Growing pot?

[TerryBPP]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

How the f*ck does increased electrical usage automatically get associated with home-growing hydroponics anyway? I mean, ANYTHING can cause a spike in usage (of electricity) - a new television, a second refrigerator, switching to electric heating from gas, an air conditioner. . . All these things have fairly substantial current draws. I wonder what inspires someone to look at the "bump" on your meter and say "oh, they're growing pot - go kick their door down!" Guilty until proven innocent? Or is there more to it than that? I'd think a bump in electrical use by itself wouldn't NEARLY rise to the level of probable cause necessary to get a warrant. . .

The electrical usage is just the tip off. Then the DEA has heat sensing equipment that can test if you have a room full of lights. Then they kick your door in.

Out in Lehigh Acres, about 30 min from me, there have been bunches of grow houses being busted lately. People come up from Miami and setup in the new abandon/foreclosed homes. We call it the wild wild east out there.

[URY914]

Anyone remember the photos of the house that had the cellar and tunnel leading to this huge u/g rooms full of pot.

[imcarthur]

Several years ago they famously busted a grow-op in an abandoned Molson brewery just north of Toronto. Google Molson grow-op for pics & story.

Power useage can be excessive because pros use banks of 1000W lamps for heat & light. Our local PD use a helicopter with thermal imaging to 'look' around at night. 2 grow-ops have been found in my conservative suburban neighborhood - one just 6 doors down the street. The house was a serious mess afterwards.

Ian

[HardDrive]

Originally Posted by billyboy

Don't forget, it's a "gateway" drug and you could be spun out on heroin or LSD next, living in the gutter....

Funny.....I didn't end up living in the gutter.....

[looneybin]

Originally Posted by billyboy
Don't forget, it's a "gateway" drug and you could be spun out on heroin or LSD next, living in the gutter....

or in a van down by the river

[Palum6o]

eating government cheese

[MikeSid]

1)Start basement grow operation with grid power.
2)Grow hops. It's legal and going to be in pretty high demand real soon.
3)Wait for cops to kick in door.
4)Sell hops to fund civil rights lawsuit.

[URY914]

Found it.

http://ssqq.com/archive/vinlin19.htm

[Superman]

Originally Posted by Zef

Outdoor is the way to go....

Nope. The stuff that is insanely potent.....is the indoor stuff. Plus, it is hidden. You can control the light schedule (critical to transitioning between the leafing stage and the budding stage).

The heat signature is more worrisome than the change in electricity usage. Those lights use a LOT of electricity (explainable....dismissable), and they make a TON of heat. Lots.

[HardDrive]

Nice top soil cut with perlite and some manure.....or so I've heard......

[Mule]

Originally Posted by HardDrive

Nice top soil cut with perlite and some manure.....or so I've heard......

Times has changed.

http://www.amhydro.com/comm/210_vine_crop.html

[cgarr]

So who do you order the seeds from? or do you just search some old ashtrays?

[imcarthur]

Originally Posted by cgarr

So who do you order the seeds from? or do you just search some old ashtrays?

No. Google revealed: Seeds Direct

Ian

[TimT]

Ron that girl hitting the bong looks eerily like someone I went to High School with.

And the hop crisis is putting a cramp on my homebrewing

[scottmandue]

My brother just got back from a vacation in N. Cali...

Seems a few years back they passed an ordnance making it legal to grow up to 25 plants.

Now a bunch of people are moving in and setting up their little plots.

Got the locals up there in an uproar and now they are trying to repeal the ordnance.

The whole war on weed is stupid, you can kill yourself with booze and cigarettes but nooooooooooooo can't have any of that stuff you can grow in your backyard.

And yes because of the indoor growing under lights the feds do watch your electricity consumption... and fly around in helicopters with infrared to spot houses/buildings.

If they legalized this stuff the Hawaiian economy would go through the roof.

[austin552]

About $25 a Month electricity for two plants. Heat/venting was an issue but easily controlled. HPS and MH bulbs were pricey but lasted a long time. All the equpment needed is legal. I just grew for my personal and to give to friends which was not a business.

[The Gaijin]

Many foreclosed Mcmansions with lots of available room. Nobody thinks twice at a few hundred bucks a month electric bill...

Apparently in suburban settings it is the sickly sweet smell of bud that will have the neighbors snooping and copters searchin'

[ChrisBennet]

Originally Posted by billyboy

Don't forget, it's a "gateway" drug and you could be spun out on heroin or LSD next, living in the gutter....

A "gateway drug"? You mean like alcohol?
-Chris

[m21sniper]

Originally Posted by MRM

The felony threshold isn't what you need to worry about. Here in Minnesota the threshold is something like an ounce or two. What you need to worry about are the charging guidelines, specifically what gets you from state court into federal DEA territory. I don't know what it is specifically, but growing or holding more than one person can use, or having a lot of money, or being caught selling any amount will get you felony charges as a dealer. Again, there are different levels of felonies. Where thebreakoffs are can be determined pretty easily.

For growers it goes by plants, not by weights.

For finished product, you are correct, it goes by weights. (My dad used to be a PPD Narcotics officer, i just asked him)

[m21sniper]

Originally Posted by Palumbo

Also keep an eye on your electric use for your lamps.

Yep, the cops can use 'unduly high utility use' as a 'probable cause' for a warrant.
Use 'green' bulbs! :-P