SAFER, EASIER THAN BUYING FROM DEALERS

There are more than 4,390 Internet Web sites describing how to grow
"excellent" indoor marijuana -- all 61 varieties.

And for those who need moreinformation, Amazon.com has at least 17 books on
the subject, not to mention the 366 books that detail other nuances about
the evil weed.

All of which explains why many pot smokers have given up buying street
marijuana and instead grow their own.

"I will smoke (marijuana) for the rest of my life," a 56-year-old pot
smoker was quoted as saying on the popular Web site marijuana.com., shortly
after he was busted with 30 plants in his apartment.

The 56-year-old disabled man, who suffers from arthritis, chronic back pain
and other ailments, went on to complain about police who he said had no
business hassling someone, like himself, who kept to himself and used
cannabis for "therapeutic" reasons.

"I am not going to get better and I have made a conscious decision to smoke
dope," the arthritis sufferer insisted. "I do not use it as a painkiller,
but it does allow me to accept my situation better."

Still, that doesn't stop authorities from trying to zero in on the many
everyday pot growers -- allegedly including Amy Lynn Flowers, in Hopewell
- -- who have turned rooms in their homes into quick cash cows.

In fact, some police departments have gone so far as to purchase thermal
heat detectors which they use to detect extra heat waves coming from
suspected pot growers' homes, usually the basement or attic.

And other law enforcement officials have been known to check a suspect's
electric bills to see if they are using more power than normal, a sure sign
they could be operating power-hungry indoor grow lights.

However, for those who just can't live without their locoweed, there are
numerous Web sites which offer detailed information, including the
hydroponics system in which the plant's roots grow in a solution rather
than in dirt.

Some sites even offer hints at how to thwart the prying eyes of authorities
by buying thermal camouflage rooms or low voltage lighting equipment.

Nevertheless, the cost for a hydroponics system, including lighting,
nutrient trays, containers, etceteras, will cost between $150 and $500,
depending on the quality of lights and grow material one opts to purchase.

"The 'ebb and flow system' is probably the most popular and easiest to set
up," according to one site, which directs people to auction sites, such as,
eBay for good deals.

In the ebb and flow technique, the indoor farmer sets up a room, usually in
a little used room, and lines it with tin foil or reflective tiles in order
to replicate constant sunlight.

A growing bed is filled with a special nutrient solution, and pumped along
a series of trays by a small pump hooked up to a timer.

The roots of the growing marijuana plants get nourished by the nutrient
solution rather than dirt.

"Such systems are favored because of low maintenance and high productivity,
and ease of use," the Web site explains.

And of course there are 61 different varieties of marijuana created by pot
aficionado's over the years, each reportedly bred for its unique smell, or
resin count.

Some Web sites offer advice on how to get starter seeds.

Some marijuana varieties include the Afghani, AK-47 Special, Sativa-Indica
(a hybrid that produces a quick stone with a long-lasting cerebral high),
Amstel Gold (developed in California in the 1970s, has a soft citrus
aroma), or the Black Jack.

And then there's the Blue Velvet, Buddha, Chitral, Euphoria (developed in
1996), the Green Spirit, the Haze, Himalayan Gold, Hack Herrer (a
combination of three Sensi blends), the Kali Mist (smooth, high
calyx-to-leaf ratio), and the Lambsbread.

The Kali Mist won first place in the High Times Cannabis Cup back in 1995.

Many Web sites add a qualifier saying their products are "meant to be used
in areas where growing marijuana is legal or tolerated. Do not use this
information to break the law."