1. law, govt and politics

How to Start A Budding Medical Marijuana
Caregiver Business
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I’ll take you step by step thru everything you need to know
before you start your quest to become a Medical Marijuana
Caregiver.
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Copyright - All rights reserved
No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any
means, mechanical or electronic, or by any information storage and retrieval system,
without permission in writing from the publisher.
Legal Notice:
While all attempts have been made to verify information provided in
this publication, neither the Author nor the Publisher assumes
responsibility for errors, omissions, or contrary interpretation of the
subject herein.
This publication is not intended for use as a source for legal or
accounting advice. The Publisher wants to stress that the information
contained herein may be subject to varying state and/or local laws or
regulations. All users are advised to retain competent counsel to
determine what state and/or local laws or regulations may apply to the
user’s particular business.
The Purchaser and Reader of this publication assumes responsibility for
the use of these materials and information. Adherence to all laws and
regulations, federal, state, and local, governing the growing of
marijuana, business practices, advertising, and all other aspects of
doing business in the United States or any other jurisdiction is the sole
responsibility of the Purchaser or Reader.
The Author and Publisher assume no responsibility or liability
whatsoever on the behalf of any Purchaser or Reader of these
materials.
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Table of Contents
Introduction
Step 1: Considerations to Becoming a Medical Marijuana
Caregiver
Step 2: The Business Side of Being a Marijuana Caregiver
Step 3: Planning for Growth
Step 4: Getting a Patient to Name YOU as their caregiver
Step 5: Staying Legal!!!!!!!!!
Conclusion
Q & A’s
State By State Contact Info
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Introduction
Why I wrote this book
I wrote this book to help you get started in your quest to become a
medical marijuana caregiver. After going thru the process of
becoming a caregiver myself, I realized how many holes and hurdles
that were in the way and wished I had a guide to help me. After
searching for such a guide I found nothing. I spent much time and
hassle that could have easily been avoided with a little help and
guidance.
This book is not a grow guide, there are literally hundreds of them on
the market, if you are looking for growing techniques and tips, there
are plenty of great books to choose from. We are specifically going to
talk about how to become a medical marijuana caregiver.
I am a strong believer in Medical Marijuana. Being a patient and
caregiver myself I have felt the positive effects of marijuana first
hand. I have also seen the benefits of other patients with this natural
wonder drug. Nature has provided us with a medicine that doesn’t
pollute your body with toxins, why not embrace that fact. Ok, enough
preaching, I’m not here to sell you on the fact that marijuana should
be available to patients in need, if you are reading this book you have
already made that decision on your own.
Many people can give you growing tips and advice, but this book is
designed to ensure that you are successful in this business. Yes, I said
it, I called it a business, and if you are going to care for someone you
need to consider it a business. It needs to be run as a business from
day one, and if you want to be successful you need to start with a
good foundation and build on it.
If you’ve ever been inside of different tattoo shops or pawn shops or
similar stores you know what I’m talking about when I say there are
two ways to doing business. Be professional or…well, I think you get
the point. I’ve been inside of tattoo shops where you literally didn’t
want to sit on the furniture because it is so old and nasty. I have been
in other tattoo shops that are cleaner than doctor’s offices. If your
going to allow someone to stick you with needles and such, which shop
would you rather be in.
Your grow room is no different. Dirty dingy grow rooms produce mold,
bugs, diseased plants, etc. You will do more harm than good to your
patients growing in this environment. For certain patients mold alone
could pose serious health risks. Cancer patients going thru
chemotherapy have weak immune systems as it is, do they really need
to get sick from moldy marijuana that’s supposed to be helping them?
This is nothing to take lightly. You are caring for someone’s health, if
you are not willing to take that seriously then find another profession.
I’m here to show you how to build your medical marijuana caregivers
business like a professional, not the other guys.
I’m not trying to show you all the short cuts and money saving tips,
some of my suggestions will add cost to your operation, but it will also
add to the quality of your product. Some of my suggestions might
seem a bit overboard, again, I would rather be safe than sorry. On
the other hand I will give you some tips that will allow you to save
hundreds of dollars in areas that make sense to save. So although
you may spend a little more in some areas, I will show you how to
save when possible.
So, let’s get started…
For the purposes of this book we are going to assume that you are just
getting started as a caregiver, no patients, no grow room, no
business. I will walk you thru each process step by step, starting with
the considerations to becoming a marijuana caregiver, designing your
grow room, starting your business, getting a patient, delivering your
product, and we will finish up with staying legal. Here we go…
Step 1: Considerations to Becoming a Medical Marijuana
Caregiver
Before you decide to become a medical marijuana caregiver you need
to consider the following potential issues, space, start up costs, your
electrical system, your time, physical requirements, security, services
offered, your family, and most importantly...the laws in your area. I
have organized this section to give you a detailed look into each issue
one by one.
Do You Have Enough Space
The amount of space you will need will rely on 3 factors, the strain of
marijuana you grow, your growing method, and the amount of
medicine your patients require. As a rule of thumb if you are caring
for yourself and even one other patient you can typically get away with
a fairly small room, about a 10’x10’ area. Could you do it with less,
sure, but it may get a little tight and could effect your yields. You
always want to go a little larger than you think you will need as the
space will quickly be filled with a lush sea of green.
The Marijuana Strain
Typically your patients are going to want to have a choice of both a
sativa and an indica. The sativa will be used during the day as more
of a social high or active high, something you can still function on.
The indica is focused more towards the evening used heavily for
severe pain relief and sleeping. This can be accomplished by growing
two separate strains or by using a hybrid, which gives you the best of
both worlds. You can find hybrids in many flavors and highs and ratios
all over the board. In the end this will need to be determined with
your patients needs in mind and since you don’t have a patient yet I
suggest you design your grow room for a sativa which is the largest of
the two strains. This will give you adequate space for whatever you
end up growing.
Your Growing Method
I highly advise growing with hydroponics versus a soil base. This is
because growing with hydroponics will allow you to provide your
patient with maximum yields in the fastest amount of time.
Hydroponic systems provide your plant with the maximum levels of
the exact nutrients they need. Precise control of nutrient uptake will
make it possible to reap higher yields faster than soil. Also typically
hydroponics can require less space to grow.
Number of Patients
How many patients do you expect to care for? Many people are either
caring for themselves or caring for just one patient, others have
dreams of caring for the maximum amount of patients which in my
home state of Michigan is 5. In Michigan you are legally allowed to
have 12 plants per patient. I will go into the laws more later on but
for now understand that you can have 12 plants total in your
possession for 1 patient for a grand total of up to 60 plants for 5
patients (if you are caring for yourself as well you can add another 12
plants for a total of 72 plants).
Other Things to Consider Regarding your Space:
How to choose the location of your grow room
For the purposes of this guide we are only going to talk about indoor
growing. We feel that indoor growing gives you more control, more
security and less environmental hassles like animals, insects and
passersby’s.
Access – you will be going to this room a minimum of once a day
depending on your growing method however most people find
themselves in their grow rooms more often. Climbing stairs and
getting your supplies to the room should be considered.
Water – You will need to supply your plants with water frequently,
having a fresh water supply near your room is great to avoid excess
hauling of water jugs.
Security - Your grow room MUST be under lock and key by law. Also
consider any windows that may give snoopy neighbors, thieves,
government officials, etc a sneak peak or easy access to your grow
room.
Odor – Rather you have 1 or 5 patients, 12 or 72 plants, you will have
odor. Keep this in mind when choosing your location. You wouldn’t
want to place your grow room right beneath your child’s bedroom in a
basement or vent the odor out towards your neighbors window.
Ventilation and filtering will definitely help in keeping the odor down
and should be considered in the design of your grow room.
Start Up Costs
When I got started I had no idea what to buy so I decided to head off
to my local hydroponic store for help. Did they help me out, oh yeah,
I spent about $1,400 to provide for one patient (myself) and quickly
realized that I could have easily saved $500 with some basic do it
yourself setups. To make it worse, I didn’t even have everything I
needed after spending the $1,400.
So in this guide we will give you the inside scoop to what you really
need and what you can live without. Some of you would prefer to
walk out of the store ready to go, there’s nothing wrong with that but
your gonna pay for it, those of you willing to do a little work and be
creative will save $$$.
Your startup costs can very depending on your choice of growing
method and the condition of your grow room. If you are going to need
construction or upgrade your electrical system, build walls, etc. you
will have higher startup costs than someone who has a space ready to
go. If you don’t really have a space available there are complete
ready to go grow tents available online. These things are about as
easy as it comes, plug them in and get started. Of course, they don't
come cheap, but in the end after you buy everything and set up a
grow room they can be a great option.
Items you will need for soil or hydro:
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Grow lights
Growing mediums
Nutrients
Miscellaneous buckets and growing containers
Fans for air circulation
Venting and equipment
pH meter
PPM meter
Thermostat
Humidistat
Timers
C02 (optional for maximum yields)
Scale (to provide accurate weight for your patient and yourself
and staying within the law)
If you are going to grow hydro you are going to need to choose a
system. Hands down the simplest system to get started for beginners
would be the Ebb and Flow system also known as the flood and drain
system. This will be the system we focus on in this book. There are
many systems out there, they all have benefits and weaknesses
however we are focusing on Ebb and Flow because it is low
maintenance and easy to use, perfect for the beginning grower. The
fundamentals are basically the same for most other types of
hydroponic systems if you decide to go with something else.
With an Ebb and Flow system you will need:
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Reservoir/with lid
Flood table
Air pump
Air stone
Timer
Fill and drain fittings
Submersible pump
Miscellaneous air tubing
Note: depending on your geological location heating and or air
conditioning could play a big part in your grow room design and
expense. I have to heat my grow room in the winter months.
Electrical System
Your electrical system needs to be able to handle the new load you are
going to place on it with lights, pumps and accessories. You will
definitely want to have a dedicated circuit for your grow room. The
general rule of thumb is that you only want to use 75% of your total
amperage available for one circuit. So for example if you have a
20amp circuit your maximum draws should equal no more than
15amps. If you run your lights on a 240v circuit instead of a 120v
circuit you can cut your amp draw considerably so you may want to
consider running a dedicated 240v circuit for your lights and a 120v
circuit for your smaller pumps, timers and supplemental lights.
Contact your local electrician to inspect your current system or help
you install a new circuit.
Your Time
The typical day will require about 15min to 30min of your time
watering, adjusting nutrients and water levels, and looking your plants
over for deficiencies, disease and insects. If you are growing hydro
you will also need to change the water and clean out your reservoir
once a week to prevent nutrient and mineral buildup which may take
you as much as an hour. As you get towards the end of your flowering
cycle you can also expect to spend a bit more time trimming plants
and removing dead leaves. When it comes to harvesting your plants
you can plan on spending several hours per pound of marijuana,
experienced trimmers can harvest up to 2 pounds a day, I have found
that the average person will struggle to harvest 1 pound in a full 8
hour day. Make sure you are going to be able to keep up with the
schedule before getting started.
Physical Requirements
The physical requirements include a lot of bending over, squatting,
carrying water jugs, lifting plants and arranging your grow room, and
don’t forget about your harvest time. Harvesting your crop can take
several days and long hours especially in the beginning, soon enough
you will be a pro but until then set aside a long weekend for
harvesting. This can be back breaking work and if you suffer from
severe pain as it is you may want to consider hiring a good trimmer to
harvest your crop for you, this can cost about $250 per pound.
Security
Depending on your location security could be an issue. The law
requires that your grow room be locked, any kind of lock will do to
meet the laws requirements, there is no specific lock type required at
the time of this writing. If you have kids, especially teenagers in the
house you may want to have a nice deadbolt or master lock on the
room.
You should also be aware of the “pot snatchers”. These people would
gladly break into your home to snatch your dope and possibly your
equipment. A basic home security system or even a good dog is
generally enough to keep these types of people out.
When throwing away equipment boxes, clippings, growing mediums,
etc. you want to conceal this in a black garbage bag, some people
even suggest taking that garbage out on the day of trash pickup rather
than the night before. This will protect you from snooping neighbors,
thieves, and government officials.
Of course you are going to be excited about your new enterprise, but I
warn you, don’t talk more than you need to. Simply telling the wrong
people or your friends telling the wrong people can get unwanted
visitors easier than anything else. A good grower is a quiet grower.
Your security and well being may depend on it.
Services Offered
As a caregiver there are many different services to offer. Some
patients will require more services than others. Some of the most
common services include delivering the product, supplying baked
goods and rolling joints, getting supplies like papers or pipes, making
hash oil or hash, and I’m sure there are others. Just be sure to talk to
your patients about the services they will require and be absolutely
certain that you are capable of providing that service. These services
will be part of your patient caregiver contract; the services will be
listed as part of the contract, if you fail to provide the services agreed,
you could lose your patient and your license to grow.
Family Considerations
If you have a family you really need to sit down and discuss this
business with your partner and possibly children if you feel it is
appropriate. All of the considerations above should be talked about
and make sure everyone is on board and supportive. Like any
business, if your family is supportive it is much easier to run.
The Law
Don’t forget…it’s still a felony to grow marijuana based on FEDERAL
LAW in the US! What does this mean to you, well, from what I have
been told it means that you are not protected 100%. I spoke to
several marijuana lawyers across the US and asked many different
questions about many different aspects of being a medical marijuana
caregiver and their basic answer to my questions was “the laws are
grey, not definitive, can’t give you an exact answer”. What it came
down to is this, when it comes down to it, you’re not protected from
the federal government, if the FED's want you, they can get you.
You could get raided, you can be put in jail, you could have to go to
court and defend yourself, there is still a very real risk surrounding this
business. My suggestion is to keep low key, don’t make a big scene
about it all and you should be okay. The FED’s don’t want some small
time caregiver, they want large scale growers. So although you are
still at risk, I believe the risk is very low.
As for your local police, you have to keep abreast of local ordinances
etc. If your state has passed laws allowing for medical marijuana to
be grown by caregivers and you have obtained a license you are still
not necessarily safe. You still have to be aware of your local and city
laws. If you operate as a business, you are open to local and city
ordinances. If there is a ban placed on growing medical marijuana in
your city, you are out of business, if you continue growing you could
be breaking the law and open yourself up to raids and harassment.
So the bottom line is that you need to check your local laws, you
should definitely speak with a lawyer in your area and get advice. I
would not start growing before taking counsel with a lawyer who is up
to date with your local marijuana laws.
DISCLAIMER: I am not a lawyer, I am not in the position to give you
advice on any laws and I am not attempting to do so in this book. I
am simply giving you my point of view. I highly suggest you get in
touch with a lawyer in your area before taking any steps in becoming a
medical marijuana caregiver.
So you still wanna be a Medical Marijuana Caregiver…Read On
Step 2: The Business Side of Being a Marijuana Caregiver
Monthly Expenses
The law states that you are entitled to reasonable compensation for
your services rendered to each patient. So the first step in
determining what is reasonable is determining your costs of
equipment, supplies, electricity, water, and your time.
The PDF below is my personal expense sheet for your review. This
should act as a guide for you to develop your own expense sheet. This
is something you must do right in the beginning as it only gets more
difficult to put this together as time goes on. Without this simple form
you won't have a clue what your total costs are, that means that you
won't have any evidence that supports your "reasonable
compensation".
This is key because the laws clearly state that even if you are a
licensed medical marijuana caregiver…
YOU CANNOT SELL MARIJUANA!
Did you catch that, I’ll say it again, YOU CANNOT SELL MARIJUANA!!!
What you can do is ask for "reasonable compensation for your
services". In the state of Michigan (my home town) the law states
that you do not even own the plants, the patient does, if a patient
wants to take his or her plants from you and give them to a different
caregiver all they need to do is ask. You are simply caring for their
plants for them, therefore you are not selling the end product to them,
you are collecting money for your expenses and time. Keep this in
mind when developing your costs. You want to ensure that you are
compensated for all of your expenses no matter how big or small.
See the “Expense Sheet” included in your email.
What is YOUR reasonable compensation?
Reasonable compensation is just that, if you can back up your
charges, you are all set. Keep in mind that the concept of this
program is not to make you rich, but that doesn't mean that you
shouldn't be able to make a reasonable living doing it either.
Growing medical grade marijuana is definitely a special skill, and like
any skilled trade the better you are the more you can get paid. I like
to suggest starting out charging at least $20.00 an hour for your
hourly rate. Remember, you are going to be taking up space in your
own home, you will be building a business inside of your home, your
home will smell, you will be putting yourself in a position to be
targeted for theft and or other security issues, and you are taking a
pretty serious risk with the FED’s. So you should definitely get paid
for that.
$20.00 per hour is a minimum for everything you are doing. This is
my personal opinion; I'm not saying this would hold up in a court of
law, it's just what I suggest.
The rest of the expenses are pretty black and white, anything you use
in your grow room from paper towels and rubber gloves to lighting and
electricity is an expense that will be hard to argue. Don’t claim 100%
of your electric bill as an expense, but do account for the amount that
your bill goes up compared to bills in the past.
The space in your home is also an expense, the way to determine the
value of your space is to check around and see what the going rate per
square foot of commercial space in your area, that’s what I like to
charge for “rent” for each patient’s space.
Caregiver Patient agreement form
Once you get started you will need a caregiver patient agreement
between you and your patient. I have included an example of a form
that I use with my patients. I highly suggest you get in touch with a
lawyer in your area that specializes in Medical Marijuana and confirm
that the form I have here is okay to use in your state. This form is
yours to use as you see fit, modify it at will, but be sure to have a
lawyer double check to make sure it will hold up in your state.
See the “Patient Caregiver Agreement” form included in your email.
Tracking Inventory
A big question I have seen out there is “should I track my inventory”.
In other words, should you keep track of how much marijuana you
grow and provide to your patients.
Here's the deal, if you are going to run this as a business you need to
be meticulous in your record keeping, this can keep you out of jail. If
you are illegal in terms of the amount of "usable product" and you
keep records of that, it could also put you in jail. I have heard
everything from a straight out yes, you need to keep track of the
weight and cost you supply your patients to the other end of the scale
with people saying don't keep track of anything. I personally keep
track of the weight that I provide but not the amount of compensation.
You have to stay legal with you plants and usable product, if you are
thinking even for a second that you can get away with growing a little
extra to give or sell your friends or if you are thinking one extra plant
is no big deal think again. Listen, you are talking about jail time here,
it's not worth it. Study the laws and stay 100% legal or don’t waste
your time.
Basic Accounting
I feel that some basic accounting is very helpful in coming up with
your expenses. If you are not going to pay taxes on the money you
collect then you can't write off expenses either. So this is something
you have to decide up front.
There is no straight answer in the laws as they stand. After consulting
with a tax lawyer I was told not to bother claiming my income if I was
only providing one or two patients. However if I got up to 3 or more I
would need to consider setting up a business entity like an LLC and
claiming my income on my taxes. The benefit of this is that I can
write off all of my expenses like lighting, nutrients, etc. The down side
is that I'm being very transparent with my business with the same
government who can still put me in jail. Again, contact your lawyer
and decide what is right for you.
Step 3: Planning for Growth
Grow Room Design and Layout
When designing your grow room you need to consider the amount of
“working space” required. You will need to have adequate space
around your ebb and flow system to be able to get to your plants for
rotation, trimming, and maintenance. You will also need plenty of
space to access your reservoir for cleaning and weekly water changes.
You should plan on needing at least one work bench for mixing
nutrients, cutting clones, and other general tasks.
For one patient you won’t need much space, but odds are once you get
started and word spreads, others will be asking you to be a caregiver
for them and for the purposes of this book we are going to assume
that your goal is to provide for at least 2 patients and yourself for a
total of 3 patients and 36 plants.
Once you get more than one patient I feel it is important to have each
patient’s plants separated from each other. This will protect disease
from spreading to other patient’s crops and from a male plant
pollinating your entire crop. Can you have everyone’s plants in one
space, yes, but it's not the optimum setup in my opinion especially
when patients require different strains which could require different
flowering and vegetation periods.
What I recommend is that you break up your one large space into
sections to provide specific space for each patient. You can accomplish
this with the use of prefab grow tents which you can buy online fully
loaded for about $2,000 (hydro) or $1,300 (soil) for a 4’x8’ tent.
These grow tents are great but keep in mind that the tent is just for
the flowering and vegetation cycle. They do however include
everything from lighting and venting to controllers and pumps, they
truly are complete setups.
You will still need a separate germination space for seeds or a cloning
space as well as a work space for mixing nutrients. Also the tents are
pretty expensive as you can see so you could simply build a light
blocking wall in your room with a 2x2 frame lined with Mylar. If you
really want to save money use a simple emergency solar blank found
in any camping section for under $3.00 in place of the Mylar. This will
give you great light reflection for maximum yields.
Buying your equipment/supplies
Hydro shops are popping up all over the place with the boom of
medical marijuana, so take your pick, between the online shops and
your local hydro shop you should be able to get everything you need.
Ventilation and Circulation
Vent and exhaust fans are key in providing a quality product. These
will remove all your hot, humid, and depleted air from your garden
area.
Your vent fans should always be installed as high as possible in the
garden room to evacuate hot and humid air. Your fresh air vent should
be mounted as low as possible to pump in cool air. Your fresh air inn
and hot air out vents should be matched in size to create the best air
flow possible. Example: 365cm fresh air inn and 365cm hot air out for
a 10 x 10 area.
Without circulation you will have zones of cold air at the floor level and
hot humid air at the ceiling. This can cause your plants to wilt and in
severe cases die. Your circulation fans should also be placed as high
in your room as possible and you should have a minimum of 2 fans to
circulate air throughout the room.
Safety
Every grow room should have a fire extinguisher near by. You will
have many high power lights and chemicals in this area and precaution
must be taken. When mixing nutrients gloves and eye protection are
strongly advised. High power LED’s produce very strong light similar to
a welding torch and a pair of welding glasses will protect your eyes
from the intense light. While handling marijuana you should always
wear gloves to prevent the THC from being absorbed thru your skin.
Step 4: Getting a Patient to Name YOU as their caregiver
Get Noticed
Social Networking can be done by posting comments on blogs or by
following a forum discussion and placing a comment that you are
interested in providing caregiver services. Chat rooms can be another
way to drop a line about your business and some of the services or
even the quality that you can provide.
Consider taking a cheap add out in the local newspaper, it can turn up
big numbers. To beat that try placing a free add on Craig’s list, again
giving a description on some of the services you are willing to provide.
Even by joining a Compassion club you can find your way into a pool
of potential patients that can use your services right away.
In the end by telling the right people, word of mouth can by far be
more then enough to get you your maximum amount of marijuana
patients. Keeping in mind you’re trusting the people you tell and the
people they will tell, and so on. In an earlier chapter we mentioned
keeping quiet; this is where common sense and trust come into play.
I always advise you to keep as quiet as possible, however when
getting started it may be beneficial to spread the word a bit. Just use
caution.
Initial Contact with Patient
I highly suggest interviewing all of your patients in person whenever
possible. It will help you begin building the relationship and give you a
sense for the patient. Remember, this is a business transaction, you
need to be professional, and you want to make sure the patient is the
type of person you want to care for. Working with the right people can
make all the difference in the world. If you don't like the patient, it
won't work out, if the patient doesn't like or trust you, it won't work
out.
I also use the interview process to talk to the patient about his or her
requirements and services needed. Make sure you can provide the
services needed and supply the amount of product. Some patients
require a large amount of product; you have to be able to supply them
with confidence.
This is also a good time to talk about a strain. See what ailments they
have and what they are looking for in terms of feeling and the type of
high that helps them most. It's your job to match the patient up with
a strain that you can provide and will give them maximum benefit.
This is where good research is required on your part.
Note: Some things you should have at the interview include, your
states marijuana caregiver form printed off and filled out with
photocopy of your id if required, your caregiver contract, your break
down price sheet so they can see what the expense of growing and
your services are.
Choosing a Strain
It is your job to know what strains can help with your patient’s medical
condition. Some good fundamentals of a Sativa, Indica, and hybrids
are a must. I have found that most patients can use the benefits of
both a Sativa & Indica.
By using the Sativa in the day and switching to an Indica at night your
patient can feel energized and awake during the day and sleep loss
can be a thing of the past at night. I feel this makes growing hybrid
marijuana strains a very popular choice in caregivers grow rooms
around the globe.
The taste of the marijuana strain can be just as big of an issue to the
patient as the high. Keep all these factors in mind when making that
finale pick with your patient. Also keep in mind that you may have to
test multiple strains before you find the best one for the patient.
Furthermore patients can build up a tolerance to a specific strain and it
may be necessary to change things up from time to time. So be
prepared to provide different strains.
Choosing a Seed Bank or Getting Clones
Online seed banks are still illegal in the US however I have had great
success purchasing and receiving high grade strains of medical
marijuana seeds online for my patients. I feel this is a great way to
find a high-quality strain of marijuana.
I found that it makes more sense to buy feminized seeds to ensure the
work and money put into the plant is going to produce a female plant.
Cutting out the painful process of seeking and destroying your male
marijuana plants can easily save you the extra up front expense of
buying feminized seeds.
Keep track of any marijuana festivals or gatherings as well, it’s very
common to find people who are offering or even giving away free
seeds to those in need. If seeds are not a route for you and your mind
is set on starting out with marijuana clones then a compassion club
might be your next best friend. You may have to sign up and pay a
small membership fee but it is worth every penny. To find your local
compassion club simply do a web search for compassion club (insert
your location here). You should find something near by.
Step 5: Staying Legal!!!!!!!!!
If you are going to grow marijuana in your house rather it's one plant
or 100 plants it's best to contact a lawyer and go over any "gray
areas". Find out what your rights are. At the very least you should find
a marijuana lawyer in your state and get his card with all his contact
numbers just in case a problem arises. I strongly advise being
proactive in this area, better to over prepare than to get caught
without a clue.
Get Involved
Your local laws can change from one month to another easily making
you the bad guy who is breaking the new zoning law. This is why I
can't say it enough, a good caregiver stays on-top of all the new laws
and zoning bills they might pass around your town. Getting involved in
your local town meetings and city counsel meetings is a great idea. If
you are going to get involved in the growing process you should also
get involved in the activist side of things. Protect what you have
invested in. Believe me, once you get started you will have invested a
decent amount of money and time. Getting shut down a week later
because of a new zoning bill sucks. So get involved and stand up for
your rights.
Stay Organized
When it comes to your grow room there are some basic things I advise
to help out in the case of a raid or search. I have taken a copy of my
patient and caregiver cards and taped them to the front of my grow
room along side of my states medical marijuana laws. In case of a
police raid on my grow room, they will be able to see that I'm a law
obeying citizen and comply with all local and state laws even if I'm not
at home.
You need to be organized with your paperwork. You don’t want to be
searching for things when the police are at your door. Have
everything in order and be able to access it easily. If the police show
up my paperwork can do the talking for me. Keep copies of your
paperwork in your grow room as well as outside of your grow room. If
the police show up you don’t want to have to go down to your grow
room to get your paperwork. Have it easy to access and meet the
police OUTSIDE of your home.
Dealing With Police
Okay, so you’ve done everything right, followed all of the laws to a
tee, and there is a knock at the door. IT’S THE POLICE! What now?
Well, you followed all the laws, you are completely legal, your
paperwork is in order, you know there are no new zoning bills passed,
what’s the harm in letting them in…
If you don’t learn anything else from this entire book be sure to pay
close attention to this next section and it will be well worth it.
Unless the police provide a valid warrant and you have no other option
but to let them in…DO NOT LET THEM IN YOUR HOUSE!
This is so important that I want to make sure I repeat it to be sure
that you do not make this mistake.
DO NOT LET THE POLICE INTO YOUR HOME WITHOUT A VALID
WARRANT!
Ok, I hope that was clear enough. The bottom line is that the police
are going to want to come in, the jig is up, they know what you’re up
to and they want to catch you doing something illegal. The police do
not want to be your friend. They are not there to learn the newest
growing techniques. They are not patients looking for a caregiver. I
don’t care what they tell you, unless they have a VALID WARRANT and
you have no other option DO NOT LET THEM IN!
This should be something that you go over with your entire family,
especially your wife and kids if they are old enough to make that
decision. The police love to wait until the man of the house leaves and
come knocking. Most women don’t have the courage to stand up to
the police and they know this so they will target your wife or your kids
if the kids are old enough to allow a search (check the laws in your
state).
I know what some of you are thinking right now, this guy hates cops.
Not true, but I’m not going to lose my freedom because of an
overzealous cop. Cops are just doing their jobs, and believe me, I
wouldn’t want that job. They want to find people breaking the law and
then bust them. That’s their job. You don’t want to get busted, your
patient can’t afford it and neither can you. If there is no warrant the
police have no right to come in your home and no reason either.
I have heard stories of cops showing up, acting all cool like nothing is
wrong, trying to be friendly, acting interested in the growing process,
etc. They are professionals in deception, they get trained to gain trust
and get people to talk and the average person doesn’t stand a chance.
I’m asking you not to be average here. Too many people decide that
since they are legal and there shouldn’t be any problem and they want
to cooperate and they don’t want to make trouble so they let the cops
in. This is a major mistake. Cops are not there to be cool and just
take a look around, they are looking for ways to bust you or they
wouldn’t be there. Keep them out of your house at all costs. My
father taught me a good lesson when I was a kid and it kept me out of
trouble more than once, he said…
“if you ever get stopped by the police keep your mouth shut, don’t fess
up to anything. It’s their job to figure out what happened, stay out of
the way and let them do their job, but keep your mouth shut.”
Words of wisdom there people. My father was generally speaking a
law abiding citizen, and so was I growing up. But we all make
mistakes and when I did I kept my mouth shut and let them sort it
out. I can’t tell you how many times that saved my ass.
The Unthinkable Has Happened - Getting Raided
So if you’re at home and you get raided by state or local law, check
that the warrant is valid by verifying the date, address, and ensure it
has been signed by a judge. The only thing I would say is “I DO NOT
CONCENT TO THIS SEARCH” as nice as possible. If they keep asking
questions ask if you are being charged with anything, if they say no
keep your mouth shut. If they continue with the questions tell them “I
don’t feel comfortable speaking further without my lawyer”.
So what if they say yes…call your lawyer and then say it with
me…KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT. They will probably start trashing your
grow room and collecting “evidence”, try to take a mental note of
everything they are taking and when you get a chance write it all
down. This will be a stressful time, but it is key to keep a solid statem
of mind and try to be smart. Write down everything they took, the
condition of the plants (if taken) and any other information for your
lawyer.
The next steps are in your lawyer’s hands, at this stage you have done
everything you can. I hope none of you ever have to go thru this but if
you do it will help to have a plan. I would actually go as far as to act
this out a time or two so you are sure everything is in place. You
know, like a fire drill or something. It is easier to deal with once you
have done it a few times.
Conclusion
Being a Medical Marijuana Caregiver can be an extremely rewarding
and potentially profitable business if you are capable of operating like
a business. Is there risk, yes but it is low in my opinion, is there work
to be done, you can definitely expect some long hours in your grow
room, can you have fun making a living from your home while helping
others in need…ABSOLUTELY.
I believe becoming a medical marijuana caregiver was one of the best
decisions I have ever made. It is rewarding to take a plant from a
seed or clone all the way thru it’s lifecycle and have it provide a
medicine that is so crucial in the lives of so many people suffering. It
isn’t for everyone, but if you truly have compassion from others who
are suffering and you have a green thumb, it could be perfect for you.
Good luck on your quest and take care.
Don’t forget to check out our resources below for some great info.
Q & A’s
Q: Which organizations have endorsed medicinal marijuana?
A: Some organizations include:
The Institute of Medicine, The American Academy of Family Physicians;
American Bar Association; American Public Health Association;
American Society of Addiction Medicine; AIDS Action Council; British
Medical Association; California Academy of Family Physicians;
California Legislative Council for Older Americans; California Medical
Association; California Nurses Association; California Pharmacists
Association; California Society of Addiction Medicine; California-Pacific
Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church; Colorado Nurses
Association; Consumer Reports Magazine; Kaiser Permanente;
Lymphoma Foundation of America; Multiple Sclerosis California Action
Network; National Association of Attorneys General; National
Association of People with AIDS; National Nurses Society on
Addictions; New Mexico Nurses Association; New York State Nurses
Association; New England Journal of Medicine; and Virginia Nurses
Association.
Q: I would like to recommend marijuana to a patient but I am
concerned about the health effects involved in smoking for this
patient, is there other ways this patient can get relief from this plant.
A: Your patient could use a vaporizer which heats the plant matter to
a high enough temperature to allow it to release vapors without
releasing particulate smoke. Also a patient could ingest marijuana
extracted into butter or other fats, oil, alcohol, glycerin, or made into
just about any form of food he or she prefers.
Q: Do I need to keep a copy of my application and any other
information I send to the MMMP?
A: Yes. If your application has not yet been approved, denied or
terminated you may provide law enforcement with a copy of your
written documentation submitted to the department; you must also
submit proof of the date of mailing or other transmission of the
documentation. This documentation shall have the same legal effect as
a registry identification card, until such time as you receive your card
or you have received notification that your application has been
approved, denied or terminated.
Q: Do any age limits apply in Michigan?
A: Yes, Registered caregivers must be 21 or older. Patients under age
18 must have the consent of their parent or guardian responsible for
medical decisions. The parent or guardian must be the registered
caregiver of the minor patient.
Q: What is the fee to apply for participation in the Michigan Medical
Marihuana Program (MMMP)? Are there any circumstances under
which the fee can be reduced?
A: The fee for a new or renewal application is $100.00, unless a
qualifying patient can demonstrate his or her current eligibility in the
Medicaid Health Plan or receipt of current SSD or SSI benefits, in
which case the application fee is $25.00.
Q: Can my caregiver submit my forms and pay the application fee on
my behalf?
A: Yes. However, if the application is in any way incomplete, the
application will be returned to the applicant/patient. When completed,
the application may be resubmitted.
Q: What information do I submit when I want to change caregivers?
A: A change request form must be completed and signed by both the
patient and the caregiver before it is mailed to the Department in most
states.
Q: Are medical marijuana laws the same in every state?
A: Marijuana laws are not the same in every state so make sure to
follow up on your laws frequently.
Q: Who can be a medical marijuana caregiver?
A: You have to check your state’s regulations for this one. It is
different in most states.
Q: What is a primary caregiver?
A: A primary caregiver is a person who has agreed to assist with a
qualifying patient’s medical use of marijuana and has been designated
as the primary caregiver on the patient’s application for a registry
identification card. Again, further explanation on your states exact
laws can be answered by your state.
Q: Does my primary caregiver need to register?
A: Yes. Primary caregivers must have a registry identification card
and are subject to a criminal background check. They must also sign
an agreement that they will provide marijuana only to the patient who
has named him or her as caregiver.
Q: Are there different kinds of medical marijuana cardholders?
A: Depends on the state. In most states there are at least two cards,
one for patients and one for caregivers. Other states also have one for
“growers”. Check local laws.
Contact Info By State
ALASKA: For more information on Alaska’s medical marijuana law,
please contact:
Alaskans for Medical Rights
P.O. Box 102320
Anchorage, AK 99510
(907) 277-AKMR (2567)
Application information for the Alaska medical marijuana registry is
available by writing or calling:
Alaska Department of Health and Social Services
P.O. Box 110699
Juneau, AK 99811-0699
(907) 465-5423 (907) 465-5423
Attention: Terry Ahrens
terry_ahrens@health.state.ak.us
CALIFORNIA: Information on California’s medical marijuana law,
please contact:
California NORML
2215-R Market Street #278
San Francisco, CA 94144
(415) 563-5858 (415) 563-5858
http://www.canorml.org/
COLORODO: Information for the Colorado medical marijuana registry
is available online or by writing:
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
HSVR-ADM2-A1
4300 Cherry Creek Drive South
Denver, CO 80246-1530
Phone: 303-692-2184 303-692-2184
http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/hs/medicalmarijuana/fullpacket.pdf
HAWAII: Administrative rules for Hawaii’s medical marijuana program
are available online from the Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii website at:
http://www.dpfhi.org/
Application information for the Hawaii medical marijuana registry is
available by writing or calling:
Hawaii Department of Public Safety
919 Ala Moana Boulevard
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 594-0150 (808) 594-0150
MAIN: Brochures outlining Maine’s medical marijuana law are
available from: www.mainecommonsense.org
Maine Citizens for Patients Rights
PO Box 1074
Lewiston, ME 04243
MICHIGAN: Michigan Medical Marihuana Program (MMMP)
www.Michigan.gov/mmp
MONTANA: www.dphhs.mt.gov/medicalmarijuana/
NEVADA: Application information for the Nevada medical marijuana
registry is available by writing or calling:
Nevada Department of Health and Human Services, Nevada
State Health Division
1000 East Williams St., Ste. 209
Carson City, NV 89701
775-687-7590 775-687-7590
Contact: Jennifer
NEW JERSEY:
New Jersey NORML
http://www.normlnj.org
Coalition for Medical Marijuana — New Jersey
http://www.cmmnj.org/
NEW MEXICO: For more information contact the Medical Cannabis
Program Coordinator at:
(505) 827-2321 or medical.cannabis@state.nm.us or visit
www.nmhealth.org/marijuanahtml
OREGON: Application information for the Oregon medical marijuana
registry is available online or by writing:
Oregon Department of Human Services
800 NE Oregon St.
Portland, OR 97232
(503) 731-4000 (503) 731-4000
http://egov.oregon.gov/DHS/ph/ommp/index.shtml
Oregon Cannabis Patients registry: 1 (877) 600-6767 1 (877) 6006767
RHODE ISLAND:
http://www.health.state.ri.us/
Application Forms are available at
www.health.ri.gov/hsr/mmp/index.php or by visiting room 104 at the
Health Department, 3 Capitol Hill, Providence.
VERMONT:
Marijuana Registry
Department of Public Safety
03 South Main Street
Waterbury, Vermont 05671
(802)-241-5115 or (802)-241-5115
WASHINGTON: Fact sheets outlining Washington’s medical marijuana
law are available from:
Washington State Department of Health
1112 SE Quince St.
P.O. Box 47890
Olympia, WA 98504-7890
(800) 525-0127 or (360) 236-4052
Attention: Glenda Moore
http://www.doh.wa.gov/
Don’t Forget Your Bonuses!
Business Expense Sheet
Growing Supplies
Nutrients
Cloning
Cost
Notes
CloneX Gel - 1/2oz Pack
$6.00
1/2oz. pack each cycle.
CloneX Cloning Solution
$8.00
25 tsp to 1/3 of 1.1qt bottle per cycle. Cost of full bottle is $25 bucks 1
bottle should last 3 growth cycle's
Thrive Alive B-1
$0.50
3 tsp growth cycle. Cost of full bottle $10. 1bottle last over a year, should
replace bottle each year.
Sensi Grow Part A
$8.00
15 gal reservoir you would go thru half the bottle on a 8 week veg. 1 bottle
= 1.1qt $16
Sensi Grow Part B
$8.00
15 gal reservoir you would go thru half the bottle on a 8 week veg. 1 bottle
= 1.1qt $16
H2O2
$1.00
I use a drop a gallon when I change the resv. 1 bottle is about $12
Bat Guano
$1.00
1 bag last 10 grows. 1 bag 2.2lbs $10
PH Up
$0.05
1 bottle will last me a couple of years. at that time I would replace it for a
fresh bottle. But I use a couple of drops every cycle. 1 bottle cost $12
PH Down
$3.00
1/4 bottle used each veg cycle. 1 bottle cost $12
Sensi Bloom Part A
$16.00
1 full bottle will be used during flowering stage. Cost of 1.1qt bottle part A
$16
Sensi Bloom Part B
$16.00
1 full bottle will be used during flowering stage. Cost of 1.1qt bottle part B
$16
Cal Mag Plus
$20.00
1 full bottle (half in veg the other half in flower) 1.1qt bottle $20
Vegetative Growth
Flowering Growth
H2O2
$1.00
I use a drop a gallon when I change the resv. Cost of 1qt bottle $12
Overdrive
$20.00
almost half a bottle in one flower cycle. Cost for 1.1qt bottle is $40
PH Up
$0.05
1 bottle will last me couple of years. Replace it then. But I use a couple of
drops every cycle 1 bottle cost $12
PH Down
$1.50
1/8 bottle used each flowering cycle. Cost of 1 bottle is $12
$17.00
I will use 12 - 4in rockwool blocks and then place them on top of 12 6x6in rockwool blocks.
Growing Mediums
4" Rockwool
6" Rockwool
$40.00
12-6x6in blocks
Hydroton - Expanded Clay Pellets
$10.00
40lb bag cost $40 and can be reused.
Miracle Grow Moisture Control
$50.00
40lb bag cost $25 need two 40lb bags for 12 plants
Jiffy Starter
$2.50
25pk jiffy plugs cost $5 use when cloning.
Equipment
Lights
T5 Florescent Light
$20.00
4 foot with 8 bulbs. I'm running 5 blue bulbs and 3 red bulbs - $280 comes
with blue bulbs need to buy the red ones.
Red Bulbs for T-5
$36.00
Bulbs last ?
400 watt High Pressure Sodium Light
$24.00
Initial Cost $360 with 1 bulb
400 watt Bulb
$20.00
After every 3rd 8 week flowering cycle the bulb needs to be replaced.
New bulb cost $60
600 watt High Pressure Sodium Light
$30.00
Initial Cost $440 with 1 bulb
600 watt Bulb
$33.00
After every 3rd 8 week flowering cycle the bulb needs to be replaced.
New bulb cost $100
$1.50
Initial cost $20 5 year lifecycle
Pumps and Timers
2 Light Timers
Submersible Pump Large
$4.00
Initial cost $30 2.5 year lifecycle
Submersible Pump Medium
$3.00
Initial cost $20 2.5 year lifecycle
2 Air Pump's
$7.00
Initial cost $20 each, total $40 2 year lifecycle
Air Stone
$15.00
Replace air stone every cycle
2 Pump Timers.
$1.50
Initial cost $20 5 year lifecycle
Digital Readers
PH digital reader
$3.50
Initial cost $50. Just need new batteries every other grow.
Calibration Solution
$1.00
Replace solution every full grow cycle
PPM digital reader
$4.00
Initial cost $60. Just need new batteries every other grow. Last for years
as long as I don't drop in water
Electric
$1,600.00
Total for 16 weeks of power
RO Water
$150.00
Total for 16 weeks cycle
Rent
$100.00
Rent is calculated by determining the current rate of commercial rental
space per square foot in your area.
$13.50
50 ft x 2mil is $50. My room cost $200 in Mylar.
Grow Room Construction
Mylar (reflective cover for walls)
Construction of Grow Room
$67.00
Initial cost $1,000. 5 year payoff
Seed's or Clone's
$200.00
12 seeds or clones
General Supplies
$60.00
Includes gloves, measuring cups, and misc. supplies like paper towels
etc.
Labor
$1,600.00
5hr week x 16 weeks @$20hr. my passionate price.. includes my federal
growing risk fee,
Delivery
$20.00
each delv.
Total Cost Per 1 Pound (16oz)
$4,243.60
Cost per Ounce
$265.23
Cost per half
$132.61
Cost per quarter
$66.31
Cost per eighth
$33.15
Patient/Caregiver Agreement
I the patient __________________________ appoint ________________________
as my Primary Caregiver on this day of _____________, _______. The appointed
caregiver has agreed to assist with my medical use, involving the acquisition,
possession, growing, cultivation, manufacture, use, internal possession, delivery,
transfer, or transportation of marihuana or paraphernalia relating to the
administration of marihuana to treat or alleviate the patients debilitating medical
condition or symptoms.
I the patient_____________________ agree to pay a reasonable amount of
compensation to the caregiver______________________ for services and costs
associated with him assisting me in my medical use of marihuana.
*This compensation DOES NOT constitute the sale of a controlled substances.*
Amount of Medication Needed For Patient
I ____________________ authorize the caregiver to acquire marijuana for me. I will
require ____________ of medical marijuana every _____________. I agree to
compensate the caregiver in the amount of $_____________ for this service each
time it is performed.
Person Providing Seeds or Clones
_____ I the patient will provide seeds, clones, and plants to my caregiver
_____ I authorize the caregiver to acquire all seeds, clones, and plants for me when
needed. For a total of $________
_____ I authorize the caregiver to acquire ____seeds, ____clones, ____plants for
me. For a total of $________
Person Cultivating the Marijuana Plants
_____ I the patient will possess and cultivate my plants with the assistance of the
caregiver.
_____ I authorize the caregiver to possess and cultivate all plants, clones, even
seeds for me.
Terms of Cultivation
I the Patient will:
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
I the Caregiver will:
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Plant Harvesting, and Curing
_____ I the patient will harvest and cure the plants by myself.
_____ I the patient will harvest and cure the plants with the assistance of the
caregiver.
_____ I authorize the caregiver to harvest and cure my plants for me.
Comments on Harvesting, Curing:
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
Patient/Caregiver Delivery Service
_____ I the patient will come and get my marijuana from the caregiver.
_____ I the patient authorize the caregiver to deliver my marijuana to me at
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
_____ I the patient will contact the caregiver to make pick up or delivery
arrangements each time.
The terms of transfer includes time and date, location, how much is being
transferred, and the method of Compensation:
Third Party Transfers
_____ I the patient do not authorize the caregiver to transfer any of my plants,
clones, or seeds or parts of plants to anyone.
_____ I the patient authorize the caregiver to transfer my plants, clones, seeds,
even parts of my plants to other patients or caregivers. This should include all
trades, swaps and donations.
Comments on third party transfers:
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
SUMMARY OF AGREEMENT
Both patient and caregiver have the right to terminate this agreement with a
minimum of seven (7) days notice. Both patient and caregiver agree to respect the
right of each others privacy. The patient designates the caregiver listed on this
agreement to be his/her “Primary Caregiver” as defined in the Act, and will supply
the caregivers information to the MDCH on their application. The caregiver listed on
this agreement affirms that he/she will act as the patient’s “Primary Caregiver” as
defined in the Act, and will obey the guidelines established by the Act.
Caregivers "Reasonable Compensation" for Services
See Attached Sheet – “Expense Sheet”
Exchange Information
Patient Information
Name: _______________________________
Address: ______________________________
City: ________________________________
Zip: _________ Phone: ___________________
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ cut on line_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Caregiver Information
Name: _______________________________
Address: ______________________________
City: ________________________________
Zip: _________ Phone: ___________________