The OP seems to be talking about more commercial grows ... actually renting a property purely for a place to grow weed on a larger scale. On TV the other night every police raid they did on 'cannabis farms' was on people who were doing exactly that. But then, the police are always more interested in the commercial/larger growers as that is considered organised crime ... not once did they send the troops into a house and bust someone with a little grow room.
With such an international presence on these forums I know the laws and policing vary wildly. I'm lucky in that my local police are pretty chilled, they're not really spiteful and will do their job of course (bad news for us), but they take a tough stance on the commercial growers, but the odd guy that gets busted around here for his own little grow room the courts don't seem to give much of a fuck tbh, I'm talking fines less than £100 ($150 US?) and little else - unless you've got previous etc. Hell, around here if the police stop and search you and you have a score of hash etc, you're likely to get an on the spot fine of £80 ... and it doesn't even count towards a criminal record. Much better than being dragged to the dirt and treated like a serious threat to law and order.
Am sure there are some more commercially oriented way (in it mainly for the money), and there are people who just like to grow their own and maybe a treat for a couple friends to smoke. Theres no denying there is great profit potential from growing, but its like everything else there needs to be context ... sorting out some good mates so you can sit, talk shite, and chillax, is vastly different from, pump it up, bag it, send it out to the street for max profit, repeat etc. Only stoners understand what other stoners mean when they consider it medicinal as well as recreational. People in suits who simply read about it will never understand.
Cannabis use has been proven to increase the intelligence of those who oppose its legalisation. (forgot where I read that, but I thought it was nicely said)
