First time grower needs tips

[Jerky Master]

I will list some of my questions and perhaps you experts can give me some guidance.
I have a huge vegatable garden and love doing it. I also have been making beef jerky professionaly for 16 years. Bottom line is I know how to pay attention to details and love what I do.
1-I need some basic tips starting with seedbanks. Are they for real? Will I actually get the seeds i ordered?
2- I am an indoor grower. I have a basement that is almost always in the 80 degree range in the summer. I am going to build my own cabinet so I need some dimensions. It looks like about 5- 5 1/2 feet high will do the trick but not sure how many plants which leads me to my next question.
3-How many plants can I get away with in Va and not cross over to a dealer?
4-What seed should I order? I like the white widow and am looking for high quality and it said it was good for beginners. I am looking for yummy tasty buds [hell who isnt].
5- I need to be concerned about smell. Is 4-6 plants [if thats what I end up with] going to reek?
6-Lighting. I have read several posts here on lighting and home depot has those bulbs that are all twisty and save alot of wattage. I saw the 125watt buld in other posts. Is a few of them good enough?
Thanks Guys and Gals. I am looking for a nice harvest for me and my brother and see there is alot of info out there. Any all inclusive guides that cover most of the basics?

Jerky Master

[partcleguy]

Hey, you can find answers to all your questions in the faqs and forums.

1- Go with a reputable seed dealer like dope-seeds.com or mandalaseeds.com. There are others. I've never had seeds confiscated yet, but I only order 10 or so at a time.

2/3- they need to prove you're a dealer. If you have a scale they can probably say you're a dealer. Trafficking may be what you're thinking of. Cultivating above a certain limit makes you liable for trafficking (or maybe thats crossing state lines). Virginia - NORML (http://norml.com/index.cfm?wtm_view=&Group_ID=4570) Here is Virginia's state laws which are pretty steep if you ask me for simple cultivation. If you want a cabinet it depends on how much money you're willing to spend and the amt. of space you want to dedicate. You could use a 1000watt light for a 4x4x5.5 ft space and probably fit anywhere from 4-8 plants (maybe more with sog). But then again that would be a huuge cabinet. I grow in a small 2x2x3ft cabinet and I now grow 2 plants at the most usually.

4- I recommend Northern Lights for a beginner.

5- yes 4+ plants or any amount is going to reek. NL does not smell as much but you're going to need a carbon scrubber for the smell.

6- I use HID lighting and recommend it to anyone who can afford it. compact fluorescents, which I assume you're talking about, are cheaper but won't produce as much. You need a lot of them to have enough light.