Anxiety – Grow Weed Easy

Lemon-Scented Cannabis Strains: Grow Weed with Relaxing d-Limonene

Nebula Haze — Sat, 29 Jun 2024 07:16:29 +0000

by Nebula Haze

“Lemon” Scented Cannabis Strains May Be More Relaxing

Current research shows that a lemon-smelling terpene known as d-Limonene may reduce THC-induced anxiety effects for some people. D-Limonene is one of the most common terpenes in nature. But you find the highest amounts of d-Limonene in citrus fruits, especially in rind oil from lemons, oranges, and limes. D-Limonene is only found in a smaller subset of cannabis strains. For growers looking to maximize relaxation and reduce paranoia, we compiled a list of strains that test extra high in d-limonene, including one superstar strain.

Surprising Result: Interestingly, although d-Limonene is considered to smell like lemons, upon lab testing, a lot of the highest levels we found were in “Mandarin”, “Sour”, “Diesel”, “Cookies”, and “Gorilla Glue” cannabis strains. When we examined all our lab results from over the years, we were surprised to learn that many “Lemon” strains did not necessarily have the highest levels of this terpene compared to others, though of course there are exceptions. Keep reading for specific strain “Lemon” scented suggestions.

Strain names that tend to have higher amounts of d-Limonene often include these words (of course, not always):

Mandarin
Sour
Diesel
Cookies
Gorilla Glue

The Power of Lemon in Terpenes Like d-Limonene

Have you ever noticed that you may feel different effects from different strains of weed? When it comes to cannabis, it’s not just THC that affects the “high” or how you feel. Cannabis contains other compounds, including terpenes like d-Limonene, that alter the overall experience from smoking or vaporizing.

Did You Know? The “entourage effect” is how different compounds work together to change how you feel from different strains. Just like a celebrity with an entourage of bodyguards and assistants, THC has an entourage of chemical compounds in weed. The most studied are CBD and terpenes like d-Limonene.

Why is cannabis-based d-Limonene special?

D-limonene is a terpene that affects the experience of weed. Terpenes are smelly compounds found in plants, which often give them their distinct odor. For example pine trees get their smell from pinene. And Linalool is responsible for the unique floral scent of lavender, also contributing to the smells of coriander and mint.

Cannabis buds contain an array of different terpenes that create a bouquet of smells for each strain. However, only some strains contain d-Limonene.

Each cannabis strain has different levels of terpenes and cannabinoids.

How does d-Limonene reduce anxiety and enhance relaxation?

In this study, it was found that higher amounts of limonene while vaporizing weed reduced the likelihood of cannabis enthusiasts or patients experiencing the “paranoia” effect.

Anecdotally, citrus-scented strains are often noted for their relaxing effects. Here is one last anecdote from when we went through our data for this article. After we determined which strains contained the highest levels of d-Limonene, we noted that many of these strains had been described subjectively as being specifically relaxing and anti-anxiety.

Those two anecdotes plus a small study doesn’t prove anything, but if you’re looking for relaxing weed it seems worth giving d-Limonene strains a try to see if it works for you.

My 7 Favorite “Lemon” Scented Strains with High d-Limonene

In celebration of d-Limonene, I wanted to share 7 strains that contain relatively higher amounts of this terpene. These strains often tend to have hints of citrus smell in the buds, but sometimes you don’t actually smell the citrus smell, especially if it has strong other smells. For example, many “Cookies” strains (like Platinum Cookies), or “Sour” strains (like Sour Diesel) have significant amounts of d-Limonene, but the “lemon” smell doesn’t come through except perhaps as a note of citrus.

How did we make this list? Some of these strains were lab tested by others, but many were lab tested ourselves, as stated in each description.

We lab-test our homegrown buds to help track what does and doesn’t work. We’ve experimented with growing techniques, grow light direct comparisons, soil vs coco, and more. Check out our side-by-side grow experiments to see some of the tests we’ve conducted. We’ve tested just under a hundred different homegrown buds. It was exciting to realize we could use that data to run a little “mini-study” on d-Limonene based on results in the field over several years. Let us know if you’d like to see any particular experiments with lab tests.

Here are our best picks for d-Limonene.

#1 Strain for d-Limonene: Mandarin Cookies by Ethos Genetics

This strain beat all others on the list. When we got our Mandarin Cookies buds tested at the lab, all the samples were at least around 1% d-Limonene. One sample was even 1.4% d-Limonene. That means 1.4% of all the dried mass of the buds was the terpene d-Limonene. On top of that it measured 26.9% THC under an HID grow light, and 28.3% THC when grown under an HLG LED grow light. That means almost 1/3 of the buds of this strain (by dry weight) were either THC or d-Limonene. That easily puts Mandarin Cookies at that top of the list!

Our Mandarin Cookies not only had great effects, but buds are super photogenic.

Our lab results:

Mandarin Cookies Lab Result #1 (PDF) – Grown with 315W ceramic metal halide light)
Mandarin Cookies Lab Result #2 (PDF) – Grown with 350W HLG LED grow light. As a side note, this grow light produces the highest THC and terpenes of any grow lights we’ve tried so far.

At that time, there wasn’t any scientific studies on d-Limenine, but I can anecdotally attest that everyone found the Mandarin Cookies buds to be particularly relaxing and gave everyone good vibes. This seems to go along with the idea that this terpene may increase relaxing effects.

Get Mandarin Cookies seeds by Ethos.

One of the Mandarin Cookies plants we grew. Buds were incredibly sparkly.

Of the two plants, the Mandarin Cookies grown under the HLG 350W LED grow light (here’s the full setup) produced the highest amounts of THC and d-Limonene.

Mandarin Cookies just before harvest.

Those Mandarin Cookies buds after harvest.

7 More Awesome Strains with Abundant Limonene

Surprising Result: Interestingly, although d-Limonene is considered to smell like lemons, upon lab testing, a lot of the highest levels were found in “Mandarin”, “Sour”, “Orange”, “Diesel”, “Cookies”, and “Gorilla Glue” strains. When we examined all our lab results from over the years, we were surprised to learn that many “Lemon” strains did not necessarily have the highest levels of this terpene compared to others, though of course there are exceptions.

Here are examples of other strains we’ve tested (or have been tested by other growers or breeders) and found to have above-average levels of d-Limonene.

1.) Zoap by MSNL (Rainbow Sherbet x Pink Guava)

I thought this was kind of a strange name for such a fruity strain, but as they say “a rose by any other name would smell as sweet”. In addition to high amounts of d-Limonene, Zoap buds have a sweet berry citrus smell that’s pleasant and fruity. Buds produce over 25% THC, so the potency is very high. Another reason home growers love this strain is it tends to produce big yields, yet is forgiving and beginner-friendly.

Get Zoap by MSNL.

2.) Strawberry Sorbet by DNA Genetics

This strain has indica-leaning genetics and it naturally grows in a Christmas tree shape with just one main bud. But unusually for an indica strain, it grows a bit tall and stretchy, making these plants great candidates for plant training. You can make it grow bushy with many buds by topping it (cutting of the top) when the young plant has 5-6 full sets of leaves. Then gently spread out the branches (down and away from the center of the plant) as it grows so plants grow wide and flat. This results in excellent yields with lots of big main buds all over the plant.

Get Strawberry Sorbet by DNA Genetics.

Try to spread this plant out wide as it grows, or it will get tall.

Strawberry Sorbet effects have been described as giving you fresh energy.

3.) GG Lemon by Seed Supreme

We found in our tests that many Gorilla Glue (“GG”) strains have surprisingly high amounts of d-Limonene. This Gorilla Glue strain in particular has honed in on the lemon scent.

Get GG Lemon seeds by Seed Supreme.

Strains with Gorilla Glue (“GG”) ancestry like GG Lemon often produce more d-Limonene.

4.) Candy Games #38 by Happy Valley Genetics

Candy Games #38 is a fruity strain by a relatively new breeder known as Happy Valley Genetics. I’ve been really impressed by this breeder so far and their Candy strains are prized for giving energetic effects without being overwhelming. This particular strain makes purple-tinted buds that are tight and sparkly. Check out their homepage for more information.

Get Candy Games #38 by Happy Valley Genetics.

“Candy Games” is right!

5.) Platinum Cookies by Seed Supreme

This is just an all around easy-to-grow strain with amazing bud results. The Platinum Cookies plants were by far the favorite strain from that grow, and coincidentally have higher amounts of d-Limonene.

The one thing about this strain is it does tend to get a bit tall, and has a slightly longer flowering stage than average (about 10-12 weeks), due to its Sativa-leaning genetics. That being said, the yields and bud quality are outstanding and I highly recommend it for any grower. Check out my full strain review of Platinum Cookies.

Get Platinum Cookies by Seed Supreme.

One of the Platinum Cookies we grew.

6.) Nitro Lemon Haze by MSNL

Another strain by MSNL that is relatively heavy in d-Limonene. This is a great option for those who don’t like a a “heavy” or debilitating stone. This is perfect if you instead seek a “Sativa” high that is more psychedelic and energetic.

Unlike other similar Haze strains, this strain has a normal flowering time that only needs about 10 weeks before buds are ready to harvest. That also means it can be a good choice for growing outdoors in a climate that has a shorter summer.

Get Nitro Lemon Haze by MSNL.

This was our Lemon Haze plant from MSNL. Big ol’ buds!

7.) Tropicana Cookies Purple by Seed Supreme

This is one of those strains that is just a pleasure to grow, buds look gorgeous, and the bud effects are outstanding.

5 Special Mentions

Besides the Sour Diesel, these haven’t been specifically tested for d-Limonene by me, but are delicious strains with relaxing effects:

San Fernando Lemon Kush by Sweet Seeds
Super Lemon Haze by Seed Supreme
Sour Diesel by Royal Queen Seeds (this one tested high in d-Limonene, though it didn’t smell much like lemons)
Amnesia Fast by Seedsman (very quick to harvest compared to most strains)
Northern Tropic by Elev8 Seeds

Auto-flowering Strains with High d-Limonene

Auto-flowering strains are your ticket to a speedy harvest. Most strains are ready to harvest 2-3 months from germination. Learn about auto-flowering strains compared to typical photoperiod strains..

CheMACal Romance Auto by DNA Genetics – Primary terpene is limonene in tests, beautiful buds, fast to harvest.
Cream Mandarine Autoflower by Seed Supreme – Citrusy with an underlying “sweet cream” flavor make this one special! Reminiscent of a creamsicle.
Gorilla Glue Auto by Fast Buds – This isn’t listed as having a lemon scent (though it does say it has a fruity sour smell). However, when we got these tested at the lab the buds were almost 0.5% d-Limonene.

These Gorilla Glue Auto buds tested at 0.5% d-Limonene at the lab.

Gorilla Glue Auto by Fast Buds bud up close. Sparkly!

5 Grow Tips to Maximize d-Limonene

Besides growing a high d-Limonene strain, here are grow tactics to maximize terpenes like d-Limonene in your buds after harvest.

Not Hot – Avoid letting grow space get over 80°F / 27°F if possible. Learn how to keep the grow space cool and breezy.
Not Humid – Avoid letting humidity get over 60% if possible. High humidity is a bud killer. It results in airy buds, slower growth, smaller yields, lower potency, and less smell overall. Plus high humidity can cause bud rot if buds get too fat. Learn all about humidity when growing cannabis.
Harvest at the Right Time – Cannabis buds have peak potency and terpenes when buds are mature. Harvesting buds too early gives you buds with lower potency and smell. Give buds enough time to create all the good stuff! See pictures of ready-to-harvest cannabis buds.
Dry Buds Properly – Slow drying buds over several day helps keep all your terpenes including d-Limonene. Most important, avoid air-drying buds in a place that gets hot or humid. Learn how to dry your cannabis buds like a pro.
“Cure” Your Buds – Cure buds in jars for at least 2 weeks before smoking – Both the smell and potency/effects of cannabis buds improve and intensify during the curing process. Learn how to cure your buds perfectly every time.

Bonus Tip: I have not tried this, but some growers swear by Sweet Citrus by Botanicare.

The Botanicare Sweet line is a unique set of organic cannabis grow supplements that claim to “provides aroma and flavor” via “bioactive esters” that enhance bud fragrance and produces a specific smell in cannabis plants. Besides Citrus they also have an unflavored Raw Sugar Sweet supplement that seems to be the most popular from this line.

The Sweet Citrus supplement claims to enhance citrus smell in cannabis buds.

Follow the above grow tips to maximize terpenes and d-Limonene.

Conclusion: Embrace Lemon Strains!

Here is a summary of today’s article.

New research shows that a lemon-smelling terpene known as d-Limonene may reduce THC-induced anxiety effects for some people. D-Limonene is only found in a smaller subset of cannabis strains.

For growers looking to maximize relaxation and reduce paranoia, we compiled a list of strains that test extra high in d-limonene.

In our lab tests, we found that these strain names often have higher amounts of d-Limonene compared to others, though of course this is not foolproof:

Look out for these words in strain names.

Mandarin
Sour
Diesel
Cookies
Gorilla Glue

Did you enjoy this article? If so, contact us and let us know! Also don’t hesitate to share your favorite strains or pictures.

About the Author: Nebula Haze

Nebula Haze is a dedicated cannabis enthusiast and co-creator of GrowWeedEasy.com, the go-to resource for every aspect of cannabis cultivation. With years of hands-on experience growing cannabis at home, Nebula has used her passion for simplifying the grow process to help countless growers transform their grows and achieve amazing yields and bud quality at home. She uses her in-depth knowledge to create simple, easy-to-follow tutorials that make learning to grow weed easy and fun.

In this article, Nebula dives into the fascinating world of terpenes, especially d-Limonene, and its potential to enhance relaxation and reduce anxiety via the entourage effect. Through her detailed guides, practical tips, and personal insights, Nebula’s approach to empower growers of all levels to cultivate the best cannabis possible. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to improve your results, Nebula’s expertise and enthusiasm are here at GrowWeedEasy.com to guide you every step of the way.

Nebula Haze wishing you abundant harvests!

Don’t miss out on the latest tips, tricks, and expert advice from Nebula Haze! Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get the best cannabis cultivation tactics delivered straight to you every Sunday morning at 4:20 am.

The post Lemon-Scented Cannabis Strains: Grow Weed with Relaxing d-Limonene appeared first on Grow Weed Easy.

Medical Marijuana Resources

Nebula Haze — Sun, 14 Feb 2016 06:40:42 +0000

by Nebula Haze

Although this website is about growing cannabis, I’ve put together a few resources for medical marijuana patients, I hope it helps someone out there!

Please let me know if there’s something you’d like to see added!

Resources for medical marijuana patients

Medical Marijuana Laws

Medical Conditions

Cannabinoids

Growing Tactics

Vaporizing

Learn More About Vaporizing

Edible Recipes & Hash

Edibles

Decarboxylation: How to Decarb Your Weed (crucial step for just about every edible recipe)
Best Weed Butter Recipe
- How to Make Great Brownies with Weed Butter
Canna Caps
How to Make Cannabis Gummies (Weed Gummy Bears)
How to Make Cannabis Tinctures
How to Make Hash Oil (aka Cannabis Extract Oil or RSO)
Rick Simpson Oil (RSO) – Alternate

Extracts (No Solvents Used in Any Recipe)

Solventless Extraction Showdown – Bubble Hash vs. Dry-Ice Hash!
Dry Ice Hash (Made with Dry Ice)
How to Make Bubble Hash (Made with Ice Water)
How To Make Your Own Homemade Rosin (dabs)
Best Weed Butter Recipe
Canna Caps
Rick Simpson Oil (RSO)
How to make dry ice hash

The post Medical Marijuana Resources appeared first on Grow Weed Easy.

Growing Medical Marijuana: “Medical” vs Non-Medical Strains

Nebula Haze — Wed, 03 Feb 2016 09:13:50 +0000

by Nebula Haze

Table of Contents

What Makes a Strain “Medical” (or Not)?

Will You Get Messed Up?

What Diseases Can Medical Marijuana Cure?

Which Strains Work for Which Symptoms?

What’s the Difference Between “Hemp” and Weed?

Grow Tactics

What Makes a Strain “Medical”?

What’s the difference between “medical” and non-medical marijuana?

Short Answer: There is no objective difference between adult-use and medical marijuana.

Wait, what?

When it comes to cannabis, there are thousands of varieties with a wide spectrum of possible effects. While some of these effects are more “medical” than others, a strain that offers relief to one patient could make symptoms worse for another patient (and vice versa). Therefore, what you should focus on is finding a strain that offers relief for the specific symptoms you’re suffering from. It also usually takes some trial and error to figure out what works best for you and your body.

Is this “medical” marijuana? The answer may surprise you. It depends on your symptoms and how your body reacts!

There are so many cannabis strains that it’s impossible to neatly categorize them all. People often discuss the differences between “indica” and “sativa” strains when it comes to medical marijuana, but nearly every strain of cannabis is a hybrid.

To add another layer of complexity, we’re still learning how different compounds in cannabis affect humans. Recently, researchers in Italy discovered THCP, a powerful new cannabinoid that we didn’t know existed. There’s evidence that other cannabis derivatives such as terpenes and cannabis flavonoids may be responsible for some of the medical effects of cannabis, but we don’t fully understand how everything works together. Until there’s more objective research, a lot of medical marijuana patients must experiment to figure out which strains work best. Unfortunately, it’s not always easy to predict.

What should you do?

Instead of focusing on whether a strain is indica or sativa, or some other aspect like how it looks/smells, it’s often more useful to choose genetics based on the known effects and reviews from other patients.

Does medical marijuana get you “messed up?”

While many strains of cannabis have strong mental effects, some varieties are completely non-psychoactive. Non-psychoactive varieties of cannabis won’t affect your thinking much (if at all). Non-psychoactive varieties of cannabis are usually high in CBD with almost no THC. These low-THC strains are popular for the relief of anxiety, insomnia, and seizures.

Some cannabis strains affect your thinking, while others do not

However, many patients do use high-THC varieties of cannabis for the relief of certain symptoms such as pain and nausea. High-THC strains will get you “high” alongside any symptom relief.

What are the medical marijuana laws in your US state?

What Diseases Can Medical Marijuana Cure?

It is really really important to get out there that cannabis has not been proven to “cure” anything. Despite how much I love this plant and personally benefit from its properties, there is no credible scientific evidence that cannabis is some sort of cure-all.

That’s not to say that medical marijuana/cannabis is without relieving properties. In fact, cannabis is so reliable at giving relief to those in need that it’s been available for medical use in California for almost 20 years. As of 2020, there are several countries as well as over 30 states in the USA with some form of legislation to allow cannabis for those in need.

However, there are unfortunately many people willing to offer false hope to very sick people by saying that cannabis can cure their cancer, MS, PTSD, or epilepsy. When someone says that cannabis can “cure” something, their comments should be taken with a healthy dose of skepticism unless you’re given solid evidence that legitimizes their claim. Again, as of yet, there is no proof that marijuana “cures” anything in that it’s never been proven to completely eliminate a disease or condition.

The evidence that medical marijuana “cures” any condition is not conclusive

I’m not saying that medical marijuana doesn’t cure anything, just that we don’t currently have concrete evidence that it does. And when it comes to evaluating your possible medical options, I believe you must look at the evidence, and not go by word of mouth from people who are not medical practitioners.

Unfortunately, despite what you may have heard, there is no credible evidence that marijuana “cures” anything (though research is ongoing). What marijuana has actually been shown to do is offer relief from specific symptoms.

There is a lot of substantive evidence that some people are experiencing relief from cannabis for various symptoms, and that’s the focus of this article.

Which Strains Work for Which Symptoms?

I can give you some general guidelines (find them below) to help you get started, but there are no absolutes when it comes to the effects of different strains. Not only do strains have different effects if they’re grown under different conditions, the same buds also affect people differently.

A strain that aggravates anxiety for one person could reduce pain or nausea for a different patient. Buds that prevent one person from having seizures could actually trigger seizures for someone else.

This huge spectrum of effects is part of why we need to legally reschedule cannabis as a whole plant, so we can start to tease apart the specific components of cannabis that cause each specific effect. Like how we do with any other medicine.

Currently, patients in the medical marijuana scene must use iffy information combined with personal trial and error. There is no current database or other good way for medical marijuana providers and patients to share their experiences with each other. Because cannabis is illegal on a federal level in the US, there is very little reputable research that can be conducted on a large scale without the worry of legal trouble.

Example of medical marijuana from a California dispensary. You often don’t get much information about what you’re buying!

This is part of why it can be so much better to grow your own medical marijuana at home. You get to choose exactly what you want!

However, because of all the misinformation out there, when it comes to finding relief with medical marijuana it’s important to be realistic and manage expectations. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Now let’s share what we do know about medical marijuana, including what makes it effective for some patients and not-so-effective for others.

What We Know About Cannabinoids

There are different components found in cannabis which cause different effects. Although some substances such as terpenes (aromatics/smells) have been shown to alter the mental and physical effects of buds, it is the cannabinoids found in cannabis flowers that are the subject of the most research and interest. Cannabinoids work on natural receptors in our brain, causing the majority of effects attributed to cannabis.

Here’s a very short list of common cannabis cannabinoids (say that three times fast!) that have medical interest for researchers and patients. There are dozens more, but these are the ones we know the most about.

THC vs CBD vs CBN

THC – responsible for many of the mental, anti-nausea, and possibly pain-relieving effects
CBD – great promise for the relief of anxiety, seizures, insomnia, and many other conditions
CBN – CBN levels rise as buds are allowed to go longer before harvest. It has a relaxing or body effect and is less psychoactive than THC.
Other Cannabinoids – There are dozens, even hundreds of cannabinoids that can be found in various strains of cannabis or hemp. Most of these are not well studied or may not even be officially identified yet!
Learn more about THC vs CBD vs CBN

Popular Conditions That May Get Relief From Medical Marijuana

Pain, Spasms, Nausea & Lack of Appetite – Often treated with high-THC strains. Results vary widely from patient to patient so it’s best to gauge results on a strain-by-strain basis.
Symptoms from Cancer Treatment – Many cancer patients have reported that cannabis gives them relief from the symptoms of chemotherapy. However, there is no concrete evidence that cannabis can cure cancer in humans. Please talk to your oncologist if you plan on using cannabis in conjunction with cancer treatment! Oncologists are some of the most sympathetic doctors when it comes to cannabis use.
Seizures / Epilepsy / Dravet Syndrome – I’m most familiar with these conditions because I have epilepsy as well as a niece with Dravet Syndrome. It’s insane how much incorrect information I see thrown around about medical marijuana when it comes to seizures. The truth is, some epilepsy patients report a reduction of symptoms when using high-CBD strains. Most of these patients are using medical marijuana in addition to their other prescriptions, not as a replacement. However, higher levels of THC can actually trigger seizures for some patients, and most strains available today are high-THC and low-CBD. That means that most types of cannabis have the potential to make seizure symptoms worse! Therefore it’s incredibly important for people suffering from seizures to know what they’re getting, and also to work closely with a neurologist when making any changes to their medication. I personally use both high-CBD and high-THC strains, but I continue to take my prescription as well. Learn more about seizures and the effects of medical cannabis.
Anxiety or Insomnia – Anxiety and sleeplessness are often addressed with high-CBD and medium-to-low-THC. For some people, high levels of THC can make anxiety worse, especially if trying cannabis in a new or unusual situation or when ingesting more than they’re used to. However, some patients get the most relief from high-THC strains. Note: Buds that are harvested too early or not dried and cured properly are more likely to cause anxiety, sleeplessness, and headaches for some people. Learn more about finding relief from anxiety with medical marijuana.

Mullaways Medical Cannabis’ medical crop, used for cannabinoid research in Australia

Vaping & Edibles for Medical Marijuana

When it comes to medical marijuana, smoking isn’t the best option as it can irritate lungs and there’s a lot of evidence smoking isn’t good for you!

However, vaping (vaporizing your weed instead of burning it) or eating edibles (cannabis in edible form) are considered the “gold standard” way to take advantage of medical marijuana.

Learn more about vaporizing cannabis

My Favorite Edible Resources

Decarboxylation: How to Decarb Your Weed (crucial step for just about every edible recipe)
Best Weed Butter Recipe
Canna Caps for Easy Dosing
How to Make Hash Oil / Rick Simpson Oil (RSO)
How to Make Cannabis Tinctures

What’s the Difference Between “Hemp” and Weed?

Many people think of “hemp” as being a specific strain. Sort of like how there is “Sour Diesel” and “White Widow”. Others think hemp is closely related to cannabis but is a fundamentally different species of plant. Like peaches and plums.

Neither of those is true.

Hemp and cannabis are the same species of plant. So what exactly is hemp? Any strain of cannabis/marijuana that contains less than 0.3% THC (in the USA) is legally considered to be hemp. It’s not a strain, it’s a categorization. It’s like how there are many varieties of red roses. “Red” is a categorization, not the name of a specific variety of roses. Some countries have different upper legal limits for hemp such 0.2% and 0.5% THC, but the idea is the same.

Learn more about hemp laws in the USA on the FDA government website.

Is this hemp? It depends on whether a lab measures over or under 0.3% THC.

Let’s say I purchase “hemp” seeds and grow them out. Any plants that tests below 0.3% THC by dry weight is legally considered hemp. However, if one plant gets tested and is measured at 0.31% THC (on any part of the plant), that means it’s not legally hemp anymore. Even though it came from hemp seeds, and even though all the other plants from the same parents were legally hemp, this plant would be considered a narcotic because the THC percentage is over the legal limit.

Hemp is a category of cannabis, not a specific strain!

A major advantage of growing hemp over other types of cannabis is that it’s legal on the federal level in most parts of the world. While there is a lot of legal gray area surrounding high-THC cannabis, hemp farmers are rarely prosecuted in most places.

Because of the strict THC limitations, a huge part of the hemp industry is checking that plants stay under 0.3% THC (or whatever the local legal limit). Many hemp growers regularly test plants throughout the growing process so they can quickly toss any plants that test over the limit.

If you ever would like to grow hemp because it’s federally legal, it’s recommended you buy hemp seeds from a specialist to help ensure your plants don’t go over the THC limit. There are many strains of hemp that are rich in terpenes and cannabinoids, making them a great choice for people who want the greatest medical effects without any THC. If you do buy hemp seeds for personal use, make sure to get hemp seeds that were bred to have big fragrant high-CBD flowers, as opposed to strains of industrial hemp that are made to grow thick woody stalks and tend to grow small flowers that are not as medically useful.

It’s best to buy hemp seeds from a specialist

There are strains of cannabis that are extremely low in THC but don’t come with a THC guarantee. When a plant contains less than 1% THC, it may not legally be considered hemp but you likely won’t feel the effects of THC.

These strains are not legally hemp, but are extremely low in THC and won’t get you “high”:

Doctor Seedsman CBD 30:1 Feminised Seeds (<1% THC, 20% CBD)
Dinamed CBD Plus Feminised Seeds (<1% THC, 15-20% CBD)
Pink Kush 30:1 Auto-Flowering Seeds (0.5% THC, 17% CBD) – Learn more about autoflowering strains

Is Growing High-CBD Cannabis Different from Growing High-THC Strains?

How Long After I Switch to Medical Marijuana Can I Stop Taking My Prescription?

There are likely some people who may be able to stop taking their prescriptions and manage their symptoms purely with medical marijuana. These patients are featured in stories and articles about medical marijuana so it might give the impression that they are the majority.

But the truth is, in all my years speaking with various medical marijuana patients, I haven’t spoken to a single patient who was able to completely replace all of their prescription medications with medical marijuana. Several have been able to lower their dependency or dosage, but the patients I’ve talked to almost always use marijuana in addition to the prescription medication that they’ve been prescribed by their doctor.

Most Patients Use Cannabis in Addition to Their Prescription Medications, Not as a Replacement

This doesn’t mean that cannabis won’t be effective at improving the quality of life for someone suffering from any one of a number of conditions. However, anyone trying cannabis for medicinal reasons should be aware that if you’re already taking medicine for a condition, cannabis will likely help you the most in conjunction with prescribed medication as opposed to replacing it.

Just as an example, you’ve probably seen some of the popular news stories about medical marijuana helping children with serious seizure conditions like Dravet Syndrome. While high-CBD cannabis is making massive improvements in their quality of life, many of these children are still taking prescription medications in addition to taking cannabis. The cannabis is simply used in addition to other medications to further reduce seizures and relieve symptoms that the medication wasn’t as effective at treating.

In some cases, patients are able to reduce the overall amount of medications they need to take, especially for medicines that are primarily used to reduce symptoms such as pain killers or opioids. As more research is done into cannabis, and new strains are developed, the options for relief will certainly increase. However, those thinking about trying cannabis for medicinal reasons should talk to their doctor, and go in with the expectation that cannabis will likely be an addition to your regimen, not a replacement.

Grow Tactics for Medical Marijuana

Strain is the most important aspect of growing cannabis plants when it comes to producing the effects you want! But there are a few tips and tricks.

How to Increase THC When Growing Weed

Start with a high-THC strain <– Most important!
Keep plants healthy
Don’t harvest early
Dry and cure your buds after harvest to maximize potency
Maintain a good growing environment
There’s more… Read the Full Growing Tutorial on How to Increase THC

How to Increase CBD When Growing Weed

High-CBD Strain – Like THC, the most important aspect of producing high levels of CBD is to grow a high-CBD strain. Although clones are best because you know exactly what you’re getting, there are now high-CBD seeds available online for those who don’t have access to medical marijuana clones.
Autoflowering Strains – Auto-flowering strains can be a good choice because they are more closely related to wild hemp and often have higher levels of CBD than other types of cannabis. Although there are auto-flowering cannabis strains bred specifically for CBD, nearly all auto-flowers have at least 1-2% CBD (compared to less than 1% in most high-THC strains). This mitigates the effects of THC and makes you less likely to have racing thoughts or anxiety.
Don’t harvest early or late – Harvesting at right time maximizes cannabinoid and CBD levels
There’s more… Read the Full Growing Tutorial on How to Increase CBD

Growing Medical Marijuana for a Friend or Family Member

A lot of people write to us because they want to try growing a high-CBD or other medical marijuana strain for a sick friend or relative. It’s a very human, and very admirable trait to want to help people if we can, especially the people we love! Every time I hear from a concerned family member trying to do all they can, I think of how fortunate someone is to have a person in their life who cares so much.

I also feel a pang of sadness at how much of a task there is ahead is for someone thinking to jump into indoor growing without knowing what it entails. After deciding to try medical marijuana, often someone’s initial plan is to start a whole grow operation, get a high-CBD strain, grow it, prepare it and then hope it actually does something. As commendable as this quest is, there are many possible points of failure. Anyone who tries to do this could be setting themselves up for a lot of possible heartache!

I believe it’s very important to try to confirm that cannabis will even do something for you or your friend or family member before you set off on a 4-month journey to grow it yourself. Try to get your hands on some high-CBD weed and test out the effects before investing in a grow set up.

Unless you just love growing plants for the sake of it. I understand that. Cannabis really is one of the most fun and exciting plants to grow 🙂

Recommended Strains Based on Feedback from Patients

Anxiety or Insomnia – High CBD, Varied THC

Dinamed CBD Auto – A high-CBD (14%), low-THC(0.3-0.8%) autoflowering strain that was specifically developed to be relaxing. No psychoactive effects.
Euphoria CBD – This strain has about a 1:1 ratio of THC:CBD. That means the buds will get you “high” but not in an overwhelming way. It’s a soothing choice for someone with anxiety who wants some of the medicinal effects of THC (psychoactive effects, pain or nausea relief, etc.) while still reducing nerves.
Afghan Kush – This particular version of the popular strain is high-THC and feels very potent, but the mental effects tend to be calming and peaceful.

Seizures / Epilepsy / Dravet Syndrome – High CBD, Low THC

Medikit CBD – CBD at 20% or more, and THC under 1%. Developed specifically to be a therapeutic strain (hence the name). A mix between the legendary (clone-only) seizure-fighting Harlequin strain and a selection of high-CBD strains that originated in Central and South America.
Charlotte’s Angel CBD Auto – A high-THC (16%), low-CBD (0.7%) autoflowering version of the Charlotte’s Angel CBD strain (the autoflowering version seems better for seizures)
Purplediol CBD Auto – Another great medicinal autoflowering strain. CBD is around 17% and THC is around 0.5%. High yielding and quick to harvest. Gives a “chill” feeling but no psychoactive effects.

Pain – Significant THC, Varied CBD

Skunk Haze CBD – This prize-winning strain has a 1:1 ratio of THC:CBD. You will experience gentle mental effects that are not overpowering.
LA Confidential – This version of LA Confidential has won numerous awards. The effects are potent, psychedelic, and pain-fighting, but won’t weigh you down like many high-THC strains. Somehow energizing and relaxing at the same time.
Black Sugar – This very high-THC strain can help reduce pain and has powerful mental effects as well. Easy to grow!
Florida Lemons – Another mighty high-THC strain. Beautiful bud structure and a delightful lemon scent.

Help get medical marijuana legalized in your US state!

Neither the creators of this site nor the author of this article are doctors or any type of medical professionals. Please don’t take anything said on this page or anywhere on GrowWeedEasy.com as medical advice. We are trying to share general information to help people, but please speak with a doctor about any specific questions, especially if you’re thinking about trying medical marijuana yourself!

Further resources for medical marijuana patients

Medical Marijuana Laws
What are the medical marijuana laws in your US state?
How to Help Change Laws in Your State
Medical Marijuana Laws by Country

Medical Conditions
Epilepsy or Seizures
Anxiety

Cannabinoids
Breakdown of Cannabinoids: THC vs CBD vs CBN
Learn more about CBD at ProjectCBD.org

Growing Tactics
How to Increase THC While Growing
How to Increase CBD While Growing

Edibles & Vaporizing
Learn More About Vaporizing
Edible Recipes: Best Weed Butter Recipe, Canna Caps, Rick Simpson Oil (RSO), Cannabis Tinctures

Jump to…

How Long Does It Take to Grow Weed?

How to Train Your Plants

7 Tips for Growing Top-Shelf Buds

5 Ways to Increase Yields (with any strain)

Is it safe to buy marijuana seeds online?

The post Growing Medical Marijuana: “Medical” vs Non-Medical Strains appeared first on Grow Weed Easy.

Link Guide to Growing Cannabis Tutorials

Nebula Haze — Mon, 01 Feb 2016 03:08:57 +0000

by Nebula Haze

In addition to the search bar, this link guide helps you navigate through the Grow Weed Easy website. Learn about growing topics you won’t find anywhere else! This is a shortened list of all our cannabis growing tutorials, as the website has over 500 articles and tutorials!

Full List of EVERYTHING on GWE ← Over 500 Articles & Growing Tutorials!

Start Here – Beginner Grow Guides

Complete Beginner’s Guide
How do I start growing my own weed indoors? (get help choosing your setup)
How to Grow Weed in 10 Steps
Simplest Cannabis Grow Guide Ever!
How Long Does It Take to Grow Weed? (Marijuana Growth Timeline)
3 Steps from Beginner to Legendary Grower
Complete New Grower’s Shopping List

Cannabis Life Stages

Germination
Vegetative Stage (Getting Bigger)
Flowering Stage (Making Buds)
Harvest

Choosing…

Common New Grower Topics

Problems & Symptoms

Plant Training (Indoor Tricks for Bigger Yields)

Grow Mediums

Nutrients

Grow Lights

5 Best LED Grow Lights 2025 (Yields, Speed, & Bud Quality)
Compare Types of Cannabis Grow Lights
- Fluorescents (T5s) – Good for Seedlings Only (not powerful enough to produce potent buds or big yields)
- CFLs (Spiral Bulbs) – Not Recommended (LEDs are much better)
- LED Grow Lights – Recommended for Most Home Growers
- MH/HPS Grow Lights – Good Alternative to LEDs, But Run Much Hotter
- CMH / LEC Grow Lights – Good Alternative to LEDs, But Run Much Hotter
- Plasma / Magnetic Induction Grow Lights – Not Recommended (poor cannabis growth)
How Does Light Spectrum Affect Marijuana Plants?
How Far Away Do I Keep My Grow Lights?
You Can Actually Give Plants Too Much Light?!
Grow Light Upgrade Guide: Yields & Potency Explained
Cannabis Grow Lights: What’s the Best Size?

Best LED Grow Light Articles

5 Best LED Grow Lights 2025 (Yields, Speed, & Bud Quality)
LED Grow Lights: Too Much or Not Enough Light?
LED Grow Journal: Mars Hydro TSL-2000W vs Spider Farmer SF-2000
LEC vs LED Grow Lights: Side-by-Side Cannabis Grow Journal
Nebula’s Auto-Flowering Grow Journal (Topping vs Natural) – cannabis plants are grown under LED grow lights

Environment

Plant Care Tutorials

How to Improve…

Yields
Bud Quality
- 7 Environment Effects on Bud Quality
- The Secret to Excellent Bud Quality
THC Levels
CBD Levels
Smell/Taste
Density
Bud Color (How to Grow Pink or Purple Buds)
Glitter (Make Buds Sparkle with More Trichomes)
Bonus: What Determines Yields?

Buying Seeds

Recommended Strains

Best Autoflowering Cannabis Strains for Yields & Potency
List of Sugar-Dusted Strains (Heavy Trichome Genetics)
10 Cold-Resistant Cannabis Strains
14 Heat-Resistant Cannabis Strains
Which cannabis strains stay short? (Best strains for small spaces)

Auto-Flowering Strains

Edibles

Decarboxylation: How to Decarb Your Weed (crucial step for just about every edible recipe)
Best Weed Butter Recipe
- How to Make Great Brownies with Weed Butter
Canna Caps
How to Make Cannabis Gummies (Weed Gummy Bears)
How to Make Cannabis Tinctures
How to Make Hash Oil (aka Cannabis Extract Oil, Rick Simpson Oil, or RSO)

Extracts (No Solvents Used in Any Recipe)

Solventless Extraction Showdown – Bubble Hash vs. Dry-Ice Hash!
Dry Ice Hash (Made with Dry Ice)
How to Make Bubble Hash (Made with Ice Water)
How To Make Your Own Homemade Rosin (dabs)

And Lots More!

Safety & Preparation

Just for Fun

Weird or What? Cannabis Mutations & More!
Creatures on Cannabis (Cute Photo Gallery)
10 Gift Ideas for Cannabis Growers

Submit Pics

Want More?

Complete List of EVERYTHING on GWE ← Full List (Over 500 articles & growing!)

Thanks for visiting! We hope our website helps you find the growing tutorials you were looking for. We’ve written hundreds of growing marijuana articles and unfortunately we can’t fit them all on this page, so we encourage you to use the search bar on the right side (or top of the page for mobile users) to search for articles you don’t see here.

Happy growing!
Nebula & Sirius

Use this “Navigation” page to find the pot growing topic you’re interested in, or click here to see every single page on the website!

The post Link Guide to Growing Cannabis Tutorials appeared first on Grow Weed Easy.

Best marijuana strains for anxiety relief?

Nebula Haze — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 19:49:05 +0000

by Nebula Haze

What is the best medical marijuana strain for anxiety? Some strains I’ve tried in the past seem to help, while others make it worse. Are there any strains I should avoid?

When looking for anti-anxiety medical marijuana, the growing and preparation methods are almost as important as the strain. That’s why it’s so helpful to grow your own buds when using medical marijuana to relieve symptoms of anxiety.

Growing your own buds also allows you to choose the exact strains that work best for you.

When using medical marijuana to help relieve anxiety, a good general guideline is to choose strains with lower levels of THC and higher levels of CBD.

There are also many strains that don’t follow these guidelines, yet seem to still be great for relieving anxiety. In these cases, there are probably other cannabinoids or substances at work which haven’t been studied yet. That’s why the effects of any strain should be tested on a case-by-case basis, especially when it comes to something personal like anxiety. There are hundreds of cannabinoids present in the various strains of medical marijuana, and we have only studied a small handful of them so far.

Strains For Anti-Anxiety: General Guidelines

Lower levels THC
Higher levels CBD
Opt for proven anti-anxiety strains if you can
Whenever first trying new buds (even a strain you’ve tested before), only use a little at first, and listen to your body’s reaction before you medicate fully

Growing Tactics For Anti-Anxiety Buds
(improve anti-anxiety effects of your buds)

These tactics may improve the anti-anxiety effects of medical marijuana that you grow:

Choose to grow a high-CBD strain (options listed below). CBD (Cannabidiol) is a cannabinoid that is found in many strains of cannabis and hemp. CBD has many possible medical benefits, yet doesn’t leave people feeling “impaired” or “stoned.” It also seems to reduce some of the effects of THC.
Harvest buds later (after some THC has turned into CBN) as early harvested buds are more likely to cause anxiety and headaches
Dry and cure buds properly
Allow buds to cure for at least 4 weeks before smoking. Curing buds for longer seems to increase anti-anxiety effects for many people
Test a small amount of any new buds before medicating fully
Vaporize your buds instead of smoking them, as it’s easier to control your dose and the effects are less likely to come on too strong or too fast.

I have compiled a list of strains below which may be helpful in relieving anxiety. A strain is usually considered “high-CBD” if it has more than 2% CBD (many popular strains have less than 1% CBD). As far as growing, generally you’ll get the most consistent high-CBD results with clones, though high-CBD strains from seed have come a long way over the last few years as the strains are stabilized.

Well Known High-CBD Medical Strains Available Only as Clones

Harlequin
Sour Tsunami
Charlotte’s Web

Trustworthy High-CBD Strains Available as Seeds

High CBD Photoperiod

Supreme CBD Durban by White Label (High THC) – Seeds germinate well and plants grow fast, good bud quality and effects. High CBD, but also high THC, so you will feel somewhat “high”
Charlotte’s Angel CBD by Dutch Passion (almost no THC) – Extremely high CBD up to 16% with low THC levels below 1% – won’t make you feel “high”
CBD Skunk Haze by Dutch Passion (1:1 ratio – 7.5% CBD and 7.5% THC) – Good yields, easy to grow, relaxing bud effects that aren’t overwhelming.

High CBD Autoflowering – learn about autoflowering strains

Purplematic CBD Auto – (almost no THC) – 17% CBD and less than 0.5% THC. Beautiful purple buds that won’t make you feel “high”
CBD 1:1 Auto by Fastbuds (1:1 ratio – 7.5% CBD and 7.5% THC) – Good yields, easy to grow, relaxing bud effects that aren’t overwhelming.

Avoid These!

High-THC strains without significant levels of CBD (though some high-THC strains are surprisingly effective at reducing anxiety for some, too much THC can be overwhelming for others)
Strong concentrates, especially things like “wax”, “dabs”, “shatter” and “BHO” (butane hash oil) which are usually extremely high in THC and low in everything else.
Buds that show any signs of mold (smelly buds, brown or black mushy sections, white fuzzy fur, etc)
Buds which were harvested early
Buds which have not been properly dried (especially if buds seem moist)
Buds which were not cured for long enough (if buds are bright green or smell like fresh cut grass, it means they were not cured properly)
Strains that have given you an anxiety reaction in the past
Strong or untested edibles
Putting yourself in an unfamiliar situation while medicating with marijuana

Important! One of the best things you can do to relieve anxiety is get your body moving. Something as easy as a leisurely stroll is still better than staying at home sitting on your couch. Even a little bit of excercise can make a huge difference, as your body released endorphins which can have very strong anti-anxiety effects.

Learn more about controlling CBD levels when growing medical marijuana: How Do THC, CBN, and CBD Relate to Marijuana Potency?

Learn more about CBD at the Project CBD website: http://projectcbd.org

“Scientific and clinical studies indicate that CBD could be effective in easing symptoms of a wide range of difficult-to-control conditions, including: rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, alcoholism, PTSD, epilepsy, antibiotic-resistant infections and neurological disorders. CBD has demonstrated neuroprotective effects, and its anti-cancer potential is currently being explored at several academic research centers in the U.S. and other countries.”

~ Project CBD website

Jump to…

What Makes Some Strains “Medical” or Not?

How Do THC, CBN, and CBD Relate to Marijuana Potency?

How to Increase CBD When Growing Cannabis

How to Increase THC When Growing Cannabis

How Long Does It Take to Grow Weed?

Nothing in this article should be considered personalized Health Care Advice. No one at GrowWeedEasy.com is a licensed health care professional and we cannot offer you personalized Health Care Advice. Any Health Care recommended in this article should be made only after consulting with your Doctor and licensed Health Care Advisor.

The post Best marijuana strains for anxiety relief? appeared first on Grow Weed Easy.