FREE 18+ For adults only. Soft Secrets is published six times a year by Discover Publisher BV Netherlands
A SPANISH SUBURB’S GROWING PLAN
In this issue:
Autoflowering Cannabis: Here To Stay! ›› 18
At the beginning of March, the government leaders of the Catalan town of Rasquera entered into an agreement with the Asociación Barcelonesa Cannábica de Autoconsumo (ABCDA). The ABCDA is one of the non-profit cannabis growing organisations for members in Spain. The town has provided the club with 7 hectares of land, in exchange for € 650.000 per year. The struggling town intends to use this income to pay its debts off within the next two years, and the project has also made 40 new jobs available. Following legal advice, Mr. Pelissa, mayor of Rasquera, concluded that the plan is in keeping with the current regulations, but the Spanish law has already announced the intervention as soon as the first seeds are planted.
RPAS FIGHTING AGAINST DRUGS
HOW TO TAKE CARE OF SEEDLINGS The first 10 days after germination can be the most crucial of your plants life. Just like a new born baby, your girls are vulnerable to the elements and are totally dependent on you to give them the best start. Lots of growers, both new and experienced, lose plants at this stage, get disheartened and move away from using seeds altogether. But taking care of seedlings doesn’t have to be difficult. Just follow a few simple rules and you’ll raise healthy seedlings, time after time. ››
22
RPAS aircraft (remotely piloted air system) will become more and more important in future wars, according to defence experts. Except during the war against the Taliban – who were unarmed, according to the police – RPAS aircraft have also been used to monitor the United States-Mexico border since 2005. Frontier police have six Predator B airplanes that monitor the contraband of both people and marijuana for the 3100 km length of the border. Thanks to the information provided by these high tech busybodies, 7,500 arrests have been made and about 20,000 kg of marijuana have been seized. It might seem like a
lot, but actually this quantity represents a mere 0.003 % of the cannabis the frontier police have got their hands on in the past six years. Each Predator costs taxpayers
15 million Euros, not including the cost necessary to fly surveillance aircraft which, according to critics, amounts to € 4,500 per kg of cannabis. For a small percentage of that amount, they could have just bought the ganja and smoked it themselves!
MARIJUANA SCENT CAN CAUSE CANCER After a raid in Corby, in England, which yielded 80 homegrown plants, police stated to local newspaper Harborough Mail that the scent of cannabis in the final flowering stage can cause cancer. Why would agents wear gas masks and protective clothing when they clear out marijuana plantations? A logical example that leaves no space for doubt!
DID THE POLITICIAN SMOKE A JOINT IN POLISH PARLIAMENT? Polish political leader Janusz Palikot is amongst the most folkloristic politicians in all of Europe. Palikot, an ex Philosophy student who made his fortune dealing
Issue 3 - 2012
in vodka, is known mainly for his radical, anti-Catholic and dissolute ideals. In addition to his campaign for the legalisation of
cannabis, his party, “Palikot’s Movement”, also fights for homosexual rights, abortion and, in general, for everything the Catholic Church stands against. In 2007, Palikot caused commotion for a demonstration held during a press conference when, gun and dildo in hand, he launched himself against the police officers present. At the end of January, a new incredible action: as a protest against the Polish law regarding cannabis, he allegedly lit a joint inside Parliament. He wasn’t threatened with arrest, but Palikot certainly struck a blow for cannabis with his action.
DOUGH SINGH In Belize, a small Central American country, Minister of Police Dough Singh requested that the government liberalise the use of cannabis – quite remarkable, as senior officials usual only suggest ideas like this once they’ve retired. Singh’s proposal focuses on decriminalizing the possession of small quantities of marijuana. The minister, who has already brought up the heavy question of diet, has not yet decided whether to set the limit at 5 or 7 grams. Singh’s proposal is a conseContinues on page 3
3 Continued from front page
quence of his frequent dealings with the many youths who are instantly branded as criminals for minor infractions, thus entering a vicious cycle.
be found on the islands in ways unimaginable in France.” The call for decriminalisation on behalf of a representative of the islands’ administration held last June has yielded few results...
CANNABINOID PROPOSAL FROM THE BECOMES PAINKILLER In the past few months, forums for LEFT patients suffering from chronic disorders
Outdoors with full sunlight, plentiful soil and water and wide spacing, the plants will become practically trees, which grow to 3 meters tall, and you will have a harvest of up to 1500 grams per plant (!) in optimal conditions. The flowering period is quite fast indoors (60/70 days). Outdoors, the plant is ready by mid-October, with good mould-resistance inherited from its Sativa parent plant. Moby Dick is already a legend in its own right, and is destined to become one of the great classics of this new century! Genotype: Genetics:
Haze X White Widow Sativa/Indica with Sativa dominance Flowering period: 60-70 days Outdoor Harvest: From 10th to 25th October THC: Very High (16%-21%) CBD: Low Production: Very High Outdoor Height: Can reach 3.5 m. Creator: Dinafem
Moby Dick
Moby Dick is Dinafem´s most psychoactive strain, with a concentration of up to 21% THC and the presence of THCV, a substance (present in equatorial Sativas) produced in response to the sun’s ultraviolet rays; this substance makes the effect of the THC stronger, to the point that the effect can be felt after just 2 or 3 hits. The low CBD concentration helps make the effect psychoactively intense and lasting; it speeds you up both physically and mentally and the comedown is long, slightly physical and noticeable. It makes you very hungry and thirsty, so it is advisable to eat and drink well after smoking, to counteract its effects. Due to this increase in appetite, Moby Dick is recommended for treating the secondary effects of chemotherapy and anorexia.
The German political party Die Linke is once again trying to move something in Germany’s rigid cannabis legislation, this time with a proposal that allows admittance to cannabis clubs only to legal adults and limits personal use to 30 grams. An estimate shows that between 3.5 and 4 million Germans use cannabis and will
continue to do so, as the current law has no influence on this fact. Die Linke claims that prohibition simply encourages use, contravening regulations. Germany should instead consider education and prevention as priorities, as well as controlling the drug market, rather than criminalizing it.
FRENCH POLYNESIA TURNS GREEN In French Polynesia, a group of Polynesian islands in the Pacific Ocean, law enforcement authorities destroyed over 67,000 marijuana plants in 2011, nearly 17 plants per square km – not counting the plants that haven’t been unearthed yet. Reason enough for Richard Didier, High Commissioner of the islands, to explain that “the majority of crime on the 128 islands has to do with marijuana.” Most notably, according to Didier, psychiatric wards in Polynesia are crowded with drugrelated cases. Colonel Valentini, head of the local gendarmerie, added that “drugs can
have been mentioning a new wonder that works against nearly any chronic pain. The product, which comes from Italy, is called Normast and is sold as a nutritional supplement. The active principle of Normast is Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA), a cannabinoid considered equal to a painkiller. The substance also has antiinflammatory properties and increases the effectiveness of opiates. It presents no side effects, and there is no problem in taking it in addition to other medicines. The only disadvantage is its cost: about € 30 for 20 tablets or 600 mg sachets (enough for 10 days) is a lot of money for a nutritional supplement but, as the substance is not patented, it’s to be expected that other producers will begin proposing less expensive alternatives. It is currently unknown whether the substance is cannabis-derived and how much is necessary to produce 600 mg.
IN ISRAEL, CANCER PATIENTS ARE TREATED WITH MARIJUANA A recent Israeli study shows that 67 % of cancer patients who use marijuana for pain therapy are satisfied with the treatment. The study was promoted by the Sheba Medical Center and presented this month during an Israeli oncologists’ conference. Many issues related to medical marijuana remain unsolved, but health experts believe that the number of patients treated with medical marijuana in Israel will soon reach 40,000. Only seven of twelve official cultivation centres in the Holy Land are currently active, because distribution centres can only provide patients with the equivalent of €75 of marijuana per month.
5
Attention Readers! Fancy a FREE packet of FEMINISED seeds from ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS? Then send us a picture of your grow room or best cannabis plant, including a visible copy of Soft Secrets, and we’ll send you 3 seeds. Should your photo happen to feature your beautiful wife or girlfriend wearing a sexy microbikini or super hot lingerie, you will receive 6 seeds. Photo of the Month will even receive 9 prime quality feminised seeds. With compliments of Soft Secrets and Royal Queen Seeds!
This woz my first time at growing , here is 6 Northen Lights crossed wiv Blueberry I used 2 400w HPS for veg then added an exta 600w HPS light for flower, I vegged for 6 weeks then fowered for 8 weeks all my foods I used woz from the Plant Magic range. I am lookin for sum usefull info to help me produce better plants. Our advice would be to keep doing what you’re doing! Great results for a first grow mate, you should be really pleased. We hear a lot of good things about Plant Magic. For you next grow, try using some of their beneficials and see what difference that makes. Keep up the good work!
E-mail your entries to SSUK@softsecrets.nl. NOTE: All entries are handled with the utmost discretion. We don’t publish out of focus pics, and we don’t like photos of plants in veg stage. It’s fat buds & sweet babes we want to see!
E-mail: SSUK@softsecrets.nl
I would like to warn your readers about a strain called Red Dragon from Barneys Farm. When grown it produced a few seeds at the base of the buds. which I then used as they would all be female they grew very well , good and strong and all was well untill untill week 7 when I noticed that the crop had seeded. I had had a heater fail and the temp dropped to 9 0c so I put it down to cold stress and tried again with seed from the original grow, this time they had perfect conditions 28 c max with lights on 20 c with lights off 12/12 to the second feed and watered with care not to much not to little. However despite my care at week 7 plus 3 days I found the bannanas of doom [ see attached ] I strongly suspect this strain is prone to this. I found 13 of these on four plants out of 8 . This photo was taken using my USB microscope to the naked eye they just look like yellow blobs about 2mm across at the base of the buds and on one plant on the stem at the base of a plant not easy to spot , if you grow this strain constant vidulance from week 5 onwards is recommended I inspected mine every day and the day before I found them there was no sign, your only chance is to spot them as they open. I cropped them there and then not wishing to lose another crop but they would have been better for another week.
ENGLANDER Thanks for the heads up, Englander. Much appreciated. We’re happy to pass the message on and prevent other UK growers from experiencing the bananas of doom!
6week in GH seeds A.M.S 100% organic d/w/c my 1st grow BOBBY FISHER Filling out nicely. Couple of bits of advice; try to raise your oscillating fan so that its moving the air between the lamp and the canopy, it’ll reduce heat and allow you to get your lamps closer. Also, move that hot ballast away from your DWC buckets, you’ll want to keep the temps in those buckets between 18-24°C. Other than that, keep it up mate.
6 A couple of articles in the current issue mention cancer and emphysema. I have believed for many years (I’ve been stoned since July 1971) that tobacco causes cancer and that cannabis can cure cancer but, after switching from American tobacco (containing 5000 chemicals we’re told), to German ‘Pueblo’ tobacco (100% additive-free), my emphysema has actually got a little better. Something the doctor said would not happen, even if I gave up smoking. This made me wonder about these chemicals they add to the stuff in the drying process, I guess. Are they, in fact, more dangerous than the tobacco itself? Why do they even add any chemicals in the first place? Pueblo is just as good without any. American ‘Crossroad’ tobacco claims to be additivefree but if you read the small print on the inside of the pack, it admits to using only natural additives, dur, arsenic is natural. I wouldn’t trust American Spirit iether. The first reason for adding chemicals that came to my mind, is maybe tobacco companies got worried because so many people were trying to give up the habit. So how do you stop people giving up? By adding other addictive substances to tobacco that no amount of nicotine chewing gum will satisfy the withdrawal from. Could American tobacco barons be so mercenary? ‘Ye bet yer sweet ass’ (sounds funny with a yankee drawl). How far would Yankees go? Maybe some of the Directors of the tobacco companies also have seats on the boards of companies producing inhalers, for people suffering from asthma and emphysema. So if they add chemicals to tobacco to irritate the lungs, they would increase inhaler sales in the future. You may think me very cynical for suggesting these things of Americans but how can you trust people who live in cities built by slaves, in a country stolen by genocide and who stay rich by robbing other countries. God Bless America. KOFI ANAN
LOLA AND BIG BUD ! Nice! Now let’s have the same picture, without the buds!
Some interesting points there, Kofi. Thanks for taking the time to share them with us. Let’s be honest, we wouldn’t put anything past these companies. Whatever their reasoning behind adding such chemicals is, the motivation is always the same; greed and money! Keep fighting the good fight, mate.
Gilly hull, hey up’s ther peeps wots good? and how do’s to you’s in the Netherlands your a wealth of knowledge so thanks I’m fairly new to all this green finger twitchin I’m more of an original smoker than a grower but I ve had a crack at it this is my attemp at Cheesewreck from Seedism seeds used Superthrive Coco A+B in veg and PK13/14 and corboload and Sensizym in flower under 600w HPS lights in a 60 40 Coco perlite mix n I thought I’d treat the editor to a couple of pics of my handy work and more importantly our lass cos thats how we roll anyways the green was belting but I think you’ll agree shes sumfing else mmm, tastey! ANONYMOUS She’s a bonny lass, sir. No doubt about that! Very tasty indeed. Some nice looking plants too, decent main colas. We’ve been hearing good things from the UK about mixing coco with perlite or clay pebbles, makes an airy free-draining medium with the back up of holding moisture in the coco.
higher yields are possible.
pass it on!
Check our brand new website www.plagron.com for tips&tricks
8 Heres a pic of my auto OG Kush, its my first grow so not a bad top bud its the size of a 4 pinter of milk! And then there’s my bud queen. Look at the size of that main bud! Another impressive auto plant this month... and an impressive lady too! The only fault we can find in this picture is the choice of football team on those curtains!
This is my photo with Big Bud XXL and Zensation in third week of flowering. In the background is my girlfriend DAWID Some stretchy looking plants there, we hope they fill out for you. That lovely looking lady certainly makes things all better.
ANONYMOUS
9
Hi SSUK Great paper keep up the good work. If my pics are deemed worthy of your fine publication they are of my super silver haze 3 days into flush. Topped to keep them unruly sativa’s in check. Ready in just 9 weeks! In sum of the pics you can see my blackstar 600w LED, very impressive no noticable difference compared to my 600w hps. Grown in 2 BIG 8 pot wilma systems using Atami ATA nutes.
11
Hi
Hi all at Soft Secrets HQ, here are pics of my best plant so far. It is an autoflowering AK47, grown in my little cupboard with a 400w light (metal halide for first 4/5 weeks, then sodium for the final 5), the others all grew quite tall and lanky but all were started together and had exactly the same soil, water and feed so unsure as to why the stretching occurred! Anyway, am hoping for more like this one when I start my next crop, hopefully with a few seeds contributed by your good selves at Soft Secrets, bye for now JEN X Wow! These auto varieties get better and better. Good work Jen. The use of the MH light for a few weeks has produced a nice dense plant. Interesting that the others got the dreaded stretch, maybe check the distance of the the bulb from top of the canopy? Keep it as close as you can. Check out the Autoflower article in this issue for more auto tips.
SSUK, Here you can see my first crop of 26 Chronic (from clone) in a run to waste drip feed system (the waste goes into a them 5ltr water bottles you can buy anywhere) which was highly recommended by a friend, fed with Canna Rhizotonic, Canna Hydro vega A & B, Canna Hydro flores A & B, Hesi PK13//14 and Canna Booast. 4 600watt HPS lights in a 2.4 x 2.4 secret jardin tent which has been fantastic, I had al kinds of problems at the start pH, Temp, Food and Light interruptions but in the we ended up with 2413gms of dried grade-A smoke, made some great cannabutter out of the trim to. Sorry for not having a sexy girl in the pictures but these 26 babies are enough for me at the moment. I will be starting the next crop immediately I welcome any feedback you have I want to learn as much as possible and make the next crop better! From what I read I just bearly made the minimum of the 1 gram of dried herb for every watt of light!Thank you for your truly great magazine the information is soo helpful. JIMINY CRICKET Thank you Mr Cricket! Some good looking girls there; compact and dense. Plus you hit the magical gram per watt figure - congratulations. We know a few UK growers that use aqua trays and run to waste, they swear by them. As for extra advice; keep going with you feeding programme, but maybe add an additional foliar feed in there and see what results that brings.... oh, and lets see some other female parts in the next picture!
12
PRODUCT FLASH
BN SOILMIX A-QUALITY PRE-FERTILIZED SOILMIXTURE For many years Bio Nova has been offering an excellent pre-fertilized potting soil mixture called BN Soilmix A-Quality. This mix consists of grinded and sieved garden peat (of a “Regeling Handels Potgronden”- quality, i.e. “Regulation for the Trade of Potting soil”), Baltic white peat (“R.H.P.”-quality), special PG mix, magnesium lime and specific additives. This mix is delivered in plastic bags and is ready-to-use. The included fertilizer suffices for the first three weeks, after this period use a liquid fertilizer such as Soil SuperMix or Hydro SuperMix (see the fertilization schemes for more information). This mix is of a sublime quality and does not set fast and is therefore suitable for re-use. For an optimal distribution of water in potting soil it is recommended to use FreeFlow, this product lowers the surface-tension of liquids. This makes possible equal wetting of the soil in pots or trays. When BN Soilmix A-Quality (or another potting soil) is re-used, it is recommended to do an analysis a week before the harvest after which a specific fertilizer advice can be given. This secures the mineral balance and a maximum yield of your crop. www.bionova.nl
BLOOMSTIMULATORS 100ML As always Atami remains responsive to consumer needs. After the great success of the B’cuzz booster in 100ml containers, Atami has decided to bring out the famous B’cuzz Bloomstimulator in a 100ml version. For many plants the floweing period is the most important period in the cycle. The B’cuzz bloomstimulator wil force the plant to flower earlier, so the flowering will be longer and more intense. The Bloomstimulator is 100% …, directly absorbed, available for each medium and leaves no residue behind. You can use the bloomstimulator as a seccessor from the booster and can be used in combination with PK-containing products. The stimulators and liquid nutrients from Atami are screwcap and light sealed so the quality is guaranteerd. The B’cuzz bloomstimulator 100ml will be available at your supplier very soon! For more information Atami B.V. 0031-(0)73-5223256 www.atami.nl
From just plain simple to highly sophisticated, all Bio Nova ways are incredibly effective.
You decide which way to grow!
Would you like to grow things, but lack a green thumb? No problem! Use The Basic Way and be overwhelmed by the success of your effortless input! Are you a passionate grower who wants high quality? Use The Dedicated Way of growing, it will blow your mind! Or are you that perfectionist, who knows exactly what he is doing and why? The Professional Way will be your path to ultimate satisfaction!
www.bionova.nl | Distributors United Kingdom: Mariner Packaging Company Ltd. - Progrow Scotland
Your green companion in every way!
14
PRODUCT FLASH
WILMA SYSTEM The co-developed Atami Wilmasystem by Atami BV is since its launch a worl wide success,which is particularly due to the combination of versatility, quality and simplicity. This culture system is designed so that everyone can handle it, thus can be used at any location and ideal in combination with tents. The Wilma system is a tank and irrigation system in a set up and available as a stand alone, or in reciculating edd and flood. The Wilma system scan be used in combination with any medium, the pots are easy to install and easy to remove, if necessary without removing the nutrition supply to the other pots. This highly versatile system is available in 6,5, 11 and 18L pots, using the easy setup and automatic feeding saves a lot of work and you get great results in any medium. For more information you can visit us at www.atami.com
MEGA WORM FROM PLAGRON POWERFUL WORM HUMUS WITH A NEW NAME Plagron has a comprehensive range of additives. These UNIVERSAL products can be used with all substrates and can be combined with all fertilisers from Plagron. One of these unique additives is Mega Worm. This additive recently got a new name and new packaging. Mega Worm, formerly ‘Worm humus’, is a natural soil improver based on composted plant remains. It creates optimum balance in the soil so the plant can grow and flower profusely. Mega Worm has a very high organic content: it contains a quantity of trace elements, enzymes and minerals like Mycorrhiza and Trichoderma, which protect and feed the plant. Distinguishing manure Mega Worm provides a rapid germination of seeds, a strong root development, increases resistance and stimulates growth. Formerly, Mega Worm was only available in the famous green bag. Now it is available in purple pots of 1 litre, buckets of 5 litres and bags of 25 litres. Plagron has grown because of the worm manure. Our worm humus still stands because of the extensive analyzes we perform on the nutrition of worms. We only select the best manure. Pass it on! More information can be found on our new website, www.plagron.com. Here you will find loads of information on Plagron products and growing in general. The info on Plagron products will be easy to find on this site, giving you useful tips, showing you our related products and FAQ’s for each product. This is an interactive website, where one grower gets to meet the other and can share his/her experience or opin-
ion on Plagron products with other growers. Exactly how our slogan ‘pass it on’ is meant to be. Keep a close eye on our website for the latest news and developments of our products and for growing in general. Don’t forget to check out our Facebook page for extra tips and tricks (facebook.com/plagron). Of course you can also contact our servicedesk through servicedesk@plagron.com.
15
AMSTERRANT HOW WOULD IT BE ENFORCED?
The Dutch 15% Rule The government of the Netherlands recently announced the proposal of a new law that would redefine any Cannabis product containing more than 15% THC as a hard drug. It would preclude sales of most hashish, especially the ice- or cold water extracted varieties the Netherlands is so famous for – and according to some, up to 80% of the herbal Cannabis varieties currently sold in coffeeshops. Any establishment found during routine checks to be stocking illegally potent strains would be subject to fines, and upon repeated violations, by Kali Mist potential closure and loss of license. The passing of the new law would involve the modification of the existing Opium Act, a procedure that has often been claimed to be nigh on impossible to achieve. In the past this argument has been used as a way to explain previous governments’ reluctance to legalize Cannabis; that legislating against Cannabis would be so easily accomplished is extremely telling of the political direction the nation is taking. Although the proposal is ostensibly made with the developing youth, the unwary tourist and the hopeless addict in mind, it seems that it is truly intended to further frustrate and hinder the beleaguered ranks of the coffeeshop owners – as part of the ongoing campaign to make business so full of red tape and taxes as to be unappealing, and indeed nonviable. Opponents of the law have pointed out several fairly glaring errors of judgment inherent in the proposal. Perhaps most pressingly: while a very slim selection of at-home THC testing kits is available, it is very difficult to test THC levels in Cannabis at point-of-sale. Most kits work on the basis of thin layer chromatography (TLC) and require a control specimen (of which the THC percentage is confirmed) for purposes of comparison. If these control specimens were to be acquired through liaising with a lab, specimens would then need to be kept in a state where the THC would not degrade (unless specimens were sent out to all coffeeshops every few days – which would be ridiculous, not to mention costly.) Providing such optimum conditions may not be possible for most coffeeshops, who are by their very nature not laboratories. Just sticking it in the deep freeze is not quite what is meant by a scientific approach, after all. Without a control specimen, the most a TLC test can really do is show the existence of different cannabinoids and give a rough idea of the ratios in which they are present. On top of all this, DIY testing programs would likely be liable to a higher margin of error than those conducted in a controlled environment by trained technicians. This fact remains even if one con-
siders the possibility of regulating the cultivation of Cannabis, rather than its sale, to retail establishments – although in some respects it would make a little more sense as an option. Ideally, if the law must be implemented, the grower will know which strains will fall within the legal limit before even attempting to cultivate anything, and will be able to assess the levels of THC throughout the grow in order to ensure no loss of earnings from growing unusable crops. A stable lineage can usually be expected to produce offspring that will be similar in cannabinoid profile to its parents, so buying good quality strains from reputable seed companies should provide some guarantee to the grower. However, in practice one can never be entirely certain of what one is purchasing, and the possibility for anomalous potency may also lead to the potential for laws to be broken entirely unintentionally. The common preference for clones is a double-edged sword: while one can be sure the genetic profile of the clone is identical to the mother’s, clones are only available through the black market and the likelihood of such genetics to be rigorously tested and reliable is low. Potential THC percentage may in the future be discoverable through genomic testing of young clones or seedlings; however, such technology is in its infancy and is unlikely to be available for some years. It is also very unlikely that growers or coffeeshops would be able to accurately implement such exacting procedures.
humans are yet to be determined – let alone the effects of their countless different combinations. Specimens of Cannabis that fall within the 15% THC limit may contain ratios of other cannabinoids that moderate the overall effect in particularly harmful or undesirable ways. Until we know more about this vastly complex interaction between our two species, an arbitrary rule such as this makes no sense and may well do more harm than good. It remains to be seen what methods would be used by growers and wholesalers to circumvent the rule. As many have found out (after purchasing a bud that
turned out to be coated in weight-increasing substances) those behind the scenes in a criminalized industry seldom have the best interests of the end-user at heart, preferring to prioritize profit. If safety was truly paramount, the Netherlands would have a legalized and regulated industry. Passing a law in the name of safety that in no way ensures it is at best hypocritical and at worst highly dangerous. However, it has not yet passed the final stages of the legislative procedure – many such proposals have not, in the past – and the fervent hope that it will not is shared by many, both in the Netherlands and in the wider international community.
ONE OF THE FEW AVAILABLE DIY TESTING KITS FOR CANNABINOIDS (PHOTO: MONTANA BIOTECH)
TO ENSURE VALID RESULTS, SPECIALIZED CONDITIONS AND EQUIPMENT MUST BE USED (PHOTO: TOUNOTOUJI)
Even if proponents were crystal clear about how they intend to enforce the rule, the thinking behind it remains dubious. The main argument seems to be: if THC causes developmental problems in young adults, schizophrenia, and depression, then products higher in THC will therefore be even more likely to produce these effects. Firstly, it is far from clear how much blame can truly be laid on Cannabis for many of these occurrences in humans. Secondly, the argument fails to take into account the importance of the cannabinoid ratio, which includes myriad different compounds whose individual effects on
THE DUTCH COFFEESHOPS ARE NOT HAVING AN EASY TIME OF LATE (PHOTO: LIBER)
16
EVENTS
denouncing the repressive course Dutch cannabis policy has taken and stated that legal cannabis could solve Spain’s economic crisis.
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: FREEK POLAK, THORVALD STOLTENBERG, BEN DRONKERS OF SENSI SEEDS AND FORMER DUTCH MINISTER DRIES VAN AGT.
During a festive and moving ceremony, the Cannabis Culture Awards 2012 were awarded in Amsterdam. Two former statesmen, Mr. Thorvald Stoltenberg, former minister of Defense of Norway and Mr. Dries van Agt, former Prime minister of the Netherlands, expressed their hope for a future without cannabis prohibition. ‘Hope is almost as important as life itself’, said Stoltenberg. Mr. Stoltenberg accepted the Cannabis Culture Award on behalf of the Global Commission on Drug Policy. Former CCA winner Dries van Agt handed him the award and complimented Mr. Stoltenberg on his groundbreaking work in this commission as well as in Norway. Mr. Van Agt played a key role in establishing the world famous Dutch tolerance policy on cannabis. He was very outspoken in his criticism of recent policy changes in the Netherlands. ‘This policy change to more repression, or even “zero tolerance”, is devastating nonsense’ van Agt said. Lester Grinspoon, associate professor emeritus of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, was unable to travel to Amsterdam to receive his award. Thankfully, the Hash Marihuana & Hemp Museum was able to arrange a video conference between the Academic Medical Centre Amsterdam and the library of the Harvard Medical School where Lester Grinspoon first started his research. The third Cannabis Culture Award Winner, Psychiatrist Fredrick Polak, commented on the most recent political developments: “The resignation of the Dutch government will hopefully lead to termination of the new rules for coffeeshops and the so-called ‘weedpass’.”
World’s largest cannabis museum opened in Barcelona Four festive and magical days marked the opening of the world’s largest cannabis museum in Barcelona, Spain. The Hemp Museum Gallery is a branch of
the orginal Hash Marihuana & Hemp Museum in Amsterdam. The new museum is located in the famous gothic quarter of Barcelona, within walking distance of the beach and the Ramblas boulevard. Ben Dronkers (Sensi Seeds, Hempflax, Hash Museum) purchased the wonderful 16th century Palau or Palace Mornau in 2001 and spared no expense or trouble to turn it into a world class museum.His vast cannabis collection of over 6500 pieces has finally been professionally catalogued and the original Hash Museum in Amsterdam has been thoroughly renovated and upgraded. Hats off to the extended Dronkers family: the results in both cities are spectacular. The reopening of the Amsterdam museum and the grand opening in Barcelona coincided with the 2012 Cannabis Culture Awards. In Amsterdam, the awards were presented by former Dutch prime minister Dries van Agt, who received the award in 2009. Winners included Norwegian elder statesman Thorvald Stoltenberg, father of the current prime minister and member of the Global Commission on Drug Policy and Dutch psychiatrist and drug policy activist Fredrick Polak. Finally an award was presented to the legendary Lester Grinspoon. Because of his inability to travel a Skype interview with Ben Dronkers was shown at both ceremonies. The Barcelona ceremony took place on May 9th, two days before the official opening of the museum. The event was dominated by Virgin founder Richard Branson, who accepted an award on behalf of the Global Commission on Drug Policy. The two hours the British super entrepreneur spent in the museum were one big media blitz; a notable difference with the Amsterdam ceremony, attended by only a handful of journalists. Branson promised to urge the Global Commission to issue a strong statement
The two other winners in Barcelona were Todd McCormick and Fernanda de la Figuera, Spanish grower and cannabis activist since 1973. After the awards ceremony, the party went on for four straight days, with special openings for the press, locals, members of Spanish Cannabis Social Clubs and the general public. The museum is a magical place where even the most knowledgeable
cannabis afficionado can learn something. The best places might be the small balconies at the front of the building, where you can sit and smoke cannabis, while looking at passers-by gazing up and taking pictures. Certainly one of those things you have to do at least once in your life… Hemp Museum Gallery, Carrer Ample 35, Barcelona, Spain » http://hempmuseumgallery.com Text © Derrick Bergman (G0NZ0 Media, VOC)
Cannabis Culture Award Winners 2012: Richard Branson is the founder of the Virgin Group, a conglomerate of more than 400 companies. He founded ‘Student’ magazine at the age of 16 and would later go on to establish a record label, music stores, a railway company, an airline and even a business offering trips to outer space. In 2007, Time Magazine included Branson in its list of the world’s 100 most influential people. Branson is a member of the Global Commission on Drug Policy and sits on the Honorary Board of the Drug Policy Alliance. He is one of the most eloquent and famous advocates for the decriminalisation of cannabis. An important cornerstone of Branson’s business success has been to recognise when a strategy is not working and to have the foresight to change direction when the situation requires it. The war on drugs is a failed enterprise as far as Branson is concerned. This is why he thinks that governments need to learn from the failures of drug policy and have the courage to enact better solutions.
Dr Lester Grinspoon is Associate Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Now one of the most respected and outspoken proponents of cannabis, Dr Grinspoon originally set out to prove it was a harmful drug. In 1967 he began research to scientifically define the dangers of marijuana. His studies led him to a surprising conclusion, the opposite of his hypothesis. Cannabis was not the dangerous drug that he, and the general public, had been led to believe it was. His book ´Marijuana Reconsidered´ (1971) reflected this reversal of opinion and was followed by several more, including ´Marijuana: The Forbidden Medicine´ in 1993.
One of the most dedicated, passionate medical marijuana campaigners in America, Todd McCormick describes himself as an ‘activist/author, traveler, photographer, friend to many’. He has been actively working on initiatives for cannabis and health since 1994 and was instrumental in promoting the implementation of new medical marijuana legislation following Proposition 215 in California. He is the Editor in Chief of Hempire magazine and author of How To Grow Medical Marijuana, an acclaimed stepby-step guidebook (which he offers as a free download). Currently he is working on the upcoming THC Expo in Los Angeles, which last year attracted over 40,000 people.
BBBB $
***
0 6 7 ( 5 ' $ 0
BBBB
Guaranteed Quality
***
FLOWERING %OXH 0\VWLF 6KRUW 5LGHU %XEEOHOLFLRXV -RFN +RUURU 1RUWKHUQ /LJKWV
ZZZ QLUYDQD QO
18
GROW WITH LITTLE LEBOWSKI
Autoflowering Cannabis: Here To Stay! Unless you have been living in a cardboard box for the last few years, you can’t have failed to notice the craze for autoflowering seeds and their rise in popularity. Take a minute to look at the various adverts for seed banks in this very issue of Soft Secrets, the vast majority have an autoflowering option in their range. Some even deal exclusively in autoflowering stock! So, what is the deal with By Little Lebowski this trend? What are the benefits? And…. are they here to stay…..? So, what are they?
How were they created?
The term ‘autoflower’ refers to Cannabis plants that switch from the vegetative to flowering phase depending on the age of the plant, rather than the amount of light they receive.
Most of you will be aware of two types of cannabis variety; Indica and Sativa. The ‘Indica’ plant varieties are typically squat, bushy plants, highly resinous and high yielding, producing buds with a strong ‘stoned’ effect. The ‘Sativa’ plant varieties are typically taller, less bushy, with long thin leaves, producing buds with a soaring ‘high’ effect.
Regular, photoperiod sensitive, strains of Cannabis are grown vegetatively on 18 hours of light and 6 hours of darkness and are triggered into flowering by altering the ratio to 12 hours of light and 12 hours of dark. Reducing the light
Put simply, breeders cross Indica and Sativa varieties to produce mixed
THE PLANTS WILL BEGIN TO PRODUCE BUDS, REGARDLESS OF THE AMOUNT OF LIGHT THEY RECEIVE ‘fools’ the plant into putting out flowers (growing buds); as, in nature, a reduction in daylight hours would mean that Autumn is approaching and the plant needs to reproduce. Autoflowering plants will begin to produce buds, regardless of the amount of light they receive. Grown from seed, the plants will begin to develop buds from around 3 to 4 weeks old. There is no need to reduce the amount of light hours they receive. In an outdoor situation, regular Cannabis Sativa and Indica varieties can take 6 months from planting to harvest. Grown indoors, they can take 3 months to harvest. In contrast to this, autoflowering strains will grow from seed to harvest within 8 to 10 weeks. This means that you plant them alongside your regular outdoor crop and have a nice harvest in the middle of the season! Basically speaking, you plant the seed, wait for it to germinate, propagate for a couple of weeks and then move into your final container. No need for clones, no need for separate vegging and flowering rooms and no need to change the timers on your lights. Autos are the fastest, easy to grow and most compact (and easy to hide) plants available on the market.
strains containing the positive characteristics from both parents. Check online or on the back of seed packets and the breeder / seed bank will usually advertise the % of Cannabis Indica and Sativa in that strain. Autoflowering strains introduce a third Cannabis variety; the Cannabis Ruderalis. Reports vary, but it is largely thought that this variety originated in South East Russia and spread into China and further East. As a smoker or grower, the pure Ruderalis plant is of little interest; it grows small in height – up to around 60cm – produces few female flowers and the buds that it does produce contain relatively little THC. However, as a breeder, the Ruderalis contains a very interesting characteristic; the variety has the ability to grow from seed to adult in around 10 weeks (allowing it to grow in cooler climates, with less available light). Also, the female Ruderalis quickly generates flowers without needing a reduction in daylight ours. It flowers when it reaches a certain age, rather than being dependant on light. It autoflowers! The first crosses of the Ruderalis plant weren’t particularly popular but, as different breeders and seed banks got involved, the quality quickly improved. Now you can get autoflowering varieties of many of your favourite strains and the
majority of them are also feminised – no need to sex your plants or change your lighting, what could be easier?
What Are The Benefits? Autos have quickly become popular within the Cannabis community; here’s why; - Ideal for beginners (or lazy growers!) – no change in photoperiod to worry about, no need for separate vegging and flowering rooms. Just plant your seed, propagate for a couple of weeks and let the genetics do their thing. Get an Auto feminised seed and you don’t even need to sex your plants. Also, the small stature of the Auto plant lends itself well to the inexperienced grower who needs to concentrate on feeding and creating the correct environment, rather than pruning or training their plants to ensure they don’t outgrow their room. - More outdoor harvests – because Autos begin flowering automatically, growing outdoors and starting a crop early in the year (weather permitting) means that you’ll be harvesting in the middle of summer. Overlapping your planting and harvest times by a week or so means that, even in the UK, you could conceivably pull 3 outdoor harvests in a year!! The short growth cycle also allows you to start an outdoor crop later in the year. So, if we have a crap spring (and we usually do!) you can plant well into the summer months and still pull an outdoor harvest. - Grow outdoors, up North! – growers in the North of England and Scotland can conceivably grow an Auto outdoor crop
after all!). This is handy for outdoor growing in the UK and for newer growers who don’t have the experience maintain a stable temperature in their grow room. - Small in size – most of the Auto strains (with the exclusion of the ‘Super Autos’) will remain small. This is perfect for growers with a small room or grow tents and for guerrilla growers looking for an easy to conceal plant. - Beat your mates! – we all know that loose lips sink ships (and get grows busted!), but we also know that there is some healthy competition between friends who are growers. Beat them to the harvest time with an Auto strain! - Interesting for hobby breeders – the Auto strains show their sex after just 3 weeks and a female can produce 100’s of seeds despite standing less than 2 feet tall! The fast harvest time means that you can cross and produce quickly. One tip: the Auto trait tends to be recessive, so if you breed with a photoperiod sensitive plant (rather than another Auto), you are likely to lose the autoflowering characteristic.
What Are The Down Sides? Every positive has a negative, every ying needs a yang! Autos are no exception; - Much reduced harvest – you will crop less bud with an Auto plant. The plants are smaller in stature anyway and you can’t control the vegging period in order for the plant to fill out and ‘fill’ your growing space before flowering. The Ruderalis plant, that Auto strains descend from, produces less bud than
AUTOFLOWERING STRAINS INTRODUCE A THIRD CANNABIS VARIETY; THE CANNABIS RUDERALIS now that they are not reliant on a mild spring and consistent daylight hours. - Hardy plants – the Cannabis Ruderalis influence in the genetics of Auto strains means that they are more resistant to the cold weather, disease and moulds (they grew up in Russia and Siberia
a Sativa or Indica strain anyway. Some of the dwarf Auto strains, which finish in around 60 days, will typically produce under an ounce per plant. Although, with the introduction of ‘Super Autos’ this is now changing.
19 produce more yield within the set amount of time. Economically speaking, it’s advisable to think about your electricity bill when you decide on the amount of light you give. Is it worth keeping that 600 watt lamp blazing 24 hours, to get a few extra grams? Probably not, you’ll end up spending more on electricity than you get back on yield. - Lower THC content – the influence of the Cannabis Ruderalis means that the THC content of Auto strains can be less than some of the stronger, more established Indica or Sativas available. Some of the early Auto strains produced had very little psychoactive content whatsoever, which gave the plants a bad reputation with some growers. However, with more and more commercial seed banks and breeders coming on board, the quality of Autos has advanced rapidly and will continue to advance – take a look through this magazine and see the big names that are now producing Auto varieties.
The best advice is to experiment between 16-20 hours of light and see what results you get with the same strain. As with photoperiod sensitive plants, using a blue / white fluorescent or metal halide lamp in the first 3 weeks
in the vegetative stage (first 3 weeks after germination) and development of buds in the flowering stage. Use the Grow nutrient until the end of the first week of flowering, just as you would with a regular Cannabis variety. Root and bloom stimulators and PK additives can all be used as normal.
As discussed, autoflowering plants have grown in popularity to the extent that many award winning and ‘classic’ strains
As the majority of Auto strains will remain at a relatively small size, it is counterproductive to use very large pots – because they’ll start to flower before they fill them. Remember that you can’t prolong the vegetative stage to allow the roots to fill the pot. The plants will flower from around 3 weeks
are now available in Auto form. These plants have aroma and strength comparable with regular photoperiod plants and aren’t too far off in terms of yield production (when compared to a regular plant, flowered after 3-4 weeks).
Autoflower Growing Tips will encourage vegetative growth and give your plants a solid structure to flower on. You could change to a HPS
- JUST PLANT YOUR SEED, PROPAGATE FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS AND LET THE GENETICS DO THEIR THING the greater the yield they produce – since the maturation is determined by age rather than light hours, you won’t really shorten the growth cycle significantly with more light, the plant will just photosynthesise more and
The Future
Potting Up
- No clones – growing Autos is really only viable from seed. It’s not impossible to clone an Auto plant but, because the plants will mature and flower regardless of the amount of light they receive, you cannot prolong the vegetative phase to develop the clone. If you take a cutting from an Auto plant that is just about to flower, then that clone will begin to flower. So, there is no swapping or selling of clones.
Indoor Lighting – Auto’s can be flowered under 12 to 24 hours of daylight. In theory, the more light they receive,
sneaky guerrilla grows or that space in the greenhouse or garden, that is just out of site of the neighbours!
lamp in the red spectrum once you begin to see bud development. Nutrients – as with regular plants, using a specific Grow and Bloom nutrient will help to promote dense lateral growth
old and you want all energy to be concentrated on bud production after this time, so, one pot up after germination should be all they require, nothing larger than an 11L container. Outdoor growing – autoflowering varieties can be grown in the UK much further North than regular varieties as the maturation time is so much quicker. Just plant out at the end of May / early June and you’ll be harvesting at the end of summer. Also, the small size of some the Dwarf Auto varieties makes them ideal for
A recent development in the field of autoflowering is the emergence of the ‘Super Auto’ strains. These varieties are far larger than regular Autos and have a much longer vegetative period, allowing them to grow to an impressive size before flowering is automatically triggered. Expects harvests after 110-120 days rather than the 60-80 days with a regular Auto. The advantage with the ‘Supers’ is that the longer veg time (a Sativa characteristic) will mean much larger yields. It’s clear that Auto’s are more than just a short term craze and for the beginner, outdoor guerrilla or grower short on space they can make more sense than a regular variety. They are here to stay!
20
GROW WITH GRUBBYCUP
The Fungus Among Us The realm of things that are alive is separated into various kingdoms. There are several different ways to do this, but a common way is to group life forms into kingdoms of Bacteria, Protozoa (Amoebas), Chromista By Grubbycup (algae), Animalia (animals), Plantae (plants) and Fungi. Members of the Plantae kingdom are the plants that gardeners grow. These beloved members of their kingdom supply us members of Animalia (people are members of the animal kingdom) with treasures of fibers, foods, flowers, and flavors. But they are not alone. The neighboring kingdom of Fungi includes both enemies and allies including molds, mildews, mushrooms, yeasts, and mycorrhiza.
not allowed to collect in damp conditions. Fungal outbreaks can start with as little as 24 hours of appropriate conditions.
Yeast is a fungus commonly used to make bread rise, and creates the alcohol in wine and beer. Edible mushrooms can be grown at home using logs inoculated with the proper mushroom spores. However some mushrooms can be toxic, so make sure of the identity of any mushroom considered for consumption.
Stem Rot is a fungus that can develop on and kill off overwatered seedlings. Once contracted, it is usually fatal, but can be avoided by proper watering. Root Rot is also caused by overwatering plants, but again can usually be avoided with proper
Fungi assist in plant decomposition and the conversion of waste plant material into compost. They break down large and woody plant material into forms more accessible to further decomposition by bacteria.
STEM ROT IS A FUNGUS THAT CAN DEVELOP ON AND KILL OFF OVERWATERED SEEDLINGS. In general, fungi prefer dark, wet, undisturbed environments. While members of the plant kingdom use cellulose to build cell walls, fungi use chitin, which is the same substance found in lobster shells, insect carapaces, and octopus beaks. They often reproduce by releasing spores, which are tiny groups of cells that float through the air in the hopes of landing in a hospitable area to form a new colony. Spores from common local fungi are often already present in gardens, and they are just awaiting proper conditions to begin growth. These spores often require near continuous available moisture, and as a result overly humid or wet gardens have a greater tendency to have fungal problems. Humidity above 70% is ideal for fungal growth, although outbreaks can occur at lower levels. Air circulation can have a strong influence on fugal growth, since poor air movement can create “pockets” of high humidity air around plant material that encourages detrimental fungal growth. Since fungi do not use chlorophyll, they have no light requirements, and in fact often prefer darker areas. Wet plant refuse in a pile is an open invitation for an opportunistic fungal colony, so garden waste should be dealt with and
subtilis (Serenade).
watering and root aeration. Gray Mold attacks areas of poor air circulation, and can usually be avoided with some combination of proper ventilation, trimming areas of dense growth, and trying the plant open to allow for internal airflow. Powdery Mildew is another moist garden fungal menace, common to appear, but with several treatment options including milk and other homemade remedies. Verticillium Wilt is a destructive fungus that invades and grows inside infected plants, an almost always fatal and untreatable arrangement. Dutch Elm disease is another terminal fungal ailment . Prevention is easier than treatment, so keeping humidity under control, removing decomposing plant material, and the elimination of standing water are the best methods to avoid an initial outbreak. Once a colony has become established, in most cases it must be treated. Correction of environmental issues, removal of colonized plant material, chemical fungicides, and biological fungicides are all options for treatment. Sulfur is a common treatment, as are neem oil, and the bacterium Bacillus
Some fungi are so helpful they are intentionally added to gardens. Mycorrhiza are often added to plant root systems to improve nutrient uptake, and some are even used as biological pesticides. For example, entomopathogenic fungi such as Purpureocillium lilacinum have been used to combat parasitic nematodes by infecting their eggs. Mycorrhizal fungi have formed symbiotic (mututally beneficial) relationships with almost all terrestrial plants. These colonies are in a symbiotic relationship with the plant, where each benefits more than it loses from the presence of the other. Mycorrhiza fungi are found naturally occurring in healthy “live” soil. The combination of mycorrhiza fungi and plant root are what is known as mycorrhizae (fungus-roots). Plants with well established mycorrhizae tend to perform better than those that do not. The plant provides a carbohydrate source for the fungus, and in return, the fungus helps assist the plants in nutrient uptake, drought resistance, and blocking their environmental niche from pathogenic fungi. Mycorrhizae collect and process nitrogen, phosphorus and a variety of micronutrients and pass to the plant. Of particular use is their ability to increase phosphorus uptake, which dramatically increases over non infected plants. Mycorrhizae thrive on carbohy-
POWDERED MYCORRHIZA FUNGI IS THESE OYSTER MUSHROOMS ARE AN EDIBLE FUNGUS.
USED AS A PLANT ADDITIVE.
drates, which is part of what they receive in return from the plant in exchange for their helping the plant to thrive. One way to boost mycorrhizae is to feed them with a carbohydrate additive such as molasses. If using mycorrhizal inoculants, apply at the beginning of the season to establish the colonies early. Once established, the infected roots should serve as a host to allow the fungus to spread throughout the root system. Much like a small colony of mold will take over an entire loaf of bread, in a healthy root system mycorrhiza will spread to fill the available space. Plant improvements from inoculate use are particularly pronounced when used early in poor or sterile mediums. In soil that already contains high levels beneficial fungi, adding more spores has a less pronounced effect. Plantae isn’t the only kingdom that fungi interact with, lichen are part fungi and part algae, and penicillin (Penicillium chrysogenum) is taken as penicillin by the Animalia kingdom to combat invasions by members of the Bacteria kingdom. Speaking of the interaction between animals (us) and fungi, the hallucinogenic psilocybin mushroom is another fungus occasionally consumed for it’s effects. While the dangers of eating a non-identified wild mushroom are very real. They can be safely grown at home as a hobby using a prefabricated kit such as the ones offered from Back to Roots who sell small mushroom kits made from recycled coffee grounds. Several online merchants sell spores and other equipment needed for more the adventuresome hobbyist, but a small kit is a fun way to try out the experience to see if it suits you. There are good fungi, and then there are some unpleasant ones. Like with everything else, make friends with the good, and avoid the bad where you can. Peace, love, and puka shells, Grubbycup
MUSHROOM KITS ARE AVAILABLE FOR HOME USE.
22
GROW WITH LITTLE LEBOWSKI
How To Take Care Of Seedlings Growing from seed is great; there is a vast range of seed banks to ing down, within a couple of days the will break through and you won’t buy from and – unlike growing from clones- you get to pick what- seedlings be left waiting around for any runts. ever variety you want to grow rather than relying on whatever By Little Lebowski Choose The Correct cuttings are going around at the time. Environment
The first 10 days after germination can be the most crucial of your plants life. Just like a new born baby, your girls are vulnerable to the elements and are totally dependent on you to give them the best start. Lots of growers, both new and experienced, lose plants at this stage, get disheartened and move away from using seeds altogether. But taking care of seedlings doesn’t have to be difficult. Just follow a few simple rules and you’ll raise healthy seedlings, time after time.
Pre-Germination Tips Some of the problems associated with bringing on seedlings can stem from the fact that not all of your seeds will germi-
There are a couple of tried and tested pregermination methods; 1. Cup of water – take a cup of mineral water and leave it in for a few hours to bring it up to room temperature. Put your seeds into the water and break the surface tension with a (clean) finger so that the seeds sink. Place the cup in a dark place that stays at a constant temperature, preferably between 19-24°C. Within 24-48 hours the seeds will have cracked and the tap roots will show. The seeds can be left in the water until the tap root protrudes a few millimetres and can then be planted out. 2. Paper tissue method – sandwich the
- THE FIRST 10 DAYS AFTER GERMINATION CAN BE THE MOST CRUCIAL OF YOUR PLANTS LIFE nate at the same time. For example, keeping the vents on a propagator closed while you wait for all your seeds to show can lead to the germinated seedlings rotting or ‘damping off’. To avoid these problems, you may choose to germinate or ‘pop’ your seeds before you plant them into their growing medium. This way you can be sure that you have selected the healthiest seeds and won’t be waiting around for the weaker ones to germinate.
seeds between pieces of damp tissue or paper towels and place them in an airtight container, ziplock bag or between two upturned dinner plates. Place in a warm, dark environment; an airing cupboard or on top of a fridge or dvd player – where warm air is constantly vented out. The seeds should germinate within 48 hours and can then be planted. Ensure that you plant the seeds a few millimetres under the surface of your chosen growing medium with the tap root point-
Without doubt, the absolute best environment for a young seedling is a propagator. Seedlings need consistency in order to grow healthily; that means consistent temperature, humidity and air flow. A propagator provides this consistent environment. Any changes to these environmental factors need to be done as gradually as possible – to prevent shock - and it’s easy to do this with a propagator. In its simplest form a propagator can be made from any material that allows light to reach the seedling and maintains a constant environment by trapping heat and humidity inside it. A clear plastic bag sat over the top of a pot and attached with an elastic band, forms a cheap but effect propagator! Your local hydro shop will stock inexpensive plastic propagators that comprise of a seed tray and a clear plastic lid or humidity dome. The lids often have adjustable vents that allow you to control the airflow and humidity levels inside the propagator. When seeds first germinate, you need to maintain humidity of around 80%, this is done by keeping the humidity vents closed, which stops airflow and prevents moisture from escaping. Once all seedlings are showing, gradually open the vents a little each day, this will increase the airflow and decrease the humidity, this process is called hardening off and gets the seedlings ready to be
A HEALTHY LITTLE SPROUT IN THE DIRT moved into the main room. It also prevents ‘damping off’. After 10 days the lid should be fully removed and your seedlings will be ready for transplanting up. The ideal root zone temperature for seedlings to develop is between 19 - 22°C. Keeping temperatures uniform across all seedlings will ensure that they develop at the same rate and are ready to transplant at the same time. This can be achieved by placing your propagator onto a heat mat or, if you’re bringing on lots of seedlings, invest in a heated propagator.
Use The Correct Light Once your seeds have germinated and have broken through the surface of the growing medium, they will begin to photosynthesise and must have light for a minimum of 18 hours per day. Although it is certainly possible to start Cannabis plants on the windowsill using natural sunlight, this method carries its problems; the main one being that the sun is not as consistent as a grow lamp. A hot sunny day is difficult to plan for and you could return home to a window sill full of wilted plants. Seedlings are vulnerable and can wilt within hours if the conditions are wrong. Direct sunlight can fry them! If natural light levels are poor, the seedlings will stretch for light, leaving you with long, spindly plants that only develop small yields. Remember, if you’re growing indoors, you need to maximise the available headroom under your lights. You need to keep plants short and squat until they are ready for flowering. Otherwise you are wasting space on long stems, rather than long buds! Why spend good money on seeds and then risk losing all of your plants on the windowsill? It makes sense to invest in some indoor lighting.
TWO FRESHLY ‘POPPED’ BEANS. GERMINATED USING THE TISSUE PAPER METHOD
FIRST SET OF TRUE LEAVES BEGINNING TO SHOW
When plants are very small, excessive heat and light can stunt their growth or even kill them. For this reason it is not practical to start them under a HID lamp, you’ll certainly be wasting money if you
23 do as you’ll need to place the lamp a good distance away from the seedlings (so you’ll be wasting heat and light). Fluorescent lighting is less intense and gives off less heat, so is much more suitable. The propagation lighting available from your local grow shop – such as T5 propagation strips or CFL ‘eco lights’ will have an output in the blue / white spectrum; this encourages plants to develop roots, grow outwards rather than upwards and will see your plants through the propagation phase and into the early vegetation stage of growth.
outwards to find more. This is how the plant ‘fills’ the growing medium with roots. Therefore, it is essential to allow the growing medium to dry out before re-watering. This allows the roots to use up the majority of the food and water present. When water and food is always available, the roots don’t need to search out for them and the root zone will be underdeveloped. Obviously, it is very important not to over water seedlings, however it is a balancing act, as under watering will cause the roots to die back and this too limits development.
These fluorescent lamps are cheaper to purchase and operate than HID lighting and, because they give off much less heat, they can be placed closer to your seedlings – so you waste very little light.
It’s worth remembering that seedlings are tiny and are unlikely to need any additional food or water for the first 3 to 5 days after germination. If in doubt, you can purchase a soil moisture meter to double check.
In the UK a single 24 watt T5 strip light will cost as little as £20 from your local hydro shop. This would cover 10-15 seedlings in a small propagator. Bargain!
The first feed can be given to your seedlings once the first real leaves appear; these are the second set that develops after germination. Don’t feed stronger than an EC level of 1.2, including background EC. Always stay on the cautious side with your feed, it’s easy to give additional food if your plants need it, but it’s difficult to correct over feeding with very young plants.
Feed At The Right Times Before planting your seed, your growing medium should already be moist, but not completely saturated. Peat or coco plugs should be soaked in water until they are fully expanded and then allowed to drain overnight. If you are using rock wool cubes to propagate, soak them in a solution of quarter strength nutrient solution that has been pH’d to 5.5 and allow them to drain overnight before using.
Learn to read your plants; as a general rule, if the lower leaves start to yellow, they are hungry. If the edges of the leaves are brown or curling, they are overfed.
TIMING IS KEY FOR SUCCESSFUL TRANSPLANTING; YOU WANT THE ROOTS OF THE SEEDLING TO HAVE APPEARED ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE PROPAGATION MEDIUM As discussed, the main objective when propagating your seedlings is to quickly establish a healthy root zone. To do this it is good to understand the effects of watering the root zone. Roots grow in response to depletion zones, i.e. outwards to search for water and food. When a root has absorbed all of the available water and minerals in one area of growing medium, it grows
Transplant With Care If you’ve started your seeds in a propagation medium like rock wool cubes, peat or coco pellets then within 10 days of germination they should be ready to transplant onto the next stage. Even seeds started in a small 3 inch pot of soil of coco will probably be ready to move up a pot within two weeks of germination. The seedlings will still be vulnerable at this stage, so the main goal is to mini-
INVEST IN A PROPAGATOR. YOUR GIRLS WILL LOVE YOU FOR IT! mise transplant shock. For best results – and to minimise shock – transplant into the same growing medium that you started in, for example seeds germinated in soil should be transplanted to a soil pot, coco to a coco pot. This will speed up the time the seedling takes to root in its new medium. The exception to this rule is rock wool, which provides an inert, sterile starting block which can be transplanted to any medium. Each block is completely uniform to the next, so each seedling will grow consistently and will be ready to transplant at the same time. Contrary to popular belief, when transplanting into a new medium, it’s a good idea not to water on the day of transplanting. It’s likely that the seedlings will have suffered some root damage when they were transplanted, watering immediately can introduce pathogens into the damaged roots. It is best to wait until the next day and water in with a dose of plant stress reliever, like SuperThrive. This will also help to prevent root rot or ‘damping off’.
you want the roots of the seedling to have appeared on the outside of the propagation medium. Transplant too early and you can stunt top growth as you wait for the roots to fill out the medium. Transplant too late and the seedling may become root bound in its cube, become dehydrated or begin to develop deficiencies. If your seedlings begin to yellow then they are in need of food and need to be transplanted up and given additional feed. Once seedlings have been transplanted into their new pots or cubes, they can be put back into the propagator for a couple of days before hardening off and going into the main grow room.
Label Up! Labelling your seeds when you sow them is really a must. When growing more than one strain at a time, one thing that catches out even the most experienced of growers, is forgetting which plant is which! No matter how good your memory is, after a couple of joints, that stoned visit to your grow room will inevitably lead to the seedlings getting mixed up.
It is also worth mentioning that you can bury a plant up to the first node (or branch) when transplanting. This allows you to shorten the height of individual plants and ensures an even canopy. This technique can be done at every stage of potting up.
Different strains may need different levels of feed, so it’s well worth remembering which is which. Use plastic stake labels rather than wooden ones, they are easy to wipe and, in some instances, damp wood can harbour the larvae of certain grow room pests.
Timing is key for successful transplanting;
Now get germinating!!
® Best Seeds Bank Expocannabis 2007
Best Seeds Bank Spannabis 2008
www.sweetseeds.es
Cream Caramel
S.A.D. S1 Sweet Afgani Delicious
®
1er Prize Outdoor Cannabis Champions Cup 2009
®
Jack 47
Black Jack
®
®
1er Prize Indoor Bio Cannabis Champions Cup 2009
“Girl of the Year” 2011
3s. 24,00€ 5s. 40,00€ 10s. 80,00€
x10
3s. 18,50€ 5s. 30,50€ 10s. 61,00€
x7
3s. 33,00€ 5s. 55,00€ 10s.110,00€
x2
3s. 19,50€ 5s. 32,50€ 10s. 65,00€
x6
Blue Black x Maple Leaf Indica x White Rhino ,QGLFD 6DWLYD
Self-Pollination Black Domina ,QGLFD 6DWLYD
Jack Herer x Ak47 ,QGLFD 6DWLYD
Black Domina x Jack Herer ,QGLFD 6DWLYD
Also available in 2nd GENERATION $XWRÀ RZHULQJ
Also available in 2nd GENERATION $XWRÀ RZHULQJ
Also available in 3rd GENERATION $XWRÀ RZHULQJ
Also available in 2nd GENERATION $XWRÀ RZHULQJ
3s. 20,00€ | 5s. 33,00€ | 10s. 66,00€
3s. 18,50€ | 5s. 30,70€ | 10s. 61,00€
3s. 29,90€ | 5s. 48,90€ | 10s. 98,80€
3s. 24,00€ | 5s. 40,00€ | 10s. 80,00€
Cream Caramel Auto
S.A.D. Auto Sweet Afgani Delicious
®
+ Speed
®
Green Poison Auto
®
Black Jack Auto
®
Big Foot
®
3s. 20,90€ | 5s. 34,50€ | 10s. 68,70€
Sweet Skunk Auto
Jack 47 Auto
®
Cream 47
®
Secrets Ingredients
Cream Caramel Ak47
Indica/Sativa:
Indica/Sativa:
3s. 24,90€ | 5s. 40,90€ | 10s. 81,80€
3s. 28,50€ | 5s. 47,50€ | 10s. 95,00€
Cream Mandarine Auto
®
®
Big Devil XL 3s. 14,50€ | 5s. 23,90€ | 10s. 47,80€
Sweet Cheese Auto
3s. 22,50€ | 5s. 36,90€ | 10s. 73,80€
Mohan Ram Auto
®
®
$XWRÀ RZHULQJ Indoor/Outdoor Harvest: 9½ weeks from germination Height: 110-160 cm
3s. 23,90€ | 5s. 39,50€ | 10s. 78,80€
Sweet Special Auto
3s. 26,50€ | 5s. 43,90€ | 10s. 87,80€
®
Big Devil #2 $XWRÀ RZHULQJ Indoor/Outdoor Harvest: 9 weeks from germination Height: 100-150 cm
3s. 25,00€ | 5s. 42,00€ | 10s. 84,00€
3s. 14,90€ | 5s. 24,50€ | 10s. 48,70€
3s. 19,90€ | 5s. 32,80€ | 10s. 65,80€
~ Collector Edition ~
6 seeds properly labeled (2 seeds for variety)
49,90 euros
6SHFLDO ( (GLWWLRQ Q $ $XWR RÀ RZH HULQ QJ Big De Devil Sp pec ciall
47,60 euros
euros
Big Devil Fast Bud Speed Devil rs Distributo in UK!
Big Devil Big Devil #2 Big Devil XL &ROOHF FWRU 3D DFN N $ $XWR RÀ RZH RZHULQ QJ Jack Collecttorr
Spe pe ec cial Ediitio on $XW XWWR RÀ RZHULQJ
35,00
Big Devil XL
®
Big Devil #1 3s. 19,90€ | 5s. 33,00€ | 10s. 66,00€
Also availlable: 6 6SHFLD DO & &ROOOHFWRU 3DFFN - 38,0 00€
S.A A.D. S1 · Black Jack · Psicoodelicia A.D
Special Edittion n
Cream 47 Big Foot Green Poison
3s. 24,90€ | 5s. 40,90€ | 10s. 81,80€
53,00 euros
Black Jack Auto Big Devil XL Jack 47 Auto
®
S Specia iall Colllector Pacck - 40,0 00€
Crea ream Caramel · S.A ream A.D. S1 · Sweet Tai
S Specia iall Colllector Pacck - 41,0 00€
Moha ohan Ram · Cream m Carramell · Doubble White
S Specia iall Colllector Pacck - 50,0 00€
Jack ack 47 · Wil Wild Rosee · Grreen Poison
S Specia iall Colllector Pacck - 35,0 00€
Swee we t Cheese · Snow w Fruuit · Black Jaack
& &ROOH HFWWRU 3D DFN $ $XWRÀ R RZHUULQJ 2 Gene eration - 41,50€ nd
Blac lack Jacck Auto · Cream lack m Caraamel Auuto · S.A.D. Auto
& &ROOH HFWWRU 3D DFN $ $XWRÀ R RZHUULQJ + Fastes st - 42,50€
+ Sp Speeed · Fa Fast Budd #2 · Speedd devil #2
& &ROOH HFWWRU 3D DFN $ $XWRÀ R RZHUULQJ La arge Size Collecttor - 52,60€
Big ig Devil XL XL · Greeen Pooison Auto · Jackk 47 Autoo rs Distributo! in Ireland
C/ Dr. Nicasio Benlloch nº36-38 · 46015 · Valencia · España · +34 963 890 403 · +34 963 473 730 / +34 963 404 289 (Wholesalers) · Fax +34 961 934 843 Sale prohibited to people under 18 years old. Seed for coleccionist use exclusively. It´s ilegal to make them germinate. They´re not for agriculture purposes. Consult laws about cannabis aplied in your place of residence. Sweet Seeds will not be acountable for ilegal use of this seeds done by third parties.
25
TRAVEL DODGY STASH AND EVOLVING LAWS
Argentina
The Professor
neocolonialism saw the Argie’s boot out their US-supported fascist government along with the inhumane economic diktats of the IMF. A socialist-oriented government was voted in and a political revolution of the country began. So what’s all this got to do with weed? You only have to take a quick stroll around the streets of the capital Buenos Aires and chat with a few of the locals to understand that their politics and passion for ganja are strongly interlinked – the graffiti on the city walls, the saturation of dreadlocked and pierced heads in the streets and the amount of headshops hawking a full range of bongs and skins also confirm a story that needs no translating. If only the Argentinian football team was as easy to beat as the quality of weed the country has to put up with! Even so, from a cannabis perspective Argentina is a very interesting country for a number of reasons; there is a strong passion for cannabis culture, and their legal and political progress towards accepting our favourite plant as a normal part of life is keeping pace with the consensus in the streets... So why is it so chuffing bloody hard to find a decent smoke in this land of mullets and gauchos then? For this issue of SSUK we take a look at recent legal and political developments in the Argie weed scene, why their stock of marijuana is so poor, and why it could improve rapidly in the coming years... Being in the ‘back yard’ of the USA, Argentina had, for a more than a generation, been on the receiving end of the irrational, ignorant and highly politicised US-led ‘War Against Drugs’. This all changed in 2001 though. As a result of the economic collapse of Argentina in 2001, a national rebellion against US
Their impassioned political debate surrounding the decriminalisation of drugs for personal use turned into political reality in 2009 as a result of the famousArriola case. Without going into the precise details of this case, the case-related comments of three of Argentina’s Supreme Court Judges (SCJ) give us a great snapshot of the current ways of thinking amongst many in the Argentinian Judiciary: In 2009 the standing law (Law 23.737) was deemed unconstitutional because “it violates Article 19 of the National Constitution, in the sense that it invades the sphere of personal liberty, which is excluded from the authority of state organs... it incriminates the possession of drugs for personal use under circumstances that do not bring any concrete danger or harm to the rights and welfare of others.” (SCJ Elena Highton de Nolasco) SCJ Carlos Fayt went on to point out that, with regard to drug trafficking “the approach of criminalising drug use is revealing itself to be ineffective...”
In mind of the individuals affected by the laws, Fayt added “Criminalizing an individual [for drug use] is undeniably inhumane, subjecting the person to a criminal process that will stigmatize him for the rest of his life and subject him, in some cases, to prison time.” The popular SCJ Raul Zaffaroni follows that with: “the criminal sanctioning of drug users… has become an obstacle for the recovery of those few who are drug
one plant then narco-trafficking for cannabis would end within a few months...” At the political level the consensus has been a little more divided though; the move towards decriminalisation is supported by the President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, recently voted in for a second term, but was opposed by the old vice president, Julio Cobos. At the time of writing we are still waiting to see what consensus of opinion will
BUDS ARE A RARITY AND SELL FOR ROUGHLY FOUR TIMES THE PRICE OF THE PARAGUAYAN IMPORT THAT 99% OF ARGENTINIANS HAVE TO PUT UP WITH. dependent, since it only serves to stigmatize them and reinforce their identification with drug use, clearly undermining progress in any type of detoxification therapy and change of conduct that seeks precisely to build self- esteem on the basis of values other than drug use.” An educated layman and avid smoker then told us that “now the main political will is to punish only major traffickers; their logic is that if every smoker had even only
develop when Amado Boudou, the new vice president, finds his feet in the job. The arguments given by politicians opposed to decriminalisation appear to be more evasive and dogmatic rather than based on facts or knowledge; in an interview with THC magazine one politician argued that he ‘wants a debate with the security forces before any law changes are introduced. Right now is a bad time for the debate because there are a lot of
26 to take her as well!” I rushed to throw the plants away… They were less than a week away from being cut down! They were so beautiful! The police caught me in the garden trying to throw them over the fence so they arrested me. Two of my friends managed to hide their plants for when the police came but me and my friend had to go to the police station for interviews. When they were interviewing me the plants were on the table so every time I got the chance, when the police wasn’t looking, I pinched some flowers off with my nails and put them in my pocket… At the end of the interview he told me I could go and that they’d let me know what action they were going to take – if I have to go to court or no… A few days later they sent me a letter and they said that the matter was finished and that they weren’t going to do anything more. I was so relieved, I’ve never been in trouble with the police before and it would be really bad for my job, but my friend said “That’s
big issues that need dealing with and this is not a majority concern… The vision for a decriminalised Argentina is complicated and has many critics.’ Moving out of the linguistic gutter of the political world, up at street level the major force in raising public awareness in all aspect of cannabis culture in Argentina over recent years has been the magazine ‘THC’. Our educated layman and avid pot smoker told us “we are learning so much about the plant, about the science, politics and the laws, because of this magazine – it is serving an important purpose for us. One of the things it is doing is letting us know about cases that are being fought in the courts so that people can support the defendants with money and our good wishes for them; this is important because now we feel we are really part of a community and that we have a way to make our voices heard.” Talk to any discerning pot smoker out here and the conversation won’t get far before they mention the magazine; knowledge really is power and the knowledge being shared through THC is clearly empowering a lot of Argentina’s finest heads... Cameron & Clegg Inc. and their latest drugs advisory council would do well to have an ear on the debate that’s been going on over here. It’s great to hear such considered thoughts coming from people like Highton de Nolasco, Fayt and Zaffaroni, people in power, even if they are from the other side of the Atlantic. Considering all the fuss that’s being made, you’d think they’d have some nice smoke knocking about then… Fat chance! Flowers (buds) are a rarity and sell for roughly four times the price of the Paraguayan import that 99% of Argentinians have to put up with. Exported Paraguayan weed is notorious for its poor quality in both Argentina and Brazil – occasionally you can get
hold of a good ounce for 80-120 pesos (15 quid-ish) but most of the time you wouldn’t want to pay that for the ounce of crap you end up with; full of seeds and stalks, compressed and packed wet most of the time and sometimes even cropped off-season… And then there’s the joints they roll! I’ve never been passed so many spitting, bum-sucked joint butts anywhere. Ever. Get it together guys - joint rolling’s an art, not a way of putting your mates off their food! These old ways are all set to change when/if the new law changes go through though. We paid a visit to a couple of the headshops where we were told “in the last two and a half to three years the home growing scene is just starting to take off. We’re still not allowed to sell seeds but we can sell lights, and hydroponic equipment and fertilisers, some people even come here because they really just want to grow some plants or flowers in their apartment and they need the equipment – we never really expected those customers. It’s a bit crazy though, everything we sell is for Maria but it’s illegal for us to sell the seeds!” There are a good few places in Argentina where the climate is great for controlled outdoor grow ops as well; in one of these spots, living in a community of like-minded souls, we found Luz… “Me and a group of friends decided that we would all grow four plants and share whatever we managed to produce when we cut them down – we did that because none of us had grown Maria before and we didn’t know if they would die, I’m usually terrible with growing plants! I loved those plants so much! They were the first plants I ever grew that lived properly and the police came and took them, and they arrested me! I was at home one day and my friend’s little son come running to my house… “Luz! Luz!” He was shouting, “the police have just come round to mama’s house to take her plants and they’re going
people think they do! Whenever we have flowers it’s so good, that’s always really lucky times!” A lot of twenty-something Argentinians have even left Argentina altogether because of the lack of decent puff in the country… “I have friends who spend most of their time in Bolivia and Peru now, the Maria is much better in those countries – in Bolivia it’s quite good and very cheap, but in the north of Peru it’s the best weed in South America; they have a great climate and the soil is really good there for growing most crops.” These poor folk we’re talking about have pretty much left their home country altogether because of the cattlefeed they get served by their dealers. And before we leave you with the idea that the Argentinian police are all as generously humoured as the cops in Luz’s local north, very different stories emerge about the cops in the south of
THE MOVE TOWARDS DECRIMINALISATION IS SUPPORTED BY THE PRESIDENT CRISTINA FERNANDEZ DE KIRCHNER shit! They can come here and break into your apartment and steal your plants but then they don’t do anything more…” She told me I should take the letter to the police and ask for my plants back – I thought she was crazy but we had a drink and smoked a joint and she convinced me! I went down to the police station the next day with the letter and I ask them for my plants back… At first they couldn’t believe what I was asking but then they told me to go home before they changed their mind about giving me a punishment! We have to do it though, I love to smoke, usually just two or three nights in a week but I love it, and this Paraguayan Maria is so horrible – it’s like they pee on the plants when they cut them down, some
the country. An Aussie brother I met in Buenos Aires ended up being chased, beaten and locked in a cell for nine hours along with his English hitch-hiking pal by some bored southern cops, for no apparent reason other than the fact they were English speaking gringos. Rumours abound that after the fall of German Nazism in 1945 many of their old guard fled to Argentina to avoid being swept up by the war crime police – a lot of these peeps joined Argentina’s police force: add to that legacy the recent Anglo-Argentine spat over the Falkland Islands and you have a group of cops down in the south of the country who aren’t too friendly to vulnerable English travellers. Be warned.
28
CANNABIS FAIRS
2012 The history of cannabis fairs began with Soft Secrets magazine and the successful Highlife Fair organised in towns such as Utrecht, Amsterdam or Barcelona. This first stage saw the public speeches mainly concentrated on hemp and its uses, namely in the textile, food or cosmetics fields. It’s also important to emphasize that this sector of our industry has by now become well-established, with several fairs held throughout author: El Druida Europe, carrying on the concept of cannabis fairs that we began last century. All this inspired the Soft Secrets group to take a few years’ break before returning with a completely new concept. 2012 is the year that saw the reorganisation of the Highlife fairs under the new name GrowMed, the fair dedicated to self-cultivation of cannabis and other medicinal plants. Returning to a new city with a new concept is a task to be faced with courage and longterm vision. And that’s exactly what Soft Secrets did, trying to include every aspect of this concept in the fair.
Feria de Valencia This new vision led to the choice of the PUBLIC DISCUSSIONS AND CONFERENCES ON THE MEDICAL Feria Valencia fairground for GrowMed. It’s one of the best fair centres in all USES OF MARIJUANA WENT ON ALL DAY. Europe, offering the highest possible quality in services and resources. The entire third floor of the central pavilion – wide, bright and professional – was reserved for the occasion. Its natural light and 20,000 sq m capacity impress anyone who walks through the doors. This allowed us to organise a fair with wide corridors and a smooth flow of visitors; there were never any problems due to over-crowding during the entire weekend, not even on Saturday, when the fair saw the largest number of visitors. The wide, blue-carpeted sponsor corridor which the fair centred around, SWEET SEEDS WAS OFFERING A FABULOUS PAELLA hosted the brands that staked the
WERNARD BRUINING CAME SPECIALLY FROM THE NETHERLANDS TO SPEAK ABOUT HIS MEDICINAL MARIJUANA OIL.
THE PUBLIC FOLLOWED EVERY CONFERENCE WITH GREAT INTEREST.
29 most on the fair, each with its 100 sq m stand. The main sponsor was Royal Queen Seeds, while other important sponsors were Grass-O-Matic, Soft Secrets, Future Care, Sweet Seeds, Dinafem, Bio Ibo, Canna, Grotek, HesiHortitec, Atami, Plagron and GreenGo. Mention must also be made of the second-level Eva Seeds and Plantasur stands, as well as the effective use Paradise Seeds made of its space, by placing its advertisements above the stand, striking a balance between volume and visibility. Several other exhibitors, such as Grow Solutions or Hemp Trading, also set up stands at GrowMed. We certainly must underline the huge efforts on behalf of all the exhibitors who realised the level of professionalism that GrowMed aspires to and made it their mission to rise to the occasion with their stands. Along with a significant national and Valencian community delegation, there was also a sizeable international presence, with exhibitors hailing from all over Europe. Luc, the owner of Paradise Seeds, was quite adventurous in choosing his means of transport, as he travelled the Barcelona-Valencia stretch by bicycle. In a show of friendly rivalry for originality points, the different brands displayed their mascots for visitors to snap photos with – from the Royal Queen Seeds lions to Elite Seeds’ BananaMan. As far as original marketing goes, the Advanced Nutrients Europe badges certainly stood out: each one had a number written on it, and when two lucky people ended up with the same number, they received € 500 at the Advanced Nutrients stand, amongst much joy and celebrating.
The focal point of the Med Park was the Medical Lab, where the round-tables saw the participation of four members of the SEIC (Spanish Association for the Investigation of Cannabinoids). Thus, Javier Pedraza dealt with cannabis and pain, Koldo Callado spoke of cannabis and neuropsychiatric diseases, Javier Díaz of the cannabinoid system and Manuel
Med Park
Guzmán, president of the SEIC, spoke of cannabis and cancer. Dr. Joan Parés and assistant Monserrat Torres also participated, on behalf of the medical consultancy of the Catalan association MACA. The round-table on cannabis and cancer, which saw Javier Díaz and Javier Pedraza flank Manuel Guzmán, was indubitably one of the highlights of GrowMed.
One of the main distinctions of GrowMed was the central medical arena. Four 70 sq m areas, outlined by trees, aromatic and medicinal plants, made up the medical arena, dedicated to spreading information on medicinal cannabis in its four main aspects: scientific, legal, self-cultivation and clubs. To promote contact with the public during the talks, the format chosen was that of round-tables with the addition of information stalls.
test their cannabinoid contents, but also in search of possible contamination. An important note is that, for the first time, the laboratory was directed exclusively by one of the most important scientists on the scene: Iñaki García. And his expertise showed in the results, which seemed much more realistic compared to other series of tests.
group of legal consultants were present. Thus, Rafael Agulló and Hector Brotons dealt with the legal regime of medicinal cannabis, while the pair made up of Hector Brotons and Miguel Torres explained the situation of social cannabis clubs and therapeutic uses. Finally, Alacannabis’s legal consultant, Esther Concepción Sanchez, spoke
AN IMPORTANT MEETING WITH THE TESTIMONIAL GIRLS.
This area was also characterised by the Canna foundation laboratory, where experts analysed samples not only to
An example of this new arrangement is that the sample with the highest THC content belonged to Hugo, of the Bilbao grow shop Recoge y Siembra, with 15% THC. The legal area was coordinated by the legal office Brotons & Albert. Furthermore, this area – as well as the one previously mentioned – boasted the SEIC seal of approval, and several lawyers belonging to the FAC (Federation of Cannabis Associations)’s
about medicinal purposes in self-cultivation. Brotons & Albert also provided a consulting service for any growers or users with doubts and legal problems. The star of the self-cultivation area was certainly Jorge Cervantes, with his talk on outdoor medicinal self-growing in the United States. The worldfamous cannabis guru entranced his audience with a great display of photos and scads of information. Wernard Bruining’s talk about his work using
30 la offered by Sweet Seeds and Hemp Trading, which fed about 800 people!
medicinal tinctures for patients with a variety of ailments was also extremely successful. Joan Parés and Monserrat Torres also spoke on this subject. The club and associations area hosted members of PUKA (National Association of Consumers of Therapeutic Cannabis) and of the RCN-NOK (Navarra Cannabis Representation) therapeutic cultivation, as well as members of the FAC. However, we suffered two serious losses. Friday morning began with the tragic news of the death of José Julián Sanchez, known as Coque, the president of therapeutic association El templo del cannabis. José Julián was a great supporter of medical cannabis, a fighter and an example for all of us. He was deeply committed to this fair. On Thursday he was seen getting his accredit and overseeing the fair assembly, but he never made it to Friday. José Julián was an agricultural expert who had prepared a talk on the medicinal uses of cannabis that we never had a chance to enjoy. It’s a great pity that he never got to see the first European medicinal cannabis fair, although his energy certainly accom- MIGUEL FROM ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS IS HAVING A GOOD OLD TIME. panied us and intervened on behalf of the success of this first edition, because it was one of his greatest dreams. On Saturday there was an emotional moment of silence in his honour. Martín Barriuso, president of the FAC, was unable to attend due to a fairly serious case of pneumonia that he still hasn’t recovered from, weeks later. Although social cannabis clubs, which have greatly benefited from his contributions, are enjoying a moment in the sun, the case is different for Pannagh – the club that Martín Barriuso is president of. The club was confiscated and Martín has invested all his money and the money he has been lent to meet bail. All this in addition to health troubles. Pannagh is undoubtedly a reference point for European activism, and the time has come for all of us to support the club, which has always fought on behalf of all cannabis clubs. After having battled for the model that has helped us all, it’s time to return the favour, by making a donation to Victims of the Pannagh Breaking Up, 30350104-27-1040051014. Aside from the four main round-tables, ten additional information stalls were set up in the Medical Arena, where visitors could directly contact several groups and associations. The user association PUKA was present, along with other mixed groups like THC Valencia, Alacannabis and the FAC. Another participant was the association called “Dulce Revolución”, dedicated to the circulation of medicinal plants like Stevia, Kalanchoe and many others.
Recreational program Another aspect to set GrowMed apart is that exhibitors weren’t allowed to set up their own sound systems; the fair itself took charge of background music with several sound towers distributed throughout the building. GrowMed’s musical con-
Of course, these weren’t the only recreational activities available during GrowMed; there were also a Silent Disco and an Art Space, which saw the performances of artists such as Moduleight, D.Forma, Mighty Mike and Mr. Marshall. Not to mention Madame Gimeno’s mini theatre - the famous comedy club performer – and the poetry of Gonzalo Escalpa. Another important spot was the VideoWall, with its shining moment with the cast of the series Malviviendo, as well as documentaries like “Exodus” and “Rototom para el mundo”, on the Rototom festival, or “La otra realidad”, on medicinal cannabis.
GrowMed 2012 Awards The climax of GrowMed 2012’s success came with the presentation of the awards on Sunday in the Medical Arena. The winners were chosen by the exhibitors themselves; this is the traditional voting system used for the Highlife Fairs, although the GrowMed organisation has already announced important changes in the system for future editions. An overwhelming majority declared the best stand to be Eva Seeds / Cactus Martorell for their double plant factory of illusions, which have caught the attention of the public at every fair they’ve attended. The award for second place went to Sweet Seeds, and Atami won third place. Deimos’s Buddha Seeds won for most popular variety, as well as for Chica of the Year 2012, awarded in Soft Secrets’ varieties special. Another company that scored twice was 00Box, whose solar light won both for best accessory and best new product. The award for best medical bank went to two seed banks who shared a stand: Resin Seeds and CBD Crew. The award for best grow product was given to Advanced Nutrients Europe and Plagron was declared the most responsible stand.
Closing time: “Gracias” On Sunday, at the end of the fair when everything was being dismantled, satisfaction was the general feeling on the grounds. The newly-born GrowMed passed its trial by fire and it was obvious that it’s here to stay. Victor Santana, offiTHE PROMOTIONAL MODELS WERE REAL BEAUTIES. cial DJ for GrowMed, played a beautiful and heartfelt composition of his own, called “Gracias” - a fitting subject when all that was left was to thank everyone who cept was entrusted to Victor Santana, an sponsored by Resin Seeds. There can’t helped GrowMed possible from the botelectronic music producer at the height be a Soft Secrets fair without a smok- tom of our hearts – workers, public and of fame, who also happens to be a grower ing area, so the outdoor truck access exhibitors. Without the efforts of everyhimself, and has followed our fairs since (third floor) was reserved especially one involved, it would never have been the Amsterdam Highlife years, as he lived for the Resin Seeds Smoking Lounge, possible to carry out the first Medicinal in Holland at the time. During the three- which also hosted representatives Cannabis Fair in Europe. day weekend, Victor played soul, funk of the Rototom festival – an imporreggae and other “black” musical genres, tant European reggae festival held in The GrowMed documentary will be availBenicassim. It was a pleasure to have able online shortly, for you to relive the much to the appreciation of all visitors. our Rototom friends introducing us to GrowMed 2012 speakers’ speeches as Another important musical point was the music they play during their festival. well as photos taken during the fair. the outdoor area or Smoking Lounge, This area also hosted the giant pael- And... we’ll see you at GrowMed 2013!
33
ED ROSENTHAL
Jane and I were in Florida in February. Before heading back to the West Coast we decided to spend a few days in Jamaica, just a short flight away. An old friend who lives part-time in Negril had invited us to stay with him. We were strategically located near the beach and spent a day there. Our goal for the first day was to go to a stand on Negril Beach, which was recommended in Trip Advisor. The sun was shining in
its weaker winter mode, pleasant and warming as we walked on the sand. Summer sun in Jamaica is intense. There was a time that the beach was natural, of course, but that was decades ago. Today it is totally tourist-oriented. Our friend had never heard of Niah’s Patties and he was impressed with both their size and quality. Most stands just serve commissary-bought patties, but Niah makes his to order. We spent the next day going to YS Falls in St. Elizabeth. It is a series a falls dropping into swimmable pools. There’s a stepped boardwalk that
makes it easy to climb to the top pools. It was fun and relaxing to bathe in the warm flowing water. We arrived around 2:30 p.m. and within an hour the tourist buses with almost all the guests in the park departed. We were virtually the only people there, and it was romantic enjoying this paradise of water, falls, pools, and even tiny fish at the water’s edge. On our way back, we stopped at Cloggy’s on the Beach where we chose from a box of fresh just-caught fish. The sun was setting as we shared a delicious dinner of fish and prawns grilled with special sauces.
A VIEW OF THE RAISED BED GARDEN MADE FROM TIRES. THE TIRES WERE FILLED WITH SIFTED MINERAL SOIL LACKING MUCH ORGANIC MATTER. THEN THEY WERE FERTILIZED WITH A HIGH NITROGEN (N) FERTILIZER SO THE PLANTS GREW A BIT BEFORE THEY PUT MOST EFFORT INTO FLOWERING. THE SHIRT HANGING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GARDEN WAS USED AS A SCARECROW AGAINST BIRDS THAT WOULD EAT THE NEWLY PLANTED SEED.
ABOUT 40 SEEDS WERE PLANTED IN A 33CM TIRE, MORE IN LARGER TIRES. MALES WERE PULLED AS SOON AS THEY INDICATED, LEAVING 10-20 PLANTS. PLANTS GREW BETWEEN ONE AND TWO FEET TALL. ALL HAD SINGLE BUDS BECAUSE THEY WERE FORCED INTO FLOWERING A SOON AS THEY GERMINATED BY THE SHORT WINTER DAYS CREATING MORE THAN 12 HOURS OF DARKNESS.
The driver had arranged to take me to a garden on the third day. We drove about an hour from town into the country. Turning off the main road we took the car through a winding dirt road barely as wide as the taxi. We tortured the chassis for more than a mile, and then the driver parked the car in the shade where road turned abruptly into a footpath. The path meandered through brush and forest, blending into the lightly covered forest. We walked along one more turn and the vista opened to a garden that had been used for several years. The garden was planted all year and I arrived a couple of weeks before winter harvest. These plants were started in late November and would be ready over a period of time. A few had already been harvested and the rest would be ready over a period of two weeks. The raised-tire bed garden was packed with mineral soil sifted from the rocky garden. There is very little organic matter in this soil and in most tropical soils—as bacteria work at frenzied speed in the heat and eat it up. The farmer had fed
34
RIPENING BUD. THE PLANTS WERE A HYBRID OF TRADITIONAL JAMAICAN AND NORTH AMERICAN ADAPTED DUTCH PLANTS SUCH AS KUSH AND SKUNK.
the garden with a water-soluble highnitrogen fertilizer. However, the flower size suffered from a lack of potassium.
THE TIRES WERE LAID OUT IN ROWS. THEY VARIED IN SIZE FROM 33-45 CM. PLANTS IN THE LARGER TIRES GREW LARGER THAN IN THE SMALLER ONES.
The following day we went to “The Blue Hole,” which is located at the site of a future spa-resort. Although it was listed as a destination it was hard to get to; the final stretch of road was unpaved, not a typical tourist spot. When we arrived in late afternoon, the workers had stopped for the day and were just hanging out at the pool and hole. The hole is an exposed cave filled with deep blue water, which is 9 meters below the surface and 9 meters deep. The workers, young men, were making acrobatic jumps, then climbing the ladder out. Jane and I declined the steep jump and contented ourselves with the swimming pool. A woman who was staying there brought out some bubble-blowing gear and made giant undulating bubbles. The red tones of the sun beginning to set lit the giant bubbles afire with a red tinged rainbow. She continued creating these undulating sculptures for about 20 minutes and then mysteriously disappeared. It was like a scene from an absurdist play. This was the most laid back scene that I experienced on the island. When we arrived, people just accepted that we were there. No one asked for an admission or stopped to “help” us. I started a conversation with some of the very friendly people and they explained that
they were building the place. We used the pool, which overlooked the ocean and was surrounded by a beautiful scene of forest green and the blue ocean. As dusk approached, I suggested that it would be great if we could see the sunset from the roof. Others agreed and we all climbed to the top of the construction site, the roof of the future hotel, to partake with our new friends. Reggae filled the air with as we filled it with smoke from our spliffs. After the sunset, we left to return to Negril. That evening was the last day of the Bob Marley Festival, which was held in a park just outside the center of town. The bands were all local. The reggae beat has evolved and was supplanted with rap, but the festival stayed true to Marley’s philosophy of One-Love. Unfortunately, the price of admission was too steep for many Jamaicans who would have attended. We spent the last day at the beach followed by dinner at Ivan’s restaurant, where we had another great meal and watched the moonlit ocean from the restaurant veranda. It was a perfect ending to a wonderful excursion. The Jamaican Ganja I smoked was all mid-grade, and the resulting hash was not the purest. Still, I stayed pleasantly high and the price was right. It cost about $30 an ounce. Next time I’ll bring a screen to hand rub some hash.
ANOTHER VIEW OF THE GARDEN SHOWING THE ROCKY LIME OUTCROP. CDS WERE HUNG TO DETER BIRDS, AS WERE PIECES OF CLOTHING.
Check out the video of the dives into the Blue Hole—a test of stamina and daring: » http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuXFDWTSV4U&feature=youtu.be
35
WATER HASH PROCESSED LOCALLY. MID-GRADE. UPBEAT.
DRIED BUDS FROM THE FASTEST RIPENING PLANTS. DON’T THEY LOOK JAMAICAN?
BUD CLOSE-UP. FINGER HASH. NOTICE THE IMPURITIES SUCH AS LEAVES THAT STICK TO THE GUMMY MASS. THIS WAS REALLY WORTHWHILE. IT WAS FRESH AND FRAGRANT AND PRODUCED A REALLY GOOD FEELSKUNK BUD GROWN NEAR NEGRIL GIVEN TO ME BY A FRIEND. DUTCH-AMERICAN SEEDS HAVE THOROUGHLY INFILTRATED JAMAICAN GARDENS.
ING HIGH THAT WAS QUITE ENERGIZING. SKUNK BUD CLOSE-UP.
HIGHER QUALITY JAMAICAN BUD FROM ANOTHER GARDEN. THIS BUD WAS THE RESULT OF A BETTER-FERTILIZED GARDEN. IT WAS THE SAME VARIETY AS IN THE GARDEN I VISITED.
37
GIANT BUBBLES REFLECT THE LATE AFTERNOON LIGHT. THE BUBBLE MAKER SET UP, BLEW BUBBLES FOR 20 MINUTES, THEN MYSTERIOUSLY DISAPPEARED.LUEGO DESAPARECIÓ MISTERIOSAMENTE.
SUNSET AT THE BEACH AT CLOGGY’S. THE BEACH WAS UNDEVELOPED WITH FEW VISITORS.
THE SETTING, OVER THE CLIFFS PRESENTS A DRAMATIC VIEW WHILE DINING. ALL THE DISHES WERE EXCELLENT.
THE FALLS FORM A SERIES OF POOLS THAT ARE FUN TO SWIM IN. THE WATER IS A COMFORTAT NIAH’S THE PATTIES ARE PREPARED TO ORDER, NOT PRE-MADE. THE RESTAURANT HAS A FULL MENU INCLUDING LOVINGLY PREPARED VEGETARIAN DISHES.
ABLE TEMPERATURE AND THE FALLING WATER IS INVIGORATING. THIS IS THE CARIBBEAN AT ITS BEST. THE FRAGRANT WARM AIR ENVELOPS YOU AND ENTICES YOU INTO THE WATER. [PHOTO: TRIPADVISOR]
BRIDGE VIEW OF EGRETS RESTING AT SUNSET. NATURAL BEAUTY OF THE RIVER IS JUST A THE SIGN AT NIAH’S.
FEW BLOCKS FROM BUSY DOWNTOWN NEGRIL.
38
GROW WITH JORGE CERVANTES
Manicuring Manicuring buds is time-consuming. Budget 4–6 hours to manicure a single pound (454 gm) by hand with scissors. An automatic trimmer will cut manicuring time to 1–2 hours.
Use small easy-to-maneuver pointed scissors to reach into crevices in buds. Have 2 or 3 different pairs of scissors available. Switch scissors when your hands fatigue.
gloves with rubbing alcohol. Set the hash-laden alcohol on the counter overnight to evaporate. Scrape up the remaining hash after all the alcohol has evaporated. Or put the rubber gloves in a freezer for a few hours. Cooling will make it easier to scrape and rub the accumulated hash from the gloves.
RScrape accumulated resin from scissors when it clogs blades. Use a small knife to remove built-up resin from blades. Ball up
Manicure over a fine silkscreen, glass, or slick-surfaced table. Scrape up fallen resin glands on the table or under the screen. This potent resin can be smoked immediately or pressed into blocks of hash.
small bits of scraped resin by rubbing it together between fingers. The ball of hash will grow as manicuring progresses.
Wear inexpensive rubber gloves to collect “finger hash.” After trimming, remove accumulated finger hash on
Fresh green marijuana is not very potent. Drying converts THC into its psychoactive form and removes about
75 percent of the moisture from freshly harvested plants. Moisture evaporates evenly when plants are dried slowly over 5–7 days or longer. Buds are dry throughout so will taste sweet and smoke smooth. Buds dried too quickly retain chlorophyll and other substances within foliage. Such poorly dried cannabis tastes “green,” burns unevenly, and tastes bad.
The temperature in the ideal drying room is between 65° and 75°F (18°– 24°C) and humidity from 45–55 percent. Temperatures below 65°F (18°C) slow drying, and humidity is more difficult to control. Humidity above 80 percent slows drying and increases the chances of mold attacks. Temperatures above 75°F (24°C) may cause buds to dry too fast, and humidity can also fall below the ideal 50 percent level more easily. Always use an accurate maximum/minimum thermometer and hygrometer to ensure temperature and humidity are kept in the ideal range.
QUESTIONS TO JORGE Jorge Cervantes is the author of: Marijuana Horticulture: the Indoor/Outdoor Medical Grower’s Bible in English and Spanish, Jorge Cervantes’ Ultimate Grow DVD, Indoor Marijuana Horticulture: The Indoor Bible, Marijuana Indoors: Five Easy Gardens, Marijuana Outdoors: Guerrilla Growing and Jorge’s Rx. He writes for 12 magazines in 6 languages. Jorge’s books are published in Dutch, English, French, German and Spanish.
Drying
Small harvests can be dried easily in a closet, cabinet, or a cardboard box that is a fraction of the growing area’s size. Large harvests require much more
room. See Marijuana Horticulture: The Indoor/Outdoor Medical Grower’s Bible for more information.
39 Curing and Storage
Once buds are dry, they are ready for curing. The curing process lets buds dry evenly so they smoke smooth and taste sweet. When properly cured, all unnecessary moisture is removed and THC reaches its most psychoactive potential. Proper curing ensures buds are completely dry and much less susceptible to mold when stored.
Use a small circulation fan to keep air moving in the drying room, but do not train the fan directly on buds or they will dry unevenly. A ventilation fan may also be necessary to help control temperature and humidity. Use an air conditioner or heater to control extreme humidity and temperatures.
To cure buds, gently pack them into sealable airtight containers. Moisture will move from stems to drier foliage. Place the containers in a cool, dry, dark place. Open the container after 2–4 hours to let humid air escape. Leave the top off for 5–10 minutes so moisture evacuates. Close the container. Open the container for a few minutes every few hours to release excess moisture before closing the lid again. Depending upon moisture content, buds should be totally dry in a few days to 2 weeks. Gently squeeze buds to feel if they are more pliable and moist than they were a few hours before. Once they are evenly dry, they are ready to smoke or seal in an airtight container for storage.
Check for dryness by bending a stem. The stem should snap rather than fold when bent. The bud should be dry to touch, but not brittle. Dry buds burn well when rolled into a joint. Once dry, buds are ready to cure. Curing is essential!
Store packaged buds in a cool, dry, dark place. The owner of this Volkswagen Beetle stored buds in a cool, dry place, but he forgot to keep it dark. Buds stored in the refrigerator will stay fresh a few months longer. Make sure buds are in an airtight container when stored in the refrigerator to prevent moisture from entering the container..
40
GROW WITH GRUBBYCUP
Organic Nutrients and Chemical Shortcuts One hotly contested topic of cannabis gardeners is whether to use chemical based, or organic nutrients. While it is fine to disagree, there are benefits to both sides, and ignoring the camp you don’t agree with has By Grubbycup been the cause of a lot of ignorance in the world. Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and other nutrients are needed by plants for healthy growth. These are elements, and as such, there is no difference between the nitrogen (N) from an organic nutrient, or a chemical nutrient. Elemental nitrogen is the exact same thing regardless of the source. What garden plants most often use to allow them to take up nitrogen (N) is a form known as nitrate (NO3), which is a nitrogen (N) atom connected with three oxygen (O) atoms. Nitrate (NO3) is easy for the plants to separate the nitrogen (N) from the oxygen (O), and therefore makes for a good source of nitrogen (N) (woody plants like trees can also use ammonium (NH4)).
long period of time. Some forms of organic fertilizers can continue to release nutrients for more than one season, improving the general long term health of the soil. Because the percentage of nutrient to total
AN ATOM OF NITROGEN IS THE SAME AS
Plant material that has fallen to the ANY OTHER REGARDLESS OF THE SOURCE. ground and animals leaving waste material are two sources of nitrogen (N) that mass tends to be lower, the NPK values for are naturally occurring in untended wil- organic nutrients tend to be lower than for derness. To emulate this, organic nutrients chemical based solutions. Because they are tend to be made from naturally occurring closer to a natural state, the NPK values for materials with minimal processing. One organic products also tend to be less exact advantage to this is that the materials than with chemical based fertilizers, which can often be collected cheaply (i.e. leaves, can be made to exact recipes. With the lawn clippings, livestock manure etc.) exception of high ammonia “hot” manures, Compost (3-1-2) is very similar to what organic nutrients tend to be less prone happens in nature when leaves fall, and to overfeeding. Compost, worm casting, assorted other plant material winds up and fish excrement can be used in almost on the ground when nobody is around unlimited quantities without causing “nute to rake it up. It is as these things decom- burn”. Since organic nutrients tend to be pose (or compost) that bacteria and fungi less processed, they also tend to be more convert them into ammonia (NH3), and prone to clogging hydroponic systems that ammonium (NH4). This process takes time rely on sprayers and pumps. as the bacteria process the ammonia as they get to it. However,there is more than one way to make ammonia (NH3) it can also be a I like to compare organic nutrients to eat- manufactured chemical made from nitroing oatmeal for breakfast, they tend to be gen gas (N2) by applying heat, pressure, bulky and release their nutrients over a and an iron catalyst. Ammonium sulfate
((NH4)2SO4 ) and ammonium nitrate (NH4) (NO3) are other manufactured forms of nitrogen that allow for later parts of the process so be skipped over. Any of these allow for a short cut in the process, and makes the nitrogen available faster than with the natural process. Chemical nutrients are more like having an energy drink for breakfast, they release their nutrients quickly, and then need more to avoid a “crash”. Since chemical nutrients are shortcuts to the natural process, they can allow for a greater level of control as to how much and when the nitrogen becomes available to the plants. This can allow for a higher nutrient level and resulting increase in performance than is possible with organic nutrients. With this level of control comes responsibility however, as introducing an overabundance becomes a much more likely temptation, which can result in “nute burn” or overloading and damaging natural systems with the runoff. Adding a chemical nitrate (NO3) for example, allows for the entire nitrate (NO3) creation process to be skipped, and immediately supply nitrogen (N) to the plants, but it is also very water soluble, and what isn’t taken up by the plant will quickly wash downstream (unless recirculated) . Overdosing plants with chemicals can imbalance a natural system to the point that becomes inhospitable to the beneficial bacteria and fungi normally responsible for the process. Because chemical fertilizers are shortcuts to the process, using them to treat nutrient deficiencies will tend to give faster results than an organic solution which is better suited for long term release. Depending on the exact chemical used, there may also be “leftover” residue after the ammonia or nitrate is used which can build up in the system over time. This is where the practice of watering heavily without nutrients for a time (flushing) comes from, to help wash away any leftover chemical residue buildup. Regardless of the source, if the ammonia (NH3) is exposed to acidic conditions (pH less than 7) it picks up another hydrogen (H) atom and converts to ammonium (NH4). This is part of why pH can have an effect on plant growth, if the pH is too high, this conversion is inhibited. Beneficial bacteria then convert the ammonium (NH4) to nitrate (NO3) which can then be used by the garden plants.
ORGANIC NUTRIENTS SIMULATE NATURAL EVENTS SUCH AS FALLING LEAVES.
Phosphorus can be obtained naturally from organic composts, rock phosphate or bone meal, or it can come from
THERE ARE MANY NUTRIENTS, BOTH CHEMICAL AND ORGANIC TO CHOOSE FROM. chemicals such as ammoniated super phosphate (5-50-0), or ammonium phosphate (18-46-0). Overuse of phosphorus is one of the sources of environmental pollution. Potassium can be from organic sources like compost (3-1-2), kelp (1-0-4), or from a chemical such as potassium nitrate (13-0-44). The differences between chemical and organic nutrition are not as absolute as they are often portrayed, they both supply the same elements to the plants. The primary differences are in how many shortcuts are taken, and what remains afterwards. Although purists on both sides may strongly disagree, I believe there is little reason not to make use of the benefits of both in moderation. Plants awaiting organic nutrients to become available may benefit from a little chemical boost to tide them over, and long lasting organic materials can help create a buffer for fast acting chemical nutrient gardens. Sometimes a big hearty high fiber breakfast is what is what a person needs to start the day, and sometimes you just need a good strong cup of coffee to get your eyes to open. As always, understanding why you are adding something to your garden, and how it works, goes a long way toward picking what’s right for you. Peace, love and puka shells, Grubbycup
INCLUDING:
HIGHLIFE CUP, CANNABIS CANARIAS CUP, OIRTZUN CUP, REFLEX SOFT SECRETS CUP AND MORE...
Facebook.com/RQSeeds Twitter.com/royalqueenseeds WWW.ROYALQUEENSEEDS.COM TEL: +31 (0)73-5479916 ORDER@ROYALQUEENSEEDS.COM
Breeder: Buddha Seeds
plant of the year 2012
Deimos
1st Step Cross between auto x Northern Lights (non auto). Mother Plant
2nd Step 1st generation 50% auto x 50% Northern Lights. Neither is autoflowering.
3rd Step 2nd generation 25% auto Autoflowering individuals selected and crossed.
4th Step 3rd generation 100% auto with approx. 50% Northern Lights characteristics. The best individuals are selected and crossed.
5th Step Selection of the best individuals, to be recrossed with the original mother plant.
6th Step The best individuals obtained are crossed x the original Nothern Lights. Mother Plant
7th Step 5th generation predominance of Northern Lights genetic. No autoflowering plants. Selected 5th generation plants are crossed with each other.
8th Step 25% auto Autoflowering individuals are selected and crossed.
9th Step We obtain 100% autoflowering plants with variations of the best quality. We select the best individuals to cross with each other.
10thStep The generation of the best 100% autoflowering and individuals is ready to hit the market with the name of Deimos.
45
ENDANGERED STRAIN GUIDE
Durban Poison & Kali Mist Durban Poison is not extinct, according to many. It’s rare, but still possible to locate in California if you look for it. Others say that the form available from dispensaries today is not the original, and samples have been laboratory tested to be 90% indica and 10% sativa. The Poison was originally sativa, as most South African landraces are, so while the new strain may be a descendent, it’s hugely different genetically. Rumor has it that a pair of breeders from the Bay Area introduced the indica lineage a few years back; by now it seems to have effectively replaced the old genotype, as it’s nowhere to be found. The current incarnation is described as having an intense psychedelic high mixed with a full-on body experience – somewhat different from the clear, energetic effect its predecessor is described as having. Although it is a true inbred landrace, little- to no original seed stock is thought to exist. In the US at least, it’s believed the genetic is lost, and the surviving progeny heavily hybridized. The pure-lineage descendents of the original, however (or at least some very closely related varieties), are still believed to persist in South Africa, so while that particular phenotype is lost there is potential to breed something very similar. Some dispensaries are selling a pure sativa called Durban Poison – while this may be excel-
years would be tricky even in optimum conditions, and most don’t have the dedication for sativas, so breeding programs inevitably went in an indica direction. It wasn’t long before what was being sold as Durban just wasn’t what smokers remembered it to be. To many, any of a number of related South African landraces can be called Durban Poison. However, to some purists, they are merely related and not the real thing. The original strain is apparently very distinctive, with thin, dark leaves and a redbrown coloration to its stringy, sticky colas. It has an unmistakeable menthol and licorice aroma that can be somewhat putrid. The taste is very intense,
A BEAUTIFUL STAND OF OUTDOOR KALI MIST
unmatchable high. Then it was decided that increasing the indica influence by introducing an Afghan father would be a good idea, as the original 84-day flower time and low yield was thought to be off-putting to growers.
DURBAN POISON GENETICS WERE BROUGHT OVER TO THE USA IN THE ‘80S; THE UNIQUE HIGH PROVED TO BE GREATLY POPULAR lent South African, it lacks some of the distinctive traits smokers of yesteryear remember so well. The Durban Poison genetics were brought over to the US in the 1980s, where the unique high proved to be greatly popular, although it has always been rare due to its flowering time (originally around 12 weeks) and delicate nature. Various different hybrids appeared, usually bred with indica to enable more indoor success, and much shorter in flower time (usually 8-9 weeks from what I’ve seen). Maintaining such a pure sativa in its original state for many
both sour and earthy, but at the same time fresh and cool. If you’ve smoked it, you’ll remember it forever – that why so many of the old school stoners are adamant that they can’t get their hands on it these days! Another strain that’s massively changed since the original, but still goes under the same name, is Kali Mist, queen of all sativas. First bred by Serious Seeds in 1993, Kali Mist was a Cannabis Cup-winner by 1995. She was over 90% sativa, from secret parentage (though the South-East Asian landraces are believed to have been greatly influential), and had an
However, the reaction from the fan-base at losing their precious clear high made it obvious that many are prepared to go that extra mile to get results of such quality. Unfortunately, it is never easy to go back in time, genetically speaking. Back-crossing can have almost miraculous effects but the complexity of gene expression is bound to mean that not all foreign new DNA is eliminated. So, a new father was again selected, and while Serious Seeds managed to recapture the pure sativa high by 1998, many still complained that it wasn’t the same. Not long after this, a bust meant
DURBAN’S LONG SUMMERS PROVIDE THE PERFECT HABITAT
A MODERN DURBAN POISON, SHOWING WIDER, LIGHTER
FOR LONG-FLOWERING SATIVAS (© NORREBROGADE)
LEAVES THAN THE ORIGINAL (© AEROSOUL)
that all specimens of the new male were lost – this was to result in a total lack of availability of Kali seeds for almost a year while the damage to the library was repaired. Fortunately for the Serious guys (and the whole stoner community, in fact!) several very closely related males were salvaged and the breeding line was re-established. A third, more highly-sativa father was also introduced into the mix at around this point, and by the time the new millennium came around, the new Kali was back on cupwinning form – picking up the sativa prize in the 2000 High Life Cup. Kali Mist is known for its tendency to stretch indoors, and often will need to be tied down as her height easily reaches five feet or more. Outdoors, it’s a real hot-climate favorite, with heights up to ten feet and multiple branches laden with heavy buds. The loose and airy structure allows light to penetrate fully and even the lower branches are able to develop quality flowers. It’s also mostly humidity- and mold-resistant (although it can be susceptible to mildew) and produces a huge quantity of crystals. It’s good for relieving pain and the effects of multiple sclerosis, and may be helpful in treating depression and fatigue. These days the sativa percentage is 80-90%, and while it may not be identical to the original form it has still become fully established as a strain, and known and loved by many. Of course it’s a shame that the prototype has been lost, but the modern form is without doubt one of the highest caliber sativa strains available today. Kali’s not the easiest strain to grow but your patience will be well-rewarded, so I’d urge anyone who can get their hands on some seeds or clones to try for themselves.
46
COLUMN Dr Dee
Dutch cannabis reforms: where is it going to end? Well, who’d have thought it? After all of the “will they, won’t they” speculation, the Dutch government actually went ahead and passed their law prohibiting anyone other than Dutch nationals from using the coffee shops. Personally, I was always of the opinion that it would happen, given the centre-right, Christian sort of stance of the government; consider, for example, the reduction in the size of the red light district in Amsterdam. We’re not suggesting that the two (weed and prostitution) are in any way connected, but it’s quite obvious to see why people of a more conservative and/or a Christian outlook might have a problem with both of these areas of enterprise. While we have no problem with restrictions on prostitution (dress it up how one likes, it’s still an unsavoury and exploitative industry with the significant involvement of people traffickers and other criminals), the restrictions on coffee shop use remain something of a mystery. A number of Dutch friends assured us that it would never get past first
base. How wrong could they have been? It appears that Holland is becoming like the UK in that respect: proposed changes to the law that are plainly stupid on a number of levels being passed in spite of the misgivings of many.
Understandably, those involved in the coffee shops and their chain of supply are dismayed by these developments as their businesses are without a doubt going to be adversely affected. I expect that the police in all likelihood aren’t overjoyed at the prospect of having to deal with the inevitable fall out that will come from this move. And it’s not just growers
and suppliers and law enforcement who are concerned: an acquaintance of mine who runs a small business in a town outside of Amsterdam - he’s in the bicycle trade, about as far from the cannabis industry as one could imagine – thinks that the ban will inevitably have some sort of knock on effect for him in terms of tourist income. One does wonder what the rationale for this move really is. We’re informed (by the same Dutch friends) that the problem lies with the towns on the southern borders of the country, that is to say, where Holland borders with Germany. For many years we’ve been aware of problems arising specifically due to German drug tourists, and it appears that someone has finally decided to do something about it. Presumably, a ban specifically on our German friends would have been fraught with problems (and almost inevitably would have raised charges of racial discrimination) and therefore the ban has had to be a blanket one. However, other than Dutch nationals, we’ve since been told that the ban will not affect people from Belgium. Belgium? What’s that all about? Of course, and this is quite perverse, there are some who have the idea that the dope ban on non-nationals will actually make visiting Amsterdam a considerably more pleasant experi-
ence than it currently is. Let’s face it, goes this particular argument, there’s nothing particularly pleasant about sitting with hordes of stoned Brits, Americans, Canadians, Germans, nation of your choice here. And there’s an element of truth to this. I recall on one occasion I visited Holland being appalled and embarrassed by the antics of a large crowd of my countrymen. I do, therefore, understand there’s a perceived need for something like this. It’s a just pity no enterprising scientist has come up with a device that can screen for individuals who are a pain in the ass when they’re stoned or drunk. That would solve a number of problems. So where will this end? Will the new law survive or will everyone – as we’ve heard suggested - merely ignore it and carry on as they have been for the past 30 years or so? Will there perhaps be an unofficial ban on people from Germany, leading to the potential for a diplomatic incident? Whatever happens, and we’ve said this before, can the Dutch government really afford to alienate such a huge source of income in these days of recession and hard times? Comments welcome at: dimethyltryptamine777@hotmail.co.uk
%65$) 1"44*0/
/6.#&3 */ "650'&.
13&4&/54
5) /, % ''&3&/5 5)& /&95 (&/&3"5*0/ "650'&.
%08/-0"% :063 '3&& $"5"-0(6& "5 888 %65$) 1"44*0/ /-
46313*4*/( "$)*&7&.&/54
$SFBUPS PG UIF 3FWPMVUJPOBSZ 'FNJOJ[FE 4FFE 5FDIOPMPHZ
"VUP.B[BS Ñ
"NTUFSEBN )PPHPPSEESFFG UFMFQIPOF
#FTU 0VUEPPS :JFME HS #FTU *OEPPS :JFME HS -&%
.BBTUSJDIU (SPUF (SBDIU UFMFQIPOF
."45&34 "5 803,
48
BACKGROUND
Sweden: The Dope Smokers’ North Korea A number of weeks ago I received an email inviting me to a conference in Sweden. The email itself was vague and other than the use of the word “drugs”, it didn’t really give too much away. There was a link there though: http://www.wfad.se/ Feel free to take a look at this. I did and my initial thought was “surely, this is some kind of a joke?” “WFAD”stands for World Federation against Drugs, and the conference was to promote the aims and ends of this lot along with the Council for Drug Free Europe, Drug Free America, etc. Now, as any regular reader of my stuff will be aware, I’m of the view that a “drug free world” is about as likely as the “paperless office” and about as practical as a paperless toilet. All of these “drug-free” outfits are bizarre set ups. Presumably a number of them are funded from the public purse by the financially beleaguered tax payer. Well, I say this: what an absurd waste of public money; talk about Canute trying to hold back the sea; pissing in the wind. I’m
of legalisation, but here’s the thing: I’m a pragmatist, and we really need to get around a table and engage in some adult debate about the whole issue. However, while we have irrational puritan “drug free” groups like WFAD obstructing any sort of rational and pragmatic discourse, that’s not going to happen. Anyhow, as I had never heard about World Federation against Drugs, I thought I’d look into all of this. I’ve still absolutely no idea why an email invite should have come to me; after all, my views are pretty public and about as radically different to those of WFAD as it’s possible to find, but there you go. Maybe
it’s vaguely socialist and it’s wealthy. And it appears that all of these things are to a degree correct, and I’m reliably told that Sweden is a pretty wonderful place to live...unless, that is, you happen to be a drug user (and unless you happen to be an immigrant, but that’s a whole other story, and outside of the remit of this article). So, drugs. In many ways, the attitude of the Swedish (or the Swedish government at any rate) towards intoxicants and intoxication reflects that of the American government, which is to say with considerable mistrust and fear. The similarities go deeper than just this; a strong Protestant/Calvinist/Lutheran ethos apparently pervades both societies, bringing with it a number of viewpoints one would expect from such a mind-
SWEDISH DRUG POLICY IS ONE OF “ZERO TOLERANCE” AND IS HELD UP BY (WHO ELSE?) THE AMERICANS AND THE UN AS A FINE EXAMPLE OF HOW DRUG LAWS SHOULD WORK. actually rather appalled that in lean times such as these that public money is still found to propagate these sorts of anti drug fantasies. As I’ve said many times before, I’m not particularly big on the idea
they wanted to try to convert me, or to burn me in Stockholm central square.
set. In particular, “Cleanliness is next to Godliness” (Acts 9:32-10:23)
Sweden is a strange country. The impression many people have is that it’s liberal,
This rather fundamentalist point of view is what has informed a whole range of
policies and social rules: the Temperance Movement, as one example, and the Eugenics Movement, as another. Both of these – temperance and eugenics – are crucial to understanding the prohibitionist mindset, and they both feed off of each other in an unhealthy symbiotic relationship. Both the temperance and eugenics movements were very en vogue in both America and Sweden for a number of years. The Temperance people (or “Drys”) had some considerable – albeit temporary – success in America with Prohibition. In Sweden there continues to be prohibition of a sort as regards alcohol, but this has begun to change over the past few decades. As for Eugenics, both countries ran programmes of enforced sterilization of “imbeciles” and anyone else it was decided might “taint” the gene pool. In both countries, these sorts of public health experiment ran quite far into the 20th century before being utterly and completely demonised in the eyes of Joe Public via newsreels of Dachau, Belsen and the rest of them, where the Nazis took eugenics to its logical conclusion with one of the most the most severe and ruthless “social cleansing” programmes in recent history. Like the Germans, neither America nor Sweden seem to be particularly keen to talk about these specific parts of their more recent history. The concern regarding drug use appears to come from a similar place; if you like, it’s “internal” social hygiene. Drugs of any sort taint the mind and the gene pool. The mind set of successive governments when it comes to the issue of intoxicant use in Sweden appears to be along the lines of “we know what’s best for everyone, and we’ll do what we see as best for everyone, even if it means putting them in prison and/or forcing them into treatment for a drug “problem” they may or may not have”. It’s tough love, if you like; the nanny state taken to the nth degree, “we love you but we have to protect you from yourselves”. This is why, for example, the distribution and sale of alcohol is almost completely under government control and the price of alcohol is kept artificially high in order to discourage over indulgence. Alcohol aside, the very use of a controlled substance equates to a “problem”; in Sweden there is no drug “use”, only drug “abuse”. Take cannabis as an example. It’s
49 tion doesn’t fit into the education agenda in Swedish schools.
“Drunk as a Swede” Here follows a slight digression, but you’ll see the point so please bear with me. In my younger days, I lived and worked in a number of port cities on the east coast of Scotland and the north east of England.
a controlled drug so if one uses it then clearly one has a “problem”. Intoxicants lead to crime and degeneracy. They’re deviant. They’re used by non-conformists. They’re trouble. And they’re not safe. Safety and risk aversion appears to be another part of the Nordic psyche (see, for example, cars that only operate with their headlights on even during daylight). Swedish drug policy is one of “Zero Tolerance” and is held up by (who else?) the Americans and the UN as a fine example of how drug laws should work. Anyhow, according to the Swedish National Alcohol and Drug Action Plan of 2002, “the objective of Swedish drug policy should continue to be a drug-free society”. So what we’re talking about here is an approach involving heavy handed policing, an almost blanket dismissal of the harm reduction philosophy, together with a focus on coerced abstinencebased treatment. Since 1993, the Swedish police have had the power of arrest of individuals they suspect may be under the influence of a controlled intoxicant, even if that individual is minding their own business and bothering nobody. And as well as this, the police have been trained in how to supposedly spot any signs or symptoms that might indicate that someone is under the influence of a controlled substance; so any spontaneous outbursts of a) giggling,
b) dancing or c) general joie de vivre will not be tolerated. You have been warned. Any transgression of the rules can lead to a number of potential outcomes ranging from a fine to a spell in prison. More likely, however, is being put in the hands of the rather sinister sounding Kriminalvården, which is a “rehabilitation” program designed to help unmanageable dope smokers and so forth see the error of their ways and “modify” their behaviour.
During these years, I had the misfortune to witness firsthand what happened when large numbers of Swedish men – a lot of them apparently in the merchant navy – hit the town with a lot of money – certainly in comparison to the local population – and access to cheap – certainly in comparison to Sweden – alcohol. Picture, if you will, a scene of a late 20th century Viking raid: Berserkers, fighting, pillaging, extreme drunkenness. Bar fights the like of which most people only saw in old Hollywood westerns.
But does it all work?
Up to the first time I witnessed this, I’d heard the expression “drunk as a Swede” but never really knew what it meant. After all, I’m a Scot and my race (Celts) could/ can give anyone a run for their money in the alcohol consumption stakes.
This, of course, is the bottom line, and the answer seems to be that, while it used to work quite well, it works less well now. The restrictions on alcohol, for example, mean that binge drinking is common and recent years have seen an increase in teenagers accessing illicit “moonshine” alcohol of questionably quality.
This, however, was something quite different as it seemed as though “normal” constraints, codes of behaviour had been lifted, and these guys went way beyond the levels of drinking I was used to (and believe me, at that time I was no shrinking violet where booze was concerned).
We’re told that Swedish policy is so successful that the country has the lowest level of drug offending. This, however, appears to be a fallacious piece of propaganda as it would appear that Sweden actually has one of the highest bust rates for possession in the EU (EMCDDA 2011 report). Cannabis use is lowest in Sweden but is most definitely on the increase (EMCDDA). Drug-related deaths in Sweden are more than treble that of Holland, a country with a rather different approach to the whole issue of intoxicant use. Presumably harm reduc-
for the host country. And yet, here’s the thing; perversely, Sweden is one of the few countries to license Sativex – the pharmaceutical cannabis drug - for medical use in the treatment of multiple sclerosis. Go figure. North Korea for drug users or not, on the upside, Sweden thankfully doesn’t have the clout of the United States when it comes to shaping (and enforcing) international drug policy. That really would be a major problem for anti-prohibitionists. To finish this article off, I’d like to use a quite from the Transform website (see below) that I think sums up the whole thing very clearly: “Dr Peter Cohen, Director of the Centre for Drugs Research at the University of Amsterdam, has argued that Sweden’s low level of drug use and repressive drug policy, rather than being causally linked, are in fact both merely expressions of its historically temperance oriented culture, noting that Sweden also has historically low levels of alcohol, tobacco and prescription drug use. It is also worth pointing out that Sweden has low levels of social inequality, social deprivation, and unemployment, combined with a very high level of health and social welfare spending. There’s a lot to admire about Sweden, but even they can play drug-war politics.”
All in all, very horrible, and providing some proof that, whatever the rules were at home certainly didn’t travel beyond the borders of the country (unless we’re talking about countries with an even more prohibitive alcohol pricing policy; Norway, for example). Binge drinking when away from the mother country is highly problematic Please email any comments, complaints etc to: dimethyltryptamine777@hotmail.co.uk Additional sources: http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/publications/annual-report/2011 http://transform-drugs.blogspot.co.uk/2007/05/swedens-drug-policy-reality-check.html
50
BACKGROUND
HISTORY OF A LEGEND
Soft Secrets With a combined circulation of more than one million copies printed annually in eight languages, Soft Secrets is by far the largest and most successful cannabis magazine in the world. The free bi-monthly magazine now appears on almost all continents and the online digital version is downloaded daily by people from around the world. Few know that Soft Secrets began as something of a club magazine of the first grow shop in the world, Positronics in Amsterdam. However, the magazine only began its steady global rise when cannabis entrepreneur Boy Ramsahai bought the publication and hired Cliff Cremer as editor-in-chief. We look back at the history of the now legendary Soft Secrets. Amsterdam, 1985.The cultivation of marijuana plants was a very rare activity in Europe at the time. Only a very small group of cannabis pioneers in Amsterdam were doing it, and in particular a group of enthusiastic hobby growers revolving around Wernard Bruining, a hippie and an idealist who opened the first coffee shop in Amsterdam in 1975, the Mellow Yellow (not the Mellow Yellow that currently exists in Amsterdam - ed.). The Dutch government had implemented the infamous “tolerance policy” in the seventies, which legalised the sale of soft drugs. It was an excellent policy, which separated the soft and hard drug markets, so that recreational cannabis users no longer had to rely on the criminal world to acquire marijuana or hashish. The tolerance policy paved the way for the emergence of the many coffee shops in the Netherlands. However, these shops did of course need to be supplied. In the seventies and eighties, this was done through massive import of marijuana from
OLD ED IN FRONT OF GROW SHOP POSITRONICS IN AMSTERDAM, 1985
free in all coffee shops, grow shops and head shops in the Netherlands. Boy Ramsahai then decided it was time to go European-wide. The first Soft Secrets UK appeared in England. Followed by Soft Secrets France. Then
ance policy was, it did have one weak point: the so-called “back door” system of coffee shops. In all their wisdom, Dutch politicians decided that coffee shops were allowed to sell marijuana and hashish, but could not buy it. A strange loophole, which continues to this day. Because coffee shops have to rely on people who are by legal definition ‘criminals’, coffee shops will always be associated with criminality. Wernard Bruining decided that things could be done differently. Homegrown weed is better and safer than imported weed. In 1984 he founded the first grow shop in the world, Positronics in Amsterdam. So-called home-growth slowly but surely starting gaining in popularity among Amsterdam cannabis smokers because the cannabis obtained from homegrown plants is often much better than the garbage that is imported from Thailand and Colombia. Wernard Bruining acquired his knowledge for growing plants at home through close
THE LEGENDARY PIONEERS OF THE INTERNATIONAL CANNABIS COMMUNITY (FROM LEFT TO RIGHT): SOMA, WERNARD BRUINING, OLD ED AND ED ROSENTHAL
countries like Colombia and Thailand, and the import of hashish from countries such as Morocco, Lebanon and Afghanistan. As good as the toler-
juana species since the early seventies. Old Ed began teaching Wernard and his shop Positronics became the first shop in the world to sell items used in the cultivation of marijuana, such as lamps, nutrition and seeds. The success of Positronics exceeded every expectation. With ever-improving techniques, home growers were generally very successful, resulting in a true ‘grow-boom’in the Netherlands, with growers selling their marijuana by the kilo to coffee shops. The cultivation of Sensimilla, marijuana buds without seeds, became the standard for the entire industry. Customers could become members of Positronics and Bruining decided to set up a magazine called Soft Secrets. His wife became editor-in-chief. The magazine looked like a school newspaper and was not very interesting. If you were not an insider at Positronics, you often had no idea of what was going on. Soft Secrets therefore began as an unremarkable club magazine read only by a few dozen people. Grow
cooperation with Old Ed, a legendary American grower from California who had been engaged in cultivation, refining and crossing of mari-
SOFT SECRETS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF CLIFF CREMER AT THE HIGHLIFE CUP 2011
shop Positronics closed its doors in the nineties. Bruining decided to stop Soft Secrets, also because his wife no longer had time for it. In the meantime, a glossy cannabis magazine appeared on the Dutch market in 1994, called High Life. The founder of this highly successful bimonthly magazine, Boy Ramsahai wanting to publish another magazine - purchased the name Soft Secrets from Wernard Bruining for a few thousand guilders. As editor-in-chief, he hired Cliff Cremer, a writer and freelance journalist from Amsterdam who previously made High Life for him. Cliff Cremer had clear plans for Soft Secrets. His formula was simple, and came down to just one thing: a magazine for growers by growers. The title was perfectly appropriate, because the ‘cultivation secrets’ were not ‘hard secrets’, which no one could know, but soft secrets, which everyone could know. Gladly. After a year Soft Secrets was a great success, partly because the magazine was distributed
came a Spanish edition, which at first was called La Maria. The magazine has become an instant success wherever it is launched due to its simple formula and the fact that the magazine is free. In England, the magazine is so successful that grow shops only give the magazine to their best customers, as it would otherwise quickly disappear from the shelves. Soft Secrets is now published in eight languages, and appears throughout Europe, the United States and Latin America. People around the world have discovered that growing their own marijuana is not only a fun hobby, but also a guarantee for good marijuana. Soft Secrets is their friend in that process, one who gives them the best tips and advice every two months. This is how an obscure club magazine of an Amsterdam grow shop became the largest, most popular and widely read cannabis magazine in the world! » www.softsecrets.nl
mo
3 0 rCe
th
U P Sa n
Delahaze AMSTERDAM
®
- Winner Cannabis Cup Canadda 20111 - Treating Yoourrsellf Mediccinnal Cannabiss Pllannt off thee yeaar 20111
& SM M OKERR S, HAA VE RAATEDD DELAA HAZE TOO T HEIRR T OP 3
Pandora
Delahaze is a superb variety. It is extremely potent, giving high yields and finishes early in approximately 9 weeks. To appreciate her fully let her flower one week extra which results in fine citrus/haze flowers filling up your growroom with a beautiful aroma containing hints of citrus & mango. Still the typical haze scent remains dominant.
®
AUUTOFLOWERIINGG PLAANT
Pandora is our novelty in automatic blooming varieties. The automatic genes are preserved but other than that she is a real Indica variety along the lines of Afghani, Spoetnik and Sensi Star. The plants are compact and so are the aromatic buds.
AND COMPACT BUDS Automaria II
Ice Cream ®
White Berry ®
Sensi Star ®
Wappa ®
Lucid Bolt ®
Jacky White ®
Vertigo ®
Belladonna ®
Dutch Dragon ®
Spoetnik ®
Acid ®
Delahaze ®
PAR ADI SE
SE
STOEDS RE Automaria ®
Jacky White ®
ORE PARADISE SEEDS FLAGSHIP STO
FINESS T SEEDD C O LLEE CTIONN
OPEN EVVERY DAY 10.000 AM - 8.000 PM
Sensi Star ®
Wappa ®
Paradise Seeds Shop: 020 7371599 Paradise Seeds Office: 020 6795422 Fax: +31 342461027 info@paradise-seeds.com www.paradise-seeds.com Postbus 377 - 1000 AJ Amsterdam- Holland
PARRADDISE SEEDS VARRIETIEES ARE QUAALIIFIEED FOOR MEDDICCINNAL USE.
M
ERDA M, GRAV ENST RAAT 12 IN AMST REE . JUST BEHI ND DAM SQUA
W WW.. PAA RAA DISS E-- SEEE DS.COO M
EDS
Nebula ®
ED
SE
Allkush ®
®
ICAL
STOP E N O REMIER P HOP! S ’ K U HEAD S
52 Avenue Road Bexleyheath Kent DA7 4EG
79 London Road Brighton East Sussex BN1 4JF
184 Victoria Road Aldershot Hampshire GU11 1JZ
0208 304 0444
01273 601140
01252 447752
10%
DISCOUNT WHEN YOU SHOP ONLINE PUT IN CODE:
SOFTSKUNK AT THE CHECKOUT
offer only applies to our online store
53
MUSIC
Marijuana and Music
reason that “Not everyone feels the same vibration of music”. Meaning that some people feel the vibe of certain types of music over other types of music. Just like plants!
Music in Medicine
Part 1 Music is a pattern of interesting sounds made by instruments, animals or voices. Traditionally Music was a natural sound produced by people, often aided by instruments crafted from the trees. Today however music can also be created by using a number of artificial materials including worked metals, plastics and silicon. The word ‘Music’ comes from the ‘Muses’ or Goddesses of the Arts and Sciences in Greek Mythology. Those concerned with amusing people; or more specifically ‘musing’ the minds of people with creative thoughts. The origins of the word Marijuana are Spanish-American. Music and Marijuana have always shared a close relationship throughout the his-
by Lazystrain environment, another being (plant or animal) with the same frequency moves into the area. Counter-acting any vibrational difference and maintaining balance by compensating for the absence of specific sound. For a long time, Students of Horticulture have been asked to conduct ‘sound tests’ over plants to observe how they react to different types of music. Initially it was thought that certain plants responded to the tempo or frequency of a certain piece of music over others. Only recently did Botanists slowly discover that it was the vibrational changes in air-pressure surrounding the plant, as the result of a certain style of Music, that produced predictable results within controlled experiments.
Cannabis plants will also omit and respond to specific vibrational frequencies. It would make sense that an investigation into Cannabis’s most preferred vibrational frequency should therefore be conducted by both Musicians and Marijuana Growers (or preferably Marijuana Musicians) forthwith. Note: Lazystrain suspects that most versions of Reggae Music will sit happily with most garden plants in frequency. Still many an old Herbalist probably already knew this.
Marijuana in Music Cannabis (Marijuana) has been used as a channelling akin to meditation (dissimilar yet almost the same) for centuries. At such
Music has been applied as a form of shamanistic medicine for centuries. Today music is known to help to relax people both before and after surgical operations and during dentistry. People that dance to music on a regularly basis are generally healthier. More recently Scientists have also discovered that sound-waves can be used to treat a variety of Cancers. This is because all sound-waves vibrate and resonate to a set pattern or frequency.
Music and Medical Marijuana Having assessed that People, Plants, Pests and Diseases respond to certain vibrations better than others, we must then question the role of Music and Medical Marijuana. In theory, certain varieties of Cannabis should respond to certain varieties of music, which in turn may benefit certain types of medicinal user. The cannabinoid profile of a plant directly relates to its over-
IT IS PLAUSIBLE THAT THE CANNABINOID PROFILE OF A PLANT COULD BE ENHANCED (OR EVEN ALTERED) DURING VARIOUS STAGES OF GROWTH WITH THE ADDITION OF VARIOUS TYPES OF MUSIC tory of people. The symbiotic connection between Music and Marijuana however extends way beyond our own time; back towards more cosmic beginnings. A time when natural vibrations helped to shape and maintain life on earth.
Music in Marijuana Despite lacking any so-called “scientific knowledge” about Botany, many old Herbalists over-stood the vibrational context of plants. More recently qualified Botanists and Plant Scientists have learnt to understand that ALL plants vibrate to and omit a specific resonance of sound. Although lacking the adequate language to explain this natural phenomena, it would appear that the old Herbalists were correct all along. Moreover when one vibrational plant frequency is removed from a Natural
At which point we must again remember that plants put out their own vibration - as well as responding to separate vibrational frequencies surrounding them. Vibrational plant frequencies then meet or react with opposing frequencies within the environment. Whereby those vibrations that harmonise or correspond directly with the vibrations of the plants in that location, naturally find the path of least resistance and flourish with healthy growth. At which point any sceptics are most welcome to isolate two separate clones from the same mother plant. Then subject one clone to Rock Music and the other clone to Classical Music for several weeks. In the majority of cases the classical works of Bach and Vivaldi are preferred over Guns and Roses or Nirvana. For the majority of house plants anyhow. All evidence would then indicate that
a level of intoxication or esoteric enlightenment the mind slowly begins to open out. A state of mind which often plays tricks on itself. Gradually we enter into a subconscious almost trance like state. A state-ofmind which while daydream like, is in fact left wide awake. Music naturally harmonises with Marijuana in the mind during this time. Which in turn motivates the body to feel upbeat and in ‘tempo’ with the pulse of Life itself. In other words, when consumed Cannabis vibrates the body in correspondence with the same vibrations that the mind desires via the music we enjoy. At which point, a state of harmony or tranquillity may exist between Marijuana and Music in the mind. One of the greatest Sound Engineers, Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, the man who once produce Bob Marley & The Wailers, over-stands the
all health (often during the later stages of vegetative growth into mid-flowering) regardless of its age, height, or structure. It is then plausible that the cannabinoid profile of a plant could be enhanced (or even altered) during various stages of growth with the addition of various types of music (?) As far fetched as this may initially sound, pardon the pun. Let us think about the fan with a broken bearing that makes a funny noise, the constant humming of an old ballast or a new ballast which is not seated comfortably. Such might prove to be those vibrational frequencies that plants like or dislike. Who knows? Now before you all disappear to listen-out for strange noises in the garden. Please remember that “Music comes from the trees” [Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry].
54
uk grow rks hydroponic & horticultural specialists
94 Upper Wickham Lane Welling Kent DA16 3HQ
Unit4 Belltower Ind Est Roedean Road Brighton BN2 5RU
<UP[ - 5VY[OÅLL[ Lower Road Gravesend DA11 9SW
0208 854 5160
01273 624327
01322 838131
10%
DISCOUNT WHEN YOU SHOP ONLINE PUT IN CODE:
SOFTGROW AT THE CHECKOUT
offer only applies to our online store
AMAZON Your Pleasure is our Business SEEDS - ROLLING PAPERS - BLUNTS - ONA - GRINDERS - BONGS - FLAGS
Seeds
Legal Highs
EDIT contact lenses
Bandanas
www.redeyeamazon.com | redeyeamazon@gmail.com | Tel: 07976 247 920 402 Ladypool Road - Birmingham - B11 8JZ
Official Retail Distributor
Growkits and = 0DJLF 7UXIÁHV 0DJLF 7UXIÁHV
NEW A FORMUL IGHER MUCH HLD YIE
Ask your local growshop
Fruit Spirit
Royal Queen Seeds Genetic Background: Blueberry x White Widow Indica / Sativa:
25% - 75%
Height of the plant: 50-60 cm Flowering Time:
8 weeks
Effect:
High (sweet taste)
58
BACKGROUND
Fake Drugs Recently a friend wanted to buy some Jungle (on vinyl) for another friend’s birthday. So we dropped into one of our local music shops. Besides the records and spray paint canisters on sale, we noticed that the shop was also now advertising Cannabis seeds. This got us thinking about the cross over between genres, as well as the way that ‘legal’ products are marketed in the UK; especially Fake (legal) Drugs or “Legal Highs” as they are sometimes known. Many moons ago the only legal-high available in the UK besides tea, coffee, tobacco, alcohol and solvents, was a herbal smoking concoction called ‘Yuber Gold’. This product was normally advertised in Viz magazine and was mostly smoked by teenagers and/or people that couldn’t purchase any real Cannabis. Today, following the gradual decline of club-culture (and its associated ecstasy use) there are literally hundreds of legal-highs (fake drugs) available for young adults (like guineapigs) to test and try. Arguably fuelled by prohibition, in the absence of real narcotics to consume, this trend in sampling “designer-drugs” from online outlets and head-shops, without any prior knowledge of the product, is in fact in vogue. There is also plenty of debate surrounding the UK Government’s stance in allowing such products to be sold “off-licence” originally. The health and safety of those young adults consuming such legal-highs remains much an unknown. Especially when contrasted against more moderate traditional ille-
gal-drugs - which scientists and the government fully understand the consequences of. During the 1990s the streets of the UK K were awash with Acid (LSD), Speed (Amphetamine), Ecstasy (MDMA), Smack (Heroin), and to a lesser extent Coke (Cocaine) and Crack (Free Base Cocaine). Today in 2012 the streets off the UK are still saturated with Coke, Crack and Smack; yet with several fake (legal) drugs filling the gap in the lack of supply in Amphetamine, Acid, and Ecstasy. It would appear that our youths are being corralled towards a few limited options. No Drugs? Fake Drugs? or Hardcore Drugs? Many of the legal-highs available today contain chemicals which are listed as not suitable for human consumption. It says so on the packet! The UK K Government has banned several ‘legalhighs’ in the past few months/years; only for the Manufacturers to tweak the composition of the product just enough for it to register as a different chemical compound. Thus requiring re-analysis by the Government before banning it again. By-which time the youths will have switched onto the next chemical compound completely . Just breaking down the chemical analysis of many of these fake drug products involves a degree in Chemistry -which few (if any) of the people smoking, eating, or sniffing such substances hold. Possibly because they are merely sheep following other online-sheep ; ignorant to the unknown long-term
effects of such substances ; and / or they simply didn’t know any better to begin with. At which point the Elders in the community need to regain a sense of responsibility and step in. The death of several young adults, as a result of their “experimenting” with fake (legal) drugs, which neither themselves or the Government knew anything about at point of sale, is both saddening and neglectful. It would appear that completely Unqualified Legal Drug Dealers (head shop owners) are free to push an unknown quantity of pills and powders into the online shopping baskets of our youths (?) To quote the name of a band at school... Shit Stinks! And the UK Government are in it up to their necks! For as callous as the shop-seller is for pimping such fake drugs into the nostrils of our youth to begin with, they break no law in doing so. For as ignorant as the kids are for buy into the whole meow-meow trend at high cost to their wallets, they break no law (when over 18) in doing so. Yet the Government makes LOTS of money, ever time a fake (legal) drug is sold over counter or online, via the Government’s system of tax. In truth, such “legal-highs” do not expand the brain in the ways they claim to on the packet. Nor do they provide the body with a natural source of stimulus. Much is placebo. In truth such chemicals tend to make people dumber than they were before they ingested them! Which is exactly the
reason the UK Government is all too happy to let youths continue destroying their lives with such substances. Unlike the more traditional illegal hallucinogens and uppers, which have been tried and tested on millions of people (including youths) world wide, the modern scientifically engineered products may only hold a shelf-life of a few months - before they are completely withdrawn from sale. By which time the mind and body of an individual consuming such substances may be permanently and irreparably damaged! Let’s face it, it doesn’t take a RocketScientists to work out that snorting plant food up the nose isn’t good for anyone; regardless of how high it might get you in the process! Hell, snorting bleach might be fun for a split second (NOTE: do NOT snort bleach kids!) My point is where does such madness end? With more deaths? With further prohibition on fake (legal) drugs? What nonsense! Who regulates such matters in society? Clearly NOT the UK Government or the retail outlets pushing this toxic filth into the minds and bodies of our young! We are NOT suggesting that Soft Secrets readers boycott all head-shops or get involved in any hardcore drug stuff! But we would advise all ages of Reader to stop playing about with potentially lethal substances. Let us all remember that just 1g of chemical is enough to contaminate and pollute one billion litres of water! That’s approximately a small stream 30 miles long!
60
MUSIC
STILL BLAZIN’WITH A LUST FOR LIFE
John Sinclair
Emerging from the beatnik generation of the 1960’s, which represented bohemia and liberation, John Sinclair is now in his 70’s. A Joker smoker, radical poet and lover of music, laughter and life, he is as active and on point as ever. Massively inspired by Ginsberg, and manager of the New York punk band MC5, he inadvertently shot to global underground notoriety when, after getting set up and nicked for marijuana, John Lennon famously championed his cause at the legendary Freedom Rally in Ann Arbor. Currently on tour with Howard Marks, John has recently released ‘Beatnik Youth’, an album which fuses his edgy spoken word with a Detroit driven spectrum of rhythm n’ blues and rock n’ roll; co-written and produced by Youth with contributions from a host of musicians including Bobby Gillespie, Larry Love and Mark Stewart. Soft Secrets swung by the 420 By Kaz Peet Coffee shop, where he is poet in residence, to share a spliff and a few questions. artists? That the spirit of rebellion is ageless? I have no idea. I don’t focus on what happens with something that I’m making it. I’ve got to a point where I just make the production and hope that somebody will like it. The people that hear this will probably never have heard of me or my works before so I felt free to just use whatever I liked the best; so it’s a really interesting experiment and I would enjoy it if folk would enjoy and like it.
We understand that you have been recording a new album with Youth. How did you enjoy the process and the collaborations that it involved? Are you happy with the result? I enjoyed making this album with Youth very much; it was a very fruitful collaboration. I collaborate with many people and I do my thing working with different people wherever I go. I met Youth and he suggested doing this album. He wanted to make something that was like jazz and beatnik poetry. I said that’s kind of what I do. So we started working together and he brought in other people to collaborate with us. One of them was Howard Marks who then invited me to do this tour with him. As for the results of the recording, I am really, really happy with it. We found things that work together in a quite spectacular way. It all really kicked. Some things were new to me in terms of fusing poetry with popular music because he wrote choruses for some of my poems. I would do a couple of verses and then there would be a chorus with backup singers. That thrilled the hell out of me. Do you think that it the album will appeal to new generations of smokers, heads, protestors, musicians and
Do you see any modern day equivalents to the infamous beat characters of the 60’s and 70’s such as Ginsberg, Leary, Kesey and Burroughs? No I don’t. There’s not even many of us left that followed them, such as Ed Sanders, and myself. They were too original. Now they are just using all the stuff that everybody else did before in music, poetry and art and everything; because they’re getting paid for that. Nobody wants to do this shit without getting paid anymore. They’re more interested in doing their own television show. I don’t even watch television, I don’t want a television. What is the most exciting project, happening or moment that you have been involved in? Oh man, there have been so many. It would be hard to begin to list them. Now I would say my own radio station and being able to make up programs and put them on for people to listen to. What is your smoke of choice – your favorite buzz? I’m a weed man. White Widow is my favorite. About the proposed legislation to prevent coffee shops in Holland serving non-Dutch people. Is this the end of Amsterdam as we know and love it? The only way I know here in Amsterdam is the coffee shop world and I spend most of my time in them. Everyone I’ve
talked to, and I write columns about this for papers in the United States, they say it’s not going to happen and that it’s definitely not going to happen in Amsterdam. On the other hand, they’ve got it happening on a trial basis in several other cities in the Netherlands such as Maastricht. So I am following it very closely. This whole thing is so un-Dutch like and I can’t understand it at all, it doesn’t make any sense whatsoever. How do you see things now compared to the 60’s? Have times changed much for you? Well, in the 60’s I was part of a mass movement that was trying to alter the shape of
our society. Now I’m just out here on my own or with my friends, moving around. Culturally, they haven’t really grasped the great cultural movement of our history that sustained me for example. I think when they get beyond pop music and television as their principle forms of entertainment and information, and start looking into great music, poetry and art, whenever it was made, then things will get more interesting. I’m an art-oriented guy, for me everything centers on art and I wouldn’t know what to live for without it. I feel like an isolated individual in that respect and that’s why I’m always moving around looking for others who I can have conversations with. In these often dark and difficult times, what do you believe to be the most important thing to be saying to people? It’s quite simple – do what you want to do! What is your advice to help people be able to do what they want? Turn off the television set. That’s the first thing. If you want to get somewhere you got to get some room to think and use your mind. Modern media is all designed to keep peoples minds tied up so they don’t ever get to think about what kind of world they’d really like to live in and what they want to do and how they could do it. Its’ not very profound but that’s just about it. In the words of another beat-poet, musician and radical – Gil Scot Heron – “The revolution will not be televised.” Tune into radio freeamsterdam.com ‘Beatnik Youth’ is available on Track Records.
61
SHOPREVIEWS
Green Park Specialists, Ruthland Welcome to GPS! Driving down the Leicestershire country lanes to get to this shop is a treat in itself and makes it one of the most discreet locations visited to date! The shop can be found on a small industrial park, next to Ashwell Train Station (not for public use) and has plenty of parking and a loading bay for any customers wishing to load up in private. The partners behind GPS are professional individuals with over 18 years experience in the Horticultural Industry as well as working with a well established British Hydroponic wholesaler in that time. This installs confidence immediately as they know what they are talking about and will always offer a great deal on bulk buys as well as only selling you what you need. Customer service is what they are about, making sure you get the best out of what you do at the best price!! The shop is very well laid out with good product displays. Nutrients stocked range from Ionic to Cellmax
as well as being an official outlet for Dutch Pro! Tent manufacturers include Secret Jardin, Green Room and GrowLab. To all shop owners only - GPS also wholesale air flow products including in line duct fans and carbon filters & more!! Call for cataloque
Green Park Specialists Ltd Unit 6 Station Court Whissendine Road Ashwell Rutland LE15 7SP (t) 01572 723485
Hydro 2 Grow Hydroponics, Surrey Having met the team behind H2G it installed a lot of confidence that these guys know what they are doing and they are going to be trading for a long time to come offering sound advice and support for all your horticultural requirements.
Systems available for purchase in store include; IWS, Wilma, NFT, Oxy Pots and Auto Pots and if there is something else required it can be ordered and in store within 48 hours.
Entering the shop you will be instantly impressed with the amount of products available to purchase. They have recently moved from a retail premises to a large warehouse with lots of private parking as well as a loading bay within the unit for customers requiring a discreet loading area.
H2G in their own words: ‘BIG orders will be rewarded with BIG discounts’. So be sure to take advantage!
All the usual nutrients are stocked; Canna, BioBizz, Ionic, House & Garden, GHE and Plant magic+ as well as a couple of ranges chosen specifically by the owners such as HydroTops and Ferro. The team have over 20 years of horticultural experience between them and will always ensure the customer leaves with what they need, not what they think they can sell to them!
Hydro 2 Grow (H2G) 299 Gander Green Lane Sutton Surrey SM3 9QE (t) 0208 6443780 (e) sales@hydro2grow.co.uk
Red Eye Amazon, Birmingham Red Eye Amazon is a new shop to open on Ladypool Road, Birmingham. It is the sister shop to the well established Red Eye Jungle, Walsall which has been open for over 12 years! This experience and success has now resulted in Red Eye Amazon being opened and the product selection available will suit all requirements/ budgets. A lot of effort has been made to ensure the shop stocks exactly what is required with the main focus on souvenir seeds which include: Royal Queen Seeds, Dutch Passion, Dinafem, Greenhouse and the well established Birmingham brand, Big Buddha + many more. What they don’t have can be in stock within 24 hours! The owner also prides himself on his collection of rolling papers/ blunts and tips. It is a great
selection and any connoisseur would be happy to shop here with the great choice available. The shop also carries a good range of scales, baggies (inc. Smelly Proof ), grinders, pipes and bongs as well as legal highs and room deodorisers such as ONA. Other products available include bandanas, flags and hats as well as a small choice of CD packs. Be sure to drop in soon to purchase all your smoking accessory requirements. Find us on facebook/redeyeamazon.. Red Eye Amazon 402 Ladypool Road Balsall Heath Birmingham B12 8JZ (t) 07976 247920
62
CANNABIS NEWS / INDEX OF ADS / COLOFON
LTT MAASBREE, HOLLAND
Index of ads
Horticultural products at a competitive price
Name
Land en Tuinbouw (Agriculture and Horticulture) Trading (LTT) Maasbree is based in North-Limburg (Netherlands), just over half an hour drive from Duisburg (Germany). In a large (more than four metres high) warehouse, which is accessible by truck, LTT Maasbree sells everything a grower could possibly need. Parking and discrete service are guaranteed. The warehouse is located in an industrial area and is easily accessible from the motorway. Soil, nutrition, seeds, irrigation systems, equipment... Truly everything a beginner or experienced grower could need are in stock. LTT Maasbree also has a selection of growth tents available. For a reasonable price, Secret Jardin tent offers a complete growing environment, which is extremely easy to assemble. LTT Maasbree provides an extensive number of services. In addition
to expert information on growing processes, the company offers various possibilities in the field of delivery and payment. Customers are helped in German, English or Dutch.
LTT Maasbree Groesweg 37 5993 NN Maasbree The Netherlands Opening times: Mondays-Fridays: 10:00 – 17:00 Saturday: 10:00 – 15:00 Tel.: 0031 (0)77-4770919 Fax: 0031 (0)77-354 42 22 http://www.growshopltt.nl Email: info@growshopltt.nl
8 Ball Hydroponics Advanced Seeds Amsterdam Seed Center Angel Grow Hydroponics Atami Big Stone River Indoor Garden Centre Bio Nova Bio-G-Power Brit Crops Buddha Seeds Bank Bushman Carbon Active Clever Green Clockwork Horticulture Deep Impact Plant Care Dinafem Seeds Down to Earth Kent Dr. Blooms Hydroponics Dutch Passion Eva Female Seeds Funky Skunk the Grass-O-Matic Green Life Seeds Green Park Specialists Greenday Horticulture & Hydroponics Grow Room (Worthing) the Growing Underground Growryder Hesi Hesi Hydro 2 Grow Hygrow II I Grow Ponics Jorge Cervantes Junction 6 Hydroponics LTT Money Tree Hydroponics Mycologics Nirvana Odysseed.nl Paradise Seeds Paradise Seeds Phytolite Plagron Procare Pyramid Seeds Red Eye Amazon Royal Queen Seeds Seedmakers Seeds of Life Smokin Vinyl Southern Hydro Centre SouthWest Headshops Sweet Seeds UK GroWorks UK Skunkworks Wellingborough Hydroponics
Colofon Page 1 10 47 52 64 51 12 63 19 4 59 32 1 41 51 13 44 1 47 44 56 27 52 52 25 55 55 27 1 2 14 56 55 36 35 59 8 56 17 59 1 51 55 7 56 21 56 41 31 28 59 56 49 24 55 52 56
Soft Secrets is published by Discover Publisher BV P.O.Box 362, 5460 AJ, Veghel, Netherlands Telephone: +31-(0)73-5498112 Fax: +31-(0)73-5479732 E-mail: info@softsecrets.nl Editor: Cliff Cremer Contributors: Ed Rosenthal, Jorge Cervantes, Lazystrain, Dr. John Dee, Grubbycup, Little Lebowski, The Red One, the Professor, O’Riodon, Kali Mist and others Comics: Jim Stewart Editorial adress: E-mail: ssuk@softsecrets.nl Layout & print: R&B Communicatie, Schijndel, Holland Advertisements: E-mail: james@softsecrets.nl A word from the publisher: The UK government has embarked on a process of relative liberalisation towards the use of cannabis, and cannabis activists are engaged in broadening this engagement. Several local councils and police chiefs now actively support a Dutch-style coffeeshop system as a way of separating soft and hard drugs, as it has proven to do in Holland. Whether they are finding their way to new coffeeshops or growing for their personal supply, cannabis users are a menace to no one, and are causing no discernable social problem. Some politicians and commentators are calling for the outright legalisation of marihuana. Let’s wait and see how the debate develops during a period of relative peace between all sides of the argument. In the meantime, the publisher hopes Soft Secrets will show the public a positive side to the normalisation of cannabis use, and is anxious to offer a forum to both pro- and anti-legalisation advocates. This assumes that the publisher does not necessarily agree with everything that appears in articles and advertisements. The publisher therefore distances himself explicitly from published statements or images that might give the impression that an endorsement is being made for the use or production of cannabis. Nothing from this publication may be copied or reproduced in any format without prior permission from the publisher and other copyright holders. The publisher is not responsible for the content and/or point of view of advertisements. The editors take no responsibility for unsolicited submissions.
Next issue out: august 31 2012
SO
I N O
OU Y N
S
SAM E … N QUALIT EW LOO Y!!! K!!!
4DA NABNAODA@ !P=IE "a?QVV N=JCA
081111
AL C O RL
!
P HO