PGR weed is cannabis that has been artificially enhanced with plant growth regulators. Plants treated with these chemicals have an unusual appearance of lower quality and are potentially hazardous to your health. However, there are ways you can learn to recognise it and distinguish it from natural genetics.
Cannabis showcases an incredible diversity, with some strains displaying vibrant hues such as blood reds and purples, while others feature an exceptional abundance of pistils or resin glands. At times, to cannabis connoisseurs, certain buds may appear unnatural, exhibiting an unusually dense texture and an abundance of orange pistils. While such characteristics can arise naturally, the encountered weed may contain artificial PGRs. But what is PGR weed, and how can we avoid it?
What is PGR weed?
PGR, or plant growth regulators, refers to hormonal chemicals in plants, regulating their growth. In cannabis cultivation, the use of artificial PGRs enhances bud density and can substantially augment yields. However, it is important to note that the application of PGRs in horticulture and agriculture is subject to strict regulations in many countries, and its use in conjunction with cannabis cultivation is deemed highly problematic.
Black market growers often choose to apply PGR to their cannabis plants to gain more sizeable yields and higher profits. The result? Enormous, densely-packed buds that seem tempting at the first glance. However, this chemically modified marijuana exhibits lower quality when compared to its organic or natural cannabis counterparts. It might look impressive to the untrained eye, but PGR weed has less beneficial compounds and more artificial additives, which are potentially harmful.
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What are plant growth regulators?
Plant growth regulators describe various chemical compounds that affect plant growth on a molecular level. These compounds regulate all kinds of biological processes regarding physiology, growth and behaviour. In plants, they act as a communication system, telling the organs when to grow taller, make more leaves, or produce flowers, fruits or seeds.
When they occur naturally, we call them plant hormones or phytohormones. However, when mentioning their artificially synthesised equivalents, the term plant growth regulators, or PGR is commonly used. So, let’s explore them both!
Natural plant hormones
Natural plant growth regulators, or plant hormones, are produced by all plants, animals, and humans. When it comes to cannabis, these minuscule natural compounds have a significant influence on growth development, including its vigour, posture and bud formation.
Their effects within a plant are complex and sometimes even seem contradicting, which is why they are the subject of continuous research. For example, the naturally produced PGR indole acetic acid in low amounts can stimulate root growth while inhibiting root growth in higher concentrations.
Artificial plant hormones
For decades, PGRs have been used in agriculture and horticulture due to their distinct traits and characteristics, offering a wide range of options to choose from. For example, they are instrumental in producing more colourful flowers, maintaining a dense grass cover on sports fields, and are widely used to enhance the quality of fresh produce. However, throughout the USA and Europe, the use of PGRs in food crops is strictly regulated, and are classified as pesticides.
While beneficial in specific contexts, certain PGRs have proven detrimental and unsafe for human health. Regrettably, some growers persist in considering it a viable option for cannabis cultivation.
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How do they work?
The PGRs applied in cannabis cultivation are all inhibitors of the hormone gibberellin, which promotes stem growth. When such inhibitors are introduced to cannabis plants, it leads to a more compact plant structure with shorter internodal spacing and more vigorous root formation. This means plants treated with PGRs can effectively produce more bud sites along the central mainstem. which results in a more substantial harvests, compared to cannabis grown without PGR.
This does, however, not mean that PGR weed has the same concentration of beneficial compounds like regular cannabis. The synthetic hormones are only stimulating certain parts of the plant. They are not responsible for the creation of more cannabinoids such as THC, terpenes, or flavonoids. PGR enhanced buds might look like they have high potency, but in fact this is more show than substance.
So let us check out the three main PGRs for cannabis you should be aware of:
1. Daminozide
Daminozide, also known as Alar, allows the plant to redirect more energy towards the development of flowers, by slowing down overall plant growth. However, daminozide has also been found to hinder cannabinoid production. It was previously used to control growth and enhance storage quality of apples, but in 1989, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed banning it due to elevated health concerns associated with its consumption.
2. Paclobutrazol
Paclobutrazol, or PBZ, leads to shorter, sturdier cannabis plants. It promotes early flowering and increased seed production. However, the downside of paclobutrazol is its impact on terpenes and trichomes, affecting cannabis aroma, flavour, and potency. While it can yield heavier flowers, it therefore reduces their quality. Beyond cannabis, PBZ finds use in agriculture and arboriculture, enhancing drought resistance and foliage health.
3. Chlormequat Chloride
Chlormequat chloride is known to contribute to denser flower clusters and accelerate the plant’s transition to the flowering stage. Its property to lead to robust, thicker stalks, is a trait beneficial for harvesting ornamental flowers and cereal crops. However, it is also known to cause skin and eye irritation, and excessive use can even lead to organ damage. Despite these risks, chlormequat chloride is still used in black market cannabis cultivation to increase profit margins.
What does PGR weed look like?
PGR weed is not always easy to distinguish from regular cannabis. Even with lots of cannabis experience, it can be challenging to recognise PGR weed. Here are the five most striking telltale signs you should know to recognise it:
1. Dense
PGR buds are much denser than regular buds. They tend to look more like tough nuggets. While some indica genetics like Big Bud and Super Skunk are famous for having naturally dense buds, PGR weed can bring this to an extreme, without delivering on the quality. PGR buds can be extremely compact and heavier than what you might be used to.
2. Tough texture
Cannabis treated with PGR not only appears dense, but has a hard texture and feels tough, almost rock. Another tell that you night be holding weed treated with PGR is if your buds feel unnaturally squishy, almost like a sponge. When cultivating cannabis without synthetic hormones, a spongy texture might be a sign of botrytis, a common fungus infection.
3. Lack of aromas
One of the most reliable methods to distinguish natural cannabis or PGR weed is by smelling it. PGR weed has a lot less aroma and sometimes even smells like chemicals. This is because cannabis treated with growth hormones have a smaller concentration of terpenes, which are responsible for cannabis’ remarkable fragrances.
4. Covered in pistils
Another visual clue to identify PGR weed an abundance of orange pistils. These small, hair-like structures on the buds serve the primary function of collecting pollen from male plants. While orange pistils are a natural part of cannabis anatomy, they are often unnaturally vibrant and more abundant in PGR weed.
5. Rounded appearance
While well-trimmed flower buds can be a sign of high-quality treatment, PGR buds often have almost no outgrowths in their flowers, giving them an unnaturally round appearance.
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What’s the difference between PGR weed and natural cannabis?
PGRs are highly problematic when it comes to cannabis, primarily when they are used without any regulation. Often, plants are sprayed with these chemicals throughout the cultivation cycle, while the nutrient water is also loaded with PGRs. This results in harmful residual chemicals building up in the medium. Considerate growers may flush the plant to remove any unwanted residues, but this is not likely, if you’re growing PGR weed.
It is perfectly fine for growers to use organic fertilisers and hormones to optimise their harvests. PGRs like paclobutrazol, daminozide, and chlormequat chloride, however, are almost exclusively used to maximise profits without improving the quality. Cannabis treated with these fertilisers have fewer cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids compared to natural, organically grown cannabis.
Due to their association with increased health risks, PGRs are subject to strict regulations and banned in several countries for use on fresh produce and other food products.
Cannabis enthusiasts should steer clear of PGRs
In summary, plant growth regulators (PGRs), while useful in some agricultural contexts, are highly problematic in cannabis cultivation. These artificial plant hormones lead to plants with unusually high numbers of flowers while lowering concentrations of beneficial cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids. Residues of these chemicals might even be hazardous for your health, and it’s wise to be cautious of these products.
Take note of the indicators highlighted in the article and steer clear of buds displaying an unusual concentration of these traits. While not everyone has the space to grow their own cannabis, it can be a great solution to avoid any cannabis that is grown irregularly.
Disclaimer:
Laws and regulations regarding cannabis cultivation differ from country to country. Sensi Seeds therefore strongly advises you to check your local laws and regulations. Do not act in conflict with the law.
ILGM and Leafly are coming to a city near you to celebrate the passion we all share for growing cannabis.
Leafly and ILGM have teamed up to bring you a one-of-a-kind road trip across America, designed to bring cannabis enthusiasts together for unforgettable experiences and valuable learning opportunities. We’re hitting the road in ILGM’s revamped Airstream Bambi—the “home on the road”—to celebrate home growing and their refreshed identity.
“At ILGM, we call our online community the ‘Home of the Growers’ for a reason. Growing cannabis is in our DNA. It’s what makes our green hearts beat faster.”
Trekking from the West Coast to the East Coast, ILGM is bringing the Home Grow Tour to six iconic cities along the way, each with its own unique cannabis culture and stories to tell.
They’ve curated each stop to reflect the many perspectives that enrich our community, creating a space to celebrate as we continue writing the broader narrative of cannabis with one another. During the tour, the Airstream will act as ILGM’s mobile hub for Grow Workshops, cultivation Q&A’s, podcasts, exclusive seed deals, and, most of all, to connect with you, our fellow growers.
Let’s come together face to face, learn from each other, have fun, and celebrate the art of cultivation on the 2025 ILGM Home Grow Tour.
Find ILGM here
You won’t want to miss this! Take a look below to see if the Home Grow Tour is stopping in your city. Expect unique experiences tailored to the local vibe and culture at every stop.
March 15 & 16, 2025
The six-week-long journey across the country begins in Los Angeles at Rolling Loud, as an homage to music, hip-hop culture, and cannabis.
March 22 & 23, 2025
ILGM’s “State of U.S. Home Growing Market” report published last year pointed out the increasingly important position of women in the cannabis home growing community. As we leave the big city, we head to Palm Springs for a refreshing weekend retreat highlighting and celebrating the women who push our cannabis community forward.
Join us for a series of curated events at Arrive Hotel as ILGM provides starter grow workshops for women, and we explore the relationship between cannabis and mindfulness and enjoy the artistic contributions of female artists.
Get ready for the ultimate cannabis road trip, powered by Leafly
Power up your cannabis experience: shop deals near you, find new strains, and order weed for pickup or delivery—all at your fingertips—download the Leafly app today! Plus, sign up for the Leafly newsletter to receive exclusive offers from ILGM and more trusted brand partners, expert advice, and the latest strain info—all at your fingertips.
Phoenix: Surprise details to be announced
March 29 & 30, 2025
As the Home Grow Tour continues through the desert, Phoenix provides the ideal backdrop to recognize all of the ways we “grow” as cannabis enthusiasts. With its active community of home growers, Phoenix is the ideal place to settle down for a weekend dedicated to cannabis home cultivation.
What we’ll be doing is still a surprise but rest assured—ILGM is cooking up something special for their Phoenix visit. Stay tuned to find out what’s in store for this special community get-together. More information to be announced soon!
April 5 & 6, 2025
As the Airstream makes its way through Colorful Colorado, ILGM is getting acquainted with the great outdoors with a weekend of camping at Boulder’s Adventure Lodge. Do we know anything better than the combination of enjoying the best cannabis and the outdoors have to offer? We don’t think so!
From growing workshops and sunrise salutations to fun outdoor activities like hiking and sitting beside the campfire, escape into the wilderness and inspire a deeper appreciation for nature, cannabis, and our community. An event specially designed for the ILGM community: their loyal customers and ILGM forum users, and those who think a weekend socializing with like-minded cannabis connoisseurs is the best it can get.
April 12 & 13, 2025
Chicago is a city all its own, but its rich culinary scene has remained a defining element throughout history. We can’t think of a better place to explore the connection between cuisine and cannabis!
Find ILGM at a soon-to-be-announced location for an experience blending education and indulgence, with delectable infused cocktails and meals to try out for yourself along the way.
April 19 & 20, 2025
The Home Grow Tour is hitting New York City on the weekend of 4/20 as the final stop. NYC is a famous melting pot and the perfect city to celebrate the diversity of cannabis culture.
The first stop is the MARY Fest in Brooklyn to check out the many intersections of cannabis in our cultural landscape. On 4/20, our community’s biggest day of the year, ILGM will finally settle down for a local celebration of cannabis culture at a surprise location, so stay tuned for more details.
ILGM wants to share their passion for home growing with existing and new generations of home cultivators. Join Leafly and ILGM in this shared passion, learn with us, explore with us, and express your love for cannabis with us.
Coming together with one another, each with our own unique knowledge and experience: This is how the cannabis community has always grown. Different cultures, histories, and communities shape every journey that makes up this larger family.
Check here for more information on the ILGM Home Grow Tour 2025. To keep updated on all things ILGM, you can head to their website or follow them on Facebook and Instagram. You can also head to their YouTube channel for high-quality home-growing videos. Happy growing and see you on the road!
Sure, it’s the cold winter of our discontent, but take heart— the Earth has begun tracking back toward the sun, and the days grow longer again.
Start dreaming today of a dank pound or two come Thanksgiving, then start sourcing your seeds and clones, sketching a gardening plan, and calendaring your harvest.
I know I am. As Leafly News’ senior editor and co-author of the best-selling book ‘Marijuana Harvest,’ I pop beans, soak up strain trends, as well as judge and report on award-winners.
Now it’s again time to wring out all that knowledge to help you plant some winners. Here are over 50 sick genetics picks in 6 categories that we’d be stoked to garden with you.
Jump to a strain category
Candies
Exotic Genetix Bluezy. (Courtesy Exotic Genetix)
We lead off with the flavor that controls the market coast to coast—dubbed ‘candies’ for their candy sweetness, but also their full-bodied dankness often referred to as ‘gas’. Based around Lemon Cherry Gelato and kin, these indica hybrids sell themselves, and keep the commercial market humming.
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Compound Genetics
Chrome Dome (Lemonheadz x Eye Candy). Compound Genetics adds more flavor to its blingiest buds. “The nose leans towards sweet lemon zest and lemon scented cleaning products with an effervescence akin to sprite.”
Chrome Dome takes its bling from Eye Candy and adds more lemon. (Courtesy Compound Genetics)
Exotic Genetix
Bluezy (Zoap x Blueberry Bang Bang). Washington breeder Exotic Genetix has worked the hot strain Zoap with the hot flavor trend blueberry. Exotic Genetix writes: “One of my absolute favorite looks on a flower! The colas get so dark in places that they begin to take on a crazy blue sheen. … These juicy goodies make you think you are inhaling a complex basket of different fuels, even somewhat reminiscent of very aromatic soaps to the nose.”
Purple City Genetics
G-Runtz (Pre-64 Runtz x Gush Mints). All the hype of Runtz with a much bigger yield, from the Oakland cloning powerhouse.
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Tiki Madman
Jelly Rain (Jealousy x Candy Rain); Party Boy (Zoap x Z Rain). Tiki Madman dominates the sweets game and these crosses of Leafly Strain of the Year 2022 Jealousy, or 2025 Leafly Buzz Strain Zoap will make ‘em go crazy.
Oakland Runtz #25 (Don Merfo LCG#7 x Lemon Cherry Gelato); K-Whip (Pineapple Dolomite x Shady Apples). The Sacramento clone kings at Phinest keep farmers fed with their candy selections this year.
Oakland Runtz #25. (Courtesy Phinest)
Cannarado Genetics
Lemon Zawtz (Lemon Tree x Zawtz x Zawtz Bx1). Colorado’s biggest breeder writes “Lemon candy chem best describes this hybrid. Good yields with mouth-staining terps!”
Ethos Genetics
Lemon Cherry Pie R1 (Candy Store #25 x Cherry Pie). Colorado breeder Ethos sells this ‘reversal’ strain that has “sharp lemon upfront. Sweet cherry tones. Muted pine.”
James Loud Genetics
Permanent Midnight (Permanent Marker x Double Lemon Cherry) from this Hayward, CA breeder includes Leafly Strain of the Year 2023.
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Crockett Family Farms
Tap into the Trop Cherry wave that helped power Super Boof to Leafly Strain of the Year 2024. Get Crockett’s Blood Cherry (Blood Orange x Trop Cherry) crosses like Cherry Clem (Clementine x Blood Cherry), and Fruity Loopz (Clementine x Blood Cherry).
Happy Dreams
Cherrilicious (Cherry Frosting x Cherry GAS). The masses love cherries and award-winning Happy Dreams contributes to filling that need.
Desserts
Tie Die (Jealousy x Sunset Sherbert). (Courtesy Cookies Seed Bank)
When we say ‘Desserts’ we mean Girl Scout Cookies-related strains, which continue to dominate year after year. No grow is complete without this powerful dynasty that includes Sherbert, Gelato, Runtz, and Gary Payton. Yes, ‘desserts’ cross over with candies, but they get more doughy, cookie, and cakey.
Karma Genetics
Pink Payton (Gary Payton x Pink Runtz). Gary Payton and Runtz is a combo that cannot miss among dessert fans.
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Sniff away, America—Permanent Marker wins Leafly Strain of the Year 2023
Umami Seeds
No Assist (Gary Payton x Zoda). This super-hot Southern California breeder is known for one-and-done strain releases. You’ll never see these back in stock from Umami when they sell out.
Seed Junky
Animal Tree (Lemon Tree x Animal Mints Bx1); Caribbean Breeze (Pineapple Fruz x (Biscotti x Sherb BX))
Cookies Seed Bank
(Courtesy Cookies)
Tie Die (Jealousy x Sunset Sherbet), Pink Runtz x Hollywood, Lemon Cherry Pop (Gastro Pop 5 X Double Lemon Cherry). You can’t talk about dessert strains without visiting Cookies’ very own seed bank.
Zs
Exemplary Z. Grown indoors in living soil by MOCA Humboldt, CA. Hybrid. (David Downs/Leafly)
The Original Z remains tough to beat on the contest circuit, but it’s just the beginning of the tropical candy taffy tastes this year.
Dying Breed Seeds
Rainboz V.S. (Rainbow Rayz x OZ Kush). These magic beans run $500 per pack, hot dayam, but they can boost you into the front of the global flavor chase spawned by the Z strain.
Hendrx Nursery
Blue Nerdz (Runtz x Zkittlez). Created by Global Genetics LA—the flavor makes up for the yield on this hype cross. See also: Gelo Belts (Gelonade x Rainbow Belts 3.0). “Has the potential to replace Gelonade for commercial farmers. Potency and yield will dictate. Great clone!”
Archive Seeds
Zsunami. (Courtesy Archive Seed Bank)
Zsunami (Zazul #5 x Moonbow 112 F2 #60). Archive Seeds’ Fletch writes, “Just give it a couple years, and you guys will be asking about it like the Rainbow Belts!”
Clearwater Genetics
Blue Nerds crosses; Cherry Chewbanger (Sherbanger 22 x Hi Chew 27) crosses. Clearwater cleared the field of competitors with their Mai Tai line. Don’t sleep on their Blue Nerds or Sherbanger work.
Biovortex
Cherry Lime Dogz. This cross is too long to name. And noted breeder Biovortex has been refining it for 8 years. He describes “a fermented cherry cola fizz with purple pixie stick and gas that smelled and tasted like some magical ambrosia reserved only for the gods.”
Are you longing for old-school OG Kushes and Sour Diesels? Start hunting for them—there are plenty of options.
Karma Genetics
Sour Fire Tahoe (Fire Tahoe x Karma Sour D bx2); Hayabusa OG (Race Fuel OG x Biker Kush). Karma Genetics has some of the best sours in the world.
Rebel Grown
Double OG Sour F5. Rebel Grown has won a ton of awards with this cross of OG and Sour, now in its fifth generation of selections.
Archive Seeds
Holy Roller (Big Sur Holy Weed x Face Off OG); Duct Tape (GG4 x Dosidos). Gas and sour fans, strap in for Archive’s undeniably elite crosses of Face Off OG, or GG4.
Hendrx Nursery
Tire Fire OG ((OG Kush X Triangle Kush) X San Fernando Valley OG)). Gas lovers rejoice, this one smells like ammonia, butter, chestnut, earth, fuel, garlic, kush, rubber, skunk, woody, asphalt, and burnt rubber. Hendrx writes: “Bred by Russell from ChaScience. Best OG I have seen in 15 years. So consistent. Very easy to hunt. Consistent Gas. Picked a few winners. Heavily narcotic high. This is the youngest new phenotype at HENDRX right now. Has the biggest potential.”
Ziplock Seeds
Gas Drop (Gas Face x Frosted Flakes) “Begins with strong gas notes that hit the palate with a pungent, cleaner-like aroma, followed by sharp diesel and sour undertones. … A crew favorite.”
Massive Creations
Shiloh Massive has some intriguing OG/Sour work this year with 97 Super Sour (818 Headband F4 x 97 Sierra Sour); and Kobayashi (818 Headband F4 x Marion Berry). Part of Shiloh’s new Si Lo Sabes line.
DNA Genetics
Kosher Kush. A classic, storied OG Kush that’s ready to grow.
Hashers
MAC V2 from L.A. Made. (David Downs/Leafly)
More and more flower goes straight into hash this year all around the world in grows big and small.
Masonic Seeds
Step into the hash game with the market-rattling bangers from Compton, CA’s Masonic Seeds. The Wilson, Banana God, and Ego Clash Bundle are all winners that don’t come cheap.
Capulator
MACV2. Revisit MAC with Capulator’s improved version. A must-add to any collection.
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Biovortex
Banana Halo Halo ((Ice Cream Cake x Banana DOG) x Motor-G-nut). Selected by Yooper Crew for her extremely high hash yields. See also—Papaya Punch x G-Nut; Chemmy G.
Freeborn Selections
Turkey Bag (Animal Cookies x GMO x MeyerLemsky). Smells like turkey! “It sounds weird, but it’s so tasty. And it makes so much hash.”
Bodhi Seeds
Mule Fuel x 88G13HP. Stanky Mule Fuel and 1988 G-13 Hash Plant should yield some dank hashers.
3rd Coast Genetics
Investigate Michigan breeder’s hot ‘Black Truffle’ line with Solar Garlic (GMO x Black truffle); Rainbow in the Dark (Cadillac Rainbowz x Black Truffle); and Black Tar (Grease Monkey x Black Truffle).
Sativas
Blue Dream (David Downs/Leafly)
Lastly, we leave room for old-school strains that don’t yield a lot and take forever to finish. Sativas are perfect for home gardening where there’s no pressure of finishing early to make a payday.
Equilibrium Genetics
Panama Haze (Panama Red x Tom Hill Haze). A pine and floral 12-weeker that’ll warp you back to Woodstock. Panama Red is a sativa heirloom collected in Panama in the 1970s. Tom Hill Haze is a stable haze line bred in Mendocino by Tom Hill from Haze sourced in Amsterdam from Positronics Seeds in 1996.
Hendrx Nursery
XJ-13. Help bring back this big Jack variety, and put some pep in your step with XJ-13 from Northern California’s Henrdx Nursery.
Rebel Grown
Blue Dream. Grow a classic strain from a legendary breeder. Obviously not a pure sativa, but put in here with the hazes. DNA Genetics also has a Blue Dream.
TerpHogz
TerphogZ Geneticz seeds come in various elite flavors, for deliver in California. (Courtesy TerpHogz)
Red Skrrt-Banger (Skrrrt-Berry Zuava x Red Kachina 2.0). “Powerful gas, creamy citrus, and exotic funk.” This 60-40 sativa offers the latest from The Original Z crew.
And that’s my sickest genetics picks of 2025 for your weed garden, featuring over 50 flavors in 6 categories. Still, I’ve just scratched the surface, so let us know in the comments what you’re stoked to grow.
ILGM, aka I Love Growing Marijuana, are reintroducing themselves. They’ve been one of the leading sources for cannabis seeds and expert growing knowledge for years, but the team at ILGM just isn’t the type to rest on their laurels. They’ve been working hard—and they have a newly refined, streamlined seed shopping experience to show for it. Oh, and did we mention their brand-new, dripped-out look?
The new ILGM is a veritable treasure trove of expert knowledge that’ll help you find everything you need to help your seeds take root and grow strong.
Don’t get it twisted though, ILGM’s new vibe is way more than just a fresh coat of paint. It’s an entire reconceptualization of what an online home for cannabis growers should look like. The new ILGM is a veritable treasure trove of expert knowledge that’ll help you find everything you need to help your seeds take root and grow strong. Their commitment to helping newcomers embrace the craft of growing has never been more secure, and with their new look, more people than ever before can learn to love growing marijuana.
We were lucky enough to catch up with some of the visionaries guiding ILGM’s transformation, and we’ve got all the details on how they’re making ILGM the definitive home of the growers.
More than a seed bank
Image courtesy of ILGM.
2025 is set to be the year of the home grower, if ILGM’s new CEO Ernst Rustenhoven has anything to say about it. When he took the reigns of ILGM early last year, he came up with a plan to transform ILGM into a sleek, dynamic operation that better serves consumer needs.
“The cannabis industry is maturing, and so is the home-growing community. ILGM has been a pioneer in the online cannabis seed market for over a decade,” said Rustenhoven. “However, we realized we were not meeting changing consumer expectations and were stuck in the past.”
Holistic home-growing support for today’s grower
Rustenhoven and his expert team began to modernize ILGM by exploring what customers love about ILGM, and how they can do it even better. The home-growing community is larger than ever, but more isolated across different websites due to the social media terrain becoming more unfriendly to people looking to share photos, videos, and home-growing knowledge.
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“We are increasingly focused on being a platform that connects people and parties: Offering premium genetics from top-notch breeders to home-grow connoisseurs, providing content and resources from expert growers to beginners, and fostering connections among home growers both online and offline. We are here to serve our community and grow with it,” said Rustenhoven.
The best of the past, infused into a bright future
If you’re one of ILGM’s many devoted customers and all this talk of change is getting you a little nervous, relax. The new leadership at ILGM knows that one of their greatest resources is the accumulated knowledge of their robust home-growing community.
“Ensuring that ILGM offers access to a vibrant community of people that want to share their cannabis cultivation journey, and connect with fellow home growers, is a significant part of our mission going forward.” said the CEO.
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Rustenhoven and the team have taken incredible pains to keep the things that have earned ILGM their customer loyalty—like their famous germination guarantee, expert knowledge, and incredible deals—while jettisoning anything that wasn’t working.
Ernst isn’t alone in his efforts, of course. He’s assembled a top-tier team of industry experts including growers, researchers, designers, and writers to overhaul ILGM and make it one of the very best resources for cannabis growers of all experience levels. The entire ILGM team is unified in their desire to revolutionize the ILGM experience and spread the joy of cannabis wider than ever before.
A seed for every need
Image courtesy of ILGM.
ILGM has been one of the foremost sources of cannabis seeds globally for years, and the new ILGM has no plans to change that fact. What they are changing is basically everything else—how easy it is to buy seeds, get the expert knowledge you need to set your seeds up for success, and learn about strain genetics.
Seeds straight from the source
Before, researching a specific seed you had an eye on often sent cultivators to several different sites, but at the new ILGM, growers will have all the information they need to make an informed decision about your grow in one spot.
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The word is transparency—ILGM believes in being completely upfront about where your seeds are coming from, their genetic pedigree, and the type of results you can expect from a setup that resembles your own. As the cannabis industry has matured and growers of all stripes have become increasingly discerning, these sorts of details are increasingly demanded by the growing public, and ILGM loves giving the people what they want. Anything you could think of asking about these strains, you’ll find.
Craft cultivars from top breeders
ILGM focuses on supporting the breeders behind the genetics and the cultivators who depend on them.
Randy Hansen
When the team at ILGM says that they are the home of the growers, they mean it. ILGM features a wide range of seeds from stellar American growers in addition to their ever-reliable in-house brand. You’ll be able to find seeds from high-quality growers like Speedrun Seeds and Green Bodhi on the storefront, with offerings from Happy Valley Genetics and Certified Seeds coming soon. ILGM does the vetting to make sure these seeds are up to snuff, ensuring that every seed in their store is worthy of your grow by partnering with brands who meet their rigorous standards.
The man at the head of ILGM’s seed selection operations is Randy Hansen, an industry veteran with a passion for making connections with master cultivators. As the point person for ILGM’s US seed partnerships, his keen eye for quality cannabis ensures that only the finest seeds make it to ILGM’s store.
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“ILGM focuses on supporting the breeders behind the genetics and the cultivators who depend on them. We’re committed to elevating each breeder’s unique work, ensuring their genetics meet our high standards and that we, in turn, highlight the passion that goes into creating these craft cultivars,” said Hansen.
He and his team work diligently, examining terpene profiles, cannabinoid levels, and genetic stability to make ILGM’s seed selection one of the most robust and reliable in the industry.
It takes a village
Image courtesy of ILGM.
In ILGM’s opinion, growing cannabis should be accessible, easy, and fun for anyone who wants to try their hand. They’re using this rebrand as an opportunity to refocus their content towards making sure that anyone can find what they need to make their home grow successful.
Information for every experience level
ILGM’s new head of content, Robert Nijhout, is crafting an environment where knowledge flows freely and all growers feel supported. Said Nijhout: “We want to make sure that our grow guides are clear and user-friendly for people from all walks of life without leaving any information on the table or simplifying anything in favor of accuracy.”
No matter if this is your first time trying out your green thumb or your thousandth, ILGM wants you to feel at home. With Nijhout at the helm of the content department, ILGM will publish expert, high-level content for home growers with experience, but they will also take special care to expand the home-growing community by welcoming in first-time growers.
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“Starting out as a grower means facing a ton of questions—which strain to grow, where to set up, what soil or gear to use—it can feel overwhelming,” said Nijhout. “We get that because we’ve been there. That’s why we create content that answers those questions early, helping customers make informed choices from day one.”
One-on-one support
In addition to the incredible articles, grow guides, and videos outlining the art and science of cannabis cultivation that ILGM publishes now, they are almost ready to roll out a feature that will totally transform the online cannabis community.
Soon, ILGM customers will be able to set up direct one-on-one consultations with its in-house team of home grow success consultants,who can help diagnose and remedy ailments in even the most difficult of grows. These experts will be able to analyze your unique growing setup, taking into account things like climate and light conditions to troubleshoot your grow and get your plants back on track. This sort of personalized care just isn’t widely available to most growers, who will find ILGM to be an indispensable resource to increase yields and have more fun with their grow.
The road ahead
Image courtesy of ILGM.
While the new and improved ILGM is certainly very impressive, the team behind the reimagining isn’t even close to being finished. They have big plans to launch heaps of new features over the coming year in addition to the upcoming personalized consultation feature, making it even less stressful and more enjoyable to grow cannabis.
“We believe these initiatives, which are just the tip of the iceberg, will not only strengthen our existing community but also attract new members to the home-growing movement,” said Rustenhoven.
AI-powered growing assistant
So, what does the team have in store? One of the first features that ILGM will be launching in the near future is the world’s first custom-built AI-powered growing assistant. This AI was developed in-house by the team at ILGM, who trained the bot on decades of expert growing knowledge accumulated on the ILGM website. This AI will be fully integrated into the ILGM website, providing helpful, easy-to-follow advice 24/7 so you’re never alone in facing a growing emergency.
Culture-driven content
ILGM will also be delivering even more quality content in the year ahead. “In the coming period, we’re excited to create content that sets up our home growers for success,” said Nijhout. They’ll be producing community-driven stories to get the pulse of the culture, in-depth cultivation podcasts that get granular on how to maximize your yields, and Q&As with master growers seeking to share their knowledge.
Home Grow Tour
To top it all off, they’re taking the show on the road and going on tour. Leading up to 4/20, weed’s biggest day, ILGM will be launching their nationwide Home Grow Tour, a massive jamboree to celebrate the love and care that the home-growing community brings to their hobby.
The tour will feature events designed to bring growers together with product launches, influencer meetups, grow classes, and much, much more. The itinerary featuring the specifics will launch soon, so keep an eye out on social media to see if one of the biggest tours cannabis has ever seen will make it to your neck of the woods.
With all of these exciting changes, ILGM is poised to completely revolutionize the seed-buying experience for home growers all over America. But don’t just take our word for it—head to the new ILGM website today and experience the transformation for yourself. With a renewed focus on community engagement and some incredible seeds from vetted partners on the shelves, ILGM is proud to be the Home of the Growers.
Image courtesy of ILGM.
To keep updated on new features, strains, and events, you can head to ILGM’s website or follow them on Facebook and Instagram. You can also head to their YouTube channel for high-quality home-growing videos. Happy growing!
