Thinking about growing your own medical marijuana at home? Wondering if it will be worth it? What does it take and what are Oklahoma’s grow laws surrounding cannabis?
Sadly, cultivating marijuana isn’t as easy as growing house plants or raising up a little ganja patch in your backyard. There are rules and costs, not to mention the time and effort it takes to tend to your grow. However, an upfront investment in home cultivation could lead to a cheap long-term supply of medical cannabis. Let’s start talking.
What Do You Need to Grow Medical Marijuana?
Before you begin shopping for seeds, you’ll want to check out the rules. In Oklahoma, the rules for patient cultivation at home (so far) are not very detailed or restrictive. Per the Oklahoma State Department of Health, you must follow a few simple rules under the Medical Marijuana Control Program. Here’s what you’ll need to know for at-home cultivation.
Oklahoma Grow Laws for Medical Patients
Compared to other states, Oklahoma grow laws for medical marijuana aren’t super strict. The state makes it surprisingly simple to enjoy some home-grown bud! Still, they’ve got a few rules in place that you should be aware of.
Who can home grow medical marijuana in Oklahoma?
A licensed MMJ patient or their caregiver may grow medical marijuana for the patient. Currently, there is no cultivation licensing process for the patient or caregiver. “A caregiver may only exercise cultivation rights on behalf of up to five medical marijuana patient license holders.”
Where can you grow medical marijuana in Oklahoma?
As a medical marijuana patient license holder or caregiver, you’ve got some strict rules to follow in terms of at-home cultivation locations. For example, any medical cannabis you cultivate must be grown on your property or on the property of someone for which you have the owner’s written permission to grow it on their property.
Additional Oklahoma grow laws include:
- Any and all medical marijuana that licensed patients or caregivers grow shall not be accessible to the general public or any non-medical patient.
- Any and all medical marijuana that licensed patients or caregivers grow shall not be visible from any street adjacent to the property. Medical marijuana is “visible” if a normal person with 20/20 vision can see it without the use of any device to assist in improving viewing distance or vantage point.
- No licensed patient or caregiver shall operate or otherwise use any extraction equipment or processes utilizing butane, propane, carbon dioxide, or any potentially hazardous material in or on residential property.
How much medical marijuana can I home grow in Oklahoma?
A licensed patient or their caregiver may legally possess six mature marijuana plants and six seedlings; mature plants are flowering plants, while seedlings are non-flowering. The states allow an equal amount of each so that you may maintain a continuous growth cycle of your medical marijuana.
Cultivation Fees
Currently, the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority (OMMA) doesn’t charge any fees for home cultivation.
How to grow medical marijuana at home
Now that you’re familiar with Oklahoma grow laws, let’s get into the nitty-gritty details of at-home cultivation.
In general, growing marijuana is not easy, and you will want to understand the time, effort, and costs involved.
There are consultants available to help you set up your home grow. However, be sure to do your due diligence as a consumer. Check reviews and get recommendations before purchasing seed, equipment, and even consultants. Some consultants are willing to plan according to your needs and budget (somewhat).
Whether it’s a simple setup that you tend to yourself or a more expensive, fully automated home facility that you can control from your smartphone, your grow setup is your choice.
But at the very least, there are the costs of making your facility secure; the lights needed for growing; additional electricity; in some cases, temperature control; dehumidifiers; and we can’t forget the cost of the seeds or clones.
Some things to take into consideration:
Light Control
Plants at different stages need different amounts of light. You need female plants to produce flowers (the bud). Too much light at later stages or leaked-in light could cause plants to produce male flowers, which are seed-heavy and can have adverse effects on your cultivation.
Here’s how a lighting schedule should look: 16-20 hours of sunlight per 24 hours while the plants are in vegetative growth, then 12 hours of light per 24 when you want plants to flower. This will give you an idea of time and electricity spent on lighting alone — not to mention the cost of the light. You can use HID, fluorescent, or LED, as each has its pros and cons.
Tips for Your Oklahoma Home Grow
- You must closely control temperature — typically between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The lights can raise the temperature in the facility. Also, humidity is a factor: you do not want mold on your plants. You will need to keep air flowing as well. This often involves fans and dehumidifiers, or even just an open window for ample airflow. Fans should circulate air and not point directly on plants — this could cause windburn.
- Other factors include (but are not limited to) what kind of containers you want to grow your plants in, whether to use soil or hydroponics, and the macronutrients and micronutrients you will need to feed them at various stages.
- Consider your grow space. You will have to think about the amount of space needed for your plants. Tall, skinny sativa strains may only need 18-by-18 inches of floor space; short, bushy indicas need more.
These are just some of the things you will want to consider when deciding to cultivate medical marijuana at home in Oklahoma. The costs could range from a couple of thousand to get started to so much more, all depending on how high-tech you want to get and whether you wish to use a consultant.
However, if you will require medicinal marijuana for an extended period, and you have the time and resources to grow, it will definitely be cost-effective in the long run if you settle into a thriving home-grow operation. (As long as you follow Oklahoma grow laws, that is.)
What’s Left to Know?
So, what’s left to know about Oklahoma grow laws or at-home cultivation? You tell us! If you still have questions about cultivating your home grow and medical cannabis, shoot us a question and we’ll get you the answers you need.
Even though Elevate Holistics specializes in helping you get your medical card recommendation, we do far more than just that. Overall, we strive to be your number one cannabis resource; whether you’re looking for a dispensary near you or want to know more about terpenes, we’ve got you covered.
If you’re ready to have your own Oklahoma medical card, just use the box below to book an appointment and get started.
Still have questions about medical marijuana home cultivation in Oklahoma?
- Read our MMJ Oklahoma FAQ.
- Find medical marijuana doctors near me in Oklahoma.
