Grow Your Own Cannabis in New Jersey

If you’re interested in growing cannabis and you live in the lovely Garden State, you’re pretty well set; New Jersey allows both medical and recreational marijuana access, so you’re fairly free to take a toke in this eastern region.

The New Jersey Cannabis Seeds Climate

Who doesn’t love a good mild winter? The Garden State might just have gotten its name from its temperate, continental climate (don’t fact-check us on that, though). This lovely region, just hanging out below New England on the Atlantic coastline, doesn’t necessarily jump to mind as a coastal state, but that’s just what it is!

USDA hardiness zones 6 and 7 are nestled in New Jersey, offering those interested in growing tomatoes and cannabis alike a fairly easy run of it, even in the winter! The state is home to a range of soil types that make outdoor planting a fun adventure in trial-and-error—or copious research: the plains along the coast boast a sandy nature, while the Appalachian-leaning ground is shallow and rocky. In between are shale-based soils, just to keep things interesting. 

Keep reading to learn about how this climate plays in the cannabis-growing game.

Cannabis Laws in New Jersey

While medical use of marijuana was legalized in New Jersey way back in 2010, it wasn’t until relatively recently, in 2020, that New Jersey joined Arizona, Montana, and South Dakota to begin the approval process for recreational use.

Obviously, people who want to grow and use weed in New Jersey have to be 21 years or older, and that’s not the only way in which cannabis access is similar to alcohol. Licensed dispensaries are the only places you can legally get your hands on some green, but luckily, they’re allowed to sell lots of lovely options, including concentrates and resin, dried flower, vape cartridges, and edibles! There are weight limits, but it’s definitely a huge step up from the back-door sales of questionable potency from just a few years back.

How To Grow Cannabis in New Jersey

At the time of this writing, New Jersey remains behind the times when it comes to growing your own cannabis. But just because it might be a few more years before the state makes it legal for folks to sprout a few little plants in their backyards doesn’t mean we can’t daydream about what it would be like to grow here.

Growing marijuana outdoors in New Jersey is definitely possible. The biggest thing is keeping track of the incoming weather so you can protect your plant babies accordingly. Coastal states tend to get more unexpected weather changes, like wind and rain storms, so be ready to rescue your crop from an unexpected dump or snow or arrange for their care if you’re away.

Like with a lot of plants, cannabis does best in loamy soil. Loam is the perfect combination of sand, silt, and clay, so it’s no wonder it’s the prime growing medium for just about anything you put in the ground. 

As we mentioned, your New Jersey soil might be sandy, or shale-y, or rocky. Then again, if you’ve gardened before (or whoever lived in your home previously did), you might have good soil in your gardens already. It is possible to turn existing soils into loam, but it’s often a lot of work, so your best bet will usually be to fill your beds with a supply of high-quality loam soil.

Obviously, indoor growing is another alternative in places where growing cannabis is legal, and while you don’t get the benefit from the free sunlight, you do get way more control over all the factors involved in your grow. Hypothetically speaking, growing marijuana indoors in New Jersey would be a snap, especially with one of the Grower’s Choice autoflowering varieties of cannabis seeds.

The Most Popular Cannabis Seed Strains in New Jersey

There’s almost no limit to the effects people hope to get from their cannabis. Because of that, it’s tricky to tell someone what the “perfect” cannabis strain is. Sure, there are some that grow better in certain parts of the world, but that doesn’t mean almost any other strain can’t potentially thrive—it just might take a bit more care and attention.

But, you asked, so we’re giving it to you! Here are the 3 most popular GCS cannabis seed strains in New Jersey:

Other Strains That Might Interest You!