2014 01 UK by SoftSecrets

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Lilley’s call to legalise cannabis welcomed

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Drug pressure groups welcomed a call to legalise cannabis by former Conservative Party deputy leader Peter Lilley. Mr Lilley, writing in the Daily Telegraph, urged Tory leadership contenders to urgently think about liberalising the laws on cannabis. His comments were welcomed by drugs charity Release, which said a change in cannabis laws was “long overdue.”

The Social Market Foundation thinktank published a pamphlet by Mr Lilley in which he argues that the law on cannabis use is unenforceable and indefensible in a country in which alcohol and nicotine are legal. He envisages that magistrates could issue licences for outlets selling cannabis to over-18s. Consumption would not be allowed on

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UK CANNABIS SOCIAL CLUBS›› TRAVEL: SWAZILAND CBD: AN EXPLANATION

32 ›› 34 ›› 44

Cannabis should be down-rated from a class B to class C drug, he said, adding that more debate was needed on whether it should be decriminalised or legalised. “We need to start thinking about how we can change the law. We need to start addressing issues such as quality control, consumer protection and how we can protect children from it,” he said. “If we decide we want to go along that road, I’m sure in a couple of years we will look back and wonder what all the fuss is about.” On BBC 1’s Question Time, shadow chancellor Michael Portillo said the Conservative Party had to be prepared to engage in a debate about calls for the legalisation of cannabis.

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FIRST THERE WAS LIGHT!

Issue 1 - 2014

Mr Lilley argued, in a move likely to shock many Tory traditionalists, that one of the biggest handicaps the Conservatives faced during the General Election was the perception that their policies were negative and punitive. “On crime and asylum-seekers as well as drugs, Conservatism seemed to be about locking people up,” he wrote. “It ought to be about setting people free. Nothing could more vividly dramatise reaffirmation of our belief in freedom and personal responsibility than to move clearly in favour of liberalising the law on cannabis.”

the premises or in public places and a limit would be imposed on the amount sold. The drug would be taxed and carry a health warning. Cultivation for personal use would be permitted. Mike Goodman, director of the drugs charity Release, welcomed Mr Lilley’s comments, saying: “The debate in relation to cannabis has really come on leaps and bounds in the last few months. We’re now having a much more sophisticated discussion and it’s good that it is coming through leading politicians. The law on cannabis is long overdue for reform.”

Mr Portillo said: “I think the arguments on both sides are quite finely balanced, and I think they are complicated. But a Conservative Party that I led would certainly be happy to address those issues ... We should be the party that is open to new thinking ... yes, we would consider this question.” A Home Office spokesman said: “The Government’s policy has not changed. We have a clear and consistent view. There are no plans to legalise or decriminalise cannabis or any other controlled substances.” Despite his previous position as deputy leader of the Conservative Party, Mr Lilley was just another individual calling for cannabis reform, he added. Source: www.dailymail.co.uk

Progress at last but not here in the UK These past few months have seen some hugely progressive steps in the Cannabis industry. We hope you’ve been paying attention as we’re experiencing some of the most historically significant developments of our lifetimes, much of which has been documented in the pages of this magazine. Last issue we reported on the government of Uruguay’s trailblazing decision to legalise cannabis. From the beginning of 2014, this small South American country, of just 3 million people, legalised cultivation and sale. As well as the medicinal and therapeutic benefits of the drug, one of the main motivations behind the change in law is to quash the huge volumes of cash that South American drug cartels pocket from the trade in illegal cannabis. Indeed, it’s widely believed that cannabis is more lucrative for the cartels than cocaine. The solution is straightforward; legalise the drug, take it out of the black market and remove a significant proportion of the cartels resources.

Pandora is a 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. Pandora is a medium sized plant, approximately 90 cm indoors to 1.20 tall outdoors. The plants will yield a firm amount of long sized compact buds, topped with a big layer of resin. The leaf to calyx ratio is ideal for quick manicuring. The overall effect is powerful and long lasting. Pandora finishes within 65 days from seed to harvest, with an impressive yield, up to 100 grams per plant.

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Autoflowering Indica/ Sativa 90/10. 400 /450grams per m2 indoors. Outdoors 60 to 100 grams per plant. Lifecycle: from seed to harvest, 60 to 65 days indoors and max. 75 days outdoors. Outdoors in colder regions Northern latitude: Start in May/ June and finish in July/ August. In warmer areas multiple harvests are possible. In tropical areas the whole year round. Effect : Long lasting intense stoned effect , relaxing and medical. Aroma /Taste: sweet & spicy. THC: 15-18% Photo: Paradise Seeds

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This variety is possibly the best choice when you want to harvest early and in Mediterranean areas even have multiple harvests per season. A must have in every garden, balcony or even in the window.

Put simply, Uruguay stood up and announced to the world that the U.S led model on drugs policy – the War on Drugs – simply does not work… and they wanted out. Surely a nomination for a Nobel Peace Prize is on the cards for this tiny nation? Hot on the heels of Uruguay, Colorado in the USA became the focus of the international news media circus as the state legalised cannabis for recreational use on January 1st. The drug has been available for medical use in the state for a number of years now and the decision to implement legalisation may have been based on generating tax dollars as much as much as it was based on the benefits of the drug. However, it’s still incredible progress and the event has been heralded by thousands as the beginning of the end of prohibition. Indeed, so many flocked to the states legislated dispensaries that there is now a supply shortage! Before going to press, various news articles have surfaced focussing on parents, from outside of Colorado, travelling to the state in the hope of purchasing can-

nabis derived products to treat their sick children with. Google ‘Charlotte’s Web Colorado’ and read some of the heartwarming stories for yourself. That’s progress. Closer to home, the situation in Europe remains as confusing as ever; Dutch Cannabis users, growers and coffee shops continue to operate in a legal grey area. Plus, the Czech cannabis scene appears to have taken a disappointing step backwards as police raided almost every grow shop in the country at the end of 2013; seizing money and equipment. Let’s hope the Czech politicians come to their senses, because this was widely regarded as one of the most progressive thinking European nations in terms of drug policy. So, what about the situation in the UK? Well, as far as the law is concerned, there has been no significant change. But, there may well be something we can all do about that. This month we’ve put together a feature on UK Cannabis Social Clubs. Operating under the umbrella of the UKCSC, these regional clubs are providing the catalyst for the type of political change that the UK is screaming out for. They’ve worked well in both Belgium and Spain. They’re also a great meeting place for like-minded individuals to get together over their shared passion. Read the article, check the UKCSC website and support your local club! Join the cause! Little Lebowski (ssuk@softsecrets.nl)

grow your own style. pass it on!

Hi Soft Secrets, This is Shoreline grown on an 8 week flower. I had 4 plants in 25L AutoPot XL’s under a 600w lamp powered by an Adjusta Watt digital ballast, all in my 1.5m tent. Grown in coco with; Plant Magic Granules and Veg Boost, VitaLink Grow, BioPac and BioPlus, Canadian Xpress Mighty Growth Enhancer. Finished them on; VitaLink Bloom, Canna pk13/14, Plant Magic Magne Cal, plus some added fulvic and humic acid. As you can see... I was pretty pleased with the results! FROM K

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! 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

Here are my VENENO from Eva seeds. 70 days flowering under a 600w HPS with Canna Terra range of fertilizers... and, of course, my beloved lady! PIERRE-ALEXANDRE Oh la la! Very nice picture from a French reader. Tres bien!

My Christmas green. Happy as! ANON What a fine Christmas tree that would’ve made, no need for fairy lights... those buds are sparkling brightly enough. No info on strain or yield, but it looks good to us.

Boom! A bucket of lovely, green goodness, what a way to start the New Year! We admire your special recipe of nutrients and additives. You’re obviously a man of fine taste and experience. We’ve been hearing some good things about AutoPot, certain areas of the UK absolutely rave about them.

6 Hey there, I’m new to the world of growing marijuana, however the smoking of it I can vouch for! Here’s a picture of my first ever grow from random bag seeds obtained from a university friends garden in Spain. In the picture they are in week 5 of flowering and I’ve just managed to get myself a bit of extra money to grab some nutrients and so the choice i went for is the ‘Advanced Nutrients Overdrive’ as I was told and read that these were easy to use nutrients for weeks 5 and 6 of flowering. This is very much so a cowboy builder grow (fits well with the cowboy mask) but, at the end of the day, for me it’s not about what I know in most cases, it’s about what I can afford. My plan is to slowly build up a good set of equipment and knowledge and one day be able to show off my monster plants in the future Soft Secret issues to come. THEWOODYOFWEED Wow! We saw you on TV over Christmas and now you are appearing in our magazine! Thanks Woody. We like your story; it’s always interesting to hear from someone first starting out on their journey as a grower. A few bits of advice for next time; keep the nutrient programme simple, a grow and bloom formulation base feed and a bloom additive will get you a good result. Focus on your environment; light, airflow, temperature and humidity are key to pulling a good result. Also, try growing one strain, or 2-3 genetically similar strains, at a time as they will grow at the same rate and finish at a more uniform height. This will ensure you use all your available light and get more bud per plant.

Just read my first issue of the paper and loving it, wish I’d discovered it sooner! I’m a new grower, with a lot to learn but i’m slowly getting there. My current grow is in a mini hempy bucket, medium is a 3 to 1 ratio perlite and vermiculite mix.Feed is just plain old Tomorite (tomato feed) and lighting is a 250 watt dual spec HPS. All hidden away in a dr60 tent. Final yield was just over 2.5 ounce, but for a plant that measured about 2ft tall I don’t think thats too shabby. The method was suggested to me by some Canadian guys I met in a chatroom. KRAZEY DAYZ Forget about being a first timer, this is some great bud for any experienced grower! Very good work Krazey. We’re impressed that you went for a hempy bucket for your first time, so much so that we put a little article together in this issue, so that others can learn about this technique.

Another good use for a great paper! Makes a pretty nice table wrap. Really enjoyed making it and I might even eBay it if anyone is interested! DAVID Now there’s something you don’t see on Changing Rooms! Every now and then we receive photos of true brilliance... this is one of those times! Not only have you gone through the painstaking process of covering your furniture with Soft Secrets, you’ve then draped a lovely lady over it. A worthy winner.

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BIGGER, BOLDER, BADDER! THE MEDICAL CANNABIS BIKE TOUR ANNOUNCES 2014 TOUR DATES Following the success of last year’s ride, the MC Bike Tour returns with the aim to raise over €50,000 to support scientific research into how cannabis treats cancer. From March 11- 13th 2014, 50 riders will ride on a 400km journey. The MC Bike Tour will arrive 3 days later to a heroes’ welcome at the Spannabis Expo in Barcelona. Following on from the success of the 2013 tour which raised €50,000, the Bike Tour is looking to increase media exposure and awareness for medical cannabis. The money raised is helping to fund research by scientists at Madrid’s Complutense University, who are studying the effects of using cannabinoids to treat cancer. Funds have also been used to support the legal rights of patients who are using cannabis to treat their illnesses. Luc Krol, from the MC Bike Tour organization team, says, “I am very excited about the 2014 tour. Everywhere we go people have heard about our initiative. We believe we are at the start of a popular movement to drive positive change and acknowledge the medical value of the cannabis plant. Roll on the next tour!” Riders and sponsors are already climbing on board the MC Bike Tour express and the organizers are looking for the last few riders to fill the spaces. Potential sponsors and riders should check out the website www.medicalcannabis-biketour.com. For interviews, photos or more information about the Bike Tour please email info@medicalcannabis-biketour.com.

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Lemon Kick is a benediction for organic growers. The pH value of soil and water will be reduced in a natural way, whereby the plant can optimise nutritional uptake. It is very important to monitor the pH value on a daily basis. The ideal pH value lies between 5,5 and 6,5. Too high or too low, a pH value hampers the nutritional uptake of the plant. Unlike other pH-regulators, such as nitric acid and phosphoric acid, Lemon Kick does not affect the NPK value. The active ingredient in Lemon Kick is citric acid. Citric acid plays a role in the so-called citric acid cycle. During the citric acid cycle, nutrients are converted into energy. This energy can then be used for growing and flowering of the plant. Citric acid is a trivalent acid, every molecule has three acid-forming particles. A single shaped acid such as nitric acid has just one acid-forming particle. Lemon Kick is highly concentrated. So very little is needed for optimal results. Advantages of Lemon Kick: t 4VJUBCMF WPPS PSHBOJD BHSJDVMUVSF BOE IPSUJDVMUVSF t 5ISFF UJNFT BT FGGFDUJWF BT PUIFS Q) SFHVMBUPST t 4UJNVMBUFT HSPXUI t $BO CF VTFE JO UIF HSPXJOH BOE GMPXFSJOH QIBTF * Plagron recommends not to use any additives in the last week of the flowering phase. This can affect the taste and smell of the end product. Do you have any questions? servicedesk@plagron.com For additional information about Lemon Kick and other products check www.plagron.com

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VAPORISING

Vape It Up! Something strange is happening in the streets, bars and pubs of the UK. Hundreds of thousands of people can be seen sucking on small pen devices, which light up at the end and produce clouds of fruity smelling steam. Yes, the vaping craze is sweeping our nation and the high streets are now full of e-cig and vaporiser stores, all cashing in on the trend before our beloved government swoops in and taxes the Little Lebowski arse out of it! But tobacco users are way behind the releases them as vapour. Vaporisers work times; cannabis users have been enjoying by heating up to the point where certain the benefits of vaporising for years, partak- cannabinoids “boil” and ing in their favourite strain the healthy way, albeit in the priA cheap and simple pipe vaporiser vacy of their own homes. Now, an influx of lower priced, discreet literally evaporate, leaving behind just pocket-sized vaporisers means that you can fibrous plant matter. When you’ve vaporenjoy a toke on the go, or at least take your ised your weed, you’ll be left with brown, dried out plant material. In contrast, when you light a joint, there is no plant material left over and the smoke is a mix of cannabinoids and also a number of fairly toxic combustion by-products.

vaporiser round to a friend’s house without needing a suitcase to carry it in! Interested? Let’s take a look at why it’s a good idea to vaporise in the first place and a few of the vaporiser options available… Firstly, what is a vaporiser? Put simply, a vaporiser is a device that heats up plant material or oil to the point that the mate-

A desktop ‘bag’ style vaporiser rial releases its active ingredients. A vaporiser doesn’t actually burn the material; instead, it heats the material at a much lower temperature. So, rather than releasing the active compounds in smoke, it

So vaping is obviously better for you than mixing your cannabis with tobacco in a joint, but why not just use a bong? Well, a bong still involves combustion, i.e. you put a flame to your weed and release the active compounds as smoke. You then draw the smoke through water to cool and filter it. This removes some, but not all, of the nasty by-products that are released during combustion and it also removes some of the active herbal goodness. Another pro point for vaporisers over bongs is that they can be carried around with you, are far less fragile and are much stealthier, because the vaporiser isn’t producing smoke. Inhaling cannabis vapour is far better for you than smoking. Even when you smoke a pure cannabis joint with no tobacco, over three quarters of the smoke produced will be non-cannabinoid waste products, including carcinogenic compounds like; tar, carbon monoxide, nitrogen monoxide and benzene. When you combust cannabis only around 10% of the smoke will contain the active cannabinoids that you are looking for. When you vaporise cannabis, a massive 95% of the vapour will contain active cannabinoids. Plus, when cannabis is burned lots of the active ingredients are actually destroyed, this doesn’t happen when you vaporise. Which means that vaporising your weed will make it last longer… bonus! People who’ve always wanted to use cannabis, but haven’t been able to due to medical conditions like asthma, allergies or just not being comfortable with smoking, will enjoy using a vaporiser.

How does it feel? In general, vapor is described as providing a longer lasting, lighter and clearer high when compared to smoking. The

immediate effects of smoking – whether using tobacco or not – actually comes from the smoke itself. Filling your lungs with smoke and reducing the amount of oxygen in the blood stream, for example, will give you a head rush. So, when you first use a vaporiser you often can’t feel any immediate sensation at all. There’s very little sensation in your throat and lungs like there is with smoke and the effects of the cannabinoids fully hits you after a couple of minutes. Speaking on a personal level, having smoked joints with tobacco for over 15 years, I find the high from a vaporiser much clearer and energetic than smoking. It took a little time to get used to the fact that I couldn’t ‘feel’ any smoke and I did miss that at first, but soon got over it. The high comes on stronger than smoking a joint, although you can obviously regulate this with practice. I found that my weed

Types of vaporiser Desktop vaporisers – these are large sized vaporisers that are plugged directly into a power outlet. They usually deliver vapour via a whip system that allows the user to inhale through a silicone or vinyl tube. Some desktop vaporisers have an advanced forced air system that slowly fills a balloon (made from the same food grade plastic used to make oven-roasting bags) with vapour. The balloon is then detached from the unit and the user inhales the vapour through a valve. Great for parties! Desk top vaporisers tend to produce lots of vapour and some have really nice features like digitally adjustable temperature control. As a general rule, they are more expensive than portable types. Portable vaporisers – these are perfect for vaping on the go. Portable vaporisers are operated without any wires or cords and are quick and simple to vape with. In their simplest form, portable vaporisers can be glass pipes where you use a naked flame to heat an element that, in turn, vaporises your weed. You can also get butane gas powered vapes

UNLIKE SMOKE, THE SMELL OF VAPOUR DOESN’T TRAVEL VERY FAR OR LINGER IN AN AREA OR ON CLOTHES went a lot further than when I was smoking, BUT I must say that in the long run I probably used more weed because I much preferred the high that I got from my vaporiser… so I used it more often! I also think you get the real benefits of vaporising the next day. Whereas usually a heavy smoking session would leave me feeling a bit fuzzy in the head and ‘tight chested’ the next day, I feel absolutely great if I’ve been using a vaporiser. Plus there are no stinking ash trays lying around and my clothes don’t smell of smoke.

Grind it, pack it, vape it!

that light at the push of a button and start to release vapour within seconds. Recently there has been a real influx of new, hi-tech battery powered portable vaporisers. Some of which look very close to e-cigarettes, so it is possible to go on a nice vape session in broad daylight, without anyone noticing. Unlike smoke, the smell of vapour doesn’t travel very far or linger in an area or on clothes. Vape pens can also be hidden very quickly which makes them ideal for getting high on the go, taking to parties or bars and nightclubs. Believe it or not, there’s even a vaporiser designed to look

How do they work? Basically, there are two different types of heating techniques; conduction and convection;

Vaping your herb in 4 easy steps Step 1 – Get your grind on The first step to successful vaping is to make sure that you grind your herb properly. Herb preparation is one of the most important parts of the entire vaping process. It’s no good just throwing leaf trim or coarsely ground herb into your vaporiser and expecting to get the best out of it. The key is making sure that you increase the surface area of your herb as much as possible, because the greater the surface area, the more active compounds will be released per vape. You’ll need a grinder that produces a fine grind and you’ll want your herb to be nice and dry.

ta bl eV ap bo n

In conduction vaporisers, the cannabis touches the heating element. Conduction vaporisers use a hot plate or screen which transfers the heat directly to the herb, rapidly releasing the cannabinoids into vapour. This means that there’s no waiting around for the unit to heat up, vapour is produced immediately. Most portable vaporisers use conduction heating, particularly the pen style or e-cig versions.

doesn’t touch the heating element, they tend to take a few minutes to heat up.

like an asthma inhaler! Now that’s covert. Portables are considerably cheaper than the more complicated desktop vaporisers. If you need a vaporiser that can go wherever you go, then a portable vaporiser is the one for you.

Co ve r

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There is less control over temperature in conduction heating which means the user will take a little while to get to grips with how quickly or slowly to inhale. Also, because the herb is physically touching the heating element there is a risk of combustion.

Step 2 – Use the right amount of herb Simply put, less is more. Packing out your vaporiser doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll

In convection vaporisers, the herb is heated up with hot air and is separated from the heating element via a screen or gauze, which protects it from burning. The heating element warms the air to a precise temperature, which is blown through the cannabis, heating it up and causing the cannabinoids to vaporise. Convection vaporisers allow for more accurate temperature control than conduction vaporisers and usually have a variable temperature setting. They’re very straightforward to use and beginners are less likely to burn their weed because there is no physical contact between the herb and the heating element. Most of the desktop vaporisers use convection heating. The only real downside is that they are more expensive that conButane gas powered portable vaporiser duction versions and, because the herb

get a stronger hit or denser vapor. In fact it can produce the opposite result. Loosely pack your herb into your vaporiser, this will allow air to travel through it when you inhale and pick up all those tasty cannabinoids that are being released. Step 3 – Get your temperature and draw right The range in temperature that all cannabinoids evaporate is between 157 - 220 °C. Certain compounds are released at different temperatures and will give you a different kind of hit. For example, vaping at the lower end of the temperature range will give you a more cerebral, heady high, whereas vaping at a higher temperature will give more of a body stone or ‘couch lock’. This is because THC vaporises at around 157°C – that’s the cannabinoid that feels buzzy and euphoric – the CBD

start to combust at 200 °C so it’s best to keep your temperatures below that point. In theory, this means that you can set your vaporiser to a lower temperature and vaporise off the THC, then set it to a higher temperature to get the CBD and CBN hit, effectively using the same weed twice! If you have a vaporiser that is suitable, you can also vape cannabis oils and extracts. This is when you’ll need to set to your vaporiser to a higher temperature – around 220°C. It’s also worth investing in a bottle of isopropanol (alcohol) to clean the oil off your vaporiser. Portable vaporisers that don’t have a temperature setting function can be controlled by the rate at which you inhale (or draw). This may take a little practice,

VAPE PENS CAN BE HIDDEN VERY QUICKLY WHICH MAKES THEM IDEAL FOR GETTING HIGH ON THE GO evaporates between 160°C and 180°C and CBN will evaporate at 185°C – this is the compound with sedative qualities. It’s worth noting that dry herb can actually

but drawing at a slower rate will allow the vaporiser to reach a higher temperature. Draw quickly and you’ll pull more air through the vaporiser and cool it down. Try it for yourself, it works. Step 4 - Know when to change your herb Unlike using a bong, which hits your entire weed in one go, herb put in a vaporiser can be vaped several times. Not all of the active compounds will be evaporated in your first vape and some vaporisers can actually hold a decent amount of herb, say 0.5g. If your vaporiser has a clear screen that allows you to view the weed, you’ll want to change it when it looks brown. If it doesn’t have a screen, you’ll need to go on taste. When your starts to taste like burnt popcorn, it’s ready to be changed. So, what are you waiting for? Get yourself down to your local head shop and get yourself a vaporiser. Happy vaping!

Covert vaporiser disguised as an inhaler!

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First there was light! Light is the most important aspect in our grow space. There are other aspects that are required in order to have a successful grow, light however is the single most important aspect as without it nothing else can function. So what lighting options are there available to a grower setting up his grow-space? By Demian Vrij (demianvrij@gmail.com) Generally speaking, there are three distinct light sources that have been successfully used in order to grow cannabis plants. High Intensity Discharge (HID) lamps, Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL) and Light Emitting Diode (LED) panels. HID lamps are the traditional growing lights, what you will see in most grow reports. These lamps operate by hav- A common CFL lamp. ing electricity conducted through a gas chamber inside the lamp. Their traditional use was to provide light in large Nowadays a different technology is areas and outside spaces. If you take a gaining momentum. LED panels, utilise look outside your window, you are very diodes (i.e. little lamp fixtures) that prolikely to see one of them lighting your duce light via a chip. The technology has street. They have been available for dec- been around from the 60’s but has been ades and were the first type of lamps that commonly available during the 2000’s was used for growing cannabis. However, through mass production, and now can they’re nearing to an end as production be seen everywhere. The lights on your of such lamps is expected to end in the car, your TV set, your keyboard lights, the coming years, since they’re extremely list goes on. A very cost-effective light expensive to run and LEDs are replacing source but still very expensive regardthem in most common applications. ing large-scale applications. Very flexible

LEDs and growers didn’t hit it off from the start. Instead one could easily say that the initial attempts at growing with LEDs were pretty much disastrous. The first panels in the market were amazingly expensive and provided horrendous results. Underachieving and burned plants were common occurrences to such an extend that shattered LED respectability in the growing community. The initial attraction was the expectedly reduced electrical consumption but manufacturers at the time failed to imagine an original way to utilise the technology. Instead of focusing on different growing aspects and techniques they tried to just replace a traditional HID lamp with a huge panel in it’s place. That gave birth to the creation of huge panels whose price tag was enough to avert potential growers. The growers that took the leap of faith and tried the first panels were disappointed when their grow was reaching at it’s end. Most common results were at 0.2 grams/watt and the main reason behind that was the wrong spectrum that was used. Manufacturers were under the impression that plants are so simple that one can utilise just two colours in order to provide to the plant what it needs. Hence the early panels had a spectrum of just blue and red, blue was supposed to take care of the vegetative stage and red for the flowering. That didn’t really work out.

Growing with HID lamps.

Most growers, including myself, started growing with HID lamps. The typical setup would incorporate a ballast, a reflector and the lamp itself. One square meter area would require a 400 Watt lamp to cover it; with the added 10% loss from the ballast the total electrical consumption would be at around 440 Watts per hour. HID lamps have a ratio of electricity converted to light at about 11%, reaching to 13% for good brands. That would mean that at the very best you receive 50 Watts of light in your one square metre tent. What’s unfortunate is that you also get 350 Watts of heat produced by the lamp which can increase your tent temperature over 10 C on top of the ambient temperature. This problem can be reduced by using a cooltube reflector, a device that’s used to such the heat out of the lamp and dispense it outside the grow-tent. A cooltube partly solves the problem but extra installations would be required to run it.

A cooltube reflector.

A 1000 Watt HID lamp.

CFL lamps are the lamp-bulbs that since technology that allows everyone with the mid-90s most people started using in basic technical knowledge of electronics their houses. Their history goes way back, and mechanical construction to create however it was mass production in the 90s his own DIY-panel. They have been used that made them available to households by growers during the past decade, but as an economic alternative to the typical they only started taking off in the last lightbulb that was being used in lighting couple of years. applications. Under the same technology and application to the CFLs are also the Tube lamps, a light type that you’ve mostly seen in office spaces, hospitals and so on. Tube lamps were available before the common CFLs, however they are not as easily installed thus making them less appealing to starters. You will mostly hear Tube lamps being referred as T8, a commonly used 30W model. Growers started using this type of technology mostly to save money on electricity, and secondary to reduce problems occurring when using A single LED. HID lamps.

With time and as LEDs started being used into household application such as lighting, better while LEDs started being produced. Diodes became more powerful and way cheaper. Several manufacturers at that point started considering different spectra based on white, not on monochromatic approaches, and created panels that started showing steady results, enough to be considered as a good alternative to HID lamps.

Do HID lamps grow nice and productive plants? Yes they do, there can be no argument against that. If electrical consumption is of no concern and you got a healthy budget to accommodate serious climate control, then by all means go for it. That would mean that you have to pocket the bill to run air conditioning, lamps, and auxiliary equipment like oscillating fans. Such investment makes sense only for commercial growers, not for the average Joe who’s growing for his own consumption. Another way to go around the heat that’s produced from HID lamps is to have your lights on during the night. The average European apartment during the night has a temperature of about 17 degrees that would rise up to about 27 inside the grow tent, an acceptable temperature if your lows don’t go below 21. Still however, growers using hydroponics could find themselves struggling with water temperatures.

Another problem with HIDs, rare but not of less importance, is fire hazard. A LED light bulb for mainstream There is a small possibility that the lamp might explode, messing up your grow lighting application space and exposing your house to fire

19 hazard. Your wife will not be happy, nor would your neighbours! There are some precautions you can take to avoid the danger, the best one is being there while the lights are on and keeping a constant eye on things. Making sure that there is nothing flammable close to your tent is another one, and comes without saying that your grow-tent has to be very clean (no dried up leaves etc.) Talking about grow-tents and how they should be inside, brings us to another problem that comes when growing with HID lamps in a small space, height. Due to the heat (and the radiant heat) produced by the lamp, the grower has to have a minimum of 40 cm distance between the lamp and the plant. On the average tent with 2 meters height means that you have to keep your plants shorter than 1,40 meters to avoid heat stress on the plants, and that includes the pot height as well. I wouldn’t recommend HID lamps to anyone but commercial growers. It is a cheap startup and they do produce, but they bring along a hell of a lot of problems. Growing should be fun, shouldn’t be about regulating temperatures and so on. And despite HID lamps being a cheap startup, that’s only for the basic installation and the cost will amass itself when the electricity bill comes home.

Growing with CFLs / Tube lamps.

A CFL lamp mounted on a reflector

Another popular light that has been used by home growers. Readily available, no need to have a lot of parts as when growing with HIDs, no fire hazard, better temperature control... what’s more to desire? Well, nice buds really, and here lies the problem. Despite being cost-efficient and not being hazardous, CFLs don’t come up with nice results when flowering is concerned. CFLs are mostly used by beginners as they are available in every supermarket and they are very easy to install and use in small spaces. However, they’re way behind when it comes to flowering plants. Along with Tube lamps they can be successfully used for cloning and the initial stages of the vegetative cycle, but that’s as far as it goes. Once you switch to flowering, might as well change your lights. Nevertheless they do represent an easy solution for a micro-grow under a very limited budget. Most CFL grows are done by beginners who are experimenting with closet grows before investing more money. The grower should expect a nice initial growth under CFLs and/or Tube lights, plants will actually be better off under them for the first week instead of being under a HID lamp as at a young age they are quite vulnerable under intense light and heat. CFLs come out under all white spectra available while Tube lights are mostly Cold white (often referred as daylight white at over 6000K colour temperature).

CFL growing is on its way to history books. Some people might keep on using them for clones and seedlings before putting up an HID but that’s as far as it goes. Growers that attempt a full grow under them will find themselves disappointed at the end and will either switch their lights or give up growing all together.

Growing with LEDs. There is not one single way in which to write about growing with LED panels. The reason for that is that unlike HIDs who are standardised, LED panels come in a huge variety of different types and sizes. A 30 watt panel will not be treated in the same manner as a 200 one. Differences also apply when it comes to passive and active cooling. Generally speaking and assuming you managed to get some decent panels you should expect a reduced electrical consumption when comparing with HIDs, much better environment control due to less heat produced, while at the same time achieving the same results. LEDs convert about 33% of electricity to light. In theory, 180 watts of LEDs should be enough to replace a 400 watt HID. This also means that in such a scenario only about 130 watts will be converted to heat instead of 350 watts.

Another advantage of LEDs is that they emit heat backwards, not towards the plants. This is because they operate with a chip which is based at the base of the light and means that the heat is much better dissipated into the environment and absorbed by the air extraction. Hence, plants can reach very close to the panels and not suffer due to heat as they would under an HID grow. Comes without saying that there is also no fire hazard when growing with LED panels. Being a micro-grower and using LED panels is a no brainer really. One can achieve the same results as with HIDs with much better environmental conditions and without any worries that the house will burn down. Your electricity bill won’t go off the roof, and your plants will be nice and healthy. The only problem is the increased initial cost for purchasing the panels, which can be quite steep comparing with HIDs and CFLs.

Final thoughts. If you want to grow commercial, use HIDs. If you just want to try putting a plant in the closet and see how things go, buy a CFL from the supermarket with an extension cord and give it a go. However, if you want to grow nice plants without footing a huge electricity bill, do your research and buy some good LEDs that will last for years.

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Guide to Hempy Buckets

Here are a few hempy hints and tips for those of you who are itching to give it a go…

This style of growing is a huge hit in the US and Canada. Hempy buckets are a great option for growers looking to cultivate big plants, they are also cheap to make and easy to maintain.

Use a quality hydroponic nutrient. It may sound obvious but, when using a reservoir in a passive set-up, organic nutrients will spoil as quickly as they would in active hydro, possibly even quicker as there is no pump to agitate or oxygenate the solution. In hempy buckets you’ll

To make one, you will need; - A 20L black plastic bucket (important that it’s black, as this will keep light out of the root zone and prevent algae from growing in the reservoir) - A drill with a quarter inch or half inch drill bit - A tray or saucer to catch run-off - A mix of 3 parts perlite and 1 part vermiculite - Any decent hydroponic nutrient Drill a hole on the side of the bucket, 2 inches from the base. Fill the bucket with the perlite / vermiculite mix and pot up your

the water table that a plant feeds from when naturally growing outdoors. For the first 2 weeks the plant will need to be watered little and often - every other day - as its root’s fill the bucket and head towards the reservoir at the bottom. Once the roots reach the reservoir, the growth is phenomenal! The watering is then reduced to twice a week, hand water with nutrient solution until you have achieved around 30% run-off, then you can be sure that you’ve replaced the old nutrients in the reservoir and have drawn fresh oxygen into the root zone.

than a daily chore. This allows you to concentrate on mastering the basics of your grow room; lights, extraction and fighting the urge to trim off your first buds as soon as you spot them! Newbies scouting for a fail-safe system

The hempy bucket offers the constant supply of nutrient, water and oxygen that leads to rapid growth and massive buds. When the roots hit that reservoir at the bottom of the bucket your plant will

WHEN THE ROOTS HIT THAT RESERVOIR AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BUCKET YOUR PLANT WILL FLY! fly! They’re also less maintenance than a hydro system, as you only check your EC and pH when you feed, rather than monitoring a nutrient tank. The only downside is that planting up in a relatively large container from the start may mean a longer than usual veg period, so using a larger bucket may not be so suitable if you’re growing small Autoflowering varieties. In which case, simply use a smaller bucket like a 5L or 10L. Alternatively, if you like the idea of very big plants, you could even give a 25L or 30L bucket a go.

A couple of fine hempy bucket

So what type of grower are the hempy buckets good for? t /FX HSPXFST o XIFO TUBSUJOH PVU GSPN fresh, there is so much to think about

examples

plant (the plant should be root bound in a propagation block). Water from above until you see run-off coming out of the hole on the side of the bucket. The base of the bucket is now a reservoir, effectively mimicking

when growing indoors that it makes sense to simplify the actual feeding of your plants. Using a hempy bucket with a built-in reservoir, turns watering into a twice-weekly task… rather

Use a good quality hydroponic nutrient for best results should look no further, hempy buckets could well be your saviour! t /FSWPVT PWFS XBUFSFST o UIFSF T OP denying that there is a certain type of grower, usually ones that have easy access to their plants and keep them in their home, who just can’t help checking up on them and having a fiddle! The temptation to ‘just give them a bit extra’ can be so strong, that they eventually over water or over feed. Hempy buckets are ideal for this type of grower, because they allow you to set a strict feeding schedule of watering every 3 days. If you’re still desperate to fiddle with your plants, check out an article on pruning. t (SPXFST PO B CVEHFU o JG ZPV SF TUBSUing a grow on a tight budget and don’t have too much cash to splash on your grow set up, head to your local shop and pick yourself up a few black plastic 20L buckets and a couple of bags of perlite and vermiculite. You can create a hempy bucket set up for a lower price than some quality pots and two bags of soil – and you’ll most likely score a better yield! The perlite can also be washed and reused, saving a little bit more money. All good grow shops stock buckets, perlite and vermiculite, so get them from there rather than the big chain DIY places. Support your local grow shops! t (SPXFST XIP MJLF #*( QMBOUT o XIFO growing your own, it’s all about getting maximum yield with minimal risk. To avoid getting caught with your hands dirty, it’s generally accepted that less is more. Hempy buckets are a great option for pulling more yield off fewer plants. Check the US forums; you’ll see hempy buckets being used extensively … the plants look like tress!

need a good quality, mineral feed. You can, in theory, start plants in any growing medium and transfer them to your buckets. But, in practice, to avoid transplant shock and keep things clean, try to use a hydroponic medium like coco, rockwool or even a pot of vermiculite and perlite mixed. You can still use a sponge starter cube, like a Root Riot, if you wish. Plants grown in hempy buckets can get BIG; particularly if you’re using larger buckets, like a 25L or 30L. Plan your space accordingly; you don’t want to overcrowd your room. Also, it’s a good idea to invest in some bamboo canes, yoyos or nets to support those large buds! Keep your grow room clean and safe; invest in some large saucers or a tray to catch run off after watering your buckets. Experiment with your growing media. Some growers like to use a 3:1 perlite / vermiculite mix, some like to use straight perlite. Some even like to fill the reservoir of their buckets with perlite or clay pebbles and then add coco on top. Half of the fun of growing your own is experimenting, try a few methods out and see what works for you. So, there you have it; want to cut down on your watering workload and grow bigger plants? Get the drill out, get yourself some plastic buckets and give it a go. Happy growing!

CLASSIC STRAINS

Super Silver Haze Few strains have made such an impact on the commercial Cannabis scene as Super Silver Haze, which imparts a powerful haze ‘high’ with Sativa Diva distinct indica undertones. Strain Name: Creator: Genetics: Origins: Flowering:

Super Silver Haze Greenhouse Seed Company Roughly 75% Sativa / 25% Indica [Northern Lights x Neville’s Haze] X [Skunk x Neville’s Haze] 56 - 63 Days (Haze-dominant phenotypes can be flowered for up to 77 days) Outdoor Harvest: Late October Super Silver Haze exploded onto the Dutch seed scene in the late 1990s, a brainchild of the Greenhouse Seed Company, creators of White Widow and Neville’s Haze – among others. A hybrid

This classic burst onto the scene in the late 1990s of Skunk #1, Northern Lights and Neville’s, the Super Silver helped to revolutionize sativa-dominant commercial strains of that era, and few other varieties have ever enjoyed such glory.

Award-Winning Genetics While some measure the success of a strain by the number of awards it has won, Super Silver Haze is a different matter. The variety did indeed win consecutive Cannabis Cups in the years after its inception (1997, 1998 and 1999) but its longevity is even more remarkable. Certain strains blow up like fireworks, only to shine brightly for a brief moment and then fade away into instability history, whereas the Super Silver continues to be grown and smoked by amateurs and aficionados alike, across

the globe. In addition, it consistently wins Highlife and Cannabis Cups, year after year. So what makes this particular plant so special? The secret is in the hybrid: the haze family of Cannabis offers the highest high, which used to be the most desirable effect from smoking pot, hearkening back to the days of readily-available equatorial landrace strains. These are the old-school varieties that pre-date the modern fascination with CBD-laden indicas, from the time when people preferred to get ‘high’ rather than ‘stoned’.

genotype, obviously), the effect this strain imparts manages to retain a ‘high’ that other haze hybrids cannot match. The 25% indica content is not enough to ruin or dissipate the 75% sativa content, leaving the user with a heady, euphoric feeling – the slight indica content merely keeps the smoker from completely tripping out, as happens when consuming pure hazes. In short, the Super Silver Haze keeps even haze lovers from getting ‘too high’, and yes, there is such a thing. Rather than becoming stuck in your own head, the indica values of the SSH help to balance out the elevation and keep your feet on the ground.

somewhat control the size of the flowering plants. For this reason, it is possible to grow SSH in height-restricted areas; sea-of-green cultivation is also no problem. Outdoor growers might want to be careful, as the genetic tendency to stretch out and grow upwards is still present in these genetics; cutting out the central cola (or tying down) is a good way to shorten in- or outdoor plants without sacrificing yield. The SSH flavour is also quite special. Haze strains typically impart a ‘cat piss’ or grassy taste, which is usually only acceptable to old hippies (read: those who were actually alive to smoke the classic landraces available in the 1960s and 1970s). Careful

Atypical Haze for Haze Lovers The Skunk and NL varieties not only shortened the flowering period but also increased the density and decreased the space between internodes; haze yields are often much lower than their more sativaor indica-dominant counterparts, and the lengthy flowering time adds to growers’ frustration. The Super Silver Haze countered all such issues, offering great yields of silver-frosted, Christmas tree-shaped buds and a heady smoke in a reasonable amount of time, about nine to eleven weeks of flowering.

Unfortunately, such varieties are often very difficult to grow, due to their tall, lanky phenotypes and extremely long flowering periods, a phenotype that resulted from their origin in geographical locations that received a steady 12/12 dose of light and darkness. Haze plants from the equator and outlying regions are gangly and stretchy, with thin stalks dotted by puff-ball buds clustered around distant internodes – this plant type proves to be frustrating for many growers. Thus, landrace hazes were hybridized to breed out undesirable growth, flowering and smoking attributes, while breeding in desirable traits with Super Silver Haze is great regards to flavour, flowering time and yield. for indoor or outdoor The SSH hybrid, combining ultra-desirable haze genetics with the Northern Lights indica and stabilizing pure-bred Skunk #1, Unlike pure or nearly pure haze varieties, resulted in a manageable variety that was SSH does not continue to grow full throttle during the pre-flower phase; however actually growable. a definite growth spurt can occur, so plan While the phenotype changed drasti- accordingly. This means that you can veg cally upon such hybridization (as did its for short periods – or not at all – and still

A male SSH plant on a Dutch balcony hybridization removed much of this acrid taste and instead created a slightly-sweet, distinctly floral flavour that could not be replicated in other modern haze hybrids. Even the aroma is recognizable, both from the growing plant and when dried, cured and smoked.

Super Silver Haze Relatives Silver Haze is an obvious relation to the Super Silver Haze; in fact, back in the days of honestly-labelled genetics, anything with the word ‘super’ in the title implied that a back-cross had taken place. A now-famous variety by the name of Champagne Haze is said to be a cousin of the Super Silver, and many other strains are either linked genetically to the latter or simply re-named versions – this becomes obvious when smoking the product. It is difficult to mask the strain’s signature flavour and scent, silvery-grey colas and semi-confusing high. Amnesia Haze is another famous relative of the Super Silver Haze; this strain continues the lineage with frosty, silvery buds, conical flower structure and a floral-yetspicy flavour. The Amnesia also imparts a strong, vibrant high.

EXTREME GROWING

A UNIQUE CONTRIBUTION TO GUERILLA GARDENING

Jail Break

under special watch after receiving serious threats from other convicts – they do not seem to enjoy his sense of humor.

Although illegal, cannabis use is clearly involved in daily life in prison.

Maybe Austrian cops shouldn’t worry so much. In neighboring Switzerland they

A Polish prisoner got into big trouble after posting a photo on Facebook of himself and a cannabis plant – from inside his prison cell in Austria. First Marcin Zendarski smuggled a smartphone into his Austrian jail to keep in contact with friends, watch TV shows and browse the web. Then he also managed to smuggle in cannabis seeds and grow a plant secretly in his cell, in Garsten jail, Upper Austria. Proud Zendarski took a selfie with his marijuana plant and posted it on Facebook to show friends his skills and how he’d outsmarted the wardens. Very unfortunately for him and other inmates, the photo got widely shared and popular in the internet and was brought to the attention of prison guards, who called in a special commando to search the entire jail for mobile phones and any other illegal plants. They found a multitude of illegal substances, plants, and smart phones – much to the dismay of the prisoners, obviously. Funny Zendarski now has to be

acknowledge that marijuana use helps keep prisons calm and safe. The Swiss prison guards agree that marijuana use among inmates is a good thing. A 2013 published in the “International Journal of Drug Policy” estimates that 50 to 80 percent of inmates in Swiss prisons use marijuana. Prison staff told researchers they found marijuana to be a relatively safe drug and that cracking down on consumption would have more negative effects than positive ones. Prisoners and guards had similar opinions on marijuana use, with both groups describing the effects of marijuana calming and a way to decrease the traumatic prison experience. Negative consequences in some people included sleepiness, social isolation, and decreased perception of danger. But inmates and guards also said that more restrictive regulation could increase fear, trafficking, and a shift to harder drug use. While prisoners estimated that up to 80 percent of prisoners use marijuana, guards reported a lower estimate at 50 percent. Obviously, posting a selfie on Facebook with a cannabis plant growing in a prison cell was a stupid thing to do – but we kind of admire the deed itself. We suggest that the guy goes pro when he get out and develops his new strain: Jail Break. Soft Secrets will be happy to review it – if he survives playing his Polish joke.

Of Hoaxes and Smokescreens Who would have believed it? Legal cannabis. In - wait for it - America. Yes, it’s true: on January 1st 2014 the state of Colorado legalised the recreational use of cannabis. That’s legalised, as opposed to decriminalised, people. No more spurious medical marijuana claims, no more sneaking about worrying about how much ganja you’re carrying: yes, it’s goodbye to all of that, my friends. And word is that there are a number of other states very possibly ready to follow the example: Alaska, Arizona, California, Oregon and District of Columbia are all in line for a referendum on the matter. Of course, almost the instant that the change in the law came in, stories appeared reporting cannabis deaths; when I read of this, my first thought was that perhaps someone had been run over by a truck carrying a load, or that a tone of resin had fallen on them. But no, this was “Marijuana Overdoses Kill 37 in Colorado” and there were photographs of folks lying prone on pavements. “Bullshit”, I thought, and this response was the correct one, as the story was later revealed to be a hoax, set up by a satirical/spoof news website.

Dr John Dee

What I’m troubled about is the apparent total lack of checks and safeguards on the production and distribution side of the business. Because, make no mistake, business – big business - is what this will quickly morph into. Board rooms full of people in sharp suits, with zero interest in the philosophy or ethos of dope and who regard it just as another “product”, discussing margins, profits, and – of most concern to me – expansion into new markets. Don’t misunderstand me; this is a defining moment in the whole legalisation debate, but I can’t help but have the nagging thought that the Americans have rather thrown the baby out with the bath water, and that this is another bit of capitalist sleight-ofhand, a smokescreen, if you will. Whatever the original good intentions behind the move, the big business boys will move in, bringing their own ethos of “infinite Capitalism” and “ever expanding markets” with them. Watch, as previously “righteous” individuals are seduced by the lure of big dollars (think hippy capitalism).

Anyhow, so much for that; Colorado has legalised weed for use by anyone over the age of 21. Other than that, there seem to be no restrictions or limits, and here’s where a wise man might predict that problems might stem from.

As regular readers will know, I’m completely pro-legalisation of everything psychoactive. But, I’m also strongly of the opinion that this should come with caveats, the biggest of which is the total exclusion of big business from the whole thing. The only real way to keep a lid on it – and there are some issues even with this – is to have the whole enterprise run, or at least overseen, by the state. No advertising, marketing, no hawking for new markets, no fancy packaging aimed at minors, no two-for-one special deals: none of that.

Sorry to rain on the parade again (though it’s kind of my job), but in the words of the old song, “there may be trouble ahead”.

The problem is that, to an American, all of this will probably sound like rampant Commie-speak, and therefore best completely ignored.

How so? I hear you ask. Well, it strikes me that this whole “no restrictions other than age” thing is going to end in tears, and no mistake. I’m not, I should add, talking about the purchasing end of things, not at all. It’s my view that adults should be allowed to do pretty much what they want in the privacy of their own homes, as long as they’re not harming or bothering anyone else.

On the other hand, I could be completely wrong about all of this, but as it stands, I’m approaching with cautious optimism.

I probably shouldn’t have been surprised, but another news story (this one not a spoof) tells that the Swedish Justice Minister, Beatrice Ask, took the whole thing seriously and got her knickers in something of a twist over the matter.

Dr Dee (Advocatus Diaboli)

OPEN LETTER

Dear Law Makers of the United Kingdom In light of current scientific knowledge about the cannabis plant, and at a time when various political regions of the world are finally deciding to form their drug laws according to conventional wisdom as opposed to historical propaganda, now is the perfect time to formally and publicly ask a few questions concerned with our nation’s policies on cannabis. The first few paragraphs serve to contextualise the questions. Thanks to modern science we know that the health of every human being that has or will ever exist on this planet is largely determined by the vitality of their Endogenous Cannabinoid System. Endocannabinoids and their receptors are found in our brains, internal organs, glands and connective tissues. This essential physiological system promotes homoeostasis, or the maintenance of a stable internal environment. The human endocannabinoid system also facilitates communication and coordination between different cell types, and through its relationship with our immune system, central nervous system and our internal organs it can be perceived quite literally as being a bridge between the human body and mind. Thanks to modern science we also know that cannabis/cannabinoids can be used to treat, cure or alleviate the symptoms of a huge list of diseases and conditions, from HIV and cancer to arthritis, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, Parkinsons, alzheimers, chronic pain, eating disorders, hepatitis C, asthma, depression, epilepsy, migraines and anxiety. As a preventative medicine cannabis also has great value: THC and CBDs are powerful antioxidants which promote cellular health; the compounds of the plant act as fantastic neuroprotectants and also help us maintain a stable body weight. (These lists are far from exhaustive) We are fully aware that you already know about some of the medicinal properties of cannabis as a result of the license you have granted GW Pharmaceuticals for their pro-

duction of Sativex in South West England, but, should you require further confirmation of the medicinal properties of this plant I suggest you ask your friends in the government of the USA, who patented the use of phytocannabinoids to treat cancers and also the use of cannabinoids as antioxidants and neuroprotectors way back in 1974. In contrary to the known medical uses of cannabis, it is often claimed by so-called experts in the mainstream media that cannabis is ‘linked’ to negative mental health issues such as schizophrenia and depression. Many years of failing to

prove such a link is indicative of its nonexistence. Indeed, the right cannabis sativa plant can prove to be of great benefit to a depressed soul. When it comes to schizophrenia the Keele Report of 2009 comprehensively dismissed cannabis as having any significant causal effect on incidents of schizophrenia. More recent studies corroborate these findings. No-one denies that in the wrong time, place and person cannabis can ‘trigger’ an episode of negative mental health, but so can a lack of sleep, a car crash, or too much chocolate. Cannabis is a powerful plant, and, just like all powerful substances (including alcohol and refined synthetic sugars),

cannabis is susceptible to abuse. As an illegal substance it is already widely abused in the UK. Statistics from countries such as Portugal, Holland and the USA (during alcohol prohibition) consistently show that when drug laws are liberalised substance abuse drops, and, more importantly, the social effects of substance abuse such as street-level crime and related disease also drops. Obviously substance abuse by younger developing bodies and minds damages both the individual and society, however, how many children are poisoning their bodies with refined, synthetic sugars whilst retarding

their minds by spending endless hours in front of their televisions and playstations? Point being is that any and all things that exist are open to abuse so this is no argument for criminalisation. And then there is the related issue of the legal chemical highs that are on sale in shops across the country. These products only exist because of laws that criminalise traditional psychoactive plants and most of them are far more powerful than cannabis, magic mushrooms or cacti. Prohibition created the environment that spawned and popularised these new drugs. Arguments about police, court and prison time and resources are well known

and hardly need repeating here; suffice to say that the nation would be spared many millions of pounds and thousands of man-hours if the use and trade of cannabis ceased to be a criminal offence, and a few million Brits would be spared the wellknown ill effects of criminality. Cannabis is a plant that has a fundamental role to play in human health. The criminalisation of cannabis users and traders damages the individual and society in many significant ways. The plant can be utilised by the pharmaceutical industry, the agricultural industry, the food industry, the clothing industry, the construction industry and the plastics industry to great and beneficial effect. The plant had over fifty thousand recognised applications even before the dawn of 3D printing. It is also very well known history that the international statutes that criminalise the use and trade of cannabis are based on racism, propaganda and anti-science. Considering all of this, are we, as a nation, going to have to put with our archaic anticannabis laws for much longer? Is it not about time that people were legally permitted to use cannabis to reinforce their good health? Is it not about time that sick people were able to seek relief and cure from a recognised natural medicine? Is it not about time that people were allowed to choose between alcohol and cannabis as a social lubricant? Is it not about time that the agricultural, construction and plastics industries were free to use the cannabis plant and its compounds for the betterment of all our lives? The propaganda of yesteryear is obsolete, the world is changing fast and we do not need to get left behind. We are watching, and waiting. The Professor. The Professor can be found at worldwarweed.com, as can the pdf of this letter.

ASK ED

MAKING PLANTING MIX Let’s think about roots for a moment. We don’t see them since they are underground, so we hardly ever pay attention to them and often take them for granted. We rarely consider what roots do. Roots hold the plant in an upright position by branching out and clinging to the media, forming a strong network attached to the stem that braces it against environmental stresses such as wind and rain. In addition to holding the plants up, roots supply them with water and dissolved nutrients. In a complex process the plant absorbs water by maintaining a higher

grow hyphae that enter the roots. Other organisms are free-living or form a shield around the roots. These other organisms supply the roots with dissolved nutrients the plant requires, and the plant roots supply them with food, the sugars produced during photosynthesis. In order for roots to thrive they require suitable conditions. They must have access to oxygen, water, and nutrients, and be able to grow into the planting mix. Outdoors, a well-draining fertile soil high in nutrients may need no additional preparation. This is not usually true in soils that

Food waste, garden clippings, and small quantities of used planting mix are the ingredients placed in the compost bin. The bin, which is about a cubic meter, takes about a year to fill, and then it ripens for another year.

The compost process uses both bacterial and fungal decomposition as well as red worms and sowbugs.

level of salts than the surrounding soil. Water moves through pores in the roots to lower the concentration in the plant. The same process is used to move water from the roots to the stem and leaves. The roots’ pores act as selective barriers to nutrients to maintain this equilibrium. Roots maintain a relationship with other organisms to form a symbiotic community. For instance, some mycorrhizae

have not been used in productive gardens because naturally growing plants don’t require the same amount of fertility as intensively cultivated crops. Soil is a complex mixture of clay and other weathered minerals, sand, and digested organic matter, as well as myriad variety of organisms, including plants (roots), insects, and other arthropods, fungi, bacteria, and organisms representing other

kingdoms. It is so complex a mix that we cannot create it from scratch. However, we can make planting mixes that provide the roots with a healthful environment that promotes a healthy, vigorous plant.

WHAT CONDITIONS DO ROOTS REQUIRE? POROSITY AND STABILITY Cannabis roots require a media that is loose enough for the roots to grow through and form a network to hold the stem upright. Media that is too loose can injure the roots by allowing them to break free from their bonds. As it is colonized

air from getting to the roots since there is not much space between particles. It’s not that the media holds too much water, it’s that it doesn’t hold enough air. Unlike leaves that use carbon dioxide as an ingredient of photosynthesis, roots require oxygen for survival and are injured and die under anaerobic conditions. When water is added to the top of a welldrained mix or soil it starts to percolate down. The medium’s particles grab the water to the point of saturation before they let the rest continue down. In containers the pressure of the water pushes air in the soil down. When water flows from the container’s bottom holes the air is also drawn down by the venturi effect. As the water flows down it creates a vacuum starting at the top of the container. It pulls air into the container as it flows down.

The ripened compost is sieved through a two-and-a-half-centimeter screen.

Twigs and other partially composted material are returned to the bin for further decomposition. Any stray plastic or debris is removed.

by the community of organisms that earn their livings by digesting the organic matter and by providing nutrients to the roots in return for plant exudates such as sugars and other plant products, the community collectively forms a “glue” that holds the particles together.

DRAINAGE The media must drain well. Media that becomes compacted or soggy prevents

Outdoors, sandy and loamy soils that contain only small amounts of clay drain well and provide a good place for roots to grow. Clay is composed of tiny, closely connected molecules of mostly aluminum and silica that form dense sheets, so the clay becomes plastic when wet but hardens as it dries. When they’re found in small percentages in sandy or loamy soil they help it to hold water and to maintain a stable

28 ized water- and air-holding capacity. texture that resists erosion. When soils contain large quantities of clay they drain slowly and hold so much water that air is forced out.

NUTRIENTS Planting mixes contain nutrients only if they have been enriched. You can grow in a medium with no nutrient value of its own such as coir, peat moss, or bark,

their bark it still has its ecological impact because the sale of the by-product makes forestry more profitable. Bark is more pH neutral and takes longer to decompose, so it maintains its structure longer than peat moss.

MIX INGREDIENTS THE BASE: Coir, Perlite, Vermiculite, and Compost

PERLITE COIR

The reason I don’t like animal products such as bone or blood meal, leather meal or tankage, is the bad reputation

Ingredients were added to the soil mixer; first the base, and then the additives. To convert the cement mixer into a soil mixer, I never used it for cement.

Rather than using either peat moss or bark we will use coir as part of the base. Coir is the outer husk of the coconut. It is by far the most ecological soil base because it is a farmed by-product of coconut production that has not been used economically. Until recently it was considered a waste product that accumulated in gigantic piles. Now indoor agriculture has created a use for it. Coir is pH neutral and holds its structure for a long time. It comes as large or small chunks, broken separated fibers, or finely chopped pieces. Depending on which portion of the coconut shell is used and how it is processed coir has different qualities of water-holding and absorbency. It holds its structure longer than peat moss so it can be re-used a number of times and can help maintain long-lived plants such as mothers or slow flowering sativas. I recommend using different coir products for the entire base since they can

The reason I prefer to make my own mixes is that I prefer not to grow in mixes that contain peat moss, forest products, or dead animals. What’s wrong with peat moss? There are three things: First, it loses its structure quickly, and under pressure in large containers it compresses, sometimes creating anaerobic conditions. When a mix goes anaerobic it develops an acrid ammonia odor. Second, it has a low pH, and even after it is adjusted with lime, its pH gradually sinks so it constantly needs adjustment. Third, it is un-ecological. Peat bogs are part of the north temperate environment. Despite the public relations propaganda showing how ecological strip mining these bogs is, I just don’t think it’s a sound practice to strip the bogs, use the peat moss for a few months, and then dump it in a landfill. Bark is a by-product of the timber industry. Although trees are not felled for

Perlite is made by heating volcanic hydrated obsidian glass. When it is heated to about 816ºC, the water in the mineral evaporates and the glass expands into a porous lightweight state, much like what happens to popcorn. The expanded material does not absorb water but holds drops of water on its irregular surface. It keeps its structure in the mix to provide air spaces for water movement. It is chopped to pieces ranging from sand to pea size.

VERMICULITE Vermiculite is made from silicate clay that is exfoliated using heat. The mineral naturally forms thin layers on top of each other that expand when heated, creating spaces between the layers that hold both water and air. It has a high cation-exchange capacity so it buffers acids well and helps keep the mix balanced. The mineral is soft and somewhat spongy when compressed. It has been used for growing for more than 50 years.

COMPOST/WORM CASTINGS

or a mineral media such as vermiculite or perlite. All of these mediums support microbial growth once they are irrigated with a water nutrient solution. However, I think plants do better when the planting mix itself contains nutrients. The mix that we are making is enriched with compost as well as added nutrients so the plants will be getting nutrients both from the soil itself as well as from the nutrient/ water solution. WHY MAKE YOUR OWN PLANTING MIX Most commercial mixes are made primarily from one base ingredient, usually peat moss or bark. A few contain coir either as the primary base or as an additional ingredient. Most mixes also contain nutrients that may include plant meals, minerals, and animal products.

these coirs are not readily available, so we will use the standard coir fiber available in shops and blend it with perlite and vermiculite.

I recycle all my food waste including flesh into my compost pile. In addition, I use green garden waste such as weeds and dried leaves including processed cannabis leaves. The pile, actually two one-cubic-meter compost containers, processes the waste over a two-year period. First one container is filled. This is done gradually as the garden and kitchen yield ingredients to compost and takes about a year. Then I start to fill the second bin. After I add a layer of new waste to this container I take the top layer of compost from the first container, then cover the new additions with dried garden leaf and debris. I add new layers almost weekly. Ingredients were added to the soil mixer; first the base, and then the additives. To convert the cement mixer into a soil mixer, I never used it for cement. these products have in relation to diseases such as mad cow disease, pathological E. coli bacteria, and other chronic conditions and diseases. For instance, researchers found that E. coli can be transferred from infected fertilizers and nutrients through plants to humans. Mammal manures are supposed to be composted for six months before being used, but this step is often shortened or skipped, potentially leaving bacteria active. Even chicken manure, previously viewed as very safe, is now regarded with some suspicion since the emergence of bird flu and other fowl diseases. So rather than using potentially harmful ingredients I prefer to use plant ingredients and sterilized manures to provide nutrients. The final reason I prefer my own mix is that frankly I think that I use a higher grade of ingredients then is supplied in most mixes to create one that has custom-

While the active pile is composting the size of the material shrinks so

The mixer is turned on for a few minutes, and it mixes the ingredients completely. It’s now ready to use. be processed for different water- and air-holding qualities. However, most of

that at the end of the second year the second pile is filled and two-thirds of

29 the aging compost has been used to cover the new pile. This leaves a pile of mature aged compost of about one-third a cubic meter or two and three-quarters cubic meters. Onethird a cubic meter is equal to about 30 liters. I sieve this compost through a two-and-a-half-centimeter framed screen to remove larger particles, leaving only grit-sandy compost that contains some dead plum pits. The pits don’t deteriorate for a long time and they provide some larger particles to the mix.

The pile is active and heats up a bit at times, but not to the pasteurization temperature of 71ºC. However, there is a large community of worms that turns the compost partially into worm castings. The nutrients they contain are readily available and are enriched with helpful enzymes while passing through the worms’ digestive systems. See Chart 1 for the compost content. ADDITIVES—Activated charcoal, Alfalfa meal, Bat guano, Coffee grounds,

Plants in commercial planting mixes at Dennis Peron’s garden in San Francisco. Dennis uses mostly smaller containers so he can move them around to follow the sun. He re-uses the planting mix, adding new material each time.

Plant in raised bed filled with planting mix.

The compost process uses both bacterial and fungal decomposition as well as red worms and sowbugs.

Compost/Worm Castings Test The results of this test show that the compost is low in Ca and Mg and contains a great deal of salt, which limits the amount of compost that can be added to the mix. Still, a good proportion of the nutrients in the mix will be derived from the compost.

30 Greensand, Iron-Zinc-Manganese chelates, Kelp meal, Mycorrhizae mix, Soft rock phosphate, Trichoderma, Volcanite Rock Dust® ACTIVATED CHARCOAL—Helps buffer the mix by absorbing excess nutrients and chemicals and may have other benefits in keeping the mix adjusted. Charcoal is associated with healthy plants. ALFALFA MEAL—Contains 2.5 percent Nitrogen (N) as well as 1 percent Phosphorous(P) and 1 percent Potassium(K). It also contains natural plant regulators such as triacontanol. BAT GUANO 10-3-1—Contains readily available N as well as small amounts of P and K. (I recommend using any combination of guanos including bat, seabird, and cleaned poultry manure to obtain high amounts of N and P.)

11 LITERS Compost/worm castings ½ LITER Activated charcoal 177 MILLILITERS Alfalfa meal Bat guano Greensand Kelp meal Seabird guano Soft rock phosphate Coffee grounds 118 MILLILITERS Volcanite Rock Dust® Iron-zinc-manganese chelates 30 MILLILITERS Mycorrhizae mix RootShield®

THE METHOD I place all of the ingredients into the cement mixer that I converted into a soil mixer by never having mixed cement in it. Then I let the mixer do its thing for a few minutes. The result is about 60 liters of grade AAA planting mix, ready to pour into a container.

ANALYTICAL RESULTS The analysis shows that the planting mix is pretty close to perfection for a high-energy crop. I did forget to add dolomitic lime, so it’s low in calcium and magnesium, both of which are essential for healthy, high-output, high-octane bud. I will resolve this deficiency using Cal-Mag and liquid lime when I irrigate the plants. The same goes for the low manganese, which will be resolved using manganese chelate.

You might have noticed that the N and P ratings are low. There is a reason behind this madness. Rather than loading the planting mix with high N and P material during vegetative growth and then trying to leach out the N during flowering, the soil is designed to be able to customize the amount by supplying most of it through the water/nutrient solution. This way the plants can get high N during vegetative growth, but during flowering, when their need for P increases (while their need for N decreases), the irrigation formula can easily be changed so the plants get exactly what they need.

THE RESULTS The planting mix feels good to the touch. It holds moisture and air, hardly clumps, and has a very mild, pleasant odor. All of my plants thrive in it.

COFFEE GROUNDS—Contains 2.2 percent N as well as minor amounts of P, K, Magnesium (Mg) and Copper (Cu). The nutrients become available over a period of several months. GREENSAND—Contains 25 percent Silicon (Si), 15 percent Iron (Fe), 7 percent K, 3 percent Magnesium. It is a sandstone called glauconite, the name given for ironrich silica minerals. It gradually weathers, releasing its nutrients. IRON(Fe)-ZINC(Zn)-MANGANESE(Mn) CHELATES—Chelated minerals increase the content of these minor nutrients quickly. KELP MEAL—Contains 3 percent N that releases gradually. MYCORRHIZAE—These are the beneficial fungi that develop symbiotic relationships with the roots. They form a major portion of the rhizosphere community surrounding the roots. SEABIRD GUANO 0-10-0—This is a fastacting fertilizer that provides needed P to the soil. Bird and seabird guanos can be substituted with each other, or with cleaned poultry manure (3-2-1) or insect frass, to build up N-P-K values. SOFT ROCK PHOSPHATE 0-12-0— Contains an insoluble but easily available source of phosphate as well as an equal amount of lime. It gradually releases the nutrients as the plant uses them. TRICHODERMA—Trichoderma is a species of very active fungi which protects plant roots from pathogens. They are found in the product RootShield®. VOLCANITE ROCK DUST®—Contains a combination of rock dusts including granite and minerals. Rock dusts seem to enhance growth and plant vitality.

THE RECIPE 15 ½ LITERS Coir Perlite (Size—Grade 3) Vermiculite (Size—Grade 3)

Planting Mix Test The results of the test show that N, P, Mg, Ca, and Manganese (Mn) are on the low side. The N and P were kept low purposefully. Since different ratios are required depending on the plant’s stage of growth, the correct ratio will be supplied using either vegetative or bloom soluble fertilizers. The Ca and Mg will be supplemented using liquid lime and Cal-Mag, mixed in the water/nutrient solution. Mn will be supplied using a chelated form of the element.

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INTERVIEW

UK Cannabis Social Clubs: The Q+A Session

By Little Lebowski

Did you know that there are currently over 60 Cannabis Social Clubs operating in the UK? It’s time you guys found out what they’re all about, so we sat down for a chat with Al from Merseyside Cannabis Supporters and Rob from Glasgow Cannabis Social Club. Here’s what they had to say… SSUK: Firstly guys, thanks very much for taking part in this interview. Please tell us a bit about your club. Al: Merseyside Cannabis Supporters founded January 2012. At the time of this interview we have 57 members of our physical club (membership has only been open a little over a week). If you get back to us later in the year, I’m sure the numbers will be much greater. Rob: We have a core group within Glasgow of around 10 people and an ever increasing following of supporters who stay connected through social media. What does cannabis mean to you? Al: We believe cannabis is an aid to wellness and we should all have the right enjoy the benefits of this wonderful plant, regardless of your reason for using it. The cannabis plant has so many benefits, but not just to our health and wellbeing it goes much further than that. Hemp fabric lasts up to 5x longer than cotton, bio ethanol can be produced from the “waste” products to produce fuel, the list is almost endless.

(which was kindly donated by Storz and Bickel). Rob: Agreed, our club advocates a ‘toke pure’ approach and promotes the use of vaporisers as part of our harm reduction message. So, for readers that may not know, what is a Cannabis Social Club? Al: Our Cannabis Social Club is essentially a collective of growers and consumers who produce cannabis for their own use, in a controlled environment, free from any criminal elements or black market influence. As members of a CSC it entitles you to quality cannabis, grown to full maturity, flushed, etc. So, you know where your cannabis comes from and that it is a quality product that you are receiving. With the law how it is now, cannabis consumers have no real control over quality and a lot of people don’t even know where their cannabis is from; this also leaves cannabis consumers open to unscrupulous dealers who will add contaminants to the cannabis in order to add more weight or, in some cases, they are even adding harder drugs such as opiates. Rob: Cannabis Social Clubs are set up to protect the rights of cannabis consumers and producers. We push for cannabis policies that benefit society as a whole. We also provide a platform for people to talk about all aspects of cannabis. Our

UK LAW LEAVES CANNABIS CONSUMERS OPEN TO UNSCRUPULOUS DEALERS I started smoking cannabis as a teenager it was a way to relax while still keeping my inhibitions intact! It was also, in my opinion (and sciences), the safer alternative to alcohol. I also recently got into vaping a lot too and we have the use of a volcano at our club nights

ultimate goal is to organise the cultivation of a limited amount of cannabis to satisfy their personal needs. Thus a closed circuit is established between producers and consumers, where certain requirements are met concerning health, safety, transparency and accountability.

Tell us a bit about your members. Is there a ‘typical’ type of member? Al: Our club is a real melting pot so there is no typical member, we have a very diverse group with people from all walks of life. There are no typical cannabis consumers and this is reflected in our members. Our club is really a great place to go as a cannabis consumer in the UK as you get the opportunity to meet new people and make new friends as well as some real legends of cannabis activism too… and I don’t mean us at MCS, haha. Rob: Our members come from a range of diverse backgrounds. Cannabis consumers are everywhere and the stereotypical “stoner” does not exist. What sort of activities do you organise for members and how often do they take place? Al: We provide a safe environment for people to come and enjoy cannabis, our club has just started to open its’ doors

Al is a representative from Merseyside Cannabis Supporters facilitate the sale or purchase of cannabis. This is obviously due to the illegal nature. However, when legislation allows, it will be a completely different matter. Rob: We hold meet and greets every 3rd Wednesday so people can drop by, chat and find out what we are up to. As well as private gatherings we hold public events, including movie nights and local social events. We also encourage our members to participate in wider national events and keep spreading the word. How can our readers join their local club? Al: Contact your local clubs when they are having a public meeting or if there is an event, if they currently have a membership in place they will be able to sign you up, I’m sure. Rob: Simply come and speak with us at a meeting.

Rob is a representative from Glasgow CSC more regularly as of late. In the previous 12 months we have been organising an event once a month or so, we also held a 12 hour party for 420 with lots of fun games and prizes to be won. At the moment our club is open 3-4 days a week depending on demand. I must stress though; we do not sell cannabis or

Does it cost to join? Al: The membership fee for our club is currently £10 for 12 months membership and this entitles you to 50% off the entry fee which is £5 (£2.50 for members), however any non-member must be accompanied by a current member and you can only bring a maximum of 4 guests. Rob: We do not charge a membership at this stage. We hope to have a supporter’s package early this year.

33 Can members remain anonymous? Al: We require initials and date of birth for our club records, this is so we can confirm who members are, as well as ensure there are no under 18’s attending. Rob: They can to other members if they wish, but not to the committee - we would like to know who you are. Ultimately, what is the main aim of the club? Al: Ultimately the aim of our club is to gain the right to safe access and to open a fully functioning CSC where we can provide quality cannabis with full quality controls in place to ensure the cannabis meets the highest of standards. Rob: Put simply; not for profit supply and regulation.

bers. If only our government were like the Spanish in that respect, what we do behind closed doors is our own business. What do you guys think of the situation now in Colorado, where recreational consumption has been legalised? Al: I think it is fantastic now that Colorado has legalised recreational consumption, hopefully this will lead the way to a more sensible worldwide drug policy.

Do your members discuss growing tech- A Glasgow CSC meeting niques at meetings? Do you advise them on growing? Al: Any discussions that we have about Rob: This is obviously welcomed and a fangrowing between our members are either tastic development, however, as a not for for self-sustainable growing of vegetables profit collective we have concerns about at home or hypothetical situations where the commercialisation of cannabis and legislation would allow the cultivation of path Colorado has decided to take. Only time will tell. cannabis. Rob: We have an extensive collective knowledge between us and the wider And how about Uruguay where the govcommunity. Questions rarely go unan- ernment has legalised Cannabis in order to move money and power away from swered. drug cartels? Do you think it would work in the UK if Al: While I think it is great Uruguay have we adopted the Belgian policy where taken really progressive action in tackeach citizen is permitted to grow 1 ling their drug problem, the THC content is really low and the amount you plant? Al: I don’t agree with any limitations on are allowed per month is not suitable amounts people can grow or consume, it’s for some medicinal consumers. When we like a step forward and 2 steps backwards. attended the “foro de Cannabis internacRob: This seems a very modest starting ional II” in Irun recently, there was a reppoint, but could be reasonable. For exam- resentative from Uruguay speaking about ple, 24 people for a social club to grow how if you require more than the limit 1 plant each = 24 plants. This is a start, they have set; you would be treated as if however, it may not satisfy medical require- you have a medical problem or an addiction. This is a ridiculous policy to adopt, ments or heavy consumers. as many medicinal patients or just peoWould you like to see the Spanish-style ple who enjoy concentrates would easily exceed the monthly limit. Social Club model adopted in the UK? Al: The Spanish style CSC model would be Rob: Again, a welcomed development great to bring over here and we are actively and absolutely a step in the right direccampaigning for a system where legislation. Although state controlled, it is a tion allows it, it’s a shame we can’t bring pragmatic decision which takes away profits from the drug cartels and allows the weather too. Rob: This is exactly what we are aiming the production and sale to be regulated. towards - working for the benefit of mem- As this system allows for cannabis social

clubs, we are fully behind Uruguay in making this brave decision. Which do you think resonates more in the UK; legislating Cannabis for the medical and therapeutic benefits, or to lessen the cash flow going to organised crime? Al: I believe they are both equally valid points and should be treated that way, cannabis is legal for medicinal use in

the UK as long as it is produced by GW Pharmaceuticals and labelled “Sativex” this highlights the sheer hypocrisy of the cannabis policy in the UK. When cannabis based medicines are being produced here and shipped out to the rest of the world, not to mention the ridiculous price tag. Even though I could produce exactly the same product at home for less than £10 a bottle, if I were to do so, it would be illegal. There are also synthetic cannabinoid based medicines called “nabilone” which is also available in the UK. It is also no secret the amount of money that criminals can make from cannabis and this is a reason why many organised gangs dominate the cannabis markets. Would it not be more sensible if this money went towards paying people’s wages, sustaining our communities and putting food on people’s table? Rob: Hard to say. The vast majority of people would be disgusted at a medical patient being denied their medicine; however the government has successfully tricked people into believing that blanket prohibition is in the wider public interest. Although this is cruel and inhumane I think this, alongside developments in America and Uruguay, have shown there are better ways, particularly during these austere times. Public opinion is shifting and these arguments are probably equally valid and complementary.

Realistically, where do you believe the Cannabis laws will be in the UK in 5 years? Al: I really have no idea; the UK drug laws as a whole are very draconian. Too many people stand to lose too much money if we adopted more sensible drug laws (and I don’t mean organised criminals, well maybe I do… but not the same kind). Rob: Unfortunately we do not think statutes and acts will change, however, the law will hopefully be understood and applied correctly to allow for a sensible policy regarding cannabis. The interpretation of the Misuse of Drugs Act will change and decriminalisation is, in our view, inevitable. And 10 years? Al: I can only reiterate what I have said above, hopefully our government will have a more progressive attitude towards drug laws by then or (hopefully) we will have our freedom and our rights to safe access and we will be able to put this ridiculous thing called cannabis prohibition behind us. Rob: If cannabis is not at least decriminalised by this time, with all the facts we have today, unless there is some massive global U-turn regarding cannabis law reform, then the people have lost and we are under control of a corrupt anti-science government. Get out while you still can! Where can our readers get more information on clubs and the fight to legalise Cannabis? Al: There are over 60 cannabis clubs in the UK operating physically and online. Do a google or Facebook search with cannabis club and your area and I’m sure you will get some results. Also check out @merseysidecs on twitter, www.facebook.com/ merseysidecs and www.merseysidecannabissupporters.co.uk Rob: If you are in Glasgow please check out our Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/420truthglasgow and twitter @ GCSClub. Join the conversation. Keep up to date with what is happening around the UK cannabis club scene at http://ukcsc.co.uk/ Become part of the movement, join your local club, join national cannabis reform organisations, it does not matter what you do or who you do it with, just do something!

TRAVEL

Swaziland: Waiting to Lead the World Psst, have you heard about Swaziland yet? This tiny little country sandwiched between South Africa and Mozambique was built for the herb like Messi was born to play football. Boasting fertile mountains and a sub-tropical climate, the Swazi folk have never had to work too hard for their reputation as high grade ganja farmers, and if a certain Dr Ben Dlamini is listened to and understood the whole country could soon be lifting itself out of poverty by re-legalising its cannabis crops. But, be-fore we hear from the good Doctor himself we shall journey into the nameless com-munities of Swaziland’s mountainous north, to meet the farmers and get a good grasp of the country’s grass roots… We are sitting on a rock at the top a steep, forested slope. The Sun is hot, the breeze is cool and the views are nothing short of majestic: the forest stretches down the mountains towards a long, meandering reservoir. Beyond the reservoir more mountains ripple across into the South African distance. The forest is dense, natural, and as old as the mountain that drops away beneath us. Giant cacti are dotted amongst a huge variety of trees, bushes and plants. The patterns and colours of life are reproducing themselves every quarter acre in a natural order of abundance. Flocks, pairs and individual birds dart around the sky below us whilst all manner of insects busy themselves collecting pollen, building nests and humping each other. This is Gaia in action.

“Cannabis grows very easily in this country, and we can thank the good Lord for that! This amazing plant helps the poor people in the mountains to live with dignity, and in a little comfort. It puts food on our tables, pays for our children to go to school and it provides us money for the luxuries of transportation and mobile tele-phones. Most of us who have land in the mountains grow ganja, we grow food as well but we need the ganja to trade for money and then we can trade the money for everything else we need to survive. We love to smoke as well – it gives us strength and power and inspires our minds - it keeps our spirits happy and free! “There are no really big plantations out here, not like Morocco or India; the biggest ones have about a thousand plants in them and the bigger farmers will have lots of plots dotted around the place, but most of the country’s ganja comes from small family plots. Everyone in these mountains gets their money from the ganja crops, everyone. The people who don’t grow get jobs trimming the plants, or they work as mechanics or in shops - places where people spend their ganja money. We don’t have many problems with the police, but sometimes the government is under pres-sure from the international police so they have to send our police into the mountains to burn crops and arrest people, but they only do it for the newspapers to write about. We

The Professor

always know when the police are coming because there is only one road they can use to get here so sometimes our crops get burned but they never know whose land the plants are on, and they can never find us to arrest us because we hide in the forest until they’ve gone! Another grower, an ex-pat, told us about his adventures with the Swazi police: “The cops here are alright, the first time they caught me with anything it was with five kilos trying to cross the border, that ended in a hundred and fifty US dollar fine. A couple of years later I had

a row with one of the locals, they told the cops I was growing so they raided my house and found two and a half kilos. The lawyer told me I should expect to pay a big fine or go to prison because it was my second of-fence, but when the case went to court the cop in charge told the judge that it was my first offence so they gave me another hundred and fifty dollar fine. It’s not like South Africa here, the cops aren’t so easy to corrupt – if a cop gets caught taking money he’ll be a disgrace to his family and community and have to move away from the place he grew up. I didn’t pay the cop to say what he said, he was just a good guy and he knew I was a good guy so he made sure justice was done, that’s what it’s like in this country. It’s pretty much all good news from a smoker’s perspective as well, especially right now, thanks to an influx of quality genetics from overseas:

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37 “Years ago three guys came over from Europe, they were growing some amazing weed, and producing great seeds as well – they were real professionals. After a few years of establishing themselves and their crops a few of the local guys got jealous and robbed them; they stole all their seeds and it destroyed their operation, but the thieves were

Gold seems to have been lost to history though, that’s if it ever existed in the first place. Was it a specific strain or was it a misunderstood nickname for Swaziland’s cannabis crop as a whole, Swazi Gold or Swazi gold? Either way, as a tourist out here it’s hard to avoid the plant; “Just don’t smoke it in public or wave a bag of it in a cop’s face and you’ll be fine. Some people here are so brainwashed by the Christian preachers that they think it’s even illegal to talk about cannabis! If those people see you smoking they’ll call the cops to get you busted and actually believe they’re doing you and the world a fa-vour, these are the dangerous people, the dinosaurs that still need to be educated!

means that the colonial laws of oppression are un-constitutional because they protect the cotton industry. We have new laws drawn up that are waiting to be heard by parliament, but even if parliament does not hear the laws we will take the case to the national courts to complete the formality of striking these illegal laws from our lives. That will be quicker than parliament, but it will be much better if it goes through parliament because then we will have new laws to replace the old ones.

However, cannabis isn’t just a plant that can be used as a drug when it’s smoked:

stupid. They didn’t know how to grow properly so the weed they got from the stolen seed was not so good, and all the genetics were grown out and lost in one or two seasons, but because they’d stolen the seed they were afraid to go back to the Europeans to ask for help growing it. More recently some new guys came from Europe, they brought lots of good seed and they’re working with some of the local farmers again, trying to teach us how to grow properly and how to produce good seed crops. Just what knowledge the Swazi farmers have absorbed and how long they manage to maintain the genetics of this lucky second chance remains to be seen, but, as you are reading this, Swaziland’s secret and hidden fields are once again glistening all year round with the sparkling trichomes from a global gene pool; Cheese, Blueberry, Blue Cheese, Lemon Skunk and White Widow are all popular, but the diversity is so strong that every connoisseur smoker in the country will be able run off a list of strains his favourite growers are playing with. The famous Swazi

“I’ve eaten it every day of my life and never been high once!” claims Dr Ben Dlamini, “my grandfather grew it and his grandfather grew it, we eat it to maintain a healthy body and mind – look! I’m an old man but I can still move and dance when I feel the rhythm, and my mind is strong, sometimes I forget things, but so do all people, this why we have a pen and paper! “When the colonial oppressors came here they created The Opium and Habit Forming Drugs Act of 1922 and The Pharmacy

Act of 1929 to criminalise us for growing and using cannabis. They wanted to protect the colonial cotton industry in Egypt, but now Swaziland is independent and we have a constitution which supports a very good anti-competition law. This

a negative reaction coming from more powerful neighbours, or the US? “The Colombian president said that the world must sort out this problem together, but if we wait until everyone is ready to legalise then it will never happen. Some countries have to lead and when we take the lead everyone will be able to see how this plant can lift the whole world out of poverty and liberate us from oppression. If South Africa legalises it will be very good for us, but we are not connected with their campaigners and whatever they decide will not affect our decision. The world can-not wait any longer – soon there will be an abundance of everything for everyone and many of our problems will be solved when we learn to use this plant properly, it gives me great excitement when I think of the future for this country, and for all the people of the world! Swaziland’s cannabis revolution is far from cut and dried yet though:

“There is not much opposition to what we are trying to do in this country, I am fa-mous here, everyone knows I am the biggest activist trying to legalise cannabis and people always smile and stop to talk with me in the street, most people are very friendly with me and it is only the people who don’t know the arguments that are against it. This plant can uplift our whole nation from poverty – it can clothe us, fuel us, provide medicine for us, it can feed us, employ us and we can even live in hous-es made from it. I know a lot of people like to smoke it, I don’t care about that, I’ve never smoked it, but if people want to smoke then let them smoke… “The US has been sitting on our necks for one hundred years now, conning the world with their fake propaganda and making sure our expensive medicines do us no good. They made us criminals for using this plant which is so important, and it is indigenous to our culture as well – my grandfather’s grandfather is what makes it in-digenous! But Swaziland is a small, relatively powerless country, don’t you worry about

“Back in 2009 Rwanda had very similar laws ready for their parliament to vote on, but the laws were never heard – the man who was responsible for the laws never turned up to present them, so we think he was bought off by the US. Our laws have been ready to be heard by parliament

since December 2012, and they’ve made it on to the list of acts to be heard three times, but each time our health minister, the very good Benedict Xaba, has failed to turn up to present the laws so I’m starting to worry that he might have been bought off as well. With extra special thanks to the eminent Dr Dlamini for his time, passion, intellect and positivity, and to Simon for the heads-up.

JORGE CERVANTES

Where and When to Plant? Three Gardens This section outlines three different gardens in three different locations: indoor, greenhouse, and outdoor. The examples show different planting and harvest scenarios that use the natural advantages provided by each garden and the varieties grown. For more complete information about each type of garden, see chapters on Grow Rooms, Case Studies, Outdoors, and Medical Cannabis Varieties.

Indoor Gardens

Third Harvest

female clones into room under 18–24 hours of light. 21 January – Transplant clones into 3-gallon (11 L) containers. 30 January – Induce flowering with 12-hour days and nights. 07 February – Take cuttings and start the next crop of clones. Give clones 18–24 hours of light. 30 March – Harvest first crop.

The plants on the left will be ready to harvest in about one week. The plants on the right are about two weeks into flowering and will be harvested in about six weeks.

clones and seedlings into greenhouse. 01 March – Long 12-hour nights and short 12-hour days in spring signal cannabis to flower. 15 March – Remove any male plants. To distinguish plants, look for male pre-flowers. 15 March – Transplant clones and female seedlings into large containers. 15 April – Darken greenhouse after 12 hours of daylight, until harvest. 30 May – Harvest: The less intense sunlight will make for smaller buds than harvests later in the season.

Second Harvest

01 July –

Second Harvest

Indoor Summer Crop – 90 days

Maintain mother plants and clones 18–24 hours of light daily. Induce vegetative plants to flower by providing 12 hours of uninterrupted darkness and 12 hours of light every 24 hours. Once the dark/light schedule has been set to 12 hours dark and 12 hours light, most varieties of cannabis will flower and can be harvested in 60–90 days.

First Harvest Indoor Spring Crop – 90 days

Indoor Autumn Crop – 90 days

Move well-rooted female clones into room under 18–24 hours of light. 21 July – Transplant clones into 3-gallon (11 L) containers. 30 July – Induce flowering with 12-hour days and nights. 07 August – Take cuttings and start the next crop of clones. Give clones 18–24 hours of light. 30 September – Harvest first crop.

Greenhouse Summer Crop – 90 days

==========================

Greenhouse Gardens

The garden on the right is about one week ahead of the garden on the left and will be harvested a week earlier.

This indoor garden is growing under T5 fluorescent lights. The T5s are able to supply plenty of light for vegetative growth. The plants are in individual containers and are easy to move in the garden. 01 January –

Move well-rooted 12–18-inch-tall (30–45 cm)

01 April – Move well-rooted female clones into room under 18–24 hours of light. 21 April – Transplant clones into 3-gallon (11 L) containers. 30 April – Induce flowering with 12-hour days and nights. 07 May – Take cuttings and start the next crop of clones. Give clones 18–24 hours of light. 30 June – Harvest first crop.

Greenhouse crops can be harvested two or more times a year, but most often greenhouses are planted in the spring and yield a single harvest in the fall. In cold climates, greenhouses must be heated. All greenhouses must be vented or cooled in warm weather. The basic harvest scenario below shows how to harvest three greenhouse crops every year.

First Harvest Greenhouse Spring Crop – 90 days This Mexican greenhouse needs shade cloth and supplemental lighting at night to keep plants in the flowering growth stage. The days and nights are between 11and 13 hours long all year round. This is the perfect photoperiod for flowering in cannabis. 01 March – Move bushy well-rooted 1–2-foot-tall (30–60 cm)

Black plastic is alongside this light depravation greenhouse. Every day the black plastic is pulled over the greenhouse to “black it out” and create a total of 12 hours darkness, which induces flowering in indica and sativa varieties of cannabis. 01 June –

15 June –

Move bushy, well-rooted 1–2-foot-tall (30–60 cm) clones and seedlings into greenhouse. Remove male plants; male pre-flowers distinguish male plants from females. Transplant clones and seedlings into larger containers.

39 01 July –

Induce flowering by “blacking out” (covering) greenhouse after 12 hours of light. 15 July – Verify the gender of all plants. Remove any remaining males. 01 August – Maintain flowering by covering greenhouse after 12 hours of light until harvest. 30 August – Harvest a heavy crop of top quality medicinal cannabis flower buds that have received maximum levels of sunlight.

Applying information from this chapter, outdoor gardens can be harvested two or three times a year in moderate to temperate climates. Transplanting clones and seedlings and harvesting a single crop is all that is possible in cold climates with a growing season of 90 days. Extra care must also be taken to protect seedlings and clones from harsh weather.

15 May – Transplant autoflowering feminized variety to 3-gallon (11.3 L) containers. 21 May – Transplant strong healthy plants to outdoor garden. 01 June – Female flowers are visible. 15 July – Harvest 3–3.5 ounces (85–100 gm) of dried flower buds per plant.

First Harvest

Third Harvest

Mild Climate Spring Crop – 90 days.

Pure Indica/Sativa and Indica/Sativa Crosses Spring-planted Autumn Crop – 210 days A complete 7-month-long season will yield very big plants when grown properly. These 10-pound (4.5 kg) plants received full sun all day long and grew in outstanding organic soil.

Third Harvest Greenhouse Autumn Crop – 75 days The small greenhouse protects flower-

01 March –

ing cannabis from regular rains and bad weather. The greenhouse also keeps plants a little warmer at night. More regular irrigation is necessary when growing large plants in small containers. 01 September – Move bushy, wellrooted 1–2-foot-tall (30–60 cm) clones and seedlings into greenhouse. 15 September – Long nights and short days of autumn signal cannabis to start flowering. 15 October – Medical cannabis flowers develop but low light levels limit growth. 15 November – Harvest smaller buds that have received less intense fall sunlight. ==========================

01 March – Move bushy, well-rooted 1–2foot tall clones and seedlings into full-sun heated greenhouse. Plant a spring crop in warm climates. Diminished sunlight intensity grows smaller buds, about half to three quarters as big as others. If plants get cold at night, growth slows. 01 March – Long nights will induce cannabis to flower. 15 March – Remove male plants; male flowers distinguish male plants. 15 March – Transplant clones and female seedlings into large containers. 15 March – Move outdoors in mild climates – may need to cover on cool nights. 15 April – Darken plants after 12 hours of daylight if flowering slows. 30 May – Harvest smaller buds that received less intense spring sunlight.

Outdoor Gardens Typically outdoor gardens are planted in the spring and harvested in autumn.

Second Harvest Mid-summer Crop – 70–75 days

This little autoflowering feminized seedling is an example of how a germinated seed can grow into a mature plant ready for harvest in just 70 days and receive 18 hours of daily light! 01 May – Start ruderalis-dominant (super autoflowering feminized) variety indoors.

Plant clones and seedlings indoors. 01 May – Move bushy 1–2-foottall clones and seedlings outdoors in temperate climates. 01 May – Pre-flowers appear; remove male plants. 01 June – Move bushy 1–2-foottall clones and seedlings outdoors in all climates. 01 August – Flowers start to form; remove any “surprise” male plants. 30 September – Harvest a large crop from big plants.

========================== This is the first of six excerpts from Jorge Cervantes ´new book, the Cannabis Encyclopedia: Indoor, Outdoor and Greenhouse Cultivation, Concentrates and Cooking Medical Marijuana, 279 x 216 mm (8,5 x 11-inch) format, 608 color pages, 2.100 color images, with 340,000 words. Publication date: September 2014. Find more information including the complete Table of Contents and more excerpts on Jorge´s site, www.marijuanagrowing.com. ==========================

STRAIN REPORT SWEET IS THE BREATH OF THE DRAGON!

Text & Photos: Green Born Identity – G.B.I

Dutch Dragon

The Doc was happy to grow a longtime classic and bestseller of Paradise Seeds: Dutch Dragon, a mostly sativa strain with South African pedigree. Its creation by Paradise breeder Luc dates back to 1994, so this botanical “monster” will celebrate its 20th birthday next year, while it was genetically improved though in 2002. So The Doc wondered whether Dutch Dragon would have kept its sweet poisonous dragon’s breath, its great deal of sativa potency (1518% THC) which according to Paradise leads to a long lasting and clear high with relaxing effects, stimulating one’s senses, effecting an increased appetite and receptiveness for all kinds of pleasure such as listening and dancing to music. This sativa strain grows tall, producing slender fan leaves and big long resinous tops, requiring 9-10 weeks of flowering for this. The aroma is sweet and citrus-like, it may remind of tangerines according to Paradise. Due to its sativa heritage and respective stretching behaviour, height can be an issue indoors, to be controlled by an early induction of flowering if necessary. Dutch Dragon has quite unusual pH needs, Paradise recommends to keep it below six. Outdoors, it is expected to perform best in warm climates, but can

also be cultivated successfully in colder countries (between 50º n.L. and 50º s.L. in general), thanks to its ripening time of mid October. The plants can grow up to three metres tall and potentially

deliver 600-700 grams, according to Paradise Seeds. And Dutch Dragon also

is an award-winning strain - it took first place in the Bio category of the Highlife Cannabis Cup 2006. Out of a package with five feminised seeds, The Doc put three to germination, and they quickly germinated, placed between moist kitchen paper sheets. Then he planted them into 11 litre pots filled with Plagron Standard Mix soil (to which, as usual, he had previously added 5% expanded clay and horn chippings) and after about three days, their heads showed up above the surface, stretching towards the light. Right from the start, the pots stood in his actual grow room illuminated by two 600 W MH bulbs and one 400 W HPS bulb. One week after germination, the three plants had arrived at the third internode already, exhibiting a fast growth rate. “These are becoming strong and solid plants”, The Doc reported two weeks later, when the plants were 20 cm tall, exhibiting vivid side branch growth. “The shade leaves were quite broad in the beginning, but the following sets of leaves are gradually becoming more slender, truly looking like mostly sativa”, he added. He then extended the veggie stage from regularly 3.5 to 4.5 weeks: “I’ve decided

to so, because the three Dutch Dragons are still growing extremely compact and bushy, and I have lots of space in my room upwards, so in the flowering stage, they may stretch as hell and it still wouldn’t be an issue for me.” When he induced flowering at the age of more than four weeks, the plants measured 45-54 cm in height, growing remarkably homogeneous, exhibiting about ten internodes. The daily light regimen had been cut down from 18/6 to 12/12, and the two MH lamps been replaced by HPS versions. The three plans responded unusually quickly to the change of the light period, after 4-5 days already having produced their first female preflowers. “A very high willingness to flower Dutch Dragon has, I’ve rarely ever experienced such a fast reaction”, The Doc praised. When the plants were three weeks into flowering, he noted: “As expected, they are subject to a strong stretching effect during the first weeks of flowering, meanwhile having arrived at a height of about one metre. Flower production is heavily pushing, there seems to be an enormous deal of blooming power contained in this strain.” Two weeks later, he continued: “The plants are about building big dense buds, it’s a sheer pleasure to see them bloom that busily, and already at this stage, they are very frosty, covered with lots of resin glands. I am also taken by their high calyx-to-leaf ratio that corresponds to Dutch Dragon’s mostly sativa pedigree, but their bulbous shape also reminds of indica. The stretching effect lasted very long, but now seems to come to an end. A delicious intense sweet citrus-like odour is spread by the plants, just as stated by Paradise.” After eight weeks of flowering, the buds had become even thicker and richer in resin, they were about getting on the home stretch. It turned out that The Doc’s Dutch Dragon plants would ripen at the beginning of the harvest period reported by Paradise, while one plant

was mature after 61 days already and the other two after 63 and 65 days, cha-

peau! “Simply wonderful plants they are”, The Doc enthused, “they remained bushy and compact until the very end, having so many beautiful strong side branches packed with dense hard buds, and their big long top colas are true smashers as well.” Final heights were 107, 111 and 116 cm, not exceptionally tall for a sativa strain. After the drying process had been finished, it was time to weigh the buds which yielded a total of 325 grams, more than 100g per plant on the average, what a fantastic outcome. Those Dutch Dragon buds, dense hard sticky nuggets that highly attracted The Doc, had preserved their sweet citrusy smell that was very smooth though, more reminding of mild tangerines than acrid lemons. “Sweet is the breath of the Dragon, indeed!”, The Doc confirmed, “but will it also be very poisonous, full of magic?” He couldn’t wait to find out about that and swiftly rolled his first Dutch Dragon fattie… and the Dragon would unleash mighty white clouds of THC vapour breath from his mouth that didn’t benumb The Doc though, but extremely excite him, effecting a

thrilling sativa high that made him feel energized and soaring to higher regions, as if the Dragon would have taken him on his wings and flown up and away. That mental flight lasted for about one and a half hour, then The Doc & Dragon slowly landed back in reality, what a trip! His journey was additionally sweetened by a lovely flavour, as the Dutch Dragon buds proved to taste just as they smelled – sweet, fruity and smooth, a yummy-yummy flavour sensation that was enjoyed by The Doc very much. “Dutch Dragon did impress me in any aspect, it has proven to be a friendly THC monster with a very high yield potential and, for a mostly sativa strain, really short flowering time and well controllable height. It’s one of my Paradise favourites now, and also a sativa strain favourite in general for sure. Well, an age of almost 20 years isn’t old for a real dragon, but for a cannabis dragon, it certainly is, and I can tell – That Dutch Dragon is as strong and mighty as ever!”, The Doc concluded. Green Born Identity - G.B.I.

Cultivation data: Strain Vegetative stage Flowering stage Medium pH EC Lights Temperature Air humidity Watering Fertilisers Stimulators/Additives Height Yield

Dutch Dragon (75% sativa, 25% indica) here: 4.5 weeks here: 61, 63 and 65 days, 63-70 days in general Plagron Standard Mix with 5% expanded clay and horn chippings, 11 litre pots 6.2–6.8 Vegetative stage: 1.2–1.6 mS Flowering: 1.6-1.8 mS Vegetative stage: 2x 600 W MH, 1x 400 W HPS Flowering: 2x 600 W HPS + 1x 400 W HPS 24-28°C (day) 17-20°C (night) Vegetative stage: 40–60% Flowering: max. 50% by hand Plagron Alga Grow + Alga Bloom, Plagron PK 13-14 from the 4th week of flowering Plagron Power Roots, Plagron Vita Race, Plagron Green Sensation 107, 111 and 116 cm 325g

BACKGROUND

THE LESSER KNOWN CANNABINOID

CBD

By Golgi Apparatus

We all know that marijuana contains the cannabinoid THC or delta 9- tetrahydrocannabinol, having been told that is what gets you high and experiencing its wondrous effects. We as growers cultivate cannabis for the purpose of getting the high it creates when consumed and usually have the desire to obtain strains with the highest THC content possible. With all of the knowledge people are gaining from testing the marijuana plant we now know that cannabis has around 85 cannabinoids, so the general public only being familiar with one of them seems crazy. In today’s world with the cannabis culture growing rapidly, ground breaking scientific tests are beginning to be done all over the world and we are learning that there is much more to be discovered within the contents of this magical plant. One of the biggest discoveries found with modern research was with the second most

work symbiotically together and sometimes you’re combating or off setting one another. Unlike Cannabidiol, THC is a psychoactive compound (meaning it affects brain function by acting on the central nervous system, which can result in altering your mood, behavior, perception and cognition) and its effects are what users

Royal Queen Seeds is an European company that sells CBD oil for medicinal purposes. The THC content in this olive oil based product is < 0.2% so users don’t get high at all.

concentrated cannabinoid - Cannabidiol, abbreviated CBD. THC and CBD are the two most abundant naturally occurring cannabinoids with THC accounting for 12-25% and CBD for >1-4% on average. If only a quarter of what researchers are saying about CBD is true then this medical breakthrough can have as large an impact on modern natural medicine as the discovery of antibiotics. CBD is like a brother or sister to THC, because like all siblings sometimes you

of cannabis feel the most when smoked. The high is responsible for the feeling of relaxation, the heightening of your senses and of course the inevitable snacking you shall do when it gives you a craving for the munchies. It also has medicinal uses for a multitude of symptoms including; mild to moderate pain, insomnia, depression, nausea and appetite loss, just to name a few. For some people though THC may cause anxiety or paranoia, often related to the feeling of time slowing down, which it of course is not.

The CBD is considered a non-psychoactive cannabinoid, although it may seem to have some psychoactive effects, it emits a high that is sedative and responsible for the relief most people look for medicinally. Its medicinal uses surpass those of any other cannabinoid we know of, including; reducing or preventing inflammation and nausea, diabetes, alcoholism, PTSD, schizophrenia, rheumatoid arthritis, epilepsy, cardiovascular disease, anti-psychotic, anti-anxiety and even as a pain killer against muscle spasms or neuropathic pain, which are traditionally harder to treat with any medicine, even pharmaceutically. While both the THC and CBD cannabinoids individually have many beneficial properties when they are used togeth-

their bodies which are basically a “natural” produced THC called anandamide. Technically, anandamide (Ananda = bliss in Sanskrit + amide = chemical type) is a naturally occurring neurotransmitting compound that our bodies have circulating within them. Both THC and anandamide act thru cannabinoid receptors located on cells throughout our bodies and have similar effects on things such as; pain, appetite and memory. Receptors are merely gate keeper proteins embedded in cells that direct chemical signals from outside molecules into the cell, telling them to do something, kind of like an air traffic controller for our cells, but this communication only happens after a molecule or compound binds to them. A molecule that binds to a receptor is called a ligand and the receptors are very specific when it

IF ONLY A QUARTER OF WHAT RESEARCHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT CBD IS TRUE IT CAN POTENTIALLY HAVE AS LARGE AN IMPACT ON MODERN MEDICINE AS THE DISCOVERY OF ANTIBIOTICS. er, as they come from the marijuana plant, their effects are far more impressive. When working alongside of the THC molecules CBD can negate some of the anxiety that THC causes as well as give

comes to what can bind to it and only certain compounds will bind to each type of receptor. It’s like a lock and key, only certain keys open specific doors and when the door is open you have a gateway, and

relief for different types of pain than THC can. This makes nature the best doctor by combining them into a single plant because they are way more effective when administered together, especially for people with multiple symptoms. CBD appears to also antagonize the excitatory effects of THC by delaying the onset of the high, while also making it last as much as twice as long. Some of us refer to that as ‘creeper’ bud when the effect doesn’t seem to be there after consumption, but then all of a sudden…BOOM… it comes out of nowhere slamming you like a ton of bricks. Although marijuana does affects some people different than others, it likely you have experienced these antagonized effects.

in the case of receptors it’s a gateway for a directional signal. One single cell can have many different types of receptors attached to it that are made to communicate with different compounds.

Mammals, birds, reptiles and fish all have endocannabinoid compounds made by

Cannabinoids only affect us because our bodies contain these receptors that are made to bind to specific cannabinoid molecules. Human brains actually contain more cannabinoid receptors than any other G-protein coupled receptor! Our cells containing so many of these that bind specifically with the THC on top of the fact that our bodies produce their own form of “natural THC” (anandamide) however tiny the concentration, makes a lot of sense out of the fact that humans are so drawn to this plant. There is nothing unnatural about the utilization process our bodies go through with

45 cannabinoids and marijuana is proving itself to be a very effective natural medicine and it should be available for use to patients who need it. So far there are only two known cannabinoid receptors in our body that bind with THC; the CB1 receptors which are found

in the brain and central nervous system, and the CB2 receptors that are distributed throughout the body, but mostly in the immune system. Other than the cannabinoids found in cannabis (which are of course the most powerful) and the ones our body naturally produces there are many other substances that minutely

affect our internal endocannabinoid system, such as; Echinacea, turmeric, black pepper, cacao etc. These and few other consumables have also been found to bind with these same cannabinoid receptors. Cannabidiol or CBD however, does not have much binding affinity to either of

the two known cannabinoid receptors. It instead has a suppressive effect on the enzyme FAAH (or ‘fatty acid amide hydroxylase’) which is the enzyme responsible for breaking down and destroying anandamide. This suppressive reaction with CBD means that more anandamide will stay in your system and for longer periods of time. Anandamide favors the CB1 receptor, as does THC, therefore leaving fewer openings for the action of the THC binding to those receptors and in turn less of an effect. While CBD doesn’t care to bind with CB1 or CB2 it has been shown to interact with other receptors to enable its medicinal effects. There are a couple G-protein receptors located in the central and peripheral nervous systems that interact with CBD. Then there is the TRPV-1(technical abbreviation for ‘transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V’) that reacts to it. The TRPV-1 receptor which also is activated by capsaicin, the ‘hot’ compound found in chili peppers, is known to mediate pain perception, inflammation and body temperature, as you have probably felt some of these effects from eating a very hot pepper. A big roll is played in anxiety within our bodies by the family of 5-HT receptors, which are activated by the neurotransmitter serotonin. These receptors trigger responses via chemical messages that are either excitatory or inhibitory depending on the chemical context of the bind. The 5-HT1A serotonin receptor is member of that receptor family that binds to CBD and when activated by it exerts the cannabinoids heavy antidepressant effects, which then trickles down into some of the other medicinal functions CBD gives because this receptor also works in a wide array of processes including anxiety, addiction, appetite, sleep, pain perception, nausea, vomiting etc. It does this by activating an inhibitory response, slowing down its signaling, compared to other drugs like LSD, mushrooms and hallucinogens alike that activate a different 5-HT receptor producing an excitatory response. CBD emits some of its anti-anxiety effects by activating receptors called adenosine receptors. These regulate cardiovascular

46 functions, myocardial oxygen consumption and coronary blood flow, opening up many of the symptoms of anxiety; tenseness, tightness in the chest, shortness of breath etc. These receptors are significant regulators in the brain for other neurotransmitters like dopamine and glutamate. Dopamine is not only responsible for inducing pleasurable feelings but can affect sleep, mood, memory, attention

completely LEGAL and you can purchase it in many forms by itself. Unfortunately it will not have all of the same effects it would if it was in the combinations found in cannabis but it can work medicinal wonders even on its own. University studies have proved that it has tremendous effects on mice reducing rheumatoid arthritis inflammation by 50% and even reducing the infarct (necrosis) size

UNLIKE THC MOST OF THE CANNABIDIOL IS FOUND IN THE LEAVES AND STEMS OF THE PLANT AND MAKE UP ONLY <1-4% OF THE TOTAL CANNABINOIDS WITH SOME RARE CBD RICH STRAINS UP TO 15% AND. and voluntary movement. Other drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamine act by amplifying the effects of dopamine receptors as well but on a way larger scale. While THC temporarily enhances dopamine levels CBD does not, it has only been found to be sporadic in research done on mice and rats mostly working as an inhibitor. More research is needed into why this is and how it only happens randomly. Maybe it’s related to one of the other 83 cannabinoids we know so little about. Both CBD and THC individually have been proven to work against cancer, but they have synergy when combined. We are in need of enhanced clinical trials to pinpoint exactly what functions they have when they are working together in the form of cannabis. Due to the unfortunate fact that cannabis cultivation and use is still restricted or forbidden in most parts of the world today, leads to the lack of funding and resources needed from governments and agencies to do such research. While there have been some university and collegiate studies done across the globe that compile enough compelling evidence pointing to a possible lead on the cannabis/cancer relationship, it is not definitive as of yet. This possible lead involves another G-protein coupled receptor called the GPR55, sometimes referred to as the orphan receptor because it hasn’t been scientifically placed into a family of receptors although many researchers believe it to be a third cannabinoid receptor. The GPR55’s are mainly found throughout the brain, with a concentration in and around the cerebellum and it is utilized regulating bone density and blood pressure. One example is when you have an overactive GPR55 receptor its signaling is increased and can be linked to osteoporosis. The receptor promotes osteoclast cell behavior, and osteoclast is responsible for bone reabsorption, a process in which bone calcium is broken down and transferred from the bone to the blood, rendering it weaker. This receptor when activated also aids in the rapid growth (proliferation) of cancer cells and has been linked to many different types of cancer. CBD has been shown in some studies to block GPR55 signaling, thereby decreasing both cancer cell proliferation as well as bone reabsorption and exerting its anti-cancer effects. Most tests for illegal cannabis are tests for THC and in most countries CBD by itself is

by 65% when taken immediately after a heart attack. The high felt from CBD rich plants (or edibles) is generally felt more in the body, whereas THC high effects are felt more so in the head but these can vary depending on the CBD:THC ratios. The differences can be somewhat easily distinguished when comparing the feeling of smoking cannabis to eating an edible cannabis treat. This is because of several reasons; one being that there is more CBD found in the leaves of the plant than in the buds and most of us save the buds to smoke and use the leaf trim to bake with, two because when heated THC begins to burn off at 150-157 degrees Celsius while its counterpart cannabinoid CBD holds a threshold of 160-180 degrees required to begin to burn off. I don’t know about you but I don’t know of many brownie recipes that bake at less than 150 degrees and unless you are privy to the knowledge of adjusting the baking times and temps you are most likely eating treats filled with CBD. The stems also contain more CBD than the buds do making it worthwhile to utilize the whole plant.

Contrary to what some people believe a plant cannot be made into a CBD rich plant if it lacks the genetic make up to do so. The ratios of THC, CBD and all other cannabinoids are genetically pre-determined. The fact that there are very few high CBD producing plants is a bummer (a high percentage means anything over just 4%) this is a direct result of years of cross breeding plants for a high THC content. There are only 25-30% of the seed stock available today that have the potential to be CBD rich strains (i.e. >4%). When those potential strains create batch of seeds, that batch will then produce several different phenotypes of seedlings, creating both CBD rich and THC rich plants in each generation. On average one out of every four seeds derived from a CBD rich cannabis plant will create a CBD rich phenotype seedling. Even on the rarest of occasions you may get a two out of every four scenario, leaving you with a 25-50% CBD dominate seedlings possibility. The only easy way to proliferate a CBD rich strain is to find one of those dominant phenotypes and grow it into a mother plant to cut clones from, all of the clones will contain the exact CBD:THC ratio as the mother or donor plant. . How do you even know if you have a CBD rich strain? There are chemical compound tests that can be done on vegetative plants to identify seedlings that have CBD rich characteristics. These tests allow breeders insight into the CBD:THC ratios without having to wait until harvest time to test the flowers/buds. When you have harvested bud sample you want to test for cannabinoid percentage there are basically two testing methods to employ; quantitative or qualitative. The difference between these two testing methods can be familiarized by comparing the two to quality

vs. quantity. you can even get at home test kits now. The methods growers have used in the past trying to achieve their plants top CBD potential are not proven to work and can tend to have a teeter totter effect decreasing the amount of THC in your plants as it transforms into another type of tetrahydrocannabinol called CBN. The one method I’ve found a lot of growers talking about is to let your plants overflower, by this I mean let them go past their normal harvesting time, letting the trichromes become fully amber everywhere you can see with a microscope. While letting your plants go into extended flowering times is thought to increase CBD production there is no research to back up this claim and each day you go past the milky trichrome stage you are also losing THC as it degrades or oxidizes into CBN. The probable answer looms that it could just be the ageing or change of THC into CBN that may leave you feeling more of the CBD effects without actually increasing anything. Or that CBN will leave you feeling more groggy and sleepy than THC does. The THC to CBN transformation also happens during the drying process to some extent, decreasing the amount of THC as the buds age. My research has only revealed a few well known CBD rich strains, they are rare and said to have >4-15% Cannabidiol; charlotte’s web, harlequin, sour tsunami & cannatonic. But as the knowledge about what Cannabidiol does spreads, the need and want for cannabis as a medicine will grow immensely and that’s when breeders will really jump on making more. But if you’re the grower to take what we have learned and select the right parent strains, cross breed those for phenotype selection and get a mother plant to support a brand new strain with the highest CBD content ever, you may even become the literal Doctor Green thumb to our growing culture.

STRAIN REPORT

THC Bomb Out of the ginourmous selection of possible candidates I was drawn to this strain for its indoor growing potential as a stable mix of both indica and sativa. It had an estimated THC content over 20%, short flowering time of 7-9 weeks

the nutrients for soil I went for a more organic line with Botanicare Pure Blend Pro base nutrients and Botanicare additives with the addition of B’Cuzz bloomc, flavor-c and blossom builder.

use in digital ballasts or HPS magnetic ballasts), the reflector was raised 12”14” above the plant canopy and the timer set to a cycle of 18 hours on and 6 hours off. During the first weeks of the growing cycle I topped each plant 2-3 times to encourage branching and super cropped each branch at every interval possible. I’m an avid boaster of super cropping adding strength to the stems and girth to the buds that will line the branches in a few weeks. The bulb being a 7000k was an intense blue spectrum making the plant produce tight internodal spacing while limiting stretching. After 44 days of vigorous vegetative growth it was time to start flowering. Before starting the 12/12 bloom light cycle the plants were placed on a single cycle of 24 hours of darkness and during the first two weeks they were fed a heavy P-K (phosphorous-potassium) additive. Both of these processes are used to boost the amount of time it takes for flowers to form. I used two 400w ceramic metal halide (abbreviated CMH) bulbs for the first two weeks of bloom. CMH bulbs are unique flowering bulbs containing a

and the yield estimate was high. The fact that it is Bomb Seeds signature strain didn’t hurt my decision either. With so few reviews I could see that it was still new and hadn’t been grown by too many growers, making it perfect for a strain report.

the main cola was adorned with its own bud. The natural purple hue that laces these buds is eye catching, accompanied by a fruity, tangy and not overly intense aroma. For the finale I switched back to the 400w CMH bulb, finding that the additional blues and purples in the spectrum the CMH bulbs give off adds an increase of trichrome production at the end. After 60 days in flower I began monitoring the trichromes daily with a USB microscope for ripeness, checking each plant individually. The perfect harvesting time came only 6 days later when the crystal clear trichromes starting to turn a milky white. I went right into the flush that day feeding only water for 3 days in the soil pots and until the PPM/ TDS stopped rising in the hydro reservoir, which was on day 4.

The feminized seeds arrived looking plump and healthy, taking only a few days to come to life when wrapped in a wet paper towel and placed in a Tupperware container. Out of the 20 seeds there were only 3 phenotype variations. I split them up to grow some of each phenotype in both soil and in hydro. One out of the three phenotypes one was visibly weaker early on in the seedling stage, with thinner twisted leaves and twiggy stems, I decided to cut and trash those.

The stretch from the beginning of bloom to the final week ended up being about a 304% increase in height. At harvest time the whole plant was chopped from just above the growing medium and hung for approximately 3-4 days or until the outside feels a bit crisp. The buds made for an easy trim at that point and were dense and covered with crystals. The smell had matured ever so slightly now including additional notes of pepper and a faint hint of sourness. After their manicure the nugs were placed in wide mouth mason jars and burped every few days to slow down the drying process, preserving that delicious aroma. I let them cure for 3 1/2-4 weeks before considering them ‘done’.

Hydroponics: The hydro set up used was a C.A.P Ebb and Gro (ebb & flow) 12-pot system in 2.5 gallon buckets filled with hydroton (clay pebbles)and a top layer of silica stone (diatomite). The diatomite functions as a rare hydroponic medium that adds nutrient value in the form of silica and it also adds a protective layer to the top of the bucket that helps to prevent bugs that tend to favor the root zone. The drum reservoir was kept clean, changed weekly and monitored with a 24/7 meter for pH/PPM/Temp. For hydro nutrients I went with running Humboldt’s Master A&B base nutes and Aptus additives. Soil: In the soil grow I filled pots with B’Cuzz Hydromix soil mixing in plant success granular mycorrhizae. Staggering the pot size as they grew, I started in seedling cups then transplanted to 1 gallon and then to 5 gallon. In choosing

the onset of bloom. From weeks 3-6 I used two traditional 600w super HPS bulbs from digimax that throw down a 3000k heavy red/orange spectrum. The plants produced a solid main cola on every branch stretching from approx the 6th node to the top of the plant. Each crotch and secondary node below

Both set ups were done side by side in the same grow area. The 10’ x 12’ vegetative room was lit with two 600w Plantmax 7000k pulse start bulbs (for

boastful spectrum of all temperatures when compared to the traditional HPS bulb and I have found that they help to discourage excess stretching during

In the end the total harvest produced 0.5 grams per watt in soil and 0.55 GPW in hydro, making this strain worth the adventure for both routes. This strain can benefit from some additional veg time, letting them bulk out a bit more will increase the GPW. From this showing of production indoors I am confident it will be a great candidate for outdoor grows as well. Golgi Apparatus

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STRAIN REPORT

Awakened by The Doc: A sleeping giant

Text & Photos: Green Born Identity – G.B.I.

this strain performs well in bio, coco and hydro growth mediums alike. For clones, they recommend a veggie time of 7-14 days, for plants grown from seed about 35 days. Ripening in October under natural light, Double Dutch can also be grown outdoors successfully, expected to have a reasonable mould resistance. This stunning combination of two outstanding Dutch strains dominated the ICMag Cup 2007, triumphantly winning both the Growers and Breeders Cup. And it took third place in the outdoor category of the Highlife Cup 2006. But it would take a lot of more awards to adequately reflect the premium quality and huge potential of Double Dutch. While this strain of course has a lot of fans, I feel that it undoubtfully has the potential to play an even much bigger role in the worldwide growers community, also and particularly in the commercial grow sector. Therefore I regard it as a sleep-

Thanks to their marriage with Magus Genetics 2.5 years ago, Serious Seeds gained a range of genetic treasures that enriched their already superb selection of finest marijuana strains. One of these treasures is Double Dutch, a 60/40 to 70/30% indica/sativa hybrid, consisting of Magus’ former flagship strain Warlock (Skunk x Afghan) and Serious’ own Chronic (in its initial, pre-2000 version that former Magus breeder Gerrit had used by friendly permission of Serious back then, so Double Dutch partly is a case of a Serious strain coming home). With its honey-sweet aroma and cerebral high, and being a very big yielder as well, Chronic was a perfect breeding partner for Warlock, further improving its “only good” yield potential and attenuating its aroma acridity and devastating indica stone. The result is a strong, complex but well-balanced high, causing both cerebral (sativa buzz) and physical (indica body stone sensation) effects, fired by a THC content of 15-18%. The buds will give off a pleasant fruity wildflower scent, due a strong Chronic influence. Double Dutch needs 55-65 flowering days to ripen, then delivering tremendous amounts of dry buds, 500 or even over 600+ grams per square metre. In the seedling and vegetative growth stages, it exhibits its indica pedigree with fat leaves and thick stems, having a bushy growth pattern though with dynamic side branch growth. During flowering, Double Dutch produces countless huge thick sativa-dominant buds with a high calyx-to-leaf ratio, the structure of which reminds of those elongated “popcorn balls” typical for Warlock. Due to their heavy weight, it may be necessary to stake the buds. According to Serious Seeds,

ing giant… and The Doc felt excited to awake that giant in his grow room. For this mission, he used five feminised Double Dutch seeds. This time he directly planted them into 11 litre pots filled with The Doc’s mix of Plagron soil plus 5% expanded clay and horn chippings. After 2.5 days, all the five heads showed up above the ground already, lightning fast. Under two 600 W MH bulbs and one 400 W HPS bulb, vegetative growth was were vigorous, strong and remarkably uniform, the five plants developed into compact bushy multi-branch plants with close internodes, forming an ideal basis for heavy flowering and a rich yield. After 30 days in the veggie stage, at heights of 40-50 cm, The Doc induced flowering by switching the lights from 18/6 to 12/12. It took the plants only 5-6 days to reveal their female gender. When they were 2.5 weeks into flowering, while being subject to a strong stretching effect, the

first little flower “roses” had emerged all along the branches. One week later, The Doc reported: “As expected, the plants keep on stretching, but are still shaping a compact bushy look. One of them seems to become notably taller than the other ones. The bloom is getting into full gear now.” After five weeks of flowering, he continued: “Still stretching a bit, almost all the plants now have more than doubled their height. The buds are dynamically becoming big and chunky, and there already is quite a lot of resin on them. It has turned out that the blooming pattern of three of the plants shows a somewhat stronger sativa influence than the other two. But luckily they all have a very high or high calyx-to-leaf ratio.” One week later, that stretching effect had definitely come to an end. After eight weeks of flowering, The Doc noted: “The flower hairs have started to wither, the plants have entered the road to maturity. Wow, these Double Dutch buds are simply impressive: So big, dense and numerous, it is a sheer pleasure to look at these heavily bud-laden plants and also sniff at them, as they are spreading a lovely sweet scent, a bit fruity and with a hint of wild honey. And also their

rich resin content more than satisfies me, even larger flower leaves are entirely covered with resin glands, which means - in consideration of those masses of big fat tops - that I will end up with plenty of resinous leaf material for the production of hashish! However, according to the flowering time stated by Serious, the beginning of the maturity window of 55-65 days has already been reached now and

52 was heavily looking forward to convince himself whether they’d turn him on with a likewise excellent potency. After a few hits, it became clear that Double Dutch wouldn’t disappoint The Doc here either: An intensely prickling buzz forcefully started in his head, spreading strongly uplifting vibrations there, Double Dutch’s sativa genes impressively did their work. But after about half an hour, the focus of the high started to shift more towards the body, causing a deeply relaxed laziness, while The Doc didn’t become fuzzyheaded at the same time, as that sativa influence was still taking effect, on a lower level though. That very pleasant state of mind and body lasted on for over another 1.5 hours.

it is obvious that some of the plants will go beyond it a bit. But who cares if you have plants that everybody dreams of?” In fact, three of the plants were ripe after 66 days and the other two went into an extra time of one more week. “Which was worth the wait”, The Doc reported, “as

The Doc concluded: “Double Dutch really leaves nothing to be desired, it’s one of the most rewarding strains I’ve ever grown in all those decades. These are most easy to grow plants, delivering sensational yields of wonderfully aromatic and potent buds in a moderate flowering time. I agree with G.B.I. that its com-

Cultivation data:

they’ve kept on swelling in the last week and a last drench of extra resin oozed out. The plants have ended up at heights of 84, 89, 92, 93 and 118 cm, being lined with fantastic buds from the bottom to the top. Lots of elongated side branches shaping wide horizontal plateaus of impressively big side colas.” Thanks to the high calyx-to-leaf ratio of the plants, harvest work felt easy although a lot of buds had to be processed. In view of those tremendous amounts of buds, The Doc had been very optimistic that the yield would prove to be vast, but when he weighed the dry buds a few weeks later, his high expectations were even exceeded: The five plants altogether had yielded 610 grams of finest Double Dutch buds, smashing 122 grams per plant on the average. “And they had been in the veggie stage for only 30 instead of 35 days recommended by Serious…”, The Doc pointed out, euphorically fantasising what the outcome would have been with 60 days of growth! The dried buds had kept their honey-sweet and fruity aroma, and he

mercial potential is far from being fully tapped worldwide, it definitely has what it takes to be a giant amongst marijuana strains. A still sleeping giant, but it certainly won’t have been awakened in my grow room for the last time…” Green Born Identity - G.B.I.

Strain

Double Dutch (Warlock x Chronic)

Vegetative stage

here: 30 days

Flowering stage

here: 66-73 days, 55-65 days in general

Medium

Plagron Standard Mix with 5% expanded clay and horn chippings, 11 litre pots

6.2–6.8

Vegetative stage: 1.2–1.5 mS Flowering: 1.6-1.8 mS

Lights

Vegetative stage: 2x 600 W MH, 1x 400 W HPS Flowering: 2x 600 W HPS + 1x 400 W HPS

Temperature

23-27°C (day) 17-19°C (night)

Air humidity

Vegetative stage: 40–60% Flowering: max. 50%

Watering

by hand

Fertilisers

Compo Algoflash 6-6-6, plus PK 13-14 from the 4th week of flowering

Stimulators/Additives

Plagron Power Roots, Plagron Vita Race

Height

84, 89, 92, 93 and 118 cm

Yield

610g

Growkits and = 0DJLF 7UXIÁHV 0DJLF 7UXIÁHV

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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: Little Lebowski, Ed Rosenthal, Jorge Cervantes, Dr. John Dee, Grubbycup, the Professor, Kali Mist, Buddy Kush, Sativa Diva, Golgi Apparatus, Ganjah Selecta, Tony and others Comics: Jim Stewart Editorial adress: E-mail: ssuk@softsecrets.nl Advertisements: E-mail: info@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. The publisher has endeavored to reach all copyright holders of photo and/or video material. Those who still believe they are entitled to these rights are entitled to contact the publisher.

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