Ohioans approved Issue 2 on Election Day, legalizing recreational marijuana statewide, which includes growing marijuana at home.
The new law, which goes into effect Dec. 7, will allow adults over 21 to buy and use marijuana products without a medical card. It will also be legal to cultivate up to six plants per adult (or a maximum of 12 per household) in a locked, enclosed area that’s not accessible to children or visible to the public.
Signal Cleveland talked with cultivation instructors and a former student at the Cleveland School of Cannabis about what people should keep in mind if they plan to grow marijuana at home.
What is the general cost of growing cannabis at home?
The starting costs of a serious at-home grow kit can range from less than $500 for one to two plants to more than $1,000 for six plants or more, depending on the type of grow tent and lights a person uses, Al Khaleed said. Khaleed is a Clevelander who has worked in the industry in Michigan for about six years and has grown marijuana at home. He attended the Cleveland School of Cannabis in 2018 and 2019.
Grow lights can increase electric costs by $100 a month or more, Khaleed said. The plants require between 12 and 18 hours of light, depending on which stage they’re in.
The initial setup costs will be the highest, but they’re one-time expenses, said Matthew Panknin, instructor of a commercial cultivation operations course.
Costs after initial setup will be for seeds, soil and nutrients to feed the plant.
Growing marijuana at home takes a lot of time
Panknin said home growers should expect to spend between one and two hours in their tent a couple of days a week, cleaning the equipment and space and trimming the plant.
The most important thing, he said, is cleanliness.
“People working in cultivation, we are glorified custodians,” Panknin said. “And if you plan on growing cannabis plants in your house, you better take that pretty seriously yourself.”
An ideal climate is important for successful cannabis growth
Cannabis plants require specific humidity levels to grow well, without mold forming in the grow space.
In its vegetative cycle (the first four to five weeks), a cannabis plant requires 80% relative humidity, Panknin said. Humidity should be around 55% in the flowering stage (after vegetative growth). The room temperature in a growth room or grow space should be between 72 and 75 degrees.
Carbon dioxide levels are also important, “so your plants breathe in carbon dioxide, breathe out fresh oxygen,” he said.
‘Just have fun with it’
Panknin said it’s likely growers will kill a plant or two as they learn to grow. And the quality of the flower will vary. But the process can also be enjoyable.
“Just have fun with it,” Panknin said. “No matter what, you are going to end up with something that you grew yourself, that you put your time and money and love into.”
