CA/Bay Area Vendors Union: What to grow, where to sell and how to sell

[Igrowmyown]

Destroyer cannobiogen and early phenos of ACE GT and panama are documented on icmag .... Like most name strains most are shit down here in clubs panama red , grand doggy purple, GDP etc etc 95% of those strains in club don't look like anything I see on the Farm or ic or my grows for that matter. why walk through the door with something exotic that takes longer when you can bring in your played out trainwreck, green crack, skunk hybrid etc. Try some pure sativas theres a reason the pot snobs over at icmag rave about them...Theres a reason im taking the time to run through phenos.

 

[bigbudmicro]

Which do you recommend then?

 

[Dan Kone]

Destroyer cannobiogen and early phenos of ACE GT and panama are documented on icmag .... Like most name strains most are shit down here in clubs panama red , grand doggy purple, GDP etc etc 95% of those strains in club don't look like anything I see on the Farm or ic or my grows for that matter.

Depends what clubs you're in.

Go here and every strain you see will look as good as bud in a magazine.

http://elementalwellnesscenter.com/

why walk through the door with something exotic that takes longer when you can bring in your played out trainwreck, green crack, skunk hybrid etc.

Exactly. Why cut your paycheck in half?

One thing I've learned is that if you want to grow for a living you really do have to treat it like a business. Those who don't end up being pushed out the business. I've seen this happen to plenty of very talented growers.

That doesn't mean grow green crack all the time. In fact that's a bad business decision. You don't want to grow the same strains that everyone else is growing. You want to find a good quality good yielding strain that everyone is familiar with but isn't flooding the market. There are plenty of them out there. 3 years ago a lot of people wouldn't take some trainwreck if you gave it to them for free. But now it's died down a bit and most of the cuttings floating around are bullshit. Luckily I saved my Arcata cut and E32. I see lots of purple trainwreck, some bluetrain, and a few other generic trainwrecks that don't provide the real no-ceiling trainwreck effect. But I haven't seen the real deal other than my own in a year. That makes it the perfect strain to grow commercially.

Try some pure sativas theres a reason the pot snobs over at icmag rave about them...Theres a reason im taking the time to run through phenos.

Of course. But if I grow something like that it will NEVER see the inside of a dispensary. I have some strains like that which I grow for myself but aren't profitable enough to grow for clubs. But I really do wish you luck and think it's awesome you're taking the time and energy to do this. I'm sure people will be very stoked on it.

 

[damiana]

Dan Kone, I really admire your help spreading around so much information.

Quick question, are TGA strains a good idea if I'm trying to sell to dispensaries in the bay area? I heard no one will take vortex because everyone grows it? Is that even true?

TGA has a few 80% Sativa strains I would love to grow but am afraid dispensaries wouldn't buy it. Thankfully I have a few seeds from Europe and my strains are less common here, so I got options when it comes to selling to dispensaries.

 

[Dan Kone]

Dan Kone, I really admire your help spreading around so much information.

Quick question, are TGA strains a good idea if I'm trying to sell to dispensaries in the bay area? I heard no one will take vortex because everyone grows it? Is that even true?

Yes, TGA strains are a good idea (no space queen). High terpene bud is in demand at the moment and that's subcool's specialty. Remember that TGA strains are all designed to be superior concentrate strains. In order to really get value out of them you need to save your trim and have it made into wax or shatter. That's the way to make TGA stuff profitable to grow.

As for Vortex that is absolutlely not true. You could sell well grown vortex just about anywhere. However I'd argue that the yields make it not profitable to grow. JTR would be a better commercial strain. Ace of Spades has a really high demand (not sure about the yield though). Chernobyl is really popular. I run agent orange personally.

TGA has a few 80% Sativa strains I would love to grow but am afraid dispensaries wouldn't buy it. Thankfully I have a few seeds from Europe and my strains are less common here, so I got options when it comes to selling to dispensaries.

Dispensaries LOVE 80% sativas. If they are grown properly you shouldn't have trouble moving them.

 

[buckaroo bonzai]

-----------------------------
Reputable Cannabis Testing Facilities/Devices:
1.
2.
---->3. http://www.sclabs.com/ (Dan Kone: >>>best lab for >>>vendors to send their products to because they typically give more favorable results than steep hill.) <--------------------------

I will give 'alec' a plug here....the owner

He is a friend and definitely at the top of the food chain of lab testing-


SC will definitely 'break it down' for you-


.....he was one of the first to jump on the testing craze and i have watched him climb to the top

he started when testing was somthing only super pros were doing to find out how their material came out-

alec is a very humble lovable guy....like underdogg


i think they do really nice work and are very personable-


look at the emerald cup posted 'test results'.....256 strains with all the breakdowns for a general overview


http://theemeraldcup.com/event/sc-laboratory-results-260-flowers-2013/


i think the fact most of the norcal growers in the triangle use SC labs speaks volumes


good effort in this thread here ----> dan.K---(danK)

 

[reggaerican]

Wow! What a great thread this was. So much good info and insight into the cali cannabis crisis.Personally I think the reason all these clubs got so greedy is cause they can. There are soooo many people growing pot on a large scale right now that they can afford to sell there product for under $2500. And as long as these guys keep competing with each other the price will continue to drop regardless what consumer price is. There are still a few dispenceries with integrity and loyalty to the small grower that still believes in growing quality over quantity, but they are getting harder and harder to find.
This is the beginning of the end for the small farmer just trying to get by. Good luck to you all. I for one am finishing up my last grow and planing my escape from this train wreck of a state..

 

[GanjaGreenGables]

Well, i think california is saturated. There are, costcos,.walmart type clubs. Your wholefoods organic type clubs and high end types as well. There is a nitch for all levels.

I read online yesterdaycolorado will have marijuana at the state fair. They will have a designated area just like the beer garden. And even some judging like an annual cup.

My opinion is there wil be clubs That specialize in ”certifiable” seed company strains and crosses. Approved with a seed company stamp. Example ”we specialize in Barneys farm and subcool strains and crosses only”.

So far cookiessf/cookiessj has some private crosses so they say. And this club gets alot of attention becaise of the whole gsc thing.
GgG

 

[james24]

I have a question that you all can hopefully shed some light on. More curiosity since I am just getting started on my first grow.

To "donate" to a dispensary in Southern California is all you need an MM card? I can see the ease in taking a sample but, are you still risking driving with a pound or more to make the deal?

I recall someone saying you have to get more than 1 card or you can have a total of 5 making it legal to have 2.5 total lbs., true?

 

[biglungs]

I have a question that you all can hopefully shed some light on. More curiosity since I am just getting started on my first grow.

To "donate" to a dispensary in Southern California is all you need an MM card? I can see the ease in taking a sample but, are you still risking driving with a pound or more to make the deal?

I recall someone saying you have to get more than 1 card or you can have a total of 5 making it legal to have 2.5 total lbs., true?

dont get pulled over

 

[ReadySTL]

you guys think its saturated now??? Wait til Winston, Camel, and Marlboro dip their sticky hands into the pot.

 

[Dan Kone]

you guys think its saturated now??? Wait til Winston, Camel, and Marlboro dip their sticky hands into the pot.

I'm not even remotely worried about that. Right now PM and RJR can't even figure out the e-cigarette market, but I'm supposed to worry about them growing weed? I don't think so.

 

[Aeroknow]

I'm not even remotely worried about that. Right now PM and RJR can't even figure out the e-cigarette market, but I'm supposed to worry about them growing weed? I don't think so.

I sense the party is almost completely over guys. Of course I hope not, but read this link, and add on regulations for small guys and?
http://www.mainstreet.com/article/small-business/super-grow-cannabis-facility-launched-makers-aminoplex?puc=yahoo&cm_ven=YAHOO

 

[Zelzeim]

This was very informative thank you very much!

On a side note i plan on selling to the community, any strains you would think would have high appeal/smell and get me fast costumers running back? Just wondering. Thank you again.

 

[ReadySTL]

I'm not even remotely worried about that. Right now PM and RJR can't even figure out the e-cigarette market, but I'm supposed to worry about them growing weed? I don't think so.

If not them then somebody else. Its coming. Its just a question of when.

Do you think tobacco companies and other industries aren't aware of the alleged 14 billion dollar industry of MMJ in California alone last year?

 

[Dan Kone]

I sense the party is almost completely over guys. Of course I hope not, but read this link, and add on regulations for small guys and?
http://www.mainstreet.com/article/small-business/super-grow-cannabis-facility-launched-makers-aminoplex?puc=yahoo&cm_ven=YAHOO

It's over unless you are working to build something like that yourself. If you're complacent and think you can get buy with business as usual then I can garantee you that you will be pushed out of the business. Growing a garage full of bud and vending it to a local club isn't a career plan. That sort of job is evaporating quickly.

If you want to be a professional grower then you either need a large scale grow or a dispensary. More likely than not you're going to need to produce things that dispensaries can not easily produce themselves. You need a real business.

You don't need to worry about people from outside the industry. Those people nearly always fall on their ass when they try to break in to the business. What you need to worry about is people inside the industry who are working hard and treating cannabis like a career. Those people are the ones who will become big cannabis. Everyone has a choice here. They can either do the same or they can find another career.

The status quo won't hold much longer. It's now or never if you're a small scale grower.

 

[Dan Kone]

If not them then somebody else. Its coming. Its just a question of when.

Do you think tobacco companies and other industries aren't aware of the alleged 14 billion dollar industry of MMJ in California alone last year?

Well being aware of it is one thing, being competitive is another. For all their money big tobacco isn't even competing with e-cig start up companies. Big tobacco is losing.

It's not enough to have money. I've seen tons of big money jump into cannabis and lose their ass. You can't just throw money at the business and get a return. This is an emerging market. It's not a case of whoever has the most money can simply buy their way in and take over.

The ones who will really take over are people who started out in this business. The people willing to work just a little bit harder than everyone else. The ones who understand their market and can provide people with exactly what they want when they want it. That's who will take over, not big tobacco.

 

[Mithrandir420]

It's not Big Tobacco you gotta worry about, it's Big Dan Kone!

 

[Dan Kone]

It's not Big Tobacco you gotta worry about, it's Big Dan Kone!

god damn right

 

[ReadySTL]

Well being aware of it is one thing, being competitive is another. For all their money big tobacco isn't even competing with e-cig start up companies. Big tobacco is losing.

It's not enough to have money. I've seen tons of big money jump into cannabis and lose their ass. You can't just throw money at the business and get a return. This is an emerging market. It's not a case of whoever has the most money can simply buy their way in and take over.

The ones who will really take over are people who started out in this business. The people willing to work just a little bit harder than everyone else. The ones who understand their market and can provide people with exactly what they want when they want it. That's who will take over, not big tobacco.

I hope you are right.