Selling to Dispensaries in California.

[MakinGoo]

That ship already left the port man. Sorry to tell you. If I was you and really wanted to grow Id be waiting and watching what happends next here in Cali and then make moves based on the outcome on whats about the happen or not happen here. The game will be defined by the Supreme Court in California.

Here is the reality right here right now for you. The market is saturated and growers that are set up with real grow rooms/buildings etc. and have roots here in SOCAL so to speak are waiting for the "SHOW TIME CHARLIES" to leave the game so the regular growers can get back to work so the prices can get back to where they belong and the cheap bastard collective owners low balling growers for their reinbursement either get back in the game correctly or drop off the map.

(My Feeling and Opinion Only) California is not going to overturn this state law that we all voted for. Its going to be a different game and regulated a bit differently.

(Reality Check) Starting out now in the game with no contacts, no collectives to work with and no grow room set up is way too risky now financially. Are you rich and have time to kill than c'mon on in the water is warm. Hope you got people/contractors/electricians lined up that will keep their big mouth shut when your doing your build out. There use to be over 700 dispensaries here and they are all but gone. Only a few left in the game that are holding out and waiting to see how the cards are done for them. Do yourself a favor and dream another dream for the time being. Plus 12 plants in my opionion is a waste of time and energy. Not enough weight for the Collectives. They dont reimburse for ounces they deal in pounds. Show up with your sample gram/nugget in hand and the elbow in your car ready to rock. No elbow to show the buyers then fuck off then. This is how they role. They know your showing your best nug man. They want to see what they are getting. They dont want to wait for you to come back tomorrow etc.

(REALITY) Growing is a full time fucking job and major committment by the person doing all the work thats gonna be YOU!. If your quiet and nobody knows what your doing? Guess what YOU are doing it by yourself solo like Vanilla Ice Son. Your wife will get sick of it after the first time trust me. It becomes YOUR whole life and your main priority. This is not a part time at all type gig and pass by the plants and feed them here and there type deal. I havent seen it if your doing it for real to work with collectives/dispensaries.

(MORE REALITY) Are you sick today, dont feel good whatever? Fuck it the plants are hungry get up and feed weather you like or not and your sick as shit. Hope you had your nutes pre done a day ahead otherwise your waiting for the PH to settle for a while while your sitting on the pot. Missed a day or two of feeding and your plants could be wilted and wont snap back and your fucked. Got a date to do need to do something or an appointment to see your doctor or dentist? Think again. Better schedule your days around your feeding program and do your feeding later when you get back because your clothes are gonna stink like holly hell and you cant be going into public after you hand feed your 12 plants and their in week 7 or 8 and are stinky. Got to change and shower up before you leave the warehouse.

(MORE REALITY) Had plans for the weekend and thought you could feed on Friday night before you left to escape for Vegas or some shit? Guess what you aint going because your air conditioning died and your in a panic to get the shit fixed without anybody knowing what your doing in your grow room. Better have an AC guy on call that you can trust in your grow room. Too much work, too much hassle, too much energy for 12 plants that might get maybe 2 pounds off of 12 plants maybe depending on what your growing and how your growing. (GENERAL STATEMENT and ASSUMPTION) 3.5 oz per plant dried and cured that cost you countless hundreds of hours, electricity, nutes, water if you get everything right. If you have 1 fuck up anywhere, mites, PM, Root Aphids, male plant sneak through, mold, whatever guess what your crop is fucked and you lost huge. You have to be on top of your grow enviroment DAILY in case something happends so you can catch it and save it and fix the error or problem. If not your fucked and so is your garden. There is no time off at all if your in this game to make quality meds for the collective your a member of. ZERO TIME OFF AT ALL. Remember this.

Im not trying to be a dick to you Im giving you a real reality check on whats about to come as far as the real work thats coming if you chose to ignore the real farmers advice here on this forum. Theres a wealth of information on this site alone and some hella cool cats here that grow bigtime quality meds that will swallow your buds up in glass jar. Dank ass buds that will blow you away when you see them. They make it look easy trust me on here. Its not easy at all. Its fucking hard work and determination and dedication beyond comprehension. But I guarantee to you that 90% of the honest farmers that are really in this game that make a living at it will say the same thing I just told you or warned you about. Because if your growing 12 as a hobby or just to get some simple cash here or there type deal the dispensaries/collectives can see it and they don't want it.

My last advice is to stay in school get a degree in something worth while.

Just my thoughs while I wait for my rez to settle.

:talking

Now that's Fuckin Real Talk.. Great post

 

[Dz1PnK]

Your wife will get sick of it after the first time trust me. It becomes YOUR whole life and your main priority.
And they'll even call the cops on ya cause you're paying too much attention to the plants and not enough to them, just to show you they have power over you. Super fun to blow thousands of dollars on a bunch of stuff you gotta throw in a dumpster or go down for.

your clothes are gonna stink like holly hell. Got to change and shower up before you leave the warehouse.
This seems like a good thing when you're young, but it gets you into more trouble than it's worth

(MORE REALITY) If you wanna grow, grow to smoke. If you're good at it, people will take notice and a market will open up for you. Baby steps...

 

[Seamaiden]

I disagree with SAM, it doesn't need to be a full time job, in fact, I think it should never be a full time job. These are PLANTS, they're not animals that require daily observation at minimum, they can do just fine being ignored for a time (guerilla grows, anyone? How's that work?).

Also, can you menfolk PLEASE stop with the fucking misogyny?! Jesus Jumping Christ, so some of you are idiot enough to hook up, often repeatedly, with the crazy bitches or the women who have no boundaries. That doesn't make ALL women snitchin' bitches, it just makes your choices in women bitches. Learn how to choose a partner that suits you or how to row alone and don't complain so much about it as though you "know" all women so intimately. You don't.

No shit bro! If all you are going to do with yer life is grow weed you don't need to waste 20-80K -a year of yer parent's hard-earned cash (or borrowed cash) on a college education.

unless that is...the take from your first 20 harvests are used to pay them back >in full<.

s h

Oh! Yep.

Seriously, do we really need another college grad trying to make his living growing weed? Answer: No, we don't. Every grower I know says have a real job, make growing the side job. I've known plenty who try to do it the other way and they're living at best a hand-to-mouth existence.

I have scholarships so Im not using my "parents money". Growing plants is not illegal. I just want to grow the legal amount with my wife so 12 mature, 24 immature, and 2 mothers and sell that. I know the feds can crack down but i'm not going to be selling to people on the street. It's not a get rich quick scheme, it's a I want to just sell to dispensaries at a normal harvesting rate scheme.

That's no way to make a living. If you're grown up to play house and have a wife, you're grown up enough to hear the truth from another grown-up. What you plan? Not legal. Growing plants isn't illegal, but moving from that to making a living? Illegal. I can also guarantee you that cash cropping is not a way to make a living, legal or otherwise.

 

[gooey]

I respect everyones advice here and it is realistic to expect this guy to get a job as a saftey, however i dont see alot of the people on here who DO this for a living telling him its possible, encourgae, motivate etc...i get it i do, competition etc etc...it just seems a little funny on a site called THC farmer that the majority of replys are to get a job and dont grow for a living...gl in whatever you all do peace

 

[markscastle]

Sorry but I have to agree with SAMCRO. There is alot more to growing for money than people think.Lots of work,prep,$ goes into comercial grows. There is the risk of being targeted by the Feds,State,County or City Goverments and worst than ever Lazy Rippers! The crop can be lost to so may things it just isn`t funny. And after all of that you may get a shitty price if anyone even bothers to give your buds a second look.The market is flooded with bud and people who thought they could make fast easy money. Doesn`t work that way and never really did! Not saying it can`t be done but it will take years to accomplish good quality grow methodes,contacts,ect. Better be willing to hold out and be willing to eat alot of spam and Top Romin along the way.

Now if your looking to grow small personal grows for you and maybe a handful of friends then yes I recomend you get started.Who knows maybe in time it would grow into something,but start small to start off and see where it leads you.

 

[baba G]

I respect everyones advice here and it is realistic to expect this guy to get a job as a saftey, however i dont see alot of the people on here who DO this for a living telling him its possible, encourgae, motivate etc...i get it i do, competition etc etc...it just seems a little funny on a site called THC farmer that the majority of replys are to get a job and dont grow for a living...gl in whatever you all do peace

It's very possible, but if the person is asking how to accomplish this with That post that started this thread; I'd say good luck. We were all newbies at one time and I wouldn't wanna discourage anyone from growing plants as it's so rewarding and teaches you much. But I'd mention that the glory days of growing herb that didn't have to be a certain kind or have a certain name and it sold for 4k wholesale are way gone!!
Back then someone asked for herb and was expected to pay for it 100% of the time regardless of type and other factors. Now, you got people needing certain genetics, wanting it to look a certain way and saying I can get it from this guy for cheaper, here is $$$ a lb...
It's reality, call it what you will, but growing for a living is tough. You better have the methods, the money, and know how to yield huge and have quality workers or no life outside your grow.
I know Seamaiden mentions guerrilla grows, AND again I'd say back in the day those grows were worth top dollar but honestly I can't move anything that says I'm not TOP NOTCH. People don't want it, I'm a niche person and I think the herb does take a lot of your time if you wanna grow the best. The people I know who look at a room once a week at most and that's just to do the rez, sure they yield but it's not the best and then it gets into a whole diff level of competition that is really saturated. The really good herb is far from saturated because of that type of thinking. The thinking that anyone can grow the best herb, cause it's just a weed.

fwiw

 

[Capulator]

^^^^ AGREED.

And may I add that the really great meds, "boutique meds" as I like to call them , are still few and far between. Plus, when the outdoor season has come and gone, if you are having some AAA+++, you can join a collective that will love to have you as an asset for their members who need strong meds.

Growing meds: easy
Growing really really great meds (clean no spray no bugs no bullshit)... not so much.

 

[Capulator]

I disagree with SAM, it doesn't need to be a full time job, in fact, I think it should never be a full time job. These are PLANTS, they're not animals that require daily observation at minimum, they can do just fine being ignored for a time (guerilla grows, anyone? How's that work?).

Also, can you menfolk PLEASE stop with the fucking misogyny?! Jesus Jumping Christ, so some of you are idiot enough to hook up, often repeatedly, with the crazy bitches or the women who have no boundaries. That doesn't make ALL women snitchin' bitches, it just makes your choices in women bitches. Learn how to choose a partner that suits you or how to row alone and don't complain so much about it as though you "know" all women so intimately. You don't.



Oh! Yep.

Seriously, do we really need another college grad trying to make his living growing weed? Answer: No, we don't. Every grower I know says have a real job, make growing the side job. I've known plenty who try to do it the other way and they're living at best a hand-to-mouth existence.



That's no way to make a living. If you're grown up to play house and have a wife, you're grown up enough to hear the truth from another grown-up. What you plan? Not legal. Growing plants isn't illegal, but moving from that to making a living? Illegal. I can also guarantee you that cash cropping is not a way to make a living, legal or otherwise.

My chica is the best Sea. She would torch houses to save my ass. No fuckin way would she ever snitch. She dont even medicate and she loves to help me. Pure love baby. Everybody needs it.

 

[ThePlanIs2Grow]

I appreciate everyone's advice so thank you for that. I would want growing to be my full time job but I understand from you growers that it would be a difficult job. Right now im just at a CC only 1 grand a semester so its not that much money. I love plant's and weed is one i love. The help its brought people around me makes me appreciate it. I always wanted to be a firefighter but sense I like to smoke pot idk how i would be able to do it. Thats why i was looking at this kind of avenue. Again I appreciate everyones advice thank you.

 

[Cort]

You sound young enough to still have good choices in front of you. Get a career going, growing pot isnt a good long term strategy IMHO.

I grow enough that I can enjoy my smoke and have some to share/trade with friends. I will throw a little to the shops to help cover my costs. I could not imagine living as a full time grower, growing enough to cover rental units, power bills nutes, equipment AND maintaining living space.

I dont know if I would be comfortable living with that kind of risk in my home. Child protective services would jack the kids even if the courts said the grow/s were legal.

 

[purpleberry]

Everything Samcro said is dead on.......

 

[Seamaiden]

I only mention guerilla grows to demonstrate that having to baby plants like animals just isn't necessary. I'm not going to toot my own horn, so I'm not going to go around saying that my buds are 'boutique' buds, but I get pretty good reviews from plenty of other growers, even some cup winners. I don't make growing a full time job, mostly because I want a life. It's a daily job just about, especially when my veggie garden is in full swing. But it's just not at all the same as caring for horses, pigs, cattle, chickens, fish, what have you, unless you're moving to all indoor commercial growing.

I appreciate everyone's advice so thank you for that. I would want growing to be my full time job but I understand from you growers that it would be a difficult job. Right now im just at a CC only 1 grand a semester so its not that much money. I love plant's and weed is one i love. The help its brought people around me makes me appreciate it. I always wanted to be a firefighter but sense I like to smoke pot idk how i would be able to do it. Thats why i was looking at this kind of avenue. Again I appreciate everyones advice thank you.

You'd trip if you knew how many firefighters smoke weed. They've gotta decompress somehow. They also have a high divorce rate.

 

[hiboy]

YOU MUST SPREAD SOME REP BEFORE GIVING TO SAMCRO AGAIN>

Samcro,

you have spoken the gospel brotha!!!! One of the best most honest posts I have read in a long time. Its midnight and I am still defoliating and changing res's. I been at it since about 4pm.. If you arent on top of it, REALLY on top of your game, its game over. Even when you are on top of it, like hiboy said you can get soem bullshit PM or mites and then your done. Lost 2 crops in a row last year from PM. THANK GOD I have a real job too.

Its hard fuckin work, and if you are smart you have to be a hermit... its not easy. It makes you a little paranoid if you are doing things right... I think this forum is one of the best things for us. I love to be able to talk to people about growing meds. You cant do that shit outside. Never know who may be listenin.

Its important to have a real job to pay taxes,
if your covering all of your living expenses and show no real income,
its bad news if the law steps in and wonders how you been making it.
Im always sketching when i have to go to a few places, its a different world when ur actually doing it, reality hits hard sometimes when u step back and see where ur at.
Most important it takes time to establish a business, because thats exactly what ur planning on doing. These days its hard enough to find a job, even harder to find customers to someone they dont know or trust................, and knowing people and connections is key in this world.
And then theres the product thats yes boutique bud or jewelry bud, u can grow it but its gona take years of success and failure to do it regulary.
But when u get there its a great feeling to succeed.
h

 

[Dz1PnK]

Just for the record, my sexist ass would probably be as much if not more paranoid if I was a female and had to worry about bringing random dudes around my grow. Trusting people in this quasi-legal realm can have serious repercussions, and often the people who gain others trust quickly, and make you feel all warm and fuzzy, shouldn't be trusted.

 

[SAMCRO]

Just for the record, my sexist ass would probably be as much if not more paranoid if I was a female and had to worry about bringing random dudes around my grow. Trusting people in this quasi-legal realm can have serious repercussions, and often the people who gain others trust quickly, and make you feel all warm and fuzzy, shouldn't be trusted.

OH SO F'N TRUE! Damn the stories and experience we could all share about this one statement. OMG. Big time! True nightmare stories. Maybe should be a new thread. TRUSTING INDIVIDUALS THAT TURNED NIGHTMARE!

 

[Capulator]

OH SO F'N TRUE! Damn the stories and experience we could all share about this one statement. OMG. Big time! True nightmare stories. Maybe should be a new thread. TRUSTING INDIVIDUALS THAT TURNED NIGHTMARE!

True. However, without trust we would live a miserable existence.

 

[southstreets]

Yea having a full time job and growing is the way to go.. Even my days once I get out of work or before work are filled with more work! Lol... It's always good to have a legit job just incase you have to stop or decide it isn't for you! Trust me you can grow and work a full time job and grow the flame! I do.. Do like most if not everyone is telling u and cop a full time job first. That was the best advice everyone gave you.. No one hating bro just being honest with you!

 

[hellaouts]

Don't get me wrong there is a lot of really nice places in California, but there is also a lot of unemployed people here in the 3rd most expensive to live state in the U.S. If you Know a good way to grow 12 plants, 5 times a year, worth enough bread to live here, maintain credit, and still led a manageable life without having to work a 2nd job, stay in Hawaii. You don't want to find yourself at a seven 11 in a place like Barstow waiting in line to by scratchers wishing you were still in paradise. If my phone rang in the morning with a job offer to dig a ditch, I would grab my shovel.
Landlord gets foreclosed on? Try moving into a house relatively short notice with no job, just another for instance. Not long ago I read a man was arrested not far from where I live for poisoning family dogs to steal aluminum cans.. Not to put a bummer on you young college grad but this is not the land of opportunity.

 

[true grit]

I disagree with SAM, it doesn't need to be a full time job, in fact, I think it should never be a full time job. These are PLANTS, they're not animals that require daily observation at minimum, they can do just fine being ignored for a time (guerilla grows, anyone? How's that work?).
.

I agree with you SM.

I hate to be a dick about this, but I will say it simply...some people are cut out to do this for a living, others simply are not. For some people it is not a stressful job, nor something that takes up your whole life, etc. And to those it doesn't and they make a living, they tend to dedicate a little more to it because it is still a passion and a joy and not a burden....and this shows in quality, quantity, and consistency.

Althought SAMCRO points out a tremendous amount of valid points, those are basically the extreme of scenarios. Growers who are successful in the game find the ways to be the most efficient with the least exhaustive measures. They learn to deal and succeed with the least variables so that you don't have to have back up plan #2,3 and 4.

Many have to realize, and you can tell by wandering around on any forum, that most growers do not work down to minimal needs but the maximum amount of everything they can put into their weed to get a "superior" product. Those extensive efforts instead of KISS, are what lead to unsuccessful grows, or grows that are not profitable. This is a weed that has grown just about anywhere for millenia now...just because we have improved growing conditions and perfected environments doesn't mean it needs to be rocket science, but some basic scientific method in execution can make it simple.

I myself wouldnt be afraid of moving to Cali to do such things since I feel I can stand behind quality and have the desire to work hard and be successful if even only at a level of making a living. On top of that, I also feel Cali is a market that may be flooded now, but is much more accepting of prices in regard to quality- not just from higher costs of living but from actually having cannabis accepted as a part of culture for that much longer.

It will really depend what happens with the dispensaries, but like i've told some folks my opinion...eventually i think it will clear out the people just growing to grow and make money vs the people that will stick around and provide quality and quantity to those who will pay for it and appreciate it...when that time comes, i wouldn't mind being a bit more westward..hehe.:banana1sv6:

 

[Seamaiden]

Wow, TG, this feels a little weird but, I agree with everything you've written with the notable exception of the cannabis climate out here. I've decided to come out publicly to fight a ban on outdoor cultivation, which is truly what I prefer and what is the only thing available to many patients. So, you might be better off staying in Colorado, even if it is heavily regulated, it's not being regulated out of existence. I need to take a count of the counties that either have outlawed outdoor cultivation, or have so heavily restricted it as to make it unfeasible (is that a word? infeasible? non-feasible?).

To the OP, I am also speaking as a mother of a son whose main goal is to make a living growing weed, and, while I most certainly *do* love me my weed, I also know that it's a risky way to make a living on a lot of levels. Not everywhere is friendly, and many places are worse than that, legally speaking.