ahhh geeezzzz guyssssss.....i know its 2:30 in the morning and i know im getting a little stoned to go back to bed but man oh man guys I know we are all on the same relative page here that's the whole reason we are on here...we're not one against another...we are the few against the system...or for the system which ever way you look at it ( i told you im stoned) but the general point is. There are a lot of people out there whom aren't entirely informed and it is the jobs of those who are to let it be known the truths of things. Lets us not get bent out of shape when someone really is in need of the truth...do you hear that...wait...Why Can't We Be Friends Why Can't WE be Friends Why Can't Wee Bee friends...
I agree. I've been saying since I got into this a few months ago that legal growers should pony up 10% of their net earnings so we can put together a union and get a lobyist speaking for us in DC.
But with growers pointing their fingers at other growers who are paying attention to the laws, and blaming them for the heat coming from the same place it's always come from, it doesn't seem very likely.
Yep what he said. Its takes no time at all to set up an LLC (financial purposes) and get a state business license (online). Then apply for a federal tax ID number (online). Then you can sell your extra meds to a dispensary and pay back your grow costs. Also you take take the costs of your grow equipment, clones, ferts, and even electricity off as a business expense. I have talked to the owners of two dispensaries and they are suppose to be 1099 people that vend to them if the transaction is over $500. So my advice to you is if you plan on vending to a dispensary then cover your basis and get your business license and tax numbers. I know its strange for this group to play by the real world rules after we have been conditioned by the govt. all of these years. But remember tax evasion is how they got Al Copone and I for one aint going out like that. Grow by the rules and dont mess with not paying your taxes and you should be able to do this without fear anymore.For those of you saying there is no such thing as a growers license, as far as i can tell you are correct. However, this wasn't about a license to grow marijuana, it's about having a license to conduct business in Colorado (any type of business). All I have been trying to point out is that if you are growing commercially you need to have a business license to legally sell your products (regardless of what those products are). Since it doesn't seem that the MMJ industry is actually being regulated yet all that means is going down and filling out a business license application and paying the fee. You will then be issued a retail/wholesale sales license and a tax ID number, and can legally conduct business.
Whether you want to believe me or not having a business license is a basic requirement to have any sort of retail or wholesale business operating in this state. It doesn't matter if you're growing MMJ, selling hot dogs, or own a corporation, you have to have a basic business license before you can open your doors and start selling anything. Thing is, that business license comes with benefits because it now means you can buy from other businesses at wholesale prices, and most of what you buy will be non taxable for sales tax purposes. It also means that you can start using business accounting methods and can write off all of your legitimate business expenses from the profits before you figure out how much tax you owe. Frankly, getting the business license is what takes you from being a black marketeer to being a legitimate business person.
Btw, to clear up a misconception- I'm NOT calling for more regulation of MMJ. What I'm calling for is the people who are involved in the business to stop playing by the black market rules they are used to and learn the legitimate business rules that they are going to have to abide by. Things like keeping accurate sales records, having insurance on your crop/equipment, paying all the various license and registration junk for the state and cities, filing monthly sales tax returns, paying social security and medicare taxes as an employer, etc.
You've obviously never applied for a business license. When you apply, if you say "give me a business license" they will reply "what type of business are you starting?". You can't just get a general business license, who ever told you that is misinformed.For those of you saying there is no such thing as a growers license, as far as i can tell you are correct. However, this wasn't about a license to grow marijuana, it's about having a license to conduct business in Colorado (any type of business). All I have been trying to point out is that if you are growing commercially you need to have a business license to legally sell your products (regardless of what those products are). Since it doesn't seem that the MMJ industry is actually being regulated yet all that means is going down and filling out a business license application and paying the fee. You will then be issued a retail/wholesale sales license and a tax ID number, and can legally conduct business.
Whether you want to believe me or not having a business license is a basic requirement to have any sort of retail or wholesale business operating in this state. It doesn't matter if you're growing MMJ, selling hot dogs, or own a corporation, you have to have a basic business license before you can open your doors and start selling anything. Thing is, that business license comes with benefits because it now means you can buy from other businesses at wholesale prices, and most of what you buy will be non taxable for sales tax purposes. It also means that you can start using business accounting methods and can write off all of your legitimate business expenses from the profits before you figure out how much tax you owe. Frankly, getting the business license is what takes you from being a black marketeer to being a legitimate business person.
Btw, to clear up a misconception- I'm NOT calling for more regulation of MMJ. What I'm calling for is the people who are involved in the business to stop playing by the black market rules they are used to and learn the legitimate business rules that they are going to have to abide by. Things like keeping accurate sales records, having insurance on your crop/equipment, paying all the various license and registration junk for the state and cities, filing monthly sales tax returns, paying social security and medicare taxes as an employer, etc. Sure, some of the people reading this already know about that stuff, but the more I talk to people in the local MMJ community the more I'm finding that there are a lot of people that want to grow commercially (and are planning on it), but that don't have a clue when asked about what they'll need to do to set it up as a business. Me, I don't want to grow commercially. I just want to help the people that do out by reminding them that they need to be thinking about and looking into these things so that the government isn't able to shut them down on a technicality or use the lack of adherence to the business laws to further regulate things.
LLC stands for Limited Liability Corporation. You can file corporation papers for any business, even if you want to sell blood to mesquitos. It doesn't matter what type of business, even if it's fictional. But there is no business license for growers. You can get one if you want to open a dispensory, but that's it.Yep what he said. Its takes no time at all to set up an LLC (financial purposes) and get a state business license (online). Then apply for a federal tax ID number (online). Then you can sell your extra meds to a dispensary and pay back your grow costs. Also you take take the costs of your grow equipment, clones, ferts, and even electricity off as a business expense. I have talked to the owners of two dispensaries and they are suppose to be 1099 people that vend to them if the transaction is over $500. So my advice to you is if you plan on vending to a dispensary then cover your basis and get your business license and tax numbers. I know its strange for this group to play by the real world rules after we have been conditioned by the govt. all of these years. But remember tax evasion is how they got Al Copone and I for one aint going out like that. Grow by the rules and dont mess with not paying your taxes and you should be able to do this without fear anymore.
mcrider
It is good to have a business checking acct in the company name.LLC stands for Limited Liability Corporation. You can file corporation papers for any business, even if you want to sell blood to mesquitos. It doesn't matter what type of business, even if it's fictional. But there is no business license for growers. You can get one if you want to open a dispensory, but that's it.
The rules that apply to growers are the same that apply to every other small business or sole proprietor. Get you license if one exists, get a ficticious name registration is you have a business name that's different than your own name, and use your SS# as you tax id #. File your taxes quaterly and that's it. Just ask your local SS office for a sole proprietor tax form.
I'll let you know if anything changes, but for now that's the long & short of it.
To open a business with a name different than your own you have to do a ficticious name registration, and you need a business license to do that. In FL ficticious name registrations go through sunbiz.org, in NY it's done the same time you get a business license at the same office. I'm not sure about CO.It is good to have a business checking acct in the company name.
I don't know about a specific growers license. I don't understand why you would need to pinpoint it that much.
In a sense, you are selling contract services; growing for customers. You can also retail your product, needing the sales tax licenses.
Why not -" Joe Blow Contract Growers Service & Supply Company"?
If they sued & won, that would be great. It would be the first one I heard of, and it would make me feel a lot better.Danny the police have been successfully sued by growers for damaged property (plants). Here is one of the many articles about it, the city is refusing to pay
I'm pretty sure that they got paid because they ended up opening the first dispensary in Fort Collins.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS - The city of Fort Collins has refused to pay a couple's claim for more than $200,000 for letting their marijuana plants die after they were seized in a medical marijuana case.
Police confiscated 39 plants from Jim and Lisa Masters in August 2006, but they were returned after a judge ruled the couple qualified as medical marijuana growers, even though they had not completed the required paperwork.
The pair say their plants were dead, dry and in some cases moldy when they got them back in December 2007, so they filed a claim with the city.
Police say they weren't required to keep them alive because the couple didn't have permits.
The couple's attorney, Brian Vicente, said Thursday they will probably file a civil suit in state court in hopes of forcing the city to pay.
They did win Danny, like I said there are TONS of articles on them I just copied the first one I found.Anyway, I'm tired of arguing. If anyone knows of a license for growers then post info on it. If anyone has info on the laws, post that too. Other than that, stop complaining about those who don't get a license to grow. I have too many other things to do than to argue about something that doesn't exist.
Come on Dan now your taking the fun out of it...we could argue about where all those cookies that the cookie monsters eats actually goes...or the name of that creature that lives up your nose to bite your fingers off if you put it up there too far...or perhaps if frosty the snow man truly could end up in your ice water someday. All things that could be fun to argue but not all that real. Are you really willing to get rid of all of these fun topics...Anyway, I'm tired of arguing. If anyone knows of a license for growers then post info on it. If anyone has info on the laws, post that too. Other than that, stop complaining about those who don't get a license to grow. I have too many other things to do than to argue about something that doesn't exist.
Everything else you mentioned is fun to argue about. lolCome on Dan now your taking the fun out of it...we could argue about where all those cookies that the cookie monsters eats actually goes...or the name of that creature that lives up your nose to bite your fingers off if you put it up there too far...or perhaps if frosty the snow man truly could end up in your ice water someday. All things that could be fun to argue but not all that real. Are you really willing to get rid of all of these fun topics...
That's about the size of it. But if you don't file taxes as a sole proprietor quaterly and pay your taxes, then you're breaking the law.I've got a question for all you in CO. If I'am a legal mmj user in CO and I choose to grow my own medicine with the legal # of plants I may grow for myself, can I then legally sell any surplus meds that I may grow to either a dispensary or another legal patient? Thanks for the help.