Nobody that I know, but every time I search the net for info on seedling growth I get pages and pages of marijuano sites, which is not what I want. Lots of other plants start out as seedlings, too! I would think there's plenty of help on the web.

Just do an advanced google or ixquick search and exclude the words you don't want, Deanna.

https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&as_q=seedling+growth&as_epq=&as_oq=&as_eq=marijuana+pot+cannabis&as_nlo=&as_nhi=&lr=&cr=&as_qdr=all&as_sitesearch=&as_occt=any&safe=images&as_filetype=&as_rights=

McSooey, I don't know anyone who grows pot these days. Back in the 1960's in Boston, many used to grow a few pot plants in a closet lined with tin foil and illuminated with grow lights without any difficulties, but that was long ago and far away. It sounds like you need to visit the sites that Deanna was inadvertently bringing up!

I have a few friends in their 40s and 50s who grow indoors for personal use. I have thought about it, as my father and uncle have both been in treatment for various types of cancer and it would be beneficial for them. That said, the main challenges seem to be light - the plant needs LOTS of direct sun to grow the buds required for medical use. I was told upwards of 12 hours per day, which is why they grow indoors and not in their garden. Additionally, in Mass, I think the law requires it to be grown out of view from the public. It also stinks (hence the "skunky" references).

I second the search online - there are LOADS of resources.

A lot of the sites are very focused on how to grow the maximum possible amount of marijuana discretely...hence there is a lot of information on hydroponics setups with "grow lights". The plant grows perfectly well outdoors in our climate.

Home grown stuff isn't very standardized in potency. Why people generally don't grow other drugs at home, but usually not a life-or-death matter with marijuana. Try to get a sense of how much your home grown batch effects you before doing anything "under the influence".

(I've had people talk my ear off on the subject at parties...)

There are several Cannabis forums on the net,that discuss growing in detail. Growing good Cannabis is an art and requires a lot of knowledge about the plant. It is way more in depth than growing garden plants. YouTube has tons of videos on growing Cannabis. Enter Jorge Cervantes in YouTube search. He has a complete lesson spanning 3 videos, and he's a great teacher. He covers the whole process from germinating seeds, to drying and curing the harvested buds. Are you allowed to grow your own plants outdoors? In Illinois we have medical, and it has been decriminalized to a certain extent, but still illegal. Growing the plant outdoors is so much easier, and they grow much bigger. They don't allow mmj patients to grow their own in Illinois, and that really sucks. I think the potency of home grown depends on the knowledge, and skill of the grower. I have never known Cannibis plants to stink. Their flowerbuds are aromatic when smelled up close, but to compare them to skunk musk is kind of crazy. The companies selling air filtration devices are making a killing off those unfounded fears. I know a bit about growing Cannabis, so I would be happy to answer any questions. The seedling stage is a critical time, and when you pay a lot of money for good quality seeds, you really don't want to mess it up. It takes awhile to get into the swing of things, when first starting out growing it.

Jay - to answer your question, in Massachusetts the new law allows for up to 12 plants (per household) grown indoors or "in a secure, locked space that is not in public view." Only on a private residence.

This article provides good insight - http://valleyadvocate.com/2017/05/22/growing-weed-massachusetts-how-to-guide/ 

Hi Kids,

Sorry, I posted this question and then got busy doing other stuff. Thanks to everyone who responded.

A close friend and I are growing cannabis in her garden. When It became legal in Massachusetts this past December we decided that we would grow it just because we could. We did some research and found that since it's a larger plant that can get fat and tall it's not something to grow because you think it might be fun or would make a nice house plant. We abandoned the idea. It was not until her husband went through some medical issues this past January that the idea was rekindled. We did our research and found a strain of cannabis that truly is medical...low THC and high CBD. It's a 1:1 ratio. The seeds are expensive so it's not something many people would do on a lark. In MA, it is legal for both recreation and medical use. If you grow your own you can grow 6 plants per person in the house but you may not have more than a total of 12 plants and never have more than 4 in flower at any one time. You can grow inside or outside but if outside, it needs to be well within the confines of your own property.

This is an experiment. If we are successful we will make a tincture using coconut oil or the like. We have done all the research, watched all of the Youtube videos, read all of the grower forums, my question here was out of curiosity. In the beginning, we had some issues with nitrogen/calcium & magnesium which resulted in yellow leaves but I think we have managed to work through all of that. It's a lovely plant that is graceful in the breeze and has a nice aroma. So far it's been fun and a great conversation started. We were blown away to learn from our local garden stores that many, many people in the area are growing it. I have no idea how many of them are growing it purely for medical reasons but I would bet, not all. Ours is an Indaca strain which means it is a body relaxer and our hope, and the reason for doing all of this is that it will be a good pain reliever. With the low THC it would be a challenge to get stoned by smoking it.

So, that's it. We are growing it outside in as much sun as her yard affords...7 hours of direct sun and dappled sun until very late afternoon. The plants seem happy and healthy. We will see if we get anything or not. Her husband could always get a medical marijuana license and drive to a dispensary to buy it. Not sure where he is in that process but we are having a good time in this venture. When we are out with friends and the subject of medical marijuana comes up we are amazed at the number of people who say it is the only thing that has worked for their pain, nausea, depression etc. It has helped a lot of people. We in MA are lucky that we live where we do.

I know that not everyone here will approve and please believe that I do not intend to offend. Thanks, All!

sooey

I assume you are referring to the autoflowering stains offered now. They take sativa and indica strains, and cross them with another species of Cannabis called C. ruderalis. The resulting offspring are smaller plants that flower after a certain number of days, regardless of the hours of daylight. They are also much easier to conceal because they stay short. The downside is that the Cannabis ruderalis species does not produce any noticeable cannabinoid, so an autoflowering plant has a very watered down potency. I started out with the autoflowering kind myself. After growing them I became interested in growing the more potent indices and sativas, and now I'm very interested in growing pure unsubsidized landrace species like Malawi Gold, Panama Red, Hindu Kush. Like I said earlier. You can grow a 15 foot sativa in your backyard and do it in such a way that it wouldn't be any taller than an autoflowering strain. I don't want to offend anyone either. I would like to convince anyone who might be offended, they have nothing to be offended about. I think it would be a big positive step if Gardenweb could add a Cannabis or Medical Cannabis forum!!!

No, we did not get the auto flower cannabis. Ours is a strain that has been hybridized to give the most CBD with the lowest THC. We were also looking for a strain that is more indicia than sativa. This is where we are starting. If we are able to get some useful flower from this and if we end up with a tincture that proves to be good for pain, we will branch out and try something else next year. If this turns out to be a bunch of nothing we will just be happy that the plants were lovely and, and that we learned something new.

BTW, I have a cousin in Ohio who had brain surgery for a meningioma 18 years ago. The tumor was removed with no further treatment required but the tracheal intubation which was necessary during surgery left her with nerve damage resulting in cluster headaches on the side of her face and forehead; they would almost drop her to the floor. She saw every Dr., had every test, had laser treatments, jaw manipulation, special mouth apparatus to change the roof of her mouth. Nothing worked. Last year at this time she was on 6 - 7 Percocet's a day...can you imagine that? One of those things would make me throw up for a few hours then put me out for another few. Even with all that, she still had pain. She now manages her pain with medical marijuana, two drops under her tongue twice a day. She is now down to one Percocet a day. It has changed her life. We hope to find that type of 'miracle' for Mary's husband.

Thanks, All.

sooey

Oh,ok., I thought you were maybe growing the autoflowering strains. There are some high CBD, low THC strains that have been developed, like Charlette's Web, and Cannatonic, and others.Of course, there are over 7,000 named strains out there, so forget ever trying to know them all. Indicas grow a lot shorter than sativas, so they don't stand out as much. You can twist and bend stems with branches, so they hang down. This will cause a knuckle to form at the bend, which will give you larger buds in the end. They call that supercropping. It will soften the look of your outdoor plants, so they don't stick out like sore thumbs. I'm happy this plant is doing so much good for your loved ones. Best of success!

Here's a couple photos of a large sativa plant that was trained to grow horizontally in a garden. This plant was a 50/50 cross between 2 famous landrace strains. Malawi Gold and Thai. These 2 strains are considered the most potent on Earth. There are so many other plants in all different colors and textures, that the Cannabis plant blends in. Left alone, this plant would have reached 15 or more feet high. The pink Cleomes have leaves very similar to cannabis, which helps keep the plants concealed, by tricking the mind into believing it's just more Cleomes. God put this plant on Earth for a reason. It was a special gift. The real crime is preventing people from using it and growing it. It's a Green plant and our God given right to utilize and enjoy it. CBD is great for all its medical uses, but having a terminal illness, and all the mental stress that it causes, I have found the THC in Cannabis to really help with the mental, emotional side of having an illness. For Bernard Nobel. A black man in Louisiana who is serving a life sentence for being caught with 2 joints.

Oh My Gosh, look at that. It is a beautiful garden, anyone would think was lovely. The cannabis blends right in. I have seen pictures of sativas that are very, very tall. We were all out for dinner last week and while waiting for our table outside of the restaurant Mary and I both noticed several Cleomes in a garden area that had not gone into bloom yet. We were so surprised to see how closely it resembles cannabis. They would look very nice next to each other.

I agree with you. It now seems so ridiculous to prevent people from having free access to this plant. My thinking on it has changed over the years. I heard a great segment on NPR: On The Media just yesterday about the history of the 'drug war' in the country. http://www.wnyc.org/story/on-the-media-2017-08-25 Very interesting and I was really glad to hear it. We all need correct information and we all need perspective.

Nice pictures, thanks.

sooey

I have never done that actually, however I have got a couple of friends that are doing it (everything is legal). One of them is growing it indoors, the other one in the garden. The biggest problem that they are always talking about, especially the one that is growing it indoors, is the permanent weed smell, that makes you sick at one point. I would never actually like to grow it, as it is kind of complicated, in case I want to find more information about weed, I am just going to play some mj related games or read something online.

It has been 4 years since I started my great experiment of growing cannabis and I have learned a lot. It's an easy plant to grow and does not require a lot of intervention. I searched for seeds that would yield bud with the lowest THC and the highest CBD. My intention was to end up with pain relief and help with sleeping. That is exactly what I got but you still need to use it with care. I grow it in my yard in large tubs. It takes a good 8 months from germination to harvest. After I cut it down I wash it, rinse it, wash it again, and rinse it again and then hang it to dry. I have been processing it into a tincture using olive oil. I heat the oil on the stove, add the cannabis, and heat it for a few hours. When I think it's done I strain it, cool it, add some sunflower lecithin, and put it into bottles which I then put in my freezer until I need it. Just a few drops under your tongue and you are all set. It helped my husband when he had his joint replacements and it helped my dear Sister-in-law with her Parkinsons related dyskinesia. When I do grow again I will try to find the same low THC with high CBD but in an auto-flower which takes only about 3 months from germination to harvest. I know a lot but I also know that there is more to learn. This experiment has been a huge success and I am still amazed that it is safe and legal. I am always responsible and careful.

Billy, I have used my homegrown and home-processed medical marijuana oil daily since the fall of '17 and have never experienced insomnia. I would say that anyone who does experience issues with their sleep would have those issues with or without medical marijuana. Dosing is key. Too much of a good thing is bad, just as the 'perfect' amount of the wrong marijuana is bad. Indica, Sativa, and knowing the difference between the two is important. Again, the type of and the dosing are key.

I have tried growing cannabis on my balcony, but still using hydroponics at home does not give good results and I decided that it is easier to order cannabis with delivery at weeddelivery. It's good for first time buyer, they offer discount. In addition, the product there is really very high quality.

I'm sorry you found it to be difficult to grow and I agree, it's a lot of work. But for me, the work came before I even ordered my seeds. I needed to know what seeds I wanted which all started with what I was growing them for. Since mine was intended for medical use I had to find the lowest THC and the highest CBD. After that, growing was the easy part. Keeping it healthy proved to be a little tricky. In my first year, my plants were on the small side, and in the end, I was hit with mold. I salvaged what I could and ended up with enough to process a year's worth of tincture so it was a success. After that first year, I figured it all out and have been able to grow enough to serve my needs and even give some away to neighbors and friends. I'm glad I started this venture. It turned out to be different from what I imagined, but I have accomplished my original goal...finding some pain relief, calming stress, and helping with sleep. I'm glad I grow it and I'm glad I have it.

Keep at it and good luck.

Yes, Melissa, this post is old but I am still around. I have grown cannabis for a few years with great success, fun, and interest. I have stuck with the lowest levels of THC and the highest levels of CBD...medical cannabis...and have used almost all of it for medical tinctures. A few friends have smoked it to their great satisfaction but that is not why I started all of this. I have found that it stores well in the freezer so my upright is stocked full with jars of weed. I use my Indaca strain tincture every night before I get into bed and it helps me relax enough so that I fall fast asleep and stay asleep for most of the night. I have another Sativa strain that I use for any pain I may have during the day. I have not needed an Ibuprophn in years... literally. I love it and I am thankful that I have it. My dear sister-in-law passed away from Parkinson's 4 years ago. Before her death, I would dose her with my Indica strain, and her tremors and dyskinesia would be greatly reduced. I truly believe in medical cannabis.