# Head shop etiquet



## SherwoodForest (May 21, 2009)

For years head shops have had rules reguarding what cutomers say aloud in the store. You can't say bong, it's water pipe or you can't mention coke or whatever. So the other day I went into a head shop that is disguised as a tattoo parlor and it was all good. That is until I started asking about the vaporizers and mentioned a movie I saw called Super High Me. All of a sudden the clerk threw her arms in the air and insisted I had to leave. I feel bad for her because I was going to drop some coin on a few things. It felt like she was hurrying me out because there is a cop in the back room or something. Or maybe the cops installed a recording device in the room, it was rediculas. These folks making money selling questionably legal paraphenalia are not doing themselves any favors by kicking out customers for refering to weed. IMO, an if I was a shop owner, it would be a goal of mine to fight idiotic rules and "laws" about how you talk in the store. Lets put it this way, if I go into a  drug store and ask for something simular to speed, they are not going to kick me out. It's just the head shop folks that get all squirrly and that's wrong. You wanna know why weed is illegal all over? It's because to many people don't stand up for their rights. My god if a store dedicated to selling bongs and pipes and whatever doesn't stand up for what is right, who will?


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## ArtVandolay (May 21, 2009)

That's been my experience, too.  They mean business - if you say bong twice in my local shop, they hold the door open for you.


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## Dr. Manny Bowles (May 21, 2009)

SherwoodForest said:
			
		

> These folks making money selling questionably legal paraphenalia are not doing themselves any favors by kicking out customers for refering to weed. IMO, an if I was a shop owner, it would be a goal of mine to fight idiotic rules and "laws" about how you talk in the store.



Put your money and your freedom where your mouth is then.


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## gmo (May 21, 2009)

I have always been careful when I am in a headshop of what I say.  However, the other day I went to a new headshop that I hadn't been to before.  There was another customer in the shop, getting his scale calibrated.  From a few feet away I could see the residue of MJ on the scale, the shop owner didn't seem to mind and they talked about medical marijuana while he calibrated his scale.  I bought a vaporizer and the other worker at the shop was explaining the attachments for the vaporizer I picked out.  I was interested in the glass-on-glass bong attachment but didn't know the size I needed.  Well, he told me to bring in the bong and they will make sure to get me the right size attatchment.  I questioned it and told them that it was filthy with residue, and he said it was no problem.  Things are getting much more 'lax these days around here.


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## SherwoodForest (May 21, 2009)

That's great news GMO! Can anyone explain the rules and guidlines they follow? I know they are trying to stay open, but how does pot talk in a privately owned store put them in jepardy?


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## SPEARCHUCKER (May 21, 2009)

The rules are kinda like the doctors office. 
You not going to stand in the waiting room full of people and discuss your flamming hemorrhoids.


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## The New Girl (May 21, 2009)

Gee guys, wake up. In some places it is illegal to sell any type of drug/pot paraphernalia. Just say tobacco, is that so hard? Some stores can get closed down or people arrested in my neck of the woods for selling just pipes etc if they are openly talked about for pot. Just respect them, keep your mouth shut about dope and buy what you need, is that so hard? You open your own store and you'll change about how you put your business in jeopardy because someone can't just say the right things. They don't know if you are an undercover cop or narc...be cool and show respect....it's all good


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## zipflip (May 21, 2009)

thats no joke man. it same way here in the hed shop closest to me. and honest to god they truly do have a surveillance camera in there  with audio, which law here states here or some cheet that they must have such thing as well as allow police access to the feed(audio or video ) at any time. and they do periodically watch them for watever reasion i no clue.
  i use to live where the nearest shop is located here and a good friend of mine does still work there and he told me this as well as his manager whom i also know. 
  but wit theres the pilice has a direct link up wit the surveillance camera  at the station. and wat is weirder yet is i've noticed tehre over 6 headshops now in this state an been to all and every single one is within but a few blocks from a police department. i aint bull s'n either lol  and they too are also real strict on  the words chosen in their store. and will ask u to leave if makin anythin that references drug/mj usage in any way
  needless to say i dont ever go to any shops anymore. they price things so ridiculously.  somethin i paid 35 for online teh exact same item in the shop i saw was listed for 250$ ouch


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## nvthis (May 21, 2009)

I visited a new growshop last month and the owner straight-up threw down with the bud chat. Talking about trimming, budding plants, his favorite strains and what was locally available. I was a bit shocked, and apparently wasn't hiding it well. He told me that the limitations of what growshops can talk about are only set by city ordinance and as he was not within any city limit, he could do as he pleased.

Now I'm not exactly up on the current laws or anything but, legal or not, it _is_ happening.


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## zipflip (May 22, 2009)

true true 
  its still really strict here anythin pertainin to MJ laws etc...
  and honestly i do not forsee any changes here  for the least, any time soon. at least none for at least five eyars. they strange here and slow.


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## BuddyLuv (May 22, 2009)

head shops are nothing but snitch fronts.


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## Yoga (May 22, 2009)

At one time the city that I lived in closed every head shop.  They fought long and hard to get their businesses back and even then were under constant scrutiny.

I would not choose this as my business, but a lot of other people probably wouln't understand my desire to grow.

So respect their wishes.  I like having head shops.  And I have yet to see a head shop owner driving a Mercedes (might just be the city I live in).


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## astrobud (May 22, 2009)

you breath wrong in our local shop and he runs you right out the door, been that way for 20 + years, hes a peckerwood anyhow and he drives an old mercedes


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## zipflip (May 22, 2009)

probably paid for  with his overpriced merchandise too.  lol
  imo all hed shops are a rip off as well as like buddy said above. snitch front. well, basically. i mean cops can and do sit down block an sometimes watch who goes in an out .  thats an erie enough feelin for me to avoid them.


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## umbra (May 22, 2009)

try going to the hydro store and talk about yield, density, or flowering times for...tomatoes or peppers


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## Super Silver Haze (May 22, 2009)

i dont know if anyone remembers Chills products, a florida company, but they were shut down b/c of selling pipes and papers in a state where it is illegal to sell or possess them.  

Sherwood i know what you mean.  its rediculous that a little sidestep and different language and poof, its now legal to sell me a bong.  

im lucky b/c its never been an issue @ Hightides, im in fla and i keep my mouth shut.  i swear the guy who runs that shop has the memory of an elephant b/c it can be 6 months or more between visits and he remembers me and ask about my collection of glass.  

anyway headshops are quickly becoming a thing of the past b/c many foreign owned gas stations around me sell glass pipes, bongs and hooka's.  they usually display a few items and the rest in a box behind the counter.  their prices are at least half of what the headshop sells them for.


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## WeedHopper (May 22, 2009)

Yep,,ya cant say nothen about drugs in the Head Shop. They have always been that way for one reason. COPS come in undercover and bust them for the exact thing you are getting pissed off about. I have seen them shut down many times in my area,, because of just that.
Same goes with Hydro stores. Ya cant blame them for trying to potect thier store from being closed cause PPL cant use a little etiquet. 
I have done it myself purly by accident. They were always polite,,and just ask me to not mention any drugs please.


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## PencilHead (May 22, 2009)

umbra said:
			
		

> try going to the hydro store and talk about yield, density, or flowering times for...tomatoes or peppers


 
I can't hold my face straight and talk about odor control for veggies.


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## NorCalHal (May 22, 2009)

Simple Answer, Head shop owners don't want to go to Federal Prison and have thier homes and storefronts taken by LEO.

It Happens. Ask Tommy Chong. Selling drug paraphernalia is still a Federal Offence, so any conversation that leads the shop owner to beleive you are usuing it for drugs the shop owner is at risk if he/she sells any item in the store to you. So really man, it's more the shop owner thinking YOU are the cop, not one hiding out. I would kick you out too.
Here is a little story about the raids the Feds did in '03 busting Head shops. 



> Across the US, a combined force of the DEA, US Marshals, US Secret Service, Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, and local police took their positions outside dozens of headshops.
> It was February 24, 2003, the date chosen for the most widespread anti-paraphernalia raid ever: a two-headed drug war monster called Operation Pipe Dreams and Operation Headhunter.
> As agents smashed into headshops, arrested owners, seized millions of dollars worth of merchandise and confiscated homes and stores, a wave of fear spread through the cannabis community. What do these raids mean to the future of our culture in America?
> *Police trail*
> ...


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## NorCalHal (May 22, 2009)

Here is the rest of the article...



> *Cultural genocide*
> Glassblowers' reactions to the busts varied from outrage to fear. Many were hesitant to talk with _Cannabis Culture_, and some were openly hostile to a post-raid interview with a marijuana magazine.
> Mainstream media reports covered only a small portion of the damage done to what Attorney General Ashcroft called a "billion dollar" glass pipe industry. The busts of websites and storefronts were sensationalized, but thousands more individual glassblowers were also affected.
> Their products have become nearly unmarketable, they are left unpaid for pipes recently shipped to busted stores, and suddenly they find themselves struggling with mortgages, car payments and hungry children. Hundreds of small businesses collapsed entirely.
> ...


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## WeedHopper (May 22, 2009)

:yeahthat:


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## Shockeclipse (May 22, 2009)

I am pretty tight with the head shop employees by me.  I live in a really hip area, lots of bars and restuarants and cool shops.  It takes me less than three mins to walk to my fav head shop (there are two about the same distance).  I had a guy that works there blow a slide for me for this new bog I had gotten, and he just said to make sure I cleaned it out before I brought it there.  Everyone knows why you are buying pipes at a head shop.  Just skirt around what your putting in it.  The hydro guy on the otherhand... After my second visit he pretty much let me know alllll about his grow,  but now we're prettt cool about everything ( I do not divulge anything about my grow to him ). And he gives me the hook up every now and then.  This is kind of a topic about calling up your dealer too and not saying "hey dude, got any pot for sale?". I had a roomate like six years ago who used to sell, and this one guy would call up and say some pretty interesting things.  I remember he used to call a lot and just be like.." I think I left my wallet over there the other day, its got fifty bucks in it, have you seen it?"


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## PencilHead (May 22, 2009)

Shockeclipse said:
			
		

> I am pretty tight with the head shop employees by me. I live in a really hip area, lots of bars and restuarants and cool shops. It takes me less than three mins to walk to my fav head shop (there are two about the same distance). I had a guy that works there blow a slide for me for this new bog I had gotten, and he just said to make sure I cleaned it out before I brought it there. Everyone knows why you are buying pipes at a head shop. Just skirt around what your putting in it. The hydro guy on the otherhand... After my second visit he pretty much let me know alllll about his grow, but now we're prettt cool about everything ( I do not divulge anything about my grow to him ). And he gives me the hook up every now and then. This is kind of a topic about calling up your dealer too and not saying "hey dude, got any pot for sale?". I had a roomate like six years ago who used to sell, and this one guy would call up and say some pretty interesting things. I remember he used to call a lot and just be like.." I think I left my wallet over there the other day, its got fifty bucks in it, have you seen it?"


 
Back when I was young and stupider, a guy left a note on my door that said he wondered if I had any of that "lettuce" left.  I called, told him don't ever come over ever again.


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## BuddyLuv (May 22, 2009)

I just had a rather bad experience with a hydro shop. I ordered some stuff and was told it would get shipped to my house (not my real addy) by the end of the week. I waited for 3 weeks with no word and left two messages asking about my order with no response. I finally called the supplier he said it would ship from and they never received an order from him. So I went in because then he can't ignore me when I am right in front of him. He did and I asked him what the deal was, he pretty much told me to go screw myself and if I had a problem with his time of shipping and ordering oh well. I said OK how about I just charge it back on my card and just get it somewhere else, he said "then he would be forced to get the police involved" and gave me huge turd eating smile. It was all I could do to restrain from jumping the counter and knocking his teeth down his throat. As I left he also told me to never step foot in his shop again. All I could do was smile and walk out, but he will get his one day.:chuck:


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## Shockeclipse (May 22, 2009)

get the police involved in what?  You are a dissatisfied customer I would let your card carrier know about this and just block the charge.  Let them know you told the guy no and he said he would do it anyway?  Thats stealing IMO, if that wasnt involved in the cultivation of illegal substances it would be he who I called the cops on.  I will practice voodoo tonight for you, because now I am mad.


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## zipflip (May 22, 2009)

wow that crazy buddy,
  i flippin despise people like that. people who hide behind somethin that isnt theirs or someone else etc for their gain. 
  ya know wat i've done in the past before to people who r like that an i dont want them to know any of it was comin from or as a result of me...
  i'd do as many of those buy now pay later things an have em shipped to their address. as well as as much free junk mail you can lie an say his name an addy. like porn mail etc. anythin that may drive the man insane wonderin who what why.... lol
  its sweeter when ya see someone all tiked off over somethin they have no clue about. lol


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## BuddyLuv (May 22, 2009)

Shockeclipse said:
			
		

> get the police involved in what? You are a dissatisfied customer I would let your card carrier know about this and just block the charge. Let them know you told the guy no and he said he would do it anyway? Thats stealing IMO, if that wasnt involved in the cultivation of illegal substances it would be he who I called the cops on. I will practice voodoo tonight for you, because now I am mad.


 
see that's the problem right there. He knows I am not growing peppers with what I bought. I never told him that but he isn't stupid. He knows I am at his mercy and if need be he can get me in trouble and divert any attention from his own bad business practices towards his patrons. I will never buy in person from a shop again. I just saw that he was a authorized dealer and was local to me so I figured what the hell and gave it a shot. This is what is truely sad about america. The guy minding his own business, not stealing, and more or less a contributing member of society always gets screwed by crooked business people looking to exploit others for their own personal gains. Sad thing is if I ever see this dude in a dark alley he may need divine intervention to save him from the arse beating of a lifetime.


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## Shockeclipse (May 22, 2009)

Don't worry, my mystic voodoo powers are strong......


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## smokeytheherb (May 22, 2009)

Snitch fronts? That sucks for you guys that have to live through that, I live in New York and there are head shops everywhere and I've never seen any cops or any really sketchy things.  Of course most places aren't going to allow you to talk about bud and expect to buy a pipe, a lot of places are pretty chill here but most the places ID everyone.  I highly doubt head shops are going to want to snitch out their customer's that would make no sense at all, who is going to buy from them if people see that?  They can't do anything unless you have weed on you and in some cases it really isn't the best idea to bring weed to a head shop.  I guess it really depends on where you live though.


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## winstonwolf (May 22, 2009)

What's the point of engaging in that sort of conversation? Everyone understands that the legal situation remains tenuous. That these folks remained in business at all during the Bush years took more than a small degree of courage. Why not keep your mouth shut when you're in their store and show some appreciation for the fact that they're taking a risk just by being in business?


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## 7greeneyes (May 22, 2009)

A simple rule of thumb while visiting Head/Grow Shop, USA.

Don't say s***. How hard is that. I've been able to get EVERYTHING I've ever needed to grow w/o once dropping cannabis. Is that really hard? Seriously folks...C'mon. I grew through the Bush years. Here's what you do...go in, ASK FOR what you need to accomplish what you need to do and get out. I've never dropped one iota of info about my (growing) to my Indoor Guy, but he knows. He knows. They're not stupid...well at least my guy isn't. I've even had my Indoor Guy NOT even acknowledge my existence until everyone had left his store and then addressed me because of shady onetimers. Once he even told me to never park in front, in the back only and that if he ever ignored me in the future, it was because of undercover swine. Just keep it Fonzie and on the QT and you'll always be golden. There are times to wave your Cannabis flag and times when NOT to. Choose wisely fella's...and gal's...Wishing you much P&L.

p.s. I'VE ALWAYS PAID IN CASH.Everyone loves some type o green!


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## leafminer (May 22, 2009)

CowboyBudsky said:
			
		

> Yep,,ya cant say nothen about drugs in the Head Shop. They have always been that way for one reason. COPS come in undercover and bust them for the exact thing you are getting pissed off about. I have seen them shut down many times in my area,, because of just that.
> Same goes with Hydro stores. Ya cant blame them for trying to potect thier store from being closed cause PPL cant use a little etiquet.
> I have done it myself purly by accident. They were always polite,,and just ask me to not mention any drugs please.



So what you're telling me is that in your part of the world it is ILLEGAL to even TALK about weed? Sounds worse than Saudi Arabia.


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## 420benny (May 22, 2009)

Signs all over my local hydro shop. If you talk about marijuana, you will be asked to leave immediately. I don't blame them at all. It's their butt and the law here. It does get interesting asking about solutions to problems, etc. using tomatoes as an example. We both end up smiling and I get what I need without ever saying the magic words. I do wonder about the possibility of leo sitting across the lot writing down license plate numbers, but what can you do?


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## zipflip (May 22, 2009)

just order online guys... jmo. aint noone listen to wat ya say there. and prices are ALOT better online. and selection is more


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## smokeytheherb (May 23, 2009)

There are just certain things I look for when I buy a pipe that you just can't see when you order online, plus the wait can kill you sometimes.


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## PencilHead (May 23, 2009)

420benny said:
			
		

> Signs all over my local hydro shop. If you talk about marijuana, you will be asked to leave immediately. I don't blame them at all. It's their butt and the law here. It does get interesting asking about solutions to problems, etc. using tomatoes as an example. We both end up smiling and I get what I need without ever saying the magic words. I do wonder about the possibility of leo sitting across the lot writing down license plate numbers, but what can you do?


 
Probably one of the stupidest things one can do is to back in at the hydro store.  You may as well write "Large Grower" in white shoe polish on your rear window.

And if everyone recalls, the reason--supposedly--the guys in Tarpon Springs got popped was continually pulling around back of the hydro shop.

I travel a couple of miles farther and go to one in the next county anymore.  Just cross myself and cross my fingers before I go in.

Oh, and I try to look like a tomato farmer.


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## WeedHopper (May 23, 2009)

PencilHead said:
			
		

> Probably one of the stupidest things one can do is to back in at the hydro store. You may as well write "Large Grower" in white shoe polish on your rear window.
> 
> And if everyone recalls, the reason--supposedly--the guys in Tarpon Springs got popped was continually pulling around back of the hydro shop.
> 
> ...


 
Man,,are you ever on point Bro. Just going to a Hydro Store scares the hell outta me,,and I aint picking up hardly nothing. My stuff is just personal so I aint carring out hardly nothing, I only go once in a great while,plus I go to different ones,, and I still dont like it. Heard about that guy they watched and followed and busted. But as you said,,he was pullen around the back and picken lots of **** up,,all the time. You know they gotta be watchen folks.


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## Dr. Manny Bowles (May 23, 2009)

zipflip said:
			
		

> just order online guys... jmo. aint noone listen to wat ya say there. and prices are ALOT better online. and selection is more



Having stuff delivered can be kinda sketchy too IMO. I always worry about somebody grabbing the package off my porch if it happens to get delivered when I'm not here. Then you don't know who took it, but you know they know about your situation.


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## zipflip (May 23, 2009)

i doubt very many have that problem. sounds to me like you live in a sketchy neiborhood.
  you can always call ups or usps watever and arange to pik it up even if you wish man. granted you got a trackin number and can verify it.
  or even leave a note on ya door tellin them to call you at such an such number to arrange pick up or watever. they will work wit you .
also i havent ordered a single thing off the net that hasnt come packaged to where anyone would ever suspect anythin. unles of course you might be orderin from some 3rd world type country overseas. i have gotten some pretty funky packaging wit some pieces i've ordered before.


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## mr.greengenes (May 23, 2009)

A few months ago, my wife and I drove 45 minutes to Santa Cruz county CA to go to a hydro store. The kid there was cool until my wife said "growing pot" (as in, not a pot to grow in). The kid's face dropped, he went into a canned speach about federal crime yada yada and said "I'm going to have to ask you to leave". So yeah, it happens and I've definitely been kicked out of better places than that.
Almost everyone in Santa Cruz County grows weed and the cops virtually look the other way about possession. But the store could be put out of business if I were a wearing a wire for the DEA and they knowingly sold products for a drug related activity. 
Always be cool and "cover thy gluteous maximus". 
Luckily I found a new hydro store much closer to home and the clerk said he does consulting work on the side for $20 per hour. I'm thinking about inviting him over to help engineer my grow closet. I need to install a ventilation system with charcoal filter.


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## SherwoodForest (May 23, 2009)

I can see it now. "For 20 bucks an hour I'll come over and help you with your grow" then after a few months "for 20 bucks an hour I'll go away and not smoke all your dope"


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## mr.greengenes (May 23, 2009)

Yeah, that's the other side of the deal. I guess I want to believe I can trust somebody even though common sense would tell you otherwise. And when someone breaks into the house and rips me off blind, who am I gonna call? "Officer, someone ripped off my weed and grow room supplies!"


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## The New Girl (May 23, 2009)

mr.greengenes said:
			
		

> A few months ago, my wife and I drove 45 minutes to Santa Cruz county CA to go to a hydro store. The kid there was cool until my wife said "growing pot" (as in, not a pot to grow in). The kid's face dropped, he went into a canned speach about federal crime yada yada and said "I'm going to have to ask you to leave". So yeah, it happens and I've definitely been kicked out of better places than that.
> Almost everyone in Santa Cruz County grows weed and the cops virtually look the other way about possession. But the store could be put out of business if I were a wearing a wire for the DEA and they knowingly sold products for a drug related activity.
> Always be cool and "cover thy gluteous maximus".
> Luckily I found a new hydro store much closer to home and the clerk said he does consulting work on the side for $20 per hour. I'm thinking about inviting him over to help engineer my grow closet. I need to install a ventilation system with charcoal filter.



Sorry guy but that's crazy...#1 RULE-TELL NO ONE
There's enough info on this site to help you with a grow closet if you look, it may take a while but it's been said a thousand times here. If you get stuck after doing your homework ask questions and most likely someone will help you. 
   Example:  Your new buddy at $20 an hour gets busted, hmmmm, how can "I" help myself...I guess I'll turn some folks in to lessen my charge, this means you...or I need some extra cash, who can I rob...you. Tell no one...

Oh, here's your bonus...to vent, install a fan at the top of your closet to blow out the hot air, use one with a carbon scrubber (charcoal filter -look on ebay) if you are worried about the smell. Install an intake fan at the bottom of your closet to bring in fresh air. The bigger the fans the better...depending on closet size but you can never overdo too much air...(keeping temps in mind if the fresh air is too cold.) Good luck and oh...TELL NO ONE.


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## mr.greengenes (May 23, 2009)

Yeah, you're right. I read the thread where the dude got busted 'cause his wife was on probation and her friend got busted and narc'd out the grow operation. I didn't think it through and still have a lot to learn. (embarrassed). 
Thanks for the tip on ventilation and congratulations on your very impressive harvest!


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