The cannabis industry is growing larger by the day, and it is expected to be one of the fastest expanding sectors in the following couple of years. New laws are being passed all the time, changing the legal viewpoint on medicinal marijuana being grown.

Australia has started on this journey and has seen the benefits that this branch can bring to the economy in just a couple of years.

Getting the necessary permits to grow medicinal marijuana is still a lengthy and rigorous process, overseen by the Office of Drug Control. If you manage to get the required permits and paperwork, all that is left is to get some lab-tested marijuana seeds in Australia and get growing.

The Legality of it All

The growing of cannabis for medicinal and research purposes was legalized in Australia back in 2016. It all started with Victoria becoming the first state to legalize and invest in the industry, with other states following soon after that.

Growing medicinal marijuana is still highly regulated, and the crops always go to medicine companies that make them into the final products, such as oils and tinctures. There is also prescribing medicinal marijuana to patients, which has seen a significant increase since the process had started even with the current strict rules in place.

The only way to get medicinal marijuana in Australia is through a prescription, and it seems that it will stay that way for the foreseeable future. However, the range of products may expand, as it is now mostly cannabis oils.

The industry overseas has seen a large expansion in introducing the product in the form of edibles, so who knows, maybe Australia will follow and capitalize on the industry expansion.

Top Tips For Growing Marijuana in Australia

If you are considering growing cannabis for medicinal purposes, Australian weather dictates the perfect time to start. We’ve put together a rough outline that can assist in understanding the process.

The stages are essentially the same as growing indoors and outdoors; the only difference is with indoor growing, you can have more influence on the room temperature, which can yield better results at times.

Preparation

The best time to start prepping your plants is in August or September. The colder weather starts letting off at this time, so you will be avoiding the risk of frost getting to your plants.

This is the time to get your soil and grow lamps, order your seeds, and start the germination process. Since the temperatures in August can still be lower than optimal, it’s best to start indoors and slowly progress to the outdoors if that’s the plan.

In these early stages, the young plant will need around 12 hours of light daily, so if you are growing them in the windowsill, make sure to get your grow lamps out and utilize them.

The Growing Process

As early as October, you will probably be useful to bring your plants outside during the day, as the warmth and the sunlight will be sufficient. You should also keep in mind that the plants will most likely need to be brought indoors overnight, as the temperatures can still get pretty low after the sunset.

In the following months of November and December, you can freely leave your plants outside all the time, as long as the temperature doesn’t drop below 15 degrees Celsius.

These are the months with the longest daylight period and the ones where you can expect your cannabis to grow rapidly.

The Flowering Stage

January and February are the hottest months of the year, and even with the daylight starting to run shorter, this is when the plants will start the flowering process. This is when you will be able to differentiate between the male and female plants and start weeding the male ones out.

If you are unsure how to identify the sex of the plant, keep an eye out for wispy white hairs that will only appear on females. As soon as you are sure which plants are female, weed the male ones out, so they don’t hinder the process.

Harvesting Season

Depending on the weather and the plants themselves, they should be ready for harvesting in March or even April. Before the harvesting process, make sure to keep the plants warm, well lit, and watered, and your crops should be coming in plentiful.

In Conclusion

The industry is bound to be growing as fast as the plants themselves in the coming years, so if you have the will-power to get the necessary permits – go for it, it won’t be just profitable, but also a great way to relax with some gardening.