Buying Cannabis Seeds in Australia: A How-To Guide

This article is part of a series.
You can catch the rest of FAB’s Indoor Grow Guide at the link below!

When looking to select your cannabis seeds, you need to remain aware of a few main things.

Cannabis seeds are diverse, and there are many different varieties to choose from. Seeds can be placed into a few primary categories: Indicas, Sativas and Hybrids. CBD-rich Ruderalis genetics are another favourite amongst growers. Ruderalis genes are often used for medicinal purposes, and generally bred with Hybrids to create new, unique, auto-flowering strains.

Does this all sound a little confusing?
It’s not, actually. It’s super simple; just keep reading!

Selecting Sativa Seeds

Sativas typically have a much higher THC content than other strains, but are low in CBD. This produces a much more cerebral, uplifting, energetic high. 

Sativas are this writer’s personal favourite – generally speaking. Plants of this taxonomy can induce feelings of optimism and overall enhanced wellbeing. Infamous for their spacey, hallucinogenic effects; Sativas are a suitable choice for the daytime.

Sativa plants are typically known for being tall, with many specimens growing to well over two metres (some reach up to six!). Their long, thin leaves are easily recognised.

Pro Tip: Naturally, the height and foliage of a Sativa makes them a little trickier to grow indoors. Don’t be discouraged, though! You can still grow Sativas inside… provided you train your plants well, and have adequate height available in your grow tent/a high ceiling.

An Intro to Indica Seeds

As their name suggests, Indica genetics trace their origin back to the hemp of the Indian subcontinent. Much like their Sativa counterparts, Indica strains generally contain high levels of THC. However, Indicas also contains comparably high levels of non-psychoactive CBD, which in effect ‘counterbalances’ the psycho-activity of THC.

Indicas generally provide a much deeper, stronger ‘body-stone’ effect than Sativas. This is also referred to by some as ‘couchlock’.

If you’re Indica… you’re typically In Da Couch.

Generally speaking, Indicas are much shorter than their Sativa counterparts, resulting in smaller yields. With that said, Indicas can still manage to to grow big, wide and bushy. While some strains are much more compact than others… most tend to grow wider and rounder than the Sativas. Many Indicas look a lot like shrubs.

Indicas typically produce lots of smaller side colas and splitting branches, making them the easiest to grow indoors.

Indica specimens are also excellent relaxants; providing calmness and stress relief. They’re also highly effective for reducing inflammation, relieving pain, and treating conditions like epilepsy and insomnia.

Pro Tip: It’s very common for regular cannabis users to use an Indica at night as a sleep aid.

Hybrid Genetics

Hybrids are where the two primary ‘types’ of cannabis are crossbred; leading to a mixture of different traits from their genetic parents. After all, a medium between heady Sativa and woozy Indica only makes sense.

Hybrids can be exactly 50% Sativa and 50% Indica – or anywhere in between. For hybrid strains, it’s crucial to know the genetic properties of your specific seeds. Knowing the parents will give you an idea of when to vegetate and flower.

People purport many diverse effects from Hybrid strains. These days, it isn’t uncommon for a cannabis consumer’s favourite strain to be the result of one or another kind of genetic hybridisation.

Pro Tip: Consider a Hybrid if other strains have been ‘too much’ for you to handle, in the past. Sativas can sometimes cause symptoms of anxiety, and Indicas can make you too stoned to move. Hybrids are known to impart a nice, mellow relaxing high that keeps you awake, alert, and happy!

Auto-Flowering Down Under

Auto-flowering cannabis seeds are an excellent choice for indoor growers. These beauties flower at a fixed time, irregardless of light scheduling; and ripen from seed to harvest in only 60 or 70 days. Truly incredible, for cannabis!

Auto-flowering cannabis emerged from the short, stalky Ruderalis species. Auto-flowers generally won’t grow much more than a metre in height. After the seed sprouts, the plant will automatically flower at around 21 to 30 days; hence the term “auto-flowering”.

Ruderalis naturally contains very low levels of THC. If you crossbreed a Ruderalis with Sativa or Indica genes, you’ll have yourself an auto-flowering strain with levels of THC that go toe-to-toe with the other species.

Pro Tip: Ruderalis contains loads of CBD; Auto-flowering buds tend to make for excellent medical marijuana!

So: where can I buy cannabis seeds from, in Australia?
How do I acquire cheap cannabis seeds, in general? 

Obtaining Seeds

While there are no official retail stores selling cannabis seeds in Australia… there are a few companies online that sell seeds.

Some ship out of Australia, whereas others are international and come through the post. Know that if your seeds are found by the Australian Border Force, they will be crushed. However, the likelihood of this is honestly quite low.

When acquiring your seeds, be aware of your grow tent’s size. Ensure your seeds will have enough room to grow. You don’t want to buy Sativa Dominant strains if your tent is only 120cm tall. Realistically, you aren’t likely to be growing full Sativas indoors.

It’s important to remain aware of how placing online orders for cannabis seeds could put you at risk. Purchasing seeds in Australia will likely require a Paypal or Bank Transfer. These transfers aren’t wholly secure, as they contain your personal information. If you’re paranoid or wish to be cautious, this may not be your best option…

Caveman Seeds by Matt Cave

Pick up your seeds from inside of Australia, with free postage on orders over $100. Typically, a pack of 3 seeds will cost you $35 AUD, with a 5 pack going for $50. Caveman Seeds holds a vast range of Sativas, Indicas, Hybrids and Auto-flowers.

Aussie Canna

Aussie Canna are a newer Australian seedbank. They provide most seeds in 3 packs for $35. They have an excellent range of auto-flowers and feminised seeds; not to mention, a few of their own custom-branded products! Shipping is free when you order over $100!

Source Them From Your Baggie

A very common way of acquiring seeds in Australia is by getting lucky. If you ever find some seeds at the bottom of that baggie of dank… for the love of god, KEEP THEM.

Particularly if you’re procuring some awesome Aussie bush cannabis… you should find those seeds in abundance. If you can’t be bothered with the online services, try them out and see how they go!

The downside of this approach is the ambiguity pertaining to the exact genetics of your seed. Still, it can be a bit of fun to grow an ‘unknown seed’.

Check Instagram For Vendors

There are incredible Australian breeders selling their seeds on Insta. Just follow the ‘Aussie cannabis’ hashtags, and you’ll find them 😉

International Vendors

If you’re after a more private transaction, perhaps an international order is your best bet.

We recommend the Attitude SeedBank.

Attitude have an enormous collection of strains from the best breeders in the world! Plus, their stealth shipping is great; ensure you use it!

Personally, I’ve never had a problem with these folks. They’re very generous, and tend to throw in a lot of ‘freebie’ seeds as promotion. They accept cryptocurrency, and always hand out extra seeds when you purchase with Bitcoin, Litecoin, and the like!

Royal Queen Seeds is another excellent International seedbank.

Pro Tip: If you need to buy yourself some cryptocurrency in Australia, check out ‘BTC Markets’. They’re low-fee and easy to deal with. I have personally used them for years.

Make Sure Your Seeds Are Feminised

If you can purchase feminised seeds, you want to; as it will streamline the entire growing process! You only really want female plants, as they produce the flowers – not the males. A lot of time and money can be saved if you just get your hands on some feminised seeds.

Is Your Breeder/Vendor Reputable?

Not all seeds are created equal. A little bit of research into the breeders will go a long way. Otherwise, you may fall victim to a marketing ploy. There are usually multiple versions of the same strain, as the genetics have been bred and mixed in similar ways. Problem is… if you have different genetic parents, you’re liable to get very different genetic results.

We recommend you do a quick google search on the breeder. See if their reputation holds up. Grow journals can also be of great assistance. You can use Grow Diaries (an online tool) to track your progress, and check on other people who are growing with the same genetics!

Strain Recommendations For Beginners

For the beginners out there: this is a list of easy-to-grow strains, organised into their genetic variants. It’s important to note that the ‘finish’ time of non-auto-flowering plants’ is based on their flowering time. Typically, you will vegetate your plants for 2-4 weeks before flipping them to flower – so add that to the auto-flowers’ completion time/s.

Indica Dominant Strains

Northern Lights by Sensi Seeds
Genetics: 90% Indica
Height: 100-120cm
Flowering Time: 6-7 Weeks

Blue Cheese by Barneys Farm Seeds
Genetics: 80% Indica / 20% Sativa
Height: 80-90cm
Flowering Time: 7-8 Weeks

Critical Kush by Barneys Farm Seeds
Genetics: 100% Indica
Height: 100-110cm
Flowering Time: 7-8 Weeks

Rug Burn OG by Rare Dankness Seeds
Genetics: 20% Sativa / 80% Indica
Height: 60-120cm
Flowering Time: 7-9 Weeks

Sativa Dominant Strains

Blue Dream by Humboldt Seeds Organization
Genetics: 70% Sativa / 30% Indica
Height*: 160-200+ cm
Flowering Time: 9-11 Weeks
*Make sure you don’t vegetate for too long, and be sure to train this beauty!

Green Crack by Humboldt Seed Organization
Genetics: 60% Sativa / 40% Indica
Height: 80-140cm
Flowering Time: 8-9 Weeks

Hybrid Strains

Girl Scout Cookies by The California Connection
Genetics: 60% Sativa / 40% Indica
Height: 80-140cm
Flowering Time: 8-9 Weeks

White Widow
Genetics: 35% Sativa / 65% Indica
Height: 40-100cm
Flowering Time: 8-10 Weeks

Auto-Flowering Strains

Northern Lights Automatic by Royal Queen Seeds
Genetics: 80% Indica / 20% Ruderalis
Height: 80-120cm
Harvest Time: 9-10 Weeks

Amnesia Haze Automatic by Royal Queen Seeds
Genetics: 50% Sativa / 20% Indica / 30% Ruderalis
Height: 50-100cm
Harvest Time: 10-12 Weeks

Main Article: ‘Growing Cannabis Indoors in Australia’