Experienced Caregiver Questions

[Fritz]

Thanks for taking the time to read my questions. First, I am a professional greenhouse grower with 25 years experience. I'm considering becoming a caregiver. Thus far I have found this site very useful however there are questions I have which I am not finding here. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated and also feel free to ask me growing questions. I've never grown marijuana however am very proficient in soil composition, pesticides, and fertilization.

 

As a Michigan caregiver:

 

1. Do plants need to be grown at the address you register with the state?

 

2. 2.5 ounces per patient, is this monthly, yearly?

 

3. Do caregivers time patients crops so each month they harvest and cure hence providing freshly cured product each month? If so, what is the weight of marijuana allowed per month per patient? Or is it just an annual crop and patients store a 12 month supply of cured product?

 

4. There is no clear compensation listed. What is a fair market value to charge each patient for an annual contract?

 

5. Can you collectively grow? As in, in one growing location, can I grow for my 5 patients and my sister keep her plants there for her 5 patients, as long as we are both registered caregivers with the state of Michigan?

 

6. What is the best variety of marijuana to grow for therapeutic use?

 

Thank you and I appreciate any help with these questions.

Fritz

[Grow Thread]

Thanks for taking the time to read my questions. First, I am a professional greenhouse grower with 25 years experience. I'm considering becoming a caregiver. Thus far I have found this site very useful however there are questions I have which I am not finding here. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated and also feel free to ask me growing questions. I've never grown marijuana however am very proficient in soil composition, pesticides, and fertilization.

 

As a Michigan caregiver:

 

1. Do plants need to be grown at the address you register with the state?

 

2. 2.5 ounces per patient, is this monthly, yearly?

 

3. Do caregivers time patients crops so each month they harvest and cure hence providing freshly cured product each month? If so, what is the weight of marijuana allowed per month per patient? Or is it just an annual crop and patients store a 12 month supply of cured product?

 

4. There is no clear compensation listed. What is a fair market value to charge each patient for an annual contract?

 

5. Can you collectively grow? As in, in one growing location, can I grow for my 5 patients and my sister keep her plants there for her 5 patients, as long as we are both registered caregivers with the state of Michigan?

 

6. What is the best variety of marijuana to grow for therapeutic use?

 

Thank you and I appreciate any help with these questions.

Fritz

 

i'll do what i can

 

1. no

2. thats 2.5 ounces at any given time on any given day.

3.answered in #2. its 2.5 ounces at any time. a perpetual garden makes life easier.

4. thats on you and your patients. i do not "charge" them for anything besides medicine.

5. it is being done, but is it 100% legal? there is nothing written in the laws that i know of.

6. that depends on your patients wants/needs/ailments. the best meds for them are what works for them what works for one may not work for another.

[Grow Thread]

4. Protections for the Medical Use of Marihuana.

 

Sec. 4. (a) A qualifying patient who has been issued and possesses a registry identification card shall not be subject to arrest, prosecution, or penalty in any manner, or denied any right or privilege, including but not limited to civil penalty or disciplinary action by a business or occupational or professional licensing board or bureau, for the medical use of marihuana in accordance with this act, provided that the qualifying patient possesses an amount of marihuana that does not exceed 2.5 ounces of usable marihuana, and, if the qualifying patient has not specified that a primary caregiver will be allowed under state law to cultivate marihuana for the qualifying patient, 12 marihuana plants kept in an enclosed, locked facility. Any incidental amount of seeds, stalks, and unusable roots shall also be allowed under state law and shall not be included in this amount.

 

(b) A primary caregiver who has been issued and possesses a registry identification card shall not be subject to arrest, prosecution, or penalty in any manner, or denied any right or privilege, including but not limited to civil penalty or disciplinary action by a business or occupational or professional licensing board or bureau, for assisting a qualifying patient to whom he or she is connected through the department's registration process with the medical use of marihuana in accordance with this act, provided that the primary caregiver possesses an amount of marihuana that does not exceed:

 

(1) 2.5 ounces of usable marihuana for each qualifying patient to whom he or she is connected through the department's registration process; and

 

(2) for each registered qualifying patient who has specified that the primary caregiver will be allowed under state law to cultivate marihuana for the qualifying patient, 12 marihuana plants kept in an enclosed, locked facility; and

 

(3) any incidental amount of seeds, stalks, and unusable roots.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

from here:

 

http://www.legislatu...e=mcl-333-26424

[Grow Thread]

p.s.

 

WELCOME TO THE SITE !!!

 

[Bisharoo]

Welcome Fritz, and good luck!!

[Fritz]

Thank you for the welcome and answers! This 2.5 ounces is still confusing me and I don't even know what the weight content of a typical marihuana cigarette is or what they potential yield is per plant. I want to make sure I do not violate any law in any way when I start growing. Just throwing numbers out, let's say one of the plants I am growing yields a cured crop weighing 40 ounces. Do I distribute all 40 ounces at once to the patient at one time?

 

Also, costs are rather ambiguous. I could take my growing chamber to the high end of tech but there must be a market rate or something to base how to structure your facility, I would think. Sorry for being so green. As said, am just starting to research this.

[Grow Thread]

Thank you for the welcome and answers! This 2.5 ounces is still confusing me and I don't even know what the weight content of a typical marihuana cigarette is or what they potential yield is per plant. I want to make sure I do not violate any law in any way when I start growing. Just throwing numbers out, let's say one of the plants I am growing yields a cured crop weighing 40 ounces. Do I distribute all 40 ounces at once to the patient at one time?

 

Also, costs are rather ambiguous. I could take my growing chamber to the high end of tech but there must be a market rate or something to base how to structure your facility, I would think. Sorry for being so green. As said, am just starting to research this.

 

obviously you are considering an outdoor grow? greenhouse? 40 ounces per plant....

 

indoors we get between 2-4 ounces "normally" per plant. some people use various methods to achieve more, but thats a "normal" number.

 

having huge harvests can be very troublesome yes. i have harvested in 2 sections over a weeks time before. i have boiled buds into butter to reduce my "on hand" medication. i have made donations to compassion clubs.

 

with the laws being so vague about things, there are no real strict answers for you on this one. some people will argue that canna-butter is "on-hand-usable-meds"..... same with hash.... but these are ways to make buds disappear rather quickly.

 

obviously i am an indoor grower........... although i have never seen anything in the laws concerning outdoor grows, the way the laws are written make it nearly impossible to grow solely outdoors, have meds all year long, and stay legal as well.

[Fritz]

LOL... as I said I am sooo green to marijuana. I've never even smoked it. I'm by trade a grower of horticultural plants and as said, am thinking about trying to grow for patients. I have the ability to grow outdoors, however cannot properly secure outdoor growing so will not be going that route.

 

I plan to convert an old refrigerated semi truck box into a growing chamber. I am going to remove the roof and weld so I can use double poly plastic for natural light during the day. Of course will have black cloth during flowering lighting regulation. I plan to fertilize through a mist system to keep salts in the soil low. Also, the insulated box will allow me to regulate humidity and air circulation better. Sound like a good start?

[nkprthrd]

As to #5, be aware of federal issues. 1-99 plants TOTAL at a facility (1 CG or 30 CGs in a group at one building ) has a much lesser penalty if DEA raided than 100-999 plants.

[nkprthrd]

LOL... as I said I am sooo green to marijuana. I've never even smoked it. I'm by trade a grower of horticultural plants and as said, am thinking about trying to grow for patients. I have the ability to grow outdoors, however cannot properly secure outdoor growing so will not be going that route.

 

I plan to convert an old refrigerated semi truck box into a growing chamber. I am going to remove the roof and weld so I can use double poly plastic for natural light during the day. Of course will have black cloth during flowering lighting regulation. I plan to fertilize through a mist system to keep salts in the soil low. Also, the insulated box will allow me to regulate humidity and air circulation better. Sound like a good start?

 

Well, if you have this planned out this far without spending any money, you probably won't have a lot of upstart costs. It would probably do you well to do some research into the ailments your potential patients have and which strains may more likely benefit, then grow those. You do have an opportunity to use your horticulture experience for profit with the way MMJ laws are structured, but you'll actually be providing a service to the community if your efforts are aimed at assisting those in need.

[rockinlespaul]

Welcome to the site Fritz!

[Guest Mr_smith]

If you have an actual greenhouse with doors and $hit, as long as you put a lock on the doors I dont see how that would break the "enclosed, locked facility" stipulation. I would however, reccoment you take a gander at Bubblegrowers 12 site DWC system. Cheap, easy, and great production. Plus, you can bug the hell out of him with all your problems and he never seems to get annoyed

 

*Look in "the grow room" near the top*

[Guest sub4me]

Heres another guy, I'm gonna be CG and blah, blah, blah.

Hello?? You can't just be a CG a PATIENT is the only one who can appoint a CG. What don't you people understand??

[drtarzanmd]

Heres another guy, I'm gonna be CG and blah, blah, blah.

Hello?? You can't just be a CG a PATIENT is the only one who can appoint a CG. What don't you people understand??

 

Many don't Understand ...

 

I have a few friends that say the same thing ...

and i try my best to educate them as NICELY as i can ...

 

It's Not Easy ... and i try not hurting their feelings ...

 

Many think that Patients can wait 4-5 month for their Meds...

 

I try telling them that next time they get the Flu and they

go to see the Doctor , the Doctors says Yes .. You have the Flu

and here is your perscription , But you'll have to wait 4 months

to get your Medication ...

 

Then they kinda understand !

 

Then i tell them what i did and how i did it ,

So that when Jane signed up a Patient and they had

their 20 days in , We Supplied them w/ their first Oz

of Meds Free ...

 

Then i explain the Cost , The Problem that can happen

and will happen ... The Cost of Food , The cost of Lights

and Equipment ...the Electric Bill , the Heating Bill,

The Risk of being Raided and Rapped by the Police,

The Security Cost , The Threat of Robbers , and the

Emotional Stress and Responsibility for another human

Well-being .... Plus dealing w/ others judging you

as a drug dealer becuase your growing Medical Marijuana ...

 

Plus the Time and Energy its going to take out of your Life

and your Families Life ... Man , the list goes on and on ...

 

Yes " Fritz " Welcome to the Jungle

[T1420]

Very well said... It's not easy at all. People think all glory... ALOT of work and organization, alot of out of pocket expenses people dont think of till they see it.

Many don't Understand ...

 

I have a few friends that say the same thing ...

and i try my best to educate them as NICELY as i can ...

 

It's Not Easy ... and i try not hurting their feelings ...

 

Many think that Patients can wait 4-5 month for their Meds...

 

I try telling them that next time they get the Flu and they

go to see the Doctor , the Doctors says Yes .. You have the Flu

and here is your perscription , But you'll have to wait 4 months

to get your Medication ...

 

Then they kinda understand !

 

Then i tell them what i did and how i did it ,

So that when Jane signed up a Patient and they had

their 20 days in , We Supplied them w/ their first Oz

of Meds Free ...

 

Then i explain the Cost , The Problem that can happen

and will happen ... The Cost of Food , The cost of Lights

and Equipment ...the Electric Bill , the Heating Bill,

The Risk of being Raided and Rapped by the Police,

The Security Cost , The Threat of Robbers , and the

Emotional Stress and Responsibility for another human

Well-being .... Plus dealing w/ others judging you

as a drug dealer becuase your growing Medical Marijuana ...

 

Plus the Time and Energy its going to take out of your Life

and your Families Life ... Man , the list goes on and on ...

 

Yes " Fritz " Welcome to the Jungle

[Cheliose]

Thanks for taking the time to read my questions. First, I am a professional greenhouse grower with 25 years experience. I'm considering becoming a caregiver. Thus far I have found this site very useful however there are questions I have which I am not finding here. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated and also feel free to ask me growing questions. I've never grown marijuana however am very proficient in soil composition, pesticides, and fertilization.

 

As a Michigan caregiver:

 

1. Do plants need to be grown at the address you register with the state?

 

2. 2.5 ounces per patient, is this monthly, yearly?

 

3. Do caregivers time patients crops so each month they harvest and cure hence providing freshly cured product each month? If so, what is the weight of marijuana allowed per month per patient? Or is it just an annual crop and patients store a 12 month supply of cured product?

 

4. There is no clear compensation listed. What is a fair market value to charge each patient for an annual contract?

 

5. Can you collectively grow? As in, in one growing location, can I grow for my 5 patients and my sister keep her plants there for her 5 patients, as long as we are both registered caregivers with the state of Michigan?

 

6. What is the best variety of marijuana to grow for therapeutic use?

 

Thank you and I appreciate any help with these questions.

Fritz

 

I think you have most of your questions answered.

 

A commercial grow could get you into a lot of trouble. I'm not saying it can't be done, but I would keep it under the radar. If you were to open a commercial greenhouse using your friends and relatives as straw man caregivers, you might run into a situation in which the DEA steps in and charges you all with the full plant count plus conspiracy charges.

 

In the end, you have to be able to make the argument that your actions are for the purpose of MMJ and not for diversion to the black market. I think if you convert a commercial, income generating greenhouse to MMJ growing, you are going to look pretty guilty even if you are within your plant count.

 

Although the law doesn't say you can't grow monstrous plants in a greenhouse, it does say that you can only produce an amount reasonable for the purpose of supplying qualified patients.

 

Just ask your self this: If the prosecutor came in and looked around, would he buy your MMJ defense or would he think you were full of it? I say if you are going to do a co-op, keep it completely under the radar, have a preconceived answer for every question and hope you never need to use them.

[whodathot]

Fritz,

 

I also think misting the plants is going to give you problems. You should do a drip to waste, or handwater, or other methods of watering that will not get the leaves wet. You can get Powdery Mildew quite quickly. If you want to look at an easy way to start growing, look up hempy bucket, which is basically perlite/vermiculite in a bucket with a drain. No fancy nutrients needed or pumps, aerators, etc. If you grow outside, you will have phenomenal growth, but be prepared to deal with it.

 

2.5 oz per patient means if someone knocks on your door, how much useable medicine do you have? There's an argument that something that is curing may not be useable/consumable. But for each patient, you would be limited to having that in your possession. 2.5 oz is a lot of medicine, I was told (I could be wrong) it's like 200 joints. I'm also not very knowledgable in this field regarding jargon and such (and would be hard up to roll my own cigarette), but you can catch up fast. Just take your time. Educating yourself is primar.

 

You need to consult with a lawyer if you get closer to making your plans, making sure you have a good business, tax, and legal model to work from.

 

I suggest getting Ed Rosethal's the Marijuana Grower's Handbook and go from there to learn more about the plant's growing needs and various methods of cultivation. There's lots of online sites that will keep you reading for hours.

 

With knowledge in the growing business, you could probably do well. Just remember to proceed with caution and keep in mind that the law is still new and evolving.

[Cheliose]

Oh, one more thing. Congrats on the idea for the truck box. You can also rent a shipping container with no roof. Keep in mind though you will need electric fans to remove the massive amounts of heat that will build up inside if it is covered. Of course winter is another issue.