Med state

[SpacedCWBY]

I'd like to move to a med friendly state. Cali, being what seems to be the most progressive, is an excellent option. But one question - HOW THE HELL DO YOU ALL AFFORD TO LIVE THERE???? My god, the real estate and rents are through the friggin' roof. When I look at the job market, it seems to be about the same level of pay as everywhere else.

So how the hell do you do it???

 

[resinryder]

There's a very nice street called Skid Row where the rents are cheap but the competition for cardboard boxes is stiff.
Seriously tho, I couldn't afford to live there either. Some beautiful scenery there tho.

 

[AndreNicky]

Find roomates or a job that pays more then minumum wage

 

[fisher15]

You pay the price to live in paradise

 

[whodi]

isn't norcal less expensive?

 

[MF Grimm]

isn't norcal less expensive?

Depends on what part of Nor Cal. It is very big. Anywhere decent in the Bay Area is gonna run you some serious coin. The further north you move up from the Bay, the cheaper it gets, but the economy in those areas sucks, so unless you have your own business or lots of money, you are S.O.L. there too.

 

[Koroz]

The further north you move up from the Bay, the cheaper it gets, but the economy in those areas sucks, so unless you have your own business or lots of money, you are S.O.L. there too.

this man speaks the truth.

350k average house costs in area's like Chico, CA. Redding, CA and the job market is flooded with low end, minimum wage jobs. In Chico the majority of jobs are either agriculture (Almond Orchards) or low end jobs taken up by the insane amount of college kids that invade the area each year...

or you move to Redding.. I admit, I haven't been back in about 5 years but last time I was there it was not a place I would consider a place to live considering the job market compared to cost of living.

With that being said:

Chico, if you are younger, and have no family with you can be a nice place to find a roommate who is in college, if you can find the right roommate. If you have any sort of tech career forget it... Most places I applied to wanted to pay me 12 bucks an hour for high level linux admin work where I would be making 80k in the City.

Redding, well, I job searched for a year and never found anything that was worth the pay.

 

[MF Grimm]

this man speaks the truth.

350k average house costs in area's like Chico, CA. Redding, CA and the job market is flooded with low end, minimum wage jobs. In Chico the majority of jobs are either agriculture (Almond Orchards) or low end jobs taken up by the insane amount of college kids that invade the area each year...

or you move to Redding.. I admit, I haven't been back in about 5 years but last time I was there it was not a place I would consider a place to live considering the job market compared to cost of living.

With that being said:

Chico, if you are younger, and have no family with you can be a nice place to find a roommate who is in college, if you can find the right roommate. If you have any sort of tech career forget it... Most places I applied to wanted to pay me 12 bucks an hour for high level linux admin work where I would be making 80k in the City.

Redding, well, I job searched for a year and never found anything that was worth the pay.

I've been living in Phoenix, AZ for my entire life, but have always wanted to make the move to Cali. Having just a high school education, and not many specialized skills, it just wasn't feasible for me... until now.

I've been a small time hobby grower for about 6 years now, but have decided that this is what I want to do with my life, so I'll be heading out to Sonoma County or Humboldt County at the end of the year. Been doing lots of research, and getting a business plan together (because whether some people want to believe it or not, MMJ is a business). Saved up about $75,000 over the last few years, and getting ready to invest that into my new life. I'm still debating whether or not I want to be in Sonoma or Humboldt.


Humboldt Pros: cheaper living
lots of growing going on
blend in easier in Arcata (I'm a young 28)
bit cooler temps for growing

Humboldt Cons: not much economy
lots of growing going on
locals/natives not too kind to outsiders, even though plan on not being a stereotypical grower/renter ( I will be patching holes, painting walls, and replacing any carpet to help out the homeowner and show my appreciation)


Sonoma Pros: Close to the Bay Area nightlife (if that's your thing)
Beautiful area, lots of good properties for growing
Doesn't have the "Humboldt" stigma attached to it
Santa Rosa is a decent sized city - remain somewhat anonymous

Sonoma Cons: About an extra $1000-$1500 month for rent (depending on property obvisously)
Younger person may stick out there
Will have to equip grow room with AC for sfure

Anyone else have any pros and cons? Any advice for me?

This has been over a few years in the making for me. I plan on running an 8KW Flowering room with a very nice cut of Master Kush my friends up there have.

Make no bones about it, I do expect to make money off this to support myself, but I am not about to rape and pillage others in order to live like a king. Just enough to get by for me...

I figured out the equipment, first months rent, electricity deposit, security deposit, etc... is going to run me $30K. That leaves me approximately $45K to get me through my first harvest (which should be waaaaay more than enough).

I am so anxious to get out of Arizona. We have some of the most draconian pot laws in the United States.





Sonoma:

 

[julsbagell]

You got the hard part done mf get the fuck outa that redneck shithole my cousin lives there and all I can say is what are you waiting for? Sonoma is better than humbolt closer to frisco, oakland prices for herb are better for growers and less driving for you.

 

[zingablack]

dude i wish i could help you out with some advice but im pretty much in the same boat except younger and with almost no upfront money and i already know growing is going to be my career ive just never cared about anything as much. my advice is find a job at like a plant center or somthing so you can be around what you love while your growing.

 

[MF Grimm]

You got the hard part done mf get the fuck outa that redneck shithole my cousin lives there and all I can say is what are you waiting for? Sonoma is better than humbolt closer to frisco, oakland prices for herb are better for growers and less driving for you.

Just been making final preparations. Trying to find a really good property on some acreage. I have a buddy that has 4 properties in Humboldt County, and one of them should be available soon. It's in Willow Creek, on 10 acres with a huge greenhouse and barn, along with the house. He said he would give me a good deal on it, and he's also cool with it being used in conjunction with 215. I just think I would spend the extra $10K-$15K a year to be closer to civilization...lol.

I'm also finishing some things out here, so I plan on shipping out to Cali in early December. Want to get my room built and have everything ready to go after the 1st of the New Year.

 

[whodi]

I heard you can sell a pound for like $2k to the dispeensaries.. is that true? How does it work.. like how many pounds would they buy or how do you make a 'business plan' around california? Any links or info would be aprpeciated.

Oh, and if there are so many growers then what makes you think that you'll get so much business?

 

[MF Grimm]

I heard you can sell a pound for like $2k to the dispeensaries.. is that true? How does it work.. like how many pounds would they buy or how do you make a 'business plan' around california? Any links or info would be aprpeciated.

Oh, and if there are so many growers then what makes you think that you'll get so much business?

You can sell a pound for well over $2K to dispensaries if it's very good quality. Anywhere from $2800-$5000. My buddy brings back some OG Kush from the Humboldt area that he pays $4400 for. He then drives it to SoCal where he can sell it for $4900-$5000. Now, I'm talking AAA+ bud here.

Most dispensaries that he deals with only pick up a half pound to 2 pounds at a time. I believe it depends on the county guidelines and such, but maybe a CA resident could clarify that. A lot of times, the clubs will want to work on consignment, and he hates doing that with the way dispensaries are being raided by DEA.

As far as making a business plan... I just calculated all my costs like I described before. I plan on harvesting .5g/W, since I've been able to do well over that on my grows in AZ. That is my benchmark. All the extra money is a rainy day fund/living expenses... just in case a crop goes bad, gets raided, ripped, etc... I don't want to put all my eggs in one basket. Monthly expenses with rent, electricity, other utilities, nutrients, and food, gas for myself are gonna run about $4500-$5000 for the month. So, we will high ball it at $5K/month x 12 months = $60K year in operating expenses. I want to harvest 5 times at an average of a P per 1K, so that is 8 pounds, x 5 harvests = 40 lbs annually. Let's say one crop goes bad, so I only end up producing 32 pounds for the year. At $3800/P, that equals about $120K per year, minus operating expenses, leaves me with an annual salary of $60K per year, which I don't think is unreasonable or out of line with the risks involved.

There are a lot of growers in Cali, but there is also a lot of amateur hour stuff going on. Everyone thinks they can grow the top quality, but they don't get all their bases covered. Either inefficient lighting, ventilation, or incorrect PH/ppm. Also, a lot of growers don't properly dry, trim, or cure their product. I plan on putting out nothing but the best, because I truly care about the end product over the $$$.

As far as actually moving your product... it's not hard in California. Especially if you have the bomby-bomb-bombs... People won't flinch if you offer it at $4400. As far as working with dispensaries, well, that takes time and making connections. Won't be hard if you strike up a friendship with some people working at your local club.

PS: All of my info is obtained from people within the MMJ industry. Some may be incorrect, so if it is, please correct me... but this is what I was told from the horse's mouth.

 

[whodi]

What about doing a prepetual tree harvest with vertical lightning.. aka veg 10 plants for 2 months while you flower 10 plants for 2 months.. and you can use 1000 watt lights hung vertically between plants and yield 1-2 pounds per plant. And to beat your competition, you could charge a grand less than everyone else for the elite strains. Just a suggestion.

I've always been interested in the cali scene but just not sure if it'd be wise for me. I like to stay under the radar more and work privately.

 

[MF Grimm]

What about doing a prepetual tree harvest with vertical lightning.. aka veg 10 plants for 2 months while you flower 10 plants for 2 months.. and you can use 1000 watt lights hung vertically between plants and yield 1-2 pounds per plant. And to beat your competition, you could charge a grand less than everyone else for the elite strains. Just a suggestion.

I've always been interested in the cali scene but just not sure if it'd be wise for me. I like to stay under the radar more and work privately.

Well, I will be doing perpetual harvests. Guess I didn't make that clear. But yes, there will be a veg room. That's how I plan on achieving 5 harvests per year, plus that leaves me a nice window for a well deserved vacation.

As far as hanging the lights vertically, well thats just not my style. But that is the great thing about growing; there are many ways to achieve great results.

As far as undercutting by a grand... Well, I think the only person losing out on that deal is the grower. It's all about supply and demand, my friend. If I give a club some super dank for $2800, unless the rest of the market dictates that, the rest of the growers are still getting their $4K. And you can bet your life that the dispensary is not going to be charging less for your product. Thet are just going to make $6800 in profit on that pound instead of $5600.

Now, if I had 20 or 30 pounds at once, that would be an entirely different story. Because the supply is high...the demand is a bit lower...so no one is going to buy 30 at $4K. But if I brought it down to $3K, then it would be much more enticing.

Another thing about undercutting... you want to be careful. If word gets around that you are undercutting other growers, things may not be so pleasant for you in the near future. So you have to respect that too!

Also - your 1-2 pounds number is a big fluctuation (double, 100% increase). With the setup I am running, I can achieve 1g/w.... But I want to play it safe and act like I'm only gonna get .5g/W so that everything above is a bonus.

 

[whodi]

Well, I will be doing perpetual harvests. Guess I didn't make that clear. But yes, there will be a veg room. That's how I plan on achieving 5 harvests per year, plus that leaves me a nice window for a well deserved vacation.

As far as hanging the lights vertically, well thats just not my style. But that is the great thing about growing; there are many ways to achieve great results.

As far as undercutting by a grand... Well, I think the only person losing out on that deal is the grower. It's all about supply and demand, my friend. If I give a club some super dank for $2800, unless the rest of the market dictates that, the rest of the growers are still getting their $4K. And you can bet your life that the dispensary is not going to be charging less for your product. Thet are just going to make $6800 in profit on that pound instead of $5600.

Now, if I had 20 or 30 pounds at once, that would be an entirely different story. Because the supply is high...the demand is a bit lower...so no one is going to buy 30 at $4K. But if I brought it down to $3K, then it would be much more enticing.

Another thing about undercutting... you want to be careful. If word gets around that you are undercutting other growers, things may not be so pleasant for you in the near future. So you have to respect that too!

Also - your 1-2 pounds number is a big fluctuation (double, 100% increase). With the setup I am running, I can achieve 1g/w.... But I want to play it safe and act like I'm only gonna get .5g/W so that everything above is a bonus.

Good points for sure

reason i said 1-2 is because some people can grow better, or depending on strain. But i'm usually avg 1.25 grams per watt with vertical. Some will yield less and some can do more.

 

[MF Grimm]

Good points for sure

reason i said 1-2 is because some people can grow better, or depending on strain. But I'm usually avg 1.25 grams per watt with vertical. Some will yield less and some can do more.

So you are pulling 2 3/4 pounds per light? Damn, I wanna know what your setup is like. What strain are you growing?

Using the particular Master Kush cut, and an DWC modified ebb&gro system, my buddies have been pulling 1 1/4 - 1 3/4 pounds per 1000 watter. So approximately .6 - .8 grams per watt. A respectable number.

 

[julsbagell]

Yeah .80 is great for elite shit no way your gonna pull 1.25 off og or most of the other kushes quality over quantity any day I would rather get 9600.00 off two than 96 off three comm bs.

 

[MF Grimm]

Good points for sure

reason i said 1-2 is because some people can grow better, or depending on strain. But i'm usually avg 1.25 grams per watt with vertical. Some will yield less and some can do more.

Sorry man, but I'm gonna have to call BS on that...

http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=81670

 

[whodi]

8 600 watt lights hung vertically, no training.. using modified waterfarm system. 9 week veg from clone: AK47

x = lights
o = plants

xoxox
oxoxo
xoxox


Been getting bout 2 pounds per plant