40 minute read
What does potassium do to your plants?
from 2019 03 UK
by SoftSecrets
Sweet Seeds
SORBETS, TANGERINES AND COOKIES!
Wishing you a sweet and therapeutic 2019
For Sweet Seeds®, the beginning of 2019, the last year of the this decade, marks the culmination of a rigorous process of élite clone search and selection for the breeding of new, high-yielding, easy-to-grow hybrids with marvellous aromas and tastes, as signs of an identity that has never changed over the years, since the day when this great seed bank was founded.
For this new 2019 season, Sweet Seeds has developed a range of new products that will delight all home growers and cannabis lovers. Whatever your preference is – tall sugary autos, US genetics, medical cannabis – you will fall in love with the star of the season, an exquisite and remarkable strain with red flowers that joins our Red Family, this time in a photoperiod dependent version.
Our new red-flower ‘photoperiod’ – with ultra-rapid flowering – named Red Mandarine F1 Fast Version® (SWS79) has finally come to the fore to show us all its beauty and splendour – after various years of search, selection and development of the tastier photoperiod specimens. Our original goal was to meet the needs of a large number of customers, forum members and followers of Sweet Seeds® in social networks who, after the astounding success of our auto-flowering Red Family, were seeking a new product that was as good, beautiful, stable as the original plant, but this time in a photoperiod version.
Had we been able to launch this strain 5 years ago, when our customers first requested it, we would have done it! But good work needs time, patience and devotion. And now we can finally roll out a red-flowered plant that is compliant to the Sweet Seeds® standard and
stands out for its aromatic perfection, unsurpassed quality level, and a seed germination rate of approximately 95%.
Based on our previous successes, we thought the best way to close the decade was to cross a rare and infrequent redflower phenotype, with a great aroma and an intense tangerine taste, i.e. the photoperiod élite clone of Tangie (California Orange x a Skunk hybrid), with our Red Poison Auto® (SWS39). Version® for its superior tangerine notes. This plant is very elegant, resinous and embellished by awesome red flowers and is ready to be harvested after only 7-8 weeks from the change to the flowering photoperiod.
Our hard work finally rewarded us with probably the best smelling red-flower variety available on the market. Its
powerful sweet tangerine aroma, with fresh hints of blue cypress, makes it an ideal choice to produce fresh off-the-bud extracts standing out for the quality of their aroma. Another unique quality is the reddish and rosy hues of its resin coating.
Nowadays, quality plants are trendsetters in a dynamic, rapidly changing virtual world where the USA still leads the scene for its glorious tradition. Cannabis is no exception to this tendency and all plants that meet with success in the USA, will soon achieve it in the rest of the world, including Europe. Year after year, we receive different élite clones from the USA, which we select and cross with our classics to create offspring meeting the tastes of the most demanding cannabis consumers and growers. This time, using various select élite female clones of Do-Si-Dos as starting material, we developed a cannabis masterpiece (its name comes from the US highly popular Do-Si-Dos ‘Girl Scout Cookies’ produced from a mix of oat and peanut butter and a unique aromatic and sweet flavour).
The genetics we used is much appreciated among medical cannabis users in Californian dispensaries to treat pain, headache, anxiety, insomnia, etc. After a programme of selection and improvement, we obtained a final product which is also pleasant and sweet. This is how Do-SweetDos® (SWS80) was born, a plant with sweet earthy aromas and a citric/floral backdrop. Its exaggerated resin cover and the large size of calices in its flowers call to mind the quality of its ancestor Girl Scout Cookies. The effect is relaxing and powerful.
Another remarkable Sweet Seeds® product, with a similar US origin, equally required an arduous selection, improvement and development work. It is an auto version of one among the most potent and famous American lines coming from the San Francisco bay. Our new Sweet Gelato Auto® (SWS76) results from the hybridisation of Gelato, one of the most appreciated plants of the Cookies family, and our Killer Kush Auto® (SWS56).
We used OG Kush genetics to introduce auto-flowering genes into this new delicious strain of the Sweet Seeds® collection. As a 5th generation auto strain, Sweet Gelato Auto® releases a sweat and fruity aroma, with earthy notes, citric and minty hues, and dense
buds. Yield is high. Its long big-headed trichomes make it a highly resinous plant.
Whether you use it as a mild natural remedy or for tasty smoking with no psychotropic effect, you will soon
realise the qualities of the new Sweet Pure Auto CBD® (SWS75). It is the first Sweet Seeds® auto strain that makes a generational leap to the 6th generation, away from its old Ruderalis origin, with only 0.4% of Ruderalis traits and it is also the first Sweet Seeds® CBD-pure auto strain with very low THC levels
ranging between 0.4 and 0.9%, whereas the CBD rate spans from 8% to 21%. With this strain, your smoking or vaping experience will be unique. Be ready to inhale a true delicacy, without the psychoactive effect of THC-rich marihuana. For this very reason, it also suits therapeutic cannabis consumers, who do not like the psychotropic effects of THC.
Sweet Pure Auto CBD® is the result of crossing and selecting CBD-rich and THCpoor specimens; more specifically we crossed the photoperiod-sensitive Sweet
Pure CBD® (SWS70) with Honey Peach Auto CBD® (SWS64), a CBD-rick auto.
The aromas of this strain are sweet and fruity, with citric notes and a few cypress touches. You will be amazed by this ‘CBD-pure’ auto – very sweet and pleasant, smelling like the modern hybrids we are all used to, with minimum psychoactive effects but maximum taste.
However, if the qualities of this new extraordinary plant do not suit you, you should not miss the greatest of all in our new collection, two new plants we have just added to our tall “XL Auto” family. Plant them in your grow tent or garden and, before long, they will grow huge.
Then all you have to do is grab a loaf… and some large rolling paper and get ready to taste a plateful of our famous spicy cured cheese in extra large version, Sweet Cheese XL Auto® (SWS77), a present for your palate in this 2019 season.
If you have already tasted our Sweet Cheese Auto® (SWS33), in our catalogue since 2012, you already know what we are talking about. But your glass jars this time will be filled with loads of buds produced from a much bigger (75-140 cm) and consequently more productive plant. It can be harvested at only 8 weeks from seed germination, without sacrificing taste. Indeed, the typical intense and sweetish Skunk aroma of this Sweet Cheese® (SWS19) has remained unchanged. Its cured cheese base – with a spicy flavour and slight touches of lemon – will please your palate.
Another auto of the Sweet Seeds® genetic library that directly feeds on the magic potion of growth is our most famous and classic Jack 47 XL Auto® (SWS78), a Sativa-dominant plant. For 2019, make sure you do
not miss growing this great product in your garden, developed after a recurring selection – which lasted several generations – of tall high-yielding individuals of Jack 47 Auto® (SWS31).
Plants are tall (65-130 cm), with abundant and compact buds full with resin and giving off an excellent aroma. Apart from the sweet and fresh smell, with lemon and incense notes making it so special, this strain is probably among the most potent autos. Before saying goodbye, we wish to thank you for the confidence placed in Sweet Seeds and propose again our special promotion with 1 and 2 free seeds in packs of 3 and 5 seeds respectively. We also increased our strain selection in the maxi packs of 25 and 100 seeds.
Sweet Seeds capitalises on its knowledge and passion for cannabis by improving genetics, expanding its offers and
meeting the needs of its consumers, i.e. not merely the most demanding home growers but also all cannabis gourmets.
In 2019, we present you with 6 sweet novelties! They all come with the quality warranty of Sweet Seeds®, i.e. prime, highly aromatic and resinous cannabis products, with a femininity percentage of around 99.9% and a germination rate in excess of 95%. That’s all folks for now. We wish you a sweet smoking and vaping experience!
HISTORY OF CANNABIS IN EUROPE
Since the 1960’s cannabis use in Europe has seen a huge increase in the number of users. Today, more Europeans use cannabis socially or medically than ever before. And with medical cannabis being approved in more and more countries usage rates are likely to further increase in the coming decade or two. The biggest irony is that the prohibition of cannabis did very little to limit demand or reduce the number of users. But cannabis didn’t originate in Europe. It is thought to have originated in, and been indigenous to, the Indian sub-continent and Central Asia.
CANNABIS AND THE FRENCH INVASION OF EGYPT.
One of the first large-scale exposures of Europeans to cannabis came about in Egypt in the late 1700’s. Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Egypt in 1798 with thousands of troops for a campaign which lasted until 1801. Bonaparte was, amongst other things, defending French trade and commercial interests. The campaign involved extensive travels in the middle-east, primarily in Syria and Egypt. The Muslim culture meant that no alcohol was available for the troops during this campaign. Alcohol production had been outlawed and made illegal under Islamic law. The French troops were keen for some fun and social relaxation in Egypt and Syria, and the locals had the perfect solution, hashish.
MILITARY GRADE HASH.
The troops enjoyed their hash, and word spread quickly. Alcohol may have been off the menu thanks to local prohibition. But hash proved very popular and in any event, it was the only game in town. Hash must have seemed like a strange experience for the first soldiers who wouldn’t have experienced anything quite like it. The genie was out of the bottle. All of a sudden huge numbers of cannabis fans had been created and many would return to Europe to tell the tale. It’s ironic to consider that the prohibition of alcohol had allowed the introduction of such a pleasant alternative.
Interest in cannabis continued to gather pace, and reports about cannabis use would continue to trickle back to Europe. The French Doctor JacquesJoseph Moreau toured the Middle East and North Africa in the 1830’s and wrote about the psychological effects and uses of cannabis. Moreau was an influential character, who became a member of the Parisian Club des Hashischins (Club of the Hash eaters). This was formed in 1844 an can be thought of as an early cannabis social club. Members would meet up at the Hotel de Lauzon in Paris. The Club of the hash-eaters would enjoy copious amounts of cannabis.
Among the educated, cannabis was thought to offer a different creative perspective. It was popular with writers, poets artists and philosophers. Learning from Bonaparte’s troops, they found that consuming/smoking large amounts of hash would induce different mental states. Moreau was the first scientist to write a book about drugs in 1845, called Hashish and Mental Alienation. Moreau would experiment on himself, consuming heavy quantities of hash and exploring the different states between being asleep, being conscious and being under the powerful psychological effects of hash.
At the time there was a growing awareness of drugs such as cannabis and opium, and a certain degree of curiosity from the Europeans. Other Doctors, such as William Brooke O’Shaughnessy had used and studied cannabis whilst working as a medical officer in Bengal. He brought a quantity of cannabis back to Britain with him, this generated renewed European awareness and interest.
By Tony, Dutch Passion Seed Company
CANNABIS POPULARITY INCREASES. SO DO THE RULES, RESTRICTIONS AND PROHIBITION.
Through the late 1800’s cannabis use in Europe began to increase. The various European trading routes, empires and colonies ensured that cannabis use spread rapidly from one country to another. Cannabis seeds were easy to transport and grow in the new destinations. After the first harvest, there would always be a second. And so cannabis spread from Europe to South America and far beyond. Many of the first people to popularise the use of cannabis were noble explorers, Doctors and influential writers. But as cannabis culture began to spread, workers and slaves were increasingly enjoying it. And this meant the the authorities were keen to clamp down and restrict use. Throughout the late 1800’s and earlymid 1900’s various forms of prohibition were introduced. Much of this legislation was aimed at preventing African/Indian/ Asian workers from using cannabis.
MID 20TH CENTURY. THE WAR ON DRUGS BEGINS.
As cannabis use started to become mainstream in the 1950’s and 1960’s, worried Governments began to clamp down much harder on cannabis use. The United Nations led from the front, with various conventions targeting cannabis and those that enjoyed using it. Perhaps the mis-placed illegality made some people more interested in cannabis. But one lesson from the UN anti-cannabis conventions is that they simply didn’t work. Cannabis use exploded from the 1960’s onwards in Europe and the rest of the world. People didn’t appreciate being told how to relax, and they certainly didn’t like being judged or stigmatised for it.
LIBERALISATION AND MEDICAL USES.
Many Europeans felt that the restrictions on cannabis use were an inappropriate over-reaction from the nanny state. But prohibition wasn’t working for one simple reason - people enjoyed their cannabis and didn’t like others telling them not to. In 1972 the Dutch Government started differentiating between dangerous and less dangerous drugs. Tolerance had arrived, and the coffee shops began supplying personal amounts of cannabis to citizens (and plenty of tourists). Millions of Europeans were now safely enjoying cannabis. They didn’t believe the anti-cannabis propaganda from their Governments and still don’t. And what’s more, many of the new cannabis users were reporting some profound observations. They were claiming
that cannabis had some remarkable properties for people suffering from a wide range of medical conditions.
THE REALIZATION THAT CANNABIS HAS MEDICAL USES.
Claims of medical uses for cannabis were not taken seriously for many years. The UK only legalized medical cannabis in 2018, and even then didn’t do a particularly good job if it. The anticannabis propaganda had sunk in and wasn’t easy to undo. But medical cannabis quickly became a hot topic in places such as USA and was legalized in California in 1994. The evidence was easy to shove aside, but impossible to completely ignore. As medical cannabis use gained traction, public interest and usage rates continued to increase. Anti-cannabis rules and regulations began to look increasingly tenuous and ill-considered. Cannabis varieties rich in CBD further strengthened the medical case for cannabis use. Companies like Dutch Passion are also looking into selective breeding to enrich cannabis varieties with some of the minor cannabinoids which may open new medical possibilities in the future.
THE FUTURE OF CANNABIS IN EUROPE.
History shows us that medical cannabis tends to lead the way. Once medical cannabis has been approved, political fear diminishes and legality of recreational cannabis can be discussed with less hysteria. The decision by so many US states, along with Canada and Uruguay to legalize cannabis shows the likely direction for Europe. The next decade or so should see the first European countries legalize recreational cannabis. Europe may also soon see legal commercial cannabis cultivation for both medical and recreational users.
www.dutch-passion.com
WATER HASH 101
Raw material
Water hash is another favorite method of making concentrates employed all over the world. Its name comes from the water process used to collect glands from the trim, leaf, and buds. On a fundamental level, the process works because cannabinoids are not water soluble, meaning that
the desired resins are not damaged by contact with water and ice. Water hash can be smoked as loose, granular resin or pressed into traditional hashish: High-quality loose hash can easily be pressed into hashish using nothing more than the palm of one hand and some light, brisk friction, applied using the thumb of the other hand. Loose or pressed, many people are still enthralled by the unique, full-spectrum experience of this potent natural product. Water hash can be made in small or large quantities, and turnkey extracting systems can be purchased to simplify the process. It is also possible to make water hash using home-gathered equipment, but with inexpensive kits available, the savings are often negligible. Pre-
made systems offer increased precision and efficiency for the water hash process, and their availability contributed to a surge in water hash’s popularity during the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Water hash’s two decade run of dominance ended with the rise of solvent-extracted hash; shatter, wax, and other butane hashoils have muscled aside bubble hash on many dispensary shelves in the United States over the last few years. But this competition from solvent hash has also inspired water hash makers to step their game up, inspiring an increased emphasis on appearance and flavor. Ultra-fine water hash is now being sold as “solventless wax,” reflecting the broad demand for solvent-free products that mirror the desirable consistency and refined flavor profile of solvent-extracted hash.
High-grade water hash is also great for edibles, and any experienced dabber will tell you that “five star” hash is very dabbable.
It’s also next to impossible to seriously injure yourself or anyone else making water hash, because the process doesn’t involve any flammable chemicals or potentially explosive machinery.
HOW WATER HASH WORKS
All water hash methods use water, ice, and agitation to separate resin glands from plant material. Water and plant material are placed in a bucket that has been lined with filtration bags, similar in composition to the screens used for making dry sift kief. Like those screens, the bags filter the glands by micron size, separating the hash from the trash. A micron is one-millionth of a meter, or .001 millimeters. The material is stirred to knock the trichomes free, and while the plant material floats in the top bag, the glands (which are heavier) sink and are collected in the lower bags.
Ready-made systems use multiple bags that sort the glands by size: Unlike kief making, the material is separated in one step rather than through repeated sieving. Usually the material is processed once, but some commercial hash makers process it a second time to further isolate the THC.
As with all extraction methods, cold temperature is a key element of water hash production. The ice keeps the water and material very cold so the glands remain brittle and snap off with agitation. After the material is agitated in ice water, it’s allowed to settle. Then the bags are separated, and the glands are removed from each one. After the water hash is dried, it’s ready to smoke.
Water hash varies in color and can be many shades of white, brown, red, even purple. When extracted from the finestgrade material, the potency of water hash can test as high as many solvent hash products, with up to 80% cannabinoid content.
A NOTE ON YIELDS
Processing 227 grams of high-quality material usually yields between 18 grams (5% yield) to 35 grams (15% yield). Yields increase with the quality of the starting material. However, in some instances, such as with Tangie, obtaining a yield over 7% using water is nearly impossible. This is one reason solvent-based methods and other, newer extraction techniques have overtaken water processing in popularity.
But there are considerations other than yield; the full-spectrum effects and natural flavor profile of water hash are unique because the process preserves the terpenes in the glands. For this reason, some people prefer high-quality water hash to solvent-extracted products.
WATER HASH BASICS
All gland-bearing plant material (leaf, trim, buds, shake, or any combination of the four) can be used to make water hash. Dried or frozen material can also be used.
When making water hash it is important to keep the material and the environment very cold. Heat is the enemy. Lowtemperature water, near freezing, makes trichomes brittle enough to snap off. A cool room keeps terpenes from vaping off.
tion from bacteria or molds. One method is to store wet or dried cannabis in the freezer. When using material that has not been stored in this way, place it in the freezer until it gets cold.
It’s crucial to treat the cannabis delicately to preserve all of the glands and keep them on the vegetation. Take the utmost care when bucking buds from twigs and stems. Don’t mangle the material from excessive trimming or grinding. Coarsely chopped cannabis is most convenient. Remove twigs, stems, and twist ties, because they can tear the hash-making bags.
Whether using a ready-made bag system or materials from your kitchen, the basic principles of making water hash are the same. There are slight contributions by technique, patience, and proficiency, but what primarily determines the quality of the hash you produce is the caliber of the plant material and the quality and size of the filter.
READY-MADE BAGS
For water hash, the ready-made bag systems are an excellent choice. They can be used many times.
Bubble Bags are the design of Fresh Headies in Canada. Bubbleman, the head hash master of Fresh Headies, has traveled extensively, spreading the good word of water hash. He can also be found moderating in online forums on this topic. Bubble Bags are available in one-gallon, five-gallon, and twenty-gallon sizes. All filtration systems are available in sets of four or eight bags and as singles.
There are several other brands of bags. The eight-bag system separates hash into finer categories. The size difference between just-ripe THC glands and overly mature or premature ones allows them to be separated into grades.
USING BUBBLE BAGS
First, the coarse filter bag is secured in a bucket and the water, ice, and plant material are added. The cannabis is agitated using a kitchen mixer or a drill with a paint-mixing attachment — it’s worth noting that hash “purists” deplore this level of agitation. After the material settles, the starter bag is pulled out and squeezed. The bulk of the plant material now held in this bag is set aside. This material can be processed again, but the resulting product will be lower grade, though still suitable for cooking.
Line the empty bucket with the additional bags. The finest bag goes in first, so it will be on the bottom. The green water is poured into the bucket, lined with the filtering bags. Pull the bags out one by one and collect the material in the bottom of each one. Allow the end product to dry. Toss the water out or use it for watering plants.
HOME-MADE BAGS
It is possible to make your own bags or to make a smaller amount of water hash without using bags at all. To make bags, acquire silk screen in the appropriate mesh size. Standard silk-screen material is available in several size increments between the desired 100 to 150 strands per inch.
The screen must be attached to a tightly woven, water-resistant material (nylon works well) so that the silk screen forms the bottom of the bag. Multiple bags can be made with different screening levels in the 50- to 150-micron range for separating the water hash by quality. The finest screen produces the purest hash. Multiple bags should be designed to fit inside one another, with the finest mesh bag being the largest, and the coarsest mesh bag being the smallest. A separate bag made for coarse filtering (200–250-micron-sized gaps) is used to separate the bulk of the vegetation from the glands in the first phase. This bag
should line the bucket. It does not get layered with the other bags, so it should be as large as the bucket allows.
VARIATIONS ON A THEME: OTHER DIY METHODS OF WATER HASH PRODUCTION
Any overview of the water hash-making process would be incomplete without mentioning the many alternate variations on water hash—all of which use slightly different methods to combine water and agitation. Many of these methods sprung from the DIY ingenuity of home hash makers. These methods include the jar shaker method, the coffee filter method, the bucket method, and the blender method.
THE JAR SHAKER METHOD
hash is using a homemade shaker. This method is the easiest in terms of time and equipment, but it also produces the least amount of hash, and the product won’t be as pure as with methods using microngauged filtering bags. Manual agitation is more labor intensive, but it requires no electricity and can be accomplished anywhere that the materials can be gathered.
EQUIPMENT
bits, or shake business card)
METHOD
Grind the marijuana to a coarse powder, similar to dried cooking herbs such as oregano or basil, using a bud grinder, coffee grinder or blender for a very short time.
Place the material in the jar, up to 1 quarter full. Pint, quart, and 2 quart jars all work. Add equal amounts of ice and very cold water until the jar is almost full. Leave about an inch of space at the top of the jar, then seal it and shake for 10 minutes.
Pour the water/material mix into a bowl and put it in the refrigerator to allow it to settle for an hour. Most of the ice may melt in this time.
Remove the floating plant material with a tea strainer or slotted spoon. The plant material can be saved and reprocessed. Manual shaking does not remove all trichomes on the first round.
Once the plant material has been removed, allow the silt to resettle at the bottom of the bowl for 15–20 minutes. Drain off one-half to two-thirds of the water slowly, with an eye to saving all of the silt-like water hash material in the bottom of the jar.
Set up the cone lined with a paper coffee filter. Pour the contents of the bowl through the cone slowly. As the water hash collects in the bottom of the filter, the water will drain more slowly. Allow all of the water to drain from the filter. Then remove the filter from the cone, allowing it to flatten with the wet hash inside. Set it on a dish towel and carefully remove as much water as possible by pressing with the towel or paper towels.
Split the coffee filter along the seam and open it like a butterfly spreads its wings. Collect the material inside using a spoon or card to scrape it loose from the paper. The material is easier to separate from the
coffee filter when it’s dry or slightly damp.
The material can dry either before or after it’s removed from the filter. Even if some of the material is collected for use before the drying completes, the water hash should be allowed to air dry over a day or two to reduce the chance of mold. After the water hash is dry, it can be used, stored, or pressed into hash.
THE COFFEE FILTER METHOD
The coffee filter method works well for small-scale water hash production and uses common kitchen equipment.
Chop the plant material to a coarsely ground consistency. Cone-type coffee makers look like a pointier version of a standard coffee maker basket. They are inexpensive and are available at kitchenware stores, some gourmet coffee shops, grocery stores, or on the web. The #4 size or larger is recommended. Both reusable and disposable filters for these cones are available at the same shops where the cone was purchased. filters of bubble bags. Also, there is no final filtration of small vegetative matter, so the product is not as pure as the hash made in a bag system. Still, water hash produced using this method is equal in quality to dry-screened kief.
EQUIPMENT
screen business card)
THE BUCKET METHOD
The essentials of water hash methods are the same, whether using a ready-made system or working from your own homemade bags.
EQUIPMENT
ing attachment
METHOD
First, clean and sterilize the buckets and equipment. Mix 10 ounces (1¼ cups) of 3% hydrogen peroxide per quart of water to make a rinse.
If you’re using a bag in the first round, place this bag in the bucket. Add equal amounts of ice and water until the bucket is two-thirds full. Add the prepared plant material. Wearing the long rubber gloves, use your hands to submerse it evenly in the ice water. Up to 3½ ounces (100 grams) of plant material can be used in a 5 gallon bucket. One convenient tool for agitating the mix is a kitchen mixer. Another choice for agitating the water is a drill with paint mixer attachment. A larger mixing tool, powered by an industrial drill is used for the 20 gallon bags. Punch hole(s) in the bucket lid to accommodate the mixing attachments. This keeps the material from sloshing out while it’s being agitated and allows the mixer to run hands-free.
Agitate the material for 15 minutes and then allow the mixture to settle. If using a ready-made system, the speed recommended in the instructions should be used. As a general rule of thumb, lower speeds work well when mixing amounts under 5 gallons. Medium to high speeds are better when using a system that is 5 gallons or larger. As it is mixed, the material becomes frothy. You may want to remove the suds before recommencing.
Blend the material up to 4 times for 15 minutes at a time. Mixing the material more times produces higher yields, but also results in more particulate vegetative matter. Longer times produce less pure results, especially if multiple bags aren’t separating the hash into grades. With a single collection mechanism, a shorter time should be used on the first round. After this hash is collected, the plant material can be reprocessed using a longer mixing time. Multiple bags allow the material to be processed all at once without sacrificing a high-grade collection.
After the mixing round is completed, let the mixture sit for at least 30 minutes to give the glands time to sink into the collection filters. If most of the ice has melted add more. In cold weather the bucket can be set outside to keep the mixture cold.
Once the material has settled, it’s time to separate the glands. If the agitation has been done inside a bag, pull out this bag, removing the bulk of the plant material. The bucket now contains green water with silt in the bottom. This silt is the water hash and a small amount of particulate vegetative matter.
Line the second bucket with the collection bags. The finest mesh bag goes on the bottom, so it’s added to the bucket first. The coarsest bag is the last bag added, so it’s the top layer. The first bag has separated out everything over the 200–250-micron size, depending on its mesh size. Now the successive layers of the bags will do the grading for you.
Pour the water into the bucket that is lined with the filter bags. Slowly lift out each bag, allowing time for the water to drain. Be patient. If the entire bottom of the bag seems to be clogged it may be necessary to reach in and gently push some material to the side. Stir up the material as little as possible.
with towels and squeeze it to remove more water. The inside of each bag contains some tan to brown silt-like material. Carefully arrange the bag so that the material is accessible. Blot the material off with a paper towel. Remove it from the bag using a credit card or a spoon. If multiple bags were used, keep the grades separated.
Place the material in a flat-bottomed bowl, or on a plate or other surface where it can be left to dry, then put it in a cool, dark
place where it will get some airflow but won’t blow away once dry. The material will appear dry in about 12 hours, but allow a full week to completely dry and cure. Allow the moisture to evaporate from the remaining material by keeping it open to air in a cool space to prevent mold growth.
THE BLENDER METHOD
Place enough plant material in the blender to fill it halfway. Add ice and cold water in equal amounts until the blender is full. Turn the blender on at full speed for 45 seconds to a minute. Let the mixture settle. Repeat 3 or 4 times. The more times the blender runs, the higher the yield.
Pour the mixture from the blender through a colander or strainer into a mixing bowl. Bowls designed to pour, such as a pancake batter bowl or a 1–2 quart measuring cup, work best. This step separates out the bulk of the plant material.
Pour the water through the reusable coffee filter into the glass jars until they are about two-thirds full. Sealable glass canning jars work well. Smaller vegetative matter will collect in the coffee filter. However, the glands are small and pass through the reusable coffee filter into
the glass jars. After pouring the water/ trichome mix through the filter, pour two more cups of water through the filter so remaining trichomes pass through it.
Seal the jars. Place them in the refrigerator for an hour. The glands settle and form silt at the bottoms. Tapping the jars lightly a few times on a tabletop helps settle some of the floating material.
Remove the jars from the refrigerator without stirring up the material that has collected at the bottom. Pour off the top two-thirds of the water. The goal is to retain the glands that are gathered in the bottom while removing as much water content as possible.
Set up the cone on top of a suitable container such as a quart jar. Drain the remaining water and silt through the coffee filter with a disposable filter paper. The flow of water through the filter slows as the material collects; allow it to drain completely.
Carefully remove the paper coffee filter from the cone. Flatten it with the material inside by patting it with a towel.
Material can be dried before or after it’s collected from the coffee filter. Drying it inside the coffee filter takes a little longer but the hash is protected from blowing away and is easier to remove from the paper when both are dry. To dry in the coffee filter place it atop a layer of paper or cloth towels. Once it’s dry, split the filter along a seam.
Collect the material using a spoon or plastic card. Allow the material to fully dry before pressing or storing, which takes a day or two depending on the environmental conditions and the amount being dried.
TIPS
Use a siphon rather than a pour to remove one-half to two-thirds of the water from the container. This gives you more control and creates less turbulence so the silt at the container bottom is not disturbed. Use clean, flexible aquarium tubing. Place the other end of the tubing into a sink or other drainage area.
Heat speeds up the drying process. Use a propagation mat, usually used to sprout seedlings—it will maintain a 74°F (23°C) temperature—or a heating pad set on low. Place the mat under a towel and put
the drying water hash on top. Food dehydrators set on low are another effective controlled heat source.
WATER HASH DO’S AND DON’TS
Fresh-frozen material works best. If it was not stored in the freezer, place it inside until it’s frozen.
Use a standard two-beater mixer, a drill with a paint-mixing attachment, or blender. Don’t get impatient in the final steps! Dry the material thoroughly at the end of the process. Water hash stored before it is dried molds, ruining it. Water and mash left over at the end of the process contain nutrients present in the plant material. It’s great for watering plants, using as mulch, or adding to compost.
IN THE NEXT PART: ADVANCED WATER HASH
By Rich Hamilton
CARBONATED CANNABIS
With any new upcoming health or lifestyle trend businesses are always looking to cash in and benefit from the next big hype, and the partially legal, ever evolving cannabis market is no different! If 2018 was the year of endless CBD products, with everything from lubes to sweets available, then brace yourself because 2019 is going to be the year of the cannabis drink! Carbonated cannabis IS the next big thing!
The fact that this year will see the launch of the first ever dedicated cannabis drinks expo in July, in San Francisco should tell you all you need to know about the potential and demand for this product. Business trend analysts have it down as one to watch with Bloomberg.com making the projection in September 2018, that the cannabis beverage market could be worth as much as $600 million by 2022 (Personally I think thats a conservative number). Recreational marijuana is now legal across Canada and in 10 US states, with New York looking to potentially join that list this year. This is exciting as it means that there is so much potential and room to grow within this market, as the legal cannabis business "boom" is still only in its infancy.
WHY DRINKS?
Drinking is super convenient, socially acceptable, discreet, cheaply manufactured, has a long shelf life, is easily accessible, a common compliment to a good meal or staying home. Most importantly, drinking doesn’t impact on the health or social forays of others as smoking and vaping does, creating smells and unwanted second hand smoke.
These reasons show why alcohol has remained such a socially acceptable drug to indulge in, despite the devastating effect that it can have on your health. It seems that if you can drink it, then it’s ok. It’s cool to make thinly veiled jokes about “how you need a drink” or brag about how you can’t remember anything from the night before (but you had such a good time). Or to inform everyone in the office or on your social media that you are going to get “wasted” tonight! Try doing that when it comes to cannabis and you will get a much frostier reaction! Which is crazy when you think; when was the last time you saw someone who had smoked a joint, out on the street on a Friday night throwing up on their shoes and being arrested for fighting? Or clogging up and using the resources of an over-stretched health service
due to their self induced states of intoxication?? (a song from “the streets” comes to mind) But hey, I digress; that my friends, is an article all of its own. Interesting point though, don’t you think?
So back to the matter in hand, with legalisation upon us the opportunity exists to package cannabis into this consumer friendly, socially acceptable form that could probably see those who are anticannabis, tempted into trying and most possibly enjoying. Tricking themselves to believe that now that it’s in a lovely bottle featuring a woman practicing yoga with radiant skin, that it is more acceptable and has some new super food status. Or that its ok now because you can buy it with a craft beer label slapped on it, featuring claims that it has been brewed by Vegan hipsters in a log cabin out in their own self sustaining eco-system, using the teardrops of albino unicorns. The power of packaging and advertising has a lot to answer for!
I think that you have to approach any new big trend or hype with a healthy
amount of cynicism as although I’m sure that the move into cannabis drinks will result in some great new products it will also produce a lot that are just poor quality and do not live up to their claims. So with this in mind I thought it necessary to look at what is happening out there? What is legal what is not? Who are the big players and companies who want in? What can we expect to see hitting our shelves?
Whilst Cannabis is still illegal federally in the US this is not stopping the big players from investing money and marking their territory for future plans and trying out their ideas within the US dispensary market (cannabis drinks and edibles are not
CANNABIS DRINKS HAVE SEEN SOMEWHAT OF A TRIAL RUN IN THE DISPENSARIES IN THE US
set to become legal in Canada until July 2019). The drinks industry might indeed be about to change the way we choose to enjoy cannabis forever.
There are already cannabis drinks available in the USA where legalisation has occurred. You can currently purchase THC and CBD loaded varieties of sodas such as lemonade, pomegranate and orange and alcoholic drinks such as Apple and pear cider and lager. You will find however that the majority of drinks contain CBD only as it is currently prohibited for alcoholic drinks to contain THC. Which is a good or bad thing depending on your relationship with alcohol, but is probably the most responsible decision, given the endless combinations of intoxication such a combination could produce.
Beware therefore (back to my point about the Vegan hipster Brewers!) about what you are being sold and what claims it is making because beer claiming to contain THC won't get you high and drunk at the same time. FACT. Alcoholic beer that claims to contain THC Is actually just brewed with terpenes to add the tell-tale herbal flavours of cannabis. In comparison, beer that claims to contain active THC will be alcohol free.
In terms of alcohol companies, some have already entered the market, like
Heineken owned, Laguinitas Brewing Co, who produce a non-alcoholic THC infused beer called Hi-Fi Hops sold in US dispensaries. Many of the big alcohol companies already produce non-alcoholic versions of their drinks and so its no surprise that given the interest and hype surrounding all things cannabis that they are willing to take a gamble in developing cannabis based drinks. A gamble which is expected to pay off big time if statistics about the demand for people wanting to drink their weed are to be believed!
The last 12 months has seen some big corporate deals, with Corona's owner Constellation Brands investing $4 billion in Ontario based cannabis producers Canopy Growth and Molson
Coors investing big money in Quebec based cannabis producer HEXO, with a view to producing non-alcoholic cannabis infused drinks for the mass market in Canada in 2019). It doesn't stop at beer brewers either. The parent company of Tanqueray and
Johnnie Walker has also expressed an interest in investing in cannabis.
Many Alcohol businesses see the legal weed industry as a big competitor and threat to their industry. With sales in alcohol currently either in decline or at a standstill due to the changing of customer lifestyles and habits they see combining their products with the cannabis market as a great way to secure future sales and remain relevant.
This interest does not start and finish with the alcohol industry either, big soda companies that often come under fire for their high sugar, nutritionally vacant drinks are also expressing an interest in merging with the cannabis industry, albeit tentatively, so as not to damage their
wholesome family brands. Companies such as Coca-Cola (they don't get much bigger than that! ) Who amongst others, have held talks with British Columbia cannabis producer Aurora Cannabis about creating possible CBD infused drinks.
The official statement released by Coca-Cola states that " Along with many others in the beverage industry, we are closely watching the growth of non-psychoactive CBD as an ingredient in functional wellness beverages around the world". The use of CBD would of course fit in perfectly for all mainstream soda brands allowing products to be packaged for the health, exercise and well being market. CBD would offer the consumer benefits in the way of mood and energy enhancers without the presence of any THC. run in the dispensaries in the US, where as of December 2017 there were already more than 100 different products available, a number that has no doubt has grown since and will surely continue on an upward trend. The success of cannabis drinks has not been lost on the big drinks companies who have taken note and considered the possibilities of replicating this model on both a national, and eventually, international scale as a fight back against the threat of falling alcohol sales. In August 2018 it was reported that following the legalisation of cannabis in then 9 US states (now covering 64% of the US population) that the average sale of wine had decreased by 16.2% and beer by 13.8%. There is no doubting therefore that recreational cannabis is the number 1 competitor for alcohol sales. It could also prove to be the number 1 booster for drinks sales however if figures are to be believed about the potential such products have.
Analysts at Cannacord Genuity are predicting that beverages containing CBD could reach sales of $260 million by 2022 whilst drinks containing THC could reach sales of $340 million, more than tripling their current contribution. Further predictions estimate that by the same date all drinks containing THC or CBD could hold a 20% share of the U.S edible market, compared to the 6% they hold currently. The real first big test will come this year when Canada legalises the sale of such drinks nationwide, an event which many of the big drink producers are anticipating and hurriedly preparing their new products for. If these drinks do prove to be the hit that is expected then the sky is the limit and I would fully expect the cannabis drinks market to explode into new unchartered territory, possibly, even eventually eclipsing smoking as the number 1 form of cannabis consumption.
Almost a freakish dark irony is that one of the biggest contributors of how cancer is coursed (smoking) may also be the largest cure.
OLYMPIA
Pyramid Seeds
