Check the seller first
Feminized cannabis seeds for sale reach you through three channels: licensed dispensaries, licensed nurseries, and online seed banks. Rules differ by channel. A US dispensary must buy seed from a licensed cultivator in the same state. An online seed bank ships from another state or another country. Ask for the producer name and the license number. A seller who cannot name the breeder is a reseller. Resellers store seed in unknown conditions. Heat above 30 C and humidity above 50 percent cut germination rates. Ask for the packaging date and the storage method.
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What feminized seed is
Cannabis plants carry X and Y chromosomes. A seed with a Y chromosome grows male. A seed without a Y chromosome grows female. Regular seed runs near 50 percent male. Feminized seed runs above 99 percent female when the producer controls the process. Producers use silver thiosulfate, colloidal silver, or stress to force a female plant into male flowers. Those flowers release pollen with no Y chromosome. The pollen hits a female flower. The seed that forms is female.
Parameters to compare
- Breeder and strain name, plus parent lines.
- Type: photoperiod or autoflower. Autoflower packs cost more per seed.
- Pack size: 1, 3, 5, 10, or 25 seeds.
- Price per seed. Divide the pack price by the seed count. Compare that number across sellers.
- Lab report from an ISO 17025 lab: potency, pesticides, mold, yeast.
- Germination rate as a percent. Sellers with a warranty list 90 percent or higher.
- Flowering time in days. Photoperiod counts from the light flip. Autoflower counts from sprout.
- Shipping: tracking number, discreet box, reship policy for seized orders.
Pitfalls
- No license number on the listing.
- Potency claims with no lab report. A number without a report is marketing.
- Photoperiod seed labeled as autoflower.
- White-label packs. One breeder sells the same seed under ten strain names.
- Self-pollinated seed. Seed from a stressed female that pollinated itself can pass on hermaphrodite traits.
- Payment methods with no refund path: cash apps, gift cards, wire transfers.
- Cross-border orders. Customs seizure costs you the seed and the money.
Legality
Federal law removed hemp from the Controlled Substances Act in 2018. Hemp means Cannabis sativa L. at or below 0.3 percent delta-9 THC on a dry weight basis. Cannabis seed above that limit stays a Schedule I substance under federal law. States with adult-use programs allow seed sales inside the licensed system. Check your state rules before you order. Do not carry seed across state lines.
Storage at home
Seed keeps 1 to 3 years in a sealed container at 4 to 8 C. Add a desiccant pack. Keep the container out of light. Let the container reach room temperature before you open it. Condensation on cold seed lowers the germination rate. Label each pack with the strain name and the date you received it.
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