How Likely?

[FileCabinetGrow]

Hey All,

I'm a NEWBIE. I live in my (read: my OWN house) with my WIFE ONLY.

Unfortunately, I live in a super-conservative, tight-ass, ultra-religious, South in the US. Everyone here, short of the younger crowd, hates weed, hates drugs, hates you if you're colored.

Sadly: I love weed, am colored, and not a religious.

So my question is, from ANYONE with experience growing, smoking, etc. in the deep south, how likely would I be to get caught given the following FICTIONAL information (none of this is real, but is imaginary):

Micro Grow in a 3 foot tall Filing Cabinet (2 drawers)
LED Lights with actual power draw of only ~138 watts
Two oversized carbon filters replaced every 6 weeks or sooner
PC Fans for cooling
Zero light leaks
No-one; only but my wife knows; no friends, no-one.
For personal use ONLY
Grows low-odor strains such as Blue Mystic / Northern Lights

Has anyone had any experience growing stealth in a middle class family neighborhood where the distance between homes in ~60 feet at best?

There's tone of kids running around, and the homes are packed in here as the goal was to create a neighborhood for young families who want BIG homes but with LITTLE mortgages.

My biggest fear is a kid wandering close and smelling something, or a friend of my wife coming over and smelling something.

Smell, Smell, Smell. My biggest fear.

Any stories to share folks?

 

[_tessarecting]

Your file cab will make noise. A constant hum. Keep it hidden.

Harvest will smell the worst. Have a bigger scrubber on a 10 inch fan in the room while you cut and hang dry

Cook bacon a lot while harvesting. Dont harvest on weekends or times with lots of foot traffic. This means trimming too.

 

[superx]

Good info above, also treat it like a military operation as well...

No noise vibration, no smell, no light leaks and keep hush.

 

[FileCabinetGrow]

Your file cab will make noise. A constant hum. Keep it hidden.

Harvest will smell the worst. Have a bigger scrubber on a 10 inch fan in the room while you cut and hang dry

Cook bacon a lot while harvesting. Dont harvest on weekends or times with lots of foot traffic. This means trimming too.

Excellent idea of larger fan when drying. To have a another fan scrubbing odor from the room the cabinet is in when drying, or the cabinet is opened, is also an idea.

As per noise: Silent PC fans have really cut it down.It does hum, but not much. Luckily I stash it in my server room, where I can claim it holds parts for the servers, which I can also claim is "locked" (because the cabinet is) as the parts are valuable, and the hum is drowned out by my servers. The only downside has been heat. it does build up heat because ambient temps are already ~78 in the room. Inside the cabinet is an almost constant 81-82.

I feel the decision to place it in a room with other pc-fan sounding machines, that's small (4x4 room) makes it less suspicious for those who wonder too freely. The room is also on the third floor, locked, well above the main floor where guests will be entertained, and second floor where we sleep (myself and the spouse).

 

[_tessarecting]

You got this. Thats very low wattage. I'd feel pretty good about it.

 

[stoned-trout]

very unlikely,,,, you can do it without any issues...yeehaw where there is a will there is a way...I have grown everywhere even under a bed and in a fridgerator ,modified of course...good luck

 

[FileCabinetGrow]

I just started a grow journal of it. Take a look if you want!

 

[igrowone]

sound, smell, and light leaks
for very thorough control of smell, ozone may be the answer
don't use it myself, but when dialed in it can be the ultimate
properly mixed with exhaust it will destroy odors, not mask them
but it's a serious step, has to be done right

 

[FileCabinetGrow]

I have thought about Ozone but most are either way too powerful for my small setup, or are just rip-offs (way too costly for price).

I'm fairly confident that I have the majority of the smell under control with the carbon. I was thinking, if anything, of adding another carbon scrubbed to the room that houses the cabinet, OR adding Ozone to that room. But ozone is more of an upfront cost, and if done wrong, either doesn't work, or causes respiratory irritation. Not sure which is better in that case.

 

[_tessarecting]

I wouldnt advise ozone unless the outtake was going into an attic or crawlspace not a dwelling.

 

[Ready4]

Hey get into roasting your own coffee, no odors will cut through that when you let the roast smoke roll through the house. Everybody will smell like fresh roasted coffee and even non-coffee drinkers typically like that smell.
I have turned several friends ove rthe years worried about odor on to that, they have no odor worries in the least and enjoy awesome fresh roasted coffee.

 

[FileCabinetGrow]

I wouldnt advise ozone unless the outtake was going into an attic or crawlspace not a dwelling.

Which I'm not doing. The exhaust goes into the dwelling. Not outside. Right now I'm not too keen on the idea of cutting a hole into my wall or ceiling for exhaust. I have no need for ultra-powerful exhaust, as the LEDs produce very very little heat. The only reason I move the air anyways is to get fresh CO2, not necessarily for heat. Though it's 80 in there, it's only 2 degrees warmer than the ambient 78 outside the cabinet.

Hey get into roasting your own coffee, no odors will cut through that when you let the roast smoke roll through the house. Everybody will smell like fresh roasted coffee and even non-coffee drinkers typically like that smell.
I have turned several friends ove rthe years worried about odor on to that, they have no odor worries in the least and enjoy awesome fresh roasted coffee.

I hate coffee ironically! But that's not a terrible idea.

 

[Crusader Rabbit]

An aquarium with associated noise from humming air pumps and bubblers is a good cover for a small inside grow. But a third floor locked room sounds pretty good.

Ever considered moving to a location where everybody doesn't hate you for what you are?

 

[sourpuss]

Fact is you know the number 1 cause of getting busted... number 2 is opening your mouth... now go have some fun in life!!! Haha... fuck em!!! Stay safe...

Go as big as you can with staying safe in mind...

 

[dank.frank]

Growing your own is ALWAYS safer than maintaining a network of individuals from which to purchase from. The network is always subject to factors that are outside of your own ability to control and each one of those factors creates an exponential risk to your freedom.

Being a personal grower is VERY safe as long as you keep in mind there are some rules to follow:

1. No tell. NEVER. No one.
2. No smell. More important than your grow room, than your veg area...is your drying area. If you have not factored in space for this you are not thinking about the complete picture.
3. No sell. Homegrown will always look...fresher, cleaner cut, more resinous, etc. It always stands out. Share a flower with the wrong person and they will instantly know you are a grower. If someone is ever picked up with your flowers on them, the police will also notice the quality difference and they will not drop the investigation.

If you value freedom, especially in the south, you MUST follow those simple first 3 rules. If you cannot do so, you will very likely find yourself in a situation that is unfavorable.

When growing in the south, it is VERY important to make sure you keep and maintain solid employment. If there is ever an idea that you spend too much time at home to support the lifestyle you appear to maintain, your neighbors will get suspicious and they WILL begin treating you differently or call Crime Stoppers with a tip as a concerned citizen.

DO NOT VISIT HYDRO STORES. If you must due to the inability to find the resources you need, get a rental car and go visit a friend out of state. Stop some where along your trip and get what you need. Keep the cell phone at home or pull the battery before you ever leave the house. It may sound crazy, but if you have to stock up on supplies even twice a year, it creates a pattern.

NEVER - EVER - order anything grow related to your permanent residence or grow location. Even in medical states, postal workers will give you the sideways eye when they deliver boxes that are not shipped in a stealthy manner.

Do not wear any clothing or brands or colors that indicate support of cannabis in any form. You must maintain an appearance that is in every way within the societal norms for your area. Your appearance will directly affect how your neighbors perceive you and the last thing you want is to give any indication that you might support or enjoy cannabis.

Do not hang out with other people who are smokers. It's likely they are not growing their own so are required to maintain a list of suppliers and are by default in "known circles". If you are going to start growing, you will need to distance yourself from anyone whose associations could get you categorically grouped.

If any of this sounds extreme to you - you are not ready to grow in the south. They will not hesitate to vilify you and put you in prison for 12-15 years with rapist and murders and crack/meth heads who literally only have a handful of brain cells left of whom all are edgy and two seconds away from snapping at the slightest odd look or twitch at the corner of your mouth.

Good luck! Prohibition is real. There are people who still believe cannabis is evil and a bane on all society. "Think of the KIDS!!!" Be safe!! It is always better to be overly cautious and slightly paranoid than to let your guard down and lose your freedom...or worse, get robbed and murdered because a "friend" decided you were the means to an end.



dank.Frank

 

[FileCabinetGrow]

Growing your own is ALWAYS safer than maintaining a network of individuals from which to purchase from. The network is always subject to factors that are outside of your own ability to control and each one of those factors creates an exponential risk to your freedom.

Being a personal grower is VERY safe as long as you keep in mind there are some rules to follow:

1. No tell. NEVER. No one.
2. No smell. More important than your grow room, than your veg area...is your drying area. If you have not factored in space for this you are not thinking about the complete picture.
3. No sell. Homegrown will always look...fresher, cleaner cut, more resinous, etc. It always stands out. Share a flower with the wrong person and they will instantly know you are a grower. If someone is ever picked up with your flowers on them, the police will also notice the quality difference and they will not drop the investigation.

If you value freedom, especially in the south, you MUST follow those simple first 3 rules. If you cannot do so, you will very likely find yourself in a situation that is unfavorable.

When growing in the south, it is VERY important to make sure you keep and maintain solid employment. If there is ever an idea that you spend too much time at home to support the lifestyle you appear to maintain, your neighbors will get suspicious and they WILL begin treating you differently or call Crime Stoppers with a tip as a concerned citizen.

DO NOT VISIT HYDRO STORES. If you must due to the inability to find the resources you need, get a rental car and go visit a friend out of state. Stop some where along your trip and get what you need. Keep the cell phone at home or pull the battery before you ever leave the house. It may sound crazy, but if you have to stock up on supplies even twice a year, it creates a pattern.

NEVER - EVER - order anything grow related to your permanent residence or grow location. Even in medical states, postal workers will give you the sideways eye when they deliver boxes that are not shipped in a stealthy manner.

Do not wear any clothing or brands or colors that indicate support of cannabis in any form. You must maintain an appearance that is in every way within the societal norms for your area. Your appearance will directly affect how your neighbors perceive you and the last thing you want is to give any indication that you might support or enjoy cannabis.

Do not hang out with other people who are smokers. It's likely they are not growing their own so are required to maintain a list of suppliers and are by default in "known circles". If you are going to start growing, you will need to distance yourself from anyone whose associations could get you categorically grouped.

If any of this sounds extreme to you - you are not ready to grow in the south. They will not hesitate to vilify you and put you in prison for 12-15 years with rapist and murders and crack/meth heads who literally only have a handful of brain cells left of whom all are edgy and two seconds away from snapping at the slightest odd look or twitch at the corner of your mouth.

Good luck! Prohibition is real. There are people who still believe cannabis is evil and a bane on all society. "Think of the KIDS!!!" Be safe!! It is always better to be overly cautious and slightly paranoid than to let your guard down and lose your freedom...or worse, get robbed and murdered because a "friend" decided you were the means to an end.



dank.Frank

This. Perfect Advice Mate. Very Solid.

Here's the skinny: I have always maintained full-time employment, and will always continue to do so. The downside is that I have almost always worked from home. I work with computers. Enough said, but I rarely leave my home to go into the office. Most everyone knows that's what I do, and my place is very tech-ish with lots of high-tech gear, spare server parts laying around, etc. My place looks and feels like a computer guy lives there. No one has ever second guessed my profession. And if they did, it would be the last time I ever spoke to them anyways.

I second you on never visiting hydro stores. I have never been tempted. I bought everything I have now from the cabinet, to the materials, to the soil from random hardware stores. Some from one, some from another. The LED came from Amazon, which otherwise looks very normal when the box ends up in your hands.

Selling is never ever going to happen. For the simple reason stated: you never know who you're selling to. Just the thought of being mugged, robbed, or gunned down by some loons is very very unpleasant.

Luckily for me, I have zero contacts who use, smoke, sell, or do drugs of any kind. This is obviously a positive. Not having any way to be traced back to these circles will always be in my benefit. The only exception to this is a very very long-time friend who lives in Denver, where a grow is legal. He lives ~2000 miles away, so I'm not overly concerned. Though he does not know I'm growing.

Clothing: I wear suit & tie almost everywhere I'm out. I look and dress the part of a professional in public. It also nets better customer service. That's my primary motive for it. Around here if you look or smell like an upper-middle class business man, you suddenly get golden forks and spoons. Bigotry and hate for the poor is alive and well in the bible-belt.

Some personal advice from me for others in the south: Go to the local church or lions club, attend the neighborhood BBQ and HOA meetings, and get to be friendly with these folks. It sucks I know, but if you become one of them (at-least on the outside) you are much less likely to raise suspicion. They will think of you as one of them, and they will be less concerned with judging you.

Also some more personal advice from me: Make a few good friends, and leave all your acquaintances / half-friends out of the picture. Talk very sparingly to them. Do not invite them over. Make it known you will interact with them, but only on an as-needed basis. Those few close friends you do have, never ever let slip you grow or use cannabis. They may be close, but they'd still roll on you in the south in a minute if they were ever arrested, or in a position to gain something from your demise.

My other best advice (even as newbie): Grow only what YOU need. If you use 1/2 oz a month, NEVER grow more than that. If you use even less, grow less. Here every gram counts BIG TIME against you. If you get caught with 1/2 ounce on you, and one plant that's very small, you'll do MUCH better than if you were caught with 14 ounces and 12 plants.

The southern states tends to incarcerates by WEIGHT not by plant count. You want to have as little product hanging around as possible, and as few plants weighing as litle as possible.

The south will treat any grow as a felony. BUT you will fare better, with almost no jail time or just parole, if your grow is very small, and can be played as an "experiment" or just for personal use. A lawyer will have a heck of a lot better chances of defending your freedom if you had 1 small plant producing 2 ounces at harvest then someone with 8 plants in a large grow tent with 2 pounds sitting in mason jars in their closet.

Since you should only be growing for personal use only, DO SO. No large grows, no large stashes.

NEVER buy a scale or baggies. I don't care if you want to weight it. AS SOON AS THEY SEE THAT SCALE: Intent to sell / distribute with jail time.

Most long-time cannabis users can eye-ball their favorite strains, and have some grasp on how much they use / month based on eye-balling it. This will be your friend. No scales.

Do not keep old equipment. If you upgrade something, or have to replace it toss the old. If your house is full of light fixtures, old grow tents, tons of nutes, etc. it gives the impression of a full-size operation. This will effect their attitude towards you, and they could use that as evidence to sell / distribute.

Never throw any part of your plant in the trash. If it cannot be flushed, it should be disposed of elsewhere. Dump it somewhere safe, out of site, and never leave markings, foot-prints, tire-tracks, finger-prints. it's a plant, it will rot. Throwing it in the forest will do no harm, just make sure you leave no trace, and no one sees you. Visit different dump areas, never go back to the same one. Never accumulate waste. Waste counts against you.

Here's something new for controlling smell: water-cure your harvest. It's nearly smell-free, and very fast. Yes, your product will look like trash, smell like nothing, and be the smoothest smoke ever, but it will still get you stoned. I have personally never water-cured my own harvest, as this is my first grow, BUT I have water-cured fresh harvest before from a bud in Colorado. Looked like trash, but had almost no smell. Beautiful.

 

[_tessarecting]

I second everything but the water cure. Thats just overkill.

 

[FileCabinetGrow]

An aquarium with associated noise from humming air pumps and bubblers is a good cover for a small inside grow. But a third floor locked room sounds pretty good.

Ever considered moving to a location where everybody doesn't hate you for what you are?

That is my plan. It won't come to fruition for another 3-5 years though, as I am trying to buy time to get the funds + resources needed to do so, as my mortgage would leave me with nothing left after selling the house. I need to crawl out from under-neath it first. As soonas that happens, I'm out of here. These are not my people, and never have been.

Fair warning to all: The Deep South is like an entirely different country. Most everyone is poor, and those who are not, are extremely conservative, bigots. They will hate you from the moment they see you're not one of them. Do not be tempted to move here buy any job. I was. I moved here for a job, and I deeply regret that decision. I would take the West-Coast / Northeast back anyday.

 

[mojave green]

The dirty old south

 

[Crusader Rabbit]

Never throw any part of your plant in the trash. If it cannot be flushed, it should be disposed of elsewhere. Dump it somewhere safe, out of site, and never leave markings, foot-prints, tire-tracks, finger-prints. it's a plant, it will rot. Throwing it in the forest will do no harm, just make sure you leave no trace, and no one sees you. Visit different dump areas, never go back to the same one. Never accumulate waste. Waste counts against you.

Everything sounded good to me but this. You say you'll only be growing small amounts, so you shouldn't ever have big quantities to dispose of. Chopping up the waste into small pieces inside the house, then burying it in your backyard at night, doesn't require you to leave your property. For things to go wrong they'll first need to have a reason to come into your home. But if you take that little bit of green waste out into the forest you could easily get pulled over for driving-while-black, and then they'll search your car. If they find green waste they will come into your home. Once you're in possession on a public road you are simply at their mercy.

The US economy is a house of cards. The US Treasury is borrowing dollars as fast as it can from the Fed Reserve, to buy back all the Treasury notes that other countries are dumping on the market so to not be left holding the bag. Do you really think your house will increase in value over the next 3-5 years? Buying time only works when there's time left to buy.