Grow shop

I am looking at starting a grow shop.

I have been selling supplys to legal MJ growers ,and non MJ growers (ficus, bonsi,cactus,veggies.)

I want to sell to everyone, not just the cannabis market.

But here is my question........ Is it illegal on the fedeal level to sell growing supplys that will be used for the cultvation of cannabis?????

I need to do something with my life, do to physical resticyions I can no longer do my previus carear.

I have a run down house on a Main road (i live in the woods) that I have been fixing up to use as my store front.

I have been Slinging supplys out of my garage for a couplke months (thank you hydro shops for the stupid high prices that make mine look so low)

I was thinking about going with HYDROFARM. they sent me a APP, and they want you to be a set up and running busness.

I dont want to breck the laws to do it.

With a store front, that REALLYS PUTS MY NAME OUT THERE. and i dont want the feds messing with me, for supplying MEDICAL growers.

I was thinking about making a sign that says "all product are for Legale use only" and I would not ask what they are growing.

P.S. I only have a couple hundred in supplys, and no forseeable income


Any thoughts? advise? warnings? hints?



oh yeah when I said I won't ask what u are growing, If someone with out a card is buying stuff that I think will be used Illegaly I will not sell them the stuff, and kick them out of the store, I want to help the people that need supplys for there food and/ or meds. I have been dealing mainly with ORGANICS. I have chemical ferts , but after they talk to me about organics, they dont want chemical nutes anymore. I started a ORGANIC FAD.

nurseries sell grow equipment and look less suspicious,they also sell fruit trees,plants,flowers, and all kinds of stuff,from timers,ducting,mylar lady bugs,etc..

Unless you were specifically marketing your products as marijuana growing products I think you would be just fine. A place nearby sells 1000 watt light bulbs at wholesale prices. They deal mainly with growers and factories, but they are not telling people to grow with their bulbs and aren't liable. Is there a reason why you can't just set up a nice legal grow in this empty house in the woods?

I want to make money and retire. If i sell grow eqipment and pay taxes, I get lots of money and cool stuff, and get to keep it forever,

If i were to set up a Legal grow (caregiver), do what i love, sell the stuff, get rich, get really cool stuff, fly around the world living it up, that would be great for a few years, BUT THAN THEY Will come in, destory everything i worked so hard too do, seaze all my assets, send me away to prision for a long time......... than when i am old I have nothing to my name except a feleny conviction.


But if I start a grow shop, I wont have as much money at first, but I will be obeying the laws and beable to live on the out side, retirer in 20 years, and Than I can fly around the world living it up.

If you do what you love you will never work a day in your life. And I like talking about plants and growing. I have always been really good at SCINECE .

Grow shop pros : Work from home, make money legaly, social inter action, get to help people(makes me feel warm and tigley inside),

Grow shop Cons: comuity reaction, puts my name out there with Growing. Dealing with drug users, evryone and ther cousin will stop by to see what the store has in it and than they will probaly try to steal stuff.


right now I have a good clientel of great people. but WOuld like to take it to the next leavel. I am going to stop growing my own meds and get a caregiver.

First you need to make sure that your house is in an area that is zoned for commercial/retail use.....it is likely not, you would know. If not, you can't open a business. You're going to need access to $100,000 for your stock.....banks aren't lending money unless you have a major down payment.

There are a million growing supplies stores, and many are going out of business quick....just too many. I've seen two go out in the last few months around here.

You will probably need a financial partner to even get close to start. Also, you have to get approved by the zoning committee and the city council to open any kind of store, and they can approve or deny for any reason, and all you can do is drop big money just to get an application to dispute it. There is a guy in ypsi that has a strip mall he ownes, and wanted to open a tattoo shop there.....city said they didn't want another one, so he can't open, end of story.

Business ownership is diffcult. You need money to have your accounting done, pay for insurance, pay a payroll service, adversiting, website design, the list is endless.

In conclusion.....start the research and do a lot of it. The bank will want a professional business plan just to get a consideration, and they don't like hyro shops.

Comercal property: yes
Bank loan: No

I own the house, and I dont want to get a laon, maybe find investers. $10000 and I will be golden. there is Three hydro shops all 25-30 miles in each direction. And I already have people driveing Past those shops to come see me.

I just want to start small (paid for shack) than if I get money rolling in, I will move the loction to a nice urban setting.


I have a qusiteion? WHen i go to a grow/hydro store, people are always talking about cultivating cannabis. ARE THEY BREAKING ANY LAWS BY SELLING STUFF THAT THEY KNOW WILL BE USED IN THE CULTVATION OF CANNABIS???????????

I DONT WANT TO BREAK THE LAWS, but want to sell canna goods

THANKS FOR ALL THE HELP and AWNERS

My suggestion would be forget the store front and over VERY low price items on Ebay.......a good example is The Hydro Source, who seems to offer the best prices with free delivery on the net. Tons of business to be had if you low-ball your prices! But many wholesalers demand large pre-purchases of stock before they'll deal with you. I'd say Hydrofarm is the one company you want to stay away from.......lastly, I sincerely doubt you'll get rich running this type of business, going up against the big boys, unless you have a monster advertising budget! You're late to the party, I imagine.

SSHZ said:

My suggestion would be forget the store front and over VERY low price items on Ebay.......a good example is The Hydro Source, who seems to offer the best prices with free delivery on the net. Tons of business to be had if you low-ball your prices! But many wholesalers demand large pre-purchases of stock before they'll deal with you. I'd say Hydrofarm is the one company you want to stay away from.......lastly, I sincerely doubt you'll get rich running this type of business, going up against the big boys, unless you have a monster advertising budget! You're late to the party, I imagine.

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The closest grow shop is 25 miles, the second is 30. and the trird is 40 miles away. how many people live in a 15 mile raduis??? i dont know but I know that 1/4 of the poulation grows somesort of plant.. I am not steping on anyones toes by doing this. As of now when we go to thr grow shop, it is a ROAD TRIP, we roll some joints, stop and get fast food,.. it is not like we can just run out to the local grow shop real quick, it's a Hour of drive time there and back.....


so if i have lower prices and am closer, people should come to me insted of the BIG BOYS.

dirt cost $10 abag they sell it for $23-$27 abag. so if I sell the same bag for $20 The custmer will be happy and I will double my money....... so I double my money, and make people happy, Why would they go elseware???? I guess if someone wants to drive farther and spend more money, I will be out of bussiness.

I am not to late to the game, I am one of the first players around here. Location location location, and in my Loction there is no place to buy growing supplys.

Well, good luck with it all.....

Location location location
Where you live will depend on if you get fucked with and if you are successful.
Go to the local cops and ask them. This is one of the leading industries right now, even in non legal states.
If you are that scared about it, then you shouldn't do it. Stressful shit.
Good luck. there are shit for grow shops in UP. I have thought heavily about opening one, but fuckers are broke and everyone wants to haggle proce on everything up here, like every business is a damn flea market. Both shops say "Hey, I'll just ring it up and tell you when it in", What the fuck good is that? Like I don't have a fucking computer? So I say "How about I pay online company and save a bunch of money and when the shit shows up at my front door, I will let myself know. lol". I hit grow shops from UP to Detroit. Hate to say, most suck ass. Most try to sell you shit that is left on their shelves, and won't bring up better sold-out products.
Good Luck, keep us posted.

SSHZ said:

My suggestion would be forget the store front and over VERY low price items on Ebay.......a good example is The Hydro Source, who seems to offer the best prices with free delivery on the net. Tons of business to be had if you low-ball your prices! But many wholesalers demand large pre-purchases of stock before they'll deal with you. I'd say Hydrofarm is the one company you want to stay away from.......lastly, I sincerely doubt you'll get rich running this type of business, going up against the big boys, unless you have a monster advertising budget! You're late to the party, I imagine.

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I tried selling on ebay, not enough there to have a successful business with that only, hydrosource has a storefront. You are correct about wholesalers requiring large first purchases and they make you sign an agreement that you won't discuss mj while selling there products.
Hydrofarm is the worst requiring a 25,000 dollar first purchase, then they want to tell you how to run your business.

Honestly Hydrofarm sounds good. $25,000 get's you a sweet grow room, not fully stock a grow shop. Empty fucking grow stores are my biggest bitch!!!!!
I asked both stores about pallets of Roots Organics soil, they both said they don;t even buy pallets. But both were completely out of stock!!!!!! WTF!!!!
Do I sit down and explain to them that maybe they should? If they don't fucking get it.... Anyway, enough of that rant. lol.

gladstoned said:

Honestly Hydrofarm sounds good. $25,000 get's you a sweet grow room, not fully stock a grow shop. Empty fucking grow stores are my biggest bitch!!!!!
I asked both stores about pallets of Roots Organics soil, they both said they don;t even buy pallets. But both were completely out of stock!!!!!! WTF!!!!
Do I sit down and explain to them that maybe they should? If they don't fucking get it.... Anyway, enough of that rant. lol.

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25000 to hydrofarm when buying wholesale for a business is probably 50000- 75000 worth of stuff retail you can get shit on the cheap buying wholesale but i do agree it still probably wouldnt fill a grow store unless the grow store was on the small side

gladstoned said:

Honestly Hydrofarm sounds good. $25,000 get's you a sweet grow room, not fully stock a grow shop. Empty fucking grow stores are my biggest bitch!!!!!
I asked both stores about pallets of Roots Organics soil, they both said they don;t even buy pallets. But both were completely out of stock!!!!!! WTF!!!!
Do I sit down and explain to them that maybe they should? If they don't fucking get it.... Anyway, enough of that rant. lol.

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big store usually means big prices and there nutes may have been on the shelf for awhile. When I would buy pallets of roots organic, I would have a store full of gnats, i can get it next day,So I just wait until my customer is ready for it and have a few bags in stock for other customers.
hydrofarm is only one supplier, there is NGW,Advanced,BWGS,Humboldt wholesale and a few others.

I am looking for good deals on a plalet Roots Organic, I have been sending MY customers to the other Grow shops to get dirt, I am done with that, I am getting my dirt by the pallet. Fox farm, roots, happy frog, and what ever else my custmers want. They have money, and need stuff, and I need money, and will get stuff. seem pretty simple to me, I been ordering off ebay and selling stuff for HYDROFARM prices (i use there catalog,) And I am making money, but If i could get stuff cheaper, than i could sell it cheaper.

I am going to run a busness out of this building, Grow shop or not, I want/need to work from home, and this is where i am going to do it. And the ONLY stuff people spend money on is "Transportion" "Weed" , I already sell used cars, and I am not a drug dealer.... so That leaves me to sell supplys for people to grow there OWN.

I have a green thumb and a COP for a neaigber. so I need to express my skill in a legal fasion

I was quoted $880 and $950 for pallet of 100 bags, Roots.

Are you going to be declaring your income? Are you going to be registering your business as a sole proprietorship? LLC?

I'm self employed, and if you are serious about this I'd highly recommend consulting a tax attorney before you get started.

I think you're perfectly legal to do what you're talking about here (assuming your local ordinances provide for this type of use). You are more likely to get in to hot water over taxation issues, books and records, etc. Going in to business for yourself can be very rewarding, but you are also assuming a lot of risk as well. Dot your I's and cross your T's before you flip your open sign on.

That is where I am at. My goal this year is to learn as much as possible. Then make decisions and follow through accordingly. I want to make some supersoil as soon as weather allows and I bought half a dozen bags to last awhile and they didn't last very long at all. lol. Shit is $15.50 a bag, or a pallet at $880. That sounds like 76 free bags to me! 100 bags would be $1550, at $8.80 that would be 176 bags for price of 100 lol Fucking no brainer there.

There is a grow shop on every corner in Cali. I am sure Mich is the same, probably too late to get on the "grow shop" explosion. You could do "shady" sales as well like most of em, as well and take your chances too.

BigBuddahCheese said:

There is a grow shop on every corner in Cali. I am sure Mich is the same, probably too late to get on the "grow shop" explosion. You could do "shady" sales as well like most of em, as well and take your chances too.

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The Upper Peninsula of Michigan and California are both in USA and they both have trees. That may be about it in similarities. I think I have 2 stores within a 2 hour drive one way. No grow shop explosions, they have explosions in the mines, that's about it. lol