First time grower needs tips

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

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 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.