The tides are turning in the United States when it comes to cannabis. Many states now allow for medicinal marijuana and some have also approved the sale of marijuana for recreational use. However, as far as the federal government is concerned, marijuana is still an illegal substance. All it would take is for a new conservative president to take office and decide to put an end to people’s freedom. So for the time being you will need to make security of your new grow room a top priority.
Indoor cannabis cultivators can lead a solitary life. The majority of people who get their homes raided are the result of other people knowing about your garden. People talk and that talk gets around really quickly. Or people who know about your garden might get busted themselves and decide to lessen their sentence by ratting on other people. So keep this in mind if you decide to have people over to your home where a garden exists.
Stray light, noise, excessive electrical consumption, and especially the strong odor of cannabis emanating from your home will draw attention of passers by for sure. Check around your house when your garden is in its light cycle to check for stray light. Cover windows with visqueen plastic or other insulating material to prevent light from escaping. Use activated carbon filters to remove the strong cannabis odors in the garden before evacuating air from the space. And if your electrical bills prior to setting up a grow room were $75 a month, don’t be setting up a room(s) with (10) 1000w HID lights that will generate an electrical bill of $750!
Security Paranoia
There are many different kinds of people in this world and we all see things differently. If you are the kind of person that gets paranoid easily then I suggest that you take every possible precaution to protect yourself. This means being driven to the local hydroponics store in your friends car, making all of your purchases in cash, not leaving any sort of paper trail, and most of all not telling anybody about your super great new grow room. It would be better for you to ensure your safety whenever possible so that you can sleep at night and not be worried about your door being bashed in at 3 a.m., I used to be that person too. Maybe it’s age or the loosening laws about cannabis in the U.S., but I now see that behavior as total paranoia. Don’t get the wrong idea, you should be mindful about your security and if you are, you will be fine.
There may come a time when you have to make a purchase online for seeds or equipment. Single purchases that occur seldomly can probably be sent right to your home without much consideration. Purchasing a hydroponic system, grow lights, ballasts, nutrients etc. all at the same time and having everything shipped to your front door wouldn’t be wise. Seeds can be sent to a friend or a post office box if you are worried, but in reality seeds found by customs will most likely get confiscated and just never show up.
With the changing attitudes about cannabis in the United States, possession of seeds or a small number of plants has become a misdemeanor in many states. I don’t think that the police are going to come crashing through your front door to issue you a citation and then leave. Don’t be paranoid just be smart, and always be aware of the laws in your state.
