Does cannabis grow better in sunlight of artificial light? The longstanding debate continues to rage about whether indoor controlled-environment marijuana grow lights or outdoor cannabis using natural sunlight is better. Each camp has its firm and devoted legions that have already made up their minds. The question is: Which one is right for you?
Natural Sunlight
There’s no replacement for Mother Nature. Sunlight has served the needs of our planet for millennia and shows no signs of letting up anytime soon. Since the cannabis plant does its best with 10 to 12 hours of direct sunlight per dayduring its flowering period, it soaks up a tremendous amount of solar energy. Some growers have had success with considerably less hours of direct sunlight per day, but this is not ideal.
Access to full, unfiltered sunlight should be the goal of all outdoor growers. Sunlight also has the advantage over artificial lighting on operational costs since it’s free—and nothing is cheaper than free. Because the sun uses less energy than artificial lights, using sunlight reduces the carbon footprint of your garden.

Because cannabis enjoys direct sunlight to grow to its full potential, prolonged periods of shade are undesirable. Commercial cultivators will want a cleared, open field for their gardens. A private grower may face more challenges in this area, because unobstructed, 180-degree sunlight can be difficult to provide in a home environment unless the grower has flat roof access or a very large yard.
Grow Lights
Does Cannabis Grow Better in Sunlight or Artificial Light?
Plants grown indoors using grow lights must rely on man-made full-spectrum lighting. The most common types of powerful led grow light used for this purpose are compact fluorescent lights (CFL), high-intensity discharge (HID) such as high-pressure sodium (HPS) and metal halide (MH) bulbs, and light-emitting diode (LED) lights.

Each type of light can be used throughout every stage of the cannabis growing process, but some can provide better results than others.
LED
Light-emitting diode lights are relative newcomers to the world of indoor cannabis cultivation. These energy-efficient lights are quickly gaining in popularity among home and commercial growers.

While LEDs are more expensive to buy than other grow lights, improvements in manufacturing caused prices to come down. Although they initially cost more, LEDs last longer and they use less electricity so they are less expensive to use over the duration of their life compared to other bulbs.

In addition, led grow lights samsung run cooler than their alternatives and are safer to use on cannabis plants because they do not get nearly as hot as other bulbs. In addition, LEDs do not require as much ventilation consideration due to their cooling capabilities. These factors have caused LED lights to become increasingly popular.