Why does outdoor grown weed get such a bad reputation? Cannabis is a plant after all, and plants naturally grow outside. So, why do so many cannabis consumers tend to look down on it?
Cannabis was exclusively grown outdoors up until prohibition. Growers only evolved to indoor grows because they ran more of a risk of being caught by authorities if they had their plants out in the open. Even by hiding the plants out of law enforcement’s sight, sometimes ideal growing conditions were sacrificed. Growing indoors meant that plants were losing that full exposure to the sun. Some growers were even forced to harvest earlier than normal due to fear of being raided by authorities. During the decades where growing cannabis was illegal, the production of outdoor grown weed was never going to reach its full potential. This, along with the technology developed for indoor grows, could explain the long-standing idea that outdoor cannabis cannot compare to indoor grow operations.
“Landrace” is a term for original, naturally grown strains from different regions across the world. They have unique characteristics that they acquire directly from the soil, elevation, geography, climate, and geology of where they are grown. In the wine community they call this, “Terroir”, and this applies to cannabis as well. Strains like “Maui Wowi”, “Hindu Kush”, and “Panama Red” are all examples of Landraces that have gotten their distinctive profiles by growing naturally in each of their own unique environments. It is nearly impossible to recreate the complex ecosystems that influence outdoor grown cannabis in an indoor grow system.
At Craft Cannabis we have a wide variety outdoor and indoor grown cannabis. You will find that outdoor grown typically tends to be cheaper in cost compared to indoor grown. This is because outdoor grows do not require the same equipment that indoor grows must have. Indoor grows have to invest much more money into equipment such as lighting, ventilation, and filtering systems and maintenance is much more extensive. Although expensive, there are many benefits to growing indoors. The grower has much more control over the plant and environment which gives you consistent crop yields.
Grass Valley Farms is an outdoor grow that we carry at Craft Cannabis. Grass Valley is grown in Oroville, WA. 938’ above sea level. Oroville’s unique weather climate averages only about 3 months of warm weather a year, with the average daily high temperature being only 77 degrees. Cloudier parts of the year typically last about 8 months, and the sky is overcast or mostly cloudy about 63% of that time. The rainy period of the year lasts about 10 months, with most rain fall occurring within 30 days centered around June. Grass Valley Farms also uses all-organic farming techniques, which means they produce cannabis that is free of harsh chemicals and pesticides. All those elements combined have resulted in some of Craft Cannabis’ most popular strains, my personal favorite being a citrusy hybrid by the name of “Where’s My Bike?”
