Colorado Growers Thread

[RetroGrow]

That's a robbery, and should be reported. It's not like snitching on someone for growing. I would tell the employer: look, I want to get paid, or you will be forcing me to report you to get my wages. He will most likely pay up in that scenario, so no report has to be made.

 

[SooperSmurph]

That's a robbery, and should be reported. It's not like snitching on someone for growing. I would tell the employer: look, I want to get paid, or you will be forcing me to report you to get my wages. He will most likely pay up in that scenario, so no report has to be made.

Owner chose to threaten violence, resulting in police involvement, when the police arrived he was so belligerent with them that he was immediately handcuffed

 

[Jhhnn]

A state creates cannabis laws, and requires people working in the industry to go through background checks and maintain legal procedures.

In this state, a person is hired for a position within a grow facility, with the understanding that this facility is attempting to obtain a license. Law allow for operations with pending licenses, so this person accepted the position.

A couple months later, no progress has been made on obtaining the license, and it seems that in fact the owner of the business has no real intention of legalizing his grow.

The worker leaves his position and asks to be cashed out, but the owner refuses to pay his wages, two months worth.

The worker attempted to obtain the wages, only to be met with aggression, forcing the worker to call the police for help as a last resort.

The worker intends to file a full report with the city about the illegitimate operation.

He did this for multiple reasons:

1. Yes, he's mad about not being paid.
2. He does not want other legitimate industry employees to fall prey to this cheat.
3. He feels an obligation as a member of the legal industry to report a warehouse sized illegal grow.

Is this worker a "snitch" or a "whistleblower"? Why?

Legalization changes things, huh? In the guy's place, if calling the cops got me paid, I'd let the rest of it go, leave it to Karma.

 

[SooperSmurph]

Legalization changes things, huh? In the guy's place, if calling the cops got me paid, I'd let the rest of it go, leave it to Karma.

If he would have been a man and paid his employee, it'd be done.

He thinks all men do is threaten eachother. Pathetic.

 

[Avinash.miles]

If he would have been a man and pay me, i'd have let it go too.

He thinks all men do is threaten eachother. Pathetic.

imo calling the "fuzz" is OFF Limits in my world. i dont care if im beaten to an inch of my life... leave me to die dont call the police. i know that sounds extreme but i dont talk to authorities.
when in the past i have been in similar situations... like im not getting paid, i find that solving my the problem on my own usually gets me what im owed much quicker and easier than if i tried doing it thru the system.

I basically had the same exact issue in the mega warehouse days.... had to kinda excercise my wiggle room to get what was "MINE" out of that situation and may others....

as for being a "snitch" or "whistleblower"...
whistle blower at BEST - imo you could save others the hassle simply by calling out the shady business in as many relevant venues as possible, warning others. if the others don't hear or dont heed.... that's on THEM. truly, calling the state / cops / MED on a business is NOT going to warn others and probably isn't even going to bring any heat on them anyhow. u know how manly disgruntled employees call MED everyday? how many shops have badly used people then thrown them aside with NO repercussions? many many.

worst case scenario someone could label you a snitch -not me. BUT still, my general rule is i dont talk to authorities unless it would help someone (so far in my life this hasn't happened, i've not been in a situation YET where i felt telling the pigs anything would HELP another person).

 

[Avinash.miles]

good story;
i get involved with a warehouse, put my caregiving paperwork there, use my plant count in one of the room in this space... the agreement is that i get a percentage of the harvests coming from that room during the time that my papers are there.
i offer help to grow, but also meet the grower of the space, seems like a knowledgeable guy, i give him my phone number, tell him if there EVER is ANY problem in the space PLEASE contact me because i can help, have equipment for treating problems and have experience dealing with problems in big grow spaces.
anyhow, life goes on, i am engulfed in my OTHER grows that interest me more because i'm breeding and doing my own thing....
60 days go by and im thinking "harvest time at the warehouse, where is my percentage?"
so i drop in at the spot after calling and not getting a response from any of the people involved over there.
when i get there they are TAKING IT DOWN, lites are not hung, every plant is chopped, big trim crew there trimming, buckets full of weed everywhere. plants are covered in PM, harvest is not what it SHOULD be.
on top of that, my papers are the ONLY paperwork now in the ENTIRE PLACE, like 6 rooms only paperwork to cover ONE ROOM - my paperwork, my name, my patients names.
i lost my shit, but kept all calm when talking to people.
i certainly looked like they were cutting and running and trying to dip on their responsibility to ME and OTHERS like me - AND putting me at risk because they didn't maintain proper paperwork, my name was the only caregiver name at the location. i tell them i am onto their trickery, and it looks very bad from where i stand, i demand my share, plus some equipment that is laying around. they are cordial and offer me a week of work for cleaning out the place....
and clean it out i did....
instantly started loading equipment and buckets of weed into my vehicle, took what i considered to be my "share" (a percentage of what the rooms SHOULD HAVE produced, not what they actually did) as well as any equipment laying around that could be useful in the future (6+ magnetic ballasts, fans, nutes, buckets, trays). when asked about what i took i said something to the ends of "you are lucky after trying to rip me off and put me in danger by using my paperwork and puting me at risk like that...."

they understood and pissed right off. i spent a week or so "cleaning" the spot out and got paid for it also, the equipment from the space was worth more than the cash they payed for cleaning, and i did a shit job cleaning up anyhow, just like they did a shit job keeping their word to me.

kept a cool head about it UNTIL was finally paid off and handed the keys back, thats when i gave them the "speech" about being shitty business people, shitty people, and how i COULD turn them into MED but I wouldn't because i hate cops & the system as much as i hate shitty people like the ones i just finished doing "business" with.

i know all that may make me sound shady or shitty or whatever.
but this is how u gotta be to get yours from if-y situations - cool head but HOT HANDS the longer people think they can still rip you off the longer you can rip back and get EVEN.
i hate to say it like that, but that is what the industry in CO is; it's shady; lots of illegal business going on and owners / investors EXPECT employees to break laws so that the business can make money. even budtenders are told regularly to do things that are VERY shady in my opinion, like selling LB's over the counter to people w extended plant counts.... but like one or 2 a week to a dude from NYC - super shady! but the store owner doesnt wanna hear it from the budtender... only wants to keep the elbows moving out the front door. granted a lowly budtender has MUCH less recourse than a grower does....

anyhow, hope my lil story helped

 

[idiit]

^ gots to own it top to bottom.

"righteous" isn't dead, but it sure looks to be dormant.

i'm surprised that I keep finding the lack of ethical conduct "surprising".

edited to add: empathizing with Avinash.miles's handling of the situation. deft navigation of dangerous waters.

it seems to me at times that almost everbody out there has lost their moral compass.

ppl are not keeping their contracts, but they expect me to keep my end.

can't outsource responsibility, duties. good case for staying small, boutique.

 

[SooperSmurph]

imo calling the "fuzz" is OFF Limits in my world. i dont care if im beaten to an inch of my life... leave me to die dont call the police. i know that sounds extreme but i dont talk to authorities.
when in the past i have been in similar situations... like im not getting paid, i find that solving my the problem on my own usually gets me what im owed much quicker and easier than if i tried doing it thru the system.

I basically had the same exact issue in the mega warehouse days.... had to kinda excercise my wiggle room to get what was "MINE" out of that situation and may others....

as for being a "snitch" or "whistleblower"...
whistle blower at BEST - imo you could save others the hassle simply by calling out the shady business in as many relevant venues as possible, warning others. if the others don't hear or dont heed.... that's on THEM. truly, calling the state / cops / MED on a business is NOT going to warn others and probably isn't even going to bring any heat on them anyhow. u know how manly disgruntled employees call MED everyday? how many shops have badly used people then thrown them aside with NO repercussions? many many.

worst case scenario someone could label you a snitch -not me. BUT still, my general rule is i dont talk to authorities unless it would help someone (so far in my life this hasn't happened, i've not been in a situation YET where i felt telling the pigs anything would HELP another person).

How far along do we need to be with legalization before reporting an unlicensed commercial grow isn't snitching anymore?

It saddens me that our industry is forced to act like criminals despite "progress". Criminals kill eachother or walk away. Civilized people negotiate and settle matters with law. I want to be a civilized weed grower, not a criminal.

 

[Jhhnn]

If he would have been a man and pay me, i'd have let it go too.

He thinks all men do is threaten eachother. Pathetic.

So did he pay you, or not?

If not, I'd take it up with the State Labor guys. It's supposed to be a legit operation, right? Treat it like it is, like you were working for a roofer, a plumber or anybody else.

Long ago when I did things that I knew were illegal it was expected that everybody would leave the cops out of it. Generations of social predators have depended on that. Those expectations are rightfully different when dealing with supposedly above board legal enterprise. If a person wants that cover, that legitimacy in the eyes of the law, then they need to play by those rules.

I think you were right to clear out. Keeping one's own ass covered is #1 unless you're knowingly hanging it out there. It's also important to formalize business relationships in writing so that there are no misunderstandings. If you're an employee paid by the hour, you should have regular paydays. If part of your pay comes as a bonus when the harvest is sold, that should be specified. If you're a harvest stakeholder rather than an employee, that needs to be agreed upon right up front. If I had such an arrangement, I wouldn't expect to be paid if I pulled out because I didn't hold up my end of it, regardless of what the other guy does.

 

[SooperSmurph]

So did he pay you, or not?

If not, I'd take it up with the State Labor guys. It's supposed to be a legit operation, right? Treat it like it is, like you were working for a roofer, a plumber or anybody else.

Long ago when I did things that I knew were illegal it was expected that everybody would leave the cops out of it. Generations of social predators have depended on that. Those expectations are rightfully different when dealing with supposedly above board legal enterprise. If a person wants that cover, that legitimacy in the eyes of the law, then they need to play by those rules.

I think you were right to clear out. Keeping one's own ass covered is #1 unless you're knowingly hanging it out there. It's also important to formalize business relationships in writing so that there are no misunderstandings. If you're an employee paid by the hour, you should have regular paydays. If part of your pay comes as a bonus when the harvest is sold, that should be specified. If you're a harvest stakeholder rather than an employee, that needs to be agreed upon right up front. If I had such an arrangement, I wouldn't expect to be paid if I pulled out because I didn't hold up my end of it, regardless of what the other guy does.

I started mixing stories there my bad.

My back pay situation with Ganja Gourmet got resolved already, new owners bought him out and paid me out in the process, all I had to do was wait for the sale to be complete, new guys remodeled the business and paid off all the old debts.

The employee and employer in this shit storm are going to resolve the matter through a mediator because both became unsettled with police involvement.

This was a black market operation that was claiming legitimacy despite lack of any paperwork on file with the state, if they'd known it was an illegal warehouse, they wouldn't have accepted the position. Hell, I personally wouldn't set foot in an illegal warehouse as huge as the one they were running.

The employee left after finding out that the operation had no intention of legitimizing, asked to be cashed out, and was refused, i'm not sure if they had some kind of rudimentary contract or not. Going to the state labor board would be the same as reporting the operation to the mmed, just slower, wouldn't it?

 

[SooperSmurph]

krustallos, much love!

And my kitty Louis seems to like them, they must be good cuts

I hope you enjoy the Dynamite and Lavender Smurph, both very unique, and congrats on being the first person ever to receive a Smurph's OG (Tahoe x SFV), Squeeee!

 

[Jhhnn]

I started mixing stories there my bad.

My back pay situation with Ganja Gourmet got resolved already, new owners bought him out and paid me out in the process, all I had to do was wait for the sale to be complete, new guys remodeled the business and paid off all the old debts.

The employee and employer in this shit storm are going to resolve the matter through a mediator because both became unsettled with police involvement.

This was a black market operation that was claiming legitimacy despite lack of any paperwork on file with the state, if they'd known it was an illegal warehouse, they wouldn't have accepted the position. Hell, I personally wouldn't set foot in an illegal warehouse as huge as the one they were running.

The employee left after finding out that the operation had no intention of legitimizing, asked to be cashed out, and was refused, i'm not sure if they had some kind of rudimentary contract or not. Going to the state labor board would be the same as reporting the operation to the mmed, just slower, wouldn't it?

I think that the employee needs to go to the Labor Board if he wants to get paid or to the regulators if he wants the guy busted. It comes down to intent.

As strange & disjointed as state govt can be, the labor guys might get him paid & the owner might not get busted, either. Hell, if the cops have already been there & the guy isn't busted that should tell us something, right?

Or is that another crossover in the stories?

 

[Avinash.miles]

Or is that another crossover in the stories?

LOL, keep your stories straight stoner!

luckily i've never had cops involved in any of my "labor disputes in the industry"... that was my point... using ulterior motives and equal shadiness to battle shadiness you will (ideally) never need the goddamn police, regulators, labor board, legislators, MED. ESPECIALLY when dealing with UNlicensed entities in Colorado.

 

[SooperSmurph]

I think that the employee needs to go to the Labor Board if he wants to get paid or to the regulators if he wants the guy busted. It comes down to intent.

As strange & disjointed as state govt can be, the labor guys might get him paid & the owner might not get busted, either. Hell, if the cops have already been there & the guy isn't busted that should tell us something, right?

Or is that another crossover in the stories?

The confrontation didn't take place at the grow, key missing detail.

And I never had to report Ganja Gourmet, as I said, they were bought out.

 

[Avinash.miles]

How far along do we need to be with legalization before reporting an unlicensed commercial grow isn't snitching anymore?

It saddens me that our industry is forced to act like criminals despite "progress". Criminals kill eachother or walk away. Civilized people negotiate and settle matters with law. I want to be a civilized weed grower, not a criminal.

how far? not sure... farther tho.
i'd say at this point, NOW it's pretty easy to tell if who u are working for is attempting to stay within the "lines" so to speak or not. if not, then its up to the employee to attain a level of trust for employer, if that's not there then... well you know.

no unlicensed beer brewer hires people to brewing beer before getting licensed. (shit none ive heard of) poor comparison but it begs to be made imo

 

[MrTea]

When people ask me why I don't get badged and try applying for growing jobs this is what I tell them, stories like what you guys are posting. I'd only be an apprentice grower and to find a job that has stability in this industry you need to be good, really good. You also need to know the right people. Too many shady business practices out there I refuse to be a part of. I am young and will bide my time, it ain't worth it throwing yourself into an industry that is broken.

In a positive light, my first OD grow is running smoothly!



SD Catpiss recovering from russet damage from several months ago. I already have a clean, well established smaller mother of her doing very well, but I shall be taking cuttings of this one soon and putting them in indoors. Can't flower the Catpiss outside, it'll draw way too much attention.

 

[SooperSmurph]

Being good at your job actually gets you fired in the CO MJ industry.

A good grower creates procedures that are followed regularly, allowing for the plants to perform consistently.

Once his methods area matter of routine for the company or his assistants, he is expendable.

 

[orion6324]

Hoping some of you Colorado outdoor guys will come and check out my grow. First time outdoor and in Colorado so anyone with outdoor experience would be great. Colorado outdoor, season 1 is the title of the thread. Thanks ahead of time.

https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=306833&page=2

 

[Avinash.miles]

Being good at your job actually gets you fired in the CO MJ industry.

A good grower creates procedures that are followed regularly, allowing for the plants to perform consistently.

Once his methods area matter of routine for the company or his assistants, he is expendable.

yhea, i've told people to act stupid when applying for jobs, because employers look at knowledgeable people as "overqualified" they think people who know how to grow will argue and want to do it only their own way.
the way i put it in the past about myself is "i'm not here to step on anyones toes".
2 types of employers, the majority want growers to simply follow orders, the others look for growers with techniques, let them setup the system,

often times the "technique growers" are used (well paid for a very short time, then sacked) and then employers hire the "follow orders" type growers (at lowest possibly pay) to simply continue what the previous grower set up.

this has happened at MANY many shops not only for growers but also hash makers, river rock is somewhat famous for it.

bottom line is a knowledgeable grower is a valuable asset to a cannabis business, and and employers want to pay as little as possible to employees, growers included. a person who knows their own value will demand more and employers dont wana mess with that kind of person....
as for a good grower being expendable... i'd like to see the automatons solve a real problem & roll with the punches. imo the industry standard for good growers is yet to really be explored.

 

[who dat is]

Hoping some of you Colorado outdoor guys will come and check out my grow. First time outdoor and in Colorado so anyone with outdoor experience would be great. Colorado outdoor, season 1 is the title of the thread. Thanks ahead of time.

https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=306833&page=2

Me too bud, same boat. Count me in.