The
Breeding Tips FINDING
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Pot Liars A BRIEF HISTORY WillY G’s Lebanese
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JANUARY 2019 volume 12, issue 6
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14 Editorial
52 Sensi Sermons Water Works and Beyond…
16 Against All Odds The Story of Willy G’s
by THE REV
Lebanese by WILLy G.
56 Rev’s Canna Crossword
20 BudWise Trust your plants to The Rev
58 Hot MILFs Killer Queens
by THE REV
22 Professional Pot Liars A Short History
by David Malmo-levine
26 The ABC’s of CBD
by Shira Adler
28 True Living Organics Druid Tinkering
by THE REV
by THE REV
66 Rev’s Raves
by The Rev
68 Regenerative Cannabis
Healthy genetics, good cannabis by Dragonfly Earth Medicine
72 Non-Toxic Pest Control Using Method 1® pps
32 Terroir The Taste of a Place
by David D.
36 The Emerald Cup Where It’s Been, Where It’s
by Pebbles Trippet
by Frenchy Cannoli
At, Where It’s Going… by Tim Blake
74 Tokin’ Female Laura Costa
80 Pampering Your Body Without Getting High
40 Appellations of Origin Securing the Future for
Our Legacy Cannabis Producing Regions by Genine Coleman
42 Breeder Diaries Nathaniel Pennington of
Humboldt Seed Company by JOHn Vergados
50 Breeding Tips Thoughts on Male Selections by Ganja D
by OM Edibles
82 The Holy Herb Ganja, reggae & spirituality
by PATO BANTON
84 The Evolution of a Pipe dream All about the Mendo Pipe by Phil Jergenson
86 Parents 4 Pot 89 Herboscopes
by Mother Shabubu
JANUARY 2019 PICTURED HERE AND ON THE COVER, KENZIN KUSH #4 COURTESY OF GREEN BODHI
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MY SAY
“Let us be grateful to people who make us happy: They are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.”
-Marcel Proust
I
often say that sobriety is a drunken response to a world gone mad. Can you really blame me? Our leaders continue to be the least fit to lead, war is treated like an industry rather than a travesty, children still go hungry, and most damning of all, greed is looked upon as a virtue instead of the scourge it truly is. It’s enough to drive you to drink. About five years ago, likely when I was a little more naïve and optimistic, it was my hope that cannabis could help fix many of society’s ills. At the time, I was living and working in California and was inspired by the eco-friendly ways of many of the area’s cannabis farmers. I envisioned a future in which these stewards of the land could lead by example and mentor those in other industries on how to be successful without scorching the only planet we have. Compassion and integrity were to replace greed and crass commercialization in my little utopia but sadly it hasn’t played out quite that way. While the heroic efforts of thousands of activists did pave the way for a world where cannabis is legal, understood, and readily available, those same efforts have also attracted the greedy eyes of many who don’t share same appreciation for this healing plant. To them, cannabis is strictly a commodity; the ultimate cash crop, and it won’t be long until we see the most hostile of takeovers. The same ones who think nothing of poisoning our lands and its inhabitants are gearing up to take over control of a plant that can save the world. So, what do we do? I have to admit that I’m not feeling as optimistic these days. So many suffered to get us here but most of them will be left behind with legalization. Many others who counted on their gardens to provide for their families will no longer be able to do so. Instead, the most evil and ruthless of corporate citizens, the “people” behind alcohol, tobacco and Big Pharma are preparing their victory laps. Wow, I do need a drink. In my case, instead of reaching for the bottle, I will pour a shot of inspiration and remind myself why we do what we do. During that same time in California, my partner, Julie, first coined the term “green renaissance” as a way to describe the efforts of those who were employing the best practices while also producing the best cannabis. Organics, conservation, remediation and sustainability were central to this enlightenment and towards healing the planet. Her words were a response to that other decrepit term we kept hearing, “the green rush,” words that slid far too easily from the serpent-like tongues of every shyster and charlatan whose eyes were stained with money signs. Her words remind me why we fight; because as warriors we know no other way, and even a world gone mad is worth saving. It’s the only one we got. Long live the green renaissance. John Vergados Editor-In-Chief
SKUNK • JANUARY 2019 Editor-in-Chief: John Vergados john@skunkmagazine.com Contributing Editor: Pebbles Trippet pebbles@skunkmagazine.com Art Director: Niko niko@skunkmagazine.com
Photo Contributors: Humboldt Seed Company, Nugshots, Kagyu, Rebel Grown, Dragonfly Earth Medicine, Growth Efficienct Technologies, Laura Costa, OM Edibles, Pato Banton and all the MILF contributors
Photo Editor: Ira Naïz
Advertising Inquiries: ads@skunkmagazine.com
Cultivation Editor: The Rev therev@skunkmagazine.com
Sales & Marketing: Julie Chiariello julie@skunkmagazine.com
Graphics & Artwork: Niko
Account Manager: Juliana Urban juliana@skunkmagazine.com
Contributors: Willy G., David Malmo-Levine, Kagyu, Shira Adler, Frenchy Cannoli, Tim Blake, Genine Coleman, Ganja D, Salem Keith, Matt Riot, Dragonfly Earth Medicine, David D., OM Edibles, Pato Banton, Phil Jergenson, Deanna Jean Ryther, Chris Jetter, Luke Scarmazzo, Mother Shabubu and Sparky
Subscriptions & Accounts: Soula Vee soula@skunkmagazine.com Questions and Comments: info@skunkmagazine.com Submissions: submit@skunkmagazine.com
Published 7 times per year SKUNK Magazine assumes no responsibility for any claims or representations contained in this publication or in any advertisement. All material is for entertainment and educational purposes only, and SKUNK Magazine does not encourage the illegal use of any of the products or advertisements within. All opinions are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect those of SKUNK Magazine. Nothing in this publication may be reproduced in any manner, either in whole or in part, without the expressed written consent of the publisher. All rights reserved. All advertised products and offers void where prohibited. Disclaimer: Occasionally, we use material we believe to be placed in the public domain. Sometimes it is not possible to identify or contact the copyright holder. If you claim ownership of something we have published, we will be pleased to make a proper acknowledgement. All letters and pictures submitted are assumed to be for publication unless stated otherwise. SKUNK Magazine cannot be held responsible for unsolicited contributions. Skunk Magazine 2707 Sandmere Street, Saint Lazare, Quebec J7T 2J2, Canada Tel: 514-867-6694 PRINTED IN CANADA
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AGAINST ALL ODDS
photos courtesy of Humboldt Seed Company
The Story of Willy G.’s Lebanese
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photos courtesy of Humboldt Seed Company
About two years ago, my cousin was in Lebanon studying Arabic. We go way back. I’m talking real Fam shit. One day while we were talking, he began telling me that he had been smoking all this great hash, with a clear and energizing high. WORDS WILLY G. At the time I was making and dabbing rosin. I had remembered reading some information and I was pretty interested in obtaining seeds. I had assumed that, given the strains Middle Eastern origin, the Lebanese would be some kind of Landrace hash plant, bred for countless generations for resin production. I am forever grateful that this strain found its way to me. As with many special strains, the Willy G’s Lebanese as it would come to be known, seemed to have a need to live against all odds. For example, the first seeds my cousin gave to me were totally green and immature. Fortunately, my cousin was lucky enough to cross into the Bekka Valley not once but twice. The Bekka or “Beqaa” Valley is a vast, lawless stretch of land in eastern Lebanon. It is under annexation, and to get past the military guards you must pay a bribe. Once past the checkpoint my cousin drove for a few hours through the desert until he reached what his sources described to him as the finest farm in the nation. He obtained the seeds, (this time the seeds were fully ripe and healthy) then he hung out with the farmer, and had a quick smoke session. My cousin reveled in the clear-headed high of the hashish. He also noted, that in the following hours that he was able to remain free from the muscle pain he had been experiencing. The latter effect interested me very much, being that one of the worst side effects from my cerebral palsy is in fact muscle pain. Cannabis is a great teacher plant, and Willy G’s Lebanese has most certainly taught me its fair share. The first lesson was to expect the unexpected. My assumption being, that given this strain’s Middle Eastern origin, it would be some kind of classic squat indica hash plant. And not surprisingly, in the original pool, some of the offspring plants did produce squat, broad leaves. But the male we selected had a number of extremely interesting attributes. It had these crazy, burnt rubber terps, which the male pumped out even in veg, and the largest fingers on any leaf I had ever seen. It wasn’t like an indica with fat, wide fingers. It had slender, long, elegant leaflets. The spacing between the fingers was so wide you could easily read the pages of a book through the leaf. The sativa structure of this male plant is also dominant in the progeny. This sativa structure in and of itself was unexpected, yet there were more surprises in store when we tested the buds from the very first harvest. The cannabinoid testing revealed that we had been growing a very special high CBD strain.
The highest testing phenotype was coming in at a 26 to 1 CBD to THC ratio, which is outstanding. This means that there was little to no THC. That factor, mixed with the very high levels of CBD, would make this the perfect medicine for just about anyone, particularly for children and the elderly, or anyone preferring the lack of any psychoactive properties. PYLOS Bioscience tested the samples of the Willy G’S Lebanese, and came up with some very interesting results that would help us to understand the story that this ancient landrace strain, from deep in the Bekka Valley, had to tell. Its genes were pretty uncommon. In fact it only showed shared close genetic markers with one other landrace strain from Central Asia in modern day kazakhstan. After doing some reading, I discovered that Kazakhstan was perhaps the birthplace of the entire species of cannabis. How are these two strains connected? After all, Kazakhstan is pretty far from Lebanon. One of my favorite things about landrace cannabis strains is that they can teach you so much about other countries and cultures that you would otherwise have no reason to think about. However once you have those seeds in your hand… you have a thirst for knowledge that is unquenchable. I remember one night, I was hanging out with Nat, and he had this children’s globe. Maybe it was for his kids, maybe it was just for his enjoyment. Either way, it doesn’t really matter, as Natty P. is a mystery. What I saw on the globe however, would make the history of this strain a lot less mysterious to me. On the globe there was a clear line that read, “The Silk Road.” This trade route originated in Central Asia, covering a vast expanse of land, ultimately ending in Lebanon. That explains why this Lebanese landrace shared genetic markers with a Central Asian landrace. This ancient trade route may have allowed seeds from Kazakhstan to make their way to their new home in the sandy soil and intensely blazing sun of the Bekka Valley. It must have been fascinating to watch this primal variety from Central Asia, as it took on new traits for its new home. For example, I have noticed that the slender leaf of the Lebanese could act as funnel. The rainwater could collect in the deep ridges of the leaf, and
(opposite) Humboldt Seed Company’s Nathaniel Pennington helps Lebanese get to its next chapter JA N UA RY 2 0 1 9
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THE STORY OF WILLY G.’S LEBANESE
The potential of Lebanese in Willy G.’s hands
because of the plants’ overall Christmas tree structure, most of that water collects at the base of the plant. The ability to obtain a steady source of water would come in handy in the harsh desert- like conditions of its new home. Central Asia, although vastly important in terms of being a center for bio-diversity, never became a major producer or exporter of hashish, like Lebanon. Starting in the 1930’s, and continuing through the early 90’s, Lebanon exported some of the highest quality dry sift hash all over Europe and North America. Being such a large producer means that the original strains, which they were using, were being bred continually. Over the years, favorable qualities would be selected, resulting in higher quality in future breeding stock. I think that this strain tells an amazing story of genetic trade, and how a Kazakhstan based strain, which would not get much attention in its homeland, traveled a vast distance in order to reach a destination that would use this plant to its full potential. Since Lebanese hash has been absent from the North American market, and the flower of Lebanese has never been readily available, I see me and my friends at the Humboldt Seed Company as the next chapter in this special plant’s story. In Lebanon, the Ganja plants are allowed to cycle through the entirety of its life prior to harvest. This means that the plant is almost dead and dried out when it is chopped down. There are two grades of Lebanese hashish, the Lebanese Red, and the slightly inferior
SKUNK94_book_layout.indb 18
Lebanese Blonde. When I had first asked my cousin for seeds, I had asked for the red because I had herd it was danker. My cousin said that his connections had told him that, “ the rusted red coloration originates from the red soil the plants have been grown in”. However in Rob Clark’s Hashish, it states that, while the locals believe the red coloration is from the soil, it is actually from the coloration of the resin-head. Being that the plant is almost done with its life cycle by the time harvest comes around the resin head is fully mature, giving a red tint especially once the resin is sifted and pressed. The Lebanese Blonde is harvested earlier. Since the resin is less mature, it is a lighter blonde and not as high quality as the fully matured Lebanese Red. The whole process of harvesting material for making hash that these farmers use is so different from current trends in the American market, like fresh frozen and live resin, that are known for their mouth coating flavor. However old heads that smoked the Lebanese Red back in the day always told me how flavorful it was. How cool would it be if some farmer in the Bekka Valley got some freezers and started making fresh frozen hash? I bet that would be some terpy shit. The physical harvest as described in 1974 as follows; “Harvesters enter the fields stripped to the waist and begin the process of severing the ripe stalks at their base. Rough wooden carts are dragged into the fields on the heels of the harvesters, and the plants are placed into these carts, alternating top to bottom. As each cart is filled, it is hitched to a donkey and driven to a nearby village. While passing through the nearby village of Garberville, I had to take a piss. Off in the distance, through the cool haze of the fall day, I squinted. And as I opened my eyes, I saw a dusty Humboldt “Mountain Wook” carrying with his lanky frame a rough wooden cart, filled with crystal covered golden tops. Are ancient aliens enslaving Humboldt wook’s as helpless slaves on their farms for space hash to feed the diverse races of space aliens? The jury is still out. Nobody will respond to my email’, it’s difficult to condense that story into a subject line….Oh well. I know what I saw…. I seen it! In modern day California, it seems as if the market has come to value extract over flowers. It may seem like a recent development to the American smoker, who for the most part has been blazing nugs for a long time. However in the Arab world, marijuana was seen strictly as a carrier of the sweet resin. According to the Afghan hash making culture, the man who smoked raw buds would grow weak in the lungs and grow unsound of mind, which is an interesting notion. The hashish is made by sifting the bone-dry nuggets over screens; the highest grade being produced within the first sift. After the first run, the end product becomes less desirable with each additional run. It is very time-consuming to make dry sift. I have the metal screens which Bubbleman puts out and barely use them, given the time consuming nature of the process. When I do make dry sift I am again reminded why so many ancient hash makers chose it as their medium. For in that resin-head there is untold magic, healing and amazing flavor. I am very excited to see what we can do with this amazing landrace come harvest season.
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You Way Are Dry
BUDWISE KNOW YOUR GROW
advice from THE REV
From amateur to expert, there can be troubles in anyone’s growroom. Since it’s generally not a good idea to go and ask the local garden center what’s wrong with your weed, we have provided a spot for you to ask away. Send any questions, pictures and/or tips to therev@skunkmagazine.com. If we use your submission, you might even get some free stuff.
REV’S TIP If you lift your growing containers like I do to check on if they need watered or not, be especially gentle setting them back down. You can compact your soil in containers super easily, so don’t make this mistake.
Buds will seem dry to you way before they actually are dry enough to seal
WINNER
Q
Hello Rev, some of my plants always seem to collapse some of their branches under their own weight later in flowering. I grow in tents like you and I wonder if this sounds familiar and what can I do? I love your new book and thank you. csb11_cancan
A
Thank you for the book Kudos; my TLO book can change your life if you allow it to. Yes, my friend, this sounds familiar to me, and it starts with environment and ends with genetics. In tents, it is pretty hard to have the air movement velocities you really need to help plants build up decent stem strength, buds get heavy, you water your plants and in a few hours some branches buckle. Sucking up water obviously makes the branches even heavier, ya follow? On the “flipside of the coin” there are genetics that are more or less able to support themselves, wind/fans, or not. And some plants with the genetics to produce greater amounts of lignin; and so, never have this problem no matter what. Lignin: noun – a complex organic polymer deposited in the cell walls of many plants, making them more ridged and woody. Trees have high amounts of lignin in order to grow as tall and support as much weight as they do. For supporting these falling types of plants and/or branches, I use 3’ plastic stakes for whole leaning plants, and I like 1-foot fuzzy pipe cleaners to support buckled branches, securing them to the plastic stake; they are fast and easy to install and simple to remove at harvest—reusable too!
Q
Hi Rev I have a question about curing your buds. Someone said I should use a vacuum sealer at one point. Do you know if this really works well? Thank you. Big TLO Fan
WIN BIG!
A
Greetings Big TLO Fan. I have dabbled with that aspect of the cure and have not personally found it superior in any way and even detrimental at times; compared to the good old-fashioned method of just waiting until branches snap when you bend them, when they are hanging. At this point is where I would seal them up, and as long as they are actually dry enough, vacuum sealed would be fine here too; I use Mason Jars, without vacuum sealing. Just don’t ever seal them up with even a little too much moisture in them or you could easily end up with “lawn clippings” or “hay” smelling herbs. Cheers.
Q
I keep having big problems with my grow, I’m organic soil in containers indoors and after doing some research I am pretty sure it’s overwatering. Is there a way you can recommend I can get this right? Thanks in advance for your time. THEZANNY
A
Howdy. First thing I would do is start using the Self-Watering style pots. Second thing I would do is start measuring your water per container size you are watering. For example, I water my 2.5-gallon Self-Watering style pots using 1600-1800 mL of water each, whenever I water them, and this pretty much also fills the bottom catch tray as well, which is a good thing, overflowing them can be messy. Using conventional pots with catch trays (you should always have catch trays) just make sure that however much water ends up in the tray is sucked back up by the plant(s) within 30 minutes, or you will have to suck it out of the trays yourself. So just measure how much water this takes per plant/container to accomplish this and use it as your formula for ease in the future; work smart, not hard. Also, gently lift your plants to see how light their pots are, they should be really light when they need water.
Today’s winning question author will get a free copy of my book, signed. This is the new Bud Wise winning question prize, so get on board and send your questions to me at: therev@skunkmagazine.com or rolanterroy@yahoo.com cheers.
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A Short History of
WORDS DAVID MALMO-LEVINE
“Early and regular marijuana use has been associated with an increased risk of psychosis and schizophrenia, especially in those who have a personal or family history of such mental illnesses.” - A Framework for the Legalization and Regulation of Cannabis in Canada - The Final Report of the Task Force on Cannabis Legalization and Regulation November 30, 2016 (1)
“If the relation between use and schizophrenia were truly causal and if the relative risk was around five-fold then the incidence of schizophrenia should have more than doubled since 1970. However population trends in schizophrenia incidence suggest that incidence has either been stable or slightly decreased over the relevant time period.” - Macleod, et all, The Lancet, May 15, 2004 (2)
It can be said that the history of cannabis is mostly a history of attempts to monopolize cannabis. (3) In ancient times it took the form of a “sacrament monopoly” and then an outright “sacrament prohibition”. It began with Moses arguing cannabis was too sacred to share, and then became a matter of those who used it were honoring the wrong gods, and still later using it meant you were worshipping the devil. In the scientific era, the excuses for a monopoly on medicine became a matter of the synthetic medical establishment calling any non-patent, non-monopolizable medicine (such as herbal medicine) “quack” medicine. This process began when the Rockefeller family – the head of the “hemp substitute” industries with their
hundreds of millions of dollars invested in oil and medicine – funded the creation of the “Flexner Report” that put all the herb schools out of business. (4) During this time newspapers began to ascribe any violent crimes by Mexicans to marijuana-related psychosis. A typical example from this time is the story “CRAZED FROM SMOKING A WEED” in the May 19th, 1905 Florida Star, where it was written that “The dry leaves of marihuana, alone or mixed with tobacco, make the smoker wilder than a wild beast. … Not long ago a man who had smoked a marihuana cigarette attacked and killed a policeman and badly wounded three other officers. Six policemen were needed to disarm him and march him to the police station, where
1 https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-medication/cannabis/laws-regulations/task-force-cannabis-legalization-regulation/framework-legalization-regulationcannabis-in-canada.html#a2.2 2 Psychological and Social Sequelae of Cannabis and Other Illicit Drug Use by Young People: A Systematic Review of Longitudinal, General Population Studies by John Macleod, Rachel Oakes, Alex Copello, Ilana Crome, Matthias Egger, Mathew Hickman, Thomas Oppenkowski, Helen Stokes-Lampard, George Davey Smith, The Lancet • Vol 363 • May 15, 2004 • p. 1585 https://middleeast.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS0140-6736(04)16200-4.pdf 3 http://potfacts.ca/the-history-of-cannabis-is-mostly-a-history-of-attempts-to-monopolize-cannabis/ 4 https://www.oplysning.org/uploads/9/1/4/3/9143605/potbookextract.pdf (chapter 3)
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he had to be put into a straightjacket.” By the time of the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937, a series of 5 anti-drug films had been released in the previous two years to make sure everyone in North America was terrified of cannabis. One man was responsible for both the mythology fed to the filmmakers and the Tax Act itself: Harry Anslinger. (5) The “misdeveloped brains of youth” myth was popularized by Anslinger. He wrote: The young, immature brain is a thing of impulses, upon which the “unknown quantity” of the drug acts as an almost overpowering stimulant. … Spells of shakiness and nervousness would be succeeded by periods when the boy would assume a grandiose manner and engage in excessive, senseless laughter, extravagant conversation, and wildly impulsive actions. When these actions finally resulted in robbery the father went at his son’s problem in earnest – and found the cause of it a marijuana peddler who catered to schoolchildren. The peddler was arrested. (6) It would be smart to focus on this particular myth, because 1) there are so many myths you could write a book on the subject (which I actually intend to do one
day) and this is a short article, not a book, and 2) this particular myth is one seems to be key in all the messaging of the cartelists of today – to justify their privilege and exclusivity. To destroy this myth in the public mind with evidence and truth is now the duty of every pot activist. Arguably, those who avoid the topic entirely are either irresponsible, somewhat cowardly, perhaps lazy or even tacitly complicit in justifying the economic hoops necessary to qualify as a legal supplier of cannabis, in the hopes that these monopolistic corporations kick down a few of their crumbs to those who promote – or avoid criticism of - this myth. The “pot makes you crazy” myth has been a favorite myth of the pot haters through the years. In the 1950’s, some kind of cannabis psychosis would effect 25% of users – according to quotes from the medical establishment, but this diagnosis was debunked by rebel Harvard Medical School professor Lester Grinspoon in the 1970’s: One study of 2,300 Moroccan men in psychiatric hospitals in 1956 states that one quarter of them were diagnosed as having “cannabis psychosis” (presumably from use of kif). However, American authorities wonder how
the diagnoses were made and whether Western scientists would approve of the methods of the study – and even what “cannabis psychosis” means. “The symptoms said to be characteristic of this syndrome,” says Dr. Grinspoon, “are also common to other acute toxic states including, particularly in Morocco, those associated with malnutrition and endemic infections. … In fact, Dr. Grinspoon suggests that pot “might protect some people from psychosis. … for some mentally disturbed people the escape provided by the drug may serve to prevent a psychotic breakdown. (7) A notorious “scientist” who made stuff up about cannabis was Dr. Robert G. Heath. He famously pumped massive amounts of pot smoke into the lungs of live monkeys, cutting off their oxygen in the process, and then blamed the resulting dead brain cells on the marijuana, not the lack of oxygen. (8) Researcher Martin Lee explains how researcher bias is behind the “damaging the developing mind” findings in his 2012 book Smoke Signals: In an effort to marshal data to show that marijuana harms the brain, NIDA sponsored animal studies involving megadoses of THC and a potent synthetic CB-1 agonist
5 https://www.cannabisculture.com/content/2014/11/11/does-cannabis-inherently-harm-young-peoples-developing-minds/ 6 Marijuana: Assassin of Youth, H. J. Anslinger with Courtney Ryley Cooper, The American Magazine, July 1937 http://www.redhousebooks.com/galleries/assassin.htm 7 Marijuana and Your Child, Jules Saltman, 1970, Grosset & Dunlap, pp. 64-66 8 http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20064743,00.html See also: http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/october/2/newsid_2540000/2540141.stm https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6251929 http://www.truthonpot.com/2012/11/02/does-marijuana-cause-brain-damage/
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A SHORT HISTORY OF PROFESSIONAL POT LIARS developed by Pfizer. Neuroscientist David Robbe injected these drugs into restrained rats’ brains and found that it caused aberrant brain wave activity (David Robbe et al., “Cannabinoids Reveal Importance of Spike Timing Coordination in Hippocampal Function,” Nature Neuroscience, published online November 19, 2006). Although the study had nothing to do with the real-world use of marijuana by teenagers, it became grist for the mill of alarmist assertions about pot’s adverse effects on the developing brain. (9) Recently, even more proof of fraudulent activity in relation to marijuana research has come about through an expose of big-pharma payoffs to anti-pot researchers. Three of the researchers caught in the payola scandal – Dr. Herbert Kleber, Dr. A. Eden Evins, and Dr. Mark L. Kraus – have also echoed the “pot harms the developing mind of the youth” bullshit. (10) The “cannabis harms the developing minds of young people” myth is now the main pillar in the attempt to cartelize the emerging legal pot economy. Pro-cartel propagandists repeat it over and over again, such as Kevin Sabet of Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM),
9 Lee, Martin, Smoke Signals, 2012, p. 386 10 Leading Anti-Marijuana Academics Are Paid by Painkiller Drug Companies, Lee Fang, Aug 27, 2014 http://www.vice.com/en_ca/read/leading-anti-marijuana-academics-are-paid-by painkiller-drug-companies See also: https://www.cannabisculture.com/content/2014/11/11/does-cannabis-inherently-harm young-peoples-developing-minds/#anchor143 11 Kevin Sabet, Reefer Sanity, Beaufort Books, 2013, pp. 43-46 12 https://learnaboutsam.org/who-we-are/leadership-team-2-2/ See also: http://drthurstone.com/charlottes-web-not-safest-option-epilepsy-treatment/ 13 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coUcREiAyUw&feature=share
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(11) SAM director and child psychologist Dr. Christian Thurstone, (12) Vancouver SAM advocate Pamela McColl, (13) North Vancouver pharmacist/psychiatrist Diane Macintosh, (14) The Canadian Center on Substance Abuse, (15) Dr. Gail Beck, Member, Canadian Medical Association Board of Directors, (16) the United Nations, (17) along with nearly every pot researcher around the globe – and even some pot activists. (18) None of these academics have anything to say about any evidence that runs contrary to their “pot makes kids crazy” narrative (19) – they all just pretend it doesn’t exist, and they don’t mention it in their list of resources. There is a pattern to the anti-pot propaganda, which is now being exposed and explained by a few mainstream journalists. Dan Gardner of the Ottawa Citizen is a good example:
14 https://www.cannabisculture.com/content/2017/02/17/sad-frightening-evening-dr-diane macintosh/ 15 http://www.ccsa.ca/Resource%20Library/CCSA-Effects-of-Cannabis-Use-during-Adolescence Report-2015-en.pdf pp. 32-47 16 http://news.gc.ca/web/article-en.do?nid=844329 17 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/27/un-world-drugs-report_n_5534768.html 18 https://www.cannabisculture.com/content/2014/11/11/does-cannabis-inherently-harm-young peoples-developing-minds/ 19 http://potfacts.ca/psychosis-is-not-increasing-iq-levels-are-not-dropping-in-spite-of-massive increases-in-cannabis-use-rates/ http://potfacts.ca/teen-marijuana-use-not-linked-to-later-depression-lung-cancer-other-healthproblems-research-finds/
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“Much of the focus of this long debate has been on marijuana’s alleged effects on mental function, and over the past century an enormous amount of research has looked for damage done by the weed. Unfortunately, much of the research, on mental health and other concerns, was dubious and its appearance followed a predictable cycle: The research is released to lurid headlines, the evidence is used as proof that the law must be tough or get tougher, and later, when subsequent research fails to bear out the original study, the fear is slowly and quietly forgotten.” (20) The actions of these professional liars isn’t just a bunch of sloppy research – it’s scapegoating. It’s academics who realize they get research grants by articulating what powerful people want to hear. It’s similar to what happened when – instead of the big lie being about pot making kids stupid and crazy – the big lie was about Jews being so pathologically evil they started wars and molested children (and drank children’s blood). Just like the scapegoating of the Jews, the scapegoating of the pot dealers has critics, but they get the back pages of the newspapers, and the scapegoaters get the
front page. For example, UBC researcher Zach Walch has exposed the big lie about teen pot use, but his expose doesn’t get front page attention. It’s not featured in the mainstream press – only in a small neighbourhood paper: “According to Walsh, there appears to be a link between schizophrenia and other psychosis and marijuana use, but this could just be an association rather than causal. He notes that there’s been a dramatic increase in cannabis use in recent years, especially in Canada, but schizophrenia levels have stayed stagnant.” (21) Ben Bagdikian, in his book “The Media Monopoly”, explains how the media’s repetition of lies and one-timing the truth helped to facilitate the holocaust: “But there are two kinds of impact on public opinion, one brief and transient, the other prolonged and deep. The first is the single news item, soon obscured by dozens of new ones, each day tending to obliterate the impact of what went before. A compelling study of the ephemeral quality of isolated news accounts is Deborah Lipstadt’s book, Beyond Belief, which reveals that American newspapers from 1933 to 1945 printed numerous reports showing that something horrendous was happening to
European Jews under Hitler. But the news stories were brief, isolated, and seldom on the front page. They were not pursued with continuity, never drawn together to form a coherent picture, and newspapers did not press to discover the difference between official denials and reality. Consequently, the atrocities did not become important in the public mind and, probably as a result, they did not provoke strong government action.” (22) We pot activists must now expose this campaign of “reefer madness 2.0” for what it is – a way to pretend pot is a hard drug which requires “tight regulations” that only the rich can afford to abide by – to avoid the “captive market” being fashioned by the current Liberal government (23) from becoming permanent. We must immediately return our co-evolutionary plant partner back over to everyone, to avoid climate destabilization and toxic environment destruction, to avoid unnecessary poverty and continued punishment of the harmless, the enslavement of most farmers and gardeners to big licensed producers and various forms of exclusivity, and to end scapegoating … not just in our time, but in all time.
20 How science is skewed to fuel fears of marijuana – Reports that the drug causes psychosis have been exaggerated By: Dan Gardner, Ottawa Citizen (CN ON), 03-20-05 http://www.november.org/stayinfo/breaking3/MJScience.html 21 https://www.vancourier.com/news/4-19-pot-panel-wants-to-clear-the-air-regarding-cannabis-and-youth-1.23270407 22 Ben Bagdikian, The Media Monopoly, 1990 23 http://potfacts.ca/pot-monopolists-lobbied-the-liberals-for-a-captive-market/
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WORDS SHIRA ADLER
For some folks — maybe you’re one of them — a deep understanding of cannabis and hemp is quite natural and runs as deep as the root system of the species herself. If you’re reading this magazine, chances are you’re already canna-savvy, and maybe involved in the industry as a grower, processor, consumer, patient, or customer. Perhaps you take for granted that you’re living in a state with medical or adult use legalization currently, or it’s about to happen (one can only hope). However, despite the majority of Americans polled being in favor of full federal legalization, we aren’t there yet. In fact, depending on where you live, how you were raised, and the general attitude of your family, community, local, county, or state government — you could still be subjected to an intense array of misinformation, stigma or prejudice. Maybe you know someone who has suffered the painful results of racial disparity which have decimated communities of people of color. Don’t let the pithy title and pretty “millennial pink” cover fool you. I wrote “The ABCs of CBD: The Essential Guide for Parents (and regular folks too)” to bridge the still large gap between the “we get it” and the “we don’t want to hear it” camps when it comes to cannabis. I’m only half-joking when I say I’m a recovering formerly anti-pot parent. I’m also a healer, clergy member
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and a mom whose own children needed some other form of medicine that wasn’t going to cause devastating side effects. The point is that more than just preaching to the choir, I wanted to reach and effect change in the consciousness of the canna-curious — the uninitiated — the fear-based and stigma-stuck person who has heard about CBD, but doesn’t really understand what it is, or why it matters. The reason for the title of my book, and focus of the subject matter is simple. It’s not as damned scary as putting on the cover “read this and you’ll be cool with cannabis.” That’s not a statement most people can accept. I know I wouldn’t have in my past incarnations. We have never before been a society so overmedicated and underserved. Yet that doesn’t matter if you’re speaking with someone whose entire life has been ruled by their Mom telling them “pot is dangerous. It’s a gateway drug. If you start using it, you will ruin your life.” Try it and see how far you get. You and I may roll our eyes and laugh at the sheer (and debunked) ignorance, but that’s still the mindset of far too many otherwise intelligent and concerned people across the United States. Starting to engage minds (and hopefully hearts) in this book could only happen by introducing the subject matter in a more “neutral” zone… i.e. focusing on the noneuphoria aspect of the plant species then getting to the roots of the matter. Once the reader is engaged, the book gets a bit deeper and stretches
out into different expressions of what cannabinoids are, how they work, what they “treat”, and from there discusses iterations of the species’ historical, social, cultural impact. We still have a lot of work to do — together — to correct the misinformation and social injustice caused by 80+ years of prohibition. I hope this book can be a useful tool to support the majority of Americans on their journey to maybe becoming the next generation of sativa savvy canna-connoisseurs and patient advocates. If you know someone would could use a gentle nudge, give them a copy of this book. Let it serve as a subliminally heart-conscious bending device to open minds, engage hearts, and invite action to effect change in our societal and political arenas.
Shira Adler Author. Speaker. Instigator. Drawing from an eclectic background as Clergy, healer and spiritual counselor, Shira is an internationally recognized wellness-media personality, advocate, activist, educator, and Founder and CEO of Shira Synergy, a holistic CBD consumer products company. In other words, Shira has a throat chakra with no off switch. Find her @The1ShiraAdler and by visiting ShiraAdler.com.
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TRUE LIVING ORGANICS WITH THE REV
DRUID TINKERING Woohoo! First issue of volume 13,
of SKUNK Magazine. Very proud to have worked with my SKUNK family for about a decade now—yeah baybee. Okay, so I’m The Rev, author of True
Living Organics (2nd Edition available on Amazon now) and one thing is for sure, TLO style growing isn’t for everyone. But as long as you love to recycle everything, including your soil, make or source good compost, and even maybe get a small personal earthworm farm, which I highly recommend, you can rock some of the tastiest big nuggets known to man. It’s a very probiotic style, with very few (if any) bottles of liquid nutrients. Pretty simple really, and since all you need to add is good water, it’s hard to mess up along the way. Big yields, powerful smells and flavors, consistent results from grow to grow, and massive resin production—that’s what I’m talkin’ about. In this article, I am going to run down some of the newest tweaks and discoveries that I have made, and I love tinkering with things and learning about all natural methodology, so I’m always messing with new things to see what I see. So, for you TLO Druids out there, who loves them some specialized tinkering, this article is for you! TLO-grown druid buds
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Raw pumpkin seeds
Raw Pumpkin Seeds So, I was just researching some various food sources a while ago for some good micro and trace nutrient values, like zinc, copper, etc. and one of the things that really stood out for me was raw pumpkin seeds (kernels). Let’s take a little look at some percentage values of the elements found in pumpkin seeds; and make no mistake, there are many sources to choose from in nature, so check out what’s most easily available to you locally. Pumpkin seeds are easy and cheap for me to source locally in bulk.
Micro and trace elements matter in later flowering
These values are per 100 grams of pumpkin seeds. VITAMINS Ø Niacin – 5.0 mg Ø Pantothenic Acid – 0.750 mg Ø Riboflavin – 0.153 mg Ø Thiamin – 0.273 mg Ø Vitamin E – 35.10 mg Ø There are also small amounts of vitamin C, B-6 (pyridoxine), and vitamin A present. ELECTROLYTES Ø Sodium – 7.0 mg Ø Potassium – 809.0 mg MINERALS Ø Calcium – 46.0 mg Ø Copper – 1.34 mg Ø Iron – 8.82 mg Ø Magnesium – 590.0 mg Ø Phosphorous – 1,233.0 mg Ø Zinc – 7.81 mg Ø There are also small values of selenium present.
The N, P, and K (nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium) values run right around 1-5-5 N-P-K respectively, and as you can see in the list, pumpkin seeds are fat with B-Complex vitamins. Now, I know what you’re thinking, you’re thinking… “Okay Rev, but many of those items listed aren’t essential nutrients known to be used by plants, so why should I care?” Well, I’m so glad you asked; first of all, science doesn’t know even close to everything going on in Mother Nature’s universe, so in my mind it’s possible the plant actually does use all or some these other elements not listed as essential for healthy plant growth. But, here’s my biggest reason, I think all these elements definitely go to good use, and that reason my friends, is the microbial life in the soil, along with plenty of mini-life as well, like soil mites and
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TLO : DRUID TINKERING other smaller creatures visible with the naked eye. I’m sure they will all find good uses for those elements, and since they (symbiotically) help the plant derive nutrients from the soil, you for sure want them provided with all the food, water, and air they need to thrive to supernatural (TLO) population levels. If your soil isn’t alive, it isn’t really soil, is it? —boom!
In sharing this fairly detailed information about pumpkin seeds, I want to inspire you to start learning for yourselves what very common (locally available to you) assets you likely have—if you only knew! A diverse input is the name of the game my green friends. Also understand that basically, the density of any organic matter relates to its levels of availability; slow constant availability is what we like most in flowering.
NOTE
ip
I like that they are in kernel form, which is a denser organic matter perfect for slower release of all the exotic goodies within. I chop them up a bit (a coffee grinder for smaller amounts or a hammer and large baggie for larger amounts). When I transplant my plants into my flowering containers I actually layer with some of this product. In say a 3-gallon pot, up under the mulch layer on top I would use 1 tablespoon along with some Crab Meal (read on) and either a custom all-purpose nutrient blend or a commercial one that runs about 5-5-5 NPK; or there abouts. A single tablespoon of each of the last two as well. You can also add some along the way at any time, just crush/chop it up into a very fine state and mix a little with your water just before watering; stir it up and the particles stay suspended well. For this type of application, I would use about 1 teaspoon of the seed meal per plant—again, assum-
ing about 3-gallon container size. I don’t like this product in teas much, but you might.
Chitin is Good Chitin is such a wonderful element to have available to your cannabis plants, especially during flowering. Some shellfish like crabs, and also in the exoskeletons of insects, you will find rich levels of chitin. Insect Frass often contains high levels of cricket carcass pieces full of chitin. I do use insect frass as top dressing for vegging plants almost always along with earthworm castings. Crab meal and insect frass are both excellent top dressings at any point during growth.
Chloramine Removal Without Carbon Filters Organic acids are the trick here, and if you have a good water source that isn’t tweaked up in levels of iron, or sulfur, or magnesium, also with a PPM value below 100, you may just be able to use it all fine in TLO growing as long as the chloramine is removed. Active carbon filtering of course works very well, but as it turns out so do organic acids. Now, to be clear, exposing chlorinated water to any organic matter will sap the chlorine (and/or chloramine) out of it, but organic acids are super-efficient. You still need to bubble it for 24 hours like with removing chlorine the old school way, but just include some organic acids for the chloramine. Here’s the formula: Formula for Chloramine Removal from Water: Mix ¼ teaspoon of lemon juice (or any natural acidic juice) per gallon of chlorinated water and bubble for 24 hours with an air-stone, and your chloramine will be gone. If you are lucky enough to have a water source that is good, and lower in PPM value (between 20-80 PPM) that is chlorinated with chloramine, this is a good way to be able to use that water without having to use active carbon filtering. The pH of the water will drop at first but it will come back up over 24 hours. Chloramine cannot be just bubbled out of water like the old-school chlorine could be. This trick will initially drop the Ph value of the water treated in this way, but after 24 hours or so it will come back up to normal Ph value.
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Cool water vaporizer
Down to Earth Crab Meal
For flowering containers, I use crab meal right along with the ground pumpkin seeds in layers; usually middle and top layer. Additionally, for some reason(s) that still mostly elude me, when these two are used in concert (pumpkin seeds and crab meal) like this, some serious synergy happens and you will see your plants (out of this world) happy and vigorous.
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A Very Exotic Tea (Maybe Even Eccentric)
A typical self-watering container
Self-Watering Containers and Steer Manure At the bottom of these style of containers, you will see a smaller area that is meant to sit below any excess water level that remains in the lower tray after watering. This little zone will absorb any excess water (and nutrients bonded with the water) back up into the main soil for the plant to use. My lower trays normally are sucked back up and dry within an hour maximum. However, these pots were designed to make that water tray accessible to the plant in a safe way, as compared to when you use normal pots with catch trays. Unlike the selfwatering pots, if you leave a catch tray with any real amount of water in it for more than 30 minutes or so, problems can develop. Now, when we use the following steer manure blend to fill up that very bottom little “”X” in the self-watering containers, this not only makes some powerful nutrients available to the plant, but every time you water it also creates a little bit of steer manure tea in the bottom tray as the plants roots suck it back up. Once the lowest container area is filled with the steer manure blend I cover that with about a half inch or so of normal TLO style soil-mix. You never want to place roots directly on manure or nutrients that haven’t been composted (“cooked”) already. Here’s the mixture I use for this: STEER MANURE BOTTOM BLEND ü 4 cups composted steer manure ü 1 cup small nugget size perlite ü 1 tablespoon kelp meal ü 1 tablespoon greensand ü 1 tablespoon DE (diatomaceous earth) The greensand and the DE are both very high in great nutrients, but the biggie for me in this blend are the higher levels of silicone in both greensand and DE. You could use just the manure and perlite if you wanted to, but the other elements really kick this blend up a notch I think. And regarding the pumkin seeds; I was so impressed by the awesome nutrient levels and diversity of these, I started eating raw pumpkin seeds myself—TLO style growing often leads to TLO style eating/living, heh heh—L8r G8rs.
Algae and bloodworms make, all by their lonesome, a very kick ass tea for plants in vegetative and preflower stages. This is a tea I use whenever I need to keep larger plants in smaller containers for a longer time than they really should be kept in them; and sometimes for plants that are less than 3 weeks into flowering. If you have the algae handy like I do from my fish tank; (I have no snails or algae eaters in my tank so I call it my “indoor pond.”) This tea is like magic, and my plants always get dark green and super happy within a week of using this tea without fail. Here’s the tea recipe I use for this one… Algae & Blood Worm Tea Recipe Per 2 Gallons of Water Use: § About 2 Heaping tablespoon of raw algae put through a blender first with (top) Plenty of algae for teas a little water. from the intake fish filter screen (above) Frozen blood worms § 2 Frozen blood worm available at most pet stores cubes also put through the blender with the algae and some water. § 1/8th Teaspoon of Molasses § ¼ cup of living earthworm castings or living compost. § 4 oz. of fish tank water is also highly recommended. Bubble this blend for 24 hours at room temps or higher and it’s ready to rock! Always stir up any tea a bit between using on each plant in order to keep all the particles in the tea evenly distributed to each plant. The fish tank water brings some bad ass (good) microbeasties on the scene that aren’t sensitive to light (UV). So just get like a 10-gallon fish tank for a small personal garden, harvest the algae and water. I like guppies, they are easy and reproduce big-time. No additives, or medicines, I call my tank my “indoor pond” because it absolutely is. Just pour your tea off the top no need to use anything like a teabag dynamic here all just free floating. Hasta amigos!
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the taste of a place WORDS Frenchy Cannoli
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The word ‘terroir” for a native French person is the source of uniqueness and quality in what we cherish above all, food and wine. Terroir expresses the ecological uniqueness of every region of France, and the products made there. Terroir is the delicate symbiosis between the land, the climate, the plant kingdom, and the humans who nurture and enhance the characteristics of the land. The land and climate are the dominant elements of a terroir, the soil, in all its complexity from its composition and structure to the microorganisms it nurtures, is the life-giving source of all living organisms thriving above ground. The climate is the shaping force defining the life-cycle constraints of plant’s evolution, adaptation and productivity as much as the farming practices. The most abundant terroirs on the planet have been at the origin of sedentary life and civilization. If indeed “agriculture grew from human behaviors and from responses or changes in plants and animals, leading without conscious plan toward domestication of plants and animals,”1 then the land’s abundance and fertility has been a defining factor of human evolution. The terroir is the embodiment of the life-giving essence of a geographical region, incarnated in the bounty harvested, it is “the taste of a place.”2 The qualities and characteristics inherent to a specific region of production cannot be duplicated even in apparently similar geographical conditions. The land and the climate are the essential links between a growing region and an agricultural product.
Geographical and climatic conditions have determined the evolution of plants, promoted sedentary life, given birth to agriculture and have had an enormous influence on the evolution of farming. Terroir is the essence of biodiversity, a living heritage in constant evolution, the very opposite of globalization and monoculture. It is the notion of terroir that is the basis of the concept of Appellations d’Origine.3 Agricultural regions are the lifeblood of uniqueness and diversity, the source of any agricultural product’s excellence and such geographical intrinsic values makes the demarcation of any specific terroir a complicated matter of vital importance. Scientific studies in soil science, a gronomy, history, geography, sociol ogy, and ethnography done by the National Institute of Origin and Quality are mandatory in France to prove the importance of any given region.4 The soil is a vital element of “the taste of a place” however all soils will not be equal in any given region, and as such a product planted in an inadequate soil cannot benefit from the “appellation d’origine” of a renowned regional terroir. The genetic quality of the agricultural product grown and the farming methodology practiced over generations are the other half of the terroir equation. The quality of a product and the “savoir-faire” behind such quality were the primary forces behind the recognition awarded to the most famous terroirs of the world. However rich a soil is, there
cannot be an expression of the full potential of “the taste of a place” without great genetics and the dedication and knowledge of generations of farmers to bring out the full potential of the land and climate. “It is not enough to validate the authenticity of the origins of a product, it is vital to ensure the quality of the product grown as well.”5 The concept of Cannabis terroir seemed far-fetched when introduced a few years ago, but it has now taken roots far beyond the Cannabis farmer’s community of the Emerald Triangle where it started. A concept has, however, to be proven to become a recognized fact. The French government’s regulations guidelines would have to be followed to demonstrate the importance of our Cannabis growing region and the uniqueness of the genetics, not a simple matter when half a dozen scientific disciplines are mandatory to ensure recognition and acceptance. Northern California can be considered as the epitome example of quality born from generations of farming selective genetics, and the force behind the worldwide recognition the region has earned. As such, Cannabis terroir must be more than a concept because terroirs are recognized by the quality of the product produced there before being acknowledged as a terroir. I experienced the depth of Cannabis terroir diversity for the first time in India, at the feet of the Himalayas, making charas from wild cannabis plants. The seemingly unlimited ability to express the characteristics of
1
The Third Chimpanzee, the Evolution and Future of Human Animals, by Jared Diamond, 2006
2
The Taste of Place, “A cultural journey into terroir” by Amy B. Trubek, University of California Press; First edition (August 17, 2009)
3
www.inao.gouv.fr/eng/Official-signs-identifying-quality-and-origin/PDO-AOC0
4
www.inao.gouv.fr/eng/The-National-Institute-of-origin-and-quality-Institut-national-de-l-origine-et-de-la-qualite-INAO/Missions/ Demarcation-of-production-areas-and-protection-of-soils
5
www.inao.gouv.fr/Institut-national-de-l-origine-et-de-la-qualite-INAO/Ouvrages-sur-les-signes-de-qualite-ou-d-origine
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TERROIR : THE TASTE OF A PLACE its surrounding ecosystem the wild Cannabis plants possess was an unforgettable experience. Caressing the flower of a live Cannabis plant to collect resin on the palm of your hands creates an intimate and unique relationship with the plant but more importantly with its birthplace. Cannabis can under certain natural conditions express the exact terpene profile of the dominant plant of its growing habitat. The most unforgettable example I have of such a happenstance was of a patch of wild Cannabis growing in a field of wild strawberries that produced a Charas with a powerful and unique berry terpene profile and another batch growing under cover of some type of wild nut bushes which made a Charas with the most interesting nutty terpene profile. I have also experienced the taste of many places in Northern California, the same genetics grown in different regions of Northern California will express different and unique terpenes undertones that will alter the overall aroma of the genetic to an amazing level. The farmer’s dedication, knowledge, and approach to farming also create recognizable, unique terpenes undertones. However, the taste of many of these places can too often be sourced to the difference in soil recipes and not on the uniqueness of a specific parcel of land. The nature of the earth is so complex and intricate that it requires the study of the soil in its natural environment known as pedology and the study of the influence of soil on living organisms known as pedaphology to fathom this powerful life-giver and shaper. The intrinsic life-giving and shaping essence of any soil is hard
6
to tame and nurture in nature and impossible to recreate artificially. It is a power that cannot be duplicated in a pot; the human factor controlling the soil composition and the living organism within will forfeit the uniqueness of the local nurturing ecosystem and its evolutionary potential for diversity, the trademark of a terroir. We need to define the specificity of the many terroirs of California accurately and not merely settle for the approximation of agricultural regions. Studying the soil and the life it supports is mandatory to fully understand the nourishing force behind the “taste of a place.” The knowledge of the soil is mandatory to truly become a nurturing and enhancing element of a specific ecosystem and harness the life-giving power, the very essence of a place. Is there anyone within the Cannabis industry in California who can apply soil science to define the characteristics of the land and parcel it accordingly? Soil science is “the study of soil as a natural resource on the surface of the Earth including soil formation, classification and mapping; physical, chemical, biological, and fertility properties of soils; and these properties in relation to the use and management of soils.” (Wikipedia) Soil science by itself is not enough to capture all the vital elements of a terroir. A survey of soil management and crop production (agronomy), of the historical background of the region and of all its geographical characteristics must complement the knowledge of the specificity of the soil. Sociology, the scientific study of society, patterns of social
relationships, social interaction, and culture of everyday life may seem way beyond the point but think for a minute of the impact three generations of Hippies had on Northern California society, the culture and the evolution of cannabis as an agricultural plant. The recognition of a terroir is of the utmost importance for any agricultural region. “The demarcation of a geographic territory is the expression of the history of a community osmosis with the land, the bridge between the physical and biological worlds. The specific farming and production methodologies born from such a complementary relation are as such the source of uniqueness and recognition of an agricultural product inherent to the specific geographical region. It is the fundamental principle of any appellation.”6 We may need serious professional and scientific support to define precisely the many terroirs of California to the level necessary for global acceptance, however since our small farmers are already recognized worldwide as among the finest producers of high quality cannabis on the planet, the many unique Cannabis cultivars of Northern California are all the evidence we should need to prove the soundness and value of our quest for recognition and protection.
Frenchy Cannoli is a consultant, educator, and writer in the Cannabis industry with special focus on hash making using traditional methods. Frenchy can be reached through his website at: www. frenchycannoli.com or seen on Instagram @frenchycannoli.
www.inao.gouv.fr/content/download/898/8192/version/1/file/Plaquette%20aires%20géographiques%20et%20délimitation.pdf
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SPONSORED BY
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THE EMERA WHERE IT’S BEEN. WHERE IT’S AT. WHERE IT’S GOING… WORDS TIM BLAKE
This year the Emerald Cup will be even better than last year, with many new wrinkles added to provide everyone with a transformational “experience”. We’ve added comedy, an additional host, Doug Benson, to go along with our very own Ngaio Bealum. Our speaker lineup is longer and better than ever. Our musical lineup is stellar with Gogol Bordello, Big Gigantic, Sound Tribe Sector Nine, Prooge, Margo Price, Rising Appalachia, The Funky Meters, and many more. We will also be honoring Bob Snodgrass for his immense contributions to the realm of glass blowing. All the changes and improvements to the Cup are too numerous to list completely but be assured that everyone will love it. The Cup this year will look and feel like much as it always has and that has been no small feat to accomplish. With the Cup increasing is size so much each year, the decision to partner up with “Starr Hill Pres-
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ents” was easy to make. It was clear we needed pros to oversee crowds of that size, especially with all the legal nuances involved with the Cup. Everyone attending will still be able to consume and purchase cannabis flowers and products. The contest will have twenty-seven categories this year including products made with hydrocarbon processes for the first time. Shatter, live resin, and sauce entries will now be welcomed into the fold. This year’s highlight, for me, is that after years of trying to get Willie Nelson to join us and accept our “Lifetime Achievement Award,” we are finally going to be blessed by Willie’s presence to receive it. While he will not be performing, we are nonetheless honored to have him grace our stage with his presence. Not only that, but Willie has granted us the esteemed privilege of changing to name of the “Lifetime Achievement Award.” From now on, it will be the “Willie Nelson Award.” No one has been at it as long as Willie, who’s shouted from the rooftops for decades about cannabis needing to be legalized. No one’s stood up for the rights of small farmers more than Willie or has done as many benefit concerts for alternative causes. And Willie has personified how a true outlaw and a “True OG” should look and act. We’re honored and humbled to have this magical moment with Willie this year
at the Cup. I want to tell the story of how the Emerald Cup evolved and how one main person can be credited for the way things have unfolded. Kyndra Miller, a friend and attorney, asked years go if I knew this guy who owned the magazine competing with High Times (at that time there were really only two major cannabis magazines). With traditional print mediums such as newspapers, magazines, and books quickly disappearing in our digital society, it’s amazing how many and how well the growing number of cannabis magazines are doing today. They are probably the only type of magazine that is actually adding subscribers. Well, I told Kyndra that I didn’t know him and she said I should. His name was John Vergados and he published SKUNK Magazine. So, I set up a call to John and we ended up talking like old friends for quite a while. I was a city guy who had retreated to the mountains to find solace and refuge after my companies went bankrupt, which had led to a divorce with my wife and kids moving out of state. Then, to top it off, I got busted for growing in my now empty family home. After spending six months in the pokey and then working a day job to keep cool with the probation department, I moved up to Mendocino County for good and completed a crop that I had my friends put in
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RALD CUP while I was in jail. My new publisher friend was also a lifelong veteran of the city streets and he had built his small empire with his own hands and was completely dedicated to the righteousness of our cannabis cause. He wasn’t an organic farmer and didn’t live an organic lifestyle, but he respected what I was trying to accomplish…He got it! John let me know that he had been to Europe many times and had attended a world-renowned cannabis gathering in Spain called “Spannabis.” He went on to tell me he really thought The Emerald Cup had a good chance of evolving into an event that rivalled or surpassed it. I didn’t know what this “Spannabis” event was and I was blind to John’s vision of my future. He later became the first real sponsor of the rapidly growing Emerald Cup. The Emerald Cup was still being held at Area 101, my campground and event center located ten miles north of Laytonville in a remote two-lane section of Highway 101, in the heart of the Emerald Triangle. The previous year’s Cup had been challenging. Snow, rain… you never knew what to expect when showing up for the Cup in late fall, except that it was likely to be cold, nasty, and wet. Us mountain folks kinda take pride in our rough weather with most growers coming down out of the higher (and even colder, wetter,
and snowier) elevations, a sign that attending proved you were part of the hardy, hard-core mountain clan of the Emerald Triangle. For years we didn’t have any vendors but then they started popping up, forcing us to extend the event space with tents outside of each end of the main building. In the past I had always taken pride in the fact that the Cup didn’t have any commercial vendors or sponsors. Every year, at the end of the season, I just put up the thirty or forty grand it took to produce the Cup and hoped to get back as much as I could from the ticket sales. Whatever losses I took were chalked up as a tithing to our community and also gave me the satisfaction of putting on the best contest and party in the hood. The last year the Emerald Cup was held at Area 101 was a doozy. It was so cold that the water froze, and when I had fresh water delivered, it froze as well. The cooks who showed up the night before the event were stuck without running water; and then it rained so hard it broke some of the supports on the tents. God bless my good friend Dorji for all those years of dragging her tents, which were made for summer weather, out into the terrible winter conditions that we faced each fall at Area 101. That was the final straw. I gave up and heeded the advice of
John Vergados and my co-producer Samantha Mikelajewski (who was threatening to quit, making the decision easier). We started looking for a larger venue for our event and the only place that would have us was the Mateel Community Center in Redway, next to Garberville in southern Humboldt County. We had tried and failed to get the larger county fairgrounds in Ukiah before we eventually accepted the fact that we were moving north to the Mateel with John as our sponsor! The Emerald Cup was the largest event the Matteel center had ever seen. We had over fifteen hundred people show up, in spite of our typical annual deluge the day of the event. We lost sound guys and speakers to the bad weather, and many people had to give up and couldn’t make it, which was probably good because there wasn’t any more room for them! John Vergados, now our first and most honored sponsor, had paved the way for our move to the big times. Unfortunately, we couldn’t book the needed date at the Mateel for the next year so we had to search for another venue again. This time, we were rejected by not only the Mendocino County Fairgrounds board, but the Humboldt County fairgrounds also. The Cup was just too radical of an event and still too far from accepted mainstream behavior even in our neck of the woods. This
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THE EMERALD CUP
was only seven years ago. My, have things changed! John, now my good friend and sponsor, recommended we give the Sonoma County fairgrounds a try. At first the very thought of going out of the Emerald Triangle seemed blasphemous! The county bordered the Triangle but no one up north would have been willing to include our neighbor to the south on our map. My friend continued to preach that moving south would be one step closer to seeing the event evolve into the scale he envisioned. Again, my irreplaceable partner at the time, Samantha, threatened to quit on me, which made the choice much easier. Sam, with a little help from me, put together a twenty-two-page proposal that we presented to the Sonoma County Fairgrounds. There’s a reason Sonoma County has taken the lead in microbreweries, vineyards and wine tourism, bicycle racing, and now cannabis. They’re not stuck in the past fighting old wars but rather forward thinking folks who have positioned Sonoma County to thrive from the many wise choices that have been made. Surprisingly, the fairgrounds agreed to our proposal, as long as it was produced strictly as written in the contract. The Emerald Cup would have to be a clean, well run, county fair style event. Moving south also meant we had to deal with the Cup not being in our backyard. Also, we had to market to a different demographic and learn all the ins and outs of managing an event the size of a small city. There were a lot of hoops to go though, with approvals from many city and county agencies needed, but we pulled it off with flying colors and became the first cannabis event held at a county fairground in California state history.
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Our attendance had increased by a factor of ten and we had grasped the cannabis world’s attention. My sponsor and friend John Vergados didn’t make it though. He wanted to go along for the ride with us but unfortunately he was knocked out of the game, blind-sided with an arrest on his way to the Cup and accused of being a big time seed dealer. They had been focused on him and once they do that, they’re like a tick on your ass. They dig in and don’t let go while sucking you dry. They let him out on bail awaiting trial, but he was basically under house arrest. If he were to get into any trouble at all he’d be screwed. So he couldn’t hit the streets to turn a buck and was stuck in quicksand. The system knows this and they bleed you dry, leaving you to twist in the wind while they drag you, usually for years, through the court system. By the time they’re finally done with you, you’re broke and in debt from legal costs and you’re ready to commit suicide just to get it over with. I’ve watched this happen to several friends, as well as myself. It’s a sick, demeaning and inhumane way of dealing with a still presumably innocent person. To top it off, your business partners and friends have to stay clear of you for everyone’s sake, leaving you feeling like a pariah. You end up being stripped of any sense of hope and decency. Roger Christie, the cannabis minister, went through years of the same crap, as did Eddy Lepp. Its a tried and true method for the system to demoralize and destroy the lives of their adversaries. Both Roger and Eddy tried beating the system based on our court decreed right to “Religious Freedom”. The feds are really frightened of anyone declaring and winning any court case based upon
this right as it would open the flood gates for spiritual folks of all faiths to claim their right to participate in their “Religion” without interference from the authorities. They took two older men and punished them mercilessly for almost ten years each just for trying to establish this precedent. Our criminal justice system has been neither fair nor just to the cannabis culture; being corrupt, biased, and politically motivated. It’s way worse than many third world countries, and we imprison a greater percentage of our citizens than any other modern nation (a huge percentage of them for cannabis). We think we’re a humane country. Go take a real hard look at what we do to our own people. We treat them just like the pigs, chickens, and other farm animals raised in feed lots and factories under insufferable conditions. My friend John did get to attend the Cup though the next year and was able to say goodbye to the friends and industry he had helped create and mold. John was also extremely fortunate to have Julie Chiariello, his lover and partner, by his side through out the ordeal. Everyone needs someone in their corner and Julie stood by John through the several years it took to get through the court system. Even with the challenging and painful legalization of adult use cannabis this year, our community in California has so much to be thankful for. The cops are no longer stalking the highways and pouncing on any dusty vehicle or out of state rental car that might be carrying pounds of flowers or trim. We can now move in the open and do our business without concern for the legal ramifications (we’re now more frightened of taxes and regulations than of the cops). If you, as a farmer, chose to continue working the black
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market, things are pretty good there as well (at least for now). Mainstream Americans are getting more and more comfortable with cannabis, and we now have access to the other ninety percent of potential consumers that were ignoring us. I’ve been involved in the cannabis world since I was fifteen, and I’ve had the opportunity to watch the evolution of our industry since its inception. Name a decade from the seventies on and I’ll tell you how it went. Watching the business and property values of our community, family, and friends suffer so greatly this past year has been very painful. Most of these folks who fought for our cannabis rights, many of whom served prison sentences for their efforts, are not going to see the Promised Land. Most have no desire to struggle with the bureaucracy for expensive and difficult to attain permits so they can hustle cannabis in the legal marketplace; they’re not adept at paperwork or are too private to be social media monsters. We owe them an eternal debt of gratitude for their sacrifices and contributions to this noble cause. Likewise for all the men and women who are still rotting away in some private corporate prison for cannabis offenses. I write and interact regularly with Eric McCauley, a federal prisoner serving out a twenty-three year sentence for interstate transportation of cannabis. Eric left the Cup years back and I didn’t see or hear from him for years. Finally his mom contacted me. The feds initially imprisoned him out in Missouri, and his family moved there to be near him. Then they moved him to Florida making it virtually impossible for his family to visit him. Then they
moved him to Georgia. Why? Why can’t a prisoner just do their time in one place, so their families can set up nearby and support them? They do make every step of their time as demoralizing and demeaning as possible? Is that the way to release people back in the general public? Talk about PTSD; these poor men and women are let out to a world that’s passed them by. It’s no wonder so many have such a difficult time adjusting to “normal” life again. Their idea of normal has been shattered. Every year The Emerald Cup gives back to our community. Over the years we’ve supported “Friends of the Eel River”, “The Trees Foundation”, the local Grange schools, all the free booths we give to non-profits at the Cup, funds for fire victims, etc. The theme of the Emerald Cup this year is social justice. We were going to tackle this critical issue last year but the massive fires forced us to turn our attention to the suffering and losses in Northern California. We’ve formed a nonprofit organization called “Emerald Cup Charities” overseen by the very capable Ginger Dawn. We’re collaborating with Stephanie Landa, the founder of “Freedom Grow”, a non-profit organization that is dedicated to raising money to put on the books for cannabis prisoners. Prisons are big business and prisoners have to pay for everything. Anyone that’s ever dealt with a state or federal prisoner knows that without money in jail, you suffer even worse. Stephanie is a convicted cannabis felon and understands the challenges confronting every person in prison. Stephanie has righteously dedicated her life to this cause and we’re honored to have her with us. We have an amazing set of speakers lined up for the panel of this topic,
and we’ll have a booth to provide everyone with details about how to get involved. After all, our job didn’t end with legalization. It won’t end until every non-violent cannabis prisoner is freed and home with their families. John Vergados will finally be off house arrest soon and done with probation in a year. Like so many convicted cannabis felons, it’ll be a long time before John can truly put his life back together. Just getting over all the trauma, depression, bitterness and anger will be a monumental task - let alone the financial ruin. No one who spends years battling the Feds comes out ahead, or even broke… They’re all in debt, with their businesses destroyed and most of their relationships shattered. I, for one, am with Stephanie Landa and “Freedom Grow” all the way. The battle isn’t over until every last one of our folks in prison is released. We owe that to all of them and their families. And to ourselves! Please find a way to contribute. It means a world of difference to the soul on the other end of every letter or dollar that they receive. Without you John, the Emerald Cup wouldn’t have left its cozy cage in the Emerald Triangle and soared to the heights it’s now attained. Thank you for your vision, your inspiration, and your immense contributions to our community. The Feds were right about one thing though… You are, and always will be; a world-class hustler and I say that in the most positive way because I can’t wait to get you involved in our legal cannabis businesses.
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Appellations Of Origin Securing the Future for Our Legacy Cannabis Producing Regions WORDS GENINE COLEMAN
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California’s legacy (pre-regulation) cannabis producing regions such as the Emerald Triangle and Big Sur have economically relied upon small craft Cannabis production for decades; producing regions within China, Morocco, India, Nepal and Pakistan - centuries. Cannabis farming and the use of the plant and its derivatives in traditional and complementary medicine are an integral part of the cultural and economic fabric of these legacy producing regions. Due to the national and international scheduling of Cannabis, regions moving forward with cannabis policy reform are trending toward laws that force regulated Cannabis producers to rapidly scale up and adopt industrial production methods. These policies often penalize or prohibit traditional farming methods, in some cases even banning production within traditional farming bioregions. Examples include zoning and land use restrictions, farmer relocation programs, the global proliferation of industrial scale indoor cultivation for ‘drug type’ cannabis cultivars and the comparative ease of regulatory frameworks for ‘hemp’ vs ‘drug type’ cannabis cultivars for CBD production in the United States. Additionally, licensed cannabis producers face numerous challenges around supply/demand and market access at this time. Early stage patchwork legalization and regulation confines producers to sales within under-developed local regulated
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markets. In California this restriction is compounded by the simultaneous explosion of large scale, well capitalized licensed production, presumably staging for the eventual global Cannabis commodities market. Product differentiation is key to the development of a thriving international craft cannabis market that supports small scale, traditional craft cannabis producers. Product differentiation is the marketing process of distinguishing between products in order to make a specific product more desirable to a particular consumer market. By contrasting a productʼs unique qualities with other competing products, the affiliated supply chain gains a competitive advantage. A Geographical Indication (GI) is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin. GI systems are standards-based certification programs, implemented through a regulatory authority, and house multiple tiers of designations within, each with varying qualifying standards. Appellation of Origin (AO) is a special designation within GI systems, awarded to products that have proven that the superior qualitative characteristics of the product are a result exclusively of its geographic origin, shaped by the region’s unique environmental factors, cultural heritage, production practices and a resulting legacy of regional crop varietals. AO designations indicate an intense link between product quality and place or origin and accordingly, have
significant qualifying production standards determined through research of the unique environmental, cultural, and botanical aspects of the region’s agriculture. These standards ensure an authentic provincial product of superior quality and legally protect the intellectual property rights associated with regional farming practices and cultivars. Product quality reuirements, production yield limits and varietal controls empower AO producers to be “price makers” rather than “price takers”. AO has been proven worldwide over centuries to be the foremost tool for establishing differentiated product value and market leverage. Champagne, the appellation designation for the renown sparkling wine of the Champagne region of France is a universally recognized example of effective product differentiation through AO designations. Some other well known examples of AO include Bordeaux wine, Prosciutto di Parma (Parma ham), Mexican Tequila, and Roquefort Cheese. The instant recognition of these regions and products illustrate the power of AO designations for an agricultural product and its position in the international craft market. Prioritizing the research and development of legal AO designations for legacy cannabis producing regions supports the transition of a greater number of legacy operators into regulation and affected regions benefit from reduced economic disruption. Qualifiers and production standards ensure that the environmental impacts of associated farming and production are beneficial to the region. Over time, AO effects regional acclaim which strengthens real estate value and localized development. AO invites agri-tourism, providing opportunities for direct consumer engagement, marketing and sales while simultaneously supporting other local sectors such as lodging and dining. Finally, AO incentivizes innovation and refinement of craft while preserving and honoring tradition. In 2017 California law passed mandating that the California Department of Food and Agriculture develop a geographic indication system for cannabis, including an Appellation of Origin designation to be implemented by Jan 1, 2021. At the time of writing, CDFA’s CalCannabis Cultivation Licensing Division is in the processing of research, soliciting stakeholder input and scoping the regulatory and programmatic frameworks for the CalCannabis Appellations Project. To provide your input, email: cdfa. calcannabis_appellations@cdfa.ca.gov Founded in 2015, The Mendocino Appellations Project is a non-profit education, research and advocacy organization working to develop legal appellation of origin designations for Cannabis in California and beyond. MAP takes a coalition approach to our work, collaborating with local and global strategic partners to conduct requisite research and develop public policy, while promoting awareness of the cultural heritage of Cannabis throughout the world. For more information email info@mendomap.org
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OF HUMBOLDT SEED COMPANY WORDS JOHN VERGADOS
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eep in the heart of the Emerald Triangle, more specifically in Humboldt County, lives and works one of the area’s most respected breeders, Nathaniel Pennington from Humboldt Seed Company. There, he combines an uncommon scientific rigor along with a spiritual reverence towards breeding cannabis and the result is magic you can rely on. He took the time away from an extremely hectic schedule in order to share some of his wisdom.
Welcome Nat. How did your cannabis journey begin? I smoked my first bowl when I was twelve years old, but don’t tell my parents. There was no peer pressure involved, I literally went and hunted it down from an 8th grader. It didn’t take long until I was growing on the roof of my parents’ house and in the woods nearby. At the time my father was a preacher in Philly and he was no fan of my
propensity to smoke weed all day every day. Eventually we would go on to smoke a joint together at a Grateful Dead show in 1995, that I had bought him a ticket for after a gigantic fight, which backed up my theory about cannabis really bringing people together. Moving to Humboldt in ’96 wasn’t actually about cannabis for me, more so it’s the region’s natural beauty and progressive culture,
but the world’s best cannabis was a big plus. Not every grower becomes a breeder. What made you decide you needed to create something new Honestly a lot of what motivated me to start breeding cannabis in 1999 was necessity combined with the knowledge of the people I looked up to most in our community. Someone who was a mentor for me was also the founder of
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Using science to a fault
late 90’s, and that’s at the core of what we do today. Breeding from a creative and artful approach can only come from understanding and in-depth experiences with this species and
that’s where this really began for us. When breeding, how much of it is art and how much is science? We tend to use science almost to a fault but
photo Humboldt Seed Company
a non-profit that I would later go on to write hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of grants through for salmon biology and restoration as a program coordinator, he was also a great breeder, grower and musician. I basically copped his style and never looked back. He grew well before the days of clones and before our community knew about removing males to make “sensimilla”. Some may say that breeding because of necessity, like the original Humboldt growers needed to do to keep strains alive, isn’t true breeding, but I disagree. I was taught how to select the best males and only pollinate the branches of the best females by those old timers in the
photo Humboldt Seed Company
BREEDER DIARIES
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we’re learning to trust our instincts again, as much as test results. All three core breeders at Humboldt Seed Company, Ben, Beau and yours truly, have extensive scientific backgrounds so science is a big part of our breeding strategies. I got a grant in 2006 to study salmon genomics, to find single nucleotide polymorphisms in salmon relating to run timing. The study was recently finalized and published in Science Magazine and has significant impacts for management and restoration efforts for salmon in Humboldt and the Pacific Northwest in general. There is so much art in the rivers around us and certainly in
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photo Humboldt Seed Company
NATHANIEL PENNINGTON OF HUMBOLDT SEED CO. this plant that we all love so much. The art form of being a cannabis breeder is about opening up to what the species has to offer you, and just like the salmon, humanity hasn’t treated cannabis the way nature intended lately. Even knowing what technology has to offer cannabis in terms of genomics and marker research projects similar to what we did for the salmon, I still feel that we have really just begun to understand what this plant has to offer, and the true art form is simply coaxing those cultivars back from the brink of extinction. Fortunately, that is an effort that must be crowdsourced and necessitates our original community of ganja lovers, not corporate America. Our community is invaluable because we truly understand, and literally hold the seeds of the rebirth of a species. Tell us about the Purple Pantydropper, one of your first releases. Does it really work? So the Purple Panty Dropper is a purple strain that got its name the morning after a party where I had gone to sleep early, but the party
raged on over at the other house on the farm. When I woke up and did my morning rounds in the patch, there were these purple panties in the garden laying right below a gorgeous purple plant that we had been calling Purple Passion. I walked back down to the campfire where partiers were somehow still going, and found out that apparently our 35 year old friend, we’ll say her name was Sarah, had “cougared out” on our 22 year old trimmer dude. Anyway, it seemed harmless enough, and we are all for a good romp in the garden at HSC, you know fertility rituals and all. So the name Purple Panty Dropper was born. About 10 years ago as the strain gained popularity (showing up all over the world) we started feeling weird about the name and added in all our packaging that panties should only ever, ever, ever, be dropped consensually. That seemed obvious to us, but the “me too” movement backed up the need for clarification. Anyway, the strain was never really supposed to be an aphrodisiac, but big purple buds are fucking sexy!
How difficult is it to breed for consistent CBD strains? What are some of the challenges? It definitely takes work, significant infrastructure and organization to breed for consistency for any strain, phenotype, chemotype or genotype. Being that CBD is largely a factor of the plant’s chemotype (chemical expression of a plant), the degree at which CBD is present in a population of seed grown plants is subject to the fact that recessive traits will pop back up in a population that is not “true bred” or completely homozygous. We use a relatively simple genetic analysis that displays the degree of homozygosity for all of the seed lines that we release (Phylos/ HSC genotype results). Our heavy focus on strain consistency and seed line uniformity is a product of the fact that we’ve been selling seeds to Humboldt County for 20 years and nobody here is afraid to tell us what we
Onward and upward
photo Nugshots
did wrong. One of the first things that we started hearing from our community was “your seeds are great and we grew the most weed we’ve ever grown with them, and some were the best weed ever, but we wish the plants were more consistent”. So we embarked on the long journey of creating “true breeding F1 hybrids” the holy grail of cannabis seeds. A common misconception amongst the cannabis community (we’re guilty too) is that F1 simply refers
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BREEDER DIARIES Breeders are realizing that terpenes are as, if not more important than cannabinoid profile. How does this affect selection? That is the question of the year and our answer is… it’s all about the terpenes. That said, many consumers who are just looking to get as stoned as possible for their buck are just discount THC shoppers. The reality is that you can have the best of both worlds and through our phenotype selection process that gives weight to both terpenes and cannabinoids, we put out genetics that cover both. On the other hand we are finding that some terpenes are less often associated with high THC. The
terpenes are what gives cannabis its different effects and keeps us so enthralled by the plant, so if we can affect consumers I’d say don’t judge a jar by its label. Cultivators that are choosing strains for next year, get ready for a world of scientific evidence (if that’s what you need) pointing to the entourage effect of terpenes, THC and other cannabinoids that will likely drive the market back to more strain diversity. How much influence does region have on your work? For example, do you breed for the Cali long season or do you try to make your offerings more accesible to all, or is this never a factor? That’s a really good
question and it’s tough to answer for a lot of reasons. For example, we were hired to develop a breeding strategy and generally consult for an up and coming large farm in Jamaica and as part of developing our strategy we crisscrossed the island looking at active grows and collecting genetics. All of our assumptions were shattered about equatorial sun and humidity and which cultivars would suffer vs. thrive in that climate. We essentially re-wrote the strategy and were able to include genetics that we had assumed would fail miserably. One thing I know from breeding for years is that cannabis displays a high degree of trans-generational
photo Nugshots
Pineapple Upside Down Cake stacked
to the crossing of two strains which creates unstable seeds that display variability. In conventional agriculture F1 Hybrids are seeds that are made from highly in-bred lines and those seeds display both hybrid vigor and uniformity. We have seed lines that are very close to fitting that criteria and it won’t be long before that is the standard for cannabis seeds in general. So when it comes to CBD and chemotype results I’d say that it is very hard to nail down numbers, but when a seed company releases varietals based on hard claims and the results don’t agree, that is very dangerous for farms that are basing their businesses on CBD extraction.
photo Humboldt Seed Company
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NATHANIEL PENNINGTON OF HUMBOLDT SEED CO. plasticity (the ability to adjust its genetic makeup in real time and pass those traits to progeny). To summarize, I think that many of our strains are often quicker flowering than the genetics that they came from and that is a product of us breeding outdoors and selecting for success (no mold etc.). We are located pretty much in the middle latitude of the U.S. and Northern Hemisphere and our strains tend to be successful anywhere. In the end what factors influence your selection; your personal breeding philosophy? Terpenes are huge for us, also trichomes because we like pretty things, vigor, cannabinoids, disease and pest resistance. Around ten years ago we started using a datasheet when rating phenotypes. This was a product of our scientific backgrounds. Eventually we created an access database to be able to query out certain results and breed for a trait that we may have hidden in our library. A few years back we wanted to share our Phenotype Rating and Selection Datasheet with the world and had it
Pineapple Muffin
published online as a free download off of the Cannabis Horticulture Association website. Which strain are you most proud of, the one that has stayed most true to your breeding vision? I’d say Blueberry Muffin, we made the cross that produced the Blueberry Muffin way back in 2008. A trimmer and I were working on one of those plants and he exclaimed “this smells exactly like a Blueberry Muffin”. I turned around and said “you just named this strain”. Blueberry Muffin stormed across California and many places around the world this year and we’re proud to
photo Nugshots
have shared her after all that time perfecting the genetic. Our Blueberry Muffin is available at many clone nurseries and our seed line is incredibly stable for the Blueberry Muffin terps. While the strain is not known for high THC (18-24%) many say the high is one of the best they’ve tried, without the paranoia. Our Blueberry Muffin seeds started selling out in Humboldt dispensaries about 8 years ago. How does the exploding demand for biomass affect a breeder’s decisions? We have AutoFlowering lines that might tend to be more specifically for biomass but really in our mind if we can
create vigorous, hicannabinoid, disease and pest resistant strains, and those traits don’t seem to contradict each other, then the biomass growers are going to want those as much as anyone else. What are you currently working on and why? We just completed our 10k plant “Phenotype MegaHunt” project, there’s a lot of media and press available about this project online if folks are interested. It all started when we asked our breeding and genomics consulting team at UC Davis what we should do to bring cannabis breeding out from behind the curtain
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photo Humboldt Seed Company
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BREEDER DIARIES
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of prohibition and into the 21st century. We had hoped that they would tell us that they could easily find genetic markers for things like terps, THC and trichome production and all we’d have to do is perform PCR on a few thousand samples. Instead they said, “start from the beginning with a proper breeding strategy, I mean we can find those markers but what you need to do is search through as many genetic combinations as possible, so plant around ten thousand plants at a minimum, preferably new distinct population crosses that will express variability, and use your rating system to pick the winners”. We said damn, I guess we better team up with some farms. Every year we take cuttings off of every plant in our sphere of influence preflower so we have the phenotype winners pre-preserved in veg, so that meant that this year we’d have to take 10k. We did it and now we’ve narrowed it down to around 50 winners and we will be announcing some at this year’s Emerald Cup.
What exactly is genetic extraction? I did my first genetic extraction in a kitchen off campus near UC Davis with a DNeasy kit. It’s a complicated process involving re-agents, centrifuges and filters but at the end you have a vial of pure DNA which is arguably able to be transported across borders and researched at federally funded facilities. You certainly wouldn’t want to smoke it if that makes the government feel better. Looking over your career, collaboration with others seems important to you. Tell us a bi t about this. Collaboration is key to science and breeding and with our background in biology and environmental sciences we have a lot of experience working collaboratively. When it comes to things like proprietary genetics or techniques our philosophy is that if anyone is willing to put the amount of effort that we do into creating seeds or new strains then more power to them. We certainly didn’t invent cannabis so everyone who breeds cannabis takes something and hopefully puts
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NATHANIEL PENNINGTON OF HUMBOLDT SEED CO.
Who are some people you look up to within the breeding world and cannabis movement at large? When it comes to breeding we really appreciate the industry pioneers who have been willing to put their neck on the line to get their genetics out there. That is something we haven’t really been
willing to do as far as getting our genetics out there beyond state lines but we’re ready as soon as that opens up. Regarding the industry, our hero and friend Dennis Peron who passed away earlier this year deserves a lot of credit for cannabis being so close to legalized. I just hope we can keep his dream of free medicine and accessibility for all alive! Tell us what the future holds for you. What are your greatest hopes with the onset of legalization and also your biggest fears? Well, we hope to be able to get back to doing more philanthropy in our community again and continue some of the work we were doing overseas with indigenous communities, social
and environmental justice. As far as legalization goes it seems that the corporate machine will suck up most of the good that can come from economic development, but we will fight that every step of the way. I’m definitely fearful for Humboldt and the Emerald Triangle’s small, family cannabis farms (the originators of this industry) who will feel the pinch of “Big Canna” and the economy of scale. I hope that true organic, craft grown cannabis farms will find a niche of folks who want to enjoy real cannabis the way nature intended it. From the perspective of more people on this planet re-connecting with cannabis because the stigma around its prohibition is gone, that is incredibly exciting. We believe that cannabis raises peoples’ consciousness
and helps folks treat each other right and the world definitely needs more of that.
Pineapple Upside Down Cake
After all is said and done, what do you want your legacy to be? My family, the work I’ve done for my community and the environment. As a company we’d like to show the world that true members of the original grassroots cannabis community/ movement can be leaders in the discovery of the genetics and benefits, both medically and socially, that cannabis has to offer. Any tips for the aspiring breeder? Don’t be afraid of male pollen… it’s much less likely to ruin your main flower crop than you might think. I’ve had to argue, even with members of my own company, about whether or not I was crazy for having male plants around. Remember, it takes two things to make seeds; floating, fresh pollen and white pistils and those have to be present at the same time.
photo Nugshots
a lot of work and diligence into it to make it better or more consistent or preferably both before sharing it. Collaborating with cultivators is essential to our program and during the MegaHunt we had 12 different cultivation facilities to work with. Collaborating with researchers is also essential to us and has been one of the most valuable endeavors that we’ve taken on.
As always we give you the last word. What’s yours? Peter Tosh “Legalize it” … don’t corporatize it! Terzin Kush #4 photo Humboldt Seed Company
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T h o u g h t s
o n
M a l e
S e l e c t i o n s
WORDS Ganja D of Rebel Grown Often, when selecting a male for breeding you should be looking for the same things you would generally like to find in a female plant. Look for vigorous males, in terms of growth rate and also root mass. Structure is very important. You want a plant with a sturdy structure that can hold some serious weight on its branches. As my males grow I test their branch strength by pushing down on the middle of the branch with one finger with medium pressure. If it breaks I cull the plant, don’t waste your efforts on a weak male. Remember you’re looking to improve your cannabis in the hybrid, in-cross, or back-cross your making, not water down its quality or strength. Leaf structure is also important. Depending on what you’re looking for you may or may not want fat bladed leaves that can block light form the canopy. In most cases I pre-
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fer thinner leaves and a high flower to leaf ratio in males. I’m shooting for something easy to trim that lets a lot of light and airflow penetrate to lower in the canopy. However if breeding for certain traits associated with Afghanis or fat leaf blade structure you may go with pleats with heavier leaf mass. I also look for males with the most smell in the vegetative stage. I like to rub the stems and see what smell comes off. Some male plants will leave your fingers sticky with resin from rubbing the stems. Some stand out males will smell so strong in veg you wont even need to rub the stem to notice how much the smell stands out. The male flowers will tell you a lot about it’s potential in terms of yield, potency, health, etc. Things to look for; are the male flowers dense? Are they big fat clusters of flowers
or are they smaller and thin? When the flowers open look for males that release copious amounts of pollen. You will see that some males release average amounts of pollen, but if you grow enough males you will see some true studs that produce an abundance of pollen. I’ve seen real stand out males just drop insane amounts of pollen, ounces and ounces. Those males have always passed on large yielding plants from their seeds. Do the male plants/flowers get powder mildew or mold if left untreated or in moist conditions? Insect populations? How do your males deal with under watering and drought? Are they sensitive to over feeding or always hungry for more, or anything in-between? By growing enough males you will see that some are more susceptible and others more resistant to these issues. Of course choose the more resistant
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resilient plants. Flower time; I’ve heard that the earliest to show sex and produce male flowers is something to avoid in males, unless your main goal is to shorten flower time. Some say the earliest males result in less potency in the progeny. I like to see early fast flowering males, but I usually avoid using the very first to show sex and blow pollen. Do your male flowers develop trichomes? You don’t see it a lot but when you do it’s exciting. I have heard some breeders say they think potency in males leads to less potent females in the next generation. Don’t listen to these breeders. Potency X Potency = Potency, at least in my experience. Pretty simple concept. Sometimes knowing what you are looking for is key. If you’re trying to work and preserve a certain female, and looking for a male to use, you’re hoping for a male that is mostly recessive in what it passes on. It’s always a guess but in this case I look for vigor and strength and less smell from a stem rub in the male. Most of the time I’ve done this in a first generation hybrid the majority of the plants grow flowers with chara cteristics dominant of the female with an improved yield and vigor. Of course knowing what traits a male will pass on is always a guess until running the progeny, but by knowing the strain your selecting the male from, you can make an educated guess based on knowledge of the strain and observation. The best advice I can give is to grow more plants, plant more seeds. With todays average cannabis seeds you may be lucky to find a special male in 10-20 seeds. Grow 50-100 seeds of a strain and you’ll find something special. It’s even more important to start with good seed stock. Know your source. Truth is, the cannabis seeds market is completely unregulated, so do your research on breeders and their practices. Keep in mind that average genetics will grow average cannabis. Growing from top -notch seed stock is a must. Most plants will be worth growing, and choosing breeding males is much easier when you’re already starting
with quality. After making F1 hybrids (first filial generation) and test growing them you will learn which breeding selections were successful plant combinations and which ones were maybe not ideal. The experience is invaluable and you’ll learn so much about the genetics you’re working with. Try to plan ahead what your goals are when breeding. Visualize what you’re trying to accomplish and spend time with your plants really getting to know them. Observation is key, as it builds experience, intuition, instinct, and understanding. The better you get to know your plants the more they will tell you and the more you will learn and understand. Are you using a single pollen donor or multiple males? At Rebel Grown we sometimes use a single male pollen donor for making new hybrids or isolating certain traits. But for our continuous selective in-breeding, we open pollinate with several males selected of each strain to ensure the best of the genetics are passed on, instead of relying on just one selection and it’s genes and characteristics/traits. The theory is with only one male pollen donor you have one shot to make the best choice. The selection will isolate some of the genetics, and you’ll lose some of the diversity in the variety. The male selection you choose might give you your favorite phenotype characteristics, or it could disappoint or water down what you had hoped to find/create. By selecting several males from a large plant population, shooting for a few of the very most impressive, you preserve more of the genetic diversity and will have a higher chance of success in finding the very best plants in the progeny. Today there are endless types of cannabis to try. Take a look at the biggest online seed banks and you’ll find over 150 different breeders and seed companies being offered. Cannabis seeds are a priceless resource, with infinite possibilities. Anyone can make they’re own and everyone should. With time and your own male selections you can make amazing seeds and grow your own unique creations for a lifetime!
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SENSI SERMONS
WITH THE REV
A N D B E YO N
D…
Just good water makes for elegant buds baybee
igh … to one and all in SKUNK World. This article is going to make you think, and maybe even step back and see what’s really what; I hope so. Welcome to Sensi Sermons humans, I’m The Rev, or REvski, or Rev, whichever you prefer. Been growing 90% of the time between my 14th birthday and today, and that total growing cannabis time is 45 years plus. I want to start you off with some wisdom straight out of my heart to you all: If you want to actually learn true skills, quickly, as opposed to just acting like you have them, or assuming you do. Then take a simple tip from REvski, always assume any growing problem you have is your fault, start there as a default setting and proceed. Identify the issue, actually and empirically, then work to correct the problem. Never forget how very good plants are at taking care of themselves when they are happy and healthy. It usually takes them from 9 days to 14 days to sort things out for themselves without any help from you besides good water. What I suggest above is not easy, most won’t do it, the few, the unique, the skilled will. Let’s start out with a fundamental and deceptively allpowerful skill; your water works-skill(set)…
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Really Quick Point, and a Very Important Note on Overwatering I’ll make you a superior grower of cannabis, if you let me. Here’s a good place to start applying what I mentioned in the intro about (incorrectly) assuming you are already the bomb, ya follow? Watering-skills sounds so basic, ignorable easily, like: “Come on Rev, tell me about some of the secret shit!â€? I got news for ya, this is a huge part of the “secretâ€? shit; hiding in plain sight, right in front of you. So, stay with me here, and apply my advice, breathe this fresh air in. Let me start by saying, if you have a Fungus Gnat problem, you very likely have an overwatering problem—the gnats are often a “flagâ€? showing you an overwatering issue—if you can see it. All I have to do is overwater a single time, cuz, shit happens sometimes, and boom, like clockwork I notice my Fungus Gnat populations come up within 10 days. This is not always true, but 30% of the time it is; see for yourself the truth of this, watch for the pattern. Okay, so if you think this has a chance of being you, the overwatering grower that you might be, heh heh, then why not just fix it, hmm? Of course, things like gnats can have other origins too, but it is astounding how many gardens I see where it’s truly just a watering issue; over or under watering—usually over, and overwatering will also make your plants ugly and weak compared to good watering skills. Hone those watering skills man, and you will see great results; do it! đ&#x;˜Š
Super important not to overwater sprouts
Aeration of your containers is critical! Make SURE there are massive drainage holes that are exposed to open air. Do not over compact your soil; barely needs any compacting in reality.
Aeration, Storage, and wMeasuring Uptake Highly-aerated water is always your best option and it’s wicked easy to make happen—duh. How I do it is I use 5-gallon water bottles for my plants, once I set these bottles in place I uncap them so they are never sealed off from the air. When I water I always “crash� my water into itself when I pour it into my watering “can�. This actually is the most highly efficient way to accomplish high aeration via “crashing� your water into itself by pouring from a little distance. Another killer-good dynamic I have found is measuring my watering on a per plant basis. For example, in my 3-gallon flowering containers, when they need watering, I give them (about 1.5 quarts); about 1600-1800 mL per plant. This allows them to
My 2000-ml water-measuring container
have exactly enough water, and this means they have some drainage into a catch tray, and within 40 minutes they have been able to “drink back up� all that runoff (never leave live roots submerged for more than 40 minutes or so). Measuring the water this way also allows you to have another step to “crash� your water into itself and highly aerating it, as I said above.
Dolomite lime is calcium and magnesium.
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SENSI SERMONS: WATER WORKS AND BEYOND…
While you can run water that has bubbled with dolomite lime through a drip watering system no problem, you cannot run any water with any real nutrient value like nitrogen in it, or organic matter like in organic teas. Bio-slime will build up in lines clogging things. So, run all water through your drip system, just apply teas and whatnot by hand.
The Art of “Pond Water” and PPM vs. Soil Strength My 3-stage reverse osmosis unit – 2 carbon filters plus 1 ro membrane
Get a TDS Meter right now
Last but not least … I always bubble a couple of gallons of water—like you would bubble a living tea—that I add minute amounts of dolomite lime to. About 1/8th teaspoon lime per 2 gallons of water for 24 hours at least. This usually ends up around 50-60 PPM; and I dilute this with my reverse osmosis filtered water. I do not recommend using ANY liquid calcium/magnesium supplement, these products induce longer term issues and are somewhat detrimental to the equilibrium of your soil life; my informed opinion.
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I say this a lot I know, but get a TDS meter, do it right now, seriously this is a keystone tool in your watering skills arsenal—A must have! Alright, let’s dive into this dynamic head first, and as soil-mixes go, mine is very powerful and full of minerals being slowly released continuously. I always run my water around 30-50 PPM with those totally dissolved solids in the water being in greater part calcium and magnesium from dolomite lime (see above). Now … if you were using some good quality bagged soil—with some added perlite—you might want to run your water PPM higher, like 60-90 PPM and to reach those PPM values all naturally, keep on reading… First you can start with some rain/reverse-osmosis/ distilled water as your 0-10 PPM water source. Adding pond/ river/aquarium/ground water can bring the PPM up with great minerals and numerous diverse nutrients, totally all naturally. I use aquarium water in my water-worx-blend, just a bunch of guppies is all in my 55-gallon tank—my aquarium water is super high (like 280) in PPM value, so very small additions can raise PPM values effectively. Also, using that dolomite lime bubbling “tea” I mentioned above is a true game changer when you dial it in. Cannabis loves her some available calcium and magnesium, in tiny amounts, continuously; bigtime. My latest favorite now my green amigos, microdosing … but, before I tell you more I just want to tell you how much power there is in just using great water, and keeping it consistent. For the last 10 days before harvesting plants I give them 20 PPM water and I use 30-60 PPM water normally. Okay, check this out… Tiny ice cube trays made of silicone
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No flushing needed for elegant smoking results
Seeded up breeder female Burmese x Juicyfruit Thai just good water
If you are a TLO (True Living Organics) grower, or an all-natural grower using living soil, you might have one of those stackable home worm farms. If you do you are jazzed bigtime because I am going to share such a cool thing with you. Make sure you always leave that bottom spout open on these style worm farms and I just use a plastic coffee can to collect the worm leachate liquid as it drips out. Grab yourself some of those silicone ice cube trays that make super tiny ice cubes (see photo). Use like 1 or 2 of these frozen mini-cubes per gallon of water you use always on your plants. They will become used to it in about 10-14 days and then you’ll see some great stuff.
Everything You Always Wanted to Know Regarding Flushing You do not have ANY NEED to flush all naturally grown cannabis plants, period. Once you understand this, and why this is true, you will be much more in the actual know—ya know? Heh heh… You absolutely must flush the hell out of cannabis plants grown using synthetic type nutrients, so don’t confuse the two. If you are an all-natural grower, flushing won’t hurt anything really for the last 10-14 days before harvest,
Exotic sativas like this Congo sometimes need lower ppm water than indicas
Freshwater pond, aquarium, well, and river water is normally pretty rich running higher PPM values. Avoid pollutants or aquariums/ponds with medications etc. present. These water sources have a lot of fantastic microbial life present, and nutrient rich with diverse elements, including nitrogen rich aquarium water.
and if the water you use normally on them is a tad high in PPM value, then a good flush can help you out every couple of weeks or so, if you experience some mineral/ salty type accumulation; sort of like how you will get that residue in your coffee maker if you use harder (high PPM value) type water—“calcium scale.”
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Flushing a gallon pot will require at least 1.5 gallons of water for a mild flush and about 3 gallons for a thorough flush. Pour water until you see fairly good runoff—stop—30 minutes later, pour through the rest of the water. This would all be a pretty big hassle for me and my little gardens even, but I never worry about it, I just keep my water at high enough PPM without going overboard and getting any negative buildup of those mineral salts. The “Goldilocks Rule” man, you find your Goldilocks zone that’s just right—wink.
New 2nd Edition True Living Organics (TLO) Road Rules
Introducing… Rev’s Cannabis Crossword Salutations SKUNKers. Do a couple of hits of your favorite cannabis and then tackle my crossword puzzle, if you 1 dare! It’s mostly all cannabis all the time, but there are some pop culture things that go back to the 70’s up to the present. You’ll have fun solving it 3for sure, and you may even learn stuff, you never know. The answers to this crossword will appear in the very next issue of SKUNK 4 along with another new crossword to solve. So, without further ado—let’s roll baybee… 5 1 1
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TLO second edition by the rev – bootcamp for supernatural growers
If you need to use pure R/O, rain, or distilled water you must have all of the following in your soil-mix at ratios called for in the recipe: dolomite lime, coco coir, oyster shells, and bone meal. Especially the coir and the dolomite and without both of these it won’t work very well at all. 1. I run my water around 30-50 PPM these days with no coir in my mix. Adding in aquarium water, and/ or R/O runoff (dechlorinated “wastewater”), etc. all works well in my TLO recycled soil. 2. I have replaced every use of my granular bloom and grow dry fertilizers (Organicare) with Dehydrated Granular Chicken Guano by Espoma brand. I use this for all spikes and layers as well, still using 4 spikes per flowering container. 3. If using self-watering containers, I add 1 tablespoon of kelp meal and 2 teaspoons of granular dried chicken guano directly to the overflow catch-tray of these pots in my flowering containers when I transplant plants into them—this makes a mini-tea in the catch trays whenever they are watered. 4. I always cut my TLO cooked soil-mix with about 30% earthworm castings at least 24 hours before using it to fill pots with. This causes hyperactive life in the soil. Boom!
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Rev's Canna Crossword
1 cannabis
Across 3 Pot _______; Square chocolate treat
2 Frosty's w 4 full melt
5 Color of ripe resin
12 12
6 Joint
7 Pothead
8 micro mit
9 Water pipe
11 A way to separate trichomes from flower
10 Concentr
Rev's Canna Crossword 12 Slang for herb Rev's Canna Crossword 1 cannabis smokers Down Across 3 Pot _______; Square Across treat Pot _______; Square 3 chocolate Color of ripe resin 5 chocolate treat Pothead of ripe resin 57 Color
pipe Pothead 79 Water way pipe to separate trichomes 119 A Water from wayflower to separate trichomes 11 A
Frosty's was a corncob smokers 12 cannabis melt was a corncob 42 full Frosty's 64 Joint full melt
86 micro Joint mites 108 Concentration micro mites amount
10 Concentration amount
Slangflower for herb 12 from
12 Slang for herb Down Down
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KILLER QUEENS
TENZIN KUSH #4
For his newest breeding creation Green Bodhi crosses Sour OG with a rare male pollen of 1978 Old School Affie resulting in the beautiful, Tenzin Kush. This eye-catching strain grows thick and bulky trichome covered buds that blend light greens calyxes with deep purple leaves. Its potent terpenes initially greet the nose with a skunky/ fuelly aroma but are quickly followed by a refreshing cooling grape menthol scent. When smoked the fruity grape menthol cooling effect is immediately apparent on the first exhale which provides a unique flavor experience. The high has a very quick onset that comes on quite strong. Its effects start right at the top of the head and slowly flow down the spine and throughout the body providing relaxation, euphoria, and a great feeling of happiness. The mental/ body relaxation mixed with the feelings of happiness provided by Tenzin Kush make it a prime option for those looking to unwind after a long day. Medicinally Tenzin Kush is great for treating depression, anxiety, and mitigating pain.
Name: Tenzin Kush #4 (Sour OG x 78’ Old School Affie) NATIONALITY: Green Bodhi Height: 4 -5 feet Weight: 6 - 8 oz’s Age: 63 - 67 days RACE: Hybrid
from Green Bodhi
Taste: Initially skunky that transitions to a grape menthol cooling on the exhale. Scent: Fuel, skunk, menthol, with hints of grape. What the dried bud/crumbled bud looks like: Tight bud structure with green and slightly purple leaves throughout with significant trichome coverage. Speed of high onset: She is a slow creeper that gradually builds to a subtle and relaxed high, ~15 minutes for onset Duration of high: Very quick, within first few hits of joint. Quality/type of high: Happy and uplifting head high with a full and relaxed body high Medicinal qualities: Anxiety,
depression, and pain. 58
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YESHE18
from Kagyu Coastal Seed Co. LLC.
KILLER QUEENS
LANDRACE
I acquired my Red Lebanese from a friend that traveled to Lebanon years ago. It was very sketchy aand dangerous there. He wanted this genetic and went for it amidst people with rocket launchers and rifles. I am not sure which area he went to but he brought back some great landraces. Somewhere in the Becca Valley more than likely. The Panama Red was acquired from Snow High seeds. It was originally from Breeders Choice Organization, a de funk seed company. They originally sourced it from a family in Colombia. There are so many phenotype variations in this particular Panama Red. The Burmese was given to me by Bodhi. I believe it was originally from Canada and was acquired before Reeferman got it. Both the Red Lebanese and the Panama Red are very high in CBD. The addition of the Burmese adds a wonderful terpene profile with a stimulating up head high. Yeshe18 has great branching. It does need to be staked as they can be heavy and with fairly close internode spacing. Buds are fairly dense but not like an indica. I like this because it gives me a relaxing effect but not a couchlock, plus you get a very nice uplifting clear head high to balance it off.
name: Yeshe18 (expression #1) NATIONALITY: Kagyu Coastal
Seed Co. LLC. Height: 7’ - 8’ (Depends on soil and experience.) Weight: 2 – 3lbs (Could be much more) AGE: 90 days. Harvested Oct 15-30 here on the West Coast outdoor.s RACE: 65% sativa 35% indica Tropical variety (Burmese) Broad leaf structure with uplifting high.
Taste (burned/unburned): Burned tastes like Figi apple, with a hint of sour pineapple. Taste unburned: Like apple pie dry hit. Scent (burned/unburned): Candied pear, apple
cider, mulling spices, tart pineapple and in the deep background ants on a stick, aka celery, peanut butter and raisins. Unburned: Fig, apple with hint of sour pineapple. The speed of high onset: Comes on quick as a big stoning wave as it washes over the body, starting at the head and then progresses downward. Duration: 2 hours then fell asleep. (test in the later evening) Quality/type of high: Relaxing but mindful, pressure drop, down shift, warm blanket. Stoning behind the eyes effect. Zonker. Medical qualities: Soothing, muscle relaxer, sleep inducer after one hour.
I want to thank Bodhi seeds (plantmoreseeds/nierika seed trust/supernatural selections/synergy) for testing the Yeshe18 and giving me his opinion on this line. –KAGYU, COASTAL SEED CO. LLC.
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KILLER QUEENS
Smokestack Lightening from Sunycheba
Vigorously tested in many environments and conditions, Smokestack Lightening (Jamaican Lambsbread x Skunk x Uzbekistani x NL5) is the result of a year long breeding project that I have worked on for over four years now. As a fan of old school pre-millennium flavor profiles that I grew up around in the 70s and early 80s, half of my current breeding programs are dedicated to preservation and bringing back the lost older profiles the older generations remember. The unique Lambsbread mother was crossed to a variety that I created in 2012 called Taskunky that me and my peers found both enjoyable and therapeutic. While growing the Lambsbread I enjoyed the flavor a lot but did not favor the stretch and longer flowering time. The Taskunky brought down the stretch and longer flowering time resulting in a medium squat bushy plant full of jasmine, skunk, and landrace hash plant sweet earth tones. Currently in its third filial generation and selected from four F2 groups I created, I continue working towards stabilizing this strain and towards my target goals. Smokestack Lightening works well in row crops or SOG style growing and produces medium to large resinous aromatic tops for flower production.
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NAME: Smokestack Lightening Nationality: Sunycheba Height: Medium bushy plants. Weight: 350 gram per meter Age: 60-70 Days RACE: 50%/50%
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Rainbow Pie
Name: Rainbow Pie Nationality: Green Fire Genetics Height: Plants average from 2-4 ft
depending on if topped or not. Weight: Heavy yield; the better you grow her the more weight she produces for you! Age: 56-65 Days Race: BDL (Broad Drug Leaf) Variety/ Indica Dominant
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KILLER QUEENS
The Rainbow Pie is one of my in house favorites initially bred for her flavor and bud structure using the Zkittlez Female hit with my Grand Blueberry Pie Male which is a cross of F1 Durb X Grape Flame being Grand Daddy Purple female X Grand Daddy Blueberry male. Generating fat lime green and purple swollen calyx, coated in blankets of trichomes overlapping each other making the Rainbow Pie a go to for any heavy smoker or hash maker. The Rainbow Pie absolutely dumps resin, her flavor is without a doubt unmatched... sweet Zkittlez and an absurd OG Kush fuel the Rainbow Pie. I can smoke a joint all the way through and it still taste the same if not better then when it was first lit. But my favorite is her sesquiterpenes making her near resistant to pest. I love sesquiterpenes for one being semiochemicals that occurs naturally in cannabis and other living things as a type of message carrier, eg. pheromones or defensive agents. Depending on the sesquiterpenes they can either be (intended for communication with other cannabis plants) or inter specific (intended for communication with other species). Sesquiterpenes presenting themselves in cannabis usually have two functions aside from what I already mentioned above (a natural pest deterrent which is why some varietals are just naturally more pest resistant than others) or as a pheromone for other cannabis plants indicating the varieties natural level for reproduction (expressing itself in cannabis by causing some female cannabis varietals to be more receptive to developing seeds and or more seeds than other strains) it’s truly a big advantage in any grower or breeder’s asenal.
from Green Fire Genetics
Taste (burned and unburned): Sweet Zkittlez and OG Kush and this creamy funky f1 durb fuel Scent (burned/unburned): sweet, fruity fuel. What the dried bud/crumbled bud looks like: Fat trichome coated Lime green buds with Purple hues all throughout. Speed of high onset: This is not for the weak smoker the onset is almost immediately creeping up to your head creating the most cerebral mind and body stone. Duration of high: Long lasting high with a very easy come down. Quality/type of high: Very pleasant and very Strong cerebral high Medicinal qualities: Great for all aches and pains, especially for 61 my double knee surgery. The Rainbow Pie is my go to when I’m having any back or knee pain and helps ease and alleviate my anxiety.
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EKTO-FUNK
from Verified Genetics
Name: Ekto-Funk (Dr. Funkenstein clone only x Verified Genetics Ektoplasm) Nationality: Verified Genetics Location: Indoor, outdoor, greenhouse Race: Hybrid Indoors: 56-63 days Outdoors: October Yield: Massive Terp profile: skunky kerosene kush and not from concentrate kiwi
Ekto-Funk is an astonishing hybrid created by Kingston Herb’s Verified Genetics seed co. For this manifestation of epigenetics he used the Pacific Northwest classic selection Dr. Funkenstei,n which is a cross of the highly sought after Pre-98 Bubba Kush clone only and the amazing old school Blueberry.... He then paired it with a sour, fuel dominant phenotype of Verified genetics’ Ektoplasm (Ghost OG cloneonly x Bazooka Bumble). This incredible cultivar produces gigantic resinous colas that emanate terps of skunk laden kerosene dipped kush with strong accents of ripe kiwi.
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Photo credit: Verified Genetics
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KILLER QUEENS
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100 gal smart pot is 6ft tall 6ft wide Yield: Approx. 3 lbs. in 100 gal pot Age: 55+ days
HOT MILFs
Name: California Black Roze Breeder: Dying Breed Seeds Height: Outdoor is a large fast grower, in
KILLER QUEENS
Cali black Roze is the first Rozé hybrid ever made. She lives up to the parentage as a true winner. Being a mysterious Zkittlez hybrid, the original Rozé mom is very unique on terpene profile and labs have proven it to be in a league of its own. The California Black Roze is a cross of the clone only Rozé and stud male OG Eddy. The OG Eddy brings robust structure and an even heavier resin layer to the table, while Rozé brings the heavy unique aroma credited to high levels of the terpenes alpha pinene and myrcene. As of now, less than six percent of tested cannabis is alpha pinene dominant. The Rozé crossed to the OG Eddy brings out a higher THC level, making California Black Roze in a sense better the Rozé. Able to get the hash we love on 50% of the lineage while retaining the terpene profile of Rozé. She grows fast, large, and heavy yielding, with average flowering time. Black Roze loves the camera and is colorful, nearing the end you tend to see fall colors and purple hues reminiscent of Halloween.
Taste: unburned it taste the same as burned. Floral rose perfume with fuel sandalwood undertones. Scent: Smell of popouri and rose water unburned and once lit it consumes the air with thick perfume rose gas scent unique due to the special high levels of alpha pinene and myrcene. Looks: Dry bud looks beautiful covered in resin and solid nug structure, some offspring put off purple coloring and 50% of lineage make full melt bubble hash. Broken down the pile of Black Roze looks almost alive as it moves slowly settling in a pile of purple rose flavored cannabis. Speed of High: the high is a mellow onset that slowly creeps into your scull and pulls down your eyelids. The mellow beautiful unique terpene profile masks the even high that blankets you making the Rozé all hybrids appeal to the ladies. Duration of high: The high climbs onto a peak the crests even higher to a level unimaginable for several hours Quality and type of High: Energetic, creative, cerebral and the opposite of couchlock effect. Medicinal Qualities: Aromatic therapy, aphrodisiac, calming and anti-depressant.
California Black Roze
from Dying Breed Seeds
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KILLER QUEENS
HEADBANGER Headbanger is KG Sour Diesel x Biker Kush. The KG Sour Diesel was selected in 2007 for its strong, pungent gassy profile, while the Biker Kush is a double backcross to the H.A. OG. The combination gave the result of a limey, gassy OG, more on the sour side. The Headbanger produces long, spear-shaped buds with heavy, swollen calyxes. She has a decent stretch, with few side branches. Like Sour Diesel, she often takes on a shape resembling a tall Christmas tree, with a dense, heavy central cola. Due to her extremely pungent, gassy aroma, extra care should be taken to ensure your odor filtration systems are working! The Headbanger was first released in 2011, and since then has accumulated over 25 cups worldwide. She has been greatly received by the growing community, and today, she forms the backbone of dozens of gassy, sourleaning hybrids because of its truebreeding aspect. The Headbanger was also used as the cornerstone for a backcross project along with the now legendary 2007 KG Sour Diesel, the results of which Karma intends to release early in 2019. Also known as the Return of The SOWAHH!
Name: Headbanger Nationality: Karma Genetics Height: Medium to Tall Weight: High Age: 70 Days Race: 60% Sativa, 40% Indica Taste: Sour gas dominates the taste profile, with an undernote of lime candy. Scent: The Headbanger reeks of a real pungent, sharp, sour explosion. Speed of High: The high is fast and direct. Duration of high: Long duration, 3-4 hours. Quality and type of High: Heavy head high, with slight body relaxation. Headbanger photo credit “East Coast Army” Edited by Jennifer Macfarlane “Seshata Sensi”
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from Swami Select
KILLER QUEENS
HINDU
Name: Hindu Nationality: Swami Select Height: 8-12 feet Weight: 3-4 lbs per plant Age: 56 days Race. ratio: Hybrid
Taste (burned and unburned): dry hit unburned: lemon drop - burned hit: silly putty with clean juniper aftertaste. Ash is very white. Scent (burned/unburned): unburned: fennel and Asian pears with lemon/mint overtones -- burned like light sweet sage What the dried bud/ crumbled bud looks like: long rusty hairs and bright green leaf - oily sticky waxy upon breaking up - grinds up really nicely Speed of high onset: instant heavy eyes, moving into the full head quickly. Build-up continues - you keep getting higher, no real plateau. Duration of high: couple of hours Quality/type of high: a high that is clear and makes you smile with gentle rushes throughout the body - relaxing yet bright, mellow and smooth smoking with mystical quality. At 15 minutes into joint a munchie movement happened and everyone moved to the kitchen! Functional and Fun. Medicinal qualities: relaxed head and calming feel with stimulus behind the ears. Hindu cola at about 5 weeks into cycle - by Nikki Lastreto Hindu Bud 2018 by NIkki Lastreto
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Howdy all, Rev here with a real beauty hybrid made by my old friend Salem Keith; the original holder of the PSI clone (Purple Salem Indica). This cross is Purple Kush/Pineapple x PSI = Pineapple PSI.
PINEAPPLE PSI I got two distinct phenotypes out of four female individuals. One leaned more PSI and had a distinctive “Blue Slurpee” flavor and smell combined with the fuel-like smells and flavors provided by the Kush in her lineage. The other phenotype looked much more Kush and was a pure fuel/ diesel type as far as smells and flavors. If I ran these again I would not top them, and “lollypop” trim them before flowering for sure. She is super branchy. Easy to grow and only 9 weeks to finish flowering. A great hybrid.
AVAILABILITY: Salem, Oregon, USA
THE RUNDOWN
TOKER’S TAKE
NAME: Pineapple PSI NATIONALITY: Salem Keith (Salem, Oregon, USA) HEIGHT: Medium WEIGHT: Average AGE: 9 Weeks on The Nose RACE : Indica Dominant in a Big Way
FLAVORS/SMELLS: Fuel with a Blue Slurpee Background BAG APPEAL: Very Pretty Full of Crystals ONSET TIME: Within 5 Minutes LENGTH OF EFFECTS: A Few Hours MEDICAL PROPERTIES: Likely a great pain killer, and certainly an appetite booster
SMOKE REPORT She is a hard hitting indica to be sure, super tasty and fast to set in. A highly “expando” type of smoke and tough to hold in anything but a smaller hit. She isn’t sleepy at all, I mean you could sleep on her if you tried but she doesn’t push you that way. You will get uber hungry, and your eyes will get blood red; I don’t recommend operating any machinery or doing any important math while under her influences. If you find yourself around Salem, Oregon, USA you might luck out and find this one in seed or clone form, otherwise she’s basically unavailable, sadly.
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STRAWBERRY SWITCHBLADE
Here’s a beauty from my buddy Matt Riot over at Riot Seeds, truly there is beauty in that flower. Cheers everyone, today’s Rev’s Rave, Strawberry Switchblade. Take it away Matt:
AVAILABILITY: Riot Seeds – http://www.riotseeds.nl Strawberry Switchblade is the essence of Strawberry Terpene breeding. It combines Sunny Cheba’s Double Purple Doja - based on Brothers Grimm’s Apollo 13 line (being sold again woo!) as well as Black Indica from Plan B and Cob’s ECSD Cut and the top of the top Strawberry Cream. the F1’s had a 75% ratio of the severe strong Strawberry terps with 30% being a beautiful Purple hue. Overall, it’s one of my favorite all around every day smoke at the moment.
THE RUNDOWN
TOKER’S TAKE
Name: Strawberry Switchblade Nationality: Riot Seeds Height: Large and in charge Weight: Moderate Age: 63 Days or less Race: Sativa/Indica 50/50
Taste: Strawberry Chocolate Ice Cream Smell: Strawberry Chocolate Speed of high onset: Immediate with a second wave smackdown Duration of high: About an hour or so Quality/type of high and any medicinal qualities: Relaxing but with a slightly clear headed sativa high as well. Very well Rounded JA N UA RY 2 0 1 9
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REGENERATIVE Cannabis WORDS & PICS DRAGONFLY EARTH MEDICINE
All the research has confirmed that cannabis is good for us. But, what is good cannabis? There are hundreds of cannabis farmers all over the globe and a high concentration of them from Cascadia to Cali that have been growing regenerative cannabis gardens for many generations. Some cannabis Farmers have been treating the soil and environment with respect and intention. It has been a very short time historically that we have been using synthetics and artificial environments in cannabis cultivation. Genetics brought back from the Hindu Kush, Rift Valley, Colombia,Thailand and many more regions where cannabis thrived in the late 60’s was put into soil when they were brought back to North America. This industry’s beginning roots were in soil and amazing genetics were bred from full spectrum cannabinoid profiles. Here at Dragonfly Earth Medicine Farm, we feel that natural, healthy, regenerative cultivation practices ARE what makes healthy genetics and IS the definition of good cannabis. We created the Pure Certification because we feel that cannabis needs a voice in this new corporate cannabis industry. We felt that those long time cannabis farmers also need a voice to share their tight relationship with the cannabis plant and the culture this sentient being has created. We wanted to highlight clean cannabis grown from intentional farmers. These practices bring ultimate health and wellness to plants through a healthy rhizosphere and microbial communication. Regenerative pure farms co create with the native soil, creating unique flavors from their Appellation and Terroir. We let nature do what it does best, grow life. Pure certified farms use fungi and intelligent land design to have a positive impact on their local environment. The last 5 years have seen a HUGE shift in cannabis legalization. We have done our due diligence to bring cannabis out of the closet. Now, it is time to
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E
educate the masses and bring cannabis out of the synthetic grow rooms. Politics and activism got us here and education is going to get us out! These modern Ag. cultivation practices decrease genetic health and create a final product that is not actually healthy for the patient or the earth. Why are we taxing the electrical grid and flushing massive amounts of synthetic fertilizers and other inorganic compounds into our water systems for corporate cannabis? Have we ever sat down to wonder how a plant that remediates toxic soils feels about being a part of harming our environment? How can we separate recreational cannabis from medicinal cannabis if recreating is an act of feeling good? We seek recreation because it is relaxing and a step away from our stressful lives. How can we separate healthy farming practices from a healthy
final product? We can use healthy cannabis to feel good, to heal ourselves and the earth. There is a huge resurgence of cannabis enthusiasts, patients and cultivators that are learning about what healthy, good cannabis is. The Regenerative Cannabis Movement is the Green Renaissance and it seems to be becoming bigger than freedom itself (or maybe it is freedom). Education on healthy cannabis spans learning about living soil through polyculture, closed loop systems, soil building with native soil, using cannabis and other healing herbs to feed your soil, microbiology, mycology, healthy integrated pest and fungal management programs and a intuitive connection with the plant. These practices are inexpensive and easy to implement. This is the future of cannabis. It creates healthy plants that can reach their ultimate POTential. DEM Pure certified farms and many others are digging deeper into soil science and the medicinal qualities of cannabis to bring the highest grade natural product possible to the market. The cannabis plant is like a wise elder with a long story to tell. Slowly we are beginning to unlock the fractals of medicinal possibilities this plant has to offer. Regenerative cultivation practices create diverse and high percentages of terpenes and cannabinoids. Living soil creates a symbiotic communion with the
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REGENERATIVE Cannabis
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plant’s endophytic fungal metabolism and production of secondary metabolites. Endophytic fungi and different bacterium live symbiotically within plants. This amazing relationship that cannabis has with microbiology creates a union of health and well-being in the plant so it can visit it’s own genetic roots and create valuable cannabinoids that have been devoid in popular, modern genetics. Dr. Ethan Russo talks about the “Entourage Effect” of cannabinoids for curative and psychoactive effects. It is a proposed mechanism that states individual compounds in cannabis do not work on their own, they need many to create a psychoactive effect. We hypothesis that there is a type of entourage effect in the soil that communicates through the endophytic system that brings greater cannabis compounds in your plants. In short, you get way a better high with full spectrum cannabinoid flowers and the best way to get that is through living soil. This is why we know that regenerative cultivation is the future of the industry. Canada has legalized and now we have an educational opportunity to make a positive mark in the global cannabis industry. Dragonfly Earth Medicine has been breeding in living native soil with regenerative practices for over 20 years. We have created many phenomenal strains grown in our special terroir which is biologically intelligent to our farm. Dragonfly Earth Medicine Genetics have been making there way into the cannabis family for years. All DEM Pure certified farmers are growing intentional cannabis that gives you a great high and is medicine, at the same time. Why separate them?
Here are some of our best known strains: • The Mothership 840 is our longest breeding strain. It is a cross of made from our long connection to Hawaii, Oregon and British Columbia. It is a Afgoo x Purple Thai mother Clone from Eugene crossed with a male of Super Lemon Haze x Hawaiian Godbud from the north shore of Kauai. It is a gooey luscious mix of leather grapes and creamy crystals. It has an earthy floral depth. • Zelly’s Gift is one of our best known strains a cross from the Oregon Jack Herer clone x our Mothership 840 as a male. The result is incredibley euphoric lemony limon flavor with a zesty spice. Zelly’s gift always pleases with high THC and wide variety of cannabinoids. • Temple Spice is a beautiful Dharamsala Diesel x Royal Sour female by our Mothership 840. This stalky purple lady has a potent flavor with a spicy sweetness that tantalizes the senses, and has shown to be high in CBD. • Healer is our highest CBD Cross, made from a Ac/Dc male testing in at 19% CBD and our Mothership 840 father. The deep sweet flavors and dank crystals make this one of our most gooey strains we have. The entourage of cannabinoids can make this one of our most potent strains even though the THC would be around 14% with and CBD of 14%.
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Using Method 1® pps from Growth Efficiency Technologies
WORDS David D.
Several years ago, I made my first attempt at growing professional quality cannabis. Things were going very well until one
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day I noticed that the leaves didn’t look quite right. They were spotty, small spots, and lots of them. It took some time and research on the internet until I figured out what was causing the problem. Spider mites. By then the plants were not looking healthy. As you might imagine, the results weren’t exactly stellar. So the search began. I tried a multitude of “solutions” but as I did, I continued to search for something that was effective yet would maintain the organic nature of the plants I wanted to grow. There weren’t a lot of options that I felt comfortable with so I decided to try a few
things on my own. One thing led to another and before long I was deep into research about things I could barely understand. Fortunately, I had developed a set of standards that would guide me through this process. Three main things became the guidelines of what the end result had to accomplish. First, it had to be safe for human use so that myself or whomever used the end product would not be harmed. Secondly, it would have to be relatively harmless to the plant itself or beneficial. The third criteria was that it be as harmless to the environment as possible. Since spider mites seemed to be my primary issue that is what I set about to resolve. Research brought me to some natural active ingredients that have proven to be effecive and satisfied the guiding criteria. As it would happen these active ingredients turned out to be something I had been interested and involved with for years. But the process of getting getting everything to work the way it was supposed to pushed me deeper and deeper into research and learning things of which I was totally ignorant. Then there was the actual testing which turned out to be very time consuming. Every time I thought I had it right, when put to the reality test of using it on live plants it failed. I burned and damaged innummerable plants. It was frustrating. With perseverance and a year and a half of focus I finally got it right and acheived success. Since then we have found Method 1 pps to be effective in treating for thrips and other pests and it is fantastic for treating molds, powdery mildew, and fungus. Thus, Method 1 Plant Protection System (Method 1® pps) was born. During this trying time I learned a few things that I try to pass on to other growers. There is an old adage that an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure. That generally applies to many things in life and is equally valid in growing plants. So learning about IPM (Integrated Pest Management) is vital. Basically, it means pay-
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ing attention to all aspects of the growing process and incorporating practices that prevent problems like pests from starting. Creating an environment where pests don’t thrive but plants do is a balancing act but should be a growers goal. But even when the utmost attention to detail is given, pests can show up. They are everywhere in the environment. Most of the ones that effect what we do are very small and not visible to the naked eye. While some pests can be identified by the damage they create, it’s a pretty dumb way to do it. If the damage is evident then the pest already has a good head start. Every grower should have an adequate hand held microscope. The first rule of IPM is to identify the pest. A scope makes that much easier. Once identification is certain then a plan of attack can be implemented. Method 1® pps is simply a tool you can use in this process. It is not a cure-all that will prevent you from having pest issues. Our advice, is to use it as a preventive device by spraying your plants at regular intervals to head off pests before they become established. Plants seem to “like” this formula so when used properly can be beneficial. It is a contact killer which means the pest must come into direct contact with it to be effective. It leaves little to no residual buildup on the plant. The active ingredients are quite volotile (they evaporate quickly) so in a short time they are no longer present and therefore no longer effective against pests. To be effective requires repeat applications. We will explain that and the strategy that goes along with it in future articles. As the cannabis industry develops and legalization takes place, regulations fol-
low. Regulations on application of pesticides is a major part of that. And rightfully so. Unscroupulous growers who only want to make money have little concern about the health impact of what they are growing. So some turn to dangerous poisonous compounds created by the agriculture industry to simply kill anything that threatens their bottom line. The good news is that there are no “pesticides” in Method 1 pps. All ingredients are safe for use on food and feed crops. Since the ingredients do not become systemic in the plant and are short lived, you are assured of a clean product that will pass the most rigorous testing with no effect on taste or smell. Order it from our website http:// growthefficiency.com or ask your retailer to contact us. For our canadian customers it can be ordered from http:// kootenaybiosoils.com.
David D. Growth Efficiency Technologies http://growthefficiency.com Formerly a technology administrator/manager and entrepreneur and long time advocate for cannabis, David has formulated a non-toxic way to deal with common cannabis pests that is intended to result in clean and safe produce. Method 1 pps (Plant Protection System) is the result of extensive research and testing. It is available from http:// growthefficiency.com in the USA and http://kootenaybiosoil.ca in Canada and will soon be available in the EU.
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T H I S To k i n ’ F e m a l e i s d e d i c at e d to
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LAURA COSTA photo by Jay Perry
at e d to . . .
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WORDS PEBBLES TRIPPET Laura Costa called the Tokin’ Female interview her “coming out.” As a quiet bookworm, Laura is not a household name in the world of cannabis activism and perhaps that is part of her success as one of the beloved by those who know her best, including Dennis Peron who was suffering at the end and found shelter in the storm with Laura and her family in the country. We at SKUNK Magazine aim to elevate Laura’s standards to a higher decibel, her deeds and decency, compassion for the people and connectedness to the plant.
Can we begin with a little thumbnail sketch of your life?
I was a quiet, introverted bookworm, socially awkward and drawn to adults, rather than other children. These days I still like the shadows. I call myself a storyteller. I’m a grandmother now, and have been blessed with a wonderful partner, my husband Rocci. We hope to have our permits for a small dry farm in Warren Creek this season, our little piece on “Mom & Pop” Heaven, where I can watch the plants grow and write stories while I’m not watering. And I want to set up a Veterans Retreat in Humboldt County, the Fox House. Where did you grow up and what were your influences?
I was born in Eureka 1960. My parents bought the home I live in today
When L aura Costa walked into Castro Castle to enjoy bed and breakfast services for a few days many years ago, she also walked into Dennis Peron’s heart. From that day forward until his recent death, they spent quality time togeth er, even having Dennis spend several days rel axing at the Costa home in Humboldt. It tr uly was great medicine fo r Dennis during his difficult months of suffering. His love and respect for the entire Costa family grew with each passing day. I met L aura in 2010 at a social gathering of concerned cannabis growers and providers involved in developing compassion programs for those in need. Along with her experience as a Humboldt g rower and responsibilities as a property owner, it was her warm and caring heart that captured the attention o f anyone she met. The cannabis community is blessed to share her energy and to follow the light of her empathy for others. Wayne Justmann
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TOKIN’ FEMALE : LAURA COSTA Reed, about Korea. I was a bookworm. Steely Dan was my jam. In 1975, the War was officially over. I was 15 and the Moscone Privacy Act was passed, decriminalizing or reducing small amounts of cannabis to a misdemeanor from a felony. Soldiers were returning. Everyone knew someone who died, or was still missing, just left, or was coming home, and nobody came home the same as when they left for Vietnam. I went on to have three relationships with Vietnam Veterans throughout my 20s. I loved them all. There was also the death of my best friend’s brothers. It was such a heavy time, but eventually love got her through. This was my first memorable experience as an empath. Was your first experience with cannabis positive, how did that influence you?
in 1967. Rocci and I bought it from my mom in 1996, just as Prop 215 was about to pass. Within a few years we had 3 children and a 10 x 10 indoor grow. We were close with our neighbors, Len and Nita, a WWII paratrooper and a secretary. Growing up with a war hero and surrogate grandfather under the shadow of the Vietnam War brought to our lives as children many of the big conversations sometimes best saved for more mature souls. I remember in high school when a couple of students first learned of The Holocaust in history class. I’d known about it all my life. Len and his “Band of Brothers” would always talk about the war, recounting each battle, finishing each other’s sentences, paying respect to those that didn’t make it. I especially remember Roy Zerbe -- he had taken a bullet to the face and lost part of his jaw. He was so very kind and friendly that the gruesome injury was never noticed. As a child I wondered why such a nice man had to be a soldier. As an adult I know that soldiers have many qualities, kindness just one of them.
Like many teenagers in Humboldt County (Class of ‘78), I got high a few times in high school. The quality was sketchy and alcohol was much more available. If cannabis had been more accepted, like it has been with my children, alcohol would not have had such a presence in our lives. I still have a drink occasionally. But I smoke cannabis every day and generally all day. My regular cannabis use started with my first post high school relationship, 1979. He’d been a special op. in Vietnam; the war had been over 4 years by then (for some). He and a buddy had some monster plants behind their house. It was medicine, for sure. The relationship was fairly short, but a lifelong influence. In 1982 I met and fell in love with another Vietnam Vet. I spent the next two years with him on a small island in the South Pacific. We were getting our weed from Northern Cali and our sticks from Thailand. This was a very spiritual time and a lifelong influence.
What are the most memorable things that happened to you early in life?
The Vietnam War. Only now do I fully realize the impact of The Nightly News. In 1967 when we settled in this house, the big living room became our vortex and when the news came on we knew to be quiet and pay attention, and when it was over, the adults talked about the War. By this time, the War was 12 years along, and I was 7. I learned words like draft, lottery and deploy. I saw Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy get assassinated and the first inter-racial kiss happened on Star Trek -- that gave them something to talk about. For the next 8 years the War raged on. I read The Red Badge of Courage, The Pearl, To Kill a Mockingbird, and everything by Pearl Buck. My favorite still is The Living
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Who has been your greatest influence as an adult?
Dennis Peron. He honed me as an advocate. He inspired me and motivated me to be a better person. He mentored me to use my resources to support marginalized patients, people who would get no cannabis if not for the compassion of farmers. He gave me guidance that I would have never gotten from my father. We became family to one another. He counseled with me on legal matters, and with his guidance, I managed to get charges dropped after being arrested in Los
ORIGINAL BOSS GRANDMA The magical energy of The Original Boss Grandma is unmistakeable. She enters the room with an air of confidence and one begins to perceive sparkles and rainbows. What can only come with time and experience in the crazy underground cannabis industry is evident in her piercing presence. Her aura radiates tr uth and her smile warms the air. Since I’ve met L aura, I have always been impressed by the way she can command a room. You just want to sit up a little more straight and for some reason, start paying closer attention. Its better if you do. When you listen to the Boss Grandma there is much to learn. There is much to learn from her actions and words of kindness. She is always generous, always sharing everything that she has. She always makes sure everyone is taken care of.
Angeles about 8 years ago, and subsequently my confiscated property, a pound and a half of water hash, returned to me. He gave me the courage to insist on a jury of my peers, and not plea down. “Trust in the jury. You didn’t commit a crime.” And he gave me the spirit in my garden. My backyard gardens are inspired by Dennis Peron’s “Garden of Social Change”. During my travels and adventures with Dennis, we made a conscious effort to spread his garden, piece by piece, around the community, up and down the state. I brought many people to see Dennis, and among them he found a truly loyal and devoted friend, Cara Cordoni, who helped us both through an amazing chapter. I had the honor to share Dennis’ last decade, and I am better for it. I’m sure that many people reading this now can say they have a piece of Dennis Peron’s Garden of Social Change. Dennis’ home in San Francisco, the Castro Castle, has been a catalyst for social change for over 5 decades. The outdoor garden walls are covered with fresco style murals of cannabis pioneers and the oval oak table in the kitchen has seen so much action it should be on a historical register. The Garden of Social Change is not one place, it is every place. It is not mine, it is everyone’s. We must tend our spiri-
She is an abs olute powerhouse for the force of good. She has a way of aligning special people with various talents to use their particul ar magics for the greater good. In this world she gives us somet hing to look up to, somet hing to look forward to. A life full of LIFE, a life full of creativity and FUN! A life full of family and loved ones, a life ruled by cannabis and good deeds. Always an advocate for cannabis and compassion, she lives in and through the very fabric of our music. The Mumu Crew was blessed the day we found our Boss Grandma, and now the rest of the world can be too. Mumu Crew loves you L aura. Original Boss Grandma. The Mumu C rew
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TOKIN’ FEMALE : LAURA COSTA tual gardens or they too will die. Nurturing the path of Change so that those who follow us will have smooth transitions to a fair and safe society is the responsibility of us as elders. Who do you see beyond Dennis, carrying that spiritual torch?
Only the celebrity, charisma and heart of someone like Willie Nelson, Tommy Chong or Don Carlos can fill those shoes. Dennis had a magic about him...I liken it to a reverse reiki, you just got near him and you felt like being a better person. With so much anger and hate in our world, we should be rejoicing in our artists, the brave celebrities who weren’t afraid to write a song, make a movie, or go to jail for cannabis. We should all be thanking the “old folks”, we should be celebrating their sage, and appreciate their role in the front lines of cannabis use. We should be celebrating not their celebrity--they already have fame--we should be celebrating their soul. These three gentlemen together can reach almost any demographic, and that gives them the wings of angels. Cannabis is the common denominator, the human endo-cannabinoid system makes it so, regardless of race or sexual choice. And I do believe, as the green tide moves across the planet, everyone from housewives to historians will be reading about the roots of cannabis, the fight to keep compassion alive, and the spirit of the sages. How do we keep the culture alive, in transition from criminality to regulation; compartmentalization; cultural cleansing; zoning bans; new misdemeanors; etc?
I am truly at a loss. Things we were promised would happen, didn’t. Things we feared would happen, did. I’m really grateful that people were released from prison, but equally disappointed at all the new ways to break the law. A law that fails to protect patients dependent on the compassion of others should have never been drafted. Current cannabis laws--all of them--are not protecting qualified patients or small farmers, considering the 6-plant personal use limit, widespread cultivation bans, and new misdemeanors buried in cannabis tax law. How do we secure Ma & Pa small family farms comprising a majority of home grows whose whole way of life is threatened?
Only by grandfathering them in. These farmers deserve to be considered individually, based on criteria to be determined by a council. These folks should not lose their way of life. Our government has slammed the door on cannabis
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for decades, encouraging prohibition behaviors that made our country unhealthy. Our government has created a profitable business of persecuting people of color to support their privatized prisons. Our government has allowed its people to suffer from a multitude of treatable illnesses. Our government has denied our veterans the one medicine that can help the most. Now our government wants to destroy a community of people who pioneered the supply of desperately needed cannabis for hundreds of thousands of patients for the last 60+ years. Our government should be celebrating these pioneers, giving them historical register for their small gardens, permitting variances not allowed to new corporate cannabis. Instead our government fucked the small farmer by eliminating the Five Year/One Acre Delay on Corporate Cannabis Registrations, promised in Prop 64. Now something needs to be done about it. Allowing these small traditional farmers to cultivate compassion gardens, operated on sponsorships, is my best idea, but that is....against the law. Yeah, how ironic. Just last month Governor Jerry Brown vetoed the new Compassion Law passed by the CA Legislature, supposedly because it was inconsistent with some aspect of state law. He probably doesn’t know enough to realize he just killed the bill that the community universally rallied around and would keep the lifestyle of the little people alive. What are the most important decisions you’ve made in your life?
To choose love. To marry my husband and create a beautiful family. To follow my instinct as an empath to provide my resources to less fortunate. To embrace change. To re-evaluate the use of my property and put it to use in the service of others. For instance, I want to host veterans for respite. I’m remodeling the house next door, The Fox House, for that purpose. My vision is to open my doors for one week, possibly two, every month for veterans from everywhere to visit Humboldt County. I want to offer a warm and welcoming environment for veterans with PTSd and associated issues to potentially explore their options with cannabis, especially as an alternative to opiate use. If we had just two visitors per month, we could change hundreds of lives. Not just the 24 visitors that year, but all the partners and children, the mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, bosses and best friends and even the home community of these veterans who can benefit from a week away in Humboldt County. I am also considering the families. In many circumstances a spouse, sibling, parent or even adult child of a veteran may need to accompany them on their visit, not only as a caregiver, but also as a companion on retreat with all the potential to extend the healing experience after returning home. I’m not suggesting that I’m qualified to run a ‘program’. What I’m putting in place is an opportunity for
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a break, a semi peaceful respite in Humboldt County for people who’ve served their country. Surfing, fishing, forests included. That’s the really good medicine I have to offer. I can’t do it alone. No person succeeds without support. I’m going to need some help from folks like Ryan Miller, Sean Kierman, Stephen Mandile, Pierre Carbenau and the local veterans to make The Fox House come alive, but I know it will. Recently you hosted a small gathering here in the Garden for Social Change with the Grow Sisters doing an interview, SKUNK Magazine preparing for the Emerald Cup issue, Yoshi from Japan with his ‘Free the Nipple’ button, several artist-activists and veterans, etc. A Cannabis Council came up as something needed to fill the void. We likened it to the unifying force of Native American Councils. What is your take?
I guess we are back to Square One, creating a grass roots organization to serve the people. We desperately need to take care of our seasoned farmers and compassion patients. By creating a legitimized system of compassion gardens and providers, both could be served. The Big Guys aren’t going to be able to sell anything to these patients anyway, because these patients can’t afford cannabis. So we need to find a way to grow what is needed and get it to the people who need it. The New World Order of Cannabis is only for people with disposable income. Every community should be seeking to create their own Cannabis Council, preparing for the future when once again communities can influence government. Each community should be readying themselves for a statewide council, where we can be represented in a manner that the current system has failed to provide. Every community should be recognizing and supporting their own heritage farmers and seeking out those farmers who can and will take the risk to grow a few plants for the poor folks, because poverty makes you no less of a patient in need. More than 6 plants is considered commercial. But this is for compassion, not commerce. What is your perspective going forward?
Last February a week after Dennis Peron died, I had a heart attack. Luckily I arrived at the hospital just in time to die in front of a cardiologist. We were discussing the procedure when all of a sudden I was watching from above and I remember the doctor saying, “There she goes.” I watched as they worked on me without ever thinking I better get back in my body. I was just savoring the moment, the out of body euphoria--my “soul bubble”-until the shock! After the resuscitation I was out. Over the next few days in the ICU I meditated on my experience. I set new boundaries so that I can own more of my time to fulfill creative and philanthropical desires. I work intently on my stories so that my children have them. I make a conscious effort to be the woman I want to be, not the woman people expect me to be.
I met L aura Costa at a HempCon taking pl ace at the crumbling SF’s Cow Pal ace some ten years ago. We clicked instantly as we were becoming witnesses to an unhinged, messy start to what some have described as that moment in time when “the genie was being let out of the bottle” regarding the newest drive for cannabis’ legalization. From then until now, I’ve watched our L aura push through the bullshit, the politics, and the restrictions to becoming a force in her own right. Sometimes, it was an Army of One as L aura we nt against the Man, or Woman, depending on the issue or the citation. If they ever do the show, Real Housewives of Humboldt County, Laura should Be their first pick. She’s attuned to the issues that affect her and her neighbors. Her tireless compassion was easily demonstrated with the devotion she showed for Dennis Peron. As a fly on the wall smoking bud around Dennis’ grand table in the Castle, I watched as Laura assisted Dennis in the last years of his life. I’m no doctor, but I believe Laura’s energy extended Dennis’ last years by getting him out into the world and being involved with his ongoing dreams of getting shot done before his ride home rand the Castle’s bell. To me, Laura is a champion of the people. You don’t get much more grass roots than her. Jack Rikess
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PAMPERING YOUR BODY WITHOUT GETTING HIGH WORDS OM EDIBLES We talk a lot about traditional forms of cannabis consumption but many people do not fully understand that there are many ways to benefit from the cannabis plant that does not require getting “high.” When we inhale or smoke cannabis we are affected systemically, mind and body. When we apply a topical to our body it affects us locally in the area that it has been applied. It is safe to say that for the majority of people, topicals do not have a psychoactive effects and do not get you stoned. Cannabis baths however deserve a category of their own-- Cannabis Hydrotherapy. In the last few years cannabis baths have been growing more and more in popularity and it’s more than just self-care and feelings of luxury and relaxation. There’s a reason that cannabis baths work so well. Far beyond a topical, but not psychoactive like traditional edibles, there is a beautiful harmonization of factors that work to make this blissful experience so effective. Hydrotherapy has been bringing humans relief for a variety of ailments for many years. Hydrotherapy includes any type of therapeutic applications that involve water. That could mean hot and cold plunges, soaking in salt baths, swimming in the ocean, water massage, flotation tanks, among other applications. Some benefits of hydrotherapy
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include reduced muscle tension and pain relief, boosted immune system, detoxification, increased blood circulation and improved well-being. When we start to add additional elements to our water, the universe opens vastly! There are different arrays of salts that have various benefits. Himalayan salts can have up to 84 trace minerals. Epsom salts are a simple mineral compound made out of magnesium and sulfate. Many of the minerals in the salts, both macro and micro, are essential for optimal human health and function. In fact, magnesium is best absorbed topically. And one can add different essential oils to the bath, different herbs, different oils and of course, cannabis. Cannabis baths are very effective for body relaxation and relaxing the mind without extreme psychoactivity or a head high, therefore no chance of a bad trip. This form of therapeutic remedy is wonderful for people dealing with chronic pain, anxiety, insomnia, and workout fatigue. Perfect for people who use cannabis regularly as well as the canna-curious. Let’s begin to break down all the factors that make these baths such an amazing experience. The first is simple but it can’t be overlooked: The sensation of having every body part touched with water to the temperature of your liking providing light buoyancy. Taking hot
baths allows your body to naturally release melatonin helping you sleep and causing the parasympathetic nervous system to relax. Diving a little deeper into salts, magnesium is extremely important for human health. It is a macromineral that found in leafy greens and fresh vegetables. Magnesium draws lactic acid out of the muscles, something the body produces after exercise, helping to alleviate post workout soreness. It helps to uplift the mood, reduce dark circles from under the eyes, stop muscle spasms, and reduce depression. Benefits of transdermal magnesium include increased sleep, reduction of muscle aches and pains, better stress management, increased energy levels and improved mood and overall function. Although natural salts are amazing and it is important to consider your source as they may be contaminated with heavy metals and environmental pollutants-- remember these salts are touching your most intimate places! My salt of choice is produced in pharmacological grade environment from a trusted source. The next part of the cannabis bath magic is where it starts to get really interesting: Because the colon is like a sponge it is constantly absorbing and provides a very fast acting entryway to the body. The colon is the last part of
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your body that food touches as it exits your body and it is designed to absorb any nutrients that may be left in your food. Suppositories have an 80% absorption rate which is higher than all other forms of cannabis consumption. Far less milligrams are needed to achieve desired effects because of the fast entryway into the body. Cannabis baths almost have same the effect as a suppository because of the colon. The Cannabis enters the body and there is a very fast acting relaxation effect and immediate pain relief. Any symptoms below the waist are ideal for cannabis suppositories. They are a way to saturate receptors without “getting the head high“ although there is a strong body effect that cannot be denied. Additionally, women have a second highly absorbent organ, the Yoni or sacred passageway. Cannabis lubrication has received a lot of attention for good reason. There are two large veins around the vagina and the mucous membranes along the vaginal opening making for even more entry ways. Cannabinoids are antifungal, antiviral, antibacterial and antimicrobial, and also help take away pain. Inserting cannabis into the vaginal canal can also be used for preventative measures, if you have abnormal cells or just want to keep the most absorbent and vulnerable part of your body safe and protected. Cannabis baths are very effective for menstrual cramps and may also bring relief to symptoms like BV or other irritations. Our skin is our largest organ and it is covered in CB-1 and CB-2 receptors waiting to receive different cannabinoids. Because cannabinoids love fats, the oil should be chosen carefully to incorporate the cannabis plant fully. The oil that it is used makes a huge difference on the bath experience. Consider the oil used in your bath when reading your ingredients list or making these at home: Is it a GMO chemical oil? Is it organic oil? Is it dark or light in color? Doesn’t have an odor? What’s the shelf life? Make sure you choose something that has health benefits because every ingredient counts! Why go for canola oil when you can have something as wonderful as avocado seed oil or sweet almond oil? Oils have so many healing benefits
and are so good for the skin and body. Despite what most people understand it is not healthy plant-based oils but instead animal fats the cause breakouts. Many people who have sensitivity to fragrances or have eczema and psoriasis may not appreciate the presence of essential oils. Eczema and psoriasis are skin disorders that cannabis has been known to help remedy. For that reason a fragrance free salt with oatmeal added would soothe the skin-- but keep in mind cannabis baths may not be good for severely broken skin. Aromatherapy is a proven benefit and a great place to optimize healing if you choose to incorporate essential oils. Pure therapeutic grade essential oils are easily accessible and can be used for a number of different health benefits. Essential oils open up a whole new universe for ways to hone in on certain symptoms and taper the salts for specific types of relief. For example, Lavender which contains linalool can help you relax and rest-great for nerves, tension or anxiety. Citrus for those who want to help alleviate depression. For those trying to open up the bronchioles I recommend peppermint or eucalyptus. For some softer fragrances I recommend ylang ylang, rose, or jasmine. The world is your oyster and find what works for you. Essential oils are extremely personal and the only way to find out which ones you like are by smelling each one and deciding for yourself because the nose knows! Essential oils are powerful medicines and when used in excess they can have negative side effects-- everything in moderation and please do some research before diving in. One of the last elements to come in to play brings all of the other elements together and it is too grand to overlook: Taking the time for some self-care is a bold and courageous act. It is important to take time to tune out as an everyday practice and having your hands wet usually means you won’t be on a mobile device. Perhaps taking a deep inhalation of your favorite strain and dimming the lights will add to the experience. Cannabis hydrotherapy can be especially beneficial for people who work out a lot, work too much, are
stressed out, dealing with chronic pain, and for dermatological issues. They are wonderful for couples, those who deal with chronic insomnia, those detoxifying from medication, women on their moon cycle, athletes and really anybody who just needs to amplify their relaxation and self care practice. These small acts of self-care each provide an opportunity for a healthier alternative to treating yourself right. Aside from helping people who may have trouble sleeping and relaxing there is a whole other side of topicals that cannot be denied. The future of cannabis lies greatly within the cosmetic industry and its beauty benefits. The government patent for cannabinoids recognizes the antioxidative properties of this miraculous plant. The antioxidant properties in cannabis cancel free radicals which cause illness, wrinkles, and premature aging. Leaving cannabis oil on your hair and skin overnight can help alleviate wrinkles, nourish the skin and hair and keep your body feeling protected and moisturized. Cannabis baths are also wonderful for couples especially because they act as a natural aphrodisiac. Cannabis, unlike alcohol, has a gentle way of lowering inhibitions, while increasing the senses without causing behavioral regrets the next day. It can also help foster intimacy, help one connect with a partner and feel more comfortable in the body. Cannabis Baths are every day topical that can be incorporated to one’s self-care routines. They help people relax and feel good and they are an inexpensive way to practice self-care. If you don’t have a useable bathtub for a full body experience you can always utilize the salts for a foot or hand soaks-- as so many impurities get absorbed through the bottom of the feet! We truly hope that if you haven’t done yourself the favor of treating yourself to a cannabis bath that you carve out the time soon. Whether you are a man or a woman, self care is so easily overlooked. This piece was written from a place of love and although we have a lot of experience we are not doctors. As with any medicine always make sure to do your own research and consult a doctor before use. Cheers to your soaking.
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WORDS PATO BANTON
M
y first lessons about the “Good Ganja” came through the medium of Reggae Music. I was still very young but my step-dad was a DJ from Jamaica and our home was the community nightspot for Caribbean music and socializing. It was 1969 in Birmingham England and the black community was racially oppressed. These late night sessions were all we had as a means of support in a hostile environment, but they were classified as being illegal. At the age of 8 I was nominated as the “door man” and my role was to open and close the door all night, keeping a lookout. ! But this was also the same exciting time period that reggae music was evolving from mento, blue beat,
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rock steady and ska. And with reggae music came the message of peace, love, spiritual consciousness, African roots, Rastafari & Jah! (God) Also deeply imbedded in this revolutionary music (that was eventually spearheaded by the legendary Bob Marley) was the almost reverential lyrics about marijuana and the need for it to be legalized and decriminalized. I learned that the Rastafarian community in Jamaica was being persecuted for using cannabis for their ceremonial practices, as a sacrament and as an aid to deeper meditation. And even though this practice can be found in many other religious traditions around the world, the Rastas were being brutally beaten, thrown in jail and their cannabis crops
were constantly being burned. Growing up in the midst of the local late night party scene exposed to me to many things that most young people would never see. But in the midst of all the drugs, sex, alcohol and violence, reggae music became my source of inspiration and education. By the age of 15, I had fully embraced the Rastafarian culture, grew my dreadlocks, studied the scriptures and began to enjoy the benefits of The Holy Herb. I immediately saw the hypocrisy and felt the judgement from my Christian friends who had no issue with the socially accepted vices of humanity, which they themselves casually enjoyed, while demonizing me for smoking a natural herb created by
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Mother Nature. I saw the damage that cigarettes, alcohol and the many other drugs did to people, but I could never understand why cannabis was put in the same category. My studies showed me that ganja tea was long known as a remedy for many ailments and before the rise of the pharmaceutical era. Hemp was a natural commodity in human life. It was used for clothing, rope, fishnets, ship sails, body oils, food and much more. Actually, marijuana was considered a natural herb and was recognized around the world for it’s healing benefits long before aspirin & Tylenol. LOL! Experience has always been my greatest teacher, and so it was with the sweet sensimilla. In contrast to going out to clubs with my friends who enjoyed drinking and seeing the outcome of people behaving out of character, fighting or throwing up on the streets; the “Irie Vibe” and deep conversations with my friends who enjoyed smoking weed was always peaceful and happy. After considering how many people die every day from cigarettes and alcohol use, compared to zero fatalities of happy pot hot heads, my final intellectual conclusion was that marijuana should never be thrown in the box of negative drugs, but should be respectfully recognized as a much needed medicine. By the age of 17, I picked up the
microphone and joined the frontline of reggae artists committed to promoting peace, love, equality, unity, consciousness and the liberation of cannabis from the control of greedy Babylon. The Rasta community had declared that “The Herbs is for the Healing of the Nations and a Deeper Meditation” and even though this was an unpopular message in the 1970s, I believed it to be true and worthy of sharing. My first single was entitled “Sensimilla” and in later years I went on to record other related songs like “I Do Not Sniff The Coke” & the Grammy nominated “Legalize It!” During my tours around the world and especially North America, I realized that people’s negative reaction to marijuana was based on ignorance and the false propaganda fed to them through the media. The government’s childish declaration of a War On Drugs only made things worse. Especially when they classified cannabis on equal terms with cocaine. I always thought that their time and money would have been better spent on declaring a War On War and using the budget allocated for military spending towards agriculture, infrastructure, housing the homeless and feeding the hungry. But regardless of the obstacles put in our way, I’m so glad to see how much progress has been made over the past 30 years. Today, marijuana for rec-
reational use is legal in ten states and Washington, DC. A recent poll showed that 64% of Americans from all sides of the political fence are in support of the legalization of medical marijuana. Even though I am happy about all this progress, I must admit that I have my personal concerns. These concerns may be old-fashioned, based on my past experiences and the value I place on this precious plant, but for what it’s worth, I’ll share them in the hopes that we can prove our critics wrong and become great examples and intelligent practitioners in the evolving art of marijuana and cannabis use. (to be continued)
Pato Banton is a Grammy nominated, internationally renowned reggae legend and contributor to SKUNK Magazine.
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Back I 1968, I had one of those Eureka moments a few months after my first puff of that magic medicine. Gadgets were in, James Bond had them, how about one for us? How about a special pipe designed to do only one thing perfectly, smoke weed! A pipe designed with the right tools, like a poker! Car keys don’t work for that. How about a permanent screen? While I’m designing this, a cleanable tar trap. Just to make it the ultimate pipe, how about adding a storage pod. So off I went chasing my pipe dream. In 1968, I was 20 years old and had a full-time job, working as a draftsman and model builder in an Architectural firm. As an artist, I loved tools and making things. Seeing a Unimat for the first time, I just had to have one. A complete table top machine shop about the size of a sewing machine. All metal construction, turns, cuts, drills, sands, and more.
WORDS PHIL JERGENSON
A very cute little machine. With accessories it was almost $500.00 which was big money back then. Pipes in the late sixties fell into two categories: carved wood or stone or the traditional corncob pipes. All of these had a 90-degree smoke path under the bowl that make cleaning difficult. The other kind of pipes were brass lamp fittings with threaded parts that tars would seize up. They both used replaceable screens that clogged up. I began machining prototypes with new and more useful features. After about a month of mistakes and corrections. I had a palm sized custom designed weed pipe. My friends and fellow tokers wanted one. The world was turning on and I was sure marijuana would be legal in a few years. In 1970, the whole earth catalog became the internet of the day and it
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seems that the San Francisco Bay Area was the epicenter of many radial thinkers, Denver wasn’t the best place to launch from. My real quest was for a cabin in the woods of northern California. I would fund this dream with my pipedream. This first pipe was called the smoking Contrivance. It would become pipedream 1.0. It was launched from my Mission Street Studio in SF. in 1970, I found that manufacturing a consistent product required better equipment. but nature was calling me, and I desperately wanted to live in the woods. To obtain this dream I became a carpenter for a year and with that new skill set created my first portable tiny house. To test it, I moved
into the back woods of Mendocino County with my new machine shop. The winters were brutal and my experimental house leaked! It was a Prototype after all. The hardest part of country living though was earning money. Willits was a pretty redneck county back then. I made a batch of pipes using a gas generator for power and took them to Berkeley’s Telegraph Ave. I became a street artist which finely put a roof over my head. My brother Richard joined me and he began street sales in SF. Richard made the first left handed pipe. The contrivance was selling well but
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VIVIAN MCPE
AK: PA RT
trouble was brewing. While on the street one day, I was approached by a promoter who wanted to market my design. He was actually really trying to steal it. Soon my pipes began showing up in headshops all over the bay area in tin cans and labeled as a Tomato! What a stupid gimmick idea. It did wake me up to the fact that the name contrivance was also pretty stupid. Lamenting my sorry state one night, a friend misspoke the word prototype pipe and said Proto Pipe and I grabbed it. The perfect name for this unique pipe. I borrowed the logo design from Rolls Royce and silk screened a beautiful pipe display stand to knock off the knock off. Soon our new Proto Pipe was in shops all over the Bay Area. We were joined by Larry Todd, famous underground comic artist. We quickly out grew our shop in Oakland. We had been buying machines and recently acquired the 400 lb. version of Unimat. This was the Maximat. We then met a windmill manufacturer named Tom Conlon who was producing an electrical generating high-speed windmill. I knew that living in a small leaking experiment house could really use electricity. Kerosene lanterns sucks, gas generators back then were expensive, noisy, and needed daily maintenance and gas. Solar panels were not yet on the market. Both companies rented a 25,000 sq. ft building to create a new dream. Several other companies joined us. This became project Earthlab, prototyping new life supporting technologies. A maker space full space cases with plans. Mine was to build tiny modular homes, electric cars, and windmills then move back to the woods. Earthlab was the testing ground for a modular structural building system for what is now called Gridbeam.
With my new tiny home made from Gridbeam and electric car the Proto Pipe company landed in Willits, the belly button of Mendocino County. The back to the land movement was in full swing and a new technology was going to burst upon the scene. Photovoltaics or solar panels. A photovoltaic panel is the closest thing to magic that I’ve ever seen. They are the ideal power supply for off the grid living. The solar industry got its first jumpstart in 1978 by selling panels to hippies in northern California, financed by their pot money in. Now in 2018 we have seen solar and wind power become world players outperforming conventional oil. Legend has it that Proto Pipes sold by millions are true. In 1987, we sold Proto Pipe to a friend named Michael. Reagan was president and the war on drugs was in full swing. Our phones were tapped, and I needed a rest. I thought the company was in safe hands by a trusted friend. He plowed through millions of dollars with nothing to show for it. His greed finely caught up to him. A few months ago, we moved our new startup the Mendo Pipe into the abandoned Proto Pipe factory. Still full of the spoils and remnants and trash of someone’s lost empire. It was run into the ground by a hopelessly lost and confused owner. The IRS seized his checking account. He was finely evicted for stiffing the landlord for years of back rent. It’s a sad story. We have now taken 30 truckloads of trash to the dump. This story is still unfolding.
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Remember Our Prisoners
POW Luke Scarmazzo
We’ve been working together with Dina Browner and Stephanie Landa of Freedom Grow, as well as renowned Author, Speaker and Educator, Cheri Sicard over the last 5 years, helping cultivate awareness for our Drug War POW’s and their families. Giving our POW’s and their families our support is critical. A letter of encouragement, an approved book or other literary content, funds for commissary. Helping pay a bill, purchasing school supplies, holiday love. Any thing we can do to help adds up to taking away some of the burdens these families live with, while having a loved one behind bars. We are thankful for the opportunity to share some of the words of our Drug War POW’s to encourage others that are struggling down this same road to not loose hope and to never give up. We also hope to gather more awareness and
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support. Please reach out to the Parents 4 Pot Outreach Program or Freedom Grow if you have a loved one behind bars for pot and are in need of support. We hope to serve as a platform for the voice of our prisoners until and long after they regain their rightful freedom.
regardless of what we try--bad days are inevitable--but the true question is this: Do we want to begin our day with a smile--thankful for another one, or be mad at the sun rising again? The choice is ours and its such a no-brainer.”
Via POW Luke Scarmazzo, sentenced to 22 years.:
50 Shades of Legalization
“Yesterday I woke up in a low mood. Prison is a stressful environment. Thinking about the years I’ve served and still must serve can be daunting and overwhelming if I let it. But after I drank a cup of coffee and worked out real hard for a couple hours, I felt much better. This got me to thinking about how the state of mind in which we wake can have a profound affect on the color of our day. Some days will be a drag
by Chris Jetter P4P Colorado Team Leader It’s amazing how the US governments are willing to tax marijuana while also denying it’s usage in most municipalities. While “legalization” is sweeping across the nation, it’s really a fleecing sweeping across the nation. In Colorado marijuana, lets call it cannabis, is taxed at 5x the rate of Alcohol. Some municipalities are charging upwards of
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r
40% in additional taxes to the bottom line of the price of pot. Excessive, yes. And while most people are willing to pay the additional expense for the convenience of legal weed, few are discussing the representation that should be demanded from law-makers with all that taxation. “Legalization” in most respects has been a tip toe of voter initiative legislation with minimal language to discourage would be voters of legal cannabis. With that being said most initiatives are directed at the taxes involved, the carrot, if you will dangling from the stick. And it works, for the most part. But what has been left or in the hands of state or local legislators is the details of implementation. As agents of the state their only concern seems to lie in the control of distribution and the collection of those promised taxes. However what is lost in those tedious discussions is the consumer, the very one that pays those taxes. In Colorado there is no place to legally smoke weed other than your private residence. Despite the fact that a Denver Voter Initiative I300 passed to permit consumption in a coffee shop or business establishment. The language then crafted by Denver city Council missed the mark and once again banned the smoking of cannabis. Yes, one can consume cannabis in an I300 compliant space but only by consuming it via a vape pen, dab rig, or edible formats. A bong hit, a joint or blunt have been banned by city council using clean indoor act as a prohibitive factor. Only 1, I-300 compliant space exists in Denver, CO. People coming to Colorado, Oregon, Washington, even Nevada are left with the same conflicts. Legal weed on just about every corner and nowhere to consume the product, legally You can’t consume in the park, certainly not in your car, and the hotel will fine you too. It seems to be a throwback to “legal taxed weed” but only if you receive a tax stamp that the Feds aren’t issuing. Entrapment via cannabis with top tier taxing and no consumption that goes with it. Where exactly are people supposed to consume the cannabis they
have just spent 30% or 40% tax on? It’s simple, if we are not willing to defend our freedoms then they just get taxed and swept under the rug. Most people seem content with legalization that is simply available over the counter and taxed heavily. To me that is just one thing, taxation without representation, or like I like to say, #taxedNOTlegal. Look up Regulate Like Alcohol or my hash tag for MANY more examples of #taxedNOTlegal attached to articles from the mainstream news media.
5 Years and Counting by Deanna Jean Ryther BOD Member and Minnesota Team Leader With the ever evolving and diverse landscape of legalization through the years, we’ve all been witness to the many challenges ending prohibition brings. Families torn apart. Mothers and Fathers stripped of their parental rights. Children torn away from their loving homes while their parents are forced behind bars among rapists and murderers. Families uprooted. Families divided. Families compromised on every level, while people of all ages are forced to use knowingly dangerous prescriptions purely because of demographics, despite the fact we are, “One nation, under “God”. Indivisible.” Loved ones have faced and continue to face unwarranted suffering. Loved ones needlessly and before their time, passing on, all because of prohibition. How is it these vile laws still haven’t been completely broken, at the very least, across our great nation? Because, even today, too few are willing to be involved. Our family members, friends, neighbors and communities at large are still too afraid. Others remain willfully ignorant, hazed by reefer madness. While many are still completely uneducated. However, the tides are certainly turning towards humanity’s favor, too a future driven by thoughtful human compassion. Every day more people are standing up for themselves and those they love. Every day more are
being educated, and in turn educating others. Every day we are learning more about the insurmountable benefits this amazing plant has to offer and every day the landscape of legalization is continuously shifting. Mothers and Fathers, Sisters and Brothers, Sons and Daughters are being released from the chains that wrongfully bind them. Families reuniting, some even returning to the communities they were forced to flee from, for the sake of hope beyond hope. With the recent elections we, as a nation, are now at 10 States that have legalized pot, 32 that have some form of a Medical Cannabis program, and with 14 States taking baby steps through a CBD only program. Only 2 countries have legalized Cannabis, Uruguay and Canada, while 15 (and counting) other countries are taking their own steps to ending prohibition through medical programs and decriminalization. Every step is, in fact, a step. However, we need to speed up the process and put an end to prohibitions abuses and absolute neglect. Truth, humanity and compassion are rising in the green wave that’s sweeping across all nations, and it’s time for us all to stand up and do our part. Parents 4 Pot now celebrates it’s 5th year together. Five incredible years of gathering good people around the globe. More than ever, we encourage you to get involved. We are continuously grateful for the opportunity to continue pushing through the Green Renaissance with our fellow comrades at SKUNK Magazine in a movement that can not be stopped. Don’t stop believing. And as our Founder, Mickey Martin (RIP) always said, keep “one foot in front of the other all f’n day long.” One day this war will be won.
JA N UA RY 2 0 1 9
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