Moving to Cali in the middle of a sh*tstorm!

[Nicol Bolas]

I'm going to be moving near San Francisco at the end of February and want to get growing as soon as I land! Given all the upheaval with the dispensaries, how do I lay the groundwork for starting a grow? Obviously I want to be legal medical but at first just for personal use. How do I begin?

 

[hammalamma]

Go get your rec first thing. Without knowing where your gonna be, google maps can find a doctor for you. If your gonna be around San Jose pm me and I will let you know where to go. If you wanna go big get a lawyer.

 

[Nicol Bolas]

Thanks!

Thanks!

Thanks for the PM assistance hammlamma.
Who else has moved to California from non-medical states? what for you was the hardest transition? Was it competing for quality in a flooded market? Was it getting your grow up and running after moving cross-country? Just adjusting to the culture shock of moving to a city after living in hicksville your whole life?

 

[Sam the Caveman]

Hope you got some coin put back, rent and electricity ain't cheap out there.

If I were to do it, I'd be planning for no less than 8 lights to start with. And thats knowing I can produce quality. I sure as hell wouldn't be moving out there to grow if I have never grown before.

Good luck man

 

[Midnight]

Hope you have serious cash and a good job lined up. The bay area is seriously expensive. Good luck!

 

[kinger]

^^for sure^^

Really expensive out there

 

[dorkvan420]

Not only expensive but if you wanna make coin doing what seems everyone else is doing, best know how to grow the best or damn near.....lots of unemployed and screwed housing market, so everyone rents nowadays, better to buy a pad and drop coin on half the house to grow, and again make sure it is danker than dank, you got alot of heads ahead of you!!!

 

[DankSide]

unless you have the networking infrastructure already set up, the knowledge base to handle the problems you'll encounter, and the capital to invest - you're looking at several years before you'd even have the mental know-how to tackle the competition. Great place to visit, but it's a business already set up with brand names. I wouldn't go just for growing, go and set up a personal so you can save cash and maybe foot half your rent.

These things go 2 ways - either you're looking to set up a big grow and make some $ or you're just trying to have some to smoke on the side. San Fran and LA are both so well supplied that you'll get mobbed by several doctor's cards the moment you ask about a rec in a smoke shop. What's more is the cards say things like, "Get a 99 plant prescription!" - And this has been going on for a while now.

Really caters more to the person looking for a smoke more these days than the person looking to capitalize from it.

However, if you do get into this - try to be unique with the strain you work with. No one likes the same old blue dream all the time when there's magenta haze around the corner.

 

[hammalamma]

I guess I never thought about how expensive it is around here because I have lived here my whole life. Every where else seems a lot cheaper to me.

 

[Yes4Prop215]

the most important thing is having money saved up to fall back on in case things stretch out....i just witnessed a few folks (locals too) have failure with their newly setup grows due to random bullshit like drunk drivers and PGE power shutoffs, combined with spider mites and power mildew.....and other folks getting root aphids..

i would have at least 10grand AFTER you have paid all your rent, grow equipment, and other move in expenses (probably around 10k itself).....a nest egg of 50k you should be able to float for a few years until things stabilize but unless your pushing 10 lights just to yourself you arent gonna be close to making money...the average yearly expenses for renting a 3bedroom growspot, power, bullshit, is 50-60k a year...i got 2 friends with 10kw grows and they have monthly base expenses of around 6k a month...expenses for my 5kw is around is shy of 2500 for rent/power but not including the thousands extra is other basic bills like insurance, grow supplies, phones, gas, etc...

then again if the grow fails you can always whore yourself out to fat chicks on craigslist, or just buy local weed and smuggle it home and join the black market...

 

[RetroGrow]

What's more is the cards say things like, "Get a 99 plant prescription!" - And this has been going on for a while now.

Is it difficult to get 99 plant prescription?
Does this require a background check?

 

[Mia]

Is it difficult to get 99 plant prescription?
Does this require a background check?

I would say depends on the doctor but generally speaking, no.
You just end up paying more, that's all.
There's some controversy over whther it's even really necessary, but it can't hurt I guess.
And yeah what prop said, I just had to pay bills and it wasn't fun....
It's not all fun and games.

 

[Mike Myers]

now dont get down yall...first you got to put priorities straight. Id get stoned and think about it. hmmm yes get stoned

 

[supermanlives]

i moved from new england rural life to san diego. a rec is easy to get. everything else is easy too. the market prices are lower than i like here but still ok. no problems with product moving if its good.

 

[Nicol Bolas]

I have exactly ZERO dollars saved up (once I get there - have to budget the whole cross-country trip).
What I DO have lined up is:
a) a decent job so I won't starve out there
b) all the equipment I need for a small grow - what would be a pretty big grow out here - so I'll make some extra cash IF the quality is up to club caliber.
c) enough compliments on the quality of my medicine that I want to make the jump from big fish in a small pond to small fish in a big pond.
I'm certainly no Scarface when it comes to quantity but my best work has elicited some 'this is the best *$#! I've ever smoked' which has given me the confidence I need to make the jump. I don't know if I'm up to California Medical Grade but people around here are pretty serious potheads. Always a variety of strains around. We are a big stop in between two pretty big pot cities and have the backwoods for some outdoor growers trying to compete with that herb so I've smoked a lot of high caliber. I think with access to clones and the California grow culture I could make it big! Or at least tread water for a while before I figure out where to go from there. Do you think I am over confident? Or is it time to make the move?

 

[el dub]

Your success depends on how much you will be making at your new job, imo. At least for awhile.

Good luck.

lw

 

[Papulz]

Made the move myself from a less tolerant state not too terribly long ago.

Whats your main motivation for moving? i think it's crucial to understand what your goals are before goin balls deep.

1. get a CA id asap, 2. your appt for your rec. , 3. fire it up

 

[Duplicate]

Or at least tread water for a while before I figure out where to go from there. Do you think I am over confident?

Made the move myself from a less tolerant state not too terribly long ago.

Whats your main motivation for moving? i think it's crucial to understand what your goals are before goin balls deep.

1. get a CA id asap, 2. your appt for your rec. , 3. fire it up

Zactly.

I would say just don't pin your hopes on making here on the grow. Just start out living here and enjoying the freedom to grow for yourself. Get a feel for the scene and find a good co-op. I think that makes all the difference is finding a crew that you don't need to bullshit and they won't bullshit you.

 

[Big D]

Its exspensive and most jobs drug test and they do not recognize mmj so be prepared.

Good luck to you!

 

[Siomha]

Good luck to you. I wished I could do a job in Cal like this. Imagine it as a complete free
live with the greates weed arround and probably cool stoners.