With the legalization of recreational and medical weed available in Washington dc through initiative 71 everyone is wondering if you can grow your own weed in DC. The short answer is yes you can but there are some laws and guidelines that you must follow. Through initiative 71 we no longer need a medical card and we no longer have to worry about marijuana possession from growing, buying, or gifting cannabis. We go over the different types of ways to grow weed in dc along with local storefronts where you can purchase all of the cannabis grow equipment within Washington DC. If you want to be more hands-off in setting up your growth there are grow consultants who will do it all for you. Let’s dive in and learn how to grow and buy the best weed our nation’s capital has to offer!
Growing is a huge time and money investment. You will spend 100+ hours learning about growing cannabis and over $2,000 dollars for a decent setup unless you are a master do-it-yourselfer. Our recommendation is that it‘s 100% always better to purchase cannabis than grow unless you are really into gardening/growing and will enjoy it as a hobby that you can sink money into. If you are looking for the best bang for your buck or you like to try out new strains all the time going to a trusted dispensary with a vast and changing strain selection like Legacy DC Is the way to go.
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If you are a green thumb and want to get rolling keep reading and you want to be an expert at growing marijuana in DC keep reading!
Yes, It is legal to grow weed in DC! Unfortunately, there are still rules and regulations surrounding growing weed in dc which we will explain so that you can possess and grow the finest weed in DC.
Initiate 71 which was implemented in 2014 allows for the possession and use of recreational marijuana by adults 21+ along with growing marijuana. For many residents, growing cannabis in DC is a dream but there is still some risk involved since Cannabis is still federally illegal so please proceed at your own risk.
You may grow up to 6 cannabis plants but only have 3 mature plants if you live by yourself. If you live with another adult over the age of 21 you and the other person may have up to 12 cannabis plants with only 6 of them being mature at one time. If you have 12 plants everyone in the house must be over the age of 21
You may be asking what is a mature plant? Well everyone is DC is still wondering what they consider a mature plant. Some states consider a mature plant anything that has taken root and is over 8 inches while others consider a mature plant to be in the flowering stages of growing which has visual buds on the plant.
Yes, you may grow in your apartment or rental as long as the landlord has not specified within the rental agreement that it is prohibited. Make sure you check your current lease agreement or ask around to help narrow down your apartment or rental search if this is something you are looking to do.
Washington DC like many states and territories have made it illegal for your plants to be visible by anyone outside of your house so if you choose to grow outside you either need to be in a very enclosed space or build a greenhouse. Growing outside comes with its own challenges in itself so we highly recommend growing indoors in DC so you can have the best buds possible.
You can grow weed outside as long as it is not government land or land that you do not own.
It is illegal to grow cannabis within 1000 feet of public buildings, daycare centers, schools, swimming pools, playgrounds, arcades, youth centers, libraries, or public housing. You could be looking at a possible felony which would include jail time so it is best to do your research before starting. You can check the DCRA map to find out what types of businesses and locations are near your home to make sure you home is eligible to grow cannabis within.
Growing cannabis is no easy task, you will need to learn quite a bit of knowledge and purchase a lot of equipment. Even with all the knowledge and tools, there is still a high chance you might not succeed. You will need a light source which can be the sun or artificial specialty grow lights. Since DC is a city with little to no usable growing space and weed still being federally illegal we will go over growing indoors. Plus growing indoors products higher quality buds, larger yields, and the climate will not stop you from growing all year round.
Two of the biggest choices you will have to make will be your budget and grow medium. Growing cannabis can cost you as little as a few hundred dollars up to around 5 thousand dollars for a small premium setup. Choosing your lights, grow medium and air control will determine how much your setup costs. If cost is a factor we recommend starting with soil but if it’s not you will want to look into hydroponics or aeroponics. Aeroponics & hydroponics can be more expensive and have a higher learning curve so we highly recommend starting with soil if it’s your first time growing weed or looking for something easy. but great for tight spaces while hydroponics can take up a bit more space but reap more rewards in the long run since you can control the nutrients at different stages of the grow cycle. Choose between LED, HID, or CFL lights. CFL lights will be the cheapest option but you will want to research HID and LED lights if you are looking to grow big buds. HID & LED lights are more expensive but produce much larger yields. You may also need different wattage or types of lights for the veg and blooming stage. When shopping at one of the local DC shops they will be able to point you in the right direction based on your needs. These are only some of the many choices you will have to make when growing your own cannabis.
We have outlined the big choices you w in the bullets below.
After all this, you can finally harvest, then dry, and then trim then cure your buds. As you can see growing involves a lot of time and energy to produce the final product which we all love. We will go over two of the biggest decisions you will have to make in more detail about choosing your grow medium and light type below.
If cost is a factor we recommend starting with soil but if it’s not you will want to look into hydroponics or aeroponics. Aeroponics & hydroponics can be more expensive and a higher learning curve so we highly recommend starting with soil if it’s your first time growing weed or looking for something easy. but great for tight spaces while hydroponics can take up a bit more space but reap more rewards in the long run since you can control the nutrients at different stages of the growth cycle.
Choose between LED, HID, or CFL lights. CFL lights will be the cheapest option but you will want to research HID and LED lights if you are looking to grow big buds. HID & LED lights are more expensive but produce much larger yields. You may also need different wattage or types of lights for the veg and blooming stage. When shopping at one of the local DC shops they will be able to point you in the right direction based on your needs.
This is our favorite shop in DC! Welcoming and knowledgeable staff, tons of different products for all sorts of growing. Open from 11 AM to 7 PM every day except for Sunday which they close at 5 PM Capital City Organics is definitely worth the trip. They are located in the Bookland area of DC at 3744 10th St NE, Washington, DC 20017.
Grow club DC is a small show that offers various hydroponics and soil solutions and even offers cannabis grow to consult. If you do not have a lot of time and money is not an issue Grow Club DC is the one for you. Located in the heart of DC at Adams Morgan at 2337 18th St NW, Washington, DC 20009.
The area is a little rough and up and coming but an overall good shop to find hydroponics supplies. This shop is located at 1113 Good Hope Rd SE, Washington, DC 20020 which is closer to Prince George’s Maryland side of DC.
