Organic Cannabis vs. Non-Organic Cannabis: What’s the Difference?

WhOrganic Cannabis vs. Non-Organic Cannabis: What’s the Difference?

When choosing organic cannabis, most people look at THC, strain, price, or terpene profile, but how your flower is grown matters, too. In this guide, we’ll explain the difference between organic and conventional cannabis cultivation, how growing practices can affect flower quality, and what Denver cannabis consumers should know when choosing their flower.

In this article, we’ll cover:

• How organic and conventional cannabis cultivation differ
• Why soil health, fertilizers, and pest management matter
• How growing practices can affect flower quality, aroma, and flavor
• How Life Flower selects Colorado cannabis growers and flower

A Note About Organic Cannabis

Before we get into the details, there’s an important distinction to make.

When we use the term organic cannabis at Life Flower, we’re talking about how the cannabis was grown, not claiming USDA organic certification. USDA organic certification is a separate federal program with specific standards and requirements for products represented as organic.

In this article, “organic” refers to cultivation practices that focus on natural inputs, healthy soil, biological pest management, and reducing or avoiding synthetic fertilizers and chemical pesticides.

For us, it’s less about a label and more about how the plant was actually grown.

What Is Organic Cannabis Cultivation?

There are many ways to grow cannabis, and every grow can take a slightly different approach.

Organic cannabis cultivation generally focuses on creating a healthy growing environment with natural or organic-minded inputs, healthy soil, and preventative plant care. Conventional cultivation may use a wider range of commercial nutrients, synthetic fertilizers, and conventional pest-management products.

However, that doesn’t mean every conventionally grown cannabis plant is low quality. It also doesn’t mean every organically grown plant will automatically be better.

Genetics, growing conditions, harvest timing, curing, storage, and handling all affect the finished flower.

Because of that, we think there’s a better question to ask than simply, “Is it organic?”

How was this flower grown?

Why Do Organic Cannabis Growing Practices Matter?

A healthy plant starts with a healthy growing environment.

From selecting genetics and managing soil to controlling pests and maintaining growing conditions, every part of cultivation plays a role in the finished product.

Soil and Nutrients

Healthy soil gives plants a strong foundation.

Organic-style cultivation often places more focus on soil health and natural nutrient sources instead of relying mainly on synthetic fertilizers.

For growers, maintaining healthy soil takes planning and attention. They need to understand what goes into the growing medium and how their plants respond throughout the growth cycle.

For cannabis shoppers, learning about these practices can give you another way to understand the flower you’re buying.

Pest Management

Cannabis plants can attract pests such as aphids and spider mites. Growers also have to watch for problems such as mold and mildew.

Because of this, pest management plays an important role in cultivation.

Some growers rely more on conventional pest-control products. Others use integrated pest management, or IPM, which can include prevention, monitoring, environmental controls, and biological pest control.

Colorado also regulates pesticide use in cannabis cultivation, which makes pest-management practices an important part of responsible cultivation. [Learn more about Colorado cannabis pesticide regulations.]

Natural Pest Management and Beneficial Insects

Nature has some pretty effective pest-control experts of its own.

For example, ladybugs can help control pests such as aphids and spider mites. Other beneficial insects can also help growers manage unwanted pests.

Growers who use biological pest management can reduce their need for conventional chemical pest-control products while protecting their plants throughout the growing cycle.

It’s one example of how cultivation choices can change the way cannabis is grown.

Can Organic Cannabis Affect Flower Quality?

This is where things get interesting.

Cannabis quality depends on many different factors. Genetics, soil, nutrients, lighting, temperature, humidity, harvest timing, curing, and storage can all affect the final product.

Terpenes also play a major role in the aroma and flavor of cannabis. However, organic cannabis does not automatically mean a flower will have more THC or more terpenes.

Instead, think of cultivation as one piece of the larger picture.

At Life Flower, we look at the whole picture. We want to know how a flower was grown, who grew it, how the grower handled it after harvest, and what kind of quality our customers can expect when they open the jar.

How Life Flower Sources Organic Cannabis in Colorado

Here’s an important part of the Life Flower story:

We don’t grow all of the cannabis we sell ourselves.

Instead, we source flower from local cannabis growers throughout Colorado.

That gives us the opportunity to work with many different cultivators, growing styles, genetics, and philosophies.

Some of the growers we source from use organic-style cultivation practices. Others use more conventional growing methods.

And honestly, we think that’s worth talking about.

We’re not here to tell you that every organically grown cannabis product is better than every conventionally grown product. Instead, we’re here to help you understand the differences and decide what matters to you.

Ultimately, we care about the finished flower, the people behind it, and the quality that makes it onto our shelves.

Some of the Organic Cannabis Grows We Love

We work with several Colorado growers whose cultivation practices align with our organic-minded approach.

Some examples include:

• AJ’s Kush
• Canna Club
• Rubii
• Black Box Genetics

Each of these growers has its own genetics, methods, and growing style. Still, we appreciate the care they put into their cultivation practices and the quality of the flower they produce.

Some Conventional Cannabis Grows We Love

We also work with growers who use more conventional cultivation methods and consistently produce flower that we love.

Some examples include:

• Cherry Colorado
• D’z Trees
• Rare Dankness

That’s something we want to be transparent about.

Different growing methods can produce great cannabis. For us, cultivation method is only one part of the decision.

We also look at the flower itself, the grower’s consistency, freshness, genetics, and the people behind the product.

What Does Life Flower Look for When Choosing Organic Cannabis?

Because we work with growers throughout Colorado, we can be selective about the flower that makes it onto our shelves.

When we evaluate cannabis, we look at several things.

Quality

Does the flower look and smell like quality cannabis? Does it meet the standards we expect from the products we put in front of our customers?

Cultivation Practices

How does the grower approach cultivation? What do they use for nutrients and pest management? Do their growing practices line up with the values we look for?

Genetics

Does the grower have interesting genetics and strains that our customers will enjoy discovering?

Freshness

How did the grower harvest, cure, store, and transport the flower?

Consistency

Can the grower consistently produce high-quality cannabis?

Shared Values

Do we trust the people behind the product? Do they care about their plants and their craft?

As John Niforos, CEO & Owner of Life Flower Dispensary, puts it:

“At Life Flower Dispensary, we exclusively buy from people who are like-minded.”

For us, that doesn’t mean every grow has to use the exact same methods.

Instead, it means we want to work with growers who care about their plants, their craft, and the quality of the cannabis they put into Colorado’s market.

What Should Consumers Look for When Buying Organic Cannabis in Denver?

You don’t have to be a cannabis grower to ask better questions about your flower.

The next time you’re shopping at a Denver dispensary, consider asking:

How Was the Cannabis Grown?

Ask about the cultivator and their growing practices.

Do they focus on organic-style cultivation? Do they use conventional nutrients or pest-management products? How do they approach soil health?

What Goes Into the Plant?

Learning about fertilizers, nutrients, pest management, and other cultivation inputs can tell you more about how the grower produces its flower.

How Is the Flower Handled After Harvest?

Growing is only the beginning.

Harvesting, curing, storage, and transportation can all affect the quality of cannabis flower. So, don’t stop at asking how a plant was grown. Ask what happened to the flower afterward, too.

Can You See and Smell the Flower?

This is something we especially value at Life Flower.

We created our deli-style flower experience so customers can see and smell the flower before they take it home.

Our flower sits in large glass jars, giving customers the chance to compare strains, check out the buds, and talk with a knowledgeable budtender about what they’re looking for.

We think buying cannabis should be an experience—not just picking the highest percentage on a menu.

Why We Think Organic Cannabis Growing Practices Matter

At the end of the day, cannabis is an agricultural product.

Just like with food and other crops, the way a plant grows becomes part of its story.

At Life Flower, we appreciate growers who think carefully about what goes into their plants and how they care for them. At the same time, we appreciate growers who use different methods but consistently produce exceptional flower.

Our job is to do the research, build relationships with Colorado cultivators, and bring products to our customers that meet our standards.

As John says:

“We pride ourselves on the clean and natural way we grow our plants and believe that organic cultivating makes our flower more flavorful & aromatic.”

Of course, flavor and aroma depend on many things, including genetics, cultivation, curing, and storage. Still, that philosophy reflects the kind of thoughtful growing practices we value when sourcing flower.

Organic Cannabis vs. Non-Organic Cannabis: The Bottom Line

When comparing organic cannabis with non-organic or conventionally cultivated cannabis, there’s no single factor that tells the whole story.

Instead, look at the details: how the plant was grown, what went into the growing environment, how the grower managed pests, and how carefully the flower was harvested, cured, stored, and handled.

At Life Flower, we believe cannabis customers deserve to know where their flower comes from and how it was grown.

That’s why we source from local Colorado cultivators, learn about their growing practices, build relationships with the people behind the products, and carefully select the flower we bring into our stores.

Some of our favorite growers use organic-style cultivation practices. Others use more conventional methods.

What they all have in common is that we believe in the quality of the flower they produce.

We’ve been part of Colorado’s cannabis community since 2010, and our focus remains the same: quality, our people, and our community above all else.

Looking for quality cannabis flower in Denver? Visit Life Flower Dispensary to explore our [fresh flower selection], talk with our knowledgeable team, and see and smell our flower for yourself.

Frequently Asked Questions About Organic Cannabis

Is Life Flower cannabis USDA certified organic?

No. When Life Flower uses the term “organic” in reference to cannabis, we’re describing the cultivation practices used by certain growers we source from. We’re not claiming USDA organic certification.

The USDA organic program has its own certification and labeling requirements, so we use “organic” here to describe cultivation practices rather than a USDA certification. [Learn more about USDA organic standards.]

Does Life Flower grow its own cannabis?

No. Life Flower sources cannabis from local growers throughout Colorado. We work with cultivators who use different growing methods and carefully select the flower we carry based on quality, freshness, consistency, genetics, and the people behind the product.

What is the difference between organic and conventional cannabis?

The biggest difference is the cultivation approach. Organic-style cultivation often focuses on natural inputs, healthy soil, biological pest management, and minimizing synthetic materials. Conventional cultivation may use a wider range of commercial nutrients, synthetic fertilizers, and conventional pest-management products.

Does organic cannabis have more THC?

Not necessarily. Genetics and growing conditions affect THC levels, so organic-style cultivation does not automatically mean higher THC.

Does organic cannabis have more terpenes?

Not automatically. Genetics, growing conditions, harvest timing, curing, and storage all affect terpene levels. Organic-style cultivation is one part of the overall process.

How can I find out how my cannabis was grown?

Ask your dispensary or budtender about the cultivator, growing methods, pest-management practices, and how the flower was handled after harvest. At Life Flower, our team is happy to talk with customers about the growers and products we carry.