Putting aside the fact that many Silicon Valley golden boys are openly using marijuana, it goes without saying growers, patients, and recreational users are a profitable market for specialized mobile apps. It is, therefore, natural for developers to want to get their “slice of the pie”. Listed below are some of the best marijuana-related apps in the market as of early 2017.

*The apps that feature in this article were chosen by testing, reviews, and update frequency. Under every app, you will find the platforms it is available and its respective price. Testing was carried out in iOS.

Strain Reviews/ Dispensaries Info

Some of the most visible marijuana apps out right now are what tend to be called strain guides, but could go equally well under the banner of “bud porn”. However, its not all about enjoying images of exotic cannabis strains. All of these apps are informative and genuinely helpful in the planning of your next grows.

Marijuana Handbook Lite (Fallacy Studio)

Available on: iOS (Free – $2.99 for Pro Version) / Android (Free – $2.99 for Pro Version)

Fallacy Studio’s Marijuana Handbook Lite (formerly known as Smoker’s Handbook Lite) is among the highest rated strain guides. The people at Fallacy have put a lot more than pretty pictures into their product: beyond the strain guide lies a wealth of information including a whole section on tobacco and despite its general smoking theme there’s a marijuana recipes section for the non-smokers.

Leafly Marijuana Strain and Dispensary Reviews (Leafly)

Available on: iOS (Free) / Android (Free)

Leafly does not need any special introduction among cannabis enthusiasts and growers. It is perhaps the best known (and best designed) strain database out there. The website contains tons of information on almost every cannabis strain in existence and is regularly updated.

The official Leafly app is a must for every cannabis lover, no matter their status. Not only is it a great source of news for the latest medical marijuana studies, legalization updates, and other cannabis-related content, but it also contains an amazingly detailed database of strains (that is, however, not as in-depth as our database). Through user-submitted reviews and easy-to-read infographics, you can discover your next favorite strain, extract or concentrate and where to buy it.

Having said that, it is worth mentioning that the real seller is the up-to-date “Finder” function. Using Leafly’s enormous database, this service allows locating doctors, clinics, and dispensaries in appropriate areas. Every suggestion comes with reviews, prices, maps and store types. You can even subscribe to your favorite items so that you will never miss a piece of news. Even if you are a casual marijuana user and not a grower, apps like these are ideal for spurring your interest in this world!

Weedmaps: Marijuana dispensaries/weed strains (Weedmaps)

iOS (Free) / Android (Free)

Weedmaps offers medical-marijuana users the ability to search for a licensed dispensary or doctor nearby. A great example of how legal programs can make the process of acquiring marijuana safer and a lot more convenient for medical users.

Contrary to the similar Leafly app mentioned above, Weedmaps is specialized in listing dispensaries, doctors, and deliveries, not only in the US but in Canada and Europe too. With Weedmaps, you can find and bookmark your favorite strains, so that you can find them later. If you want to buy a specific strain, simply search it with Weedmaps so you can find out which dispensaries or deliveries have the marijuana you prefer (based on reviews).

You can check out up-to-date menu items for available medication, marijuana strains, edibles, tinctures, concentrates, and any cannabis-related product. It is worth noting that Weedmaps have their own YouTube channel, through which you can watch interesting documentaries and strain reviews.

Grow Guides

Although here at HTG.com we offer you a wealth of free growing information, sometimes you need something more …portable. Sadly, there are not many reliable growing guides on AppStore nor PlayStore. Most of the items were either grossly incomplete or no longer supported, like the quite decent Medical Marijuana Grow app. However, there is one notable exception!

Cannabis Pocket Reference (Degauss Press)

Available on: Android ($2.99)

Moving on from there we have even more useful apps, more specifically made to help marijuana growers: bridging the gap between a more general strain guide and a true grower’s app is Degauss Press’ Cannabis Pocket Reference ($2.99 – Android only). Boasting a full grow guide, example grow diary, nutrient charts and a pest control section on top of the standard strain info, this app’s reviews are overwhelmingly positive and the amount of content makes it well worth a look despite having no free option.

The grow-guide section of Cannabis Pocket Reference is extensive, detailed and well written. While the approach of dividing a marijuana plant’s needs into the four classical elements (Earth – roots & medium, Water – water & nutrients, Fire – lighting & electricity, Air – ventilation & temperature) may seem a little odd at first it plays well to the style of the guide which makes a solid effort to be readable as well as technically informative.

The guide covers everything from seed germination to harvest and every section is well laid out with useful images, links to real world products and many handy items such as for example feed charts and soil mixes. Moving on to the Cannabis Pocket Reference’s other sections, the strain guide is decent (but of course you’ll always be able to find one or two of your personal favorites missing from any strain guide) although the Visual RX section detailing common pest and nutrient deficiency problems could be a little stronger and more detailed, the information and images it does have, are useful. The Alchemy section of the app is another out and out winner; mirroring the grow guide’s level of detail on subjects from vaporizing, culinary uses and the production of hash and hash oil.

All things considered, there’s more than enough help and information in this app to get a new grower up and running, and even seasoned growers should find the alchemy section a good way to pass some time and wet their appetites before harvest day.

Useful Growing Tools

Growing marijuana involves a lot of less-than-glamorous moments before the final yield that makes it worthwhile. Generally, proper growing is a lot of hard work that requires at least some degree of organizational skills. For those less inclined to keep records of tedious measurements, journals, and schedules, the existence of dedicated growing apps is certainly good news.

Grow Buddy (Fred Tarasevicius)

iOS (Free – $2.99 for Full Version) / Android (Free – $2.99 for Full Version)

Offering the opportunity to satisfy the organizational streak (or mild OCD) in many growers is Grow Buddy (free, $2.99 for full version) from Fred Tarasevicius. This organizer and tracking tool helps growers take total control of their operation with the ability to record, chart and analyze an array of critical data (pH, temperature, feeds and more) and work on custom feeding schedules.

The level of control you can achieve with Grow Buddy is simply astounding: It can track and assign schedules for individual plants as they move from your cloner to the main veg room, between tables within a room and between rooms as they switch from veg to flower. Notes and schedules can be added individually to plants, to every plant in a room or every plant on a table within a room with ease. With an additional download (free) of Zxing Team’s Barcode Scanner, you can even assign scan-able barcodes to rooms and plants for that final level of tech geekery.

When setting up your feeding schedules Grow Buddy comes loaded with a good variety of some of the most common nutrients available (Canna, Bio-Bizz, Technaflora and much more) and can automatically generate feed schedules based on the products you have. Alternatively, you can set all values yourself, and manually complete any nutrients you use which Grow Buddy doesn’t already have an entry for.

The tracking doesn’t end there, though: Grow Buddy also allows you to record and add notes to your equipment, which can be invaluable in monitoring when warranties expire when you think your carbon filter is likely to need recharging or HPS bulbs replacing.

Grow Buddy won’t be for everyone: some growers never keep a note of anything and decide nutrient mixes as they go along, but for those of us who need to be more thorough this has to be the most useful app released so far. The reason being it’s the best use of the technology: all of the other apps listed here could work about as well in another format (like a book or website) but Grow Buddy makes a routine chore measurably easier and more enjoyable in a way that only a smartphone app can.

For those who are interested in Grow Buddy, it can and will become the main management tool for every single aspect of your grow. No more indecipherable bits of paper, no more Excel spreadsheets on a computer in a totally different room to your plants, just a hugely useful and powerful tool in your pocket as you work.

Entertainment

Unsurprisingly, there are quite a few marijuana-related mobile games out there too. Most of them feature a typically casual, easy-to-understand gameplay that gets boring after a while. The ones we are going to present here, however, are indeed something special that is worth your while (if you are into gaming and growing, that is).

Pot Farm – Grass Roots

iOS (Free) / Android (Free)

If you’ve always wanted to grow your own cannabis crop but never gotten around to materializing your dreams (even with the detailed information you can find on our website), now’s your chance. In this hippie version of Farmville, you can start your very own marijuana crop, safely, efficiently and without having to (metaphorically) lift a finger. The game itself features all aspects of growing marijuana, with surprisingly accurate strain descriptions (strains featured include OG Kush, Super Lemon Haze, Maui Wowie etc.). A relaxing casual game, ideal for the bus, your couch, a grow room and –why not? – meaningful toilet visits.

Weed Firm: RePlanted (Manitoba Games)

iOS (Free) / Android (Free)

The full title of this game is Weed Firm: RePlanted. The Vicious and Lawless Career of Mr. Ted Growing. It is essentially a marijuana growing game that puts you in the shoes of the botany dropout Ted Growing (this already sounds like fun). As Ted, you inherit a small growing operation that you will have to expand in order to advance in the game. Along with a bunch of colorful (albeit stereotypic) characters with names like Bob Rasta, Sandy the Cheerleader, Lee Mechanic and Dancer Jane, you have to grow your business (pun intended) from a humble garden to an empire! The bad guys of the game involve gangsters, the police, and …aliens, that will do their best to halt your progress. If you ever dreamt the life of an underachieving botanist running an underground marijuana grow op, this game is for you. Witty, entertaining and addictive, this game is explicitly unsuitable for the whole family.

Socializing

Marijuana growing is (and should be, until legalization issues are fully resolved) a rather lonesome activity. The secrecy involved in partaking in the cannabis lifestyle can make its members uneasy (and in some cases, paranoid). Luckily, there are some apps that enable you to share your growing stories, moments of epiphany and even meet (or date!) like-minded individuals! Try them out and proudly share your “highest” moments!

Highdroid Lite (HowBig Studios)

Available on: Android (Free, $0.99 for Full Version)

On the lighter side, Highdroid Lite (free, $0.99 for the full version, Android only) from HowBig Studios offers entertainment in the form of thoughts, ideas and stories posted by users around the world, while high. Next time you’ve had that world-shatteringly important epiphany under the influence of the marijuana-muse you’ll have somewhere to share it with this app.

High There (Bon Vert LLC)

iOS / Android

Stoner? Single? Looking for someone to share stories with? High There aims to connect people bearing a single important common interest: marijuana. The creator, Bon Vert developed this Tinder-for-stoners application, after a date gone bad with a partner that was not comfortable with smoking marijuana.

High There bears all the hallmarks of a typical dating application, borrowing a lot of Tinder’s elements (without the mandatory Facebook sign up – really important safety issue). Upon registering, you will be asked some questions to determine the kind of marijuana user you are. The app divides users into “Energy Levels” depending on the strains you like. For example, indicas classify you as a “Low Energy”, while sativas as “High Energy” (thankfully, there is always a middle-ground solution). Then you state your favorite consumption method and you are ready to go! The app gives you the option to swipe right (“High there!”) or left (“Bye there!”) on people it matches you with. A smart idea with a rather young fan base, that can, in theory, help you make new friends.

Although the app is vigilant in protecting your privacy, you should be careful when sharing information with people.

Duby (Duby LLC)

iOS / Android

Duby is an anonymous social network that acts as a safe space for people looking to share their cannabis-related activity and possibly searching for new friends. Duby is a catchy combination of Instagram (photo-sharing), Tinder (Swiping), and Reddit’s (up-or-down voting). It’s key demographic are, of course, people that enjoy recreational marijuana use, and who want to connect with other enthusiasts.

The nice thing with Duby is that it is …well, anonymous. You can post photos, videos or stories and send private messages to other users. While it doesn’t market itself as a dating app, Duby features a Tinder-like swiping service: users upload their photos/videos/texts (called Dubys) and vote on other users’ content by swiping right to “pass the Duby” or left to “put it out.”

The app features a simple “influence” system to measure the value of the content being uploaded. New users start with an influence level of three. With every Duby (piece of content) that gets “passed”, their influence increases. This game-like feature is what ultimately separates Duby from HighThere and makes it more compelling in comparison, although the “Influence” system tends to favor celebrities and more famous users. In any case, it is a well-made app that can connect you to people who share common interests with you.

Medical

Medical benefits are perhaps the most important attribute of cannabis plants and they played a large role in the legalization process. There is overwhelming scientific proof that demonstrates the positive effect that marijuana has in pathological or mental conditions.

EazeMD (Eaze Solutions)

iOS (Free/±$30 per Consultation)/ Android (Free/±$30 per Consultation)

Eaze MD is a truly remarkable initiative that is based on a really simple idea: it connects you with doctors that will provide you with medical marijuana consultation, based on your medical history, which you are required to provide.

After you answer these questions and enter your credit card details, you will have a teleconference with an independent California-licensed doctor who will examine your application together with you and answer any questions. If the application is approved, you will immediately be qualified for medical marijuana. This means that you will have immediate access to a downloadable version of your recommendation letter, which you will get in writing via snail mail one or two weeks after your consultation for an extra $10. Since this is a consultation by a licensed doctor, all of your information are protected by doctor-patient confidentiality.

No prior appointment is needed. Working hours are 11am-10pm every day of the week and appointments are generally completed in 10-15 minutes.

Miscellaneous

Jinasys’ Noise Meter

iOS / Android

Turning away from the more obvious marijuana apps again there are some other tools which might be useful to you when setting up a grow space: Jinasys’ Noise Meter (free, Android only but other similar apps available for iOS) could be very handy if you’re trying to cut down on fan noise to improve security, but we recommend staying away from the numerous light meter apps available: they are not designed to measure the high-intensity light of grow rooms and there are many complaints about reliability.

DoMobile Lab’s App Lock

Android (Free)

Once you’ve finished developing that secret formula nutrient formula, it might be a good idea to further protect it. DoMobile Lab’s App Lock lets you protect access to individual apps with a password or unlock pattern. Well worth getting if you’re going to be storing much information on your grow with any of these apps, and no need to panic about who might pick up your phone.

Recommendations

The most impressive apps we’ve seen so far on the market are Marijuana Strain and Dispensary Reviews, Cannabis Pocket Reference and Grow Buddy. Between these three a grower can plan and execute a rewarding grow from start to finish and all of them have something to offer growers regardless of their existing level of knowledge and skill.

It never hurts to have as much information as possible so there’s no reason not to get other apps too. However, when it comes to growing marijuana, these apps are the clear leaders. They combine a sleek design with a wealth of information, and you can have them all for less than $6 (Leafly’s application is free). If you only want to buy one, go for the Grow Buddy. It can help you organize your grows, even if you’re not a natural born planner!

If you have any favorite marijuana-related applications that you would like to see featured here, please mention them in the comments! Your input helps us grow!