TL;DR

• Buying clones allows home growers to skip the "pheno-hunt" and grow proven, elite genetics immediately.
• The Risk: Clones are the primary vector for pests (Russet Mites) and the "Dudding Disease" (Hop Latent Viroid/HLVd).
• The Law: While the 2018 Farm Bill opened the door for shipping clones as "hemp," recent 2025 legislation has tightened definitions on seeds, leaving clones in a complex legal gray area.
• Best Practice: Always quarantine new clones for 30 days and treat them as if they are infected until proven otherwise.
• Tissue Culture (TC): Buying TC clones is the safest way to ensure clean stock, though it comes at a premium price.

The allure: Seed vs. Clone

There is a specific kind of heartbreak known only to the seed popper. You spend $200 on a pack of seeds with a name like "Super Ultra Runtz Cake." You germinate them, nurture them for three months, and flip them to flower. Three turn out to be males. Two are scrawny runts. And the one female left? She smells like wet hay instead of the promised blueberry muffin.

This is the "pheno-hunt" lottery. It’s exciting, sure, but for the home grower with a four-plant limit and limited patience, it’s a gamble.

Enter the Clone.

Buying a clone is buying certainty. When you buy a cut of Gary Payton or Mac 1, you aren't rolling the dice. You are getting the exact genetic replica of the plant that won the Cannabis Cup. You know exactly how it will stretch, how long it takes to flower, and exactly what it will taste like. For the home grower who needs their harvest to count, clones are the cheat code.

The Trojan Horse: HLVd and Mites

But here is the hard truth I learned the hard way: Other people’s gardens are gross.

When you bring a clone into your grow tent, you aren't just bringing in a plant. You are bringing in its entire history. If the mother plant had broad mites, you now have broad mites. If the nursery had powdery mildew (PM), you now have PM.

But the real boogeyman in 2026 isn't a bug you can see. It’s the Hop Latent Viroid (HLVd).

Often called the "COVID of Cannabis," HLVd is an invisible pathogen that spreads primarily through mechanical transmission—like using the same scissors to take cuts from different moms. An infected clone looks totally fine in the vegetative stage. It’s green. It grows.

But when you flip to flower? Disaster. The plant "duds out." It grows horizontally instead of vertically, the stems become brittle, and the buds never develop trichomes. You get zero smell and zero potency. Estimates suggest that by 2024, nearly 90% of California's commercial facilities had some HLVd presence. If the pros can't keep it out, your local "guy" probably can't either.

Sourcing: The Plug vs. The Postman

So, where do you get safe genetics? In the mid-90s, you had to know a guy. Today, the landscape is a weird mix of legal dispensaries and "hemp" loopholes.

1. The Local Dispensary

In legal states, you can walk in and buy a clone. Pros: Convenient, no shipping stress. Cons: Selection is usually terrible. You often get whatever generic "Blue Dream" they had lying around, and the staff might not know if it's been tested for HLVd.

2. The "Hemp Clone" Online Market

This is where things get wild. Under the 2018 Farm Bill, cannabis with less than 0.3% Delta-9 THC is legally "hemp." Since a vegetative clone has almost zero THC (it hasn't grown buds yet), massive online nurseries have been shipping "hemp clones" via UPS and FedEx for years.

However, keep your ear to the ground. New legislation in late 2025 began tightening the noose, specifically redefining "marijuana seeds" based on their potential to produce THC. While the law explicitly targeted seeds, the status of vegetative clones remains a "gray area" loophole that many nurseries are still operating within. Always check the most recent state and federal guidelines before ordering.

The Protocol: Inspection and Quarantine

Let’s say you pulled the trigger. You ordered a clone of Jealousy online. It just arrived in a plastic clamshell. What now?

Do. Not. Put. It. In. Your. Tent.

If you put that new clone next to your existing plants, you are playing Russian Roulette. Here is the mandatory intake protocol for any smart home grower:

1. The Visual Audit: Get a 60x jeweler's loupe. Look under the leaves. You are looking for Russet Mites (they look like tiny beige maggots) or Spider Mite eggs. If you see moving dots, trash it. It's not worth the fight.
2. The Dip: If it looks clean, dip it. Don't just spray it—dunk the entire plant (upside down, holding the soil/plug in place) into a bucket of IPM (Integrated Pest Management) solution. A mix of essential oils (like peppermint/rosemary) or a sulfur dip can kill hitchhikers instantly.
3. Quarantine Island: The clone goes into a separate space. A cardboard box with a small light, a separate closet, a dedicated "quarantine tent." It stays there for 30 days.
4. The Lab Test: If you spent $50+ on the clone, spend $25 on a test. Snip a piece of the leaf stem and mail it to a lab like Tumi Genomics. They will PCR test it for HLVd.

If it passes the 30-day mark with no bugs and a negative HLVd test, then it earns the right to meet your other plants.

The Future: Tissue Culture (TC)

If the protocol above sounds like too much work, there is a shortcut: Tissue Culture.

Tissue culture is the science of cloning plants on a cellular level in a sterile lab. Instead of cutting a branch off a mom in a dusty garage, scientists take a microscopic piece of the "meristem" (the growing tip) and grow it in a nutrient gel.

Because they use the meristem, the resulting plant is usually free of viruses like HLVd and systemic pests. It is a "clean slate."

Buying TC clones used to be for commercial ag only, but companies are now selling "micro-clones" directly to home growers. They arrive in tiny cups of gel. They are fragile and need to be "hardened off" (acclimated to regular air) gently, but they are the gold standard for cleanliness. If you can afford the premium, buy TC.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is buying clones online legal?

It depends on your jurisdiction and the specific interpretation of the Farm Bill. Vendors operate under the premise that because the clones contain <0.3% THC, they are hemp. However, laws shifted in late 2025, and shipping across state lines carries inherent risk. Always consult a lawyer, not a blog post.

Can I clone an autoflower?

Technically yes, but practically no. Because autoflowers run on a genetic timer, the clone will likely try to flower immediately at the same age as the mother, resulting in a tiny plant with one bud. Clones are for photoperiod plants.

What is an "Elite Cut"?

An Elite Cut is a specific phenotype of a strain that has been verified to be exceptional. For example, "Blue Dream" is a strain, but the "Santa Cruz Cut" is the specific elite version that made the strain famous.

How long can a clone survive in the mail?

Surprisingly long. If packaged correctly with LED lights in the box (yes, that's a thing now) or just in a dark dormant state, they can survive 3-5 days. However, they will be stressed. Expect yellowing and droopy leaves upon arrival.

What is the "nursery node"?

Growers often refer to the "nursery node" or the "bitch cut." It's the lowest branch on a clone. You should cut this off immediately as it's the most likely spot to harbor pests or powdery mildew near the soil line.