Better Buds With Mr. Bill: Government Editorial

Mr. Bill, our plant fix-it guy, usually answers grower questions so that you can achieve better yields. Today, he addresses the government.

I thought that governments were supposed to govern us - not monopolize their people - and 'governing' us would mean that the legalization of pot is necessary. If they have no experience with Cannabis, how can they legislate around it? What follows is my proposal to any government on how to generate taxes from the distribution of pot. If governments are monitoring us in order to keep things safe and create jobs, here is how my idea for legalizing pot would work.

Bud Business

How many grow rooms would be built, assuming that each 1,000-watt HPS lamp can supply two heavy smokers and three light smokers? There would be thousands of these individual five-by-five foot grow rooms.

Each company that offers their expertise would need to build individual grow rooms that each have water, drainage, ventilation and electrical outlets, and would employee many skilled trades-people in the construction of these individual grow rooms. Each establishment would offer expertise on plant selection and how to look after their garden by hiring people trained in botany. Also hired would be staff to monitor who is in the place and to allow access to lockers that would store pot safely.

The customer would rent out the growing area and pay rent to such companies. The customer would have a key to their storage locker and so would the establishment - no one would have unrestricted access to all the pot they could desire. We would grow with these companies because of what they could offer, such as nutrients, choice of strains and curing methods, resulting in that perfect smoke. Such places would also have to have personnel trained in bookkeeping, general help, pesticide use and botany, handymen and -women, security, basically creating permanent jobs - never mind all the building contractors that would be employed to build all these micro rooms.

Each establishment would have a hundred rooms producing Cannabis. Each and every room would be controlled, with regards to all aspects of plant growth. Any weed plants that are found outside of these establishments would result in jail for the culprits - as we do for commercial liquor. The only way to take plants from one of these establishments to another would be by government permit.

Growing Pot In An Ideal World...

This is how it would work: let us hypothetically say that I am looking to grow pot and have heard that 'Company A' has a good seed selection but I do not like their choice of nutrients (we shall call it the 'house special'). I would have to choose another option, 'Company B', as they offer the strain and plant nutrition that I prefer. Plus, they have better-trained staff, allowing me to grow more for my rental fee. Say I go there and rent out their grow room for three months or more. I must grow and flower, including harvesting my crop, within the three months that I rented out their grow space.

Imagine that I chose Great White Shark, since I like that variety. I would buy enough cuttings and we would place them into an appropriate growing system, grow them until we are ready to flower and then start the flowering phase. Let's pretend that an insect infestation emerged after six weeks, so the establishment safely applied pesticides for me.

At this point, imagine that the plants are ready for harvest, and then off they go to a drying room. The management and I would both have a key to the drying area. This way I could not possibly feel as if someone ripped me off for some of my drying bud - I know for sure that only those two keys will let someone into that area.

Once dried, the nearly-finished ganja is placed into another controlled storage locker; again, I have a key and so does the establishment. I am allowed to take out 'X-amount' of product every few days and perhaps 'X-amount' is enough for me for these days. I sign for the amount that I will take and am free to drop by any time during business hours for more. The government is not going to allow people to take out more than an acceptable amount of pot. However much is 'acceptable' will have to be defined, just like booze. As with all things, there are still ways of getting around restrictions, but this would allow potheads to grow in peace!

Cannabis Legality Reduces Criminality

The governments of the world are never going to go away, but if they would work with the people - instead of against them - then the people would have fewer objections to their policies. Once you make anyone a criminal in the eyes of the law, how do you determine who is a pot head and who is a thief? Many potheads are upstanding citizens and just because we smoke a joint does not make us criminals; however, in the eyes of the law of many states or countries, we are. And if someone is a criminal in the eyes of the law, then why would they give a damn about any other laws?

Do not label my children criminals just because they choose a joint instead of a drink. If you make someone a criminal because they drank some beer, smoked a joint or due to other frivolous charges, then does anyone think that they will still have respect for the law? No, and there are still jails full of people to prove this - in spite of the national progress we have made concerning legalizing medical and recreational Cannabis. Allow people their dignity; allow us to smoke without worry of prosecution and I, for one, will have more respect for other government policies (maybe)!

How Do Governments Make Money?

Can you imagine the construction boom that would happen with hundreds of buildings going up with hundreds of grow rooms in each city? Each room would have hot and cold running water, drainage, ventilation and air conditioning; plus, at least 2,000 watts of electricity would be needed per room. Taxes would be generated on building such sites: permits, labor, consulting, profits, etc. The building administrators would also collect taxes, not to mention the cultivation permit fees.

How many grow rooms would be built if each 1,000-watt HPS can supply two heavy smokers with 150 grams per month and three light smokers with thirty grams per month? That equals about 390 grams per month. There will be tens of thousands of these individual five-by-five grow rooms per city.

I pay about $5.00 per gram now and if I could grow my own, I would still find it acceptable to pay up to that through my cost of renting the grow room. If I grow 900 grams per 1,000-watt light and pay $750.00 per month for renting the grow room, that works out to: $750.00 times three months equals $2,850.00 or $3.16 per gram. Now you know why each company would have to supply expert advice and have to pay trained personnel.

What do you think?

Cheers,
Mr. Bill