Seed Banks that Ship to the USA: A Complete Guide for 2022

by | Nov 14, 2021 | Grow

We’ve been growing weed for nearly 15 years and have ordered countless seeds from every website out there. 

We know which seed banks are worth your time and which ones simply aren’t.

Here are our top 6 best online seed banks that ship to the USA. We don’t fluff the list with seed banks we don’t mess with just to write about them, these are the ones we really use.

I also try to pack this article with insight about ordering seeds from seed banks and growing cannabis from seed. Here we go!

  1. Seedsman
  2. Sensei Seeds
  3. Paradise Seeds
  4. Crop King Seeds
  5. Nirvana Seeds
  6. MSNL

We’ve also had success with the following 2 seedbanks, but there are some legitimate mixed reviews on both of them. So, a caution flag is thrown on these 2 but feel free to do your research. If there are specific genetics that you want to get and you have the money to roll the dice, these can be a good option:

  1. True North
  2. Seed Supreme

Cannabis legalization continues to sweep across the United States, as people realize this plant has so much to offer us. As medical and recreational cannabis becomes available in each state, there has been increased interest in home-growing the herb.

I’m here to tell you that growing your own cannabis is an extremely fun hobby and with a little work anyone can do it! We have a full extensive guide to growing your own cannabis coming, so stay tuned!

For now, we want to cover the initial part of the cannabis growing equation, where can you buy cannabis seeds? The answer is a seed bank. What is a seed bank? They are an organization that works to preserve genetic diversity and store seeds to then distribute. These seed libraries work with cannabis geneticists all around the world to provide all the top strains at the push of a button!

What qualities to look for in a great seed bank:

  • Quality Seeds – this is first and foremost!
  • Offers shipping to the USA
  • Discreet and stealth shipping
  • Shipping reliability – will your package make it to you
  • Great strain selection
  • Legitimate refund policy for their mistakes, damaged, missing, or bad seeds
  • Exceptional customer service 
  • Awesome sales and promotions
  • Website that is easy to understand and use
  • Website is secure with SSL and legit payment processing
  • Loyalty programs are great
  • Product/seed knowledge for each strain
  • Review system for each product
  • Variety of payment methods accepted

Pro Tips:

Below are the best seed banks that ship to the USA and our review of their operation:

  1. Seedsman – 15% – established 2003, large selection seed bank aggregator, insane amount of good reviews on trustpilot (9,222 total reviews 4 star), bad reviews get response so seemingly responsive customer service, great filtering on category pages, good info on mouseover of strain, thc level, yield and flower time estimates
  2. Sensei Seeds – 15-30% high-quality site, easy to browse and filter by things like yield and climate zone flowering time, variety 105 strains on site, 500 varieties claim, 3 shops in amsterdam, founded in 1985 as cannabis museum, 
  3. Paradise Seeds – 15-20% (discount code for 10% on the 15% model) – amsterdam, small variety 39, mediocre site, helpful grow reports on the strains
  4. Crop King – 20% – site looks like its the most fly site from 2002, nice packaging, good knowledge base on how to grow for new people, claim 80% germination rate and that they test it regularly, some online reviewers dispute that.
  5. Nirvana Seeds – 25% – small variety 49, quality strains, well reviewed online, good filters and website browsing experience, good for beginners bc of price, great customer service
  6. MSNL – “up to 35%” – 20 years in the game, free delivery*, sends all over the world, world-class genetics, very nice and user-friendly site, sales (a lot of them), free seeds with orders, rewards program, Netherlands, a lot of variety over 120 strains

Buyer beware seed bank Format these in some way may be:

  1. True North – 15-25% – mediocre customer service, really mixed reviews online, based in canada, insane selection like 1600 items broker for a lot of seed companies, super suspect, buy at your own risk. Mixed reviews on germination rate. But this could have to do with the specific seed bank you are actually receiving seeds through. There are also good reviews to be found and a lot of time, online reviews will only be the people who have problems. People growing cannabis on the down low are more likely just keeping to themselves
  2. Seed Supreme – 20% – giant selection, similar seed bank aggregator/broker. Like true north there are mixed reviews about the quality and attentiveness of the customer service. In both cases, it seems like they are doing a lot of volume, therefore opening the door for a lot of caught packages and variance in seed quality between banks. If they have the specific genetics you want and no one else does, they may be worth the shot. But, if another more reputable bank has the strain then it may be best to look elsewhere.

General warning about buying seeds in the United States: When ordering seeds online, it’s good to keep in mind that cannabis is still federally illegal in the United States. Most companies do their best to ship discreetly and continually update their practice but things still get caught. In most cases, even if you get a letter saying your package has been taken, you may still be able to order seeds. While possessing seeds is federally illegal, it’s extremely rare to be arrested for receiving them online, even when customs seize a package.

Like many online businesses, you will find good and bad experiences from every single seed bank. We recommend reading both positive and negative reviews about the seed bank you plan to order from. This way your decision is informed and you can trust you have the best chance of receiving your seeds.

Are there any seed banks in the US?

There are not many reputable seed banks in the US. This is because while cannabis has become readily available in a few recreational states, there is not as good of a system for preserving genetics. Many growers in the US are relying on foreign seeds from the aforementioned seed banks. Working with the companies listed that have a history and track record is a more sure bet in our opinion. If you live in a legal state, you may want to also look into buying clones.

What types of cannabis seeds do seed banks have?

Regular Seeds

These cannabis seeds are produced using 1 male and 1 female plant. When the male’s pollen comes into contact with a female plant. The seeds produced will be either male, female, or hermaphrodite based on the genetic lottery. For experienced growers, there is value to this type of seed for preserving genetics best. Although many growers will choose a feminized seed to get a better rate of return on the plants.

If you go with regular seeds, remember to germinate some extras to account for any males you eliminate at the flowering stage. For more information on discerning male cannabis plants from females, check our guide coming soon!

Feminized Seeds 

As opposed to regular seeds, feminized cannabis seeds use selective breeding and colloidal silver to eliminate male chromosomes. This process assures that every plant in the crop is going to be female. This makes getting started much easier with feminized seeds.

Feminized seeds can save you money, as there’s no need to germinate extra seeds to account for males in the batch. While this can also greatly reduce the burden of identifying a plant’s sex during flowering, you’ll still want to check the plants to make sure you don’t have any male flowers. In some cases, feminized seeds can still produce male flowers. This phenomenon is usually caused by environmental stress, ie physical harm, temperature or light issues, and other stressors.

Autoflowering Seeds

Autoflowering cannabis seeds are the perfect choice for growers looking to cultivate their plants outdoors. While most cannabis begins flowering as a reaction to changes in the light cycle, auto-flowering plants begin flowering as soon as they hit maturity. The plants also tend to be a bit smaller with smaller yields than regular or feminized seeds. 

If you live in a climate that is not as friendly for cannabis, such as northern states, auto-flowering cannabis may be a good choice. If you plan to grow indoors, you don’t need to use auto-flowering seeds. If you live in a state with a warmer climate, you may not need to use auto-flowering seeds to grow outdoors. Also, if you are growing in a greenhouse scenario, you also may not need them.