Hemp plants are living things that are a product of their environment. Those things that matter to CBD customers—cannabinoids, terpenes, the cleanliness and safety of hemp products and so on—are directly influenced by a hemp plant’s growing conditions. Just as the hemp strain matters, so does if a plant was grown indoors, outside, or in a greenhouse.
Hemp growing processes are constantly evolving as the industry expands. The 2018 Farm Bill and state laws across the United States have made hemp farming an accessible opportunity. Many businesses, especially those located in regions with short growing seasons or unpredictable climates, have developed creative ways of growing hemp that conventional wisdom would’ve deemed impossible or inefficient a decade ago.
Currently, hemp is grown on conventional outdoor farms, in greenhouses, and in indoor growing facilities. So, which one is the best?
That, like most things in the hemp world, comes down to personal preference. There are pros and cons to each type of growing operation. Some of those cons are directly noticeable in the product itself, while others aren’t immediately noticeable for a consumer, like sustainability and environmental impact.
Outdoor Hemp Farming: The Pros
Hemp has been grown outdoors for thousands of years. Cannabis sativa is resilient plant that has developed into multiple subspecies suited for climates from hot, humid rainforests to temperate areas with four seasons. Hemp farmers have developed innumerable sophisticated growing techniques to help hemp thrive in almost any environment with the right amount of work and have rigorously documented the ideal schedule from planting seeds to harvest.
Outdoor growing operations have a set of clear advantages over o
