1102

THE ORIGINAL CANNABIS NEWSPAPER FOR GROWERS AND SMOKERS, SINCE 1985

ISSUE 2 2011 18+ For adults only. Soft Secrets is published six times a year by Discover Publishers USA, Inc.

In this issue:

THE KIND DOCTOR Soft Secrets USA interviews Dr. Frankel, master of medical Cannabis tinctures. Find out why this is the safest way to medicate and why people all over the country are exploring this therapy.

Dr. Frankel was even kind enough to reveal how his famous tinctures are made. ››

5

The Scoop on Soil ›› 21 BLACK TUNA DIARIES Robert Platshorn, a.k.a. Bobby Tuna, was released from prison in 2008 after almost three decades of Federal incarceration. His book, Black Tuna Diaries, has recently been re-published in its original, unedited form.

Read all about his rise from small stage actor to one of the largest US smugglers of Colombian weed in the 1970s. This heartpounding tale will capture your imagination, and perhaps scare you out of ever smuggling anything, anywhere. ››

7

A look at innovations in the industry today ›› 26

Spring has Sprung!

The days are getting longer, the temperature is finally rising (for those of us not lucky enough to enjoy California’s climate) and the seeds are germinating. After such a long and harsh winter for so many, it’s great to see the verdant green of new life springing up everywhere. Get your gardening gloves ready!

So, here we are with our second issue of Soft Secrets USA, shaking off the winter sleep and enjoying our new US readership. We hope you had a chance to catch our first American issue; if not, our entire international archive is available at http://www.softsecrets.nl (to all readers above 18, of course). You can download all our issues for free, in nine languages. Find out what growers, smokers and the medical community are experiencing around the world.

In issue two of SSUSA, we will help you to mix fresh soil properly, give you tips on making organic fertilizers and introduce you to many new strains and seed companies.

Medical marijuana users should make sure to check out our interview with Dr. Frankel, a master of marijuana tinctures. Find out why dosing with therapeutic Cannabis is so difficult, and how you can figure out what dosage works best for you.

We also take a trip around the world with Bobby Tuna, the alleged leader of the Black Tuna Gang. Recently released after almost 29 years of Federal incarcera-

tion, the Baron of Barranquilla himself has penned an exciting tale about his adventures as a 1970s smuggler of some of Colombia’s finest dope.

So, while you’re waiting for your spring crop to germinate, sit back, relax and enjoy issue two of SSUSA.

3

FROM THE EDITOR

Co

Calling all Females!

Hey, ladies – want to be famous? Ever dreamed about being a lingerie model?

Here's your chance: Soft Secrets USA is looking to print some steamy photos of you, dear readers, in and among our favorite plants. We want to see beautiful babes and beautiful buds, and lots of them.

Those of you gents familiar with our UK edition have likely already drooled over the sexy European version of 'Dear Soft Secrets' – now is your chance to start an American sensation!

Girls, perhaps you'd like to show off your curves in some sexy clothes while tending to your outdoor garden? Or guys, maybe you've got some semi-naughty pics of your lady friend(s) in your grow room?

HPS lights are so romantic...

Send us your photos (high-res only; no scans of 35mm!) of your in- or outdoor grow, plus a lovely lady or two in the latest boudoir fashions, and we will print the best ones. If you can find a copy

of Soft Secrets to throw into the photo, we'd love to see it!

Those whose submissions are printed will receive one of a selection of the latest and most informative grow books around.

Remember: keep it classy! Think lingerie runway model or beauty queen, not red light district!

Submissions may be emailed to: info@softsecrets.com

DEAR SOFT SECRETS

Magic Bud is a fine blend of Indica and Sativa.

This plant produces beautiful resin coated nugs in a relatively short time, approximately 56 days indoors. Her appealing velvet looks during flowering are a pleasure for the eye, and you have to be careful that you (or your friends) do not give into the urge to cut of a branch before she is fully ripened! Your patience will be royally rewarded with very tasty aromatic buds.

When dried and cured the Magic smokes smooth with a pleasant floral aromatic taste. The body relaxing effect combined with a strong potent high is magical, you will feel at ease with everything you do.

Type: Indica/ Sativa Flowering time: Approx 56 days indoors. Outdoors Middle of October (n.L.) 400 grams per m2 indoors. Outdoors Yield: approx. 500 grams per plant Suitable environments: Indoors. Outdoors between 50º n.L. and 50º s.L. Effects/Buzz: Pleasant Sativa-Indica high Smell/Taste: Floral -aromatic THC: 12-15% Photo: Paradise Seeds

Magic Bud

IN THIS ISSUE: Spring Has Sprung!

Page 3 Girl The Kind Doctor Black Tuna Diaries Spring Planting Strain Awards Organic Tea Germination 101 A Dutch Shift Amster-rant Slider Smoke Reduction System Cannabis and Pregnancy The Scoop on Soil Green Prisoners: Ken Unger LED Lights What’s Happening with Hemp?

Sweet Seeds Dear Soft Secrets Morocco Bound The Green Door Mountain High Sexism in Pot Culture The Attitude Seedbank A Stoned Selection Grubbycup’s Simple Hydroponics Devil Weed

1 3 5 7 9 10 12 13 14 15 17 20 21 22 24 26 29 32 33 34 36 39 41 44 45 45

FROM THE EDITOR STRAIN REPORT MEDICINAL BOOK REVIEW/SMUGGLING ORGANIC CULTIVATION STRAIN REPORT ORGANIC CULTIVATION ORGANIC CULTIVATION MADE IN HOLLAND OPINION MEDICINAL MEDICINAL ORGANIC CULTIVATION MEDICINAL/LEGAL SERIOUS GARDENING HEMP INNOVATIONS INTERVIEW FROM OUR READERS SMUGGLING DISPENSARY MADE IN HOLLAND OPINION GENETICS/BREEDING MUSIC BOOK REVIEW COMIC

5

The Kind Doctor Two blocks east of Barrington Avenue, in the heart of the San Vicente corridor, sits the 80's glass and stylistic Jon Douglas Medical Center, housing psychologists' offices, top-notch dental hygienists, and some of the most expensive dermatologists in Los Angeles. And they all have a new tenant: Greenbridge Medical, the Cannabis practice owned by the pioneering Dr. Allan Frankel, a.k.a. 'The Kind Doctor'.

With its fresh roses, mustard yellow walls adorned with Buddhist art, and pretty secretary, the office feels much like an acupuncture-herb clinic. Greeting me at the door is the smiling and amiable doctor himself: wearing jeans, an Izod polo and tennis shoes, the sixty-something Frankel looks every bit as Dr. – minus the whites – because, well, he has been a board-certified internist for over 27 years, with big chunks

By Robert Michael of that time practicing at UCLA Medical Center.

Although a child of the sixties, Frankel didn’t try pot until his mid-forties, and it was not until eight years ago, when a vicious virus in his chest attacked his heart, that he began smoking on a regular basis.

“For years at UCLA I worked with chemo and oncology patients,” he recalls. “They were in so much agony that I would wheel them out into the garden and give them a joint. And every single one of them would feel better. I never saw it as a moral issue but a human issue.”

So after suffering a similar fate as his former patients and being told he had less than a year to live, Frankel began smoking heavily and, well, here he is.

“Look, I can’t say definitively that the medical Cannabis saved my life, but…” he trails off and smiles.

DR. ALLAN FRANKEL

According to Frankel, the lion’s share of Cannabis doctors are not smokers and don’t understand the medicine: “A lot of these doctors are using edibles but since those are absorbed through the stomach and must go through hepatic metabolism – which turns the Cannabis molecules into a much longer lasting and very stoney medicine – it is almost impossible to quantify dosage, and too much can cause psychotic reactions.” He continues: “Smoking has some of the same issues, plus the possible harmful effects on the lungs; vaporizers definitely have less tar but, again, it’s very hard to define dosage.”

The solution? Tinctures. Tinctures are liquid THC that is dispensed through a small spray bottle by squirting the medicine under the tongue. The medicine is absorbed through the sub-lingual veins which, unlike edibles, are a reli-

able and consistent delivery conduit. In addition, when a patient uses a tincture in their mouth, they can enable some lung absorption by taking deep breaths in through their mouth and out through their nose. While not widely used yet – most doctors are recommending vaporizers – Frankel is a tincture pioneer.

SSUSA: how did you first come across tinctures?

Dr. Frankel: When I first began my Cannabis medical practice, it became clear that any broadly effective medicine must be able to be dosed during the daytime. You can imagine that most patients would not be entirely forthright and generally told me

ferent formulations. Physicians and the AMA at that time were very supportive of Cannabis, in part due to its safety and efficacy; and in part because not much else was around. Aspirin didn’t come on the scene until 1899. In reading the physician notes of the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, I learned about tinctures and soon was bringing them into my practice.

SSUSA: what are tinctures, exactly?

DF: Tinctures are liquids into which the essence of the plant, flower or vegetable is extracted. Tinctures are thousands of years old and each one of us has seen many of the brown or blue tincture bottles on the shelves of various homeopathic pharma-

TINCTURES ARE LIQUID THC THAT IS DISPENSED THROUGH A SMALL SPRAY BOTTLE BY SQUIRTING THE MEDICINE UNDER THE TONGUE they used a puff or two a few times weekly. I never believed it and soon helped patients become more open and honest, but still there was this issue of how are we really dealing with pain, anxiety, nausea, etc. during the day? People rarely can smoke or even vaporize during the day.

Furthermore, even IF they could smoke/ vape, how do you know what dose to use? How many ‘puffs’? Are all puffs equal; absolutely not. Every puff is different in probably 20 different ways. This is true whether using a pipe, joint or vaporizer.

So, the question of my first year of Cannabis medicine was, how do patients medicate in a predictable manner, without smoke or vaping? Edibles did not turn out to be the answer, as they were and remain way too variable and dependent upon hepatic metabolism. So, I began reading about the Golden Era of Cannabis, which was from the late-1800’s through 1940.

During these years, all US-based ‘pharma’ companies were creating Cannabis tinctures. Different strains were used for dif-

copeias. Cannabis tinctures themselves were first introduced to the planet 3,500 years ago. I presume there was some bucket of alcohol into which some early teen dumped some Cannabis plant material. Finally, when forced to throw it away, some of this first tincture splashed into the teen’s mouth and Cannabis tinctures were born. Most professional tinctures are made in several steps: 1. Bud, trim or whole plant material is ground up.

2. It is then placed into a complex machine, a Super Cooled CO2 Extractor.

3. A pound of Cannabis is turned into approximately one oz. of a thick and very potent goo.

4. The goo is diluted into various tinctures depending upon the chemical makeup of the extracted tincture.

When a tincture is made properly, the cannabinoid content (THC/CBD/CBN) is critical to know because various new tinctures now have very different effects, depending upon the cannabinoid content as well as other chemicals in the plant (such as the terpenes). The created tincture is used sublingually in the patient’s mouth and is absorbed directly into the bloodstream.

The dose is predictable – as well as the effects – and this is the only known method that allows such dosing.

SSUSA: have you been involved in tincture or cannabinoid research?

DF: I am currently and have been involved in cannabinoid research for several years. I would love to be involved with clinical trials; but other than very few, they are still illegal. Even when possible, the Cannabis used comes from the University of Mississippi, and is of very limited strain availability. Tincture and cannabinoid research are really entirely intertwined. We need to learn what combinations and ratios of cannabinoids will make what types of tinctures.

In addition, much more research into the plant’s terpenes is critical. Terpenes probably account for a lot of the psychoactive effects of Cannabis and most tinctures remove the terpenes, as they are within the plant waxes.

6

So, what else are we losing? What causes the paranoia associated with some Cannabis use? When is it really best to harvest a plant? These and hundreds of other questions can only be answered by careful study of the plant’s genetics, and control of its growing environment. Various stresses can affect the expression of various genes and change how the genetics is morphologically expressed. I could on for days. We have many more questions than answers. There are some questions we know HOW to answer and many questions where we don’t even know where/how to start. My view of Cannabis research would be to have non-investment money be donated to a research organization that will begin obtaining these answers. I would love to be involved with that team.

SSUSA: how do you determine dosage?

DF: To begin with, let me clearly state that I am just referring to dosing using Cannabis tinctures. With puffs of smoke, puffs from a vaporizer and certainly with edibles, dosing is very difficult and needs to be started very slowly; I mean very slowly and adjusted. For those of you interested in dosing with edibles please be well hydrated and try _ of a dose, and wait a full two hours to assess the effect. Drink some more fluids and try another _ and again wait a full two hours. You will get a reasonable dose in this manner.

With a good tincture, the amount of THC/CBD and terpenes is generally

known. The dosing should begin with _ of a dropper of the tincture placed under the tongue. The fluid should be brushed throughout your mouth with your tongue. Before swallowing the tincture, one needs to take ten deep breaths. Slowly, in through your mouth, and then slowly exhale through your nose. I would suggest waiting 30 minutes to see the peak effect from this initial dose. I would then add another _ dropper full and repeat. Most patients require between _ and a full dropper full. Soon, however, as every tincture has a stated 5 mg THC or CBD dose, we will have very exact dosing by mg.

SSUSA: how many doctors are using this method?

DF: I think very, very few doctors are educating patients on this method. To a large extent it is simply that not many physicians even know about tinctures.

Additionally, most tinctures are made very poorly, not tested and are inconsistent.

I try educating patients and physicians about the use of tinctures as much as possible. I also believe some physicians are scared that it is illegal to discuss this with patients. That is just not the case.

SSUSA: why are tinctures better than edibles?

DF: Edibles require eating a lot of wasted calories and dosing in edibles is very poor.

The patient’s liver metabolizes the edible as it goes from the stomach into the bloodstream. This change moves the OH group and entirely changes the nature of

the medication; it is much longer-acting and much more ‘narcotizing’. Tinctures are dose-able and predictable.

SSUSA: better than smoking?

DF: Smoking can certainly be used to treat a patient’s symptoms but there is lung irritation (not cancer or COPD). The little hairs or cilia in our airways are partially, but reversibly, paralyzed by Cannabis and hence the chronic cough. However, cough and irritation aside, the primary advantage of tinctures over smoking is that with smoking, dosing is impossible and the effect on symptoms becomes a wild up- and down curve; with tinctures it is much smoother.

SSUSA: what are the best ailments to use tinctures for? Why? DF: Tinctures are just one form of Cannabis delivery to the patient. Any illness where Cannabis is effective, it is effective. In my opinion, using the tincture for pretty much any ailment where Cannabis is helpful is still the best way to medicate the patient. Tinctures are commonly used for pain, anxiety, insomnia and nausea. Rich-CBD tinctures will be effective in many areas of cancer treatment and most likely it will be in tincture form. So, if Cannabis works, the tinctures will work as well, if not better.

SSUSA: who are the best candidates for tinctures?

DF: Any patient who wishes to benefit from Cannabis will benefit from tinctures. The primary group of patients

who tend not be satisfied by tinctures are often patients who wish to get more ‘stoned’, or ‘narcotized’. Even many of these patients will be satisfied using tinctures, as we get better at re-instilling the terpenes after extraction.

SSUSA: what percentage of your patients is using tinctures?

DF: I would estimate that 30 – 40 % of patients will use them from time to time, and perhaps 20% use the tinctures exclusively.

SSUSA: who is currently making the tinctures?

DF: A large number of small manufacturers, in their kitchens. This must change.

SSUSA: where do you see the tincture application going in the near future/ long-term future?

DF: I believe it will be the next aspirin, Tylenol and cold medicines wrapped together while also being used for anxiety, mood disorders, insomnia, etc. In other words, I believe that Cannabis tinctures are the largest new medical market to come along. It will be both supported by ‘pharma’ as well as the medical Cannabis world, or ‘non-pharma’.

SSUSA: what else is on the horizon?

Anything new?

DF: The most exciting new development on the horizon is out of UCSF under an NIH grant. We are seeing incredible antibreast cancer effects from CBD. This is something to stay tuned for.

7

SMUGGLER’S STORIES BOBBY TUNA'S TALE OF SMUGGLING AND CAPTIVITY

Caught and Released: Black Tuna Diaries Get ready for a long, strange trip. The unedited, limited edition of Black Tuna Diaries is now available, and what a read it is! From South St. in Philly to South America, Robert Platshorn weaves an almost unbelievable tale of his rise from a skinny five-year-old stealing caps for the 'South St. Gang' to the alleged captain of the Black Tuna Gang, the socalled leaders of the US pot smuggling game in the 1970s. The Sativa Diva The DEA accused the Black Tuna Gang of smuggling – or attempting to – between one- and three-million tons of primo Colombian ganja into the US in just a few years, supposedly earning them more than three hundred million dollars. 1970s dollars, that is! After Nixon left office, many Americans truly believed that the time for Cannabis legalization had come.

Gone were the archaic views towards the plant; the party was supposed to have started. Before the cocaine craze of the 1980s, high-quality imported pot was the

drug of choice for many, whether smokers or smugglers.

If you think about it, clearly the Tunas were not aiming for celebrity status.

They liked to smoke dope, fish and fly planes, and their customers were more than happy to reimburse them for their extra cargo upon their return to the US. Many people in this era loved to smoke (not just the hippies); however, few were willing to assume the risk of importing such a stinky, pungent cargo all the way from steamy South America.

Likely one of the most-covered smugglers with regards to the media, Platshorn and his cohorts represent the severity and often ridiculous nature of Cannabis sentences in the US. The Black Tuna Gang, a moniker applied erroneously by the DEA, could be viewed as the very first casualties of the emerging War on Drugs.

THE AUTHOR AT THE OFFICES OF THE DYNAMIC READING INSTITUTE, LONDON, 1968

POSING AFTER HIS BULL FIGHTING DEBUT IN 1970

Platshorn and his childhood friend Robert Meinster (another member of the South St. Gang, naturally) were sentenced to more than 108 years between them.

Originally, 64 of those years were meant for Platshorn. After serving nearly 29 years in various levels of the Federal correction system, Robert was finally freed on April 1st, 2008. Perhaps the most famous first-time, non-violent Cannabis offender in the history of the War on Drugs, the alleged ringleader was released to a halfway house with no money, no job and very little surviving family or friends.

Platshorn, a.k.a. Bobby Tuna, a.k.a.

Barranquilla Bob, does not represent the typical smuggling story. Rather than a bid for freedom from a life of poverty, as prompts many into the smuggling and dealing game, the Baron of Barranquilla hails from a comfortable childhood in Philadelphia, the son of two hard-working Jewish parents. Raised on the famous South St. of the 1950s, where his father worked in a shoe store and his mother owned a children's clothing boutique, young Robert was left to learn the rules of the street, all the while under the auspices of dozens of 'aunts' and 'uncles', the babysitters of that time period. Kids worked small jobs and hustled coins,

although the smallest crimes would result in a nasty encounter with one's folks.

The heightened attention paid to kids by those other than their parents worked both for and against them.

It was perhaps the very hard-working people around him that shaped Robert's early work ideals. He would graduate from an arts high school in Cherry Hill, NJ, where he enjoyed some success as an actor and dancer. Platshorn then moved on to college at both Temple University (Philadelphia) and the University of Miami. Communications and journalism were studied but not completed, and he would later study law.

Then came the barking at state fairs, boardwalks and showrooms. No big event of the time was complete without one. Shouting and roaring and making the ladies swoon, Platshorn seems to have had a natural talent for sales. A true

his ice cream pushcarts for the tourist season. Luke ran a concessions business and needed a place to store his trailers and off-season merchandise. Thus, a partnership was struck.

Cool Hand was using his concessions trailers to deliver shipments for smugglers and thought it would be the perfect spot to unload. This would promote him, and Platshorn, to dealers in their own right. Tired of being a simple delivery boy, Luke convinced Robert that this was their chance to enter the game. Unfortunately, Luke would later turn informant.

This small initial load of dope was handled

by Luke and Robby, while Platshorn was setting up shop in Florida – relying on his two friends to slide him his cut.

Eventually, Platshorn would run a small empire from a suite in the luxury Fontainebleau in Florida. With luxury yachts docked in front of the hotel, he operated the South Florida Auto Auction, among other businesses. It was the auto auction that provided a perfect excuse for traveling to Latin America, especially when one is friends with people who are able to produce a variety of planes and boats with which to smuggle prime-grade Colombian pot.

In '77 Platshorn was living in the Spring Gardens area of Miami and restoring an old 40 ft. Elco Sportsfisherman, which

THE DEA ACCUSED THE BLACK TUNA GANG OF SMUGGLING BETWEEN ONE- AND THREE-MILLION TONS OF PRIMO COLOMBIAN GANJA INTO THE US showman, crowds of several hundred people would gather to hear him pitch the latest blender or no-run hosiery. It was at the 1976 Wisconsin State Fair where his initial connection with the smuggling game surfaced.

While contemplating a return to the University of Miami to pursue a law degree, Platshorn met a fellow barker called Cool Hand Luke. Luke knew that Platshorn owned the Ice Cream Factory on South St., where he also housed

would later come in handy. His pal Captain Crunch knew someone with 1,500 lb. loads of Colombian weed that were being smuggled into Florida through the Everglades. Robert and Robby were to become partners with the supplier and find customers to whom they could offload each shipment. Posh canal houses presented the perfect unloading spots, with their private house-adjacent docks for yachts and semi-discrete settings among the wealthy and disinterested.

8 something interesting and appealing for readers of all types on every page of Black Tuna Diaries. The text is important; not necessarily because it outlines the perils and triumphs of pot smuggling – and it does – but because it shows how desperate the War on Drugs has been since its inception. The groovy, partyladen view that many have of the 1970s is belied by the '20-to-life' statute of the

did, but were also apprehended. Others were successful, but the Tunas' bust certainly served as a warning to any would-be entrepreneurs. Ultimately, by removing the Tunas from their position as trans-continental runners, the DEA/Feds only served to prompt a renaissance in smuggling techniques.

Not only that, but the dawn of the cocaine-fueled 1980s was approach-

BY REMOVING THE TUNAS FROM THEIR POSITION AS TRANS-CONTINENTAL RUNNERS, THE DEA/ FEDS ONLY SERVED TO PROMPT A RENAISSANCE IN SMUGGLING TECHNIQUES decade for pot possession or dealing.

Busting the Fishing Fools – sorry, the 'Black Tuna Gang' – was a notch in the belt of the DEA, who were burdened with the now highly-publicized task of policing the infamous and heavily-trafficked smuggling routes of the day.

THE FABULOUS FISHING FOOLS: BOBBY TUNA AND RANDY ON DOCK; BARRY AND MARTY ON NATURE'S WAY

Platshorn and crew were known publicly as the 'Fishing Fools', a title earned as a result of their highly competitive – and highly successful – jaunts at local fishing competitions. Of the many ridiculous claims asserted by the DEA, one was that the smugglers' radio code for loads of ganja was 'Black Tuna, Black Tuna'. No such code ever existed.

Besides, as Platshorn points out, anyone who has ever fished knows that Blue Fin Tuna are much bigger – 'giant' even – than their black-finned cousins, and the Fools' legendary fishing success in Bimini competitions became so largely due to the sheer size of their usual catch. In fact, they were even awarded special medals for winning a Grand Slam fishing contest. Photos of the gold medals would find their way onto the DEA website, where it was claimed that the medallions were used to identify members of the Black Tuna Gang.

In fact, the Fools did their best to maintain normal profiles while on missions, including radio silence, and even had someone monitoring all radio traffic from inside a surveillance van: marine-, air-, state- and local police, DEA, Bahamian customs, etc.

Buying 2,000 lb. loads of pot at $60 per pound sounds pretty cheap, by today's standards. However, you must remember that this was the mid- to late '70s, when pressed ditch weed cost about $12 per pound. When part of one batch was stolen by the police, the remaining 850 lbs. was pre-sold to their customers at $240 per pound. The stuff the Tunas were hauling was like gold to pot smokers. Their profit margin was unbeatable.

All went well, for a while. At one point, Platshorn was held 'hostage' in Puerto Atlántico while the weed supplier waited for his partners to pay up. Unlike many hostage situations, he was invited to stay with his captor's family, fed well and entertained.

In 1977, their 5,000 lb. load of Santa Marta Gold was hijacked by the Colombian Army. The boys were loaded into a moldy step van and driven through the sweaty jungle to be coerced into paying a 'landing fee' or be shot by firing squad, as an example to others. These problems, however, were to pale in comparison to the Federal charges levied by the US government against the Black Tunas.

Among their smuggling fleet were two

With the 'Just Say No' campaign right around the corner, the Tuna take-down signaled that even more drastic and depressing changes were about to befall American Cannabis users, dealers and smugglers. Rather than legalize, the States entered the dark period that only now seems to be lightening. As stated by many social observers, the War on Drugs created the need for sophisticated drug cartels; it wasn't ever the case that so many smugglers were clogging the water- and airways with their stinky contraband.

Whatever the case, when Bobby Tuna was busted in September of 1978 (after attempting an elusive maneuver that will make the reader break out in a cold sweat), a golden era ended. The relationship between US smokers in the '70s and the legendary Santa Marta Gold had encountered an unfortunate hurdle. No longer would this particular 'gang' supply them with the sacred cargo.

Few other smugglers at the time risked transporting such large loads; some

ing, and in terms of discretion, it was much less smelly – and far more profitable – to switch products. A new smuggling trend was born.

Bobby Tuna would never have entered that game, even if he hadn't been nabbed by the authorities. He had far more respect for himself, and for Cannabis, and had no

desire to associate with 'cocaine cowboys'.

Now a medical Cannabis user – but still occasionally hocking non-stick cooking pans or one of Ron Popeil's inventions – he was released just over three years ago, on April 1st, 2008. Perhaps the day should be renamed 'Fishing Fools' Day'. The first thing a newly-free Bobby Tuna did? He went fishing, of course.

To order your limited-edition copy, or make a donation to Robert Platshorn, visit » www.blacktunadiaries.com

EVENTUALLY, PLATSHORN WOULD RUN A SMALL EMPIRE FROM A SUITE IN THE LUXURY FONTAINEBLEAU IN FLORIDA After the second load was delivered, Robert and Robby were invited by their partner to join him in Colombia. From Bogotá to Barranquilla, the pair were sent on a wild goose chase. Intent on finding a silver lining, they stayed in Colombia to see what sort of business would arise. It was on this trip that Platshorn met 'Johnny with the Camaro', who would become his solid connection and provide him with enough contacts, and dope, to fill several ships each time he visited Colombia.

44 ft. Striker yachts, one 54 ft. Striker, a 53 ft. Hatteras yacht, a 43 ft. Rybovich yacht and a 110 ft. Elco. Planes included several trips on a Lear jet, their own DC-3, Cessnas, Pipers, a Beechcraft D-18, an Aero Commander, Constellations and more. The alleged haul of over three hundred million dollars, the planes and the boats were all nowhere to be found when it was time for the DEA to present their evidence.

Whether you're an airplane buff, boat connoisseur or fishing fiend, there's

AUTHOR SPEAKING ON STAGE AT THE HEMPSTALK

9

Spring Planting

THIS 11-DAY-OLD SPROUT WILL SOON BE READY TO START THE HARDENING PROCESS

AT 13 DAYS, THE SPROUTED SEED (LEFT) SHOWS MORE PROGRESS THAN THE SPROUTED 13-DAY-OLD CLONE (RIGHT). CLONES SHOULD BE GIVEN AN ADDITIONAL WEEK TO DEVELOP.

It may still be a bit chilly, but spring will soon be here. For indoor gardens the change in seasons isn’t all that dramatic. Spring, summer, fall and winter are just different settings on the lighting and temperature controls. For outdoor gardens, however, there is a pre-spring moment that is very special, when the ground has been cleared and the only seeds in the garden are ones of hope and anticipation. Outdoor gardens are a cheap and natural way to grow smoke. However, they can also attract drama like a magnet if discovered by some idiot, so even legal weed should be grown with discretion. The biggest threat to

by Grubbycup outdoor Cannabis walks on two legs.

Marijuana grows well in containers or directly in the ground. It is a very simple spice to grow (to be correct, it’s a spice – not an her – since the flower clusters are the part of the plant that is harvested). In my opinion, it is easier to grow a nice crop of marijuana than a nice crop of tomatoes or peppers. If you’ve had a successful vegetable or flower garden, you already have most of the needed skills.

ALTHOUGH NOT ABLE TO STAND UP TO EXAMINATION, THIS TOMATO COMPANION AFFORDS SOME COVER

Depending on the 'gardening zone' of your area, spring may be just right around the corner. In most of the US, Cannabis is planted outdoors in April through May in anticipation of a fall harvest. Check with your local garden zone guide; but as a general rule, plant no earlier than a week after the last frost date. Plant near the spring equinox and harvest around the fall equinox.

You can put them outside later in the season, even up to midsummer, but the more time the plants spend growing, the larger they can grow, and the larger the harvest should be. Once you know when you want to move the plants outside, count back the weeks to figure out when to start them.

Outdoor plants can be started indoors by cloning or seed. Start clones indoor by taking cuttings from a known female – at least three weeks in advance, to have them ready to move outside. Take cuttings that include a growing tip, and at least below the next node. Dip in rooting hormones if desired, and bury the node into the growing media with the tip above the surface. Keep the media moist, but not soggy. Roots should be formed in two to three weeks.

GROWING VEGETABLES ALONGSIDE MARIJUANA CAN PROVIDE NUTRITIOUS TREATS

Start seeds indoors at least two weeks in advance to have them ready to move outside. When starting from seed, germinate at least twice the number of seeds as plants desired for harvest, as a little under half tend to be male. To avoid investing too much time and energy into male plants, once established, clones taken from the outdoor plant can be sexed indoors to learn gender. An alternative is to start with feminized seeds, which will all be female. Sprouts should be kept moist, but not too wet.

One drawback to starting indoors is that the plants need to be 'hardened' before they can be left outside permanently. To harden a plant, it is placed outside in a mild location for a longer period each day for anywhere from a few days to about a week. It will ease the transition from the protected indoor environment to the harsher outdoors. Plastic domes can help protect young plants. Depending on conditions, plants not hardened may die if the change in environment is too great.

If starting from seed outside, you can wait until your planting date to start. The same gender concerns as when starting seeds indoors apply here.

'Companion planting' is a method often used to help prevent outdoor plants from attracting certain types of pests. Nearby, indeterminate, tomato plants bring natural defenses against some types of insects. A brief glance at green foliage with tomatoes on it can appear to be a tomato plant, and the marijuana can help provide some support for the tomato plant. Besides, home grown produce is a worthwhile harvest of its own.

Tying open branches allows a more even distribution of sunlight, and training tall plants to bend over with twine can limit height concerns.

Fertilize with more nitrogen before the summer solstice, and gradually reduce the amount afterward. Do the opposite with phosphorous and potassium: start with a small amount, and gradually increase use after the summer solstice.

Marijuana is a very tolerant plant, which can do well under a wide variety of conditions, both indoors and out. An outdoor temperate grow can be spectacular, productive and save kilowatts of electricity over an indoor grow.

If you are blessed with a circumstance that will allow outdoor gardening, be thankful.

It is a wonderful way to grow, as long as you can do it in peace.

Peace, love and puka shells, Grubbycup

10

STRAIN AWARDS

A SELECTION OF CURRENT CHAMPIONS

Have You Tried These?

Best Pain Relieving Strain Award (High THC)

Two-Way Tie! This issue brings us a two-way tie between Humboldt County Housewives' Skywalker OG and Oklevueha's Blue Dream Haze.

The Skywalker OG has the highest total cannabinoid content; while the Blue Dream Haze has slightly more THC. With both strains scoring high at nearly 25% THC, these indicas are sure to take your pain away and probably your sensibilities too. Beginners beware! Too much of a toke from these beauties and you'll find yourself in couch lock paranoia. Even the cartoons you're watching on the television set will know how high you are.

Connoisseurs: rejoice, relax and enjoy.

HUMBOLDT COUNTY HOUSEWIVES' SKYWALKER OG

Oklevueha's Blue Dream Haze – http://budgeni.us/2LQ 24.99% THC < 0.05% CBD 0.38% CBN HIGH RATING: 10 SLEEP AID: 8 PAIN RELIEF: 10 NAUSEA RELIEF: 1 ANXIETY RELIEF: 1 APPETITE STIMULATION: 10

with well-placed hairs and bright alive trichomes throughout. This mild sativa is great for an energy boost around lunch time. Feeling lonely? Wrap your lips around nature's most fertile White Widow.

Best Anxiety Relief Award (High CBD) While we see many great rating THC strains every day, the rarest of the rare are high CBD (Cannabidiol) strains.

These are an interesting breed that, strangely enough, are known for their properties in not getting you too high.

They maintain many pain relief qualities, but are best known for their exceptional anxiety relief. It's a completely different experience that we highly HUMBOLDT COUNTY HOUSEWIVES’ recommend. So if you need to pass PMS WHITE WIDOW that calculus test, but need to take the edge off, pick up some ATF from M-Pire.

Remember though: not all strains are Humboldt County Housewives' PMS created equal! We've seen several ATF White Widow – http://budgeni.us/2LT strains with no CBD content at all. So 10.75% THC hats off to these master growers for < 0.05% CBD < 0.05% CBN cultivating this rare gem.

HIGH RATING: 4 SLEEP AID: 1 PAIN RELIEF: 4 NAUSEA RELIEF: 4 ANXIETY RELIEF: 4 APPETITE STIMULATION: 5

Whittier Hope Collective's Black Kush – http://budgeni.us/2LU 9.73% THC < 0.05% CBD < 0.05% CBN HIGH RATING: 4 SLEEP AID: 4 PAIN RELIEF: 4 NAUSEA RELIEF: 3 ANXIETY RELIEF: 3 APPETITE STIMULATION: 5

Uncle Harry's Mistress Award Harry likes 'em hairy, and the Red Warrior doesn't disappoint. At 12.70% THC she's not the strongest weapon on the battlefield, but she'll visually enchant anyone who sets their on eyes upon her. This red-headed stepchild is bursting with supermodel appeal.

Beneath that amazing head of thick sunset hairs are glowing white bulbs just begging for your vaporizer.

Pretty in Purple Award We can't help ourselves. We're always blown away by the purps. They leap off the camera lens begging "Look at me, dahling!". It's a difficult choice to choose the best; however, the Black Kush from Whittier Hope Collective is a clear winner.

She's a dark burgundy, reminiscent of a plum-colored Cabernet. Her trichomes are lined up in perfect single file for your viewing pleasure.

Humboldt County Housewives' Skywalker OG – http://budgeni.us/2LR 24.47% THC 1.02% CBD 0.26% CBN HIGH RATING: 10 SLEEP AID: 8 PAIN RELIEF: 10 NAUSEA RELIEF: 1 ANXIETY RELIEF: 1 APPETITE STIMULATION: 10 M-PIRE’S ATF M-Pire's ATF – http://budgeni.us/2LS 7.65% THC 8.63% CBD 0.10% CBN HIGH RATING: 1 SLEEP AID: 9 PAIN RELIEF: 3 NAUSEA RELIEF: 10 ANXIETY RELIEF: 10 APPETITE STIMULATION: 4

Sexiest Strain Award

OKLEVUEHA’S BLUE DREAM HAZE

Humboldt County Housewives return with another winner this month, with their picturesque White Widow. Behold the greenest of greens! It's as if you could WHITTIER HOPE COLLECTIVE’S see nature's essence flowing through BLACK KUSH this beauty. She boasts a gorgeous glow,

OKLEVUEHA’S RED WARRIOR

Oklevueha's Red Warrior – http://budgeni.us/2LV 12.70% THC < 0.05% CBD < 0.05% CBN HIGH RATING: 5 SLEEP AID: 5 PAIN RELIEF: 5 NAUSEA RELIEF: 4 ANXIETY RELIEF: 4 APPETITE STIMULATION: 6

12

There is plenty of debate surrounding chemical vs. organic methods of cultivation. Many organic gardeners argue that plants cultivated using naturally-sourced ingredients make for healthier plants that display a more extensive arrangement of essential oils at harvest.

Others argue that organic methods of cultivation are simply less by lazystrain stressful on the planet.

to react differently in combination with different compounds.

In this issue of Soft Secrets USA, we shall take an alternative look at producing organic fertilizers (or ‘teas’) using natural ingredients. The aim of any organic tea is to produce a well-balanced base of nutrients which, when applied to soil substrates, is made freely available to plants.

Organic cultivation is, therefore, the process of feeding the soil beneath – not the plant itself – with all the nutritional requirements needed to further sustain plant growth.

The resulting tea is applied liberally to the base of plants when still young. Note: urine containing contraceptives and steroids should never be used in organic tea, since they contain hormones that may affect plant growth and the health of the consumer. This is especially important when crops are consumed as ‘medibles’!

Cultivating Healthy Bacteria The basic principle behind any organic tea recipe is that EVERYTHING on earth (unless sterile) is surrounded by bacteria. As things decay, the more these bacteria start to work. Some of these bacteria are more beneficial to soil and plant life than others. In making organic tea in water, we are therefore aiming to cultivate a small ‘microherd’ of beneficial bacteria. This is achieved

organic home-grower. Many stores offer what at first seems like a vast array of ingredients, including guano, seaweed extract, worm casts and even readymade ‘organic’ solutions.

Guano is usually the first ingredient many tea makers will discover. Guano is the dried or fossilized remains of bat or sea bird manure. Rich in essential nutrients, each guano comes with its own NPK reading to indicate the strength of the nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium level. For example, a guano labeled 10-2-2 is suitable for the vegetative stages of growth; while, in contrast, a guano labeled 0-3-7 is more suited to the later stages of flowering.

Likewise a small cup (250ml) of urine adds extra nitrogen to the tea (if required).

Urine is sterile when produced; although it acts as an accelerator when it comes in contact with foreign bacteria. This further aids the fermentation process.

Wild Organic Tea Wild organic tea is the cheapest and most natural way to produce a reliable source of organic fertilizer. Nature is full of useful wild plants and minerals just waiting to be brewed. Nettles, for example, are a great source of nitrogen (N) and iron (Fe) and make perfect teas for the vegetative stages of growth.

Organic Guano Tea The following recipe has been tried and tested over many years in various gardens.

The guano used is usually quite strong, so only a small teaspoon of sea bird guano

Advantages and Disadvantages One of the main advantages of using organic tea as a source of fertilizer in the garden is visible in healthier, more robust plants. Growers using chemical applications often require additional chemical supplements to provide their plants with just the correct sources of micro-nutrients.

A well-balanced organic tea, on the other hand, provides all the nutritional requirements needed for healthy growth.

One of the main disadvantages of organic tea is that the preparation time requires more input than simply pouring nutrients out of a plastic bottle into a watering can. Another disadvantage is the space required to ferment organic tea, in a bucket of water, with an air stone. Plus, of course, the often unpleasant smell that some teas generate as the most beneficial bacteria become active.

Enjoy!

NETTLE TEA

Burdock is a reliable source of trace elements including calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg). Added to a bucket of warm water, the leaves of both wild plants fer-

WOOD ASH AND GUANO by using natural ingredients already covered in micro-bacteria and by enhancing the environment surrounding the bacteria so that they can rapidly multiply.

The bacteria we are dealing with here are ‘aerobic’, meaning they need oxygen to survive. This is provided by an air stone in a bucket or by hand-stirring the bucket of water twice daily. The bacteria also require a source of carbohydrate to feed on. This is provided by a basic source of sugar, such as honey, molasses or cane sugar. Once situated in a warm environment the contents of the bucket of water then slowly start to ferment.

Store Bought ‘Organic’ Tea Today most DIY depots, garden nurseries and specialist stores cater to the

and a large tablespoon of Kenyan or Peruvian bat guano is added to each gallon bucket of warm water. Depending on season and visible signs in the plants’ wellbeing, then the quantities may change.

ment into a thick soup in only a few days. The soup can then be sieved and sprayed onto the leaves of plants to promote healthy growth, or applied directly as a base-feed.

Next, a small splash (5ml) of seaweed extract and a tablespoon of honey, maple syrup or sugar is added to the bucket as a carbohydrate. This aids fermentation. The bucket is stirred twice daily and kept at a temperature of 70°F (20°C). This helps the natural bacteria generate at an even rate.

Another natural substance that can be added to organic teas to increase the levels of phosphorous (P) and potassium (K) during the flowering stages of growth include charcoal and wood ash. Likewise, worm castings and mole-hill soil are also excellent sources of free organic minerals.

Both can be added to any organic tea at any time of year, without any fear of overfertilization. When fresh, both are mineral rich in trace elements and contain a plethora of additional natural bacteria that are known to donate beneficial properties to soil life and, in turn, plant life.

The tea is ready within 7-14 days. To add some extra depth to organic tea during vegetative stages of growth, a large tablespoon of wood ash is added to promote root growth. This is something still being experimented with, since guano is known

NETTLES MAKE A NUTRITIOUS ORGANIC FERTILIZER

13

Germination 101

The Sativa Diva / Photos: Cannabis College Amsterdam

Now that the weather has gotten warmer, lots of folks are starting up their outdoor gardens. Many people do this by germinating their seeds indoors first, and allowing the seedlings to grow into small plants before their transition to an outdoor climate.

Since the US is such a large country with stark climate and elevation changes, it is essential that you choose the best strain for your outdoor environment. Medical patients should be especially stringent with their standards, as the correct variety can be the perfect therapy for their ailment; however, the wrong strain may worsen their medical condition.

Once you have decided which variety to grow, there are a few different methods that you can use to successfully germinate the seeds. Those of you with regular gardening experience (tomatoes, herbs, etc.) will find that some of the gardening techniques that you already know will be sufficient.

Before you place the seeds into the germinating medium, make sure you first soak them in a glass of water for around 24 hours. When the seeds sink to the bottom of the glass, they should be placed in your chosen medium.

that these alter their pH- and EC levels and have even burned their seedlings; you must obtain specific product details at your local garden center or grow shop.

Small Plant Pots If you are already have a flower or vegetable garden, you may re-use your small (3” x 3”) pots if they are washed and rinsed thoroughly (to prevent disease and infestation).

Seedling soil is available at most garden centers and is specifically used to prevent nutrient burn on the tender new shoots. Normal growing soil often has too much food for the seedlings, which can not only burn them but also occasionally spoils young plants by deterring them from spreading copious PLASTIC-WRAPPED ROCKWOOL CUBES HELP TO KEEP roots in search of nutrition.

YOUNG ROOTS SUPPLIED WITH MOISTURE

For more information, ask questions at your local grow shop or plant nursery. Plenty of Cannabis grow books are also available online. Experiment to find out which method best suits your gardening needs.

Damp Paper Towels This is a common method often used by basic gardeners. The soaked seeds are placed between moistened layers of paper towels or cotton pads, and checked at least once daily for sprouts. The paper should be kept damp at all times, while avoiding pooling or uneven distribution of water (which could lead to mold).

Rockwool Cubes Rockwool cubes are found more readily within the hydroponic growing community, as it is a preferred substrate for some hydro systems. One benefit of these cubes is that they protect the delicate seedlings as they emerge, sometimes allowing for a better success rate. Downsides include the fact that rockwool doesn’t really biodegrade (think: fiberglass made out of molten rock), nor does the plastic in which many of the cubes are wrapped.

PELLETS ARE AN EASY WAY TO KEEP

A STRONG SEEDLING LEADS

TRACK OF SEEDLINGS AND PROTECT NEW ROOTS

TO A HEALTHY ADULT PLANT

Peat Pots Peat pots are a more natural alternative to rockwool, as they are often made of organic materials. Moisture holds relatively well and the peat pots may be filled with your choice of seedling soil. Trays of peat pots are handy for organized germination, after which each seedling is cut apart from the rest when it is transplanted for the first time.

Seed Pellets Pellets are bullet-shaped vessels into which your soaked seeds are inserted.

These may be purchased dry or already soaked, occasionally with a nutrient or hormone solution. Some growers report

IF YOUR ROOT SYSTEM IS HEALTHY, IT WILL LOOK SOMETHING LIKE THIS

14 THE EVOLUTION OF THE LEGAL STATUS OF CANNABIS IN THE NETHERLANDS

A Dutch Shift… for the Worse?

It’s a sunny, cold and crisp January day in Amsterdam. Groups of tourists wander about – staring in disbelief for some, fascination for others – through the streets of the Red Light district. Farther along the street, the smell of growing Cannabis comes wafting through the ventilation system of the Cannabis College. Inside it, a group of tourists listens attentively to one of the volunteers while he explains the way the Dutch system works with regards to Cannabis, the changes the industry is undergoing and the effect this is having on one of the Buddy Kush Netherlands’ main attractions: coffeeshops.

To a large percentage of the people visiting the Netherlands, the prospect of freely accessing a coffeeshop is the equivalent of visiting a candy shop as a kid: a mouth-watering experience to say the least. This does lead to some misunderstandings, however: “You guys are so lucky, with Cannabis being legal and all...” states a tourist.

The fact is that Cannabis has never been legalized in the Netherlands. The reason behind the open sales of Cannabis lies in the Dutch government's decision to tolerate the sale of weed and hash in small quantities, to adults, via licensed establishments: coffeeshops.

Taking a tolerant stance has been quite a successful move if you look at the results: safer distribution, less crime, one of the lowest consumption rates per head in Europe. (Around 22.6% of Dutch residents

between 15 and 64 years of age have tried Cannabis, versus 40.6% in the USA.) To top it all off, a comfortable amount of money goes straight into the government's pocket, thanks to the 52% income tax applied to coffeeshops – more than double that of traditional businesses.

Things have been changing over the last couple years, however. In 2010, the government decided to close any coffeeshop located within 250 m. (273 yd.) of a school. A highly ineffective decision as explained by Amsterdam's former mayor, Job Cohen: “Students that wish to go to a coffeeshop will not be put off by a couple meters more....

Added to this is the fact that youth cannot enter a coffeeshop and that this is strictly applied. New research has confirmed what we already knew: students obtain soft drugs via-via and therefore do not go to coffeeshops.”

All in all, past decisions put in place by the government have led the amount of coffeeshops in Amsterdam to drop from 452 in 1994 to around 230 today.

But that's not all; 2010 also brought with it a shift in politics. The previously centrist government became more conservative/right wing with the VVD (Party for Freedom and Democracy), PVV (Party for Freedom) and the CDA (Christian Democrats) leading the government.

This does not bode well for the future of Holland's Cannabis culture as the Dutch government is backtracking – slowly turning its back on the progress it has led by example over the last 40 years. And the worst thing is the lack of rational or coherent argument behind this move.

In an attempt to diminish the so-called 'misery' caused by the actual tolerant stance, the government has been working on a proposal to establish a pass system to restrict non-Dutch residents from accessing coffeeshops. As a whole this is not entirely surprising, as it sticks to the essence of the tolerant stance put forward in the 1970s, providing initial access to coffeeshops to the Dutch.

Marc Michel Josemans, owner of the Easy Going Coffeeshop in Maastricht, contested this decision in 2010 but his arguments were rejected by the European Court. The Court stated that this was not the case, given the Cannabis plant’s illegal status outside of the Netherlands.

A sad conclusion for us all, but the question now is how the Dutch government could possibly apply this, given the following:

This would prove an absolutely disastrous decision, pushing the Cannabis industry farther underground, to the great benefit of the criminal organizations these same people claim to be fighting, and to the detriment of just about everyone else – including the tax payers. There are, however, those who realize that such repressive actions would only make the situation worse, preferring to have an open dialogue as to how to better regulate the production and distribution of Cannabis. This would ensure a safe environment, reduced criminal activity and better product quality. An overall win-win situation!

THE EASY GOING COFFEESHOP IN MAASTRICHT

So this is where the situation lies at present. An uncertain time with three possible outcomes: in one, coffeeshop access is restricted to Dutch nationals. In the second, the Cannabis pass system fails and the minority cabinet lobbies to eradicate coffeeshops from Holland altogether. The third – and for us the only rational option – is for the government to push for further decriminalization and regulation of the Cannabis industry.

An interesting time indeed…

t "SPVOE PG UPVSJTUT HP UP coffeeshops, according to the Dutch Office of Tourism. t /P MFHBM BVUIPSJUZ TP GBS JT BVUIPSJ[FE UP distribute the pass. t .PTU DPGGFFTIPQT XJMM SFGVTF UP TVCNJU UP such discriminatory practices. t *U XPVME MFBE UP BO JODSFBTF JO JMMFHBM trade, violence and less control over the quality of Cannabis available. t -FTT RVBMJUZ DPOUSPM XJMM MFBE UP DPOsumers' ill health.

AN ORGANIC STRAIN IN FLOWER IN THE CANNABIS COLLEGE

Given these facts, most cities (Amsterdam included) have stated they would not implement this system, bringing the entire debate to a standstill. For some, however, the weed pass is a halfway measure; meaning that if it fails, certain political parties will put all their energy behind the closure of coffeeshops, as stated by Alex Meij, VVD representative in Maastricht: “The VVD believes that this policy and the Cannabis pass should be put into application. If these measures do not help with the present situation… then the closure of coffeeshops is unavoidable.”

Any comments/questions?

Feel free to get in touch with us at the Cannabis College in Amsterdam:

The Cannabis College Oudezijds Achterburgwal 124 1012DT Amsterdam The Netherlands T: +31 (0) 204234420 E: info@Cannabiscollege.com » www.Cannabiscollege.com

15

AMSTERRANT

Amsterdam through the Looking Glass

Amsterdam is a small city with a big name. The epicenter of the Cannabis world, it is a place we all want to visit at least once in our lives. In the hearts of the American tokers it holds a special place. In darker times, when the plant was demonized in the U.S; Amsterdam shone like a beacon of freedom and hope of how things might be.

Up until now the city has always displayed a tolerant policy toward the plant. There was a time when the hash and weed prices were given out over Dutch radio each morning. Dealers would gather in a cafe behind Dam Square to test each other's samples and listen to the prices of the day. Just like the stock market around the corner, it had its own gold standard called 'NPL': a variety of black Pakistani border hash that never varied in quality or supply. Against this, the value of

By O’Riodon everything else was measured.

The city had every kind of Cannabis you could imagine. From the odd kilo of exotic hash smuggled in by travelers to multi-ton loads that were eventually exported across Europe, it all passed through Amsterdam. This business generated lots of money for the Dutch economy. The coffee shops flourished, creating a unique form of tourism that brought in even more money. People came in droves from all over the world to enjoy the Dutch 'Cannabis experience'. Getting a light for your joint from a policeman in the Vondel Park was a tourist ritual. Legalization would have been the next logical step, celebrating it as a gift, but then from across the Atlantic

is becoming so dangerous to grow that eventually only real criminals will do it.

The latest maneuver is to close the grow shops. It smacks of hypocrisy to me.

So when you come to visit Holland these days for your Cannabis experience; the liberal freedom you’re experiencing is purely superficial, a ghost of what it once was. Sure we still have coffee shops and they’ll sell you some of the best weed in the world, but where does it come from? Criminals! That’s what the government terms the growers. On one hand they allow the sale of Cannabis, benefiting from the business and taxes it generates; and on the other, authorities hunt and persecute the people who produce it. It

Amsterdam has unique living libraries containing hundreds of varieties of the Cannabis plant that one day could benefit mankind. Should they be discovered by the police they’d be destroyed and that would be a crime against nature.

Now, I may sound like disgruntled aging hippie, but I’ve done my time, unjustly spending years in a shithole prison for love of a plant. Remember, when the US government was busy persecuting its Cannabis growers, the Dutch held firm, giving refuge to those fleeing its unjust prison terms. Now the growers of Holland and all the people here who care for the plant need a little support. We want to enjoy the same freedoms that seem to be opening up for you. It’s so ironic that our roles have been reversed and now we have become the persecuted.

IVO OPSTELTEN, THE J. E. HOOVER OF HOLLAND

who are willing to sell you anything.

Until now the Dutch had such a good reputation for getting it right with the drug scene. What happened?

I have been a Cannabis user for over forty years, run a business, traveled the world and still don’t have a brain that looks like a fried egg.

Send the Dutch government an email and tell them how it should be or you’re not coming to visit! The Minister of Justice would be a good start.

Email: info@vvd.nl

Previous governments aren’t entirely to blame for the situation. Continuous pressure from the US over the years has prevented the Dutch authorities from acting positively at a time when it would have made a difference. Instead they did nothing, allowing the production and distribution to fall into the hands of organized criminals who use their profits to finance weapons and people smuggling. In the eyes of the law it is with these people that the honest growers of

THERE WAS A TIME WHEN THE HASH AND WEED PRICES WERE GIVEN OUT OVER DUTCH RADIO EACH MORNING came a hail of criticism. The Dutch government at the time was forced to backtrack and begin the slow dismantling of our free alternative lifestyle.

Most here in NL grow to supplement a low income: single mothers, the unemployed and people with chronic illness unable to afford coffeeshop prices. I started growing when I became sick and had to undergo chemotherapy. Medicinal weed was $16 a gram, good coffee shop $10, so I decided to grow my own. Over the following years the plant supported and eventually helped to heal me. Tending garden brought me peace in a difficult time and I dream of doing it again, but without fear of arrest. Most growers would love to pay tax; it would be a small price for doing something we love.

If you hadn’t noticed, the present Dutch government has some very extreme views, especially concerning Cannabis.

The Minister of Justice, Dhr. Opstelten, would like to close down the whole Cannabis scene, imagining we’ll all suddenly stop smoking weed. In reality this will simply push everything underground and into the hands of criminals

COFFEE SHOPS COULD DISAPPEAR

Holland are associated. It’s true we are 'legally' allowed to grow five plants, but you can’t use lights and it rains a lot in Holland; you also can’t legally feed, clip or give them any kind of attention. If they do flower and are visible from the street, there’s still a chance that the police will show up and confiscate them.

So, it is with a sense of irony that we look to the US and see growers over there producing crops without the constant threat of arrest and confiscation. Getting busted here is a life-changing experience; it's financially devastating and leaves you with a criminal record. So there are lots of nice people you’ll never ever get to meet, because they’re banned from America.

SMALL-TIME GROWERS SUFFER

17

You think you've seen it before, but you haven't. The Slider System series of 'paper-less cigarette' hand-blown glass tubes presents by far the most modern and functional re-design of a known smoking product. Placing Second for Best Glass at the 2010 High Times Medical Cannabis Cup in San Francisco, each piece is individually crafted by the artists at the Home Blown Glass company, suiting all tastes and levels of consumption. Gone are the days of hacking and choking over a bowl of well-grown ganja, as the Slider delivers a smooth, efficient The Sativa Diva and effective hit with each and every toke.

Paper-less blunts and cigarettes have been on the market for decades but they never really caught on; that is, until Fred of Home Blown Glass decided to

which I faithfully grew and passed on to as many people as I could. By 1997 I was caretaker for over 50 people with every thing from AIDS, cancer, chronic

“AFTER SEVERAL YEARS [OF] MANUFACTURING BOWLS AND TRADITIONAL PIPES, THE INEXPENSIVE FOREIGN PRODUCTS BEGAN FLOODING THE MARKET.... THIS WORRY WAS A CATALYST IN US RETHINKING A 1970'S DESIGN.” put countless hours into comparing old designs and brainstorming ways to improve upon them. Eventually he delivered the perfect alternative to paperrolled joints for even those who perhaps aren't usually into glass. Easy to use and even easier to clean, the Slider is one of those cool gadgets that every smoker should have. Fred shared his story, and that of the genesis of my now-favorite piece of glass, with Soft Secrets USA. The Cannabis world rarely experiences revolutionary products. When they do arrive, it's usually to some fanfare, considering how information spreads in underground communities. With the Slider, however, success has come with less of a bang and more of a, well, puff of smoke.

Fred, founder of Home Blown Glass and the creative mind behind the Slider, has had a long personal history with Cannabis and its beneficial effects. “After going to school for holistic health and working with patients who had written off allopathic [traditional, Western] medicine, I became aware of how well Cannabis helped people gain relief from a variety of conditions. I met Jack Herer in 1989 and he blew me away with The Emperor Wears No Clothes, as it was validation for what I had seen and believed.

“Shortly after our meeting a friend introduced me to Neville's original strains,

pain, MS, depression, alcoholism, glaucoma, etc. Considering the destitute state in which many of these people

were, prices [ranged] from free to half the black market value.”

However, the dream of helping people with affordable, natural medicine turned into a nightmare when Fred was busted for cultivation. He recalls, “Even though I obtained a Cannabis dealer's license from [my home] state, I was unable to use it in my defense after a commercial supplier turned me in to stay out of jail. I [had been sitting] on my couch reading a book on contemporary glassblowing when the officers... broke through my front door, nearly shooting my dogs in the process.”

Luckily, the strong survive, and a combination of Fred's passion for both glassblowing and helping patients led to the creation of his company. “Within two months I had turned my hobby into Home Blown Glass. We were lucky in our state that 'paraphernalia' is [considered] multi-use items and not... illegal unless used with illegal substances.”

Freedom was not wasted on Fred, as he went straight to work researching the glass market and ]trying to figure out exactly what was missing. “After several years [of] manufacturing bowls and traditional pipes, the inexpensive foreign

18 you're looking for gifts and souvenirs while on vacation. Due to their compact size (2.5˝ or 3.5˝), ease of use and portability, the Slider family appeals to all consumers from light medical users to heavy recreational smokers.

However, the Cannabis community isn't the only one to enjoy and benefit from this little glass tube.

These days many people are researching tobacco alternatives, or even ways to stop using tobacco altogether by means of smoking or vaporizing a combination of herbs. Fred is highly enthusiastic about the positive implications of the Slider with regards to lung- and upper airway health, whether for medical patients or simply long-term smokers and tokers who want to cut back. “[I]t's concentrate friendly for a mix of solids, pollens and oils,” he points out.

products began flooding the market,” he remembers. Cheap imports lower the overall quality of the market, are often easily broken and sometimes even rely

are complemented by a wide range of available colors, from fumed to colorless to amethyst or emerald, as well as carefully-crafted critters ranging from

THE AESTHETIC DETAILS OF EACH PIECE ARE COMPLEMENTED BY A WIDE RANGE OF AVAILABLE COLORS, FROM FUMED TO COLORLESS TO AMETHYST OR EMERALD, AS WELL AS CAREFULLY-CRAFTED CRITTERS RANGING FROM PENGUINS TO FROGS TO DINOSAURS upon sweatshops or child labor for production. The benefits of supporting local glassblowers extend, therefore, beyond simple differences in quality or being able to choose your favorite color.

“This worry was a catalyst in us rethinking a 1970's design, marketed under several names over a few decades, [including] the Paperless Cigarette, EZ Slide and Slider. This product had seen a resurgence on the market as a Glass Blunt, but fundamentally there was little difference with its design in over 30 years. So, with the insistence and constant badgering of my friend Glaucoma Jim, we redesigned this old product.”

So what is it exactly that upgrades users from the duplicate products of the past? Fred elaborates: “We eliminated the vinyl sleeve, shrink wrap, rubber grommet, the plastic piece used to hold the tubes together – that makes you choke when you get to the juicy bits. We replaced it with a stainless steel clip that acts as a spring, screen and carb. This change is revolutionary as now you can back-load your herbs and never have to put fresh [product through] ash, allowing you to use a natural filter by keeping it loaded and not burning it down into your clip – keeping ash out of your mouthpiece.”

The Slider family consists of three main types: Sliders, Blunt Sliders and Magnum Sliders. All are hand-blown, with three fused marbles for easier handling. The marbles aren't just functional – the aesthetic details of each piece

penguins to frogs to dinosaurs. Pieces may even be special ordered to perfectly match your personality.

Sliders can be purchased online (contact Chuck at Slidershop.com) or even from various retailers in Amsterdam, if

“My favorite video, 'Slider Layer Cake,' shows 60 herbs used by Native Americans to treat physical and mental

problems. The Slider is a multifunctional smoking tool. People tell me how they smoke coltsfoot to treat their asthma and how they kicked cigarettes with a lobelia ['asthma weed'] and mullein mix. Doctors in California have told me, if you are going to smoke there is not a better tool to use, because of the natural filter. There is even a large following of people who enjoy vaporizing with a Slider.”

The Slider appeals to the full range of smoking customers. Rarely can a glass product cross so comfortably through most, if not all of the subcultures of the Cannabis community. Joint smokers, glass purists; even those trying to quit long-standing tobacco habits will all enjoy its compact size, sleek design and modern improvement upon an old idea. Besides, it's easier to carry, and conceal, than your favorite three-foot party bong. » www.slidersystem.com

Black Jack Auto

Photo : Sweet Seeds

20

FEMININE PERSPECTIVE ARE YOU HARMING OR HELPING YOUR UNBORN CHILD?

Cannabis and Pregnancy CANNABIS-USING WOMEN WHO

The existing research into the effects of Cannabis on the developing child is inconclusive at best and confusing at worst. I feel great sympathy for any pot user who finds herself pregnant as a huge decision awaits, with little evidence either way to support the final choice of whether or not to continue use. It is my intention to clarify these

by Kali Mist muddy waters, where possible.

BECOME PREGNANT FACE A TOUGH CHOICE, WITH LITTLE TO GUIDE THEM Cannabis use is most prevalent in the 18-25 year age range – also the demographic that is most likely to reproduce.

In the USA, around 15% of the population are regular users, and of these, 3% are pregnant. With medical Cannabis being used long-term for many chronic conditions, the issue of its safety for expectant mothers demands attention.

It is easy to assume the worst about Cannabis use during pregnancy, as with all unfamiliar medications. However, while there may well be women out there who – consciously or otherwise – put their unborn children at risk from continued exposure to known harmful substances, we can't assume this is a brush with which to tar weed users. Most women can't comfortably continue their use of a medication through pregnancy while uncertain of its safety. It is proving to be a tough choice to make for many.

reduction in growth rate averaged out at around 0.49 oz. per week. Tobacco, on the other hand, slowed growth by approximately 0.14 oz. per week.

As deprivation of oxygen to the developing fetus's brain is considered to be a major factor for low birth weight, perhaps the difference here could even be explained simply: Cannabis users tend to inhale more deeply, and for longer, therefore depriving the brain of oxygen for longer than a cigarette smoker. Levels of carboxyhemoglobin (formed when carbon monoxide reacts with hemoglobin in the blood) are five times higher after smoking Cannabis than after smoking tobacco.

The available Cannabis itself may be of poor quality or grown with potentially harmful chemicals. Even in the

born to Cannabis-using mothers tend to have below-average cranial circumference and birth weight. It was discovered that Cannabis, when used only in early pregnancy, slowed fetal growth by around 0.39 oz. per week. If use continued throughout pregnancy,

her level of general health and stress and prevalent cultural attitudes towards Cannabis in the location of study. In a country where Cannabis is illegal or frowned upon, users are often more likely to be of lower social status and subject to stress-inducing economic disadvantages.

Studies that concentrate solely on the effects during pregnancy of Cannabis use through methods other than smoking are apparently non-existent, and much needed. There is a shocking scarcity of research from recent years.

The increasing prevalence of Cannabis

EXISTING STUDIES MAY BE INHERENTLY FLAWED AS THEY ASSESS CANNABIS USE THROUGH SMOKING ONLY Netherlands, where retail sales of Cannabis are tolerated but wholesale distribution and cultivation is not, these factors must be considered.

In a locality where Cannabis use is traditional, users are generally from across the social spectrum so economic disadvantages will have less effect on subjects and, therefore, results. This argu-

Existing studies may be inherently flawed as they assess use through smoking only. While research concludes that the effects of smoking Cannabis and tobacco are disparate (recent news suggests that Cannabis smoke may in fact exert a 'protective' action on the lungs), it is irresponsible to suggest SMOKING CANNABIS THROUGHOUT PREGNANCY LEADS TO A that smoking any substance is entirely beneficial to health. Studies should LOWER AVERAGE BIRTH WEIGHT, STUDIES HAVE SUGGESTED differentiate between the effects of smoking Cannabis while pregnant, and those of alternative techniques such as This study concludes that the effects ment may be borne out by Dr. Melanie vaporizing or ingesting orally. of smoking marijuana are indeed det- Dreher's work in Jamaica during the rimental to the developing baby – but 1990s on Cannabis-using mothers and Arguments against consuming the question of whether cannabinoids their children. Long-term studies conCannabis during pregnancy include themselves play a part in these findings ducted on development of children results of research conducted last remains unanswered. Other factors must exposed to Cannabis in utero found no year by the Erasmus University of also be taken into consideration, such evidence of inferiority to the children Rotterdam, which states that babies as socioeconomic status of the mother, of non-Cannabis using mothers; in fact, the former group showed fewer signs of stress-related anxiety, and better organizational skills. Significantly, her research does not solely concentrate on smokers but also users of Cannabis 'tea'.

MOST WOMEN CAN'T COMFORTABLY CONTINUE THEIR USE OF A MEDICATION THROUGH PREGNANCY WHILE UNCERTAIN OF ITS SAFETY

post-natal depression. That Cannabis may assist the mother's ability to provide a high level of care suggests a positive overall effect on the long-term health of her children.

Her research also highlights the importance of Cannabis to expectant mothers as a remedy for nausea, not uniquely: there are many references in medical literature to this application.

Mothers reported increased appetite and mood stability. Cannabis was also considered helpful in treatment of

being prescribed by doctors as a universal panacea for all manner of ailments cannot continue without confirmation of its safety. From an ethical perspective, conducting incomplete clinical trials on any new medicine would imply full responsibility on the part of the medical profession if another scandal of Thalidomide proportions then occurred. Even if all future trials proved its benevolence, Cannabis requires further scrutiny.

At this stage, there is little definite conclusion that can be drawn, save that smoking Cannabis is likely the most unsafe way to medicate; and that while Cannabis use may bring many benefits to the mother, the harm that it could do the developing fetus may outweigh them. With patients for whom medication is a necessity, there is no clear way to decide on whether to continue their Cannabis use or to switch to an alternative pharmaceutical. For many the initial clincher will remain: that Cannabis is a non-invasive drug with far fewer side effects than many. For these women, to simply use as little of it as possible (ideally in tea form, or vaporized) would surely be the advisable way to avoid the potential for adverse effects occurring.

THE EFFECTS OF CANNABIS TEA, WHILE NOT YET STUDIED SEPARATELY, ARE BELIEVED TO BE FAR MORE BENEFICIAL THAN THOSE OF SMOKING

21

ORGANIC CULTIVATION

at many garden centers. Garden centers are also a valuable resource for knowledge on the conditions in your area.

The Scoop on Soil What you grow in is as important as the quality of the strain you grow with. As an herb farmer you need to make an intelligent choice as to what kind of soil you want to grow in. It is often very easy to distinguish the flavor of an organic or naturally grown product over a synthetically fertilized one. That in itself ought to help you understand how important natural soil is. There are a few other reasons to stay away from commercial fertilizers. These inorganic fertilizers are primarily produced from natural gas.

This is ultimately unsustainable as they pollute our waters with excessive nitrogen, and destroy both micro fauna and the beneficial effects humus creates in the soil. While the last 60 years has been a boon for agri-business, I'm not sure that as individuals or as a society we benefit that much.

Fortunately, we can make an informed choice and we have thousands of F.Red years in cumulative knowledge on how to make good soil.

Before we get our hands in the dirt we ought to know what's in it.

A healthy soil is a dynamic system of life.

The living components are bacteria, fungi, protozoa, algae, small insects and animals.

An acre of land could have two tons of this life in it. A bottle cap of this precious earth may contain upwards of 100,000 protozoa, 30 million fungi and 2 billion bacteria.

When these organisms die, enzymes from fungi and bacterial action break down

A FARMER'S BEST FRIEND

FRESH DIRT

the organic matter and free nutrients into the soil for plant growth. This process creates humus, a complex polymer that acts like a sponge helping to hold water and minerals. Humus tends to have a negative charge, attracting minerals to it.

In this way, it acts as a catalyst in the ion exchange of nutrients through bacteria, aiding absorption into plant roots.

Nutrients are necessary for plant life.

Some of the following you may remem-

ber from chemistry class. The macronutrients are the largest quantities of nutrients plants use. They are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. The secondary macronutrients are calcium, sulfur and magnesium. Some of the micronutrients, also known as trace minerals, are boron, iron and zinc.

These are all important for the process of growing, flowering and fruiting. If the individual or groups of these nutrients are missing in your soil, plants will respond in their growth, leaf and stem colors, giving clues as to what is missing. As a plant grows through its life cycle some of these nutrients are needed more than others.

For a plant in its vegetative state nitrogen is important. Nitrogen aids in growth and chlorophyll production. Be careful; more is not always better. Plants with excessive nitrogen in the soil or hydro solutions after harvest will not burn as well and flavors are destroyed by an ashy taste.

Nitrogen is less important as the plant begins to flower and more phosphorus and potassium are consumed.

Aggregate is the bulk of what makes up soil. It is what gives soil texture and determines how well water drains through.

In nature it can be found in multiple combinations from the microscopic clay particles to the visible silt, fine- and coarse sand, pebbles and rocks. Soil with poor drainage can suffocate your root systems and cause your plants to rot. Proper drainage is essential in any mix of soils.

All these different mixes of soil give various pH readings – the measure of soil acidity or alkalinity. The pH of your soil can affect the ability of your plants to absorb nutrients.

Dolomite or limestone is a great addition to help soil maintain a neutral pH. While planting mixes sold at your local store generally have a neutral pH, the ground where you live can vary from highly acidic to alkaline. Test kits and strips are available

Now that you are familiar with some of what is in the soil (yes!) it is time to get your hands in the dirt and learn some more ways to improve your growth and flowering. Physical appearance of soil is misleading as a gravelly soil can be very productive, which is very evident in hydroponic systems where lava rock or clay pellets are used with nutrients in solution. Soil color can also be misleading and does not equate fertility. A red soil can be as productive as a brown one.

Compost is a great way to add life into your soil. It can be as easy as stirring up kitchen scraps into a pile of dirt. Add worms and you have vermicompost.

Worms are natural soil builders with dirt castings coming out 10 times richer than going in. These wiggly worms turn brown dirt and decaying matter into black gold.

There are also a great number of natural fertilizers and soil conditioners on the market to improve the quality of your soil.

Guanos are excellent sources of natural fertilizers. I have used cricket-, bat- and fish emulsion with great success. Many of these guano fertilizers are good on their own. Some farmers like to boost flowering with phosphorus from bone meal and potassium from green sand in their mix. With a good blend of these in either indoor or outdoor containers a plant can go through its whole cycle without the need for supplemental fertilizer. If you find you that your soil is depleting faster than anticipated – for instance, if your shade leaves yellow during vegetative growth – you can add a small amount of the guanos into water for additional nutrition.

If you have no budget for these or other store-bought items, your local community will be a wealth of resources for composting and making your own fertilizers. Many businesses dispose of excellent materials. Cast-offs from salons, grocery stores, restaurants, breweries and even your neighbor's lawn clippings can be used to produce excellent soil.

There is no excuse not to get started.

Soil is everywhere to be found. Do it right, the natural way. Stay organic for awesome flavor. Recycle your dirt, compost your kitchen and yard waste. Make your future grow.

GREAT SOIL PACKED WITH ORGANIC NUTRIENTS

22

GREEN PRISONERS

PRISONER OF (THE) WAR (ON DRUGS)

Ken Unger With around two dozen states in the US currently allowing medical- or recreational Cannabis to some degree, it's easy for people to conveniently forget there are still plenty of victims of harshly punitive state- and Federal legislation. Ken Unger is the perfect example of one of America's drug war prisoners – a severely injured US Navy veteran (with no prior record) charged with 'felony possession with the intent to distribute' the Cannabis he The Sativa Diva so desperately needed for his own therapy.

Location: Granada. Year: 1983.

Serviceman Ken Unger receives a blow to the head from a 50-ton crane hook.

The resulting injuries include pain, two herniated discs in his back, muscle spasms, weakness and numbness in his legs. Six coronary stents hold open the arteries in his heart and he received an arterial bypass in one leg. As is to be expected, depression has presented itself as an extension of his symptoms, and the ensuing weakness from the injuries and subsequent treatments have lead to diabetes.

ant knows that person [sic] who cultivate marijuana will distribute marijuana they produce for others for profit.”

Unger never sold any of his medicine.

This is one aspect of the medi-weed industry that Cannabis foes don't seem to understand: people are sick and dying. The last thing an ailing medical patient will likely do is to give away or sell the only thing that works for them.

Ken Unger was no exception.

After serving his country in the Navy, at the price of his health, Ken Unger was ultimately deemed unemployable by the VA (United States Department of Veterans Affairs) in St. Louis, MO.

Under Missouri law, Ken is prohibited from claiming medical use in order to help his court case. Not only will no sympathy for the ill and injured be levied, but since it is illegal in Missouri to cultivate Cannabis (for any reason), the medical defense will not hold water.

Unlike many other states these days – perhaps most notably CA, CO, AZ, NJ and RI – Missouri holds true to the archaic antiCannabis laws that still clog our prison sys-

If Unger were to take a plea he would be subject to five years' probation, including drug testing. This means that he would be forced to revert back to the

and if you sell any amount of weed within 2,000 ft. of a public school or 1,000 ft. of public housing, the sentence is also ten years to life with no hope of probation or parole.

On March 18th of this year, a closed grand jury set Ken's pre-trial date for April 27th, 2011. Despite multiple pleas from Green Aid and other groups, plus countless individual protests, he still faces five to fifteen years in prison for opting to treat his physical and emotional suffering with a natural, safe and proven herbal medicine.

If you would like to donate and support Ken Unger with his legal battle, find out more about his case or discover the stories of other victims of the US war on drugs, please contact Green Aid or check out their site at www.Green-Aid. com. Add a Green Aid banner to your website to help spread the word about America's 'green prisoners'.

Ken says, “The thing I find hardest to believe is the state is OK with me being a morphine addict, but a small grow of medical marijuana is out of the question.

So seeking relief is illegal?” angela@green-aid.com GREEN AID 484 Lake Park Ave. #172 Oakland, CA 94610 1-888-271-7674

Green Aid, the Medical Marijuana Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc. In 2002, Ed Rosenthal was facing a 20 year sentence for mass-cultivating Cannabis. The jury convicted him, as they were forbidden from hearing that Ed was hired by the City of Oakland, CA to handle the cultivation and management thereof for local dispensaries.

According to Angela Bacca, the other half of Green Aid, Rosenthal was sentenced to “a day in jail with credit for time served. Ed appealed it anyway because he doesn't believe he is a felon.”

Since then, Ed and Angela have been hand-selecting cases to support through legal action and fundraisers.

She adds, “Ed's trial is responsible for the New York Times taking the quotes off of 'medical marijuana' in print.”

DESPITE MULTIPLE PLEAS FROM GREEN AID AND OTHER GROUPS, PLUS COUNTLESS INDIVIDUAL PROTESTS, HE STILL FACES FIVE TO FIFTEEN YEARS IN PRISON tems with first-time, non-violent offenders. Not only are patients not allowed access to Cannabis as a natural alternative to prescription drugs, but Unger was prescribed morphine to ease the symptoms of his injuries. He had three heart attacks as a result. This ultimately lead to the decision to try medical marijuana.

Ken grew a small amount of Cannabis to alleviate his pain and depression. Only five dried grams of weed and two plants were being grown. He had no prior local-, state- or Federal convictions. The penalties would have been a misdemeanor if he had only been busted for possession.

Instead, sale and cultivation landed Ken in the 'felony' range of punishment.

O'Fallon police raided Unger's home and the tiny stash was discovered, although the distribution charge appears to be the product of assumption on the part of Officer Justin Hill. On his warrant application he stated, “Furthermore your affi-

legally-prescribed morphine and would be unable to access even the smallest therapeutic amount of Cannabis. If he is convicted, he faces between five and fifteen years in state prison.

Although Ken only had five grams of product and two plants in his St. Charles, MO home, the penalties start high and the cultivation charge really tipped the scales against him.

The cultivation of five grams or less in Missouri is a felony punishable by a seven-year prison term and $5,000 in fines. Between five grams and thirty kilos pushes the prison time up to five to fifteen years and a tariff of $5,000 to $20,000. Growing 30 to 100kg. results in those fines plus prison stints of ten years to life. If you're caught in MO growing 100 kilos or more, that's life in prison without the possibility of parole or probation. Selling to a minor tacks KEN UNGER AS A YOUNG NAVAL SERVICEMAN on an additional five to fifteen years,

24

ADVANCED INDOOR GROWING

Let’s Talk about LED Grow Lights In this article, we will try to shed some light on this subject: do LED grow lights work? Are they useful for blooming? Is changing over to them at this time worthwhile? Here are my impressions after a year Mr. X and a half of growing with LEDs Some 'pioneers' already began talking about and introducing this new type of lights – including their functionality regarding our valuable crops – a few years ago. LED grow lights are nothing new to the industry; the only reason their arrival on the Cannabis scene has been delayed until now is that they have never produced a sufficient yield so far. The amount of light obtained with the available watts was always significantly less than that achieved with sodium lights. But LED efficiency at this time is competitive and will no doubt keep increasing.

Do LED grow lights work?

The best way to discover how something works is to try it yourself, which is why I purchased a few LED screens a year and a half ago and began experimenting. For me, the easiest way to ascertain their effectiveness was a comparison with the SOG (sea of green) I have used multiple times in the past. Thus, in the same way as I've described before in Soft Secrets Spain – but modifying the 600 watts of an electrical ballast with two LED units of 120 watts each that include a range of flowering – I created my first SOP (sea of purple) – which is the name I have taken the liberty of baptizing this type of cultivation with. But let’s start from the beginning…

When you turn on an LED lamp, the first surprise is the large amount of visible light it gives out, (not to mention how quickly it starts working) as it immediately reaches full power. One advantage is that the entire system is integrated and doesn’t require external ballasts or complex operations. It is a practical system, heats up more than enough and its initial duration without losses is excellent, allowing us

to avoid the frequent light bulb changes necessary with incandescent lighting.

The first of my five experiments took place in the summer. This trial already demonstrated an unheard-of, almost utopian possibility for indoor growing; that is, cultivating during the summer season (although with a lower yield) as room temperature near the lamp's glass rises by just one degree. This can also be considered, at least in part, its Achilles heel.

INITIAL BLOOMING (AFTER TWO WEEKS)

The fact that this type of lighting doesn’t need reflectors – as its opening angle over 120 degrees is very small – represents yet again both an advantage and an inconvenience. On one hand, this allows an important savings in light and wall reflecting materials; on the other, if we only use a single unit, it needs to be turned up in order to illuminate everything, and this is where problems arise. Turning the LED lights up too high means losing their main advantages: the ability to move them close to the plants, and the fact that they give off a large amount of light without burning their leaves.

The farther these lights are kept from the plants, the more their effectiveness is drastically reduced. The solution, however, is simple: it is much more effective to use several low-wattage units, well-distributed and placed close to the plants, rather than a single huge, high-wattage unit six feet away. This is extremely important advice.

Among the various differences resulting from growing with LED lights, the most noticeable is that the plants usually do not show deficiencies or spots.

CORRECT BUD FORMATION Their perfect green shade is aided, during the entire flowering period, by moving the light closer without needing to raise the temperature.

They defend themselves very well during the vegetative phase, giving excellent results as regards taking root and maintaining mother plants with very few watts.

This is a lifesaver during the summer or for growers who don’t have much space available for mothers. We will speak of this factor in more detail in future issues.

As far as fertilizing goes, standards of care vary slightly. In the case of low temperatures plants need to be watered less frequently; therefore, watering them less, we must make sure to adjust the slightly higher EC parameters in order to be able to provide the same amount of nourishment (although we water them less frequently).

Are they useful for blooming?

HEALTHY AND REGULAR CLONES

The plants begin blooming correctly, with an internodal distance that I wouldn’t hesitate to describe as better than the one achieved with HPS. This shows us that the plant doesn’t go to seed needing more light, nor does it grow more slowly in a different photo period – in fact, things

develop just as usual (except your light bill will be more reasonable). As the days go by, the plants form open and resinous flowers whose qualities are already welldeveloped. The absence of heat seems to better maintain the flowers’ organoleptic properties. Thus, LEDs can be considered a successful form of lighting during the summer, also for mini- and mother plants.

Problems begin when using them during the winter. After years of being accustomed to using incandescent lighting as heaters, we no longer have those necessary degrees. Low temperatures affect the plants’ weaker parts: their roots, which tend to atrophy and the pots are impossible to dry for weeks.

This fact cannot be ignored, because if it becomes necessary to use extra heating equipment (such as a radiator, air conditioning or anything that consumes a lot of energy) it will have all been in vain, since paying for the electricity required by the air conditioning will cancel out what we otherwise save. For those whose crop isn’t much bigger than a few cubic feet, the ideal solution is to combine both types of lighting. This way you will enjoy a much more efficient synergy that achieves both the temperature of sodium lights and the yield of LEDs.

25 When I did this during the winter, whenever the plants aligned between the two types of lights were able to choose which way to bend their leaves, it was invariably towards the LEDs. I think this fact is significant enough on its own.

What sort of yield can we hope for?

I was very pleasantly surprised; my first SOP allowed me to exceed the gram/ watt ratio, which rarely happens with HPS, especially without CO2. My average was about 440 grams per three square feet, using twenty-five selected clones and 240 watts; afterward I expanded to three units and, with better light distribution, have managed to slightly improve my ratio. Therefore the efficiency of LED grow lights is extremely interesting, provided that cultivation is performed properly.

Should I change over to LEDs? This subject has already created much controversy on the web and in the sector’s press, with many critics who keep mentioning that 'they’ve been told' that LED grow lights don’t work for the flowering period. This is undeniable, but there is an explanation.

When the first models were being publicized, they came with false data, in excess of actual performance. Some people even declared a 90-watt lamp to be superior to a 600-watt lamp (no comment). These high expectations inevitably worked against LEDs; people who bought these expensive models – which also lacked a sufficient spectrum to work correctly – found themselves with very poor results. Thus, the first generation of ground breakers suffered quite a disappointment; but now these

lamps are much more complete, combining the spectrum with more efficient LEDs. Also, and most importantly, we now know what to expect and what not to expect. Prices have come down and will continue to do so.

The more creative growers can learn to build their own lights; there are many excellent online tutorials that show how to assemble them with the desired distribution and wattage. Currently, many observations give reliable, non-manipulated results – and growers who obtain good results with sodium lamps actually work more efficiently with LEDs. Those who have already begun to or usually have problems harvesting their crop correctly, on the other hand, find their mistakes magnified. Carelessness makes it easy to stunt a plant’s growth.

Nowadays, several companies offer LED grow lights, especially online. New models and combinations become available every day, so I won’t recommend any particular brands – what’s useful today might be ancient history tomorrow. What I can say, however, is that most lights sold on eBay are very low quality, and are not even useful for cutting; in fact, they are of hardly any use at all. But a widespread and general ignorance ensures their continued popularity on the market, which is a pity because – given the tendency to generalize – this contributes to the poor reputation of LEDs. We need to try and find out where to obtain tried and tested (and guaranteed) models. And to stop expecting to earn without investing.

In the coming issues, we will continue investigating this fascinating subject, focusing on some of the current available models. ‘Til next time, and happy smokes, X.

LED grow lights: pros and cons Summarizing this introduction to LED grow lights, we can definitely state that they work – not as efficiently as they were advertized when they first came on the market, but they are definitely between 30% and 60% more effective than incandescent lighting. They are still fairly expensive, but prices are steadily going down while quality increases. If you have the luxury of waiting, wait a while for a change that will guarantee satisfaction. If you think decreasing wattage in a medium- to large crop by combining with HPS is a good idea, you can reduce consumption by around 30% without losing any grams in product.

LEDs are also a luxury for summer growing or those growing in limited spaces. They are already a useful reality for many growers.

MATURING BUD

Pros - Low consumption - Durability without losses - Heat up instantly - Very effective - Possibility of growing in the summer and in limited spaces

SOP – 'SEA OF PURPLE'

CLONE HARVESTED UNDER LED GROW LIGHTS

Cons - High price - Necessity of raising temperatures during the winter - Hard to know which brands are more efficient - Several units needed for correct distribution

26

HEMP TECH A LOOK AT INNOVATIONS IN THE INDUSTRY TODAY

What's Happening with Hemp?

Today, cultivation of industrial hemp is legal in every industrialized nation in the world except the USA, where misinformation disseminated by the anti-drugs lobby continues to hinder many farmers' valid desire to be part of this vital and growing market.

Misconceptions regarding the cultivation of hemp must be put right once and for all if there is to be any hope of future legislation being approved. The differences between the hemp and marijuana industries must be re-emphasized, and the argument that permission for hemp farming will lead to an increase in cultivation of drug Cannabis must be deconstructed. Hemp farmers must be recognized as respectable producers of an important industrial

by Kali Mist commodity rather than would-be criminals.

Most Cannabis users are aware of its versatile nature and numerous applications in medicine. However, few people could accurately describe, when questioned, the differences between marijuana and hemp. They are fundamental. Cannabis sativa can be selectively bred for various qualities, and has been for millennia.

Varieties that produce no cannabinoids but abundant seed or fibrous, woody stalks are categorized as hemp, or separately as oilseed or fiber Cannabis (the latter is also occasionally referred to as Cannabis oglalas in scientific literature).

Those containing poor fiber quality but high THC-rich resin content are termed 'marijuana' or 'drug Cannabis'. The development of the former qualities is usually a hindrance to development of the latter, and vice-versa. The farming practices utilized are also hugely different; for instance, fiber hemp is usually harvested before flowering commences, as beyond this point little energy is used for vegetative growth. This renders the harvest completely useless for drug purposes.

year, its harvest now being used for a wide range of products. The company has continually pushed for innovation and development in farming practices. These developments are vital – bringing down the production costs of the hemp industry is imperative to increase its competitiveness in the marketplace.

As hemp had been neglected in many countries after the anti-marijuana campaigns of the 1930s, research and development in the industry stagnated throughout a period of rapid modernization for most other farming methods.

When developed nations began to renew their interest, hemp production had some rapid catching up to do to achieve competitiveness with rival crops. Hemp itself has some highly specific requirements, and much adaptation to existing farm machinery had to occur before equipment was capable of processing its tough, fibrous stalks. HempFlax has designed and produced specialized hemp harvesters to meet this need, thereby enabling modernization of the entire industry. Once

harvested, the woody part of the stalk must be separated from the fibrous inner 'bast' used for rope and fabric production.

This was a process traditionally done by hand, and no specific machinery existed to do the work efficiently. HempFlax created one, a device known as a 'decortication line', which also separates the seeds, leaves and remaining by-products.

With hemp, not a single part of the plant is useless. The main bulk of the fiber and wood goes to various industries, where it will undergo further processing according to requirements. Pressed hemp-board is a highly durable and flame-retardant substitute for wood, and can be used in construction, or molded into dashboards and panels by the automobile industry.

annual hemp fairs and Cannabis awareness demonstrations. It is important to stress the significance of the ongoing policy of openness and transparency in the hemp industry, which over the years has led to a general perception in the Netherlands and throughout Europe of hemp products as safe, ecologicallysound and indeed fashionable.

HempFlax's creation of a political presence with consistent visibility at events and demonstrations has, along with the efforts of other hemp activists, assisted in rendering the industry credible. In the future, the company aims to expand the level of integration throughout the industry, from supplier to consumer, creating a transparent and cooperative system that is wholly ethical. Sustainability is key: HempFlax's mission is to “serve humankind and the environment by providing affordable, modern, natural hemp products for a sustainable future”. Further development of their highly-rated existing products – particularly building materials – is also on the agenda, and there are plans for future production of whole-plant biomass.

HempFlax and numerous other hemp producers, operating without hindrance not only in the Netherlands but in most developed countries, are exemplary: proof that hemp growers can be professional, cred-

HEMP FARMERS MUST BE RECOGNIZED AS RESPECTABLE PRODUCERS OF AN IMPORTANT INDUSTRIAL COMMODITY RATHER THAN WOULD-BE CRIMINALS Fibers are woven into fabric and rope, pulped and pressed into paper, and used as insulation in construction. HempFlax turns by-products into animal bedding, fodder and items for horticulture, such as protective felt disks that shield tree roots from climatic extremes. From the seeds, HempFlax produces oils primarily destined for the equestrian sector. Their products contain trace amounts of THC at most, and have no psychoactive effect.

HempFlax has recently funded an initiative to plant 120 square yards of hemp for every purchase of special packs of 5,000 hemp seeds, and consistently attempts to increase public awareness of hemp through participation in political discourse, and events such as

ible and open, and truly not much different to any other agriculturalist. Now in its 18th year, HempFlax has decisively proven its sustainability as a business model. As awareness of hemp products and their advantages continues to grow, the value of the industry as a whole is set to go on increasing for many years to come.

Innovations in the hemp industry are continual: improvements to building materials and procedures has allowed for construction of sustainable houses at remarkably low costs – equivalent and possibly in fact cheaper than current low-cost construction methods. In November 2010, the USA's first 'hemp house' was completed in Asheville, NC, using Hemcrete® 'hemp concrete', but currently the high cost of

Let's take a look at how a modern hemp farmer operates. We will take, as an example, a small organization based in the Dutch town of Groningen, some two hours' journey north-east of Amsterdam.

Established in 1993 by Ben Dronkers of the Sensi Seed Bank, HempFlax was the first to reintroduce a crop that – prior to the 20th century – had long been produced in the Netherlands. HempFlax, among other companies, has been instrumental in aiding the emergence of hemp products into the mainstream consciousness as viable alternatives to current practices.

From initial establishment of a small 140acre plot in 1994, HempFlax currently pro- A MATURING OILSEED CANNABIS PLANT duces 5,900 acres of fiber hemp every

THIS PHOTO CLEARLY SHOWS THE TIGHTLY-PACKED STEMS WITH NO LATERAL BRANCHING THAT IS CHARACTERISTIC OF FIBER CROPS.

27 importing hemp into the country makes it nonviable as a construction industry norm.

However, the publication by the University of Connecticut in October 2010 of research into hemp as a potential bio-fuel source has caused great excitement in the pro-hemp lobby.

Dependence on fossil fuels is one of our biggest issues in this current economic climate, and any new developments in this area cannot be ignored. This factor may well prove decisive in any forthcoming debate over this issue.

THE HEMPFLAX FACTORY, GRONINGEN

HEMPFLAX HARVEST TIME, WITH SPECIALLYMODIFIED COMBINATION HARVESTERS

By now, the USA is one of the few remaining countries worldwide not to have legislated in favor of hemp. Since the infamous media campaign perpetrated by Hearst and DuPont and supported by Harry J. Anslinger in the 1930s, the US government has chosen to perpetuate the deliberate ambiguity regarding the two very separate industries, relying on dangerously flawed reasoning. For example, the oftcited argument that hemp fields would provide natural camouflage for drug crops is easily debunked: hemp fields are grown with no discrimination between male and female plants, unlike drug crops, where to ensure seedless flowers the males must be pulled. Not only would the females produce seed, instantly reducing the crop's value, but the seed itself would produce flowers far lower in THC than the mother.

Therefore to ban the production of hemp on the basis of perceived similarity to marijuana is and always has been fundamentally contradictory.

The potential of hemp as a sustainable and ecologically sound solution to many global problems has long been cited by its supporters, who have in turn long been described as merely disguised promarijuana lobbyists. But with nine US States so far having passed legislation allowing licensed hemp production, it is purely the reluctance of the federal government to recognize the viability of hemp that is stopping farmers – and the nation – benefiting from its great potential to generate 'green' profits. Although it is legal to import hemp for the manufacture and distribution of products domestically, it has been illegal to grow hemp in the US since 1937. The DEA has had authority to issue licenses for hemp cultivation since its establishment in 1973; however, this is a power it has chosen never to exercise, allegedly preferring to ignore applications that farmers must pay thousands of dollars to make.

ONE OF HEMPFLAX'S SPECIALIZED MACHINES, PART OF THE INITIAL SEPARATION PROCESS

In Montana, the state approved legislation for commercial production of hemp in 2001. Vermont and North Dakota have both passed laws permitting licensed hemp cultivation, and are awaiting DEA approval. North Dakota attorneys are appealing to the courts on behalf of client farmers in an attempt to force a decision. Oregon licensed industrial hemp production in August of 2009.

Maine, Maryland, Kentucky, Hawaii and Virginia have all legislated in favor: but, due to DEA opposition, none of them has so far been able to issue a single license for hemp production.

The level of support for legalization is informed and widespread, despite the government's repeated attempts to misconstrue this. After the North Dakota appeals, in a perfect example of the ongoing policy to place marijuana and hemp into one blanket category, Tom Riley of the White House Office on National Drug Policy is quoted as saying: "Let's not be naive... the pro-dope people have been pushing hemp for 20 years because they know that if they can have hemp fields, then they can have marijuana fields. It's... stoner logic."

But the pro-hemp sentiment extends far beyond the ranks of the unfairly-depicted, but nonetheless powerful pro-marijuana 'stoner' lobby. The farming lobby is increasingly vocal, as are environmental groups such as the Resource Conservative Alliance, the Body Shop and Rainforest Action Network, in slowly aiding public recognition of hemp in its own right.

Given our current economic instability, rapidly dwindling fossil fuel reserves and

THE USA'S FIRST HEMP HOUSE, IN ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA increasing food insecurity, it is seriously questionable that our government will not at least consider legalization of a crop that could demonstrably assist in alleviating all three problems.

The fact that Detroit car-makers buy huge amounts of hemp products from Canadian farmers 20 miles north of the border is financially nonsensical when farmers themselves in neighboring states are eager to grow it. Farmers state that hemp is an “ideal crop to rotate annually with wheat and barley;” any added biodiversity that deviates from the damaging trend for monoculture pervading the farming industry is sure to be positive.

There is a huge, and growing, difference between the respective causes of hemp and marijuana. Those who wish for legalization of one may not wish for legalization of the other. Legalization of hemp is perhaps more of a priority for a sustainable national farming industry and healthy ecosystem (eradication of hemp/wild ditchweed is badly damaging certain bird and animal habitats, for example) than legalization of marijuana. It is important to make the distinction. Many of the reasons for legalizing marijuana simply do not apply to hemp. Both are important medically, and for their own reasons; but hemp is an important part of the American ecosystem in a way that these selectively bred highTHC variants are not. Also, the misconception of hemp as having the same narcotic properties as marijuana must end in political dialogue. It is clear that it does not.

29

SEED BANKS INTERVIEW WITH SWEET SEEDS

Attractively priced feminized quality seeds The Spanish Sweet Seeds, a seed bank specializing in feminized seeds, conquered first Spain and then went on to conquer the whole of Europe. The secret of this seed bank is that they’re close to the grower and they have a good nose for what the public wants: in the first place, of course, feminized quality seed for an outstanding price.

In addition to that, Sweet Seeds offers a number of unique package deals. For example, there are special Collector's Editions with three different varieties per package, or the possibility of putting together a combination of different strains one’s self.

Sweet Seeds is one of the first seed banks to plunge into auto-flowering varieties, a section in the catalog that is still being developed.

Before the lads from Sweet Seeds began their company they were growers themselves, who, out of dissatisfaction with what was on offer, decided to tackle things quite differently. Undoubtedly their customers are grateful, and that is proven by the rapid growth of the company and the many prizes with which Sweet Seeds varieties have been crowned in various Cannabis competitions. Meanwhile, the seed J. Searcher bank has been steaming full ahead…

In recent years you have had an impressive series of prizes credited to your record. In fact, thanks to the entries from various Spanish growers you have even won more than any other seed bank, and this year too there have been more awards bestowed upon Sweet Seeds. What are your most honored plants, and to what do you think they owe their success?

Sweet Seeds is delighted with the recognition and the success achieved by our varieties both in Spain and abroad. We have not been in existence as a seed bank all that long, so at this moment it is the varieties that we have in our range that have won

At the same time it is also important for us to offer shops and distributors a good, fast service. And naturally you always have to be aware, stay alert and remain open to the possibilities of innovation and improvement in a dynamic global market that is completely exploding.

Can you say something about your breeding philosophy?

We have a simple breeding philosophy: most importantly we are Cannabis consumers and collectors of genetics; which is to say, we make a selection of the best genetics that we can get our hands on and store these for an unlimited time, so that we can enjoy them today, tomorrow or in 20 years.

The criteria that we apply in order to select our best mothers have to do with the desired qualities of the plants; and not with their origin, ancestors or family tree. With these exceptional plants we use both traditional and modern breeding

techniques to arrive at populations of 99.9% female plants. At the moment we are also very busy with the development of new varieties of feminized, 100% autoflowering varieties.

We think that Cannabis is a gift from nature and that no single variety should be the property of anyone; but is something that should be for all humanity to benefit from. We try to share with people who are looking for the (according to us) absolute best quality genetics, people who recognize our passion and love for the Cannabis plant. The best way to protect a Cannabis variety is to share it with us.

When you had just begun you gave out a lot of information on how to make feminized seed. Are you going to do that again?

When we began making feminized seed, we published reports of our experiments on Cannabiscafe.net, the most popular

various Cannabis competitions where they live. Often we do not even know who they are. Every time one of our varieties wins a prize we feel very honored, so thanks again, champions!

Although you have been around for a decent amount of time your seed bank has only recently taken the international market by storm. What is behind this sudden international expansion?

We assumed that our success in Spain was a visiting card with which our distributors could present us to other markets. In the last two years we have made a huge publicity offensive at an international level, in order to increase our

“WE AIM FIRST OF ALL TO CREATE PLANTS AS HOMOGENOUS AS POSSIBLE, SO WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR THAT DIFFICULT BALANCE BETWEEN STABILITY AND HYBRID VIGOR.” the most prizes: Cream Caramel, Black Jack, S.A.D., Sweet Tai and Ice Cool. It is clear that their success in Cannabis competitions is down to the recognition from gourmet experts, who know what the end product of a Cannabis plant should be all about: an intense, pleasant aroma; potency, a good taste, the quality and quantity of the trichomes, the strain’s effect, etc.

We really want to take this opportunity to thank all the Cannabis growers for entering Sweet Seeds varieties in the

name recognition and to get attention for our range in the important Cannabis periodicals in other countries.

We should not forget that it is the quality of the seed that is the most important factor with which to keep your customers happy and build sustainable success on the Cannabis market, both in Spain and elsewhere. Thanks to our low prices we offer an outstanding qualityprice point, and that is certainly (in this time of economic crisis) something to be reckoned with.

CREAM CARAMEL

30 Spanish language Cannabis forum on the Internet. In that time the method of feminization without using gibberellic acid was still a well-kept secret, one that only a few growers worldwide knew and, at the time, had only just started to creep out onto the Internet. We were at that point not busy with Sweet Seeds, and it seemed to us a nice gesture to share this knowledge with the world via the Internet, and in doing so the forum members could determine its truthfulness.

the inherent genetic variation of heterozygote or non-stable populations.

hybridization. This last point is easy to check by performing progeny testing.

We aim to create plants as homogenous as possible, so we are always looking for that difficult balance between stability and hybrid vigor. Variation need not always be a problem, for example when the various phenotypes have different – but still desirable – qualities, such as two interesting aromas within the same variety.

Above all, the female plants must react well to the sex conversion technique and produce enough fertile pollen for the fertilization to take place without manual assistance.

These days there are a huge number of seed banks; it is a sector that has developed very strongly in Spain, and the competition is enormous. We have not stopped experimenting and perfecting our techniques; but, although there is certainly good communication and exchange of information between the majority of Spanish seed banks, it is also a fact that there is a lot of information that is not shared with competitor companies.

Do you give any advice to growers who are growing with feminized seed, or do you reckon they should just work in the same way as they would with ordinary seed?

There is no difference between growing from feminized seed and regular seed. In

“IT IS A NEW GENERATION THAT SMELLS BETTER, CREATES MORE RESIN HAIRS, GROWS HIGHER AND DEVELOPS MORE SIDE BRANCHES.” When we begin with seed populations, as is the case with the auto-flowering varieties, we use both feminized and regular seed. For the reproduction we have also tried both ways, with the final phase both

What is your take on the issue of stability? Do think it is more important that plants are homogenous or that you can choose from various options?

For us a variety is stable when the individuals that form a population keep the characteristics that define a variety in future generations. We describe a seed generation or population as stable when there is no variation in the characteristics of the individual plants that come from it.

The famous F1 seeds, for example, consist of a population or generation of stable seeds, but there are no stable varieties A HARVEST OF CREAM CARAMEL because the following generations that ensue are not.

The most extreme example of a stable generation or population - that is to say 100% stability of all characteristics – is a population in which the individual plants are clones of the same mother. In this example every plant is an identical copy of each other and we should find no individual variation.

However, those of you who have grown plants from the same mother will have noticed that there are always a couple of plants among them that are higher than the rest; that some get sick while the rest remain healthy, root a couple of days earlier than the others or yield more – while they were all identical clones of the same mother. The differences or variations were caused by environmental factors, such as climate or growing medium; and not by genetic differences, ultimately, if we’re talking about clones. So you must not confuse the environmental factors with

AN OLD BLUEBERRY MOTHER

fact the only genetic difference between populations of regular seed and populations of feminized seed is that those from the feminized seed have no males among them. Because they have been grown from a seed, plants from feminized seed are usually more productive, with better aroma and are more stable than clones from a strongly selected mother of the same variety that had been raised from regular seed.

How do you select your mother plants?

If you begin from seed, are they feminized or regular seeds?

For the selection of the mother plants for a breeding program it is important that as well as the selection for exceptional structural, agronomic, organoleptic (taste and aromas) and chemotypic (quantity and variety of cannabinoids) qualities, you are also sure that the plants have no hermaphroditic tendencies, and that they lend themselves to

In the same way that gardeners make bonsais you can re-model the shape of plants bit by bit by pruning them, letting them grow or by bending branches, as appropriate. These kinds of plant were kept in three liter pots, but as time went on, the salt concentration in the soil rose consistently higher, with the result that the root

system was damaged. Before the plants begin to show symptoms of deficiencies that are not soluble by simply rinsing the soil, which happens about once every six months, the roots need to be trimmed and the substrate replaced. At the same time as these interventions we inoculate the roots with various microorganisms that stimulate the growth of new roots.

The stems of Cannabis plants are not designed to be alive for so long, and with plants that are three- or four years old the stems begin to rot quite easily, or they become infected with mold. Keeping a bonsai Cannabis plant alive for longer than four years is really difficult.

These days we no longer work with bonsai plants; we prefer to keep our mothers strong and healthy, and replace them after a maximum of six months with new young clones.

regular and feminized seed; or we work in a breeding program starting with only female plants. We figure it is better to complete the feminized program without the use of males, since by doing so we avoid the probability of surprises at the end of the program, in the response to the sex conversion technique.

These days more and more attention is paid to bonsai plants. When we first met, which must be more than ten years ago, you already had bonsai plants of three- or four years old.

Can you briefly explain the experiments; say something about the system that you used for making bonsai plants and what the most important problems were that were encountered during the process?

The bonsai plants were a nice experiment that came about in an almost spontaneous manner when we tried to keep mother plants as small as possible – mainly for reasons of space-saving – so that we could provide the mothers in our grow space with enough light. The longer you try to keep your plants small by taking cuttings and snipping branches, the more the stems age and fatten. After a couple of months the soft tissue begins to harden into wood, making them start to resemble bonsais, although the process is not literally a bonsai technique: though the leaves do get a bit smaller, you don’t get real miniature leaves, which is what you get with real bonsai trees.

Which of your plants are you most proud of, in the sense that most of its potential has been realized?

To be honest, that is a question that is not easy to answer. It is just like asking a father which of his children is his favorite, or which one he is most proud of. But anyway, we can say of our first varieties that they are now at a point where there is nothing left to improve. I mean the varieties that were mentioned at the beginning of this interview, the quality of which is not just recognized by ourselves, but by the Cannabis scene. Although there may still be room for improvement in one of those varieties, it is very difficult to say something has really achieved all the development it is capable of.

Among our more recent varieties there are indeed a few with the possibility of more improvement. Sweet Cheese, Snow Fruit, Speed Devil, Fast Bud and Big Devil, for example, were still under development in 2010, and in early 2011 there will be improved versions added to our range.

Can you recommend a sativa and an indica to us?

As a sativa I’d recommend the Jack 47 for everyone who loves strong sensations, a lovely incense aroma and a potent, euphoric effect. For an indica I would go for the Cream Caramel, with its unbelievably sweet aroma with earthy tones and a super relaxed effect.

Which varieties from your catalog do you reckon are best suited to medicinal use?

Normally medicinal users give the nod to

31 varieties with a strong indica proportion, which have a high level of THC – the most important medically active constituent - and with sufficient CBD to compensate for the euphoric psychedelic effects of the THC. For that kind of user, Cream Caramel, S.A.D. or Mohan Ram are the most suitable. But you also have medicinal users who prefer the more sativa-ish varieties. For them, Ice Cool, Sweet Tai or Psicodelicia are very effective.

Nowadays you also have feminized auto-flowering varieties in your range.

How do you tackle that challenge?

We believed right from the beginning in auto-flowering genetics and think that in the future these will only increase in importance. Auto-flowering varieties have been occupying us enormously in recent years; there is more and more demand for these sort of genetics because they have a number of advantages when compared with regular varieties: first of all their speed, discretion and the opportunity of getting more harvests from outside growing each year, even in the spring. In the meantime, auto-flowering varieties have finally achieved sufficient quality; thanks to which many growers are choosing them for growing in their indoor grow

SWEET AFGANI DELICIOUS

Seeds genetics and represent a leap forward in quality when compared to the auto-flowering varieties currently available. It is a new generation that smells better, creates more resin hairs, grows higher and develops more side branches.

They look more like non-auto-flowering feminized varieties than we’re used to.

rooms – especially thanks to their short cycle and acceptable quality.

Do you think that the auto-flowering varieties in the coming year will be better? How far can improvements continue to be made, do you think, and how many years will it be before we get to see the final results?

At Sweet Seeds we have already been working for two years on projects aimed

Many breeders are at the moment busy hybridizing auto-flowering varieties with their best mothers, so the autoflowering varieties will only get better. Sweet Seeds has also worked hard to improve the quality of Speed Devil #2, Fast Bud #2 and Big Devil #2, the three auto-flowering varieties in our THE SWEET SEEDS SHOP catalog, and the results of this work too will become visible in the beginning of 2011, when they become available. at creating, from our classic varieties, feminized auto-flowering seed. The first results Can you tell us, out of all your experifrom these projects will start to become ence of growing, one key piece of growavailable in early 2011. The first varieties ing advice? that will see the light will be S.A.D. auto, Let’s not forget that that Cannabis is a Cream Caramel auto and Jack 47 auto. It magical plant that since time immemorial is our intention that in the foreseeable has evolved through the actions of man, future we will make and offer auto-flower- and that still she rewards richly the care ing versions of all the varieties in our cata- and attention we humans lavish upon her. log. The new auto-flowering varieties will be hybridized and improved with Sweet » www.sweetseeds.es

SWEET AFGANI DELICIOUS

32 Readers Stuff Hi Soft Secrets, these are the pictures of my second grows. Both of them were indoors or should i say “intoilets” grown in Bio Bizz All-Mix soil, under HPS 400, with two weeks of vegetative stage. I have used Advanced Nutrients Iguana Grow and Bloom with Sensizym,and Canna PK 13/14. First one is Skunk 47 from Legend Collection (World of Seeds), which unfortunately had to be harvested a little bit too early, because of the mud appearing on main stem.

Second one is “Space” from Diamond Collection (World of Seeds), which was blooming for 9 weeks, including one week of flush. Buds were very dense and sticky, with a harsh smoke.

Perfect mixture of head high with body stone, which helped me to cure the constant pain in my knees ;) Unfortunately variety has no smell, even after 50days of curing.

P.s. Check out the pic “One love, one Soft Secrets” :) Luv Ya All :P G.

Not bad at all for a second grow, pat on the back to you. A good example of what you can do with a 400 watt. The Skunk 47 (Skunk x AK47) is a pretty plant to grow, and one of Space’s original parents is reported to be a Black Domina x AK47. If these are favorites of yours, you might try some other AK47 crosses as well.

Attention Readers!

Become part of the world wide growers community and star in Soft Secrets legendary ‘Dear Soft Secrets’ column. A marihuana plant, a copy of Soft Secrets and preferably your wife or girlfriend in a sexy bikini must be in the frame.

Simply e-mail your entries to kristie@softsecrets.nl. NOTE: All entries are handled with the utmost discretion.

Remember, we don’t publish out of focus or low resolution pics, and we don’t like photos of young plants in the veg stage. It’s fat buds and sweet babes we want to see!

E-mail: kristie@softsecrets.nl

PACO Great example of a simple plant in a simple pot. Natural lighting is free, and plants love it. What every household can have when reason takes the day and growers are allowed to come out into the open. You are on your own on figuring out how to get beautiful women to run around topless in polka dot panties though.

SILVIA, VALENCIA Nice looking colas, if you trim off the lower limbs on the plant that don’t produce well, you will find that the top gets bigger.

Her lower limbs are fine just the way they are. It also looks like you have more space for another couple of plants if you chose.

HOMER J Wonderful example of a proper pair of panties. It looks like you have enough room to let the plants get a bit bigger, or to grow more a bit closer together.

33

Smuggler’s Tales

Morocco Bound In a world of drug financed terrorism and blood-thirsty cartels, it’s hard to imagine a time when it wasn’t about the money, but simply having a few kilos of something primo sitting on your kitchen table.Some of the craziest scams were hatched late in the night over a toke or two and a beer. Most died like vampires in the morning light, but some got further and then you heard about them when they were busted. A few succeeded, despite enormous odds,

By O’Riodon and I’d like tell you about one of them.

For this we have to go back to the late '60s, a far more liberal time. Morocco was just starting to produce its first good hashish. Only a few years prior an American had shown the farmers how to process their kif into quality hash; now loads of it were crossing the straits of Gibraltar on their way north. At first the Spanish Customs seemed unaware of the volume of traffic passing under their noses, but they soon wised up. The southern Spanish ports became some of the hottest in Europe, at their peak averaging a couple of big busts a day. It took real genius to pass through unmolested.

One such genius crossed into Morocco and arrived late at night in the mountain village of Ketama, a place with a reputation for good hashish. Driving a specially-

prepared camper, he passed the village to a farm deep in the mountains. By first light the camper was hidden from prying eyes, and preparation of the hundred kilos it was to carry was already under way.

Ketama is in an area of the Atlas Mountains allowed to grow Cannabis by royal charter, and has been so for hundreds of years.

Export is strictly forbidden and punishments for doing so are severe. This did not bother our genius; within a few days he was ready to go. A hundred kilos of the finest 'Zero-Zero' had been pressed up and all but ten grams had been welded into the framework of the camper.

The following day he drove down the mountain on one of the only two roads out. On the seat beside him, pressed into

a neat little block, was the extra ten grams of hash. Within an hour he reached the police road block, a permanent fixture on the road to prevent smuggling. Smoking a joint and making no effort to conceal the hash, the police arrested him immediately.

The normal procedure at this point was to offer a bribe; but our genius didn’t, even refusing to do so when the police suggested it. The police had no alternative but to really arrest him and so they did. With a police escort he and the camper were driven down to the nearest large town, which was Fez, and to the main police station.

The Fez police suggested once again that the whole thing could be cleared up with a little exchange of cash; again he refused, accusing the arresting officers of planting the hash on him. The next day he repeated his story in front of a judge and was remanded for trial and taken to the local prison. At this point the Consul from his home country came to visit. He was surprised he hadn’t paid the bribe and suggested he do so right away and save himself a lot of trouble. To the Consul’s amazement he refused.

eous indignation of the innocent. Sharing a small cell with five others didn’t help and that’s not counting the bad food, bed bugs and constant threat of sexual assault. The Consul’s next visit found him a lot more compliant.

Now Cannabis smugglers seemed to be blessed with a guardian angel that watches over them. As long as you run good hash and do it with a good heart, you’ll (hopefully) be protected.

A guardian angel was definitely present the when the Consul came to visit a few days later. He’d spoken to a lawyer and apparently the story of the police planting hashish to extract a bribe was common practice in Morocco. The judge was sympathetic and there was a reasonable chance of a dismissal, but it would take time. As an afterthought he mentioned the camper and the request to ship it.

He was going on leave in a few days and would be happy to drive the camper back for him. Crossing borders wouldn’t be a problem because he had a diplomatic passport. Our little genius’s heart did a somersault; this was beyond his wildest dreams. Of course the Consul could drive it back; our friend would be very grateful... he even offered to pay for the gas.

Before the Consul departed our friend asked him one thing: could he take possession of the camper and arrange its shipment home? The Consul agreed and said he would return in a couple of days with the necessary paperwork.

Meantime, he should engage a lawyer and prepare for trial.

A week later the camper, with its concealed load of 100 kilos, turned into the driveway of his house. His girlfriend was there to receive it and took a photograph to capture the moment. She then flew down to Morocco with the money to get him out. It took a day’s work and three fat envelopes before he walked out the prison gates. That night they were on plane home; it took a month but he had pulled it off.

Now, by this point you may have guessed our little genius’s ploy to get the load shipped to his home country by the embassy, but this took time and Moroccan prisons are notoriously bad. As the days passed it was hard to keep up the right-

It’s a great story and shows initiative, but unfortunately he told it to me in the exercise yard of a Spanish prison three years later, after getting ten years for a couple of hundred kilos in a sailboat. Sometimes it’s your time to get busted.

1968 bus, 100 kilos heavier

Morocco's finest

Cannabis as far as the eye can see

34

DISPENSARIES

A PEEK BEHIND THE GREEN DOOR

Professional Pot Purveyors The inviting, classy and sexy, green and orange neon sign welcoming patients to San Francisco's Green Door medical club isn't the only thing that separates it from the hundreds of other clubs popping up in California. As you enter the club, its spic and span interior and professional ambiance put you at ease. It's not uncommon when reading patients' comments to see, "Hands down the Robert Michael best dispensary in the city."

access to a consistent range of top quality medicine for affordable prices, while offering an incredible assortment of edibles, concentrates, dried product and much more. They run their business like, well, a business: customers and community first. The club is a breath of fresh air and represents the only way to move forward in the medical marijuana dispensary industry. Soft Secrets USA caught up with Green Door manager Justin Jarin to 'talk shop'.

SSUSA: How would you describe the culture of the Green Door?

JJ: Words that come to mind are 'professional' and 'clean'. In eclectic downtown San Francisco, we have easy access for

the tremendous responsibility we have to our patients and community to be a role model for the industry.

SSUSA: And you give a lot back to the community, correct?

JJ: For patients we have 'Compassion Sundays' where they get a free gift with purchase. We also are heavy contributors to ASA (Americans for Safe Access) and MPP (Marijuana Policy Project). We also have donated money to Yerba Buena Park and the beautification of Howard Street. We also have many other local charities we donate to, like Black Rock Arts Foundation, Friends of the Urban Forest and Maitri AIDS Hospice.

“OUR GOAL WAS TO PROVIDE PATIENTS THE HIGHEST QUALITY MEDICINE AND THE MOST AFFORDABLE PRICE.” our patient flow. State of the art technology and safety precautions, too, are very important to us.

SSUSA: What was your vision when you opened up in 2003?

JJ: Our goal was to provide patients the highest quality medicine and the most affordable price. We also pride ourselves in being a compassionate dispensary.

SSUSA: Do you feel you've attained this?

JJ: 110%.

Then you marry that sentiment with the close ties the club has always had with the city, the charity work it does and the community respect it has garnered, and you have a business model that should be emulated by other dispensaries. But that's not all: The Green Door took home a lot of awards at the festivals last year. At the High Times 2010 Medical Cannabis Cup they won Second Place in the Sativa category for their Candy Jack, and tied for Second Place for Best Booth. They were excited

to be the only San Francisco dispensary to take home an award. At the 2010 San Francisco Cannabis Competition, the club's Boss OG Kush took home the honor for Best Strain, and their Grandaddy Purple tied for Second Place; they also won Second Place in the Concentrates category for their G-18 hash, and tied for Second Place with their Buddies Peanut Butter Pucks.

Since its opening in 2003, The Green Door has prided itself on giving patients

SSUSA: You've always worked closely with the city from day one. Why don't more clubs do this?

JJ: Being active in the city is just something we've learned is in our best interest and the industry's interest because we are the voice; we write and create the legislation, too. It's helped our business thrive by us fighting for our patients' rights to service – and they do the same, which creates loyalty within our community.

SSUSA: Words such as 'responsible' and 'professional' come up all the time when talking about the Green Door.

JJ: We have always held the highest standards of professionalism, and understand

SSUSA: What is the key to running a successful dispensary?

JJ: The key is to provide the best product; the newest products, at a compassionate price with service to match. At the Green Door we innovate and that is why we continue to grow and keep the patients' interest and loyalty. Our patients' satisfaction is our number one priority.

SSUSA: What's next?

JJ: We have partnered with an upstairs neighbor who is running a private events space, and we are covering our patients’ admission to their lounge. It's a spacious, luxurious, ventilated place for patients to medicate, with flat-screen TVs, comfortable furniture and a pool table.

We are also in the process of updating the methods of medicating available.

The Green Door has also arranged time for Americans for Safe Access to use 'Lounge8four7' for their bi-monthly meetings. We love what ASA does for the movement and the community, and are excited to offer our support for their cause. » www.greendoorsf.com

36

From the Mountains of Holland – the Rise of King Cone Sitting in the in the super-cool Greenhouse coffeeshop in Amsterdam, gazing at the carp cruising hypnotically in their 10-ft., under-floor pool, I must admit to mixed feelings as I wait to meet up with the legendary Arthur van den Berg – the ‘Henry Jules Marshall Ford of Cannabis consumption’.

On the one hand, he’s the creator of the pre-rolled conical cigarette papers with the world-wide registered brand name Cones and a range of gizmos for mechanically filling, rolling and packaging joints that represent the biggest step-change in rolling technology since pre-gummed rice paper.

backstreets of Amsterdam: Arthur at the wheel, juggling phone calls, rummaging for merchandising in the glove compartment and avoiding cyclists.

Arthur jumps around between stories about his youth, excitement at current developments in mediweed, anticipation of his forthcoming trip to a fair

THESE DEMOCRATIZERS OF JOINT SMOKING FOR THE FUMBLE-FINGERED MASSES ARE NOW AVAILABLE IN MORE THAN 50 COUNTRIES, FROM NIGERIA TO FINLAND Essentially empty cone-shaped wrappers made from cigarette paper with an integrated cardboard roach, Cones can be used in production machines and equipment for creating pre-rolled joints, or they can be filled manually by consumers. You can see the range of cone-related equipment and packaging at www.mountainhigh.nl and videos of the technology in action at www.cones.tv.

They are an undoubted industry game changer. In street corner tobacconists, in blister packs of pre-rolled weed in coffeeshops and pharmacies, these democratizers of joint smoking for the fumble-fingered masses are now available in more than 50 countries, from Nigeria to Finland.

On the other hand, as a proud and capable traditional joint roller, I can’t help feeling like a Luddite witnessing the potential loss of the hand-rolled craft.

OK, that’s maybe an overstatement, but all you spliff-jockeys out there will know what I mean, I think. It’s a new world out there…there’s 'BC' and 'AC' – Before Cones and After Cones.

Arthur enters in a whirlwind of energy, greeting the staff (he still hand delivers his wares to leading customers, to maintain the human contact) and explains that he’d like to conduct the interview in his ‘office’ – a black behemoth of a 4x4 parked outside.

in Denver, Colorado, sliding between past, present and future, with extraordinary energy and enthusiasm for his business. The most common phrase is: “Long story short…” It’s a hugely entertaining conversation - and a nightmare to transcribe and turn into a linear story!

SS: Take me through your early years prior to setting up Mountain High in 1994. What sort of things moved and interested you?

AvdB: “I always wanted to work and do my own marketing for my own products. But until I was 30 years old I didn’t succeed - although I had all the ingredients. I had left commercial school early because I was dealing hashish and earning a lot of money. But I was driven to do something for myself and ended up doing many different jobs and learning different things in life.

So I worked as a bus driver for a while; I used to daydream of having an invention and do my own marketing of this invention. I was always convinced that I would become a company owner; maybe selling black pearls, which I had access to. I sold advertising for Yellow Pages, smoked weed and came up with this invention.

So the joint machine invention by me and my brother, that started with us setting

“MY MESSAGE IS: DON’T TRY AND RE-INVENT THE WHEEL. TALK TO ME; I’M ALREADY THERE. JOIN ME.” So after sharing a quick joint (Cone of course) of pure Shiva, it’s into his office that we clamber with cappuccinos to-go, and for the next 40 minutes we cruise hair-raisingly through the small

up a PO box and registered company and already visualizing that it could be revolutionary one day – at least, it was to us and we were convinced it was so unique. We had invented a centrifugal joint making

machine but of course we could not patent a centrifuge!

We sent plans of our invention to ourselves by registered mail, opening one copy and leaving the other sealed. So we had that filed, and it cost us nothing. It is not worth anything, but it is still a good idea to do.

So that’s... how things started: work for yourself. And the big innovation was the cone paper.”

How is it made? Big bales of cigarette paper…

“Yes, you have a bobbin of 11 miles of paper, supplied by one of the world leaders in paper making. Our idea was that just as in England the rolling papers are called Rizlas, we hoped when people talked about a cone, they were not talking about ice cream cones or traffic cones any more but my Cones, with the watermark that says ‘Cones’, with the TV station cones.tv; it’s my word.

The watermark thing started 10 years ago but before that we were under the Radar. We hit the newspapers with that machine, demonstrating it in the old Drugs Peace House in Amsterdam, and the following Monday there was an article: No More Licking With New Rolling Machine for Joints on the second page of the Volkskrant, (newspaper) with a halfpage photo of me and my brother sitting next to our own machine. It just looked

around saying 'Man. There’s gotta be a better way of making joints than rolling them'?

“Long story short: we went to Bali to check out the cigarette factories, where I had heard they hand-rolled cigarettes… (he breaks off to show me a new packet of papers with a magnetic flap). We had already invented how to make the cones. Then we invented a way of tapping down the tobacco/weed mix into the cone so it was not too fluffy but as tight as a Marlboro. We’d booked a hotel resort in Bali and in the morning we’d been surfing together and were really close, we were like ‘wow, we’re gonna do this mission, find where we’re gonna produce them’ – and we did and we still producing in Indonesia.

I’d heard about this factory where cigarettes were made by hand and figured we could have a lot of work for them. So me and my brother started traveling with a guide, meeting all the factories. I had the sales training and my brother was the engineer superman who knew the answer to everything, so together we made an impact at big factories where 10-15,000 people were working. OK, I’m exaggerating, but there are working floors there with 5,000 rollers, you know.”

You’re just back from America, and you’re off there again in a few days.

“I was just checking out what’s happening over there and its amazing. If you

“I WAS FOCUSED ON AMERICA RIGHT FROM THE OUTSET OF OUR COMPANY.” very natural and innocent. Amsterdam was different back in those days (1995), a very different situation to now.”

So you’re the marketing guy and your brother Martin is the engineer? What’s it like working with a brother?

“We grew up very close. My mother ended up in a psychiatric hospital when were small kids. My father was technical director of a cancer hospital in Rotterdam and we didn’t care that we were alone: we had a lovely life, growing up in this hospital. We met people, we explored under the hospital in the ventilation ducts, with a torch and a rope – we were less than 6 years old! We were raised by the nurses and the 100 or so people working there. We were ‘the kids of Mr. van den Berg’, chief of the hospital. Everyone knew we didn’t have a mother. That’s the big story made short!”

And what about the moment of invention? Were the two of you sitting

imagine all the weed medical patients are using over there fitting in a Cone? Or just one percent of that? It’s really taking off.

I travel to the US four or five times a year and I’m off to Denver next Friday. There’s a Cannabis happening there they expect 20,000 people over the weekend.

I flew in my machine, so it’s gonna be in the entrance to the show with a lounge for other companies from Amsterdam.

The machine will be spinning, and my distributor also has a booth. After the show I have a meeting with Snoop Dogg’s manager to maybe bring his Snoop rolling papers to Holland - it will be the first rolling paper we have had in our collection.

We never intended to do it; the cone thing is so unique we have our hands and heads filled doing that.

But I was focused on America right from the outset of our company; that’s why I called it 'Vandenberg'; there was a wellknown band called that. My name is

37 to take off, used in joints for dispensaries. It’s like we’re selling auto tires: if you drive a lot you buy a lot of tires. If you sell a lot of joints you need a lot of cones. We’ve helped a lot of companies make serious money.”

A few days later he phones to say he forgot the story about fire walking and how important it is to meet again. “(Our business) kind of all started with a coupon, clipped from a women's magazine for 25 guilders, of a workshop at the Marriott Hotel in Amsterdam, where a carpet of wet turf was laid out and hot coals strewn on it to make a 33-ft. fire walk. You know, the 'think cool moss' thing?

Arthur made it across but his brother forgot his mantra. Unable to sleep, consumed with a feeling that this was the catalyst of some sort of special

moment, the night ended with his brother sitting at a drawing board and designing the machine.

A few months later and the van den Berg boys are surfing in Bali where they have traveled on the rumor that cigarettes were still made by hand, pondering how they were going to make the cones fill-able and compact-able when it hit them: a centrifuge.

He’s is clear about his ambitions for the future. “My email and phone number is spread worldwide because I feel that anyone who is enthusiastic about my products can send me an email and tell me what he thinks. I can advise a company like Philip Morris if they ever want a good packaging and production system; they’re stupid if they don’t get in touch with me. My message is: don’t try and re-invent the wheel.

Talk to me; I’m already there. Join me.”

ARTHUR WITH SNOOP DOGG

Arthur van den Berg, which means ‘from the mountain’. So I saw myself coming down from the mountain and the company is Mountain High.

My job, I’m on the edge of the envelope, you know? I deal with headshops and coffeeshops; we surf through the whole of Cannabisland but my product is fully legal. So if one day somebody in NL thinks they have to stop me, I’ll go straight on TV and show my videos and ask: what am I doing wrong? I’m 16 years in this business now and cones will always be there.

I never had any trouble in the US. Once only a pallet was sent back because it had a Cannabis leaf on the packaging.”

The conversation is interrupted as we search for a parking spot, and I finally spill my reservations that, admirable as they are, the first time I saw the cones I thought NO, that’s killing off the old manual craft of joint rolling…

“Are you recording? You know how many times I’ve heard that in my life?

The most common comment in the world from people who are good at rolling by hand. What about all the people who cannot roll? You no longer have to do it for all the lazy girls!

We arrive back at the Greenhouse, where Arthur drops me off and takes a meeting with some Israeli mediweed suppliers, customers of his. I speak briefly to Zach Klein, pioneer of the Israeli medi-weed movement, which bought 200,000 cones last year.

“Arthur’s cones were vital for our progress as they allow standardization of dosage and therefore open up clinical trials,” he says. “Also, they’re sterile, as there’s no licking involved – vital when you’re dealing with patients with compromised immune systems.”

“The new emphasis on medical marihuana is perfect for my business,” say Arthur. “About five years ago it started

ARTHUR SHOWS US HIS MOUNTAINHIGH AD IN THE HIGHLIFE GUIDE

Kaya 47

Photo: Advanced Seeds

39 ARE WOMEN BEING SIDELINED IN THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY?

Sexism in Pot Culture Marijuana-related media is becoming known for photos depicting semi-clothed models splashed all over their pages, to the extent that many women are increasingly put off most prominent publications. It is preferable to avoid alienating any reader group, especially such a large and growing one – but many still take the easy route of using sex to sell magazines, knowing that the male readership currently far outnumbers the female, and using that classic, lowest-common-denominator technique that unfortuby Kali Mist nately shows no sign of losing its effectiveness.

While women may not have so far been as conspicuous as men in the battle to legalize weed our voice is steadily growing, and as cultural attitudes towards Cannabis use continue to relax I hope we will see a sharp rise in the prominence of female activists and supporters. In

Growers are mostly male – as I mentioned, it's illegal to cultivate Cannabis, and males are statistically more prepared to break laws. However, that doesn't explain why in the coffeeshops themselves the gender division is usually distinct (but not always – a few of the most

THE MAJORITY OF DISPENSARY OWNERS ARE MALE, AND THIS TREND CONTINUES FOR LICENSED GROWERS this important incubation period for the emerging industry we can afford few mistakes – lowering the credibility of the pot world through over-use of tacky centerfolds is bound to have this effect.

It's not just women that are put off; it's the establishment, which is having a hard enough time coming to terms with the meteoric rise of Cannabis as it is, without being able to lump Cannabis industry professionals into some sex-crazed smutpeddling category first theorized during the whole 'reefer madness' stupidity.

knowledgeable and friendly dealers I encountered were women, as was I for a time): guys own and manage the coffeeshops and sell the weed; girls serve

drinks. There is a number of respected female growers, coffeeshop owners and seed company bosses, but this is a small fraction of the total. I've heard, too many times to count, that there is 'no place' for women in the industry.

Some people have anecdotally suggested there is an influence from the Moroccan style of doing business, which is apparently exclusive to men and places women firmly in a service role. While this could be a factor, I also feel underlying traditional Dutch attitudes towards women play a part. I've experienced firsthand the odd male customer who refused to believe a woman could possibly know anything about weed.

Also, while there may not be a culture specifically associating pornography and Cannabis in Holland, a nation whose idea of legalized prostitution involves requiring women to stand in a window like mannequins, displaying themselves for any passer-by to see, surely cannot be deemed beyond the temptation of easy sexualization for the sake of easy business. At least a few coffeeshops in Amsterdam have a local

Embedded in the industry's perception by outsiders is the very real possibility that perpetuating misogyny in weed media could assist in perpetuating sexist practices in the wider weed industry. The majority of dispensary owners are male, and this trend continues for licensed growers.

There are some exceptions, but not many.

I, for one, would be devastated if the future of weed was one where women were relegated to a subordinate role, as THIS IS A FEMALE CANNABIS FLOWER. UH... JUST SAYIN'!

I've seen this trend at work before.

During my years living and working in the Netherlands, I noticed a low level of sexism within the coffeeshop industry, which at the time seemed surprising to me. I mean, in the shady drug-dealing world that the Cannabis industry becomes where it is criminalized, perhaps it's to be expected that things will be a little male-dominated – most organized crime is. But in my naivete I thought that certain original hippie values had somehow survived intact in Europe and the industry there would be free and egalitarian, and without misogyny. Maybe it's because the industry isn't fully legal, and the wholesale BIO-HEALTH WELLNESS CENTER, LOCATED IN side of things is still a murky business, DENVER, CO, IS ONE OF A SMALL NUMBER OF but a sense of male superiority certainly RESPECTED FEMALE-RUN DISPENSARIES IN THE US seems to pervade the scene.

IN DUTCH COFFEESHOPS WOMEN TRADITIONALLY SERVE THE DRINKS AND DON'T TOUCH THE WEED

reputation for selecting girls on the basis of looks and age, in the assumption that it will boost their sales and keep male customers coming back.

I can furthermore testify as to the disparate rates of pay given to the respective roles – in some coffeeshops, dealers earn upwards of 150% of a bar girl's wage. Whereas here tips may be expected to cover that shortfall, the European attitude regarding tipping can often mean a bar girl takes a far smaller paycheck home for working just as hard, for just as many hours. I cannot see a basis for this. I am therefore heartened to see that there is a growing disapproval of the trend for pitching products at American marijuana conventions with the help of half-naked girls. Not due to prudishness – I just don't see why anybody's intelligence should be insulted that way, and when it's my intelligence they're attempting to insult, I feel the need to say something.

It seems to me that there is still a lot of work to do before misogyny in pot culture is dead. Obviously it's still alive and kicking in most every walk of life, but I feel that we have a head start in a culture that is traditionally enlightened and progressive, and we should fight to press home the advantage. I'm not naive enough to think that removing sexism from the Cannabis press will remove it from the industry, but as long as the magazines that serve the sector encourage objectification of women, they are definitely not helping to change prevalent attitudes. If, as many studies will testify, people are influenced in their behavior by the press, then trashy centerfolds are a force for the negative.

However, we also have a responsibility – as weed loving women – to become more active within the industry itself (beyond trimming weed and making space cakes). As long as we remain a tiny minority we can expect discrimination, so we must be fully prepared to overcome it and become an equal force.

41

MUSIC REVIEWS THE ATTITUDE SEED BANK:

Complete your Cannabis Collection With Cannabis laws loosening in several dozen states across the US, many more people are becoming exposed to the industry. New growers and smokers are popping up all the time, and we thought you The Sativa Diva might want to know where it all started.

In the charter issue of Soft Secrets USA, we introduced you to Keith, owner of The Attitude Seed Bank, responsible for distributing the largest and most comprehensive list of quality Cannabis genetics – from over 80 international companies. With more than 2,500 strain names and flavor/effect descriptions to wade through, we thought we'd provide a simple background for the origins of these genetics. Since Cannabis has been around much longer than we have, the industry is constantly reviving and changing thanks to hundreds of breeders around the world, supplemented by private collectors – who are quickly becoming an important resource.

genetics from dozens of different countries and seed labels. Keith points out that with so many good growers out there and so many quality types of cannabis, it's easier to just offer customers as many choices as possible, rather than just offering one label, or only Cannabis Cup winners. With so much over-hybridization bubbling up beneath the surface of the industry, growers of all levels of experience need to have a reputable source upon which they can rely to stock almost all of the old classics. It's becoming a necessity for people to keep collections of old genetics (in the refrigerator, of course) in preparation for a particular strain's eventual demise.

The Attitude, on a minor scale, is reminiscent of the Doomsday Vault, comprising a massive collection of varying Cannabis

Unlike today, when Cannabis flourishes around the world in a variety of climates, thousands of years ago, the hardy plant

was much more sparsely-located. While its origins have been (arguably) attributed to Kazakhstan – whom we have to thank for cultivated apples – one family of Cannabis is much older than the ruderalis (a.k.a. Russian hemp) native to Eastern Europe. The indica family – those short, stocky dark green plants with large leaves and a relaxing effect – is indigenous to Central Asia, with the Hindu Kush mountainous region holding a special significance in the ganja world.

were selected by local people for various reasons, in some cases, over periods of thousands of years.

Keith reminds us of the dominance of the Dutch industry over the years, providing the original genetics to many other seed companies around the world. He also recalls famous breeders from the early days, such as Sam the Skunkman or Shanti Baba, with great reverence. They were at the fore-front of the Cannabis

THE ATTITUDE, ON A MINOR SCALE, IS REMINISCENT OF THE DOOMSDAY VAULT, COMPRISING A MASSIVE COLLECTION OF VARYING CANNABIS GENETICS FROM DOZENS OF DIFFERENT COUNTRIES AND SEED LABELS. Sometimes referred to as 'the grandmother of all Cannabis,' the Hindu Kush was one of the first few varieties to cross the barrier from landrace to cultivar to commercial hybrid. A cultivar is a plant strain that originated as a landrace variety (pure strains indigenous to one particular region) and

hybrid awakening, where tokers switched from tossing some bag seed into their back yards to seeking out and purchasing quality genetics, becoming some of the great growers of today. These days, it's not even uncommon for, say, a Spanish seed bank to exchange seeds or clones with a company from California, whose strains may have originally come from Canada.

However, this practice was not commonplace as of a few decades ago.

In 1979 Sacred Seeds was established in California and the Lowland Seed Co. was founded in the Netherlands. Officially, despite thousands of years of the plant's existence on the planet, these were the first two Cannabis seed companies. In 1980, Sacred Seeds released the Skunk No. 1, Afghani No. 1, Hindu Kush and Original Haze; these genetics are still available today under the Flying Dutchmen label (Skunk #1, Afghanica, Pot of Gold, Original Haze). If you research the origins of the first Cannabis cultivars, 'it' all started with these four. Others were now able to grow out and select these pure, reliable strains, leading to an explosion of new 'breeders' on the Dutch scene.

1984 brought about some competition in the form of the Sinsemilla Seed Co., responsible for the introduction of Hashplant No. 1, (Hungarian) Ruderalis and Jamaican cultivars. By 1985 they were joined by the label Cultivator's Choice, who brought out the California Orange, Early Girl and South African (a.k.a. Durban Poison); while the new Super Sativa Seed Club released their Chitral Indica. At about this time the folks at Seed Bank graced the industry with Northern Lights.

Another famous name from this time is Positronics, who in 1986 released their Skunk USA, which was joined by another legend, the William's Wonder, under the auspices of the Super Sativa Seed Club.

The Seed Bank's Early Pearl also arrived.

Positronics jumped into the game again

42 in 1987 with Hollandsch Hope (a.k.a.

Holland's Hope) while Dutch Passion was being established, celebrating with the release of the Amstel Gold, Purple Star, Purple Wonder and Four-Way. This amazing decade in Cannabis history was rounded out in 1988 by the Shiva and G-13 and in 1999 with the Hindu Kush and Hawaiian Indica, all under the Seed Bank label.

The early 90's saw a shift from Seed Bank to Sensi Seeds, then to the Sensi Seed Bank label, credited with the new Shiva Shanti hybrids. At this point it seems as if the industry, with regards to both established seed companies and fledgling new brands, took some time off to work on their hybrids. With a whole slew of cultivar strains from around the world as raw material, some of the loveliest and strongest hybrids were created at this time. These days, it's very difficult to find new strains as stable and hardy as these founding mothers, as few people have the time, amount of space and dedication necessary to properly select parents for new varieties. All this experimenting, however, did not diminish the needs for new cultivars, and so in 1998 Dutch Passion thrilled the industry with the release of Blueberry and Flo. In the following few years, Sensi Seed Bank rounded out the surge of new cultivars with the release of their Maple Leaf Indica.

So there's your tiny history of where it all started. These varieties and seed labels are important, not because people need to get high, but due to the persecution of Cannabis around the world, we as a community are losing (forever) some of our most beautiful hybrids. http://www.cannabis-seeds-bank.co.uk/

44

MUSIC REVIEWS

By Kaz Peet Nosolo ‘Aerosol Prankster’

AUDIOKIN.COM Arising from the San Francisco Bay area – that infamous hotbed of creativity from freaks of all fashion, flavor and form – five-piece outfit Nosolo release this free-to-all downloadable five-track EP. Working together for the past ten years, the band exist to play and record live music, always delivering a highly contagious, body rocking sonic experience that is embraced by both clubs and festivals alike. A unique sound has been developed, forged from their combined experience and influences, based on the live and electronic music scenes of Johannesburg, London, New York and the San Francisco Bay Area.

ALTHOUGH REMINISCENT OF 1990’S TRIP-HOP, THE ALCHEMICAL MELDING OF DRUMS AND BASS WITH INTENSE PSYCHEDELIC GUITAR, ALONGSIDE SHARP-AS-A-BLADE SKILLS AT THE WHEELS OF STEEL AND A CONSCIOUSLY INTELLIGENT, FUNKY LYRICAL FLOW, MOVE THINGS INTO A DIFFERENT DIMENSION. This international ensemble not only draws together their individual cultures but also deftly crisscrosses through the borders of musical genre, stepping into styles from disco to dub and heavy metal, to a well seasoned crock of dance music expressions and strange electronica. Most definitely experimental, yet unpretentious; this highly listenable and deeply danceable mash-up, self-produced and mixed by Jonah Sharp of the sumptuously lovely acid and ambient Space Time label, will place your inner stylus on a groove strictly bound for the far reaches of the cosmos. Rewind selector!

Download at http://nosolo.bandcamp.com/

Africa Hi-Tech ’93 Million Miles’ WARP RECORDS Africa Hi-Tech, the powerhouse production combination of Mark Pritchard and Steve Spacek, are set to release their debut album this May. Released by Warp following the two digi-dancehall releases ‘Blen’ and the ‘HiTecherous EP’, the 11-track album sees the two producers develop their “love for all things progressive within music, whilst acknowledging that the roots of much of today’s popular music can be traced directly back to Africa.”

Having started working on the project when they found themselves, by coincidence, living in Australia, the album takes in the wealth of experience both artists have (Pritchard as part of Global Communications/Harmonic 313; Spacek as a notable contributor to Dilla’s work and the Spacek outfit), which sees them explore Detroit techno, classic soul and Jamaican dancehall as expertly captured on the excellent lead single ‘Out In the Streets’. ’93 MILLION MILES’ IS AN UNFLINCHINGLY AMBITIOUS PRODUCT OF INTERNATIONAL GLOBETROTTING THAT CARVES A NEW FAULT LINE INTO THE RAPIDLY EXPANDING TERRAIN OF BASS DRIVEN MUSIC.

Compilation ‘Generation Bass Presents: Transnational Dubstep’ SIX DEGREES RECORDS ‘Transnational Dubstep’ is the first major compilation to document the fusion of dubstep and global roots music. Conceptualized and compiled by co-owner/editor and the driving force behind the Generation Bass blog, DJ Umb in cooperation with Six Degrees Records, the album pulls together some of the most exciting new producers in electronic music, who are incorporating sounds from around the planet with the bass bin shaking thump of dubstep.

BY UTILIZING INFLUENCES FROM CUMBIA TO BALKAN; CHINESE TO INDIAN; MIDDLE EASTERN TO JAPANESE, THE SONGS ON THIS UNIQUE COLLECTION REPRESENT THE CUTTING EDGE VANGUARD OF A WHOLE NEW ELECTRONIC SUB-GENRE THAT IS READY TO CAPTURE THE EARS AND IMAGINATIONS OF LISTENERS WORLD-WIDE. This 15 track hand picked compilation features established producers like the Midval Punditz and the Bandish Project, while introducing breaking talent from the bass music community: including Engine Earz, Alexis K, Jajuoka Soundsystem, Knowa Knowone, Shem and many more to a wider audience.

‘Transnational Dubstep’ is the flashpoint where the ever-evolving bass music genre collides with the global music continuum.

Etana ‘Free Expressions’

VP RECORDS Reggae singer/songwriter sensation Etana returns with her highly anticipated sophomore album ‘Free Expressions’, a release that truly establishes her as an artist of great might. Etana deems this second album ‘Free Expressions’ because she adamantly refuses to be constrained by approach or lyrical content. Her beautifully sweet, yet powerful voice easily adapts itself across a gamut of reggae styles including lovers, roots rockin’, one drop and dancehall; not stopping there, this songbird flutters elegantly and ably into soulful R&B and hip-hop.

Penning 12 of the 14 tracks herself, Etana has already had three hit singles from the album so far- ‘Free’, ‘Happy Heart’ and ‘August Town’. Socially conscious undertones can be found in tracks such as the brilliant ‘Mocking Bird’, ‘Retribution’ and of course the popular ‘August Town’. In the songs ‘Day by Day’, ‘Moving On’, ‘People Talk’, ‘Free’ and ‘Dance’ Etana croons uplifting messages of positivity.

What’s a reggae album without a little love? Etana sings about the subject in the tracks ‘Happy Heart’, ‘I Know You Love Me’ and ‘My Name Is’.

ETANA’S REGAL COUNTENANCE, UNCOMPROMISING MESSAGES OF SELF-EMPOWERMENT AND THE LYRICAL DEPTH OF HER SONGS ARE PROVING TO BE A CHALLENGE TO THE DOMINANT PERCEPTION OF FEMALE ARTISTS’ IMAGES AND IDENTITIES. ENGENDERING REVOLUTIONARY CHANGES IN JAMAICAN POPULAR MUSIC, ETANA IS THE JILL SCOTT OF THE REGGAE WORLD.

Beats Antique ‘Blind Threshold’ ANTIQUE RECORDS Growing like wildfire under the canopy of live electonica and world roots music comes a masterful merge of modern technology, live instrumentation and seductive performance, built of brass bands and glitch, string quartets and dubstep: the musical trio Beats Antique.

Since the group’s inception from the eclectic underground of San Francisco’s performance art scene, Beats Antique has been notorious for making it nearly impossible to sit still. They meld their mediums as attentively as they fuse the cultures that inspire their sound.

ALL SELF-PRODUCED AND COMPOSED, THE TRIO CREATES A UNIQUE COLLAGE: AN ANIMALISTIC, RAW MUSICAL EVENT THAT BLURS THE LINES BETWEEN THE PROVOCATIVE, THE SPIRITUAL, AND THE ARTISTIC; WHILE STILL MAINTAINING AN ALLEGIANCE TO THE MUSES OF CLASS AND BEAUTY. With this, their third album, Beats Antique is best imagined as an innovative creature built from the cumulative heritage of the world’s music chasing its tail. However vivid that image, when a marching band groove crashes into bluesy folk chords, only to be accompanied by electronic beats and Middle Eastern melodies, you’ll still be surprised.

45

BOOK REVIEW

Grubbycup's Simple Hydroponics Potential hydroponic gardeners can easily become overwhelmed by the complex processes involved with soilless cultivation. Understanding the basics prior to venturing into advanced gardening manuals can help prevent frustration and confusion.

An informed gardener is more likely to succeed, and a successful gardener is more likely to continue to garden.

Written by international gardening author Grubbycup Stash, Grubbycup's Simple

Hydroponics is a starter primer on hydroponic growing. The booklet is motivating and interesting, filled with informative pictures and easy to read text.

Written in conversational English, Grubbycup breaks down hydroponic concepts, and simplifies the technical information. This book quickly delivers information to the reader without talking down to them. Forty beautiful color pages illustrate concepts including artificial lighting, media choices and basic nutrition.

Grubbycup is obviously passionate about gardening, and helping gardeners improve. This booklet is informative enough to understand the differences between the most common types of hydroponic methods without being overwhelming.

The booklet also touches on environments, lighting, growing media, humidity and temperature; it is a book even the most beginning gardener can follow.

Grubbycup's Simple Hydroponics also outlines more advanced hydro systems; however, the main thrust is for the beginner – the person a little hesitant to take that leap of faith and try hydroponic gardening.

Mike Yocina - Owner, Nickel City Wholesale Garden Supply

Grubbycup’s Simple Hydroponics is available at hydroponic stores and online sites.

Photo: Debi Davis

46

WE WANT YOU / INDEX OF ADS / COLOFON Index of ads Name Advanced Seeds

Cream Caramel, Sweet Seeds

SOFT SECRETS USA IS LOOKING FOR WRITERS

We want you!

Do you have what it takes to become a regular Soft Secrets USA contributor? Do you have a fluent pen and green fingers?

Then don’t hesitate to apply as a freelance writer with us! We’re looking for freelance journalists and writers who can contribute on a regular basis. Experience is not a must, but a pro.

Please send your resumé with an example of your writing skills to kristie@softsecrets.nl, attn. of Kristie and we’ll get in touch.

Colophon Page 1

All American Healing Group

43

Apothecary 420

16

Attitude the

2

Attitude the

4

Soft Secrets USA is published by Discover Publishers USA, Inc Century Park Plaza 1801 Century Park East, 24th floor / Suite 2400 Los Angeles, CA 90067 E-mail: usa@softsecrets.nl Editor in chief: Kristie Szalanski Contributors: Grubbycup, Buddy Kush, Kali Mist, Robert Michael, The Sativa Diva, Lazystrain, O’Riodon, F.Red, Kaz Peet, et al.

Best Price Evaluations

23

BudGenius

11

Devil’s Harvest Seed Company the

28

Translations: Jules Marshall, TranSarah Traduzioni, Italy

Dinafem Seeds

35

Comic: O’Riodon

Green Door the

48

Hemcy

43

Editorial adress: E-mail: kristie@softsecrets.nl

Paradise Seeds

1

Royal Queen Seeds

47

Sensible Seeds

43

Sweet Seeds

1

Sweet Seeds

40

Advertisements: Jessica Telephone: +1-661-333 3151 E-mail: jessica@softsecrets.nl Distribution by: P.A.I.N. Distribution Carlos Garcia Circulation Manager www.magazinedistribution.org Telephone: +1-310-488-1911 A word from the publisher: To the chagrin of the US Federal Government, almost half of the states have embarked on a process of relative liberalization towards the use of Cannabis, and Cannabis activists are engaged in broadening this progression. Some townships, mayors and police chiefs – on a local level – now actively support a ‘compassion club’ distribution system as a way of separating recreational stoners from the people who legitimately need therapeutic help, simultaneously decreasing the number of unnecessary arrests.

Whether they are finding their way to the local medical distribution point or growing for personal stash, Cannabis users are a menace to no one and are causing no discernible social problem. Some politicians, and even more non-users than ever, are calling for the outright legalization of marijuana. Taxpayers are frustrated with funding the incarceration of first-time, non-violent drug offenders (read: pot smokers) as well as the social toll that high numbers of imprisonment brings to some towns and neighborhoods. Now we must be patient and see how the debate develops during a period of relative peace between both sides.

In the meantime, the publisher hopes Soft Secrets will expose the positive aspects of the normalization of Cannabis use to the public, and is excited to offer a forum to both proand anti-legalization advocates. Soft Secrets forums operate under the assumption that the publisher does not necessarily agree with the views and opinions expressed in articles and advertisements therein. The publisher therefore distances himself explicitly from statements or images that might give the impression that an endorsement is being made for the illicit use or production of Cannabis. Soft Secrets does not advocate breaking any laws, whether local-, state-, Federal or international.

Nothing from this publication may be copied or reproduced in any format without prior permission from the publisher and other copyright holders. The publisher is not responsible for the content and/or point of view of advertisements. The editors take no responsibility for unsolicited submissions.

Black Jack, Sweet Seeds

Soft Secrets USA 3/11 out: June 21st, 2011