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Cannabis legalization is spreading like wildfire across North America and many other countries around the world. The policy allows the legally grow cannabis for personal use, not limited to medical marijuana. Can you legally grow hemp in Australia?
No matter what country or region you are in, if you want to grow commercially on a large scale, you’ll have to get a license. Apply to get a license or authorization depending on the cannabis plan in your area.
Do you know anything about Australia when you are watching the cannabis market? How about continuing to read this post in depth for a meeting of the minds?
Is It Legal to Grow Hemp in Australia?
We know that medical marijuana is legal in Australia. In terms of legislation, Australia has a well-developed system of medical cannabis laws and regulations. In addition to medical marijuana, Australia also reserves room for the possibility of opening up recreational marijuana.
Cannabis Legalization Process in Australia
Australia has one of the highest rates of cannabis use in the world. Let’s look at the process of legalizing cannabis in Australia.
- On 24 February 2016, Australia legalized the growing of cannabis for medicinal and scientific purposes at the federal level.
- Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) made low-THC hemp food legal for human consumption in Australia On 12 November 2017.
- On 25 September 2019, the Australian Capital Territory passed legislation, allowing the possession and cultivation of small amounts of cannabis for personal use as of January 31, 2020. But the laws conflict with federal laws that prohibit the recreational use of cannabis and the supply of cannabis and cannabis seeds are not allowed under the changes.
- In 2019, 36% of Australians over the age of fourteen years had used cannabis in their lifetime and 11.6% had used cannabis in the last 12 months.
In Australia, attitudes toward legalizing recreational cannabis have shifted over the last decade. According to polling by the National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NDSHS) in 2019, more Australians now support the legalization of cannabis than remain opposed; 41% of Australians now support the legalization of cannabis, 37% remain opposed, and 22% are undecided.
Public perceptions of other cannabis-related policies have also shifted as a result of this. For example, the majority of Australians aged 14 years and over do not support the possession of cannabis being a criminal offense (74% in 2016 compared with 66% in 2010).
Recently, based on data given by the Australian Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO), the legalization of marijuana could bring in A$28 billion in tax revenue. The Greens hope to introduce a policy similar to Canada’s “cannabis legalization” in Australia.
Greens Justice spokesman and Greens Senator David Shoebridge said the funds from legal cannabis proceeds could be used to raise JobSeeker and Youth Allowanc by A$80 every two weeks. Or to build more than 88,000 public housing units to house 250,000 people over the next 10 years.
The Greens say they are proposing a model that creates a right for adults: they can grow up to six marijuana plants at home, without paying taxes or paying for them.
Under the plan, commercial cultivation of cannabis plants will begin in July 2023 to ensure a supply chain is in place prior to the sale of cannabis grown in Australia. Sales are expected to begin in 2024-2025, while applications for production and retail licenses will begin in 2023-2024.
There is reason to believe that the relevant political parties and community members will continue to push for the deregulation of cannabis and the Australian cannabis market will win even greater growth.
Choosing to grow cannabis in the present proves that you have a very long-term vision.
Where to Buy Cannabis Seeds in Australia?
You can ask at your local large gardening store, or consider purchasing from an online seed store.
When choosing a cannabis seed store, consider whether they offer a wide selection of varieties, whether the price is reasonable, and most importantly whether the genetics of the seeds are top-notch, and whether they have shipping and germination guarantees.
Here are seven recommended hemp planting stores in Australia. For a detailed comparison of each store, please click and check the Best Cannabis Seeds in Australia. Before purchasing any seeds, you can check the online reviews about mediseed man australia reviews, seed city review and quebec seed bank reviews.
- ILGM − Best cannabis seeds in Australia overall
- Crop King Seeds − 80% germination guarantee
- Quebec Seed Bank − Fastest dispatch
- Mary Jane’s Garden − Direct source seeds
- Mediseed Man − Free delivery in Australia
- Marijuana Seeds NL − Cannabis seeds for sale
- Seed City − Free giveaways
Growing Hemp Outdoors vs. Indoors: The Key Differences
Outdoors
Cannabis grown outdoors and can grow much larger, but it can only be harvested once a year.
Outdoor plants are vulnerable to thieves or law enforcement. Any larger outdoor plantings are often done in remote areas for privacy. But water and other resources must be transported to those areas.
Outdoors, you have less control over the environment. Buds will lose their terpenes. During the flowering period, when it encounters dry and hot weather or is wet by heavy rain, it will become completely moldy. If not handled properly, it can easily lead to mold, etc.
The main benefit of outdoor growing is the abundance of light and the perfect growth spectrum. Sunlight is the perfect light source compared to HPS and LED. Not only is the sun’s spectrum perfect for producing absolutely delicious terpenes, but the sun emits a different spectrum throughout the day.
- In the morning, the UV light is strong and peaks at noon, exceeding the UV light from any grow light.
- During the sun sets, especially at dusk and at night, plants are bathed primarily in infrared light because their wavelengths are larger and bend around the earth better than shorter wavelengths of light such as UV. This causes plants to “go to sleep” more quickly. When plants “sleep” during flowering, they produce flowering hormones, which increase with each hour of sleep.
Pros
- Free sunlight
- The perfect plant growing spectrum
Indoors
With the proper use of LED commercial cannabis grow lights, indoor plants can grow quite large. Even with only a small space, they can be harvested indoors at least four times per year. The number of harvests per year indoors is limited only by the size of the available space.
You can grow in your spare room, grow tent, or basement. This is one of the benefits of growing indoors, away from thieves or law enforcement.
The plant environment indoors can be controlled. However, you must be aware of the high cost of electricity for plant lighting installations and the cost of controlling the indoor climate.
Indoor cultivation gives the grower complete control over environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide, air circulation, air movement and air quality (filtered air has low particulate levels, so less dust collects on the buds).
This provides a very low-stress environment that allows your plants to shine and protects the buds from contaminants (bugs, disease, dust, etc.) as well as from exposure to sun and rain.
Pros
- Multiple harvests per year
- Controlled environment
- Pest exclusion
- Protection of privacy
The best cannabis can be grown indoors or in a greenhouse with insufficient light, supplemented with the best marijuana grow lights, because it allows you to get the best results for both indoor and outdoor growing.
How to Choose LED Grow Lights for Weed?
The next step is how to grow cannabis. But for indoor growing, choosing LED plant lights is the first thing. The following factors should be considered.
- Spectrum. Make sure the spectrum matches the light requirements of the plant.
- Wattage. Choose a wattage that will provide enough light for the size of your growing area.
- PAR value. Look for high PAR (Photosynthetically Active Radiation) values, which measure the amount of light available to plants.
- Quality. Choose to grow lights with high-quality LEDs, LED drivers and good heat dissipation.
- Brand reputation. Choose a reputable brand with good customer reviews and a warranty. Refer to the article 15 Best Horticulture LED Lights Suppliers in The World.
How Many Hours of Light Are Required for Growing Cannabis?
Growing cannabis indoors can be controlled by adjusting the conditions of light duration, intensity and light quality to achieve a high yield of flowers and leaves per unit area and time.
Indoor factory crop cultivation allows cannabis to be harvested more than 3 times a year.
During the nutritional growth period of cannabis, longer light hours (16-18h) can be used to promote rapid growth. This period is adjusted according to the needs of the purpose of cultivation and is usually 2-3 months.
After that, the treatment is changed to short daylight (8-12h) and the bud differentiation phase can be entered after 2-4 weeks of treatment.
Different light durations have a strong influence on the male and female differentiation of cannabis. Generally, longer daylight is good for male differentiation and shorter daylight is good for female differentiation. Therefore, the use of short daylight treatment at a later stage is also beneficial to increase the proportion of female plants, leaf yield and quality.
Indoor factory planting is most suitable for female plants as mother plants with long daylight treatment (16~18h) to prevent them from flowering and promote their nutritional growth, then cut the branches and spread them by cuttings.
A large enough mother plant can be expanded to more than 300 plants at a time.
When growing hemp indoors, the distance between the LED cannabis lights and the seedbed varies on the growth and development of cannabis. Tests showed that after 2 months of growth with 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness per day, the male plants started to bud, i.e. the yield index was measured >2.0m and the distance should be 1.0m.
When Is the Best Time to Harvest Cannabis?
There are several factors, but each vary in accuracy:
Flowering time recommended by the breeder
The time recommended by the breeder is actually the least accurate measurement of when to harvest. Breeder information should be used to help determine your garden schedule, but it has less to do with when the plants are in peak harvest.
Color of the stigma (hair-like strands covering the bud)
A more accurate factor is looking at the stigma. You can make a solid estimate of when to harvest by tracking the stigma’s change in color from white to orange.
Color of trichomes
Observing your buds’ trichomes offers the most accurate indication of when hemp is ready to harvest. It is in the trichomes that the actual science behind when to harvest exists.
When to harvest your cannabis crop?
You’ll need a microscope to actually observe the trichomes. In this stage, the trichomes go from clear to opaque and end in amber. During this change the trichomes reach their maximum THC content and then begin to break down due to exposure to oxygen and UV rays. The result is CBN (cannabinol).
For reference, here are the growth cycles for each stage of cannabis.
Cannabis Growth Timeline
- Germinating: 1-7 days
- Seedling: 2-3 weeks
- Vegetative: 2-8 weeks
- Pre-Flowering: 1-2 weeks
- Flowering: 6-8 weeks
- Harvesting
Jayes
As a Digital Marketing Manager at AUXGROW, Jayes combines a passion for hydroponic systems and expertise in LED grow lights. With hands-on experience and a deep understanding, Jayes guides you through the world of sustainable cultivation.
