Growing CBD vs. Buying CBD
CBD has well and truly secured its position as a household name in the medicinal world, and it only continues to grow in popularity.
The wonder compound cannabidiol, found in cannabis and hemp plants, has become one of the biggest therapeutic products to emerge in recent years, and what makes it even more amazing is you’re able to grow it for yourself.
The CBD industry has been booming, with predictions that the market will reach $20 billion in sales by 2024.
With such success in the commercial space, many home growers are wondering whether they can make harvest their own CBD and use it for medicinal and therapeutic purposes, or if it’s easier to just keep buying it from their usual source.
What are the pros and cons of growing CBD vs buying CBD?
There’s a lot of positives with growing your own CBD, if you do it the right way, like having your own constant supply and saving money. However, buying CBD from a reputable source ensures better quality and is easier to do, so there are good and bad points on either side.
If you’re one of the many who have wondered about their ability to grow enough CBD rich plants to use for yourself, this article is for you.
We’ve weighed up the pros and cons on either side to help you decide whether it’s worth it, so read on to see if you should jump aboard the CBD farming train.
The Legality of Growing Plants for CBD
These days, it’s perfectly legal in most places to buy products that contain CBD, as the compound has already been proven for its medicinal benefits.
However, when it comes to growing your own weed to harvest the CBD for yourself, the law gets a lot more unclear.
The 2018 Farm Bill that passed recently determined that hemp was no longer a Schedule 1 controlled substance, provided it has less than 0.3% THC in it.
In most cases, this is fine, as the hemp plants people grow at home for CBD extraction would be able to fall into this category.
For large scale farmers, you’ll be able to apply for a license from the state department of agriculture in your area.
For home growers, however, you’ll have to live in a state where you’re allowed to grow marijuana at home.
If you do decide to grow hemp for the purpose of CBD and it falls below the 0.3% THC level, these plants will still count toward your total marijuana plant allowance.
Due to the complex legalities surrounding the growth of marijuana, it's best to speak to do your own research on the state you're in.
As there are such varying rules in states and districts, you'll need to be certain that you're allowed to start growing plants before you commit to it, otherwise, harsh penalties can follow.
The Pros and Cons of Growing CBD vs Buying CBD
Growing your own plants isn’t for everyone, and if you’re doing it specifically to get a source of CBD you can extract, this is even more true.
There’s a lot to consider before you take on CBD production, so check out some of the pros and cons that either option has to offer.
Pros of Growing CBD
- Control of your plants - When growing your own plants, you get final say over the quality, with everything from seed choice to growing conditions being under your control. This way you can be sure everything is of the highest standard and with a guarantee of safety.
- Saves money - Once you’re able to get a successful farm up and running, as well as master the extraction process, you can save a lot of money by doing the whole thing yourself.
Cons of Growing CBD
- Long process - Extracting CBD to use requires a lot more work than setting up some plants and growing them until they're ready to harvest. You'll also have to fine-tune the extraction method just to get enough to use, which takes a long time.
- Requires large quantities - It’s not common for home growers to have a crop just for CBD extraction purposes, so unless you’re working with large quantities, it may be too much effort for what you’re trying to achieve.
Pros of Buying CBD
- Convenience - CBD products can be purchased just about anywhere these days, whether it’s a local health food store or online with express shipping options. Rather than the long process of growing your own hemp and extracting the CBD, this is far more convenient.
- Good quality - With some research, it's easy to find brands that are known for producing top-quality CBD products. If you're using it for a therapeutic reason, knowing you have access to this premium-level can give you great peace of mind.
Cons of Buying CBD
- Lack of regulation - Anything for sale in the herbal supplement market is done so with very little industry regulation. Unlike products that have FDA approval, CBD and related products have little to governance so it’s hard to tell sometimes what quality and safety you’re buying.
- Expensive - Buying CBD regularly can get expensive, and if you’re someone who relies on the oil and other related products in your day to day life, you’ll end up spending a fortune. Being able to grow and extract your own could save a lot of money if done right.
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Costs of Growing vs Buying CBD
One of the biggest things to determine when weighing up whether to buy or grow your own CBD is the cost.
The cheapest way to get your own CBD is to grow a strain that’s known for higher levels of CBD and find ways to ingest it without going through the detailed process.
Starting your own growth setup at home can cost just a couple hundred dollars on a smaller scale.
However, when you include the costs for extraction kits and products, it can cost thousands of dollars for this part alone.
If you’re only planning on creating a small amount of CBD for personal use, it wouldn’t make sense financially to choose this option.
Large scale hemp farming comes with a range of costs as well, but as you’re usually selling the product you can make a profit.
In addition to all of the agricultural supplies you’ll need, the land for crops, and the extraction equipment, you’ll also have to pay licensing fees and application costs to have your farm registered with the Department of Agriculture.
This should all be considered as part of a business plan if you’re growing commercially, so there’s a lot more to weigh up here.
The cost of purchasing CBD oil and related products depends on a few factors, but on average, you'll pay between $0.05 per milligram and $0.25 per milligram.
The more expensive oils are of better value and therefore require less for their therapeutic benefits, but it depends entirely on how much you need.
Related Questions
Deciding whether to grow or buy CBD all depends on your circumstances, so it's a decision that should be weighed up by the individual.
If you're brand new to CBD related products and want to know more about growing plants or buying the best quality oils, we've got the answers to some questions you might have to help you out.
How is CBD Extracted?
There are a few methods for extracting CBD used by commercial manufacturers, and the most popular is using a solvent.
In this process, the plant material is left to steep in a solvent which strips the CBD compound from it and leaves the rest.
The remaining hydrocarbons and then boiled which removes everything but the CBD oil, so the final product can then be bottled and sold.
What Part of the Plan is CBD From?
There’s no specific part of the hemp plant that needs to be used for CBD extraction, as it’s found through the entire thing, so nothing is wasted.
Aside from the seeds, you can cultivate the stem, stalk, flowers, and leaves of a hemp plant and then use your desired extraction method to get the CBD oil.
How Are CBD Gummies Made?
CBD gummies are a popular method of ingesting CBD and if you have access to your own oil, you can make them for yourself.
This is done by heating juice, gelatin, and a sweetener over a saucepan, and then stirring through the CBD.
Once combined, pour it into silicone molds and then let it cool and set before enjoying them.
The dose of a CBD gummy depends on the strength of the CBD oil and how large the chewable is.
