Which Type of Cannabis is Better? Outdoor or Indoor?

There is a new debate going on in the cannabis industry, and it’s not about which strain is the “best”, or whether flower or extracts are superior.  It goes all the way back to how the actual cannabis plant is grown. 

With the hemp industry thriving in a large portion of the United States, farmers and breeders are finding more ways to cultivate top-shelf plant material than ever before.  So, the question is, which is better: cannabis that’s grown outdoors in the open air, or cannabis that’s grown indoors in a perfectly controlled, manmade environment?

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Outdoor Cannabis

Naturally, as cannabis is a plant, it grows quite well outdoors, and has for thousands of years.  In fact, we have evidence of cannabis growing in western China 2500 years ago, where it soaked in the sunlight and nutrients from the soil, thriving in the perfect climate.

Cannabis has grown naturally around the world for ages, and it’s actually quite an easygoing plant that can grow wild – as long as the conditions are right.  Each cultivar (strain) of cannabis has its own specific needs when it comes to sunlight, temperature, nutrients, humidity and so on, but in the most general sense, it’s easy to cultivate outdoors.

Of course, whether or not you can grow outdoors does depend on your climate.  For instance, if you live in a cold climate, you can only grow in the warm months, and if you’re a commercial grower, this just isn’t practical.  

There are pros and cons to growing the plant outside in the open air.  Growing outdoors is less work given your climate is ideal, because the sunlight, soil and rain will take care of everything, and the most you’ll need to do is fertilize and water as needed.  But, if you live in a less-than-ideal climate, you can end up with a lot of waste since the plant is less likely to thrive, while also being more susceptible to issues ranging from mold to insect damage.

Besides that, your soil may be more polluted than you realize.  Cannabis does a uniquely good job of absorbing the materials in its surrounding soil.  If your soil is organic, that’s no problem.  But, if your soil contains pesticides and other potential toxins, you’re going to end up putting those materials into your body when you consume the plant.  As a buyer, you need to make sure you’re buying cannabis that was grown in organic soil, exactly for this reason.

Indoor Cannabis

Thanks to new developments in technology, it’s easier to cultivate cannabis indoors than ever before.  Growers now have the tools to perfectly control humidity, temperature, light/dark cycles and soil quality so that they can perfectly replicate the ideal growing environment inside their home.  And, there’s less likelihood of disease and pests since the environment is contained.

Basically, the main advantage of growing indoors is being able to provide the plant with a stable environment that’s 100% conducive to its success.  Even if a person lives in the ideal climate, growing outdoors still leaves a lot to chance, including drought, freak storms, pest infestations and generally inconsistent weather.

Because of this, the majority of cannabis we consume has been grown indoors, in dedicated, licensed facilities, by expert growers who know how to control every aspect of the space to give the plants everything they need to grow as healthy as possible.  Because there’s less chance of waste, indoor growing is also more cost-effective.  Plus, it allows those who live in colder climates the ability to cultivate cannabis throughout the year, rather than just during the warm months.

Indoor growers are also gravitating toward a new method known as hydroponics.  Hydroponic farming involves trading out soil for a nutrient-rich liquid solution, and this game-changing technique comes with many advantages.  For one thing, plants can be grown together more densely, eliminating the need for ample space, because there’s less nutrient scarcity and a reduced risk of mold.  And, hydroponic setups can make plants healthier and stronger because their nutrient levels are better sustained throughout the growth cycle.

The Third Option: Greenhouse Grown

There’s a third option often overlooked, which is growing in a greenhouse.  Technically, a greenhouse is both outdoors and indoors, since it relies on many outdoor elements yet is a fully enclosed space.  Greenhouse grown cannabis enjoys the natural day/night cycle of the sun, which plays a critical role in the plant’s health.  Meanwhile, the temperature and humidity can be controlled in a greenhouse, and hence, less risk of pests.  A lot of big-time cultivators grow cannabis in a greenhouse as it sort of provides the best of both worlds.

Why Most People Prefer Indoor Grown Cannabis

Like we said, growing cannabis indoors offers a lot of advantages to the cultivator.  But what about the consumer?  Well, by being able to have so much control over the indoor growing environment, indoor farmers can provide consumers with exactly what they want.  Creating the perfect environment for cannabis indoors means that the plant will end up with a higher level of desirable compounds, leading to a higher potency level and stronger flavor due to the terpenes in the plant material.

At the same time, some farmers are lucky, and live in an environment in which their crops can grow under the exact ideal conditions.  In this event, it seems as though their outdoor grown crops have a wider variety of cannabinoids and terpenes, and the buds grow larger than those grown indoors.  Why this is the case is not fully known, but it probably has something to do with the laws of mother nature, which we can only try to replicate so much. 

The Bottom Line

Overall, cannabis grown indoors, outdoors, and in a greenhouse will all be slightly different.  But, unless you’re a serious connoisseur, you may not even notice any significant difference.  No matter how a particular company grows their plant, always make sure that you’re buying fresh, organic cannabis flower from a highly reputable source, to know you’re getting the best of the best buds on the market. 

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