Marijuana-growing is still a smoking issue
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Posted by Scott Thomas Anderson
on Jan 27 2012. Filed under News.
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I don’t know if it’s a result of incomplete reporting or my own ignorance, but Mr. Liberty’s energy consumption figures don’t make any sense to me. For example, the Dept. of Energy website lists the power consumption of an average 16 cubic foot refrigerator at 725 watts. 725 x 30 = 21,725 watts. Power = Voltage x Current. 21,725 watts divided by 120 volts = 181 Amperes. Now, considering that most residences have 200 Amp service, that leaves only 19 amps for other appliances before the main breaker clears. N’est–ce pas?
I’m looking at a 4-foot by 4-foot corner of my room and just don’t see how 30 refrigerators, numerous CO2 bottles, fans, lights, regulators and a partridge in a pear tree (sorry) can fit into that amount of space or consume that much power for what, half a dozen plants? What’s that Liberty guy been smoking?
THERE ARE A LOT OF QUIET PEOPLE WHO STAY TO THEMSELVES ABOUT THIS ISSUE…BUT HAVE A COMPLETE BAN ON OUTDOOR GROWING WOULD BE A MISTAKE… DO YOU THINK THE CARTEL WILL FOLLOW THIS..WHY DONT YOU JUST LEAVE IT ALONE. STEP UP BE THE FIRST COUNTY TO PROFIT WHAT WILL BE LEGAL ONE DAY… JUST THINK OF THE TAX INCOME THE COUNTY COULD HAVE… E COULD BE IN THE GREEN…. LIKE THE KENNEDYS WITH ALCHOL….
As one of those who has been active in the MMJ workshops and who has attended every BoS and planning commission meeting we have been noticed of, I take some issue with how the meeting on the 24th was handled. The meeting agenda very clearly stated that Ordinance 1717 was up for discussion and possible action, yet each and every board member sat there and denied that was the purpose of the meeting. As such, absolutely no discussion was held, let alone any action to rectify the mistake they made in extending the total ban.
There are indeed a lot of quiet people, and I also want to say that the folks in Calaveras county are *not* so quiet. I was amazed to see Amador residents outnumbered by darn near 200%. Thank you Calaveras patients, for showing up to help represent all of us in this cause. And thank you again to Tom Liberty and Collective Patient Resources for your help in getting my husband and I up to speed, as it were, and involved.
Mr. Bianchi, you have access to the internet, you have the ability to use Google and other sources as well as anyone else. How about you try using those resources before taking cheap shots at denigrating a very well-spoken man? For instance, I don’t know about you, but I consider a 16′cu refrigerator to be appropriately sized for a dormitory room, not a home. There was also a study published last year that discussed the impact of indoor cannabis cultivation, as the current state of the art stands. I respectfully suggest that perhaps you know little of such things, and therefore that might explain your incredulity as to power consumption of this type of growing method.
As for the rest of your deductions, it does appear that you grasped what Mr. Liberty was suggesting with regard to electrical capacity and safety issues.
This ban will do nothing to curb the truly dangerous cartel or commercial grows that these gentlemen insist they’re concerned with. If they were, they would pay closer attention to the words, advice and recommendations made by our under-sheriff, Jim Wegner. They’ve forged ahead and insisted on taking the most extreme measure possible, while doing nothing to ensure community safety.
Marina Dobbie
Thanks for your criticism, Ms. Dobbie. I did some checking, as you suggested. Here’s what I found:
I visited this website: ADDRESS REMOVED. The Amador Ledger Dispatch does not post links to sites other than official governmental websites.
I think the info shown by Dr. Mills is similar to what was mentioned by Mr. Liberty. One point not to be overlooked is that Dr. Mills considers ten growing modules (each measuring 4 x 4 x 8 feet) to be typical for an indoor grow. From my brief perusal of his info, all of Dr. Mills energy calculations are based on ten growing modules operating continuously during the year. The examples and numbers provided by Mr. Liberty are very similar to that provided by Dr. Mills.
In any event, having TEN 4 x 4 x 8 foot growing modules in a residence does not sound to me like something done by your average person wanting to obtain (relief of pain?). It does sound like a commercial grow operation.
To that end, I think Mr. Liberty’s information is not applicable to the average home grower/smoker/consumer.
I stand by my comments. Grandpa and Grandma are not going to have ten grow modules in their residence just so they can “smo the doe” once or twice a day. What have you been smoking (sorry)?
While I’m glad you stand by your comments, I feel a discussion would continue more easily without snide remarks about what someone’s smoking.
Let me be perfectly clear–what I am smoking not only doesn’t cause cancer, though it may hold the key to curing or preventing cancers. Exceptionally different from the tobacco smoking that is so maddeningly common here in Amador County, which I presume is due mainly to ignorance moreso than a desire to kill oneself or those close to the tobacco smoker. I am including the all-too-common underage smokers I see everywhere in the county in this. What I am smoking was lovingly and carefully grown, 100% organically, using methods that not only greatly reduce my and my neighbors’ risk of exposure to toxic chemicals, but that will help build up the quality and productivity of our property. I grow our vegetables and fruits using exactly the same methods and care, and take pride in my produce. I take great care and feel heavily the responsibility I have as a steward for our land as well as a neighbor, and as much was acknowledged by the board of supervisors themselves, who agreed with Robert Nidever’s characterization of my husband and myself as “the poster children for responsible marijuana growers.” (I’m paraphrasing here, but it’s pretty darn close to what was said during that special meeting.) The thing is, the vast majority of patients I’ve had the pleasure to meet are similarly caring and responsible.
Since you asked. And, since you did ask, what I’m smoking allows me to hold an intelligent discussion and debate without consistently resorting to derisive remarks about folks in order to make my point. Sir, that is known as ad hominem, and an argument ad hominem does not make.
Whether or not Mom & Dad are growing several of these modules or not (most, the vast majority, do in fact not) does not discount the facts. First and foremost, there is no way that indoor cultivation is not going to be energy intensive in relation to the area and product being cultivated. From lighting to air movement, circulation and ventilation, as well as maintaining optimal environmental conditions, it is an energy-intensive endeavor. That does not begin to address the initial capital outlay of creating such a growing space versus creating planting beds outside.
If you take more time to read Mr. Evans’ site, you’ll come across this tidbit: “For comparison, the annual kilowatt hour use of a 4x4x8-foot Cannabis cultivation module is estimated at about 13,000 kWh.” That is not an insignificant number. Nor should you dismiss the fact that Mr. Evans was studying ALL indoor cultivation, therefore, the number of “average modules” does not necessarily reflect the true capacity of patients, but instead actually reflects those who are likely growing commercially or in order to supply a dispensary collective. Let me be clear—this ban will engender more of exactly this type of growing scenario, hardly a path toward less crime and less impingement upon neighbors.
I think it’s also important to point out one glaring error in your understanding of the study and the claims made regarding energy consumption, and that is with regard to the size of the growing module. Simply put, the area taken up by the growing module itself does not imply, nor should it be taken to imply, that the area is taken up by anything OTHER THAN the plants themselves. The equipment itself must be fitted into the space, and a 1,000W bulb does not actually take up all that much area except in the vertical plane. So, that’s roughly 1,000W just for the lighting itself, irrespective of any of the other necessary accouterment equipment and peripherals. His averages and figures that he used to make the calculations are actually very much in line with my experience in setting up and growing inside, and I do not utilize CO2 injection.
My own experience reflects the difficulties of attempting to bring a complete quality harvest when growing inside, which is surprising given my own professional background in aquatic ornamental import-export (aquarium fish for the laypeople). And that experience dictates that this is energy-intensive not only in terms of electrical consumption, but in terms of building and outfitting the areas themselves, as well as the physical energy the individual must expend not only in order to create the space, but to maintain it. Because it is so energy-intensive, my own indoor growing came to an end due to high associated costs. It ended up becoming prohibitively expensive, and we are not on fixed income, as so many patients in the county are. Because of these issues, many patients are simply unable to grow indoors, as we’ve been relegated to by the extension of the original emergency ban.
Along with this issue of energy consumption, we, those of us who use cannabis as alternative medicine, are suffering the imposition and indignity of laypeople suggesting not only what we should be using as medicine, but what our usage rates should be. That is between us and our doctors, with the final responsibility landing squarely on the shoulders of the patient and no one else. That is tantamount to peeking at someone’s prescription for any other medication and telling them what they should be using, or passing by someone in line at one of the food bars at the Rancheria Raging River buffets and telling them that the amount of food they’ve taken is too much. That is simply not their business, and considering the general climate of Amador county, I was extremely surprised to hear such intimations.
We also have the simple fact that California state law, as voted in as a Constitutional law by the voters of this state, allows medical cannabis patients to cultivate for themselves, while encouraging legislators, et alia, to create an environment that allows those patients who cannot, for whatever reason, to cultivate for themselves.
This ban, and at this time it is my opinion that the subsequent permanent ordinance flies in the face of Proposition 215 and the spirit of this law as well as the intentions of California voters who approved it. While they have offered platitudes to us patients, telling us on one hand that their goal is not to impinge on the rights of Proposition 215-compliant patients and that they would like to get a permanent ordinance in place before this year’s growing season commences, their actions suggest differently.
Marina Dobbie
The first sentence of the last paragraph of my response should read: “This ban unnecessarily impinges on the rights of patients, and in my opinion this ordinance flies in the face of Proposition 215 and the spirit of this law as well as the intentions of California voters who approved it.”
Thank you,
Marina Dobbie
* Okay, okay, okay! I apologize for my “what are you smoking” comment.
* Personally, I think the war on drugs is a waste of time and, unfortunately, has turned into its own industry. That means it’s not going away and will continue to confound those of us that think that alcohol and tobacco should be banned, too.
* It’s too bad the L-D erased the my website reference, as it supports Mr. Liberty’s comments almost too closely.
* 13kW annually for a 4 x 4 x 8 foot grow site is very close to my annual electrical consumption (my home is 1,400 sq ft). I still think that number is way too high for a mom and pop personal use indoor grow site. Call me a marijuana Luddite if you will, but that’s how I feel.
* Finally, forgive me for saying, but you can put that in your pipe and smoke it!
I thought that war was over and that the drugs won long ago. There’s something wrong with a country that has such insane and widespread cravings for narcotics that it takes half the known world to supply it.