Jump to content

I Want To Become A Full-Time Caregiver


saiamne

Recommended Posts

Good Afternoon!

 

I'm a disabled veteran that needs a career change for many reasons. My wife and I are considering where it would be best to move our family to begin a small farm to serve medical needs. We live in Texas now, but there is no legal cultivation avenue here. I grew in W. Michigan and would enjoy an opportunity to return with my family. The peace and serenity of living in the woods and watching seasons pass would be good for us all.

 

What are the conditions like on the ground? In simple terms, would my wife and I be able to support ourselves while providing this important service to others? Assuming we were able to consistently deliver a highly effective quality organic product, are there enough patients that a caregiver would always have a market for fresh produce? Are market prices supportive of this being a true income crop? I have no desire to make $1,000,000 however I don't believe I would be able to serve my family's interests and medical needs without bringing in $50-80,000.

 

Would it be possible for someone to break down a very basic economic profile? Typical yield in a cycle, average price of top tier medication, taxes / regulatory fees associated with cultivation, production limitations, etc. Please be conservative to pessimistic in estimations.

 

Thank you in advance for your advice and support.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You can provide up to 2.5 ounces at a time for a maximum of five patients, all of whom must be connected to you through the state registry.

 

If you sell more than that amount or sell to someone who is not connected to you through the registry you are afforded no protection from prosecution.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you, but I've seen those basic facts.

 

I apologize if I wasn't clear in my original post about the type of information I am seeking.

 

Here are some more specific questions:

 

Can my wife and I each be registered caregivers or is it 1 / household. If divorced /separated are the cultivation facilities required to be physically separate?

 

Is the 2.5 oz / patient a per month authorization? If not, what amount over what term is a patient authorized to consume?

 

How much does a patient typically pay for 2.5 oz of medicine?

 

How do I find patients? How often will I have to find more patients? Is it difficult?

 

What if my 5 patients only want 1/4 oz each per month?

 

Do I count as one of my patients or does the law afford me a 6th slot for my own needs? A 7th for my wife?

 

Is there a waiting period for licensing based on state residency?

 

What type of law enforcement / government inspection process is in place? Is it intrusive? Warrantless?

 

Is it possible to make a middle-class income solely as a caregiver?

Edited by saiamne
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Your total income will depend upon the usage of the five patients registering you as their caregiver. There is no money to be made in the industry in MI yet, legally. People are still getting arrested for a few joints in their pocket, or a spent root ball in their fire pit. Search my posts for a complete layout of associated start up costs as well as running costs. Most patients are using an ounce or two per month. They gladly give me 225 per delivery. I drive no less than a hundred miles for 80% of my patients deliveries monthly. A conservative room to grow for five patients will cost around 3-4 hundred per month for electric power, assuming every possible insulative precaution has been used in construction. Harvest will depend entirely on your vegetative time, growing skills, habits, growing system and environmental controls. A handful of ballasts, bulbs, hoods, cords, plant containers testing equipment buckets, can cost a couple thousand dollars. An ac unit, dehumidifier, c02 controller/generator, fans, trays can cost another couple thousand dollars. Light/environmental controllers another 300 bucks. You'll need a generator to save your entire harvests each time the power goes out for more than a day. Security, odor control, genetics and some stashed legal fees could cost another few thousand dollars. I run a thousand dollars worth of odor control equipment, and its at minimum control. Stink socks will need to be replaced every couple years, mine cost over 300 dollars per. the fans that push them are $120 bucks.

If you grow for five patients inside your home be prepared to explain the smells to your visitors and neighbors possibly. Growing produces different odors than burning. Harvesting has its own very pungent sexy aroma. Harvest time attracts the wrong types of visitors universally. Choose your friends wisely, and then don't tell anyone of them what you are doing.

 

good luck

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Can my wife and I each be registered caregivers or is it 1 / household. If divorced /separated are the cultivation facilities required to be physically separate? You can both be caregivers but the grows have to be separate.

 

Is the 2.5 oz / patient a per month authorization? If not, what amount over what term is a patient authorized to consume? 2.5 ounces in possession at one time.

 

How much does a patient typically pay for 2.5 oz of medicine? Sorry, I can't answer that I grow my own.

 

How do I find patients? How often will I have to find more patients? Is it difficult? You can place ads on this site or on Craigslist. I would avoid Craigslist myself.

 

What if my 5 patients only want 1/4 oz each per month? That's something you need to establish when they decide to name you as caregiver. Some may only want a couple grams.

 

Do I count as one of my patients or does the law afford me a 6th slot for my own needs? A 7th for my wife? You can grow for yourself and for up to five patients. Your wife can do the same.

 

Is there a waiting period for licensing based on state residency? As far as I know there is no waiting period but you must have proof of residency.

 

What type of law enforcement / government inspection process is in place? Is it intrusive? Warrantless? There is no inspection process. They must have a warrant. In fact you are the only person allowed in the grow area. If you let anyone else in (your wife for instance) it is a violation of the act.

 

Is it possible to make a middle-class income solely as a caregiver? No

 

Also bear in mind that enforcement varies widely from locality to locality. Some abide by the law others go out of their way to twist the wording to make you a criminal.

 

Take a look at the "Caregivers" link at the top of the page for more detailed info.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you, but I've seen those basic facts.

 

I apologize if I wasn't clear in my original post about the type of information I am seeking.

 

Here are some more specific questions:

 

Can my wife and I each be registered caregivers or is it 1 / household. If divorced /separated are the cultivation facilities required to be physically separate? 1 cg per address. DO NOT GROW ALONG SIDE AN ESTRANGED LOVER, IT NEVER WORKS OUT !

 

Is the 2.5 oz / patient a per month authorization? If not, what amount over what term is a patient authorized to consume?

 

A patient may posess 2.5 ounces at one time. Nobody cares how quickly they consume it and replace the provision.

 

How much does a patient typically pay for 2.5 oz of medicine? depends, the real question is how much money will it cost you to grow that much. 500-600 average

 

How do I find patients? How often will I have to find more patients? Is it difficult? Join forums, place advertisements, talk about your goals and mission, patient will find you. You are never required to find more patients. The number up to five is up to you. You may wish to replace patients as they leave you, and they will leave you occasionally. Your plant count will need to be adjusted per each patient/plant possessions. yes, difficult to locate just the right patients for your service.

 

What if my 5 patients only want 1/4 oz each per month? welcome to the program! maybe you could grind these details out during a patient interview to avoid the surprise? If not, you will show the enormous compassion it takes to actually pay for others' supplies. throw away your investment ends, when they are not needed, there is no place to legally dispose of your excess pounds. learn to grow what you and yours need only.

 

Do I count as one of my patients9NO) or does the law afford me a 6th slot for my own needs(YES)? A 7th for my wife?(NO)

 

Is there a waiting period for licensing based on state residency? yes

 

What type of law enforcement / government inspection process is in place?NONe, until a warrant is produced Is it intrusive? Warrantless?

 

Is it possible to make a middle-class income solely as a caregiver? (NOT LEGALLY)

The remainder of your questions can be answered right here; http://www.michigan.gov/lara/0,4601,7-154-35299_63294_63303_51869---,00.html including residency stipulations

and here; http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/marijuana-horticulture-jorge-cervantes/1007788039?ean=9781878823236 / http://www.amazon.com/dp/187882323X/?tag=googhydr-20&hvadid=47024125608&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12463732746740731832&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_1u5isztt14_b for every conceivable growing question. Its a tabletop reader at my home.

 

good luck

if, right now, making extra money selling cannabis is part of your thoughts on this matter there is a very good chance you will be disappointed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you, but I've seen those basic facts.

 

I apologize if I wasn't clear in my original post about the type of information I am seeking.

 

Here are some more specific questions:

 

Can my wife and I each be registered caregivers or is it 1 / household. If divorced /separated are the cultivation facilities required to be physically separate?

 

Is the 2.5 oz / patient a per month authorization? If not, what amount over what term is a patient authorized to consume?

 

How much does a patient typically pay for 2.5 oz of medicine?

 

How do I find patients? How often will I have to find more patients? Is it difficult?

 

What if my 5 patients only want 1/4 oz each per month?

 

Do I count as one of my patients or does the law afford me a 6th slot for my own needs? A 7th for my wife?

 

Is there a waiting period for licensing based on state residency?

 

What type of law enforcement / government inspection process is in place? Is it intrusive? Warrantless?

 

Is it possible to make a middle-class income solely as a caregiver?

 

 

Can my wife and I each be registered caregivers or is it 1 / household. If divorced /separated are the cultivation facilities required to be physically separate?

 

Marital status means nothing.  Your wife or ex-wife might as well be a stranger.  You can't have access  to her grow, and she can't have access to yours.  Over 99 plants at one location is asking for trouble.

 

 

Is the 2.5 oz / patient a per month authorization? If not, what amount over what term is a patient authorized to consume?

 

Patients can consume as much as they need for the purpose of treating their debilitating condition(s).  Caregivers can provide as much and as frequently as is needed for that purpose.  (Edited to add t hat the 2.5 oz maximum possession limit for the patient applies at all times)

 

How much does a patient typically pay for 2.5 oz of medicine?

 

Probably 80% of patients fall into the $5 to $8/9 per gram range.  Some patients get some or all meds free.  Some pay around $300.  For planning purposes, if you expect $200 for every oz you produce, your revenue estimates are probably too high.

 

How do I find patients? How often will I have to find more patients? Is it difficult?

 

Compassion clubs, meet-and-greets, online, word of mouth from other patients.  How often you find new patients depends on a lot of factors.  On average, my patients have been with me about 3 years.

 

What if my 5 patients only want 1/4 oz each per month?

 

Then you will be paying more to grow meds than you will be making.  And if you're a decent grower, you'll be destroying excess cannabis.

 

Do I count as one of my patients or does the law afford me a 6th slot for my own needs? A 7th for my wife?

 

There is no sixth or seventh slot.  A patient and a CG are separate and distinct statuses.  If you are a CG for 5 patients, you can still be a patient and as a patient you can grow 12 plants for your own use.

 

Is there a waiting period for licensing based on state residency?

 

No.  You can become a CG as soon as you become a resident and complete the registration process.  There is some debate as to what a CG can do for a patient before registration cards are issued.  Some people say its OK to supply meds right away.  Some believe in a 21-day waiting period that isn't actually specified in the law.  Others believe that a CG must wait for his registration card to arrive, which can take and has taken several months (although things move a big faster now than in years past).

 

What type of law enforcement / government inspection process is in place? Is it intrusive? Warrantless?

 

There is no government inspection process.  Lower courts have ruled differently on what is needed for a warrant.  Some folks think that evidence of violation of the MMMAct is needed for a warrant.  Others think a warrant is appropriate if LEO has evidence of any growing activity at all.

 

Is it possible to make a middle-class income solely as a caregiver?

 

No.

Edited by Highlander
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great information all, thank you very much for getting back with me so quickly.

 

It sounds like the margins would be pretty thin. I'm comfortable with the setup / ongoing cost of running the operation. I have all the resources necessary to establish the greenhouses.

 

Does this sound right - If we carried two CG license and legally divided our property into 2 separate addresses, and maintained a full roster of 10 patients, and each patient required 2 oz / mo, then "income" might be reasonably assumed @ $3000 / mo

 

If I add 4 more CGs (have 4 resident relatives that could qualify as CG) and split 60 acres of land into 6 tracts, established 6 gardens, was able to maintain 30 patients at 2 oz / mo, etc then "income" may reach the ~$75,000/yr range

 

The most important goal that we are aiming at is to establish a quiet secluded lifestyle that we can support ourselves on. I receive some assistance from the VA but need to supplement my income in order to provide for us. I need it to be in some way that allows me to be at home with my family away from things that trigger stress and conflict. We have some special medical needs in the family meaning that I really need access to good medical care/insurance - medicade is not adequate.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great information all, thank you very much for getting back with me so quickly.

 

It sounds like the margins would be pretty thin. I'm comfortable with the setup / ongoing cost of running the operation. I have all the resources necessary to establish the greenhouses.

 

Does this sound right - If we carried two CG license and legally divided our property into 2 separate addresses, and maintained a full roster of 10 patients, and each patient required 2 oz / mo, then "income" might be reasonably assumed @ $3000 / mo

 

If I add 4 more CGs (have 4 resident relatives that could qualify as CG) and split 60 acres of land into 6 tracts, established 6 gardens, was able to maintain 30 patients at 2 oz / mo, etc then "income" may reach the ~$75,000/yr range

 

The most important goal that we are aiming at is to establish a quiet secluded lifestyle that we can support ourselves on. I receive some assistance from the VA but need to supplement my income in order to provide for us. I need it to be in some way that allows me to be at home with my family away from things that trigger stress and conflict. We have some special medical needs in the family meaning that I really need access to good medical care/insurance - medicade is not adequate.

 

 

I think there are some fundamental problems with your approach and way of looking at being a CG.

 

First, Google "Duval medical marijuana" and read about the father/son who did the same "clever" separation of CGs' grows and are now both doing federal time.

 

Also, you should think about reevaluating the idea you seem to have about "we" can do ____.  There is no "we" in caregiving.  CGs can't transfer meds to each other or access each other's grow. 

 

Also, when you say "I" can add 4 more CGs and make $75,000/year it sounds like you are contemplating having "shill" caregivers - in other words, those trusty relatives hold the MMJ cards but you do the work and earn the money.  Bad, bad idea.  I don't see how you "adding more caregivers" would make you more money except some rental income.  Is this what you mean?  Or were you thinking that you would profit from the sale of meds from "your other CGs" to their patients?

 

Your entire idea seems like you are looking for a way to be the "kingpin" on the top of a 400+ plant network of growers so you earn a living from 30 patients altogether.  This would be a federal prosecution waiting to happen. 

 

All that aside, consider the 10 patients times 2 oz per month times $150/oz = $3,000/month notion.  I'd be a bit surprised if you found such patients in a short enough period of time to make it worth your effort, but let's assume you do.

 

After you have paid for two separate grow setups and pay easily over $1,500/month in expenses, you have to ask yourself if it will be worth the time, expense, headache, and risk.  Maybe it is.

 

Another thing to consider.  If you have 5 patients using 2 oz per month, you don't need 60 plants to do that.  Those 60 plants would be plenty to keep up with the 10 patients at 2 oz each per month idea.  I'd never suggest that you and your wife conduct illegal transfer of meds from one CG to the other, but geeze, just think if THAT was legal how much your monthly cost would drop by maintaining only one grow.

Edited by Highlander
Link to comment
Share on other sites

There have been a few that tried what you are thinking of doing,, well there not doing so well, of course they do get three squares a day, an area to walk around in ,, and a crapper in the room.. but hey im all for watching you try it out.. others have tried,, and failed, maybe you would make it.. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

greenhouses? what would you do to supply your for the other six months? you can only possess 15 ounces at a time with five patients and yourself,  much of which will be gone in the first month after your greenhouse is frozen.

 

If one thing pizzes off LEO it's trying to make money with the medical marijuana program. they despise this notion, and knew that there would be people looking to cash in. Once growers realized there is no money to be made in the legal sector of caregivers, there were choices to be made. Muster up some compassion and wear it like a badge or break the law. Some cut it, some don't. Peace to all who try, and good luck to you. Stay private, don't post your names, or pictures of your greenhouse gro ops. Each person involved with your scheme will exponentially increase your risk of entertaining an audience, every time you shower and poop. I hope you are an exhibitionist, if you plan on going forward with the plan. :yahoo-wave:  just joshin with you, be careful man, its a crazy world out there!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

After reading all the replies, I come to the conclusion that it is not possible to make a living as a LEGAL caregiver in the State of Michigan. I assume you have come to the same conclusion. Fughetaboutit...

 

Having said that, it may be possible to make a living if some pending bills in the Michigan Senate pass and are made law. One of the bills would allow caregivers to sell their excess product to legal "provisioning centers". If this actually goes through (something I find hard to imagine), then one may be able to make money as a caregiver. As conservative as the Michigan government is now, I cannot believe that they would allow this to pass.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Frog guy,greenhouses are heated. Where do you think the cut flowers at the florist come from? A greenhouse would be a good thing to have,even if you are growing your own food. I wish we could afford to put up a small one attached to the house on one side. I never realized how much money you can save by canning your own fruits and veggies. And they aren't poisoned.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have greenhouses, and heating them to make money growing marijuana legally is a ridiculous cost to the grower, I doubting its an option in MI for this kind family. Every flower broker in my county shuts their greenhouses down for most of the winter months, at least the years I worked for them. Greenhouses are for early starts and late finishes in our state, and recall there is not enough natural light to grow quality cannabis for near half a year. Supplementing light during these months would shut down most people, at least the ones looking to make extra cash.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Frog guy,greenhouses are heated. Where do you think the cut flowers at the florist come from? A greenhouse would be a good thing to have,even if you are growing your own food. I wish we could afford to put up a small one attached to the house on one side. I never realized how much money you can save by canning your own fruits and veggies. And they aren't poisoned.

 

Canning is great, once you get past the start-up cost and assuming if you give food away that you get the jars back.  A few years ago, before the canning craze, I was buying used jars at thrift stores for 10-25 cents each. Now they are about $1, which is about what they cost new.  I was lucky enough to buy a near lifetime supply of salsa mix, pickling spice, pectin, and sugar-free pectin for 90% off at the end of the 2011 season.   So keep an eye out for sales in about November.   With the time and expense involved, the only thing that makes canning worthwhile is the satisfaction, how cool the jars look, and knowing exactly what is in my food. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes,I look for jars at garage sales from people that used to can. They DO look cool,did you know you can can MEATS? So that's another option besides smoking and jerky. I just got a new electric pressure cooker and can't wait to start using it. Corn was good this year,and you can freeze it right on the cob. I want to try chili and some soups this year.Going to freeze and can this year.I need a new salsa recipe,I grew some chipoltes this year.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...