Fort Knox Of Pot?

[slipstar059]

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — “The Fort Knox of pot.”

That’s how Matthew Herman describes the secure warehouse he’s setting up in Grand Rapids. The warehouse aims to provide a safe place for people to grow legal medical marijuana without the risk of thieves breaking into their home.

24 Hour News 8 agreed not to disclose the location of the warehouse, which has air filters to prevent a smell, blacked out windows and doors, a secure entrance and multiple cameras.

“Right on the other side of this wall right here is our first tenant,” Herman, a Grand Rapids attorney, said. “I think he has 60 plants in there.”

Each unit in the warehouse is roughly 900 square feet and is divided into two rooms: One for one small plants, called a veg room, and another called the flowering room.

Rent costs $4,000 per month and each unit comes with a 2-year lease, but the warehouse is already completely rented out and Herman also has a waiting list of prospective tenants. He says he has plans to open another five locations this year alone to keep up with demand.

“We’re still kind of a work in progress,” he said as he showed 24 Hour News 8 the warehouse on Monday.

Rent covers the cost of lights, water and fertilizer — but not the actual plants. Rent also covers the fees for an attorney who will answer questions about Michigan’s notoriously confusing medical marijuana law.

Herman got into the business after seeing clients running into trouble while attempting to legally grow medical marijuana in their homes.

“I kind of started to see the problems they were having and then I thought of the economic side of it, because those are the clients that always had the ability to pay their bills,” Herman said. “You kind of figure out how much money is associated with something like this, you’re like, ‘Man, how do I get involved?'”

By June, he hopes to have locations in Byron Center, Muskegon, Ionia, Warren, and two in Grand Rapids. The space at the Byron Center location, which isn’t open yet, is already completely leased out to clients.

[trichcycler]

4k a month?

let me see
5 patients
200$ per ounce

800 dollars per month from each patient needing four ounces every month.
gimme a break matthew herman

[rockinsteady]

Maybe they meant $4000 a year. That would be $333 a month for 900 square feet (30 x 30 feet). Well, no that wouldn't pay for the electricity.

 

Well, $4000 a month is too much, no matter how you look at it.

 

For Grand Rapids:

 

Cost to buy a warehouse is about $35 a square foot, or $31,500 for 900 ft sq.

 

Cost to rent warehouse space is $0.30 a square foot, or $3.60 a year. So 900 sq ft would be $270/month or $3240 a year rent.

 

http://www.loopnet.com/Grand-Rapids_Michigan_Market-Trends?Trends=AskingPricesFS,SalePricesFS,TotalAvailableForSaleFS,NumberOfListingsFS,ProfileViewsFS,TotalNumOfUnitsFS,TotalSFAvailableFS,DaysOnMarketFS,AskingRentsFL,NumberOfListingsFL,ProfileViewsFL,TotalSFAvailableFL,DaysOnMarketFL&PropertyTypes=Industrial

[+washtenaut]

Yeah, it seems this place would attract those with $ signs in their eyes.  Having to clear well over $4000 each month just to break even? 

 

Either the tenant doesn't care about money or they plan to bend the rules and they really only care about the money.

 

The comments after this version of the story were interesting.

 

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2015/04/green_the_color_of_quality_mar.html

[Willy]

what a joke...same ole shet,, remember the, "you can make 60k a year".. internet is alive an well.. If there are any patients out there that can afford 4x200. a month..  please call.. 123-456-7890

[phaquetoo]

what a joke...same ole shet,, remember the, "you can make 60k a year".. internet is alive an well.. If there are any patients out there that can afford 4x200. a month..  please call.. 123-456-7890

Willy it says that number is disconnected!  I was willing to bargain with you or maybe barder!

 

Please check the number you put in, one of the numbers must be wrong

 

I will be waiting    

 

Peace

[slipstar059]

Looking at the comments in the linked story, it seems folks have this guy's number. Anybody that gets involved in this in the Grand Rapids area is legitimately insane. Kent County is worse than Oakland by an order of magnitude.

The guy who runs it is a lawyer, maybe he's looking to practice his law degree?

[trichcycler]

one of the commenters posted he has been to this building and here is the misunderstanding;

"Typical moronic comments from uninformed mlive trolls below lol, I've visited this facility myself and I can tell you everything in this article is accurate. This is the type of thing the medical marijuana caregiver community desperatly needs, each of the rooms in this building are 100% secure to the licensed caregiver that's leasing the space, and the doors are password protected on an industrial door and lock. Ask yourself, if you were a caregiver of a few dozen patients and you wanted a grow your medicine in a safe secure location completely set up and move in ready, rather than your private residence, where you possibly have children etc. running around, wouldnt something like this fit your needs?"

 

not in MI !  Maybe the landlord is unaware of the five patient limit in our state. Goofball will green plastic up a whole warehouse while he waits. or maybe he knows something about a change in our law that excites him??

[+washtenaut]

Yeah GM, that is my thought too.  The renters, if they exist, are betting on the 'if come', as far as adult use.  One must ignore the current medical restrictions in order for any business model to work, imo.

[Wild Bill]

The guy who runs it is a lawyer, maybe he's looking to practice his law degree?

 

He'll be one of those "jail house lawyers" you hear so much about.

 

Maybe he's an agent provocateur. They'll let him go and bust his clients. A classic sting.

Edited April 7, 2015 by Wild Bill

[Indigro]

one of the commenters posted he has been to this building and here is the misunderstanding;

 

"Typical moronic comments from uninformed mlive trolls below lol, I've visited this facility myself and I can tell you everything in this article is accurate. This is the type of thing the medical marijuana caregiver community desperatly needs, each of the rooms in this building are 100% secure to the licensed caregiver that's leasing the space, and the doors are password protected on an industrial door and lock. Ask yourself, if you were a caregiver of a few dozen patients and you wanted a grow your medicine in a safe secure location completely set up and move in ready, rather than your private residence, where you possibly have children etc. running around, wouldnt something like this fit your needs?"

 

not in MI ! Maybe the landlord is unaware of the five patient limit in our state. Goofball will green plastic up a whole warehouse while he waits. or maybe he knows something about a change in our law that excites him??

Getting past whether the law is broken & answering the quoted guy... no, from a grower's perspective it is a bad idea. You don't know the neighbors... their ethics, behaviors or competence. What if they spray & vent back into the general areas? What if they r infested w bugs or mold? What if they show the facility (after they chop) to prof ripper crew? Under the same roof it all bleeds over.

[t-pain]

dont forget federalies like to seize properties with more than 100 plants. so even if they dont go after you specifically for renting there, they may just take your plants for fun.

[GregS]

dont forget federalies like to seize properties with more than 100 plants. so even if they dont go after you specifically for renting there, they may just take your plants for fun.

Don't forget federalies have had their funding taken away by Congress in cases that involve people in compliance with state laws. Not to say that it is not possible, but this guy is pushing the limits. Herman has brass balls.

[slipstar059]

Maybe this guy is trying to catch a case so he can fight it, like the sensible colorado, did. Either way how bunny muffed is life, if someone's paying $48,000 a year to work a part time job?

 

I could see someone setting the price that high to advertise and let people know they're there, but not having to worry about renting out space. AKA: setting himself up for the future.

 

Also what was his reasoning for opening up a business? "I saw how many people were getting busted for selling their cannabis, and I know how high my fees are, and I thought how can I get at some of this money that's buried in these peoples backyards. ????????

 

Really sketchy interview.

[slipstar059]

Don't forget federalies have had their funding taken away by Congress in cases that involve people in compliance with state laws. Not to say that it is not possible, but this guy is pushing the limits. Herman has brass balls.

This is a misnomer, federal prosecution continues.

justice department medical marijuanaA spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) told the Los Angeles Times that a bi-partisan amendment passed by Congress last year prohibiting DOJ from spending any money to undermine state medical marijuana laws doesn’t prevent it from prosecuting people for medical marijuana or seizing their property. The statement comes as the agency continues to target people who are complying with their state medical marijuana law. This insubordination is occurring despite the fact that members of Congress in both parties were clear that their intent with the amendment was to protect medical marijuana patients and providers from federal prosecution and forfeiture.

 

“The Justice Department is ignoring the will of the voters, defying Congress, and breaking the law,” said Bill Piper, director of national affairs for the Drug Policy Alliance. “President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder need to rein in this out-of-control agency.”

 

Twenty-three states and the District of Columbia have laws that legalize and regulate marijuana for medicinal purposes. Twelve states have laws on the books regulating cannabidiol (CBD) oils, a non-psychotropic component of medical marijuana which some parents are utilizing to treat their children’s seizures. Four states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana for non-medical use.

 

Last May Republican Congressman Dana Rohrabacher and Democratic Congressman Sam Farr offered an amendment to a spending bill prohibiting the Justice Department from spending any money in 2015 to prevent states “from implementing their own State laws that authorize the use, distribution, possession, or cultivation of medical marijuana.” Members of both parties took to the House floor in opposition to the prosecution of medical marijuana patients and providers and in defense of states setting their own marijuana laws without federal interference.

 

The Republican-controlled House passed the amendment with most Democrats and 49 Republicans approving it. The amendment was backed in the Senate by Republican Senator Rand Paul and Democratic Senator Cory Booker and made it into the final “cromnibus” bill that was signed by President Obama in December. The spending restriction applies to fiscal year 2015 spending.

 

The House also passed three other amendments last year letting states set their own marijuana policies, but those amendments never made it into law. Polls show roughly three-quarters of Americans support legalizing marijuana for medical use. A little more than half of voters support legalizing marijuana for non-medical use, in the same way alcohol is legal, taxed, and regulated.

 

Advocates say that even though the spending restriction is a good restriction, the Department of Justice’s actions show the need for changing federal law. Last month Senators Rand Paul (R-KY), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Dean Heller (R-NV) introduced bipartisan legislation to legalize marijuana for medical use. The Compassionate Access, Research Expansion and Respect States – CARERS – Act is the first-ever bill in the U.S. Senate to legalize marijuana for medical use and the most comprehensive medical marijuana bill ever introduced in Congress. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) and Rep. Don Young (R-AK) introduced a House version of the bill last week.

 

“Congress should respond to the Justice Department’s insubordination by changing federal law,” said Piper. ”Patients and the people who provide them with their medicine will never be safe until states are free to set their own marijuana policy without federal interference.”

[phaquetoo]

one of the commenters posted he has been to this building and here is the misunderstanding;

 

"Typical moronic comments from uninformed mlive trolls below lol, I've visited this facility myself and I can tell you everything in this article is accurate. This is the type of thing the medical marijuana caregiver community desperatly needs, each of the rooms in this building are 100% secure to the licensed caregiver that's leasing the space, and the doors are password protected on an industrial door and lock. Ask yourself, if you were a caregiver of a few dozen patients and you wanted a grow your medicine in a safe secure location completely set up and move in ready, rather than your private residence, where you possibly have children etc. running around, wouldnt something like this fit your needs?"

 

not in MI !  Maybe the landlord is unaware of the five patient limit in our state. Goofball will green plastic up a whole warehouse while he waits. or maybe he knows something about a change in our law that excites him??

I thought this was about MI and grand rapids?  If I could have 12 pt's I would think I could make a pretty good part time cash job out of it!  But not enough to pay 4k a month, did this guy mean he was supplying the lites, fans, nutes, and every thing accept the mmj?  I think that is what I read!  plus you get an attny to boot.  wow maybe with the right 12 pt's who need 2.5 every other day it may pay for itself,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Oh man I just woke up!

 

Peace

[GregS]

This is a misnomer, federal prosecution continues.

justice department medical marijuanaA spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) told the Los Angeles Times that a bi-partisan amendment passed by Congress last year prohibiting DOJ from spending any money to undermine state medical marijuana laws doesn’t prevent it from prosecuting people for medical marijuana or seizing their property. The statement comes as the agency continues to target people who are complying with their state medical marijuana law. This insubordination is occurring despite the fact that members of Congress in both parties were clear that their intent with the amendment was to protect medical marijuana patients and providers from federal prosecution and forfeiture.

 

“The Justice Department is ignoring the will of the voters, defying Congress, and breaking the law,” said Bill Piper, director of national affairs for the Drug Policy Alliance. “President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder need to rein in this out-of-control agency.”

 

Twenty-three states and the District of Columbia have laws that legalize and regulate marijuana for medicinal purposes. Twelve states have laws on the books regulating cannabidiol (CBD) oils, a non-psychotropic component of medical marijuana which some parents are utilizing to treat their children’s seizures. Four states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana for non-medical use.

 

Last May Republican Congressman Dana Rohrabacher and Democratic Congressman Sam Farr offered an amendment to a spending bill prohibiting the Justice Department from spending any money in 2015 to prevent states “from implementing their own State laws that authorize the use, distribution, possession, or cultivation of medical marijuana.” Members of both parties took to the House floor in opposition to the prosecution of medical marijuana patients and providers and in defense of states setting their own marijuana laws without federal interference.

 

The Republican-controlled House passed the amendment with most Democrats and 49 Republicans approving it. The amendment was backed in the Senate by Republican Senator Rand Paul and Democratic Senator Cory Booker and made it into the final “cromnibus” bill that was signed by President Obama in December. The spending restriction applies to fiscal year 2015 spending.

 

The House also passed three other amendments last year letting states set their own marijuana policies, but those amendments never made it into law. Polls show roughly three-quarters of Americans support legalizing marijuana for medical use. A little more than half of voters support legalizing marijuana for non-medical use, in the same way alcohol is legal, taxed, and regulated.

 

Advocates say that even though the spending restriction is a good restriction, the Department of Justice’s actions show the need for changing federal law. Last month Senators Rand Paul (R-KY), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Dean Heller (R-NV) introduced bipartisan legislation to legalize marijuana for medical use. The Compassionate Access, Research Expansion and Respect States – CARERS – Act is the first-ever bill in the U.S. Senate to legalize marijuana for medical use and the most comprehensive medical marijuana bill ever introduced in Congress. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) and Rep. Don Young (R-AK) introduced a House version of the bill last week.

 

“Congress should respond to the Justice Department’s insubordination by changing federal law,” said Piper. ”Patients and the people who provide them with their medicine will never be safe until states are free to set their own marijuana policy without federal interference.”

Plz note that I did say it is not impossible. Nonetheless you points are taken.

Edited April 7, 2015 by GregS

[rockinsteady]

.

.

...

 

not in MI !  Maybe the landlord is unaware of the five patient limit in our state. Goofball will green plastic up a whole warehouse while he waits. or maybe he knows something about a change in our law that excites him??

 

Since everything in the room looks green, I'd say that the overhead lights are green. The plastic has got to be white under normal light.

 

And if this guy does have a Fort Knox, it's where he keeps his green money.

[trichcycler]

^^^

[phaquetoo]

^^^  ^^^  ^^^  ^^^

[free420country]

This seems like propaganda to make it seem like we need warehouse grows for safety or because of demand...these stories will probably come out a lot until the we vote for recreational.I didn't even read the story but would wonder why someone with just 5 patient's needs 60 flowering plants...

[shishka]

This seems like propaganda to make it seem like we need warehouse grows for safety or because of demand...these stories will probably come out a lot until the we vote for recreational.I didn't even read the story but would wonder why someone with just 5 patient's needs 60 flowering plants...

Variety?

[Kingdiamond]

Would love to have the luxury of starting over in a clean commercial space  but with no legal outlet for all of the extra medicine  I would pull from 72 plants would have me scrambling to move medicine to pay those outrages rental costs + electricity .

[trichcycler]

caregivers and patients probably should gladly accept the 72 plant model without question. It could turn into 6 plants over night.

[jeff from bad axe]

72plants x 4 ounces per plant typical average grower.288 ounces or 11.5lbs .One could afford that rent if they could legally get rid of that medicine.Spider mites bite you in the azz and boom no medicine and rent is due.2yr lease a lot of money.He says he is booked.Wow