April 2013 — Issue #34

NORTHWEST LEAF happy 4/20 from the patient’s voice!

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nwleaf.com

april 2013

Issue #34

health & science

— Why your OG might be a GMO

Growtech

— Choosing the right nutrients

Events

— What to do on 4/20

The fish tank at Gathering Glass in Bellingham is home to local artist’s unused pieces.

THE GLASS ISSUE f r om p ip es to bongs to one-of -a-k ind a r t p ieces, thes e beau tif u l creations by h ighly talented was hington artis ts a r e worth a clos er look . would you be l ie ve you can s mok e w ith ‘em? p.52

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contents

APRIL 2013

48

70

76 A dragonfly piece at Puffin Glass in Seattle

THE GLASS ISSUE PROFILE

52 18

State’s New Pot Czar

23

Where to Enjoy 4/20

72

An Epic Glass Film

30

Remodel For Success

80

G.M.O Cannabis

NATIONAL NEWS..................10 K-9 TO FIVE...........................16 FWEEDOM.....................24 TAXING CANNABIS...................36 LIGHT HUMOR.........................44 STRAIN OF THE MONTH ........48 TASTY RECIPES......................66 FILM REVIEWED.....................72 WAX CONCENTRATE................76 HEALTH & SCIENCE.................80 GROW TECH..................84 BEHIND THE STRAIN...............94

40

Micro Strains Up-Close

84

Picking great nutes

COVER & CONTENTS PHOTOS

These aren’t your average pipes. Nope, these amazing glass creations have been handcrafted for many hours at a time

by some very talented Washington state glass artists. In our 2nd annual 4/20 Glass Special, we go behind the flame to bring 14 stunning pages of bongs, pipes and oil rigs sure to make your daily driver more than a little jealous — just try not to drool.

40

Why he’s skeptical of legalization

Events across Western Washington Northwest Collective’s big changes

Taking a 500x peek at 2 beauties

24

70

Loaded Chocolates

There’s no mistaking the herbiness Doc explores the troubled history

What’s to gain, or lose, from it

An array of options and formulas

Daniel Berman/Northwest Leaf

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editor’s note

APRIL 2013

TO OUR READERS, Thanks for picking up the 34th issue of Northwest Leaf!

I

t’s getting to be festival season again, and April 20th marks a special day for any Cannabis enthusiast’s year. Colors look better on 4/20, food tastes better and life begins to feel like a magical Disney movie. At least, that’s how I remember my first 4/20.

In this 96-page issue, we celebrate the world of borosilicate (aka glass) by featuring some of the best work Washington state has to offer.

This region has produced some great glass, and we are excited to share with you these stunning, fully functional pieces, over 12 dedicated pages (starts on page 52). We hope you take some time to examine this mindblowing work before you turn further and learn about some of the best local shops to obtain your glass.

This month also shares the stories behind two different collectives that have undergone major changes. In the case of Fweedom, perseverance was key to their rebirth as a collective. And in Lacey, Northwest Medical Collective has

doubled their lease space, building out a whole new location to better serve their patients.

Both stories are full of hope and show what this industry is capable of producing with a little hard work.

Another unique and relevant story exploring GMO Cannabis comes to us from Tyler Markwart on page 80. Tyler is filling in this month for Dr. Rose, who is on vacation.

We have a great piece on nutrients from Dr. Scanderson and check out our new Micro Strains section from Bob Montoya.

The April issue has a ton of national news, a patient’s voice story by Casey Smith on taxation, and a new column by Anthony Martinelli. Don’t miss the 4/20 event guide on page 23! There’s lots of events happening around town, but don’t get too busy you forget to enjoy the holiday with some good bud(s)!

— WES ABNEY

Contact Northwest Leaf editor Wes Abney to discuss advertising or displaying our magazine in a new location. We want to hear from you!

Feel free to send submissions, share news tips, your take on a story or one we should hear.

Phone 206-235-6721 Email nwleaf@gmail.com

founder & editor-in-chief

Wes Abney

the truth about the plant you thought you knew, IN every issue.

photographer & designer

Daniel Berman contributors Steve elliott kirk ericso n Asher Koch tyler j. markwart Anthony Martinelli bob montoya Will Rodenbough Dr. Scanderson casey smith apR. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

/9

national

BY STEVE ELLIOTT FOR NORTHWEST LEAF

New Hampshire House Passes Marijuana Decrim Bill...again >> Possession of up to an ounce of marijuana would net a $200 fine

T

he New Hampshire House on March 21, for the fourth time in five years, passed a bill which would decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana.

But Governor Maggie Hassan has said she’s not in favor of decriminalization, and the New Hampshire Senate has shot down “A criminal offense all three of the recent attempts by and a criminal the House to pass such a law. record can do much Bill supporters said that marijuana prohibition doesn’t have public more harm than a support and is a financial and regusmall amount of latory burden on the state, reports marijuana.”

Morgan True at The Associated Press. Supporters noted that both alcohol and tobacco have worse health and societal impacts than does cannabis.

“A criminal offense and a criminal record can do much more harm than a small amount of marijuana,” said Rep. Joel Winters (D-Nashua) during debate on the House floor.

As amended, the bill provides that any person “who possesses 1/4 of an ounce of marijuana or less shall be guilty of a violation and shall be subject to a fine of up to $200.” The bill would also require those 18 and under to attend drug rehabilitation classes or face a $1,000 fine.

Will Florida really charge this man for helping his sick wife?

A

couple in Manatee County, Florida who have been medical marijuana activists for nearly 20 years will soon find out if they will be charged with growing Cannabis.

Sheriff ’s deputies in February raided the home of Robert and Cathy Jordan in Parrish and seized more than 20 marijuana plants.

“It’s no different than them coming into your house and kicking in your front door and taking your cancer medication,” said Robert. “This is life and death for us. If she doesn’t have it, she starts getting sick. Now what am I supposed to do?”

Robert said he grows marijuana to help his wife, who has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. She was only given three to five years to live when she was first diagnosed back in 1986.

Cathy said that Cannabis is the only thing that helps her.

“If there was something else I could use, I would use it,” Robert said. “She has used everything they tried to prescribe to her; nothing works.”

Robert says he took and passed a drug test to prove Cathy is the only one using the Cannabis, but he alone faces possible cultivation charges. If the district attorney decides to press charges, he could face up to five years in prison.

Cathy is president of the Florida Cannabis Action Network, and has been lobbying for the legalization of medical marijuana for years.

The Cathy Jordan Medical Cannabis Act, SB 1250, was filed a few weeks ago in the Florida Senate. A companion bill, HB 1139, was filed in the House, but both bills now have to work their way through several committees before they go to the Legislature floor.

NEW YORK SAYS NO TO MARIJUANA REFORM >>No changes expected to the racially-biased and unjust policies guiding the out-of-control number of drug charges

S

tate legislators in New York went on vacation in March without fixing the racially biased, wasteful and egregious marijuana possession law in New York. On March 20, the governor and leaders in the Assembly and Senate announced a final deal on the state budget, and on March 21 announced that they would punt on marijuana law reform, declaring that after weeks of negotiations, they couldn’t even agree on a simple proposal.

As communities across the state continue to suffer from unjust laws – especially low-income communities of color in New York City — leaders said that any reforms will have to wait until they are back from a three-week vacation.

Community groups from across the state joined

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the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic, and Asian Legislative Caucus to blast the delay, noting while elected officials in Albany are on vacation, young people – mostly young men of color – will continue to experience the trauma, injustice and criminalization of a broken law: more than 85 percent of the arrests are people of color – mostly young – even though young whites use marijuana at higher rates.

There are an average of nearly 1,000 “public view” marijuana arrests in New York every week, costing taxpayers about $1.5 million at a time when the state is cutting vital social services. By the time the Legislature returns from vacation, close to 3,000 more people will have

been arrested – mostly Black and Latino men – at a cost of nearly $5 million. Police will have wasted 10,000 hours making these arrests.

The statistics say it all. Since ‘02, nearly 500,000 people have been arrested in New York for marijuana possession – the vast majority, 440,000, took place in New York City.

In the city alone last year, there were nearly 40,000 such arrests, far exceeding the total marijuana arrests in NYC from 1981-1995.

The cost to taxpayers is $75 million a year, and more than $600 million in the last decade.

A report released earlier this week found that the NYPD had spent one million hours making these arrests over the past decade.

Quick Hits!

15

Cost of a ticket to Detroit’s third annual T.H.C. Expo, which is expected to draw around 10,000 people hungry for more information about Michigan’s recent foray into medical marijuana. A shuttle bus will take qualified patients to an off-site medicating area.

341

Pounds of pot two people stopped in Corpus Christi, TX were suspected of possessing after being pulled over. The couple consented to a search of the truck, allegedly revealing a very smelly toolbox.

Brits Mail Out 210k Marijuana Scratch-and-Sniff Cards >> Authorities there want people to know what growing smells like so they can rat out illegal cultivators

O

new scratch-n-sniff campaign being launched. ne sees some pretty asinine ideas “Many people don’t realize that the empty, runcoming out of the War On Candown house or flat on their street with people comnabis on this side of the pond, but ing and going late at night may actually be a comofficials in the United Kingdom mercial Cannabis farm,”Andy Bliss from the ACPO are giving us Yanks some serious darkly hinted. “It’s not just the stereotype of the recompetition when it comes to mote rural set or disused industrial estate unit.” deep stupidity in the pot fight.

While the British are no strangers to how CanThe plan is to mail marijuana-scented nabis smells burning (they enjoy spliffs), the scents scratch cards to 210,000 Brit households in on the cards are designed to smell like flowering or a misguided, and embarrassingly silly, effort growing Cannabis, a different odor all together. The to target clandestine Cannabis farms. green and black scratch cards — which are being Crimestoppers, the charity running the distributed at undoubtedly quixotic campaign, said there was only a 15 per“Many people don’t realize that the great cost — may help clear up any lingering confusion, cent rise in the number of empty, run-down house or flat on umm, in the air.

Cannabis farms found in their street with people coming and The charity believes the homes between 2011 and going late at night may actually be scratch-n-sniff cards will ul2012, reports the BBC. timately lead to a crackdown a commercial Cannabis farm.”

Evidently, that’s not nearly on Cannabis cultivation. enough busts, hence the

1

Length in years of a suspension for UFC welterweight fighter Nick Diaz, after a post-match drug test was positive for marijuana. Diaz also tested positive for marijuana metabolites back in 2007. The head of the Nevada State Athletic Commission’s Steroid and Drug Testing Advisory Panel, said they may rule on changing the policies.

30 24 60

Percent rise in daily marijuana use over the past five years by high school seniors, according to a recently released University of Michigan study.

Thousands of arrests in Maryland last year for possession. A proposed Senate bill there would decriminalize possession of under 10 grams.

The number of attendees at a Washington Cannabis Institute seminar on growing and selling pot under I-502’s rules. Event organizers said they were at capacity and had to turn people away.

4

Number of states where marijuana decrim bills passed the first round in the legislative chambers. The four are Hawaii, Maryland, New Hampshire & New Jersey.

Quoted IT’S LIKE, AS YOU GET OLDER, IT’S NOT SOMETHING YOU DO ALL THE TIME, BUT YOU STILL DO IT. IT’S STILL SOMETHING YOU LIKE. IT STILL MAKES YOU FEEL GOOD. -Cher Neufer, 65, speaking to The New York Times last month for a story on older generations using marijuana in social ways with friends.

The retired school teacher remarked that she has cultivated marijuana in her backyard for some time, and began smoking when she was 21.

national

BY STEVE ELLIOTT FOR NORTHWEST LEAF. He edits tokesignals.com, an independent blog of Cannabis news & opinion

Florida MMJ Campaign Gets Major Money Backers

T

wo major Democratic fundraisers have said they would provide the money and expertise to get legalization of medical marijuana on the Florida ballot in 2014 “I’m prepared to keep raising money and writing checks until I get the signatures to put it on the ballot,” said attorney John Morgan, who routinely hosts presidents and national political figures at The campaign his home, and is a former fundraiser for President needs 700K Barack Obama. valid voter Morgan recently signed on as chairman of Peosignatures ple United For Medical Marijuana (PUFMM), a grassroots campaign that, until now, was operating on a shoestring budget. He was recruited by Ben Pollara, a lobbyist and fellow Obama campaign fundraiser who recently became treasurer of PUFMM. The problem was, PUFMM didn’t have the money to wage a highprofile battle and couldn’t get enough signatures to get their medical marijuana legalization proposal on the ballot.

“We were just scraping together pennies,” said Kim Russell of Orlando, who founded PUFMM four years ago. The group could barely afford to photocopy its own petition, she said.

Now, PUFMM has commissioned a poll and hiring a company to manage the petition drive. “It’s a 180-degree turnaround,” she said.

The campaign needs 700,000 valid voter signatures to get a constitutional amendment legalizing marijuana for medicinal purposes on the November 2014 ballot. Pollara estimates that’ll cost about $10 million. A poll commissioned by Pollara for PUFMM found 70 percent state support for medical marijuana. It’s a bipartisan issue, with both Dems and Republicans in support. The only group opposing it is people who self-identify as very conservative, he said.

M

aine Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (DDistrict 1) joined the effort to end marijuana prohibition and start regulating marijuana like alcohol at the federal level.

Rep. Pingree, and Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), signed on to co-sponsor H.R. 499, the Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2013, on March 18, joining a bipartisan group of supporters in the House. There are 14 co-sponsors of the bill.

Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO) on Pingree wants February 5 introduced the to regulate pot Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2013, like alcohol which would remove marijua-

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6 TONS.

11YEARS. >> The incredible DEA haul had a suspected street value of $12 million

O

ne of nine defendants in a six-ton marijuana bust in Michigan was sentenced on March 20 to 11 years and three months in federal prison. Patrick O’Meara was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Paul Maloney in Kalamazoo. O’Mera pleaded guilty to conspiracy to deliver marijuana in the 12,000-pound pot bust from October 2011.

Earlier, Judge Maloney had sentenced Tony Frank Disla-Santiago to 11 years, three months. Angel Luis De LeonO’Mera had pleaded De Jesus got six years, six months; Flavio Ramos got five years, three months; and Anthony guilty to conspiracy to deliver marijuana Castro-Gonzales was sentenced to two years in federal prison. in the 12,000-pound Drug Enforcement Administration officials marijuana bust tracked the shipment, which they claimed had a street value of $12 million.

A DEA special agent in Indianapolis told authorities a semi loaded with marijuana was headed to a specific location in Wyoming, MI. Law enforcement watched the warehouse as the shipment was unloaded.

end the fed? >> Maine rep. backs bill to end pot prohibition na from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act and establish a system where marijuana is regulated similarly to alcohol at the federal level.

It removes it from the jurisdiction of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and places it in that of a renamed Bureau of Alcohol, To-

bacco, Marijuana, Firearms, and Explosives.

“We need the federal government to lower marijuana on the scheduled drug list and essentially treat it like alcohol,” Portland City Councilor David Marshall said.

“It is a very positive sign to see federal lawmakers finally coming around on this issue and supporting rational marijuana reforms,” said David Boyer, Maine policy director for the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP).

“This comes at an important time, as the Maine Legislature will soon be considering taxing and regulating marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol.”

medical marijuana could be controlled by alcohol board

C

alifornia Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco) has finally prepared a draft medical marijuana regulation bill, AB 473. The bill, less than two pages in length, establishes a Medical Cannabis Regulation and Enforcement Division within the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC), “without making any changes to SB 420 or other laws,” according to Dale Gieringer, director of California NORML. The bill creates the Division of Medical Cannabis Regulation and Enforcement within the ABC, with a chief executive to be appointed by the director. The division is given the the power to establish statewide standards for cultivation, manufacturing, testing, transportation, distribution and sales of medical marijuana and MMJ products; to establish a scale of fees for the above activities; to adopt, amend, and rescind reasonable regulations for the control of cannabis; to establish a licensing program and fee structure for cultivation, manufacturing, testing, transportation, distribution and sale of medical marijuana.

Activists point out that there could be a problem with turning control of the state’s medical marijuana industry over to the alcohol industry, which reputedly has great influence over the ABC. “The alcohol lobby was the second largest spender AGAINST MMJ after law enforcement,” “Mendo” Bruce Buckner told Northwest Leaf. “The ABC is controlled by the alcohol lobby.”

“Why do we want to give total control to a non-elected entity with no recourse when they impose the draconian regulations the alcohol lobby would like to see?” Bruce asked.

Idaho house committee considers anti-marijuana resolution >> One of these days, it would be totally great if Idaho officials would consider the will of the people who actually elected them in the first place

T

he Idaho House State Affairs Committee on Tuesday morning held a hearing on SCR 112, a Senate resolution declaring that it’s the “position” of the Legislature that the state should never legalize marijuana for any purpose.

“Wait,” you may be thinking.

“I thought representatives, in a democracy, asked the people what they think about issues, not dictate to them how it will be.” That’s apparently not how it works, at least in Senator Chuck Winder’s mind.

“Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States,” Winder,

a Republican from Boise, told the House Idaho told the committee that her group State Affairs Committee. last week launched a medical marijuana “I think what this resolution is trying initiative in the state. to do is just to make a state“What we are trying to do ment that Idaho recognizes the “It is appalling for is legalize marijuana for seripeople to tell me problems that marijuana is creously ill and terminally ill pato leave the state ating in other states,” he said, tients,” she said.

I love to go get the declining to speak in specifics.

“We need safe access for pamedical care that “This is just a statement, it tients to obtain their cannabis I need.” doesn’t change the law,” Windlegally, without becoming part er said. “It’s just a statement on of a black market society,” said behalf of the Legislature of Idaho.” So, Rinehart, a multiple sclerosis patient. back to that “Legislature dictating to the “It is appalling for people to tell me to people” thing. leave the state I love to go get the mediLindsey Rinehart of Compassionate cal care that I need.” apR. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

/13

national

BY STEVE ELLIOTT FOR NORTHWEST LEAF

could federal mandatory minimums disappear?

Copenhagen would prefer to keep marijuana sales under state monopoly

>> It would pave the way to correcting our nation’s unjust drug laws

s Copenhagan Wants To Legalize Cannabis; Denmark’s Government Opposes >> Only Danish citizens would be allowed to get the Cannabis to prevent the kind of cannatourism Amsterdam has seen

T

he Danish city of Copenhagen wants to legalize cannabis. But while city officials overwhelmingly support the move, the national government of Denmark may not let them go ahead with the plan.

Last year the Danish national government rejected tentative legalization plans that had been approved on a 39-9 vote by the Copenhagen City Council.

Last week, officials from Seattle, where Washington state voters legalized marijuana last November, were flow in for a conference to help write a policy that stands a better chance of overcoming reluctance

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from non-metropolitan Danish and neighboring Swedish mayors.

Copenhagen would prefer to keep marijuana sales under state monopoly, controlling prices and importing supplies, possibly even from now-legal Colorado and Washington, though Washington officials have already nervously downplayed that possible plan, citing possible federal law enforcement concerns.

To prevent “pot tourism,” only Danish passport holders over 18 would be able to buy weed.

Cannabis outlets might also restrict sales by demanding proof of residency in Copenhagen.

PHOTO BY FLICKR/RAINDOG

enators Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, and Rand Paul (R-KY) on March 20 introduced the Justice Safety Valve Act of 2013, S. 619. The bill would provide federal judges more discretion in sentencing all cases by allowing them to sentence below the mandatory minimum, if appropriate.

The bill provides greater flexibility in federal sentencing, and judges would no longer be handcuffed to giving out federal mandatory minimum sentences. The existing “safety valve” mechanism only applies in drug cases, but just under one fourth of drug law offenders have benefitted from it. The Justice Safety “Research has Valve Act would widshown that more en the existing safety than half of all valve application to all federal drug law offenses. offenders had “Passage of this bill little or no crimiwill hopefully mean nal history but more judges won’t give they make up low-level drug law ofmore than half fenders draconian sentences reserved for of all federal drug kingpins,” said prisoners.”

Jasmine L. Tyler, deputy director of national affairs for the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA).

“Research has shown that more than half of all federal drug law offenders had little or no criminal history but they make up more than half of all federal prisoners.”

The use of mandatory minimum sentencing has been identified by the Congressional Research Service to be a driving factor in the overcrowding crisis, as the Federal Bureau of Prisons population has increased from about 25,000 in 1980 to nearly 219,000 in 2012.

Anti-Weed Legislator Hit With Marijuana Charge In New york >> it’s the 59-year-old lawmaker’s first known pot bust

L

Small Amounts of Marijuana Voted Decriminalized

By Maryland Senate >> The thinking goes, hey, maybe it would be best not to ruin people’s lives over a plant

T

he Maryland Senate on March 19 approved a bill that would reduce the penalty for up to 10 grams of marijuana from criminal possession to a civil fine. Meanwhile, another bill in the Maryland House goes even farther.

That bill, sponsored by Delegate Curt Anderson, would legalize the sale of marijuana to adults 21 and over. It would remove all penalties for possession of up to one ounce of cannabis, and would allow adults to grow up to three plants.

“Cigarettes are legal,” Anderson said.

“Alcohol is legal. Both, by far, are more dangerous drugs than marijuana.”

Under Anderson’s legalization bill, the state would license retail marijuana stores, wholesale facilities, and testing facilities and collect a tax on pot sales.

“We’re making out kids criminals,” said activist Candace Junkin of Moms For Marijuana, who testified before lawmakers in favor of the bill.

To Junkin, the legislation is important to Maryland for many reasons.

“The resources we could save in law enforcement and the dismantling of the black market is in the forefront,” she told Northwest Leaf.

“Statistics say that 40 percent of high school students and 33 percent of college students try or use marijuana,” Junkin told us. “If these kids get caught, they go to jail, lose their school funding and their odds for good future employment are lowered.

“We need to stop ruining our kids’ lives over a plant that has been scientifically proven to be safer than alcohol.”

ast year, New York Assemblyman Steve Katz, a conservative Republican from Westchester County, voted against legalizing medical marijuana. On March 14, he got pulled over for speeding and hit with a pot possession charge when an officer smelled weed.

“He was alone and cooperative,” said the officer, who ticketed Katz for a small baggie of marijuana and for going 80 miles per hour in a 65 mph zone on the New York State Thruway. Katz was traveling on I-87 through Coeymans, according to state police.

This is the 59-year-old Putnam County lawmaker’s first known pot bust, but, oddly, he was arrested two times for allegedly mishandling dogs when he worked as a veterinarian. Both cases were dismissed. State police released Katz with a ticket, ordering him to appear in court on March 28.

Katz said he “will not let this incident impede my public service and my calls for mandate relief, a better economic climate and better services for those in need in New York.”

“This should not overshadow the work I have done for years for the public,” Katz said. “I am confident that once the facts are presented that this will be quickly put to rest.

The case is particularly notable because, ironically, Katz currently sites on the Assembly’s Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Committee. He ran unsuccessfully last year for the state Senate. His challenger in the Republican primary, Dario Gristina, lost no time in starting up the obnoxious moralizing, calling on Katz to resign.

“He should just step down,” Gristina said on Friday.

“This is not the behavior you would expect from an elected official, especially from a conservative county like ours.

“We have enough kids abusing drugs, and the last thing we need is for our elected representative being caught handing marijuana over to a police officer,” Gristina said, working himself into a fine lather.

It’s actually pretty damned funny that Gristina could get all morally outraged over a penny-ante little pot bust, when he, himself, was arrested for driving while drunk back in 2000.

But, of course, he claimed his situation was oh-so-”different” because he wasn’t an elected official, the offense “didn’t involve drugs” (what?) and it occurred more than a decade ago.

Meanwhile, pothead Assemblyman Katz sits on committees for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, as well as Higher (nudge nudge, wink wink) Education.

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national

BY STEVE ELLIOTT FOR NORTHWEST LEAF

The U.S. Coast Guard won’t be making any changes to their K-9 training

‘‘

seattle police officials said they are already taking steps to desensitize their dogs to marijuana through rewards & training.

Out of work?

Some Police Retraining k-9 units Not To Sniff For Now-Legal Marijuana Not all police departments here are agreeing to make the change since pot possession remains illegal under, yep: federal law

A

mong all of the readjustments having to As a result of this dilemma, several police departbe made after Washington state voters apments in Washington are retraining their drugproved marijuana legalization measure detecting dogs. Law enforcement agencies around I-502 last November, one is happily unthe state, including the Seattle Police Department derway: police are retraining drug-sniffand Washington State Patrol, will no longer be ing dogs not to sniff for Cannabis, because it’s legal training their dogs to alert for marijuana. for adults to possess up to an ounce in Washington.

Sgt. Sean Whitcomb said the Seattle Police Since the smell of marijuana no longer Department is “already taking steps” automatically means a crime has taken to desensitize its dogs to marijuana, marijuana-sniffing place, that changes the constitutional status through rewards and training. dogs can no longer of a police drug-detecting dog alerting on But some law enforcement agenprovide “probable your property. cies in Washington, including the cause” that a If a dog is trained to sniff out marijuana Tacoma Police Department, consuspect is engaged and it alerts after sniffing an adult suspect, tinue to use dogs trained to alert on in criminal activity it no longer necessarily means a crime has marijuana, according to Stephen C. actually taken place, because the dog likely Webster at The Raw Story. Tacoma only reacted to the presence of Cannabis on the suspect.

Police Department spokesperson Loretta Cool So marijuana-sniffing dogs can no longer provide said the department won’t be changing course “probable cause” that a suspect is engaged in criminal since possession of marijuana remains a federal activity, because they are trained to alert when suspects crime under the law. are doing something no longer illegal under state law.

It’s clear, however, that these dogs can no longer

16/apR. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

be relied upon exclusively to justify a “probable cause” search, and this is confirmed by a memo from the Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys.

“The cop that said they are ‘retraining’ dogs is full of shit,” a former military cop from Bremerton, Washington with experience training dogs told Northwest Leaf.

“You can’t un-train the dogs. They have to take a competency test every year. And, not passing them (at the annual testing) at smelling marijuana doesn’t mean it is ‘retrained.’

“Even though that particular dog is no longer certified to sniff for marijuana doesn’t mean it can’t smell it,” our source told us.

So, it sounds as if a lot of upcoming court cases based on dogs alerting on vehicles and homes suddenly just became beatable.

“Yeah, but you’d have to dig for info on the drug dog’s current and past certifications before going to court,” our source told us.

“Chances are, if asked if the dog is trained to detect marijuana,’ they’d say ‘No.’ But you’d need to ask, ‘Has the dog ever been trained to smell marijuana, and if it was retrained, what currently accepted method of retaining was used, and how?’

“The trick is, there is no accepted method,” our source told us.

PHOTO BY U.S. COAST GUARD/CREATIVE COMMONS

national

BY STEVE ELLIOTT FOR NORTHWEST LEAF

“Can’t be done,” says washington’s new legal pot czar The man charged with creating our new legal pot system under I-502 just isn’t convinced

t

he Washington State Liquor Control “The team’s lead members and Board (WSLCB) has chosen the chairman subcontractors are among the of a Massachusetts-based drug policy firm world’s leading experts on to be its official marijuana consultant. The marijuana and drug policy,” Dr. Mark A.R. Kleiman problem? He doesn’t think it will work.

WSCLB Chair Sharon Foster Dr. Mark A.R. Kleiman, who leads Botec Analysis said. “Their credentials speak Corp., is also professor at the University of Califor themselves.” fornia-Los Angeles. In a 2010 editorial, Kleiman However, it remains an open question if Klei(grow-your-own or consumers’ co-op) wrote that state-level legalization “can’t be done.” man’s credentials “speak louder” than his alreadybasis rather than creating a multibillionBotec, based in Cambridge, Mass., was chosen published opinions on some aspects of marijuana dollar industry full of profit-driven firms to provide technical expertise as the WSLCB impolicy. For instance, in 2010 he wrote an editorial trying to encourage as much Cannabis plements Initiative 502, the marijuana legalization in the Los Angeles Times which, argued against use as possible,” Kleiman wrote. measured approved by 55.7 percent of the state’s the legalization of Cannabis under Prop 19, that Ironically, the “multibillion-dollar invoters last November. Kleiman teaches public year’s initiative in the Golden State. dustry full of profit-driven firms” is much policy at UCLA, and is con“California can’t legalize maricloser to the model being adopted by sidered an expert in criminal juana” was the title of that piece, Washington -- and which Kleiman will “Legalizing Cannabis isn’t and drug policy, including which included statements like, oversee -- than the “grow-your-own” para terrible idea, but I’d probation, parole, and in“There’s one problem with legaladigm he desired. very much prefer to do carceration. (More on that izing, taxing and regulating CanIn fact, “growing your own” won’t be alit on a grow-your-own or corrections-intensive resumé nabis at the state level: it can’t be lowed at all under I-502. A few commerin a moment.) done.” Now, maybe it’s just us, it cial growers will be licensed by the state consumers’ co-op basis His firm specializes in seems a little odd to put a guy who for $1,000, and any attempts at home culrather than creating crime and drug policy and says state-level legalization “can’t tivation could result in arrest and possible a multibillion-dollar will serve as the prime conbe done” in charge of state-level lefelony charges. industry full of profittractor. The fact that both galization in Washington.

So, let’s recap, shall we? Kleiman and driven firms trying the thinktank and Kleiman Another opinion, expressed a the Botec thinktank are taking over a to encourage as much specialize in “crime” is cause little farther down in that same state-level marijuana legalization proCannabis use as possible.” 2010 op-ed, casts some, shall we for concern among some gram (which he said just three years ago marijuana advocates, who say, interesting light on Kleiman’s “can’t be done,”) and the reality of what long for the day when Cannabis will be defined forthcoming duties overseeing a legal marijuana ours will look like is one that Kleiman, in something other than criminal terms. (Was it program here in the Evergreen State. three years ago, said was undesirable. too much to ask for this to happen after voters ap“Legalizing Cannabis isn’t a terrible idea, but proved legalization?)

I’d very much prefer to do it on a non-commercial

18/apR. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

Did you know?

BY ANTHONY MARTINELLI, CO-FOUNDER THEJOINTBLOG.COM

The American College of Physicians Supports Medical Cannabis

In 2008

the American College of Physicians, the nation’s leading group of internal medicine physicians (with over 130,000 members), released their official position paper declaring their stance on medical Cannabis.

In the paper, the group declares that Cannabis has vast medical value, according to research, and they state that the government shouldn’t stand in the way of further research.

The ACP makes several official positions on Cannabis, the first being that the group “supports programs and funding for rigorous scientific evaluation of the potential therapeutic benefits of medical marijuana and the publication of such findings”.

The group urges “an evidence-based review of marijuana’s status as a Schedule I controlled substance to deterrEAD THEIR OFFICIAL REPORT mine whether it should be reclassified to www.tinyurl.com/acpcannabis a different schedule.”

On top of simply supporting further re-

search, the group also “strongly Group strongly supports supports an exemption from federal prosecution” for physiexemption from federal cians who prescribe or distribprosecution for physiute cannabis while following cians who prescribe while state law. Similarly, the ACP following state law “strongly urges protection from criminal or civil penalties for patients who use medical marijuana as permitted under state laws.”

“Evidence not only supports the use of medical marijuana in certain conditions but also suggests numerous indications for cannabinoids. Additional research is needed to further clarify the therapeutic value of cannabinoids and determine optimal routes of administration.”

This paper should be used often when constituents are contacting their elected officials regarding medical cannabis, especially those who try to claim that it isn’t a medicine.

States with legal medical marijuana have seen fewer traffic deaths

L

egalizing medical marijuana decreases the consumption rates of by 9% in states that legalized medical marijuana. A pretty drastic drop. alcohol, which reduces traffic fatalities, according to a study released Professor Reese associates the connection with a significant decrease at the end of 2011. Although the study didn’t garner near as much in alcohol consumption, which was validated by statistics showing media attention as it deserves, it was picked up by multiple there to be a 12 percent drop in car crashes where one national outlets such as Time Magazine and The Huffington of the drivers had consumed alcohol, in states where fatal car Post. medical marijuana had been legalized. Crashes involving crashes The study looked at crash data in Montana, Vermont dropped by 9% high levels of alcohol consumption fell 14 percent. and Rhode Island, three of this nation’s 19 medical Their research method included an analysis of data from in montana, Cannabis states, and came from the mind of Montana State the National Household Survey on Drug Use and Health and vermont & University economics professor Mark Anderson, and Daniel the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. rhode island Rees, a professor at the University of Colorado. Their research As many know, correlation doesn’t always equal causation, was published by IZA, the Institute for the Study of Labor. but these numbers, and the statistical research method, is Using the data, the study compared traffic fatalities over time in solid. We look forward to future studies on the issue. For now, advocates states with and without medical marijuana laws, accounting for changes should make sure to spread this study far and wide. Still, always be sure in each state’s law. The researchers found that fatal car crashes dropped to drive carefully and never under the influence, be safe out on the road!

20/apR. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

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access

BY WES ABNEY | PHOTOS BY DANIEL BERMAN

Co-founders Sky, Tyler and Nate in one of the two medicine rooms

f w e e d o m It wasn’t the end for them, even AFTER EVERYTHING THEY HAD WAS GONE

F

weedom had it all. The beautiful location in Ballard. The nicely appointed waiting room with a company truck out front and a patient base, the owners said, that only came to see them. Then, they didn’t. It was gone nearly overnight, after the delivery of a short letter from the Drug Enforcement Administration in August. They were within 1,000 feet of a school, the letter intoned, just like some 22 other collectives across the state. They would have to close within 30 days. Everything they had worked for, and had built from the ground up, was no more. For the three owners, the message was loud and clear. Fweedom would never be the same, but it would not end there.

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CONTINUED PAGE 26

access

Fweedom REOPENS

W

continued from pg. 24

hile today Fweedom is transformed their Hempfest booth. known as a highly visible ac“Bong pong worked,” Tyler said. “It was a huge cess point and brand, it behit, a loss on money for us, but it didn’t matter. gan as a humble idea formed Making money wasn’t our goal.” by three young friends who were sick of the status quo.

Tyler, Sky and Nate were childhood friends, After several years of Hempfest and other events and first came up with the idea for Fweedom marketing Fweedom, the growing brand needed a while in high school. But what started as a joke storefront. Clothing sales were only the baby steps while sparking up after class in Pocatello, Idaho, for the overall goal of operating a medical Canquickly became much more than that. nabis collective.

“We were all doing our own thing and Fwee“We opened our doors March 15, 2011, and dom was just a word we threw around in high spent the day sitting there,” Sky said, his voice school. It wasn’t anything then,” Tyler explained trailing off. “We opened with no connections from the collective’s plush lobby couch. “But we and didn’t even have money sure smoked together.”

A few years out of school, It’s still an emotional subject,” for Cannabis. That first day we they were doing just that -Nate explained. “To just get didn’t even have meds.” put it more simply. “It smoking a joint -- when the a letter and be shut down … wasTyler insane.” idea hit: Fweedom Inc. few things stick out as that As with most small business“It was Nate’s idea to start hard to accept.

We had to ask es, the growing pains passed this as a business, a clothing line to raise awareness,” Tyler said. ourselves ‘Is this it for us?’ ” and soon the collective had vendors bringing in products of all At the time, Sky was starttypes. From flowers to medibles and everything ing toward a degree at the Art Institute of Seattle, between, the trio said they wanted more informawhile Tyler and Nate both had connections to the tion about the products they were donating. That’s Seattle music scene. They startedcreating branded when they decided to start testing all the products shirts, all made with organic hemp and cotton, in the store, Sky said.

Nate said.

“When we first started testing, we worried that “We started out making shirts for bands, for the other collectives wouldn’t like it,” he said. “But concerts, for anything really. It was green age apthe biggest scare was the lack of regulation. We parel,” Nate said. “Then we started getting tracwant regulation, some standard or model. So we tion. We knew bands, and some mixed martial arts self-regulated.” fighters, and started picking up shirt contracts.”

Through rigorous testing at extreme cost, the As the clothing line got more popular, the self-governance model was melded into the colcrew saw Hempfest as a welcome opportunity to lective model, Sky said. Testing ensured the abilget their name out more. Their first booth was in ity to accurately recommend products to patients, 2008, which is when they realized exactly how while limiting low-quality products from hitting hard it is to sell clothing. the shelves. But instead of hurting their repu“We ended up giving away most of our shirts tation, it bolstered it, and their model of high– that first year,” Sky said. “But it still got our name quality, tested medicine was making waves in the out there.” medical Cannabis scene.

The group knew they needed more ways to If anything, their confidence and reputationget people to come over to the booth. So they made the DEA letter so devastating. started offering games for people to play. From “It’s still an emotional subject,” explained Nate. there, bong pong was born. Much like beer pong, “To just get a letter and be shut down like that … players attempt to bounce a pingpong ball into few things stick out as that hard to accept. We had the open end of a Dixie cup. For $1 a shot, prizes to ask ourselves ‘Is this it for us?’ ” included bongs worth upward of $100. The game

Starting in Ballard

“If you think about what we had been trying to do, it’s hard to deal with. We were paying our taxes, testing our medicine ... really taking it to the next level,” Tyler remarked. “Suddenly it was taken away from us.”

Without a financial backer or a legal argument against the feds, the decision was made to comply with the letter. Thirty days after the initial letter, the doors on the Ballard collective closed.

“The hardest part was to see other nearby shops still open after we closed,” Nate said pensively.

“For us to shut down after everything we’ve accomplished... We thought we were done.”

Perks of a new location The adage that when one door closes, another door opens proved true for Fweedom, but it didn’t open immediately.

For several months after closing the Ballard location, Fweedom was a delivery service, which proved stressful and inefficient for serving patients. It wasn’t working, change was needed.

The phone rang, and opportunity came again.

A MMJ business was dissolving and its building was going to be available in North Seattle. It was everything they needed. The location was ADA accessible, had proper security with a comfortable feel, and offered two separate medicine rooms for faster service.

“The person who set it up was too impatient.

That’s why we have prevailed,” Tyler explained.

“But it wasn’t always pretty. There were some sad moments.”

Their friendship and business have survived the trials, and now it’s poised to make a comeback into the MMJ scene.

“We don’t dwell on the past. We are geared to look forward. And we’ve really learned from the experience,” Tyler said.

Now, patients are coming to Fweedom again for a more personal experience, and for the quality medicine. Still, some come into the new store without realizing their beloved Ballard collective had quietly reopened on Highway 99 in November 2012.

“It is great to be back,” Sky said. “Above all, this is medicine, and we weren’t going to be stopped from helping patients.”

Fweedom: 12001 Aurora Ave. N. Seattle, WA 206.734.9333 www.fweedom.com

26/apR. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

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business NORTHWEST COLLECTIVE in Lacey is helping patients with the perspective of people who have seen just how much Cannabis has helped their own lives — and that’s key.

BY WES ABNEY | PHOTOS BY DANIEL BERMAN

T

he access point has undergone a major remodeling, expanding the facility in an effort to better serve its Lacey patient base. For staff and patients, the change has brought a new life to the location and is making the art of helping patients much more manageable.

This is the third transition the collective has made, and each change has sharpened the collective’s environment. Its first location was across the street from its current spot, a space the employees described as a “closet.”

“It was all about the patients back then,” budtender Chris Garcia said. “We didn’t have room, but we just went with it.”

When a new retail option came up, the shift to the current building began. But the collective only had a portion of the building to rent, and once again space became an issue, Chris said.

“Some patients would pass us up because we were too small or didn’t carry 40 to 50 strains,” Chris explained, as though the loss of business wasn’t a concern. “We kept doing things our way and grew over time.”

The old budroom, barely more than 100 square feet, is now a break room. It feels comfortably full with three fridges and a table, and even the staff wonder how they managed to serve patients out of the space. The new medicine room is bigger than the entire space they started with, making for a completely new experience.

“You might be here for a while, asking questions or looking around,” owner Joe McConkey said contentedly. “We want patients to take their time and learn about the medicine.”

30/apR. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

Another feature of the remodeling is the split tending stations occupy the center of the waiting rooms. The initial waiting room has a space. To the left is the clone room, and collection of kids’ books and toys, and feels remthe opposing walls are lined with cases and iniscent of a pediatrician’s office. Coffee brews fridges that have various items for patients throughout the day, and the room has plenty to check out. Joe makes in-house medibles of seating. Patients must go through a under the name of Medicated Chef, doorway and into another area to be We kept doing and has a real passion for infusing checked in and verified, before being products with Cannabis. He also things our taken back into the main budroom area. makes an in-house line of topicals in way and grew a variety of scents.

“We want people to feel comfortover time. able bringing their children or a nonpaAsk Joe what his favorite meditient family member in the first waiting cine is, and he quickly says it all comes room,” Chris said. “I’ve gone out to people’s cars down to the in-house Rick Simpson oil, which and invited them in. Nobody should have to he credits to ending a decade-long addiction wait in a car.” to opiates.

The budroom feels expansive, and the bud“I became addicted to opiates after an injury

Diabolic Funxta, a 70-40 Sativa cross, grown in-house

Owner Joe McConkey

and struggled with them for a long time. Eventually, I started doing research and learned about Rick Simpson oil. Within two days of taking it, I was able to quit taking opiates,” McConkey said, his belief shining through a quiet demeanor. “Now we’ve helped many patients struggling to get off drugs.”

The Rick Simpson oil donates for $35 a gram, and is offered at no cost to low-income patients who have been diagnosed with cancer.

“We’ve seen patients come in here on their last legs — patients whose doctors had to take them off pain pills — and within days, they’ll be back feeling better and beginning a new path,” McConkey said.

Most striking of all is the engaging and friendly staff. They are eager to answer questions, and offer a special style of Cannabis consulting. In addition

to basic budtending, the collective offers free classes composed of original East Coast Sour Diesel for growing, cooking with Cannabis and in-home x Funxta’s Triple Kush and produces resinous garden assessments. There’s also a payment plan opcolas in 60 to 70 days. The Sour Diesel taste tion in certain circumstances for patients who can’t and smell interacts perfectly with the Kush, afford their medicine all at once. and delivers pungent flavor that melts into a In the dry flower department, the collective has quick and powerful high. a steady 15 strains available each day. They range in Hearing the personal stories of how Candonation from $5 to $12, depending on strain and nabis helped the staff is a special experience. quality. The Chocolate Chunk is a saucy sativa, with Stop by for the weekly Friday patient appresweet hues covering an underlying cocoa flavor. The ciation cookouts and enjoy the friendly staff, strain comes on quickly, and has a noticeably stronexpanded facilities and pleasant atmosphere ger body high than most sativas. of Northwest Medical Collective.

The Diabolic Funxta is a strain that is completely unique to the collective, Northwest Collective: 5840 Pacific Ave. S.E. Lacey 98503 and was created by Garcia’s cousin.

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Taxing Cannabi$ D o e s i t m a k e s e n s e t o r a i s e p r i c e s o n t h e p e o p l e w h o n e e d i t t h e m o s t ? BY CASEY SMITH

T

oday in 2013, the majority of the US population has become less apprehensive about the use of Cannabis. In fact, Cannabis and alcohol are some of the most commonly used drugs in Washington State. Medical marijuana authorizations might be as common as prescriptions for alcohol during prohibition, but once prohibition was repealed, the medicinal uses of alcohol evaporated and now the only trace of alcohol used as a form of medicine comes in cough syrup and some Cannabis extractions and tinctures.

Now that I-502 and Amendment 64 have legalized recreational use of Cannabis in Washington and Colorado for people 21 and over, we are left with more than a few big questions.

One concern repeatedly raised in our community is taxation. A main reason that alcohol prohibition was repealed was so the state and federal government could raise taxes on the sales of alcohol to make more revenue. Now that I-502 is in place, the state wants to make a profit from the

millions of dollars being lost through the private, independent Cannabis industry. But when I-502 and Amendment 64 passed, the medicinal uses of Cannabis didn’t just disappear.

The medical marijuana community is now stronger than ever in Washington with patient access points across the state. People are starting to realize that marijuana has more medicinal qualities that they can benefit from unlike pharmaceutical drugs that can lead to severe health problems or addiction. Unlike alcohol, which is made from a process of fermentation and distillation of grains and sugars, Cannabis is a plant that has grown for thousands of years with known medicinal benefits first recorded by the Chinese all the way back in 2900 B.C. The recreational side of Cannabis is now left up to the Washington State Liquor Control Board (WSLCB) who have until December 1st 2013 to establish all the rules and details. I-502 was written with a tax structure that implements a 25% tax on each level of the system

(producer, processor, & retailer). The increase in Cannabis prices will surely lead patients to look for cheaper Cannabis without taxes, shoving them into a large market of unregulated and unlicensed growers. This is what could be spawned from I-502 taking effect, due to all the misconceptions of the actual legality of Cannabis here in Washington state. Many recreational users are turned away every day from medical collectives who have to point to their signs: “patient’s only.”

I

t makes sense to tax a product that would be sold like alcohol or tobacco, but for the medical marijuana community, who use Cannabis as their primary form of medication, it should be exempt from taxes just like prescription medications, and we must get serious about this. If dangerous, often addictive pharmaceuticals get a pass, why should Cannabis be left in the cold? Why should the patients who need it the most in this devastatingly limiting economy have to pay more money just to get a higher quality of life?

Want your voice heard? Submit your piece to nwleaf@gmail.com

36/apR. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

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Gallery

STORY AND PHOTOS BY BOB MONTOYA FOR NORTHWEST LEAF

Micro Strains Up-Close Each month we’ll highlight growers crafting strains with the goal of helping specific needs, not necessarily obtaining the highest yields

W

HEN WE HEAR THE PHRASE Micro Brews it conjures up something special, unique and in limited supply.

In short: something new and unusual. We here in Washington State and the Pacific Northwest are widely known for our unique, out of the box creative geniuses. Descendants of Pioneer stock, mixed with the new age creative types looking for the freedom to develop something unique, make this area a special place.

These days that creative spirit lives on in the highly specialized selective cross breeding of Cannabis. Growers dedicated to creating just the right combinations of active ingredients to suit their own needs and that of their patients has given birth to what I refer to as Micro Strains.

As the photographer to the “stars” in our new industry I come across some very interesting variations of known strains, from specialized Sativas that uplift and suppress appetite, to heavy Indicas that calm and minimize pain. Most of these plants are not lab tested because there is just so little of it to go around at a time. Macro photography reveals the potency and beauty as a measure of success. In fact, in my brain, I get a response just seeing it, as if my gray matter is anticipating the release of goodness.

j

asmine and Jasmine 2 are hybrids of Super Silver Haze and Train Wreck. Jasmine is a 60/40 Sativa dominant strain, a good euphoric motivator, with strong appetite suppression properties. Sweet smelling to the nose, and when vaporized, the palette remains. The effects come on slow, but last long.

Kris Haskins of Sonshine Organics in Olympia is responsible for this amazing strain. It is generally in short supply, as we would expect of something so well crafted and potent.

These two examples are the epitome of Micro Strains of the Great Northwest. Each month we will highlight a few very macro views of Cannabis strains created by growers with the goal of helping for specific needs. Cannabis really can be small batch, craft concoction.

available from Sonshine Organics Washington Farmers Market 3211 Yelm Highway S.E. Olympia, WA 98501 360-742-3669 www.sonshineo.com

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JASMINE #1

A trichome stalk is half the width of a human hair — Seen in a 500x close-up

JASMINE #2 JASMINE 2 is a variation of Jasmine grown in a drastically different environment that changed the overall effects of the flower. She has a very strong painkilling quality and calming effect.

The effects are quick and intense, coaxing one to relax. The aroma is fruitier than Jasmine, the smoke is smooth and tasty.

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quoted

COMPILED BY NORTHWEST LEAF STAFF

What a riot.

Los Angeles residents are going to vote on a tax on anything sold in a medical marijuana dispensary.

If the measure passes, the city could be solvent within 45 minutes.

-Conan

Today is 4/20. This is like national pot day. And people celebrate all over the world. Although, I must say, the Senate did not celebrate this by smoking joints, for two reasons. One, it would be against protocol. And two, it would mean passing something.

-Bill Maher

Sarah Palin revealed she has tried marijuana, but she did not like it.

You know, it’s amazing: 200 million Americans have smoked marijuana.

The only ones who don’t like it seem to be elected officials. Ever notice that?

Obama was heckled by someone who said,

‘Don’t forget about medical marijuana.’

The Secret Service has narrowed the suspects down to everyone in L.A.

-Jay Leno

Did you hear about the kid that overdosed on weed?

“How high are you?”

Neither did I.

“No officer, it’s “Hi, How are you?”

What is the difference between a drunk and a stoner at a stop sign?

The stoner waits for it to turn green.

The White House announced that it has rejected several petitions to legalize marijuana. They say it has nothing to do with politics.

It’s just that they can’t accept a petition that was written on a crumpled-up Funyuns bag. -Jimmy Fallon

What do you call one bowl between three tokers? Malnutrition.

44/apR. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

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The White 48/apR. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

NORTHWEST LEAF

STRAIN OF THE MONTH

BY WES ABNEY | PHOTO BY DANIEL BERMAN

This epic hybrid looks like a magical elf

took a THC snowblower and coated the flowers in resinous trichomes.

The nugs produced are dense and tight, and must be snapped open to reveal the beautiful smell completely. But be warned: It is best to have a keif box or screen under the nugs when breaking them open. Kief and dusty trichomes will spill unsaved if done over a general surface.

The flower smell is reminiscent of Kush but with a sharp, almost Chem-y influence that lingers in the air. It’s spicy and piney at the same time — the pungent tones will invade your lungs and tease the mind. The strain releases the lemon/pine flavor to the fullest when smoked, with a sharp taste that hits hard.

The effects from this strain can be felt immediately, but also have a noticeable lasting power. While some describe the initial effects as Sativa dominant, the resulting body-blow quickly changes that notion. This strain is great for pain and relaxation, one best used in times where heavy physical activity is not required. So sit back, put on a movie or a great album and enjoy some of this unique and potent strain.

Available from Rainier Xpress 117 LEGION WAY SW OLYMPIA, WA 98501 (360) 489-0132

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CO AL I

IS AB N

N FOR CA O N TI

Coalition for Cannabis Standards and Ethics An industry association for cannabusiness trades

Shape the cannabis industry.

Network and make great new friends.

Join C.C.S.E. today!

Attend our OPEN meetings every 2nd Thursday of the month at 12pm

.............................................................................................................................

(206) 466-1766

www.ccsewa.org

5267 University Way NE, Seattle, WA 98105

facebook.com/ ActivateWashington

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Initiate Members :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 360 Mag/SOS, Albion Whitman Inc, Bonezink LLC, Cannabis Creations Body, Cannatest, Care Wellness, CCC, Choice Wellness, Collective Health, Cotton Head Candy, Dockside Coop, Dream Cream, Fusion, Giant Gong, Green Couriers, Happy Cakes, Herban Legends, Kush Creams, Medicine Jar, Muddy Waters, New Leaf Botanicals, Seattle Stefani Quane, SureCan, Tetra Labs, Tetra Medical Corporation, Vita Verde, WAM, West Coast Wellness

uor m / Liq ical tea eeting t li o p m CCSE l Board 2 Contro ia Nov. 201 p m ly O -

vism

Maryam

John Davis (NWPRC) / activism - Fed. bulding Sept. 2012

(Fusion ) July 20 / Actvism 12

Cale Morgan (Vita Verde) / political meeting Dec. 2012

Act )/ side 12 k c (Do ly 20 ar Ju Osc

a gelo and Gret Steven DeAn st 2012 Fe p m He / Carter

The Joint 223 N 36th St Seattle,Wa 98103 206.420.4837 docksidecoop.org

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14314 Greenwood Ave N; Seattle, WA 98133 (206) 420-3296 http://wcwellnesscenter.org/

74 S Lucile St. Seattle, WA 98134 (888) 972-1555 www.thecpc.org Mon-Sat 12 pm - 7 pm

oin The Coalition for Cannabis Standards and Ethics today and learn how you can become a C.C.S.E. COMPLIANT member.

................................................................................................................ atients, choose C.C.S.E. compliant businesses to ensure the best possible experience. We hold ourselves to the highest industry standards

CO AL I Kriste nF activis lor (Monta n m- Fe d. buld a) / Sept.

2012 ing

p

st) / annate 2 Klaus C ng, Dec 201 ti e me olitical

Jere my ( - Fe d. bu CPC ) / act lding Sept ivism . 20 12

Wellness) / Greta Car ter (CARE g activism- Fed. buldin Sept. 2012

Rach al Ku rt polit ical m z (CARE W eetin g, De ellness) / c 20 12

IS AB N

N FOR CA N TIO

Picket signs /activi sm - Fed. bulding, Sep t. 2012

ON THE COVER

BY WES ABNEY | PHOTOS BY DANIEL BERMAN

THE Glass ISSUE f r om p ip e s t o bon g s t o one-of -a-k ind a r t p ie c e s, t h e se be a u tif u l creations by h ig h ly ta l e n t e d wa shington artis ts a r e wor t h a c l ose r l oo k . would you be l ie v e you c a n sm ok e w ith ‘em?

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Frankenstein This mini in-line oil rig made

by Doc, a Spokane-based artist, features beautiful slime coloring. $600, 5 HOURS TO MAKE Available from: Puffin Glass Seattle 321 N.E. 45th St. 206-547-7833 www.puffinglassstudios.com

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THE GLASS ISSUE

DIII Dagger The Bowlpiece sits just north of the handle, which conveniently houses the mouth-

piece. Taking long inhales from a pipe this beautifully detailed might seem precarious, but worth it â&#x20AC;&#x201D; after all, how often do you get to hit a sword? $280, 4 HOURS TO MAKE

Alien Gas Mask Flip it over and your alien head reveals a sizeable bowlpiece. It is a fairly small pipe, a little smaller than a hand, but smoke is exhaled through the black gas mask area seen below. $120, 3+ HOURS TO MAKE

54/apR. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

Horny Corn Cob Spots in a multitude of colors line the tube

of the piece while horns are an interesting contrast up front. The average-sized piece is loaded with stunning details like the garnet horns, green slime spots, lines and swirls that take over every inch. $140, 2 HOURS TO MAKE

ART BY Tony Diaz iii AVAILABLE FROM: THE HIPPIE HOUSE 3109 6TH AVE TACOMA WA 98406 253.267.1708

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THE GLASS ISSUE

Slimey Alien Dab Set Beautiful details abound in this

gorgeous oil rig, from the hallucinogenic front dial to the six hole diffuser and ornate oil pad and dabber set featuring homemade AlienTech color. The piece stands a bit less than a foot tall, enough to impart a substantial dab hit, while not taking too much space in the old home office. $525 FOR SET, 8 HOURS TO MAKE

ART BY JEFF MELITZ AVAILABLE FROM: THE HIPPIE HOUSE 3109 6TH AVE TACOMA WA 98406 253.267.1708

56/apR. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

Silver Sickness THIS IS a combination of three different artists. The first is the

glass, second is the wire wrap by Leon of Wizard Wraps, and the final being the mounting bracket. This silver wrapped beauty features a natural downstem leading into a four-way pack, highlighted by two floating opals and a sculpted leaf. $1,500 FOR SET, 4 HOURS GLASS & 8 HOURS WRAP

The Tripod Dabber Jake C made this awesome piece and collaborated on the symmetrical

orchid (shown next page) comes this interesting tripod dabber. It is constructed of thick and solid glass, and makes for a great desk or display piece. He spent his 20â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s behind a torch, and we are thankful for it! This rig comes with a glass dab bowl and tool, and can be yours for only $3,800.

AVAILABLE FROM: GATHERING GLASS DESIGNS 114 E MAGNOLIA ST. BELLINGHAM, WA 98225 (360) 201-5143 GATHERINGGLASSDESIGNS.COM

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co co ntra at. d Ja bor s m l o r s t I t i k e at up oot s of betw s hi C is ion th h j the ee ghl a bet e o et n ig w w ve bla leav the hte ond een ra ck es te d b er ll fo gla and xtur y th to rm ss t e e . ma he d kin g

Sy oll O m ow rc m Th hi e La is C c ga ey ol d try ze an la

H

THE GLASS ISSUE

, $5

00

0

Art by LaceFace Glass Lacey St. George has been producing glass

since 2005, and is perhaps the best known female borosilicate lampworker in the country.

She is known for incredibly three-dimensional glass sculpture, and for crafting the female form elegantly in glass.

ALL 3 AVAILABLE FROM: GATHERING GLASS DESIGNS 114 E MAGNOLIA ST. BELLINGHAM, WA 98225 (360) 201-5143 GATHERINGGLASSDESIGNS.COM

58/apR. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

Fl B ow ow e ab r sp ea l e u b c

o i t tom wlp al se iful li , iec cr fl B u ke a s o f e / i n e t . I owe pe t fl orn rom tak t si r h r fe ipp am th e ts old ctl ed e e on wit s a y a ov nt top th h t s a er or it e b he mo it f desk loo otdif unc w ks ied tio eig sp ns ht. oo n!

$6

c s e f no gla ct r eatu male us pie te t ss isin re fo of t dr ce, hat hair g f is t rm, his aw th th . I ro he th pi so ou is i t is m h tub e m ece me gh s im er e o sim the not po hea s tha st r a ila ha m tan d t rit ir ed t t ies do us o . es a

Fl Fo ow In rm in g B -L ub in W bl e is hile un on t er co iqu the he f fe o a nn e

50

,2 $1

00

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THE GLASS ISSUE

Art by j. redd glass J. REDD has been blowing glass for 15 years

now, and is known as an innovator amongst the glass community of the Pacific Northwest.

You can reach him at b.jared3@gmail.com

Rings of Fire Each disc on this piece took over four hours, mak-

ing the entire project a true labor of love. The patterns are very intricate and take the piece to the next level of art. As J-Redd admits, these type of heady pieces are about the passion, not the price tag. The device comes with a custom metal stand for display.

1.5 WEEKS OF WORK, $5,000 SOLD, ON DISPLAY AT PIECE OF MIND ONLINE AND IN MISSOULA STORE LOCATION

60/apR. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

Grassy Green the colors in this whimsical piece are clearly

special, featuring verdant moss green and his own blend of a couple other greens shown.

Grassy Green sports a penetrating perc that travels through the disc and into a showerhead.

In short, it hits. Hard. This stand-alone piece of functional art can work as a daily driver, or as a display piece used only on special occasions.

4 DAYS OF WORK, $4,000

SOLD, IN A PRIVATE COLLECTORâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NORTHWEST HOME

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THE GLASS ISSUE

Monster Heads A very special piece

because the green head on the downstem acts as a perc, sending smoke out the ears of the monster.

14 HOURS TO MAKE, $450

Art by SEAN WITSCHGER aVAILABLE FROM: The Hollow, 226 B Main Ave. S.

Renton, WA 98057 (253) 854-0268 More information at www.facebook.com/WhisperToTheHollow

Double Perc Bubbler 4 HOURS TO MAKE, $400

62/apR. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

Amphibian Delight The Dragonfly sticking up is actually a poker for clearing the bowlpiece. 4 HOURS TO MAKE, $180

Pink Panther Domeless Dabber 2 HOURS TO MAKE, $110

Mini Monster Joint Holder 1 HOUR TO MAKE, $40

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COMPILED BY NORTHWEST LEAF

Recipes

DELICIOUS recipes for a MEDICATED 4/20 weekend medicated pizza scones

2 CUPS flour 1/2 CUP fine cornmeal 1 TBSP baking powder 1 TSP basil 1/2 TSP oregano 1/4 TSP salt 1/2 CUP medicated cold butter 1/2 CUP diced sun-dried tomatos 1 CUP shredded mozzarella

Pull apart bacon bread

1 lb bacon 3/4 cup chopped onion 3—16 1/3 oz cans Pillsbury buttermilk biscuits 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese 1 tsp vegetable oil 3/4 cup chopped green pepper 1/2 cup medicated butter 1. Cook bacon until crisp. Drain and crumble.

2. Sauté onions and peppers until tender.

3. Cut each biscuit into fourths and mix in peppers, onions, bacon, cheese and butter.

4. Put into 10-inch tube pan (sprayed).

5. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.

6. Remove from pan immediately.

Got a recipe we should feature?

Email it to nwleaf@gmail.com and it just might appear here in our May issue!

66/apR. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

Slow cooker butter chicken

1. HEAT the oven to 375°F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray or line it with parchment paper.

This delicious recipe is sure to make your 4/20 just a little bit...tastier. The chicken uses medicated vegetable oil to impart a kick that will make you think takeout is never an option.

2. Mix the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, basil, oregano, and salt. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

1. Melt the butter and vegetable oil in a large

3. Place the diced sun-dried tomatoes in a bowl and cover them with boiling water. Let them stand for 30 secs, then drain the water and stir in the cheese and pepperoni.

2 tbsp medicated butter 2 tbsp medicated vegetable oil 4 large skinless, boneless chicken thighs,

skillet over medium heat. Stir in the chicken, onion, and garlic. Cook and stir until the onion has softened.

cut into bite-sized pieces

1 onion, diced 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 tsp curry powder 1 tbsp curry paste 2 tsp tandoori masala 1 tsp garam masala 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste 15 pods, green cardamom 1 (14 oz) can coconut milk

4. Whisk together the eggs and the buttermilk, 2. Stir in the curry powder, curry paste, tandoori masala, garam masala, and tomato paste until no lumps of tomato paste remain.

then add them and the tomato mixture to the dry ingredients. Stir until the mixture forms a sticky dough.

5. Gently knead the dough until it holds 3. Pour into a slow cooker, and stir in the cardamom pods, coconut milk, and yogurt. Season to taste with salt.

together. Divide the dough in half and pat each half into a 1-inch-thick disk. Slice each disk into four wedges.

6. Place the wedges on a lightly greased bak4. Cook on High 4 to 6 hours, or on Low 6 to 8 hours until the chicken is tender and the sauce

PHOTOS BY FLICKR/WENTZY & FLICKR/AIDANWOJTAS

ing sheet about 1 inch apart. Bake them until golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Serve the scones warm or at room temperature. Makes 8 scones.

Turn for more recipes

TASTY

COMPILED BY NORTHWEST LEAF

Recipes

DELICIOUS recipes for a MEDICATED 4/20 weekend Pan Fried Onion Dip

2 large yellow onions 4 tbsp medicated butter 1/4 cup medicated vegetable oil 1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper 1 tsp kosher salt 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper 4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature 1/2 cup sour cream 1/2 cup mayonnaise, not light

hashbrown casserole

2 lbs frozen hash browns 1/2 cup melted medicated butter 1 (10 1/4 oz) can cream of chicken soup 1 pint sour cream 1/2 cup onion, peeled and chopped 2 cups cheddar cheese, grated 1 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper 1. Preheat oven to 350째F and spray an 11 x 14 baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Mix the above ingredients together, place in prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes or until brown on top.

Got a recipe we should feature?

Email it to nwleaf@gmail.com and it just might appear here in our May issue!

68/apR. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

1. Cut onions in half, then slice them into 1/8 crumb topped banana muffins Obviously this recipe is a delicious right start to your day...

1 1/2 cups flour 1 tsp baking soda 1. In a large bowl, mix the flour, bak1 tsp baking powder ing soda, baking powder, and salt.

1/2 tsp salt 2. Mix bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter.

3 large ripe bananas, mashed Stir into dry mixture just until moistened.

3/4 cup sugar 3. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full.

1 egg, lightly beaten 4. Combine brown sugar, flour, and cin1/3 cup medicated butter, melted namon topping ingredients.

Topping: 5. Cut in cold butter until crumbly.

1/3 cup packed brown sugar 6. Sprinkle over muffins.

1 tbsp flour 7. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about 1/8 tsp cinnamon, to taste 20 minutes, until muffins test done.

1 tbsp cold butter 8. Cool in pan for 10 minutes.

1/4 cup nuts, chopped (optional)

PHOTOS BY FLICKR/LESHOWARD & FLICKR/KADEEAE

in. thick half-rounds (You will have about 3 cups of onions).

2. Heat butter and oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.

3. Add the onions, cayenne, salt, and pepper and saute for 10 minutes.

4. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 more minutes until the onions are browned and caramelized. Allow them to cool.

6. Place the cream cheese, sour cream and mayonnaise in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until smooth.

7. Add the onions and mix well. Taste for seasonings. Serve at room temperature.

Cannabis Bazaar

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Opens April 12th

Located in South Seattle Patient-growers wanted (must have a WA state business license)

9625 16th Ave SW

Call today 206-306-4079 thecannabisbazaar@gmail.com

TASTY

Reviews

BY NORTHWEST LEAF STAFF PHOTO BY DANIEL BERMAN

BREAK ME OFF A PIECE WA RM M I LK - CH O COL ATE FL AV ORS S WI RL W I T H H E RB AL GOODNESS IN LOADED CHOCOL ATE B ARS.

FIRST OF ALL, the company Loaded Soda has emerged into the medical Cannabis scene with a fury. Their sodas, tinctures and candy are at access points all across Western Washington.

In the candy department, their bars are nicely packaged and put together in a professional way. Each package lists ingredients, nutritional information, and general warnings for use. Of note, the THC bar has a solid 23.86 mg of THC, and is easily broken down into individual squares for controlling medicating levels, as well as caloric intake.

The CBD-rich bar has been tested in the past as high as 8.29mg THC-total and 21.69mg CBDtotal, though the batch we tested recently was not as potent. The CBD option allows patients to experience the medical benefits without having to smoke flower. Their thc bar CBD line is also less psychoac23.96mg THC-total tive, making them a good choice < 0.01mg CBD-total for those with lighter tolerances or beginning to medicate. cbd bar The warm milk-chocolate fla- 2.49MG THC-total vors remind us of gourmet treats, 5.71mg CBD-total while the herbal content is a solid reminder of the medication within â&#x20AC;&#x201D; thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no hiding this is an edible containing Cannabis, which some patients will prefer. The branded press that embeds their logo is a nice touch, distinguishing this bar from their considerable competition.

70/apr. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

Tested By

ANALYTICAL 360 Cannabis Analysis Laboratory

Reviews Degenerate Art:

BY WES ABNEY

The Art and Culture of Glass Pipes >> This documentary isnʼt afraid to go after the glass industryʼs biggest enemies: the Drug Enforcement Administration

J

ust the opening of this documentary alone inspires me to go out and make glass art!

It has a great sense of timing and flow, mixed with cool overhead panning of a glass studio and a sick blend of sound.

I took a hit off a local piece and turned up the volume. This was going to be cool.

The first interview with Bob Snodgrass gives amazing insight to one of the creators of the glass industry. Snodgrass was the inventor of a process called “silver fuming,” which allows for color changing glass and more developed colors. This process laid the groundwork for the entire glass industry as we know it today. Don’t miss the cool time lapse series that shows a pipe in various stages of use, and the change from bright pink to deep blue is quite entrancing to watch.

Another interesting connection that this fulllength documentary explores is between the lampworkers and the color companies. In the 80’s and early 90’s most lampworkers were limited to only a dozen or so available colors. Today, there are more than 300 different unique colors, enabling the

lampworkers to make cutting edge pieces. More colors equals the sicker heady pieces we featured this month, for instance.

The biggest message this film conveys is how incredibly hard it has been for these artists to climb out of a social and legal grey area. Much like medical Cannabis providers, the production of glass pipes is never fully protected by law, and can even result in a prison term.

Elaborate operations by the DEA in the 90’s called “Headhunter” and “Pipe Dream” were despicable attacks on lampworkers across the nation.

The coordinated raids resulted in the arrests of hard-working entrepreneurs trying to make their products available to consumers. They were treated to SWAT style barrages to which only drug dealers were accustomed.

The government claimed that the 60 organizations shut down were, and this is sadly not a joke, “supporting terrorists.”

In reality, the operation was concerned with future crimes, assuming that illegal drugs would be consumed by use of the device.

This is why a patient can’t talk to a sales person about a dab rig without speaking in absurd, coded terms like ‘filler’ and ‘water pipe.’ Because dabbing Tobacco makes so much sense, right?

This film confronts the pressing issues the glass industry has managed to mostly overcome.

72/apr. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

“It takes a lot of hard work to get at these [glass production] sites, but we can assure worried parents that today there are 11.coms that are .gone,” a DEA agent recapped during a press conference.

This is why so many glass shops have signs displayed prominently claiming “For Tobacco Use Only.”

This is why a publication such as Northwest Leaf often can’t even be displayed in certain shops.

This is why a patient can’t talk to a sales person about a dab rig without speaking in absurd, coded terms like filler and water pipe.

Because dabbing Tobacco makes so much sense, right? This film enlightens viewers and forces them to confront the issues the glass industry has managed to mostly overcome.

Today, the glass market is reemerging and finding new strength. The major growth in medical marijuana and the recent legalization of recreational use of Cannabis in two states has certainly helped.

Still, new questions are being asked about the glass industry. Is glass the elephant in the room of associative Cannabis markets?

Could this billion-dollar industry double or even quadruple over the next decade?

While no one can say for sure, we can expect that dedicated entrepeneurs will do whatever it takes to compete, stay in business and continue making the art they believe in.

available on Netflix or buy online www.degenerateartfilm.com

Concentrates

BY WES ABNEY | PHOTO BY DANIEL BERMAN

Less than 25ppm Butane means the concentrate is extremely pure.

The acceptable daily limit for Butane is 5,000ppm.

William’s Wonder Wax Dab hits are incredibly smooth, with a floral aftertaste and zero harshness

61.42% THC-TOTAL • 0.01% CBD-TOTAL • solvency: 25ppm

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his bright orange wax looks like a thick cheese crumble and possesses a delightful consistency for hooking up dabs small or large. The smell is faintly floral and fruity, teasing with the barest hints of the fun to come when combusted.

Dab hits are incredibly smooth, with a floral aftertaste and zero harshness. There is also very little expansion, which shows the value in extremely pure concentrates. The terpenes are free to interact within the smoke, making for a very special dab.

The most surprising part about this wax is how it vaporizes. Unlike most products on the market that expand into thick clouds of vapor, this wax

is much more contained when combusted. With large hits, the effects don’t seem to match the feel of the vapor. You get bigger hits and less intake.

The effects are slower to onset (typical of WW), especially for a dab, but once they do, heavily medicated effects will take control. This strain has a notoriously serious body high, and is best used for patients treating pain or as an evening medication.

You can also expect a pleasant euphoric effect to settle in, making this wax a great mood elevator.

On a final note, the best part about this wax is the solvency test. Less than 25ppm Butane means the concentrate is extremely pure. The acceptable daily limit for Butane is 5,000ppm.

available from Fremont Gardens 316 N. 36th St., Seattle, WA 98103 (206) 632-7126

fremontgardens.org

View full test results: www.tinyurl.com/williamswonderwax Tested By

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HEALTH & SCIENCE

IS

YO U

R

O M g O g g M O

When it comes to growing marijuana , organic really means nothing, and genetically modified organisms are quickly becoming part of the landscape. Is this a bad thing?

BY TYLER J. MARKWART FOR NORTHWEST LEAF

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FEW PEOPLE REALIZE the profound effect technological advancements have had in the past 30 years on growing equipment and breeding in indoor Cannabis cultivation.

Cannabis as a plant, as part of our culture and as a medicine has become accessible in ways never dreamed of before because of those improvements.

High-intensity discharge light bulbs have been the most important factor in the advancements in the quality and quantity of Cannabis cultivation. LED lights are the new rage, and duct silencers, aerocloners, bubble bags and mycorrhiza have all been making grow rooms bloom with furious goodness, increased production, growing security and efficiency in extractions. Growers have been educating themselves and have been applying ideas from the agricultural research community. This has led to several major advancements in the Cannabis industry, one of which is known as “feminized seeds.”

The Cannabis plant usually produces male and female seeds at a rough ratio of one male to every two female seeds. Feminized seeds allow both home growers and commercial growers to speed up the selection process by removing the possibility of having male plants in the batch, which slows the selection process and potentially pollinates all the other ladies. This is great for home growers who aren’t trying to waste time with selecting a mother plant or who want to breed their own strains.

But how are feminized seeds produced? If we remember our high school biology, we know that plants are sectioned into different categories by what is called nomenclature. One of those categories notes whether the plant can fertilize itself (monoecious) or whether there are two separate plants, each having its own set of sexual organs (dioecious) that pollinate each other, which is similar to humans having male and females within the species. Other categories exist, but we’ll stick with these two for this discussion, since Cannabis is in the middle.

Cannabis technically is labeled as a dioecious plant, but when put under certain environmental conditions, including light stress, water stress, root or temperature fluctuations, or if certain chemicals are applied to the female plants, they can produce male sexual organs, which results in the ability to pollinate themselves and other female plants.

Why is this important? When you look at a dried bud and you see all those red hairs -- the pistils of the female plant -- each one is a potential pollination site. This means that every single red hair can possibly be a production site for a seed. The average Cannabis plant has tens of thousands of pistils per plant, but when you grow indoors, you don’t want to introduce male plants into the grow room to pollinate the female plants. The goal is to produce what’s known as sinsemilla, which is Spanish for “without seed.” With the proper stress or chemical applica-

tion, one can manipulate the female plant’s genome into producing male sexual organs.

So does this mean that all female seeds are genetically modified? No, yes and maybe … huh?

If a plant has the natural ability to create male sexual organs on a female plant of that species, does that make it a genetically modified seed?

Technically, no, because it is a natural occurrence and not a product of human influence. If you were to apply a chemical solution to a plant with the intention of manipulating its genome to produce female seeds or if you use agriculture engineering techniques such as site-directed mutagenesis, those processes would render your final product a genetically modified organism.

So how are most female seeds produced? It happens in a few ways, but most commercial seed companies these days use chemical solutions such as silver thiosulfate or colloidal silver.These chemical compounds cause the female plant to mutate its genome and produce male stamen, or pollen sacs, in the region where the solution is directly applied, basically copying itself -- the X gene.

Only two known organic ways exist to produce male pollen sacs on female plants. One is to allow them to flower longer than normal if they have not been pollinated during flowering.

If a female plant is not pollinated, then in a lastditch effort to continue its species, the female plants have the ability to create male sexual organs and disperse this X pollen to pollinate itself and create seed. Other types of environmental stress will also cause a plant to revert calyxes into stamens, such as root mastication, light interruptions and drought.

molecular plant

science is a scientific field of study that is intense, underfunded, misunderstood and extremely confusing. Most people become fearful of what they don’t understand and most people don’t understand molecular plant science, so it often gets a bad rap outside of the science community. MPS has played a crucial role in how we understand plant growth, plant pathology, and the environment in which plants grow. MPS even contributes to organic breeding and organic pesticide/herbicide production by allowing researchers to understand plant traits better. Most of what you hear about MPS is negative media about biotech companies that are trying to “destroy the world,” which logically makes no sense if you’re a company trying to sustain its business.

Organic is a term that is thrown around loosely in the Cannabis community, but really holds no weight. It is not legally possible for Cannabis cultivators to grow organically certified Cannabis in the U.S. because the U.S. De-

Even with the labeling of GMO Foods Act (i-522) we likely won’t see collective gardens and producers slapping GMO stickers on all their medibles partment of Agriculture will not authorize a license to certify farms that grow a Schedule 1 substance. A farmer can follow organic methods, and they can feel free to label their product as “all natural” or any other term, but the term “organic” is only applicable if you have a license from the USDA. As a scientific research tool, molecular plant science is absolutely irreplaceable and has had a major beneficial effect on how we can assess problems that we face within the agricultural community. One of the goals of biotech crops is to use fewer inputs such as fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides. We have to remember that running an organic production system doesn’t particularly mean that the grower is producing their crop sustainably.

Organic chemicals can be just as toxic to the environment -- sometimes even worse -- as synthetic chemicals when not properly applied.

Be aware of anyone who labels his medicine as “organic.” While they might be following organic standards or even exceeding them, which is great, they still do not have the proper qualifications to obtain a USDA label.

if patients want

standards in the industry, we have to accomplish two goals: Remove Cannabis from state and federal Controlled Substance Acts and prove to the USDA that our production methods meet its protocols, specifically for indoor Cannabis production systems.

It is important that we also show the USDA we are respectable, hard-working contributors to our community and that our goal is to produce the safest, highest-quality medicine that we can for our patients while preserving our environment for generations to enjoy.

Every tool has an application. The goal is to find the proper use for that tool.

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C O S S E R

&

A S S O C .

SPORT

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Live long. Play hard!

Pain products for active living.

growtech

BY DR. SCANDERSON FOR NORTHWEST LEAF

Feeding Frenzy There’s no magic formula to growing great Cannabis. knowing what nutrients to use is your only hope...

4-page

special!

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espite what many manufacturers may have you believe, feeding your Cannabis plants does not require a PhD in biology or chemistry.

Doesn’t it seem, though, that if you just choose the right brand or combination of brands and mixed them together in some special manner you would get a secret, magically charged solution? One that makes your plants grow into freakish beings of resin and cannabinoid production while doing little to nothing else beside feed the plants said amazing formula?

It seemed this way to me for many, many years and I am happy to share that my experience indicates there simply is no such formula. In part, because each gardening round will have a slight degree of variance and because plants live and thrive on specific elements, my best results were achieved after gaining a firm understanding of what trace elements, macro and micronutrients are needed and when and how to best administer them. This month’s grow tech will present a guide towards understanding these concepts to achieve results in your garden.

I am not going to be recommending any specific brands although I will share products in each category from an array I have personally used or seen used with success. We’re going to break down the categories of nutrient solutions that are available, the purpose(s) they For newer growers, first and foremost I recommend purport to serve and a little about the compounds they are made up from. choosING a pre-fed, For newer growers out there, first and organic soil that only foremost I recommend choosing a requires addING WATER pre-fed, organic soil that only requires from start to finish. adding water from start to finish.

There are so many other elements in gardening to practice and master that having the food, pH and TDS completely and totally handled for you before beginning accelerates the gardening learning curve by a huge margin.

You’ll save time by leveraging the knowledge and years of testing graciously made available by others in what can be one of the most complex, misunderstood areas of Cannabis gardening: nutrients schedules.

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What you will find on nutrient labels: 1) The form of m icro/macronutrients the product contains

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his will be designated largely by whether or not the product is organic or synthetic.

Organic products have organic compounds you may be familiar reading like sea kelp. Synthetic nutrients may have compounds you are not as familiar with, like ammonium nitrate, a form of nitrogen, or potash, a soluble form of potassium.

Whatʼs important is knowing what you are adding into your plants with the product (which micro macronutrients and trace elements does the product contain) and that there may be compounds in the product the manufacturer hasnʼt listed as they arenʼt required.

Advanced nutrients Bud Factor X lists only magnesium for ingredients on the bottle and the website admits that they wonʼt tell you whatʼs in it (preying on the hope of a secret magic formula much are we?) but it allegedly induces a SARʼs response in your plants increasing the plantʼs natural immune system defences and essential oil production — no magnesium phosphate Iʼve ever tried does that! Canna also very closely guards their Boost recipe for anyone who has done their research. All the more reason to do as Jorge Cervantes suggests and use the KISS method: Keep It Simple Stoner.

2) The concentration of each of these in the product

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his will be expressed as a percentage that will be written right on the bottle. The concentration can be changed based on how much water you are adding it to. Strictly from a concentration perspective, if you have a bloom booster that lists the concentration of NPK as 0-40-40 it simply means it a more concentrated version of a bloom booster that lists the NPK ratio as 0-10-10; the more highly concentrated version can be made into the less concentrated version by just adding water.

This is why you may hear people saying that dried powder nutrients (which have higher concentration ratios) are cheaper than pre-mixed nutrients because you donʼt have to pay the company to mix them for you.

3) The ratio of each compound in the product to its whole

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astly, and perhaps most importantly is the ratios of each macro and micronutrient.

Concentration can be altered by adding more or less water; ratio are fixed to the product. For example, if the same bloom booster lists the ratios as 0-10-15, no matter how much water you add there will always be more potassium in that product than phosphorus. Thatʼs great if your plants need a little bit more phosphorus than they do potassium but if they “prefer” a more even concentration, it wonʼt be so great.

How will you know which concentrations to choose for you garden? Eliminate as many other variables as you can and try one. Then try the other one, then decide which you like better. Canʼt decide, try it again. Still canʼt pick? Drop both products and work on improving everything else first.

So how much nutrients do I use?

I always reduce the recommended dosage by 25 percent with the understanding that those amounts are what is suggested to support “accelerated growth environments.” More is rarely better when it comes to feeding your plants. Keep in mind, most manufactures only publish one chart per product or program that generally includes their base and every additive they offer. Therefore, the amount of base they recommend is usually the same amount regardless of if you are using additives or not. As you increase the number of additives used, you can reduce the base nutrient concentrations used before and still achieve optimal results.

Nutrients guide continues p. 86

growtech

Nutrients

page 2/4 Base Nutrients

Organic vs. Synthetic The first category that applies to every nutrient, supplement, additive or anything you introduce into your plantʼs direct environment is its classification as organic or synthetic. There are advantages and drawbacks to both, depending who you ask, but itʼs important to learn to distinguish between the two. The easiest way is to find out is to see if the product is OMRI certified. If it is, it will be printed right on the bottle, but be sure to ask if youʼre in doubt. Many smaller, boutique nutrient companies (Dominion Organics, (thanks PNW Garden Of Funk), Nectar of the Gods etc.) donʼt always have the resources to go through the lengthy, costly process to receive an OMRI stamp, but are still by all measures 100% organic.

Primary Additives These are supplements complementing complete base nutrient programs. As you add supplements and additives to your base nutrient program youʼre usually also increasing the electrical conductivity (PPMʼs TDSʼs etc) of your solution, so be sure to lower your base nutrient concentration. We will be focusing on three primary additives: Root stimulators/rhizosphere conditioners, cal-mag and Bloom Boosters.

#1 Root Stimulators

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product designed to improve the plants ability to develop a dense and healthy root mass. These products when applied properly are amazing. They assist younger rooting plants to rapidly develop a healthy, efficient rhizosphere that uptakes nutrients quickly, resists disease and infection and ultimately gets plants off to the right start. This is where gardeners feeding plants directly (hydroponics) and those that feed the medium which feeds their plants (soil, soilless container) have distinct priorities. When the priority is ensuring your medium has the proper balance of nutrients and the environment for microbes to break down these compounds into forms your plant can use, methods used to inoculate your medium become increasingly crucial and vary depending on your garden and preferences.

Organic gardening is microbial gardening, so understanding relationships between microbes or their presence in your growing environment is essential. Their ability to process organic elements, avoid anaerobic conditions and utilize the enzymes that they leave behind is crucial to creating sustainable growing conditions but is beyond the scope of this article.

Since creating a strong root system is needed to fortify a plantsʼ natural immune systems and ability to process nutrients, it is a primary additive. Another benefit?

R.S.ʼ seldom affect pH, so thereʼs little risk of “burning” your plantsʼ root system.

Note: some root stimulators work by applying hormones, usually indole butyric acid (IBA) or naphthylacetic acid (NAA). IBA has shown success in stimulating root regeneration in woody cuttings. Both NAA and IBA suppress crown growth, encouraging lateral root branching and redirection of resources to emerging roots. While these hormones invariably provide gardeners with faster rooting clones and plants, much controversy exists around the safety of using such products on ingestibles.

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ust as they sound, the base nutrient are the base for any feeding program and on their own contains all the elements, both macro, micro and trace to run your plants from start to finish. Base nutrients are offered generally in three ways, divided among how many formulas there are in each stage of the plants life.

For example: vegetative stage base nutrients are available in one-part formulas that require, only one bottle of nutrient, two-part formulas, that require an A and a B part that are mixed to form the base and a three-part that has, you guessed it, three parts mixed to create the base formula for vegetative growth. Sounds pretty simple so far. This is where it gets a little weird.

Manufacturers usually also make a separate formula for the bloom phase of the plant’s life available in one, two or three part formulas. So, a one part formula has one bottle for veg, and one for bloom. A two part program usually has two bottles for veg. and another two bottle’s for bloom. Three

part formulas however differ in that they actually use only three bottles of solution regardless of the plant’s life stage, they are simply mixed at different concentrations to accommodate veg. or bloom.

While soil and soilless gardeners enjoy the pleasure of a more forgiving growing medium, those people choosing inert mediums such as rockwool, LECA and the alike need to be more careful. These growers will generally benefit from a choosing a product specifically designed for hydroponic recirculating/recover systems.

These products are designing and formulated to tolerate highly oxygenated reservoirs, circulation and drip lines and explosive growth conditions, with often greater stability and ease of application than others that have a single formula for any application.

Note: With any nutrients, it’s highly recommended that you decrease the amount of base nutrients you use as you increase the number of supplements and additives.

Products Organic Base

Synthetic Base

One part: Roots Organic Buddha Grow and Bloom (1 qt. $20)

One part: Pure Blend Pro Grow

and Bloom (1 qt. $19)

Two part: Canna Coco A & B ($36)

Two part: Advanced Nutrients Sensi

Three part: Natureʼs Nectar Nitro-

gen, Potassium & Phosphorus (1 qt. $16)

Grow A and B and Sensi Bloom A and B (1 liter each, $33)

Three part: General Hydroponics

Grow, Micro and Bloom (1 qt. $40)

products: House & Garden Root Excelurator, Blu Moon Mega Roots, Orca, Roots Organisms XXL, CannaRhizotonic, Microbial Compost Tea

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Nutrients guide continues p. 88

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Nutrients

page 3/4

Primary Additives #2 Calcium / Magnesium

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hile many of the one-part fertilizers do provide higher levels of calcium and magnesium, these days, Cannabis is a crop that has particular demands for these two macronutrients — demands which sometimes are not met entirely by the base nutrient, especially at intermediate and advanced levels when highly accelerated growth is supported. In addition, it is essential that anyone using R.O. (reverse osmosis) water, or tap water that is very “soft” (low ppm), supplement with cal/mag as all base nutrients assume a starting value of the water to be between 150-200 or so unless otherwise specified. If you were to add only the base nutrient directly to reverse osmosis water without supplementing with cal/mag, you will likely experience a deficiency at some point during your grow. As a result, cal/mag is often essential, and almost in its own category all together.

products: Botanicare Cal-Mag: Have a look at the ratios on this one compared to the others and you’ll notice it may be better for vegetative growth as it has higher levels of Nitrogen in it .

Epsom Salt: Nothing is better for adding magnesium than magnesium sulfate; couple dollars gets you a year’s supply.

General Hydroponics Cali MaGic: A more direct application of calci-

um and magnesium, and compared to botanicare, has higher ratios of magnesium and calcium and lower ratios of nitrogen.

secondary Additives

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suming all other areas of the garden are dialed in — the grower has experience and is comfortable using all primary additives as desired in their garden — this category has compounds and treatments that are not essential to the plants survival but offer some benefits. Used properly, secondary additives can complement the plant’s many biological functions and ultimately improve yield, flavor, resin content and finishing time. Many of the products claim to be designed for all types of gardening application, but clearly, they are not advisable at the dosages recommended. Those kinds of amounts would impart such a toxic level of metals to the plant that I would hesitate to call the end product medicine. None are essential and in my experience this category has the highest range of quality and diversity of effectiveness. Choose from these products carefully and only when you already have a firm understanding of how your garden runs without them. Otherwise, expect to spend months experimenting with a bazzilion brands and see what actually works for your plants.

#1 Sweeteners

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hese are products that provide plants with anything from a single source to multiple sources of different types of simple carbohydrates (sugars). Used properly, they will aid the plantʼs photosynthetic process to deliver a more efficient yield of usable “plant energy.” By increasing the amount of energy and overall sugars the plant can synthesise, the result may be faster flower times and increased yield/flavor aroma. Perhaps most importantly, these sugars will feed and assist in keeping your microbial population healthy and vibrant, which, in my experience, is the only way I have seen results using these products. Running a sterile hydro system, I personally have never noticed a difference.

products:

#3 Bloom Booster

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ost all manufacturers offer some sort of additive recommended for use during bloom cycle designed to enhance flower size and resin content. They primarily come in the form of a potassium heavy supplement that also provides ample phosphorus. If you are only going to be using one additive in flower (assuming you already have adequate cal/mag levels or are considering it par t of your base program) a bloom booster is a great place to start.

The main difference between them is usually the concentration and ratio of P and K (phosphorus and potassium). Bloom boosters are most effectively applied starting between weeks 2 and 4 of flower and used all the way through week 6 or 8 depending on your strain and the length of your flower cycle. Bloom boosters are often best applied by incrementally increasing the amount added as the plants mature or demonstrate ability to utilize the extra nutrients.

products: Soul Synthetics Big Swell + Super Bat Budswell Liquid General Hydroponics Liquid Kool Bloom Advanced Nutrients Kushy Kush Humboldt County’s Own Crystal Burst Canna Boost

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Botanicare Sweet, Advanced Nutrients Bud Candy, General Hydroponics Flora Nectar, Earth Juice Hi-Brix

#2 Uptake Enhancers

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ere is where you will find biocatalysts and humate extracts. Understanding how to effectively use biocatalysts could be the most important category in all of gardening, since with enough know-how and practice, you can skip purchasing another premade nutrient product ever again. In this article, however, weʼll be looking at ʻem from a 10,000-mile overview, and notice that both improve the microbial population of your medium, allowing for more efficient nutrient & mineral uptake. Humates are compounds that act as chelators, which can be thought of as a building bridge between the minerals in your medium and the plantʼs ability to access them.

Biocatalysts, often containing humic and or fulvic acid, feed and encourage a thriving population of bacteria, fungi, protozoa and maybe even a nematode or 200,000 (all the micro-biological life that is working constantly to make the nutrients in your system available to your plants, provide your plants with enzymes, adjust and stabilize pH at the rhizosphere, fend off disease).

products: General Hydroponics Diamond Nectar, Bio Ag-Ful-Power/Ful-Humix Botanicare-Karma, Roots Organic-Trinity

Nutrients guide continues p. 90

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growtech

Nutrients

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secondary Additives #3 Finishing Enhancers

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hese products usually provide various blends and concentrations of phosphorus and potassium, in higher dosages designed to improve the density and resin content of the flowers. While some manufacturers deliver a deliberately concentrated dosage, creating mild stress for the plant and causing its defense mechanisms to initiate, others simply provide different concentrations of their bloom boosters or transition the source of the nutrients into their finishing enhancer.

By dramatically spiking P and K towards the end of the bloom phase, your plants can experience a mild stress to which one of the byproducts is an increase in resin production and potency and because itʼs administered at the end of bloom, the idea is that you are no worse for the wear on account of the stess. I have used this technique effectively but now choose milder application as I donʼt like to stress my plants — no matter how beneficial their response may be.

products: Mad Farmers Products- Mother Of All Blooms, Advanced Nutrient-Overdrive, House and Garden-Top Shooting Powder

Final Thoughts My hope is I left you with the guide I never had. I wanted to do what was best for my plants, a desire met with ferocity by a retail gardening market offering potions and powders that could potentially be better than the Cannabis I was intending to harvest. I was plagued with the question, ‘what am I missing from my nutrients that I could be using to improve my results?’ but didn’t spend enough time with the question ‘how much can I take out of my feeding program without affecting anything adversely?’

I have spent an eternity (hopefully to your benefit) learning about nutrient programs — addings years to my learning curve on what I now consider far more important skills. Ultimately, until all aspects of your garden are performing at potential, the difference from one company to the next (assuming you’re using something suitable for your system) is so small you likely won’t be able to tell the difference. That or you’ll be like me and think the difference has to do with the new feeding schedule and start improving that... rather than notice that improvements were thanks to accelerated skills in areas beside feeding. I’ve even gotten my money back from Advanced nutrients because it worked well, but didn’t increase yields by 20 percent, as claimed.

Starting with a base allows you to learn how to most effectively apply the base throughout a plant’s life cycle. Adding in only one nutrient additive at a time allows you to master additives, complementing a dialed-in program so the additive is adding, not making up for undetected shortcomings in the base. This method will help you determine which products work for you and which leave firm memories of unimpressive results. Lastly, it focuses your attention on areas more difficult to master, like training plants, getting adequate light and C02 contact on leaf surfaces, oxygen to the root zone and the temperatures and humidity dialed in.

Without these other features performing at their peak, adding in expansive (and usually expensive) nutrientss is akin to handing three running chainsaws to someone and asking them to juggle. Sure, it’d be really cool if they could juggle running chainsaws when they first started out, but imagine the carnage that would ensue. Well, you get the point.

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Non-plant Additives

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he last category of nutrients are compounds manufactured with the intention of applying them to your plants but are not actually plant food. Included in this category are items that have not been accepted far and wide by the scientific agricultural communities as having a role in plant development, but a gardener who swears up and down regarding their use is never that far off.

#1 Thiamine (B-1)

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any, many products contain vitamin B, commonly believed to enhance root development and aid in other biological functions of the plant, including stress prevention. However, there is little credible evidence to suggest B-1 has any effect on plants, positive or negative. Admittedly, the world is acutely in need of further study of the Cannabis plant, but healthy plants and microbes in the environment will produce B vitamins on their own. The practice of applying B vitamins to plants allegedly arose after the discovery of auxins, or plant growth regulators. Further research indicates that supplemental B vitamins are completely non-essential for plant growth. Fortunately, there is little evidence pointing to any adverse effects either, so if B vitamins are working in your garden, donʼt stop now.

#2 Plant Multivitamins

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ittle evidence supports the benefits of B vitamins, but at least they were mixing auxins with B vitamins in an attempt to determine if there was a benefit. As for the alleged spoils of using a plant multi-vitamin? Have thee no shame? I overheard a local hydro shop salesman advising an inquisitive gardener of just such a product. “I mean, you wouldnʼt go out and start an exercise program, get all the right supplements and proteins but not even take a multivitamin would you?” he asked, eyes widening. “Same thing for plants: before you give it any nutrients, be sure it has all its vitamins, regardless of which base nutrients you choose.” Sadly, even the website of the manufacturer of the product offer a similar explanation albeit more “cleverly” marketed.

They are able to get away with these types of claims because they use the term “accelerated growth environment.” These three words offer the marketing leeway they need. Yes, we garden the only dioecious annual flowering herb so far discovered, and, yes, it grows in an indoor environment that can be classified as unmatched anywhere outdoors. Regardless, the idea that an “accelerated growth environment” so drastically shifts the biological needs of the plants enough to reset the fundamentals of the plantʼs functions is absurd. Such claims are supported precisely nowhere outside of four studies funded and conducted entirely by the manufacturers.

#3 Food-Grade Flavoring

I

thought I had seen it all. Okay, I admit Iʼve tried it. You probably have too if youʼve ever tried a flavored sweetener. Save yourself the trouble and simply buy oil-based food-grade flavor from your supermarket and add it to your sweetener and or use it with your flush. It will, in my experience, impart both the smell and taste of said oil. Iʼm wonʼt suggest dosages as I donʼt endorse this practice for any non-private grower, but the one batch of sour cherry kush and root beer raskal OG I pulled has put me on a path to hunting for some pretty interesting phenos.

For more info, visit Youtube channel (drscandersongt) or email thegreengardengroup@gmail.com. As always, happy gardening!

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BEHIND THE STRAIN

BY DR. SCANDERSON FOR NORTHWEST LEAF

Jedi Kush

Lineage Swerve is at it again taking only the most sought after

Chem-influenced genetics and capturing them in seed form. Created by Team Death Star out of the midwest in the early ‘00, the strain gained fame and recognition after 2010 High Times cover story. The strain had already made its way to the East Coast and gained massive popularity around 2005. Naturally, Cali Connection Seeds and the head breeder, Swerve, were the first to release genetics by obtaining cuttings and crossing it to the famed San Fernando Valley OG Kush.

HOW IT GROWS

Jedi Kush’s

>> A creeper strain without the lethargy or fatigue, Jedi Kush is the host of an infomercial for your mind and you can’t shut it off.

The Effect:

smoke report: Large raised trichomes ascend from bright green calyxes. They’re white, large and plentiful, and yes, we’re talking about the resin heads. Medium density nuggets maintain a certain sponginess that makes preparing the medication for smoking simple. Looking like a heavy yielding SFV OG Kush, one expects an explosion of fuel and pine cleaner when opening the bag, but that would be wrong. The Death Star brings completely unique, spicy, hashy, earthy scents of nutmeg and cardamom that explode from the bag like opening a spice cabinet, before giving way to a soft, sweet lemon cream pie smelling finish. Sweet, spicy citrus flavors grab attention on the first inhale leading to several successive “sips” on the pipe, generously filling my lungs & satisfying my curiosity. Lung expanding OG Kush is so well known for its flavors it reminds me of the key lime pie someone named Fran is serving right now at a country diner.

The Genetics: Death Star (East Coast Sour Diesel x Sensi Star) X SFV OG Kush

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strong East Coast Sour D influence is immediately noticeable in veg when the plant quickly roots and grows vigorously. Light lime green sativa dominant hybrid leaves grow quite large, rapidly.

This plant loves to stretch her internodal spacing but takes growth patterns from her Sensi Star lineage — growing wide, wide, wide. She has a tendency to dominate the canopy if not controlled, performing best with high N levels deep into flower (up to day 20-21). It can be counted on to produce a sizeable volume of medium-large, evenly spaced kolas prioritizing weight & resin production over smell, making her a great choice if stealth is a concern.

Have adequate support, as her wide structural shape, large internodal spacing and dense flowers combine with a slightly weaker stem (from the SFV OG Kush no doubt) that easily bends & snaps stems under the weight of her blooms, especially after flower day 50.

‘‘

Did I medicate yet?

I dunno, did I? I’d better wait a little first. What? So cerebral I almost couldn’t tell that I had medicated as extensively as I had...almost. Jedi Kush makes reality “more real,” bringing a rushing surge of clarity, awareness & energy so similar to waking from a good nap it’s hard to remember it’s Cannabis. It’s certainly a creeper, taking full effect after 10+ minutes. Unlike other creepers, there is no lethargy, there is no fatigue. Jedi Kush is the like the host of an infomercial for your mind and you can’t shut it off.

The lung-expanding Death Star brings with it completely unique, spicy, hashy, earthy scents of nutmeg and cardamom.

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