Maximizing Weed Profits with Additives

Want to dramatically increase your weed profits? This comprehensive guide explores how to use additives like Speed Grow, PGR, and Fertilizer to maximize your yields and revenue at different stages of the game.

Quick Reference

Speed Grow Cuts grow time by 50% Unlocks at Street Rat III

PGR Increases bud yield by 50% Unlocks at Street Rat III

Fertilizer Increases bud quality Unlocks at Street Rat IV

Part I: Speed Grow and PGR - Early Game Strategy

The Basics

A standard marijuana plant takes 6 hours and 50 minutes to grow. When grown in a grow tent, it produces 8 buds of Moderate quality. The first available strain, OG Kush, produces buds with a recommended sell price of $38.

OG Kush in a standard grow setup

Speed Grow: Double Your Production Rate

Starting at level Street Rat III, you can begin purchasing bottles of Speed Grow from Dan's Hardware or Handy Hank's for $30 per bottle. This product instantly grows your plants to 50%, cutting the grow time to 3 hours 25 minutes. This means you can grow twice as many plants (and harvest twice as many buds) in the seven hours it takes to grow a regular, untreated marijuana plant.

PGR: Boost Your Yield Per Plant

Also available at Street Rat III, Plant Growth Regulator (PGR) increases the bud yield of each weed plant by 50% - giving you 12 buds instead of 8 per grow cycle (for both grow tents and open air pots under grow lights).

Applying additives to newly planted seeds

How to Apply Additives

You need one bottle per plant. Apply Speed Grow or PGR by using the bottle on a planted seed and spreading it over the entire pot. You can apply it immediately after planting the seed.

After application, the pot will have colored crystals on top of the soil:

Blue crystals for Speed Grow
Red crystals for PGR

Important Note on Quality

Both Speed Grow and PGR decrease the quality of buds by one level. This is fine for customers in Northtown and Westville (Low and Very Low standards), but the lower quality weed will not satisfy customers with Moderate or High standards in Downtown or other high-tier neighborhoods.

This strategy is therefore better for the early game before unlocking Downtown.

The Math: Profit Comparison

Assuming you're spending seven hours growing OG Kush in grow tents and selling it for the recommended price of $38 per bud:

Metric	No Additive	PGR	Speed Grow
Number of Buds in 7 Hours	8	12	16
Cost to Grow ($10 soil, $30 seed, $30 additive)	$40	$70	$140
Revenue per Bud	$38	$38	$38
Total Revenue	$304	$456	$608
Profit (Revenue - Cost)	$264	$386	$468

PGR vs. Speed Grow: Which to Choose?

Should you always use Speed Grow instead of PGR? Not necessarily. Consider your playstyle:

Use Speed Grow when: You can harvest plants promptly after they're grown and want to maximize production rate
Use PGR when: You're often away dealing or completing other tasks and can't harvest immediately
Multiplayer tip: Speed Grow works best in multiplayer games where one person is always tending to plants

Do Not Use Together!

Using Speed Grow and PGR together on the same plant decreases the quality to Very Low, limiting your customer base significantly. Only three customers in Northtown and Westville (Geraldine, Jessi, and Keith) have Very Low standards, compared to 21 customers who accept Low quality.

Part II: Fertilizer - Mid-Game Strategy

Counteracting Quality Loss

Starting at Street Rat IV, you can purchase bottles of Fertilizer to increase the quality of your weed. This directly counteracts the quality drop from Speed Grow or PGR.

With Fertilizer + another additive, marijuana quality returns to Standard (Moderate), allowing you to sell to customers in Downtown and the Docks.

Applying Fertilizer to counteract quality loss

The Ultimate Strategy: Triple Additives

The real magic happens when you combine all three additives. Here's how the profits compare:

Metric	No Additive	PGR	Speed Grow	All Three Additives
Number of Buds in 7 hours	8	12	16	24
Cost to Grow ($10 soil, $30 seed, $30 per additive)	$40	$70	$140	$260
Revenue per Bud	$38	$38	$38	$38
Total Revenue	$304	$456	$608	$912
Profit (Revenue - Cost)	$264	$386	$468	$652

Benefits of the Triple Additive Strategy

Higher yields: 24 buds per 7-hour cycle vs. 8 with no additives
Expanded customer base: Maintain Moderate quality to sell to Downtown and beyond
Increased profits: 147% more profit than standard growing

Advanced Tips

Botanist Efficiency: Have your botanists apply additives during their regular planting routine
LED Setup Upgrade: When using additives with LED grow lights instead of tents, you'll see even greater yields - up to 18 buds with PGR and 36 buds with all three additives
Inventory Management: Keep additives stocked in bulk to avoid production delays
Capital Investment: The triple additive strategy requires more upfront investment but pays off significantly in the mid to late game

Step-by-Step Implementation

Reach Street Rat III and purchase Speed Grow or PGR based on your playstyle
Set up a systematic growing operation with consistent planting/harvesting schedules
Upgrade to Street Rat IV and incorporate Fertilizer
Scale up production gradually as your capital increases
Transition to the triple additive strategy for maximum profits

Conclusion

Using additives dramatically boosts your weed operation's efficiency and profitability. Start with either Speed Grow or PGR in the early game, then progress to the triple additive strategy as you unlock Fertilizer. The investment in additives pays for itself quickly and opens up higher-tier markets as you expand your criminal empire.