Over the past weekend, I was able to attend this years Emerald Cup in Oakland and had some interesting discussions with some Sungrown Cultivators. The conversations were a little disheartening to say the least, the overall tone was Sungrown farmers don’t feel that there is a profitable market for them to thrive in the legal cannabis industry. A couple of brands even told me that some buyers for certain brands don’t buy sungrown for their stores because its not a desirable product. I am not one of those Buyers. Shocking, since CA is known for having the best environment to grow sungrown Cannabis.

Here are a few great reasons to always consider sungrown cannabis as a viable option that should not be overlooked.

It’s Better for the Environment

Outdoor sun-grown cannabis is the most environmentally friendly way to grow cannabis. Indoor cultivation of cannabis requires huge amounts of energy to run the lights, heating and cooling, and dehumidification as growers need to create an artificial environment that mimics the natural conditions required for the plant to thrive. This energy consumption contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and increases the carbon footprint of indoor-grown cannabis. Even greenhouse growing, though it benefits from sunlight, requires significant energy inputs.

Growing outdoors under the sun requires none of these inputs. In fact, rather than having a significant carbon footprint, grown outdoors, cannabis sequesters carbon.

Outdoor sun-grown cannabis also flourishes as an organic crop, requiring neither pesticides nor herbicides and is an ideal crop for regenerative farming practices. With a regenerative approach to growing cannabis, not only does the cannabis thrive, but so too can the soil and surrounding ecosystems which in turn support healthier plants.

It Has Better Flavour and Aroma and More Complex Cannabinoids

The most important properties of Cannabis are the aroma and taste of cannabis flower and the physiological effects of consuming it largely come down to two things: terpenes and cannabinoids.

Cannabis plants grown outdoors under natural sunlight develop a more robust and nuanced terpene profile, which is responsible for the distinctive aroma and flavor of cannabis strains. The aromas and flavours of cannabis grown outdoors are usually more intense and complex than those of the same strains grown indoors.

This is because outdoor-grown plants are exposed to a wider range of natural environmental factors that can influence the plant’s growth and development, such as full spectrum sunlight, temperature fluctuations, wind, and soil composition.

Studies have also shown that cannabis grown outdoors generally have overall higher proportion of intrinsic cannabinoids (particularly CBD, CBC and CBG) than those of the same strains grown indoors. Moreover, indoor grown cannabis typically has increased levels of oxidized and degraded cannabinoids.