Still illegal here in New Zealand, but so many "grow shops"

[Saxplayer]

Here in New Zealand, we are still behind the rest of the world when it comes to growing weed, or the legal side of it that is. Like so many others here, I was gutted when the national vote came back about 1% against weed being made legal, a year or two ago.

That said, having gotten into growing cannabis, I’m amazed at just how many “grow” stores we have here catering of cannabis growers. The business is booming! It makes a mockery of the BS laws surrounding cannabis and its use.

I visited a new (new to me) store in Christchurch a few days ago, and I was stunned by the amount of gear available. Plus, they must have had hundreds of bags of Coco alone… I mean, if it’s “that” illegal, how come so many people are growing the stuff and flouting the law?

About three years ago when I first went in one of the grow shops here in NZ, I did a few pass-by, to check out the store, the vantage points, if anyone looked sus outside etc. Yes, I was paranoid indeed. Now however, it doesn’t bother me as I have seen so many people shopping in these places, just as if they are in a local supermarket.

The mention of weed, cannabis or any other illegal substance is a definite no-no when you are in any of these stores mind you. Its fine to talk about vegging your “chilli” plants, or whatever, but just don’t mention the C word, else you will be asked to leave no doubt.

I guess prohibition was a little like this back in the day. It’s so funny when you think about it eh.


Seriously, I hope we look back in a few years and laugh at the absurdity of it all.

“Psssst, eh mate…. Do ya know what sort of nutrients I need for a Carolina Reaper Chilli thats showing signs of stretch and is also yellowing a bit on the new fan leaves”?

LMFAO

 

[bluter]

better enjoy it while you can. a pile of our shops went belly up with legal. everyone who shopped local previous went online when they discovered it wouldn't be tracked, and the new growers went direct to online. over 60% of the grow shops went bust in 2 yrs and most of the rest are close to bankrupt.

 

[Weekender]

I was asked to leave a Michigan grow shop back in the day, prior to legal or even medical weed. At one grow shop they monitored their parking lot and I was from Ohio walking into another Michigan grow shop and asked to leave, they saw my Ohio plates, we had no legal weed, again I was asked to leave. But now they send me coupons. So just hang in there.

 

[bluter]

I was asked to leave a Michigan grow shop back in the day, prior to legal or even medical weed. At one grow shop they monitored their parking lot and I was from Ohio walking into another Michigan grow shop and asked to leave, they saw my Ohio plates, we had no legal weed, again I was asked to leave. But now they send me coupons. So just hang in there.

that's odd. grow shops were always allowed to sell to anyone here as the equipment / nutes are not technically cannabis specific. even under prohibition a customer could sue a store that refused service without legal reason.

 

[Saxplayer]

that's odd. grow shops were always allowed to sell to anyone here as the equipment / nutes are not technically cannabis specific. even under prohibition a customer could sue a store that refused service without legal reason.

Same here. All the equipment can (and sometimes is) used for other plants and flowers too. I know of at least one who grows orchids and uses these shops for lights etc. That is why they are cagey about using the "C" word.

 

[Weekender]

In the years I was asked to leave the stores was at the beginning of the evolution of cannabis here, paranoia all around. Medical weed was legal in Michigan. At the one store the manager came down from his loft on the 2nd floor, I did not look like the average stoner as I was a tobacco salesman and I worked in a suit and tie. But he walked me out of the store it was weird.

 

[bluter]

In the years I was asked to leave the stores was at the beginning of the evolution of cannabis here, paranoia all around. Medical weed was legal in Michigan. At the one store the manager came down from his loft on the 2nd floor, I did not look like the average stoner as I was a tobacco salesman and I worked in a suit and tie. But he walked me out of the store it was weird.

lol. store manager didn't realize any leo walking into the store clandestinely would not look the g-man part. you'd be much safer to discuss things with than any ty-die wearing hipster.

 

[SmokingWings]

a pile of our shops went belly up with legal. everyone who shopped local previous went online when they discovered it wouldn't be tracked, and the new growers went direct to online.

Tracking purchases has not ended. Tracking who is buying what is still happening. It is now big business doing the tracking of what people buy. It is often called Surveillance Capitalism.

Buy something for the grow room from Amazon and they keep track. Buy something else a week later and they keep track. Every customer and every item is tracked. Their business is selling and they want to know what a customer is going to buy next.

And if buying on-line a card is usually involved whether it is a credit card or similar. Banks issue the cards and they want to know what is being bought and then want to track what is going to be bought next. Those banks make their money off the cards because they charge the seller a flat "swipe charge". As an example every time a card is used the seller pays a minor charge of 75 cents and hundreds of them add up. And the seller pays a small percentage of every transaction and that adds up. The banks can make more money by knowing what will be bought next.

Credit cards are not free. The seller is paying for the privilege that the customer enjoys when they are using a credit card. The tracking is not being done by law enforcement but instead by big business. And all that tracking info is sent to those that do Data Analytics who turn around and figure out what the customer will buy next so that advertising can be dialed right in on the person.

over 60% of the grow shops went bust in 2 yrs and most of the rest are close to bankrupt.

Yep. Noticed the same thing here when Michigan went recreational legal. Shops started closing up beginning with the ones that were already hurting because of poor location, poor management, or poor knowledge of growing. Then the ones that had been around for years started to close.

 

[SmokingWings]

All the equipment can (and sometimes is) used for other plants and flowers too. I know of at least one who grows orchids and uses these shops for lights etc.

If one of my lawn or landscape maintenance customers would ask about needing anything for their indoor or outdoor flower or vegetable gardening I would direct them to the better grow shops. They often were reluctant to go to a store that they thought specialized in Marijuana growing but I would tell them that the best selection of fertilizers, potting soils, additives, insecticides and more would be there.

I told that that they just were not going to find what they wanted at the neighborhood gardening supply shop anymore. I would recommend certain grow shops depending on what my customer was growing. If they were into indoor houseplants then go to this place. If vegetables outside then go there. Someone enjoyed cactus then go to this shop. That sort of thing. And if possible I would mention who to ask for at the store recommended.

The micro-greens growers and 'shroom growers have put some new life into the remaining shops if that shop has kept up with the changes in the market.

 

[Lady Cannafan]

Tracking purchases has not ended. Tracking who is buying what is still happening. It is now big business doing the tracking of what people buy. It is often called Surveillance Capitalism.

Buy something for the grow room from Amazon and they keep track. Buy something else a week later and they keep track. Every customer and every item is tracked. Their business is selling and they want to know what a customer is going to buy next.

And if buying on-line a card is usually involved whether it is a credit card or similar. Banks issue the cards and they want to know what is being bought and then want to track what is going to be bought next. Those banks make their money off the cards because they charge the seller a flat "swipe charge". As an example every time a card is used the seller pays a minor charge of 75 cents and hundreds of them add up. And the seller pays a small percentage of every transaction and that adds up. The banks can make more money by knowing what will be bought next.

Credit cards are not free. The seller is paying for the privilege that the customer enjoys when they are using a credit card. The tracking is not being done by law enforcement but instead by big business. And all that tracking info is sent to those that do Data Analytics who turn around and figure out what the customer will buy next so that advertising can be dialed right in on the person.


Yep. Noticed the same thing here when Michigan went recreational legal. Shops started closing up beginning with the ones that were already hurting because of poor location, poor management, or poor knowledge of growing. Then the ones that had been around for years started to close.

I'm on the midwest side of the state. We have them popping up all over the place and they are busy as hell, the new ones drove out the original guys that were selling before legalization for recreational.
You can order online to a local shop, then they give a time for pick up. Some of them are like a doc's office, a receptionist of sorts out front that handles the cash, and then someone from a "back room" brings out the goods.

 

[Roy Growin]

It's still illegal UK, but the prosecution rate is almost zero unless you got a warehouse, stink the place out, sell it or start a fire
In other words, so long as nobody complains they do not actively seek to prosecute home growers

 

[Saxplayer]

It's still illegal UK, but the prosecution rate is almost zero unless you got a warehouse, stink the place out, sell it or start a fire
In other words, so long as nobody complains they do not actively seek to prosecute home growers

Things have changed since I was there. They used to have helicopters that would look for infra-red heat emanating from roof tops, which would indicate some serious heat loss (attic grows). Then a day later they would be raided. They made a real big issue out of it. Guess now they are too busy looking on facebook and X to see if anyone has made any hurtful comments. Seems thats the flavour of the month as far as crime goes these days. Oops, don't get me started!
Anyway, looking on the positive side, if plod have taken a more sensible approach to weed, thats a good thing eh!

 

[Roy Growin]

Things have changed since I was there. They used to have helicopters that would look for infra-red heat emanating from roof tops, which would indicate some serious heat loss (attic grows). Then a day later they would be raided. They made a real big issue out of it. Guess now they are too busy looking on facebook and X to see if anyone has made any hurtful comments. Seems thats the flavour of the month as far as crime goes these days. Oops, don't get me started!
Anyway, looking on the positive side, if plod have taken a more sensible approach to weed, thats a good thing eh!

They still do that kind of stuff looking for gangs that rent a house, rip the meter out and grow in hundreds of bags on every floor, totally fucking the place up in the process
That's the kind of County Lines gangland stuff that leads to stabbings & shootings, so that's what they prioritize
But yeah, the days of cops hanging around hydro stores clocking your rego are long gone
As far as they're concerned, doing a few plants privately in a tent is preferable, and rightly so

 

[bluter]

Tracking purchases has not ended. Tracking who is buying what is still happening. It is now big business doing the tracking of what people buy. It is often called Surveillance Capitalism.

that's called retail tracking. it's a different thing. pre-legal the police could get a list of clients from grow shops with a warrant and would simply go down the list busting the growers.
as a result most shops only accepted cash and would advise you to pay that way so there was no paper trail. many shops did not have debit or credit card payment machines until they were forced by the banks.
it started to change in the mid 90's with legal challenges.

 

[SmokingWings]

that's called retail tracking. it's a different thing. pre-legal the police could get a list of clients from grow shops with a warrant and would simply go down the list busting the growers.
as a result most shops only accepted cash and would advise you to pay that way so there was no paper trail. many shops did not have debit or credit card payment machines until they were forced by the banks.
it started to change in the mid 90's with legal challenges.

It is still surveillance of what the customer buys and every intention to use it to get that customer to buy the next item that will be advertised to them.

What gets me are the people who claim that they want privacy and do not want to be tracked. Then they use credit cards at the store and order over the internet. Instead of law enforcement tracking them it is now big money doing the tracking with the intent of influencing the upcoming purchases.