Cultivation Facilities

[ADAguy]

Anyone yet involved in permitting/licensing an indoor hydroponic growing facility for "C"?

 

[mark handler]

Denver Fire Department has done extensive work on it
click on link, go to the Marijuana Industry tab:
https://www.denvergov.org/content/d...me/permits-licensing/fire-safety-permits.html

 

[ADAguy]

Thank you Mark

 

[manifold]

Anyone yet involved in permitting/licensing an indoor hydroponic growing facility for "C"?

Yes, glad to help if you have a question.

 

[mtlogcabin]

Anyone yet involved in permitting/licensing an indoor hydroponic growing facility for "C"?

It does not matter what the crop is the requirements are the same

 

[ADAguy]

Not so, difference between growing for Medical vs retail use.
Also, what of RICO? Can we be accused for aiding and abetting if only the designer of a growing facility?

 

[tmurray]

Not so, difference between growing for Medical vs retail use.
Also, what of RICO? Can we be accused for aiding and abetting if only the designer of a growing facility?

it's called plausible deniability. You didn't know what plants they were growing, just that they were growing something. Naturally, you assumed the plants were legal.

 

[mark handler]

There is a difference.
Not all hydroponic plants give a contact high and the same ventilation issues.

 

[mtlogcabin]

Never read of being able to get a "contact high" from handling marijuana. I suspect those that claim this are already missing a few brain cells. Anyway I believe the fertilizers used would be a bigger issue from a life safety stand point .

 

[ADAguy]

FD's from Colorado and City of LA have published criteria lists as to their concerns with these facilities
Imagine entering into a burning growing facility without a face mask? (contact high?)

 

[manifold]

Also, what of RICO? Can we be accused for aiding and abetting if only the designer of a growing facility?

We discussed this with our attorney and insurance provider. Both agreed that if we are operating in good faith within state law and not involved in any way with the post-occupancy operation of the building or business then we are not violating the law. At the end of the day, the design team is just producing drawings of a code compliant building, what the owner does with it is out of our hands.

it's called plausible deniability. You didn't know what plants they were growing, just that they were growing something. Naturally, you assumed the plants were legal.

Plausible deniability is tough when there is an email trail discussing the finer points of how to optimize the design for cannabis cultivation. If the legality is worrisome, best not to get involved in the first place.

It does not matter what the crop is the requirements are the same

There are actually a tremendous number of crop specific considerations. Cannabis regulations mandate that the facility respond to specific requirements for security, sanitation, odor control, tracking of product throughout the growth cycle, storage, distribution... Then things get even more complicated when ethanol and butane extraction become part of the equation.

 

[mtlogcabin]

Imagine entering into a burning growing facility without a face mask? (contact high?)

Why would you ever let your fireman enter any burning building without a face mask on? They never know what is burning inside of a building

 

[ADAguy]

Thank you MT, the Mrs. attended a 2 day workshop in Santa Monica on this topic (included Colorado, state and City of LA. It remains uncharted waters until the first cases are tried.
If Feds are involved with a RICO claim as to aiding and abetting you could lose everything you own (worse case). As designers we may be seen as "facilitators" of a federally illegal activity even if facility is permitted for construction.

 

[mtlogcabin]

We had a couple of these in the city a few years back and the feds did come in and raid them. Mostly for taxes and distribution charges if I remember correctly.
But that was a different administration back then.

 

[tmurray]

Plausible deniability is tough when there is an email trail discussing the finer points of how to optimize the design for cannabis cultivation. If the legality is worrisome, best not to get involved in the first place.

As someone who grew up with a family greenhouse business and a talent for fluid mechanics, I've been designing hydroponics systems since I was in my early teens and by my twenties moved onto airoponics. I have custom designed systems over 5 continents. I'm certain some would have been used for the production of marijuana, but I have no clue which ones as growth patterns of plants tend to be very similar within certain groups of species. I could tell you which ones would be good at growing it, but that's about it. The building designers...I really can't see how they could optimize the facility specifically for this crop as opposed to others.

 

[ADAguy]

With the new laws in various states it comes down to the facilities now having to be permitted.
That being the case, if you participate in the process and the plans trace back to you,
can the Feds find you guilty of adding and abetting under Rico?