Michigan Newbie

thrashd0g

Member
I'll admit that I am a newbie at growing, but I started at a very opportune time. I have helped sick friends obtain medical cards and ambitious friends obtain care-giver cards to help them. I've experimented with growing for a few years, and have started people close to me on the right track with very good results (all props to rollitup).

I'm very familiar with legislation in this state and always want to stay legal. My care-giver card must wait until I turn 21, but I plan on growing to help ill family members and possibly local patients. My dream is to one day open a dispensary.

I have noticed a sprout in dispensaries and hydroponics stores in SE Michigan. I want to know how these people have started these private businesses and are prospering, while everyday committing a federal offense. I know hydroponics are completely legal businesses, but I have not found the secret to opening a dispensary.

I plan to pursue a future in growing, hopefully in this state. Whenever I try to contact these businesses, I have encountered nothing but hostility. I don't consider myself just a young stoner. I'm just looking for some direction in pursuing a career field I have found passion in.

Any advice or help anyone out there can offer? What are the building blocks to starting a business like this?
 

deprave

New Member
the building blocks to do something like that: Knowing a lot of people, Having a lot of money, Making arrangements with local PD

pretty much you already need to be pretty rich and famous locally
 
If you want to open a Disp you are going to need a LOT of money behind you.

You need a lawyer, you need an accountant, you need to have a full business plan, you need to go before city council, you need to notify all people within a certain
distance and they all have the chance to come to the council meeting to show support or opposition (which the council member will take consideration of when voting
as the people there are the ones who elected them). You need money to pay rent first rent and security deposit, also will need insurance, to set up your offices (furniture, security system, safes, security doors etc etc)... Oh yes..... Ummm inventory?
Best part of it all is when you go before city council they can turn you down or say we have changed our mind
(if they are even a city open to it that is) and instilled a waiting period for us to review it further before deciding.

Now if you are talking about some of the private back off disps well save your money for the lawyer for when the city shuts you down.

Trust me it is NOT easy!! Cities are going to limit the # IF the particular city even allows them at all...

Sure you can say they don't have the authority to stop you from opening a business (yes they do) but they do it the easy way by setting
up zoning restrictions so tough you can't find a place which will fit their requirements without your rent being 10's of thousands of dollars.
One particular city has zoning in place and when you look for a location in their city limits which fits all their distance from school etc requirements
you find there is only one building in the whole city which would work and it is a 60,000 sq ft warehouse oh yes the city has made it clear they will
not allow growing in a disp in their city or medicating in there so what are you going to do with the other 59,000 sq ft you have to rent???? Yes
I spoke to the landlord and he laughed when I asked if it would be possible to subdivide and take 1000 sq ft or so, he said no problem but I have to
pay for the buildout and the rent is still the same 1000 sq ft or 60000 sq ft...

I think its great you want to get involved but start small, join a compassion club, help organize a few events, become a CG when you are able and start
working for one of the legit disps when you are a CG and go from there.... Rome was not built in a day haha
 

MI Ganja Farmer

New Member
Well put Mufy. I feel like everyone is seeing $ when it comes to these dispensaries and can't wait to open there own and start their American Dream! The bottom line is start small. If you are a good grower and have high quality organic meds to sell to a dispensary than you can make a good amount of money and not have all the head aches of opening your own dispensary. Try that for a while and if you are good at what you do then you should have no problem earning enough money to one day open your own dispensary.
 

tagee

Member
stand up for your rights, try, ask questions, move forward, dont get discouraged, the law is new, the consept is old, lets bring the mitten back to the map!!
 

stowandgrow

Active Member
Well put Mufy. I feel like everyone is seeing $ when it comes to these dispensaries and can't wait to open there own and start their American Dream! The bottom line is start small. If you are a good grower and have high quality organic meds to sell to a dispensary than you can make a good amount of money and not have all the head aches of opening your own dispensary. Try that for a while and if you are good at what you do then you should have no problem earning enough money to one day open your own dispensary.
Well put! 100% agreed.
 
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