That makes sense. We all know that the risk exists, but I am sure there are only an elite few who can assess it accurately. I guess the fear of the unknown is the power keeping most out.

Is there any courses one could take or instructional videos someone could watch on avoiding attention from federal authorities? I've watched Barry Cooper videos but they seem dated; I'm sure there's more to know

Learning how to operate and run a real business would be the first thing.

If your not already well established, Good luck!

Gwhergis said:

That makes sense. We all know that the risk exists, but I am sure there are only an elite few who can assess it accurately. I guess the fear of the unknown is the power keeping most out.

Is there any courses one could take or instructional videos someone could watch on avoiding attention from federal authorities? I've watched Barry Cooper videos but they seem dated; I'm sure there's more to know

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Get a job in a collective for a month or two. Then rethink your plan.

Two rules always apply to businesses: it will take longer than you think, and cost more than you think.

Based on your questions, you have a long way to go bud. You should start with reading the CA state law. Anything great takes perseverance, so if you want it, put in the work. You can do it

Gwhergis said:

That makes sense. We all know that the risk exists, but I am sure there are only an elite few who can assess it accurately. I guess the fear of the unknown is the power keeping most out.

Is there any courses one could take or instructional videos someone could watch on avoiding attention from federal authorities? I've watched Barry Cooper videos but they seem dated; I'm sure there's more to know

Click to expand...

There are SO MANY new courses and seminars and.. there's just so much happening right now in terms of everything you're talking about here. The legal issues, the actual cultivation issues, accounting, workers, all of it. There's too much to list.

The Barry Cooper video is for something else entirely. For what you're talking about you need to have an attorney on retainer, your own accountant(s)/bookkeeper/CPA, and probably a few other professions or trade professionals included in this mix. So, in my world, you are nowhere near having all the right people lined up. Start with an attorney, a California cannabis law specialist is where I would start. You could start with a consultant, who should put you together with all the right people. There will be MANY involved, many trades, etc.

A new angle on this in my part of the woods will force most of the small growers (estimated to be ~4000-5000 in my county) back into the shadows - all due to zoning ordinances. So the wolf will be somebody with a clipboard that will fine your ass into submission. If you think your only worry is federal guberment, then you need to talk with your (potential) industry peers in the specific county/city for the specific location. This is all just to find a place to hunker down and work. And don't be too optimistic about margins, the taxes alone will suck the life out of most deals that seemed certain from the armchair. There are numerous problems to solve at most every stage of developing a cannabis business - and certainly plenty of folks waiting to take your money to solve them.

H

Gwhergis said:

I'm pursuing a career in growing. I've got all the right people (fellow growers, land owners, drivers) lined up and committed after networking for over 2 years. However, I have a nagging question in my mind regarding the art and business of Cannabis growing; If there is opportunity in this, why is the market not flooded with bud, driving the prices down?

I'm aware of the changes 2018 will bring, but even before then, it seems as if anyone and their mother can participate in growing and providing medicine to dispensaries. The question is, why are so few people doing it up till now?

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Huh?

Everyone is doing it and the market IS flooded.

If you grow the fire, people will buy

If you don't...Well you've just entered one of the worst states for slinging bud that will net you the least profit for good bud or bad. The only other state I can think of where herb might be worth less is Oregon. Just because they have no people to consume it up there relative to the amount of growers.

Biggest upside to cali is there is very little risk even if you're 100% illegal, so if the license falls through you still have very viable options. Other states don't provide that, still can get locked up for a long time for growing.

If you're really going to go big and hire contractors/lawyers etc for 100% compliance, it might be better to try another state. More profits and less competition.

The possibility of not getting the rec license is the concern that makes cali the best option. If you have the capital to make it work and the confidence some where else is almost undoubtedly your better bet.

Thank you guys for all your advice. @visajoe1, I'm going to apply to a dispensary to get started with the goal of finding a collective that I can help at. I want to run my own business so I'm going to get in anyway I can.

Gwhergis said:

Thank you guys for all your advice. @visajoe1, I'm going to apply to a dispensary to get started with the goal of finding a collective that I can help at. I want to run my own business so I'm going to get in anyway I can.

Click to expand...

What part of cali

Growing pot is just farming, look for how many farmers are rich/sucessful. That's for products that are legal all across the country. As others have mentioned, pots still against federal law, and even the states that have legalized recreational pot, still have challenges to potentially face from the Feds and neighboring states.
In some counties of California, land was being speculated on and investors were swooping in buying up the land, then the country reversed themselves outlawing all outdoor growing, and all those dreams went up in smoke, pun partially intended. Read about some of the growers now that aren't being treated well from the existing dispensaries. You're going to jump right into the center of that.
Next consider you're own growing prowes, can you handle every conceivable result from something unplanned happening to your crop?
Working for someone else may give you a birds eye view of enough of the business to shake the glamor from the picture.
Can you put together a business plan? Figure some of the above questions out, before you do anything further towards your desire. Peace

RosevilleKid said:

What part of cali

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Bay Area

Know your county, assuming you are thinking of rural or unincorporated area ( it matters ).
If you end up in city limits there will be yet another layer of crap, my friend.

To work in dispensaries, they require a doctor recommendation. That would be the best place to start understanding the current state and dynamics. And as we trundle to 2018, it looks more and more like a future shit-show from my perspective. NIMBY bit us pretty hard in my county, and we now have a tax established but nowhere to grow - RR (rural residential) is off limits for non-personal. Oh - did I mention you can have 6, but only 3 outside.

So ya. Ain't going legal great. Up until December, I can still have the 25, although I usually did less. Silly me.

RosevilleKid said:

What part of cali

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Follow your dream!

Gwhergis said:

...it seems as if anyone and their mother can participate in growing and providing medicine to dispensaries. The question is, why are so few people doing it up till now?

Click to expand...

My short surmise as to why more people aren’t “doing it.” High costs, the many and varied risks associated with starting a cannabis farm, and simply because they’re happy/cool/down with their personal status quo. The rest of this is gratuitous and I put it down to "it's a weekend, and my SO is in another state on the opposite coast."

In states that have legal cannabis businesses, most people prefer to buy high quality cannabis from their local storefront as opposed to growing their own (even though with a bit of research, imagination, and effort they could likely grow great weed). So, everyone and their mother probably just don’t see themselves participating in marijuana markets beyond being a consumer. Kind of like beer. I like beer, and the best beer I ever had came out of the trunk of my good buddy Rich’s car one warm summer evening. But I have zero interest in learning how to brew beer. I know people, in addition to My Good Buddy Rich, who also brew tasty beer, and they’re generally happy to share their bounty with me and others. Finding myself periodically flush with home brew is a happy circumstance for which I’m eternally grateful. But when those people aren’t around or they've become mysteriously stingy with their beer, I can mosey, saunter, or bolt down to my local pub and find something well and truly good enough…sound familiar?

And you’re right, getting licensed is pretty open to most ganjapreneurs, as it should be. No idea what the rules and regs are in our good neighbor to the south, but here in Oregon getting licensed is a fairly straight forward process. But dealing with process and the guvment just isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. So I think part of the answer to your question is that growing and selling legal weed just isn’t something that most people want to do or even think about doing. Obviously, we have other (really good) ideas.

We’re not the only ones with those “other ideas,” and that means competition and that means the prices stores are willing to pay are being driven down. I’m guessing that trend will continue for a while (probably not so true for the exceptional stuff, but growing the good stuff is not easy…this shit doesn’t actually just fall off of trees in bushel baskets, although some people make it seem that way...does anyone harvest using bushel baskets anymore...I may have to start...that might be fun, although sterilizing those fucking things would be a pain in the ass...I digress, but I do have great memories of bushel baskets and filling them with apricots and peaches). And while the cost/pound is being driven down, from what I can see, the costs for getting into the market keeps going up. This is a problem, bummer, disappointment...pisser...for most people looking into it. If you already have usable growing space then you’re a step ahead of most. But getting into space is expensive and getting more so, and it’s likely this trend that keeps most people who might be seriously interested from moving forward.

If one can work through the cost of space dilemma, then there is the riskiness of starting any business. I don’t think starting a cannabis business in a legal state is that much different than other startups in terms of risk (well maybe it is different, but again, I digress). A lot of us will try and fail, for any number of reasons, and that’s just a simple, unfortunate fact. If you can afford to fail then you’re a second step ahead of the pack. And if you can afford to fail a couple of times, well then, good on you…that’s probably about the right level of planning. (Note to self: If you can't afford to fail...maybe even a couple of times, starting a cannabis bidness probably isn't the best idea you've ever had..."you" is the Royal You, not you specifically, Gwhergis...and that's an interesting name...I quite like it)

cheers,

Walter White IRL :D

Gwhergis said:

I'm pursuing a career in growing. I've got all the right people (fellow growers, land owners, drivers) lined up and committed after networking for over 2 years. However, I have a nagging question in my mind regarding the art and business of Cannabis growing; If there is opportunity in this, why is the market not flooded with bud, driving the prices down?

I'm aware of the changes 2018 will bring, but even before then, it seems as if anyone and their mother can participate in growing and providing medicine to dispensaries. The question is, why are so few people doing it up till now?

Click to expand...

Have you seen california and oregon? Flooded for years.