How much does it really cost to grow?

Has anyone done an actual cost analysis of a medical grow from seed to harvest?

I am asking because there are SO many growers here in Clark / Cowlitz counties, that just use a price stucture for the medicine that seems to be founded in the black market. Don't get me wrong I don't mind paying 150 - 200 an ounce for good meds (and have paid 250). Now according to the law you are NOT alowed to make a profit. My intention is to actualy offer my patients medicine for actual costs (as the law says).


I am just starting a new Medical grow from the ground up and will be taking a look at TOTAL costs from grow room build to harvest. I was just crunching some numbers and my prelimanary numbers show an average of aprox 40 an ounce. <--- These numbers DO NOT include initial set up... But my final findings at the end of my first run will include setup costs as well as man hours put in the garden.


Basic grow specs:


4x8 grow tent

2 1000w lights and fixtures


8 plants in 7 gallon pots


Advanced Nutrients nutes

running entire garden on 120v

Moved this thread to the main medical forums page so ALL states an chime in ....

Well running advanced will cost you a little more than necessary but to each his own we all got fav nutes

Id say inital start up would be somewhere around $2000-$3000

depends on if you wanna go most "expensive" and what people think (wrongly) is the "best" not always but most of the time anything you payed 500 for you can get for 250

and $2000 would probably cover your elec bill until first harvest depending on how long you vegged.

Then after that youll probaly be spending $250-$500 per harvest on dirt, water, electricity, and the unexpected happenings.

I personally put money aside from each harvest just for those "OH FUCK!" moments when a bulb blows or a pump dies, or worst a ballast.

Well they are moving alomg I am about 30 days from Germ, This thread is going to get old for a while. Once this grow has been harvested I will complete my cost analisys... See pou guys then..

you wanna just recop your cost charge $2-3 a gram ....

$3 a g is what the state says the grower/producer will a make then be taxed 25% on that

if you get both the producer & the processor licenses ... you get to make $6 a g and pay 50%

my 4 to 6 plant one room garden with t-5s went for around 1200$ thats for everything a to Z

.... Over the past 3 years.. That's when I started replacing things and going bigger and better... Around 1500$ a month... After lights are Fully paid off... 1250... And I get a little over 2lbs a month so


40-50$ an oz...

Well I got a journal of this grow now, however I am not sure how to link to it.

start out with 700 and get big bud and 60 day wonder. its the only way to make it where you want in 3-4 months

Drop some money on a sparky up front, have him either setup a sub panel or put 2 different outlets in your room on their own 20amp in the main box, also have those outlets converted to 240, cost a little upfront but if you have ballasts that can do 120/240 you will save over the year on electricity using 240

Grojak said:

Drop some money on a sparky up front, have him either setup a sub panel or put 2 different outlets in your room on their own 20amp in the main box, also have those outlets converted to 240, cost a little upfront but if you have ballasts that can do 120/240 you will save over the year on electricity using 240

Click to expand...

How does using 240 save money? Power is sold in kilowatts consumed. 240 has nothing to do with how many watts an electrical device will draw.

the only thing 220 does is allows you to run more ballasts cause your using lower amps per ballast

1000 watter on 120v uses 9 amps.... @ 220 uses 4.5 amps but they consume the same... kilowatt per hour... thats how your monthly electric charges are figured.

so if you have 30 amp curcuit @120 3 -1000s @220 6-1000s...

colonuggs said:

the only thing 220 does is allows you to run more ballasts cause your using lower amps per ballast

1000 watter on 120v uses 9 amps.... @ 220 uses 4.5 amps but they consume the same... kilowatt per hour... thats how your monthly electric charges are figured.

so if you have 30 amp curcuit @120 3 -1000s @220 6-1000s...

Click to expand...

Solid info as usual

I did a cost analysis on my grow each OZ costs me $7.38

GreenMeds4All said:

I did a cost analysis on my grow each OZ costs me $7.38

Click to expand...

my cost for one day of electricity is more than that

It is all dependant on the persons situation...
Soil or hydro? What nutrient line? What lights? What strain you growing? What Power company in what part of the world? Do you have to use extra a/c or heat? Do you use an O2 generator? How many plants? Fans? etc...

I have helped people do a 3 plant grow with a decent harvest in soil using inexpensive nutes under CFL's and others who go all-out bells-n-whistles and sink a couple grand into just their set-ups, not to mention nutes and power costs....

Our Electric is around $450 a month JUST for the grow.... We do organics and soil in Grow Bags under HPS with a LOT of fans due to our location and heat issues... others probably can do it for less...

LadyZandra said:

It is all dependant on the persons situation...
Soil or hydro? What nutrient line? What lights? What strain you growing? What Power company in what part of the world? Do you have to use extra a/c or heat? Do you use an O2 generator? How many plants? Fans? etc...

I have helped people do a 3 plant grow with a decent harvest in soil using inexpensive nutes under CFL's and others who go all-out bells-n-whistles and sink a couple grand into just their set-ups, not to mention nutes and power costs....

Our Electric is around $450 a month JUST for the grow.... We do organics and soil in Grow Bags under HPS with a LOT of fans due to our location and heat issues... others probably can do it for less...

Click to expand...

^^Totally agree with that^^ Expense is absolutely dependent on situation. My most recent set-up ran to around $5k in capital expenses, and ~$1k / month in operating expenses. Up-front set-up costs are absolutely part of what's expected to be recovered from harvest(s) as well as the operating expenses. Also, depending on what type of entity you're doing this as (Individual/sole proprietor/LLC/S-Corp/C-Corp/etc.) don't forget to include a reasonable labor cost for the time spent tending/harvesting/delivering-to-market the garden.