good thing
Plant that bell and let it ring

 - Homegrown, Neil Young


'The evidence leaves no doubt that the home cultivation of a few plants is carried on in nearly every district in the Presidency, and it is difficult to believe in view of its general prevalence that it is altogether non-existent in Madras, Chingleput, and Tanjore notwithstanding the direct negative of the Collectors of the last two districts. On the other hand, there is reason to think that the regulation of the traffic in the drugs, which was introduced in 1889, and has been applied with greater care and stringency in recent years, has created the impression in the minds of the people that the cultivation is illegal. The occasional action of preventive officers in warning growers of casual plants, and perhaps in causing the plants to be uprooted in some instances, may have enforced this idea. The result on the balance of evidence seems to have been to reduce this kind of cultivation, and it is quite possible that many of the witnesses who depose to the existence of it are speaking from memory and experience rather than from recent observation. The Collector of Cuddapah, a district where there is reason to suspect the existence of a small amount of field cultivation as well as much home growth, argues that the excise restrictions may have reduced the cultivation which serves the markets, but must encourage the home growth, which is not illegal, for private consumption.

 - Report of the Indian Hemp Drugs Commission, 1895
 


Home growing cannabis is reconnecting with nature, and enjoying the innumerable pleasures that come with it. To me, cannabis is the original holy communion. So growing your spiritual bread and wine, and then consuming it, goes beyond plain gardening. Sure, the farmer who grows acres of cannabis plants is also intimately connected with nature, but there are some differences between cultivating cannabis and home growing it. For one, the aim of the farmer is to realize a crop that he can sell and make a profit, enabling him to sustain his livelihood. In this sense, it is one of the noblest activities a farmer can pursue but it is different from the non-commercial activity of growing it in one's garden for one's own needs or sharing with others. For another, individual plants in a field of cannabis with hundreds of plants do not create the kind of bond that a person growing a few cannabis plants in her garden finds developing between herself and her herb.

In the past, when cannabis enjoyed its rightful freedom as one of god's creation - revered across communities for its healing, spiritual and intoxicating powers - besides being found in natural habitats where it grew wild and also in fields cultivated by farmers, cannabis was found in many homes as a part of the garden. It was not uncommon for about half a dozen cannabis plants to add beauty to the surroundings of a home. In India, until the 19th century, this was evident across the length and breadth of the country. The regulation of cannabis in India - that started in Bengal where the British government wished to eventually completely suppress its cultivation and use, so as to promote western alcohol, tobacco, opium and medicine - included such measures like: shrinking the area of cannabis cultivation; introducing licenses for cultivation and sale; raising the prices and taxes on cannabis; setting up a government authority to oversee cannabis cultivation and sale; limiting the number of retail outlets, etc. What is notable at this point is that there were no rules that explicitly prohibited an individual from growing cannabis plants at home. It was the cultivation of cannabis for commercial purposes that was targeted by regulation. With great success in shrinking the area of cannabis cultivation, reducing sales to a monopoly, and generating vast revenue from cannabis, the authorities slowly started turning their focus on home growing. The fact that the people had not reacted adversely to the measures taken to curb cannabis cultivation and sales greatly emboldened the authorities to tighten the noose even further by targeting home growers. These home growers would surely have become a nuisance for the authorities who wished that every person who consumed cannabis bought it from them and paid them revenue for it. With home growing, the individual usually had at least some part of his or her cannabis needs catered to, without having to spend money for it.

Please remember that most cannabis consumers were among the poorest classes in India. They belonged to the laboring and working classes, indigenous communities that formed the lowest castes in society, and religious mendicants without any possessions in the world. These classes together formed the majority of India's population. It was primarily these classes that had relied on home growing to meet their cannabis needs, with the price of cannabis sometimes being too much for them even before the regulations and curbs raised the prices and reduced supply. The rich ruling upper classes and castes anyway had the money to buy their cannabis, irrespective of its cost, as they do today. They also had other options - alcohol, tobacco, opium - that the British had successfully introduced among these upper classes. It appears that the authorities felt a need to try and squeeze out as much revenue as possible from even the poorest classes of India who were escaping the revenue net through home growing.

The Indian Hemp Drugs Commission's report of 1895 summarizes that the total extent of cannabis cultivation across the country was not more than 6000 acres in 1893. This however does not cover the ubiquitous home cultivation of cannabis. Individual witness statements give an idea about the extent to which cannabis was an important aspect of many homes. They also show how the administration zealously went about creating fear in the minds of the people through prosecution of individuals for home growing, often at the behest of licensed cannabis monopoly traders who turned informers. A very striking point that emerges from the evidence provided by witnesses - comprising largely of magistrates and other law enforcers - is that the home growing of cannabis was not against the law in many places. It was only the cultivation and trading of cannabis without license that was illegal. The Indian Hemp Drugs Commission also confirms this when it says that 'The Collector of Cuddapah, a district where there is reason to suspect the existence of a small amount of field cultivation as well as much home growth, argues that the excise restrictions may have reduced the cultivation which serves the markets, but must encourage the home growth, which is not illegal, for private consumption.' Licensed monopoly cannabis traders and many local law enforcers however managed to create fear in the minds of the people, bolstered by illegal prosecutions of some individuals for home growing, convincing most people that home growing was illegal. This maintenance of ambiguity regarding home growing has continued to this day and is sewn into the fabric of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act of 1985. Even though the home growing of cannabis for personal use falls well within what can be considered personal medicinal, scientific and religious purposes, most individuals believe that it is illegal to grow a cannabis plant at home. The fear and legal overreach has been maintained to this day through illegal prosecutions of individuals for the benefit of the alcohol, opium, tobacco and the synthetic drug industries that have replaced licensed cannabis monopoly vendors, besides benefiting the black market that works in cohorts with law and drug enforcers who themselves use the ambiguity for extortion from unsuspecting individuals fearing prosecution.

The Indian Hemp Drugs Commission, in its summary on the extent of cannabis cultivation in 19th century India, reports regarding home growing in the Madras Presidency that '122. The evidence leaves no doubt that the home cultivation of a few plants is carried on in nearly every district in the Presidency, and it is difficult to believe in view of its general prevalence that it is altogether non-existent in Madras, Chingleput, and Tanjore notwithstanding the direct negative of the Collectors of the last two districts. On the other hand, there is reason to think that the regulation of the traffic in the drugs, which was introduced in 1889, and has been applied with greater care and stringency in recent years, has created the impression in the minds of the people that the cultivation is illegal. The occasional action of preventive officers in warning growers of casual plants, and perhaps in causing the plants to be uprooted in some instances, may have enforced this idea. The result on the balance of evidence seems to have been to reduce this kind of cultivation, and it is quite possible that many of the witnesses who depose to the existence of it are speaking from memory and experience rather than from recent observation. The Collector of Cuddapah, a district where there is reason to suspect the existence of a small amount of field cultivation as well as much home growth, argues that the excise restrictions may have reduced the cultivation which serves the markets, but must encourage the home growth, which is not illegal, for private consumption.' Regarding home cultivation in the Madras Presidency, the report further says, quoting a witness, 'His description of the extent of cultivation in Salem may be quoted here with the above reservation as probably typical of several localities in the Presidency: "There is little of the ganja plant cultivation in my district of Salem. They are all for the production of ganja alone. One-fourth of the houses in Salem have on an average half a dozen plants in each backyard. The same number of plants can be found in at least 2 per cent. of the fields in the villages of Salem, Ather, and Namakul taluks." In most districts the extent of backyard cultivation falls short of this description. In Cuddapah and Coimbatore the state of things would seem to resemble Salem, with the addition that there are probably some small patches of field cultivation grown for profit. In the hill tracts of Ganjam, Vizagapatam, and Godavari, and to a very much less degree in the Wynaad and the Nilgiris, the home cultivation seems to be carried on for the market, the produce being used for barter or sale to licensed dealers. There is no formal restriction on cultivation, and the cultivators are allowed to sell the produce to the licensed dealers. The whole of the homestead cultivation must, therefore, be regarded as entering into the licensed consumption. Looking to the extent of this cultivation throughout the Presidency, and especially in the hill tracts of the north and south, it will not be extravagant to say that the total area in which the hemp plant is cultivated is perhaps double that of the regular field cultivation.' Regarding home growing in the Bombay Presidency, the Commission reports that '127. Regarding homestead cultivation, the Collector of Thana writes: "The plant is not cultivated in the Konkan as a field crop, nor even as a market crop in gardens, but it occurs in small numbers in many private gardens, and I have seen specimens that seemed to me to be self-sown, and afterwards taken care of by the gardeners." This is the only positive evidence of the existence of such cultivation in British territory in the Bombay Presidency, though there are to be found hints that it is carried on to a very small extent in the Ahmednagar and Dharwar districts in the present day, and some definite information that it was formerly practised more widely. It seems certain that the extent of it in British territory is now absolutely insignificant.' Regarding home growing in Burma, the Commission reports that 'In the Danu and Shan country the cultivation is of the homestead kind; a few plants only are reared in each case for home consumption. The practice is more common among the Danus than the Shans, and the produce would appear to be more than sufficient for home consumption, for some quantity is smuggled into Burma. In the Upper Chindwin district there is a small amount of secret cultivation.' Regarding the Mysore State, the Commission reports that 'Mr. McDonnell, the Special Assistant Excise Commissioner, who seems to have made a study of the whole subject of the hemp drugs, describes the method by which a superior quality of ganja is produced locally, and he thinks that its great value in the market as compared with imported ganja must be a strong inducement to clandestine cultivation in yards and gardens. He is evidently of opinion that this is not at all unfrequent, especially in towns and large villages where concealment is more easy. He is corroborated in some degree by other information. The Excise Assistant Supervisor, Tumkur district, says, however, that the hemp plant "is cultivated for the production of ganja, but to a very small extent, all over the province. The extent of cultivation has considerably decreased since the introduction of the rules...............for regulating and restricting the cultivation, possession, sale, import, and export of ganja;" and this must be clandestine cultivation, for it seems certain that no licenses have been taken out. The Sub-divisional Officer, Chick Ballapur, says: "The local cultivation and preparation of ganja are at present confined to the Chintamony taluk." On the whole, however, it would appear that the cultivation is inconsiderable, and the local production quite insignificant.'


From individual witness evidence before the Hemp Commision we get a more detailed picture of home growing in 19th century India. Already the regulations and controls were well in place by the time the Commission did its study, so the amount of home growing had also decreased considerably by this time.

We can see from the witness statements that home growing is much less in the northern parts of the country than in the south. This may be either due to the strict regulations, law enforcement and prosecution that has been put in place in the northern parts as compared to the south. It may also be the case that, for many witnesses in the north, only cultivation over large areas is considered significant whereas a plant growing here and there may not be considered significant.

Regarding home growing in the northern parts of the country, the witnesses had this to say before the Commission. Mr. A. E. Harward, Offg. Magistrate and Collector, Naogaon, says in his witness statement that 'The wild plant often grows spontaneously in the neighbourhood of houses, and such growth is sometimes protected and encouraged by householders for their own use, but there is no cultivation in the proper sense of the word.'  Babu Narayan Chandra Naik, Khas Tahsildar and Deputy Collector, Angul, says in his evidence that 'The hemp plant is grown on the homestead lands. I have never seen more than two or three, or four, plants together. I do not find hemp in all villages, only in one-third perhaps; and there it is not in every house, but only in certain houses. I have never seen it wild in the jungles. I have often been in the jungles. I have never seen it cultivated in fields.' Mr. R. L. Ward, District Superintendent of Police, Rajshahi, says that 'I have no knowledge or reason to suppose that wild hemp is anywhere cultivated for the production of ganja, but I have often found a single plant which might be used for ganja-growing in the gardens of well-to-do men.' Babu Krishna Chandra Rai,  Baidya, Government Pensioner and Zamindar, District Dacca, says that 'There is no cultivation of the hemp plant in the districts of which I have experience, viz., Dacca, Mymensingh, and Backergunge. I know also that there is no such cultivation in Tippera, Noakhali, and Faridpur. In rare cases one or two female plants spontaneously grow in the premises of the ganja-smokers, but the smokers take care to conceal the fact from the authorities for fear of punishment.' S. Vasudeva Rao, Tahsildar, Tadpatri, says that 'The cultivation is confined to compounds and back-yards of houses.'  Lall Umed Singth, Zamindar, Bilaspur District, says that 'I know it grows spontaneously in the Sargooja estate, which borders on my zamindari. There is no prohibition against ganja growing there. It grows freely in all foreign States. In Sargooja every house has a plantation of ten or twenty trees in the compound, and besides this there are fields of it, but it is mostly grown in small patches round the houses.'  Waman Ganesh, Tahsildar, Wun, says 'Only those who smoke ganja were in the habit of cultivating some plants in their private compounds. But even that is now put a stop to, as it has been disallowed by Government.' Mr. J. S. D. Fraser, Deputy Commissioner, Pegu, says 'Before ganja was prohibited in Burma, the hemp plant is reported to have been abundantly cultivated in Bassein district at Chauk Chaunggyi and Chauk Chaungale, and. in small quantities in this district near the Yomas and Shwegyin district, as bawni. Mr. Fowle, Subdivisional Officer, Kyauktan, reports the hemp plant is grown in the back gardens in the Wuntho township, at the base of the spurs of hills radiating from the Maingthong peak.'

We see that prosecutions for home growing were already well in place in northern India and British military cantonments. Because of this, most people stopped growing cannabis at home for fear of punishment in these places. Excise officials and administrative staff actively pursued an approach of prosecuting cannabis home growing, terming it illegal. There seems to have been an instance where the Bombay High Court ruled that the home growing of cannabis was not illegal. This has been quoted by a couple of witnesses, but by and large most officials believed it was illegal, and the public also believed the same. The fact that the Hemp Commission states that home growing of cannabis was not illegal shows how little the public knew about the rules, and how law end excise officials misused the law to harass and prosecute home growers, and eventually stamp out home growing. It appears that it was legal to grow cannabis as cattle medicine, and many people who grew cannabis at home stated that it was for cattle medicine. This may well have been the case, but it is also as likely that the human enjoyed the plant as much as the domesticated animal. Despite such a law being in place for some time, officials prosecuted an individual if it was found that the plant had been tended to. If it appeared to be growing spontaneously and wild, then it was okay. It appears to me that this selective application of the law would have well favored the elite and ruling classes, keeping them immune from prosecution, whereas an individual from the poorer classes and castes would have borne the brunt of what officials considered legal and illegal.  Babu Jogendra Nath Mozumdar, Brahmin, Deputy Inspector of Excise, Darjeeling, says that 'The growth is found in many places, but I cannot say that is very abundant. There have not been many prosecutions, only ten cases in the last ten years. Recently the prosecutions are becoming more numerous, and there were three or four in the last year. The hill people do not themselves consume the produce of the wild plants, but they give it to their cattle; so I am informed. If they used the wild plant themselves there would be no need to grow the plants in their gardens. The garden growth indicates a certain amount of illicit consumption.' Mr. H. M. Weatherall, Manager, Nawab's Estate, Tippera, says that 'It is part of the duty of the police officers to destroy the plant wherever seen, and to prosecute offenders who grow the plant for use as a drug.' Another witness says, 'As a rule, the plant is found in lands occupied by the owner's homestead. It is not found in his sugarcane field, for example, which may be far off from the homestead, but generally in the homestead enclosure, with vegetables, etc. I infer from this that the growth is very ordinarily surreptitious. I always encourage Magistrates to form a conclusion against a man in whose enclosure it is found; for the very fact that it is there is proof of control over it. He could have rooted it out; but the law requires evidence of cultivation, either of having tended the plant or of having concealed it.' Mr. J. D. Anderson, Deputy Commissioner; Officiating Commissioner of Excise, Assam, says that 'Coolies in tea-gardens might grow it, but they live as a rule in lines without any ground under their control on which they could grow it. Still, as I have said in my written answer to question 3, I think it must be consumed to the prejudice of excise ganja. I have found my own syces drying the herb, and I think they must have been doing it for their own consumption. I should not prosecute a man for having such plants in his compound unless it was clear he was cultivating it. Ordinarily, if I found weeding, watering, and digging about, I should prosecute; if not, not. If it were found in the garden of a Hindustani, there would be stronger ground for supposing it was being cultivated than if it were in the garden of an Assamese. The present rule permitting the growth of ganja for cattle medicine may be one reason for the consumption decreasing in spite of the fact that the immigrant population is largely increasing. I think it unsatisfactory, from the excise point of view, that this permission exists, and I cannot say whether the plant is required for cattle to such an extent as to render it undesirable to stop the permission. I know as a matter of common hearsay that it is used for cattle, but I cannot say how much. The idea is that the immigrant does not use it for his cattle but for smoking, and that the Assamese do not use the drug for smoking but do use it for their cattle. By Assamese I mean the inhabitants of the Assam Valley. The inhabitants of the other valley do smoke ganja; those of the Assamese districts of the Assam Valley rarely do so. The above remark does not apply to the Miris, who, as I said in answer to question 12, fence in the wild plant on a large scale for consumption and vend. Question 6.—The garden I refer to in this answer was one owned by a Bengali, who, I do not think, was a consumer of bhang or ganja. He gave me the information in casual conversation, and I did not verify it by personal inspection. I dare say the owner did not endeavour very hard to eradicate the plant.' Mr. E. A. Gait, Director of Land Records and Agriculture, Assam, says in his evidence that 'What illicit cultivation there is is generally found in small patches in homesteads, and the excuse is generally made that the plant is self-sown, but sometimes it is admitted that the plant was cultivated as medicine for cattle. I can only remember one case in which cultivation was admitted, but I have a general impression that the admission has been made in other cases. The punishment that would be inflicted in a case in which the man admitted that he had cultivated the plant for his cattle would probably be a fine of about R15. The plea would not be held to justify the cultivation, because cultivation is forbidden by law. The mere fact of the existence of the wild plant in cultivated or occupied land would raise no presumption of a breach of the law unless there were signs of cultivation or of attempt at concealment. I have seen the wild plant in Kamrup, Darrang, Nowgong, and Sibsagar. I only saw it yesterday, for the first time in Sibsagar, where I have never been stationed. In the other districts I have frequently seen it. The plant, I should say, was common in these three districts. It is not found every day or every week, but can be found at once if it is sought for. When I was one day riding in the Mangaldai sub-division with Mr. Lyall he noticed the plants and asked me why I did not prosecute. I explained my reasons for thinking that the growth was not intentional. But nevertheless I did institute some 20 prosecutions in the course of the next few weeks and then desisted, finding there were so many cases. In prosecuting I acted under Mr. Lyall's orders, which appeared to be based on the principle that allowing the plants to grow on private land constituted an infraction of the excise law by the occupant. I cannot say whether my views at the time coincided with Mr. Lyall's but, as I have said above, I do not hold that opinion now. I do not know what amount of truth there is in the statement that hemp is useful as a cattle medicine. I cannot therefore say whether in the interests of the cattle a law rendering the existence of wild hemp in occupied land punishable would be oppressive. The excise revenue is probably affected to some small extent by the existence of wild hemp in occupied lands, but I have never heard of ganja being prepared from wild hemp in the three districts of which I am speaking.' Mr. G. Gordon, Deputy Commissioner, Goalpara, says that 'There is no cultivation permitted. I believe there is not much cultivation. I have known men prosecuted for having one plant or two plants in their gardens. What was believed was that these plants were from seed of the imported ganja. I know nothing of cultivation apart from these prosecutions. I have heard (vide answer 40) the defence set up that the plant is used for cattle. This is not held to be a valid defence. I have heard elsewhere that it is so used. So far as I remember, I have never had my attention called to paragraph 4 of Circular No. 28 of 26th October 1882. It has never been adduced in defence. I have never allowed this defence about cattle as a valid defence. I think that this circular, which issued before I came to India, must surely have been cancelled. The prohibition of cultivation and possession is strictly enforced by prosecutions.' Jadu Ram Borooah, Assamese Kayasth, Local Board Member; Pensioned Overseer, Public Works Department, Dibrugarh, says that 'The growth of the wild plant is prohibited. If there are signs that it is cared for, prosecution is instituted by the police. People are in the habit of rooting up the plant for fear of prosecution. The police will step in if the plant is allowed to grow big enough to be used for smoking. Even if the plant is not cared for, the people will pluck it up fearing that the police will interfere when it is found growing near the houses. This is the action the police take in Dibrugarh and Lakhimpur, I cannot speak about other districts. The wild plant used to grow in Assam before the ganja shops were established.' Khan Bahadur Aulad Hussein, C.I.E., Assistant Commissioner and Settlement Officer, Jabalpur, says that 'Formerly, when the matter was not looked after so carefully, it was the practice to cultivate the hemp plant in yards of houses. I do not find such cultivation now, and I am in the habit of visiting houses, and in a position to see such cultivation if it exists. I consider that the restriction is effectual. The cases of evasion are extremely rare.' The Bangalore Memorandum submitted to the Hemp Commission says 'The cultivation of the hemp plant in Civil and Military Station is interdicted, but there were two or three instances within the last seven years in which persons, in spite of Government order to stop the growth, allowed the growth of one or two plants in each case in the backyards of their houses and in the fence of their gardens. They were prosecuted and punished.' The complete strangulation of cannabis through the stamping out of home growing, after stringent regulations had effectively killed cultivation by farmers of cannabis as a crop, is really the final nail in the coffin of legal cannabis that Indians had enjoyed for thousands of years - as medicine, intoxicant, entheogen and means of livelihood.

There is abundant evidence from the southern parts of the country to show that the home growing of cannabis was not considered unlawful, as compared to the northern parts of India, and that the noose strangulating the cannabis community across the rest of India was not so tight in the south, at least not yet. We see witness statements from across south India showing a flourishing cannabis home growing culture. N. Soondramiah , Brahmin, Deputy Tahsildar, Ootacamund, says that 'There is no cultivation of hemp for any of these purposes ; but I hear that the scattered plants found in Musnigudi near the houses of cattle graziers, sholagers, are used by them for smoking purposes...As the raiyats are under the impression that its cultivation is prohibited, there is no regular cultivation. There is no restriction as to cultivation of this plant in this district. It can grow all over the place freely.' Rai Bahadur K. Narainaswamy, Telaga, Inspector of Police, Vizianagram, says that 'I have seen fields growing, small open fields behind houses on the hills, open yards behind the houses, patches of cultivation. The cultivation is not found in all the villages of the Agency ; in only one-fourth of the villages, and that too not very extensively, only in three or four yards, say, out of ten. In the plains I have noticed a few plants growing behind houses; but cultivation is much less on the plains.' Surgeon-Major G. L. Walker, Civil Surgeon, Ootacamund, says that 'It is cultivated to this limited extent by a small colony of liberated Chinese prisoners at Neddivattam in this district, and by certain Wynaad Chetties who settled there from Mysore. Both these classes grow a few plants around their houses for their own consumption.' Surgeon-Captain C. F. Fearnside, Acting District Surgeon, Ganjam, says that 'I hear that throughout the district for the past two years there has been an increase by private individuals growing the plant for their own use in their back-yards and mutts for the purpose of evading license and to supply their fellow-people with the drug.' Dr. Arthur Wells, Medical Officer, Chicacole, Ganjam District, says that 'Cultivated in back-yards of houses and in fields in some towns and villages that I have visited.' Hospital Assistant M . V. Ramanugulu Naidu, Peddapur, Godavari District, says 'I have seen ganja not anywhere grown spontaneously, and it is, as a rule, reared in gardens, specially of Muhammadan community. It is reared in the districts of Madura, Kurnool, and Cuddapah, where there are Muhammadans to a great extent; and I have heard of its being grown in the presidency of Bengal...People used to rear them generally in small quantity in their gardens.' Hospital Assistant Chinny Sreenivasa Rau, Prapanna Komity, L. F. Hospital, Bobbili Vizagapatam District, says 'A class of men called Kurakula, people who cultivate vegetable curries, cultivate the plant to some extent in their farms. It is also cultivated by some of the Muhammadans and habitual consumers to a small extent, i.e., 1 to 40 plants.' Aziz-ud-din Ali Khan Sahib Bahadur, Jagirdar, Cherlopalle, Gurramkanda, District Cuddapah, says 'Hemp plant is cultivated among other vegetable plants only for the production of ganja to a small extent. It is not separately cultivated. It is planted in the yards of the houses and gardens.'   Rev. W. H. Campbell, Missionary, London Missionary Society, Cuddapah, says 'In addition to the growth for sale, the plant is grown for private use in almost every village. Consumers rear a few plants in a garden or back yard, and gather and preserve the ganja for themselves...I have seen it growing in backyards and gardens in many places. The plant cannot be mistaken when once recognised. This kind of cultivation prevails in the whole district ; but I have observed it to a less extent in the sub-division in the south-west of the district, where I have not travelled so much as in other parts.' Rev. J. Heinrichs, Missionary, Vinukunda, Kistna District, says 'Yes to a limited extent in back yards and chilly gardens throughout the district. This consumption, however, is restricted to home consumption.' Ganjam Vencataratnam, Brahmin, 1st Grade Pleader, Coconada, Godavery District, says 'It is however grown here and there for purposes of consumption, generally by Musalmans, in their back yards.' P. Kesava Pillai, Karnam, Pleater, and Honorary Secretary of the Gooty People's Association, says 'It is limited to a few backyards and compounds and sometimes in vegetable gardens.' Angappa Gonuden, Blacksmith, Salem, says 'One-fourth of the houses of Salem have on an average half a dozen ganja plants in each back-yard. The same number of plants can be found in at least 2 per cent. of the fields in the villages of Salem, Ather and Namakal taluks.' MR. W. F. Sinclair, Collector, Thana, says, 'Dr. Kirtikar's references to Cannabis indica as under cultivation in the Konkan are to plants cultivated in gardens in small numbers for private use, or in some cases for his own study, as besides his own garden he has more or less use of several others, including mine, for such purposes. The plant is not cultivated in the Korikan as a field. crop, nor even as a market crop in gardens, but it occurs in small numbers in many private gardens, and I have seen specimens that seemed to me to be self-sown, and afterwards taken care of by the gardeners. This cultivation is something like that of tobacco in English gardens and not much more important.' Hospital Assistant P. Narrainswamy Telega, Parvatipur Vizagapatam District, says 'Yes; a few of those who are in the habit of using the drug grow it in small quantities on available portions of their compounds.' We can see the contrast between the actions of law enforcement in the north and in the south. In the north law enforcement action, by police and excise, was already highly repressive, with the intent to strike fear in the minds of any person who wished to grow cannabis at home, as seen from the above witness statement. How lax law enforcement was regarding prosecution in the south can be gauged from the following witness evidence by Rev. H. F. Laflamme, Canadian Baptist Mission, Yellamanchili, Vizagapatam. He says 'As for Yellamanchili, some four years ago, when the writer first came to the place, very little was grown owing to a recent proclamation against it. But since then it has been resumed, and one may see some plants even in the police lines. If this is the case here, the increase is due to lax police supervision.'

The plant was raised by native physicians in their compounds for medicinal purposes, much like the medical cannabis grown in western countries these days. Cannabis was one of the most important medicines in India in the 19th century, and its medical value was well known throughout the Indian population. Mr. W.C. Taylor, Special Deputy Collector, Land Acquisition, East Coast Railway, and Pensioned Deputy Magistrate and Deputy Collector, Khurda, Orissa, says in his evidence that 'All the hill tribes, such as Khonds, Santias, etc., grow and consume ganja and bhang as a preventive of malarious fevers.' Rev. A. Margoschis, Medical Missionary, S. P. G., Nazareth, Tinnevelly District, says 'Yes. Native vydians grow it for use in their treatment of patients...No special caste, but native doctors chiefly grow the plant...To a very slight extent, a few plants are sometimes cultivated in a garden amongst other plants.' It appears that not only Indian native physicians, but also British physicians regarded cannabis as a valuable plant to grow at home. Dr. William O'Shaugnessy's high regard for cannabis as medicine was well known in Britain. It appears that he was not the only physician favoring cannabis as medicine. Rev. W. Robinson, Missionary, London Missionary Sobriety, Salem, says 'It was growing thickly in Dr. Short's garden on an area about as big as this room, but I heard it was growing abundantly on other parts of the garden which forms part of an estate of 140 acres.'

Cannabis was, of course, intimately linked with the religious and spiritual practices of many religious communities in India. As I stated earlier, cannabis is the original holy communion. We see evidence of its home growing by various religious communities from witness reports, showing its strong spiritual tradition in India. Even today, with cannabis prohibited across India, there are still some religious communities who grow their own cannabis and use it for their personal needs. No law enforcement dares to prosecute these religious communities. Daki Jagannadha Rao, Brahmin, Acting Tahsildar, Hindupur, Anantapur District, says that 'The growth of hemp plant is not prohibited by abkari laws. There has, therefore, been neither increase nor decrease in the area under such cultivation in back-yards and fields and gardens attached to mutts of lingayats.' M. Seshachala Naidu, Baliya, Pensioned Tahsildar, Vellore, says 'I hear hemp plant is cultivated in the Javadi Hills, Polur and Vellore taluks, in this district. I have seen Pandarums cultivate small plots of ground attached to their matams in Quilon, Travancore State, and Mattoopolliam, Coimbatore district, for use as bhang.' Apothecary G. A. W. Vellones, Chetambaram, South Arcot, says that 'A few plants are reared in back-yards of madams and in some private compounds for medicinal use.' Hospital Assistant I. Parathasarathy Chetty, Penukonda, Anantapur District, says, 'Yes, for private consumption— (a) for production of ganja; and also (c) for Chang. The plants are grown to a limited extent within the private yards of Muhammadans and also of Hindus. They can be also found in the gardens attached to the muttams of Hindus and makkams of Muhammadans. Recently there appears to be a decrease in the cultivation of the plants, for the people in general are now under the impression that the cultivation of the plant even for private consumption is not allowed by the State, and it is, if discovered, visited with penal restrictions.' Lanka Kristniengar, Vaishnava Brahmin, Chairman, Municipal Council, Srirangam, Trichinopoly District, says 'I have seen a few ganja plants grown and reared up in Muhammadan mosques, and in flower gardens.'  K. Subbarayadu Puntalu, Brahmin, Chairman of the Adoni Municipal Council, Bellary District, says 'Those accustomed to its use grow a few plants either in their fields or in back-yards for use as ganja or bhang. This kind of limited growth takes place wherever there are persons accustomed to its use, such as sanyasis, bairagis, and fakirs.' Rev. H. F. Laflamme, Canadian Baptist Mission, Yellamanchili, Vizagapatam, says 'The mats, or peculiar home of the religious mendicants, sanyasis, or, as they are termed in these parts, bairagalu, have usually quite a garden plot attached in which the hemp plant is cultivated, but only to supply the need of the monks and. their disciples. Such monasteries exist, I am informed, at large places like Samalkota, Chicacole, Berhampur, etc...'

Today, the home growing of cannabis attracts legal action with prison terms of a number of years in most parts of the world. This is despite the 1961 Single Convention Treaty stating that only the flowers and resin of the cannabis plant is illegal, and that cannabis can be grown for horticultural purposes, or for medicinal or scientific purposes. Home growing of cannabis falls entirely in the area of growing for medicinal, scientific or horticultural purposes. It is not done with the aim of commercial gain, but mainly for personal consumption. But this does not deter law enforcement from acting against the individual. One of the main reasons for this harassment is, I believe, the complete lack of resistance from the home grower when legal action is taken. Neither does the home grower protest, and demand his rights, nor is he familiar with the drug laws. Most legal action taken against an individual growing a cannabis plant at home does not even consider the stage of growth of the cannabis plant. Most plants are destroyed even if they have not flowered yet, and many individuals have been sent to prison for a plant that has not flowered yet. Most law enforcement personnel appear to be themselves ignorant of these laws, and the individual is harassed and exploited. Typically, a poor individual growing a cannabis plant will be sent to prison because he cannot afford the trial costs and he cannot afford to pay the money that is demanded as extortion in exchange for freedom by law enforcement. Individuals who are from the upper classes typically pay law enforcement extortion money so as to avoid legal trouble, if they ever get caught that is. Today, society has such an evil image of cannabis - an image that the public have been hypnotized into believing through decades of propaganda by the ruling and upper classes - that there is no need for an informant system to notify the authorities when someone dares to grow a cannabis plant at home. The neighbors are sufficient. The neighbor calls up the police, along with a picture of the cannabis plant, and the individual growing the plant is doomed. Typically this happens in places where the home grower is relatively new in a conservative neighborhood, or from the working classes, or staying as a tenant to a landlord who often serves as the informant out of fear of legal action against him for the use of his property for growing.

One of the most significant changes that have occurred in places where cannabis has been legalized for adult recreational use (or even medical use in some cases) is the permission to home grow individual plants on one's private premises. When we see that the regressive steps taken to introduce cannabis regulation and prohibition finally involved stamping out the home growing that so many of the vulnerable communities were dependent on, it is easy to see that home growing of cannabis is the first step that must be taken when it comes to legalization. This ensures that the poorest and most vulnerable communities have access to the herb as soon as possible without having to wait for retail sales to begin at prices that they will not be able to afford. Most US states that have legalized cannabis for adult recreational use first removed the curbs on home growing before addressing features like commercial retail sales. This is also the case with countries like Canada, Uruguay and Germany. While government work out the modalities - in terms of how to regulate commercial cultivation and retail sales - individuals are free to exercise their right to safe intoxicant and medicine from the moment that the legalization law comes into effect by home growing cannabis. Typically it takes months or even years before commercial retail sales of cannabis begins after a place has legalized for adult recreational use. 

The number of plants that an individual is allowed to grow varies from place to place. The number of plants range from anywhere between three to twelve plants per individual, with slightly greater numbers for a household. These rules are typically with reference to how many mature i.e. flowering plants a home grower can have. Leafly reports that 'As states legalize weed and the plant becomes more accepted, more people are trying out their green thumbs by growing their own weed at home. Most states with legal weed allow one person to grow six plants at their residence and an entire household to grow 12 plants. Some allow less, and some allow more. But how much actual weed is that in dried buds that you can smoke? An ounce? A pound? Two pounds? The tricky thing is, all weed plants aren’t the same size, and many factors affect how big a plant will get and how dense its buds become.' All this is great news because, if grown properly, these quotas of plants are sufficient to meet a significant part of the individual's personal needs and maybe even have enough to share with others. Growing even one or two plants goes a long way in meeting the needs of an individual. This affords the individual with opportunities to use it in a number of different ways, besides sharing with others. Leafly reports that 'With an average of a 1/4 – 1/2 pound per plant, or 112-224g at least, even if you only grow a plant or two, you’ll likely end up with more weed than you know what to do with. You can store and save your buds for later, but chances are they won’t be as fresh as when you harvested them. There’s also a chance you’ll be tired of smoking the same thing after months.'  But when one looks at this rule more closely, one sees the absurdness of it. Limiting the number of natural plants an individual can grow in her garden is a ridiculous rule. No other plant is restricted in this fashion. Imagine saying that one can only have two ginger plants in one's garden. Then there are rules in some places that one must not grow the plants in full public view, as if the sight of the cannabis plant will offend or tempt the person seeing it - much like a naked man or woman in full public view. Mirror reports the problems that Paul McCartney faces while trying to grow hemp in the UK, when it quotes him as saying '“We’re actually just getting into growing hemp, the funny thing with government regulations is you’ve got to keep it where people can’t see it, because you get all the kids coming in and robbing it!”' All these rules stem from the image of cannabis projected in society - that it is evil or outcast - and from the fact that cannabis is prohibited. If cannabis is completely legalized, it will draw as much unwanted attention as any other herb to one's garden. And all this when cannabis is one of the most beautiful plants in nature with medicinal and intoxicating properties that no other plant can match, and a floral fragrance to die for. Another reason why placing restrictions on the number of cannabis plants an individual can grow is absurd is that very few persons have the patience and the skills to grow a cannabis plant. So the number of persons who successfully home grow cannabis plants is far fewer than the number who would like to consume it. It makes more sense to allow anybody who desires to grow cannabis plants to grow as many as he or she likes, within the boundaries of the private property (which is not a commercial farm). Not everybody will grow it, just like not everybody who uses ginger will grow ginger, but the few who do can at least share it with the others who are unable to do so. This is the thinking behind the 'cannabis clubs' that are part of the Spanish and French cannabis communities, as well as the newly legalized adult recreational rules in Germany. Despite the laws permitting home growing in many US states, only a small percent home grow cannabis. CelebStoner reports that 'According to New Frontier Data, just 6% of Americans grow their own cannabis. Count me among the six percent. The survey says 60% of cultivators are men and 90% are between 18-54 years old. Two-thirds live in states where adult use or medical or both are legal. Most grow indoors (54% to 31% outdoors and 10% in greenhouses). Sixty percent of the respondents stay within the legal limits, growing between three to six plants. A quarter have one or two. Why do people grow weed? Most say they "enjoy it" (70%), some note it's more convenient (52%) and less expensive (46%). A third are concerned about pesticides and contaminants in commercially grown products.' Canada and Germany allow the growing of three plants per household, as per my understanding, which is a start I guess. With the weather in Canada, growing even three mature plants outdoors may be a challenge in some places.

There are also places, like the state of New Jersey in the US, where cannabis has been legalized for adult recreational use a couple of years back but home growing is still not allowed. Cannabis businesses exert pressure on law makers here so that priority is given to retail sales and revenue for the government, rather than for the needs of the most vulnerable classes in society who must depend on the black market for more affordable cannabis, if they have access to it in the first place. Leafly reports that 'But the real political issues of blocking homegrowing come to light when you follow the money. Goldstein said that many legislators and businesses are “carefully coveting their future marijuana taxes,” as a percentage of sales go back to the state and toward social programs. Additionally, the state has some powerful lobbyists from sectors that you wouldn’t think care about home gardening at all. “In New Jersey there’s a very powerful real estate and insurance sector and those guys have been cagey about homegrow because they would have to alter all their existing rules and regulations and insurance coverage to adapt,” Goldstein said. “They are a powerful lobby amongst legislators, and if they get a little bit cagey, all the sudden, things slow down.” Large multi-state operators also share some of the blame. Some cannabis producers are already set up in neighboring states or medical markets, and officials at some companies believe keeping homegrow illegal could allow them to set up a near-monopoly on cannabis production in the Garden State.' In Florida, where a new cannabis ballot initiative called Amendment 3 is trying to push for adult cannabis legalization, there is no home growing in the proposed law, but retail sales is included. This is because Amendment 3 is funded by Trulieve, a multi-state cannabis business in the US, which prefers to have retail and commercial sales legalized on priority rather than the fundamental change that restores people's basic rights through home growing. Places that have medical cannabis legalized generally allow a patient's caretaker to grow plants for the medical needs of the patient. The caretaker is usually given a license to cultivate a certain number of plants where it is difficult to procure medical cannabis from a pharmacy. This again caters to the needs of well-to-do individuals who can afford medical cannabis and caretakers, unlike the vast majority of the poorer classes of society. When cannabis is legalized for adult recreational use, the medical cannabis industry shrinks since cannabis of better quality is available to an individual at much lower costs through retail outlets, or shared by home growers. Thus the medical cannabis industry is also a cannabis business that typically is opposed to home growing as a part of adult recreational cannabis legalization.

My own experiences with home growing have been limited to two years out of the nearly thirty years of cannabis smoking. This happened during the two years of the fake pandemic, Covid, when I was forced to confine myself to my house, thus affording me with ample time to dedicate myself to the growing of the plants. I planted all the seeds that I had previously collected over many years in pots, experimenting with the different times of the year and planting methods. Only a few seeds sprouted since most were very old, and out of the two dozen or so seedlings, only four survived. This happened serially and not all at the same time. Some seedlings were destroyed when I tried to transplant them to bigger pots, while others died through inconsistent watering. Out of the four that grew into plants, only one really flowered. I did not supplement the soil with compost from kitchen waste. and other such boosters. which would have ensured more healthy plants. Instead, I relied on dry leaf compost and the natural weather conditions. Overall, it was a joy that kept me sane through the Covid years, with each plant providing me sufficient dry leaves to enjoy a couple of mild smokes a day for nearly two years. Once movement restrictions from Covid were removed, I was unable to dedicate time to grow a plant. This highlights the difficulties of growing a cannabis plant at home. It is not always easy to grow it, so placing restrictions on the number of plants an individual can grow is absurd, as some people will be able to grow it while most others will not be able to do so, for various reasons.

The typical method of growing cannabis outdoors at home involves planting a few seeds in small pots or a nursery bed. Leafly offers some tips on identifying good seeds - 'For a seed to be viable, it must be mature enough to have a completely formed genetic blueprint, and it must be strong enough to germinate and pop through its hard casing and sprout its crucial taproot. There are a few indicators that will give you a sense of whether the seed is worth germinating: Tiger stripes—dark stripes on the seed which resemble veins on a leaf are generally good; Solid shell—a seed should be able to withstand a little pressure when pinched between your fingers; if it crumbles or cracks, it’s no good.' Seeds may not sprout through out the year as the weather conditions also play a part. I found the pre-monsoon time to be the best for planting, at least in my part of the world. Once the seedling grows to about a foot, it can be transplanted to bigger pots or planted directly into the ground, if you are lucky to have that luxury. Ideally the spot to where you are transplanting the plant should be enriched with compost and plant nutrients to enable a healthy plant. A plant may take anywhere between five to nine months to mature, flower and be ready to harvest. Daily watering may be required in the initial stages, but as the plant grows even alternate day watering is sufficient  - typically after a couple of months. The plant is quite resilient and can go through a few days without water if necessary. As the plant grows older, less frequent days of watering will serve the purpose. Leafly reports that 'After germination, your weed seedlings will be delicate as they grow up and acquire more leaves. You won’t need to water them that much or that often—too much water at this stage can drown delicate marijuana seedlings. You’ll likely only have to water them once every 4-7 days, but it depends on your climate and setup. Hold off on nutrients when your cannabis plants are still seedlings—they’re too delicate for them now. Just plenty of light, and water when they need it.' There are two main types of cannabis, of course - the type that flowers less and produces more seeds, and the type that flowers extensively. The latter type of cannabis, with its extensive flowering tops, is what the recreational and medicinal user wants. The former type of cannabis, with smaller flowers, is typically used for industrial purposes, though it produces a decent high when smoked. The signs when a cannabis plant is ready for harvest are usually when the mother leaves around the flowering tops start to turn yellow and dry up. Some experts observe the color of the pistills that they say turn an amber color when it is ready for harvest. MJBizDaily reports that 'If you decide to go the old-school route of just looking for indicators from the plant that it’s ready, Brie Kralick, director of cultivation operations for Hava Gardens, based in De Beque, Colorado, recommends looking at the pistils rather than the trichomes. Trichomes can look cloudy – which some growers say is the time to harvest – but they can also revert to clear, according to Kralick. Instead, she likes to check for color in the pistils on the buds. “If the majority of the pistils are more orange, it’s mostly finished,” Kralick said. “If not, you have more time.”' Harvesting is done by breaking off the flowering tops and leaving them to dry in the outdoors over two-three days and nights. Covering them with gunny sacks during the night prevents dew from gathering on them.

During the entire process of home growing of cannabis one experiences great joy - if one is a cannabis lover or just a nature lover - right from the time that the first distinct cannabis leaf appears to the stages when leaves change their formation from three to five to seven, and sometimes even nine leaflets. During the leaf stage, leaves can be used for making salads, juices and added to cooking. Once the flowering heads are dried and ready, one can enjoy the complete range of pleasurable experiences that the dried flowers and resin provide. The seeds from the flowers can be collected to form the seed bank for the next round of planting, or they can be consumed as food - either whole or crushed into flour if one has enough. David Crosby, of the band Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young (or CSNY as it is popularly known) enjoys his retired life in part through the home growing of cannabis. Leafly reports that 'At home, Crosby keeps it simple by growing five distinct varietals he’s nicknamed for their most pronounced attributes, like Purple. He enjoys puffing on a Pax vaporizer starting usually in mid to late afternoon and concludes each day by rolling up a fat joint and watching a movie with his wife. In between he often finds cannabis to be a creative catalyst for his songwriting. He also enjoys growing cannabis as a creativity-stimulating pursuit, one that engenders a profound connection to the plant. “What I’ve learned from growing my own pot is that it’s an awful lot of fun. The plants are beautiful and lovely. They grow like crazy and truly respond to you. What I end up doing in the morning is making some coffee and wandering around in my underwear in the garden. I’ll pluck off a leaf here and there while I water them and tell them how lovely they are…. It’s wonderful.”'

Today we find a lot of home growing happening indoors under lights, especially in places that do not receive enough sunlight and moisture for outdoor growing. This is not ideal, according to me, since the following of natural processes is what I consider best, but then not everybody has the conditions available for natural outdoor growing. As Leafly reports, 'Growing marijuana outdoors is great because you won’t need to spend a ton of money on it and you can rely on the power of the sun. If you have access to a sunny spot in a private yard or even a balcony, terrace, or rooftop, you can grow weed outside. You will be tied to the sun and the seasons and local weather, but you won’t have to spend a bunch of money on equipment and utilities like indoor growers.' Also the energy efficiency and carbon footprint of indoor cultivation are a concern, especially when one is looking at cannabis as a way to counter the effects of climate change by human-induced global warming. Leafly reports that 'While acknowledging the hurdles to undertake, the study speculates that shifting from indoor grows to outdoor could reduce greenhouse gas emissions up to 96%. A switch to greenhouse growing could also reduce emissions to 46%. As for potential solutions, the report highlights conservation efforts like a controversial California proposal to mandate growers use more efficient LED lights by 2023 and a law in Illinois that limits light intensity and calls for high-efficiency HVAC equipment. It also alludes to one major fix, federal cannabis legalization, that might allow for indoor cannabis to be grown in lower elevations and transported across the country.'

Home growing provides a way for an individual to grow natural cannabis organically, without the use of dangerous chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Home growing provides a way to revive, propagate and nurture different varieties of cannabis. It is artisanal. The wide spread destruction of cannabis plants, and its growing for commercial purposes, has resulted in many precious varieties of the plant going extinct. Many indigenous varieties with vast medicinal properties will never be available again for humans and other living beings to enjoy. Home growing provides an opportunity to increase cannabis biodiversity and sustain it. Even if one is not able to home grow cannabis right away, one thing that can be done - as an immediate and critical step in cannabis biodiversity conservation - is to preserve every seed that one comes across. Most people today throw away the cannabis seeds when they consume the flowers without realizing the potential each seed holds for nurturing the variety and protecting its future. A number of businesses have recently started selling cannabis seeds at high prices for a small number of seeds. If every individual preserved for later use seeds from good varieties of cannabis we could build up a global seed bank of precious local varieties eventually. New Frontier Data reports that 'Homegrowers cultivate cannabis for a variety of reasons. Some opt-in due to a lack of other sources (14%), or to grow strains which they otherwise could not find to purchase (35%). Quality is another key consideration. Nearly one-third (32%) grow to avoid worries about contaminates such as pesticides, while 44% feel that they grow better-quality flower than they could find elsewhere. For others, it is a matter of convenience (52%), or less expense (46%). Nevertheless, a larger majority of homegrowers (70%) report growing cannabis because they enjoy it as a hobby. Such enjoyment, more than any other factor, is indicative of a niche that will continue to grow even as legal access to cannabis expands. For consumers eagerly awaiting the introduction of a legal market in their particular states, it may seem that the grass is greener on the other side. But for many homegrowers, the grass is at its greenest when grown for themselves.'  

When the opponents of cannabis had managed to globally suppress the plant and its user community through the power structures that they worked with for nearly a century, it was the home growing of cannabis that kept the community and the plant alive. No regressive measures could prevent the individual from growing a few plants. GQ reports that 'Back-to-the-landers started cultivating marijuana for their own consumption in the mid '70s, and in the ensuing decades, their isolation, dedication to the crop, and general disregard for the law would turn Humboldt County into one of the epicenters of America's illegal cannabis industry. By the 1980s, former hippies who had once disavowed materialism were turning hefty profits; some built private “pot palaces” and became disconnected from the communes that first brought them into the countryside. Not Ted Thoman, though. He grows for himself and his friends. When we leave, he hands me a full baggie for later.' This culture of home growing led to the grassroots movements which eventually turned into the legalization wave in the US, and across the world. First, the US state of Colorado legalized cannabis for adult recreational use, including home growing, in 2012. This was followed by Washington state, the country of Uruguay, and so on. Today, the cannabis wave is sweeping across the world. Canada and Germany, two of the G7 countries, have now legalized cannabis for adult recreational use, as have Malta and Luxembourg. The Constitutional Court of South Africa and the Supreme Court of Mexico have ruled that cannabis prohibition goes against the fundamental rights of the citizen. In the US, 24 of the 50 states have legalized cannabis for adult recreational use at the time of writing, and more than 70% of US citizens think that cannabis should be legalized. This global wave of cannabis reform is only going to get stronger and bigger, as more people become aware of the evils of cannabis prohibition and the false propaganda that has been created against the plant by entities opposed to cannabis. The entities opposed to cannabis have brought the world to the brink of disaster across many fronts - climate, environment, public health, inequality, wars, and so on.

When viewed from the perspective of what cannabis legalization will mean for the world - a chance to save ourselves from impending doom brought about by human greed and nature's backlash, and a chance to return to natural ways - then home growing becomes not just an act of gardening, but an emphatic action in the revolution to save nature and ourselves. It is much like the spinning of the charka to create home spun cotton became the symbol of the Indian freedom movement against British colonists. The home growing of cannabis will give the people at the grassroots - whose herb it rightfully is - back their means of medicine, intoxication, livelihood and spirituality. If enough people grow cannabis at home, and if governments globally permit the growing of cannabis at home, then the plant's precarious biodiversity can be restored, and the demand for cannabis can be met. Many indigenous varieties that face the increasing threat of extinction can be saved and revived. Public health at the desired universal levels can be achieved. Many of the alternatives to cannabis - alcohol, opium, tobacco and the synthetic drugs (legal and illegal) - that wreck havoc with society can be reduced. The black market for drugs can be curbed. The most poor and vulnerable classes can grow their own cannabis to buffer themselves away from the disasters of growing inequality. Much of the confusion regarding whether cannabis can be grown at home arises from the word 'cultivation.' All drug laws use the word 'cultivation' to state that it is illegal. What needs to be first brought in place within every drug law is the distinction between the words 'cultivation' and 'home growing'. 'Cultivation' should mean only growing for commercial purposes, whereas 'home growing' should mean growing for personal consumption and non-commercial purposes such as sharing. As long as a person is not growing cannabis for commercial purposes, it should be considered legal by default. This will go a long way in promoting home growing, and restoring the rights of the plant and the people who use it for their well-being. This was the initial intent when regulations on cannabis started coming into place, but somewhere along the way, the opponents of cannabis managed to distort and extend its jurisdiction to invade the private spaces and lives of individuals, where the state started to decide what a person can grow or cannot. Even if one does not see the home growing of cannabis as a part of the revolution to save the world, one cannot miss the fact that growing this awesome herb in one's garden means taking steps to restore both one's physical and mental health, as well as to give the plant its due place as one of nature's most valuable creations - valuable to not just humans, but also numerous plant, animal, insect and bird species...Being sustainable as an individual is the cornerstone to the sustainability of the earth, and home growing cannabis is a big step in this direction...

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'Growing marijuana outdoors is great because you won’t need to spend a ton of money on it and you can rely on the power of the sun. If you have access to a sunny spot in a private yard or even a balcony, terrace, or rooftop, you can grow weed outside. You will be tied to the sun and the seasons and local weather, but you won’t have to spend a bunch of money on equipment and utilities like indoor growers.'

https://www.leafly.com/learn/growing/how-to-grow-marijuana-outdoors



'For a seed to be viable, it must be mature enough to have a completely formed genetic blueprint, and it must be strong enough to germinate and pop through its hard casing and sprout its crucial taproot.

There are a few indicators that will give you a sense of whether the seed is worth germinating.

- Tiger stripes—dark stripes on the seed which resemble veins on a leaf are generally good
- Solid shell—a seed should be able to withstand a little pressure when pinched between your fingers; if it crumbles or cracks, it’s no good'

https://www.leafly.com/learn/growing/cannabis-seeds-101



'Troubleshooting common cannabis plant problems

Cannabis plants are resilient. The plant grows successfully all over the globe in many different climates—it’s called “weed” for a reason.

But many problems can arise when growing cannabis, both indoors and outdoors. Bad weather, bugs, nutrient deficiencies, improper watering, and many other issues can pop up.'

https://www.leafly.com/learn/growing/troubleshooting

 

'After germination, your weed seedlings will be delicate as they grow up and acquire more leaves.

You won’t need to water them that much or that often—too much water at this stage can drown delicate marijuana seedlings. You’ll likely only have to water them once every 4-7 days, but it depends on your climate and setup.

Hold off on nutrients when your cannabis plants are still seedlings—they’re too delicate for them now. Just plenty of light, and water when they need it.'

https://www.leafly.com/learn/growing/marijuana-plant-maintenance



'Cultivators looking to beat the heat should consider:

Using shade cloth in fields to lessen the impact of direct sunlight.
Tweaking genetics to account for the regional climate.
Shifting hours for laborers to work during more ideal conditions.'

https://mjbizdaily.com/how-cannabis-growers-can-manage-unseasonably-warm-temperatures/



'Homegrowers cultivate cannabis for a variety of reasons. Some opt-in due to a lack of other sources (14%), or to grow strains which they otherwise could not find to purchase (35%). Quality is another key consideration. Nearly one-third (32%) grow to avoid worries about contaminates such as pesticides, while 44% feel that they grow better-quality flower than they could find elsewhere. For others, it is a matter of convenience (52%), or less expense (46%). Nevertheless, a larger majority of homegrowers (70%) report growing cannabis because they enjoy it as a hobby.

Such enjoyment, more than any other factor, is indicative of a niche that will continue to grow even as legal access to cannabis expands. For consumers eagerly awaiting the introduction of a legal market in their particular states, it may seem that the grass is greener on the other side. But for many homegrowers, the grass is at its greenest when grown for themselves.'

https://newfrontierdata.com/cannabis-insights/for-many-cannabis-consumers-home-is-where-the-grow-is/



'If you decide to go the old-school route of just looking for indicators from the plant that it’s ready, Brie Kralick, director of cultivation operations for Hava Gardens, based in De Beque, Colorado, recommends looking at the pistils rather than the trichomes.

Trichomes can look cloudy – which some growers say is the time to harvest – but they can also revert to clear, according to Kralick.

Instead, she likes to check for color in the pistils on the buds.

“If the majority of the pistils are more orange, it’s mostly finished,” Kralick said. “If not, you have more time.”'

https://mjbizdaily.com/how-cultivators-can-prepare-for-a-cannabis-harvest/



'Planning for what happens after a cannabis crop is harvested is as important as cultivating the crop.

That’s according to marijuana and hemp producers and processors who say drying, curing and storage are where the “magic is made.”

The drying process occurs after harvest, when newly cut plants are full of moisture or “wet,” and cultivators hang them upside down or cut the flowers off the plant to reduce the natural moisture from the plants.

After plants are dry, the buds are trimmed and stored in containers to stop the loss of moisture and preserve flavors and aromas.'

https://mjbizdaily.com/how-to-dry-and-cure-cannabis-to-ensure-quality-shelf-life/



'When it comes to cannabis cultivation, every grower believes he or she invented how to do it.

And for a long time, those hard-earned secrets were kept close to the vest.

But now, with more legal markets coming online in the U.S., expert cultivators are increasingly likely to share their expertise.

With that sharing of knowledge, they’ve also come to realize that growers have been holding on to superstitions and myths.'

https://mjbizdaily.com/6-common-marijuana-cultivation-techniques-that-are-more-myth-than-fact/



'At home, Crosby keeps it simple by growing five distinct varietals he’s nicknamed for their most pronounced attributes, like Purple.

He enjoys puffing on a Pax vaporizer starting usually in mid to late afternoon and concludes each day by rolling up a fat joint and watching a movie with his wife. In between he often finds cannabis to be a creative catalyst for his songwriting.

He also enjoys growing cannabis as a creativity-stimulating pursuit, one that engenders a profound connection to the plant.

“What I’ve learned from growing my own pot is that it’s an awful lot of fun. The plants are beautiful and lovely. They grow like crazy and truly respond to you. What I end up doing in the morning is making some coffee and wandering around in my underwear in the garden. I’ll pluck off a leaf here and there while I water them and tell them how lovely they are…. It’s wonderful.”'

https://www.leafly.com/news/lifestyle/david-crosby-recalls-greatest-marijuana-moments



'According to New Frontier Data, just 6% of Americans grow their own cannabis. Count me among the six percent.

The survey says 60% of cultivators are men and 90% are between 18-54 years old. Two-thirds live in states where adult use or medical or both are legal. Most grow indoors (54% to 31% outdoors and 10% in greenhouses). Sixty percent of the respondents stay within the legal limits, growing between three to six plants. A quarter have one or two.

Why do people grow weed? Most say they "enjoy it" (70%), some note it's more convenient (52%) and less expensive (46%). A third are concerned about pesticides and contaminants in commercially grown products. See the chart below.'

https://www.celebstoner.com/blogs/steve-bloom/2021/08/21/us-home-grown-marijuana-cannabis-new-frontier-data-survey/



'After we eat, Thoman sets down a metal tube used to tighten nuts and bolts. In the small opening at the top are hefty buds of weed grown on his property. “An after-meal digestive?” he offers.

Up a ladder is a 12-windowed attic loft, once the bedroom for two kids and now webbed with wire for drying weed. Back-to-the-landers started cultivating marijuana for their own consumption in the mid '70s, and in the ensuing decades, their isolation, dedication to the crop, and general disregard for the law would turn Humboldt County into one of the epicenters of America's illegal cannabis industry. By the 1980s, former hippies who had once disavowed materialism were turning hefty profits; some built private “pot palaces” and became disconnected from the communes that first brought them into the countryside. Not Ted Thoman, though. He grows for himself and his friends. When we leave, he hands me a full baggie for later.'

https://www.gq.com/story/californias-vanishing-hippie-utopias



'While acknowledging the hurdles to undertake, the study speculates that shifting from indoor grows to outdoor could reduce greenhouse gas emissions up to 96%. A switch to greenhouse growing could also reduce emissions to 46%. As for potential solutions, the report highlights conservation efforts like a controversial California proposal to mandate growers use more efficient LED lights by 2023 and a law in Illinois that limits light intensity and calls for high-efficiency HVAC equipment. It also alludes to one major fix, federal cannabis legalization, that might allow for indoor cannabis to be grown in lower elevations and transported across the country.'

https://www.leafly.com/news/industry/where-is-growing-weed-most-environmentally-sound



'Sir Paul McCartney is growing hemp at his farm - but he has to hide his crops to stop teenagers from stealing the plants.

The Beatles icon has started producing crops of hemp - a type of cannabis plant - at his family farm in Peasmarsh near Rye, but he is having an issue with the local youths trying to steal his plants so they can use it to try and get high.

Paul, 79, insists he is following government regulations to grow hemp along with crops of rye, peas and wheat.

He said: “We grow crops, I like doing things like spelt wheat, rye, we grow peas.

“We’re actually just getting into growing hemp, the funny thing with government regulations is you’ve got to keep it where people can’t see it, because you get all the kids coming in and robbing it!”'

https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/sir-paul-mccartney-hides-cannabis-25145525



'With an average of a ¼ – ½ pound per plant, or 112-224g at least, even if you only grow a plant or two, you’ll likely end up with more weed than you know what to do with.

You can store and save your buds for later, but chances are they won’t be as fresh as when you harvested them. There’s also a chance you’ll be tired of smoking the same thing after months.

So if you just harvested a bunch of weed plants or find yourself with tons of weed some other way, here are some products you can make if you’ve got too much weed on your hands. '

https://www.leafly.com/news/cannabis-101/ways-to-use-extra-weed



'As states legalize weed and the plant becomes more accepted, more people are trying out their green thumbs by growing their own weed at home. Most states with legal weed allow one person to grow six plants at their residence and an entire household to grow 12 plants. Some allow less, and some allow more.

But how much actual weed is that in dried buds that you can smoke? An ounce? A pound? Two pounds? The tricky thing is, all weed plants aren’t the same size, and many factors affect how big a plant will get and how dense its buds become.

We’ll go through those factors and talk a little bit about the harvest process to estimate how much weed you can get from one plant.'

https://www.leafly.com/learn/growing/how-much-weed-can-you-grow-one-plant



'But the real political issues of blocking homegrowing come to light when you follow the money. Goldstein said that many legislators and businesses are “carefully coveting their future marijuana taxes,” as a percentage of sales go back to the state and toward social programs. Additionally, the state has some powerful lobbyists from sectors that you wouldn’t think care about home gardening at all. “In New Jersey there’s a very powerful real estate and insurance sector and those guys have been cagey about homegrow because they would have to alter all their existing rules and regulations and insurance coverage to adapt,” Goldstein said. “They are a powerful lobby amongst legislators, and if they get a little bit cagey, all the sudden, things slow down.”

Large multi-state operators also share some of the blame. Some cannabis producers are already set up in neighboring states or medical markets, and officials at some companies believe keeping homegrow illegal could allow them to set up a near-monopoly on cannabis production in the Garden State.'

https://www.leafly.com/news/politics/states-allow-legal-weed-but-not-homegrowing