You Can Start Growing Your Own Marijuana Plants Starting July 1, 2021!
With adult-use cannabis becoming legal in Virginia and the spring sunshine hitting our faces for the first time in a year, medical marijuana patients are asking “Is it legal to grow my own cannabis plants now?”
If you qualify for medical marijuana in Virginia, it would stand to reason that you can grow your own marijuana now that it is legal. While green thumbs all over The Commonwealth are anxious to get their first legal marijuana plants in the ground, it isn’t quite time to put down seed just yet—even if you have a VA marijuana card.
New Adult-Use Legalization Bill Allows Cultivation Starting on July 1, 2021
The exciting news is that everyone can grow their own marijuana plants for personal use starting on July 1. Any adult 21 and over can legally cultivate up to four plants inside their home or back yard, with or without a marijuana card.
According to SB1406, the requirements for being allowed to grow your own marijuana plants in Virginia are:
You can plant your cannabis on or after July 1, 2021
You must be 21 or older
No more than four plants
Plants must be out of sight of neighbors
Personal use only
You can give your buds away as gifts
Plants must be properly labeled and tagged
Cultivation area must be out of reach of people under 21
Why Should You Grow Your Own Marijuana Plants in Virginia?
If you do have a Virginia medical marijuana card, you already have access to high-quality products from cannabis dispensaries throughout VA. If you don’t have a marijuana card in Virginia, the adult-use legalization happening on July 1 should get you access too, right?
Unfortunately, no. While it is going to be legal to possess and grow marijuana in Virginia starting on July 1, it still won’t be legal to purchase marijuana without a marijuana card until 2024. This puts Virginia residents in a bit of a pickle, considering there won’t be anywhere to legally buy the products they can legally have.
With this in mind, there is one glaring reason to grow your own marijuana plants: legal access to marijuana before the 2024 date when dispensaries will finally be licensed to sell recreational marijuana.
Why Should You Grow Your Own Cannabis if You Have a VA Marijuana Card?
There is just something about growing your own medicine that seems to make it all the more effective sometimes. Connecting with your therapeutic choices in a way that feels reciprocal can be a big part of the healing process. And according to Happiness.com, gardening is just good for you. So why not make it doubly so?
Additionally, there are currently only four dispensaries licensed for medical cannabis sale in Virginia, and the legalization of adult-use cannabis does not mean that more will be opening anytime soon. For some patients, the nearest place to legally purchase marijuana is more than an hour away.
And finally, the products you get at dispensaries are definitely high-quality and free of dangerous toxins, fertilizers, and pesticides. However, you don’t have control over which strains and formats are available. When you grow your own marijuana plants in Virginia, you can order marijuana seeds for your choice of strains, and process your own buds into your favorite formats.
When Can You Start Growing Your Own Marijuana Plants in Virginia?
You can start growing your own marijuana plants in Virginia starting on July 1, 2021. Until then, keep your green thumbs busy planning your cultivation strategy, preparing your grow space, and gathering your supplies.
How to prepare for the big day:
Plan your space. You can grow just about anywhere as long as plants are locked away from people under 21, and your neighbors can’t see.
Basement
Closet
Greenhouse
Outdoor grow box
Yard space hidden from neighbors protected with locked critter fence
Start Gathering Supplies
Lights
Potting soil
Fans
Air filters
Ten gallon containers
Seeds
Keep an eye on Virginia Marijuana Card’s blog for upcoming posts that contain tips and tricks for getting started growing your own marijuana plants at home.
How to keep your growing legal
Best cannabis strains to grow in Virginia
How to process your harvested buds
How to make your own extracts
Get a Virginia Marijuana Card to Cover All Your Bases
When you have a Virginia marijuana card, you don’t have to wait until the end of summer for your plants to mature. And you especially don’t have to wait until 2024 to legally purchase marijuana in Virginia. You can get access to VA dispensaries and purchase legal medical marijuana whenever you want.
You also don’t have to worry about your employer taking adverse action against you if you test positive for THC on a drug screening if you have a VA marijuana card. While adult-use marijuana may be legal starting in July, your employer’s drug policy does not have to change. You can still be fired if THC turns up in your system.
However, when you consult with one of our doctors at Virginia Marijuana Card, you can get protection. Employers are not allowed to punish employees who are using medical marijuana as long as they are not impaired on the job and they have a marijuana card. There are some exceptions to this rule, including those in law enforcement, safety, transportation, or Federal contract work.
When you have a Virginia marijuana card, you get all your bases covered. You can grow your own marijuana plants starting on July 1, you can access tax-free marijuana products right now, and you won’t have to worry about drug screenings because your use of natural medicine is protected.
Doctors Who Care. Relief You Can Trust.
At Virginia Marijuana Card, our mission is helping everyone achieve wellness safely and conveniently through increased access to MMJ. Our focus on education, inclusion, and acceptance will reduce stigma for our patients by providing equal access to timely information and compassionate care.
Call us at (888) 633-5808, or simply book a medical marijuana evaluation to start getting relief you can trust today!
Check out Virginia Marijuana Card’s Blog to keep up to date on the latest medical marijuana news, tips, and information. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to join the medical marijuana conversation in Virginia!