Minnesotans Begin a New Kind of Growing Season

Growing Cannabis Legal in Minnesota August 1, 2023

Following last November’s successful election night for Democrats in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, Minnesotans have been looking, for the first time, at the possibility of legally growing their own Cannabis. With that election, the Minnesota DFL Party held power in the Minnesota House of Representatives while taking control of the Minnesota Senate, giving them the opportunity to bring a bill legalizing recreational marijuana to the desk of Governor Tim Waltz, who signed it promptly in May.

The law allows adults, age 21 or older, can possess and travel with up to 2 ounces of dried flower. They may also grow up to 8 plants, with no more than 4 of them flowering at the same time. They may also keep up to 2 pounds of flower in their homes.

At Our Urban Farms, we are officially adding Cannabis to the list of crops being grown. Follow along in this blog. We will be covering all sorts of tips and tricks for producing the best organic flower you can grow.

With that in mind here are some basic Cannabis growing tips (for planning purposes) from our friends at Humboldt Legacy Farms:

Cannabis plants require a lot of light and a long growing season. Think about this as you plan for your ideal growing location.

Cannabis plants require rich, fertile soil and a fair amount of water. They are tropical plants that need nutrition, light and heat. You will want to think of these things when thinking about how you plan to grow.

Different strains of Cannabis plants produce different levels of hundreds of different cannabinoids, each with different effects on the body. Each strain, therefore, can have different benefits, from aiding in sleep to reducing pain or controlling of seizure disorders. You will want to become familiar with the different strains while thinking of your primary purpose for growing.

Cannabis plants naturally flower in the fall, after the daylight cycle becomes shorter. When the natural sunlight gets shorter, artificial growing lights are needed to prevent them from flowering. Alternatively, artificial darkness needs to be provided in order to stimulate flowering during the summer months of the year. The exceptions to that are some "auto-flowering" strains, which automatically flower at a given age.

Cannabis plants are prone to various garden pests. As a result, organic pest management plans are essential for success.

Different strains of Cannabis plants grow to different sizes, with smaller plants being only 3 feet tall and larger ones getting to be more than 10 feet in height.

With all of that in mind, we are enthusiastically thinking ahead to see what we can grow together.