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contents
may 2014
BHO Concentrate produced at X-Tracted Labs
in Seattle
22
X-TRACTED.COM
38
44
Concentrates
PROFILE
58
M a r ijua n a ca n t a k e m a n y f i n a l f o r ms , b ut the va r i ety o f ex tr ac ti o n metho ds o ut ther e r es ult in t h e m o s t p o t en t o n es . In o u r 3 r d A nnua l Co nc entr a tes Is s ue, w e’ l l meet p r o d uc er s , pr o c essors, a n d e v e n p eo p l e w h o u s e i t a s t h e bas i s fo r thei r mus i c . Do n’ t w o r r y. We’ l l has h i t a l l o ut late r.
18
8 Questions for...
30
The Kettle Falls Five
22
Global Grower
42
Tasty Recipes
26
Future of Taxing Pot?
52
Strain of the Month
34
Port Orchard Review
94
Dr. Scanderson
Ed Stremlow of Analytical 360 Sjoerd Broeks has been everywhere Martin Nickerson takes on the feds
Island friendliness at Green Comfort
What lead authorities to raid patients?
Pam TwiceBakedInWA’s new column
Beautiful buds shown up-close
Fool-proof methods for rooting seeds
national news...................12 8 questions.........................18 global grower.......................22 taxing pot...............................26 kettle falls 5.........................30 port orchard review............34 tacoma review........................38 tasty recipes..........................42 extracts 101...........................68 micro strains.........................86 dr. rose...................................90 seeds............................94 behind the strain..................102
COVER & CONTENTS PHOTOs by Daniel Berman/Northwest Leaf
contents
58
Concentrates
Photo by Daniel Berman
NORTHWEST LEAF
VISIT nwleaf.COM |
Facebook.com/nwleaf | email Nwleaf@gmail.com
editor’s note Thank you for checking out the 47 th issue of northwest leaf! Please sign, read and share the I-648 Real Legalization measure inserted in this issue
T
hey say April showers bring May flowers, but after this wet weather we decided to bring out the concentrates! Our annual concentrate issue features 16 pages of in-depth information, product reviews, processor interviews and more. There is always something new to learn in the MMJ world, and we have tracked down the very best resources to make your medicating decisions informed and safe. This month’s 8 questions section features Ed Stremlow, CEO of Analytical 360, who talks about the importance of testing in the Cannabis industry. We also hear from Martin Nickerson, whose tax case is about to take a major jump into Federal Court. A major breaking story this month is that of the so-called Spokane Five, a group of defendants facing more than 65 years in Federal prison for a Eastern Washington grow that was within legal limits. This case
should be a warning to anyone planning to grow outdoors this year, and anyone who thinks that the Fed’s aren’t prosecuting individual patients. Check out the story for more information and to learn how you can support the five. This month also has two great access point reviews, a new micro strains, great grow tips from Dr. Scanderson and an interview with a grower building MMJ greenhouses all the way out in Massachusetts. There’s a new herbal monograph from Dr. Rose, and sweet strain and medible reviews inside. Make sure to get up to speed with nationals news from Steve Elliott, who always manages to entertain and deliver the facts. Overall, this is one awesome issue that I couldn’t be more proud of. Check it out, share it with a friend, and remember to be grateful for the wonderful access to medication we enjoy in Washington!
may 2014
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 photographer & designer
the truth about the plant you thought you knew, IN every issue.
Daniel Berman contributors Steve elliott kirk ericson Audrey King tyler j. markwart bob montoya Dr. Scanderson dr. Scott D. rOSE 420 media
Department of Corrections
Last month’s Tasty review misspelled Auntie Dolores’ Caramel Corn. We apologize for the mistake. It could have been all the reviewing.
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national
A plan for clemency in the war on drugs
W
hite House officials told Yahoo News that President Obama is prepared to use his pardon power to grant clemency to “hundreds, perhaps thousands” of people who have been jailed for nonviolent drug crimes. The report said the administration is making moves that will help it handle the increase in petitions that Obama is planning to sign off on before he leaves office. White House counsel Kathryn Ruemmler said Obama has directed the Justice Department to improve its clemency recommendation process and recruit more applications from convicts. The White House’s moves would follow in the footsteps of a January announcement that the Obama administration would taking the unprecedented step of encouraging defense lawyers to suggest inmates whom the president might let out of prison early, as part of its effort to curtail severe penalties in low-level drug cases. In December, Obama commuted the sentences of eight federal inmates convicted of nonviolent drug offenses involving crack cocaine. Obama said
Obama to pardon ‘hundreds, perhaps thousands’ of citizens sentenced for drug law violations
the eight men and women had been sentenced Obama has been under significant public presunder an “unfair system,” including the 100-to-1 sure from advocacy groups and family memsentencing disparity between crack and powder cobers of people who are serving mandatory mincaine offenses that was reduced to 18-to-1 by the imum drug sentences. Fair Sentencing Act of 2010. “This would be a positive step toward rightIn the past year, Attorney General Eric Holder has ing the wrongs of our broken criminal justice made forceful public statements against mass incarsystem,” said Anthony Papa, media relations ceration in the United States, promising significant manager for the Drug Policy Alliance. As some rollback of mandatory minimums of you may recall, Papa was grantand harsh sentencing guidelines. ed clemency in New York State in In December, Yet, despite his administration’s 1997 after serving 12 years under Obama commuted declared support for substantive the notorious Rockefeller laws. the sentences criminal justice reform, until now “I hope governors with the same of eight federal Obama has used his power to grant power at the state level follow his inmates convicted of nonviolent drug clemency less frequently than nearlead and reunite more families.” offenses involving ly all other U.S. presidents. “With half a million people crack cocaine. “There are still too many peostill behind bars on nonviolent ple in federal prison who were sendrug charges, clearly thousands tenced under the old regime and who, as a result, are deserving of a second chance,” Papa said. will have to spend far more time in prison than “Congress should act immediately to reduce they would if sentenced today for exactly the same the draconian federal mandatory minimum crime,” Holder said in a video address, reports Julia sentences that condemn thousands to decades Edwards at Reuters. behind bars for nonviolent drug offenses.” Photo by Pete Souza/The White House
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Quick Hits!
1000 400 300 10 60 206 130 60 83
Number of I-502 retail applications that have been denied for zoning issues or document filing issues.
Average price of a top shelf ounce in Colorado, after taxes, which the state views as buying the equivalent of a keg of beer. An expensive keg... Number of patients served in the first week The Agrestic was open as the first MMJ facility to operate in Corvallis, Oregon.
Age of Colorado elementary school students who were buying Cannabis products that had been pilfered from a parental stash. They’re 4th graders.
illinois patients can hold onto their guns
Percentage of points lost in pot stock GrowLife after trading resumed for the first time in two weeks at time of print. That is an enormous decline there.
The provision of MMJ law that would have forced caregivers and patients to voluntarily surrender their guns has been removed
standing of the conflict between gun ownership and medical marijuana use, according to an Associated Press article. The wording drew many complaints from gun owners who hoped to apply for medical marijuana cards; many said their Second Amendment rights were being violated. It said gun owners who get medical marijuana cards “may be subject to administrative proceedings by the Illinois State Police if they do not voluntarily surrender” their firearms owners ID cards or concealed carry permits. “Anything that makes it less burdensome for the patients is always a good thing,” said Julie Falco of Chicago, who notes that she uses medical Cannabis to control the pain and symptoms related to multiple sclerosis. “It never did make any sense,” she added.
Number of applications for the Nevada MMJ program from 109 companies to begin operating in one of the newest MMJ states.
Thousands of patients who have registered for the Michigan MMJ program which has brought in millions In licensing fees for the state coffers.
Photo by Flickr/ViperStealth
s
tate officials had posted preliminary rules for the Illinois Medical Cannabis Pilot Program that barred medicinal Cannabis patients or their caregivers from obtaining a firearm’s card if they were part of the program. That provision has now been removed from rules that will be officially filed for review later this week, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. It was not immediately known whether the same provision about concealed carry weapons permits had also been removed from the rules. “I’m happy to see that they have changed the provision,” said Democratic Rep. Lou Lang, who sponsored the MMJ legislation and sits on the committee that will vote on the official rules. “I did ask them to remove it. I’m not the only one who did.” Both patients and caregivers would have been required to certify their under-
Thousands of plants seized in a Sacramento, California raid called “Operation Safe Counties.” Over 2,100 pounds of Cannabis, 70 firearms and over $1 million in cash were also seized by officials. Age of Grandmother Patsey Marlene Maxwell, who was arrested and found to be in possession of over four pounds of marijuana.
Quoted
‘‘
I thought it was a very positive message for our children about having safer choices when they become adults. If people thought it was so bad for the city’s image, then why did we have so many tourists? -Miguel Lopez, the organizer of Denver’s massive annual (and still illegal) public marijuana celebration on 4/20 in downtown’s Civic Park. The event was the first since Colorado legalized recreational use of marijuana. Some naysayers argued the day was an abuse of the new laws.
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16/MAY 2014 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF
national
Steve Elliott is the editor behind tokesignals.com, an independent blog of Cannabis news and opinion
Arizona Judge Orders County To Pay Dispensary’s Attorney Fees
A
rizona Superior Court Judge Michael D. Gordon ordered Maricopa County to pay $190,000 in attorney fees to a Sun City medical marijuana dispensary operator who successfully challenged the county’s refusal to provide zoning clearance for the facility. Judge Gordon also ordered the county to pay an additional $3,700 in other legal costs to White Mountain Health Center, plus another $5,000 penalty for trying to impose a complete prohibition on medical marijuana dispensaries, according to an Associated Press article. Gordon previously ruled that White Mountain’s lawsuit that Maricopa County wasn’t in compliance with Arizona’s medical marijuana law, approved by voters in 2010. The county is appealing the ruling that allows dispensaries, pointing to federal laws against “marijuana trafficking.” But since the judge’s initial ruling, Maricopa County in January approved a new ordinance allowing medical marijuana dispensaries in commercial zones, and cultivation sites in industrial zones.
New Hampshire
patients remain unprotected as senate fails to PASS mmj bill
T
he New Hampshire Senate’s Health, Education, and Human Services Committee failed to take decisive action on a bill that would provide licensed patients with legal access to medical marijuana while the state develops a system of regulated cultivation and distribution. Instead, the committee voted 3-1 to refer the bill for “interim study.” HB 1622 passed the House in a 227-73 vote March 6. If the Senate upholds the recommendation of interim study, patients will likely continue to have no legal protection until alternative treatment centers open, which could take another year and a half or more. The bill would allow licensed medical marijuana patients or their designated caregivers to possess up to two mature marijuana plants and 12 immature plants or seedlings. Patients and caregivers would be required to report their cultivation locations to the Department of Health and Human Services, and wouldn’t be able to cultivate once an alternative facility opens within 30 miles of their residence. An amendment proposed by Wright would have added a sunset provision, repealing the home-grow option when the fourth alternative treatment center opened. Senators decided against this option in a 3-1 vote, with Republican Sen. John Reagan dissenting. “Passing HB 1622 is the only way to make New Hampshire’s medical marijuana law workable for patients in the here and now,” said Matt Simon, New England political director for the Marijuana Policy Project. “Gov. Hassan and a number of senators are still putting the opinions of a few police chiefs ahead of the needs of seriously ill patients.”
Alabama Supreme Court
decision upholds right to arrest women who use drugs during pregnancy
T
he Alabama Supreme Court on April 18 issued a 8-1 decision in Ex Parte Hicks upholding the conviction of Sara Hicks, who gave birth to a healthy baby who tested positive for cocaine in 2008. This decision affirmed the court’s prior ruling in Ex Parte Ankrom, agreeing that that the plain meaning of the word “child” in the Alabama law unambiguously includes fertilized eggs and that pregnant women may be arrested for using a controlled substance while pregnant. The chemical endangerment law was passed in 2006 to deter people from taking children to places where controlled substances are produced or distributed such as methamphetamine laboratories. Since 2006, over 100 women who became pregnant and tested positive for a controlled substance have been arrested. Some have experienced pregnancy losses, but the majority – like Sara Hicks – have continued their pregnancies to term and given birth to healthy children.
As a result of the rulings in Ankrom and Hicks, no exception exists from prosecution for pregnant women who used controlled substances that are prescribed by physicians. “Such prosecutions of pregnant women “The health of women are misguided because they treat drug use and children will be and addiction as a moral failing that will improved if pregnant respond to threats of punishment,” said women are given Tamar Todd, senior staff attorney at the access to medical Drug Policy Alliance. care and treatment “The health of women and children will rather than deterred be improved if pregnant women are given from seeking it access to medical care and treatment through threats of rather than deterred from seeking it imprisonment.” through threats of imprisonment.”
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Steve Elliott is the editor behind tokesignals.com, an independent blog of Cannabis news and opinion
Illinois Priced out of the market? The high costs to become a Cannabis farmer
P
rospective medicinal Cannabis businesspeople in Illinois say the high cost of entry will prevent many with expertise from entering the new industry. Under proposed rules for the new law legalizing medical marijuana in Illinois, would-be Cannabis farmers need a $2 million surety bond, $250,000 in liquid assets, $25,000 for an application fee, and $200,000 for a permit fee, and an approved site. “We have the know-how,” said Robert Boyce, who grows vegetables, flowers and herbs in Lake Zurich greenhouses. “We have the manpower, the familiarity with growing herbal and medicinal plants, knowledge of building greenhouses. But right now, you’re looking at three to five million dollars in startup costs.” Yes, it seems having a green thumb isn’t as important as having a lot of green if you want to enter the medical marijuana industry in Illinois. While state regulators claim initial costs could vary
16/MAY 2014 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF
widely, they say they want to ensure that those who want to run medical marijuana cultivation centers or dispensaries have sufficient money to operate, especially early on when they have to make big investments before earning can begin. Many patients complained that the $150 patient registration fee is too high, and that the requirement to fingerprint patients and investors is intrusive and excessive. But some industry operators support the business fees, saying they will separate the “real business people” from dreamers who don’t have the money to Would-be farmers start an expensive business. must have $250k The proposed rules involve in liquid assets four state agencies and covand pay $25k for er 226 pages. Though Illinois’ an application. medical marijuana law techThen if it all goes nically took effect this year, through, there is it could be 2015 before Cana $200k permit. nabis is available to patients, with the potential for more public hearings and more changes to the rules before that happens.
Photo by flickr.com/blipsman
national
Michigan Saliva Testing For Drugged Driving Worries medical marijuana patients
M
edical marijuana advocates are fighting proposed changes to saliva testing because of questions surrounding the accuracy of the tests. Michigan’s driving laws that would allow police to check a “The test does not confirm intoxication,” pointed out Robin Schneider of driver’s saliva for the presence of drugs during a traffic stop. the National Patients Rights Association. The Michigan House Judiciary Committee on April 17 heard testi“What the test says is either yes, you have marijuana in your system, or no mony on a three-bill package of legislation concerning “drugged driving” it doesn’t. We want arrests to be based on the driver recognition evaluation, and make driving under the influence of a controlled substance subject to not based on the saliva test.” the same testing as drunken driving, reports Brian Smith at Medical marijuana patients are allowed to drive under MLive.com. the influence, but only if they aren’t driving erratically or A “new tool Michigan law already allows for blood, breath and urine causing a danger to other drivers. Schneider said patients in the toolbox” testing for driving impairment. House Bill 53895 would add who get pulled over, even if they are driving safely, would on fighting DUI, saliva testing through a mouth swab. The Los Angeles Police test positive. said a Michigan Department is using saliva tests at DUI checkpoints in a “Driving with miniscule amounts of Cannabis metabState Police pilot program that has been active for about a year now. olites in your system is not an activity that is inherently legislative liason The changes would “put a new tool in our toolbox” for dangerous,” said Rick Thompson of the Michigan chapter dealing with impaired driving, Sgt. Dwayne Gill, legislative of Americans for Safe Access. “Scientific testing, and the liaison for the Michigan State Police, told the House panel. Gill claimed validity of tests, are done by scientists, not by police officers.” the cops wouldn’t immediately use the tests until the science behind them The committee will continue to hear testimony on the bills, which would was proven. allow cops to confiscate drivers’ licenses and issue temporary permits for Medical marijuana advocates told legislators they are worried about “drugged drivers,” as they do for suspected drunken drivers.
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8 QUESTIONS
By tyler J. markwart | Photo by Daniel Berman
THE INSPECTOR
ed stremlow The founder of Cannabis testing lab Analytical360 on creating new standards, and the expensive-but-necessary process of proving what’s really in your bud.
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#1 Why the move from offices in Wallingford to new SoDo digs? We started the move on April 1 and we will be out of the Stone Way building and into the new building by May 1. We will be doing some work in the new SoDo building in between while we set up -- almost half and half. We kind of wanted to do something a little bit different and we built our own tables, which are kind of artsy. We wanted to make it as comfortable as possible to work in. We’ve built everything in-house, pretty much the whole facility, including our lab software. We really like this location with all-concrete floors. We have a lot of usable lab space and it works well for us.
#2 What technology do you use to test the cannabis? We do mass spectrometry, HPLC and gas chromatography. You know, there’s really no right piece of equipment for everything. Our residual solvents are tested on the GC, all the cannabinoids are done on the HPLC. Some things are tested more accurately on certain pieces of equipment. We like to test HPLC for all cannabinoids because the majority of the plant is in acid form. We want to see the plant in its original state and not only that, we also want to be able to tell people if they have activated their concentrates. We also have a terpene profile that we’re running on the HPLC. We will be doing a more extended profile on GC when we get more settled in after the move.
#3 How long does it take you to run an average sample? From beginning to start, it’s 48 hours; sometimes up to 72 hours, if we have to do any reruns … but usually the information is available on the Internet within 48 hours. Sometimes the testing is more difficult because we don’t know the parameters of what they are putting into the edibles so we have to adjust the dilution factors and make a couple of runs sometimes to figure it out.
#4 are you seeing differences between samples taken from the top of the plant and the bottom of the plant? I’ve done some samples where we’ve seen a 30 percent variance. It kind of depends on how the producer grew the plant -- if they grow it tall or if they pull it back, the difference of the nutrient intake from the top to the bottom of the plant. You also have light to take in as a factor. Some of the people can minimize those variances from top to bottom, but it’s a lot more laborintensive, so they have to decide whether or not that is financially feasible for them. Some people may be growing a crop to just blow into a concentrate or to infuse it into an edible, so they may not be worried.
#5 As the largest testing facility in Washington, are you working on developing any standards and regulations for testing in the I-502 recreational market? We have been working with the Liquor Control Board on some of the standards they have been setting for the recreational market. I do think that a lot of the standards as far as testing are concerned are going to be similar in the medical market in the future. Obviously, there is going to have to be changes because the recreational market hasn’t been structured to support the
‘‘
You have to know what you are looking for and it might take a multitude of tests to find all those different things.
medical market. A lot of restrictions on concentrates would limit the medicines available to patients with epilepsy and other illnesses. I think that’s a big thing with the medical vs. the recreational. There is this big push to have to be on your death bed; you have to be critically ill. A lot of people in this community would argue that using marijuana for depression is better than taking a pharmaceutical. We see more deaths off of regulated pharmaceuticals than we see off of unregulated marijuana, I think that’s important to note.
#6 Do you see marijuana being accepted more as a medicine? I do think that there is a place for marijuana in pharmaceutical research, but it’s also a homeopathic medicine, meaning it doesn’t have to come in a pill to make it safe. There is kind of this push to make it medical, but to push it to biotech and pharmaceuticals. I think it definitely has its place if we can deliver consistent medicines, but there are challenges with that too because it is a whole-plant extract. We saw Marinol come out as a pharmaceutical and it wasn’t effective for many people. Pharmaceutical companies try to focus in on one or two compounds as the active ingredients and what we have here is more of a homeopathic medicine, which is more effective as a whole-plant extract treatment.
#7 Patients have begun to document the effects that certain strains have on their disorders. can you help? That’s a challenge in itself, too, because just like in pharmaceuticals, it may work for some patients but it doesn’t work for others. With epilepsy, for example, I know a lot of patients who CBD doesn’t work for. Some have even tried the all-hemp extract, which is 100 percent CBD, and that doesn’t work either. Others may need CBD for their seizures and some need THC for their seizures. We’re all wired differently and some of it, I think, is an attack on THC as everyone starts to jump on the CBD bandwagon. It’s easier for people to jump on board with that because it is non-psychoactive, but we know that there are many documented cases of patients -even children -- benefiting from THC medicines.
#8 Has Analytical360 thought about genetic sequencing? Yes. We have a lot of interest in DNA sequencing and cell tissue culture, anything that the market demands, we would like to get into once we have the capital. A big thing that most people don’t understand about lab testing is that there isn’t just one piece of equipment I can take a sample over to that can tell me everything. You have to know what you are looking for and it might take a multitude of tests to find all those different things. It’s really expensive and the medical market couldn’t bear a lot of those expenses before because the margins aren’t as high as people think they are. We definitely want to do sequencing and tissue culture in the future. We’re kind of spread thin right now but growing quickly.
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@ OLDWORLDCANAPA @ CANAPA_
@ CLERICSUPPLYCO
ACCESS
By Wes Abney | photo by Daniel Berman
One of Sjoerd’s California grows
Global Grower SJoerd BroEks
has been everywhere.
The Amsterdam native turned Californian travels the globe in search of the finest strains and genetics available in an epic, relentless, pursuit of the best. We met up with him as he visited Washington for a quick stop over.
22/MAY 2014 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF
We were growing 10,000 plants at a time and we would keep the 10 best females and the three best males and develop all the possible crosses. What was the cultural attitude toward Cannabis growing up? I was born in Holland, in the Netherlands, and back then everyone was smoking hash. My family was always involved in the industry, especially in the early 1970s. They used to grow the Dutch varieties, the Lemons and the Purples.
Did you want to work with Cannabis as you got older? I never really had a choice. I was crawling around plants before I could walk. My stepdad had a half acre or so of flower, and I grew up around it. I never wanted to do anything else. When I was 14 [and living in England], I told my career officer that I wanted to move back to Holland and grow pot. He didn’t like that very much.
When did you first start cultivating? I grew my first two plants in England, and got my first caution there. That’s their version of a ticket. I went and talked to the police chief and argued with him. I told him that they were all male plants, and that they were ornamental. Back then, if you were growing a couple plants on your balcony it was no big deal.
Did that experience make you want to grow more? I moved back to Holland in 1997, and things were just getting started there. There were only a couple seed companies. I helped found the Cannabis College, and put the first plants in there, and helped set up the Flying Dutchman Seed Company. The Cannabis College was set up as an information center about industrial hemp and medical Cannabis to educate tourists and locals about the plant. Upstairs was mostly literature and pictures, but if you wanted to learn about growing, you could pay a donation and come down to the basement. I was the gardener from the start, starting with 150 plants to teach with. Over five or six years, the authorities whittled us down to five plants flowering. Today the college still exists, but it is owned by Sensi Seeds.
What was the Cannabis breeding scene in Holland like at that time? What had happened in the 80s was that Americans had collected sativa strains from around the world and started making the first crosses in California and then shipping them out to Holland. By the 90s, we were taking these genetics and making our own crosses and versions. We were growing hectares at a time -- 10,000 plants -- and we would keep the 10 best females and the three best males and develop all the possible crosses. Those greenhouses are what produced a lot of the seeds available today. And, once we had chosen our selections, we would let others come pick from the remainder. A huge rush of breeding came out of that.
Did you stay in Holland? In the early 2000s, we started to work in Switzerland. It opened up and started allowing people to grow in greenhouses down
there. You could produce Cannabis, but you couldn’t sell it for smoking. But there were all kinds of loopholes, and of course as soon as the country opened, it was flooded with growers. I think every Dutch person who grew was there in Switzerland at the time.
What would you do with a harvest if you couldn’t smoke it? The authorities would destroy the overage, but the purpose was breeding. It was worth it to grow all the plants to get the right genetics.
Genetics has been a major cause for you, and you’ve traveled all over the world searching for the best. What drove you to do that? I want to be a custodian for this plant. I’ve seen what happens to other normalized plants that become commercialized crops. They lose genetic variety, and many have been almost destroyed before people start protecting and growing heirloom varieties. So I traveled around the world from 2001 to 2006, visiting roughly 20 different countries in search of rare genetics to try and preempt the destruction of the gene pool so that in 20 or 30 years we aren’t left with five or six strains in the entire world.
By 2009, you ended up in California, where you’ve been ever since. How has the state changed, in your view? When I arrived to help with my mother-in-law’s Cannabis farm, the state was a mess. Everyone was trying to figure out what to do, and the value of flower was very high [over $3,000 a pound] so people weren’t running projects efficiently. I told the people I worked with that it was going to be priced around $1,000 a pound in the near future and they thought I was mad. But my goal was always to be as efficient as possible, and now I work as a consultant for people doing exactly that.
How does the consulting work? My partners, Jan Carlos Byl and Adam Dunn, and I founded it about nine months ago to provide consulting services to emerging medical and recreational states. Right now we are in California, Massachusetts, Illinois, Nevada, Arizona, Washington, Colorado and Canada.
What do you see as the future for MedCanna?
I can see us running an ethically based business helping states get good programs going. Every state has different standards, so I want to try and put in standards for all aspects of the industry. Our company is working to standardize issues like plant count, integrated pest management, microbial counts/limits, employee rights, Sjoerd Broeks extraction methods/solvents, overage guidelines, qualifying MedCanna Consultant conditions, interstate transport and more. I believe that to Med-canna.com see [MMJ] go well nationally and internationally, we need places with good systems, and we want to help develop those.
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feature
By Wes Abney | photo by dANIEL bERMAN
the future of taxing pot Why Doug Hiatt & Martin Nickerson are fighting the feds over buds and bucks to avoid a nasty new legal precedent
Rehashed
7 reasons to be glad you’re not Martin Nickerson :
1
Charged with 14 felonies in 2012 relating to the manufacture and intent to deliver and sell marijuana. All his charges contend he was selling Cannabis illegally. He contends his collective garden access point, Northern Cross Collective, was running in compliance with state law at the time.
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2
His assets were seized in a civil forfeiture case, which cannot be addressed now due to the Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination. This case is stayed until his current criminal charges are resolved.
3
Shortly after the state raided and seized his assets, the state Department of Revenue contacted Martin/Northern Cross Collective to inform them of a past due sales tax account. The department demanded that the collective remit sales tax, which would be admitting to the direct sale of Cannabis and incriminate him in the pending criminal cases.
As
legalization fever looms over Washington like a manic fog, Martin Nickerson’s medical Cannabis taxation case continues down a dangerous road for the future of Cannabis. His case has escalated to federal court, a point of no return. The crux of the case can be summed up in one simple question: Can a state tax a federally illegal and controlled Schedule 1 substance? If Martin does pay his sales tax, he could be incarcerated for 14 pending felonies. If he doesn’t pay his sales tax, he risks further action by the state Department of Revenue on a tax bill rapidly approaching six figures. The strategy that attorney Douglas Hiatt has developed for Martin’s case involves murky territory. Nobody has taken a state into federal court regarding Cannabis. Period. “In a nutshell, we’re stuck,” Hiatt said in an interview at his downtown Seattle office. “We have to go to trial. The whole framework has been completely screwed up. Federally everything is still illegal, and we have a recreational vs. medical battle that is making everything worse.” And with the issue at hand This question could force the being taxation, a lot of potential revenue is on the line. Their feds to reschedule Cannabis. goal is to force the court to rule on whether sales tax can be collected while Cannabis is illegal on the federal level. Such a ruling could have many implications locally and nationally, and affect the future of Cannabis legalization. Colorado is collecting roughly $2 million a month in recreational sales tax alone, making the stakes high for money-hungry state governments. If the taxation is ruled illegal, state governments, including Washington and Colorado, could potentially lose billions. This question could force the federal government to reschedule Cannabis. Cannabis is a Schedule 1 drug, which means, according to the feds, it has no proven medicinal benefits. That’s an obvious fallacy, considering the 21 states and the District of Columbia which recognize the medical use of Cannabis and 12 more are looking at it in 2014. “This issue is out there, but I don’t know if the feds will take our case or toss us. But we have hit a point where we don’t have a choice,” Hiatt explained. “We are also confident that we have a valid argument that needs to be heard. But we won’t know the outcome until we get to court.” Hiatt said there will be a future court day set in either May or June. Until then, it’s business as usual for Martin at his Northern Cross dispensary. “We are going to keep helping patients, and hope that the state and the federal government can figure out this tax and scheduling situation out once and for all,” he said. Nevertheless, Martin is facing the rest of his natural life behind bars.
4
Martin’s attorneys recommended that he not pay sales tax due to his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, and things went into a holding pattern for several months.
5
The Department of Revenue issued tax warrants against Martin, which cannot be contested without payment. They also seized his bank accounts, taking roughly $800 from a personal account.
6
Due to the actions of the Department of Revenue, Martin and his attorneys have decided to take the case to federal court. He still cannot pay his sales tax bill without incriminating himself in the 14 felonies, which could carry a sentence of 40-plus years in prison.
7
The next step is to take the case into federal court, with options and potential outcomes unknown. Will he ever really go unharassed by the law?
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Booth Make spaces are your r eserva filling up tion n ow!
The Nation’s largest legal cannabis convention and lifestyle expo. Ever! Connect
If you’re serious about Cannabis as a business, for medicine or recreation, CannaCon is the most important event for you to attend in 2014. As the first event of its kind, CannaCon connects manu-
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CannaCon is the only place you can see 1000’s of goods and services representing the state-of-the-art in cultivation supplies, lighting technology, and control systems to maximize yields in your grow room. CannaCon Seminars will connect you with the information you need to succeed in the Green Rush. CannaCon has assembled the Who’s Who of the Cannabis world to offer lessons in canna-business operation, grow techniques, the latest information about canna-
Retailers Printing/Packaging Professional Services Business Seminars
bis as medicine, and the facts of legalization. The weekend becomes a celebration of Cannabis as a lifestyle where CannaCon connects your company to the consumer and connects all of us to the freedoms we’ve fought so hard to regain. Book your sponsorship or booth space today at CannaCon.org. Or call 206-941-0951 to speak to a representative.
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Unbelievably, five medical Cannabis patients in Washington are facing over 65 years in prison for growing medicine legally under state law.
ACCESS
A year before voters legalized it,
the feds raided a legal patient grow,
ignored paperwork, convinced a judge
for a warrant on
trumped up charges and called it a day
hurling phrases like 'decade-long-sentence'
at
seven legal patients in Kettle Falls, Washington
Kangaroo court
By Wes Abney
30/MAY 2014 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF
photo by 420 media
for NORTHWEST LEAF
The Kettle Falls 5, as they have been dubbed, serve as a direct contradiction of the Obama administration’s insistence that they “are not prosecuting individual patients at this time.” It all started with a civilian air patrol flyover in the summer of 2012. The patrols are considered routine in areas known for growing Cannabis outdoors; helicopters and planes fly low with spotters looking for plants. About 90 minutes outside of Spokane, Larry Harvey, 70, and his wife, Rhonda Firestack-Harvey, 55, own 33 acres in a remote area near Kettle Falls. They were growing with Firestack-Harvey’s son, Rolland Gregg, his wife and three others who have asked not to be named. They had seven current authorizations for medical Cannabis on the property, as of August 2012, and kept their plant counts within legal limits. They had prepared for the air patrol, painting a sheet of plywood with a giant green cross and placing it next to the outdoor garden on the edge of their property, in the northeast corner of the state. In states such as California, where outdoor growing is both prevalent and tolerated, the green cross is known to be a symbol clearly
visible from the air. But the day the air patrol flew over, the sign was ignored. They passed their discovery of the grow information to the local sheriff ’s department. The authorities filed for a search warrant, ignoring evidence that it was a medical grow in the affidavit before raiding the house on Aug. 9, 2012. They placed Firestack-Harvey under arrest after she indicated that the grow was medicinal. Then they seized 29 plants, cash, legal firearms and other personal assets while leaving 45 plants on the property. The group thought that was a signal that they were still OK under state law, and the local Stevens County prosecutor appeared to agree. According to records, no charges were filed relating to the grow in state court. Then a strange thing happened. One week later, Drug Enforcement Agency agents knocked on their door. The grow was cut down, vehicles and motorcycles were seized, along with anything else of potential value under asset forfeiture actions. Again, search warrant affidavits showed that the medical legality was not mentioned, and the judge who signed the warrant believed it was a
black market illegal grow. case has moved forward for trial, scheduled May During the next year, as Washington’s voters 12. Defendant Larry Harvey spoke to the media chose to legalize Cannabis, the case was dormant. after the pretrial hearing, echoing similar sentiThen, in February 2013, five of the seven who ments as Rolland. were connected with the grow were indicted and “We were growing a few pot plants up there charged in federal court with six felonies each: just for our own consumption and along comes conspiracy to manufacture and distribute marithe law,” Harvey told lTV news KXLY. juana, manufacture of marijuana, possession with “We thought we were legal, as far as the state is intent to distribute marijuana, distribution of concerned we were legal,” he said. marijuana, possession of a firearm in furtherance “The federal, we didn’t understand that at all.” of a drug trafficking crime and maintaining a This is all because of disparity between federdrug-involved premises. al and state laws, said Seattle attorney Douglas They all face mandatory minimum sentences of Hiatt, who has consulted on the case. 10 years with the potential for life in prison. “If I walk into federal court to defend a case For Gregg, the experience has been a nightlike this and I mention medical Cannabis laws, mare that he cannot wake up from. they will tell me to shut up or they’ll put me in “We thought we were following state law,” he jail,” Hiatt explained. said in a phone interview before the April 22 “I am tired of patients being prosecuted under pretrial hearing. federal law. This case is a perfect example of the “We never imagined this could happen.” proof that at any time a U.S. attorney can take you The case went to a pretrial hearing April 22 in into court, and you can’t even raise a medical dethe courtroom of Judge Fred Van Sickle at the fense. There’s no justice if you can’t tell the truth.” Thomas S. Foley U.S. Courthouse in Spokane. Many patients and recreational users alike have The five defendants been lulled into complacency since presented motions regardCannabis was “legalized” in Washing the issues with the ington. search warrants, which had “If you are a patient in Eastern merit for a Franks Hearing, Washington and you have an interwhich would have investiaction with local law enforcement "Where are gated the information used and you have a gun, it can and will we right now? on the search warrant in turn into a situation where the feds further detail. The motions come and get you,” Hiatt said. Federal court! clearly got under the skin “Now don’t get me wrong. I hate of Assistant U.S. Attorney Federal law says you guns, but if I lived in that part of the Earl Hicks, who exploded state with bears and cougars in my can’t grow pot," in the courtroom. backyard I would want a gun too. U.S. Assistant Attorney “I have one question for This whole situation is a tremendous you. Where are we right misuse of federal power.” Earl Hicks yelled out now? Federal court! Federal Every single legal patient growacross the Spokane law says you can’t grow ing in this state needs to be aware pot,” Hicks yelled, looking of this case, and the potential for courtroom on April 22. across the courtroom. further federal actions. “Under federal law Just ask Gregg. His life is conyou could be arrested for sumed by this. growing two plants ... “My experience has taught me Under federal law it doesn’t that no matter where a person matter that they had [MMJ authorizations]. It’s a grows, the feds and local law enforcement will violation of federal law.” seize your assets and divide the proceeds,” he said. But he wasn’t done yet. “I learned there is an equitable sharing program “I have chosen, right here as a federal prosethat pays local and state law enforcement for cutor, to prosecute them. This is just as much a busting medical marijuana patients and providers, firearms case as it is a marijuana case. It is the making it extremely profitable for local cops to lawlessness of the MMJ community that has led cooperate with the feds. to this ... and this federal prosecutor right here All five of us defendants have joined forces to will not tolerate firearms at a marijuana grow. We fight this together, but the government keeps will vigorously prosecute them and anyone else offering plea deals, trying to break us down. with a firearm at a marijuana grow.” Right now, going to trial is the best way to defend In the end all motions were denied, and the ourselves.”
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access
GREEN COMFORT
Reviewed
By STEVE ELLIOTT for NORTHWEST LEAF | Photos by Daniel Berman
medicated brownie The Score
p re se ntation: g re e nNE SS: intensity: TASTE : tota l: 18/20
Green With Envy’s edibles don’t have lab test results on them, but I’m confident that getting those tests and putting the results on the packaging would increase sales. This is the most potent brownie I’ve had in awhile, and I speak as someone with elevated tolerance. Most dispensary brownies barely register on me, but when I had this deliciously moist and fresh one -- with not a trace of green flavor -- for breakfast, I was delighted to get quite pleasantly medicated about 40 minutes later.
frankenstein The Score
ar o ma: d en s it y: cu r e: appearance: f l avo r : ef f ect: t o tal : 26.5/30
INDICA
s ATIVA
While Frankenstein is $12, not $10 like most of the strains at Green Comfort, the extra two bucks a gram is money well-spent. This 50/50 indica-sativa blend combines the best of both worlds, with soaring euphoria at onset followed by significant pain relief and eventual relaxation as the indica part of the family tree makes its presence known. “Frank” makes a good all-day smoke if you want to effectively address pain and nausea without being nonfunctional or couch-locked. These flowers are definitely potent enough to break through your tolerance and are a noticeable mood elevator. While they work fine in a bowl or vaporizer, joint smokers might want to leave the flowers open overnight to get rid of a little of the moisture. The cure left them just a bit too moist for an easy toke on a joint, and you wouldn’t want to waste weed that’s this fine.
Frankenstein bho wax The Score
AROMA: F LAVO R : A P P E A RA N C E : PURGE INTENSITY: t o ta l: 21/25
Strains 4.5/5 You’ll be greeted with about 25 strains at Green Comfort, with most of them going for $10 a gram. Frankenstein is an exception at $12, as are Strawberry Quik and Lemon Pez, which are two gourmet strains from the same grower. A variety of flowers are available; on the day I visited, 11 indicas, 11 hybrids and four sativas were on the shelves. Watch for the jar-bottom specials because you can get extra weight for your money.
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concentrate
Frank wax is popular with Green Comfort’s patients, Sandy told me. She referred to it as “our famous Frankenstein oil.” At $40 a gram, it smells good and looks enticing, and the aroma and appearance aren’t deceiving. Frank delivers a smooth, solvent-free taste, indicating a good purge, and a satisfying intensity and immediacy of effect. You’ll love this stuff for vaping.
Edibles 4.5/5 If you like edibles, you’ll love Green Comfort. It has a variety of treats from master cook Green With Envy, and the brownie I had was not only delicious and fresh, but it was also potent – surprisingly so because my tolerance sometimes makes edibles difficult to discern. You’ll also find dose-specific edible gummis, rings, fruit belts and drops. Clari-Teas’ medicated chai tea is a healthful non-soda choice, if you prefer to drink your Cannabis.
Concentrates 4/5 Just as Frankenstein is the marquee star of the flower selection, it also rules the concentrates at Green Comfort. The Frankenstein BHO wax, at $40 a gram, is potent and by taste and appearance, it’s well-purged. If you’d like to try some Frankenstein BHO, e-cig vape pens are available for $15. Also on hand is a selection of Dama Oils, including high CBD oil, with samplers starting at $10.
Sandy and Amanda genuinely enjoy helping patients, and they have such a fine time doing their jobs that most people will leave with a smile, Steve Elliott reports. Environment 3.5/5 You might think you’re in an average dispensary when you first walk into Port Orchard’s Green Comfort, which celebrates its first anniversary in May. The average-appearing waiting room (door wide open to budroom?), the artificial tree with pot leaves, the water fountain and tasteful photography aren’t memorable, but the experience is. You’ll meet some of the friendliest budtenders around. The day I visited, Sandy and Amanda were working, and I rarely find nicer budtenders.
Overall 16.5/20 Green Comfort isn’t the biggest or flashiest dispensary around, but once you get inside and check out what it has to offer, you’ll be impressed by a solid flower lineup, a good variety of edibles and a thoughtful selection of extras such as lighter leashes (perfect for keeping track of your flame after a few tokes), beeswax hemp twine (for avoiding butane fumes when lighting up) and the vape pens. The staff have such a fine time doing their jobs that most people leave with a smile.
green comfort collective 3280 SE Lund Ave, Port Orchard 98366 (360) 519-3753 greencomfort1.com
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Top Shelf Quality with friendly access open daily from 11am-10pm
north snohomish county’s newest collective!
Monday-middle shelf Monday all $10 strains are dropped to $8/gram Tuesday-top shelf Tuesday all $12 strains dropped to $10/gram Wednesday-hash Wednesday all concentrates are buy one get one 1/2 off Thursday-vape Thursday but 3 cartridges get 1 free Friday-fun Friday any top shelf ounce for $200 Saturday-start up Saturday all clones $10 each Sunday-Sunday Funday any special
15804 Highway 99 Suite A Lynnwood, WA 98087 435-967-7220 MedicineMen99@outlook.com Hours 11-10 everyday
access
Cannatonics society Strains 4.5/5 Cannatonics puts information before hype when it comes to strains and it shows. Each strain has an information card detailing test results, information on its effects and, when available, genetic information. Flowers range from $10-12 and include high cannabidiol options, along with classic high THC strains such as Girl Scout Cookies and Larry OG. If you are looking for strain information without the pain of dealing with an uninformed budtender, Cannatonics’ selection is perfect.
38/MAY 2014 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF
Reviewed
By WES ABNEY | photos by dANIEL bERMAN
Edibles 4/5 There is a fine in-house line of edibles and top-quality options from known vendors. In-house options are all $6 and have 40 mg THC on average. Outside edibles include high CBD Bare Butter peanut butter and regular butter, lots of medicated gummies and the Mondo granola bar for those wanting a healthier option.
Concentrates 5/5 With the recent addition of a Moroccan-style hash bar, Cannatonics has one of the best concentrate selections in Tacoma. Test results for the options make everything easier, especially with BHO. All the options were low in residual solvency and high on terpenes and cannabinoids, plus, there is a good selection of solventless bubble hash and CO2 or BHO vapor cartridge options.
The collective offers up a museum-worthy collection of antique Cannabis items, including an authentic Cannabis tincture bottle dating back to the early 1900s, which isn’t much older than the Passages Building (1888) that’s housing it all.
Cannatonic flower ( Indica) 10.61% CBD This top-shelf flower tested at 6.57 percent THC and 10.61 percent CBD, along with 6.27 percent terpenes and a smattering of other cannabinoids. Considered a 1-1 ratio, this flower packs a ton of medicinal value into a single toke. It smells sweet and skunky, with a light muskiness that rounds out the overall tones and flavor. The flower is dense and well-structured, with frosty trichomes visible on the light green surface. The flavor is excellent, and the effects ease on you like a warm blanket on a cold day. As one of the best flavored Cannatonics phenotypes, this is one special strain worth trying. The Score
a r o ma: d e n s it y: cu re: appearance: flavo r : e ff ect: to tal : 25/30
crispy peanut butter balls 12mg THC These artfully frosted balls of deliciousness are from an Italian family recipe passed down to the in-house baker at Cannatonics. The container comes with four servings, each rated to have 10-12 mgs of activated THC. These melt into your mouth at first bite, with an intoxicating peanut butter and rice crispy crunch that has just the right firmness. There is a light-green flavor, but it mixes well with the overall ingredients and presentation, making it hard to stop at just one ball.
Environment 5/5 The apothecary-style collective exudes sophistication. From the waiting area, one can look out a picturebook window at historic Tacoma sites, or at the multiple display cases housing a museum-worthy collection of antique Cannabis-related items, including a Cannabis tincture bottle dating back to the early 1900s. The collective has a clear vision, executed with an eye toward safety (secure entry, elevator access, a patient at a time). It was constructed with nearly 100-percent recycled material.
The Score
visual: TA S T E : G R EEN i n e s s : INTENSITY: t o ta l : 15.5/20
cbd capsules 0.86mg THC 2.25mg CBD These CBD capsules are just what the doctor ordered for anyone interested in starting CBD therapy. They feature a low dose of THC at 0.86 mg with a solid dose of CBD at 2.25 mg. At just over $2 per capsule in the bulk bottle, they are also affordable and a consistent value. In addition to the cannabinoids, the capsules also contain a healthful herbal blend, making them suitable for treating ailments such as PTSD, depression, anxiety and pain. The Score
c o s t: ef f ec t s : pac kag i ng : test results: t o tal: 17/20
Overall 18.5/20 From ADA accessibility to a knowledgeable staff, Cannatonics is worth checking out. Because the Passages Building (est. 1888) is part of the Tacoma Register of Historic Places, you can check out a previous chapter of Tacoma history while experiencing the next chapter. Afterward, try the cafe next door for a tasty bite, and explore all of the high-brow culture of Opera Alley.
CANNATONICS SOCIETY
708 BROADWAY TACOMA, WA 98402 (253) 302-5539 www.cannatonics.org
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recipes
Cannabis Coffee Chia Seed Pudding
By Pam TwiceBakedInWa for Northwest Leaf
I’m not typically a coffee drinker,
but when the creator of Siddhi Bhang Infusions handed me a few sample pods of organic coffee and Cannabis that will be released shortly I could only say yes. I am a big fan of their products. Though I don’t have a single serve coffee brewer, I was able to easily use the product in my French press for great results.
From there, medicated pudding was invented. This simple, 5-ingredient pudding will provide your body with a dose of fiber, medium chain triglycerides, and omega- 3 fatty acids. Cannabis coffee chia seed pudding is perfect to pair with your breakfast or taken as a healthy snack by itself. Enjoy!
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1/2 cup chia seeds 1 tablespoon vanilla 3/4 cup thick coconut milk 2 tablespoons raw honey (to taste) 1 cup medicated coffee of choice, cooled
Photo by Daniel Berman
1. soak the chia seeds in the coffee until they have absorbed the liquid and thicken. 2. blend the chia seed and coffee mixture with the rest of the ingredients until smooth. Pour into a bowl. 3. chill in fridge. Serve when set.
The author is a new contributor to the magazine with the debut of her monthly medicated recipe column. Follow along at Twicebakedinwashington.com
E
SPOK ANE
s.
Quality. Class.
5
1716 N Ash Street Spokane, WA 99205
ty trim. prices.
(509) 262-6413
Open 10:00am - 6:00pm Monday - Saturday Daily Specials Availiable Friendly Knowledgeable Staff First time patients recieve FREE gift with any donation
Great Selection of Flowers, Edibles, & Concentrates
Lilac City is always looking for quality trim. Please ask us about processing or prices.
recipes
Photo by Daniel Berman
By Pam TwiceBakedInWa for Northwest Leaf
Dark Chocolate Vegan Brownies 4 medjool dates, finely chopped
1. soak the cashews and almonds for a few hours or over night. Drain the water and blend with hemp hearts until smooth. .
1/4 cup local, raw honey
2. whip room temperature MMJ coconut oil
4 tablespoons Flax, soaked with 12 tablespoons water
1 cup cashews 1/2 cup almonds 1/2 cup hemp hearts 1/3 cup MMJ coconut oil 1 cup cacao powder 1 tablespoon Vanilla
and gradually add remaining ingredients.
3. add the nut mixture to the coconut oil and blend well. You cannot over mix these. 4. press into a greased 7x11� pan and bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.
5. cool , slice & serve with compassion.
I recently had a very sweet Granny hand me four grams of BHO and ask me to make her some brownies She requested that
they be gluten-free, low in sugar, and something that I would be able to eat. That meant I needed to create a recipe that would be free of grain, dairy, eggs and processed sugars. I also needed to consider the health of Granny. She needs to watch her sugar because she has diabetes and must be cautious with nuts due to her diverticulitis. To manage those demands I made sure the nuts in this recipe were fully blended to a buttery consistency when I made her batch.
I couldn’t be happier with how fudgey, satisfying, and potent these brownies came out. Granny approved!
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Visi t Us Toda y
(253) 212-9152
We e k d a y s 1 0 a - 7 p Saturday 10a-5p Sunday closed blue widow
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Medible Monday B u y 2 e d i b l e s g e t 1 f re e ! TopShelf Tuesday $10/g of the best! Discount Saturday $5 off any BHO!
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Bring in this NW Leaf ad for special discounts & offers! Lots of edibles!
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Search “mother earth’s holistic health”
support i-648 6 Steps to contacting your Legislator
Step 1 Find out what district you live and/ or work in by going to www.app.leg.wa.gov/ districtfinder/ Step 2 Acquire your State Senator and Representatives email, phone number and office addresses from the links.
Step 3 Check with one of the many advcay groups out there if there is any pending legislation that you should support or disagree with, such as...
Marijuana Business Integration (www.meetup.com) Cannabisactioncoalition.com Sensiblewashington.org
Americansforsafeaccess.org
NORML www.norml.org MPP www.mpp.org
Step 4 Write an email or a letter, call or make an appointment to visit your Senators or representative’s office in your district or at the state Capitol in Olympia.
Step 5 Be courteous when you engage in your conversation with your representative, building a positive relationship with them is key to not only getting your point across and having them take you seriously, but also getting them to drop an amendment to a bill on your behalf. Educating them about your personal situation or that bill may negatively affect your business, home or personal life is the best way to have them understand your position.
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A pat ie n t s e rvic e an n ou n c e m e n t fr om Nor thw est Lea f Please sign, read. share & submit the I-648 Real Legalization paperwork that was inserted inside this issue.
The legislature has made moves to fold medical cannabis into the recreational system when it it clear they must remain separate. Patients are stepping up politically and By Don Skakie for NORTHWEST LEAF moving beyond waving signs to actively engaging their elected representatives. Activists have put together initiative 648 to address many concerns and the Medical Safe Access community is coming together to debate proposed regulations to move forward to the legislature in the 2015 session.
Why we need to band together and support Real Legalization
I-502 deliberately missed home growing.
This was to maximize tax collection and control, but if a product is legal to possess, it should be legal to grow. Because anyone is able to grow does not mean that everyone will. But they should not be forced to the 502 stores for what they can produce themselves. The 502 stores should exist to serve the recreational consumers who do not produce for themselves and want that “convenience’’. Sharing remains illegal even as everyone passes to each other as we always have. 648 provides for home growing without tax, fee, license, permit or registry.
Young people and families are impacted by I-502 as well. They face arrest for what is legal for adults. Parents face loss of custody as they are unable to provide cannabis or guide youth like they always have with alcohol. A glass of wine at a family dinner or a beer while bonding with dad is responsible guidance that should be mirrored with cannabis. Parents should be allowed to act in the best medical interests of the children as well. Young people who misstep should be summoned to court. 18-21 year olds can see the judge, while those younger should appear with their parents/guardians. But we should not be putting them in jail for a first offense of something that is legal for adults. 648 addresses these points.
5ng/ml THC per se DUI limit of I-502 is not an accurate indicator of impairment across the general population in the manner that .08 percent blood alcohol content (BAC) is. For patients, many are not only not impaired at 5ng, they are unable to function without it at even higher levels. 648 would exempt patients from the 5ng limit and would require proof of impairment as it is for all other substances other than alcohol.
I-502 legalized up to one ounce, but more is a misdemeanor. If the ounce is legal, a little more should be an infraction, not a trip to jail. 648 would make possession from +28g to up to 40g an infraction. It would also provide for removal of convictions for what is no longer a crime. This will have a great impact on people with those charges on their records. NW Leaf is supporting 648 by inserting a 4 signature mail in petition in this issue. Please take the time to find it and read it. It is designed so anyone can read it in the privacy of their own home, share it with family, friends, neighbors and coworkers discreetly, signed and then mailed directly to the Yes on 648 campaign. Please make copies to share with your people that may never see it elsewhere.
Legalization
www.facebook.com/reallegalizationwa
CANNABIS CONCENTRATES EDIBLES CLONES GLASS
40+ strains starting at $4/g $79 ounces
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NORTHWEST LEAF
STRAIN OF THE MONTH By Wes Abney | Photo by DANIEL bERMAN
This strain smells
like a skunk met a cantaloupe and... well, you can imagine the rest. This is one stinky strain! Deep musky and earthy smells explode out of a bag or jar of this flower, with the sweet fruit smell almost completely lost in the background. Just one gram was enough to completely overwhelm this reporter’s SUV with Canna-scent for days.
The sweet flavor of the Cantaloupe comes to light when
smoked, yet it lacks any of the earthiness of the bud smell. The smoke is smooth and almost too easy on the lungs, leaving you wanting another toke of time after time. Effects match the reported 70% Sativa dominance, with a light stoniness that creeps in behind an initial rush of energy.
We enjoyed this strain
for daytime pain or an energy boost, and at night as an option for those burning more than just the midnight oil. The effects tend to fade after about two hours, so this is a good strain to keep returning to throughout the day. Of noticeable effect it did not seem to cause the munchies or the typical “blah” effect in the mind. Creativity and stimulation definitely went up with the smoke with this strain!
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Conway Kush
17.94% THC-total / 0.29% CBD-TOTAL / 0.35% CBG-TOTAL
Just one gram was enough to completely overwhelm this reporter’s SUV with Canna-scent for days.
Terpene Profile 1.44% 1.25% 0.19% 0.78% 0.66% 4.32%
Linalool Humulene myrcene Caryophyllene Caryophyllene oxide TERPENE-TOTAL
Available from 221 rx collective
AKA Cantaloupe Island Kush
18729 Fir Island Rd. Suite C Conway, WA 98238 (360) 445-4221 twotwo1mmj@outlook.com
Tested By
ANALYTICAL 360 Cannabis Analysis Laboratory
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Special Issue
F eaturing
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BUBBLE HASH RATI NGS DABBING HEATS UP EVERGREEN HERBAL CO2 ORGANICS EXTRACTS 101 OIL COLLAGES BEAT I NS PI RATI ON TRY NEW DAB TOOLS explaining SOLVENCY HOW TO DAB YOUR HASH
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CONCEN Stories by Northwest Leaf staff & contributors
ENTRATES photos by daniel berman
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Concentrates
5 star hash guide
Star System for Rating Bubble Hash
W
hen it comes to bubble hash, not all products are created equal. While there isn’t necessarily a bad hash, products can vary by strain and method of extraction. The hash being rated in the star system is made using bubble bags, hence the name bubble hash. It is a solvent-free concentrate and is safe for consumption by all patients. While much of the medical Cannabis world has turned to solvent-based concentrates, superior bubble has attracts connoisseurs, with some of the best in the world produced in the Northwest. As trends go, the latest craze in the dabbing world has been full–melt, dabbable five star hash. This guide is designed to help patients distinguish what quality of product best fits their needs, lifestyle and budget.
Debunking the Micron Myths
B
ubble hash is made by filtering Cannabis trim/buds through bubble bags. The bags act as a net to catch THC trichomes, which separate and gather at the bottom of the bags. Much like fishing, the bag size, measured in microns, varies on the size of the trichomes the maker is hoping to catch. The quality of the hash is not necessarily dependent on the size of the bag. It’s based on two factors: harvest time and strain phenotype. If a crop is harvested before the trichomes fully develop, the chances of having a four to five star yield are minimal. You simply won’t have enough trichomes. The second factor comes down to the strain being used. Some strains tend to have larger crystals, so a larger micron bag will yield higher quality hash, while other strains tend to have smaller crystals, making a smaller micron bag necessary for a good yield. It is good to experiment with various methods.
1 star Description: Varied color, very harsh earthy taste. Will fully combust When heated.
Dabbable? No. Melt level: 1 (0 percent melt) Expected donation: $10-$15 per gram
Another pro tip for producing top quality solventless hash is the adage, “Put good in, get good out.” Treat your trim with respect, and freshfreeze it for best possible results.
History of Hash
H
ash is thought to have originated in the Middle East, with its use dating back thousands of years. In places such as India, Cannabis grows naturally. Over time, specific strains were chosen and cultivated for their hash-making properties.
Traditionally, hash is made in two ways. The first is to take the flowers of the plant and rub/roll them with your hands until enough trichomes are on your fingers to scrape off. The second method was perfected in Morocco, where hash makers slap cured branches over a silk screen to shake off the trichomes. It isn’t easy, but it can produce large yields. Today, a huge variety of extraction methods and tools exist for making hash. Still, we find the best way involves ice, water and a little bit of elbow grease.
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2 star Description: Dark green with an earthy flavor. When heated, forms a slight sheen and combusts.
Dabbable? No. Melt level: 2 (25 percent melt) Expected donation: $15-$20 per gram
Special Guide
SPECIAL THANKS
A Greener Today
for providing samples to photograph for this huge issue, including our cover and the two bubble hash guide(s).
3 star
info@agreenertoday.com (206) 801-7756 Shoreline (206) 257-0894 Rainier Beach agreenertoday.com
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BUBBLE HASH RATI NGS DABBING HEATS UP EVERGREEN HERBAL CO2 ORGANICS EXTRACTS 101 OIL COLLAGES BEAT I NS PI RATI ON TRY NEW DAB TOOLS explaining SOLVENCY HOW TO DAB YOUR HASH
Description: Dark brown, earthy with hints of original strain flavor. Forms small bubbles on surface when heated before combusting entirely.
the best way to make hash involves ice, water and a little bit of elbow grease
Dabbable? No. Melt level: 3 (50 percent melt) Expected donation: $20-$30 per gram
4 star
Description: Light brown, less pronounced\
flavor profile. When heated, bubbles into a puddle.
Dabbable? Yes Melt level: 4 (75 percent melt) Expected donation: $40-$50 per gram
o nl ine
5 star
Description: Blond, full-flavor profile. When heated, fully melts into oil.
Dabbable? Yes Melt level: 5 (100-percent melt) Expected donation: $40-plus per gram
Full Issues, Archived
5 star
Good vs. bad dabs, BHO extraction vs. CO 2 issuu.com/nwleaf/docs/may2013/48
Purging, best practices, and Rick Simpson Oil issuu.com/nwleaf/docs/may-2012/40
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Concentrates Tyler J. Markwart prepares to dab
Dabbing HEATS UP
Domeless Titanium Nail
Domeless Titanium Nail
No matter how you heat it, concentrates are powerful. Still, the type of tool you use will have solid advantages and possibly some downsides. So which kind of tool should you be a‘tokin’? Very hot e-nail
Shatter Extract
By Tyler J. Markwart | photo by dANIEL bERMAN
W
ith an array of new companies, accessories and technologies available to patients, the talk about the proper temperatures for dabbing Cannabis concentrates comes up in discussions repeatedly. With the focus of the topic of temperature on terpene and cannabinoid retention, patients have experimented with an array of temperatures when it comes to getting the most flavor and medicine out of each dab. Butane gas heating is a convenient way to get your nail to its proper temperature. It’s quick and portable, but not sustainable. Because canned gas has to be purchased in order to refill and use the torch, it ends up costing you and the environment.
Quartz and titanium have both been the industry standards for dab rigs using nails. With quartz, patients are able to get a clean hit because it does not emit gas when heated. Titanium, on the other hand, has several grades at which it is produced and sold. Because of the differences in the production of titanium alloys, some metal nails can off-gas, which is not desirable for medical patients. Thankfully, those grades are becoming
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Wax Concentrate CO2 Syringe
within the industry. So which one is better? Depending on how you handle your equipment and what your goal is, the chart below can help you compare the advantages and disadvantages.
E-nails are another dab accessory in
which the nail is constantly heated by electricity. These stand-alone units plug into a standard wall socket, allowing patients to dab without having to use an open flame to heat the nail. With a high entry cost, the e-nail is not for everyone, but it works for patients who are constantly dabbing in the same location.
Vape pens are fairly new on the
scene and have been growing in popularity. With many styles available for various types of concentrates, patients have a variety of options to help them medicate wherever and whenever they need to. Vape pens are effective because they are discrete, portable and work instantaneously. They don’t give the same size hit as a dab rig, but they are excellent for on-the-go use or in public places.
tITANIUM Flavor of Dab [ 3 ] Dab duration [ 4 ] Heat Up Time [ 3 ] Durability [ 5 ]
Quartz
Flavor of Dab [ 5 ] Dab duration [ 2 ]
Special Guide
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BUBBLE HASH RATI NGS DABBING HEATS UP EVERGREEN HERBAL CO2 ORGANICS EXTRACTS 101 OIL COLLAGES BEAT I NS PI RATI ON TRY NEW DAB TOOLS explaining SOLVENCY HOW TO DAB YOUR HASH
Heat Up Time [ 4 ]
Butane Torch
Durability [ 2 ]
e-nAIL
red = category winner or tie
Flavor of Dab [ 3 ] Dab duration [ 5 ]
Oil Vape Pen
Heat Up Time [ 2 ] Durability [ 4 ]
Electro-formed Dab Chubbler
vAPE PEN Flavor of Dab [ 3 ] Dab duration [ 5 ] Heat Up Time [ 5 ] Durability [ 4 ]
Carb Tap & Dab Tool BHO
REVIEWS
Should I pasteurize?
Heated at 160 F for five seconds, this method helps to reduce the amount of pathogens such as E. coli when cooking edibles with concentrates.
What are concentrates made of?
Proper purging is priceless
Looking at Analytical 360’s lab results for concentrates, we can see that sample results have varied ratios of cannabinoids. Scientists have been able to identify hundreds of chemicals present in Cannabis flowers, ranging from cannabinoids to plant waxes. When marijuana buds or flowers are processed into concentrates with solvents, they need to be purged and pasteurized for safe consumption. With CO2, dry sift and water extractions just the pasteurization process is needed to ensure proper processing because no residual solvents are left in the sample.
In this process, pressure and heat are combined to help purify the concentrates by removing processing chemicals. Most medical patients can handle butane consumption in low levels of 50 to 1,000 parts per million, but it is not pleasant, people can sometimes cough wildly and feel a close chest. Butane can also cause serious side effects when consumed continuously and in larger amounts, especially by patients with compromised immune systems. With side effects ranging from excessive coughing to death by chemical poisoning, patients should ask for test results that show residual parts per million in the product they are buying. A properly purged product will dab fantastically at a lower temperature with less irritation on the throat and lungs, leaving the patient with more available medicine and flavor and an overall better experience.
What does it mean to winterize your extracts? The cell walls of the Cannabis plant can sometimes contain large wax concentrations. This is an evolutionary advantage for land race genetics because Cannabis has adopted itself in almost every single environmental condition on earth. Some areas such as mountain ranges and higher altitude locations are susceptible to colder weather and more intense solar radiation. The waxy coatings help protect the Cannabis plant against transpiration, pests and radiation damage in more intense environments. Unfortunately for patients, plant waxes are one of the leading causes of excessive coughing when dabbing. Waxes also contribute
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Concentrates
With a full line of tasty, professionally packaged and properly tested medibles, the folks at Evergreen Herbal have never been busier.. We took a tour of their SoDo production facilities to see how concentrate edibles get so good.
By Wes abney | photos by dANIEL bERMAN
evergreen HErbal
F
rom start to finish, Evergreen Herbal has found a way to build a product line around one extraction method: CO2 processing. Just three years ago, CO2 was a fantasy in the Washington medical marijuana business. Today, with the influx of quality processing equipment, the method is being used around the state for everything from fully dabbable products to precursors for edibles. For Marco Hoffman, Evergreen Herbal’s chief executive officer, the vision of using CO2 to change a market place has become a reality. Together with Delaney Toupes, the head processor for the company, the two have developed a product line with impressive depth and created an image among consumers that has helped bring medical Cannabis toward the mainstream.
wITH HEALTH IN MIND The company chose to build around an Eden Labs CO2 processing unit for many reasons -- the main one being consumer safety and health concerns. But the choice goes beyond that, into the realm of efficiency in edibles and in improved taste for consumers.
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“Patients are
Evergreen Herbal’s line of products includes raw CO2 for dabbing, available in both Nug Run and mixed-blend options, and a new vaporizer cartridge containing raw product for use in vaporizer pens.It also uses food-grade CO2 for a variety of products, including lemonades and other beverages, herbal tea blends, candy bars, tootsie rolls and honey sticks. All products use the CO2 as a precursor to provide the medication that patients are looking for. “We want that first taste of our oil to be good. Not tasting of chemicals, or propylene glycol, or a chemical sealed wick in a cartridge,” Delaney explained. “CO2 preserves the terpenes, the flavonoids and the overall integrity of the medicine. We believe it makes for a much better product experience.” But if you think it was easy getting to this point, guess again. Marco and his partner have invested nearly $2 million into their production facility, with more changes and developments coming each month. In addition to equipment and the warehouse itself, a lot of energy and capital has been invested into developing the method of infusing the oil into their products.
going to make the choice of which product they are going to medicate with, and we strive to operate from a position of transparency.”
Special Guide
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Each product requires using the oil in a different way to ensure it will have its intended effect in an edible. The biggest issue for the drinks was developing emulsifiers, which keep the medicine suspended in the liquid evenly. The process wasn’t easy to develop, and it has had its ups and downs. But what sets Evergreen Herbal apart is its willingness to always improve, and the investment they continue to make in the products. Today, it’s shipping more than 1,000 cases of drinks each week to a network of 250-plus collectives. To fill those weekly orders, a complicated and involved process has to be carried out step-by-step, and the two were happy to explain it to us. “Our machine runs 5 pounds of trim at a time, with 12-hour runs. It actually runs 24/7, always processing to keep up with the demand,” Delaney said over the throbbing hum of the machine. “Before we can even run a batch we have to ensure that the trim or bud is going to meet our standards.” When product is brought into the facility, it immediately goes into isolation, where it is inspected for microbial growth and overall quality. If approved, it heads to the drying facility to ensure all moisture is removed. Dozens of racks fill the drying room, all separated by strain and date of intake. Once it has been approved, it heads to the extractor to be processed. During the course of a 12-hour run, Delaney or an assistant will draw off CO2 every half hour in the beginning, and less frequently as the run nears an end. This keeps the oil fresh and avoids recirculating through the filters, keeping terpenes at peak levels. It is then stored in a dark room for up to 24 hours, before heading to the secondary processing area. It is then either designated for raw use and de-moisturized for the filling of applicators or decarboxylated for use as food-grade oil. If it is going to end up in a lemonade, the oil is turned into a powder, and after several proprietary
BUBBLE HASH RATI NGS DABBING HEATS UP EVERGREEN HERBAL CO2 ORGANICS EXTRACTS 101 OIL COLLAGES BEAT I NS PI RATI ON TRY NEW DAB TOOLS explaining SOLVENCY HOW TO DAB YOUR HASH
steps, mixed into a syrup blend. Then the syrup is mixed in with reverse osmosis water, bottled and shipped off to a collective. Different processes happen for the other medibles, all revolving around the food-grade oil. With the oil being used in so many ways. The company wants to ensure consumer safety and trust for the overall brand, and it has done a great job doing it. “We want people to educate themselves about extractions and their medicine. Patients are going to make the choice of which product they are going to medicate with, and we strive to operate from a position of transparency,” Marco explained. “Consumers have a right to know. And I’m a consumer too!” www.forevergreenherbal.com.
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Concentrates
CO2 ORGANICS Love isn’t just in the air at the CO2 Organics facility in Willapa Bay in southwest Washington. It’s vibrating through the plants and oil produced in the facility about 2.5 hrs SW of Seattle. By Wes abney | photos by dANIEL bERMAN
In a method unlike any other in the world, the
and we work to translate health into the business team behind the company has infused love, passion at every level.” and science into Cannabis. Founder Daniel Lameire is For CO2 Organics, it all begins with the flowa raw foodist and former audio engineer and he broader. Most product is grown in-house, and outside casts the frequency the human body emits during feelproduct is thoroughly screened and quarantined ings of love through every step of processing the plant. before being approved for processing. And in case you are wondering, or hoping to woo a “If I don’t feel comfortable with a batch of prodperson or plant, that frequency runs at 528 hertz. uct, I won’t run it,” Daniel said. The 8,500-square-foot facility rests above the Willa“Even if it’s ours. I view this in the same way pa River, in a group of buildings the city of Raymond I do food. If you put in good food it becomes a has designated for Cannabis production. Inside they part of you. I think about our medicine, and what blend an organic grow facility with CO2 processing, our consumers want. Would you want quality and which has combined for an integrated system that ennoble product in your system, or would you want sures quality and fair prices. poor grade?” “We had many reasons for choosing CO2 as our solThe company is betting on the latter, and the revent for extracting. We want out product to sults at the recent DOPE cup have maximum flavor and terpenes, to be as prove it. Still, a lot of persuadpotent as possible while still getting familiar ing and education is needed to Sales # (360) 862-5104 flavor and taste, and for the overall health of switch BHO users over to anCO2organics.com the consumer,” Daniel explained. “I believe other solvent-based extraction. that Cannabis is a plant made for humans, “I believe people’s percep-
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tion of CO2 is changing, and it will only make the extraction more popular as people learn about the health benefits and the risks of other solvents,” he said.
“Our message would be that from beginning to end our process is as clean as possible for human consumption.” Part of that process come from Daniel’s passion for raw foods. While chopping fruits and raw Cannabis juice cubes into a blender, he explained how raw foods, and truly raw CO2, are different from other versions. After chopping and processing the ingredients, he took a sip of his creation and shared his thoughts. “The less you alter a plant source for food or medicine the better. True raw food/medicine means not heating any part above 188 degrees, which we stick to with our method.” Almost as if in a passing thought, he offered
Special Guide
The 8,500-square-foot facility rests above the Willapa River, in a group of buildings the city of Raymond has designated for Cannabis production. Inside they blend an organic grow facility with CO2 processing, which has combined for an integrated system that ensures quality and fair prices.
up this side note. “I believe everyone should eat a raw Cannabis plant a day, or at least a raw plant extract.” The raw CO2 is available at collectives across Washington and comes in discrete packaging that feels professional. Batches are tested through Analytical 360, and information is available online and through the packaging. The CO2 applicators also have a stainless steel tip, making medicating easy and limiting product waste.
As a reminder for dabbers, the metal
tip should not be touched directly to a hot nail — instead a slight gap above will allow the oil to flow smoothly into vaporization. The regular oils can also be added to a variety of portable vaporizers without any chemical cut, and the smoke and flavor released is both smooth and potent. When dabbed, the experience is quality and works with all platforms. The company also has a new line of vapor cartridges coming out, under the Happy Cat logo, with
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“I believe everyone should eat a raw Cannabis plant a day, or at least a raw plant extract, CO2 Organics Founder Daniel Lameire told Northwest Leaf two blends of mixture agents. One is a traditional propylene glycol mixture and the other is an organic blend that doesn’t contain potentially harmful chemicals. While the company and industry is confident in PEG/Cannabis blends in cartridges, it wants to offer the organic option for those who are extremely health conscious. The team behind the product is so connected to the plants and process that they even spend time in the garden outside of normal maintenance duties. “We sit with our plants at night and meditate and try to find a connection between the medicine and us. It’s all about the positive energy.”
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Concentrates
By Northwest Leaf Staff | photos by dANIEL bERMAN
LEFT TO RIGHT: BHO, CO2 Oil, dama-brand Rick Simpson Oil
Follow the three-second rule: Don’t hold a hit in longer than three to five seconds because you’re not increasing the amount of cannabinoids absorbed into your system. You are merely decreasing the amount of oxygen your lungs are able to take in.
extracts101
Six wonderful things to know about concentrates
for use. With the average dose being the size of a grain of rice, a little FECO goes a long way. While FECO should be made available at a compassion rate at most collectives, average price is $25-50 per gram.
5. What is dabbing?
O
ne of the best parts of the medical Cannabis industry is that new products and innovations are constantly emerging. The downside can be a lack of information, especially for innovations that haven’t reached the average user. The perfect example of this is Cannabis concentrates. While most veteran patients are familiar with the likes of Rick Simpson and high-grade bubble hash, the dabbing movement has caught many by surprise. The following primer is meant to break down the types of concentrates, the attributes to look for and avoid, and the common lingo and prices you should expect.
1. What is a concentrate? A concentrate is an extraction of Cannabis and can be produced with or without a solvent such as butane, ethanol or CO2. Common examples in Eastern medicine include essential oils. Anyone using concentrates for the first time should do so with abundant caution. Concentrates range in THC from 50-80%, and can have be overwhelming for many initial users. Take a small hit.
2. What is BHO? Butane hash oil, or BHO, refers to Cannabis concentrate processed with butane. All BHO should be tested by a lab for residual solvency, which is the amount of butane left in the mixture. All medicinal use should be less than 500 parts per million, with the best range being 0 to 50 parts per
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million, especially for those at risk of cancer and other serious diseases. High quality BHO commonly donates for $30-50 per gram.
3. What is CO2? CO2 extraction is one of the cleanest and safest methods of extracting any type of plant matter. Carbon dioxide is pumped at supercritical temperatures under high pressure to pull cannabinoids from the plant material, leaving a pure concentrate. CO2 is not toxic to humans and kills any microbial growth in the process of extraction. Plus, CO2 can be used for more than just Cannabis concentrates. It can be used to create natural essential oils. Mainstream products processed with CO2 include herbal essential oils, hops for beer and decaffeinated coffee. Because of the investment required to process CO2 (Roughly $75,000) the average gram donates for $50-60 per gram.
4. Full Extract Cannabis oil? Full extract Cannabis oil, or Rick Simpson Oil as it’s commonly referred to, is a pure Cannabis extract that has been used for decades to fight cancer and other diseases. It should only be made with pure alcohol (food grade ethanol or grain alcohol) and should be properly purged of residual alcohol before ingestion. FECO should never be vaporized or dabbed because the alcohol is bad for the central nervous system. When eaten, the alcohol is safe
Dabbing is simply vaporizing the herbal concentrate. But it does often involve a torch, and a vaporization surface commonly called a nail attached to a water pipe. The nail is heated until hot (see our dab temperature article for more on this) before a small amount of concentrate is touched to the surface. The user inhales through a water pipe, and the clean and easy vapor is exhaled without excessive smoke or coughing.
6. Dosing your dab Few health risks are associated with secondary or residual butane consumption in small amounts, including dabbing or smoking Cannabis by using a butane lighter. However, conflicting reports have been posted on the Internet about people suffering from collapsed lungs because of excessive dabbing. Because dabbing is relatively new to the community, no major media reports address hospital admissions with patients who are strictly dabbers. People who are at higher risk of collapsed lungs should take that into consideration in their Cannabis consumption by smoking and dabbing. When smokers inhale -- especially Cannabis smokers -they tend to inhale as deeply as possible and then hold the smoke as long as they can. Coupled with the action of coughing, it could accelerate small tears inside the lungs that could lead to a pocket of air being created between the lung and another organ, or the ribcage, resulting in a lung collapse. Don’t hold in your hits longer than 3-5 seconds because the amount of cannabinoids absorbed into your system isn’t increasing. You’re only decreasing the amount of oxygen your lungs can take in. Yeah.
cannapi.org
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Safe access to quality medical cannabis 6111 12th Ave S
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Concentrates
a pressing matter Making collages for decorative wooden pieces & dab tool holders paid off for Jessica Listle-Olson, the artist behind Beautiful LyfeStudios. It started with a cover...
By WES ABNEY | photo by dANIEL bERMAN
T
he Cannabis world is in many ways a collage, blending ideas, people, plants and a lot of positive energy to form a bigger picture. The 3rd anniversary edition of Northwest Leaf (that was almost a year ago, folks), featured a collage by Jessica Listle-Olson, who spent more than a dozen hours taking different elements of the magazine to produce a layered and distinctive piece of art. Readers dab kit featured a hinged wooden box with loved the blend of Cannabis and art, and that’s room inside to hold concentrate tools and where Jessica had the idea to start turning her containers for holding your errl. collaging hobby into a job. One of the best parts about visiting Jessica’s Today she and her husband create handtable is that nothing is ever exactly the same, made products to meet the demand of the riswith new items coming out each week. At the ing Cannabis culture. Trays, light-switch covtime of our shoot, she had a new wall-mounters, murals, paneling for wood furniture, dab ed coat rack available, complete with Cannapins and portable dab stations cover her table bis-collage paneling, and a custom antique at MMJ Universe, all with a uniting theme. table that had been paneled and faded to look Jessica will spend an average of eight hours like it was an original. cutting out the pictures, four hours pasting “I really like doing custom work. I feel them together, and then an hour or two of like it makes somebody happy, and it means preparation before any one so much more to get somepiece is completed. thing unique not from a Find her booth at the “I have to look at the piecstore,” Jessica explained MMJ Univers e Market es and check for quality. It from behind her booth. has to look good or I can’t “A collage or piece can put it in a collage,” she expreserve a memory in a way plained. “A big one like the that is different and somehow more special cover from last year can take a full week to do.” than just a photo on the wall.” The two make a great team; she makes the Above all, Jessica follows her artistic drive. art while he does all the finishing work on the “My favorite part is seeing the customer’s wood. Items like their dab trays are covered face!” she said, obviously beaming. with an epoxy that protects the art from oil “Seeing them happy with my work and takspills or cleaners, making them easy to clean. ing it home and using it makes my heart swell Other distinctive items such as the mobile with pride.”
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Her collages have made their way onto everything from rolling trays to fine wood furniture to light-switch covers, small murals, many dab pins and even portable dab stations
Concentrates
Hip hop artist Zac Lauer sheds light on concent rates through lyrics that stray away from blunts and booze.
Young and the Reklez By WES ABNEY | photo by dANIEL bERMAN
The concentrates culture continues
to evolve as more people are experiencing this new type of medicine, and learning more about what it means to embrace Cannabis. That’s exactly why Reklez (Zac Lauer) chose to write a song and record a music video about one subject alone. Dabs. But his work isn’t the typical unenlightened gangster mantra many associate with songs about drugs, recreational or medicinal. Everyone has heard the classic pot songs, and many of them go hand in hand with references to other drugs and alcohol. “I’ve been using this artist name for a decade now. I’ve always been reckless in my pursuit of life and my dreams. It’s more than the assumption of a reckless thug.” Just like his name, Reklez wants people to break past stereotypes and assumptions surrounding concentrates and educate themselves. “The biggest thing I’ve seen is a lot of people don’t know about concentrates other than what they see on the news, which is non-professional extractors blowing themselves up. I want it to be about more than that. I want people to be responsible, whether using this as medicine or recreationally as a replacement for alcohol.” His lyrics reflect that, with lines like “Woah, I could never say no, unless your shit sizzles then you got to go,” and another song that explains to “take the keys away,” if you are going to be dabbing. Reklez is also
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Ghostworxxrecords.com Therealreklez.com a big fan of the terpenes and flavor of concentrates, which he drops in the line “Carb cap the hit so you can taste the vape.” He wants to see the industry respected for being safe, while also having the fun and cultural expansion in dabbing. “It’s a unique culture, but people have also taken it to the extreme, which makes me wary of how it will reflect on patients. I think that we need to be wise with how we move forward in the future as an industry, and consumers need to be wise about the oils they use, especially
for the health concerns.” As a patient and user himself, the safety of concentrates is important to Reklez. Plus, Cannabis is his passion, so he infuses it into every part of his life. “A lot of my music is geared around Cannabis. It’s definitely a portrayal of who I am.”
find the music video and song for free, with props to Nick Valdez and Healing Space Gardens for production.
Concentrates
DAB
TOOLS Sure you could go without these
handy tools for scraping and vaping but who has the time or patience? By WES ABNEY | photo by dANIEL bERMAN
Next, High Class released the scrape tip version, which looks like a flathead screwdriver. There’s also the ball point, and the scoop tip versions for a variety of concentrate consistencies and types.Plus they have their own oil rigs, clothing and wholesale. HIGH CLASS CONCENTRATES PEN $25, HighClassConcentrates.com
New from High Class Concentrates is a full body vape pen that exudes class and style. With no glass globe to break this pen is a breeze to handle, can be dropped without problems, and looks like a normal e-cigarette model. It had a solid battery life, delivering a full and potent vapor that used the concentrates in an efficient manner. While most pens are dependent on a chemical dipped wick, the heating element of the High Class pen is made of ceramic, with an efficient top coil design which heats quickly, and vaporizers the concentrate fully without waste or an unpleasant chemical taste. Because it fully vaporizers there is also lest reclaim/oil residue left over, making cleaning a breeze. High Class has numerous other lines and products, including some sweet clothing and dab gear. Look for High Class to be launching a new
clothing deal and more in the coming months.
DANK DABBERS $20-25, DankDabber.com
Dank Dabbers is the original creation of local Seattle dabbers with a lot of innovation and love for concentrates. Their unique thimble design fits right over your thumb of finger of choice, and slips off just as easily. They are made in the USA of 100% marine grade stainless steel, meaning that they are unbreakable and safe for medical use. The price point is also a great feature
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for this tool line. Ranging from $20-25, the different models are all reasonably priced and can be expected to last for years to come — and the innovative designs make dabbing a breeze. The original version 1 needle point is the most well known, with the classic fine point and pointy looks. Be mindful of the rubber guard, this is a sharp one.
Concentrates
explaining solvency Taking a look at the safety protocols behind ridding residual solvents from extracted concentrates
With a maturing medical marijuana industry and the passage of I-502, lab-testEdward Stremlow Chief Operating Ofc. ed Cannabis has become Analytical360.com common in Washington. With a strong patient demand for refined Cannabis extractions, questions about safety are becoming as common as questions about potency. Cultivators, processors and access points have begun to use Cannabis testing to develop, refine and ensure consistency and quality in their products. Patients want to know which products are safe, and producers are increasingly stepping up to prove their products are sound. The most common question about concentrates is the validity or safety of the solvents being used in the extraction process and the allowable limits for those solvents. As processors begin to incorporate more stringent safety protocols into their operations, guidelines on the recommended acceptable levels for residual solvents in Cannabis extracts will be a primary objective. By Randall Oliver Chief Science Officer
Solvents are divided into 3 classes Class 1 solvents are recommended not to be employed in the manufacture of Cannabis extracts, excipients and drug products because of unacceptable levels of toxicity and their deleterious environmental effects. Class 1 solvents should never be used. Example: Benzene Class 2 solvents are not recommended for use outside a stringent Good Manufacturing Practice environment in which the solvents are tightly controlled and continuously monitored because of their dangerous effects. No Cannabis processors operating in Washington comply with these tight restrictions. Example: Hexane
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A silicon container with a pile of shatter that has been tested to be low solvency levels
Class 3 solvents with a low toxic potential might be regarded as less toxic and of lower health risk. No Class 3 solvents are known to have a human health hazard at acceptable levels in Cannabis extracts. However, no long-term toxicity or carcinogenicity studies have been conducted for several of the Class 3 solvents. Data from short-term studies suggest that Class 3 solvents pose little toxic risk. Acceptable levels for Class 3 solvents are generally stated at 50 milligrams per day or less (5,000 ppm or 0.5 percent). Only Class 3 solvents should be used in solvent-based Cannabis extractions because of their low toxicity. However, it is crucial that Cannabis extracts be tested to ensure levels don’t exceed allowable limits. Example: Ethanol Isopropyl extractions should be completely avoided, period. Isopropyl is a common solvent used in Cannabis extractions from the Class 3 solvent list. However, this is one solvent with associated health risks, especially when allowable limits are exceeded. Isopropyl alcohol poisoning can occur from ingestion, inhalation or absorption and can result in headaches, dizziness, central nervous system depression, anesthesia, nausea, vomiting, coma or even death. Another area of concern is the use of denatured alcohol or methylated spirits. Denatured alcohol has additives to make it undrinkable (poisonous and smelly) to discourage consumption. It should never be used in Cannabis extraction.
photo by dANIEL bERMAN
Just because a chemical is not listed in one of the solvent tables -- a list of several solvents and their effects -- does not mean it is safe. Naphtha is a common solvent used in cannabinoid extractions. Naphtha is a mixture of hydrocarbons, and common products made with naphtha include cleaning solvents, camp stove fuel and lighter fluid. Naptha is not listed on the solvent tables and should never be used in Cannabis extractions. Only Class 3 solvents should be used for extraction, and then only with tight controls in place. Some solvents and extraction methods not listed on the tables, and they might be safe. For example, butane and CO2 -- or cow milk butter, for that matter -- are not on the list, but are acceptable methods of extraction when safety protocols are met. Purity or grade of these solvents can also be an issue because only high-purity or food-grade solvents should be used in cannabinoid extractions. As with all therapeutic remedies, any adverse health effects or risk for abuse should be taken into consideration. Consult your doctor. Analytical 360, a Seattle company testing the quality of therapeutic cannabinoids, recommends patients verify test results before consuming concentrates derived from any solvent or nonsolvent-based Cannabis extracts prior to ingestion.
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Concentrates
By WES ABNEY | photos by dANIEL bERMAN
How to dab your hash In four easy steps, learn how to get hash from its crumbly self into a soli d, conjoined mass of wonderful dabbable goodness
1 Take a piece of parchment paper and fold it down the middle as if preparing to roll a joint. Take the loose hash and group in the center, taking care not to let it spread too closely to either end. 2 Carefully fold over the paper until it is flat, taking care to not tip it horizontally. Starting in the center, apply pressure between the thumb and forefinger to the center mass of hash. Then, slowly slide your fingers from side to side, keeping firm pressure. 3 Peel apart the parchment paper slowly, this part will be sticky. Often it is necessary to repeat step 2 several times to press it to a consistency that will become dabbable. It is perfectly useful to use an item like a book or can of soup to roll over the hash once it has been pressed by hand initially. This will provide more pressure. 4 Slowly peel out the hash
and designate what amount you would like to dab. You are now ready to ingest one of nature’s sweetest treats: solventless dabs:
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Gallery
STORY AND strain 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
T
His month took us to an island a short ferry ride away from Seattle. A Landrace strain from Afghanistan has survived here for a very long time. Several variations of the hearty plant have been cultivated to make us feel well. From the impressive, aptly named “Nappy Time” to the Venerable Old Island Indica, or “OII” as it is locally referred to, we had to choose just two. I can’t say enough about the feeling of good energy that emanated
Vashon kush 0.13% CBD 11.2% THC
from every living thing in the patch of earth where these great strains live. The grow cottages, the wonderful barn with beautiful natural diffused light pouring from the skylights above us made for a perfect stage to photograph these sought after flowers. I’m being purposefully cryptic here with respect to the steadfast people who make this way of life their own. Far from prying eyes and unwanted attention, my first clue would be the address to meet them “somewhere a couple miles up the road, look for a man holding a pitchfork.”
vashon kush was first choice for its beauty and intense terpene
array. Close inspection revealed healthy happy trichomes and a sticky finger pulled back after a light squeeze to release more of the fragrant aura that surrounded it. An Indica Dominant flower might put you in your chair but this one is an exception. A feeling of wellbeing in the body with a certain creative clarity allowing for getting things done. THC 11.2% CBG .13 CBD .23 total Terpine 5.25
old island indica is as close to the Landrace strain as it can be
without flowering in the mountains of Afghanistan where it was home. Brought to the island in the mid 1970s it is one of the longest surviving strains in our Northwest environment. A potent couchy state is where it takes you, with a great relaxing body effect.
For more information or to inquire about strain availability, contact Green Lion Farms in Seattle and Island Cure Collective on Vashon Island.
Green Lion farms 2329 Rainier Ave S, Seattle, WA 98144 (206) 375-5869 Island cure 17917 Vashon Hwy SW Vashon, WA 98070 (206) 261-9261
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OLD
ISLAND INDICA established 1970s
The white crystal-like trichomes are about half the width of a human hair — Seen in this 500x close-up.
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health & science A BOTANICAL MONOGRAPH
THE SECRET POWER OF passionflower
By Northwest Leaf special contributor sCOTT d. roSE
Description It is a perennial climbing vine, long and trailing, possessing many tendrils. The whitish/purple flower resembles the crown of thorns worn by Jesus during the crucif ixion and through folklore this is where passionflower receives its name. The fleshy fruit is an oval yellowish berry about the size of a hen’s egg.
Parts used:
Above-ground parts, flowers, leaves and stems.
Active constituents:
The active constituent of a methanol extract was identified as a benzoflavone. These are of the class flavonoids. Flavonoids are found in cereal grains and herbs. The structure of the benzoflavone is similar to that of the benzodiazepine class of sleep medications.
Side effects & toxicity:
Passiflora Incarnata is native to the tropical & subtropical parts of the Americas, and grown throughout Europe. Photo by flickr/tiswango
Drug interactions:
Don’t take if you’re already taking prescription medication for anxiety or depression because excessive sleepiness has been reported.
Passionflower is generally considered to be nontoxic when used in moderation. When taking too much, depression of the nervous system can occur, causing fatigue and mental fogginess.
Dosage:
When using in an herbal tea for acute stress and anxiety, drink 2 to 4 cups per day for a week, then reduce the dosage or take less often. For muscle tension and anxiety, take 30 to 60 drops (1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon) of tincture twice a day or up to every two to three hours, depending on your response. Start with a smaller dose and increase amount, frequency as needed. Take 2 capsules 3x/day for insomnia.
Medicinal uses:
Contraindications:
Passionflower is generally considered to be nontoxic when used in moderation. Avoid use in pregnancy. Passionflower is a known uterine stimulant.
Historical uses:
Passionflower was used traditionally in the Americas and later in Europe as a calming herb for anxiety, insomnia, seizures and hysteria. The Aztecs reportedly used passionflower as a sedative and pain reliever.
Passionflower might increase levels of a chemical called gamma aminobu- Passionflower is often combined with valerian, lemon balm tyric acid (GABA) in the brain. GABA lowers the activity of some brain or other calming herbs for effects relaxing on body & mind. cells, making you feel more relaxed. One study of 36 people with generalized anxiety disorder found that passionflower was as effective as the drug functions the way many pharmaceutical sedatives do. Benzoflavone binds oxazepam (Serax) for treating symptoms. Patients who were given passionflower to and inhibits the aromatase enzymes, thus preventing the oxidation of before surgery had less anxiety, but recovered from anesthesia just as quickly, than testosterone to the production of estrogen.Benzoflavone also significantly those given placebo. Passionflower can be such a potent herbal remedy because it reduces symptoms of withdrawal from, and addiction and dependence on, calms muscle tension and twitching without affecting respiratory rates or mental benzodiazepines, alcohol, morphine, nicotine and Cannabis.
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Passion flower tea recipe: www.tinyurl.com/passiontea
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T H E F L AV O U R O F S C I E N C E .
GROWTECH
Photo by Daniel Berman
E x plo r i n g f o o l- p r o o f me th o d s f o r g e t t i n g your C a n n a b i s s e e d s t o g er m i n at e
SEEDS
C
annabis may be a non-addicThe habit of obsessively acquiring tive medication but the same seeds has left me with two distinct cannot be said for its seeds. understandings. By Northwest Leaf For strain collectors and pheFirst; there are many more peospecial contributor no hunters like myself; each individual ple talented at marketing and enticdr. scanderson Cannabis seed represents a unique geing growers to give their seeds a try netic blueprint that, if unlocked propthan there are stable, quality genetics erly, could be hiding the discovery of out there. Secondly, I rely on a firm the best medication on earth. group of methods for germination The mere possibility is simply too tempting and that has lead to consistent, 95-percent success rates. I instantly begin my quest to acquire just one of the Let’s assume for a moment you crawl over brothree last earthly packets, from the second re-reken glass to obtain the previously mentioned pack leased, original private reserve stock selection of the of impossible to obtain seeds, and then follow a super sativa seed club’s _____(your grail plant here). buddy’s advice for germination. After 10 days with The first step is recognizing you do have a problem. not so much of tap root emerging you begin to get the sinking feeling that you have destroyed what was ABSOLUTELY going to be the world’s best Cannabis. There are many more people Well if you were me, and that happened talented at marketing and enticing growers you’d feverishly research every known to give their seeds a try than there are method of germination from every source stable, quality genetics out there to use. imaginable and start working on trying all of them using that old film canister stash of
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seeds I’d been hanging onto since de-seeding my first eight in high school. What I’ve found are two distinct methods of germination I use and will be reviewing one in this month’s grow tech.
mETHOD #1 The K.I.S.S. Principle The first technique provides for the least room for error, and follows the Jorge Cervantes K.I.S.S. (keep it simple stoner) principle. To start, choose your preferred medium. I like to start my seeds in root plugs or 1.5” rockwool cubes. Before soaking them I like to create new holes then the pre-drilled holes that they come with. For root plugs I will turn them upside down so the pre-drilled hole is at the bottom. Then using a sterilized ¼ drill bit or the shell of a pen make a new hole on the new top by poking the utensil about halfway into the plug/cube. This provides a much tighter, more stable area for your seed to root and I prefer it to the larger pre formed holes for this method.
Article continues next page
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SEEDS
E xp l o ri n g f o o l-p ro o f me t h o d s f o r ge t t i n g yo u r C a n n a bi s s e e d s t o ge rmi n at e
Continued from pg. 94
I
then will soak the cubes for about five minutes in reverse osmosis water that has been pH’d to 5.5. If you use rooting hormones it’s recommended to add it to the pre-treating mixture. I use time instead of rooting hormones and just need to add a basic starting nutrient mixture which for me looks like some root inoculants and light nutrient formula that’s around 2-1-2. Place the pre-treated media into a propagation complete with a humidity dome.
method that consistently produces 97%+ germination rates AND produces healthy, short and stout seedlings that produce a resistant and stable root system quickly. By removing the control over the mediums moisture saturation and minimizing the seeds exposure to multiple elements you dramatically reduce your risk for pathogenic infection, mETHOD #2 Using root medium something seeds are particularly prone to. Lastly, I’m gonna go ahead and give it up to mamNow here’s where you need to listen VERY carefulma nature as knowing just a whole lot more than ly to ensure your “tech” comes properly for this next we ever will about gardening. She doesn’t pre-gerstep. Place the seed you would like to germinate minate her cannabis seeds, and perhaps not so cointo the hole that you made in the plug or cube. incidentally this practice of pre-germinating seeds If possible try to place the pointy end of the seed prior to placing them into their medium is about down. Press the seed into the medium until it is 100% unique to cannabis farming. So I have to ask 2-3mm below the surface, you should be able to see myself what choices lead the majority of farmers just the top. Place the humidity dome on top of the (myself included) to practice this technique? tray and place it in the dark at 60 percent humidity The only reasonable answer I can come up with and 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit and go away for a few days. is that for those RARE (1/50 or so) instances when seeds fail to germinate a more coddled approach WITHOUT removing the dome check on including pre-germination may be the cubes to see if any sees have Drop me a line successful. To this end I feel that popped their “heads” above the thegreengardengroup@gmail.com you’re just asking for errors. hole you made for them. Once Watch a video they do you can remove them from Good breeders stand behind the dark and place them under a there genetics and will leap at the Youtube.com/DrScandersonGt nice bright light source. opportunity to replace a bean or I place the newly sprouted seedling into a clear two assuming you properly documented your proplastic cup with saran wrap over it and place it uncess. My selection process starts at seedling, if it der MH HID lighting in my veg room. The plastic doesn’t come thundering out of its shell, it begins keep humidity nice and high and contaminants out to select itself out from the earliest of stages. I have while the seedling opens, sheds it’s shell and forms found these two areas outstanding litmus tests for it cotyledons and first set of leaves. I like to remove ensuring that you are securing and working with the saran wrap right around the formation of the the strongest genetics. cotyledons (water leaves). I also recommend you take some practice runs if A LOT of people ask me why I don’t pre-soak or possible before attempting to germinate what you pre-germinate seeds any longer or incorporate and may believe to be the next holly grail of cannabis. other “paper towel” methods. The answer is simLastly, I just want to extend a very special and sinple. I’ve tested, well lets just say hundreds of seeds cere thank you to the breeders who take the years using lots of different methods. This is the ONLY and passion to truly advance this plant.
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Secret Recipe Candy Chem BAG REPORT & SMOKE APPEAL beautiful and coated with crystals, the secret recipe presents herself as a nimbly balanced mint-colored spear. It looks quite hybrid with yellow and orange hairs tucked neatly behinds bulging calyx’s. The deep aroma of sweet pine burst out of the sample and is quickly taken over by a fuely chemy tones of the parental lineage. With such heavy hitting parents I was surprised at how sweet and comforting the smell was, but the savagely delicious chemy roots poured though in the flavor of the smoke. Hard hitting, fuely sour chem is all she has for flavor until….oh wait there’s that sweet taste again. Almost like a welcomed pat on the back of your tongue for enduring the chemical treatment, saying “hey, it’s okay, try it again…”
How it grows like a sour d crossed with chem d, which is not surprising considering
By Northwest Leaf special contributor dr. scanderson
She stretches between double and triple in flower before morphing into the quadruple diesel of destiny
genetics: (Sour Diesel x Abusive Kush) x Chem D breeder: dna genetics Flower time: 70-77 DAYS
Lineage
CSG REPORTS losing the mom so no new seeds are in production, however for those who followed his gear it was a staple. Let us not forget this line of seeds.
that is pretty much to what she is. She stretches between double and triple in flower before morphing into the quadruple diesel she wants to. The chem also tames the diesel structure and adds significant density to the buds.Staking is a necessary part of bloom for CC. The stems, again, are a compromise of chem sturdiness and diesel lank so less staking is needed than with Sour D. I’m a believer in plucking some fan leaves mid way through bloom but with this one it’s less crucial. She doesn’t have the abundant or palm tree size leaves many plants have. I’ve noticed that she wants extra cal mag throughout the grow but more noticeably in flower. She also likes more nitrogen than most. I keep adding it until the last three weeks of the 10-plus week flower. She wants between 70 to 77 days of 12/12! For most growers that long of a flower is a non-starter but I happen to love this plant so I’m willing. The buds reflect light as though coated with morning dew and, when finishing, the red hairs kind of disappear. The impression is that of pure light green sparkling buds. And did I mention the smell in the room — very ripe mangoes and candy with an under tone of skunk and diesel — it just makes me happy!
effects A NICE CEREBRAL WAKEUP CALL yields some improved blood pressure. Oh yes, hello bright sunshiny day. Secret Recipe even leaves you with that sweet taste which comes with a comforting but awakened sense of creativity. Not what I’ve come to expect out of your basic Chem Diesel Kush crosses but more of a trick of your senses with a delicate balance of sweet and sour on the palate...and on the mind; wait what? Drop me a line
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