Need Advice, I'm only 18 years old.

Serion

Active Member
So I'm in my early 30's. I've been growing for profit for about 13 years now. I just made the move to a legal state about a month ago. It's alright, but you need some experience. I've heard when my brothers (works in a warehouse) dispensary puts up craigslist add for a bud tender they get about 150 emails before noon?!?!. So just keep in mind there in now way in hell you'll land that job. Everybody wants in the biz. Unfortunately it's all about who you know.

And you'll need about $12,000 for the move. That's about what it cost us.

You need to understand the pay for starting industry jobs are about the same as any other. So don't expect to get rich.

So once you get to where you decide you are going, then what?

So I have a ton of really expensive equipment, a huge basement, tons of knowledge. So I grow a ton of pot, then what? It's still illegal to sell the shit. And lbs are down 1,800 right now in Denver.

Sounds depressing, but it's not. But don't think for a second you'll be 100% legal.

Now let's say hypothetically you have about 6K laying around. Well rent a house in NoCo. I'll help you set everything up. We split the profit of the first 3 runs, I'll teach you everything, then you can go on your own. After you get your med and learn how this game works, I might even be able to set you up with a trim job. But they only pay like 10 to 12 per hour..
"You need to understand the pay for starting industry jobs are about the same as any other. So don't expect to get rich."

I understand this completely as I work for minimum wage now which is $7.25/hr in Georgia. I make roughly $300-400 every 2 weeks. And that's not a lot at all... Comes to about $750/month after taxes. About $9000 a year. Which absolutely terrible money. But it's money so I can't complain.

And honestly If I had 6k laying around I would take you up on your offer in a heart beat.

I guess you can I'm dreaming of a fantasy right now, but my drive to make the fantasy come true is insane.
 

Serion

Active Member
You want good advice...

Get into a trade. electrical is great. Your gonna need that if you want to grow big anyway. become well rounded though. go to a construction company and start at the bottom for them. make enough money to get out and get your own place with enough room to grow and get good at it. Make connections in the industry and then find a niche. Its a long road. Plus, you will always have a trade to fall back on. Thats my 2cents.

I dont see you getting a job out there in the industry with zero experience. volunteering can be good experience but wont pay the bills.
I understand that completely, I wish I knew a lot more about growing. But finding growing connections in my area is very hard.

My housing situation right now would just make it hard to grow at good scale. I could maybe have a 1 plant setup in my office closet. But the only issue would be the size of the plant and the smell.
 

neosapien

Well-Known Member
Lots of great advice in this thread from people who have experienced many facets of life. Let it sink in. Don't let anyone say breaking into the biz can't be done, but its not walk on and won't be easy. The west is littered with broken dreams. I'll say trades and computers are the safest bet. Computers aren't going anywhere but up. And shit always breaks and needs built and fixed.
 

a mongo frog

Well-Known Member
Ok so I wanna start out with the fact that I'm an 18 year old kid. I've always loved marijuana and the effects it had on me personally. Growing up I had a serious case of depression and over the past few years smoking weed really helped me open up and resolve some of the issues...

Now here's where I need some help and some information on where to go. I've always strived to find something in life I'm truly interested in. I live with my parents, Step-Dad is in the military and mom is a full time college student. They have no problem with me smoking marijuana as long as it's not in the house and what not. That's just because my step-dad can get in trouble with the Army.

The past few months I've sat down with my mom on a few occasions and really opened up about my marijuana enthusiasm. She's always supported me in my decisions as she wants me to live a happy and successful life. Keep in my mind, I've smoked with my mom one time and that's because we had a new years party, and she found my bud after all the guest left and I happened to roll a J with her and smoke it. Anyways enough with the story telling, let's get down to it.

I've never truly been interested in school academics when it comes to math, reading, etc, etc. I've always done enough to just get by. I never really was passionate about a career choice until Marijuana was legalized. The past few years I've really realized what I've wanted to do and that's work on a farm in the west or even in a more recent legalized state. I have just enough money to make a move somewhere and start fresh. I live in Georgia so it's very hard to reach out to people in the industry. I've stalked RIU for the past years without an account and decided to make an account today and get advice from the veterans and members of the industry who have experiences that I don't...

So I guess what I'm asking is what is the best way to approach landing a job/talking to a farm/dispensary. I'm genuinely passionate about the industry and want to make a life out of it. I hope one day to start my own farm, maybe even a dispensary.

For those of you who take the time to read this and reply with legitimate advice, I seriously appreciate it. For all those who read and don't reply, I hope you enjoyed the background on me :P

Anyways thanks everyone!

Kind Regards,
Serion

PS: Currently smoking on some blue dream, what are y'all smoking on?
Move out west in northern California. First get a place to rent, Then get a day job. There are plenty out here. Do a few out door sour diesel plants or indoor in a tent. All depends on what you find for living situations. You'll be getting your feet wet. California is wide open right now and I'm not sure why.
 

bict

Well-Known Member
If you want to do computing, get a degree. Its the only way, unless you develop something amazing.


Also, there's a lot more to security then botnets and rats.
 

PKHydro

Well-Known Member
You sound like your intelligent and driven, follow your fucking dreams man!

Develop and market a product, open a dispensary, start a farm, all awesome ideas but require a lot of work.

I'd start by going to school and take something that you easily transfer over to the cannabis industry. Take something your interested in though, then it won't be a struggle to apply yourself. Whether it's on the sciences side or business side is up to you. Another bonus of school is the opportunity to network with like minded people.

Your articulate and seem to have a good head on your shoulders. I'd say your already heading down the right path, just have to decide on a direction and work towards it.
 

Serion

Active Member
You sound like your intelligent and driven, follow your fucking dreams man!

Develop and market a product, open a dispensary, start a farm, all awesome ideas but require a lot of work.

I'd start by going to school and take something that you easily transfer over to the cannabis industry. Take something your interested in though, then it won't be a struggle to apply yourself. Whether it's on the sciences side or business side is up to you. Another bonus of school is the opportunity to network with like minded people.

Your articulate and seem to have a good head on your shoulders. I'd say your already heading down the right path, just have to decide on a direction and work towards it.
Thank you for the kind words, I appreciate it. After reading a majority of the replies and weighing all the options on the table, education is the way to go. Regardless if I wanna go to the school for the next 2-4 years of my life, it has to be done. We gotta make decisions to live the life we want right? I guess now is just figuring out what degrees I want. I'm thinking something along the lines of a major in business, preferably the management side of a business, and a minor in agriculture. Learning how to properly grow and tend for plants will only benefit me.
 

Serion

Active Member
You don't need a degree to make it as a software engineer.
Very true. I've tried to learn programming languages, just want my thing. I was always into the black hat/white hat scene. Learning how people laundered money, stole credit cards, etc, etc, interested me. I never personally did it, but I've talked to people long enough who have. It's weird, but most of them are great people at heart, just wanna make money the fastest way. I want to find a solution to stop all nonsense of stealing credit cards and what not online, but the plan is yet to come to me. I've brainstormed ideas, there's was just always a minor issue or something I just couldn't control.
 

bict

Well-Known Member
You don't need a degree to make it as a software engineer.
I disagree. Most, if not all jobs to do with software require you to have a degree from a university that complies with your nation/states computer society.

Try finding 5 job listings that don't require that.

Not trying to be a cock, just saying.
 

see4

Well-Known Member
I disagree. Most, if not all jobs to do with software require you to have a degree from a university that complies with your nation/states computer society.

Try finding 5 job listings that don't require that.

Not trying to be a cock, just saying.
I work in the software industry. I own a software company and Im an active CTO in another startup.

You don't need a degree in software engineering to get ahead in the industry.
 

bict

Well-Known Member
I work in the software industry. I own a software company and Im an active CTO in another startup.

You don't need a degree in software engineering to get ahead in the industry.
And I still disagree?. Very few people make it with just self taught programming.

Why would you not get a degree?

Anyway fuck arguing, I'm not going to sway your opinion just as your not going to sway mine.
 

Unclebaldrick

Well-Known Member
Ok so I wanna start out with the fact that I'm an 18 year old kid. I've always loved marijuana and the effects it had on me personally. Growing up I had a serious case of depression and over the past few years smoking weed really helped me open up and resolve some of the issues...

Now here's where I need some help and some information on where to go. I've always strived to find something in life I'm truly interested in. I live with my parents, Step-Dad is in the military and mom is a full time college student. They have no problem with me smoking marijuana as long as it's not in the house and what not. That's just because my step-dad can get in trouble with the Army.

The past few months I've sat down with my mom on a few occasions and really opened up about my marijuana enthusiasm. She's always supported me in my decisions as she wants me to live a happy and successful life. Keep in my mind, I've smoked with my mom one time and that's because we had a new years party, and she found my bud after all the guest left and I happened to roll a J with her and smoke it. Anyways enough with the story telling, let's get down to it.

I've never truly been interested in school academics when it comes to math, reading, etc, etc. I've always done enough to just get by. I never really was passionate about a career choice until Marijuana was legalized. The past few years I've really realized what I've wanted to do and that's work on a farm in the west or even in a more recent legalized state. I have just enough money to make a move somewhere and start fresh. I live in Georgia so it's very hard to reach out to people in the industry. I've stalked RIU for the past years without an account and decided to make an account today and get advice from the veterans and members of the industry who have experiences that I don't...

So I guess what I'm asking is what is the best way to approach landing a job/talking to a farm/dispensary. I'm genuinely passionate about the industry and want to make a life out of it. I hope one day to start my own farm, maybe even a dispensary.

For those of you who take the time to read this and reply with legitimate advice, I seriously appreciate it. For all those who read and don't reply, I hope you enjoyed the background on me :P

Anyways thanks everyone!

Kind Regards,
Serion

PS: Currently smoking on some blue dream, what are y'all smoking on?
Well it looks like you have gotten some good and consistent advice. I hope it helps.

Can you tell us more about your mom? Does she have a nice voice? Is she from Georgia too? Does she like NASCAR?
 

ttystikk

Well-Known Member
You want good advice...

Get into a trade. electrical is great. Your gonna need that if you want to grow big anyway. become well rounded though. go to a construction company and start at the bottom for them. make enough money to get out and get your own place with enough room to grow and get good at it. Make connections in the industry and then find a niche. Its a long road. Plus, you will always have a trade to fall back on. Thats my 2cents.

I dont see you getting a job out there in the industry with zero experience. volunteering can be good experience but wont pay the bills.
THIS. You want a sought after skill that will get you in the door at most decent sized facilities? Be the sparky! There's ALWAYS a need for someone with knowledge of electrical systems, wiring and certain components, like magnetic ballasts. Another damn handy skill set would be HVAC, for similar reasons.

By the way, don't come to Colorado expecting to get a job in a grow facility until you're 21. I think that's the legal age pretty much anywhere.

You might be better off building your skills and education right there in GA, and let the MMJ industry come to you. It will be legal there, sooner or later.

Texas, on the other hand... :wall:
 
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