Question for the California People

[Smokahontas]

Hello IC Mag,

I haven't posted for maybe a year or so, but I have still been doing my PC case growing and reading other people's grows. I have been searching a lot as of late for as much information about California grow laws. I'm 20 and I have about 2 more years of school to go (in a non-MJ friendly state) and it is about the time in my life when I decide where I want to live the rest of my life. I'm from New York and I'm not afraid to say that because I have moved to go to school in a state 4+ hours away by plane (If you're a Narc good luck finding me). Anyway, I have always found the Cali atmosphere to be much more appealing than the cold, bustling city of New York. Not to mention the MJ laws are much more lax. Especially for the growers. Although this seems to be a little ambiguous from the information I have gathered?

From all of the reading I have done on sites such as this one, it seems like the Cali pot laws used to be REALLY crappy for the growers (FED raids), but are now starting to improve since Obama stopped the raids, but it seems like the pot laws are changing every year because of stuff like Prop 19. I DO NOT want this to turn into a prop 19 debate, but as a grower and daily smoker it seems like prop 19 would ruin the current California marijuana economy, not to mention the strong chance that FEDS completely raid these "factories" and throw everyone in federal prison (since the FEDS have stated they will not support the large scale manufacturing Oakland and such want to do, correct?).

I may seem to be digressing, but I am really trying to put this all in perspective. There is no question that I want to live in California when I graduate school in 2 years. I would hopefully like to graduate and have a job somewhere around LA since I do like the urban environment, but I know LA currently has the 6 mature/12 immature plant laws. When I hopefully have the money from whatever I do in LA I would like to get a house somewhere in Northern Cali. I love the Cali outdoors. It's just not the same as the North East with the mountains and enormous trees. Not to mention the seemingly more relaxed pot laws in counties like Humboldt, Mendocino, Santa Cruz...right?

Ok basically I just gave a lot of background to present my questions. You can obviously tell I am trying to find which county is the best for marijuana laws and also the marijuana climate. I have watched documentaries and read stories about people getting busted or people getting their plants ripped from their backyards in counties that are supposed to be MMJ friendly. First on my laundry list of questions on Cali MMJ laws, the current plant number in Santa Cruz county 99 plants, correct? Humboldt County and Mendocino is an unlimited plant count, correct? Why don't outdoor growers who fear rippers just grow in greenhouses that can be locked? Do growers really have that much fear in terms of raids, or do you just show you're paperwork and voila, no problems? That seems like the ideal system in my opinion.

I have more questions about Cali and the Med laws, but I need a break I just smoked a bowl of kief so I am really high now.

 

[megayields]

Dude..".if I had more time and a beter computer....I could give you an earful. I live in Santa Cruz..it ain't all puppy dogs and roses dude,Lots of problems with the laws, Feds are really cracking down, some local municipalities are reversing their pot friendly decisions and making life much harder..and prices are in the toilet. don't have time to go into details but when I get home from my business travels shoot me a Pm and I can get a lot more detailed.

btw Cali is $24 billion in debt' we have the 3rd highest. Unemployment rate @ about 11.56%......their are NO jobs...and housing is f@cling out of the roof along with living cost..."so maybe look at other states possibly would be my quick advice.

good luck don't mean to be a downer but want you to have some facts before you jump coast's.

 

[Lazyman]

LOL, DO NOT COME here. I'm not saying that to keep the competition out, the competition is already here and has been growing herb for years and by the ton. California is so oversaturated with growers and weed it's ridiculous. Now they are leaving the state in droves to go find places where the weed is worth over double what it is here. I'm considering leaving myself.

In short, you missed the green rush by a few years.

 

[Yes4Prop215]

If you wanna move to cali to grow in peace for personal use, you can do so....you can find a job in some other industry and enjoy alll the partying and pussy we have here.....If you want to move out here to grow and try to make a living, it might work....but dont expect to become some bigtime kingpin or even hit 100k a year unless you are doing 10 lights which pretty much makes you as illegal as some of the other states if the feds get you....


lots of counties are reversing the limits, trying to make things stricter...6/12 is the standard even though many push the 99 plant limit and gamble..there are some areas where the cops come in, count scripts, and leave if you have your paperwork (mendocino), and there are others where the cops will raid you, take all your shit, and make you prove it in court (santa clara, alameda), and BTW all that state paperwork is basically evidence against you in fed court...


rent is high everywhere in california....even in the back country you wil be paying 500+ a month for rent...in LA and other urban areas its about 1000 bucks for a studio, unless you want to live in the hood and then you are still paying 600-700 bucks a month for a shitty small apartment. small 3bdroom houses average 1700-3000 a month....

add on top PGEs exhorbant rates, coupled with calis low wholesale prices, it doesnt make much sense financially unless you are willing to break more laws and export....so basically you can stay in New York, grow and break the law and make 2x as much money than if you did it here in california....

a 5 light harvest in cali might net you 15 grand (assuming 1# per light) or so....minus 5-8k for rent and bills......whereas that same harvest in new york will net you 25k or more, and the expenses will be cheaper too...

 

[Hammerhead]

ca housing prices have dropped drastically in the last few months. The house I was living in was a 2005 2400sf 2 story. It sold for 168k. It is a buyers market right now in Ca. I have never seen prices so low as they are now.


This same house sold for 545k in 2005.

 

[Smokahontas]

Growing pot wouldn't be my source of income. I plan on getting a journalism degree from this University, and if that fails I am also getting a degree in audio engineering from a media school around here so I can work in music studios. LA is the spot for the music industry. If prices are in the toilet I look at the upside. Dank weed is cheaper. Sounds good to me. I'm not trying to become a millionaire off of pot. Just support my own habit. I smoke up to a half eighth a day so it is considerable. If I could make a couple of dollars to pay for my setup and costs of maintenance that would be cool. And I could probably kick some weed to whatever friends I make and trust without having to worry much about the law. I just think it would be awesome to spend a couple of months a year in a house in Northern Cali if I had a nice music studio in there and a grow set up. Sounds like heaven to me.

 

[Lazyman]

You will probably find it's cheaper to buy pot than to have a small personal grow, you smoke roughly $12 of weed a day, so that's $360 a month buying $200 zips. Power, soil and nutes could eat half of that, and a new indoor grow runs about $2K per kw installed. $2K would buy you a lot of good outdoor weed, enough to probably last you a year.

 

[Hammerhead]

Im always for grow or own. The intial cost to setup will be high. After thta your first few grows should recoup those cost. From then on it should be profit.

 

[supermanlives]

head east young man . all the money is on the right coast. its a reverse goldrush

 

[Natagonnaworrie]

If you're single and 20 then you want out here for your prime pussy getting days. But be prepared to pay BIG TIME for it.

...and it's sunny.

 

[Snow Crash]

I moved to Oregon. California is falling apart at the seams.

I LOVE it up here. Portland is just like a big version of Santa Cruz. I can go on and on all day about all the advantages of Oregon compared to California. I won't... But I could.

 

[Smokahontas]

Thank you everyone for the replies. When you say falling apart at the seams do you mean that the laws are basically being reversed so that the growers are getting killed and the smokers are enjoying $5/ gram? That sounds tough for the growers who are looking to sustain their lives off of marijuana growing. But that isn't what my intentions are by any means. I just love growing. It's a lot of fun and it teaches me new things all the time. Not to mention that after I put in a little work and learn some new things, I get to smoke some dank bud. I mean I have a 96 watt PC case grow. We all know how cost effective those are. And I didn't build it. I bought it from someone for $300. I've learned a lot from it and I think every penny was worth it. I just thought it would also be nice if I grew in Cali to have a little surplus to provide a patient or two and maybe recover a few of those expensive set up/maintenance costs. Not support me by any means.

So it seems like going to Mendocino, Santa Cruz, or any such Northern Cali counties are scratched. But hey, maybe if I become a millionaire I'll get a 20 acre property up North and have myself some fun.

My question now is that if I were to get a house out in LA where the laws are 6/12 plant #, and I live with a friend that also gets a MMJ card for growing, can I basically grow 12/24 # plants plants at my place? From what I have read under prop 420 I am correct, but prop 19 says 5'x5' per residence, correct? As someone who currently grows in a PC case, this seems like a forest to me. I would have a blast growing legally like this.

 

[Smokahontas]

Also I just thought of another thing. If the legal grow space becomes 5'x5', isn't the maximum possession becoming 1 oz? The grow legal grow space might as well be a PC case then, it seems...

 

[JOJO420]

haha this is the best quote EVER, its sooo true.

If you wanna move to cali to grow in peace for personal use, you can do so....you can find a job in some other industry and enjoy alll the partying and pussy we have here.....

if you think your gonna move here and get rich ,lol think again.
The pussy is world class here though.. I stay just for that,lol

If prices are in the toilet I look at the upside. Dank weed is cheaper.

Not for you, someone from outa state buying retail. The prices are cheap for the buyer at the clubs that sell to you. your still gonna pay.
I am in the music industry myself and it aint easy. Expect to be at the bottom of the barrel. Expect to play for free for awhile. There are THOUSANDS of people ahead of you waiting for their turn, trust me. Its cutthroat as a MF'er, unless you know someone. Even then its dog eat dog in L.A.

I smoke up to a half eighth a day so it is considerable.

That will cost you $20 bucks. they dont sell 1/2 grams here,lol So 20 dollars a day x 30 days= $500/ month. plus your rent, n food , and everything else. I dont see this happening unless you already have a steady job. Im just saying that the grass is not always greener,lol
'

m not trying to become a millionaire off of pot. Just support my own habit.

Trust me, you will barely be able to do that,lol. you will not even be able to pay rent from your grow. Your in a new place with new people. It will take time to forge friendships and connections. You cannot and will not just blow into town and make money selling herb. Its a pipe dream,lol

I just think it would be awesome to spend a couple of months a year in a house in Northern Cali if I had a nice music studio in there and a grow set up. Sounds like heaven to me.

Umm. who here on these boards does this? Not many. Its a full time job just surviving out here. Not to mention the daily grind. As other members have pointed out, the economy sucks here, so does getting a job. What are you gonna do in the " days between" harvests??? I mean really bro, i suggest you reconsider before making a decision to move. Maybe make some friends here BEFORE you move, to ease the transition. IDK, i wish you luck on whatever decision you make.

I mean I have a 96 watt PC case grow.

OMG!! This says it all. your thinking of moving to a state where people have 96 acre grows,lol Dude, you need to realize your peanuts in elephant land,lol
PLUS, whats wrong with you? How do you qualify for a medical card? Or are you just another person saying " oww, my tummy hurts" and getting a card? If you were to get busted, then its a whole other ballgame. Will the court verify your medical necessity or are you just another person here to take advantage of the laws?? Cause if you DO NOT have a valid medical necessity, the court will NOT rule in your favor, and you will be prosecuted. Just like in the state where you are now. It;s not an automatic win for you cause your in a medical state. Just something to think about.

 

[rives]

Also I just thought of another thing. If the legal grow space becomes 5'x5', isn't the maximum possession becoming 1 oz? The grow legal grow space might as well be a PC case then, it seems...

If you are referring to the limits proposed in 19, the maximum that you could walk around with was an ounce. However, there was no limit to what you could have at home as long as it was harvested from your 5'x5' area. You do know that 19 was defeated, don't you?

 

[Smokahontas]

I am in the music industry myself and it aint easy. Expect to be at the bottom of the barrel. Expect to play for free for awhile. There are THOUSANDS of people ahead of you waiting for their turn, trust me. It's cutthroat as a MF'er, unless you know someone. Even then its dog eat dog in L.A.
That will cost you $20 bucks. they dont sell 1/2 grams here,lol So 20 dollars a day x 30 days= $500/ month. plus your rent, n food , and everything else. I dont see this happening unless you already have a steady job. Im just saying that the grass is not always greener,lol
' Trust me, you will barely be able to do that,lol. you will not even be able to pay rent from your grow. Your in a new place with new people. It will take time to forge friendships and connections. You cannot and will not just blow into town and make money selling herb. Its a pipe dream,lol

I don't think you've read this thread very carefully. I don't plan on growing marijuana as my primary source of income. I enjoy growing because I love learning from it and then getting to smoke, because I clearly enjoy smoking too.. Some of you Californians seem a little spoiled. My 24x18x8 inch PC case would put me in jail in the state I am in right now. That's like growing in a tiny aquarium. LEGALLY growing 6 mature plants and having a half pound of marijuana is all I could ever ask for and then some. I'm not a drug dealer. Marijuana just amazes me as a plant.

Now onto your comments about the music industry. Firstly, what do you know about my music endeavors? I could be aspiring to be the next Miley Cyrus, or the next Dr. Dre, or the next Marilyn Manson. You probably don't even know if I'm a boy or girl. When it comes to the music industry you either have it or you don't. The proof is in the fucking pudding and you probably play for free because no one will pay to listen to you. That was a pathetic attempt to knock my confidence down a level.

Seriously dude, you just gave an angry rant that didn't even make any sense. I am graduating from a top university with a journalism degree and I am quite resourceful. I'll get money, don't worry about me.

 

[Smokahontas]

On to something that is more relevant and brain stimulating.

If you are referring to the limits proposed in 19, the maximum that you could walk around with was an ounce. However, there was no limit to what you could have at home as long as it was harvested from your 5'x5' area. You do know that 19 was defeated, don't you?

I am actually curious about the direction that the laws will be taking because it seems like they are changing every year. Prop 19 only failed by a margin of 52/48% right? I am not an expert on law or the legislative process, but isn't there a good chance that the 2011 legislation won't have that many modifications if it almost passed? I feel like the new laws won't be that different from prop 19 if the people almost voted to pass it...

Growing 5'x5' with unlimited amounts of marijuana in the house actually sounds extremely appealing to me.

How would it work with veg/flower/clone rooms and such? I would be beyond grateful for a legal grow space of that size, but I feel like the overall marijuana quality will take a hit if people who have become expert growers with large setups have to downsize. Won't strains be lost? My mind is always blown as to how good some of the growers are from Cali. I feel like those strains that have been perfected will rarely be seen unless you are that grower...

 

[JOJO420]

My 24x18x8 inch PC case would put me in jail in the state I am in right now. That's like growing in a tiny aquarium. LEGALLY growing 6 mature plants and having a half pound of marijuana is all I could ever ask for and then some. I'm not a drug dealer. Marijuana just amazes me as a plant.

It will put you in jail here also. dont think it wont. You will probably only get probation, but still your in court and your life is in upheaval.

Now onto your comments about the music industry. Firstly, what do you know about my music endeavors? I could be aspiring to be the next Miley Cyrus, or the next Dr. Dre, or the next Marilyn Manson. You probably don't even know if I'm a boy or girl. When it comes to the music industry you either have it or you don't. The proof is in the fucking pudding and you probably play for free because no one will pay to listen to you. That was a pathetic attempt to knock my confidence down a level.

I am a successful musician. Have been for 15 yrs. I play in some of the biggest clubs and the biggest festivals that happen in america. Im a made act.. I'm telling you the truth. If you dont wanna hear what I have to say, so be it. Im telling you, and mark my words, tHERE ARE THOUSANDS OF GUYS N GIRLS, whatever you are, just like you here. You are up against major competition. I am not here to knock your level or whatevea, just thought i would share. good luck, seems your gonna need it. This is not the way to make friends here. I give you feedback, and now your gonna get pissy?? Good luck newb,lol

Seriously dude, you just gave an angry rant that didn't even make any sense. I am graduating from a top university with a journalism degree and I am quite resourceful. I'll get money, don't worry about me.

wtf?? I though you were a musician?? Now your a journalist?? Im not angry, not at all. I just gave you honest feedback.. It seems its you that is angry. Im just telling you my experiance, which is pretty standard in the industry, but you knew that right??

When it comes to the music industry you either have it or you don't. The proof is in the fucking pudding and you probably play for free because no one will pay to listen to you.

AND I GOT IT.. My tracks are sold on beatport, Itunes, and countless other music buying sites. I get paid.. I have been for 15 yrs. I play where and when I WANT. I still have to play for free sometimes cause of the economy. I PLAY FOR THE LOVE.. Your just starting out, and have NO respect that I can tell. shows me how disconnected to the music industry you really are,lol

Growing 5'x5' with unlimited amounts of marijuana in the house actually sounds extremely appealing to me.

and this shows me you are COMPLETLY behind the times with your assumptions of how our laws really work. Do your homework before you spout your incompetence and ignorance of current laws and politics in California bro. You have a lot to learn,lol

 

[Smokahontas]

It will put you in jail here also. dont think it wont. You will probably only get probation, but still your in court and your life is in upheaval.

How the hell would my PC case put me in jail in California if I had a prescription?

 

[Smokahontas]

good luck, seems your gonna need it. This is not the way to make friends here. I give you feedback, and now your gonna get pissy?? Good luck newb,lol
wtf?? I though you were a musician?? Now your a journalist?? Im not angry, not at all. I just gave you honest feedback.. It seems its you that is angry. Im just telling you my experiance, which is pretty standard in the industry, but you knew that right??

Again dude, you try to act like you have any idea what kind of music I can make. You have no idea. Stop telling me I'm not going to be successful. You sound retarded.

Musician? Journalist? Two things? AT THE SAME TIME? IS IT POSSIBLE?

And you're right - I do know nothing about the California MMJ laws. That is why I am here asking questions. Now go away!