The day Mule posts pictures of buds is a serious occasion
1.) wait for Obama to become president
http://www.reason.com/blog/show/126533.html
2.) Medical authorization??? At least better than no paperwork whatsoever.
3.) if you live in a suitable area for GOOD QUALITY, go outdoor. growing stuff with the sun is far better than indoors, saves power/$$ and is 10X (guessing) more efficient. do NOT run plots, keep them sparse and preferably with other similar green plants. if you live in a hot area, go indoors with an air conditioner or don't bother because you will get stuff that resembles Mexican brick-pressed crap weed, and you will have no pride in the finished product.
4.) Nor Cal is good. Oregon, Washington, etc. Other countries? I don't know much about growing in other countries, but I've heard about Canada a lot.
5.) Watch the temps. Cannabis does not like to go above 80*F, and lights run VERY hot ! Tempered glass on the lights, an air conditioner are *highly* recommended. If it must be super hot because you are too lazy or cheap to run an A/C, invest in a CO2 system. Cannabis will double the rate of growth somewhere around 90*F and .15% atm. CO2 (urban area is ~.03%, so 5 times more than normal), but the quality starts to go downhill if continuously run at such high temps.
6.) Do not do anything stupid like try to sell it!!!!!!!! You guys are too smart and have too much to lose to risk your lives and your valuable personal relationships by going to the slammer or getting arrested, whatever. Do not do anything that is not state-legal. The Feds are 99% not going to bust some small-time dude with a few plants in his closet. I have known people that have been busted, not pretty, NOT WORTH IT.
8.) Cannabis is not a "weed." It is a very resinous flower bud that doesn't get fertilized. It must be carefully tended like a rose or it will spurn your existence.
9.) Make sure you kill all the male plants. If you don't, the female plant will make seeds instead of bud. I doubt anyone wants to smoke seeds.
10.) Indoors, don't do anything but hydroponics. Soil is OK, but who wants dirt in their house?
11.) Get good nutrients made for Cannabis.
12.) Proper meters; conductivity of the soil (ions)--TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) and pH are ESSENTIAL to doing a good job.
13.) HID light is most efficient. Fluorescents are about 45% as efficient as HID's, CFL's not the tubes. Normal incandescent bulb is about 6% as efficient.
14.) everything posted here, was told to me by a little birdie