It may not be something that you automatically think about when you think of a business, but the cannabis seed industry is absolutely booming in the current market. Slowly but surely, seed banks and brokers are pumping investment into the development of new seed strains and varieties in order to ensure that they will be able to cater for the market demand that is to be expected in the future. Check bloom selection of strains.
“Demand for cannabis seeds is growing almost exponentially at present, it could be said. With the rapidly expanding legalization of cannabis—and the push for this in states which may be reluctant to legalize the use of cannabis—the demand for seeds is also on the rise. And, with more and more states expected to make the change and legalize cannabis in the coming years—at least for medicinal use, if not recreational use—now is the time for people to look at getting involved with the cannabis seed industry.” says Nathan Jackson, an industry insider and founder of Vela, a cannabis growing community. Indeed, cannabis seeds are an incredibly lucrative market looking forward indeed, these can also be purchased from online dispensary Canada.
The Basics: The 3 Cannabis Seed Varieties
Understanding the basics of the cannabis seed market is essential if entrepreneurial investors are looking to make the most of this rare opportunity for a global change in perceptions. And as part of this, the most important thing to understand is the differences between the three primary seed varieties.
First is the regular cannabis seed. As the name would imply, regular cannabis seeds are just your generic seeds. These regular seeds consist of both male and female plants and, since only the female cannabis seeds will flower, this will mean that approximately half of the seeds in a regular pack will be unproductive for a grower. They generally need more light input in order to start the flowering process, but this lack of “perks” also means that they come with a lower price tag than other types.
Next up are auto-flowering seeds. We mentioned previously that regular seeds need more light to start the flowering process; by contrast, auto-flowering seeds don’t need this light input in order to start the flowering process and often start flowering sooner, making the harvest time for auto-flowering seeds quicker in general.
Finally, there are feminized seeds. Cannabis plants of the same gender are able to breed together, meaning that two female plants can be crossed to give all female offspring. These seeds are generally a little more expensive, however, they are all guaranteed to have the chance to flower—whereas male seeds would be impossible to flower.
Choosing Strains and Their Differences
There are a huge number of differences between different strains of cannabis, and this can also widely impact both their use as well as how they need to be grown. As such, it is vital that anyone getting into the cannabis seed industry understands these differences in terms of genetics and how it impacts the products that are being sold.
The most notable genetic difference is in terms of the type of cannabis seed in question. There are two primary types of cannabis: Sativa and Indica. The former is better suited to warm climates, whereas the latter are usually able to cope with far cooler temperatures as a result of their Russian ancestry. These two different strains are generally used for different purposes, with Sativa plants commonly being higher in THC (the compound in cannabis which causes the experience of being high) and Indica plants often being lower in THC and higher in CBD, which is a widely used supplement that is useful for controlling or reducing pain and other such discomforts.
As well as this, there are a number of differences between Sativa and Indica plants in terms of their phenotypes, too. Indica plants have more dense buds and are generally shorter, whereas Sativa strains have longer, less dense buds and also typically grow larger. Neither is naturally auto-flowering, though; auto-flowering plants are generally created by crossing an Indica and a Sativa strain of cannabis.
Who Can Sell Cannabis Seeds?
This is a critical point to understand. Indeed, while it is perfectly legal to sell cannabis seeds, it is often the case that not every seller will actually be legal in their business activities. Indeed, there are very few instances in which cannabis seeds can be grown for the purposes of growing marijuana; however, they are widely available as products because they have been used in a number of other industries such as the animal feed and clothing industries.
Some vendors of cannabis seeds include seed banks, who produce the seed; breeders, who crossbreed existing strains of cannabis to create new strains with certain characteristics; and seed brokers, who buy and resell cannabis seeds from the breeders.
In Summary
There is a huge amount of interest at the moment in the legalization of cannabis, especially for medicinal use. This rapid change in terms of the general public’s opinion surrounding the use of cannabis could fuel huge developments and represent great opportunities for breeders and sellers of cannabis seeds—especially for those individuals who own the rights to a certain, unique strain of cannabis that performs particularly well.
In short? The legalization of cannabis could create a whole new market for cannabis seeds and cannabis-based products—and this could be an excellent opportunity for entrepreneurial investor who puts their money in the right places now.