Marijuana plants, stripped of their leaves and leaving only the buds, dry in an outdoor shed on the Big Island.

From fungus to 'rippers'

Before he moved to Puna, one 27-year-old grower had an indoor operation on Maui that came with its own set of problems.

He lost crops to fungus, white flies and spider mites that thrived in confined spaces. He worried about attracting the attention of the utility company by constantly running heaters, lights and fans, which exercise the plants.

Growing outdoors in Puna, he’s been awakened in the middle of the night by rippers who tear out the plants for their own use. Once they figured out he was growing, they returned every two weeks, sometimes in the middle of the day, as more plants matured.

“The rippers are way more effective than Green Harvest,” he said.

He said he likes the science of marijuana growing and enjoys experimenting with varieties of quick-growing, potent strains.

He picked up a thick, deep-green bud of cannabis sativa, a strain called “the haze,” and rolled it between his thumb and forefinger, unleashing the rich smell of marijuana.

“This is your working high,” he said. “You smoke this during the day when you still need to get things done.”

“Now this is special,” he said, lifting a brittle, brown bud. He says it is cannabis indica, a strained called “the blueberry.” Call it the pau hana high. “You only smoke this at the end of the day, when you’re around good friends,” he said, “because you’re going to be flat on your back, and you probably won’t be able to move.”

After five years of trial and error, despite dodging police, rippers and curious neighbors, “this is actually the most successful I’ve been growing marijuana,” he said.