Black
The cannabis Black market
anonymous interview with former black market grower
Q: Who you are (in terms of anonymity, of course)?
A: I am a really paranoid person, so I’m sorry but I’m not really going to say who I am, other than the fact that I once upon a time solely survived off of the loopholes surrounding the grayish/black cannabis market for several years.
Q: How long you have been growing?
A: I started as a hobbyist, weekend warrior style grower about seven years ago.
Q: Why did you get started in this?
A: I view the industry and growing itself as two completely different things. Growing is something I will always do for the rest of my life, in some form or another. But being involved in the black market isn’t something I planned on being a part of forever.. Obviously, I mean who does? I mean who wants to pay taxes to fund all the bulls**t that goes on in this country? Not me man, I get my piece of the pie some other way, thank you very much.
Q: What is your favorite thing about growing?
A: Growing anything is super rewarding in my opinion. I love a vegetable garden just as much as the next guy, but being in a giant indoor cannabis grow that’s hitting all the correct elements and the plants are thriving is transcending!! I believe they are a life form that talks to each other, and if you look close enough you can feel that energy... seriously. They're like my actual babies, and at times are just as needy!
Q: So current Colorado Laws make what you are doing half legal?
A: Well anyone in Colorado can grow cannabis. I just always grow my max amount. Medical marijuana license allows up to 12 total plants per residency regardless of how many people in residence.
Q: How does your co-op work in legal terms?
A: The idea behind a co-op is that the person is getting the grow out of the residency area and into an industrial area. So the co-op style is a few people growing in one shared space. Each grower has a limit and must label the plants as their own in order to stay compliant, similarly to the legal side. And If I personally were involved in something like that it would be in an area that allowed these things, and of course we would be compliant to whatever laws necessary.
Q: What are the reasons your grow is not legally allowed to sell to dispensaries?
A: Well, actually I'm not 100% sure. I’m pretty sure one would have to acquire a facility in the proper area, and have it up to code and the standards of the MED, and then apply for the license. But once you do that, accounting for the fact you get approved and what not, then you can sell to dispensaries legally.
Q: What are the various laws about maintaining a grow: inspections, security rules?
A: You know to be honest with you I don’t really know. I’ve seen the inner-working of two legal grows and dispensaries, and they seemed to be treated totally different. One was consistently being inspected and fined tons of money for trivial bullsh**t, and the other one was treated the exact opposite.
Q: Why do you choose to stay in the grey?
A: I’d love to own a legal operation, but working for someone in the green market means you're working for peanuts. Growers in the legal market make about $11-$14 an hour, head growers make less than 20 an hour. My time is just worth more than that to me. The grow is technically legal, but the activity afterwards is not. I mean if one were to grow medically, that person would under no circumstances be allowed to sell that product to anyone, because you wouldn’t be giving the government their cut. It’s a victimless crime, no ones getting hurt, I didn’t make a ton of money, I just carved out a living doing what I enjoy.
Q: What would be some of the struggles if you did decide to make what you do fully legal?
A: The competition out there is scary, it’s a giant market that doesn’t seem to stop growing somehow…
Q: What do you think about the holes in the laws that make you easily able to do what you do?
A: Well you're allowed 12 plants personally recreationally, if you know what you're doing, have all the right shit, you can flower half that, get three pounds a light and get 18 pounds every 2.5 months... that’s recreationally. Medical grows could obviously grow a bit more in theory.
Q: Personally, how are you affected by what you do?
A: There was a time when I smuggled product through different states. I wont get into details, but it was nerve racking to have so much money tied up in what's unfortunately an illegal product. It causes tons of stress and paranoia. Back then the worst part was probably the stress... its real man.
Q: What’s the best part?
A: I never got in too deep, but for me its not working for anyone else. It's about the freedom. Even though I choose to work all day, I was pursuing something I loved, and doing it on my own time. Cannabis is a medicine to me, and it’s the most rewarding thing to provide my friends and family with such a high quality product that everyone can benefit from in so many different ways.
Q: How long do you think you will be doing this
A: I’d love to see myself running a totally legit operation within two years.
Q: What are you most afraid of?
A:Back when I was involved, I was of course afraid of the police. Who isn’t these days? But other than that, literally nothing... super secure on all other aspects.
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