I've been there done that. I just got released from prison a week ago For a felony count "Conspiracy to manufacture/cultivate marijuana and to possess with intent to distribute" fortunatly for me they dropped the other felony count "manufacture/cultivate marijuana and aiding and abetting". I got luckier than shit. My lawyer was the same one that defended the unabomber and I was able to haggle it down to 18months. However in the federal system (United States), I was looking at a maximum of 40 years per count. That potentually exposed me to an 80 year sentence for growing weed! My advice to you is don't tell one friegan person, I don't care if it's your sister or best friend. Because when there looken at 80yrs you never know what theyre capable of doing. Not to mention anyone you tell is guilty under the conspiracy law. So your really doing your friends and loved ones a favor by not telling them. They tried to get my girlfriend at the time but fortunatly she knew nothing other than I smoked a ton of weed and had a lot more cash than most people my age. She has since thanked me for not telling her anything every time she decided to ask questions.
I used to do the same things your friends are doing brandi. It is fun if you can get away with it. But just the fact that you know they went and did it worry's me. Not that you are going to say anything but it makes me wonder who else they told or who those people told.
Maxim magazine did an article about my case in febuary 2002 issue. You can see it online at
http://www.maximonline.com/grit/arti...icle_4493.html
To answer your question Dj Precise you can flower your plant with only 8 to 10 hours of light. However your plants would need to already have been vegatated into adults before you should begin flowering, and your buds would not get nearly as big as they would if you flowered them on a 12/12 light cycle. If I was you I would use them and than use regular power for the other 2 to 3 hours. 5000 watts is a lot of juice for one room. I would split that into to rooms. 2000 in one and 3000 in the other. If your trying to buy lights you have to remember that the plants use different types of light during their lifespans. During there vegatative stage (24hrs a day) they use more of the bluish green light from the spectrum. So you would want metal halide's. When they get big enough and you decide to switch them into flowering (12on/12off) also known as the budding cycle, your plants are going to need more of the orange and red spectrum. For this you will want HPS (high pressure sodium) lights. Although for my honest opinion, nothing can beat outdoors. The sun produces a million times more lumans than any light bulb could possibly put out. The advantage to indoor is the fact that you can control the environment(bugs, pests, tempature, Feeding, watering). In the Outdoors there are a few things you can't control but your plants would yield ten times as much rightous bud as a they would indoors. If you ever have any questions feel free to IM me. If I do not know the answer to your questions I know where to find it. A really good book you might want to buy is "growers guide" by Ed Rosenthal. It is the essential bible for all growers. I used to work for him and he knows his shit. :blunt: