I’ve been cultivating for a few years, initially I started cultivating because I needed to. In my country (Brazil) it is rare to have access to high quality flowers and at an acceptable price, so it was either paying with your liver or continuing to smoke brickweed.
As soon as I started growing, what was once for necessity became a hobby, a passion. I found myself reading books and more books, articles, forums, everything there was to improve and apply to my cultivation. I think that since I started I haven’t been more than a day without reading or studying something related to cultivation.
Contextualizing this post a little better now:
Today I went to the psychologist, I have been treating my anxiety with him for a few months. I’m young and had been having some stress issues related to employment and college, that kind of thing that fucks up everyone’s mind. Anyway…
For a few sessions we’ve been getting into cultivation a lot and I’m thinking more and more about it, I feel like cultivating is my form of therapy and not smoking. Obviously I love smoking, but cultivating itself has helped me a lot. I can no longer imagine myself without having my grow room, my garden and my girls. I love to see them growing, evolving, overcoming problems, understanding what’s going on in the soil, why some plants react one way or the other. It’s like my little world, where I had control of some things and could help them somehow, see them evolve.
Unfortunately I don’t have that same passion for other plants
Then comes the question:
Did the act of cultivating help you mentally or it makes you feel good in any way? And How exactly?
I think it’s therapeutic to a degree for sure. It’s one of the points I make any time I argue for home grow in my legal (yet illegal to grow) state. Although it depends on the particular grow for me. Sometimes I want to hold the plant’s hands throughout and other times I want to water it occasionally and forget it’s there
I also have no passion (or interest) in other plants either.
I agree. Especially during winter, I find that having a distraction (like caring for plants) is a nice break.
Also, I think the lights help keep my mood boosted, and prevent some seasonal depression.
Sometimes I find myself just sitting on a bucket in front of the open door of the tents, staring at the plants and soaking up the light reflecting off the tent walls
I enjoy all things that are green. Cultivating was initially a distraction, during Covid, but has become more therapeutic, nurturing life from a seed through its lifecycle.
Having something to be passionate about is therapeutic for many people.
It personally helps keep me motivated in all areas of my life, it makes my mindset more positive, helps me keep to a healthier schedule, and calms my overactive brain.
This is exactly how I feel. Do you have another garden and treat other plants the same way?
I dunno. I think its because I see Cannabis as a magic plant, something mythical. She looks from another world, the tastes and smells are beyond this world.
I think this also happens to me. The lights really wake me up.
Here in Brazil it gets a lot hot some times in the year, and once I tried to turn on the lights at night (using the photoperiod always on the nights, to lower the heat) but this did not make me happy.
I was very lost regarding the moments when I could enter the room, as the lights turned on at night I also couldn’t go in there at any time just to have a peek and there wasn’t much that moment of relaxation anymore when I went in there, I was always tired after work, so having the hours changed made taking care of the plants quite tiring.
Since I was Little,as I lived very close to nature and sorrounded by plants my grandpa used to cultivate,I then had to move to city cause of Money issues and I was left with that bond to nature.Until some months ago I never knew what cannabis Is,real cannabis,not the weird weed crime Is selling through the streets.I Ve never been High.I though started my journey to cultivate cannabis in a flat where I actually live and discovered a world around this plant.Simultaneously I started buying flowers and plant for my mom.I actually am 23 and growing my second strain,this time a thc strain,not cbd.
Yes of course,you can find a pure Joy and happiness when sorrounded by green,by the wild out there,you feel It cause you came from the soil Itself,you are more rooted than plants are to the Planet.And yes,I find It very Therapeutic for me and my mom,dad and Brother to benefit from cannabis scent,taste and colours.I really love the beauty,the sense of rapture you feel staring at trees in a forest…It takes your mind away and lets you wander why,why we find in Money,fame and success our goals…for we came from earth and are meant to tend to our Planet.
Growing has calmed me down, gave me a new perspective and respect to appreciate nature, not only the plants, but soil, insects and animals. Things that I didn’t give a rats ass about before. I barely even indulge, maybe a couple puffs a week, I just thoroughly enjoy nurturing these plants, and trying to get them to their full potential as possible. Learn a bit more every run.
It’s also a never ending learning process, which I really like too. Every strain, even different phenos of the same strain act different. So much to know, if you really want to give it your best everytime. I admit it’s pretty tough at times, especially when ya have alot going on, and you can’t give them the proper attention.
It has been really great for my mental health! I’m so happy I started gardening in general but focusing so much energy into a few plants is a different level.
about 10 years ago i was in a really bad place, and randomly the thought “i want to try growing marijuana” crossed my mind even thought i had smoked only 10 or so times before that. So I spent all my time reading about marijuana for a couple or few months and I think that helped keep me going. I started growing and even these days as long as i have a grow going i feel a better, more noticeably than without plants. my favorite thing is breeding/crossing new strains even though my opportunity to do so is limited. i have to avoid partaking the leafy greens these days due to health issues but i still love everything about it. i love when people tell me how much they like my weed, it keeps me motivated to bring good quality cannabis to the table.
I feel this same way. Do you think you could get this same feeling with other plants ?
If you had infinite weed all year round and didn’t have this necessity (just an example)
No I don’t, when I had to tear down and toss my plants, I tried to fill the void with vegetables, and it was no where close to the same feeling, for some reason…
In my experience, it’s great when things are good. But I find myself actually more anxious if say, I get off my perpetual schedule. If I don’t have anything to do for the plants, or they aren’t showing “fast enough” results I have to remove myself from them so I don’t over nurture.
But most of the time I appreciate the opportunity to do something. Most of my day I feel unproductive and low. Spending some time caring for other things is almost always nice.
I have been smoking for 25 years and only just started growing recently. It’s benefited me in many ways…giving me focus, also appreciating all the herb I’ve smoked over the years realizing the dry/cure is so important. I’m still trying to dial that in …learning to watch and listen to what the plants need. Being more attentive.
…learning to watch and listen to what the plants need. Being more attentive.