Security 101

I've been reading some posts around the site and some people are just plain 'ole dumb!

I think it's time to educate some people on SECURITY issues of growing ... getting a "partner" in their growing, growing in their parents house, growing without any concept of the SMELL! I'll try to cover a few issues that stick out in my mind, EXPERIENCED growers feel free to chime in ... because if you can pull off a handful of grows without anyone ever knowing -- you've done something right.

#1 - SHUT YOUR MOUTH

Growing pot is a pretty ... fine line between "smart" and "stupid". I go back to the people who get a partner for growing, the less people who know the better. The only person you can really trust is yourself, now it may be a different situation for people who live with roommates (like myself), or those who are married (usually you can trust that your parnter won't rat your ass out). But the less people who know the better, I can honestly say I trust my roommates to know I grow but none of them have the faintest idea that I actually grow inside of our house. I live one half of the basement that I've fully furnished, and part of the space I live in is a storage room that the walls around were built with brick. It's hidden, shit, they don't even know it's there it has a storm door on it (Very, very heavy metal door that ... well, is pretty difficult to get through).

Summary: Don't run your mouth, you won't have to worry about people knowing what you're doing if you don't talk about what you're doing.

#2 - SMELL

Invest in a good scrubber or ozone generator ... or, if you've got easy access and inginuity -- run a exhaust fan through a charcoal filter, then into the nearest sewage exit. It smells like shit down in the sewers, not to mention hundreds of peoples houses are connected to sewer lines ... there's very little risk of someone noticing a smell of pot coming from a pile of shit. Otherwise, if you can smell pot outside of your house ... you need to worry about odor. If you can smell pot throughout your house, start worrying about odor, if you can smell pot in the room next to you grow, I'd be willing to bet that you should start worrying about odor. It's better to spend $300 on a efficient exhaust system of some charcoal filters and exhaust fans, exhaust or even a cheap-er ozone generator that drawls dirty air in, mixes the ozone with the dirty air, then pumps it out through your chimney or whatever.

$300 on minimizing smell to your grow room is better than thousands in attorney and court fees.

#3 - LIGHT

Be sure to make your grow is pretty well light-proof. At 3AM, when someone driving by notices a quite intense light seeping through cracks around the garbage bag you put over your windows ... they may think somethings up. Especially if no cars are in the driveway, and the rest of the lights in the house are off ... Think twice.

#4 - PESKY NEIGHBORS

If you're in a suburb like me you sure as hell can't grow outdoors. Even with my 8' privacy fence that goes around my back yard, I can't even think about growing out back because the neighbors can see my backyard from their 2nd floor windows. A lot of pesky neighbors get their first whiff of smell too ... so keep #2 in check.

#5 - THE GREEN

And not weed ... I'm talkin' bout money. If you're running a grow op and working at McDonalds ... don't be driving a god damned Porsche or 2006 Mustang Roush Edition. I'm not talking about your personal stash but growing out 20-30 pounds at a time and hustlin' it off. Keep it DDOOWWNN! If you've got a job that can SUPPORT the lifestyle that you live, then not too many flags will go up probally. Just another "rich bitch" who's living better than everyone else. But the McDonalds Burger-Flipper of the Month, who has 40 cars a day stop by the house then leave 10 mins later will start to throw a few flags. Careful ... that's all I gotta say, better to keep yourself high than get pounded in the ass-end by Bubba in prision for cultivation and intent to distribute!

#6 - BUYING YOUR EQUIPMENT

LEAVE NO PAPERTRAILS! I hate using eBay, but I will buy bulbs off it because the $60-100 for a 600w HPS on eBay beats Home Depot or the local Hydro store to death. If you use an internet based company, watch your ass and don't use a CC! I'll never trust any multinational corporation with my purchase for ... a few HPS bulbs, reflectors, assorted CFL's, nutrients, a few new digital ballasts, wiring timers and all the wire I need. No thanks.

I'll pay a little more with CASH at Home Depot on diffrent days, and diffrent stores (I'm in a big city, I can hit up more than 1 hardware store in a few hours time). Some people this ain't possible ... be smart, Wal*Mart sells wiring accessories ... improvise, spending a few more bucks to save a papertrail and less suspicion of a grower will save you in the long run!

The gardening store that's just over 3 miles from my house is 100% anti-pot, they even have a sign up that they will inform police of suspicious purchases.

I'll by my nutes and soil from them, how is that suspicious? I'm trying to grow tomatoes beyotch! I'm buying tomato soil and a standard nutrient for all gardeners.

And if you DO shop local, please please please never go in there with a cannabis related shirt, wristband, hat, or even MENTION Marijuana ... don't go in with eyes cheech red reakin' of dope -- oh, don't bring up Marc Emery's name either.

#7 - Grow House or Your House

If you're the type of person who won't listen to what I had to advise of, even a minimal risk but still a risk most are smart enough not to take ... if you do go ahead and buy things off the net (I do, for bulbs, but they're the safest thing to order IMO -- as they can be used for a number of reasons), but never -- ever -- ever ship to your grow house! I've got a business adress I'll have most things shipped to, because the HPS can be used for shop lights and quite often they are. In a 40' tall building, 8' flourescents just don't cut it.




Be smart, growing isn't hard but the hardest part of it is knowing the few simple things to keep yourself safe, and smoked out.

... that's about all that's coming to mind right now, I'll keep adding these as I think of it.

Everyone else, feel free to ask Q's or chime in.

 

keep your mouth shut and don't steal power or water and everything will be fine.......oh and use cash whenever possible...or money orders. Don't tell anyone, and don't draw attention to yourself....be a good neighbor....

 

I NEVER have anyone come over to the house, that includes GF's, actually I like my privacy but the grow make for a good excuse. People are just plain nosey...

 

the first rule of growing (which i noticed that you put first on your list too...): if you can't keep your mouth shut about your grow, how can you expect the people you tell to keep their mouths shut? it seems to be human nature to brag about the things we're proud of. in this case, it's a real bad idea. to the rest of your points, i would *never* purchase *anything* for a grow with anything other than cash. and plan well ahead. buy your stuff bit by bit, instead of going to home depot for a bunch of lumber, soil, pots, ferts, a light, and an exhaust fan. that will likely send up the flags, even if you're paying in cash. and if you're gonna grow more than you need for yourself, and you decide to sell it, do it smart. don't sell twenty sacs out your front door all day. sell larger ammounts (1 oz minimum) to keep the number of visitors to an absolute minimum. if i were going to do that, i'd probably sell qp's, no more than once or twice a month. let someone else peddle the satchels, you have a lot more to lose if you get busted for selling *and* a grow op. and find a hobby to invest your extra cash into, or re-invest it into grow gear. paying your rent with a wad of five dollar bills always looks suspicious.

 

Credit card transactions leave a paper trail that can be followed by the cops if they suspect you are growing and subpoena those records. It can be used as evidence against you. With cash transactions, there is no trail for them to follow.


Chances are, he will be fine. However, it is a risk that I am not willing to take.

 

Exactally! It's not that every time you make an order for nutes you'll be busted, but there's a slight chance it's gonna happen. And everyone thinks it'll never happen to them, and someone winds up being busted.


Brings me to #7 for my list ... it'll be edited in about 10 min

 

Can't forget that electric bill, exactly what you need to do to avoid that is CONSERVE your energy, When you start a grow, put in the energy saving bulbs throughout your house, turn light off that your not using, turn the tv off when your not watching it ect... just save power so it looks like your bill is still the same or just a couple bucks increased so theres no ppl from the eletric company trying to figure out things like hmmm, the eletric bill was $xx.xx for 3 years but these past few months its been $xx,xxx,xxx ( i know your electric bill wont be that high but you get the point) anywayz good luck and happy growin'

 

dont let your neighbors find out that you even smoke weed. and with your friends dont always be quick to bust out a fat sack of nugz. it gets suspicious if you are ALWAYS holding. and always the high quality shit. u know

 

that's a very intelligent statement Dog!!!! i think a large % of actual growers would overlook that aspect of the situation..

 

Here is another suggestion. Check your setup every couple of days. Look for signs of frayed wires. Make sure the ballast isn't hotter than normal(put a fan on it), check for water leaks and while ur at it put a lockng doorknob on the door, and call it your file closet. ...


And remember, if you go outta town, and you leave yo shit on, you are always taking a chance.


ALso get a FIRE EXTINGUISHER people, this way atleast you could contain the fire or put it out instead of calling the po'pos or fire dept.


Seen some timers go boom b/f so check them for overheating, usually caused by trying to put too much on them. Most outdoors ones are rated at like 1800 watts.....peace and be safe

 

Here is something else, if you grow inside and have carpet. Invest in a carpet shampooer and a hand held dirt devil. This way when you do your transplanting and get dirt on the carpet or have a nute spill that stains a little ....perhaps leading to a closet u can get it cleaned up quickly. I have a steam cleaner i keep full of water and cleaning solution, b/c i am such a dope and always spill stuff....peace...


edit: and if you have white walls around the grow room door, then don't have soil covered fingerprints or handprints on the walls, clean that stuff up too....

 

Another good thing to do.


I don't know if you guys (or girls) read about this but it's true. and bunch of people ( growers ) have gotten caught by throwing their things away in the garbage. LEGALLY, a cop can go through your trash and find something related to growing your shit, and use that in court, it'll hold up. so think for a minute.


If you got some nutes you dropped on the ground. or something related to growing weed. flush that shit down the crapper. if you have a bottle of bloom aid. rip off the label and rinse the bottle or jug and flush the paper label down the toilet. at least if...IF the cops look at your trash, they'll only find a bottle with some water drops in it.


i do this a lot. if you trim your leaves, flush them down the toilet.


just thought I'd tell you that because i don't think anyone in their right ( or left hehe ) mind would want to look in gallons and gallons of shit to bust someone for growing some weed.


hope this'll help you a bit.


Yo add this to your list, this is pretty important.


thanks,


Grower#69

 

"Here is something else, if you grow inside and have carpet. Invest in a carpet shampooer and a hand held dirt devil. This way when you do your transplanting and get dirt on the carpet or have a nute spill that stains a little ....perhaps leading to a closet u can get it cleaned up quickly. I have a steam cleaner i keep full of water and cleaning solution, b/c i am such a dope and always spill stuff....peace...


edit: and if you have white walls around the grow room door, then don't have soil covered fingerprints or handprints on the walls, clean that stuff up too...."


-----------------


just line the floor with white poly plastic- like 10 er 15 bux for a big roll at home depot. you can throw it away after use, or save it for later...whole lot cheeper and easier.

 

Nice post Geo!


Very nice info Geokitty!