IamA CEO of a legal weed farm in WA AmA

Do you drug test your employees?

Haha, no way.

[deleted]

Funniest quote ever from Workoholics.

You only YOLO once

Do you smoke your own product? In the interests of quality control obviously.

Haha we still have our final inspection set for 8/15 and are currently pooling together all of our savings/maxing our credit cards to do so. We also launched a indiegogo a few days ago to help.

that being said...

Once we get the final stamp and start growing, Yes.

Do you know that you do not own the domain of the website you linked to?

You're right that was a typo. I've changed to our correct domain:

www.tahomagrowersfarm.com

Thanks for catching that joebob!

how big is your farm? what are your prospects going forward?

close to 10 acres 7000 sq ft for growing

Plan is to turn most of that 10 acres into an all organic, eco-friendly farm. Not just weed but vegetables, fruit trees, goats, chickens, etc. Once we are most established we plan on helping other eco-friendly farms do the same.

How did you plant goats and chickens? Where can I find those plants ?

You are one cheezyonion

Canibus Executive Officer?

Exactly

Hey, thanks for the AMA. My questions are, favourite strain you grow? How difficult was it to get started in the industry?

To answer your first question..

TBD. Will know in a few weeks. Feel free to FB msg/e-mail us anytime.

WA state has provided some hoops to jump through. We just finished our 8ft security fence. We need to get power up and running, security cameras, plants/seeds finalized, and a building built by 8/15/14, which is our final inspection. We do not have a big investor, it is all our own funding. That has been the biggest obstacle.

We want to go completely eco-friendly and support other farms that are doing the same.

How did you start? Where did you buy your first plants/seeds?

We are actually in the process of finding the right company to get seeds from. Trying to stay as local as we can. Plants are in the works as well, but I can't disclose here. :)

Also, we started with Mike our President applying for the license and a vision. out of 7,000 that applied only 100 have gotten licenses as of now in the lottery. We had a 1.4 chance and we feel really lucky.

Wait, so can you not even start growing or buying seeds until your inspection?

Technically No

Have there been unforeseen complications throughout startup for which resolution seemed out of reach?

Only funding, but where there's a will theres a way. We have started an indiegogo account but no such luck as of yet.

See my response to Squidward, it explains some of the legal hoops we must jump through in order to pass our final inspection.

Do you plan on changing the public perception of the marijuana industry? If so, how?

Yes! Absolutely.

Our Mission:

Our mission is to change the perception of a flower to illuminate the beauty of marijuana. Our vision is to discover and develop high-quality marijuana strains while keeping our focus on sustainability & protecting the environment. Our goal is to revive farming communities around the globe one small farm at a time.

No pressure to contribute, but more info on this is on our indiegogo site below:

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/eco-friendly-legal-cannabis-farm/x/8183537

Much appreciated. As a younger person, I'm firmly convinced that my generation will legalize marijuana in the US. You guys are an early step in that process!

We hope so too

What was the number one hurdle you had to jump through, legally speaking?

Getting the license for 1. We only had a 1.4 chance of all the applicants to receive a license, so we feel really lucky.

Right now it is financially due to all the things WA state is requiring in order to pass inspection. They make sense and we are not throwing the state under the bus, but they cost some monies to get up and going and we do not have an investor, it is all our own savings and credit cards.

[deleted]

Total we will be spending around 40K to get it up and running.

What is the process that goes into naming the different varietals that you will be selling?

We don't name them, breeders have spent a lot of time developing these strains. We do spend a lot of time researching the best strains though.

Has anyone tried to break in/Steal any weed?

No. It seems like that's the big a concern and the first question that pops into a lot of peoples' minds when legal marijuana is brought up. WA has required 24hr security cameras in order to pass inspection. We have 5 dogs too, so we aren't concerned.

Sounds like the scene from without a paddle that they burn a weed plantation and the guard dogs get high.

ahaha

Have you consulted any lawyers during the process of establishing your business and preparing to get it going? What has your experience (or the experience of your co-workers) been like dealing with the various regulations and regulatory agencies in Washington?

We've been in contact with a lawyer and he is trying to navigate the laws as well.

Because this is so new and the laws are changing every day everyone is new at this. That's one of the exciting parts of a new industry.

Do you worry about being raided by police officers or SWAT teams?

Do you have any security at the farm?

No we're legal!

We do, it's required by WA state to pass inspection.

Even still, plenty of legal places have been raided in California.

I know they have been raided but they usually give a heads up when they are coming, and we plan on following the 502 guidelines. All the raids that have happened in WA no one can name an arrest.

What's the competition look like? Why are you one of the few? And are you allowed to grow any strain you'd like? In Colorado the recreational strains are far less from the medical strains.

As of now we haven't met any of our competitors, but we hope to. Only 100 WA state producer/processing licenses have been given, and there is currently a shortage for the retail stores. Many had to close by day 2 of opening.

Yes, any strains. We're looking right now for the right seeds and plants. Hoping to keep it as local as possible.

What do you mean by the far less question? Far less potent?

Less variety to choose from is I believe what he means. Potency levels seem to be pretty constant.

Will all depend on what grows best outdoors. We'll need to try several strains before choosing our core ones that we will be using. More info to come on this.

i would like to intern, is there college credit available?

What college? You find a college that will give you credit and you got a spot.

south harmon institute of technologies, has something like this i believe.

If you get the paperwork figured out and everything and it's legitimate I'll allow it.

If my college will, can I get in on this?? I live in WA state.

Yes. We're an organic farm, you can use that as leverage. Make sure to be transparent. E-mail me at [email protected] Good luck!! What college?

I am a homeless graphic designer and web developer in Seattle. Can I have a job?

We just got our graphics finalized but if we need anything in the future will keep it in mind. Our e-mail is on our website. I hope you get work soon!

What positions are available at a weed farm?

All kinds of positions! Here's our team:

Mike: President; The Dreamer

Nicky: CFO; The Numbers

Tony; COO; The Grower

Shelby; CEO; The Salesman

Josh; Chief engineer; The Fixer

When we get bigger this will have to be expanded to more farm hands.

Is there quite a bit of competition now that things have turned over administratively?

As far as the growing side not so much. Retail stores here in WA had to close on day 2 of opening in most cases due to a supply shortage.

If other drugs like cocaine, MDMA, LSD etc. were legalised to the same extent as marijuana, would you expand your market?

We like to keep it green, so probably not.

Can i have your email?

Of course.

[email protected]

What's the greatest challenge you've had to overcome?

What do you need to do to pass inspection? Any major problems that have arisen?

Thanks for the AMA!

Rocks on the farm. Lot of rock moving.

In all seriousness the state has put many requirements that must be met before final inspection.

We just finished our 8ft fence and before 8/15 have to build a building, get power, get security cameras up. Then we can bring in our plants and officially start growing.

Funding has been the biggest obstacle. We're a small group that are spending our own money and maxing our own credit cards to support this. No big investors here.

Has anyone tried to "muscle in" on your farm? Maybe I've just watched too many movies, but I have this image of disgruntled people looking to get a piece of the action. I'm thinking of growers who didn't win the lottery for a license, or anyone else who is/was involved in the medicinal and/or formerly illegal recreational marijuana industry.

Very interesting topic. Here in WA investors have already "bought out" licenses. We won't be selling out. No one disgruntled that we've ran into yet.

How is it a legal weed farm when weed cultivation, possession, and distribution is still illegal at the federal level?

classic state vs. federal law argument. It's definitely a dilemma that we're facing in the industry. The reward is worth the risk, and all indications point to decriminalization on the federal level by 2016.

Do you get frustrated at people who think marijuana is a dangerous drug (e.g. 'It'll make you crazy if it doesn't kill you first!'), and offensive stereotypes (e.g. archetypical lazy stoner deadbeat)? How would you convince someone biased against weed to consider the other side of the argument?

It gets frustrating sure. We don't feel that there needs to be any convincing...time will tell that those stereotypes are false. Especially here in WA with the weed growers and sellers out in the open. If this convo does come up though the biggest testament pro-marijuana is how it helps people with medical conditions- a wide range of them and without having to take pain killers and other harder drugs. There's a ton of medical journals promoting the positive effects of cannabis.

What type of security do you have to prevent theft of your plants or is a very low risk operation?

In the next few weeks we will have 24hours secuirty cameras. This is required by WA state before we pass final inspection. We also have 5 dogs, just in case :)

How would you feel about hiring armed guards? Passing backround check and the guard providing all his/her own weapons?.

We would rather not have armed guards for Marijuana. We hope to industry doesn't come to that.

Well I mean wouldnt you rather have them and not need them, then need them and not have them?

Touche, but we don't think it's necessary at this time. Always a risk in everything you do right?

You may want to re-think the goats. I used to raise dairy goats, and I lost track of how many goats that we had killed by the various neighbor’s dogs… and we had no neighbors closer than ½ mile. And, if you plan to grow outdoors, goats love to eat marijuana.

Good to know..I've read about the dog thing but not that they eat weed haha thanks for the tip!

I recently watched the Morgan Spurlock CNN show about medical marijuana in California and it appeared that even thought the selling of pot was legal in California, it was still illegal to grow it due to federal laws not recognizing California laws. Do you have such a problem in WA? Could a federal agent knock on your door and claim you have violated federal laws?

For those with their 502 license in WA i do not believe so, but the laws are changing everyday and of course there's always a risk when it is not legal federally. WA and CO will be making a lot of money from this, and hopefully that will spark more deregulation and eventually federal deregulation.

Do you plan to grow many different strains or just stick to growing 1 or 2 in high quality? Why?

We plan on growing a lot of different. Since we're outdoor we need to find the strains that do the best so we need to try multiple. Eventually maybe only a couple.

Does growing outdoor cut down on yearly revenues? I always thought growing outdoors would make it more difficult to stay positive.

I see where you're coming from. The output from one season of outdoor can yield much more than a whole year of indoor. Depends on nature sometimes too of course.

[deleted]

I wasn't. I was in an industry supporting post-smoking behavior. I sold snacks

The advice I have is vote, petition, research how WA and CO state have benefited from deregulation, contact your local law makers, fund prop 19. All things I'm sure you're aware of. I know it can be frustrating when it's up to state governments and seemingly out of your control.

[deleted]

Really fucked, but then we'll go to court and get them back.

What's the best way to combat the munchies?

Just shh let it happen

What i am interested in is your revenue potential. i assume right now your in the red financially, but how potentially lucrative could your weed farm or any other farm be?

I wish I had an exact answer for you, but as of now it's all going to depend on how quickly we can pass inspection. It's set for 8/15, and if we need that extended it's going to change our revenue potential for this year quite a bit. Also depends on weather conditions, mold outbreaks, etc. more to come on this. Feel free to reach out and e-mail us with questions once we are up and going at [email protected]

As far as potential...very lucrative.

Are you able to handle credit card transactions? Can you use a bank for your cash deposits?

As of yesterday I believe yes. Law just changed the last 24 hours.

Hey sorry if I'm late here, but I'm interested in knowing what the consumer base is like in Washington? Do you already have a lot of inquiring customers, associates, etc. or is the market in Washington more unknown and untapped due to more recent legalization and/or Washington being overshadowed by weed capitals like Colorado and California?

We have a couple inquiring customers since there is currently a shortage, but we won't know our full customer base until we know how much we will be growing this year. Will know this in a few weeks.

So, I'm a grower as well. I fear the federal gov't. Why are you not scared?

The reward is worth the risk. Are you in WA or CO? Predictions say it will be decriminalized federally by 2016. I just trust that they're smart enough to focus on the drugs that are doing harm in WA, not the one bringing in money for the state.

send some my way?

Dont want to go to jail?

What is the typical price in which weed is sold?

Right now it is sold for about 20$ (including tax) a gram recreationally. We are hoping that is going to be lowered soon.

What does weed taste like?

Good. Like it smells.

Is there a legal age for it like drinking alcohol?

Yes 21

Do you read the cartoon Doonesbury?

Only read the comic strip a couple times. Why you ask?

how much does it cost to get the license for this operation?

$250 for initial application

How many years do you think until weed is completely legal in the United States?

2 is my guess

Have you ever played FarCry 3?

No time