To be honest, pictures would help immensely in this situation. If it's throwing pistals, it doesn't necessary mean that it's flowering, but it could be a sex indicator. I think the problem lies in the transfer outside. Cloudy and rainy days still give out enough light for the plants.

You said you were growing outdoors, are your plants near trees, or anything tall enough to block out the sun? It seems like your plants aren't getting too much light, as you noted (12-8 hours of direct light).

But back to my initial point, PICTURES