[Jim Rockford]

I recently had a friend busted. He had 70 plants (many medium to large DWC bucket plants), was caught selling to an undercover, and is looking to be in prison for a while. His story is a bit sad, but I am just writing about it to make several points about security. Despite ample warnings from friends and talks about being more careful, he continued to act like an idiot. In the end my friends and I all agree it was his ego, his need to be recognized as a “big time” grower that brought him down. I’ve highlighted a lot of things he did below in hope that someone might learn something.

1. If you decide to grow on a larger scale, it is best to keep you identity hidden and find one or two middle men, or women, to move your weed. In his case he had to sell most his weed himself. Perhaps “greed” is a good word for it. As he told me, “I can sell it for a lot more if I sell it myself in smaller quantities.” Well when you are selling 70 plants in ounces and smaller you have to sell to a lot of people. He didn’t use much caution, sold to someone drunk at a bar, it was a cop, it was all over in a couple days. The less people that know the better.

2. Avoid growing with a roommate. I had to shut down. I see this busted person too much. See this is part of it I tried to explain to him. If you have friends that grow and you act irresponsible and without security in mind you are being really selfish. They are at risk too if you end up under investigation. And in this case, the friends have to wonder if they were ratted out, this person is a blabber mouth and not that smart. I know several people that have small, personal, maybe some lunch money on the side, gardens. They are all shut down and destroyed. I lost 6 top notch C-Plus plants a day away from blooming to the fireplace. Anyway, my roommate, who is and will be a great friend, made a very rare mistake and invited a grower co-worker to see our garden. We made it two years with people thinking it came from far out of town. This jackass spread the word. I stuck it out to help keep him on track and out of trouble, but he doesn’t listen. My old roommate has made many apologies to me. I’m forgiving; it’s just part of life. But, if you can grow solo, you can have full control on keeping a lid on things.

3. Don’t dress, act, and smell like a complete dope fiend. In his case, he had no job, just sold weed. He’d wear a pot leaf belt buckle and had a gold pot leaf earring. He carried dope with him all the time. Not just dope, but championship colas. If you want to do it right, play it like a part time dope user, don’t advertise, especially if you like to spend a lot of time at bars. Also, if you are going out to public, like a party, just bring a dime bag of smaller buds and not much more. You just look like another user with a bag running out. When you whip out the 12 gram cola in front of people you barely know, it’s clear you deal or grow.

4. Have a job. Or, even have a business that takes cash as a form of payment. Pay tax on your profits if you have too. Seriously, if you pull in 50 K a year and just stick in the bank and drive a nice new car, it just draws the wrong kind of attention.

5. Know you can keep you mouth shut (in the US) if you are busted. In his case, we have strong reason to believe he ratted someone who really isn’t in our circle of friends. All and all I know the guy and he doesn’t deserve the eye of the law. We let him know anonymously. See if you are busted, you can keep your mouth shut for a week or two till you’ve talked to a lawyer and are going in front of the DA and judge. It makes no difference if you speak at the time of arrest or days later. So, keep you mouth shut and don’t give in.

6. Understand your growing friends who constantly tell you to be careful will no longer want much to do with you when you are busted. One friend who didn’t grow bailed him out. He thought we’d all get together and hear his story. In this case I guess it was hard for him to understand that most of us wanted to beat him senseless. He is now isolated from his buddies, and whose to say this won’t make him want to rat. Regardless, I’m done unless I pack my bags and move far away. Growing is a strong passion for me, and a hobby, not a job. Fucking sucks.

7. Don’t call any dope growing friends from jail. He called most of us from jail, all of us just hung up and didn’t take the call. He told the only person I know that talked to him that “they don’t trace or listen to calls from jail, that is a myth.” Fucking idiot.

8. Don’t be greedy. When a friend sets you up with a clone don’t turn around at harvest and tell him its full price it he wants any. Don’t charge full price and then some to anyone. It gets back to point one about a middle man. Eat a loss, sell bulk quantity, have some cushion. Make it worthwhile for the person taking the risk to sell you dope. It will make them more responsible cause they know it is a good thing. When you charge everyone super high prices for underweight bags you give people a reason to get mad at you, and some people don’t control their anger as well others and might do something.
I feel like I’m rambling at this point. I guess I could throw in he had his seeds sent to his grow house with his initials on the order. That isn’t smart either. Anyway, it sucks to be down and out, but personally I don’t need any jail time, and if I kept growing I’d be about as dumb as the one who got busted. I came to realize after a decade in one place too many people now know I grow. I see a lot of people talking odor control, and this is really important. I guess I hope to hammer home the point that how you behave, how you sell, and how you manage your profits should have equal importance. If you tell one person why would expect them to do what you couldn’t by keeping their mouth shut?



I miss growing growing these little girls!

[Fat Albert]

That is truly a sad tale. One sees a succession of little, insignificant happenings that on their own might not have caused fatal consequences. But these slip-ups were symptoms of an endemic problem: complacency from routine. The garden grows, the lights turn on, the buds get bigger. Some people will say or do anything irresponsible as long as those buds continue to fatten. One day you make the mistake that sends you over the edge. And then you see in hindsight what a fool you've been and how utterly PREVENTABLE your arrest was. Routines create relaxed attitudes. We must all fight them at all times, because all the headaches in the world about being careful and secure are but a mere sliver of what awaits if you mess up....

I hope he makes out okay....keep us posted.

Fat A

Both of you- well said.
I'm sorry to hear the story, but always, always willing to be reminded of how serious our risks are.
Rockford, you show much maturity, self-control and self-preservation by choosing to not grow, even though it must be like kicking heroin to end your hobby. My condolences and much respect. Hope you can grow again someday in the not too distant future.
.canine.

[aeric]

^^^Agreed Canine. Great post JR and FA.

[NiteTiger]

So, moral of the story -

If you sell weed at bars, you'll end up behind bars

Seriously, bad situation, and I hope everyone comes out clean.

I'd want to strangle him too if he'd cost me gorgeous plants like yours

[2buds]

Sounds like your buddy will get to meet The Tossed Salad man. Thanks for posting the story. I always have an open ear for What Not To Do when growing. Anyone who doesn't need a reminder will soon fall off that cloud. Gotta say, What a Dumb-Ars, did he really need a dollar so bad he had to go to bars to sell weed? Phew, I hope someone bitch slaps me if I ever mention going out to the bar tonite to sell some weed to complete strangers that could be a cop.

[Verite]

If it was me I would move. People can be visited, passions can not.

sucks to hear man, but that's a lot of good advice, everyone should take a minute to read over that and think about their own situation.

THC

[Sleepy]

lots of good advice in that story. thanks, JR!

without odor control, this would not be possible.

[Weed Farmer]

Great post, I think we all need a reminder every now and again, the security (especially for those of us who are in the states) should be the upmost priority. I hope that circumstance will make it possible for you to enjoy your passion again.