Steve from Vancouver.
The good news, Steve, is you’re not going insane. The life of a medical marijuana grower can be quite far outside the box for an average person. If you stick with it long enough, eventually you’ll grow a thick skin and be able to cope with the day to day stress that comes with this lifestyle.
The key to managing your fear is rationalizing it. No matter what type of business venture you might embark on, whether it is a restaurant or a construction company, there will be certain points of failure you should be aware of and prepare for as part of your business model. Medical cannabis growing is no different.
While the points of failure for a grower might differ from traditional businesses, with proper research they can still be identified and dealt with.
Performing research on why growers in your area have failed along with a self-audit of your situation will go a long way in calming your paranoia and ensuring success in the long term. Set aside some time to write down the problems you may face and the steps you are taking to avoid them. Consider retaining a lawyer in the event one is required in the future.
Security is also a huge factor. Be sure garden is known to few, if any, people and ensure smells and light leaks are not advertising your secret to passersby’s. Spend the money necessary to secure your location properly. Every successful harvest will be its return on investment to you.
An entire book could easily be written on the nuances of protecting your garden, but as long as you perform a little due diligence, you’ll be sleeping like a baby in no time!
Globetrotting commercial grower Sergei Isakov has seen it all and is here to answer your questions. E-mail him at askagrower@bigbudsmag.com.
