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Luxembourg to be first European country to legalise cannabis

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Health minister confirms plans and calls on neighbouring countries to relax their laws Luxembourg has called on its EU neighbours to relax their drug laws as its health minister confirmed plans to become the first European country to legalise cannabis production and consumption.

Schneider said the legislation was likely to include a ban on non-residents buying cannabis in order to dissuade drugtourism. Home-growing is also likely to be prohibited.

“This drug policy we had over the last 50 years did not work,” Etienne Schneider told Politico. “Forbidding everything made it just more interesting to young people …

I’m hoping all of us will get a more openminded attitude toward drugs.”

Minors aged between 12 and 17 would not be criminalised for possessing five grams or less of the drug, but those who break the more generous laws will be hit with harsh penalties under the plan.

Residents over the age of 18 are expected to be able to buy the drug for recreational use legally within two years. The state will regulate production and distribution through a cannabis agency.

Draft legislation is expected to be unveiled later this year providing further detail on the types of cannabis that will be on sale and the level of tax that will be imposed.

Schneider said he was keen to encourage other EU countries to follow Luxembourg’s path.

A government coalition agreement between the Liberals, the Social Democrats and the Greens provides for legalisation within five years.

If put into action, Luxembourg would join Canada, Uruguay and eleven US states in flouting a UN convention on the control of narcotic drugs which commits signatories to limit “exclusively for medical and scientific purposes the production, manufacture, export, import distribution, trade, employment and possession of drugs” including cannabis.

Luxembourg has already legalised the use of cannabis

for medicinal purposes.

Possession of small amounts for recreational use has also been decriminalised, but its purchase, sale and production remains illegal.

Schneider and Luxembourg’s justice minister, Félix

Braz, visited a greenhouse in Smith Falls, Canada, last year to witness the mass production of cannabis by the Canopy Growth Corporation.

Uruguay became the world’s first country to create a legal national marijuana marketplace when it legalised the drug in 2013, and Canada followed suit in 2018.

Canadians are able to order marijuana products on websites run by provinces or regulated private retailers and have it delivered to their homes by post.

Luxembourg will follow Canada in legalising the possession of 30 grams of cannabis. Tax revenues will be reinvested in drug education and addiction treatment programmes.

Two representatives of the Consumer Choice Centre, a US-based NGO, travelled to Luxembourg in April to offer their advice on legislation.

One area of contention is whether to ban the use of cannabis in public, which risks discriminating against tenants and people of limited means. The officials recommended allowing use of the drug in specific public areas.

In the Netherlands, possibly the European country most associated with a relaxed attitude toward the use of cannabis, its recreational use, possession and trade is technically illegal. It has a ‘tolerance policy’, or gedoogbeleid, under which recreational use is largely accepted within bounds.

Cannabis remains illegal to possess, grow, distribute, sell or grow in the UK. Those caught with the drug face a maximum of five years in prison, an unlimited fine or both. Several police forces have said they will no longer target recreational users and those with less than an ounce (28 grams) can be given a warning or on-the-spot fine.

Source: www.theguardian.com

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3 Page

7

LEMON ZKITTLE CREATING CUP WINNING GENETICS

Page

10

THC VAPES

THE NEW TREND IN CANNABIS USE

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15

DEHUMIDIFICATION AND COOLING OF THE GROW ROOM

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21

SOVEREIGN FIELDS OF MEDICAL GOLD AN INTERVIEW WITH H.S.O.

Killer Kush Sweet Seeds www.sweetseeds.com

Page

33

RISE OF THE PRE-ROLLS

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READERS@SOFTSECRETS.NL

5

PRODUCTS

PRODUCT FLASH

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SEED BANKS

Lemon Zkittle Creating cup winning genetics

The Zkittle genetics created quite a storm when they made their way into the west-coast dispensaries of the USA. THC levels around 25% were quite normal. This was combined with heavy yields and reports of nearmaintenance-free growing. Dutch Passion brought the genetics to Europe and was overall winner at the 2018 HighLife Cup with Lemon Zkittle feminized seeds. The process of finding, improving and stabilising the genetics took a couple of years of seriously hard work, here is the story behind the making of a prize winner.

By Tony, Dutch Passion Seed Company

USA GENETICS KEEP GETTING BETTER The professionalism and scale of the USA legal cannabis industry is now so impressive that numerous breeders across the USA are identifying some really special genetics. Often these are found from breeders that have grown hundreds, or even thousands, of plants from seed.

Selecting elite parents is done quite ruthlessly. Any plants that struggle to grow well, or show signs of ill health are quickly discarded. Only the heaviest yielding, healthiest plants are saved. Sometimes this is as little as 10% of the initial plants. Bud samples from these healthy and heavy individuals are sent for analysis. Only those with the best cannabinoid and terpene profiles are retained. This allows the breeders to remove as much as 80-90% of the remaining plants. The remaining plants represent the best 2-3% of the initial selection. It is these plants that really get the breeders excited. The best European breeders are bringing these genetics back across to Europe for further refinement.

home growers unless they have a wide growing latitude and the ability to produce a powerful smoke in different kinds of conditions. Having a great genetic line that grows well only under a narrow set of conditions is never a crowd-pleaser. For a cannabis seed variety to succeed in Europe, it has to cope well with the multitude of home grow conditions across the numer-

quality. That’s where the Las Vegas Lemon Skunk came in.

LAS VEGAS LEMON SKUNK CROSSED WITH ZKITTLEZ Old school home growers will know that a good skunk variety is one of the easiest to grow. Skunk’s are well known for an uncomplicated growing style, they require little in the way of special maintenance and plant care. A good skunk will grow itself and produce heavy yields as standard no matter what the growing system or growing medium. The idea behind crossing a high-THC Lemon Skunk with Zkittlez was to further improve the growing latitude. The final concept was to have the best of the west coast genetics in a form which would be really easy to grow in the wide range of home grown conditions. When growers with different types of grow systems and experience levels consistently turn out high THC harvests a variety gets a solid reputation and can go on to be a prize winner.

HIGHLIFE CUP CHAMPION

ZKITTLEZ. USA GENETICS WITH A SPECIAL HISTORY The Zkittlez line was created by 3rd Gen Family and Terp Hogz in the USA. Parent genetics came from a mix of Grape Ape and Grapefruit, along with genetics from an undisclosed parent. Zkittlez won 1st prize at the 2016 Emerald Cup in Santa Rosa, California. It became an instant hit in the USA. Famed for an unusually strong high and a notably feel-good effect, it was also easy to cultivate across a range of conditions. This was something that quickly attracted the attention of Dutch Passion.

Great varieties are not that suitable for

in some plants. When the Zkilltez was crossed with the Lemon Skunk, the most potent of the offspring was chosen, the lemon flavored Zkittle with bright green and yellow buds in bloom. This was also a stress resistant selection, which was another important factor when making a popular variety for home growers. Yields are heavy, THC levels are some of the best we have seen. What’s more, high THC is produced by these genetics even in nonoptimized conditions. A forgiving variety is a popular variety. The Lemon Zkittle takes 9-10 weeks in bloom and is usually heavily frosted. She is around 60% sativa, and bred for potency with a strong terpene content for a full flavored taste.

ous EU countries. That means the ability to grow well in various substrates and the ability to cope with indoor grow conditions which are not always fully optimized, such as high temperatures. Dutch Passion wondered if the Zkittlez genetics could be made even more robust without compromising

HIGH TERPENE LEMON SKUNK AND STRONG ZKITTLEZ Lemon Skunk and Zkittlez are often regarded as indica dominant varieties.

But they also display sativa characteristics

Lemon Zkittle was one of the best new varieties seen by the Dutch Passion team for some time. Some of the USA genetics are simply too special to ignore. Finding one of those rare genetic lines which deliver top drawer results time after time is not easy. But it is what all the home growers want to see. Initial feedback from the first Lemon Zkittle was good, and it continued.

She became one of the fastest selling new varieties based just on word of mouth.

Lemon Zkittle was grown under LED lights by a skilled grower and entered into the 2018 Highlife Cup in the sativa category.

The Dutch Passion team were thrilled when she won the ‘Top Sativa’ prize. They were even more thrilled when Lemon Zkittle was voted Overall Best Variety at the 2018 Highlife Cup. The judges were impressed with the powerful anti-anxiety feel good high and the great terpene presence which delivers such a great aroma and taste. www.dutch-passion.com

8

PRODUKT REVIEW

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10

GROW WITH RICH HAMILTON

THC VAPES The new trend in cannabis use

By Rich Hamilton

40 to 80%, which is up to four times stronger in THC content than high quality cannabis flower. The worry is that vaping could prove too much for many with the effects being more psychologically and physically intense than that of inhaling via traditional smoking methods.

The bottom line is that there is currently no effective way to regulate these products and there won’t be until more research is carried out and evidence provided. So whilst it may be legal in some states and countries, until official health regulations are in place, those who are purchasing concentrates will be taking a risk, as there is no assurance of what is in the products until they have been properly regulated.

Despite this caution, cannabis concentrates remain popular and have

The author vaping a THC vape pen

Vaping has revolutionised tobacco smoking in recent years and now it is making a real impact in the legal cannabis market. Vape pens are much less conspicuous than smoking a blunt. A pre-filled vape cartridge is a convenient and new tech way to get high without any strong odours or smoke.

Cannabis concentrates consist of psychoactive THC extract and CBD. Chemicals are used to extract the cannabis molecules from the flower and create the concentrates. The resulting substance is sold in either liquid form, a waxy substance or a premade disposable vape pen end.

There are many ways to buy and use cannabis concentrates or even make your own, however Pre-filled THC Vape pens are without doubt the most popular product on the legal concentrate market.

Easy to conceal due to the minimal vapour that is produced and quickly dissipates, they are also able to deliver a more precise dose than you can achieve through smoking, making them ideal for

cartridges. The most popular is the industry standard 510 e-cig tank, which connects to standard e-liquid and vape pens. The other style of cartridges are called pods and are paired with a specific branded device.

When using a pre-filled THC oil cartridge for the first time, it is useful to bear the following in mind. If you can adjust the voltage on your pen, always start off at the lowest possible setting first, you can always experiment with it later to get a stronger hit but be wary of any dry or burnt taste as this could be a sign that you are burning the coil. Likewise, as the potency of vape pens can vary its advisable to begin with small 3 second puffs until you have assessed the strength of the oil. Most cartridges can be refilled with your own THC or CBD or e-liquid before you need to replace them. If it’s a

Close up of distillate disposable THC vape pen from White Jesus genetics

medicinal users who want consistent, uniform, discreet effects.

Despite the relaxing of cannabis legislation, cannabis concentrate remains illegal in many areas that have otherwise legalised both recreational and medicinal cannabis use. These areas include the whole of Canada along with some of the ‘legal’ US states.

So why are concentrates and vaping still viewed with such caution in this new age of the relaxing of cannabis laws? Well it is mainly to do with how the concentrates and oils are made. The common perception is that vape pens give you a cleaner high because you are not inhaling burnt plant matter, however this is not totally true as vape oils can contain thinning agents as well as traces of extraction agents, all of which may pose a risk to long term health.

There are concerns also about the high potency and intense effects of vaping.

Cannabis concentrates contain very high THC levels that could range from

made many converts from both the recreational and medicinal world. With this in mind, let’s have a closer look at how pre-filled THC vape pens work and what you should look out for when buying and using them.

Pre-filled THC oil cartridges are mini vape tanks filled with oil made from cannabis concentrate. The tank contains a small coil, which heats the oil and creates vapour which you then inhale.

Each cartridge usually contains between

510 style cartridge it is a simple case of unscrewing the mouthpiece and filling the tank up, for accuracy and less mess it is a good idea to use a syringe.

There is such a wide variety of pre-filled cartridges available however that you can just attach, vape, and replace when empty or when the flavour starts to taste burnt.

The selection of flavours available is great too, allowing you to experience your favourite strains in a new and pure way.

There are many oil cartridges on the

A PRE-FILLED VAPE CARTRIDGE IS A CONVENIENT AND NEW TECH WAY TO GET HIGH WITHOUT ANY STRONG ODOURS OR SMOKE. 0.5-1ml of oil and they are generally good for around 200-400 puffs. There are two main styles of pre-filled THC

market to choose from, but what should you be paying attention to in order to ensure that you are getting the best

11 quality whilst minimising any potential risks to your health?. Well, the first and most obvious thing of course is don’t buy cheap! Obviously not everyone can afford to buy the highest quality pharmaceutical grade oil cartridges, but you should

and effects, in an attempt to give you the best version of your selected strain.

These additional terpenes are carefully blended from a variety of pure, powerful terpenes that work together to create the desired effect, whether that is increased

Different flavours and strengths THC vape pens from White Jesus genetics

always try and buy the best you can afford. Cheap oil cartridges are often high in filler and residual solvents and so to safeguard your health, are best avoided.

Next, you should consider the extraction method that has been used to produce your oil. CO2 extraction is currently the most popular and safest method for making cannabis oil, distillate and live resin cartridges. The reason why is because when it is extracted via CO2 the THC oil doesn’t contain residual solvents like alcohol or butane.

energy, relaxation, stress reduction, or improved mental clarity. This can actually be a beneficial as long as you ensure that the terpenes added are of a 'food grade quality' which implies that not only are they one hundred percent organic but that they have not been sitting on a shelf for months as purer terpenes equal a more powerful user experience.

Cannabis tolerance is a varied and individual thing and so getting the right cartridge for your needs and personal

Thinning agents are another hot topic for debate. Most THC oil cartridges contain some kind of thinning agent, required to create and maintain a consistency of oil that is optimal for vaping. The most common thinning agents found in regular e-liquid are vegetable glycerin (VG) and propylene glycol (PG). Some cartridges will contain other fillers such as PEG and TEC Temper, which is a brand new formula that has been derived from natural terpenes. Its a good idea to look at terpene content when choosing a cartridge also as terpenes serve as a natural filler.

There is no denying that vaping is big business with industry insiders suggesting that cannabis vape pens and other concentrate products could outgrow the dry bud market within five years.

Figures published on forbes.com in

Burnt coil with Burnt THC distillate

amount of filler and have the highest levels of terpenes and THC. Pre-filled cartridges can come in a range of combinations of THC and CBD. Research has shown that THC can actually enhance the benefits of CBD and vice versa and oils are generally found in various ratios like 50/50 or 80/20 THC:CBD. Some cartridges may even incorporate other cannabinoids such as CBN or THCv into the mix and claim to have additional benefits beyond those of standard THC and CBD vape oil.

September 2018 from a report carried out by Arcview Market Research in partnership with BDS Analytics, predicted that spending on cannabis concentrates in the USA was projected to reach almost $3 billion by the end of the year, which would’ve been an increase on the previous year’s sales of 49%. Further to this the same report forecast that by 2022, U.S. concentrate product sales are estimated to hit $8.4 billion which is nearly a match with the $8.5 billion in dry flower sales forecast for that same year. Vaping accounts for the largest proportion of concentrate sales with 58 percent of concentrate spending in 2018 expected to have come from prefilled vaporizers.

This pattern is only expected to be repeated in Canada when by the end of the year the sale of concentrates including vape oil are set to be legalised in some if not all of the provinces. Potential is big, leading to estimates that the Canadian vape market could be worth as much as C$600 million by 2021.

From a taste experience terpenes are important as they dictate the flavour of your vape. Terpenes are organic compounds that are found in all plants giving them individual flavours. In the case of cannabis they determine the taste of each strain as well as interacting with the cannabinoids through the “entourage effect” to create each strains signature effects.

Some vape manufacturers actually add in extra terpenes to enhance flavour

limits is crucial. Too strong and you could be in some real trouble and too weak and you may not feel the effects. If you are looking for something at the stronger end of the spectrum then go for distillate or live resin as these contain the least

Close up THC pen

The landscape of the cannabis industry is in constant evolution as legalization gains pace and the public image and perception of cannabis becomes more positive.

The money that is being invested in new innovation and technology is helping to bring new, convenient and effective cannabis products too market. There is not doubt that the rise in vape pens and concentrate sales is showing us that we are just at the start of a true revolution in how cannabis is consumed and that we should be very excited about the developments to come.

12

PRODUCT REVIEW

HOW TO ACHIEVE RICHER AND SUPERIOR HARVEST

Every proper grower is continually trying to improve their cultivation practices in order to increase the yield and quality of resulting harvest. There is no doubt that everything is dependent on the correct process of photosynthesis. This means, among other things, the right ratio and availability of major nutrients and trace elements. In the following article we will get to know the best fitting nutritional supplements for your plants.

Photosynthesis is a very complex chemical process where plants transform photosynthetically active radiation, water, CO2, and nutrients into sugar for their own purposes, i.e. growth, flowering and maturing.

Apart from sugar, photosynthesis also generates oxygen, which hich is released by plants into the atmosphere. phere. Without it, humans and animals could not survive on Earth. The goal of each and every grower should therefore ore be to maintain the process of photosynthesis synthesis at highest levels possible e and try to reach its maximum efficiency. fficiency. In this installment, we are going oing to leave aside light conditions and carbon dioxide – and focus on n nutrients.

plants with strong cell walls and thicker tissues. We can’t forget to mention that potassium improves nitrogen utilization and significantly promotes stronger growth of the root system. Plants need potassium throughout the whole life cycle – more during the flowering flowerin ng stage, stage along

potassium in order to encourage the formation of flowers. The vast majority of professional

with phosphorus, because these two promote the formation of larger buds.

All three discussed elements play an essential role in photosynthesis.

In the flowering stage, it is advisable to supply larger doses of phosphorus and

cannabis growers follow this rule. The Advanced PK fertilizer with a balanced phosphorus / potassium ratio is perfect for this. Advanced PK suits well for growing indoor as well as outdoor and can be used as a supplement to

N-P-K Nitrogen (N), phosphorus orus (P) and potassium (K) are basic sic nutrients essential to grow healthy lthy and strong plants. These elements ts are present in the vast majority off liquid and solid fertilizers as welll as properly mixed growing substrate. rate. A lack or excess of one of these e elements can have fatal consequences. ces. Nitrogen affects the general growth owth of your plants and is needed most during the growth stage. Plants nts containing enough nitrogen have e large green leaves and grow fast. On the other hand, nitrogen deficiency ency results in dual yellowing slow growth and gradual of leaves. Phosphoruss is an element rganisms indispensable to all organisms living on Earth. It is a component of plant’s DNA and works as the engine of system distributing energy in the plant. It is of a great importance for the proper development of flowers.

Potassium plays an important role in metabolism of carbohydrates, providing

Dutch formula liquid fertilizers or with any available range of other fertilizer companies.

SILICON A number of surveys have proven that plants thrive much better in soil rich in silicon. Silicon is an indispensable building material that strengthens the walls of cells. It provides plants with greater resistance to fungi, infectious diseases and adverse weather conditions. Silicon also stimulates the absorption of other nutrients, such as phosphorus, which has been already mentioned as an essential element.

When you add it to your nutrient solution, you will promote healthy plant development and plants will have more energy for their growth and formation of flowers. In order to supply silicon to the plants, it is advisable to do it in the form of a hydrolyzed silica solution.

You can find it i.e. in the product called Advanced Silica. It can be added not only to the solution when fertilizing all types of substrates, but also sprayed directly on the leaves. Use it from the beginning of the growth stage and stop around the fifth or sixth week of flowering stage.

AMINO ACIDS

Amino acids are integral part of the total nitrogen content in the growing medium. Their uptake by plants is essential for a well-running photosynthesis and thus the expected quality and weight of your harvest.

Apart from that, organic amino acids improve the natural resistance and vitality of plants, improve their root system, promote faster and more dense flower formation, and allow for easier uptake of primary and secondary biogenic elements. You can supply the necessary amino acids to your plants with Advanced Amino.

This product is particularly suitable for plants in need of extra energy, i.e. in the early growth stage when leaf surface is sufficiently large; shortly after trimming; after too much irradiation, or before the formation of first flowers.

However it is possible to add Advanced Amino during the whole growth and flowering stages. Your plants will become healthier, more resistant and will grow faster. info@advancedhydro.com www.advancedhydro.com

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GROWING Mr. José / info@pestovat.cz

DEHUMIDIFICATION AND COOLING OF THE GROW ROOM Appropriate climatic conditions are essential on the road to a successful harvest – not only in regards to growing cannabis. However, maintaining these conditions is often a demanding task that both home growers and large producers need to solve. What happens most is that we have to cope with high temperatures and high relative humidity in our grow rooms. These two variables are closely linked and there are many ways to deal with them. In the following article we will examine them in greater detail.

AIR HUMIDITY Air humidity is tells us how much water is contained in a certain amount of air that surrounds us. Most of you are probably familiar with measuring the air humidity with percent. This is the relative or proportional humidity of air, which expresses the ratio between the actual amount of vapor in the air and the amount that the air could absorb under the same temperature and pressure. If it were fully saturated with water vapor, the relative humidity would be 100%. The second widely used identifier is the so called absolute air humidity. It expresses the weight of steam contained in a particular unit of air – in Europe, the weight of water vapor in grams per cubic meter of air is most often used.

The higher the air temperature, the more vapor air can absorb. If your grow room temperature is 24 °C and the absolute air humidity is 13 g/1 m3, the hygrometer would measure the relative air humidity of about 60%. Raising the temperature to 28 °C and keeping the absolute humidity at the original value would reduce the relative humidity to 50%. Thus, if the absolute air humidity is the same, the relative air humidity can either be lowered by increasing the air

increases rapidly when your lights are off. The temperature is dropping while the absolute air humidity remains the same. And what is more – during the final stage of flowering large amounts of water are transpired into the air by plants, increasing the absolute humidity even more. When the temperature drops the increase in relative humidity is even more prominent.

The dew point temperature is also important for growers. This term refers to the temperature when the air is fully saturated with water, i.e. when the relative humidity of the air is 100%, as we have mentioned above. When the surface temperature drops below the dew point, water vapor condenses into water. If the temperature in your grow room was 28 °C and the relative humidity was 60%, the dew point temperature would be 19.5 °C. This means that if the temperature of any surface drops to a dew point, the vapor on it would begin to condense into water. Thus, once the temperature of the leaves‘ surface or of flowerpot’s wall drops to 19.5 °C, water begins to condense on them. And that is definitely not good.

REDUCING AIR HUMIDITY As indicated in the previous paragraph, the reduction of relative air humidity can be achieved by raising the temperature in the grow room. This makes sense especially when the temperature drops significantly after turning the lights off – by more than 8 degrees Celsius. In this case, it is convenient to heat the room during the dark period and maintain the difference between day and night temperature at a maximum of 5–8 °C. The higher the difference between day and night temperature, the faster the plants grow. Thus, it is possible to

FOR INDOOR GROW ROOMS, HOWEVER, THE MOST APPROPRIATE SOLUTION IS AN AIR CONDITIONING UNIT temperature, or conversely by lowering the air temperature. This is why the relative humidity in the grow room

control the height of your plants by adjusting day and night temperatures.

It is, however, recommended to

Top quality cannabis grows under right conditions.

increase the difference between day and night temperatures during the flowering stage. Although in this case it is assumed that you have a high-quality dehumidification device that is able to extract the required amount of water or, more precisely, water vapor. In case you have a small grow room, it will do better with keeping the difference between day and night temperature as low as possible, say 2–5 °C. This way you can at least partially reduce the relative humidity during the night.

For reliable dehumidification, the grow room must be equipped with air conditioning, dehumidifier, or a combination of both. Every air

conditioning unit has a specific dehumidification capacity. When the air is cooled, the temperature of the evaporator gets below the dew point, causing the water vapors condense into water, which is then released by the conditioner outside the grow room.

More advanced air conditioners have higher dehumidification capacity, which is what I recommend when choosing air conditioning.

DEHUMIDIFIER The most reliable way to reduce moisture in your grow room is to use a dehumidifier. It can be used not

16 well in medium-sized growing tents.

Nonetheless if you want a truly reliable dehumidifier for a large grow room, pick one from a range of manufacturers that focus on dehumidifying areas used for growing plants or on dehumidifying industrial premises. The power of a given dehumidifier is usually measured in the amount of liters of water which it is able to remove from the air during 24 hours. It is advisable to check the temperature and relative humidity at which the dehumidifier is able to remove such amount moisture. What happens often is that the dehumidification capabilities are measured under conditions which you will never achieve in the grow room and which artificially increase dehumidification performance. An ideal scenario is when you know how many liters of water the dehumidifier can remove at temperature around 25 °C and a humidity between 60 and 80%.

COOLING Mobile professional dehumidifier for small grow rooms.

The leaf temperature is below the dew point causing water to condense on it. The quickest way to mold and fungal diseases.

only on its own, but also as a support for the dehumidification capacity of air conditioning unit. A dehumidifier has generally higher dehumidification capabilities than air conditioning with a dehumidification unit. There are several viable options when choosing a dehumidifier. Passive dehumidifiers with absorbent features are usually available in stores. These models are absolutely insufficient for indoor growing. Remember that almost 100% of the water you use to irrigate the plants is released back into the atmosphere as vapor. The larger the

plants, the larger amount of water vapor needs to be drained from the air. This is achievable only when using active dehumidification.

Most dehumidifiers intended for indoor use are primarily designed to remove average air humidity at normal room temperature. This is not enough for your grow room. But even a weak dehumidifier is better than none, and any active dehumidifier from the supermarket will suffice when growing on one square meter. In combination with air conditioning, even these ordinary dehumidifiers can work

Essentially, there are two ways to cool air in the grow room. Either you take the warm air out of the cultivation space and replace it with cooler air from outside, or use air conditioning.

The first option is widespread among home growers. The basic condition for its proper functioning is that the temperature of air sucked in or blown into the grow room is not higher than the temperature you want in your cultivation area. For a very basic installation, it is enough to have a sufficiently strong exhaust fan. It should have at least 40 times stronger air flow than the volume of the growing area.

For 2 x 2 x 2 meter grow room, you would need a fan with air exchange power of 240 m3/ hour. Of course, there needs to be an opening in the grow room through which fresh air can be drawn in under pressure. For even more efficient cooling, install a second air intake fan. It can have half the power of the exhaust fan.

As we have already said, fan-only cooling is effective in places where outside air is cooler than the desired temperature inside the grow room. Just be careful during extremely hot days.

In the short term, this problem can be solved by placing a wet towel or other fabric near the opening. As long as it is sufficiently wet, it will cool down the air flowing around. If you manage to let some water flow slowly through the towel, the cooling effect would be better and last longer. This technique called wet wall and is used to make cooler large greenhouses. Air is blown into them through blocks of paper that are constantly moistened. The cooling effect is excedent in this case. For indoor grow rooms, however, the most suitable solution is an air conditioning unit.

AIR CONDITIONING The air conditioning needs to have required power to work properly.

When purchasing an ordinary room air conditioner, it is enough to pick the cooling capacity according to the room size, or more precisely its volume.

Normally, one cubic meter requires 30 watts of cooling capacity. However, this is not enough when choosing the right air conditioner for the grow room. In this case, it is necessary to know how many watts are produced by lifting source, or by other installed devices (e.g. CO2 generator). If you have six 600 W sodium lamps in your grow room, you need a cooling capacity of at least 3 600 W. In order to ensure that the air conditioner does its job properly, count with additional 30 W for each cubic meter of the grow room. For example, if the above-mentioned cultivation area had 30 m3, add 900 W. The resulting required cooling capacity in this case is thus at least 4 500 W. BTU (British Thermal Unit) is used as a unit of measurement for cooling. 1 Wh (Watt Hour) is equal to 3.412 BTU. Multiply calculated 4 500 W by 3.412 and you will get 15 355 BTU – this is the minimum cooling power needed to cool a 30 m3 growing area with six 600 W sodium lamps. It is important to note that it is better to use a little stronger cooling power, which means that air conditioning with a cooling capacity of 20 000 BTU would be an even better solution in this case. However, the air conditioner should not be overdesigned, because the intake of too cold air could cause its power failure.

THE OPTIMAL SOLUTION The best way to achieve optimal temperature and humidity in your grow room is the combination of air conditioning, heating, dehumidification and air humidification. All four features must match perfectly and should be ideally controlled by a single control unit. In this case, you would reach ideal climatic conditions during every stage of the life cycle of your plants, and you will be able to achieve them at any time.

The basic reduction of humidity level can be achieved by using an appropriate exhaust fan.

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GROW WITH JORGE CERVANTES

By Jorge Cervantes jorge@marijuanagrowing.com

WATER BASICS Salt has started to accumulate on this showerhead. The buildup is from the dissolved solids (salts) in the water supply. The same salts also deposit in soil and containers.

Plants love rainwater for good reason: it is the best water Mother Nature has to .

Water is a part of humans and all living things. Water moves the fluids that support life in plants and animals.

Water (H2O) exists in liquid, gaseous, and solid states. When pure, water is tasteless and odorless. Reflected light often gives it a blue appearance, especially when concentrated in glaciers.

Many substances, including fertilizer salts, readily dissolve in water, which is known as the universal solvent. Most sources of water are rarely pure. The impurities in water are “invisible” once dissolved and part of the solution.

Determine basic water quality by measuring its alkalinity, pH, and total dissolved solids (TDS). Alkalinity, the capacity to neutralize or buffer an acid solution, affects pH, the acid-toalkaline balance of water. Two minerals or dissolved solids, calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg), buffer pH so that the addition of acidic mineral salts or fertilizers does not affect the pH a great deal. Pure and nearly pure water that contains few or no dissolved minerals is considered soft because it has little or no buffering ability. The pH of soft water (see below) can experience extreme fluctuations when acidic fertilizer salts are added.

HARD WATER Hard water contains significant quantities of dissolved minerals. Calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) concentrations are most often used as an indicator

and so on. Soaps do not lather well in hard water because it reacts to form calcium or magnesium salts, which are insoluble. Water containing 100 to 150 milligrams of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) per liter (mg/l) is acceptable to grow cannabis. Nonetheless, water can have 400 ppm sodium and it will still be soft, but about 60 to 120 ppm Ca makes it hard (depending on whose scale is used). For much more information on hard water, search “hard water” on the www.marijuanagrowing.com forum.

SOFT WATER

A mountain stream in Vancouver, BC, is an excellent source of fresh, clean water. But most water sources available to gardeners are far from pristine.

as to how “hard” the water is. When heated, the carbonates (formed by reaction of CO2 with bases) in hard water precipitate (settle) out, forming scale on plumbing pipes, showerheads,

Softened water is often treated with sodium, which binds to the calcium and magnesium ions, removing their ability to form scale or interfere with detergents. In Spain, we have hard water; we put sodium (granular salt) in the dishwasher so spots (scale) will not form on dishes. You can taste the sodium in softened water. Water softeners are used to lengthen the life of plumbing pipes, pumps, and so on, and to increase the effectiveness of soaps. Soft water contains less than 50 milligrams of calcium per liter (50 ppm) and should be supplemented with calcium and mag- nesium. Sodium in excess of 50

ppm is detrimental to cannabis growth.

The sodium ions exchange places with a chemical the sodium is attached to, pulling out all multivalent ions (Ca2-, Mg2-) with a similar number of monovalent charges (Na-): every Ca that binds releases two Na ions because of the charge difference, a two-for-one deal (in ppm, 100 ppm Ca removed buys 200 ppm Na in return).

A better alternative is often potassium, but it is a little more expensive. Both potassium and sodium exist as the resin used in water softeners and both are monovalent ions—potassium (K-) and sodium (Na ). Potassium is a better option for cannabis and humans. Sodium is economical and widely available, but potassium is more effective.

The metric system facilitates the measurement of “dry residue per liter.”

Measure the dry residue per liter by pouring a liter of water on a tray and allowing it to evaporate. The residue of dissolved solids that remains after all the water evaporates is the “dry residue per liter.” The residue is measured in grams. Try this at home to find out the extent of impurities in your water.

Fertilizers have a difficult time pen-

19 etrating root tissue when they must compete with resident dissolved solids, especially sodium. Water that is loaded with high levels of dissolved solids (salts in solution) is possible to manage but requires different tactics. Highly saline water that contains sodium will block the uptake of potassium, calcium, and magnesium. Salt-laden water will always cause problems. If water contains 300 ppm or less dissolved solids, allow at least 25 percent of the irrigation water to drain out of the bottom of containers with each watering. If raw water contains more than 300 ppm of dissolved solids, use a reverse-osmosis device to purify water. Add nutrients to pure water as a way to avoid many nutrient problems.

If raw water contains more than 300 ppm of dissolved solids or more than 50 ppm sodium (Na), use a reverse-osmosis device to purify water before using it in the garden.

Built-up dissolved fertilizer salts often become toxic in container gardens.

Excessive salts inhibit seed germination, burn the root hairs and tips or edges of leaves, and stunt plants. Leach excess salt buildup from growing mediums by applying 3 liters of water per liter of medium and repeat leaching using a mild pH-corrected fertilizer solution.

people also tastes good to cannabis.

Minerals dissolve into groundwater from rock and sediment. Water sources in low-rainfall or desert regions contain

streams in Alaska, the Great Lakes region, and Tennessee have moderately hard water. Hard and very hard water flows in almost every state in America. Streams in

get an idea of how hard the water is in different parts of the USA, visit www.qualitywatertreatment.com/ city_water_guide.htm.

If your water is soft: pH continues to drift up in soft water and purified water with few dissolved mineral solids (less than 60 ppm) due to little or no buffering capacity. Remedy this problem by stabilizing the pH and adding soluble calcium and magnesium, sold at hydroponic stores under the name “Cal-Mag.” If your water is hard: Treat it with the best option: reverse osmosis (RO).

If water is acidic or alkaline: If EC is low, acidity or alkalinity are weak and will not cause problems. If acidity or alkalinity are driven by multivalent ions, they will directly add an H proton or OH (compounds that do not change things by association). For example, an organic acid is weak and requires less added hydroxide to neutralize, versus phosphoric acid, which requires more hydroxide to neutralize.

Other conditions could exist, including the concentration and strength (molality) of an acid/base solution. Remove problem-causing salts with an RO filter.

Soft water makes soap lather.

relatively high levels of dissolved mineral salts. For example, Southern Spain and Italy, southwestern USA, and much of Mexico all have high levels of dissolved mineral salts in their groundwater.

More than 85 percent of the gardens in the USA have hard water. Many rivers and

Arizona, Kansas, New Mexico, and Southern California have the hardest water, with dissolved minerals more than 1,000 ppm.

Soft water flows in many parts of Hawaii, New England, the Pacific Northwest, and the South Atlantic and Gulf states. To

Or invest in a sophisticated injector system to monitor and adjust pH. Many injectors, in particular those by Anderson, have multiple injector inputs that can inject solutions in sequence from different sources to adjust pH as well as inject specific nutrients.

This simple filter removes particles and chlorine from the water supply.

Leach the growing medium every 2 to 4 weeks to avoid toxic buildup. Hard water and well water in dry climates are often alkaline, and usually contain notable amounts of calcium and magnesium.

Cannabis uses large quan- tities of both nutrients, but too much calcium and magnesium can build up in soil.

In general, water that tastes good to

:DWHULQJ KHDYLO\ DQG ILOOLQJ FRQWDLQHUV FRPSOHWHO\ VR WKDW ΅΃ SHUFHQW RI WKH LUULJDWLRQ ZDWHU GUDLQV RXW ZLOO KHOS ZDVK DZD\ EXLOW XS IHUWLOL]HU VDOWV LQ WKH growing medium.

Jorge Cervantes is author of the Cannabis Encyclopedia (596 pages, 2,000+ color images, large A4 format) and Marijuana Horticulture (AKA the Bible). Booth books are available at all amazon retailers worldwide. The Cannabis Encyclopedia has an excellent chapter on water. Contact Jorge at www.marijuanagrowing.com.

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INTERVIEW

SOVEREIGN FIELDS OF MEDICAL GOLD

21

An Interview With H.S.O.

working with about 10 different farms for both seed production and selection throughout three states, specifically for this project. We have created about six varieties so far for the market here and each has taken quite a bit of time to get it complete and stable.

Our staff now is about 10 people internally and with our extended farms over 100 to work on this collaborative effort. As far as HSO is concerned, we now have over 100 people working together globally as domestically in Humboldt we will have about five active farms next season for both selection and production for the new legal market.

So you are purposely breeding the THC out of the plant and increasing CBD levels?

Thousands of CBD rich plants grow outdoors and are organically farmed.

As the industry rides the wave that CBD and medicinal Cannabis has created, Soft Secrets sat down with Diggs Terra, a long time breeder at the Humboldt Seed Organization to find out how they have been working hard over the last 5 years with

By Stoney Tark Dinafem to create the first ever low THC designer hemp varieties.

SSUK: Hello Diggs, Can you tell us more about your latest project Sovereign Fields?

What gave you an insight to go into breeding low THC hemp varieties over 5 years?

We are a collective of breeders from the THC market as we have combined forces with our longtime friends and partners to recreate designer hemp CBD flower, for the now legal market in the United States. This project was about 2.5 years worth of work in order to create these stable low THC and high CBD designer flower, the Kush Hemp for the now federally legal Hemp market in the United States.

Five years ago we saw the big gap in the market for high-quality low THC varieties that matched the flavour profiles of the designer varieties, that most people medicate with or enjoy on the daily. We recognized that there was a large portion of the market that was not interested in the psychoactive property and wasn’t receiving the same attention as the high THC varieties.

Our objective is to transform the highest quality and highest demanded designer varieties from the Cannabis market and re-create them in low THC, high CBD form. We just created the first Kush Hemp using our old pre-98 Bubba Kush.

This has all the profiles of the original Bubba Kush but with the cannabinoid profile meeting 0.3% THC requirements.

With the baby boomer generation going into retirement, the demand for more functional forms of holistic plant healing has really sparked a lot of interest in more balanced percentages of both THC and CBD. We have created a few varieties initially to serve the THC market but now the focus has become to breed the THC out all together leaving trace percentages behind. Emphasizing other

cannabinoid profiles that are now reaching new heights of understanding has allowed us to find more accurate applications for these type of profiles.

How large is your operation and what method of farming are you working with?

Our operations are still modest as we are

Yes for the last five years, we have been slowly evolving these projects to be able to get to the stage now where we have the THC the lowest it’s ever been, and some of the most designer sort after varieties in the market. We meet that 0.3% of THC criteria in homogenous sample form required by law.

Can you tell us more about that process and how long will each strain take to finalise?

Each strain takes about two years plus in order to be stable and run on a large scale. Four generations of line breeding are used typically before we release anything. Under the circumstances it’s a must as farmers are super dependent on stable genetics to achieve superior results. When you talk about the scale that a lot of farmers are going to be cultivating on there is a very small margin of error for unstable genetics.

The quality of the buds are excellent in terms of structure, aroma, taste and effect.

22 THC is good as many people do not like high psychoactive properties especially during daytime use. There still a lot to be learned as I think there’s major misconceptions about what these cannabinoid profiles can actually provide.

I think anxiety and relaxation while still uplifting seems to be the best take on CBD at this point. It’s not a sleep aid, again this is just my opinion based on the research that I have read.

What research was done prior to see how low THC and high CBD, work on patients in comparison to a 1:1 ratio or anything more THC dominant?

Well, I’m not a doctor so I can’t give any medical advice but what I can say is that people seem to experience a more clear headed and balanced high, without an overwhelming amount of psycho active effects. I would recommend for people to try them and feel the difference between a 1:1 ratio or a 1:2 ratio versus high THC.

During the vegetative stage, much work and maintenance is needed.

Why did you choose to produce strains that do not exceed more than 0.3% THC? In the US it’s actually 0.3% THC that we must breed to accommodate for. This is why we’ve had to put a lot more working to get these profiles stable enough to be able to introduce to the market. The law has helped to shape the breeding style as well as our understanding of the further benefits of low psycho active properties accompanied by alternative cannabinoid profiles like CBD, CBN, CBG.

What progenitors are you breeding with to achieve such high CBD levels?

We used a cross that we had made years ago from a California Sour Diesel and California Orange Bud selection. The limonene as well as pinene terpene profiles seemed to be associated with this high CBD expressions. A mix of data from our lab and instinctual selection was used to pull from about 500 plants.

We found a terpene and cannabinoid profile that had both bag appeal and had a very high percentage of CBD, 19% to be specific, while 0.5% THCA with a very low Delta-9 at 0.2%.

Could you tell us more about how you test varieties and your lab facilities?

Yes we do liquid chromatography testing in house as well as terpene profiles, 17 to be exact and we have four lab technicians now, who are the backbone of our data analysis. Depending on the

week anywhere from 200 to 400+ tests can be performed.

What made you want to produce a low THC autoflowering line?

We wanted to allow the farmers in certain regions to be able to capitalize on shorter seasons and potential additional harvests. Depending on how the seeds are germinated. Done in trays for the first 14 days allows the seeds to only have to be in the ground for about 60 to 65 days.

This means averaging anywhere from 30 to 150 grams per plant, contingent on planting season and climate conditions of the location. Our fast flowering and Auto flowering varieties allow farmers to pull harvests down potentially a few weeks earlier especially for more volatile weather stricken areas.

As you work on such a large scale, what approach is taken when farming the land and how does organics play a part in Humboldt?

We don’t work on such a large scale as seed production requires a much smaller space than flower production.

We also select so a lot of times they become a lot more intimate scenarios as opposed to large scale. We are encouraging a lot of farmers to take a very conscious approach to cultivation as the margins are really good for the first time for farmers with a product that isn’t subsidized.

So we have encouraged everybody along the way to use poly culture concepts to re-invigorate their land and help to support more closed loop concepts as people are now becoming more involved with hemp. Organics is always been a

part of how we have done things over the last decade, as we became more educated we have now found that sustainable concepts need to evolve into regenerative concepts.

How does farming large scale hemp production benefit the environment in your opinion and what needs to be considered?

Large scale farming isn’t beneficial for the environment so we need to take that into consideration, already as most of our land has been depleted over the last for five generations of farming. Now what can benefit from is the transformation of the use of new techniques for cultivation including poly culture and regenerative concepts into agricultural practice.

This is a must for us to repair the damage that has been done for so long.

Industrial hemp is a bioremediator and could provide a lot of benefit to cleaning up certain types of waste and toxicity build up or heavy metal. Regardless, they still do demand nutrition and take from the soil, as we need to make sure that we have healthy practices to keep our land replenished in carbon rich matter and microbiological diversity.

Finally...When will Sovereign Fields be available and where can our readers find out more?

Kush hemp is available now with our other varieties all in production now ready in late spring as well, will be available throughout the spring, summer and fall. So please be in touch with us as we would love to share in these amazing new creations. If you go to www.sovereignfields.com, or you can email us at info@sovereignfields.com Big Thanks for your time and keep up the great work Soft Secrets!

Which CBD rich hybrids have you made so far, and are they all less than 1% THC? Yes they are all for the 0.3% THC market and they are Kush Hemp E1- Pure Indica/Pre-98 Bubba, we have Fast Flowering Kush Hemp that finishes 2weeks faster, Auto Flower CBD, Lemon Diesel CBD-Sativa, Fast Flowering Lemon Diesel CBD and Kush Kemp E1 x Lemon Diesel CBD.

Can you tell us what you believe about the benefits of low THC and high CBD varieties when used medicinal or recreational?

From my understanding CBD is good for anxiety relief as it is uplifting. Low

We are excited to offer a wide variety of strains that meet all legal requirements.

23

GROW WITH ED ROSENTHAL

INTRODUCTION TO ADVANCED WATER HASH

Water hash produced using advanced methods can definitely hold its own against solvent-extracted hash: In the 2013 Emerald Cup — a longtime, outdoor organic medical marijuana competition in Northern California — the first and second-place water hash winners tested at 67% and 70% THC, a level of potency once thought impossible for old-school water hash.

Advanced water hash uses the same principles outlined in the previous section, it just takes into account more variables, from the strain type and trichome shape to harvest methods and ambient temperature and humidity in the washing room.

THE MACHINE METHOD There are several key principles for producing the highest-quality, dabbable water hash.

First, trichomes must be treated gently.

Mechanical agitation in the ice-bath stage is needed, but it’s also the enemy.

Paint mixers are too rough for awardwinning bubble.

Second, heat is an enemy; it can dry out buds and sap them of their flavors and strength. During drying, high temperatures vaporize hash’s great flavors. Storing hash at a high temperature degrades its flavor and potency.

High-grade water hash is being rebranded as “solventless wax,” because it gives consumers who want to dab a tasty, effective alternative to BHO and provides producers with a method that doesn’t involve flammable solvents or high-pressure machinery.

EQUIPMENT 20-gallon Bubble Now, Bubble Magic Extraction Machine, Bubbleator, or toploading washing machine Bubble Bags (microns — 220 zippered to hold the material in the washer; 160, the first filter, removes contaminants; 73 for high grade; 25 for lower grade) Cannabis (1,000 to 2,500 grams, frozen, high-trichome leaf) Water (filtered for best results) Ice—enough to fill the machine 60% full, and refill it as it melts

20-gallon bucket Alcohol or hydrogen peroxide Gloves Spoon Sieve Parchment paper Thick cardboard METHOD Consider the best location for setting up the machine. The best situation is a sterile lab setting: Hash is very sticky and captures contaminants floating in the air, such as dander, dog hair, and dust, so a room with filtered air is best. The ambient WHPSHUDWXUH LV EHVW EHORZ Ő) Ő&

with low humidity—between 15% and 50%. Hash is oxidized and darkens when it’s manufactured or stored for long periods at high temperatures such as Ő) WR Ő) Ő& WR Ő&

Next, consider the source material.

Dried, cured, sugar leaf works fine, but the best water hash is made from freshfrozen material. Trichome-rich leaves are cut from ripe plants, bagged in plastic freezer bags and frozen. Freezing locks

in all the terpenes and cannabinoids present on the plant at the time of harvest; significant amounts amounts of both are generally lost to drying, curing, and processing.

Thoroughly disinfect the machine, hose, bags, and buckets using hydrogen peroxide.

Line your 20-gallon bucket with filter bags, starting with the finest 25-micron bag and ending with the biggest 160-micron bag.

Place the machine’s outflow hose into the filter bucket.

Place a base layer of ice in the machine.

Fit the open, 220-micron bag in the machine and add the material.

Fill the bag half-full with 9 parts trim to one part ice. Alternate adding trim and ice. Zip up and tie the top of the bag and pour more ice over the bag until the ice level reaches 8 inches below the rim of the machine.

Add water until it’s 4 inches below the surface of the ice. Wait 15 minutes for the trim to soak up the water, then add more ice and water, until the water is below the ice’s surface level, and the ice is 8 inches below the rim of the metal

24 basin. Leave room for the mixture to agitate.

Turn the machine on gentle and monitor the agitation. Use wooden spoons to help the bag settle into the ice bath. Add more ice and water as the ice melts and settles. The color of the water should turn completely gold quickly.

On a standard washing machine, use the gentle cycle. DO NOT let the device automatically drain. Run 2 gentle agitation cycles—then let it drain.

During this ice-cold agitation process, the brittle, frozen trichomes will have snapped off the leaf, traveled through the lining of the 220-micron “garbage” bag, and into the ice bath. The water turns green, and the plant oils make the surface of the water frothy.

After agitation, the machine pumps the trichome-rich water out of the washer basin and into the filter bags, which are set up inside the 20-gallon bucket.

The inside of the bucket will be foamy with cannabis oils. Jiggle the bucket gently to help water pass through the filters, and use filtered ice water in a small pump sprayer to rinse the trichomes off the bag’s sides and down and through the 160-micron filter.

Start pulling the bags up one at a time.

First pull out the 160-micron bag. The material inside the bottom of the bag looks like grey-green silt. Rinse down the edges, get everything collected in the bottom, and scoop up the resin.

Pull the second bag, then spray, jiggle, and repeat. The 73–159-micron stuff is a little green, but not as green as the first bag. Keep pulling, spraying, and jiggling until it’s all collected in the middle of the mesh. Trichomes smaller than 70 microns pass through the mesh, but everything from 73 to 159 microns will be collected. This is the sweet spot for trichomes. Solventless competitions are won most frequently by entries collected from the 73, 90, and 120-micron bags. However, narrow-leaf varieties have smaller trichomes, so they tend to have the nicest resin in the range of 25 and 89 microns.

Pull the bag up. It’ll be heavy with water, its pores clogged with trichomes. Slowly spin the emulsion while spraying down the sides. The mesh holds on to the glands while the fine green particles fall through with the water. Keep spraying, rotating, and pulling until the green is gone, leaving what looks like a bunch of golden sand.

Pull up the bag to the top and spoon out the wet paste onto parchment paper set on a towel or thick cardboard, or something else that will safely wick moisture away.

The next bag catches the bulk of trichomes between 25 and 73 microns.

The material in here is a combination of green contaminant and gold trichomes.

The goal is to have the green pass through the screen while retaining the gold. As with the last bag, pull the bag up; it’ll be heavy with water. Its pores will be clogged with trichomes. Slowly spin

the emulsion while spraying down the sides. The mesh holds on to the glands while the fine green particles fall through with the water. Keep spraying, rotating, and pulling until the green is gone and it looks like a bunch of golden sand.

Remove this light clay-like wet hash from the mesh and place it on a 25-micron drying screen.

TIPS Check the seams to make sure your bubble bags are not inside out.

Inspect the machine output hose line for leaks.

Use a gravity-based system with suspended bags and buckets to save your back.

Buy bags with lots of mesh area, durable sidewalls, and consistent micron spacing—cheap eBay bags often have inconsistent micron widths in the center

of the mesh versus the edge.

Keeps hands off the trichomes.

Trim wet and freeze.

If you make water hash often, invest in an ice-making machine.

You don’t have to use as much ice when using large cubes. They don’t melt as fast as small pieces.

Strains: Different strains yield differently sized and shaped trichomes, and differing amounts of oils and terpenes. Hashing Blue Dream versus hashing Bubba Kush is like night and day at the micron level. Blue Dream trichomes are long and thin, and you can raise the temperature and humidity during drying. Bubba Kush, Sour Diesel, and OG Kush glands are short, stocky, and oily, and need to be processed at as cold a temperature as possible DQG GULHG DW Ő) Ő& XQGHU PLQLPDO humidity to capture the resin’s odors.

Bag Size and Number: This can vary. You can use as few as 225 and 160-micron bags, plus a 220-micron garbage bag for simplicity’s sake, or pull and spoon progressively narrower bands of glands and materials at 190, 120, 90, 73, and 45 microns.

Agitation: Purists sometimes use something as basic as a pole or paddle to gently hand-agitate the main bag in the bucket; the trade-off is in the yield. A 30-minute machine wash of 1,000 highquality grams can yield as much as 112 grams of top-shelf hash. Less agitation equals purer hash but lower yield.

DRYING There’s a compromise in drying. Trying to remove moisture from the hash without vaporizing the delicious yet volatile essential oils, or terpenes.

Drying should be done in a room with a WHPSHUDWXUH EHWZHHQ Ő) Ő& DQG Ő) Ő& 7KH UHDVRQ IRU WKH ORZ temperature is that some terpenes HYDSRUDWH DW Ő) Ő&

Humidity is also a factor, with 30-45% humidity being optimal, but it can vary by strain.

Drying effectively is accomplished in a number of ways, including the chop, sieve, microplane, and freeze drying methods.

ADVANCED METHODS OF DRYING CHOP METHOD The chop method is accomplished by chopping damp resin into small pieces so that it can be spread over a wide surface area.

In a cold room, using a small knife, chop the resin swiftly, creating rows of damp material. Then shape rows perpendicular to the first row. On a swatch of parchment paper, spread the chopped resin over the surface, taking care to keep the clumps as separate as possible. If a wide surface area is not available, resin can be dried in pizza boxes. Cardboard boxes wick away moisture well and are effective for protecting drying resin from light and contaminants. The chop method is the least effective method for thoroughly drying the resin because clumps tend to trap moisture.

SIEVE METHOD Using the sieve method results in very small clumps of resin that do dry thoroughly.

Place 2 strainers and 3 spoons in the freezer. After the wash, resin has been drying on the 25 micron screen. Wrap the screen around the resin and wrap again in a clean paper towel. Place it in the refrigerator for 2 hours. To utilize the sieve method, the material has to be cold and devoid of excess moisture.

After 2 hours, take one of the frozen strainers and spoons out of the freezer, and the resin out of the refrigerator.

25 Place the partially dried resin in one of the strainers. Using a circular motion, lightly run the cold spoon over the mass of resin. A fine rain of resin will fall onto the parchment paper (or pizza box).

Continue to cover the parchment in a light dusting of resin powder, taking care not to pile resin on top of itself. When the resin begins either sticking to the strainer or the spoon, exchange for a fresh, frozen instrument. When resin warms, it sticks together, making sieving nearly impossible, so work quickly.

Allow resin to dry between 3 and 14 days, depending on the strain and the conditions of the room. When resin is dry, it sounds like sugar crystals when poured.

ZESTING (MICROPLANE) METHOD A favorite among many hash makers, the zesting method consistently allows the resin to dry thoroughly.

Place three lemon zesters and the resin that has been resting on the drying screen in the freezer. It’s important that the puck be frozen. The next day, in a cold room, remove a zester and a puck.

Using quick movements, grate the resin over a large swath of parchment paper (or pizza box).

Allow resin to dry between three and 14 days, depending on the strain and the conditions of the room. When resin is dry, it sounds like sugar crystals when poured.

The main drawback of the microplane method is that the trichome heads are sliced open, thereby allowing terpenes to escape. Also, ripped heads are less stable, leading to shortened shelf life.

FREEZE-DRYING METHOD Freeze drying has only recently become a viable option for getting resin to its absolute driest. The basic idea behind freeze drying is to have water frozen inside resin pucks sublimate to vapor, completely bypassing the liquid stage.

Over the course of about 24 hours frozen resin becomes like dry sand.

With whichever process used, the key is to achieve complete drying. Under magnification, the final product will look like sandy heaps of full, sticky, oily, trichome heads. Store in a cool, dark place, and don’t press until the material is completely dry.

PRESSING AND STORAGE— THE FINAL STEP Concentrated cannabis is the future of cannabis. As covered above, water and ice can be used to mechanically separate trichomes from the plant, and filters can concentrate the glands into unpressed or “loose” hash. Further refinement using machinery and tighter control of temperature and humidity will yield the strongest nonsolvent concentrates.

Pressing unrefined hash into balls, cakes, or slabs creates hashish; all steps of the process are consumable, but making hashish is a two-step process: First, the glands are collected; second, the

collected material is compressed into into bricks or balls.

Pressing hash involves a combination of force and mild heat to condense the glands into a solid mass. The shape and size of hash varies depending on the pressing method. When hand pressed, hash is often ball-shaped. Flat-pressed hash may look like thin shale rock, with hardened shelf-like layers that chip along the creases. Mechanically pressed hash is usually a neat cake, like a bar of soap.

Hashish ranges in color and pliability.

The variety of marijuana used, manufacturing method, temperature, and the purity of the kief influence its color, which ranges from light yellowtan to charcoal black, and its texture, which ranges from pliable taffy to hard and brittle.

Hashish oxidizes and darkens from exposure to light, oxygen, and heat.

Regardless of its texture, high-quality hash should soften with the simple warmth of your hands.

Aficionados often describe the high that

microwave the material on low, or place it in an open dish in a frost-free freezer.

The vacuum conditions promote water evaporation, preventing mold from infecting and spoiling the hash.

However, when the drying temperature LV DERYH Ő) Ő& VRPH RI WKH terpenes will evaporate, diminishing the kief’s unique odors and their effects.

Pressing transforms the material both chemically and physically; the glands are warmed and most break, releasing the sticky oils that contain the psychoactive cannabinoids, as well as the terpenes—the source of cannabis’s smell, taste, and suite of effects.

Terpenes lend fragrance to the hash.

Smells and flavors characteristic to hashish range from spicy or peppery to floral. Many terpenes are volatile at room temperature. When inhaled, they contribute to the lung expansiveness (cough factor), as well as the taste.

Aged kief is both milder in smell and flavor, and less cough inducing, because some of the terpenes (but not

hash produces as more complex than that of kief. In the region of traditional hash making kief is typically aged, sometimes for a year or more, before it’s pressed. Most modern hash makers do not wait that long.

the THC) have dissipated.

Releasing and warming cannabinoids exposes them to air. This has the beneficial effect of potentiating the THC through decarboxylation. Continued exposure to light, air, heat, and moisture leads to THC deterioration.

You can press hash manually or mechanically. Manual methods work well for smaller amounts. Mechanical methods use a press, which is fast, convenient, and efficient. This section describes a reliable manual method and covers mechanical pressing.

TIP Unpressed kief oxidizes in warm temperatures, while hash is more resilient to warmth, so long as it’s pressed when it’s totally dry. When pressed wet, however, hash molds. You can store material in its unpressed form in a cool, dark place. Once pressed, hash stored in the freezer suffers little from aging.

PREPARING KIEF OR WATER HASH FOR HASH MAKING Before attempting to press kief or water hash the material must be completely dry. To ensure that all moisture has been eliminated before pressing, dry the material one last time. Place the kief or water hash in a food dehydrator set on the lowest setting, or a horticultural KHDW PDW SUHVHW DW Ő) > Ő&@

SHOE HASH METHOD This pressing method lets you multitask.

While you’re busy doing other things, the hash is being inconspicuously pressed within your shoe!

Shoe hash is a low-hassle way to press a small amount of kief or water hash. A few grams, usually 5 grams or less, are bagged in tightly wrapped cellophane or parchment paper wrapped around the material several times. A piece of tape stops it from unfolding. Punch a pinhole

through the package to allow trapped air to escape. Don’t use a plastic bag because the hash sticks to it messily.

It’s important for scientific as well as psychological reasons for the material to be securely sealed before it goes in your shoe.

Place the package inside the heel of your shoe. Hard-soled shoes or boots are better for pressing than soft-soled shoes, such as sports shoes, which take longer to process the kief.

The heel’s weight and pressure within the shoe, aided by body heat, presses the hash into a slab. The pressing takes 15 minutes to an hour of on-foot activity, but it benefits from additional wear.

PRESSING BY HAND METHOD Pressing by hand is a method for transforming kief into hashish a few grams at a time. Pressing by hand is convenient since it requires no additional equipment but it takes considerable energy and the results are better with a practiced technique.

Those unaccustomed to hand pressing may find it difficult to make the material bind together. The considerable work it takes to get well-pressed hash can easily result in sore hands.

This method works best using freshly sieved medium to high-quality kief. If the kief contains a significant amount of vegetative material, it’s harder to mold into hash and may not stick together properly. To hand press, measure out a small mound of fresh kief that will fit comfortably in the hand, usually a few grams at the most. Work this material with one hand against the other until it begins to cohere into a solid piece. Then rub it between the palms, or between palm and thumb. After 10 minutes or more of working the material, it begins to change density. Dry, aged kief lacks some of its original stickiness and may take longer to stick together, but if it was stored properly, it should cooperate, though it may require more kneading.

When a piece of hashish has not been pressed properly, it crumbles easily at room temperature.

If the kief is particularly stubborn and won’t stick together to form a mass, mildly heat it. Wrap the material in food-grade cellophane, ensuring that it is completely sealed and all the air is squeezed out. Wrap this package in several layers of thoroughly wetted newspaper, cloth or paper towels.

Turning frequently, warm in a skillet that is set on the lowest heat. It doesn’t need to be heated as long as other methods because the only point of heating is to get the material to stick together so it can be kneaded into a solid piece.

Another method is to wrap it the same way and press it for a few seconds on each side with an iron that is set on a very low heat setting.

HOT WATER BOTTLE METHOD The concept of using the hot water bottle method is similar to pressing by

26 hand. However, more heat is applied to thoroughly melt the waxy cuticle of each trichome head. This method works with medium- to high-quality resin that is bone dry.

Place a pile of resin on the surface of either organic cellophane or parchment paper. Fold the paper in half. Bring water to a boil. Fill a wine bottle with the hot water. Allow the bottle to cool for 5 minutes. Place the hot wine bottle on the paper-covered resin and allow it to sit for 30 seconds.

Look through the bottle to the darkening stain of the warming resin. If the color is changing quickly, you have the sign that the resin will press very quickly. If the resin barely begins to change after 30 seconds, you will have to work the resin considerably more.

Using a series of passes, roll the wine bottle over the resin using minimal pressure. Allow the heat to melt the material without forcing, using the pressure of your hand. Flip the paper over and do the same process in the other side.

By now, the resin should no longer be a mound, but flatter and more of a patty: If not completely so. With a swift flip of the wrist, open the paper. The resin should be sticky and have a nice sheen. Fold the resin in half and then again and begin to press once more. Repeat this process one more time before taking the warm resin into the palm of your hand.

To create a modern-day “temple ball,” roll the ball like a mass of clay. Roll it with firm pressure; compressing the resin together and pushing out any excess air. Resin that has lumps, lines and wrinkles need to be more thoroughly worked. Continue rolling the resin until you’re satisfied with the mass in your hand.

With very high-quality resin, the result will be a completely melted, shiny mass of resin ready for storage.

MACHINE-PRESS METHOD Making hash is a cinch with a mechanical press. Bookbinding presses, called nipping presses, can be used.

Plans are available on the web for building a press using a hydraulic jack.

Hand-pumped hydraulic presses are a less expensive way to get a tight press. Another cost-effective method uses a vice grip, although it takes some adaptation.

For small amounts, a pollen press can be used in conjunction with a handheld kief-collecting grinder. Kief is added to this small metal tube. The tension pin is placed in, and the pollen press is screwed shut. The next day, the kief has been pressed into a neat hash block.

Many companies have similar presses now, including one made of stainless steel with a low-torque T-handle.

STORAGE Once the hashish is pressed, it can be

kept for months or possibly years with little deterioration to its potency and flavor, with proper storage. A frost-free freezer is the best place for storing hash.

Metal, glass, or silicone containers are preferred for storage. Plastics and rubber are not recommended because the terpenes—responsible for the flavor and aroma of the hash—are somewhat volatile compounds that interact chemically with plastic or rubber, degrading both the hash and the container. However, this happens slowly under freezing conditions.

Over time, the outer layer of hashish oxidizes and loses potency. The inside, not exposed to higher levels of light and oxygen, remains potent. Remember that mild light, heat, moisture, and oxygen oxidizes the outside of the hash, destroying its potency.

Making hash is a wonderful method of preserving resin long after cannabis has been harvested. Whether in the kitchen or in the lab, hash making is a process that is available to everyone.

Using old school methods or new school techniques, the process is relatively straightforward — agitate to remove trichomes, collect the resin, sort the resin by size, dry the resin, smoke and enjoy!

ORIGINAL RESINATOR Like so many cannabis-related technologies, the origins of the Resinator was a labor of love. The prototype machine was built in 2008

by Travis Arnovick and James Watts.

This original bucket-based contraption was held together by duct tape, bungee cords, silk screen, and paper clips. After they strapped on the engine — an old

BBQ rotisserie motor — it was ready to roll. This magnificent beast went through a long series of trials and test runs until the first market-ready Resinator was built in 2011.

Before their Resinator endeavor, the company founders used to spend long days and nights trying to maximize the amount of resin they could extract from trim and shake, and quickly came to the conclusion that there had to be a better way.

“We would go about collecting the resin glands through a variety of old school traditional methods, but these procedures were too labor intensive and time consuming,” says Arnovick. “So we thought that there had to be a better way, and wanted to take the manual element out of the equation and make the process mostly mechanical. So we set out to create a solution to this problem.”

Today’s Resinator is a multi-use, wet/ dry, flash freeze, all-in-one, patented, rotary separation apparatus. The machine uses a dry sieve tumble method — aided by CO2, dry ice and water — to extract the essence of botanical resin glands from wet or dried flowers and plant clippings.

The company’s uniquely crafted Resin Collection Bags and removable/ washable drum screens sift undesired plant material, stems, and particulates, leaving only the desired trichomes to fall through the high-quality, micronrated monofilament screens. The combination of these methods and ingredients significantly increases yields and efficiency compared to other sifting techniques.

Some of the design features that set the

Resinator apart from the competition include its removable/replaceable and washable screens that come in 8 different sizes, depending on the type of extraction or separation that is desired. Another important aspect of the design is the use of liquid CO2, which allows producers to work with live plant material and extract live resin from uncured biomass. This method of extraction is popular with a variety of rosin techniques, including closedloop systems, short-path/fractional distillations and ice-wax extractions.

The liquid CO2 allows the machine to instantly freeze, fracture, and extract resin glands and trichomes from cured and uncured plant material, achieving 20% (or better) returns in less than 10 minutes.

Manufacturers of tinctures, oils, salves, topicals, edibles, and concentrates always prefer pure extracts, and the Resinator delivers high-quality resin all day long. The Resinator can also be employed as a wet/dry flower trimmer, using a mesh screen and CO2 to accomplish up to 80% of the job.

“We spent countless hours in the field with R&D and went through so many concepts, mold changes, screen designs, and motors,” said Arnovick. “Success and failures alike, we stayed diligent in our pursuit of perfection until we finally found the winning combination. We weren’t NASA scientists, just a couple of dreamers with passion to bring our ideas to reality.”

HOW TO USE THE ORIGINAL 5(621$725 ;/ 02'(/ The Original Resonator extract only the pure essence of botanical female Resin glands from dried flowers and plant clippings. Sift undesired plant material, stems and particulates leaving only the desired trichomes. Escape from the world of residue left over from solvent extractions.

Weigh and measure your materials in preparation for a wet or dry trim Empty material directly into center chamber of the Resinator and zip up the mesh bag Install the CO2 coil and make sure to have the temperature diode located somewhere in the chamber Turn the Resinator on to a low speed and inject liquid CO2 for 20 to 40 seconds It needs to tumble for about a minute per pound of material.

Add ice and water directly to the chamber and let it tumble for about 20 minutes Take your three bags and put them in a bucket, attach the hose to the Resinator.

Let the water drain from the chamber into the bucket Plug the hose-hole again and repeat the ice and water steps for a second run, let it run for another 15-20 minutes Shake the rest of the water from the bags into the bucket and empty the bags of material onto a tray and let it dry.

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your plant, to see how mature they are before harvesting.

Maturity of The Trichomes

One of the best ways to tell if your cannabis plant is ready for harvest is by checking the trichomes on the buds. Judging by their appearance, you can tell if they are mature, at peak, or starting to degrade.

WHEN TO HARVEST YOUR OUTDOOR GROW

By MACKY Growing cannabis outdoors can be very rewarding. It is much cheaper than growing indoors, and it will also bring you huge plants, with heavy yields.

But like anything when growing cannabis, it has its pros and cons.

When you grow outdoors, you have much less control over the environment your plants live in, then when you grow indoors.

As the autumn months approach, the temperatures will fall. This is not only detrimental to the growth of the plant, but as temperatures fall, mould spores can germinate, and bud rot can set it.

Some cannabis strains, have a long flowering period, and may not be harvested until mid-November (Northern Hemisphere). By this time, temperatures are usually too cold for a cannabis plant to thrive, and the risk of mould is very high.

You have to be able to judge whether your plant is ready for harvest, and if not, is it worth risking more time outdoors, or should it be harvest early.

Here we will discuss the best ways to decide whether your outdoor cannabis plant is ready for harvest.

When to Harvest Outdoor Cannabis Plants

The actual time you will harvest an outdoor cannabis plant will depend on a few things:

ȏ )ORZHULQJ WLPH RI WKH VWUDLQ ȏ 7KH 0DWXULW\ RI WKH 7ULFKRPHV ȏ (QYLURQPHQWDO &RQGLWLRQV It is always best, to allow your plant the time it needs to fully mature and ripen before harvesting. Harvesting at the right time will increase yield, potency and terpene content. Giving you a better high, medicinal relief, a better flavour and more cannabis.

But because you do not have much control over the environment, leaving a cannabis plant outdoors to fully mature can be risky with some strains.

Some cannabis strains will flower into late autumn. It is important to consider the flowering time of your strain, before you grow it.

If you live in colder climates, then try choosing a strain with a short flowering cycle, like an auto flowering plant or an Indica dominant strain.

These will be more likely to finished before it gets too cold and wet.

Indica dominant strain will have a shorter flowering period than sativa dominant strains, so they will be harvested earlier. Some Sativa strains will flower for 16 weeks, and can push into 20 weeks of flower before you start to see amber trichomes.

In some cases, you may not have any

Choosing the right time to harvest will improve the quality and yield of your cannabis. You must always try to harvest your outdoor cannabis plant with at least, 90% milky trichomes, with 10% clear.

To do this, you need to use a USB microscope or a Jewlers Loupe, ( 1 ) to take a close look at the crystals on the buds of the plant ( 2 ).

When there is over 90% milky trichomes, it is close to harvest time.

Harvest somewhere around 90% Milky, and10% amber ( 3 ) Clear Trichomes: When the trichomes are clear, it means they are immature, and your plant is not ready for harvest. The plant still has more time to gain weight, and produce more resins and terpenes. Harvesting now will be detrimental to your final yield, flavour and quality.

Milky Trichomes: If you are seeing a large amount (over 90%) of milky trichomes on your buds, the plant is approaching harvest time. It is at this point that trichomes production has

Check the Flowering Time If you know what strain you are growing, and what breeder it comes from, you will be able to find out when the best time for harvesting outdoors is.

The breeders estimated harvest date is just that, an estimate. Though it can give you an idea of when your plant will be finished, there are too many variables that need to be taken into account, and each grow is different.

information from the breeder. This can make it tough to estimate when the peak harvest time is. For best results, and accurate reading, you should check the trichomes on the buds of

reached its peak, and they will start to degrade from here.

Harvesting a cannabis plant with all milky trichomes will give you a

30 good clean high, that expresses the characteristics of the strain you’re growing. Many growers will harvest around this time, especially for outdoor growers who live in cold and wet climates.

Amber Trichomes: Having amber trichomes on your buds, will bring you a heavy, couchlock kind of high.

For best results, many growers will look for between 10% and 20% amber trichomes before harvest. This gives the user a nice balance of milky and amber trichomes with very few clear, and leaves them with a nice head high, with a little body stone to go with it.

Bear in mind, some auto flowering strains, or Sativa dominant strains, may not show amber trichomes for a long time. So, if you are growing outdoors, be ready for harvest when you see at least 90% of your trichomes have turned milky.

If the conditions allow, let the plant go for a little longer, and try to get to 10% amber before harvesting. This may take an extra couple of weeks, so be careful with the changes in the weather, and decide carefully when to harvest.

Environmental Conditions When growing cannabis outdoors, controlling the environment that your plants live in can be difficult. Because of this, it is important to be aware of the seasons changing, and the fall in temperatures.

Cannabis plants grown outdoors will usually be harvested between mid-September, to mid-November, in the Northern Hemisphere, and mid-March and May for the Southern Hemisphere. The length of the flowering period will differ, depending on the strain you are growing.

a little early is on option. Check the trichomes and decide whether the plant is mature enough for harvest (90% milky 10% Clear at least), or if it will need a little longer. You should try to push for around 10% amber trichomes with 90% milky before harvesting, but not at the risk of losing the crop to rot!

not always possible when growing outdoors) or by removing some leaves, and any equipment or objects that may be restricting the airflow.

Bud Rot and Mould

Along with stale air and warm temperatures, high humidity and moisture will also encourage the growth of mould spores.

You should try to allow your plant to reach its peak, by waiting until at least 90% of the trichomes on the buds are milky. If you harvest before this stage, the quality, and yield, of your cannabis will be reduced. You should wait a little longer to get the best results.

If you can keep a constant supply of fresh air to the plants, you are less likely to see bud rot.

Keep the Plant Dry

around them, keep a close eye on humidity levels, but don’t be afraid to harvest a little early if you need to.

Harvesting Your Plant at the Right time Taking all of this into consideration, you can now decide when is the best harvest time for your outdoor cannabis plants.

Check the trichomes, and aim for at least 90% milky, with a touch of amber if you can. If temperature and humidity

Unfortunately, to do this, you increase the risk of finding rot and mould. As mentioned earlier, some strains will not be harvested until mid-November, and condition are not always ideal for your plants at this time of year.

To reduce the chances of your plants being infected by rot and mould, so you can try and reach the optimal harvest time, there are a few precautions you can take.

Good Airflow Around the Plant

Bud rot, is also known as Grey Mould.

It will develop from mould spores that are on your plants and buds. These spores are everywhere, but they will not germinate until conditions are right. This is when bud rot becomes a problem.

Mould spores will grow best in stale pockets of air with warm 22 to 32 °C temperatures, and high humidity. So,

If possible, you should try and cover your plant so rain will not fall onto it during these later stages of flower. If the buds get wet, and cold, they will start to rot and go mouldy.

Air flow is important here too, even if the plant does get wet, with enough breeze, the moisture will evaporate off the plants. But if the breeze cannot

start to become a problem, then you may have to harvest early to prevent the crop being lost to rot and mould.

Only you can make this decision.

If at any time, the temperatures fall too far, and you’re worried about mould setting in, as long as the trichomes are over 90% milky, you can harvest with good results.

In the case that you do find mould or rot on any of the flowers on your plants, you must not use them! Not even for extracts. Ingesting mould spores can be very dangerous and bad for your health. Throw any infected buds away, and consider harvesting as soon as possible, before more rot sets in.

If you are growing auto flowering cannabis plants outdoors, you should follow the breeder's timeline from germination to harvest. You should also check the trichomes, and harvest at 90-100% milky.

In some countries, the Autumn weather can be too harsh for cannabis plants.

Humidity is high, and temperatures are low. This can be an ideal environment for mould spores to germinate, and start to infect your buds.

To summarize

Because you cannot control the environment as much as you would like to, you have to be vigilant, and keep an eye open for any signs of mould or rot forming on your buds.

If you do find any rot or mould, it will need to be removed, and thrown away! Mouldy buds should never be consumed!

At the same time, you do not want to harvest early, and sacrifice the quality of the final product. It’s a fine balance, and it is your plant, you have to decide what is best for you. one of the best ways to combat it, is to ensure your plants have a good supply of fresh air around it at all times.

To reduce the chances of rot and mould infecting your plants, harvesting

This can be done by having a fan blowing at the plants, (which is

Finding the right time to harvest your outdoor cannabis plant is not easy.

The further you head into autumn, the more chances you have of your plant contracting mould.

reach a certain part of the plant, mould is likely to grow there.

So, if you would like to push your outdoor plant a little further this season, ensure they have good airflow

As long as over 90% of the trichomes are milky, you can chop the plant with great results. Try to go for a little longer if you can, but not at the risk of losing the crop to rot.

Good luck, and enjoy your harvest!

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RISE OF THE PRE-ROLLS

While the cannabis industry continues to grow, and legalisation is creeping in across the world it has seen a positive knock on effect in many areas of the industry, including sales of pre-rolls. If you have been into any European coffee shops of late, you would have noticed that there has been an increase in the number of pre-rolls on the menu.

Additionally, recent analytic data from the last few years shows that retailers in the legal states of Colorado, Washington and Oregon sold over $158 millions worth of pre-rolls in a 12 month period. A large amount of new consumers have entered the cannabis market, many of which cannot, and quite frankly do not, need to learn how to roll a joint thanks to pre-rolls and other joint-rolling technology that has become more commonplace and made cannabis so much more accessible.

If you look at cannabis in comparison to tobacco you can see how and why the market is growing. Tobacco originally and for a long time after was sold as a loose product, which people would smoke through a pipe or use to roll their own cigarettes. Tobacco was smoked as early as the 9th century but it was only from the late 1800's onwards that the straight, mass produced cigarette that we recognise today first emerged, and with it the smoking "boom" took off.

Why? Because it was suddenly so much more convenient. Whilst there were (and still are) people who prefer to roll their own tobacco cigarettes, it wasn't long before the convenience of the pre-rolled cigarette market grew to be one of the biggest in the world, and so it is feasible to imagine cannabis pre-rolls going in the same direction.

allow you to try out 1 or more strains before you commit to buying a larger amount. You can buy single joints or

Pre-rolls to define, are cannabis joints that have been made up in advance to buy and smoke immediately. Pre-rolls

Even experienced cannabis users can enjoy the benefits of pre-rolls as they are discreet and easier to transport than

By Rich Hamilton

carrying around your rolling tin, smoking papers, filters, tobacco etc.

Pre-rolls are a great way for dispensaries

tend not to want to buy misshapen carrots or potatoes, they like uniform appearance and size. This does not mean that there is anything wrong with the quality or the taste of the produce, it's just that today's world runs mostly on aesthetic values.

Luckily however the pre-roll works as the perfect ethical solution as to what to do with these less desirable quantities of flower. Meaning that there is no waste of this precious product and you the consumer is still receiving a quality product. Some do argue that pre-roll quality can be low as some dispensaries will use up the lowest quality of their leftovers and mix strains within the pre-rolls. Whilst this can be true, there are ways to ensure that you receive a quality product. Insist on a pre-roll that contains only 1 strain, or try one of the emerging commercial brands, who are

IF YOU HAVE BEEN İNTO ANY EUROPEAN COFFEE SHOPS OF LATE, YOU WOULD HAVE NOTİCED THAT THERE HAS BEEN AN İNCREASE İN THE NUMBER OF PRE-ROLLS ON THE MENU. packs of 5-10, with more and more companies starting to distribute and sell mass produced brands of pre-roll across the country. Just as you would walk into a store anywhere and be able to buy your favourite brand of cigarettes.

and bigger growers and distributors to make the most out of their stock too, they are a business after all. When purchasing flower (cannabis bud) from a dispensary, a smokers cafe or other sources, everybody (including me) wants the best flower for their money. Which is great, that’s how it should be. But people are less inclined to want all the smaller, broken up, less desirable pieces of flower. Just like with fruit and Veg, people

totally focused on this product and as so use a higher quality of flower that will be consistent regardless of where it is purchased. These brands believe that the proven tobacco cigarette model will also be be the future of the cannabis market and are all battling to be the first brands to establish themselves in this market.

Despite their best efforts some people just cannot roll a good joint! Rolling a good beast is a skill, arguably an

33 pre-rolls starting at $5-$10 for a single, up to $50-$60 for a pack of five from wholesale companies that are dedicated to making joints. You can buy more luxury items for $20 plus, like a single, shatter whipped, Kief dusted madness monster. You can even buy pre-rolled blunts if that's your thing! These are a little more expensive than joints (around $15 each). Pre-rolls really are becoming the luxe product of the cannabis market, with businesses and even some celebrities queuing up to capitalise on and deliver an individual and new twist on this classic form of cannabis experience.

art form. I know loads of people that can’t roll right, people that have been smoking for years, decades some of them; and they still roll a raggedy twiglet. A loose spliff that looks more like a mini version of Harry Potters wand than something I would want to smoke! I have one friend that uses a bamboo rolling mat and still can’t get it right! You may have just accepted that unless you actually do have Harry Potter's wand that you are never gonna get any better and toke on regardless when in your own company, but this just won't wash in a group situation and you might be a bit paranoid that your best effort just won't suffice. In these cases the preroll can be your best friend, It's ready to smoke and perfectly packed with a measured amount of cannabis.

Of course there are other reasons why people can't roll, such as medical conditions which affect dexterity and movement in the hands such as arthritis. Arthritis being one condition which medical cannabis can assist with greatly in terms of pain management.

Other conditions that impair hand stability and movement include MS, Parkinson's and essential tremor. It could also be the case that conditions that affect vision or cause poor sight could be preventing you from rolling your own joints, in which case pre-rolls once again are a great solution.

Pre-rolls are also great for the "tourist smoker" market, perfect for dipping a toe into the world of cannabis. In the locations where cannabis is legal (especially recreationally) there is a big trend for smoker holidays and in such places, being able to walk in to a coffee shop or dispensary and buy a pack of pre-rolls like you are buying some cigarettes is a very appealing prospect.

Knowing the dosage of what you are smoking is very important. Smoking cannabis effects the human body very quickly and relatively speaking the “high” effects are short lived, peaking within the first 10 minutes and wearing off gradually over the course of the next hour. Pre-rolls therefore are a great way to pace yourself and know your limits, and if things do start to go downhill, you can stop and the effects will start to wear off. People do have different tolerances and so it’s very important that you find your own personal "happy place" with cannabis, whether for recreational or medical reasons and then stick to it, increasing dose gradually only when your tolerance builds, which it will with regular use. There’s normally 1 gram of flower in a pre-roll. They do differ slightly but generally pre-rolls will state what strain and how much cannabis is in each joint. Pre-rolls do tend to contain a single strain: Train wreck, Jack Herer and so on. The bottom line is, you know exactly what and how

much is in each one. If you are new to cannabis and you do not know what strain you should go for then either do some research online beforehand

of 3 sometimes 4 different strains of weed at anyone time. I’ve lost count of the amount of times that I’ve seen a nice exotic strain on the internet

PRE-ROLLS TO DEFİNE, ARE CANNABİS JOİNTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE UP İN ADVANCE TO BUY AND SMOKE İMMEDİATELY or just ask the bud tenders in the dispensary or cafe as they are all super

and thought to myself “daaammmn I wanna try that”. Perfect solution?

knowledgable and helpful.

Which brings me to my next point... internet window shopping for weed.

Where I live there is normally waves

the pre-roll.

As the pre-roll market grows so does the choice, with something for everyone from standard king size

You can of course if you want to, make your own pre-roll cones for convenience, or for managing your dosage levels. You can buy empty cones which you can fill yourself.

There is a wide selection of equipment available to do so, from hand packers which can fill 12-24 cones, all the way up to a professional shaker bed (retailing for around $5000) which makes 100 pre-rolls at a time. These machines although expensive, are amazing, allowing you to control the firmness of how your cone is packed to 3 different settings!

Generally, pre-rolls are a sign of the times, as well as a sign of what's to come as the cannabis industry becomes bigger, more accepted and more corporate. People want choice, they want convenience, they want value for money and they want control and I think this is a big reason why pre-rolls are becoming such a big corner of the market and why more and more products are hitting the

shelves.. and I can't see that slowing down any time soon. If fact quite the opposite, the rise of the pre-roll has only just begun.

34

GROW QUIZ

7. What photoperiod do automatics require?

A. B. C. D.

12/12 18/6 24/0 They are not light dependant

8. How do carbon filters work?

1. What does root bound mean?

A. B. C. D.

When roots grow circular inside a pot When roots become pruned When a clone develops roots It is the name of a rooting nutrient

A. B. C. D.

They blow clean air into the tent They blow clean air out of the tent They release carbon into the tent They produce Carbon Dioxide

9. Which of these is a back cross?

2. When is the best time to train plants?

A. % C. '

Once 12/12 has started $IWHU WKH VHHGOLQJV ȴUVW DSSHDU During the 18/6 stage $ ZHHN EHIRUH ȵXVKLQJ

A. B. C. D.

F1 male crossed with F1 female F1 male crossed with F2 Female S1 female crossed with S1 female F3 male crossed with F3 female

14. How long should seeds take to germinate?

A. B. C. D.

7-10 days 2-3 days 14 days One month

15. What is the best time to take clones?

A. B. C. D.

Late into flowering Late into 18/6 As soon as shoots appear You cannot take clones

16. Stomata on plants function best when?

A. B. C. D.

During high humidity and warm temps During low humidity and cold temps During low humidity and warm temps Only during dry periods

17. What should be done with mouldy buds?

10. What does wet trimming mean?

3. What is meant by lollipopping?

A. B. C. D.

Snapping the branches Pinching the crown tip into two Using a screen to support the plants Pruning the lower half of the plants

A. B. C. D.

To freeze the trim Let the plants fully dry Trimming the plants freshly cut Only trimming the top buds

A. B. C. D.

They will be fine to smoke They should be used for extracts They can be used for hash making They should be thrown away at once!

18. What type of light do mother plants require?

4. Which of these is not real?

A. B. C. D.

Royal Gorilla Blue Moon Gorilla Gorilla Cookies Gorilla Glue

11. Which of these is rich in Magnesium?

A. B. C. D.

Compost Bat guano Vermiculite Hydroton

A. B. C. D.

6400k blue light 2700k red light Green light 24 hour darkness

19. Which of these will produce the best quality hash?

5. How is dry sift made?

12. What is a Sea of Green?

A. B. C. D.

A. B. C. D.

Using ice and bubble bags Using a sieve screen Using a Rosin press With alcohol extract

A type of strain Growing plants in hydro Growing one huge plant Growing many small plants together

A. B. C. D.

280 micron 73-90 micron 25 micron 400 micron

20. T.D.S stands for what?

6. What hydro grow system submerges the roots 24/7?

A. B. C. D.

Top dripper feed Aeroponics Nutrient Film Technique Deep Water Culture

13. Curing Cannabis means what?

A. B. C. D.

To store away in a tub Neatly trimming the buds Storing in a jar that is burped of air Shaking the dry sift off the bud

A. B. C. D.

Totally Dissolved Solution Total Deficiency Sample Total Dissolved Salts Total Diode Space

For answers see page 38!

out now! paradise-seeds.com

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36

GROW WITH STONEY TARK

TOP TIPS ON CHOOSING GENETICS A BEGINNERS GUIDE

The flowering time of a hybrid can range between 55-70 days, depending on the parental lineage.

MALE OR FEMALE? The seed game is the strongest it has ever been, with so many growers having the option to grow out reliable female seeds. Deciding if you want to grow from regular seed or feminised, almost seems counterproductive.

After all, it only means sexing your plants is required, which can result in a significant loss in plant count, during the pinnacle stage of flowering.

Regular seeds have many pros and cons, just as female seed do. Deciding if you want to grow regular or feminised should not be a case of having to sex the plants out of practicality, like in the old days. Regular seeds have the following advantages: ȏ%HWWHU WKDQ IHPDOH VHHGV IRU VHOHFWLQJ D mother plant to clone ȏ7KHUH DUH QR IHPDOH FKURPRVRPHV implanted in the seeds DNA ȏ2SWLRQV RI PDOH DQG IHPDOH VHHG for breeding ȏ$OORZV IRU D EHWWHU SKHQR KXQW IURP regular seeds ȏ&KHDSHU WR EX\ WKDQ IHPDOH VHHG Feminised seeds cover over 90% of the seed market, with such a high end reputation in terms of germination, performance and strain variety, many growers happily invest in feminised seeds.

*OXHEHUU\ E\ 'XWFK 3DVVLRQ JURZQ DV RQH ODUJH VL]HG SODQW

As a beginner grower, you can quickly become overwhelmed by the latest and greatest genetics. There are more seed banks than ever before, and some companies charging over 100 euros a pack. Before investing time and money into your next project, below are Soft Secrets’ top tips to consider when choosing genetics!

By Stoney Tark

INDICA, SATIVA OR HYBRID? Before you pick a strain you will want to know a little bit about the strain, before spending up to 12 weeks watching it grow. New growers will often refer to a strain depending on if it is an indica, sativa, or hybrid, yet may not fully understand what each of the three.

Indica varieties of cannabis will be short, stocky and grow during the vegetative stage with little internodal spacing.

Typically indica cannabis strains will have a short flowering time between

50-60 days. When flowering the stretch a small amount, while producing dense, golf ball-sized buds, at every internode.

The effects of an indica will be heavy and narcotic. Usually a starting point for medical patients who desire therapeutic relief. Indica cannabis strains are known for small yields, so it is advised to grow these plants for longer in the vegging phase before flowering.

A sativa variety of cannabis will be the other end of the spectrum, regarding grow characteristics. Growing elongated, compact, nugs which have long, frosty

calyxes, sativa strains will take around 70-84 days to flower. The effects of a sativa strain will be uplifting, energetic and will improve focus, creativity, and motivation. Growers can expect large yields, however, must be patient.

A hybrid is a mix of indica and sativa genetics. A cross of these will often express what is called hybrid vigour.

Concerning appearance, a hybrid can offer the grower the best traits of both parents and will often produce large yields. The effects will usually be a blend of heavy bodied and a strong head high.

ȏ7KH DGYDQWDJHV WR JURZLQJ RXW DOO female seeds are: ȏ7KHUH LV QR QHHG WR VH[ RU ORVH SODQW count during flower ȏ8WLOLVHV IXOO VSDFH RI D K\GUR V\VWHP RU indoor garden ȏΖV JXDUDQWHHG IHPDOH DQG QR PDOHV ZLOO be present ȏ&DQ KDYH D ZLGHU YDULHW\ RI VWUDLQV growing at once

TIME FRAME A crucial factor to consider when growing any strain. This is especially important for selecting a strain that will be grown outdoors. When growing indoors, there may be variables that impact how much of a time frame you have. Perhaps the grow room you have is not as secure as you would like, so the idea of getting in and out may be on the front of your mind. On the other hand, you may have been inspired to grow the plants for long in the vegetative stage, so need to consider adding another 14 days or so on to the completion date. Depending on skill level also, can dictate if a grower can achieve an early harvest or require extra time, as they hammer the plants with nutrients to make up for the lack of growth, during the final few weeks.

37 GROWING SPACE This is especially important for bedroom growers, who are fortunate enough to have a secure wardrobe or grow tent in their bedroom or another part of the house. Before selecting what strain you wish to grow, you should firstly measure the grow space you have then think about the following: ȏ6SDFH IRU SRWV ȏ6SDFH IRU OLJKWLQJ ȏ6SDFH IRU D FDUERQ ILOWHU ȏ6SDFH IRU IDQV Once you have calculated your growing space, minus the above, you will then

America. Automatic varieties can grow themselves with little maintenance, making them an ideal solution for an outdoor crop. The benefits of growing automatic strains outdoors are:

good idea to read up on which strains are better suited for a SCROG than others. Usually, hybrid varieties and sativa varieties work best, as indica strains can be better suited for a Sea of Green set up.

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HIGH THC STRAINS

EXPERIENCE As this guide is written for beginner growers, gaining experience has to come from somewhere. Once you have a few successful grows under

A sativa dominant strain that has a very large main stem

need to think about if you are growing indica, sativa or a hybrid variety. Will you be training the plants, or letting them grow naturally? Selecting a sativa strain

This grow space is perfect for one large plant, or many smallmain stem

or hybrid, that can stretch out of your control as a beginner grower, can be a waste of time and money. It can also be a confidence breaker and leave you on the back foot financially. Here you should evaluate if growing a large plant or many small plants is more convenient and practical to your set up, skill level and grow space.

AUTOMATICS? If you are new to growing, then you will of heard about automatic strains. These high performing strains are extremely popular throughout Europe and South

your belt, or have a certain strain dialled in, then you are ready for a more advanced strain, regarding growing difficulty. It is recommended

$XWR 0D]DU JURZLQJ LQGRRUV ZLWK H[FHOOHQW results

to grow a strain that is total indica or an indica dominant hybrid. A good ratio would be 60% indica / 40 sativa or 75% indica / 25% sativa. This will ensure that the plants will grow will a short, compact canopy, that is easy to control when flowering.

SCROG? You may have seen some incredible grows that were a SCROG, and thought this is the only logical way to grow. If you choose to take on this format of growing, then you should be prepared to grow the plants for as long as possible. It is a

My only advice here is not to be caught up by THC levels, that the seed companies quote for their strains.

There are so many incredible strains of cannabis that are not considered because they do not hit the 20%+ THC mark. The outcome of what a plant will test at, as well as the skill level of the grower, are two huge factors.

Many of the top buds from social clubs

10% and a CBD rating of 10%, meaning this medical strain counts as a 1:1.

Depending on the reason for seeking out CBD rich strains, it is a good idea to consider what amounts of THC and CBD you are comfortable with, especially in extract form.

ONE PLANT OR S.O.G? The question that is still debated across forums and amongst growers. Is it more advantageous to grow many smaller sized plants, with a short veg time, or a large plant that has been vegged up for a period and trained to promote maximum yield?

Sea of Green growing has the following

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in Barcelona tested between 10-17% as do the ones sold in coffeeshops in Amsterdam, who are honest enough to tell you the test results.

advantages: ȏ6PDOO YHJJLQJ SHULRG ȏ)XOO JURZ URRP ȏ0XOWLSOH F\FOHV

Sativa dominant strains can grow tall and heavy.

MEDICAL PATIENTS If you are growing cannabis to produce your own medicine, then selecting the strain is what the entire project is based on. In this instance, you will not be considering a large scale commercial grow, or a bedroom homegrown head stash. The case is more you will want to make extracts from the medical strains, to help improve the quality of your life.

An excellent tip here is to research CBD rich varieties of cannabis. Many seed companies now offer CBD rich strains that are a ratio of 1:1, 1:2 and so on.

This means there may be a THC rating of

ȏ8QLIRUP VPDOO SODQWV ȏ&RQVLVWHQW \LHOGV SHU SODQW ȏ1R 3ODQW WUDLQLQJ UHTXLUHG Growing one sizeable sized plant has the following advantages: ȏ/RQJ JURZLQJ SKDVH WR SURGXFH D large canopy ȏ$ JURZHU FDQ EH PRUH KDQGV RQ ȏΖQFRUSRUDWH SODQW WUDLQLQJ ȏ&DQ XVH K\GURSRQLFV ȏ(DVLHU WR GHDO ZLWK WKH GHILFLHQF\ ȏ0RUH FRPIRUWDEOH WR GHDO ZLWK pest/insects Good Luck with selecting the best strains for you...Peace Out!

38 Not a very NICE state of affairs INDEX OF ADS Dr Dee

Recently (August 8th), the people at the National Institute for Health Care and Excellence (or NICE as they’re otherwise, and erroneously, known) produced guidelines regarding provision and prescribing of cannabis based medicines.

For those who don’t know about them, NICE are the big guns when it comes to what can and can’t be prescribed. If they say “no”, then it doesn’t happen and that’s the end of the line.

In this instance, they’ve decided that there’s really not enough evidence to support a case for making medical cannabis products available to the public via the NHS. What they were talking about specifically here were medications for children with particularly brutal forms of epilepsy.

A news report that I caught had one of the NICE top dogs relaying the news to the public. Presumably, nobody else wanted to break such a, frankly, disappointing and shitty decision. Either that, or nobody else could be trusted to stick unwaveringly to the “no evidence” script and not blurt out “this is bullshit”.

Because, readers, that’s what it is: plain, disingenuous bullshit.

None of this is about the lack of a robust and convincing evidence base; the country is one huge medical cannabis experiment (and has been for the past 50 years), and there are now enough people out there who have seen with their own eyes how effective cannabis as a medicine actually is in treating their child’s illness and their concurrent distress.

No. It seems to me that all of this “there’s not enough compelling evidence” stuff is distraction and obfuscation. There are two fundamental issues at the heart of this refusal to provide. Neither have anything to do with evidence, and both have been predicted in these pages for several years now.

Okay, let’s cut to the chase here. As far as I can see, the real problems at the root of this are content and cost.

Problem one is that it’s becoming more and more plain that CBD alone just doesn’t cut it. What’s required is full

spectrum medicine, and that involves some amount of THC. It might, in some cases, involve a lot of THC. And THC is illegal, even as a medical preparation.

The government have made no secret of the fact that they’ve got no intention of legalising THC, and continue to cling to the “it’s a dangerous gateway drug” mantra. Anyone with a brain knows that this isn’t true, and is little more than leftover dogma from the last century.

Problem two is how much the medication costs. Fact: it costs a lot. Amounts vary, but I’ve read reports of supplies costing up to £2,000 a month. That’s not healthcare; that’s exploitation of desperate people. That’s a rip off.

Regular readers will be aware that various UK government figures are involved in the production chain here, from the growing to the marketing and selling of the final product. These people benefit directly from this rip off.

When health becomes a money-making opportunity (as in the US), then I think we have a serious moral and ethical problem.

When the health of extremely ill children becomes a way of pharmaceutical companies getting desperate parents to petition NICE to approve a medicine purely to make money, we’re plumbing completely different depths of exploitative, vulture capitalism.

NICE don’t think the medicine is worth the money that’s being charged for it, and that’s fine: I don’t think it’s worth it either; I just wish everyone would be honest about it. An obvious way out of this situation is to kill the monopoly by making a full range of weed with varying CBD/THC content freely available to everyone who wants or needs it. The only way to achieve this is to legalise it completely. If the UKgovernment truly believes in their “let the market decide” aphorism, let’s see them apply it here. https://www.nice.org.uk/news/article/ nice-draft-guidance-and-nhs-englandreview-highlight-need-for-moreresearch-on-cannabis-based-medicinalproducts

ANSWERS TO THE QUIZ: PAGE 32:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

A C D B B C D B B C

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

A D C B B A D A B C

Name

Page

Amsterdam CBD Center

35

Humboldt Seed Organization 13

Amsterdam Seed Center

31

Jorge Cervantes

14

B.A.C. / BG Products

31

Kosmic Kitchen

31

Barney's Farm

2

Mycologics

35

Cyco

6

Paradise Seeds

1

Dinafem Seeds

1

Paradise Seeds

35

Dinafem Seeds

39

Procare

35

Dutch Passion

1

Pyramid Seeds

17

Dutch Passion

9

Royal Queen Seeds

17

Ed Rosenthal

20

Sanlight

31

Funky Skunk the

27

Sweet Seeds

40

Genofarm

27

Urban Gardening

27

COLOFON Soft Secrets is published by Discover Publisher BV P.O.Box 362, 5460 AJ, Veghel, Netherlands Telephone: +31-(0)73-5498112 E-mail: info@softsecrets.nl Web: www.softsecrets.com Editor: Cliff Cremer Contributors: Ed Rosenthal, Jorge Cervantes, Dr. John Dee, Stoney Tark, Rich Hamilton, Mr. Jose, Robert B., Thomas Valentine, and others.

Comics: Jim Stewart Photography: iStock Editorial adress: readers@softsecrets.nl Advertisements: E-mail: info@softsecrets.nl A word from the publisher: Soft Secrets is a bi-monthly free magazine which is published in The Netherlands (called Highlife), Germany, France, Italy, Spain, UK, Poland, Czech Republic and Chile.

World wide there is a process going on of relative liberalisation towards the use of cannabis, be it for medicinal or recreational purposes. Several countries legalised cannabis as a way of separating soft and hard drugs, as it has proven to do in Holland. Other countries legalised

the use of medicinal cannabis, including the right to grow cannabis plants for one’s own use.

The publisher wants to highlight the process of normalisation of cannabis use.

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 and/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 editor takes no responsibility for unsollicited 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.

Next issue out:

November 29, 2019

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Consult laws about cannabis applied in your place of residence. Sweet Seeds® will not be accountable for illegal use of these seeds done by third parties.

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