Tokin’ With The Infamous: Patient X Talks Large Scale Growing

This month I sat down and toked up with a good friend of mine who, in the spirit of anonymity, we’ll just call Patient X. With large scale grow operations throughout California, Patient X works seven days a week growing major quantities of top shelf cannabis for people like you and me. When we ‘grab a sack’ or ‘medicate peacefully’, it’s easy to forget about the blood, sweat, and time that went into it. Millions of people in the US smoke cannabis, and trust me, it’s not all coming from small closet gardens. So that is why I want to share with you some of my conversation with Patient X about his day to day experience as a large scale grower. He makes it sound easy, but believe me, it is not.

Hopper: I’ve seen your grows here, there, and everywhere. Indoor, outdoor, they’re all massive. You want to let our readers know about all of the work that goes into growing on that level? Most people are mixing 25 gallon reservoirs, and you’re dealing with 2500 gallons.

Patient X: Yeah, it’s definitely on a bigger level. A lot of it has to do with planning ahead. You have to constantly be thinking a couple months ahead. You have to know your schedule, have your plants, and be proactive, staying on top of bugs before you get them.

Hopper: I’ve seen you grow in almost every environment. In the city, out in the desert, on the highest hills in Humboldt, and you’ve succeeded in all elements. What’s your secret?

Patient X: Yeah, it just depends on the situation. Each environment is gonna have different things you have to pay attention to.

Hopper: Right, right. Some are beneficial, and I can imagine some have to be a pain in the ass.

Patient X: You can easily get caught up with powdery mildew and molds because of the humidity up in the Humboldt area. Growing in the high desert, you’d never have to deal with that issue because it’s so dry.

Hopper: You did light deprivation out in the desert, right? How did that go, with the extreme heat?

Patient X: Yeah. We did light deps in the desert. The plants love it. I really like growing in the desert. There’s good sun, there’s long days so you can do three runs a year outside – you’ve got your dep, you’ve got full sun, full term; and then you’ve got early spring and winter which you can do with a little bit of supplemental light. You don’t have to deal with the clouds or the rain and humidity. In Humboldt we dealt with a lot of rain this year.

Hopper: What’s your favorite strain to grow? You’ve done so many bomb ones. I remember you doing the Ghost OG, when I got you that way back in the day. You did a knock-out job on that.

Patient X: I want to do the old school Ghost OG again, I’m excited about that. The Angel Food Cake, the first time I saw it, I fell in love with it.  

Hopper: What we’re smokin’ on now, this Sunset Sherbert you did, is amazing. Hats off, you did a great job.

Patient X: Yeah, we did a few of those this year.

Hopper: What’s your favorite strain to smoke on?

Patient X: To smoke, I like the heavier Indicas. The SFV that we did this year is really great.

Hopper: Oh yeah…it is phenomenal!

Patient X: The Bubba Cookies I’ve been smoking has a really nutty, Bubba smell to it. I’m really into that one right now.

Hopper: Right on, brother. It was great to see you, as always. Thanks for tokin’ with me, I’ll be up your way soon. Let’s finish up these blunts you brought.

Patient X: Yeah, let’s do that…sounds good.

Hopper: Absolutely. Shout out to all the Vegas Cannabis readers, happy holidaze to all! See you next year!