# Seed bank

> In cannabis slang, a seed bank is a vendor that sells seed from one or many breeders; it is not the same as a conservation genebank.

- Canonical: https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/seed-bank.html
- Also written: seedbank, seed banks, seed shop, seed vendor, seed company
- Glossary category: Grower slang and culture
- Status: Draft: awaiting expert review · Updated: 2026-10-31
- Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/), attribute "GenetixBay cannabis glossary"

In cannabis culture, a seed bank is a business that sells seed, either its own lines or packs from many breeders. The term borrows from conservation science but usually means a shop.

## In practice

Seed banks vary from breeder-run outlets to resellers with thousands of products. Questions worth asking any vendor: who made the seed, which batch, when, from which parents, what [germination](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/germination.md) rate the batch tested at, and what [herm rate](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/herm-threshold.md) testers reported. A vendor that cannot answer is passing on a name, not information.

Buying, selling, importing or shipping [cannabis seed](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/achene.md) is regulated differently in different countries and states. Check local rules.

## Don't confuse with

- **Genebank (conservation seed bank)**: an institution that stores [accessions](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/accession.md) long term under controlled conditions, often around -18 °C (0 °F) at low seed moisture, with passport data and periodic viability testing.
- **Breeder**: makes the seed. A seed bank may or may not.
- **Seed vault**: a long-term backup facility, not a shop.

## Related terms

[Breeder](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/breeder.md), [Drop](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/drop.md), [Accession](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/accession.md), [Germination](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/germination.md)

## Read more

- [Seed viability and storage: keeping cannabis seeds alive](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/germination/seed-viability-storage.md)
- [Buyer beware: potency labels, strain names and other claims that don't hold up](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/basics/buyer-beware-label-claims.md)