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How Much Does it Cost to Grow Weed? Costs & Savings of Growing

How Much Does it Cost to Grow Weed? Costs & Savings of Growing

November 25, 2021

Are you an avid cannabis consumer? Then you’ve probably wondered how much does it cost to grow weed, right? 

Growing marijuana has become the next big hobby in the US now that more states have legalized it. People are fascinated by the process and want to be hands-on with their cannabis supply. 

Although it’s undoubtedly exciting, does it really save you money? Let’s explore the cost of growing weed and if it’s worthwhile for you. 

Cannabis indoor grow tent

How much does cannabis cost at a store or dispensary?

Marijuana is now legal in more than 18 states for recreational use. 

The national average for an ounce of high-quality marijuana is $326. The most expensive place is Washington D.C. at $597 an ounce, whereas the least expensive is Oregon at $210 an ounce. 

Consuming pot isn’t a cheap pastime, but by most metrics, cultivating your own plants reduces the cost of growing weed. 

How much does it cost to grow weed indoors?

Why grow your own cannabis if you can just buy it at the dispensary? 

After seeing those prices, you’re probably wondering if the cost of growing weed is cheaper. The short answer: yes.

It’ll require an initial investment, some elbow grease, and trial and error, but when you finally have a huge stash of homegrown weed, all the work is worth it. 

Let’s look at the initial cost of growing weed for different types of indoor setups. 

1. Basic indoor setup

How much does it cost to start growing weed? 

A basic setup is for novice growers or those who don’t want to spend much time or money on home growing. 

These setups use materials you might already have at your home, with a few essential supplies you’ll need to purchase to grow weed indoors. Nothing fancy, but it’ll do the job. 

How much does it cost to grow weed with a basic indoor setup?

Basic Indoor Setup MaterialsPrice
Homegrown Cannabis Co. seeds 4-pack$80 (depending on which cannabis seeds)
Grow lights 200W full spectrum$40
(4) 2-gallon containers$5
Fan$30
Potting soil with nutrients$8
Electricity cost$42.34
Total:$203.34
Small cannabis grow tent
Small cannabis grow tent

2. Standard Indoor Setup

A standard indoor setup is for those who’ve experimented with growing cannabis seeds and really want to start building a proper indoor grow room. 

Let’s look at how you can ‘step up’ your standard setup to produce a better marijuana harvest. 

How much does it cost to grow weed with a standard indoor setup?

Standard Indoor Setup MaterialsPrice
Homegrown Cannabis Co. seeds 8-pack$103 (depending on which cannabis seeds)
(3) LED Grow lights, 200 W full-spectrum, 3x4$480
(8) 2- gallon containers$10
(2) Fans$60
(2) Bags of potting soil with nutrients$16
Carbon filter with ducting $100
Digital thermometer and hygrometer combo$15
Grow tent 36”x36”x72”$95
Electricity cost$127.02
Total:$1006.02
Weed grow tent
Weed grow tent

3. Advanced Indoor Setup

An advanced indoor setup is for those who want to invest some serious cash into growing marijuana. This is for those who want to take their harvest to the next level or earn money in the weed industry. 

You can’t have this type of setup in a closet. Advanced indoor setups are for a whole room or garage and for cultivating at least 12 plants at a time. 

How much does it cost to grow weed with an advanced indoor setup?

Advanced Indoor Setup MaterialsPrice
Homegrown Cannabis Co. seeds 12-pack$135 (depending on which cannabis seeds)
(3) LED Grow lights, 600 W full-spectrum$1500
(12) 2-gallon containers$15
(4)  Fans$120
(4) Bags of potting soil with nutrients$32
Carbon filter with ducting $100
(2) Digital thermometer and hygrometer combo$30
Grow tent 108"x48"x80"$300
pH reader$20
Digital timer$12
Humidifier$60
Heating tower$55
Homegrown Cannabis Co. plant fertilizer$50
Tool sterilizer$10
Electricity cost$381.03
Total:$2820.03
Cannabis grow tent
Cannabis grow tent

How much does it cost to grow marijuana outdoors?

If you live in a state that has the climate to grow marijuana outdoors, the cost of growing weed is a lot cheaper. This is because Mother Nature takes care of lighting, ventilation, humidity, and heating. 

You’ll need more security for your outdoor garden, though. Your cannabis plants must be out of sight of the public and locked up so others, including people, animals, and pests, can’t access your marijuana harvest. 

How much does it cost to grow weed outdoors? Let’s break it down. 

Basic Outdoor Setup MaterialsPrice
Homegrown Cannabis Co. seeds 4-pack$80 (depending on which cannabis seeds)
(4) 2-gallon containers$5
Potting soil with nutrients$8
Protective net cover$14
Digital thermometer and hygrometer combo$15
Total:$122
Measuring humidity in a greenhouse
Measuring humidity in a greenhouse

How to reduce the costs of growing weed at home?

Perhaps even a basic setup is out of your budget. Don’t worry! There are plenty of ways to reduce the cost of growing weed at home. 

The one thing you don’t want to short yourself on is the cannabis seeds. Buying high-quality marijuana seeds from Homegrown Cannabis Co. will produce a high-quality weed harvest, even with basic tools. 

The places you can reduce the cost of growing weed are with the other materials. You can use recycled 2-liter bottles, milk jugs, or whatever you have in your home already for the containers. 

Also, you can dig some dirt from your backyard instead of buying potting soil. Start making compost of old fruits, vegetables, and eggshells, to supplement for nutrients.  

It’s possible to use the lamps from your home as grow lights to further reduce the cost to grow marijuana. Just swap out the bulbs for 200 W LEDs, and it should be good enough. 

Instead of buying a fan, create your indoor grow room beside a window for natural ventilation. 

Using the supplies you already have in your home will help decrease the cost of growing weed indoors. 

Cost to grow weed: estimated price per ounce of indoor and outdoor cannabis grows

You might be thinking, well, it’s a large cost to grow marijuana, even for the basics. Is it really worth growing marijuana indoors instead of outdoors? 

The answer is a resounding yes

Growing indoors gives you the power to create an ideal environment for your weed plants. This makes happy weed crops, which results in higher yields, and a more potent harvest

When cultivating outdoors, although the cost to grow marijuana is considerably lower, you have to take whatever Mother Nature gives you, which is usually inconsistent

If the temperature drops too low, there’s a big storm, or an increase in humidity; these factors can stunt the growth of your cannabis plants or even kill them. 

So, although the cost of growing weed with an indoor setup is more expensive, it results in more buds and a better quality marijuana plant. Let’s look at the figures. 

How much does it cost to grow one weed plant? We’re going to use Gelato regular seeds as the constant. 

Indoors

The Gelato strain yields 18 oz/m2 indoors. It grows to about 6 feet tall, which calculates to about 34 ounces per plant or more under optimal conditions. 

The cost to grow marijuana with a basic indoor setup is calculated for four plants. $203.34 divided by four is $50.84. If you take that total and divide it by 34 ounces, you’ll grow weed for $1.50 an ounce. 

Remember, you’ll use your indoor growing materials over and over again, so this figure is only for the first harvest.  

You can see that the cost of growing weed is much more reasonable than buying at a dispensary. 

Indoor grow room
Indoor grow room

Outdoors

Now, let’s take a look at outdoor growing. 

The Gelato strain yields up to 20 ounces per plant. The cost to grow marijuana with outdoor garden materials is $122, and divided by four plants is $30.50. 

Let’s take that number and divide it by the 20 ounces the cannabis plant produces. You get $1.50 per ounce when growing outside

Outdoors cannabis greenhouse
Outdoors cannabis greenhouse

Final Points about how much does it cost to start growing weed

If your state allows it and you want to start a new hobby, the cost to grow marijuana vs. buying in a dispensary makes it a very worthwhile hobby to pursue. 

First, it’s always rewarding doing something from scratch and getting to really understand the marijuana plant. Secondly, who wouldn’t want an ample supply of weed at a fraction of the price sold in the dispensaries?

How much does it cost to grow weed? It takes an initial investment, but after that, you’ll have high-quality marijuana dry herb to enjoy. 

What’s the hold-up? Buy cannabis seeds today at Homegrown Cannabis Co. and start your indoor grow room now! 

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