GROW your way to better health.

Cannabis has made huge waves regarding health and lifestyle for students in California. In honor of National Gardening Month this April, consider growing your own marijuana for even more benefits of the body and mind.

Gardening itself has many perks. According to health and wellness writer Jodi Helmer: “On average, gardening burns 250 calories per hour— similar to swimming laps.” This makes gardening a great way to keep active and work out daily.
Also, “How to Increase Serotonin Without Drugs,” an article by Simon Young of McGill University, educates readers on how sunlight can naturally increase serotonin levels leaving a person feeling more positive.
As for cannabis plants, we all know marijuana has many benefits of its own. According to the National Institute of Drug Addiction: “THC can increase appetite and reduce nausea. THC may also decrease pain, inflammation (swelling and redness), and muscle control problems.”
Former Grossmont student, Kelsey Brown, 25, attended until her medical conditions led to back surgery in 2014.
“Throughout my recovery I was prescribed a multitude of pain medications that left me out of it,” Brown said.
“After I got off the medications, I was still left with a lot of pain,” she continued. “That’s when I started playing around with medical marijuana. Since then, I have found many ways to help ease me out of pain without all the side effects of pain medications. It has been a life saver.”
But whether or not you are effected by a medical condition, marijuana is now legal for anyone over 21, meaning you can use it recreationally as well.
Recreationally, using marijuana can be a fun and relaxing thing to do with friends, or to wind down before you go to bed. HEALTHY BUDS
8 THE SUMMIT | APRIL 2019
Growing Your Own Pot
Thankfully we live in a great place to grow cannabis. According to California law, anyone over 21 is allowed to have up to six cannabis plants in their possession.
STEP 1: Pick a spot.
When picking a spot for your cannabis plants, it is important that you keep privacy and security in mind. Only grow on your own property, and have respect for your neighbors.
According to the Leafly.com article “How to Grow Marijuana Outdoors: A Beginner’s Guide,” outdoor plants can grow up to 15-feet tall.
“Your cannabis plants should receive as much direct sunlight as possible, ideally during midday, when the quality of light is best,” the Leafly staff advised. “As the season changes and Fall approaches, your plants will get less and less sunlight throughout the day, which will trigger the flowering stage.”
STEP 2: Decide on a strain and find seeds.
When deciding on what strain to grow, consider what your use for marijuana is. Do you require an indica strain to help you sleep? Or something you can use throughout the day for pain management? Whatever your desired effects are, there are many resources online to help you decide what strain is right for you.
Acquiring seeds to start your cannabis garden is easier than ever. There are many local dispensaries that offer seeds and guidance on how to plant them. A recommendation from Leafly is for beginners to use already feminized seeds.
According to the article: “If your seeds don’t come feminized, you could end up with both males and females, in which case you’ll need to sex them out to get rid of the males (only females produce buds).”
STEP 3: Mix in the soil.
The next step would be to bring in soil. If you are lacking space or the capacity to dig large holes for in-ground planting, then use containers for your plants.
“In general, five-gallon pots are a good size for small to medium outdoor plants, and 10-gallon pots or larger are recommended for big plants,” according to the Leafly article, which adds that cannabis thrives in soil rich with organic matter and needs good drainage.
Soil is made up of clay, sand and silt. Leafly says the best soil for cannabis plants would be considered “silty.”
STEP 4: Water your plants.
Your plants will need lots of water especially during the warmer months.
Abby Hutmacher, writer and founder of Cannabis Content offers this advice: “A good rule of thumb to determine if your plant is ready to be watered is to put your finger in the soil up to your first knuckle (around 5 cm). If the soil is dry, it’s time to water. If the soil is still wet, hold off for another day.”
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