WHY OUTDOOR SUN-GROWN CANNABIS IS THE BETTER CHOICE

3 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD CARE

As cannabis is so readily available to consumers, we often don’t give much thought to the process of how cannabis is grown and what it means for the environment. Here we’ll break down why outdoor sun-grown cannabis is the better choice and why you should care.

Simply put, cannabis is a plant and plants are meant to grow outdoors. Outdoor sun-grown cannabis is cultivated outdoors under natural sunlight, as opposed to being grown indoors under artificial lighting. Cannabis thrives from equatorial climates to north of 60• latitude, depending on the strains and how they are adapted. This essentially means that while contrary to what we might assume, cannabis can be grown successfully outdoors across Canada.

Prior to its prohibition cannabis was grown exclusively outdoors, however, this shifted to commonly being grown indoors because of its once troubled legal status and as a way of keeping it “under cover.”

Now that cannabis is legal, a significant amount of cultivation is moving back outdoors and here are three reasons why sun-grown cannabis is a better choice:

IT'S BETTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

Outdoor sun-grown cannabis is the most environmentally friendly way to grow cannabis. Indoor cultivation of cannabis requires huge amounts of energy to run the lights, heating and cooling, and dehumidification as growers need to create an artificial environment that mimics the natural conditions required for the plant to thrive. This energy consumption contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and increases the carbon footprint of indoor-grown cannabis. Even greenhouse growing, though it benefits from sunlight, requires significant energy inputs.

Growing outdoors under the sun requires none of these inputs. In fact, rather than having a significant carbon footprint, grown outdoors, cannabis sequesters carbon.

Outdoor sun-grown cannabis also flourishes as an organic crop, requiring neither pesticides nor herbicides and is an ideal crop for regenerative farming practices. With a regenerative approach to growing cannabis, not only does the cannabis thrive, but so too can the soil and surrounding ecosystems which in turn support healthier plants.

IT HAS BETTER FLAVOUR AND AROMA AND MORE COMPLEX CANNABINOIDS

The most important properties of Cannabis are the aroma and taste of cannabis flower and the physiological effects of consuming it largely come down to two things: terpenes and cannabinoids.

Cannabis plants grown outdoors under natural sunlight develop a more robust and nuanced terpene profile, which is responsible for the distinctive aroma and flavor of cannabis strains. The aromas and flavours of cannabis grown outdoors are usually more intense and complex than those of the same strains grown indoors.

This is because outdoor-grown plants are exposed to a wider range of natural environmental factors that can influence the plant’s growth and development, such as full spectrum sunlight, temperature fluctuations, wind, and soil composition.

Studies have also shown that cannabis grown outdoors generally have overall higher proportion of intrinsic cannabinoids (particularly CBD, CBC and CBG) than those of the same strains grown indoors. Moreover, indoor grown cannabis typically has increased levels of oxidized and degraded cannabinoids.

IT'S MORE AFFORDABLE

The economic advantage of growing cannabis outdoors stems from the fact that the plants rely on the sun and the natural environment, not expensive artificial lights and environmental controls but it’s roots go goes deeper.

By definition indoor growing is in a building which is a major expense - not only the rent or mortgage but the taxes, maintenance, and fixed costs. Outdoor growing requires some basic security infrastructure and some farm equipment but these are a fraction of the cost of indoor infrastructure.

Outdoor sun-grown cannabis requires some basic security infrastructure and farm equipment but these are a fraction of the cost of indoor infrastructure. Powered by the sun cannabis can be grown outdoors more cost-effectively and on a larger scale, leading to lower prices for consumers. In the extremely competitive and highly taxed legal Canadian cannabis market where margins are slim if non-existent, outdoor sun-grown cannabis is the natural choice for consumers and producers alike.

In conclusion, choosing outdoor sun-grown cannabis over indoor-grown cannabis has numerous benefits including reduced environmental impact, more complex flavor, aroma and cannabinoid profiles, and greater affordability.

As consumers become more aware of the benefits of sun-grown cannabis, it is likely that we will see a significant shift towards more sustainable and environmentally friendly cultivation practices in the cannabis industry.