you need some direct sunlight atleast 6 hours but if they get more than 6 hours your plants will probably even do better.
stretching isn't something you can control, other than giving them more light. plants in shade will stretch and will not have very many branches and will probably die from the very thin stem before they even start to flower.
if you want to grow in a forest look for a clearing, or small trees that you can remove some limbs from easily if needed to allow sunlight in.