How Hard Is It To Find Patients?

[Wheeler]

Over the last few months me and a friend have built a grow room in his basement with the idea of growing plants and selling to patients. At first things were going well and we were both excited. But now he says he wants out of the deal because it's almost impossible to find patients to sell to and he has left me owing $1,000 on my credit card for the supplies to build the room.

 

So my question is, How hard is it to find patients? Have you guys had a lot of difficulty in finding patients to sell to? I live in the metro Detroit area so I would think there would be a lot of people in the area to sell to but I really don't know. I'm willing to work hard but I don't know if it's even worth it. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

[cheapshades]

Howdy!

 

Post a "Caregiver Looking for Patients" thread here:

 

http://michiganmedicalmarijuana.org/forum/136-finding-a-patient-or-a-caregiver/

 

Classifieds also available here:

 

http://michiganmedicalmarijuana.org/classifieds/

[pic book]

Worth it personally, yes, in that you spend less $ producing your own than you do buying your meds.  Unless you grow your own you will likely never have the opppty to eat raw buds off plants, or juice cannabis. Course, growing your own you also spend a lot more of your time on a part time-hobby that has a learning  (disappointment) curve. You can still acquire from disps in down-times or for variety.   you don't have to do-it-all; dabs and oil requires talent and equipment and expertise.

 

Worth it as a business to service patients?  Yes.  If you desire and love a part-time job that requires full-time attention to a business that, when you're very very clock-tic efficient and just palin good, breaks even but still requires you to manage difficult sick people and effectively market to patients who have 100 disps in detroit to buy products.  as an individual, you break the law in offering (wax, oil) to pats, even when signed to you.  a disp is in a gray area and freely dispenses what products you may not chose to offer.   And if you do not, you lose, you lose most patients under 40.  Competition with disps is unfair due their far greater menu.  For all these reasons the answer is yes, it's worth it if you if you love:  the plant, difficult patients, lethal competition to patient longevity, and feeding the beast or killing your babies as lara fiddlfukks with  patient's cards.  

 

Worth it to make money?  That's something a disp does, not a caregiver.

[Norby]

I moved here and started as a patient in Oct. and started my garden.  Harvested my first meds at Xmas.  Got my first patient on 1-7, 2nd on 1-9 and I'll be getting my 3rd card this week and got my 4th patient today.  It's taken me 6 mos. since production to get to one opening left.  I drive 1 hour N for 2 of my patients and have 2 which are about a 30 min drive.  I'm sure location has an influence.

I have only advertised here.

I have had a lot of experience and was able to show quality meds at meeting. 

 

Worth it?  I'd need more info to answer that.  Depends on how well you learn, how consistent you can be, how well you are at interviewing to know the right patient and being able to manage patients.

 

Oh, basically what Pic said.  He knows your area.

I got lucky.  I took all I interviewed and they are a great bunch.  The kid is a little bit to manage. but he's a hard worker and goin thru tough times.

Edited June 17, 2014 by Norby

[trichcycler]

Definitely worth it to grow your own and stay private.

Your "income" will depend solely on your five patients and their ability to pay you

on a regular base. I can tell you that having a new patient for only a few months

is worse than not having them at all.

If you sign on anyone with an interest you may have your hands full for years

before you figure out the "types" of patients you can properly satisfy. Those types

are completely dependent on you and your expectations. The good quality of your meds will

help keep your patients, if they come with a low cost, but will do nothing to bring them to you.

 

Patients only have your personality to weigh their options in an interview/post. Speaking about your

grow habits, grow ethics, strain selections, and mission statement may bring just the right patients

for your consideration.  Patients sharing your sentiments will most likely be your most positive experiences.

 

I generally stay with the over 50 crowd, but can say as time moves forward I'm meeting more and more 25-50 patients who are excellent examples of a

"Good Patient" and am honored to serve them. I serve military personnel with good experiences too. I avoid referrals  and I drive two hours for each but one delivery ever month.

Things to avoid are yours to decide, and your judgment in choosing registrants is the very best you can have.  It's good to hear you're starting with a proper grow room first.

 

good luck, and we're here for ya!

[pic book]

So OP:  the take-away from grassmatch is if you're willing/able to drive 2 hours to deliver, you too can have a full slate of patients who share your orientation and pay $200 for good quality and personal delivery every month.   GM is one in probably 190 caregivers, just guessing that, as very few of us have a steel buidlng contractor-built with permits wired up to our specs. And few of us are the scientist/engineers he is at oil making.

 

I refuse anybody over 20 minutes distance----unless they come to me.  i heed the stats from Michigan State Highway Patrol----that 73% of weed busts in our state are vehicle-related.   I don't want to be in a vehicle carrying weed, period.  if you have the brass knockers like gm, carry it on for a hundred miles.  I have had 3 friends--cgs--carrying legal amts (for them) of weed in a veh and been pulled over and the cash and weed taken.  No charges.  Just robbery.  13 ounces and $800 in one situation----and it's just a cost of dong business while earning minimum wage.

 

You want $ run a disp.  You want to be a full-time manager and a servant of the community, be a cg.  The spirit GM ex[presses is the right one to hold as a cg, altho it's up to you to supply extracts. I choose not.

Edited June 17, 2014 by pic book

[trichcycler]

wow ! what a f'kn memory man, kudos. thanks for the kind words, and mostly the eye opening account of what I do and why.

I may need to rethink my driving bit, and maybe raise to 300oz, and I don't supply extracts any longer. I am guilty of a small bottle of sesame oil

soaking away in the cupboard with some pink pheno plushberry. A spoonful is a sweet dose on fresh veggies. I use the same strain to make my tea.

 

I have considered the highway robbery, and always only deliver to one patient only to reduce suspicion/possible risk. still man, thanks for the thoughts

[jointedone]

Happy now? And hells yes I pay dues.

Edited June 18, 2014 by jointedone

[imiubu]

Oh boy ^^

 

To lump 'all' CG's together due to a couple of bad experiences is a GREAT disservice, imho.

 

 

 

 

edited as it seems my spell check isn't working

Edited June 18, 2014 by imiubu

[phaquetoo]

Jointedone.

 

I dont think you are the most hated paying member in here lol, you most def sound like you have had a few realy bad experiences with c.g's, I have only had 2 since the program began, my 1st was a total loser/thief/lying phaq, I payed 10 bucks and got rid of him, I found my next c.g I have now had him for man I dont know the rest of the yrs I have been legal,

 

My c.g has a full card I was the only pt he had that was getting one plant freshly cut at crop time, the amount I wound up with was always awsome after I dried and cured it, not to mention the awsome quality, my c.g has a family his equipment takes a poop as much or more than the next growers, he has a very expensive grow, he has a very very expensive electric bill also, he struggles as much or more than his pts alot of months, he has never came to me or any of his pt's to get a front on money, but he always has his pt's meds, he is very fair priced and he will leave meds for his pt's if they are going thru a tough financial time, but he does expect to be compensated for that before next med drop off!

 

Why is it ok for a pt to be low on cash and not pay their c.g and not ok for the c.g to get what the pt and c.g agreed on when they agreed to be attached to each other via the registration?

 

My c.g grows awsome meds and he is only human like I, actualy just like me, he is also on disability and has a hard time making ends meet, he dont break the law/chain of his pt's, he follows the law to the T.

 

Back when this law became law alot of c.g's were supplying despenses with intentional overages so they could get a good pay day and still supply their pt's with their uninterupted supply of meds at the price agreed from the begining, now he cant supply other pt's or c.g's or despenses but has to maintain his prices for the pts he has had for as long as me or longer!

 

I dont remember why you said you cant grow your own, but to start a small grow in a tent or closet does not cost alot of money, and you dont need all of the equip that most techi c.g's use, you can use t-5 lites a fan and the kiss method medium, you can grow a few plants at a time from start to finish in that same closet or tent and you will begin to have more meds than you need to get from crop to crop!

 

It is not fair to lump c.g's all together, there are many good compassionate c.g's!

 

Im a pt with a c.g, Im also a c.g for my lady,  I only get my meds from my c.g when I have to, like now im redoing a few things because I did invest more than what you would have to.....to get a solid grow.

 

I can run my little room on my generator and did yesterday when we lost power from the tornado we had yesterday, meaning my electric bill does not get high, I bet it does get higher than  yours would if you just did a small grow with t-5's and a fan, you may want 1 cheap inline but you could do w/o it like many of us did back in the day,,,heck ive seen plants grow with just small shop lites,

 

I hope you can either get your own grow going or find the right c.g, you have been around long enough to not sign some one that cant show you what kind of meds they grow and have a few visits with samples!

 

I dont know about the rest of the compassionate c.g's in this site, but I take it personaly when you bad mouth us all as a hole, im very sorry to say this. but you probably would have a hard time getting a c.g off of this site because of the hatred you show toward us!

 

I hope things get better for you and yours!

 

Peace

[jointedone]

Happy now? Have a wonderful day.

Edited June 18, 2014 by jointedone

[phaquetoo]

I forgot to add, we are not all like the o,p and trying to make a living from this, it would be nice to get a lil something for the time we have to spend, but breaking even works for me,

 

I find the o.p's post to be offending to good c.g's also!

 

Peace

[jointedone]

Bye.

Edited June 18, 2014 by jointedone

[jointedone]

Zap I cannot and would not name anybody on a public forum. I was taught to be honest by my parents. I'll take care of it.

[phaquetoo]

If a senior is considering using mm, they must have gotten the idea from some one, either their dr. or a friend or family, who ever talked to them about mm can and should help them fill out the paper work, and yes it would be nice if it was a c.g that helped them, but like you and I know all c.g's are not in this for compassion, so some times it takes longer to find a c.g, their still are some c.c meetings around and if they can see their grand kids on facebook like my mom and pops they can read in a forum like this,

 

as far as what I think a c.g's role should be for their pt's 1st and foremost they need to supply them with their mm at an agreed upon price, and the c.g should find the best strain that helps and meets that pt's needs, me personaly I would have no problem helping them in ways I can, like stop at the store and pick them up some groceries, stick around when I deliver the mm and see how they are feeling and provide some friend ship and knowledge of things happening in the mm world!  Just that alone is more than what lara needs for a person to be a c.g, I also think/know I would provide them with extra's at no cost as often as I possibly could!

 

I personaly dont know any c.g's in my area that are not pt's first and c.g's second, and none of them work out side of the home and are all on disability,  I also know of some not good c.g's who are totaly in this for the money, I know of one who sells like he is black market and dont get meds to his pt's first, he sells ilegal first and if any is left his pt's get some, I also know pt's who get a realy good price from their c.g and they sell it ilegaly to make money and get pissed when the c.g dont have more than what they agreed upon when c.g was apointed.

 

There are also bad pts!

 

Peace

[Highlander]

Bye.

No need to leave the group. Just maybe consider how far-reaching your comments are

 

 

But maybe consider that you seem to have an abrasive or jaded personality. And this probably contributes to your lack of success with caregivers. I've met many prospective patients and made several compassionate arrangements.

 

But if I meet a patient who has a huge chip on the shoulder, I run the other way.

 

So please consider that your abrasive personality has probably contributed to your inability to find a good fit with a CG.

 

In social matters, if you find you are disjointed from most folks you meet, then consider maybe the problem lies within.

 

I hope you win the wrestling matches with your demons. Peace and good luck.

[phaquetoo]

Jointedone, I wish I could quote with this p.c, but ive not figured out this toshiba and windows 8 yet!

 

Also I did not mean to make you mad, I was just calling it as I see it, I have never had a problem with you, I have also bad mouthed c.g's on here when my 1st one screwed me,,,,im not easy to screw over though, I got mine back, I believe in waiting for the right moment and pounce on a person who does me wrong, I guess he thought I was wet behind the ears because he got legal before me and I had him fill out my paper work as soon as I recieved my rec from the dr. He made me give him a 150 deposit for clones and said he wont give me any untill the ones he is or was suppose to be growing for me were done.  Time had went by and I never seen him after the deposit, he sent me else where to purchase meds for an agreed price, and the only time he said to come to his home and pick up meds he was not their and had it stashed in a place he told me of,,,,,I went got the mm and he called me and asked how much of it I wanted, (he had an oz there) I said all of it, our price per zip was supposed to be 125 which I found to be ok becuase I was going to be allowed to help and build a room for him and teach a little of my knowledge to him, any how I kept the whole zip, he wanted 125 for it, I told him he already had 150 from me and he owed me 25 lol, and that was that, all but the phone calls I recieved daily from him in 2a lol, he would say he needs it to get home,,,lmao I dont think he ever came home and he never had plants to supply me with, what I did get came from some one else or one of the hotel despenses he was running!  people that have been here know who im talking about, I already called him out in open forum and that is water under the bridge,

 

so let me just say you and I are not the only ones that managed to get a bad c.g, im pos there are many horror story's out there, but like I said earlier there are pt's taking advantage of good c.g's also, the c.g's dont hold all the tacky whacky taking advantage of people pt's also do, and I am not saying you do, I totaly beleive you have had realy bad experiences with c.g's and prob even despenses that sell subpar mm,

 

I truly would hate to see you leave the site, and I dont find you to be an awful person, I think you have been treated badly by bad people and I hope that ends very soon and you can either grow your self or find a great c.g like the many in this site and me and my lady lol!

 

I hope tomorow brings you peace and health and happiness!

 

Peace

[ozzrokk]

You really shouldnt leave Jointedone............. You should however at least see where folks are coming from when they say you are lumping cgs into one category. It is really not fair and very offensive to some. If you didnt mean it that way then correct it and move on but you really should not leave.

[Wheeler]

Thank you all for the advice. It has been very helpful.

[phaquetoo]

Thank you all for the advice. It has been very helpful.

bawahahahahahahahaha!

 

You are welcome lmao!

 

Peace 

[jointedone]

You are all right. I apologize for my weird behavior,I am having a hard time dealing with the Alzheimers DX. In some ways it explains things, in other ways it just confuses me more,something that I hate to admit. Even writing this post is making me ashamed and embarrassed and making me want to isolate myself from everything. Everyone here is nice to me,it is my problem and inflicting it on others is the last thing I want to do. And I DO have a wonderful caregiver that I found here. Losing control of my life is very hard for me to deal with,this is the truth. I don't want to hurt peoples feelings. Thank you all for saying it like it is to me.

[Highlander]

You are all right. I apologize for my weird behavior,I am having a hard time dealing with the Alzheimers DX. In some ways it explains things, in other ways it just confuses me more,something that I hate to admit. Even writing this post is making me ashamed and embarrassed and making me want to isolate myself from everything. Everyone here is nice to me,it is my problem and inflicting it on others is the last thing I want to do. And I DO have a wonderful caregiver that I found here. Losing control of my life is very hard for me to deal with,this is the truth. I don't want to hurt peoples feelings. Thank you all for saying it like it is to me.

 

By far, most people on this website are here to learn, socialize and because they care for the plight of other patients.  When someone is in pain, we look for ways to fix it - emotional pain included.  So someone might say, "hey you have arthritis, you should do someone about that so you can enjoy life better."  That is about as compassionate as someone saying "hey, you're crabbier than most people, you should do someone about that so you can enjoy life better."  Also, you'd probably be surprised at how rewarding it can be to meet other patients face to face.  I'm glad you decided to stick around.  Folks on this website might have some disagreements, some fun some not, but it is all more or less founded on the same basis - people with a common bond just doing their best.

[trichcycler]

....and I love you all the more for posting those personal feelings about yourself, nice to meet you jointedone.

[ozzrokk]

We all understand Jointed one............... No harm no foul...... you are among friends,,,,,,,,

[jointedone]

I appreciate this from you all. I don't know what is happening to me,it was always easier to hide the physical part of illness,but this is my brain,and I am confused by my own behavior. I got a new laptop,but put it back in the box when I couldn't figure out how to set it up. So that freaked me out and threw me into a nutty jag. Thank you for your empathy and kindness. It helps a lot. When you are the one that people have counted on,it freaks you out when you realize you need the help. I don't know if it is pride,or shame,or just avoiding reality. I'd kick my own azz if I could. Just thanks,that's all I can say. (You too,Gorilla.) And I AM getting to the Cup somehow. I would love to look at the faces of the people I talk to,and to help them if I can.