When it comes to buying marijuana seeds in Canada, the choice that you’ve got can be a little bit limited and this can impact the number of choices that you. Fortunately, though, there are still some great cannabis seed banks in Canada that you can choose from all the same for buying your cannabis seeds.
As the first-ever G7 country to ever legalize cannabis fully, it’s definitely worth giving cannabis growing a shot, and the most important part of this is sourcing top quality seeds. However, with so many cannabis seed banks not offering seeds of a high standard, choosing the best marijuana seed banks is essential. So, today, we’ll be looking at the legalities of growing cannabis in Canada, and where you can source the best marijuana seeds from if you decide that giving cannabis growing a shot could be the right path for you to try!
Table of Contents
Legalities of Growing Cannabis in Canada
Canada is an excellent place for cannabis lovers to live, thanks to the fact that it has fully legalized the use of marijuana. However, it is still important that cannabis growers and users in the country are aware of the state of legalization in Canada, including the history of the legalization process.
Just after the turn of the millennium in 2001, Canada would pave the way for the legalization of marijuana worldwide by becoming the first country to legalize the use of medicinal marijuana, after the ban on medical marijuana was actually deemed unconstitutional. This followed from a case that was held in 2000 where a sufferer from severe epilepsy stated that the only product that could provide him with pain relief was medicinal cannabis. And so, the Marijuana Medical Access Regulations were created in order to provide relief for individuals with severe illnesses and pain, although it would still be a while before the country would go on to ease the strictness of the regulations and who they applied to. In fact, it wasn’t for 13 years that the regulations were updated to become the Marijuana for Medical Purposes Regulations, which would allow medical sufferers to grow their own medicinal cannabis for private use.
This change would prove to be instrumental in changing the way in which the country regarded cannabis. The regulations established that approval for possession of medicinal cannabis would not need to be sought from the government directly, and instead, doctors could provide a prescription for patients to take up to 5 grams of medicinal cannabis per day. Buds would only be available from pre-approved dispensaries, though. From 2015, further changes to the laws in Canada would then go on to make products such as brownies, oils, and teas also legal for patients’ consumption for medical reasons.
Recreational cannabis, however, took longer for the country to legalize, but a bill was eventually passed in 2018 for the possession and use of recreational cannabis: Bill C-45, which is commonly known as the Cannabis act. This new act allows individuals aged 18 years or over to use cannabis and purchase marijuana products from regulated sellers, as well as to have on hand up to 30 grams of cannabis. Furthermore, the passing of the bill also allows cannabis users to grow up to four plants for their own personal consumption. Products such as extracts, concentrates, and topicals are also now legalized.
Why Were Changes Brought In?
There are a number of different reasons as to why cannabis use was legalized in Canada, but the most notable reason is the difficulty in policing the use of cannabis. With well over half of all drug charges in the country being linked in some way to cannabis and marijuana, with the majority of these charges eventually being either dismissed or discharged. Therefore, having cannabis use as a crime in the country really did very little for actually controlling it, especially considering the cost of policing cannabis use—and so, in legalizing cannabis, resources can be redistributed to other areas of crime while also promoting medical marijuana use.
Canadian Cannabis Statistics
It is estimated now that somewhere in the region of 44% of Canadians have, at some point in time, tried or used cannabis for either medicinal or recreational purposes, with approximately one in five 15-24 year old Canadians using cannabis annually.
Sourcing Cannabis Seeds
The passing of the C-45 bill means that cannabis lovers are able to grow up to 4 cannabis plants for their own personal consumption, and this has caused a spike in the number of cannabis seed sales. However, as with all things, this has also caused many fraudulent seed banks to pop up as well. As a result of this, choosing a seed bank that is reputable and which will provide you with quality cannabis seeds for growth is essential. But how can you choose a good seed bank?
Factors to Consider when Choosing a Seed Bank
There are a number of different factors that you should consider when choosing a seed bank, including the following:
- Reputation—always check the reputation of your chosen seed bank to make sure that other customers have had good experiences. Look for well-balanced reviews, however; if every single review of your chosen seed bank is 5 stars, then consider the potential that the reviews could be fraudulent. No one is perfect, after all!
- Germination guarantees—some seed banks offer germination guarantees on their seeds which will help you to have confidence that your seeds will be high quality. If the seeds should fail to germinate well, then the seed bank will offer a refund or replacement if they offer a germination guarantee.
- Strain selection—choosing a seed bank which offers a selection with good strain selection will help you to ensure that you aren’t limited in terms of choice for seeds.
- Payment options—most seed banks will offer a wide range of different payment options for their customers, and the best seed banks will do their best to accommodate you. Look for a seed bank that offers a payment option that suits you.
- Delivery guarantees—the best Canadian seed banks, if ordering online, will offer a delivery guarantee so that you can be confident that your seeds will arrive. This is less of a problem for Canadian seed banks than for other countries, such as the US.
The Best Canadian Marijuana Seed Banks
Choosing the best seed banks might seem tricky, so if you are looking for somewhere to buy your cannabis seeds in Canada, let us help you with some of our suggestions for the best Canadian marijuana seed banks.
MSNL (Full Review)
MSNL is one of the most popular and well-known seedbanks with a good reputation for quality products. They have a large and generous strain selection and their supportive customer service helps to ensure that customers are looked after with every purchase.
Seed Quality and Germination
When it comes to sourcing high-quality cannabis seeds, you need to make sure you consider the quality of the seeds that you’re buying as well as how well the seeds will germinate. MSNL offers a wide range of highly potent and high-quality seeds that are widely renowned for their quality. A large reason behind the quality of the seeds offered at MSNL is due to the fact that the vast majority of their foundation seed stock was from F1 strains. An additional key benefit of choosing to shop through MSNL is that every seed which is sold is carefully analyzed in laboratory settings to try to ensure quality wherever possible.
The only drawback in this regard, however, is that no actual germination guarantees are offered by the company. With that being said, though, past customers often report being very impressed with the seed quality and germination rates, so this may not be something you need to spend too long worrying about.
Strain Selection
MSNL offers high-quality seeds, however, their strain selection is somewhat let down as a result of this rigorous testing process which limits how many strains they can provide. Many customers report wishing that a greater strain selection was available. The team does offer auto-flowering and feminized seeds, though.
Customer Service
In general, MSNL is praised for its rapid customer service response time. Customer service can be contacted by phone or online. Their FAQ section is also implemented well to help answer any questions that customers might have.
Payment Methods
People shopping through MSNL Seed Bank can pay for their seed order in a few different manners, however, payment methods are limited compared to other companies. MSNL does not accept Visa cards, so only Mastercards can be used to make a card payment. They also accept cash payments, Bitcoin, or bank transfers – Bitcoin payments also benefit from a 15% discount on the price of the purchase.
Shipping
All orders placed through MSNL are shipped using discreet packaging and a choice of different delivery options are available based on the buyer’s preferences: standard, stealth, and guaranteed.
Refunds and Promotions
MSNL offers a relatively large number of different promotions on top of the reasonable prices of their stock, and every order also benefits from free seeds tucked away inside too. Up to 5 free seeds are available for buyers to enjoy. Furthermore, the team also offer a loyalty rewards system so that customers can benefit from freebies for their purchases.
Reputation
When it comes to choosing the right seed bank, considering the Seed Bank’s reputation is key – but there is no shortage of reviews for MSNL, with a grand total of over 10,000 reviews on TrustPilot from past customers. These reviews are generally very positive of the company, so it is safe to say that MSNL is one seed bank that has a stellar reputation among its customers for sure.
Pros
- Wide range of promotions and discounts, including free seeds with every order
- Loyalty scheme
- Bitcoin payment discount of 15%
- Three different stealth shipping options
- Seeds are individually assessed for quality
Cons
- No germination guarantee offered
- Strain selection is somewhat lacking
Crop King Seeds (Full Review)
Crop King Seeds is an old name in the cannabis seed industry, with its original creation being way back in 2012, with a selection of high-quality, rare seeds for customers to buy. As a Canadian-based seed bank, it is easy to see why Canadian shoppers may want to choose Crop King Seeds for their seed purchases; this is especially true since the team has plenty of physical Canadian stores as well as their online e-commerce platform.
Seed Quality and Germination
Arguably the primary USP of Crop King Seeds is that of the rare nature of the strains that they stock, and this is notable for a few different reasons. Indeed, Crop King Seeds has developed a reputation for providing the highest quality seeds for its customers, with all seed strains providing the expected yields and growth rates. The team also offers a germination guarantee of at least 80% which is relatively generous.
Strain Selection
As with MSNL, if you’re looking for a seed bank with a huge number of different strains to choose between then Crop King Seeds may not be the one for you. Stocking around 40 strains of seeds, the choice here is slightly limited (although this is arguably made up for considering the rarity and potency of the seeds). Crop King Seeds do stock a range of industry favorite strains though, including Purple Kush and Dark Angel.
Customer Service
For Canadian customers, a key benefit of choosing to shop through Crop King Seeds is the ability to head to one of their 200 physical stores to talk with a customer representative in person. Customer service from the team is fast and efficient, and they can also be contacted by telephone, letters, live chat, email, or through their contact us form. It is worth mentioning, though, that some of the operators of these support lines are said to be unpleasant to talk to and not the most forthcoming with conversations.
Payment Methods
Based in Canada, they accept debit and credit cards, Bitcoin, and Interac E-transfers. This generally suits most buyers and ensures that people are able to pay for their new seeds without too much fuss. Cash payments may also be made in physical Canadian Crop King stores.
Shipping
All Crop King seeds are delivered in discreet packaging which has been sealed for freshness and to ensure the viability of the seed(s). The delivery time for Canadian deliveries can be a little slow when compared to some other options, however, which should be considered prior to deciding to order seeds online through Crop King Seeds.
A key benefit for Canadian customers is the fact that this seed bank also has 200 physical stores across the country—this can be popular for many Canadian buyers, since the company does ask for a higher delivery charge than most seed banks, with free delivery only available for orders of $300 or greater. Therefore, if you are looking to buy seeds in Canada, you might benefit from taking a road trip to your nearest Crop King Seeds store.
Refunds and Promotions
Free shipping is available on all orders of $300 or more, and the team also offer a germination guarantee of 80%. The primary drawback here, however, is that there are very few ‘worthwhile’ seed promotions offered by the team.
Reputation
As one of the oldest cannabis seed banks for Canada, it is no surprise that Crop King Seeds has a pretty good reputation among its customers. However, it should be noted that infrequent reports of the wrong seeds being sent out, or seeds failing to germinate, have been made in the past.
Pros
- Numerous high CBD strains for medicinal growers and users
- Minimum 80% germination guarantee for purchases
- Plenty of contact options and rapid responses
- Passionate team devoted to improving the quality of their seeds’ genetics
- 200 physical stores in Canada
Cons
- Limited strain selection compared to other seed banks
- Customer service can be hurried and snappy, making conversations unpleasant
- Expensive seed prices
True North Seed Bank
The True North Seed Bank is based in Toronto and provides a huge array of strains for customers to choose between, making it a popular destination for investing in cannabis seeds. True North is particularly suited toward large scale buyers, with discounts available on seed orders of 50 or more of the same strain. However, since the team buys in their seeds, they do not offer guarantees and past customers have reported poor germination occasionally, so it is advisable that buyers do their research on the strain that they have chosen.
Seed Quality and Germination
The team pride themselves on only offering the freshest seeds possible, although it is important to note that they stock seeds from over 50 different breeders. As a result of this, it is hard for consistency to be measured between the many different types of seeds found on the website. A common concern among buyers is that of the lack of successful germinations, though, so you should always do your research first.
Strain Selection
If you’re looking for a seed bank with a lot of different strains to choose between in Canada, True North is your go-to option. With over 1500 different strains in stock, which have been derived from over 50 different cannabis seed breeders, it is safe to say that very few (if any) other seed banks can rival True North in terms of strain selection. They offer auto-flowering and feminized strains alongside their regular seed strains, as well as a generous number of medical marijuana strains that are useful for those looking for a high CBD cannabis strain.
Customer Service
Though True North is not exactly ‘shining the way’ in terms of customer service, it would be unfair to say they don’t provide a decent contact option. A member of their customer service team can be called during the week for further support and advice if needed, as well as having an online contact us form.
Payment Methods
The True North Seed Bank accepts payment in a number of different ways, including debit and credit cards, money orders, cash, and cryptocurrency payments. This means that most shoppers will be able to benefit from one of the chosen shipping methods when choosing this seed bank with which to make a purchase.
Shipping
Shipping for Canadian customers is quick, although shipping is generally more pricey than for rival seed banks and free shipping is only available for orders of $550 CAD or greater. All products are packaged discreetly, usually in the original packaging from the breeder, and sealed in a plain envelope.
Refunds and Promotions
True North often run a number of unique promotions and discounts for their customers, which can make shopping with this seed bank a great experience. The huge number of strains mean that there’ll always be something new to experience with the promotions, too. Unfortunately, though, True North do not offer a germination guarantee on their products.
Reputation
True North has a somewhat average reputation among its past customers, but this is largely owing to the fact that it does not breed its own seeds. Since all of its seeds are derived from breeders – over 50 of them – it is not such a surprise that some people have found variable results with the quality of the seeds that they have been sold. Therefore, if choosing to buy through True North, heed the advice of other past customers and check the reputation of the specific seed strain or breeder before you make your final decision.
Pros
- Massive seed selection of over 1500 strains from 50+ breeders
- Fast shipping times compared to other seed banks
- Discreet shipping options available
- Weekday customer service telephone number
Cons
- Seed quality can be highly variable due to only selling other breeders’ seeds
- Expensive delivery charges
In Summary
Canada has legalized the use of both medicinal and recreational cannabis, and this represents a great opportunity for many cannabis lovers. However, when it comes to buying cannabis seeds, it is still imperative that buyers take care to source seeds from reputable sellers.