Growers relocating to the California market

[weed enjoyer]

I've come across several threads where a fairly inexperienced hobby grower talks about moving to California in hopes of making a living off growing medicinal bud and selling it to clubs. I see that they are mostly unwelcome and some are surprised to hear about how tough the market can be and how the majority of people in the industry are not necessarily "getting rich". I've been growning for 8 years on the east coast, where weed prices are among the highest in the country. I wouldnt call myself a "commercial grower" but I have grown commercially in the past and I know what it takes to do this successfully.

I would think in Cali with the market being so saturated, it's not easy to compete if you really dont have what it takes. I've heard the clubs offer alot of mid-grade or even shitty herb and they aren't selling it for cheap.

My question is this..

Is it reasonable to say that only those who can consistently produce top-shelf bud, have their grow dialed in like clockwork, put the highest priority on security, have legal counsel on retainer, have had their attorney review the specs of the operation and build a legal defense strategy in the event of a raid, only deal with strains that are genuine headstash material, are confident, dedicated, experienced, well-funded, and business savvy, only if one has all these qualities, does he have a good shot at success in the market of a medical state?

My other question...

Is the market of the other medical states as fucked up as California?

Would some one be better off staying where the retail price of bud is very high and the market quite as flooded?

 

[captinknots]

the cali market is the midst of big change, potentially. i wouldnt make any moves till laws are established, if prop 19 passes. if it doesnt pass... youll get a lot less per pound, that is for sure. you dont seem worried about getting busted, it doesnt seem, and your getting premium prices. if your not so worried about your sitcho, why change anything? In reality youll never know if you can make it in calis market unless you just do it. its all about relationships tho. and good bud (if its a good dispensary) your right about all the mid grade shit available. i think most the real heady stuff stays in small circles or gets shipped out for premium prices.

 

[weed enjoyer]

The main reason I've considered making the move is because although some people speculate that if Prop 19 passes, greedy corporate types will get into the industry flooding the market with crappy pot for low low prices, fucking everything up for the hardworking independent growers dedicated to growing excellent product, I'm wondering if maybe that wont be the case.. There is a whole other demographic that would be created if prop 19 passes, that is the recreational user. People would be consuming marijuana legally in new settings, possibly in club/bar - like settings, who knows where it could go, the market could potentially grow in a huge way.. And I feel that those who are smart and have what it takes to stay afloat in the game could possibly be getting in on the ground floor of a hugely lucrative industry, and will amass fortunes comparable to distillers like jack daniels, jim beam, anheuser-busch in the post-prohibition era, i think there will be big money to be made and we will see changes and innovations we cant even conceive of now......

..and you're right, while I'm confident enough in my security measures and I believe that I'm very careful (knock on wood). I dont violate any laws that I can't pay the consequences for and I'm Ok with the risk. I know the legal system cant break me, but obviously I still take every precaution.

I also think it would be interesting to make a living off my craft in a different atmosphere than that of the east-coast's black market.

I'm just looking to hear people's insight on the subject.. thanks Captinknots

Anyone else? Anyone in the scene have anything to say about it?

 

[Zen Master]

it will still be illegal federally, Marlboro Wal Mart and the like will not risk growing until its legal across the board.

its gonna be the richard lee's with mega warehouses that flood the market IF 19 passes.

even if 19 passes, its still gonna go for thousands a p in other states, so everyone is going to start growing legally here and overwhelming the shipping into other states.


if you are growing for money, dont come to cali. just not worth it.

if you want to grow and be a farmer and work a 9-5 (if you can find one), c'mon out.

 

[weed enjoyer]

Thanks for the advice zen. As of right now, I want to be growing full time, and I'm thinking if I dont find success selling my crop in Cali, atleast its a place with great weather that I can grow my crop with less risk than where I am now, and If I have to move it back accross the country to get top dollar for it, I'm not necessarily opposed to that.

Right now I'm just trying to learn all I can about the economic and political climate out west, because once I run out of my current harvest, I wanna jump right back into it, with a large grow using cuttings from my SourD x OG mom and a haze-hybrid I like, possibly in a med state.

Thanks

 

[Dark Star]

People would be consuming marijuana legally in new settings, possibly in club/bar

hahaha... not too new in these parts.

for SF bay, bring 100K to setup a grow, 250K to set up a dispensary. plan on searching 1 year plus for your location, if you're renting. if you're buying, add 500K - 1M (cash or mortgage) to the above, unless you're OK setting up a commercial grow in a cheaper neighborhood, perhaps east or west oakland... i hear your muslim bakery is available for sale...

jus' sayin'

 

[The Phoenix]

My question is this..

Is it reasonable to say that only those who can consistently produce top-shelf bud, have their grow dialed in like clockwork, put the highest priority on security, have legal counsel on retainer, have had their attorney review the specs of the operation and build a legal defense strategy in the event of a raid, only deal with strains that are genuine headstash material, are confident, dedicated, experienced, well-funded, and business savvy, only if one has all these qualities, does he have a good shot at success in the market of a medical state?

You covered most of it weed enjoyer. One of the major things is finding the right people to work with. People you would be willing to trust with your life. You'll find out trying to do this on your own can be very difficult, yet there is always the trust factor with others.

I would recommend studying what it takes to create a business startup, and see if you and your crew are willing to work 24/7 if necessary to accomplish the goals. It never hurts to have a good, smart, trustworthy female in the group.

 

[Trillion]

I love how people in cali always complain how hard it is to make good money selling weed and how tough the job market is. My friends mum who has never grown weed before put four 600w lights in her basement and is straight away making good money, legally.

Practically every burger place I passed was offering jobs for $10-$12 an hour. I'd like to see how some of you would cope with the job market in London, where you have to work 45/50 hour weeks for £7/hour because if you don't someone else will, and our living costs are at least double. Oh well, I'll be invading your space soon enough, thank god for dual citizenship

 

[The Phoenix]

I love how people in cali always complain how hard it is to make good money selling weed and how tough the job market is. My friends mum who has never grown weed before put four 600w lights in her basement and is straight away making good money, legally.

How would you define good money Trillion? Besides, the legal market here in Cali is for care of med patients, and not for profit. Anything out of line in this area would be noticed, believe me. Legal collectives here pay employees, and overhead. They are not raking in the obsene amounts of money, or they are very questionable, and shut down regularly.

 

[captinknots]

those numbers arnt very relevant. 250k to start a grow? a year to find a spot? no, not quite, it all depends. first off you have equipment already, and im sure youve got some dough. I found a place in a week, with a landlord that was willing to let me grow in the garage. a two car. i was honest with them and told them what id be doing, and how id go about it, so they were assured id wouldnt fuck up there house or cause a fire. also it depends where you move. inland is cheap. away from the cities are cheap. well cheaper...
you dont need a 20,000 sqft monster grow to get in the biz. shit i know places that take qp's off my hands. its consignment but i dont give a fuck. i only get 825 for it but still i dont give a fuck. im growing pot legally and making some cash doing it. not as much as id like, but thats my fault for changing a bunch of shit around, and not having it work out. im almost out of that funk, but still i got out here, i started, i made money, and im not completly broke. yet lol. i have some better crops coming fortunately. I suck and im pulling it off so.....i came out with 20k and that lasted me till harvest so i didnt have to work at all. i moved to a cheap area near the beach (not telling you where sorry! lol) and lucked out i guess. my rents only 1500 and im in 3 bed 2 car house 4 blocks from the beach! if i can do it pulling barley a gram per watt anybody can. it was not easy selling my first batch tho, and not because the quality. all areas are different how they teat outsiders so that was a bitch of a hurdle. it took almost a month of pounding pavement talking to dispensaries before i found one that would even look at my shit!
im sure it is, and will be different for everyone who gives it a shot. if its what your all about then do what you gotta do bro. make that shit happen!

 

[The Phoenix]

I know that people here sell there wares to dispensaries, and I'm sure ALL of them have all the proper paperwork to grow and dispense the goods legally, LOL.....

I wonder if ALL would pass the test?

 

[Dark Star]

those numbers arnt very relevant

captinknots, with all due respect, if we're talking a "competitive commercial grow", my numbers are 100% relevant for the bay area...

jus' sayin'

 

[Trillion]

Im not talking about becoming a millionaire just making an easy $30-80k a year, legally selling to clubs. It's a pretty great oppurtunity and no wonder people come to california to take advantage of it.

 

[SCF]

I've come across several threads where a fairly inexperienced hobby grower talks about moving to California in hopes of making a living off growing medicinal bud and selling it to clubs. I see that they are mostly unwelcome and some are surprised to hear about how tough the market can be and how the majority of people in the industry are not necessarily "getting rich". I've been growning for 8 years on the east coast, where weed prices are among the highest in the country. I wouldnt call myself a "commercial grower" but I have grown commercially in the past and I know what it takes to do this successfully.

I would think in Cali with the market being so saturated, it's not easy to compete if you really dont have what it takes. I've heard the clubs offer alot of mid-grade or even shitty herb and they aren't selling it for cheap.

My question is this..

Is it reasonable to say that only those who can consistently produce top-shelf bud, have their grow dialed in like clockwork, put the highest priority on security, have legal counsel on retainer, have had their attorney review the specs of the operation and build a legal defense strategy in the event of a raid, only deal with strains that are genuine headstash material, are confident, dedicated, experienced, well-funded, and business savvy, only if one has all these qualities, does he have a good shot at success in the market of a medical state?

My other question...

Is the market of the other medical states as fucked up as California?

Would some one be better off staying where the retail price of bud is very high and the market quite as flooded?

seems a lot of people have been doing this for years. Discrediting the medical Marijuana community. I think its very admirable people learning how to grow. We are all on our own journeys in life. And i hope that who ever trys to move somewhere to make a living. Succeeds. But when it comes to my medication. I like grade A++++ stuff. So a a matures grow most likely wont do. And that is why they fail. only the obvious and my rant. Time to smoke a bowl.

 

[herbalman437]

I am a grower that relocated to cali a few months ago from the east coast. It is unknown at the moment if Prop 19 will impact the Prop 215 and Sb420 patients. Prop 19 does not mention anything about medical patients, it only refers to legalization to persons atleast 21 years old. The Govenator in response to Prop 19 signed into law Sb1449 making it an infraction to have an ounce punishiable by a $100 fine. With any luck Prop 19 will not pass, it gives too much away to be legalization. However, it is not stopping anyone, there are private wharehouses all over the state as large as the ones in oakland, and the outdoor growers in norcal grow many times the number of plants that would ever fit into a Richard "The Dick" Lee wharehouse. The legal gray areas created by these less than comprehensive laws will keep the majority of legitamte businesses out of the market. So as for now the market will continue to be supplied by growers operating on the fringes of the law. The clubs in cali vary just like the medicine. There are some great clubs that offer reasonable prices. Do not expect to come out here and set up a 6x6 room and start making $150,000 a year. The market has a huge variety, you can get some ok outdoor or the best bud you have ever seen. If you want to get an idea of prices check out craigslist in the area you would like to live. Norcal prices are about $500-1000 cheaper per pound than Socal depending ofcourse. If you want to make the most out of yoru garden set up a cloning room and you should be able to get $3-5 each clone. My personal experience has shown that outdoor $800-1600 greenhouse $1200-2200 mid of the line indoor $2800-3600 top shelf $4000-5000/lb. Hope this helps.

 

[kmk420kali]

IMO. the only thing we in Cali have over (Not All) most other places, is our lax Laws, it means that we out here tend to go bigger and bigger-- It is not as easy as it sounds, to grow 100 lb crops of top shelf--
Come on out...and learn as much as you can about how we do it...combine it with whatever you already knew...and grow it out there, wherever you are-- Transporting is the most dangerous part anyways...just remove that part--

 

[SCF]

IMO. the only thing we in Cali have over (Not All) most other places, is our lax Laws, it means that we out here tend to go bigger and bigger-- It is not as easy as it sounds, to grow 100 lb crops of top shelf--
Come on out...and learn as much as you can about how we do it...combine it with whatever you already knew...and grow it out there, wherever you are-- Transporting is the most dangerous part anyways...just remove that part--

Anyone whos ever grown a small lets say Organic Garden from start to finish. trimming, curing, and drying. Knows exactly what you are saying. No way thats easy. And those guys are risking there Asses to do this.

Like the Organization that was making Edibles for Clubs. Who got took down. I have not heard any new news about it, this was 5 to 6 years ago. ill try to find a link. And the 3rd Floor From Oakland, who was making hand over fist as being one of the only good clubs to get pm infested great genetic clones. LOL. DEA took them down fast!

So yeah, we got to thank our big growers. But there is a lot of trust going into them, not to be using bad pesticides and such to hurt patients. Its the Honesty System. God speed ahead!

 

[mugenbao]

I can definitely see why people are tempted. I'd love to be able to sell my stuff cheap to dispensaries, and maybe even earn a little in the process. Where I am, I'm 100% compliant with the mmj laws, but we do not have any legal provisions allowing dispensaries and I refuse to jeopardize my freedom to grow my own legally by selling to anyone where there's even a little grey area, so it's completely out of the question for me.

But man... I look at threads from Tom Hill, HumboldtLocal, TrinityGold, LH, and so many others, and I'm burning with jealousy that they can grow these beautiful trees outdoors in the sunshine. I just can't even imagine what that would be like.

.

 

[kmk420kali]

Anyone whos ever grown a small lets say Organic Garden from start to finish. trimming, curing, and drying. Knows exactly what you are saying. No way thats easy. And those guys are risking there Asses to do this.

Like the Organization that was making Edibles for Clubs. Who got took down. I have not heard any new news about it, this was 5 to 6 years ago. ill try to find a link. And the 3rd Floor From Oakland, who was making hand over fist as being one of the only good clubs to get pm infested great genetic clones. LOL. DEA took them down fast!

So yeah, we got to thank our big growers. But there is a lot of trust going into them, not to be using bad pesticides and such to hurt patients. Its the Honesty System. God speed ahead!

That is what I am talking about-- When you go bigger, you increase your problems--
Lots of Commercial Growers here..not all are striving to do the Right Thing!! But the ones that are, have gone through a Learning Period...where we had to find out the hard way...what it means to have a spider mite infestation..times 1000!!! Sometimes it comes down to losing a hundred pound harvest...or find a better way than using Floromite in week 7!!
So what I was saying, is that they need to come out here, learn some of this shit...then apply it in their own area-- The upside being...they will make more $$, or help more ppl...whichever the case may be--

 

[Nationwide]

Yep....wish I could just do a season with any of the power growers....talk about speed up the learning process...I am about to harvest plant number 9 for me this week....thats number 9...ever. Im new and this is already too much fun...!!