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Have you been thinking about growing and producing your own medicine indoors? It certainly does sound like a great way to lower your medicinal marijuana expenses. However, there are some hidden costs and considerations that must be realized before starting your own indoor horticulture adventure.



The Stink Factor



If you are growing within the confines of your home, don’t forget some kind of ventilation or some kind of de-stinkification device. Any way you slice it, there will be a stink factor.



Because of the stink factor, keeping the grow area as far away from the living areas and your clothing, might be wise. Yes, this does eliminate some of those good old closet grows but taking the fragrance with you might be hazardous in some social situations.



Unless you have a palatial estate your little hobby might be a little close for comfort when the non-toking friends or family come to visit. You might consider limiting your social interaction right before harvest time or maybe think again about ventilation or some kind of air filtration system for that sweet but illicit aroma.



Utility Bills



Depending on your setup, your utility bills may or may not be significantly affected but there will be some additional costs no matter what.



It does not take long to have a lot of plugs in a lot of sockets. After all there is more than just lights. It is quite easy to see a need for automatic watering, high intensity lamps, heaters, CO2 generators and a plethora of other gadgets and gizmos. However, If you see that power bill climbing, a little simplification and moderation may be in order.



Consider investing in LED lighting. LED lights are more expensive that CFL or incandescent but, over time, they pay for themselves because they last longer, sip electricity and don’t put a drain on your cooling system.



You might also consider scaling down the project to a “just what I need” approach. Access your medicinal needs and try not to go to far overboard when it comes to excess inventory.



Is it really the thing for you?



Will you have the patience? Are you willing to do the research and really get to know what you are doing? Can you keep it to your self?



Growing your own requires patience. As much as you want to get those seeds cracked asap, a little careful preparation goes a long way.



Some of the most important preparation is in your education. Go out onto the web where you will find limitless numbers of blog posts, web site articles and YouTube videos on the subject matter. Learn the fundamentals and research the mistakes and pitfalls shared by other indoor growers.



