Do You Shop at a Local Hydro Store?

puff*2+pass said:

Just read the first paragraph of this story and tell me if you still think he's being overly cautious?

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You are amazing. This is exactly the reason I posted this, I saw this very article recently. I read a while back that counties in South West Florida had cops cracking down on small grow ops and that Florida cops like to target small grows as opposed to big, commercial grows because they are easier to find and bust. Florida has some pretty strict marijuana laws. We also have no MMJ. I grabbed the latest issue of New Times because this was the featured article and there was a big picture of a pot plant on the front.

When I read the story and realized that my part of Florida is now cracking down like South West Florida, it made me a bit nervous. I actually do have a regular garden on my balcony to hide my indoor activity. I live in a condo, so if cops were to see me at a hydro store and came back to investigate, they would see that I have no yard to grow veggies in, so that it would make sense for me to need items from a hydro store as opposed to a regular gardening store. There is also no smell coming from my house and the contents of a dumpster wouldn't tell them anything about me personally because my garbage dump is shared by all my neighbors, some of which have grown MJ in the past.

Anyway, I feel pretty safe based on those few things. But if cops are determined to bust people by waiting outside a shop, who's to say they won't try to push a little harder to look inside my home? I don't want a false sense of security to land me in prison for over 30 years.

That's, by the way, why I tend to be a little more paranoid is because of my location. Florida law gives you a minimum of 15 years for cultivating within 1000 feet of a school, church, or park; and I fall in that category. That's on top of the 15 year minimum sentence for cultivating, period. So I get double the time if I get busted just because of where I am.

lol, I have met plenty of stoners with blacked out suvs. Hehe. But they do tail people at them and also at home depots and lowes stores too tho less frequently. Get lost on the way their and the way back is what I always read. That barry dude from the dea has some dvds on the subject.

I do online for most things but my four foot t5 i had to buy at a hydro shop cuz I did not want that shipped for some crazy reason.

I cant beleive the dea got that guy from home depot for his ferts!

I am legal but cops annoy me.

Ever buy clones at a club? Driving that home is funny. Get lost for that too. I have a girl drive her car and she does all the trick getting lost naturally. I am not a scum that hides the dope in her ass I just cant drive now. Lol. Ahhh being a slacker is fun.

get your supplies at another address [safe house] like you do the seeds im lucky cause here in cali you gotta be screwing up pretty bad to get those kind of problems in my area cops arent arresting even if youre over your limit[which im not, but there was a time you went to prison & your property was seized same as running a meth lab glad to see the laws have changed here some times i see threads from other places & remember how it was here back in the day ,dont miss the dept. of corrections at all ,sometimes change is good.

AudiA6Driver said:

Thanks! it wasn't important enough for me to go find an article to back me up lol but ya i know they do it in other cities too, just google surveillance hydroponics store...

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Wasn't important enough for me to look up either. Just happened to be the cover story of a weekly paper so I thought referencing it was appropriate for this post. I did take you up on the google search and what I found was a bit alarming for me given the local laws regarding cultivation. Made me a bit paranoid and I hadn't even had a toke!!

FireCoral said:

You are amazing. This is exactly the reason I posted this, I saw this very article recently. I read a while back that counties in South West Florida had cops cracking down on small grow ops and that Florida cops like to target small grows as opposed to big, commercial grows because they are easier to find and bust. Florida has some pretty strict marijuana laws. We also have no MMJ. I grabbed the latest issue of New Times because this was the featured article and there was a big picture of a pot plant on the front.

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"Amazing" no. But I do thank you for creating the post and getting me to think about a few added precautions that I should be taking. Here, have a on me!

FireCoral said:

When I read the story and realized that my part of Florida is now cracking down like South West Florida, it made me a bit nervous. I actually do have a regular garden on my balcony to hide my indoor activity. I live in a condo, so if cops were to see me at a hydro store and came back to investigate, they would see that I have no yard to grow veggies in, so that it would make sense for me to need items from a hydro store as opposed to a regular gardening store. There is also no smell coming from my house and the contents of a dumpster wouldn't tell them anything about me personally because my garbage dump is shared by all my neighbors, some of which have grown MJ in the past.

Anyway, I feel pretty safe based on those few things. But if cops are determined to bust people by waiting outside a shop, who's to say they won't try to push a little harder to look inside my home? I don't want a false sense of security to land me in prison for over 30 years.

That's, by the way, why I tend to be a little more paranoid is because of my location. Florida law gives you a minimum of 15 years for cultivating within 1000 feet of a school, church, or park; and I fall in that category. That's on top of the 15 year minimum sentence for cultivating, period. So I get double the time if I get busted just because of where I am.

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I also fall in that category. In addition, all of the Hydro stores that I've found in my area are all located in obscure little strip malls that are really easy for the po-po to stake out. I grow only for personal use so I'm not walking out with tons-o-stuff on a weekly or even monthly basis. But the job that pays the bills requires that I stay on my toes and not take unnecessary risk... cause I'm NOT gonna stop !!

horribleherk said:

get your supplies at another address [safe house] like you do the seeds...

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Great advice!!

HookdOnChronics said:

I use the hydro shops for what I cant find at home depot...

It's not like you have to worry about the 5-O waiting outside for someone who looks like a stoner to walk in and then fallow you home or to your grow..... Besides, it's just tomato plants your growin anyways!.. lol

I think your just a bit too paranoid. lol

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In non-medical states thats exactly what they do.. They can even bust the Hydro store owners for assisting in the growing of a controlled substance...

I wouldn't feel as comfortable if I wasn't in a medically friendly state... Legally (well
state law atleast) I am not breaking any laws.

puff*2+pass said:

I also fall in that category. In addition, all of the Hydro stores that I've found in my area are all located in obscure little strip malls that are really easy for the po-po to stake out. I grow only for personal use so I'm not walking out with tons-o-stuff on a weekly or even monthly basis. But the job that pays the bills requires that I stay on my toes and not take unnecessary risk... cause I'm NOT gonna stop !!

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Yeah, same here. I started growing a little over a year ago. at that time, there were practically no hydro stores locally (all busted and/or affected by the economy). After a while, I was trying to find some Fox Farm soil and it linked me to a hydro store near me that's actually still in business. Not only is it in some obscure strip plaza, it's also right off of the highway which happens to have a traffic cam parked right next to it. I hate the fact that I'm getting paranoid all of a sudden. But like you said, I grow for personal reasons, and I would just hate to be treated like a criminal when I'm doing nothing wrong, not hurting anyone, and not making untaxed money on this stuff.

I, unfortunately, do grow a lot. I smoke weed for a sleep disorder I have, sounds stupid, but it's gotten me fired from almost every job I have and MJ is the only thing that helps. My boyfriend, on the other hand, is just a huge pothead and smokes like there's no tomorrow. He can easily smoke an oz within a week. Whereas an oz lasts me about 2 months. Plus, we like to be nice and hook up our friends with free weed for birthdays and such. Anyway, point being, between the two of us and the fact that we have a perpetual grow, there are usually 12-18 plants here at any given time. That's a lot of jail time for someone who doesn't even sell!!

So I'm getting paranoid as hell. But I don't want to be because the guy at the store is so nice and gives me discounts. The only thing I really buy there is soil. But with my recent tax return, I got a new hood, fan, and ballast. I need to go back and get an air scrubber, but after reading that article in New Times, I'm scared. 8(

just had a 16 inch ecofan die after a year of working 24/7,,,

took it down to my local hydro guy, who i just dropped another 3700.00 a week ago and dropped the fan on the counter, picked up a new one, waved and left.



ftp

Here is some advice https://www.rollitup.org/general-marijuana-growing/311454-security-1-a.html

I live 5 mins from 1 but don't go there. Instead I take what turns out to be a 4hr da trip to the next closest 1. I won't shop at the 1 near me cuz I don't wanna any1 I know seeing me in there. That and that store is twice as expensive. For reals. For a eco 396gph pump, they want 130CAN. Crazy eh?

Shrubs First said:

In non-medical states thats exactly what they do.. They can even bust the Hydro store owners for assisting in the growing of a controlled substance...

I wouldn't feel as comfortable if I wasn't in a medically friendly state... Legally (well
state law atleast) I am not breaking any laws.

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Good point... I wasn't thinking in other states, I was just answering that I have no paranoia walking into and purchasing from "Local Hydro Stores" in my state. Where we DO have MMJ.

I agree with you, if I wasn't in a medically friendly state, and didn't have my license, I'd probably be paranoid as fuck man!..

I'm lucky I guess...

The last time I went to one of the local hydro stores I couldn't find a place to park there were so many cars.

I'm over fifty and all the customers were older than me.

Grandma's boy said:

The last time I went to one of the local hydro stores I couldn't find a place to park there were so many cars.

I'm over fifty and all the customers were older than me.

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rotflmao,,,,,


over 50 crowd that is,,,,

i went in today not realizing i reeked of fresh harvest, had to return a fan.

the younger crowd got a whiff and started eyeballing me real hard,,,,,,

have to remember to change clothes next time but the last 4 days have been hell on the harvesting, just worn out and not firing on all 9,,


ftp

HookdOnChronics said:

Good point... I wasn't thinking in other states, I was just answering that I have no paranoia walking into and purchasing from "Local Hydro Stores" in my state. Where we DO have MMJ.

I agree with you, if I wasn't in a medically friendly state, and didn't have my license, I'd probably be paranoid as fuck man!..

I'm lucky I guess...

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You have a good point too. I should have included an option to vote "Yes, but I'm legal so it doesn't worry me" Why in the world didn't I think of that before?

i say fuck buying anything from a local hydro store unless i absolutely have to. go to lowes or home dept or a local nursery for everything.

i hate it whenever i have to get stuff from a local hydro store, the people working always act sooo sketchy and it trips me out.

i also never pay w/ credit cards. to me, that's like asking for trouble!

hydro store is a complete rip off!! way better prices online...

Labman said:

i say fuck buying anything from a local hydro store unless i absolutely have to. go to lowes or home dept or a local nursery for everything.

i hate it whenever i have to get stuff from a local hydro store, the people working always act sooo sketchy and it trips me out.

i also never pay w/ credit cards. to me, that's like asking for trouble!

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agreed and agreed.. Fucking hippies at the hydro store never doing any work. The one by me is a brew and grow and there are 4 employees just sitting talking.. All the plants in the store are terrible looking too.. You would think if u owned a hydro store you could actually grow shit..