Grow California Issue 7 by Cow Mountain Media

SAVE HUMBOLDT KEEP POT ILLEGAL The Politics of Pot THE HEMP OIL THAT CAN

CURE CANCER AND THE DRUG COMPANIES THAT DON’T WANT YOU TO KNOW ABOUT IT

The Emerald Cup Kush: Origins Of The Plant

issue 7 - April / May 2010

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Contents

CONTENTS

VOLUME 1 // ISSUE 7 MARCH / APRIL 2010

THE EMERALD CUP A NETWORKING MIXER IN NORCAL

20 28

HEMp oil cures cancer Cannabis chemistry at work

The origins of O.G. A history of the mystery kush

SAVE HUMBOLDT COUNTY KEEP POT ILLEGAL

CANNABIS CONNOISSEUR A REGISTRY OF THE FINEST CANNABIS

Sustainable Bio-organics synthetic or natural approach?

INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT AN ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTION

KUSH Origins of the strain

S ta f f E RIC SLIGH editor / layout / photogra pher

kYM kEMP writer / photograh er

Ke nny Malloy adv ertising / mark eting

jOHN dE IK ER writer / Managing editor

TOM GREE N photogra ph e r / C ULTIVATION R EPORTER

ALEX K ardos C O- editor / Mark eting

Cup The Emerald

A Ganja Guild Networking in Northern California text and photos by kym Kemp

nown for its beauty and the potency of its pot, the California North Coast might surpass the Napa Wine Country as a tourist destination if marijuana is legalized. Its rich cannabis culture suffuses the underworld of this secluded area. This smoky green world already entices people in to see the sights and participate in the lifestyle. Events such as Reggae on the River and Earth Dance pull in partakers of weed as well as Rasta music from all corners of the globe. And a relatively new event, The Emerald Cup, is slowly lifting its head from within the confines of the secret underworld of the marijuana grower and inviting weed connoisseurs to partake of its weed and its wonderment. Not many of the events surrounding the secret culture thriving in the back country of the North Coast are widely known to the public—most are small and jealously guarded in the quiet hills which grow some of the most famous pot in the world. Fear of prosecution keeps the events limited to those in the know. But a gathering of growers is garnering some national attention. “December brings the Emerald Cup, a public competition for the "best bud" in the county, if not the world,” trumpets the Washington Post. Here, in what is arguably the most famous marijuana growing region of the world, and certainly is the most famous in the western world, some of the best local growers compete for a hand-blown glass cup that looks remarkably like a fanciful smoking pipe. Every year the formerly clandestine event grows larger and

more public. This year several news outlets covered the event including The San Francisco Examiner and Rolling Stone Magazine and several radio stations. Last year’s gathering had around 500 people; this year’s had around 700. A year ago, there were around 80 entries in the contest for Best Bud; this year, over 100. For those interested in where the best weed is grown and who grows it, the Emerald Cup provides an intriguing glimpse into another world. Here, where the underground festivals of Northern California during the Eighties sparked the idea for the famous Cannabis Cup of Amsterdam, marijuana producers gather to learn from each other and have fun. Within the glowingly painted Area 101 buildings and beneath the adjoining tarps and tents that keep off the seasonal driving rain, conversations swirl like the pervasive smoke which writhes seductively from the glowing embers at the end of large joints. Sellers create links: “Hey come with me, bro. Travis is in here. I just want you to make that connection.” Growers show off: “Try some of the stuff I grew this year— Pineapple Kush.” Suggestions are made: “I think you need to rinse the plant more.” And grower humor is exchanged with those who under-

stand it most—their fellow ganja growers: “The best lights are the ones that spiral around…The problem is they break down a lot. The guy I bought them from keeps saying, ‘They’re a Ferrari. They’re a Ferrari.’” The comfortable laughter greeting this stems more from camaraderie than from the gentle buzz that is exhibited in the wide grins that belie the stormy weather and dripping roofs of the venue. One grower explained why he goes to the event in the online Topix version of the Ukiah Daily Journal, “Those of us in the know use these events to learn and meet and not just be entertained….I go to mingle and ask questions and learn answers more than anything although I have picked up a vaporizer or two…. I've met some good people at these events too. … plus even some breeders who I've picked for info on new strains and techniques. To some these events may seem like a stoner gathering but to others it's a way to make contacts and find out what's what….” Men with Ben Davis jackets so old that the cuffs hang off the sleeves by only a few weary threads hold earnest conversations with men in shiny new down coats. Ranchers in denims and logging boots pass joints to men in robes and dreads. The differences of apparel are only superficial. These people are Brothers of the Bud--sharing fears, hopes, ideas, and information that can’t be had elsewhere. Booths selling gor-

Cup The Emerald

geous handmade glassware pipes are only a few feet from those selling shiny metallic weed trimmers that look like generators. These, in turn, are only a few feet from kitschy t-shirts proclaiming, “Humboldt Local” and tiny baby onesies sporting marijuana leaf patterns. Jumbled together under tarps holding off the driving North Coast rain is a small sampling of a growing underground society. Like the marijuana culture itself, these, its offspring, are thriving in spite of the inhospitable atmosphere around them. A few years ago, fear of law enforcement would have shut down such an event but with the passage of Proposition 215 (California’s medical marijuana law) growers have begun to feel safe. “Hell, its legal,” one told me oblivious to the fact that, in fact, the joint he was letting smolder unnoticed at his side could put him in jail for years in other states and was still illegal in California unless he was a registered medical patient with permission from his doctor. However, California’s Proposition 215 is allowing the promoters of the Emerald Cup to be bolder in their activities. Under the umbrella of this regulation, all contestants for the cup must have a medical marijuana license (or be able to find someone with one willing to be their front man.) And all the judges are supposed to have one also. The legalities covered, the event is so open that professional looking ads are plastered on walls miles from the immediate area and across marijuana forums on the internet. http://blogs.myspace.com/timsarea101 Use this url to get the poster for the event. Actually, there are several contests at the event. The most prominent, of course, is for Best Bud which is judged on Looks, Taste, Fragrance and Effects (the last weighing in most strongly—points from it are doubled.) [I’m including a Judge’s Worksheet. –I had a hard time persuading them to let me have it— I’m betting a lot of people will have fun with smokeoffs of their own. In fact, a full page of the worksheet with the following caption would work nicely— ie. If you want to indulge in a smokeoff of your own, here is a copy of the Official Judges’ Worksheet.) The contestant must submit an ounce of marijuana (which obviously is not returned as it is consumed in the judging.) Each Judge receives 1 ½ grams of several different submissions which he or she burns over the course of the week. They then fill out the work sheet. Before testing another sample, they wait several hours. “We spread it out so not to be mixing both highs,” one judge explained. Tim Blake, the owner

of Area 101 just North of the small town of Laytonville, CA. adds, “The judges are smoking three or four a day,” he said. “It's a serious job.” And the judges do this for weeks in order to taste the 100 plus entries they had this year. The judges know their positions are a stoner’s dream but they take it as seriously as a job. (Some of them told me they even experience burnout and take several months hiatus from smoking afterwards.) One said, “It’s not that we just toke pot and have fun. We create the chart for other growers and for medical users. It’s about networking. We’re a Ganja Guild—very informal—but we’re here to make the weed better.” Each week, the scorers meet to discuss which of the submissions they tested recently will be moving on to the next stage of the competition. Only the top ten are ranked. The remainder, however, are given comments which are posted on the competition night. A seasoned smoker and grower, known as the Candleman, who viewed the sample buds displayed from each contestant, noted that while the buds were incredibly nice in most respects, many were poorly cleaned. This was later confirmed by several judges. They urged next year’s contestants to “Pick your best buds and trim them perfectly. If you don’t manicure right, it won’t taste as smooth.” Then one of them added sharply, “And we don’t want to have to manicure it for you.” Nonetheless among the entries displayed in a gleaming glass case were some extraordinary examples of what one viewer delightedly called, “Mendo Marijuana, Humboldt Homegrown, and Trinity Tricomes.” Other Northern California areas were represented as well. One judge explained, “We want people to bring different strains [for the contest.]” For years, OG Kush has always been in the top three finalists but, in order for growers to breed better strains each year, variety is the key. One of the key rules of the contest is that the buds must be outdoor grown—no indoor grows accepted. Call Tim ask for a quote on why that is. Underneath the rows of sticky green buds were small containers of hash. They displayed the samples for a second competition which is judged in a similar fashion to the weed. Then there are several smaller contests including one for best Marijuana Photograph. [see photo dsc 0288 winner

of the Photography Contest willing to be identified only as Veronica.] But the one that had the crowd enthralled involved heaping buds on a circular table and seeing who could roll the most buds. Cheers and raucous cat calls filled the air as competitors raced to make the most joints. At one point, an enterprising contestant began filling a rolling paper with some large lumber—stems stuck out at awkward angles. Hoots and laughter greeted the results but after the contest, when some of the results were passed out free to the crowd, no one volunteered for that sorry specimen. In the end, a character known only as Sketch won. Shiny metal studs permanently beaded his face like sweat. The backs of the fingers of one hand read Side. The backs of the other read Show. In any other crowd he would have drawn stares like the side show exhibit he obviously wanted to evoke, but here, among the Ganja Guild, he didn’t garner a second look. And comfortable among the congratulating crowd, his smile shone as sweetly as any boy headed towards the dugout after his first home run. Fairly early in the evening, the results of the Best Bud contest were announced. The crowd was silent as the countdown through the top ten began. In a hangover from early more dangerous times, all of the contestants used pseudonyms which seemed to indicate that not all of the pot grown was strictly for legal medical use. The winners were as thrilled as any Olympic athlete and some of their stories were as heart-clenching as any described during TV’s coverage of the athletes. The grower of the two strains coming in at #7 and #5 was an older country woman with long wavy hair beginning to grey. Wearing a vest decorated with marijuana designs so green they were nearly luminous, she bounded to the stage and stood there a moment with her eyes welling. “This is for the Sandman.” Her voice broke but she still beamed at the crowd. At last year’s cup, her husband had taken third with Sugaree and he was determined to place again. Wretchedly, in June, the day before planting was to have begun, he died.

Cup The Emerald

“I had to learn how to grow. I had just been in charge of the trimming before. Now I had to figure out how to do it.” Beside each plant, she sprinkled a little of his ashes as an offering. And somehow, with the help of friends, she—a first time grower—out of over 100 entries, managed to pull off a double placement for her babies with the help of the strains developed by her partner! (And in fact, she came close to equaling his achievement the year before. There was a tie for third this year that was only broken by some last minute serious smoking!) Another compelling story came from the winner, Hawaii Dave, who told of how his growing career nearly came to an abrupt and unpleasant end. He began by holding up the cup and over the crowds’ hoots, he cleared his throat. “A special thanks to Sheriff Allman and his guys. They were in my greenhouse right before these babies were to be harvested.” The audience hushed. Mouths dropped open and those at the perimeter moved in mesmerized--unwilling to lose even one word of this story. Shy and obviously overwhelmed by his win, Dave kept the story short. Apparently, he had purchased the 6 zipties that Mendocino Sheriff Tom Allman allowed medical growers. Those 6 slim zipties enclosing the thick stalks of his “babies” saved their lives when the law came around—saved their lives to make him the win-

ner of this year’s contest!. Dave declined most interviews but when he heard we were from Grow Magazine, he paused in his celebrating long enough to say earnestly, “That article about Outdoor Growing being a Game? That’s my buddies and my life! You tell it like it is.” [Hawaii Dave, if you are reading this article, we’d love to talk to you. Email kymkemp@ starband. net] Tim Blake, owner of the property, one of the founding fathers of the Emerald Cup and a cancer survivor loves the real down-home setting of the event but worries because, “It’s getting so big.” He is concerned that next year or the year after he will have to move to a larger venue and give up some of the funky authentic flavor that the Area 101 grounds impart. He wants to keep it small but the proceeds from the tickets benefit both The Trees Foundation and The Mendocino Medical Marijuana Advisory Board. When asked if he believes that marijuana will become legal, he looked at me seriously, spread his hands to indicate the event, and replied, “The battle is over; the negotiations have begun.” If he’s right, the tourists will come and the North Coast just might be ready.

The Winners

#2 entry number 39--#9OG—A 911 and OG cross blew the judges’ minds with a high eloquently articulated as having “kicked our collective asses!”

The winner, entry number 62—Cotton Candy Kush—a clone from Lake County, California but grown closer to the coast was a gorgeous, purpled, dark bud “totally coated in icy trichomes.”

The Results

ing a flavor of “Indian temple incense.” The effect is hammerlike with a judge describing it as “back to bed time.”

Coming in at #10 was entry number 97--Cush AKA Green Crack. This submission showed the wide range of networking in the underground cannabis culture. It was proudly proclaimed to have been developed in Atlanta, Georgia. This strain produced a “spacey, meditative high” that “relaxes the body” according to the judges. They also proclaimed it “sticky,” “hard,” and with a “minty menthol,” “grape” flavor.

#3 entry number 85—In the Pines—A pineapple kush from a clone was described, not surprisingly, as having a taste of “a little pine.” The rush from smoking it was expressed as “uplifting” and “good to the last puff.” Notably, since it was the only bud not represented in the sample case, it must have been a favorite—smoked until every last flower was consumed.

#9 entry number 90—Mr. Nice—was also a Kush strain as were many of the other finalists. And like most, it was a clone. A beautiful, dense, sticky green bud with lots of sugar crystal, the judges recommended it as a good morning smoke with a “mouth watering fragrance” with hints of a “dark floral fruit” and “chocolate.” Its effects were described as “sinus clearing.” Photo available

#2 entry number 39--#9OG—A 911 and OG cross blew the judges’ minds with a high eloquently articulated as having “kicked our collective asses!” In this sticky bud, the brown hairs lay down unable to raise their heads under their heavy load of crystal. The flavor was portrayed as delicious with a “spicy, musky earth-sweet mélange.” photo available

#8 entry number 74—Pink Lemonade—came from a seed started in February and harvested at the end of October. One of the more colorful judges, Swami, was quoted as saying after smoking it, “I’m finally feeling stoned.” The taste was light with a “subtle, tart fruit, spicy flavor.”

The winner, entry number 62—Cotton Candy Kush—a clone from Lake County, California but grown closer to the coast was a gorgeous, purpled, dark bud “totally coated in icy trichomes.” Planted in early March and harvested in mid October, the taste was described as “complex and balanced” with a touch of “earthiness.” And the effects from smoking it were described as both “clarifying” and “a thick robust heavy high.” One judge commented that this smoke is “as good as it gets.”

#7 entry number 58—Pure Kush—another that was also a clone. It described as having “thick trichomes” and “winter wonderland coating” with a flavor delightedly portrayed by one taster as “spicy cookies.” The effects must have been potent for it was said to be “spacey, laid out shit, man.” #6 entry number 88—Scarlet Fire—an OG cross clone planted in May and harvested in early October, was described as a possible morning smoke if one were “not too ambitious” with “A slow down and look at the flowers” high. The flavor was “deep and rich” as well as “medicinal.” #5 entry number 56—Sugaree—entered by the same grower as the Pure Kush which took seventh place is true to its name and sweetly crusted with white crystals. A clone from a Blue Widow cross was called a “good project smoke.” The flavor was said to be “a sublime, sweet fruitiness with delicate floral undertones.” The same strain by the husband of this grower placed third in 2008. photo available #4 entry number 54—Dogistan—A Chem Dog, OG, and Afghani cross grown from a seed planted July 1st (very late start!) and harvested in mid October was depicted as hav-

How to Win Big at the Growing Game Hawaii Dave won this year’s Emerald Cup with his rich, dark purple bud frosted with icy crystals. What are his secrets? When asked he explained that his method is simple.

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The Hemp Oil that

Cures Cancer... and the Drug Companies Who Don’t Want You to Know About It. “You have to put it under your tongue and hold it there. It’s thick, like goo, but just let it sit and absorb into your gums. And don’t be afraid to get it caught in your teeth, it won’t hurt. Just swish it around in there and let it dissolve,” said the Jerry Garcia look-alike, sitting to my right.

had heard many things about Jack and his convictions, and honestly, back then, some of them still seemed a bit too radical for even my tastes-conspiratorial towards my government in a way I was not yet ready to swallow at the time. There were other stories, or one, the one I am about to discuss here—of the miracle oil-- which I found downright unbelievable

Part One: My Introduction to The Oil... It was two years ago. I was on a couch in a modest home in Lake County, California, and these were the instructions being given to me by the Emperor, Mr. Jack Herer himself. Jack Herer has been leading the charge to legalize hemp and marijuana in this country for over thirty years. His book: The Emperor Wears No Clothes is the best selling Hemp book of all time. His voice is one of the most influential and recognizable within the marijuana community in the world. A cannabis folk-legend, I never planned on meeting the man behind the hemp movement. We were introduced through a mutual acquaintance during a trip up to Northern California. I

However, after spending a night in his home, becoming friends since, and digesting all the revelations heretofore, I am officially a believer. I have been a believer since the first night we met. That night the nucleus of our conversation revolved around the contents of this precarious little jar Jack had on his end table: Inside it was concentrated hemp oil, capable of treating, and very often curing, many forms of cancer. I repeat: There is an oil, made from hemp, that is capable of curing, killing, destroying the cancerous cells that plague human beings. In the beginning, that first night, I had no empirical proof of any of this being true. There was no evidence on-hand, nor could there of

been unless somewhere on the premises there had been a patient being treated with the oil. So...everything then, was hearsay. The world knew nothing at all about this oil, there were no websites promoting it, nor were there medical associations discussing the probability and possibilities of its existence. Not yet.

And somehow.... in a strange, code-of-the-stoner, save-the-world kind of way, I drew pride from that admission of Jack… from knowing that we had shared that long conversation together, blissfully sedated, two sets of teeth painted black with the gooey future of cancer and cannabis pasted between our gums.

However, what I did notice at the time, was that Jack was applying the oil to a lesion on his leg at one point in the evening. When I asked what he was doing, he explained that his entire life he’d been plagued by painful skin lesions, red, purple and black, that would cover his arms and legs sporadically.

Part Two: How the Oil was Developed and Why it Has Been Kept a Secret.

This one particular lesion on his shin that he was applying the oil to was, “his last.” Jack had been using the oil as a topical skin surface treatment for just shy of a year, and had found that the oil had effectively removed all the lesions from his skin, one by one. That was the beginning of my empirical proof. (It is public

Inside it was concentrated hemp oil, capable of treating, and very often curing, many forms of cancer. knowledge now that the oil may also be applied to skin cancers and lesions.) There was a good amount of this oil on-hand that night, one-ounce or more, and needless to say, we sampled it copiously-- each passing hour brought another spoonful of cancer-killing-cannabis-kryptonite to be dissolved and ingested. This particular oil, or batch, must have been a product of the very potent test-run days (and, this was Jack’s personal stash, we must take into account), because the oils texture resembled black tar— oil black, and extremely viscous. When placed in your mouth it dissolved very slowly, eventually I found myself swallowing little licorice like pieces for the sake of saving time, because the texture was not so appealing, and the spoonfuls just kept coming. The taste was surprisingly mild, though black as oil and thick as molasses, this oil only had a slight cannabis flavor. The effect is similar to that of strong marijuana edibles, or any digested cannabis, a very weighted down body high. That long night concluded on Jack, red-eyed and glued to his lazy boy, saying, “I don’t get this high very often, maybe once or twice a year.”

To this point we have established that there is, out there, oil being produced, made from the hemp plant, capable of treating and in many cases, curing cancer. All this is true, verifiable--- and so it is all the more puzzling and dismaying to know that this oil has not been utilized in one hospital, hasn’t even glanced the cover of a national newspaper. In accordance with every concept of logic, this is Nobel-news that should be making the cover of every magazine in the country, and should be being utilized in every hospital around the world, right? Yes. However, this is not the case. Why-- You might be asking? Why would the government not be researching this medical breakthrough and utilizing it to its’ full potential? The first reason: Health care policies enacted by our government are just as much the product of Congress and its constituents common health goals as they are those of lobbyist and special interest groups who represent Big Pharmaceutical in Washington. It is these “special interest” lobbyist swine who orchestrate precisely the corrupted political mechanics that ensure any and every all-natural, holistic cure out there, is always wiped off the map. It is the job of Big Pharma’s lobbyist in Washington to make sure that the policies of Congress-- and the trillions in health care spending they allocate-- correlate financially with the plans of Big Pharma. Today billion dollar contracts are competed over like military contracts in the 1950’s: You do whatever it takes to seal the contract with Big Government. Which brings us to the second reason, and the real underlying force behind Big Pharma’s desired concealment of hemp’s medicinal potential: Money. As the creator of this Hemp oil is quick to point out: “Many large pharmaceutical companies that still exist today sold hemp based medicines in the 1800’s and early 1900’s. They knew then what I have recently found out. Hemp oil if produced properly is a cure-all that the pharmaceutical industry can’t patent.” This hemp oil truly can cure cancer; however, you can’t patent hemp, and so, unfortunate for the general

The Hemp Oil that Cures Cancer...

public and currently suffering cancer patients out there, Big Pharma can’t make a large enough profit margin to justify saving your life this way. Because… “All-natural” is the enemy of synthetic drug manufacturers, the very term and concept that can keep anyone in the industry awake at night. It essentially means: un-patentable. Synthetic drugs are the type manufactured by pharmaceutical companies, and are, apparently, the only type which can produce profit margins high enough to keep upper management afloat on yachts, a cavalry of lobbyist cozy in high-rises overlooking Capitol Hill, and a street-army of well-dressed, beautiful pharmaceutical sales representatives who move from one one doctor’s office to the next, offering up samples of the newest cures and lunch tickets for all the staff-- and making six figures to do this…. keeping of the ties. And if THC were able to cure, or even reduce cancer, which it has been clinically proven to do, and if this news was made highly accessible to the public, it would mean, other than the painful, expensive and prolonged methods of trying to cure cancer we are currently offered—pills, radiation-- there would be, in the soil of earth, another option for us; a natural, and free, substitute to the options Big Pharma controls and delineates. This new hemp option would be, good for us, and terrible for Big Pharma. It would be a major hitch in the economic models of these pharmaceutical giants because not only would it be an un-patentable cure all, but it would be a cure all that has so many positive cancerous treatment faculties it would cut a huge slice out of the bread and butter profits these companies surive upon: All forms of cancer.

Yet at first reaction to the tone I was blasé, dismissive-- “this was just hippie paranoia, the by-product of too many psychotropic agents ingested over the years.” But then it sat in: I realized the reality behind these words and the results of Simpson’s oil; the gravity of the end result-- lives; and the economic ramifications this oil could have for ill on the trillion dollar health care system currently in place. It wasn’t long and I began to honestly wonder myself: Is there a world out there, off the books, underground, that exists… a Bourne billion dollar world of corporate espionage, computer hacking, infra red, fully equipped with loaded assassins who look like models and wear designer suits while they carry out their hits? Right then I realized that Jack Herer had an honest fear of the government, or at least the pharmaceutical companies and their ties to the government; as did, to an

His words seem to be spreading, his truth, finally coming to the surface indefinitely. Today, everything is changing. even greater extent, Rick Simpson.

The creator of this cancer treating hemp oil is a man named Rick Simpson. There are people like Eddy Lepp and Jack Herer, both friends of Simpson, who have been in the public light for years and have known about the oil, the testing being done and the revelations coming back, but had been quiet about forthcoming with the information. Rick had remained entirely below the surface about it for years, both for legal and moral reasons. When I first spoke to Jack about the oil, two years ago, before I knew much about it or its’ creator, Herer would speak in a very hushed conspiratorial air about Simpson and the research being done. It was an eerie tone he took on, and there was, for good reason, more than a tinge of government-coming-to-get-us paranoia in his voice.

But that was two years ago, however, before the lid on this oil had been popped to the pubic. Today, Rick Simpson has come forward about the oil. He has given many small interviews and many demonstrations on how to make the oil which are available online, as well as on his own hemp oil promoting website. He is no longer a man of mystery living underground. He is however, currently living in exile in Europe, fearing that returning to his Canadian homelnd will result in his arrest. Let me explain. Over the past year, Simpson has gone public with his oil. Today, he is a man on the move, a man of many letters and much research. There is a website operat-

ing, phoenixtears.ca/index.php, which fully outlines the hemp oil’s contents, how to make the oil yourself, answers just about any question you might have regarding the oil, and provides letters from patients treating themselves with hemp oil, or cured patients who

They knew then what I have recently found out. Hemp oil if produced properly is a cure-all that the pharmaceutical have written letters praising Simpson for saving their life. The following is an insert section from Simpson’s website, which outlines how much hemp oil a patient should take: “One pound (500g) of bone-dry hemp buds will usually produce about 2 ounces (55 - 60 mL) of high-grade oil. This amount of oil will cure most serious cancers; the average person can ingest this amount in about three months. This oil is very potent so one must begin treatment with small doses. A drop of oil about half the size of a grain of rice, two to four times a day is a good beginning. After four or five days, start increasing your daily dosage very gradually. As time goes on the body builds a tolerance to the oil and more and more can be taken. In cases where people are in a great deal of pain, I recommend that their dosage be quickly increased until it kills the pain. High quality hemp oil will stop pain even when morphine is not effective. The oil can be applied to external injuries for pain relief in minutes.“ It is mind-boggling information like the above— “this amount will cure most serious cancers; high quality hemp will stop pain even when morphine is not effective”—that has brought Simpson’s oil to the forefront of cancer research. This invention of his is now being discussed by Big Pharma, being advertised in numerous magazines across the world, is making scientific journals daily, and is garnishing followers: “ten thousand per day,” as Simpson says. However, the fact remains, that hemp and marijuana are federally illegal in the US and Canada, and therefore, Simpson had been, since he’d gone public with the process, in effect, broadcasting the fact that he was growing—How else could he be producing large quantities of the oil?

This came to haunt him again, as it has in the past, when on November 25th, 2009, Simpson’s house was raided by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The raid occurred while Simpson was in Amsterdam, where, the day after the raid occurred, he was crowned Freedom Fighter of the Year, at the annual Cannabis Cup 2009. The raid meant that Simpson couldn’t return to Canada. He spent Christmas away from his family and friends. He is currently staying with friends in Europe, doing lecture tours and research, utilizing his time on the continent in the countries which allows for him to do his research. Simpson is dismayed by the action of the Canadian government, but hardly deterred. “It seems the goal is to keep me from returning home and they succeeded. But to what end? All hemp magazines on this planet are now telling their readers how to heal themselves with this wonderful medicine. If governments want to live in denial, it will be shortlived. We are gaining tens of thousands of followers every day. You cannot stop the truth.” It appears, Simpson is correct. His words seem to be spreading, his truth, finally coming to the surface indefinitely. Today, everything is changing. The American Medical Association is now urging the Federal Government to allow for the medical testing of marijuana in the United States, and has re-assessed its Category One placement of marijuana, a complete 360 degree turn around from the stance they have held for over eighty years regarding marijuana! On November 16th, 2009, ten days before Simpson was to receive his Freedom Fighter of the Year Award, the AMA made a statement, and although Simpson’s name was never mentioned, his presence was obvious; whether acknowledged or not, others are taking his lead: “The AMA is interested in research that considers alternative delivery methods for marijuana aside from smoking it therapeutically. Advocates for medicinal marijuana cite other useful ways of utilizing the plant medicinally, including the extraction of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-rich hemp oil that some claim is capable of curing cancer.” And there you have it folks, the beginning of the unveiling of the truth—“a rich hemp oil that some claim is capable of curing cancer.” Soon, in a matter of years, maybe only a matter of months, once the large medical firms have found a way to harness this plant and make a profit, the quote above will include all the same words, except: “some claim.” By then, those two words will no longer be necessary.

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KUSH ORIGINS OF THE PLANT; HISTORY OF THE WORD

The word “Kush”…. is everywhere. In California it can be seen on t-shirts, billboards, and advertised down Hollywood Boulevard and the Venice Beach. When describing high-grade, first-rate marijuana, it is a rare occasion that you hear someone in Southern California call their buds hydro, kind, dank or the fire—no, even if it is the dank, or the fire, it also has to be… “The Kush.” Indeed, today, the big gimmick-word for all ganjapreneurs is: “Kush.” And everyone, from clinic owners to sneakers-salesman, are cashing in on the word alone: all too often, both the owner and the street salesman are selling strains that are not even close to Kush, knowingly, and other times, out of their own naivety. Because… Kush, the word has become so overused and misunderstood, that the majority of the smoking community has forgotten, or doesn’t know any longer what is and is not Kush— and that Kush is not a street term applying to any type of high-potency marijuana, but to an actual genetic lineage of cannabis-indica plants, that originated in the Himalayan Mountains, and is, possibly, the oldest strain on the planet. Kush: Origins of the Strain When the day comes that there is an organized field of academics dedicated to the research and study of marijuana’s history, these cannabis culture vultures will begin their timelines and lectures on a mountain range within the Himalayas, located in the northern regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan. This area, along with India, is

generally agreed to be the birthplace of marijuana. For centuries—since the 7th century B.C., to be precise—Kush, a stocky indica variation of killer ganja, has been grown in these mountainous borders between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The geographic name of this fertile region is the Indus Valley, home to a unique history of landrace Kush phenotypes that have survived for 1300 years within this region, a 500-mile stretch of the Himalayans called the Hindu Mountain Range. Historians believe the area was given the name, Hindu Mountain Range, because by 7th century B.C. the predominant religion of this regions’ civilization was Hinduism. This civilization of Hindu settlers have, for eons now, been growing small, ultra-resinous variations of Kush phenotypes, and in the past, indulged on the plant both recreationally, for religious rituals, and meditation. Over the centuries, this cannabis indica plants have maintained not only their spectacular high, but also their physical characteristics. Since five centuries before Marco Polo made his way across the silk path into Asia Minor, Kush has maintained her stocky, bushy structure, dark color, earthy scent, and small, dense resinous buds. However, what has changed over the centuries are the preferred methods of smoking this delectable dank. Although smoking from a pipe, paper, or bong was probably not out of the question for the ancient Indian man—I found no data about peace pipes in the Indus Valley— what appears to of been the forefathers favorite method of smoking Kush was not burning it down in flower-form, but roasting it as hash instead. When you understand the highly resinous and sticky nature of freshly cultivated Kush plants, making hash out them makes a good deal

KUSH ORIGINS OF THE PLANT; HISTORY OF THE WORD

of sense. For that reason—the resinous nature of the buds, and no doubt, the stellar hash high-- what the Hindu did with their buds was cut the newly finished plant at the stocks. After the cutting, they would break apart the sturdy branches of Kush colas and arduously rub these between their hands for a long period of time. A delicate amount of pressure was used while he/she rolled the Kush branch and colas, which were placed over a bucket or container, which collected the tiny particles of weed matter that was falling off the entire stalk—colas, stem and all. These microscopic weed skimmings that were being manually separated by this rubbing technique were the THC trichomes on the outside of the resin-coated indica strain. This small matter of highly potent THC trichomes was then condensed into either a kief, or hashish, which, long before vaporizers and zigzags were invented, was the way cannabis made its way into the conscious of the ancients (Note: Each country in this part of the world has its own name for the processed finished product which has also survived over time; for example, in India, the hash made from

flower tops which is hand-rolled or pressed till very compacted, is called chara. The THC which falls of the plant after it is cultivated simply by shaking it, and is also collected in India, is a term which has really stuck over the centuries: it is called kief.) But how did the fabled Kush genetics make there was to the Western world? Who is responsible for this trans-pacific passage of the Pakistani pot? The answer: the strain-seeds were smuggled. By who is the real question? Stoner lore places migratory credit in the hands of nomadic, righteous potheads who flew to the region, scouted out the seeds, procured a small collection, and smuggled them back into the United States. This is believed to of taken place in the early 1970’s, with a massive number of crosses taking place out of a very small number of original landrace seeds since their arrival. (Note: For more information on the original American Kush seeds, take a look on the web at the many stories about: “The Thirteen Original Kush Seeds.” There is a take on this surfer-smuggling story that speaks of their being only thirteen original seeds which were, collectively, responsible for breed-

ing some of the best strains—the strains that would go on to create the modern “kind” cannabis market that developed sometime in the late-twentieth century. I see a movie coming).

Kush: The Word Kush, the word, refers to a type of cannabis plant that has its genetic origins in the Himalayan Mountain range. The etymological roots of the word Kush are highly disputed and depend on which language you choose to believe it originated first. The cases for the origin of the word, and what it means, are as follows: First Theory: Persian Roots: In a number of Iranian languages still spoken in the Hindu Valley Region, and the areas surrounding, peaks and mountaintops often have the ending, -Kush, in their names. Kush, could deride from the Persian mountain term: Kush, and its attachment to the mountain population that grew the phenomenal phenotype. Second Theory: Perhaps, salesman along the silk road were selling Hindu Kush, and even centuries back, it was known by the general public as the best buds in the world. Maybe Marco Polo

found some on his way back, and that would explain the real “spice” phenomenon of history we have never really understood. Third Theory: In the Fourth Century B.C., following the conquest of the Indus Valley by Alexander the Great, Macedonian-Greek rule lasted for three centuries, until its collapse was followed by a civilization of people referred to in history as Kushans, who were a part of the Kushan Empire, which had its capital near modern day Kabul. It is possible these people were getting so high off their own stash of Indus Valley buds they decided to name it after themselves. Fourth Theory: In the ancient Scythian language, the Hindu Mountains were named: Hindu-kus, in which the word kus is defined as side, or region. Some argue that when the British took Imperial control over the Indian Kingdom, the word Kush might of become a corrupted English version of the Scythian term: kus. Fifth Theory: Who really cares, this weed is dank and the word Kush is catchy as all hell.

The Origin of

O.G. KUSH by J. Deiker

Today, in California, from the long list of fifty-seven varieties of medicinal marijuana strains a patient may choose, there has been one strain, which has for three years running, been producing the most desired buds on the market. That strain is OG Kush. Just as the Purps, Sour Diesel, Headband and Master Kush, once had the coast up in smoke, today, OG Kush has become the most preferred puff in California. However, unlike all the aforementioned strains, the difference between OG Kush and those favorites from the past is this plant’s genetic history—nobody seems to really know what OG Kush is? Between the patients and pot-practitioners, owners and chronic connoisseurs, there are numerous stories and contradictions about the plants origins and genetic lineage. In light of this general misunderstanding, your correspondent wishes to set the record straight and reveal to the reader the real origin of OG Kush; or at the least, the most verifiable account of how this amazing strain came about. Lets go back in time to the year of 1991… George Bush Sr. is the President; Nirvana has just released Nevermind; kids are wearing flannel and growing morose; MC Hammer and Vanilla Ice still have all their money; the Braves are winning the series; Saved By the Bell is on every channel. Somewhere within this odd epoch in time lived a rambling bunch of underground hippy-free spirited growing types residing in Colorado, California, Massachusetts and New York. In the case of OG Kush, the flower’s origins seem to of began in Colorado. The most common tale behind OG’s ancestry is that she originated from Chemdawg. Chemdawg, or Chem, as it is known in parts of the East, is a lime green, whitish, super sour sativa originally believed to have been grown in Colorado, and or Wyoming. (Note: There are two other legs to this tale, resulting

in two other sisters. As it goes, this particular strain of ChemDawg also made its way to the East Coast after cuts were shared at a Grateful Dead show. After this trade-off, the tale continues that the seeds of S1 ChemDawg were brought to somewhere in New York and the best of Colorado’s ChemDawg was crossed with a (Mass. Super Skunk X Northern Lights #5) phenotype. This cross, it is said, became the phenotype for Sour Diesel (ChemDawg x Mass. Super Skunk/ Northern Lights #5). Once the Sour Diesel phenotype was established—known, as Diesel, in the East—that was then crossed again with the (Mass. Super Skunk x Northern Lights) plant. This end result was a strain known on the East Coast as Daywrecker, and on the West Coast as Headband (Diesel x Mass. Supper Skunk/Northern Lights)). But back to the OG... Through a network of friendly cultivators, clones of original (S1) 1991 ChemDawg were brought from Colorado to Lake Tahoe, or Grass Valley to be more precise. (This particular trade-off for the Chem-cuts is said to of taken place at a Phish concert). Once the ChemDawg from Colorado was harvested in California, it’s cultivators decided to cross it with something else. That something else, is the mysterious unknown variable in the genetic ancestry of OG Kush. As stoner-lore goes, the ChemDawg was crossed with a hybrid phenotype of (Old World Pakistani Kush x Lemon Thai). These two plants, the ChemDawg and the (Pakistani Kush/Lemon Thai) pheno were crossbred somewhere on the coast of Mendocino County, but I have also heard Sunset Beach County was the original breeding grounds of the first OG phenotypes? In any case, if the entire tale is true, it means that the real genetics of OG Kush are: (Original Colorado ChemDawg x (Pakistani Kush x Lemon Thai)). There is a good deal of empirical, and smoke-able, evidence to add validity towards the potentiality of this being OG’s original genetics: based on the physiological effects, looks, and aroma of OG Kush, this genetic background makes perfect since. Let me elucidate: When grown, smoked, or even just placed side by side each other, one can easily discern that ChemDawg, Sour Diesel, Headband and OG Kush are from

the same phenological family tree. They are sisters, in fact, each of them sharing similar growing patters, textures, colors, and, of course, that unforgettable sour aroma and taste they all share. However, OG Kush, though very much like the other three, has more than just a sour note in its stench, OG also has a strong aroma of lemon and pine. (Lemon Pine Sol, the cleaner being the most common description for the OG aroma). It is the ChemDawg, which accounts for the natural sour pungency of OG Kush, while the (Lemon Thai x Pakistani Kush) pheno, the spicy lemon-pine aroma that OG effuses as well. All these smell-information-correlations, however, are only possible if the tale of OG’s genetics is true. Other than the genetic lineage of OG, the biggest misconception about the bud on the streets is the name itself—the meaning of the letters O and G, in OG Kush. Let us set the record straight: OG Kush probably does not stand for, Original Gangster Kush. I highly doubt that the presumably peaceful growers spread between the coasts, attendees of Phish and Great Dead concerts, who had taken the time to grow and nurture these plants when it was highly illegal to do so, would ever of named their finished flowers: Original Gangster. No. I highly doubt that this was their nomenclatural intention. As the more probable myth goes, the real reason for the OG in OG Kush is this: after the unknown California cultivator responsible for crossing the Colorado ChemDawg with the secret ingredient (Pakistani Kush x Lemon Thai) had done so successfully, being that the new cross-phenotype was grown near the salty beaches of California, and that it, by lore, has some actual Hindus Valley Kush lineage in its’ genetics, the perfect name for the new flower was... Ocean Grown Kush. The O, and the G, in OG Kush, refer to the conditions under which this variation of Kush were grown: The cool bellows of the Pacific Coast’s perfect cannabis cultivating currents.

Experimental Cannabis Tissue Culture By David Sigman

Plant tissue culture (T.C.) is a technique that has been around for over 60 years, but the techniques used in vitro (literally, â&#x20AC;&#x153;in glassâ&#x20AC;?) have continued to develop since their original popularization among Orchid growers. Plantlets are grown in very small sealed glass containers on a gel medium with a balanced diet of chemicals. After the initial sterilization of the media and containers the plants are introduced using a sanitary technique in a clean hood. This method can grow not only miniature plants, but even individual cells and organs. Plants grown in culture adapt well to the micro greenhouse environment and form miniature bonsai like structures that allow for the plants to be propagated by meristem tip cuttings even when only test tube size. Micro propagation is the correct term to use when referring to the asexual multiplication of plants in vitro. Tissue culture is a term borrowed from animal T.C. and actually refers to the culture of isolated tissues. There are a number of unbelievable benefits that can come from a tissue culture lab. Clones may be created using meristem tip cuttings, but on a much smaller scale. An almost perfect success rate, the high number of plants per square foot (180-360) and the low intensity lighting (less than 10 watts/sq. ft.) are why T.C. is used for commercial mass multiplication. Micro propagated cuttings have unmatched lateral branch development and can be guaranteed free of any contamination from pests or pathogens. The low cost of keeping individual plantlets alive makes this an ideal system for saving especially important plants used in breeding or multiplication. Cultures do not require daily attention, but only need to be refreshed once every 3-5 weeks and can be put into a refrigerator for extended storage. Somatic embryogenesis is a process unique to tissue culture. A plant is introduced into culture and then forced to grow undifferentiated callus tissue. This tissue is put through a process that transforms it into a clump of continuously germinating embryos that all form from single cells of the original clone plant. This process can lead to the discovery of new plant characteristics from clones. The genotype remains the same, but the plant has the potential to express a slightly different phenotype with each somatic embryo. The seed/clones grow just like seedlings with a taproot, embryonic leaves and seed start vigor, yet still retain their primary traits. Protoplast (cells without cell walls) fusion is novel technique used by advanced tissue culturists. The cell wall of a plant is broken down until only the protoplasts remain. These are then cultured until they form a clump and can be mixed with other clumps of protoplasts from the same species, or foreign species. The protoplasts are encouraged to recombine with each other via chemicals or electric shock and form new cell walls around the fused center by weaving together both sets of plant instructions to create what is called a somatic hybrid. This can produce results such as true female-female combinations of prized clone only plants (ex. Cypress O.G. Kush X pre-98 Bubba) without the use of drawn out breeding programs. Combinations of cannabis sativa and other plant species like grapes, mint, succulents, etc. are all also possible, but the results are highly unpredictable. Tissue culture can also be used to induce polyploidy using the chemical colchicine (an extract of the autumn crocus

[Colchicum autumnale]). Polyploidy refers to plants that have extra chromosome sets that usually develop during the early stages of cellular meiosis. Normally Cannabis is diploid (2 sets), but in experiments, triploid (3 sets) cannabis has been shown to use more water, grow faster and be much more potent than the diploid form. Many seeds can simultaneously be subjected to treatment in vitro to increase the odds of finding the 1: 3000 that survives treatment. The production of secondary products using cell culture is also possible in more elaborate T.C. facilities. Cannabis produces secondary products in the form of cannabinoid laced terpenes when stimulated. Tiny bits of plant material are forced into a callus state from which they are then placed in a liquid bioreactor where they are given the stimulus to produce secondary metabolites. Chemical extraction of the T.H.C. then would yield very pure hash oil without ever growing whole plants. Cannabis tissue culture is an interesting field that a lot of work has yet to be done in. Breeding programs could take advantage of advanced T.C. techniques and force cannabis to evolve at a high-speed rate. Cannabis tissue culturists face challenges like mandatory minimum sentencing for high plant numbers, and a general lack of previous experimentation and guidance on the topic of Cannabis T.C. However, maybe polyploidy somatic seedlings and rare female-female clone crosses sold in vitro through mail-order or off the shelf will become average varieties in the cannabis garden of the future.

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The Politics of Po t Should Growers Vote For or Against Legalization of Marijuana?

Y T N U O C T D L O B M U H L A SAVE G E L L I T O P P KEE by Kym Kemp

Two Points of View: NO—Legalization is Corporatization;

A future where Monsanto genetically modifies cannabis and a handful of agricultural firms consolidate the entire industry.

With the advent in California of at least two possible avenues for marijuana to be legalized in the next year, the debate between growers is heating up. In Humboldt County, famous for it’s pot and financially dependent on it’s income from weed (estimates base up to 2/3’s of the county’s economy on marijuana) the discussion has reached the boiling point. A secret group of Humboldt “grass” roots growers recently distributed a bumper sticker:

YES—Legalization will eventually

lead to lower prices for the end consumer, a better business environment for the industry, not to mention peace of mind for those who grow, distribute or consume cannabis. Save Humboldt County—Keep Pot Illegal. The ensuing blog debate nearly melted a few computer screens. Growers throughout the country are thinking about whether cannabis should be legalized, so we’re recapping the arguments.*

The Anti-Legalization stance: Admittedly no one wants to see a fellow marijuana aficionado in jail. However, anyone who wants to legalize marijuana does not understand the wider politics of pot. Right now, in California, with the medical marijuana laws in place, anyone who wants to smoke pot legally can do so. They just need to go to their doctor and get a prescription. Growers and consumers need to band together to keep marijuana illegal because this is the best way to keep our local economies healthy and to keep marijuana production out of the soul killing grasp of corporations. There are thousands of growers who provide for their families by cultivating and selling marijuana. These people can provide a decent living for their dependents and contribute to the local economies by spending the money they earn-- profits from cultivating marijuana. This money supports not only hydroponics stores but grocery stores, not only head shops but beauty shops. Cash from cannabis sales oils the wheels of legal commerce in ways most people are not aware of. If marijuana becomes legal, large greedy corporations will step in and begin growing acres and acres of bland, tasteless weed. Like tomatoes grown by large agribusiness, the buds of these big corporations will pale by comparison to the rich tasty, sticky weed grown by independent Mom and Pop farmers. Furthermore, legalization will funnel the consumers’ money to large businesses and away from local organic farmers who care about their communities. Illegal marijuana provides an income that supports alternative cultures. Without that economic support, it will be even more difficult for viewpoints that differ from the mainstream to have a voice. By legalizing the weed, we could kill those alternative cultures. And mainstream society will suffer from this death–without

diversity of thought. And like weed grown by a large corporation, the flavor of mainstream culture will be bland and tasteless—with no variety to add spice and color.

collapsed, etc. Soon Humboldtia and its neighbors were the beginning of a greater recession that pulled California deeper into debt and into financial disaster.

Another little morality tale:

At first the quality of Corpriton’s plant was much the same as Mary’s but within a few years, as with the tomatoes and tobacco that Corpriton had originally grown the flavor and stoniness as well as healthful, medicinal qualities declined. The ganja buyers didn’t know why but the plant no longer tasted or healed as well.

Once upon a time, there was a mama named Mary who had a sweet little daughter named Jane. The two lived in a beautiful place at the edge of the world. Mary had begun growing a magic plant and was able to support herself and her daughter decently. Mary bought a piece of land (at high prices) in a place called Humboldtia. She carefully budgeted so that she could make her land payments at the prices she was currently making for selling her magic plant to some good ganja buyers. The plant was so valuable because the King had declared it illegal. Mary’s money often supported environmental groups and other non mainstream thinkers. However, one day some of Mary’s neighbors got greedy and grew a lot of the plant. The King saw it and arrested them. Mary felt sorry for her neighbors that were in jail and she used a magic spell called a ballot to change the King’s mind. As soon as the magic plant was made legal, the evil bloated Corpriton converted many of his lands to growing the magic plant. Because he could sow so many seeds and care for so much land, he sold his plant cheaply, undercutting poor Mary’s prices. Soon Mary was unable to make enough money to pay her payments. She lost her house and she and Jane were forced to take food stamps and live in subsidized housing—which cost the taxpayer money. Furthermore, all Humboldtia faced a swirling suction downward financially as more and more stores were forced to close because the growers were no longer able to afford to patronize them. As stores closed, land prices fell, banks

Finally, the evil Corpriton became so wealthy with all the ganja buyers’ money that he became king and ruled harshly over the people. He eliminated a good portion of social programs and poor Mary and her daughter were turned out to wander homeless until they died. Legalization is not the answer. On the other hand, decriminalization will reduce the penalties for possession and sale to mere slaps on the wrist while keeping big corporations from ruining the economies of entire counties and individual growers. It will also provide the needed cash to fund small businesses from the ground up and keep a wonderful alternative culture alive. Don’t be fooled by sentimental drivel. Hard economic times require us to look hard at what will work best financially for the country as a whole and growers in particular. Vote against legalization and against corporatization. Sadly, like the bumper sticker says, unless we do something to get ready for the probable legalization of marijuana, Humboldt Co. and the growers who support it are going to need saving. In fact, all growers and the communities around them are going to feel a terrible economic squeeze.

(*In the interest of clarity, the original pro legalization post was written by me, Kym Kemp—a frequent contributor to this magazine. In an effort to be fair—and because part of me is sympathetic to the anti legalization movement-- I’ve written a hopefully balanced response.

The Politics of Po t

The Vote to Legalize: But the fact is, sooner or later marijuana is going to go legal. And, the morality of voting to put people who smoke or grow marijuana in jail so that growers are financially stable is …well,.. pretty damn appalling. And, make no mistake, a vote against legalizing marijuana is a vote to throw marijuana smokers and buyers and other less lucky growers in jail. Real peoples’ lives are destroyed because of bad laws. The question we have to ask ourselves is ‘are we willing to support our relatively fine lifestyle at the cost of someone else’s child?’ A little Morality tale: Once upon a time, there was a little boy named Jay. He lived with his mommy and his daddy in a beautiful piece of land at the edge of the world. Every day, Jay would follow his mommy out to the garden and help her water and feed the magic plant. The plant grew large and green. The plant was beautiful and made people happy but the King of the land hated the plant. He had ordered that all who grew it should be put in jail. Mommy and Daddy had a magic paper spell called a ballot that could stop the wicked King but Mommy and Daddy explained to little Jay that the law against having the magic plant was good. This meant that the plant would be worth lots of money and they could pay their land off and buy Jay lots of good food. Jay was happy and so was little May, his best friend, who lived next door. She, too, had a magic plant with her parents. They would all be rich come fall. One day the King came and found the magic plant growing in May’s yard. While May stood watching, the King’s guards put May’s mommy and daddy in chains and carried them away. May clung to Little Jay wondering what was happening. Then the guards took May away, too.

Jay went and got his piggybank and shook out his pennies. “Mommy? Daddy? Could I have the magic ballot to stop the wicked King?” he asked holding out his small handful of coin. Mommy and Daddy were scared and sorrowful but they needed to make their land payments so they shook their head. The next day the King came for them. Let’s be clear–Growers, business owners, and neighbors of growers all profit in some way from marijuana’s illegality–if only by the goods and services of businesses supported by them. If they vote against legalizing marijuana for financial reasons, they are also sacrificing somebody else (sick patients, young men that go to jail for cultivating a weed, the children of the young men, the mothers of the young men, and an honest respect for what could be a more just system) so that their profits remain high enough to support their lifestyle. If you are one of those who want to vote against legalization, ask yourself, could you grab a child away from your neighbor just so that you could make money? Because that is what you are doing… I am a passionate advocate for the grower. But there are people suffering because marijuana is illegal. Let’s stop this damn foolishness now. Man up and vote for the right thing, even if it is the hard thing.

The voices on both sides care passionately about the subject. Here are a list of several major points from each position that growers should consider before voting.

Pro 1. According to the Oct 28th issue of the NY Times, California had “78,500 arrests on felony and misdemeanors related to the drug, up from about 74,000 in 2007, according to the California attorney general. That is an unconscionable amount of people suffering because marijuana is illegal. 2. Corporations may take over a share of the market if they aren’t controlled but, just like small wineries and breweries have a healthy share of the economic pie so too will marijuanaries that cater to the high end discerning cannabis consumer. 3. Legalization will make the current situation of growing on public lands less viable as secrecy will not be important. Environmental concerns can be addressed better within the framework of the government. 4. Marijuana can be grown by most people but, in reality, most people don’t grow tasty heirloom tomatoes, they buy them. Legalization will still leave plenty of people hungry for what growers have to sell. 5. Farmers in Ohio and Pennsylvania have put in place laws which protect the small farmer and keep corporations at bay. Cannafarmers can do the same. Should do the same. 6. Some proponents don’t believe that prices will fall with legalization. They believe with legalization could come greater social acceptabil-

ity and thus higher rates of usage and therefore, that will encourage price stability. 7. Because of the large cannabuisnesses, prices of marijuana are already falling and growing is already moving into the hands of dispensaries. Mom and Pop growers will be shut out of the business if they don’t adapt. 8. 56 % of Californians already support legalization—sooner or later marijuana will probably be legal. Prepare for it and ride the wave. Rather than try to defy it and get sucked under. 9. Legalization will eliminate the horrible crime waves rippling through Mexico in which hundreds have died and more have traumatized. 10. Whatever state legalizes marijuana first, will probably export (illegally, of course) large amounts of cannabis to the surrounding states. The money which will surely be garnered will support those growers and that quick acting state. In other words, the early state to legalize is going to get a lot of money to build up their cannabuisnesses whether small or large. With legalization in only a few states (not federally okayed) then corporations which operate federally would be unable to capitalize on the industry. This might allow growers to actually expand and profit more. 11. Whatever state legalizes first will inevitably draw tourists from across the nation and the world. Thus bringing in money that will help establish all aspects of the marijuana industries in that state. continued on next page

Con 1. Dr. Ken Miller—although pro marijuana in most respects and a noted 215 activist—urges that all people vote against legalization because its illegality is “a gatekeeper standing in the way to keep it from being marketed to the youth.” He worries that, as in the case of alcohol and tobacco, big corporations will target advertising at the young and, as in the case of alcohol and tobacco, youth will become disproportionally heavy users. “We are just starting to learn about marijuana,” he says and he worries that we don’t know what the consequences will be on young brains and bodies. 2. Several prominent pot activists (Dennis Peron and Jack Herer, co-authors of Prop. 215) passionately speak out against allowing marijuana to be co-opted by what they call “cannabuisness” and against the government’s taxing of what has been up until now an alternative economy. ““I don’t want to f*king give the United States government one f*king dollar of taxes,” explained Jack Herer in a speech. 3. Almost all legalization scenarios include taxes. Most people feel that the burden of taxes will fall on the grower. As prices go down, taxes will eat up a larger por-

tion of the growers’ profit eventually squeezing all but big growers out of the industry. 4. With the advent of 215, most growers and users face very light to non-existent penalties. If decriminalization happened, these penalties would virtually disappear. 5. Anyone can grow marijuana, if marijuana is legal, people will just grow their own and growers will suffer and their communities will collapse financially. 6. Legalization will increase government involvement in growers’ lives. Nothing good ever came out of government intervention! 7. The initiatives and AB2254 are flawed. Read them and see all the problems that they could cause. 8. Large corporations are poised to rush in and gobble up cannabuisness. They can operate inexpensively by cutting costs and exploiting cheap labor. This will drop the price of pot precipitously forcing the small quality farmer out of business—which will destroy the growers, the businesses based on them, their communities, and, eventually, will be a huge disservice to the cannabis consumer.

The Ballot Initiative --Tax and Regulate Cannabis California 2010 At the time of publication, the signatures to the measure had yet to be completely verified but appeared to be on track to make November’s ballot. The basic provisions of the Initiative are: * Makes marijuana legal for ages 21 and up and imposes laws similar to those on alcohol. * Sets out to make, for those 21 and older, possessing, cultivating or transporting legal for one ounce of cannabis. * It will allow 25 square feet for legal growing. * It will give local governments the ability to regulate and tax marijuana sales. According to documents put out by supporters, “If a local government decides it does not want to tax and regulate the sale of cannabis, then buying and selling cannabis within area limits will remain illegal, but the possession and consumption of up to one ounce will be permitted.” * It should make hemp farming more accessible. * For more information see: http://www.taxcannabis.org/index.php/pages/initiative/

AB Bill 2254 The Marijuana Control, Regulation, and Education Act of 2010

The basic provisions of Assembly Bill 2254 are: * Makes marijuana legal for ages 21 and up and imposes laws similar to those on alcohol. * Requires a license costing not more than $5000 to grow pot initially and $2500 to renew annually. * Imposes a $50 tax on every ounce of cannabis sold to fund drug education and rehabilitation programs. * Requires that smoking or ingesting marijuana not happen in a public place * Allows for personal use without taxing-- a grower having no more than 10 mature plants at any one time does not pay taxes. * Requires that marijuana only be cultivated in places invisible to the public. * Requires “adequate security” during all pases of production from growing to sale. * Requires that a commercial cultivator not allow marijuana to be smoked or ingested on the premises. * Requires that a seller have a license costing not more than $5000 to retail pot initially and $2500 to renew annually. * Prohibits cannabis near schools. * Unlawful cultivation of marijuana is subject to a fine of up to $100. * Wouldn’t change current laws on medical marijuana

What Happens Now? With consumers far out numbering growers and business people, the wild west days of illegal cannabis ranches may be inevitably ending. Many growers, though opposed to legalization on financial grounds, worry that they don’t have much choice but to jump on the bucking bronco and try and ride it into some sort of economically reasonable future. A group of growers and cannabuisness operators in Humboldt County have formed to address the issues surrounding legalization. The group is brand new but ambitious. Patrick (he declined to give his last name) from the Humboldt Growers’ Guild (HuGG) explained that although he and his organization doesn’t like it, “[Legalization] is inevitable. It is gonna happen. Getting involved in the process and steering it towards the direction that benefits growers is [what we are trying to do]” He goes on to say that his group wants to get involved in legalization mostly on a state and local level. HuGG wants to ensure that wording in any legislation is flexible for local governments to create their own guidelines for legal commercial production within the state. He speculates, “It could be a good thing if [California legalizes marijuana first.] Other states might beat us to this. They will then have a headstart on a viable legal industry. Then Humboldt and California will be behind.” He goes on to say that “geography is important.” He worries that “Colorado is taking off. People from the East Coast are going to go there [to get their pot.] It will save them hours of driving.” The money lost will benefit the Rocky Mountain state and leave the Golden State without the necessary funds to support their cannabuisnesses and their communities. This group can be found at http://humboldtgrowersguild.wordpress.com/. Whether growers and the businesses that depend on them end up voting against legalization or voting for it, everyone involved in the industry will be keeping their eye on California and the other states that are facing legalization to see how to adapt to whatever changes may be coming.

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Sustainable Bio-Organics By David Sigman The choice between a synthetic method and a natural approach is a current popular topic, but an old theme. The outwardly specialized subject is one that plays a remarkable part in everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life. Before the dawn of the agricultural revolution humanity spent its time following game and gathering food from the forest. The agricultural revolution transformed nomadic hunter gatherers into domestic farmers. The first farm tools were probably reformed hunting weapons. This is the time from which we get the quintessential horticulture practices. Techniques like slash and char, digging the soil, composting, pruning, crop rotation, re-seeding, etc. were all developed during the agricultural revolution. These techniques created the bridge between the hunter-gather people of the ancient forest and the mechanized workers of the industrial era. Our civilization would be radically altered by the exponential positivefeedback loop of technology that gained momentum in the 1800â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. New machine tools made much higher food production possible. The population redoubled itself in a matter of years, fewer people were needed to farm and most people toiled factories jobs instead. Medicine was one of the first fields to implement industrial technology. There was and still is a large dispute in medicine that parallels the horticultural debate. When the industrial revolution began, medical doctors were separated into two camps in America. At the beginning of the feud, the natural doctors were very popular because their practices had been used for hundreds of years. Doctors were permitted to practice freely without any medical license because medicine was seen as a home service; it was beyond the consideration of most people that doctors would become the specialists they are today. The modern doctors were given a very bad reputation during their early years for the use of mercury and excruciating operations; however with the support of the American Medical Association, modern doctors improved their public relations and changed popular opinion about modern medicine. Just as natural medicine was defamed by the majority institutions, so too was organic horticulture.

The organic vs. synthetic debate of the early 20th century would be a short battle with an apparent winner, but the seeds of a future debate would be sown with the mass implementation of chemical agriculture. Farmers would either use their customary ways, or adopt the use of the mechanized chemical scheme. The first negative response to chemical fertilization was not brought up for a few years. Keen farmers soon began to see that after a boost in the productivity of their crops for a few years the same amount of fertilizer produced consecutively smaller yields for each year afterward. They were required to increase the amount of fertilizer to compensate for the loss of natural soil fertility. Farmers, like doctors, became specialists growing one specific kind of crop using a license and pharmaceutical chemicals. Hybrid varieties represent the standard in production, but new seeds must be purchased every year from the supplier instead of a farmer being able to save the last seasons seeds. The reason is that hybrids represent a vigorous F1 generation that when wind pollinated will produce a F2 generation that has many undesirable recessive characteristics. Heirloom varieties are landrace strains that have been acclimated to their growing location through natural selection and some simple artificial selection. When Heirlooms are wind pollinated the resulting seeds can be saved and used to successfully produce a new generation consistent with the last. These heirloom, or landrace, varieties are often more nutrient dense and have been making a return to gardens in the name of self-sufficiency. The synthetic system has been brought to untold heights, both good and bad. The good thing is that food production is higher than ever. The problems with this system are as myriad as they are alarming. The industrial food complex has polluted the ecosystem with salts, put heavy metals into the food chain, depleted global topsoil resources, created pesticide resistant bugs, etc. People can afford to buy food at cheaper prices than ever, but some are turning it down due to their awareness that the food contains harmful chemicals, carcinogenic pesticides, and even foreign D.N.A. This kind of awareness is what marks the newly resurrected debates in horticulture and

medicine. A better understanding of both sides has been gleaned by the researchers of today. Topics like herbal medicine and color therapy are now of scientific interest to the very organizations who denounced their effectiveness a century ago. Botanists are studying the harmful effects of chemical fertilizers on soil life and the diminished nutrient density of plants grown synthetically. Indoor growing has gone mainstream and the money generated has fueled government, university, and private interest in the once fringe activity.

With the right knowledge, all of our fertilizer can be produced locally where the plants are grown from renewable resources that actually improve the soil over time. Many indoor Cannabis growers see the choice between hydroponics and soil the same way that farmers looked at chemical versus organic inputs. However, when analyzing these options it is important to distinguish between the type of input (bio-active/organic/synthetic) and the delivery system (soil/soilless/hydroponic/aeroponic). When starting with a clean slate, it is best to choose your input based on the type of delivery system you will be using because they are not all interchangeable. True aeroponic systems, for example, which nebulize water using a high frequency oscillating disc, are not safe to use with bio-active inputs. The nutrient-ion containing water droplet created by a nebulizer is so small (less than 5 microns in size) that it can pass through the root membrane with minimal friction, but the action of the oscillating disc kills any beneficial microbes. When a grower chooses a completely synthetic system all of the nutrients the plant would normally get from the soil must be supplied through the fertilizer. It has been established that there are roughly 16 (15-18) nutrients that plants need to grow. These 16 nutrients must be in proper balance with other growth factors for the plants to flourish. The healthiest synthetically grown plants are grown using

fertilizers that were specifically designed to meet that species nutritional need. When synthetic nutrients are used on a commercial level, whether hydroponically or in soil, the fertilizer is designed to provide the needed nutrients in the proper quantities and no more. This is done by testing the soil and stock water for initial nutrient and mineral levels, then formulating a fertilizer that fills in the deficiencies. The plants are regularly bioassayed to learn what exactly is being taken up by the tissue system and then adjustments are made to the nutrient formulation based on the result. The plants get used to the elements in their chemical form and produce fewer exudates for microbes to live off of. The roots instead absorb as much of each nutrient as possible without regulation. This often leads to problems like nutrient â&#x20AC;&#x153;burnâ&#x20AC;? and excess levels of nitrogen and phosphorous in the final product. This theory of plant management is similar to the way doctors prescribe medication; a chemical is synthesized and sold as a pill that targets the symptoms of a problem, but not the underlying cause. The source of the problem is that the root system is small and producing very few exudates. It might seem at first that the plant using energy to grow roots and produce carbohydrate laden exudates is an inefficient task, but the energy the plant uses producing exudates is repaid multiple times by the microbes which depend upon it. They go a step beyond the nebulizer by actually colonizing the inside of roots. The flow of nutrients is adjusted by the exudates in a similar way to the adjustments made by a botanist refining a nutrient formula based on the results of a bioassay test, except that it happens in real time. This occurs flawlessly regardless of species or variety because different microbes are attracted to specific plant exudates. The plants are provided with more than 16 nutrients which allow plant byproducts to reach their full potential. Bioorganic systems function best when as many physical elements as possible are available to the rhizosphere. A comprehensive guide to Bio-organics still does not exist in popular form. Part of the reason why synthetics are so prevalent is that the commercial organic model is not more sustainable than the commercial synthetic model. The understanding of soil ecology and bio-organic techniques combined with sustainable land management is the only healthy long term option for large scale agriculture. At the current rate, food raising systems will become highly overloaded and the modern supply networks that depend on importing materials, whether organic or synthetic, will experience ruin and decline. With the right knowledge, all of our fertilizer can be produced locally where the plants are grown from renewable resources that actually improve the soil over time. This approach is different from bioactive, organic, or synthetic because its self organizing principle is biological sustainability.

Denver’s New Green Growth Industry by J. Deiker

nemployment in the country is narrowing in at 15%, economist agree. However, this common estimate is very misguiding and overly optimistic, because it does not account for part time employees and undocumented citizens who are out of work as well, which, when added up, realistic statisticians usually agree puts the number at closer to 20%. This means that one in five citizens within the US workforce is currently out of work. Our country is dead in the grips of the worst economic recession since the Great Depression, and there is no Great War on the horizon which will pull us out of the clinches of disparity, as World War II did in the late 1930’s and early 40’s. No. By all indications the economy is dismal and there is yet to be a definitive light at the end of this tunnel. In Denver, Colorado, however, there is a new green growth industry, which, whether you are in favor of or not, is definitely creating more jobs than just about any other business sector in the city. In fact, as is the case in Los Angeles, the other cannabis capitol in the US, medical marijuana seems to be the only non-stagnant business model left in this country: You only have to witness it first hand to realize the size of this emerging ganjaconomy. To bring things into a real, empirical perspective, just look at the number of jobs that medical marijuana is, and will continue, to generate, directly, and indirectly, as the movement draws more steam.

The people who are directly affected by the medical marijuana model are the owners, employees of the dispensaries, and growers of the marijuana which is sold into the dispensaries. Dispensary owners are deriding an income from their entrepreneurial venture, as they should, so long as it is a reasonable number when correlated with the revenue of the dispensary. This money goes back into the economy in numerous ways: paying employees, rent, food, utilities, re-circulation of the currency... life. As for the employees, most of them are getting paid minimum wage or a little higher, and many work fulltime. The security guards, which usually there are one or two of, usually get paid between 15 and 20 dollars per hour for their work. If, hypothetically, there were 100 dispensaries in Denver—a low estimate—and each dispensary had a minimum of five employees and one security guard, that would account for 600 new jobs, not counting the 600 owners, totaling 1200 newly created jobs for Denver, this being the lowest possible scenario we could present—the figures are probably two or three times as high. The growers are also directly affected by this new economy, by directly, meaning, that they deride the largest percentage of their income from medical marijuana—over 50% of their net income. These calculations are even more ambiguous, because it is difficult to gage how many strains there are per clinic and how many growers were responsible for the cultivation— that is to say, if there are 1000 different varieties currently on sale in dispensaries in Denver, those were probably broken down from a larger, presumably one-pound unit of

marijuana, and the impossible data to find, would be how many growers accounted for those 1000 strains? In any case, there are probably at least five-hundred growers in Denver who are legitimately growing and selling medical marijuana (very low estimate), and in doing so providing a descent income for themselves, income which also goes back into the economy. Thus far, that places the number of new jobs, minimum, at 1700 people. This, again, is a very conservative, very low estimate. The number is probably one-half, to twice as many directly affected, newly minted marijuana cultivators out there stimulating this deadpan economy with money derided from “flowers.” And that’s just the directly effected. How about those who make auxiliary incomes, who draw paychecks from the MMJ indirectly? Well, who am I speaking of?

...there is a new green growth industry, which, whether you are in favor of or not, is definitely creating more jobs than just about any other business sector in the city. To get down to the very bottom of the indirect effect a proliferating medical marijuana economy has, think about the dispensary structure itself, and the build-out which must first take place before you can open each one of these new facilities. This requires not only carpenters, plumbers, electricians, internet cable installers, atm installers, TV installers, credit card installers, and inspectors; but even beyond the people, each new facility stimulates the economy not just by providing build-out jobs, but also by purchasing all the materials it takes to do the jobs and maintain the clinic thereafter.

Take into account the wood, wiring, desks, lamps, credenzas, computers, printers, pens, paper, ink, couches, chairs, refrigerators, water dispensers, display cases, jars, shelves, file cabinets, files, everything you must have-- literally hundreds of items spread between Office Space and Home Depot that must be bought at the beginning of, and then monthly, which a clinic constantly needs in order to open and maintain itself properly over time. Moreover, these items are purchased locally, thereby helping to stimulate the city’s economy by re-circulating the money at home. Furthermore, after the build-out has been completed, take into account those people who got paid to make this whole dream come true in the very beginning. There is an insurance agent who took a nice fee; a real-estate broker who helped you find the building for a small fee; a legal representative who you consulted before you opened the new business who wrote a minimal amount of legal documents for a considerable charge; a city office you paid a substantial fee to so they could print a paper permit that allows you to operate; and, of course, the monthly indirectly effected: the landlord of the space you rent, the power and gas companies, everyone you write a check to once a month to keep the lights on. The indirect figures are even more difficult to gauge than direct, but the number is high. If there are 100 collectives that means there are probably at least 90 landlords collecting monthly checks. Also, for each of those 100 collectives opened, let us assume there were 20 legal consultants the owners all went to, and 50 different agents who helped in finding locations. That number adds up to 160 indiviuals who have indirectly, without creating the work, derided an income from medical marijuana. As for the workers who did the build-out, usually between three to ten men, and all the installation-repair service men, this number could surpass 1000 easily. Taken all into account, this means that on the low end approximately 3000 people are being employed, making their income and living from Denver’s new Green Growth model. Further, I hypothesize, that Denver has a larger medical marijuana scene than I has been accounted for above, possibly twice, or thrice, as large. If this were true—and I believe it is—it would easily raise that number to 5000 newly created jobs. No small number for a bunch of potheads.

Integrated Pest Management by Tom Green

ntegrated Pest Management is an effective and environmentally sensitive approach to pest management. Using IPM requires the gardener to evaluate the rooms enviromental conditions and plant life closely. Being in touch with your plants and predicting what is, or is not going to happen is the hardest part. By taking preventitive measures you give yourself more room to deal with a problem before it gets out of control. IPM requires familiarity with a broad range of biological, cultural, chemical, synthectic and organic products used in the prevention and treatment of pest control. By controling the life cycle and environment of the pest population you will be in total control. Switching from one method to another does not allow the pests to create an effective resistance. There is no real right or wrong way to deal with a pest problem since every grower and garden environment is different. It is

always the grower that will decide what is best for the situation before him/her. Preparing the plant for an application should involve some plant interaction. Leaves with heavy infestation (50% or more of surface) of bugs or molds must be removed before application for the desired knock down effect. Leaves touching the medium you are using need to be removed as with the middle of the plant to promote free air flow and coverage of spray. This will also reduce the number of hiding spots for pests and optimal effectiveness on plant surfaces. After cleaning up the plants, any partly damaged leaves left should be manually cleaned by hand. Any plant in a 2 gallon pot or less can also benefit from manual pest removal before spraying. Make sure to wear gloves and keep them moist with water to help the sliding of your fingers over the leaf surface. Another important aspect to consider is the changing of your clothes. Bugs can stick on you when you go from room to room or from outside gardens to inside gardens. When spraying the plant be sure to cover all surface area including the

underneath leaf surface. Turn lights off afterwards for at least 4 hours for contact time. Adding cocowet (from coconut trees) or a few drops of natural dishsoap works in spreading oil based products very evenly over plant surfaces. Keep in mind that 2575% of your spray will be dispersed in the atomosphere. When using a pressurized sprayer on average size plant; one quart per 4x4 should be enough. If using strong synthetic chemicals please use responsibily. There is a risk to yourself, family, pets, and wildlife in the immediate area. It would be wise to stay away from their use all together if possible. Wearing protective clothing and a proper mask is required. Use as little as possible to lessen the risks associated with them. Dip your plants when they are still very small so your using less and have better coverage. More thorough coverage ensures more effectiveness and less pest resisitance. Using botanical class chemicals like pyrethrums are non-systemic are the better choice. Be aware that all benificial insects will be killed with the targeted pests. The last time for harsh chemicals should be when you

turn your plants into flower. There are very strong OMRI listed options like Pyganic 5% that at least have certifacation for use on food crops. Take Down, Bug Buster O or Don’t Bug Me can be rotated in the line up but are also strong so be careful. Keep in mind that many chemical pesticides take up to 20 years to decompose. If you like using predatory bugs you must have the exact enviromental conditions and light hours correct or they will perish rapidly. Consult your local garden nursery for more detailed information on your chosen biological predator. naturescontrol.com is very knowledgeable, friendly and stocked up on biologicals. Neem; with the active ingreident azadirachtin seems to be a great all around product that humans have used

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. for thousands of years. This tree extract has many pest and medical uses thoughout the world. It is effective against a wide range of the nasties. Azatrol, pure neem, Azamax, Einstein Oil...are a few of the many brands out there to pick from. Diatomaceous earth is a great substance to use in controling soft bodied insects from using the medium as a tranportation vechicle to the plant after spraying has been done. Stylet oil by JMS is an OMRI listed clarified parafinic oil. It works to control mites and powderey mildew. This is a very clean product more growers are starting to use; it’s just hard to find. Call around the shops in your area and get it shipped to you if needed. this product like neem can be used up to harvest....but most gardeners don’t use anything the last few weeks. The organic esseintial oil based products such as Zero Tolerence, SNS17, Orange Guard and SaferGro must be tested on a small area before spraying the whole garden. These products should applied 2x weekly for better control. Some gardeners are not very impressed by the smell but do say they work. Serenade provides protection against a broad spectrum of the most common fungal and bacterial garden diseases, yet is completely

non-toxic to bees and beneficial insects. It is so safe you can confidently use to harvest. Compost tea spray will help build the beneifial bacteria on the leaf surface resist mold and help with overall plant vigor. SM-90 is not organic but does work well in an IPM program when focusing on powderery mildew. If you like your sulfer burner no oil based products can be used for 2-3 weeks after treatment. This could cause a chemical reaction that might kill your plants. It is said to slow down mites and stop PM, but really used for large greenhouses where spraying is not really an option. Breathing it can cause major health problems so if your room is attached to your home or ventilation shares an attic....don’t use it. Sulfer is indiscriminate to beneficial insects and micro-organisims Here is a sample IPM program designed to help with mites, thrips, aphids, soil gnats and powdery mildew without using predatory insects. *Rotate your chosen sprays (2-3) every 3-6 days in growth stage until first flowers appear, then 1x weekly until 3-4 weeks into flower. * Top dress your plants with 1/4cup Diatomaceous Earth and 1/4cup neem seed meal every 2 weeks per 10gal container. *Set out the yellow sticky traps 2 per 4x4 area at the base of the plants. *Some tools recommended for use: Coveralls or Tyvek suit, magnifier, gloves, pump sprayer, atomizer or batterey sprayer, mask/respirator and the instructions that should always be read before using any product. You may e-mail any questions, concerns, or coments about anything to do with growing to info@ humboldtgrow.com Happy and healthy growing!

Dispensaries That Don’t Pay: The Vendors Nightmare.

It is the nightmare every vendor hopes to avoid. It is the worst of all possible outcomes, and unfortunately, a story that you hear all too often inside Los Angeles’s unregulated, primer grey, wild western ganjaconomy.

Consigning is a fancy word for, “fronting,” or giving the buyer a “credit line” on payments for your product; which, in this case, is marijuana. They have your weed, you have their word: on paper, or verbally, or both. So you leave.

The Story Goes….

Then it happens: You go back to collect your money the following week and… you get the run around from the owner. “They do not have your money at this time. “ In worse scenarios, you do not even get the run around, you get nothing: no answer on the phone, and the buyer, is nowhere to be found at the collective.

Person has medical marijuana which they have cultivated (grown). This person goes into a collective/dispensary and consigns their marijuana over to the dispensary for a set price. This person is usually given a verbal contract thereafter, and a piece of paper which designates the amount of money the parties have agreed upon, has both signatures, buyer (dispensary owner) and seller (grower), the current date, and the date set for when said seller is to come collect his money from said buyer. That date is in the future, usually five to ten days later.

The grower begins to wonder, fester, and contemplate? Was this just a bad day? Did the buyer forget about our appointment? Is the buyer trying to scam me? Is he/ she going to do this again tomorrow? How… will I get my money?

The negative thoughts manifest themselves quickly, in the parking lot, at home, almost immediately, after you, the seller, or in medical marijuana dispensary terminology, “the vendor,” has had your first run around. And all those bad thoughts and terrible outcomes that encircle your mind revolve around this one thing: Money. Will you ever get your’ “fair and reasonable compensation” from this dispensary? Unfortunately, in Southern California, I have heard this tale many, many times. Even more unfortunate, this tale rarely ends with the vendor collecting his/her money. More often than not, it is the opposite: they never collect. With the inception of Prop 215, in California, medical marijuana begot a possible model for big business, and big business it has become. Like all legal, burgeoning industries, there needed to be in place some form of bureaucratic regulation—a committee, a body of representatives dedicated to fostering the growth of the new industry, and protecting those involved from dangerous outside influences. After all, if medical marijuana was going to become legalized, then it needed to be treated like so, by the State government and the police who represent the people. There needed to be some form of regulation, and protection, for all parties involved within the industry. Both these elements were necessary to protect vendors and patients against criminal activity. In Los Angeles, neither came. The result: A massive proliferation of clinics to questionable proportions (over 1100 in LA, more in total than the combined summation of every Starbucks and Shell Station in the city). And within this ocean of collects is a mixed bag of dispensary owners: One quarter legal from the start, three quarters operating post-moratorium licenses up in question today, and another “unaccounted” percentage doing business totally off any paper radar-- and it is unfortunate but logically so, that within massive groups of owners, there would inevividently be a few bad seeds. Which means, today, it is not unheard of for vendors to get slow-paid or ran-around by dispensary owners-- many are running businesses for the first time, many are, to be candid, not so savvy with the books-- and others, well, others are hardly functioning adults, let alone responsible owners. A good number are legitimate, straight-shooting business owners who pay on time and run a tight shift. And then some, a small but potent percentage, are thieves. If they aren’t ripping vendors off directly they’re slow-tonever paying, buying strains and changing the strain’s names, price gouging, selling to minors, links to crime, the list goes on.

And in the midst of all this grey, the vendor has no protection from that type of dispensary owner. There is no righteous life you can lead, or full-proof plan you can have: if the dispensary decides they do not want to pay you, there is nobody you can turn to get your money back. The protection-situation is unfortunate. This was never what they envisioned would happen in 1996: a world where ganja ethics has eroded to nothing. And, unfortunately, I do not see any reason for the situation to improve-- it doesn’t take much to open one of these clinics, and whether you run things legit, or not, in Los Angeles, the city oversight committees don’t seem to care. Until vendors/growers can feel comfortable calling the police and reporting that their marijuana was stolen, and know unequivocally that by making the phone call they are not imprisoning themselves—because they are in California where a half-pound of medical marijuana is legal—until that threshold has been crossed between the vendors and police, these incidents will continue.

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