Does being a Grower cause you extreme stress?

[Heavy Chevy]

Well ladies and gentlemen. As of lately I have really been thinking about getting out of the growing game. As mush as I love to do it and with all the joy it brings be, it just adds a lot of unneeded stress to my life. Now I am not sure if anyone else goes through this but its a daily thing for me. Wondering if your going to get caught, if something goes wrong. There are so many variables to what we all do here so many things that can go wrong and easily land you behind bars. I guess I am just looking for some growers out there who can relate to me or calm my paranoia a bit. I would love to continue growing because after all its only a plant so what the hell is the harm?! Its too bad LEO doesn't see it that way... I need some opinions here everyone help me out!

 

[Passenger]

Depends what the laws of your state and country are. Why not grow in the bush/forest/guerilla grow ect if you're stressed about getting caught.


Myself I am not worried because Australia's laws aren't very harsh on growing organic pot.

 

[NiteTiger]

Grower's Stress is real bro, I think we've all experienced it. I know I have. It gets really bad right before harvest. You think you've got it bad - I've got a cop neighbor across the street, and am right under an airport landing approach.

Did I mention the police choppers are based at that particular airport?

So yeah, I feel ya on the stress. I got low flying planes and choppers going over my head constantly. With police markings even. Then, daily, I get the thrill of watching a cruiser slow in front of my driveway.

It's really fun when he as his poker game once a week, and I see a group of police officers massing across the street.

I made a joke about it in the "You might be a Grower If..." thread -

You get heart palpitations every time you hear helicopters

You know all of your neighbors cars and their schedules

So what do I do?

I go check my carbon filter daily, make sure my security procedures are strictly adhered to, and go play poker with my neighbor

It's something you get used to. I don't think I'd want it to go away. If you get so complacent that you're not worried, then you're going to make a mistake.

Remember, it's not paranoia if they really are out to get you.

But, it's like the saying says:

If you can't take the heat...

 

[bounty29]

I've been pretty stressed in a few situations, but I feel that my security is tight enough and I've taken enough precautions so that I'm not constantly stressed out or anything.

 

[Heavy Chevy]

Well here in the USA they are not very laid back with growing marijuana...

Nite Tiger I like like that quote because I can relate to that on both occasions... Everytime a chopper flys over I think to myself, "Hmm I wonder if that chopper has FLIR on it or not" then I go back to my daily life. And as for knowing my neighbors schedules well yeah thats a must. As for the heat... Well I can take it, I just wish I could have my cake and eat it too. That I might someday before the end of my lifetime be able to legally grow my own stash of goodies without wondering what if I didn't lock the doors... Or what if something catches fire, or what if I get busted... But I do agree with you that my paranoia or my precautions, thinking, amd evaluating of situations is what will keep me safe... I just hate when my heart starts pumping when you hear a cop siren coming roaring past your place wondering what if for some ****ed up reason this time its for me...

I do have to commend you though for having the brass to do what you do with LEO across the street from you and walk up into the place like you got nothing to hide and sit down and play a game of cards with a bunch of them.

 

[King Hippo]

I definitely feel ya on the old paranoia. I grew for two years and took a break for six months. I started up about 3 months ago again and am only about 2-3 weeks away from harvest. I'm remembering why I stopped in the first place. My main concern is that I happen to be within 1000 ft. from a church which carries a very stiff (like 5 yr. min) sentence. No that it would necessarily end that way if you've got some dough for a good lawyer. Still it can work the nerves.

The good news is that I have a neighbor who is on disability for a back injury. He sells his doctor prescribed oxycotin, among other things. He always has dudes pulling and honking the horn and he'll come and do the deal in front of the house in broad daylight for the whole neighborhood to see. He's been doing it for like 15 years and no trouble yet. I figure if this loser can get away with it running a sloppy ship, my squeaky clean setup should be just fine barring a fire or other tragedy (robbery, tornado, etc.).

 

[toohighmf]

after 15 years...

after 15 years...

(not behind bars thankfully), I grew quite a few larger ops indoors. I was legal w my paperwork, but I took a lot of chances! funny you mention heli's. I lived across the street from LAPD Airforce. they came and left every few minutes. I had 26 lights going at the time and hired a human flipflop to take my ballast rack and roll it from one side of the building to the other and connect the cords.. I was so scared, you wouldnt catch me there if there wasnt a problem.

I finished and trimmed up everything and offed it all to the dispensaries at a fair price. I realized it was time to go legit. After 15 years I was going to pay taxes, vote, and become a citizen. I opened up a hydroshop. it was a flourishing business. a true success. til 1 day some stupid mofo comes in w 3 dudes and rushes my counter. I drew my kimber .45 ready to shoot and this guy decided to get his gun. I was on 911 w a gun to this guys head before he decided to play the real tough guy and go for a gun.. cops showed up, took a report, told me I should of shot the guy and that would of been that.. I decided to pick up and move that day. We moved everything to my warehouse and on the way back got caught in a sobriety checkpoint. didnt find my jars, but they found that very .45 between the seat and a baby eagle 9mm in a paper bag on the floorboard. I was arrested for concealed weapons charges. A week later I was involved in a gunfight at the warehouse. I blasted a bottle of nitrozyme and blinded these cholo S.O.B's and they screamed and ran off, leaving their cellphone w pictures of them, and their fighting dogs and fat girlfriends. I was pretty heated after getting shot at by a bunch of wussies, I picked up the phone out the street and went through his phonebook. I called a few people in it and told them to tell their buddies that tried to rob me where their celly was... apparently they were under surveilance and my conversations were recorded.. the fuzz knew I was in a shootout w known felons and never called the police. they found it suspicious that I never called them after they arrested me for defending life after it was threatened..


think about this..

15 years of growin under the radar w/o a single incident. 8 months in to owning a retail store I was arrested, nearly killed, nearly killed someone, and have the board of equalization up my ass on a daily. the shop has moved to the www. and I got a mortgage, car payments and insurance to pay. it was when I realized its better to do what I do best than sit like like a lame duck waiting to get jacked or arrested, or maybe dead. cost me 12k in legal to walk w 1 count and 100 hours community service. I would rather help my community by providing them top quality medicine than cleaning up the sides of freeways. I am back to growing and after owning a store, I would rather go to court over weed than a gun any day of the week, even If I was growing over 400 plants back when.. I will say this. I will never grow over the federal limit, and I plan to run as efficient of a garden I can. Nothing over 10 lights and I will always run CEA. If worried about FLIR, use polyshield. I sell it and it works. if you are worried about helicopters, anti flir detection might help you sleep better at night. pay your bills on time and never dump your medium and fan leaves in your own trash. keep a healthy lookin dog out front to scare away the meter reader if your not running an electronic meter. keep normal hours. dont stand out, and keep the stink free. you'll thank me for not jumpin out and becoming a member of society.. besides I dont want to pump one tax dollar into this presidency or war. Do you want taxes taken out your check to go to the democrasizing and "christianizing" of a foreign country that has had its own set of laws and rules for thousands of years longer than we even existed? Not a penny from me, thats for sure. RON PAUL FOR PREZ!

 

[Tom Hill]

Heavy, I feel like that often, believe you me. It has always blown my mind to watch the old-timers watch the choppers fly over waving & shit. It's difficult, but I try to remind myself to look at the big picture. We are way too set in our narrow views of what's going on around us. Hang in there bud, you only live once & raise hell amigo, it'll be fine.

 

[happyherb]

i hate to sit around and think what i could have done....so i just do it now...over 100 plants here indoors...plus identifed males ...law says zero....but i wana do what i wana do...sure my guts still gets turned inside out on a daily basis when i think off possible bad out comes....but when ive got a pile of dryed harvest and some new found keepers im a lot less stresses lol ..... if you follow the basic safty tips ....stress is mostly a good dose of parinoia...keep safe .HH. =]-~

 

[Hundredproof]

at this point my only real stress seems to stem from too many people (ie more than me and my girl) knowing about it.

im currently down cuz of all the bs but thankfully im moving next week and not telling even my closest freinds where. (just took another hit possibly done by someone ive known over a decade,)

 

[NiteTiger]

As for the heat... Well I can take it, I just wish I could have my cake and eat it too. That I might someday before the end of my lifetime be able to legally grow my own stash of goodies without wondering what if I didn't lock the doors... Or what if something catches fire, or what if I get busted... But I do agree with you that my paranoia or my precautions, thinking, amd evaluating of situations is what will keep me safe... I just hate when my heart starts pumping when you hear a cop siren coming roaring past your place wondering what if for some ****ed up reason this time its for me...

I don't think you took it this way, but I didn't mean to insinuate that you couldn't take the heat, or any other kind of personal attack. I was just using that to illustrate the point that there is no escaping it; that stress, that fear, that paranoia, it will always be there. It was more for the other readers than you specifically, if you see what I mean.

I do have to commend you though for having the brass to do what you do with LEO across the street from you and walk up into the place like you got nothing to hide and sit down and play a game of cards with a bunch of them.

Well what else would a good upstanding neighbor do? :wink:

Cops have this mystical aura about them in the pot community, it seems sometimes. Cops aren't any different than anyone else. They're doing a job that most people couldn't, or wouldn't, do. That's all. They're goal is the same as anyone else's, for the most part - Get home at the end of the night with the least muss and the least fuss as possible.

To be honest, I like having a cop living across the street. I know the chances of my place getting hit are nil. I know that if, God forbid, something were to go to down at my place, I've got a guy that considers me a friend less than 200 ft away with an arsenal of shit that would cost me 5-10. And knows how to use it effectively.

There's nothing you can buy that is more valuable to the security of your grow than the friendship of a cop.

Don't get me wrong - there are power hungry 'badge addicts' (as my poker group refers to them), sure. But I got news for you - the guys on the line hate them as much as we do. The way my guy puts it is this:

There's always this guy, the one that looks at his badge like it's Superman's cape. He's the one that's treating everyone like an arch criminal on every traffic stop. He's the guy that snatches and grabs at people. He's the guy that doesn't think twice about what he's doing before he does it. He's the asshole that makes the rest of our lives shit. He's the guy that runs off at the mouth and starts shit where there is none. The guy that talks to people in a way that, if you did it in a bar, would get your teeth smashed in. He thinks that badge gives him a free pass.

He doesn't realize that it also makes a perfect bullseye.

He's the one that everyone hates going to a call with. Because you know, you just know, that it's going to be this huge f.uckin' deal that he's created out of thin air. Something any of us would have handled with a few words and maybe a citation. But no, he's done pissed someone off with his attitude that really didn't give a **** that he's wearing a badge. Now he's in trouble, and he drags us all down with him.

He's the guy that it takes just a tad longer to get to. He's the guy that you never want to work with. He's the guy that everyone would take just a step longer to 'try' stop that punch from landing.

He's the guy that just needs a good asskicking.

So no, I got no problem playing cards with good cops. But, just like any other profession, there are always going to be assholes. I hedge my bets by making friends with the non-assholes

I've been pulled over for a speeding ticket that 'somehow' developed into a 'may I search your car' thing. I laughed, and said sure, knock yourself out. When his backup arrived, it was my guy, and we just started talking about wives, etc. When rookie boy found my auto-knife (fancy term for a switchblade) and thought he'd hit the lottery, my guy shut him down with a quickness, telling him to put it back in the trunk where he'd found it and go read up on the constitution. The look on the rook's face was priceless.


I highly recommend it as a security procedure.

besides I dont want to pump one tax dollar into this presidency or war. Do you want taxes taken out your check to go to the democrasizing and "christianizing" of a foreign country that has had its own set of laws and rules for thousands of years longer than we even existed? Not a penny from me, thats for sure.

I understand the sentiment, but just remember that what they finally got Al Capone on were tax evasion charges. Always pay the KGB...er... I mean the IRS what they want. They don't care where it comes from, as long as they get their share.

 

[Depths Of OG]

Anyone else have the dreams? If you have them, you know what I mean. They come and go, but when they come, it's usually several nights in a row.

 

[NiteTiger]

Oh yeah DOG, I know exactly what you're talking about.

The explosions, chaos, guns...

Jesus, I wish you hadn't mentioned that.

 

[Guest]

Going on 6 years straight now without incident,I just recently shut down for a rest and to spend more time with dear ole mom.I was afeared the first couple years especially,what with the increased electrical and all.If you feel arrest is imminent or probable you probably didn't plan very well or let others know,I've always been confident in that aspect.I've always figured if something happened it would be by fluke not design,and thats a good way to feel.I think one of the most dangerous things you can do today is to go legal and thats unfortunate.For the first few years of growing its all I thought about,all I wanted.Now you couldn't pay me to register with the state,any state..

 

[hydroclops]

Morning NT, and everyone else.

Yea the I get nervous all the time, I have a cop that lives right next to me( I have an attached townhouse)
And another cop that lives across the steet that walks my dog when i am on vacation.
how's that for stress, lol

Stay safe and high.
........HYDRO.......

 

[Dr Dog]

I don't grow large, but I find it is a distraction from my regular stress, I feel at home while tending my plants, like nothing can bother me while I am in my room
Just my 2 cents

 

[Truthman]

(not behind bars thankfully), I grew quite a few larger ops indoors. I was legal w my paperwork, but I took a lot of chances! funny you mention heli's. I lived across the street from LAPD Airforce. they came and left every few minutes. I had 26 lights going at the time and hired a human flipflop to take my ballast rack and roll it from one side of the building to the other and connect the cords.. I was so scared, you wouldnt catch me there if there wasnt a problem.

I finished and trimmed up everything and offed it all to the dispensaries at a fair price. I realized it was time to go legit. After 15 years I was going to pay taxes, vote, and become a citizen. I opened up a hydroshop. it was a flourishing business. a true success. til 1 day some stupid mofo comes in w 3 dudes and rushes my counter. I drew my kimber .45 ready to shoot and this guy decided to get his gun. I was on 911 w a gun to this guys head before he decided to play the real tough guy and go for a gun.. cops showed up, took a report, told me I should of shot the guy and that would of been that.. I decided to pick up and move that day. We moved everything to my warehouse and on the way back got caught in a sobriety checkpoint. didnt find my jars, but they found that very .45 between the seat and a baby eagle 9mm in a paper bag on the floorboard. I was arrested for concealed weapons charges. A week later I was involved in a gunfight at the warehouse. I blasted a bottle of nitrozyme and blinded these cholo S.O.B's and they screamed and ran off, leaving their cellphone w pictures of them, and their fighting dogs and fat girlfriends. I was pretty heated after getting shot at by a bunch of wussies, I picked up the phone out the street and went through his phonebook. I called a few people in it and told them to tell their buddies that tried to rob me where their celly was... apparently they were under surveilance and my conversations were recorded.. the fuzz knew I was in a shootout w known felons and never called the police. they found it suspicious that I never called them after they arrested me for defending life after it was threatened..


think about this..

15 years of growin under the radar w/o a single incident. 8 months in to owning a retail store I was arrested, nearly killed, nearly killed someone, and have the board of equalization up my ass on a daily. the shop has moved to the www. and I got a mortgage, car payments and insurance to pay. it was when I realized its better to do what I do best than sit like like a lame duck waiting to get jacked or arrested, or maybe dead. cost me 12k in legal to walk w 1 count and 100 hours community service. I would rather help my community by providing them top quality medicine than cleaning up the sides of freeways. I am back to growing and after owning a store, I would rather go to court over weed than a gun any day of the week, even If I was growing over 400 plants back when.. I will say this. I will never grow over the federal limit, and I plan to run as efficient of a garden I can. Nothing over 10 lights and I will always run CEA. If worried about FLIR, use polyshield. I sell it and it works. if you are worried about helicopters, anti flir detection might help you sleep better at night. pay your bills on time and never dump your medium and fan leaves in your own trash. keep a healthy lookin dog out front to scare away the meter reader if your not running an electronic meter. keep normal hours. dont stand out, and keep the stink free. you'll thank me for not jumpin out and becoming a member of society.. besides I dont want to pump one tax dollar into this presidency or war. Do you want taxes taken out your check to go to the democrasizing and "christianizing" of a foreign country that has had its own set of laws and rules for thousands of years longer than we even existed? Not a penny from me, thats for sure. RON PAUL FOR PREZ!

You are definitely an inspiration to someone who wants to live a safe and enjoyable life with cannabis in it.

Thanks for the advice and telling your story!. Peace.

 

[Guest]

i get growers stress every once in while, but i bought peace of mind in the form of a padlock on the cab, and i run lights at night and i have nothing running while i am at work, my stress is much better than it used to be though....i would be at work and hear a siren, and start to panic, thinking my house is on fire or LEO is responding to a (insert police chatter) in my home...but i have to say lights at night and padlock make a world of difference for the stress whether i actually benefit from them or not.

 

[Bob Jones]

For many years one of the jobs I did was work on communications towers, putting up towers, antennas, cables, etc., 200, 300, 400 feet in the air. I used to laugh when people would say "Oh, I could never do that, I'm scared of heights." My answer was that the day I wasn't terrified was the day I would quit, the fear kept me alive. Every single day I was up on a tower at some point a little voice told me it was time to get down, I'd used up my luck for the day, and every day I listened to that voice and got down.

I pulled my first commercial crop in 1975, used to do some big ones before the heat got bad in the 80's and the guns got into the business. Grown on and off for 32 years, never been questioned by a cop about growing, investigated, arrested, nothing, and I attribute it it following the same rules I followed doing tower work. A reasonable amount of fear keeps you alive, and listen to your inner voice when it tells you you're out of luck and it's time to take a vacation.

 

[MoeBudz^420]

Yep, rippers are always a massive concern around here. Way more than leo, I'd say 95% rippers, 5% leo as far as outdoor threats go. The last few weeks are hell, usually almost sleepless.

I've had way more than my share - even the strongest tokes sometimes won't put me down at that time of year...

Peace