2015 06 UK by SoftSecrets

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THE CANNABIS NEWSPAPER SINCE 1985

Issue 6 - 2015

8 The truth about LED’s

12 Purple Orange CBD

20 The evolution of harvesting

28 Grow report: Wappa

18+ For adults only. Soft Secrets is published six times a year by Discover Publisher BV Netherlands

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Mexico: Supreme Court allows smoking and growing cannabis for recreational use Mexico's Supreme Court has ruled that growing, possessing and smoking marijuana is legal under the country's constitution, opening the door to possible decriminalisation or even legalisation in one of the world's most notorious narco states.

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The Latin American country's Supreme Court ruled by a margin of four on a five justice panel that smoking marijuana was guaranteed by the right of free development of personality. At the moment the ruling only covers four individuals from a pro-cannabis group who wanted to create a marijuana club, of the kind often seen in the United States. However, the court is currently waiting to rule on five other similar cases which could open the flood gates to legalisation. Reuters news agency quoted Mexican Supreme Court Justice Arturo Zaldivar as saying the vote was not an indication that marijuana was harmless but rather that "prohibition is a disproportionate measure." In Mexico, where thousands are

killed every year in connection to drug trafficking and related violence, the development is significant. The country legalised gay marriage through similar court rulings. However, full legalisation faces an uphill battle. Mexican president Enrique Pena Nieto has said via Twitter that the government will explain the scope of the ruling. He has set out his position as diametrically opposed to a

relaxing of cannabis legislation. The plaintiff's were well aware of the political implications of their case. The Mexican Society of Responsible and Tolerant Auto-consumption (SMART) is hoping to break the back of the drug cartels by cutting off their illegal revenue streams. One of the lawyers has said on the record that he has never smoked a joint in his life and doesn't intend to. Source: news.yahoo.com

3 EDITORIAL

Legalisation and the UK

Nobody was expecting any earth shaking policy reversals regarding the UK cannabis laws, and we certainly weren’t disappointed on that front. As discussed in the last editorial, popular pressure in the form of an online petition pretty much forced the UK Westminster Parliament into debating the issue of whether cannabis should be decriminalised, or indeed legalised. In the event, even though it was widely thought that nothing much would happen, nobody quite expected the event to be the waste of time it turned out. There are 650 members of parliament in the House of Commons, but on the day only 14 turned up for the debate. Given the public interest in the issue and a mass popular democratic movement to at the very least revise the laws as they stand (nearly a quarter of a million people petitioned for this debate to happen), this is nothing short of a disgrace. It has been reported that MP’s were advised to “stay away” from the debate, indicating political interference in democratic process and therefore a double disgrace.

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As Norman Lamb, one of the (few) MP’s who did attend put it: “Probably at least 50% of the government have [tried cannabis] yet thousands of their fellow citizens end up with a criminal record for doing the same” One of the fundamental problems here appears to be that ministers and politicians just do not like admitting they are wrong, and therefore go to the default position of blind denial of facts and evidence. Is it like this everywhere else in the world? Well, no, it’s absolutely not. Dr Sanjay Gupta, a top White House drug advisor, and known conservative on the matter of all things cannabis related had always bought into the statements made in the UN Single Convention on Cannabis, regarding its safety, medical efficacy and so on. As such, Dr Gupta was very much opposed to decriminalisation and utterly opposed to legalisation. However, he has revised his views on the matter, and in 2013 issued what amounts to a u-turn and a public apology: “I mistakenly believed that the DEA listed marijuana as a Schedule 1 substance because of sound scientific proof. Surely, they must have quality reasoning as to why marijuana is in the category of dangerous drugs that have “no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.”...I now know that when it comes to marijuana neither of those things are true. It doesn’t have potential for abuse and there are very legitimate medical applications.” (Gupta, 2013) Essentially, this is a (US) government advisor admitting that he was misled by a government agency. Dr Gupta helpfully traces the origins of the “high potential for abuse” myth (see the link below). Now, as everyone will know, several states in the US have legalised cannabis. Not decriminalised, legalised. The UK and the US supposedly have this “special relationship”, where what happens in the US is often adopted here in the UK. However, it looks very much as though there is room for some “cherry picking” in this relationship, which is to say that our governments only seem to embrace it when it involves big business, big money (for a small number of people) capitalism – TTIP would be a good example of this. So where the relationship involves GM crops, arms deals, profiteering from involvement in questionable conflicts, pharmaceutical industry drugs and so on, this is regarded as “good” by these people. On the other hand, allowing people legal access to cannabis either as a medicine or just as a means of unwinding and relaxing is not to be countenanced. Clearly, hundreds of thousands of signatories asking for change is not enough and can be treated with contempt (14 out of 650 MP’s in attendance underscores that). Therefore run another petition, but this time aim for millions. The Canute style of cannabis policy making is not sustainable any longer. Gupta, S (2013) http://edition.cnn.com/2013/08/08/health/ gupta-changed-mind-marijuana/index.html?hpt=hp_c4 Dr John Dee

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GROW WITH MR. JOSÉ Plants under 300W LED modules with active cooling

THE TRUTH ABOUT LED LIGHTING Once LED lighting was a novelty in cultivation, but this is a long time ago now. Many growers today have experience with using diodes and we don’t have to rely only on what the manufacturers tell us in their advertising. If you are now expecting a propaganda article, or waiting for absolution on which manufacturer is guaranteed to make the best lighting, I’m afraid I By mr. José (info@mrjose.eu) must disappoint you. The time is now ripe for us to look objectively at LED lighting. I hope that those of you with accurate knowledge of LED technology will forgive me, but I think it is necessary to describe it first. LED is an abbreviation for Light Emitting Diode. The technology works on the principle of semiconductor wafers which convert electricity directly into light, without the significant by-product of heat, meaning that an LED will convert most of the energy it consumes into light. For the ordinary user this means that less electricity will be used to achieve the same amount of light as from a bulb. For indoor cultivators, in addition, this

means that the nursery will not be significantly heated by the light source in any way, and moreover they will be able to move the source much closer to the plants. It is necessary to add that even an LED does not convert 100% of electrical energy into light, as some people think. Compared with MH and HPS lamps, the efficiency of converting electricity into light is roughly doubled. So it should be easy to deduce that a 600W HPS lamp can be replaced by a 300W LED module, which of course isn’t entirely true, as we will see in a few paragraphs.

If you are interested in when and where LED technology began, you should know that it is necessary to look back to the beginning of the 20th century, when the British experimenter H.J. Round discovered electroluminescence in the Marconi laboratories in 1907. In 1927, the Russian Oleg Losev announced the production of the first electroluminescent diode, which was the original name of LEDs. Diodes can shine in different bands on the light spectrum, from ultraviolet to infrared (which you will know, for

example, from the remote control for your television). The colours of light, in simplified lay terms, depend on the chemical composition of the semiconductor. People say, and on the internet you will find, that the development of blue and white LEDs, which are used in modules for cultivation of plants, took a relatively long time. What is certain is that the option of choosing the band of the spectrum is an enormous advantage of LEDs. Of course, major research is pursuing a completely different direction than that of cultivation. The goal of researchers was to develop a light source which could replace natural daylight and would produce light at a lower cost than existing bulbs and alternative fluorescent illumination (low-energy light bulbs and fluorescent lamps, which is not an entirely accurate designation, but we all use it). Since saving energy has been cited as the main advantage of LEDs, it is necessary to state that, in order for the diodes to light up, we need a control and power module. Printed circuit boards are commonly used. A disadvantage of LED technology is its low tolerance of high temperatures, so it is necessary to cool the module in some way. The efficiency of the cooling system has a significant impact on the service life of the diode, which under optimal conditions is incomparably longer than that of traditional bulbs. The service life of an LED is also one of the selling points put forward by producers of this technology. If the cooling is inadequate, it may lead to damage to or interruption of circuits, which could result in total or partial failure of the lighting equipment. Some types of diode will start to flicker or will simply stop shining. The fact that damage does not as a rule affect every section, meaning that the lights will still partially shine, is something of a silver lining. As already stated, overheating the module can be avoided by cooling it, either actively

alone novices, that developments have moved forward and that it is possible to use LEDs to grow really excellent supplies.

A 12 volt LED module with passive cooling

or passively. The majority of modern LED modules for cultivation of plants have continuous active cooling. In practice this means that the module is equipped with one or more ventilator fans, which dissipate the heat away from the source and the printed circuit boards with the diodes. The amount of heat is incomparably lower than that emitted by HPS or MH bulbs – just for the record. An example of a passive cooling system could be an aluminium fin module connected to the LED module. The cooler dissipates the heat passively. You will find a similar device in your computer. It has probably already occurred to you that active cooling will use a few extra Watts of power – and you’re right, of course. It may also be a problem that active cooling isn’t completely quiet. Personally I think that the sound made by small ventilator fans is not coming from the noisiest device in the growroom, but we can certainly agree that passive cooling, which operates quietly and economically, is more suitable for a growroom. The most recent developments in LED cultivation modules are also moving in that direction and manufacturers are endeavouring to use passive cooling systems. Let us now look at where LED modules originate from. Officially, the majority of manufacturers claim that their LED modules are made in Europe. This may be true, but only up to a certain point. Modules may be assembled here, but most of the

even if it is labelled ‘Made in China’. If you follow the cultivation equipment market, you will certainly have noticed how many new firms making cultivation LEDs appear every year. In the previous paragraphs I have mentioned enough basic information which will determine whether or not the LED module is good quality. All of these indicators are not totally irrelevant, unless the module emits light in the correct band of the spectrum. We growers also need LED modules that are energy efficient, are not noisy and most importantly, those modules under which the plants will show strong signs of growth and significant flower formations. Simply put, we need strong stems and large, hard buds, and we will achieve this combination only if we have the correct composition of light. As already stated, the cultivation of plants is not the main concern of world leaders in lighting developments. Firms like OSRAM and PHILIPS earn far and away more money by developing LED bulbs for your table lamps or chandeliers for your living room. And since diodes are easy to get hold of and any handyman can assemble an LED module in his small workshop, many enthusiasts have thrown themselves into the development of the correct light combination for cultivation. The basic guidance information on what band of the light spectrum is suitable for growth and which for flowering has been known for a long time now.

Let’s turn to practice now. How often have you heard that, when cultivating under LED modules, you will obtain a yield of two grams per Watt of energy consumed? In other words this would mean, that under a 300W LED module you will cultivate 600 grams of supplies? Yes, I’ve heard this a few times too. But I’ve never seen it – and I would very much like to. I have two criticisms. A 300W LED module with active cooling must have either a lower power output, or higher consumption. The reason is simple. If I populated the module with 300 diodes of 1 Watt each (author’s

Nevertheless, in order to obtain really functional light it is necessary to create a precise combination, and on the basis of practical experience, to add here and subtract there. The first LED modules for marijuana cultivators had one enormous disadvantage: the plants under them did not flower well. They flowered, but the size and hardness of the buds could not be compared with the cultivars obtained under HPS bulbs. This initial problem gave LED technology such a bad name among growers that even today you will struggle to convince some experienced cultivators, let

The question of exchanging traditional HPS bulbs for LEDs can also be put in a different way. Is it possible to increase the amount to be harvested in a given space, if I use an LED module of the same power output as my current HPS bulbs? Put simply, what will happen if instead of a 600W HPS

A series of LED modules with passive cooling

note: recently it has been possible to observe the advent of 3W diodes), I certainly have a 300W module, but I still need an active cooler, which with this output will still be used frequently. This means that the power consumption of the module is actually several tens of Watts higher, so the conversion to grams is distorted. My sec-

THE MAJO ORITTY OFF MODERRN LEED MODULLES FO OR CUULTIVAATION N OF PLANTTS HAVEE CONTIN NUOUUS ACTTIVE COO OLING components, including diodes and connections, are made in China. This in itself does not mean that the modules or diodes are poor quality. After all, China produces at least some of the electronic components of many world-famous brands, including for those who sell themselves on their quality. The reality is that manufacturers choose the components from which the cultivation module is to be assembled, and that, in essence, is the main thing. So as long as the producer chooses the more expensive and better-quality components, they can provide high-quality cultivation lighting,

output of around 30 – 40% lower than the HPS bulb you have used up till now. So you should replace a 1000W bulb with an LED module of 600 – 700W. A 600W HPS bulb can be effectively replaced with a 350 – 400W LED module. You can substitute an LED module of at least 240W for a 400W bulb and a 150W LED module for a 250W HPS bulb. These ratios have been calculated for suitable illumination of a given amount of space.

ond criticism is that my own proven experience, and that of others, cannot confirm this result even by chance. I can get a maximum stable return of 1.4 grams per Watt when cultivating classic varieties and clones and with a minimum 14 day growth phase. The most frequently asked question in discussions of LED modules for cultivation concerns power. How powerful an LED module do I need to replace a 600W HPS bulb? On the basis of current knowledge I can say that the results will be closest if you choose an LED module with power

bulb you hang a 600W LED module in your growroom? There is no entirely clear answer. This would be expected to increase the weight of the crop by 30 – 40%. In such a case we would still be able to say that if we illuminate an area of 1 x 1 metres with a 1000W HPS bulb, we would obtain a 40% larger harvest. This is of course not true, because we always have to use a lamp whose output corresponds to the area we intend to illuminate. LED modules can thus primarily be used to achieve the same results while reducing electricity consumption, and not to increase the yield with the same consumption. What else do we know about cultivating under LED? In the first part of this article I mentioned that LED modules do not emit heat, or rather that they only emit a little, in comparison with HPS bulbs. This gives an enormous advantage to the cultivator who has a problem with excessive temperatures in the nursery. This problem can occur in sun-exposed houses, attic flats, roof growrooms etc. and of course occurs more frequently and for a longer period of the year in countries nearer the equator. For this reason the demand for LED modules is higher in countries with higher daytime temperatures than

10 A blue light-emitting diode

in those in the temperate zone – the principle reason for buying LEDs there is their economical operation. I have just stumbled across temperature. If you don’t need to cool the growroom too much, you don’t run the air conditioning and not even a ventilator fan needs to run on a high gear. You will therefore save money not just on electricity for lighting, but also for ventilation. But what should you do if you need the warmth of traditional HPS bulbs for cultivation? You have

heating) or reach for your HPS bulbs again. By this I mean one thing: LED cultivation technology is not suitable in every case. If you have a nursery at home in the attic, LEDs are very suitable for you, because there is usually more heat, not less, in spaces like these. If, by contrast, your nursery is in the cellar, or in an unheated house, your problem will rather be low temperatures and therefore it will be worth using HPS bulbs which will give the plants sufficient warmth and light.

nary greenhouse plants. He told me one very interesting thing that I hadn’t thought about up till then, and which has genuinely caught my attention. There is nothing new in the fact that diodes emit light in a cone shape. In a cultivation LED module there are a number of diodes of different colours. The cultivator needs the light from all diodes to combine so that all plants receive the same dose of light throughout the intended range. Therefore it is important that the

A really small LED module is enough for ordinary plants

two options – equip your growroom with heating, which has the possibly undervalued advantage of lower consumption of LED modules (for electric

Not long ago I met a producer of LED cultivation modules. His is the third generation of his family to be employed in artificial lighting for ordi-

source of light is not too close to the plants. The absolutely perfect solution is a moving light source, in this case an LED module which moves above the

plants and guarantees the same supply of the spectrum for all the plants. Have I forgotten anything? Yes, here are a few last pieces of information. Under LED illumination the buds will not usually reach the same size as under HPS bulbs, but in total there will be more of them, and even the bottom ones will be worth it. When cultivating under several lamps it is an advantage to replace half the HPs bulbs with LED lights at half the power. The harvest will in this case be the same and the consumption of electricity will be lower. Of course you must still ensure that the temperature does not rise much above 30 °C. In conclusion I should perhaps state that for small domestic cultivation, or microcultivation, modules powered by 12V are suitable. Their great advantage is simple passive cooling and sufficient power. The single and final disadvantage of the technology remains its somewhat high price. This is of course relative, because you will see returns on your lowered electricity costs, which you will be able to calculate for yourselves. I wish you much success in the practical use of LEDs for your plants.

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Orange CBD, how to breed a champion THE DELICIOUS BREAKFAST Purple Orange CBD was awarded the second prize in the recent Highlife Cup 2015 drug contest. Dinafem is working intensely to achieve a strain of excellent J. Searcher taste, with optimal THC and CBD ratios. We visited the installations of Dinafem, where we met the coordinator of breeders, Doctor Kush and the lab director, Doctor Ananda. Both were selecting specimens to be sent to the Expogrow Cup, Irún (Spain). While we were tasting a generous selection of samples, they told us the history of how Orange CBD was created.

Origin

Dinafem’s collaboration with their friends from the Humboldt Seeds Organization is well know. In particular, Dinafem contributes its breeding infrastructure, as well as its marketing and distribution network, whereas HSO sources the finest select strains from the USA. The genetics that was used as base for Orange CBD derives from one of the batches that HSO delivered to Dinafem. More specifically it was a set of 25 regular strains. Based on the information given to Dinafem, this crossbreed was created in California from Sour Diesel and California Orange, a.k.a. Tangie. The original name under which the final strain was derived is Lemon Diesel. This particular taste, in turn, originates from the family of the famous New York City Diesel, a strain from which in 2004 a number of specimens with CBD were derived. These in turn gave rise to a European CBD-rich branch. Although it bears New York in its name, it seems that California is the other place of origin of this NYCD. When they were working on Lemon Diesel, they discovered that CBD could also be found in this strain. Given their common origin, taste and CBD content, the Dinafem team maintain that the genetic bases of Lemon Diesel are similar to those of New York City Diesel.

From Lemon Diesel to Purple Orange CBD Without knowing that Lemon Diesel contained CBD, Dinafem started to make a selection together with their friends and collaborators, for the large volume of genetics to be tasted. A breeder from a Cannabis Social Club (CSC) made the first selection and, since the beginning, focused much on

Lemon Diesel, as he appreciated its citric taste and balanced effect. 300 seeds were germinated and a selection was made from a mother, with a marked taste of citric chocolate. At the end of blooming, a slight hermaphroditic inflorescence appeared but no fertile pollen was generated to pollinate the plant. The CSC analysed all strains before handing them out to their members; when Lemon Diesel was tasted, an appreciable CBD content was discovered. The selection was then publicly presented to consumers, and it soon became the favourite strain of many members of the club and a part of the Management Board. When extracts were ultimately released, a well-defined taste had been achieved, with a significant terpene content on the completion of the process. The CBD content of the strain was therefore known, after which the second selection was made. They started from 500 regular seeds of Lemon Diesel grown in a commercial substrate. During the selection, visible males and hermaphrodites were discarded and other factors were considers such as the plant’s evolution, vigour, size or output. At the end of the process, 60 females were selected, which were introduced into jars and labelled. A first, extended tasting event was held at night with experts from Dinafem, HSO and the CSC who had made the first selection, during which they only considered the smell. At the first tasting round, they selected a number of prime samples. Then they repeated the tasting with another team and results were noted down. In a third tasting round, they considered the smell on pressing the bud. Next, a further selection was made among the plants that were most frequently selected in each tasting round. Subsequently, a fourth ‘playoff’ selection was organised among discarded plants, during which one of excellent quality was recovered. In a further meeting, they made a selection based on the aspect; in yet another one the bud density was the sought-after parameter. Various people were involved in the blind tasting of

the strain and gave their judgements. The tasting staff personally visited the plants that had obtained the best scores to assess yield, vigour and colour, as many of these presented nice purple hues. They also examined them accurately and noted down if any presented any small ‘bananas’. When breeders work with regular lines without purifying them, the appearance of small signs of intersexuality is quite common. Finally, plants were tested for THC and CBD contents, with charts drawn showing both the averages of the full sample and the values of each

individual. From the collected dataset, a group of 12 finalists was selected of which the best 4 were kept. The second part of the process was carried out with these strains, pollination of finalist females was made with a selected

Phenotype of Purple Orange CBD

Detail view of Dinafem lab

male, and, ultimately, a selection was made from the crossbreed that had achieved the best results. A third selecExtraction of Purple Orange CBD

tion was also made from the regular plants, which resulted in the choice of another mother, which increased the

13 total number of champion females to 6, to safeguard the genetic richness of the strain.

Characteristics

A first priority was to stabilise the great taste of this strand – invariably appreciated by all tasters. Other criteria considered in the selection included smell, colour, yield and CBD content. Many individuals in this strain had a delicious taste with citric, orange and chocolate notes. As Indica/Sativa hybrid the strain presented the typi-

treatment, he renumbered all the samples to perform a true blind trial. As explained by Dr. Ananda, there is much protected and patented information, each technician is jealous about his own expertise. For instance, a special column has to be reserved for CBC, as this cannabinoid can be mistaken for CBD, and, if this is the case the CBD, would be distorted or misrepresented. After collecting various data and trying out various methods, Dr. Ananda has developed his

taste; to that end, they made no analyses during growth but only tested the finalists of the second selection. In this second round of tests, they discovered that the content of CBD, in different proportions, was common in these strains, there were various individuals with a THC:CBD ratio of 1:1, and of 1:2; however individuals with THC only were also found. When they discovered that many of the plants selected for their smell also presented an appreciable CBD content, they decided to stabilise CBD in this strain. Highlife Cup won for Purple Orange CBD

Phenotype of Purple Orange CBD

cal tapered foliage of Sativa, a purple colour, an inter-knot of medium length, a good yield and fleshy buds, with enough quantity of calyces. Resin production was good and effect functional and balanced for the presence of CBD, ideal for the consumer to remain active and work without losing concentration. The purple colour, the exquisite citric taste and the CBD content were the basic characteristics behind the choice of its name Purple Orange CBD. At present, it is the only regular line with CBD content that has reached Europe directly from California.

Analysis

One of the differentiating aspects of Dinafem’s breeding work is the analysis of parents. We talked with Dr. Ananda, lab director, about his contribution to the breeding of Purple Orange CBD and other CBD-rich varieties. They use the utmost accuracy and best lab practice when collecting samples, so as to minimise errors. For instance, all vegetable materials are selected from equivalent areas; each plant has its own tag with a reference number and each sample is placed in a new jar, which is labelled both on top and underneath. Dr. Ananda himself participated in the tasting process. For this involvement, he could have been tempted to more carefully treat the samples that he had found most attractive. To obviate this ‘unconsciously unequal’

Phenotype of Purple Orange CBD

own approach to the analytic method he normally applies. He currently uses 7 standard types of cannabinoids, analyses each sample in little less than ten minutes, in a day he can even analyse 100 samples. When the breeding process of a CBDrich strain is carried out, normally this starts with an analysis during growth since; even if quantities increase, the THC-to-CBD ratio already serves as an indication. In particular, a selection is made by chemotype. For example, in another joint breeding project conducted between Dinafem and Reggae Seeds, 500 specimens were analysed in week 4, samples of both females and males were collected and sampling was later repeated after the harvest. In this case the process was different, explained Dr. Ananda. The first strain of the project was Orange CBD, as the first characteristic that they intended to retain was the great citric taste, with more orange than lemon tones. After analysing a batch supplied from the CSC that was in charge of the first selection, a significant CBD content was found. This was quite remarkable and the instruction was immediately given to the CSC for them to keep the mother of this sample – the grower of the CSC replied that this type had already been kept as it was found excellent. Dinafem is already active in other product lines with CBD. For this reason, when the second selection was made, the followed criteria was to retain

Advanced breeding

Dinafem is applying lab tests to all strains. These tests, however, are particularly useful in the breeding of a few lines, such as auto-flowering plants or strains rich in CBD. In association with ‘CBD Crew’, they already offer three CBD-rich options, i.e. Critical Mass CBD, Shark Shock CBD and Moby Dick CBD. After trying out these strains and others with CBD, they realised their great potential, not only for medical patients but also for recreational users. Through an extremely balanced effect favouring concentration, these marijuana strains are excellent for daily use. With this in mind, the Dinafem team are preparing several projects for the coming season. One of the brand new products to hit the market is Purple Orange CBD, with its outstanding citric taste and appealing smell, a good yield and a balanced effect – for these characteristics it won second place at the Highlife Cannabis Cup, in the medicinal category. So far breeding has been a very personal type of activity, with each breeder using his or her intuition and method in the art of creating new strains. Dinafem adds to this traditional type of breeding its systematic data collection ranging from the findings of its scientific surveys in the field, through lab analyses, to the results of its blind tasting. A real I+D.

FESTIVALS

European Flame Off in Irún: the festival of borosilicate THE GREAT DOUBLE VICTORY OF HELIOX GLASS In the latest Expogrow Irún, we had the privilege of attending a European Functional Flame Off, a glassblowers’ event where contestants engaged intensely in showing the best of their art. For the second time in Europe and the first in Spain, a ‘Flame Off’ contest between the best blowers of borosilicate was held. Blowers blew glass live in front of an audience charmed by the show of blazing glass and flames. General view of the 2nd European Flame Off

Heliox Glass gives the finishing touches

On Sunday the members of the jury voted. Assistants collected results from the public jury. The main jury was made up of four first-class US blowers, Marble Slinger, J.A.G. (Just Another Glassblower), JD Maplesden and Doshworld. Original Glass won the first prize, followed by Dok Glass, second, and Heliox Glass, third. In the public jury category, the first prize was won by Heliox Glass, the second by Katsu_Sure and the third by Hive Glass.

The event is owed to the efforts of Lars Svanstrøm, the organiser and owner of Smoking Gear, a Danish shop of smoking paraphernalia. Lars has a steadfast love for borosilicate. Undoubtedly, his constancy and passion were behind the creation of a key event on the European scene of glassblowing. As the name ‘European Flame Off’ says, all contestants were European. The jury, instead, was made up of five American blowers. Prizes were also awarded to contestants that had received the highest number of votes from the public jury. Indeed, the show was followed with much interest by the audience. Rules were simple, all artists brought their tools and received the same quantity of coloured glass. With these materials they had to create their own works from Friday to Saturday. The same time was assigned to all contestants. In addition to following the blowers’ show live, the audience could also visit an exhibition of various works made by the same artists and other borosilicate objects. Red Bubble Glass in action

The double prize awarded to Heliox Glass was awesome, as he was the only contestant to win a prize in the two categories. He celebrated this victory by giving an emotional hug to his partner. The second anniversary of his glassblower career will be in November; in only two years he has managed to grow from a young apprentice to a twice European champion. With this astounding success, he will give plenty to talk about on the borosilicate scene in the next few years. About the European Flame Off event, Heliox commented: “I enjoyed the full event with much enthusiasm and I feel much gratified. When I started blowing glass in a course delivered by Red Bubble Glass, I already saw myself blowing glass in front of an audience, now my dream has come true”. No doubt Lars, the organiser, made the dream of many people come true. Here in Spain we were all anxious to see a European Flame Off show live.

Hive Glass is working in front of a large audience

The local contestants in attendance included the two best blowers of Hispania Cannabicum, the pioneer Red Bubble Glass and his most talented pupil, Heliox Glass. Their weekend experience was great together with other first-class European representatives. In actual fact, the contest was not so much based on mutual rivalry or unspeakable secrets, but rather on a spirit of healthy comradeship, with contestants sharing information and enjoying their time during the show. The two days of the contest were hard and involved great sacrifice for blowers. E.g. Heliox Glass showed us on Sunday morning his wounds of war, his hand had been severely cut and he could not even stop during his performance to heal it, as he had to work on his blazing piece of glass without running the risk of breaking it. In the other hand he had a huge blister which had been caused by his keeping his hand several hours close to the fire; although he was wearing a protection glove, it had little by little been burnt by the heat.

The great double victory of Heliox Glass

OPINION

Memories of Things Past Dr Dee Recently I was given an early Christmas present; a near fine copy of The High Times Encyclopaedia of Recreational Drugs, published in 1978, to be precise. This has pleased me enormously, not just because I’d never seen a “real” copy of the book before, not because it regards all drugs as useable recreationally (which they are), but also because there is an enormous section of the book devoted wholly to our beloved cannabis. But here’s the thing: I’ve said “cannabis” because we have a number of different goods here in the book. First, there is grass, and we all know about that. Even though there’s a lot of it around at any given time, what’s on offer to most consumers - in the UK at least - is actually totally restricted to a generic “Skunk”. However, for the more discerning toker, or those prepared to take a bit of a risk, it’s now possible to grow Thai, Afghan or indeed any variety you want at home, under lights and using chemicals. Or at least you can grow a simulation of them; there’s always some discussion to be had as to whether, say, Afghan grass seeds, germinated and grown in the UK actually produce genuine, bona fide Afghan weed. Back in the day when the High Times book was published, Afghan weed came from Afghanistan, where it grew au naturalle, in the dirt, outdoors, and left more or less to its own devices. Ditto Colombian weed, Nepalese weed and so on. But that’s another story. However, what has really floated my good memories boat are the sections on hashish, which is something that these days gets a really bad press; conjuring up, as it does, images of a tonne of piss poor Moroccan resin being bulldozed into a skip and then mixed with a further tonne or two of henna, dogshit, old shoes and any other crap that’s to hand prior to being pulverised and “re-formed” into 9 bars or whatever they’re called these days before being shipped to Scotland and sold as pauper’s smoke to

people who either don’t know any better, can’t afford any better or just don’t care. The encyclopaedia reminded me that it really wasn’t always this way: Red Lebanese, Blonde Lebanese, Afghani Black, Nepalese Temple Balls. Yum! Hell, even Moroccan came in a couple of different varieties and wasn’t the “default” crud that’s punted these days (note: I include all the “Trust me, mate, this is really clean Rocky” varieties we’ve all heard about as crud). You just don’t seem able to find these types of quality goods anymore; or at least I can’t. Occasionally something will appear on the market – usually the highly localised market – and is all gone before word even gets out that it’s there at all. The problem I have with this is that it seems to be hashish made from good quality grass that’s grown thousands of miles from where it would once have called home. Again, can you say it’s the “real” deal? I don’t think so, and that’s a real shame. One of the last times I visited Holland, we found a place that sold hashish. It was quite expensive, but there were several types to choose from, all supposedly “classic” types of hash. In the event, I tried a few of these and was pretty disappointed: not one of them hit the spot in the way I remembered from my youth. Maybe it was the hash...maybe it was me. I don’t know. Before I finish this, I’d just like to get in a quick plug for my good friend Joe Kane’s first novel (only available for Kindle etc as an e-book, I fear). Search for “1991 A Chemical Odyssey” and you should find it; trust me: it’s a lot of laughs. This column is in memory of JD (1949-2015): my friend and mentor

STRAIN REPORT

17 Growing phase

Psicodelicia

YOUR INSPIRATION WILL BE AWOKEN

A nice lady from roots to terminal buds, a rapid growth, a great bloom, an intense aroma and a highly cerebral effect are all good reasons to include this plant among your favourites. Start of flowering

TricomaTeam (tricomateam@gmail.com) Psicodelicia® (or strain SWS07), of the Sweet Seeds seed bank, is one of the most complete plants ever created. Genetically it is a fast-flowering Sativa which combines the growing characteristics of medium-sized Indicas with a small inter-knot distance and a high yield – characterised by a large quantity of resin, but also the effect of Sativas, i.e. exciting and cerebrally active, making it particularly appropriate for activities needing imagination and creativity. It is a fast-flowering plant, considering its large Sativa component; with 30% of Indica and 70% of Sativa, it only takes 8-9 weeks to develop indoors, and is harvested between late August and mid-September outdoors, yielding up to 400-600 g/m2 indoors and 450-700 g per plant outdoors. Produced from a cutting sourced from the United States which was crossed with a Nepali plan, the resulting strain has a strong, spicy and intensely roasted flavour. Although it is suitable for indoor and outdoor growing alike, the size and density of its buds makes it prone to moulding and, therefore, unsuitable for particularly wet environments.

Our growing experience

We bought our first packet of Psicodelicia® seeds several years ago. We germinated them and starting monitoring our crop. We observed its rooting and growing speed and were impressed by its enormous buds. Therefore we compared the results obtained in our harvest and decided to purchase several packets, especially for the purpose of select-

Psicodelicia specimens with the best characteristics were kept for several years and the output in indoor cultivation was remarkable, with huge buds and white resin coatings that only needed a strong control of ambient humidity, and special care when “miniature bananas” appeared at the end of flowering. In a batch of cuttings placed in the grow-room, we discovered the presence of red spider and opted for taking the cuttings outside – we therefore took Psicodelicia® to a safe garden. We took advantage of the situation to study results outdoors for the sake of future crops. The spider mite epidemics was discovered in early June. The plague was treated for the first time indoors with Expelex, a powerful vegetable insecticide produced from dry chrysanthemum flowers (natural pyrethrins), combined with potassium soap. Two days after the application, plants were transplanted to an outdoor crop in order to prevent the plague from spreading to the remaining grow-rooms.

End of flowering

Our Psicodelicia® therefore found a new home, surrounded by cabbages, tomatoes and other fauna and flora, in a place where it will soon go unnoticed by those who today are condemning it and tomorrow they will not even know why they condemned it. As the garden soil had been tilled in the previous years, in the beginning it gave us the comfort of knowing that it had been prepared with suitable drainage and a sufficient quantity of nutrients, for our plants to grow as much as potentially possible. We only prepared a ditch of around 50 litres for roots to spread up to the mother-soil; this hole was

no other improvements were needed for the plants to reach two metres plus in height. Our Psicodelicia® developed and soon the early pistils started to be visible, which suggested an early harvest that would avoid us

were already so big that we feared a possible fungal attack; however, a preventive treatment with products was no longer advisable, given the advanced blooming stage. On that occasion, the scarce rainfall became abundant and, as expected, mould appeared. We

HUGE BUDS AND WHITE RESIN COATINGS THAT ONLY NEEDED A STRONG CONTROL OF AMBIENT HUMIDITY ing a mother. All the seeds that we found in packets resembled each other and produced unremarkable results However, we decided to pinpoint even the smallest differences in inter-knot distance, size, aroma, quantity and quality of the herb, in order to select the best specimen and use it as a mother, bringing to our garden vigorous cuttings that invariably made us happy at harvest time. Each cutting produced between 30 and 45 g of dry buds with short growing periods.

then filled with a mixture of Bio Terra Plus and a fourth part of earthworm compost. After six days of applying Expelex for the first time, we sprayed again a second dose to make sure that the spider plague could be definitively treated. The problem was solved. We irrigated the area with Biorhizotonic the first week and only then did we apply, on two occasions, BioCannaVega as growth booster,

the trouble of the first autumn rainfalls as much as possible. During flowering we added, to the weekly irrigation cycle, BioCanna Flores as a flower booster and Bio Boost as a fertiliser – to deliver to the plant all the nutrients it needed. The growth of pistils and buds was ongoing and soon big “menhirs” appeared. Pistils became dark and we started to count days for harvest. In early September, before harvest, buds

had to check each branch, almost on a daily basis, for signs of spore proliferation. The heavy rainfall resulted in a large number of buds, which had to be torn off, given the plague suffered by the plant. Finally, although we lost a large quantity of buds for botrytis, we reaped 300 g of impressive, tasty buds. Indeed this is one of the most recommendable and productive plants to be grown in your garden.

CANNABIS EVENTS

Cultiva 2015

A hemp activis t from German y caught in the ac t!

Every October since 2008, fans of hemp in all its forms have flocked to Vienna, Austria, to visit Cultiva, one of the most interesting hemp trade fairs in Europe. Soft Secrets’ very own Mr. José attended for us. By mr. José (info@mrjose.eu) Friday: a walk through the exhibition Friday morning was bathed in sunlight which promised a fantastic day. At 11am the gates of Cultiva opened wide. We collected our tickets and joined the stream of people heading for the entrance. Right at the entrance we were welcomed by two lovely sexy girls, who gave us our first goody bag, containing posters, stickers, a booklet of discount vouchers and a guide to the exhibition. Austria is great because hemp cultivation is not prosecuted until the plants begin to form flowers, or until the plant produces marijuana, so thanks to this legislation you can see hemp plants not just in Austrian clone stores, but also in growshops and headshops. Cultiva is, of course, no exception, so this is the only exhibition in Europe in which we come across both small and mature cannabis plants, literally at every step. We saw the first plants just beyond the entrance to the exhibition, where several of them were growing in passive irrigation systems. We went further and zigzagged through the entrance floor to the main exhibition space. In the foyer we passed people selling books and clothing, but also peyote and the ubiquitous growers’ LED panels. The main exhibition space offers a complete mix of everything you can think of to do with hemp – from seeds from both famous and less well-known seedbanks, through fertilisers and cultivation systems to bongs, vaporisers and lighters. At the edges of the pyramid there were cooking demonstrations and workshops, at which visitors could listen to lectures on the practical status of hemp in various countries of the world in medicine and industry. All weekend, on the balcony of the main hall, there were glass-making demonstrations, in which you could watch bongs and other interesting creations being made from glass. We went from the main hall into the final room of the exhibition, where there were several stands of hemp cosmetics and live predators of pests were on sale. There were also more interesting workshops in this area. The production of hemp concrete and other building materials made of hemp was modelled. Anyone who was interested could have a go at playing the didgeridoo – we didn’t get our turn because the queue was too long. Time passed quickly and we ran to have a look at the garden stage, where the duo Air Rapide was giving a concert – one boy on the drums and the other on the didgeridoo. They were fantastic. The audience really enjoyed it, they smoked and some of them undulated to the rhythm of the energetic music. For dinner we had an excellent Sri Lankan curry and rice in the bistro opposite the garden stage and slowly we

swung through the early evening to both the parties thrown on the Friday night at Cultiva. We went to bed at around 3am…

Saturday On Saturday we really didn’t much want to get up, but we couldn’t stay in bed. What is more, through the windows we could see another lovely day. We got to the exhibition after 1pm and had to fall in with the crowds of visitors, of whom there were visibly more than on the previous day. On Saturday the exhibitors really had to work – they weren’t just selling their goods, but also giving out hats, posters, stickers, catalogues, t-shirts, seeds and many other samples. There were also lots of competitions with prizes, which are always crowd-pleasers. Each competition or wheel of fortune was bursting with visitors wanting to try their luck, even if the prize was only a lighter.

CBD crystals

On the Saturday we wanted to concentrate on technical innovations in cultivation. In recent years it is noted that the greatest growth has been in LED lighting for cultivation of plants. Cultiva 2015 was no exception. Here, too, there were countless producers of this advanced lighting. People are greatly interested in it and you could often hear discussions about whether LED modules can replace the still-popular high pressure discharge lamps. One thing is certain – the price of LED modules is still quite high, but the good news is that for a higher price you can buy modules manufactured in Europe from high-quality components. Otherwise there weren’t so many innovations. Definitely worth mentioning are the new grow cabinets from HOMEbox, which were presented here in brand-new coats – the outer fabric is now beige, so the box will look much better in your flat and is not nearly so intrusive an element as the black cloth box… The new variety by Dutch Passion, called Frisian Duck, has gained great popularity. It has deliberately misshaped leaves, so identifying it in the wild and in the garden is much more difficult for ordinary mortals. On Saturday we made a trip into town and ended up in the Flex nightclub – returning at 4am meant nothing good for Sunday.

See you next year, Cultiva! On Sunday we were very tired, so we spent our time relaxing and talking with friends. We had one last currywurst from Big Mamma’s and a quarter of a pizza for an early evening snack, and it was time to set off home again. Next year is definitely not to be missed! You should go too, it really is worth

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ED ROSENTHAL

THE EVOLUTION OF HARVESTING by Ed Rosenthal

Many gardeners spend a great amount of time planning their garden, setting a timetable caretaking their plants and bringing them to the peak of maturity, only to go into panic mode over harvesting, which had not been planned out, especially if they have an unexpectedly large yield as a result of reading my cultivation articles and books. Even large commercial operations are far behind regarding harvest and post-harvest operations. It’s the last part to be thought about and the task most likely to be messed up. But it needn’t be. With proper preparation the process can flow seamlessly.

Whether you are a sole practitioner, or putting together a harvest team, try to divide up the tasks so there are few bottlenecks. The task flow can be divided in many ways. For instance, if there is an area to store branches or colas but insufficient manicuring facilities the main effort at the start of harvest is to bring in the buds and pull off fan leaves if there is sufficient labor. The colas can be placed in storage to dry first before manicuring or under refrigeration to keep them fresh for wet manicuring. Then you can manicure the material over a longer period of time. No matter what your situation you should plan ahead and prepare for the coming harvest. The harvest consists of several tasks: Cutting the buds from the plants Cutting buds from branches Manicuring the buds Drying the buds Curing the buds Make sure that you are prepared for each stage. My observation is that in many cases, even large farms, not much has changed over the years. However, there is new equipment that gardeners and farmers can use to increase efficiency and cut down on the manual labor associated with the harvest. Let’s look at some photos.

CUTTING THE HARVEST

Use appropriate tools to cut the crop. The best way is to cut buds or bud parts when they are ready. On both large and small plants buds throughout the plant, no matter their position on the plant. Often, the top 10-20 cm of a bud a bud is mature but the part behind it could use some sun and time to ripen. This technique can be used both on small and large harvests. It requires more harvesting time but the manicuring time is cut down because

of the small size of the pieces and the fact that only buds are harvested. This technique is especially useful with bushy plants. Tall sativas can be harvested using a hedge trimmer. First lay a tarp around the plant for the branches to fall onto. Starting at the top cut the branches of one side from top to the bottom of the plant. The branches will fall in a neat pile. Then follow suit with the branches on the other three sides and a small clip off the top of the plant. Sometimes it’s convenient to harvest the whole plant and cut it up after. While there was a tradition of hanging whole plants to dry, most of the time they are now cut up before hanging. Use appropriate tools for cutting. Clippers, hedge trimmers and chain saws may all be useful depending on your method and the size of the plants.

ȏ 6ZLW]HUODQG WKH SODQWV ZHUH JURZQ RXWGRRUV LQ D VHD RI JUHHQ 7KH\ ZHUH cut whole and transported for immediate manicuring. ȏ 8 6 /DVW SODQW FXW ΖQGLYLGXDO EUDQFKHV ZHUH FXW IURP WKH ODVW SODQW LQ WKH field using a hedge clipper. ȏ 8 6 3ODQWV DUH SODFHG LQ SLOH UHDG\ WR ORDG RQWR XWLOLW\ YHKLFOH

TRANSPORTING THE HARVEST

In years past I’ve gone into the woods with growers harvesting their crops in surreptitious gardens that were huge treks. Knapsacks and bags over the shoulder were the main means of transport. With large outdoor grows some means of mechanized transport is usually used to haul the harvest to the processing center. ȏ .KDQGZD 0DG\D 3UDGHVK ΖQGLD 3ODQWV ZHUH ORDGHG RQWR ZDWHU EXIfalo drawn carts in the field and transported to the processing center. ȏ $XVWUDOLDQ 2XWEDFN :KROH SODQWV DUH ORDGHG RQWR IODW EHG WUXFN IRU WKH one-mile journey from field to processing center. ȏ 86 7DKRH &$ (OHFWULF XWLOLW\ FDUW XVHG WR WUDQVSRUW IURP ILHOG P WR processing center.

MANICURING

Hand manicuring is the most labor-intensive part of the entire growing process. No matter where it takes place hand manicuring is still - hand manicuring. Connoisseurs say it’s the only way to go but some tools that assist the gardener speed up the process. Other tools automate it but perhaps at the price of quality. Manicuring does not have to be performed wet, when the leaves are still fresh. If the harvest that is too big to manicure all at once, plants should be hung to dry, leaving the manicuring for later.

Harvest in Khandwa. India 1981 Women strip all vegetation off the plants with their bare hands and create a big pile about 8 inches deep.

The pile is left to dry and ferment in the sun. Then a “picker” collects the dried buds from the desiccated leaves. This is repeated again the next day. The ferment eliminates the terpenes leaving a more earthy smell once the ammonia created by the anaerobic bacteria dissipates.

Switzerland 1999 - Yugoslav refugee women manicure on their laps. They are sitting in chairs that push them back so they have to lean forward to position their arms in the work area. This uncomfortable position slows hand manicuring. More comfortable work chairs and tables increase productivity of hand manicuring immensely.

Plant strippers rubbed the finger hash off their hands. Itwas collected by the authorities. Ultimate destination was up in the air.

California - A lap trim table like this one from Harvest More increases hand trimmer’s speed by creating comfortable position for him/her to work.

MACHINE MANICURING

Hand manicuring is an arduous task that is often the bottleneck in harvesting operations. It doesn’t have to be that way. Here are some tools available to speed up the process.

California - Individual hygienic workstations for manicuring are just a slight improvement. The trim speed is limited to a trimmer’s hands’ pace. Trimmers are kept standing, which becomes uncomfortable and leads to fatigue..

Bonzai Hero Clippers- Consist of a handle that you grip and a cutting system of two fixed blades and an oscillating blade that has speed control. You can aim the blade precisely to get a close trim. The system

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23 does tire your arm. Placing the tool in a cradle and presenting the bud to it might be the answer.

The Wander Trimmer is very precise and increases trimmer productivity by 50% or more.

Spinner

The EZ Trim speeds up trimming and is convenient because whole colas can be manicured at once. This machine has a revolving blade beneath the grate and vegetation is drawn down to it by a vacuum. Not quite as precise as the hand-held devices.

The Triminator is a tumbler style machine that uses a vacuum to draw vegetation through the rotating grill to the rotating blade underneath. There are many brands with different features. These tumbler style machines can process up to 18 an hour.

DRYING AND CURING

Wander Trimmer is a vacuum type hand-held wand with a small slit where the leaves are drawn in and clipped using a rotating blade.

Marijuana’s freshness is based on two factors: maintaining enough moisture in the material for it to be pliable, and just as important, retaining the terpenes found in the trichomes. The terpenes are volatile oils that evaporate at different temperatures, some of them as low as 230C. For this reason at no time during the drying/curing process should the temperature be raised very much above this point to dry the buds faster. For the best grades during the first days after harvest maintain a humidity

24 of 50-60% with strong air circulation. This allows certain metabolic processes including a slight degradation of chlorophyll to take place. After about 4 days lower the humidity. This will increase the drying speed. The appliances that remove water from the air all emit heat. Either direct out of the drying space or add an air conditioner to keep the temperature down. The AC will also remove some moisture. Whole plants and branches can be hung; buds and colas can be placed on net or screen trays.

Metal shelving with screen trays hold a lot of material because they have so many layers. There is enough room for airflow. A fan will keep the air circulating.

Whole plant hanging - Switzerland 2000 - The farmer grew a very large field, harvested it with a scythe, placed the cut plants on a tractor cart and then, hung the whole plants in a barn open on either side.

Room temperature/humidity controller automates the drying curing process by controlling environmental factors.

Whole plant hanging - Northern California 2010

TrimPal safely handles dry material and decreases trim time dramatically. TrimPal operating

Branch Hanging - Oregon 2012- Branches were hung in a truck to dry. Huge fans were placed just outside the truck to blow in fresh air. The buds dried unevenly.

From Ox carts to golf carts harvest and trimming have evolved into a modern activity. Some things remain the same: Plan ahead. Know your bottlenecks so you can schedule accordingly. Enjoy!

MEDICAL CANNABIS

will be brewed. The tea will be consumed in the evening, every day, for one to two weeks. If, after this period, the herb still has to cause the desired relief, after consulting a doctor, you can opt for an extra cup with the same dose to be drunk in the morning.

THE EVENING TEA Sometimes I feel nostalgic about the time when cannabis was legal everywhere and we could drink our evening tea, made with our favourite ingredient, peacefully. The properties of cannabis tea have indeed been underestimated for rumours about its being ineffective – spread by people who only use weed to get high and do not find the effects of tea similar to the bubbly properties of inhalation.

by Davide Calabria

Clearly, in medical terms too, inhaled cannabis is stronger than tea because cannabinoids are barely soluble in boiling water. However users making their first experience with this herb and those who have health problems and do not want to be in a continuous psychoactive state, could benefit from the advantages offered by tea in many respects. First and foremost, a cannabis tea can be easily prepared. According to the recipe of Bedrocan B.V., who supply therapeutic cannabis from Holland to various parts of the world, to prepare a good tea you need to boil 500 ml of water in a kettle or covered pan. You then add two teaspoons of cannabis (0.5 g), lower the heat and simmer slowly for 15 minutes, while keeping the pan covered, for the aroma and colour to be fully dissolved in water (as the pigments and terpenes of cannabis are water soluble). The recipe may of course change by using resin powder (hashish) or adding tea leaves or cinnamon. Filter the prepared tea through a strainer into a cup or thermos for your daily consumption. If you wish to prepare an infusion for more days, just brew 1 gram of herb in 1 litre of water. In this case, Bedrocan recommends adding a teaspoon of coffee cream to the hot drink, so as to keep the substances active and prevent them from sticking to the tea-pot, which would reduce the effect of the drink. Then you should let the tea cool down and, if need be, store it in the fridge for a few days. The tea will then be warmed up as need and, preferably, sweetened with honey, sugar or syrup. As regards posology, Bedrocan recommends starting with a cup of tea of 0.2 .litres in which 0.2 grams of marijuana

The tea should be sipped slowly, otherwise taste could be very intense, especially if the plant tops were used for its preparation. Effects will appear after 30-90 minutes from drinking, peak 2-3 hours later and last up to 4-8 hours after that peak. The effects of inhaling is different. A tea acts slowly on a part of the stomach, a bit further down from the lungs. It has nothing to do with the immediate effect of a vaporiser and will end after a longer period. For this reason a cannabis tea is preferable for consumers who have chronic problems such as arthritis for instance. When preparing tea, the herb needs to boil in water at a temperature below the temperature at which the herb is vaporised or burnt in a joint. The decarboxylation, which causes the THCA (or THC in acid form) to become psychoactive by turning it into THC, is less marked than that obtained through inhalation, which results in a milder effect. Therefore, if even two infusions per day are not enough to remedy the sickness, again after consulting a doctor, consumers should try to inhale cannabis with a vaporiser as its dosage may be adjusted more easily in this case. In the Rastafarian culture (created in 1930), which clashed with the imperialistic culture and, for this very reason, was banned in 1937, cannabis is considered the “herb of life”, i.e. biblically the “leaf of the tree of life that will heal the Nations” (after its worldwide legalisation), while the uninterrupted smoking of ganja is associated with madness, which will only end when users stop inhaling it for a given period. In Jamaica, on the other hand, cannabis tea is considered by everyone a folk remedy and the Rastafarians know that a ganja infusion is a cure-all and a tonic. Women also use it against nausea during pregnancy and also give it to their children, when needed, to cure stomach ache for instance. Personally I noticed that the Yummy sativa of the Dutch CBD-Crew, with CBD and THC in equal quantities (6-7%), is excellent in an infusion to improve breathing inter alia. Yummy is an exceptional medical herb for its rich cannabinoid content (no psychoactivity). Similarly the Bediol variety produced by Bredroca B.V., is theoretically suited for the treatment of children. If tea is prepared with just the flower of this plant, its taste will be really powerful and spicy, and will make users’ eyes gleam and their senses open. Drinking it, I felt a very pleasant bodily sensation caused by the CBD, with significant benefits for the full body. Cannabis is not a way of wasting herb, as many people fear. Quite the reverse, it is a gentle and efficient delivery method and is good for the mind, which will feel the benefits of the herb for several hours. It is also worth remembering that, in case of need, given the scarcity typical of prohibition, an infusion can also be made from harvest waste, such as leaves (preferably the smaller ones close to flowers and with resin obviously) or plant top trimmings. The taste and smell will be less pleasant than that of nice flowers and, in general, infusions will be less powerful but invariably please the body.

MEDICAL CANNABIS

VAPORISING A therapeutic joint works, but should be considered a primitive treatment method. The therapy should rather consist of herb teas, or drops of either tincture or concentrated extract dissolved perhaps into olive oil. For pains or muscular contractures, an ideal treatment is the topical application of creams and ointments. However, a vaporiser is the most suited method of delivery if you cannot resist the idea of inhaling cannabis for its immediate effects to meet an urgent need, and for a by Davide Calabria decisively stronger effect than that of tea. Flame or electric vaporisers can both be found on the market. In the latter case, machines delicately warm up herbs without burning them, thereby causing the evaporation of active ingredients, as one of the most sensible ways of taking cannabinoids. Vaporiser are sold in various models, and those branded Volcano are among the few that have been scientifically tested. They are suited to users with sensitive lungs, people with respiratory diseases or those who cannot stand smoking, and patients with very debilitated bodies, who wish to avoid heavy doses of toxins. With a vaporiser, the characteristics of active ingredients remain unchanged, as they are taken in their purest form and the development of potentially carcinogenic combustion products causing irritation in the respiratory tract can be avoided. In practice users breathe less tar, as vapour is free of coal and solid materials, and the illadvised intake of monoxide is also avoided. In 2007, a survey conducted by the University of San Francisco, California titled “Marihuana Vaporizer Provides Same Level Of THC, Fewer Toxins: Study Shows” proved the effectiveness of the vaporiser in delivering the same therapeutic chemical ingredients, thus producing the biological effects of cannabis smoking while avoiding its harmful toxins. Vaporisers are a guarantee of proper medical administration and their potential for minimising respiratory problems was also recognised by the researchers of the US Albany University in the paper “Pulmonary Function in Cannabis Users: Support for a Clinical Trial of the Vaporizer”, published in 2010 in the International Journal of Drug Policy. After one month of observing twenty regular consumers of marijuana who had undergone a single

administration through a vaporiser, the researchers could demonstrate the effectiveness of this method for the significant improvements found in the patients’ respiratory functions. Technically, cannabinoids evaporate at 185°C (365F°) and if a vaporiser is set at the right temperature, as shown in the paper “Cannabis Vaporizer Combines Efficient Delivery of THC with Effective Suppression of Pyrolytic

exceeding 200°C, which was likely to cause discomfort among the most sensitive users. Alternatively, the vaporising chamber may host up to 500 mg of herb, which can be vaporised at a temperature below 185°C by filling the balloon several times. In this case, the delivery is gradual but dosage less constant. If cannabis is vaporised repeatedly, it will gradually lose its therapeutic value and taste. The first inhalation is the best as, in this case, evaporation only relates to resin crystals, but then further inhalations gradually attack the vegetable fibre as well. After the evaporation of the full resin, residual dehydrated herbs may be added, for instance, to the compost to be used for plants and, for those who have a mystical approach to cannabis, this is somewhat a less serious sin than burning herbs. Vaporisers should be supplied to the National Health Service. Users can build their own (see the procedure on

Personally, I found that, in the treatment of backache due to incorrect posture, the same type of marijuana is ineffective if inhaled as smoke, especially if mixed with tobacco, but heals the pain if taken in the form of vapour, as it clears the respiratory tract and gives relief. In case of backache, for instance, as cannabis improves the control of the body and vapour does not affect the lungs, I try to direct the inhaled cannabinoids towards the back of the lungs, close to where the pain is, and breathe by moving the aching part of the body. If you observe a dog breathing (animals are generally more adapted to life on earth than humans are), you will notice without difficulty that, when they breathe, they move all of their body, not only their belly. This type of breathing is very natural and healthy, and for those who cannot do without it, due to illnesses or emotional blocks, it can be eased by vaporising marijuana with lungs totally full. Vaporisers avoid smoking damage, are selfdosing and, as they do not

Compounds”, published on the Journal of Cannabis Therapeutics in 2004, users can inhale them in the cleanest possible way. In using the Volcano tabletop model, we recommend inhaling small quantities (100 mg of herb) at 210°C (410°F) in a single balloon. 100 mg contains 19 mg of THC on average, 8 of which will remain deposited in the balloon while 5.5 will be delivered to the bloodstream, after the absorption of vapour droplets through the lung alveoli. If symptoms are cleared, that will do. Otherwise the quantity of cannabis should be increased or, alternatively, temperature should be reduced to below 200°C (392F°) if the effect is too strong or the vapour sizeably irritates the lungs. In particular, in a paper titled "Cannabis Vaporization: A Promising Strategy for Smoke Harm Reduction", published in 2001 in the Journal of Cannabis Therapeutics under the aegis of the US anti-prohibitionist NORML, significant traces of benzene were found in vapour at a temperature

YouTube) or use their savings to buy one, as a good investment for their health and wallets. You will surely smoke less or quit smoking, and you will save much in terms of cannabis quantities, rolling papers, filters and tobacco. If, for example, a patient smokes 1 gram of marijuana a day, half could suffice with the use of a vaporiser, thus optimising consumption.

affect the respiratory system, are also ideal tools for sports and marijuana lovers, to clean the lungs and get stronger. It is also a good match for meditation and therapeutic gymnastics, such as yoga and tai chi, which are particularly effective in the improvement of a person’s mental and physical state and may favourably enter a therapeutic procedure with ganja plants.

GROW WITH STONEY TARK

Wappa Week 1 of growth period

The aim of this grow is to grow one big plant and to veg for 5 weeks and to flower for 8 weeks. I shall be using the Budmaster Osram Deluxe model of L.E.D. It uses only 300w but backs some serious power in terms of P.A.R. For my medium I will use some fresh co co inside an airpot. I germinate the seed into a jiffy and spray the jiffy with water and Super Vit. The seed cracks and a fat set of healthy glowing leaves show themselves. Under the L.E.D the seedling thrives and grows strong, under 18/6. I have the light at the top of my tent and will keep it there. The plant will grow up to the light accordingly. Now the seedling is growing a few inches each day. I keep a fan blowing on the young plant to make the stem strong as it grows, so it sways in a gentle breeze. The plant height after 5 days is 6.9cm.

Week 2 of growth period

The rate of growth is great and now, new leaves are growing bright green tips. The new growth is thick and leafy. Characteristics of the old skunk varieties show and even during immaturity of the small plants, you can get a clear fruity skunk smell. I hand feed the plant and add Atami Root Fast and Hesi TNT Complex. These nutrients are one part base feeds that are soft and P.H friendly. Plant height is now 16.2cm and leaf width of 4cm apart and 4.9cm long. Quite small and squat but thick to the touch. 2 weeks in and I check the root growth by moving the side of the pot, to find bright white hairy roots reaching for the sides. 14 days in and so far so good. The new growth is forming very quickly and soon I will add my scrog net in.

Week 3 of growth period

This strain is growing very quickly but very well also. New shoots are growing larger and thick. For my SCROG net I have made a net from plastic garden pea netting. I pin each side to the corners of the grow tent and have a nice plastic net to work with. I feed the side branches through the closest squares

to the centre and pull the main shoot to the side. This way they will grow even and fight for the light. I quickly pinch out the main head also and foliar

As a former skunk lover and someone who thrives off fruity chunky skunk buds, 2 of flower I could not wait to grow this skunk phenotype. Paradise Seeds have a 20 year Week This strain does not stretch a lot but now I have collection of some great genetics and Wappa seems to be a real blast from the a very uniform canopy height. She continues to past. She flowers in 8 weeks and produces large calyx buds, with bright orange stretch and looks to finish at a height of 70cm. considering I have pinched her out 3 times and also hairs and even brighter buds. The smell is so fruity and inviting that skunk lovers used a net; she grows vigorously to say the least. To will recognize this pedigree immediately.. By Stoney Tark / Photos by Mr. José check the stem, it is now 4.9cm wide but very tough spray everything. Now I have a net over the canopy it is difficult to judge the plant height. Either way, the stem is now a thickness of of 1.3cm in width. The width of the fan leaves are now 12.4cm in width and 15.9cm in length. The scent is now skunky and mouth watering with a small squat presence.

Week 4 of growth period

The net is working well and from above, my canopy is very wide. I have 9 main shoots all growing through. The head of the top shoot that I pinched out last week has returned with 2 bright green shoots. Now I will pinch out each of the main shoots and then will pull the new growth back through the net. I do this to promote new growth and to finish with a canopy that is as wide as possible. I add my feed at 6ml per litre and ensure the plants are happy after pinching them out. I spray the shoots that I removed and make sure the screen is clear for new growth to grow up through. The Budmaster light is doing the business and plant health is very vigorous and sturdy. After 28 days, I now have twice as many tops and the screen is becoming fuller. The canopy height is spot on and if you look at the canopy from the screen, it will appear totally even. By this point, the new growth is through the screen. I decide to pull the shoots back through so now the whole metre square of screen is occupied. Once I am happy I have plenty of space and a good air flow, I will pinch these plants out for a third time. If I can achieve as many productive heads as possible, then it will be a successful scrog. The smell of this strain is very floral and skunky, fruity yet menacing.

Week 5 of growth period

The last week of veg and now things look great. My scrog net is totally full whilst any lower growth

below the net was swiftly removed. The stems on the wappa are getting thick real quick. The main stem has really packed on weight and has grown to a width of 3.3cm. Not only has the stem grown 2cm and turned hard and woody, there are stretch marks around the base. I snap several of the main stems and leave them in the net. This is a good idea to induce strong woody plants. I add Hesi TNT Complex at 5ml per litre and Super Vit. The plants have been through a lot of stress so for the next 2 weeks I shall leave them to grow out. Paradise Seeds have made a very easy to grow, easy to work with strain, that I would say so far ticks all of the boxes. Day 35 and I flower the plants.

and woody. The overall shape of Wappa is like the Jewish candle stick. I am hoping to see some of the long budding arms come through strong. The smells are now so smelly and sweet, I find it hard not to pull a bud off and Rosin Tech it for oil! When you brush past the plant, the room fills with a powerful skunk aroma. A very smelly plant especially as she

Week 1 of flower

After many years of growing skunk strains in the 19902000 era, I became use to pop corn sized nugs of bright green proportion. Usually flowered in 7.5 weeks max and rewarded with stinking orange haired goodness. Now Wappa is an 8 week variety so let’s see what weight she can pack on. I feed Hesi TNT Complex and Super Vit. The canopy is filling out now with a real density. I expect a good sized stretch; after all it will help a little with canopy control. The plants grow up past the screen and shoot up nearly 10 inches or so. She recovers from the pinching out and snapping of the stems. The Budmaster light is now 80cm above my plant but is still generating enough P.A.R to demand serious growth. The fan leaves expand dramatically and now display a real width to them.

prepares to bud. I feed Hesi TNT and now after 14 days will start to use Hesi PK 13/14.

Week 3 of flower

Now this strain is producing new quickly growth very quickly. A new aroma develops sweeter and skunky. A real pleasure to anyone who can appreciate a fine aroma of dank Forrest fruits. She still continues to stretch but only by 10cm on average. If anything now, she is really pushing for lateral growth. The trichomes begin to form in clusters on the new growth and lower shoots. To squeeze a leaf with trichomes on leaves behind the softest peachy fruit

29 skunk aroma. It is really a delight and one I cannot wait to enjoy in many different ways. After 21 days of flower, everything looks really good. The plants look like they could not be happier, with leaves pointing up and angled towards the light. Air flow is great and my temps are 22 degrees. I find with the L.E.D that heat issues are not as prevalent.

Week 4 of flower

Day 28 and the rate of growth is staggering. This plant sure grows fast and wide. Now the plant vigour is really filling out. New growth is blooming like crazy. All frosty leaves grow from every part of the plant and the aroma has changed slightly to a peachy pine smell. The buds that are forming are large with old school skunk characteristics on display. There seems to be budding sites forming everywhere and now my scrog net is working perfectly. I would advise this strain for anyone who wants to scrog or ´sea of green´ scenario. I add Hesi PK 13/14 at a rate of 4ml per litre whilst adding Hesi TNT at 5ml per litre. I am very impressed by how this plant is taking to the nutrients and L.E.D.

Week 5 of flower

Half way the blooming phase and so far so good! I see some serious biomass forming now. The buds are swelling up with new trichome rich leaves growing though. The wooden stems are strong and show vigour. I check and see nothing but biomass buds forming. I add PK 13/14 at 5ml per litre and add Super Vit. The buds are turning to a lighter green drenched in white crystal, that show an abundance of cloudy heads forming under a lupe. The pistils are bright white and thick hairs. They grow all over the forming buds as they fill out with a large density.

buds is round but pointy looking. The hairs are big and fluffy and what hairs have turned brown, wrap themselves around the calyx. There is a clear pungent fruity skunk smell that sends the senses wild and it only makes me more eager to harvest this beautiful lady! For this week I am only feeding water so will be flushing for a total of 14 days.

Week 8 of flower

Now this lady is at the end of her bloom cycle and looks incredible. There are buds packed in every area and sugar leaf to die for. Harvesting should not be too difficult as there is a very high calyx to leaf ratio. I cut the screen off and am able to see the final outcome. I have plenty of stems to chop down and after 55 days, I decide I am more than happy with this feminized strain from Paradise Seeds. I harvest as soon as lights out and turn on the green lamps I have. Firstly I remove the fan leaves as quickly as I can, then get to see what I will chop and what I will save for trim. I carefully trim these fat plump buds into shape and fill my dry net top to bottom. I keep the buds in a cool dry place with a very soft air movement and check up every 3 days. After 10 days the buds are ready to weigh. Off 1 plant I got just over 14.5 oz dry.

LIGHTS:

Budmaster 300w Osram Deluxe LED NUTRIENTS: Atami Root Fast, Hesi TNT Complex, Hesi PK 13/14, Super Vit MEDIUM: Large airpot + 20 Litres of Canna Co Co TENT: 1.2m x 1.2m x 2m VEG PERIOD: 36 Days (SCROG) BLOOM PERIOD: 55 Days (SCROG) YIELD: 406g

The buds smell very inviting and very exotic. I hope they will taste as sweet as they look. I put a small bud in the grinder and out comes what looks like twice as much! The colour is bright green and smells like mango but like berries also. There is a definite fruity skunk taste that coats the lips, leaving the smoker guessing what that winning combination really is. When entering a room with Wappa being smoked, the aroma is pungent and skunky. The initial high is light and giggly, whilst the head feels lighter. After my second joint, there is a big cerebral high that has me thinking deep...comforted by a total relaxing feeling. I develop an enormous appetite and am ready to watch a long movie... In the end I am over the top with the results from this grow. Another Paradise Seeds strain that produces top quality flowers at ease, as well as possesses true medicinal qualities.

Week 6 of flower

The shape of the plant is really filling out. The nugs are turning to a clumpy round shape, whilst buds fill the plant all over. If I squeeze the buds, I can really squeeze with force and press the biomass. The nugs smell very fragrant with a sharp fruit with a skunk background. All of the leaves are still pointing at 45 degree angles in response to the perfect lighting and feeding conditions. Now I will watch as this strain fills out and becomes bulky. Day 42 and after I feed once more with Hesi PK 13/14 and TNT Complex before I begin to flush.

Week 7 of flower

After 50 days of blooming and she is looking thick with flowers. A very productive easy to grow plant. I am excited to see the calyxes are large and chunky. Looks like the kind of buds where a gram from the coffee shop, would fill a bag up. The shape of the

Wappa produces fruity dense buds

A high calyx to leaf ratio makes trimming easy dense buds

PROTECTION

Winter Cleaning Winter is a great time to relax and hang out indoors. However, it's also a good idea to do some garden maintenance at this time of year. For indoor growers, perhaps you can sterilize your space between cycles. Doing this thoroughly each time the seasons change is a good way to keep to an annual schedule. Outdoor growers (weather notwithstanding) will find their spring garden chores a little easier if a few simple tasks are completed during the colder months. Sativa Diva

YOU'VE HEAD OF 'SPRING CLEANING', BUT WINTER IS AN ESSENTIAL TIME FOR CLEANING AND PROTECTING YOUR GROW SPACE Plastic flower pots, plant tags, pH meters, shelving units – everything should be sanitized and disinfected, if possible. If nothing else, scrub off all the layers of nutrients and other products that build up over the months. While some swear by bleach and other hard-core chemicals to truly sanitize their space, others realize that harm that is done to the environment as a result of releasing these substances into the water supply. If whatever you are using is burning your eyes, it's probably bad news. Try researching recipes for household cleaning agents made from natural ingredients such as baking soda, lemon juice, or vinegar.

OUTDOORS

Any brick or patio surfaces may be cleaned with a wire- or hard plastic brush. Decking can be washed to remove any traces of contamination from your last harvest. Choices abound in terms of disinfectant products, although even those among you not concerned about the environment should be well informed about the choices you make regarding these chemicals. There is always the possibility that you can disturb or

INDOORS

The most important thing you can do as a grower is to keep your room(s) as clean as possible. Starting with a dirty space will only ensure that you will encounter problems along the Scrub and sterilize pots, watering cans way – even Cutting back dead areas prevents mold and potting surfaces, indoors or outand infestation, promotes spring growth the best growers occasionally experience ruin the progress of your plants by contaminating them with these subgardening tragedies, so it's better to do what you can to prevent these stances. Rinse everything thoroughly after washing. problems from arising. That is, don't tempt fate. Surfaces such as black/white plastic are better replaced than cleaned; if you truly cannot afford to do so, you run the risk of harboring fugitives during the cold, dusty months. Some species of pests hibernate over the winter, so don't assume that they aren't there just because you can't see them. These beasties can hide in the corners, cracks and crevices of any grow space, so do your best to avoid using porous surfaces during construction. When purchasing equipment be sure to ask how and with what to clean it; the choices you make in grow room technology may help or hurt your process later on.

As with indoor grows, now is the perfect opportunity to clean all of your pots, implements and other gardening equipment all at once. It's not just the area, pots and tools that need to be cleaned up: cutting back the dead, dry growth on your other garden plants is a good way to prevent infestations, mold, or mildew. These brown dusty clumps of dead vegetation are the perfect breeding ground for certain parasites, which inhabit the soil and incubate until nicer breeding weather comes along. A bit of hard work now goes a long way towards the success of your next crop.

GROW WITH JORGE CERVANTES

Classical Cannabis Breeding Classical breeding is an ancient cyclical process that cannabis breeders still use today. Decisions are made based on observation of large numbers of plants; the breeder does not know exactly what genes have been introduced to the new cultivars. All the breeder can do is choose plants based upon visual inspection, smell, and gut feeling.

The next step is to choose individual plants with the desirable traits of both parents. A lot of the time you get lucky and the offspring carry the desirable genes and traits. Cannabis breeders often take clones of these desirable individual plants. Too often they do not retain the male plant and have a “clone only” variety.

plants similar to the favored parent. For example, to make the mildew-resistant progeny of the cross most like the high-yielding parent, the progeny will be backcrossed to that parent for several generations (see “Backcrossing,” below). This process removes most of the genetic contribution of the mildewresistant parent.

genes to guarantee specific qualities such as extreme resistance to powdery mildew or insect and mite attacks. There are recessive genes and dominant genes that are controlled by alleles; this is where breeding becomes much more complex. See “Influence of Alleles,” below. Other traits, such as acclimatization to a specific climate, are relatively easy because the plants that grow best in the environment are continually selected. Organic gardeners breed plants acclimated to their outdoor climate and achieve much higher yields. For this reason, organic medical gardeners in Northern California are able to grow 10-pound (4.5 kg) plants. To breed for cold tolerance, grow out plants in cold conditions. Remove plants that suffer cold damage easily. Breed plants that withstand cold temperatures.

Thin-Layer Chromatography

Classical breeding practices were followed by T. H. Seeds to produce this ‘MK-Ultra’ variety Classical cannabis breeding is simple: two varieties, a male and a female, are chosen. Each parent has desirable characteristic—fragrance, potency, mold resistance, and so forth. The male pollen fertilizes the female flower and their genes combine into a new genetic mix contained in the seed.

Classic cannabis breeding helped solidify distinct, desirable characteristics. When a desirable trait has been bred into a plant, crossing other plants to this parent makes new

To breed for mold resistance, grow out plants in moldy conditions. Remove plants from garden that catch mold easily. Keep plants that do not get mold or are late to get mold. Breed plants that do not mold It is very difficult to isolate specific

Thin-layer chromatography can be used to take tests and make selections based upon cannabinoid profiles. Cannabinoid profiles are similar throughout a plant’s life stages, and breeding decisions can be based upon these profiles. For example, the cannabinoid profile can be tested on two-month-old seedlings. Plants with desirable profiles are kept, and those with undesirable plants are culled..

See “Modern Cannabis Breeding” at the end of this chapter for an

Dominant and Recessive Traits Dominant and recessive traits are dictated by alleles that are inherited from both parents. But, even though the cannabis genome has been decoded, specific gene function has not been deciphered. Consequently, the examples below must be used as guidelines because many traits are driven by a combination of genes.

‘LA Confidential’ from DNA Genetics was the first Cannabis indica variety to have its genome mapped. In August 2011, Dr. Kevin McKernan announced that his company had successfully mapped the genomes (shotgun sequence) for Cannabis sativa (‘Chemdawg’ variety) and later C. indica (‘LA Confidential’). Medicinal Genomics then publicized its work on C. sativa via Amazon’s EC2, a cloud-computing service that gives free access to the scientific community. Search “Cannabis genome EC2 cloud” on www.google.com for more information. overview of marker-assisted selection (MAS).

Influence of Alleles

two copies of the same allele. If a plant is heterozygous, it has two different alleles for a given trait.

Dominant: An intra-allelic interaction such that the presence of an allele of one parent masks the presence of an allele from another parent plant, in the expression of a given trait in the progeny. Only the dominant trait is shown in the first generation of offspring. Of the F2 generation, 75% will also show the dominant condition. Recessive: An intra-allelic interaction such that an allele of one parent is masked by the presence of an allele from the other parent plant, in the expression of a given trait in the progeny. The recessive trait is not shown in the first generation of progeny (F1) but will

The phenotypes seen in a given individual are the result of an interaction between the plant’s genotype and the environment. For example, here are three phenotypes: short, medium, and tall. Remember, the genotype describes the genetic condition responsible for the phenotype, and to represent it in discussion we assign it symbols. Phenotypes

Genotypes

Short

Medium

Tall

reappear if siblings are mated, and the F2 progeny will result in 25 percent of plants showing the recessive condition. We can demonstrate Mendel’s Laws in a Punnett square to predict the possible outcome of one genetic trait (monohybrid). The example below uses Mendel’s pea plant experiment. He crossed two yellow pea plants, and they produced three quarters yellow peas and one quarter green peas. The Punnett square accounts for all the possible combinations for one gene. Each of the four squares in the box represents one new offspring. A monohybrid is a genetic cross between two parents; one parent has two dominant alleles for a specific gene and the other two recessives for the same gene. The offspring, monohybrids, have one dominant and one recessive allele for that gene. A cross between the offspring produces a 3:1 ratio when grown out the following (F2) generation of dominant:recessive phenotypes.* *This example is based on Mendel’s monohybrid pea plant cross. Little information is available to the public about specific gene loci of cannabis. An excellent worksheet is available at BiologyCorner. com (www.biologycorner.com/ worksheets/pennygene_key.html). The ratio is demonstrated in the Punnett square below.

There are always two versions of every gene (allele). For example, if there are two lower-case “s” plants with “small stature” the plant will be shorter. But if the plant has capital “S” and has the “tall” gene, the phenotype is tall. If both genes are inherited, the plant is medium height. Homozygous / heterozygous: These are terms used in describing the genotypic condition of a plant, with regard to the similarity of the alleles for a given trait. If a plant is homozygous for a given trait, it has

This indica-dominant ‘Peyote Purple’ was developed by Cannabiogen.

The monohybrid cross ratio is demonstrated in the Punnett square

This is an excerpt from chapter 14, “Preserving the Sanctuary” from the Cannabis Encyclopedia (594 pages, 2,000+ color images, large A4 format) by Jorge Cervantes that will be available April 2015. For more information please see Jorge´s website, www.marijuanagrowing.com.

EUROPEAN WHOLESALER

Wembley

Breeder: Pyramid Seeds

GROW WITH STONEY TARK

Strains On The Brain

By Stoney Tark

THE BEAUTY OF CHOICE

Cannabis has evolved over thousands of years and more recently in the hands of breeders, from all over the world. Shanti Baba made a great point once about how a Bee cannot travel across an ocean so we are accidental heroes.. During that interview at Shanti's grow room, he had on display every possible cannabis strain that he had personally acquired over his time as a purveyor of the finest Cannabis. If you have seen the video, whilst playing Beethoven to his enormous mother room, Shanti talks through the strains and he is basically giving a history lesson through his stock and the progression of the once so underground plant. With so many different strains to choose from and with new seed banks popping up all the time, with new strains, it can be nearly impossible to find the Holy Grail that ticks all the boxes. The big yielder, the super tasty one, the one hitter quitter and the one that finishes quickest. Now these are the fundamentals that the 'cash cropper' may be looking for but for a new grower who wants something easy to grow, or something small and ideal for their small project. It may be a small tent or you may have the luxury of a large space. Some may require outdoor varieties but either way, it all starts with the strain. Considering that most plants have similar characteristics and all produce flowers, I took this opportunity to break down the family of Cannabis strains into the different groups and will explain all the diverse varieties we now occupy on the Planet. You surely have seen a seed catalogue where the companies explain the mix percentage of the variety, as for example 100% Indica, 100% Sativa, 50% Indica /50% Sativa, 25% Indica / 75% Sativa and so on. Now naturally as a new grower or even an experienced grower with years of strain knowledge, trying to figure out the true genetic makeup can be difficult to say the least. Especially is time, space and money is an issue. Also if your growing hydro or organic plays a big factor in the fundamentals of the grow. So with this being said, let us now look at all the cannabis groups.

INDICA Most growers will usually grow an Indica variety for their first time, as the Indica varieties are renown for smaller plants, wider leaves and short internodes with side branching resulting in a christmas tree like shape. Flowering time is generally around 56 days and the bud structure from Indica strains are smaller and tight, which grow as many round bud sites that eventually fill the plant out. You can also generally work out the plant height in flower will usually grow 2-2.5 times the size in veg, displaying more of a lateral growth pattern. Plant height is around 120-150 cm and yields of 450g per meter square can be

achieved. An Indica variety can only yield so much due to its genetics before seeking a hybrid or Sativa, but remain sure of a sturdy, quick to finish reliable variety. The leaves are thick and broad. A lot of full blooded Indicas will grow during veg and even over block other shoots from the light. The width of the fingers grow wide and the length short. The internodal spacing will be varied to a few inches per node and once flowered, maintain a short internodal space so stretching is easy to handle. From my experience a plant flowered at 1 ft tall with finish at 2.5 ft tall with a wide of around 1.5 ft. Strong side branches will always form so a good yield can be achieved with this easy to grow variety of Cannabis. The effect from Indica is always seen as narcotic and heavy. A full blooded Indica can be used best for pain relief thanks to its' high levels of CBD. An instant body stone takes place after a few initial tokes. The smells of the Indica varieties are earthy and hashy. The taste can combine the strong pungent earth taste with a slight fruity after taste. The Indica strains we are most familiar with originated from Afghanistan. You will also see that these plants grow lush dark green and sometimes the generally terp profile is not exactly Amsterdam tackle, but it is an excellent start point for growers or breeders to work from. A few examples if you ever get chance is to try Black Domina from Sensi Seeds or Afghan # 1, or Afghooey. These Afghan strains express the best qualities of the Indica. Smoke these buds and you will find out why they are considered the best for medical patients in need of a very relaxing body stone and to forget about your day. You can expect to pay less for Indica buds in Amsterdam coffee shops as the as the length of time they take to grow and commercial value, are less than Sativas. A good Black Domina or Pure Afghan will set you back around €8-10 but do not expect anything ground breaking, yet if with your group of friends or partner for the first time in a coffee shop, then a general rule of thumb is the Indicas will make you stop talking whilst the Sativas will keep your talking.

White Russian from Serious Seeds is a heavy yielding Indica variety (Photo: GBI)

SATIVA For all the Sativa lovers out there, know that there is nothing in this world more rewarding than nursing a 12-14 week Sativa to its harvest. The Sativa plants expresses characteristics totally different to the Indica and give hope to the smoker who thought the Indica high was the only way to enjoy Cannabis, medicinally or recreationally. Sativa are found in Asia and parts of the globe that have much longer nights and also varied growing time. The Sativa is naturally found in equatorial regions and require longer warmer nights and can even flower with 14 hours of light due to its environment. Sativas can be easily identified as tall and thin plants that grow wild. These

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plants can finish outdoors between 8-12 feet tall with shoots that grow all the way upwards forming huge long buds. The leaves of a pure Sativa a very long yet very thin. There will often be a serration to the leaves making them appear sharper than the leaves from an Indica. The Sativa plant grows vigorously and will grow wild if left untrained. The canopy of a Sativa is a lot greater than the Indica due to its leaf and growth pattern. Once this variety is flowered then it will grow 3-4 times its original height. My first ever experience with a Sativa strain was a Hawaii Maui Waui inside a greenhouse. The plant went really crazy and it was not long till the roof of the greenhouse had the plants pushing up against it. When a Sativa variety is fully budded, the whole branch can appear to be one long bud and with excess side branches, the plant will produce a lot. Granted also it has taken 3 months or so to fully bud and ripen so naturally your rewards are heavy colas. The Neville's Haze strain takes at least 14 weeks to finish whilst some land races like the Mekong Haze takes up to 16 weeks to ripen. On a commercial scale, a time frame to veg the plant and flower can be a 16-18 week process, so consider this before you go and purchase a pack of beans that you will be committed to time wise, money wise and risk wise. To give you an idea of how the plants grow, a plant vegged at 2ft tall will grow to a height of 8-10 ft. Training if highly advised and if done well, can take plant height down to a height that suits everyone. The smell of Sativas are fruity and floral. They express the tones we are familiar with now as Amnesia, Blueberry and Pineapple and so on. The buds smell of a care giving sweetness which offers the smoker a rich dose of THC. A good Sativa will produce an energetic creative and somewhat focused cerebral high, that lasts for hours and hours. These work wonderfully for medical patients with low energy levels, depression and MS also. You can expect to pay top end in Amsterdam for a true Sativa and prices will range from €12-15 a gram.

onto sharing and caring, at some point all of these beautiful unique land races that were being smoked and most often not preserved, were crossed to make #1 first generation seeds. This was an epic time for the evolution of Cannabis and when people like Shanti Baba created the diversity that we are all familiar with today. The white strains were created also, but the opportunity to cross strains from Mexico, Thailand, Hawaii and Jamaica with Pakistani and Hindu strains, is greater than ever before. This gene pool was the next step in Cannabis evolution and developed strains like White Widow, Super Skunk, White Rhino, Afghan Skunk, AK47, Northern Lights, Silver Pearl, and many others whose names are mentioned all over the world.

Kali Mist from Serious Seeds is an almost pure Sativa. Notice how the flowers are not densely packed together but appear to be more ‘loose’. (Photo: GBI)

HYBRIDS We now have thousands of diverse hybrids in the Cannabis kingdom these days. However, before all the pioneer breeders from around the world went

A grower who wants to have the best of both worlds without having something too Sativa or too Indica dominant, can now select from thousands of Skunk, Kush, Haze and auto flowering hybrids. A perfect example of a solid hybrid is White Rhino. This strain yields very well compared to its' White Widow sister. The influence from the Afghan Indica creates a heavy side branching christmas tree shape with rock hard buds. The smell of White Rhino is fruitier also and more floral than its sister. The real test comes when you smoke the buds and you immediately notice the high level of CBD. This is an excellent medicine for pain relief, sleep, appetite and anxiety. Nature knew what it was doing when the pollen met the pistils. Other advances of the White Rhino have been Great White Shark and Romulan.

WHEN YOU ACTUALLY GROW OUT HYBRID STRAINS, YOU CAN EXPECT MORE VARIETY TO A DEGREE AND SOMETIMES FIND VARIOUS PHENOTYPES TO WORK WITH

Moby Dick from Dinafem is a special cross of a Haze variety with the famous White Widow. The plant is Sativa-dominant, grows over 2 meters tall and can get monstrous yields, but can only be grown outdoors in southern European countries due to it’s long flowering period.

Nice Seeds and The Harvestmen. There are many more of course, but please do your research into the seed banks and their genetics before buying. Now most seed banks boast a wide variety but upon closer inspection you will see they cross a lot with the same parents and hybrids so really limit the extension of that seed bank's gene pool.

When you actually grow out hybrid strains, you can expect more variety to a degree and sometimes find various phenotypes to work with. So if you grew out Afghan Skunk, despite it being a very stable cross, you could expect to find one phenotype that is more Indica and one that is slightly more Skunk. Then you will come across what is referred to in a successful breeding cross a hybrid vigour. The aim of the game for a good breeder is to create a generation of seed that possesses the hybrid vigour. A uniform selection of the best of both plants. The growth pattern of one but the taste and high of the other. Or the smell of one and the yield and high of the other.

Some hybrid strains I would definetly recommend on a personal note are Chronic, AK-47, Pot of Gold, Moby Dick, Jack Herer and Silver Pearl.

Some growers may have experienced diversity from a pack of seeds that was too much and left the grower with many versions of the unstable cross.

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This often results in one plant that is half the size of the other. Good reputable seed banks I would recommend for

true hybrid strains are Dinafem, Serious Seeds, Paradise Seeds, Royal Queen Seeds, Sweet Seeds, DNA Genetics, Mr.

Auto flowering strains originally came from places with harsh conditions and cold short summers. The genus Ruderalis was discovered and now thanks to recent advances, some fantastic auto flowering hybrids can be grown. The first attempts at crossing the Ruderalis resulted in 10 inch small budding plants. Lowryder from Italy was the first commercial auto variety to enter the market at a time when they did not really have a place in the market. The Auto Maria did not taste nice and the reality was with THC levels of around 8%, the Ruderalis needed

42 serious work. Now nearly every company offers autos as part of their range. In fact a lot of big companies like Royal Queen Seeds, Paradise Seeds or Sensi Seeds now have created auto versions of all their predecessors. The commercial value for auto variety strains in hot countries is very high indeed. From the creation of these strains, growers can enjoy a multitude of Indica, Sativa or even hybrids that will flower automatically creating a small version of the original plant in around 75 days or less. Also plant height of around 1 metre and a generous yield of 60-80g per plant.

around that one could smoke. With soaring THC levels in the low twenties, it is now considered on the main breeding blocks that we have today. For stability a White Widow can always deliver when breeding with it. From the White Widow came White Russian, The Rhino and The Great White Shark. Moby Dick from Dinafem also crossed a Haze with the Widow and the result was a huge producer. White strains are very easy to grow and can be very rewarding if done right. The name comes from the amount of trichomes the plant produces result-

White Widow is a true Dutch classic and one of the world’s most famous Cannabis strains ever (Photo: Dinafem)

SKUNK There is no school like the old school and Skunk is the head master. Developed in Holland, Skunk # 1, Skunk # 11, Super Skunk, Shiva Skunk, Lemon Skunk, Early Skunk, Oasis, Shiva Shanti were a few that were celebrated by the Dutch. Skunk hybrids that set the way for buds to stink as we know it. I wonder how long it took someone to think of the name Skunk!

Northern Light Automatic from Royal Queen Seeds is a world wide bestseller and a heavy yielding Ruderalis x Indica (Northern Light) cross (Photo: cccp)

WHITE STRAINS The White strains that have become house hold names were once considered the best. When the famous Dutch/

ing in a snow white resin coat. A lot of mystery remains about the original genetics of the White Widow, as most companies sell the seeds to growers for commercial reasons, to say it is the original is a big claim. The Dutch knew it locally as White Skunk and I also heard the mother died in a house fire a long time ago. Much speculation surrounds the original genetics around

Recently Skunk has made its come back with Critical (Afghan x Skunk) being a much sought after strain. Also Shoreline from The Devil's Harvest is one of my personal favorite strains. The high off a good Skunk is giggly and bubbly and creative. The taste is super fruity and often lemony. Skunk offers big strong bright green plants. You can expect pop corn style nugs with beautiful calyx formation and a low leaf to bud ratio. Reliability is what Skunk offers and light soft buds also. You can show Shiva Skunks that have incredible fruity filled flavors. In the UK as most are familiar, there is a strain named The Steel City Blues. This is a B52 x Shiva cross that has remained the course of time and is still most people favorite stash. If you are lucky enough to smoke the cut from JB So Skunk has pioneered the way. Big Bud from Sensi Seeds was notorious for its yield and again another member of the Skunk Family, as is Chronic from Serious Seeds.

THERE IS NO SCHOOL LIKE THE OLD SCHOOL AND SKUNK IS THE HEAD MASTER Surinamese grower Ingemar produced White Widow in the 90s, at the time it was looked upon as the finest flowers

today but one thing is for sure, those who have smoked it when it was the scene know how good this really was.

I notice a lot of the good producing auto flowering strains have a Skunk in and also shortens the flowering time.

Super Skunk from Sensi Seeds is one the the great Skunk classics on the market (Photo: Sensi Seeds)

KUSH The true genetics of Kush varieties are unknown. Some say OG Kush is a mix of ChemDawg with a Lemon Thai and Pakistani Kush. Others say that it’s just a special cutting of ChemDawg from the early 90s. Even the meaning of the name OG has been debated, with some saying it means Original Gangster. However, because of its origins, most people now agree it means Ocean Grown, referring to California’s coastline. In any case, everyone loves Kush

44 and recently Kush has really hit the market place in a big way, especially with some American breeders taking Kush varieties to a whole new level. The most famous Kush is without doubt the OG Kush. The Kush strains that were developed in California like the San Fernando Valley OG Kush, paved the way for the development of Kush from the Afghan phenotype to the dank, knock out greasy Kush that most rappers talk about. Similar to the background of the White Widow, the origins of OG Cali Kush remains shrouded in myth. I know the cutting was sold for $2500 and brought to Amsterdam by a good friend of mine and is now used by all the top seed banks. There are many Kush varieties out there now and a lot have that same old Afghan influence. I would recommend Girl Scout Cookies, Kosher Kush, Holy Grail Kush, O.G # 18, and Simpson Kush.

OG Kush was crowned Highlife Cup Champion of Champions this year in Holland (Photo: Dinafem)

HAZE Haze varieties are taking the market by storm now. The amazing taste and effect of Haze varieties will have many first-time smokers never want to go back to their Indica’s. Luckily for us, there are some truly wonderful exotic Haze varieties

of flowering time to finish. The effects of Haze is very narcotic. You can expect a little ‘weed hangover’ the next morning. Prying your eyes open is always difficult, since Amnesia is one of the best natural sleeping medicins. Considering it is a Haze, the effects are narcotic and as the

I hope this has helped break down the Cannabis family tree and that I have given you some insight into the history of breeding. Remember, the choice in genetics we have nowadays is staggering, with more new hybrids being developed all the time. Keeping

THE AMAZING TASTE AND EFFECT OF HAZE VARIETIES WILL HAVE MANY FIRST-TIME SMOKERS NEVER WANT TO GO BACK TO THEIR INDICA’S available on the market. Not so long ago, Super Lemon Haze took the Cannabis Cup by storm and now all over the world Amnesia Haze is the preferred Haze. Amnesia Haze takes 13 weeks or more

name suggests, it is not long before your forget everything, or at least the motivation and drive to do things! As a grower expect Haze plants to have a 85+ days flowering period. You must have a really good control of the canopy and lots of patience. By the time you veg, flower and dry your buds, you are looking at an 18 week process! In the coffee shops in Amsterdam you are expected to pay 10 euro for basic Amnesia and then €14+ for the Neville’s and other high grade Hazes. They are always on the menu, right on top!

Neville’s Haze is widely viewed as the Mother of all Haze varieties. (Photo: archive Soft Secrets)

up with the latest and greatest genetics is key for a successful grower! However, showing classic strains the respect they deserve is also important. Brush up on your genetics and spend some time to learn about the history of plants and breeders. Perhaps even play around a bit to create your own strains. Why not? The possibilities are endless and who knows, one day you will have grown your own unique piece of cannabis history! Happy growing everyone. Peace!

COMIC

NEWS

'LEGALISE WEED NOW' EXPERTS WARN DOPEY BRITAIN FALLING BEHIND USA AND EUROPE DRUG experts have called for cannabis to be legalised NOW – as they warn dopey British laws are falling behind the USA and other countries. A retired top cop, the Government's former chief drugs adviser and a police and crime commissioner are among a growing number of respected professionals joining stoners to call for a change in the law. They claim the UK is wasting £500million a year and scant police resources on a "war on drugs" it CAN'T WIN and targeting patients and pot-heads alike for something 60% of young people have at least tried. Many western countries – including the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Germany and half of American states – have legalised or decriminalised marijuana in some form. Ireland is considering decriminalising ALL drugs at the moment. But Britain is "an ostrich with its head in the sand", the experts warn. Professor David Nutt – former top drugs advisor to the Government – said drug use has DROPPED since Portugal decriminalised narcotics and started treating addicts as patients rather than criminals. He claimed a MILLION Brits under 30 have a criminal record thanks to weed – and that does them more harm than the marijuana as they could turn to heroin in prison. Prof Nutt – whose long list of titles include chairman of neuropsychopharmacology at Imperial College, London, chairman of DrugScience and President of the European Brain Council – said there were "vast" benefits to using cannabis – but outdated laws are blocking proper scientific research. He told the Daily Star Online: "We are the only country in the world, with the possible exception of Russia, that is moving drugs further towards punishment than health – and we are moving in the wrong direction. "Two-thirds of Americans now have access to medical marijuana – and we continue to break down the doors of people with MS and lock them up. "We are like an ostrich with its head in the sand." He called for marijuana to be LEGALISED and regulated so authorities control how much people can access – like paracetemol. As former chief constable of Cambridgeshire Police, Tom Lloyd spent 30 years banging up stoners. But now he heads the National Cannabis Coalition – which calls for adults to be allowed to puff away and medicinal marijuana for anyone who needs it – including CHILDREN. Mr Lloyd said dope is surrounded by unfounded myths – such as it causing psychosis. He told the Daily Star Online: "If you go back to the 60s we had a few tens of thousands of cannabis users. "Now we have three million – but we have seen no increase in schizophrenia. "It is embarrassing for the UK to ignore what's happening around the world, where police, governments and law enforcement agencies realise that drug prohibition doesn't work.

"Sadly our Prime Minister and Home Secretary have closed their ears. "They don't care about protecting children." So far 25 of America's 50 states have legalised medicinal cannabis, 18 have stopped locking up dope heads caught with small amounts, and four states – Colorado, Washington, Oregon and Alaska – have legalised marijuana for RECREATIONAL use. Spanish stoners are free to toke away in private "cannabis clubs". Uruguay has completely legalised the drug – with the state even taking care of production. But Britain is unlikely to follow suit. Prime Minister David Cameron is widely reported to have smoked dope – and snorted cocaine – as a uni student. But the Government has ruled out any relaxing of the law on cannabis. Mike Penning, Minister for Policing, Crime, Criminal Justice and Victims, said: "The Government has no plans to decriminalise cannabis. "There is clear scientific and medical evidence that cannabis is a harmful drug which can damage people’s mental and physical health and harms individuals and communities. “The UK's approach on drugs remains clear – we must prevent drug use in our communities and support people dependent on drugs through treatment and recovery. "At the same time, we have to stop the supply of illegal drugs and tackle the organised crime behind the drugs trade." Labour Party sources told the Daily Star Online it doesn't want any debate and it is "happy to leave things as they are". But some overstretched British police forces are already taking matters into their own hands and have quietly stopped prosecuting people caught with cannabis. Derbyshire, Dorset, Surrey and Durham police are among forces no longer pursuing people who consume – or even GROW – small amounts of the class B drug. A spokeswoman for Durham's police and crime commissioner Ron Hogg – who hit the headlines this summer after telling his officers to offer cannabis users drug treatment instead of arrest – said: "The current drugs policy is failing. "If the aim is to stop people taking drugs and stop people committing crime in order to fund their habit we must follow the evidence and support people to recover rather than send them to prison. "A wider debate on our approach to drug use is required." Peter Reynolds, of campaign group Cannabis Law Reform, said: "We are isolated in the world. "There are 250million people in Europe who have access to medical cannabis. "It's only France, the UK and Ireland who persist with this neanderthal approach. "The laws against cannabis are causing by far the most harm. "The criminalisation of cannabis creates a £6billiona-year underground industry. "If it were legalised that could create much needed employment." Source: Dailystar.co.uk

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Colofon Soft Secrets is published by Discover Publisher BV P.O.Box 362, 5460 AJ, Veghel, Netherlands Telephone: +31-(0)73-5498112 Fax: +31-(0)73-5479732 E-mail: info@softsecrets.nl Editor: Cliff Cremer Contributors: Ed Rosenthal, Jorge Cervantes, Dr. John Dee, Sativa Diva, Stoney Tark, Kali Mist, Robert B., Mr. Jose and others Comics: Jim Stewart Editorial adress: readers@softsecrets.nl Advertisements: E-mail: info@softsecrets.nl A word from the publisher: Soft Secrets is published in: The Netherlands (Highlife), Germany, France, Italy, Spain, UK, Poland, Czech Republic, Chile and Argentina. 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 photos and/or images. Those who still believe they are entitled to these rights may contact the publisher.

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