1201

ISSUE 1 2012

ESTABLISHED IN AMSTERDAM, 1985

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

Love is in the Air Or is it the fine mist of Sativex? The Cannabis-based plant part medicine has been tested, researched and approved for years in the UK, Canada, New Zealand and across Europe, but the British firm responsible (GW Pharmaceuticals) is now completing the required clinical trials and hope to attain FDA approval by the end of 2013. This oromucosal spray has been applied against the symptoms of MS, arthritis, AIDS and glaucoma, and several formulations are available (THC-dominant, CBD-dominant, and a 50/50 blend). The US format will likely be tested, at least at first, on cancer-related pain.

In This Issue: CANNABIS AND CARTELS With violence surging over the past few years, we explore the unfortunate relationship between pot and cartels ›› 5

Cold, Hard Stash

›› 7

BURIED TREASURE Learn just some of the reasons why hemp roots are the most under-appreciated part of the plant ›› 13

Grow Room Hazards

›› 22

SYNTHETIC POT What is actually in that stuff? Fake weed is detailed, separating myth from fact

›› 29

The implementation and acceptance of this wonder drug will represent a monumental victory for pro-pot activists, as it is actually made from real cannabinoids, taking into account their exponential effect when consumed in combination (similar to the delivery experienced when smoking, vaporising, or eating an actual strain) and ignoring the synthetic approach. To date, medical patients without access to actual Cannabis – obtained legally or otherwise – have been forced to find a doctor who is, firstly, willing to even have a conversation about the efficacy of medi-weed; and secondly, someone who will prescribe a legal, synthetic form of THC. The FDA has approved medicines based upon synthetic components of Cannabis since 1985; however, this will be the first drug to actually be produced from real plant parts, thereby containing real herbal cannabinoids. Not only that, but due to its unique spray-form delivery system, all negative consequences related to smoking are removed from the equation, as is the need to visit an illicit drug dealer with potentially questionable quality products.

Some patients even report purchasing low-quality medicine from dispensaries, especially if testing is not available in their area, or if the patient (or dispensary itself) is not well-versed in the subject. In addition, dosage is controlled in a way that is much more difficult regarding smoking, vaporising or ingesting Cannabis.

Synthetic cannabinoids act slightly differently in the body than their herbal counterparts; it is also noteworthy that many patients (especially Crohn’s and HIV sufferers) suggest that the side effects from these synthetic drugs actually make them feel worse. The advent of a prescribed, legal Cannabis-based drug in the US might even help to force the eventual de-classification of Cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule II. This means lower penalties and less jail time for medical users, plus far fewer broken families due to senseless Drug War restrictions.

We can also expect an influx of new medical research, as a public dispensing of

‘LIKE’ OUR NEW FACEBOOK PAGE

AND JOIN IN THE DISCUSSION facebook.com/softsecrets.usa Sativex on a national level might help to ease the stigma to which weed-based therapy is still subjected. The more ‘normal’ it becomes to see Canna-drugs on pharmacy shelves, the sooner we will be able to enjoy a free, healthy and legalized society.

Stay tuned to future issues of SSUSA for news on this breakthrough. In the meantime, we celebrate this month of love with a few holiday features on how to make those you care for, especially your plants, feel a little more special.

Oh, and here’s a not-so-fun fact: on January 23rd, 1912 the International Opium Convention was signed in the Hague, creating the first ever worldwide drug treaty.

Let’s make sure that we don’t have to fight another 100 years of the War on Drugs.

3

FROM THE EDITOR

Reviewers Wanted Are you an educated, articulate pot enthusiast with strong opinions and a personable nature? Do you live somewhere in California? Soft Secrets USA is looking for several new reviewers to report upon the dispensaries and test labs across this vast state. (Note: potential reviewers must already possess a registered medical card in order to gain access to these venues.)

Applicants are requested to state any degrees earned, plus the number of years of successful writing or editing experience completed, when contacting us for this position. Email your CV or résumé to kristie@softsecrets.nl under the subject heading ‘Reviewers Wanted’. Please attach or include a 500-word writing sample; the review format is recommended for the sample, but not required.

‘LIKE’ OUR NEW FACEBOOK PAGE

AND JOIN IN THE DISCUSSION facebook.com/softsecrets.usa

IN THIS ISSUE:

Auto-flowering Sativa/Indica 350 – 450 g./ m2 indoors Outdoors, 75 g./ plant Life cycle: Seed to harvest, approx. 60 days indoors; max. 70 days outdoors. Outdoors: Colder regions (Northern latitude): Start in May/ June; finish in July/ August. Warmer areas: multiple harvests possible. Tropical areas: year round Effect: Uplifting, euphoric high Aroma/ Taste: Fruity, floral THC: 15-18 % Paradise Seeds has selected the most resinous plant of their Automaria #1 to use as a father, crossing this with a very famous sativa variety to breed a new generation. What they found in those seeds was amazing, so they continued one step further and selected the quickest, most sativa up/high plants to cross with themselves. This resulted in a mostly sativa auto-flowering hybrid with some Indica traits to it.

Automaria II gets you high as a kite. The buds, rich with fragrances and dewy with resin, are responsible for a complete head-rush, with a nice harmonic body-relaxing effect.

She grows highly vigorously to support the weight of spiral shaped flowers. The calyx-to-leaf ratio is excellent for quick manicuring. Indoors she can grow from 28- to 39 inches tall, outside even bigger. Ideal for guerrilla growing, multiple harvests and indoor cultivation when limited space requires medium-sized plants.

These plants guarantee a fast potent yield and complete satisfaction for sativa lovers!

Photo by Paradise Seeds

AUTOMARIA II

Type: Yield:

Love is in the Air 1 Page 3 Girl: Automaria II 3 Reviewers Wanted 3 Cannabis and Cartels 5 Cold, Hard Stash 7 Knowledge is Power!

9 SHL Strain Lab Awards 10 SGL Strain Lab Awards 12 Buried Treasure 13 Cannabis Nutrition 16 Sweets for Your Ladies 19 A Test You Won’t Mind Taking 20 Grow Room Hazards 22 Winter Gardening 24 The Seasons of Cannabis 25 Dry Ice Bags 26 www.Cannabis.info 26 Hy’s Deli by oz.

26 Pot-tery 28 Synthetic Pot 29 Genetically Modified Weed 31 100 Years of International Drug War 33 Purple Haze 33 Growing in Laos Part II 34 Len Richmond 36 Once upon a Crime 37 St. Valentine’s Day 39 Flying High 40 Water, Water Everywhere 41 Pipe Classic Six 42 Stoned Selection 45 Music and Magic in Mali 46

FROM THE EDITOR STRAIN REPORT FROM THE EDITOR CULTIVATION ABROAD MADE IN HOLLAND WEED 101 NOR-CAL TEST LAB SO-CAL TEST LAB HEMP BOTANY SERIOUS GARDENING ORGANIC CULTIVATION LAB REVIEW GARDENING DISASTERS SERIOUS GARDENING LIGHT 101 PRODUCT FLASH WEBSITE REVIEW COMIC DIY CAUTIONARY TALES SCIENCE OF CANNABIS LEGISLATION ENDANGERED STRAINS CULTIVATION ABROAD INTERVIEW SMUGGLER’S TALES BUDS IN THE BEDROOM SMUGGLER’S TALES MIND, BODY, SPIRIT GLASS COMPETITION MUSIC REVIEWS MUSIC FESTIVAL

5

Cannabis and Cartels

Kali Mist

COCA’S LITTLE SISTER HAS GROWN UP A LOT We all associate cocaine with the Latin American narcotics trade. We have an idea of how many lives are lost or ruined, how many societies damaged by the industry. But while we are similarly aware of the fact that a huge percentage of the Cannabis consumed in the US comes from Latin America, few realize the true significance of this sector of the trade.

There is a common misconception that the Cannabis trade is less profitable than that of cocaine; while this may be true in some cases, Cannabis is becoming so economically important that involvement in the trade is a game that few can afford not to play.

‘Marijuana is King’, according to many in the industry these days. Issues within the cocaine trade – namely an apparent decline in production and availability, and a slight worldwide drop in overall consumption – have led the guys at the top to redouble their focus on Cannabis, which suffers very little fluctuation in value through time, and is currently experiencing an increase in demand. Coca is a far harder plant to cultivate and process for sale than Cannabis: it requires very specific habitats to grow, and dangerous and costly procedures to turn it into cocaine.

As the wholesale cost of a shipment of cocaine is usually many times that of marijuana, it is more difficult for traffickers to attain the needed funds, and more damaging if shipments are lost.

The Mexican cartels (particularly the Sinaloa, Gulf and Juárez), responsible for the vast majority of narcotics entering the US, also have to buy cocaine from Colombia or another producer country; marijuana production is usually domestic, so it’s simpler to obtain. Lastly, the authorities in both the US and the various countries where cocaine is produced have made it their main priority, leaving marijuana growers slightly less exposed. It is believed that marijuana now accounts for up to 60% of the cartels’ profits – up to $9 billion per year.

A US CUSTOMS OFFICIAL DISPLAYS INTERCEPTED MARIJUANA BALES (© CBP)

Of both products, the overwhelming majority is brought through the southwestern US/Mexico border, and the trade is controlled by the same handful of powerful cartels. Some marijuana is also smuggled in from Canada; comparatively tiny amounts make it through from Southeast Asia; the occasional boat or plane may bring pot-carrying mules direct from other Latin American or Caribbean countries. Cocaine is also occasionally brought via mule direct from Bolivia, Colombia or Peru. However, a brief look at the trafficking figures at the southern border is all we need: between 2005 and 2009, seizures of cocaine dropped significantly, although with some fluctuation, from 22,653 kilos to 17,085. Marijuana seizures, on the other hand, went from 1.03 million kilograms in 2005 to 1.49 million in 2009, with a slight drop in 2008 the only anomaly (www. justice.gov).

Due to the massive growth in the domestic market in recent years, Latin American marijuana producers have seen their

traditional product becoming less desirable compared with the high-potency, expertly-grown indoor varieties that are now available. The drive to introduce new, higher-strength genetics to the gene pool has closed the gap slightly, and the average potency of imported pot has apparently increased – at least according to the University of Mississippi’s Potency Research Project (www.olemiss.edu), which holds that the overall increase in Cannabis potency is ‘mainly due to the increase in the potency of non-domestic versus domestic samples’.

Generally, the better the product, the more it will fetch on the open market; in the case of Latin American pot, the increasing quality has offset the downward price trend, generally keeping prices stable over time. In 1991, the cost of a pound of commercial Mexican or Colombian weed lay somewhere between $450 and $1600 (depending on quality and distance from the border); today, things haven’t changed much. However,

COCA IS DIFFICULT TO GROW, AND COSTLY

MILITARY PRESENCE, SUCH AS HERE IN

TO PROCESS (© H. ZELL)

MICHOACA, IS CONSTANT (© DIEGO FERNÁNDEZ)

if you take dollar inflation into account, its value in real terms has dropped somewhat, making it even more affordable for today’s (usually) higher salaries.

Domestically-produced indoor Cannabis has mostly increased in price – roughly proportional to the increase in quality – over the same period, especially recently in California due to the Federal crackdown on dispensaries, so the incentive to opt for the cheaper import has not disappeared.

At the other end of the supply chain, the Latin American marijuana farmer can expect to receive $15 to $20 for a couple of pounds, which again hasn’t varied much over the years – except occasionally in response to sudden changes in availability. Any decreases in price or purchasing power the growers may have felt over the recent years of high dollar inflation can often be offset by simply increasing production, and indeed cultivation in Mexico is at its highest point in two decades, having surged by around 59% between 2003 and 2010 (from 13,500 tons to 21,500). Moving the areas of production to more remote mountain areas has kept the growers difficult to find; eradication teams have largely been relocated to the front lines of the bloody war being fought in the cities on the Mexican side of the border, as well as to the cocaine- and methamphetamine labs. The number of plants destroyed in the last few years is down, and supply is abundant.

The Paraquat scandal of the late 1970s caused major damage to the Mexican marijuana trade. The US government was found to be spraying Mexican crops with this highly toxic chemical, which then made its way into the supply chain in the

6 form of contaminated pot, causing severe reactions in those unfortunate enough to unwittingly smoke it. Paraquat not only damages lung tissue, causing pulmonary embolism with chronic exposure, but also affects the kidneys, liver and esophagus.

After it was found in hundreds of samples of Mexican weed in the US, consumer confidence dropped sharply, and although US funding of Paraquat spraying was made illegal in 1979, by 1981 the Mexican share of the US market had dropped to just 4% – from around 90% prior to 1970.

It was in response to this dramatic drop in Mexican supply that the previously dormant Colombian machine sprang to life. By 1975 the Colombians had carved a secure foothold, having set up a now-infamous network of airstrips and boat routes to facilitate their ambitious multi-ton shipments; by the end of the decade they enjoyed up to around 70% of US market share. Of the 60,000 or so tons smuggled to the US at the peak of Colombian influence, around 90% was transported by sea, usually in vast freighters capable of carrying one hundred tons or more.

But their supremacy was not to go unchallenged for long: Mexican Cannabis production doubled between 1983 and 1984, representing 20% of the US market, while Colombia by then supplied 42% of American demand. Today, Mexico has regained its top spot as the USA’s biggest foreign marijuana supplier, and indeed is the world’s number one exporter, although Colombia and a few other

chical, almost military lines, with aggressive and heavy-handed tactics becoming commonplace – although nonetheless shocking, even for a country so accustomed to the brutal consequences of la Violencia. These new methods spread to nearby countries, and to the marijuana trade itself, which was ultimately controlled by the same organizations.

The early battles of the War on Drugs were already noticeably ineffectual on the US government’s part: perceived successes in some regions, such as the near-total eradication of the Mexican marijuana industry, were being eclipsed by massive failures.

The uncontrollable rise of the Colombian cartels – most notably the notorious Medellín and Cali clans – destroyed any notion that trafficking was being controlled. Furthermore, the Mexican cartels were not responding to pressure by permanently ceasing operations, they were lying low, licking their wounds and waiting until the eye atop the pyramid focused elsewhere; when their turn came once more they were prepared for war.

In Mexico, levels of violence steadily increased until 2006, when President Felipe Calderón declared all-out war on the cartels; since then the violence has exploded. In January 2012, the death toll in Mexico (since 2006) hit 45,000, with 2011 alone seeing over 15,000 of those casualties. It is impossible to differentiate between marijuana and cocaine when attempting to identify a ‘cause’ for these deaths, and it is impossible to ignore

Millions of livelihoods depend on the production and sale of both marijuana and cocaine, and until viable alternatives are provided, it is understandable that people at all levels of the business will risk their lives to get paid. An eat-or-be-eaten situation has been created, where countless people are finding that there is nothing left to lose. It is horrifying and tragic that journalists, bloggers, family members

By this time, the marijuana trade had begun to be overshadowed by the cocaine business. In Colombia particularly, the cartels organized along more hierar-

the guilt of the instigators of the War on Drugs, who have inflamed the situation to crisis point. The business is rotten to the core, and from any viewpoint, it is clear that strategies to curb the violence must be radically re-examined if any progress is to be made.

At this stage, a concerted effort to legalize and regulate the marijuana trade in both the US and Mexico, while simultane-

IT IS BELIEVED THAT MARIJUANA NOW ACCOUNTS FOR UP TO 60% OF THE CARTELS’ PROFITS of rivals, and other innocent victims are increasingly among the casualties, and it is the final confirmation that – at least in the border towns where the war is being played out – no part of society can escape.

The Mexican influence on the US market does not stop at the border, however. Not only do Mexican cartels operating within the US control much of the distribution, at least in the southern states, but there has also been an increase in domestic production by these same organizations, vying with the Southeast Asian gangs for control of the black market. Cultivation on American soil makes sense, as supply is closer to demand and border crossings are not an issue.

ously relaxing border controls, seems an increasingly necessary move. It is clear that efforts to halt immigration are not effective, and that the severe discrepancy

AN ALLEGEDLY MEXICAN-RUN PLANTATION IN THE CHEQUAMEGON-

There have been large-scale eradication programs in several southern states where outdoor growing is prolific, particularly Kentucky, Michigan, Tennessee

IN JANUARY 2012, THE DEATH TOLL IN MEXICO (SINCE 2006) HIT 45,000 nations (such as Jamaica and Paraguay) remain significant players.

eradication of ‘cultivated’ outdoor pot are generally increasing. There is also a rise in reports of commercial indoor grows run by Mexican gangs, as they begin to capitalize on the advantages of the indoor method.

and California, and there are many reports of National Parks and Native American Reservations being used for vast illicit grows. The DEA has been widely criticized after admissions that around 98% of eradicated Cannabis is ‘ditch-weed’; however, despite this the official figures on

IMMIGRATION OFFICIALS FOUND 32 TONS OF POT IN THIS SMUGGLING TUNNEL NEAR SAN DIEGO (© ICE)

NICOLET FOREST, WISCONSIN (© DNR) between the economic strength of these two countries drives movement of labor our way – and until steps are taken to change this reality, this trend will continue. Legalizing marijuana could at least ease the pressure of this volatile situation somewhat, and allow for normalization of prices and availability to some extent – although it is far from clear what the full consequences of such a move would be.

It is clear that current ‘Drug War’ policies are making a bad situation worse, to the extent that serious questions are being raised – especially since authorities on both sides of the border have been implicated in various human rights abuses.

Of course, the counterculture has long raised these questions; what is striking now is the official stance being adopted by organizations as influential as the WHO and the Global Commission on Drug Policy, that the “War on Drugs has failed, with devastating consequences”.

While legalization of cocaine and other hard drugs remains an issue too controversial for the media and policy-makers to address, the huge progress that has been made with the gradual reintroduction of Cannabis demonstrates its potential to alter society. We must now seek to establish reciprocal links between the major Cannabis-producing countries (much as oil-producing nations organize under the OPEC banner) so that fighting over control of markets can be reduced, supply lines can be stabilized and consolidated, and all participating nations can stop this appalling waste of lives and resources.

7

INDUSTRY INNOVATIONS

Cold, Hard Stash DRY ICE HASH PRODUCTION EXPLAINED Soak the trim. Add more ice. Check the temperature. Set the timer. Drain the bags. Get more ice. Repeat.

If this sounds familiar, you’ve likely made ice-o-lator (cold water extraction) hash before. Popularized by the eponymous Pollinator Company, Amsterdam, this method is incredibly rewarding – albeit time-consuming, complex and often back-breaking when processing large amounts. Luckily Mila, the Pollinator’s fearless leader, never stops brainstorming ways to ameliorate the method, constantly improving upon and updating products and approaches to the ancient art of hash production.

The new Dry Ice Bags blew away the crowd of spectators at the 2011 HT Cannabis Cup in Amsterdam, where visitors were treated

to a stunning display of hash craft. In what seemed like seconds a load of dry trim was transformed into a sparkling tabletop, piles of glittering crystals lining the surface of their performance space.

Available in two sizes (30 cm or 50 cm), the bags contain a 150 micron screen.

Dry clippings are mixed with dry ice in a bucket, onto which the bag is placed as a liner. Flipping the bucket upside-down releases the trim into the Dry Ice Bag, minimizing waste or spillage (this should be done over the surface on which you intend to collect the hash. The bag is then cinched closed – and the shaking begins.

One minute later, hash is made – that is, roughly one minute per grade.

A simple up-and-down motion produces instant results: you can actually see

Sativa Diva

the plumes of trichomes being ejected through the mesh screen. The first minute or so releases the highest quality hash; Mila’s personal tip is to start at one end and work the entire length of a long table, slowly advancing sideways as you shake.

This effectively separates the grades of hash from one end of the table to the other, and works particularly well if you are processing large quantities.

And that’s... pretty much it. That’s correct: in a day or two, you can feasibly produce several kilos of hash, although you do need to be able to source the required amount of clippings. No more freezing and storing bulky ‘evidence’ at home – your grow room waste can now be instantly processed into a profitable pile of hash (which also takes up less space).

Since the trim is dry from the start, and dry ice produces little condensation (remove trim from bag as soon as you’ve finished to prevent moisture build-up) there is no need to dry or further process the hash – apart from packaging or pressing, of course.

While this is an extremely simple method (notwithstanding your ability to locally source dry ice), one must practice some caution: since dry ice is just CO2, processing should only be done in a well-ventilated area. The ‘rock star fog’ that results from its evaporation will increase carbon dioxide levels in your home. In addition, protective clothing or gloves should be worn to prevent dry ice burns.

With regards to the quality of the hash, let’s just say that the main selling point focuses much more on quantity. You need to know your market: should you be producing small batches of connoisseurgrade ice hash, made from bio-organically grown and well-dried/cured trim or buds? Or are you a large-scale medical (or otherwise) grower with kilos of clippings crowding your drying space? Or even a small-scale producer who can’t be bothered with the usual ice hash process? If you’re either of the latter, the Dry Ice Bag is the perfect choice for you. Mila reports that, during last year’s Cup – and only 48 hours after purchasing a new Dry Ice Bag – a medical grower from the US returned to the shop and reported that he’d managed to produce a kilo-and-a-half of hash in that short time.

The new bags are available in two sizes, both with 150 micron screens. The smaller (30 cm) has a capacity of 200 grams and fits a five-gallon bucket; the larger (50 cm) holds up to 500 grams and fits a twenty-gallon bucket. Smaller runs require around two kilos of dry ice; with the larger bag, you should try between four- and five kilos.

The product is still too new to accurately report percentage of return, and some questions remain as to the efficacy when

used with some outdoor- or sativa-dominant strains, due to their potentially smaller trichomes. The 150 micron screen size likely will allow for some smaller crystals to escape, although the Cleaner Bag can adjust this somewhat and prevent loss. Certainly, reports are sure to start flowing in with regards to the best varieties to use in this new system. Personal experimentation, as always, is suggested.

Another, smaller bag is also available, completing this minimal set. The Cleaner Bag does exactly what is says: it cleans up the hash and tidies up the remnants of the process. Simply empty small amounts of your already-processed hash from the Dry Ice Bag into the Cleaner Bag, close, and shake again. You can consider this your ‘rinse’ cycle. For the first time ever with regards to dry-process systems, what remains inside the bag is what you want; the ejected powder-like substance is actually even more waste product, containing contaminants such as dirt and dust. This can be done inside a garbage bag so that clean-up is instant. Inside the Cleaner Bag remain the very last crystals from the process, ensuring minimal loss.

And hey, you don’t have to smoke it: your grow room waste can provide extra product for making green butter, etc. Gone are the days of double-processing soggy trim from ice hash into butter, hash oil, ‘budda’, or topicals.

So, whether you consider this a novelty or a revolution, there’s simply no doubt that the dry ice method is much faster, requires far less equipment, electricity and effort, and produces an incredibly high yield almost instantly – with very little clean-up – than most hash-making methods. Check out the Pollinator Crew’s video on Facebook, or visit Pollinator.nl for more information on ordering and using this ‘cool’ new product. » www.facebook.com/pollinatorcrew » www.pollinator.nl

9

WEED 101 STUDY IT BEFORE YOU SMOKE IT!

We all know that studying is one of the keys to one’s development and to a successful life. Transferring this from theory to practice, though, is a different picture altogether. In my case, I despised the education system of my country for a very long time, studying enough to pass the necessary examinations, but never really investing myself too far into the subjects. That was, until I discovered my passion for our favorite green plant.

The subsequent years spent studying its applications, history and meanings in different cultures around the world were quite a revelation. It was stunning to see how much information I could gobble up and retain. It even led me to invest myself into sharing and spreading as much information as possible about the subject. And that is when it hit me: education is the key to change.

validity is related to under-aged use of the substance potentially encouraging the appearance of psychotic disorders in children with a genetic predisposition. No offense, dear prohibitionists, but whereas all agree that under-aged drug use is destructive, stopping children from accessing drugs is a utopia. One needs only to point to the modern increase in drug use, despite the last century of ‘war’ against drugs, to demonstrate that the availability of drugs has never been higher.

When thinking about the present circumstances surrounding the social taboo that is Cannabis, the last century of misinformation on the subject is one that really jumps out. Not only the fact that racist slanders and absurd allegations have been stuck to the plant, but also the complacency with which the majority of people still believe it. Ask someone about Cannabis and chances are their answer will be, “I don’t smoke.” Mention any industrial use of the plant and their eyes usually widen in disbelief: the first step to breaking their preconceptions about the plant and the people who use it. But, as with the Cannabis plant, you can plant a seed in people’s minds, but it needs to germinate on its own.

Even when talking with Cannabis enthusiasts, you often discover that knowledge about the basics of Cannabis is proportionally quite low. Somehow, many people believe that the substance’s consumption innately imparts knowledge: “I know a lot about Cannabis, as I have been smoking for X-amount of time.”

You would be surprised how regularly people claim this. I was once even told by a gentleman that he knew “all there is to know about pot” because he had been smoking it for ten years. This still makes me chuckle today, given that even the most highly regarded Cannabis activists, scientists, growers, etc. readily admit that the learning process is a continuous one, and that they have a lot yet to learn – especially given the amount of research being done at the moment throughout the world, and the amazing facts that are being uncovered, such as the cancercuring properties of Cannabis!

The answer to the under-aged Cannabis use dilemma is a complex one, but it seems clear that (just as with sociallyaccepted drugs, such as alcohol and tobacco) prevention is key. This does not include the misinformation still being spread around; but rather accurate, unbiased, scientifically-based conclusions.

At this point, it is important to mention that this is in no way a critique of the groups that were mentioned.

In fact, it is important to rationalize and to keep in mind that the majority of people do not have easy access to the necessary information. Instead, they do the most natural of things: believe what they have been told, the statements embedded in their heads since childhood, backed by several generations’ worth of misinformation. Withholding truthful information to this extent is clearly and undoubtedly counterproductive on every level.

When you think about it, the objectives mentioned by governments worldwide regarding drug policy are simple: reducing crime and reducing substance abuse (and thereby its impact on public health).

These are objectives that everyone can embrace. The problem lies within the fact that their (ineffective) methods of control

AN ABUNDANCE OF CANNABIS LITERATURE IS WAITING FOR YOU

have so far been expressed through repressive policies, and this even with regards to scientific research – until the later part of the 20th century, at least.

Surprise, surprise: Cannabis consumption has not dropped, but rather increased, and the taboo surrounding it has steadily been reinforced, meaning that people are using it without understanding how it works. And therein lies the problem: how can anyone be expected to safely use a substance, while being prevented from accessing any truthful information about it?

An illustration of this was to be seen in the recent claims that were published about the link between Cannabis use and psychotic disorders. In this case, what has been agreed upon is that there is no conclusive evidence linking adult Cannabis use and the development of psychotic disorders. The only link presenting any

Needless to say, this will not prevent children from using the substance – but it might give them the information they need to make an educated decision. In the specific case of psychotic disorders, it is interesting to see that one rarely reads about the anxiolitic and anti-psychotic effects of cannabidiol (CBD), a cannabinoid usually found in indica-dominant strains. Clearly, understanding the genetic diversity of the Cannabis plant, its medical benefits and the consequences of the different strains on the human body, as with any medicine, is crucial.

On a more day-to-day basis, the stereotypes surrounding Cannabis use are well known. Getting your facts straight and understanding the simple basics about Cannabis make the difference between reinforcing these stereotypes and dispelling them. And whereas Cannabis use can provide the user with new insight, truly learning about the plant necessitates a bit more action than simply rolling one up or filling a bowl.

The ability of today’s world to share information is higher than ever before, so by all means: be curious, get informed, stay critical and do your part to set things straight!

LEARN ABOUT IT, SO YOU

MANY PEOPLE ARE NOT AWARE OF THEIR

CAN FULLY ENJOY IT!

OPTIONS, INCLUDING VAPORIZING

10

NORCAL TEST LAB

SHL Strain Lab Awards Since the advent of laboratory quality control in the Cannabis movement, critics have highlighted the challenges of traditional chemistry practices when applied to the real life Cannabis market.

Sample cost, sample pick-up and turn around time have been specifically challenging obstacles to overcome. Steep Hill Lab’s QuantaCann project addresses these and other concerns instantly.

Cannabis business hubs, like San Francisco’s legendary Vapor Room Cooperative, can now have instant access to cannabinoid analysis – and much more. Along with moisture analysis the QuantaCann offers an instant comparative analysis for decarboxylated THC, as well as unheated acidic cannabinoids.

QuantaCann has a robust inventory and social networking component that pushes its user beyond the status quo.

The instrument is available to clients all over the world, and at our laboratory in Oakland, CA. Check out QuantaCann. com to learn more.

Photography: Copyright Vapor Room Cooperative

Strain

Smell

GC Δ9 THC

HPLC Δ9THC

HPLC THCA

MOISTURE

OG Kush

OG KUSH

17.6

1.7

23.4

9.5

LA Kush

EARTH KUSH

18.1

2.3

21.9

9.3

SUPER LEMON HAZE

LEMON LIGHT PEPPER

17.2

2.1

21.6

9.4

TRAINWRECK

LEMON PEPPER KEROSENE

16

1

20.9

10.5

CANDY JACK

PINE SWEET

16.7

1.4

21.5

10.3

DUTCH TREAT

PINE PEPPER GRASS

20.7

2.9

24.6

9.6

Super Lemon Haze

Candy Jack

LA Kush

Dutch Treat Trainwreck OG Kush

12

SOCAL TEST LAB

SGL Strain Lab Awards BEST PURPLE

BEST ORANGE

NHAPA - MENDO PURPS

VBCC - ORANGE KUSH

You will be as high as the purple mountain’s majesty after taking a few hits of this beautiful, leafy monster from NHAPA. With fuzzy green leaves, purple flowers infused and a touch of hairiness, this bud is almost too perfect to smoke. It provides a great all-around high, but still allows you to function – if you want to.

Is it any surprise that the best orange comes to us from the gorgeous, sunny Venice Beach Care Center? VBCC’s Orange Kush could rival any of the sunsets seen down the street from this very collective. Clusters of leafy, hairy goodness with keep you up with the sunrise, or coming down with the sunset, depending on your mood.

CBD

NEW AGE - JACK FROST

Anyone with bad anxiety should start warming up to New Age’s Jack Frost. High CBD is great for anyone who needs to chill out without falling asleep at their desk.

Crystallized leaves with a touch of hair round out this amazing bud. It is being learned very quickly that high CBD provides the best therapeutic effects.

BEST FROST

WHITTIER - ROYAL BUBBA

Winter may be coming to an end, but not for Royal Bubba from Whittier-Hope Collective. The amount of frost on this bud would confuse anyone back into hibernation. Be ready to tuck yourself into bed with a cup of hot cocoa after medicating with this one! All those crystals might make things a little too hazy, otherwise.allaround high, but still allows you to function – if you want to.

THC

WONDERLAND - U2 OG

It is no wonder that this year’s highest THC award goes to Wonderland’s fantastic musical of a bud, after scoring an impressive 25.30% on the THC scale. U2 OG is the sure-fire way to rock you out of this world. Take it slow with this one, guys. You’ll be sure to top the charts after every jam session with this bud.

13

HEMP BOTANY

THE STRONG, THICK ROOTS OF THE CANNABIS PLANT (© LASTRESCALAVERAS)

Buried Treasure: Hemp Roots Kali Mist

Given our exhaustive use of the hemp and Cannabis plant – making use of the fiber, leaves, flowers, seeds and resin – it seems strange that there should be any element that has thus far escaped the notice of the modern herbalist. Perhaps because it usually spends its days hidden beneath the soil, the humble root is vastly under-explored, compared to the other components of the plant. However, looking at pre-prohibition medical- and veterinary literature, it is apparent that our ancestors (as with so many lost secrets and traditions) knew very well about its specific healing properties.

The first mention of hemp root as medicine can be found in the ancient Chinese pharmacopeia, the Shen Nung Pên-ts’ao Ching, as early as the third millennium BCE. It is stated that the juice of the root has diuretic properties, as well as being useful in assisting the cessation of hemorrhage after childbirth. Beyond its use in medicine, various Chinese texts attest to the importance of hemp root in ‘gunpowder’ preparations – it is roasted and powdered, before being mixed with bamboo root, pine pitch and various other substances, and ignited. There are several variations on the basic recipe, which result

in incendiary powders, balls for catapults (which would ignite upon impact), smokepowders and hand-grenades.

Elsewhere, it is stated that a paste made from the roots was used to relieve the pain of broken bones and surgical procedures. The Roman historian Pliny wrote in his Natural Histories, published circa 77-79 CE, that hemp root boiled in water could be used to relieve stiffness in the joints, gout and related conditions. He also noted that the root could be placed raw on burn wounds, but needed to be changed frequently to prevent drying out. Later, between the 4th and 5th centuries (CE), the Gaulish chronicler Marcellus Empiricus recorded in his opus De Medicamentis that the root was wrapped around the right arm, ostensibly as a treatment for worms.

Azerbaijani manuscripts written between the 9th and the 18th centuries (CE) also attest to widespread usage of hemp root decoctions (boiled extracts) and bandages for their antiseptic and antipyretic (fever-reducing) properties, particularly in the treatment of abscesses, ulcers

made from the water-soaked roots were effective against gout and arthritis, as well as ulcers of the soft tissues. In 1564, Tabernaemontanus, another Italian herbalist, made similar notes.

A little more recently, early European settlers of the American continent brought many plants across the oceans with them, some of which were incorporated into the pharmacopeia of the indigenous peoples. Hemp became particularly important, and the root was apparently used to treat inflammation, joint pain, gout and muscular atrophy. By the later part of the 17th century, various herbals were recommending it, for the above purposes as well as to treat incontinence and venereal disease. A 1985 book by Nancy Locke Doane, which claims to be compiled from the records of her settler grandmother Minnie Susan Decker, goes into the herbal hemp remedies used during this time in some detail.

In Europe, Culpeper’s Complete Herbal of 1653 described hemp root as being ‘a good remedy for a dry cough’, and also reported it to be effective against jaun-

Dispensatory recommended boiled hemp root for inflammation of the skin, a treatment long used by the people of eastern Europe. The ointment could also be used to reduce the size of tumors and break down deposits in the joints (such as those caused by gout).

In the mid-19th century, a German text written by a woman named Rath Schlosser mentioned a complicated recipe in which the ashes of burnt hemp root are made into lye (sodium hydroxide, also known as caustic soda), then used to wash the hair and head – which is first covered with honey, presumably to guard against skin irritation or indeed corrosion. This treatment was believed to cause hair to regenerate – it is not clear if there is any basis for this, but their perceived effectiveness was certainly great enough that they were recorded for future generations.

Perhaps their effects were coincidental, or placebo, but research may well also find that there is some truth in the folklore.

Certainly traditional hemp root remedies have persisted in many countries – for example Argentina, where a 1960 study

PERHAPS BECAUSE IT USUALLY SPENDS ITS DAYS HIDDEN BENEATH THE SOIL, THE HUMBLE ROOT IS VASTLY UNDER-EXPLORED and toothaches. Many herbals from the medieval and Early Modern periods have survived to the present, and references to hemp abound. Mentions of the root itself are few, but there are occasional notes. The Italian herbalist, Andreas Matthioli, wrote in the Old German Neuw Krëuterbuch (ca. 1550) that poultices

dice, colic, heavy bleeding, wasting of the tendons and various other complaints.

He also mentions use of the fresh rootjuice to treat burns. In 1696, a German physician in the employ of the Dutch Crown, Georg Eberhard Rumpf, reported on the use of hemp root against gonorrhea in Indonesia. The 1764 New English

reported that the root-bark is collected in spring and boiled to make a tonic that eases dysentery and other gastrointestinal complaints.

In much of the world, the main methods of preparation have been remarkably consistent through time, as have the various

14

THE RAW OR SOAKED ROOT CAN BE SHREDDED A FRESHLY-PULLED HEMP ROOT (© EZRA SOIFERMAN)

complaints it is credited with helping. The root is either applied raw, dried, boiled, soaked, roasted or occasionally reduced to ash. If boiled for a short time it can be drunk as a tea; if boiled for a longer time it reduces to a thick, dark extract resembling pitch or heavy oil. If it is dried – or roasted – and ground it forms a powder that can be rendered into salves or poultices; soaking it (usually after deconstructing it into its long component fibers) can produce a soothing, moist bandage for inflamed, burned or irritated skin.

A handful of studies look at the composition of hemp root and its medical potential. A 1971 study found that the roots contain terpenes – the fragrant resins for which Cannabis is widely known; these are the main constituents of the essential oils of many plants. Some terpenes (linked isoprene [C5H8] units), are thought to have a humectant, expectorant effect, which may benefit those suffering from

cell membranes; and atropine – a powerful alkaloid, usually extracted from the belladonna (deadly nightshade) plant, which when used as eye-drops famously dilates the pupil. When ingested as a supplement, atropine can reduce bronchial secretions, and relaxes the muscles and glands of the parasympathetic nervous system, which controls the function of most of the internal organs. It is thought to be helpful for correct function of the digestive system and kidneys, as well as sexual arousal. Hemp root has also been found to contain other alkaloid groups known as phenolic amides and lignanamides, believed to have anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects.

There is some suggestion that two alkaloids present in hemp root, Cannabisativine and isoCannabisativine, adversely affect the central nervous system and are hepatotoxic (toxic to the liver). However, some research points

AND USED AS A POULTICE (© SMOOBS)

solvents to extract the active ingredients, found the resulting substance to be a mixture of lipids and sugars, with some other compounds mixed in. Although they acknowledge that the procedure led to various constituents being destroyed, they did discover the presence of a glycoside, a type of organic molecule that can helped to eliminate poisons from the body by binding with them chemically and rendering them inactive. The original hypothesis was that acetylcholine esterase inhibitors, which are often alkaloid, would be found in hemp root – THC itself is considered to be an important inhibitor in its own right, and the researchers believed that other similar compounds could be identified. While results were inconclusive, there is potential for future studies to be undertaken, shedding further light on the issue.

Currently, there are few hemp root products on the market. One exception

THE BOILED EXTRACT SHOULD LOOK SOMETHING LIKE THIS (© CRABCHICK)

bronchial illnesses. Friedelin is one terpene that has been definitely identified in hemp root, and has been independently found to be anti-inflammatory, antipyretic and analgesic in effect; epifriedelinol is another, present in many medicinal herbs – although its exact effect is unknown.

Other research has shown that the roots contain significant concentrations of alkaloids, including piperidine and pyrrolidine, which are highly important in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals; choline, a dietary amine that is essential for the integrity of

HEMP-EAZE™, AN ORGANIC HEMP ROOT SKINCARE RANGE

to the existence of spermidine in these alkaloids, which has anti-aging cellular properties and may also benefit those suffering from Type II diabetes. Research into this has been limited, and it is unclear if there is an entirely safe method of ingesting hemp root extracts. The pure, boiled extract should not be taken internally, although a tea boiled for less time, as previously stated, may have beneficial effects.

A 2008 study performed at Leiden University in the Netherlands, which processed hemp root with various different

is Hemp-Eaze™, developed by Darcy Stoddard of the Tierra Sol Farm, a small initiative based in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Hemp-Eaze™ is a range of organic creams, lotions and balms that are reported to reduce the symptoms of various conditions including eczema, psoriasis, fibromyalgia and arthritis. As well as those products designed for topical application a bath soak is also available, helpful for general aches and pains, and very soothing. There is also a spray for pets, which eases aches and pains, irritated skin and even conjuncti-

vitis. The main ingredient in the HempEaze™ range is hemp root, but there are many other natural ingredients such as feverfew, hyssop and comfrey root.

For those who wish to experiment with making their own hemp root extract, there are recipes available online, or in some of the herbals mentioned previously. One recent source describes breaking up the root-mass into small chunks, then placing it into a slow cooker with water and oil in a 3:1 ratio (e.g. six cups water, two cups oil – an effective way to dissolve the active ingredients in the oil without ‘frying’ them), and leaving it to simmer for 12-14 hours, making sure to add water if it begins to dry out. The mixture is then strained and frozen; the oil is poured off the ice it rests upon and heated gently with beeswax until the desired room-temperature consistency is achieved. It is also possible to experiment with various other ingredients, both during the initial boiling process – where leaves and barks such as sage or cinnamon could be added – and during the final mixing stages, where it would be more advisable to use extracts and essential oils. This recipe is said to be highly effective at relieving muscle and joint pain, stiffness and spasticity when applied topically.

For now, hemp root products are thin on the ground, but as research into the Cannabis plant continues apace, there will no doubt be others joining Hemp-Eaze™ in their efforts to bring this intriguing root the recognition it deserves. There is definite consistency in the accounts of hemp root’s importance in herbalism, throughout history and in every corner of the globe. Initial research has strongly suggested that a powerful medicine lurks below the soil that nourishes this beautiful plant, and we would be short-sighted to ignore its potential any longer. There is a use for every other part of the Cannabis plant, and those uses have been exploited increasingly intensively in recent years.

Our knowledge of the medicinal properties of Cannabis is so great at this stage that it seems ludicrous that we have not explored the vast potential of the mysterious root a little more deeply.

16

ADVANCED INDOOR GROWING

Cannabis Nutrition: MACRO AND MICRONUTRIENTS

enough phosphorus pentoxide (P2O5) to equal 30% of the total weight.

The third number is potassium content by weight as if the potassium was expressed as potassium oxide (K2O). An NPK rating of 0-0-60 for potassium chloride denotes a potassium content equal to 60% potassium oxide.

NPK ratings are proportions, so a fertilizer with an NPK rating of 2-1-2 has the same relative proportion as a fertilizer made from the same ingredients at 4-2-4. The difference would only be in the percentage of fillers or in the concentration.

Phosphorus deficiencies usually manifest as a generalized under-performance of the plant. Leaves may develop a bluish tint.

Phosphorus assists in nitrogen uptake, so symptoms of phosphorus deficiency are often similar to a nitrogen deficiency.

An overdose of phosphorus may cause iron and zinc deficiencies.

Sources of phosphorus include ammoniated super phosphate (5-50-0), ammonium phosphate (18-46-0) and animal manure (varies). My picks are bone meal (3-15-0) and rock phosphate (0-30-0).

The dizzying array of rumors, tend to spring back quickly with the return moisture. Under-hydrating plants can facts, opinions, wives’ tales, and of Potassium (K): Very mobile cause potassium and calcium deficiencies. science can easily overwhelm Nitrogen (N): Very mobile Potassium is important for photosynthesis, gentle vipers trying to make Over-watered plants may also droop, but In Cannabis gardens, nitrogen deficiency carbohydrate and protein creation, and are distinguished by soggy media. Plants is the most common nutrient deficien- disease resistance. Used in the ‘plumbing’ sense of how much of which exposed to over-watering may take a cy. Nitrogen is important for the proper of the plant – liquid movement within the nutrients to feed their plants. long time to recover, and are at greater development of chlorophyll (the green in for insect and fungal infections until leaves) used in photosynthesis. Nitrogen Well-formulated nutrient solu- risk they do. Over-watering can cause an iron compounds comprise from 40 to 50% tions are part heart, and part sci- deficiency. of the dry matter of plant cells. It promotes large healthy foliage, absorption ence. Get comfortable, light up, Carbon Dioxide (CO2) by roots, and proper plant development, and let us take a stroll among the Carbon Dioxide supplies both carbon and and is used in chlorophyll, amino acids, Grubbycup oxygen to the plants. It is a naturally occur- proteins, and nucleic acids. Trees nutrients.

The ‘heart’ portion comes from listening to your plants, and finding what works best for both of you. In the absence of the threat that walks on two legs, Cannabis can happily sprout, grow, flower and reproduce in the wild, under a wide variety of conditions and available nutrients.

As long as your favorite solution produces enough smoke for you to enjoy, exhale a sigh of contentment, and congratulate yourself on a job well done.

There are a lot of paths one can take to get to a given place, and there is usually more than one right answer. On the other hand, some answers are better than others, so let a little science guide your heart in making choices. Cannabis plants have a variety of nutrient needs, and if you do your part and meet those needs, she will do hers and reward you with smoke.

Water (H20)

Water is a critical requirement for proper plant health. While not technically a nutrient, but rather the transport agent for nutrients, water is an important requirement for growing healthy plants. Slight under-watering is less detrimental than slight over-watering, so if in doubt, run

ring gas in the atmosphere. The carbon is used by the plant as part of the photosynthetic process, to make sugars and other organic compounds.

CO2 is usually present in sufficient quantities in ambient air to prevent obvious deficiency symptoms. Benefits can often be seen with increases in available CO2.

My recommended method of increasing local levels of carbon dioxide in your garden is to spend time in it. For an additional boost, take a friend and do some heavy breathing together.

Plants will generally show no ill effects from higher levels of carbon dioxide, and can absorb it at high levels. However, high concentrations of CO2 can be dangerous to insects, animals, and gardeners, so use in moderation.

and shrubs absorb nitrogen directly from ammonium (NH4+) well, but Cannabis and vegetables respond better to nitrogen further processed by bacteria into nitrate (NO3-).

Nitrogen deficient leaves will contain relatively little chlorophyll, and will thus tend to be pale green or yellow in color; plants will have slowed growth. Nitrogen is very mobile in plants, and this enables them to readily move supplies where they are most required. Such transference is common from old growth to young growing tips when supplies are short. This mobility and re-utilization of nitrogen explains why deficiency symptoms appear first in the older parts of plants, working their way up to the grow tips. This same type of ‘symptom-creep’ from bottom to top is common to all mobile nutrients.

Macronutrients The nutrients Cannabis uses in the largest quantities are called macronutrients. They are nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium and sulfur. Fertilizers list the NPK values for the first three macronutrients.

The first of the three numbers indicates the percentage of nitrogen. Ammonium

An overabundance of nitrogen can cause accelerated growth at the expense of structural strength. Too much available nitrogen can also inhibit flowering in some plants.

Some common sources of nitrogen are potassium nitrate (13-0-44), ammonium nitrate (34-0-0) and sodium nitrate (16-00). Personal favorites include blood meal

PLANTS EXPOSED TO OVER-WATERING MAY TAKE A LONG TIME TO RECOVER, AND ARE AT GREATER RISK FOR INSECT AND FUNGAL INFECTIONS UNTIL THEY DO towards the dry side. The quality of the end solution is determined in part by the initial quality of the water used for the base liquid. If local water is of poor quality, reverse osmosis or other filters can be used to clean it.

Under-watered plants will droop. If they do, check the moisture level; if the medium is very dry, under-watering is the problem. If the media is very wet, over-watering is the trouble. Slightly dehydrated plants

nitrate (NH4NO3) has an NPK rating of 34-00. Therefore 34% of the weight of the fertilizer is nitrogen, and 66% of the weight of the fertilizer is something else.

The second number is the amount of phosphorus by weight as if the phosphorus was expressed as phosphorus pentoxide (P2O5). This is true even if the phosphorus is in another form. Phosphate Rock with an NPK rating of 0-30-0 indicates that it contains sufficient phosphorous to create

(12-0-0), alfalfa meal (2-1-2) and compost (3-1-2).

Phosphorus (P): Very mobile Phosphorus is required for photosynthesis, blooming, and root development. Also used to form nucleic acid, an essential part of living cells. Compounds of phosphorus are used in respiration and the efficient use of nitrogen. Important throughout the life cycle of the plant, use is elevated during flowering.

NITROGEN, MACRONUTRIENT: IMPORTANT FOR GROWTH plant, stems, roots, etc. – many enzymic reactions require potassium, and it assists in silica uptake.

Potassium deficiency often shows as a yellowing/browning/dying of the leaf edges and/or curled over leaves, followed by yellowing spots in the interior of the leaf face. Discolored spots may appear on the undersides of leaves. Deficiency symptoms show first on lower leaves as flecking or mottling on the leaf margins. Prolonged deficiency results in cell death along the leaf margins and the plants can show signs of wilt. These symptoms first display in older leaves, and continue to work up through to the newer leaves if not corrected. Growth, root development, disease resistance and bud size are reduced.

Overdosing potassium can result in calcium- and magnesium deficiencies.

Potassium chloride (0-0-60), potassium sulfate (0-0-50) and potassium nitrate (130-44) are all sources of potassium. I like powdered kelp (1-0-4), compost (3-1-2) and greensand (0-0-3).

The remaining three macronutrients are calcium, sulfur, and magnesium.

Calcium (Ca): Low mobility Used in making cell walls, and in some enzyme reactions, calcium provides a base for the neutralization of organic acids. It facilitates the activities of growing points (meristems), especially with root tips. It may be of importance in nitrogen

17 absorption. Using ‘hard’ water may supply enough calcium to meet plant needs.

Calcium deficiencies can show as dying or dead tissue on new leaves. Leaves may curl under. Overdoses of potassium or nitrogen can cause calcium deficiencies – even if calcium is available. Over-watering can also interfere with calcium uptake.

Absorption slows in cooler weather. Root diseases and nematodes may cause calcium deficiencies.

Overdoses of calcium may cause iron deficiencies.

Calcium is often added as calcium carbonate (12% Ca) or calcium nitrate (12-0-0 17% Ca).

Sulfur (S): Very mobile

Magnesium (Mg): Very mobile Magnesium is a key element in making chlorophyll and used in certain enzyme reactions. Magnesium also assists in phosphorous uptake and carbon fixation.

Deficiency symptoms consist of yellowing between veins, which can lead to dead patches in the affected areas, giving a mottled appearance. Signs of magnesium deficiency appear first on the oldest leaves and progress systematically toward the youngest leaves. Damage is similar in appearance to zinc- and chlorine deficiencies. Lack of magnesium can result in premature aging. Overdoses of calcium and potassium can block magnesium uptake.

Epsom salts, agricultural lime, and magnesium carbonate can all supply magnesium.

progress to cell death of the affected leaves. New leaves come out bleached.

Yellowing begins on the lower part of the leaflets. Iron deficiencies can look similar to a manganese deficiency.

low, and die; growth may be stunted and bushy. High pH may lock up boron.

Overdoses of calcium, zinc, manganese, phosphorous and copper can lock up iron and cause a deficiency. Basic (pH above seven) conditions or over-watering can also lock out iron uptake.

Even smaller amounts of zinc, copper and molybdenum are needed. They are used in quantities down to a thousandth as much as the macronutrients. Organic matter or soil usually has sufficient quantities of micronutrients to fulfill the needs of plants, but in a highly sterile hydroponic environment they may need to be added to the system. Only trace amounts of these are needed. For example, water running through house pipes has been known to pick up enough copper to meet the needs of Cannabis.

Manganese (Mn): Semi mobile Manganese is required for chlorophyll formation and enzyme reactions.

Manganese deficiency consists of yellowing between green veins, similar to a magnesium deficiency but appearing first on the upper leaves, and more mosaic looking. Yellowing may turn brown as the

Glossy-looking leaves may be an indication of boron overdose.

Zinc (Zn): Semi mobile Zinc is used to activate enzymic reactions and indoleacetic acid.

Young leaves show yellowing between the veins. Sometimes a zinc deficiency can lead to plants with shortened internodes.

Zinc deficiency may occur in cold, wet soils, or in basic pH conditions.

Overdoses of zinc may cause copper and iron deficiencies.

PHOSPHOROUS, MACRONUTRIENT:

POTASSIUM, MACRONUTRIENT:

IMPORTANT FOR FLOWERING

IMPORTANT FOR PLANT ‘PLUMBING’

Used in amino acid and enzyme production, deficiency symptoms consist of a general yellowing of the leaves. This appears similar to a nitrogen deficiency, but starting in the upper leaves, not the lower leaves (as with a nitrogen deficiency).

Cannabis can generally tolerate quite high concentrations of sulfur, and overdosing is uncommon. However, over-application can lock out molybdenum, and hinder beneficial microbial life.

Micronutrients The last six nutrients – iron, manganese, boron, zinc, copper and molybdenum – are only used in very small amounts (and most in very, very small amounts).

Iron, manganese, and boron are used in small doses. They are needed on the order of a hundredth as much as the macronutrients. Commercial micronutrient fertilizers often contain at least these three:

Iron (Fe): Low mobility Sulfur is commonly paired with another nutrient. Potassium sulfate (0-0-50 18% S) and Epsom salts (13% S 10% Mg) both supply more than one nutrient. I prefer Epsom salts as it supplies both sulfur and magnesium in approximately correct proportions.

Iron is used to facilitate chlorophyll production and enzyme reactions. Iron chelates are soluble and aid in keeping iron in solution available for uptake.

Iron deficiency shows as upper leaf yellowing between the veins, which may

leaf dies. Basic (pH above seven) environments can lock out manganese uptake.

Toxicity appears as marginal leaf necrosis.

Manganese may decrease the solubility of iron by oxidation, so an overdose of manganese may lead to iron deficiency.

Boron (B): Low mobility Boron aids in the creation and stabilization of the cell walls in plant cells. It is required for root tip development and new growth. It can delay the onset of calcium deficiency, but is not a substitute for calcium. It tends to keep calcium soluble, and may assist in the absorption of nitrogen.

Boron deficiency affects the growing and root tips first. Leaf tips curl under, yel-

Knowing what nutrients the plant needs is half the battle; knowing how much is the other half – also the more debated of the two. Reacting to deficiencies and overdoses is one way to get a feel for how much of which nutrient you should be adding to your solution. Another is to start with someone else’s best shot at it, and then try to improve upon it yourself.

Many scientific studies of hydroponics (and nutrient manufacturers) use a variation of the ‘Hoagland Solution’. First developed in the 1930s, this solution is in four parts: Part A (potassium, calcium, nitrogen): 101.11 grams Potassium Nitrate (KNO3) 236.16 grams Calcium Nitrate (Ca(NO3)2∙4H2O) Mix with enough water to total two liters.

Bottle and label.

Part B (nitrogen, phosphorus, magnesium, sulfur): 115.03 grams Ammonium Hydrogen Phosphate (NH4H2PO4)

COMMERCIAL FERTILIZERS SHOULD

BY READING THE LABEL, YOU CAN TELL THIS PRODUCT

LIST THE NUTRIENTS THEY CONTAIN,

IF YOU TAKE CARE OF YOUR PLANTS,

HAS AN NPK RATING OF 2-4-2

AND PERCENTAGES

THEY WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU

18 246.47 grams Magnesium Sulfate (MgSO4∙7H2O) Mix with enough water to total two liters.

Bottle and label.

I’ll spare you the math, but since NPK values are proportions, I calculated the proportions of the different nutrients in the legendary recipe above. Then I took an

IN CANNABIS GARDENS, NITROGEN DEFICIENCY IS THE MOST COMMON NUTRIENT DEFICIENCY Part C (boron, manganese, chlorine, zinc, sulfur, nitrogen, molybdenum, copper): 61.83 grams Boric Acid (H3BO3) 197.9 grams Manganese Chloride (MnCl2∙4H2O) 287.54 grams Zinc Sulfate (ZnSO4∙7H2O) 1235.95 grams Ammonium Molybdate Hydrate ((NH4)6Mo7O24∙4H2O) 249.7 grams Copper Sulfate (CuSO4∙5H2O) Mix with enough water to total two liters.

Bottle and label.

average of the results of several analyses of the nutrient contents of dried Cannabis plants, and adjusted to the same phosphorus proportion as my first set. When I compared the results, I was surprised to find them very similar, enough to show the same valley in phosphorous need in comparison to nitrogen, potassium and calcium. Using the data from the two sets, I came up with a nutrient proportion tailored to the needs of Cannabis.

Part D (iron, chlorine): Iron Chloride (FeCl3) or Iron Chelate (FeEDTA) To prepare for use, add eight mL of parts A and B, and one mL of parts C and D, per liter of water.

Hoagland’s solution addresses the nutrient needs of plants, and is popular with laboratories and colleges. It looks good on paper – there are sound scientific reasons for the ingredients chosen, and most importantly, it works.

Grubbycup’s Ideal Recipe: N 3 P 1 K 3 Ca 3 S 0.9 Mg 0.7 Iron 0.03 Manganese 0.007 Boron 0.007 Zinc 0.0007 Copper 0.0004 Molybdenum 0.0001

It does however have a serious drawback from the average home gardener’s perspective. Namely, it’s a bit of a pain to get the materials together and whip up a batch.

Combine materials as needed to reach the desired proportion. For example, to meet the desired NPK of 3-1-3 you could use any number of combinations:

WHEN BONE MEAL AND BLOOD MEAL ARE COMBINED IN EQUAL AMOUNTS, THE MIXTURE HAS AN NPK RATING OF 15-15-0

WHERE AVAILABLE, RIVER WATER OFTEN CONTAINS ESSENTIAL MICRONUTRIENTS

A fertilizer with 3-1-3 NPK. A fertilizer with 6-2-6 NPK at half strength.

A fertilizer solution with 15 N mixed at 1/5th strength added to another fertilizer solution with 10-30 PK mixed at 1/10th strength.

NUTRIENT TANKS SHOULD RECEIVE THE FASTER ABSORBED NUTRIENTS MORE OFTEN THAN SLOW ABSORBING NUTRIENTS

I try to stick to approximately these values, but to be fair, I use the recipe more as a guideline than a mandate. I usually give a little bump up to phosphorus in flower, but nothing outlandish. Cannabis is usually pretty forgiving as long as you are in the correct general range.

Put most of your effort into meeting the needs of the top six – they are used in the largest quantities, and where a problem is most likely to develop. The next three may need adjusting depending on your sources for the top six; the last three are almost always present in sufficient quantities, unless you have a very sterile setup.

IN THE PROPER ENVIRONMENT, PLANTS CAN OFTEN GROW WITHOUT HUMAN INTERVENTION

There is a vast array of choices in which nutrient sources to use. Off-the-shelf commercial fertilizers are a very popular choice. They are easy to use, and in the right combinations can result in well fed, well nourished plants. Laboratories across the globe have used variations of the Hoagland Solution for decades. For the mad scientist types, there is even software available to help you work out how much of which chemical to use. Organic nutri-

ents can be purchased, or made/mixed at home.

Some nutrients have faster absorption rates than others. Nitrogen in an available form, phosphorous, potassium and manganese all have fast uptake rates.

These are the foods that nutrient solutions need added more often, since the plant depletes them the quickest. Slower uptake nutrients (such as nitrogen awaiting bacterial breakdown, calcium, and boron) tend to stay in the solution/soil for a long time, once introduced. To account for this, add the fast uptake nutrients in small amounts, often; only occasionally add more of the slower uptake nutrients to prevent them from building up faster than the plant can use them.

There are a lot of different opinions among the Cannabis growing community as to which nutrients to use, when, and in what amounts. Get ten gardeners together and chances are fair that you’ll wind up with ten different opinions on a variety of topics. Learning about nutrient solution composition and function can go a long way towards understanding how to take care of your plants well enough for them to help take care of you.

Peace, love and puka shells, Grubbycup

19

Sweets for Your Ladies

Grubbycup

Unless your lady happens to be a Cannabis gardener – in which case a nice container of mycorrhizal inoculants, a jar of molasses and a bag of rock phosphate tied with a bow may be an ideal gift – the ‘sweets’ in this article are a treat for your lady Cannabis plants.

Be careful when purchasing molasses, as prices vary widely. Although all three are useable for gardening purposes, molasses marketed as a plant additive tends to be very expensive; molasses intended for human consumption is moderately priced, and molasses sold as a cattle feed supplement tends to be pretty cheap.

Molasses sold for cattle feed is often mixed with a grain to add structure.

The addition of grain not only makes the molasses easier to work with, but adds organic material as an additional benefit. Personally, I tend to purchase molasses made for human consumption, as I don’t have a large garden; I like it on my pancakes, and in Shoo Fly Pie. Apply at two teaspoons (about 10mL) per gallon of water, or the same amount as per pancake.

Mycorrhizal fungi are beneficial and assist in nutrient collection and uptake. Adding carbohydrates to a nutrient solution is an old Cannabis gardening trick for boosting garden performance, dating back to at least the 1960s.

Mycorrhizae (fungus-roots) are found naturally occurring in healthy, ‘live’ soil. They are caused by mycorrhiza fungi infecting a plant root, and the two together are what is known as ‘mycorrhizae’.

Cannabis with well-established mycorrhizae tend to perform better than those that do not. The relationship between mycorrhizae and Cannabis is a symbiotic one; both organisms benefit from their association with the other. The Cannabis plant provides a carbohydrate source for the fungus, and in return, the fungus assists the plants in nutrient uptake, drought resistance, and blocking their environmental niche from pathogenic fungi.

Mycorrhizae collect and process nitrogen, phosphorus and a variety of micronutrients, and pass them to the plant. Of particular use is their ability to increase phosphorus uptake, which dramatically increases in non-infected plants.

Most mycorrhiza fall in one of two camps: ecto-mycorrhizal and endo-mycorrhizal.

Ectomycorrhizae forms on tree roots. For most other plants, including vegetables and Cannabis, endomycorrhizae is the fungus of choice.

Although commonly already present in healthy soil, mycorrhizae fungus levels can be increased by adding powdered spores (inoculants), available at garden and hydroponic shops. Sterile media and poor soils can be brought from a complete absence of mycorrhizae to abundance with the use of inoculants.

If using mycorrhizal inoculants, apply at the beginning of the season to establish the colonies early. Once established, the infected roots should serve as a host to allow the fungus to spread throughout the root system. Plant improvements from inoculant use are particularly pronounced when used in poor or sterile mediums.

Mycorrhizae thrive on carbohydrates, which is part of what they receive in payment from the plant in exchange for their services helping the plant thrive. One

as well. Many micronutrients are locked in their chelated form and require a chelating agent to unlock them. Molasses acts as a chelating agent (like Humic Acid): it makes micronutrients more readily available for nutrient uptake by the plants.

To complete the trio, add a good dollop of powdered rock phosphate to the mix. Not only will this provide the mycorrhiza with a supply of phosphorous to supply to the plant, but it can also provide a suitable environment for other beneficial organisms to take up residence.

Rock phosphate is available in two forms, ‘soft rock’, and ‘hard rock’. Soft rock phosphate contains a higher amount of immediately available phosphorous, and is usually the choice for container soil enhancement. Hard rock phosphate is better suited to improve a field where plants are to be grown for several years.

way to boost beneficial microorganisms, including mycorrhizae, is to feed them with a carbohydrate additive.

Carbohydrates (saccharides) are molecules with specific combinations of carbon and water. A subset of carbohydrates are the sugars ending in ‘-ose’. For exam-

to adding carbohydrates is mostly indirect; they don’t help the plants directly, they feed the beneficial microorganisms that help the plants. These microorganisms use the ready energy available in carbohydrates to thrive and reproduce.

Cane syrup, maple syrup, fruit juice, and

Mycorrhiza help bring phosphorous and other benefits to Cannabis plants, and carbohydrates help mycorrhiza. Spring is a good time to add inoculants, with a packed carbohydrate lunch and rock phosphorous dessert, to your growing media. Regularly feeding your fungus carbohydrates throughout flowering can have the end result of giving your plants a phosphorous boost. Embrace the fungus among us: feed them, and give them phosphorous to carry.

Peace, love and puka shells, Grubbycup

ADDING CARBOHYDRATES TO A NUTRIENT SOLUTION IS AN OLD CANNABIS GARDENING TRICK FOR BOOSTING GARDEN PERFORMANCE GOING BACK TO AT LEAST THE 1960s ple, table sugar is sucrose (C12H22O11), milk sugar is lactose (also C12H22O11 , but the atoms are arranged differently), blood sugar is glucose (C6H12O6), and so on.

Carbohydrates store energy that many life forms can use, people included. The ‘sugar rush’ from eating a lot of sweets is an effect from over-indulging in sugars. Keep in mind that unwelcome visitors, such as ants, may be enticed to visit if a carbohydrate banquet available, so make sure to clean up any spills promptly. The benefits

molasses can all be used as carbohydrate sources. Dilute to two teaspoons (10mL) per gallon (3.8L) of water. Cleanliness is a must, as these may attract insects and leave a sticky residue. Ants may be attracted to the residue, and if hydrated (mixed with water) and allowed to go anaerobic (stale) these may encourage the wrong sort of fungal growth. Molasses (also known as ‘treacle’) is a byproduct of sugar refining, and contains not only plenty of carbohydrates to add to your garden, but potassium, nitrogen and iron

20

TEST LAB

A Test You Won’t Mind Taking

Sativa Diva

SSUSA SPEAKS WITH JOHN MONTGOMERY, CEO OF STRAINGENIUSLABS.COM...

StrainGeniusLabs.com was developed for a year-and-a-half before opening in early 2010. From their sunny location in (and covering all of) the state of California, the test lab is enjoying quite a successful career, even after such a short time in the business. “The southern Californian market has been very welcoming to StrainGeniusLabs.com,” John observes.

“We have become the number one lab in many people’s eyes. In 2011, we tested a little over 5,000 samples. We are partnered with over 100 clubs in the California market. We currently hold the largest database of tested strains in the world – our library has become quite impressive.”

Luckily for Strain Genius, their lab has not suffered the same recent fate as some dispensaries; in fact, rather the opposite has happened. John explains, “Our business model grows stronger with the crackdowns. Testing should and will be required before providing to patients. We need to make sure the medication is safe and being recommended for the right symptoms. This cannot be accomplished without testing.”

So what sets them apart from other test labs? “[We are a] safe, affordable, reliable company. We pride ourselves on being cutting-edge and providing the most information, for both dispensary and patient. We find people love going through our thousands of pages of results, and commenting on how they like or dislike each strain.

“All samples are packaged and sealed at the dispensary before leaving... [and] are kept in a dark, cool environment until reaching our lab. Our chemist has an extensive background in the lab industry; with a degree in biology and seven prior years working in a lab; we ensure the best person [is] running our laboratory... this is the most important role within the lab.”

While their intentions are noble, the Cannabis industry must still deal with an unfortunate amount of stigma – even those aiming to help medical patients. For this reason, it is imperative that Cannabusinesses maintain a good relationship with their local community. John intends to do just that: “In 2012, StrainGeniusLabs. com looks forward to working side-byside with California dispensaries in donating tested medication to the nursing homes, homeless shelters, and organizations that help people in financial need, [who] cannot afford their medication.”

With the ever-growing Cannabis industry and movement spreading across the US, test labs such as Strain Genius must constantly compete, employing only the most accurate instrumentation and effective techniques. “StrainGeniusLabs.com is famous for our ‘Strain ID’ card that is

ple. We also certify [whether or not each] strain is pesticide free.”

provided and displayed for all patients to see, before purchasing any medication.

The patient is also able to go onto our website, verify the strain information, and view close images of the strain [that they] just purchased.

“StrainGeniusLabs.com utilizes Gas Chromatography (GC), and we have just recently purchased a liquid chromatography machine as well (HPLC). [W]e want to cross-reference all data and tests with two different types of machines, to ensure the most accurate information for that particular strain.

“With the StrainGeniusLabs.com Strain ID card, the patient will have a great foundation on how the particular strain, concentrate or edible will effect them [via] SGL’s ‘1 10’ rating system, printed right on the card.”

Since there are countless strains available in various forms and levels of quality – not to mention the vast scale of the dispensary industry – scientific test-

ing is a growing request among medical patients and growers. This is exactly what compelled John to establish the test lab. “StrainGeniusLabs.com was created because I saw a need in an industry that is struggling to get regulated. This industry is approved for medical purposes; I find it hard to believe anything is for ‘medical’ purposes without any third-party governing body verifying the medication is safe for the patients, with proven equipment.

The dispensary can say their medication is the safest, and highest in THC or CBD, but that cannot be proven unless a certified lab, like StrainGeniusLabs.com, tests and verifies that information before it is sold to the patient.”

The lab requires a sample of two grams for testing strains (buds), one gram if it’s a concentrate, and one serving of edibles (slice of cake, whole cookie, etc.) Results are posted and filed in the database: “We provide a ‘strain certificate’. This certifies that we have tested and verified the cannabinoid levels within that particular sam-

The test itself: t 0SEFS TBNQMF FOUFST UIF MBC JT ‘checked in’ and confirmed t 5XFOUZ UP UIJSUZ QIPUPT BSF UBLFO using a macro lens for close-up shots from the photography department t 4BNQMF JT UIFO USBOTGFSSFE UP UIF mold department, is fully inspected using black-lighting t 4BNQMF JT HSPVOE WFSZ GJOF BOE XFJHIFE t 4BNQMF UIFO USBOTGFSSFE UP NFUIBOPM for cannabinoid testing, acetone for pesticide testing t 4BNQMF JT VMUSB TPOJDBUFE NJYJOH UIF sample into the solution) t 4BNQMF MPBEFE JOUP UIF ($ BOE )1-$ machines t %BUB JT HBUIFSFE USBOTGFSSFE UP UIF ‘Data Department’ t %BUB JT UIFO JOQVU PO UIF XFCTJUF under the dispensary account; Strain ID card is printed t 4USBJO *% DBSE UIFO EFMJWFSFE UP EJTpensary to display with medicine John takes the everyone-is-welcome approach: “StrainGeniusLabs.com works with dispensaries, growers and patients.

All results are available to view on our website, unless the owner of the test marks the strain private.”

He advises, “[We] believe strongly in using no pesticides when cultivating medicine.

With the amount of organic solutions out there, there is no reason for pesticides to be present on any of our tests.

“StrainGeniusLabs.com stands apart from all other labs. We not only provide testing, we provide advertising in all major magazines within the industry, letting the patients know who they can trust and who they should be purchasing their medication through. We provide social media tools for our dispensaries to utilize.

We encourage and give ‘Strain Points’ to patients [who] create accounts on our website, and talk about the particular strain they just purchased and the effects it had on them. Our machines give us the scientific data, but we also provide a portal that collects human feedback on the human effects each strain has. This sets us apart!”

John’s final sentiment is the wish that dispensaries concentrate on having their products tested by an independent, reliable lab. After all, patient safety is everyone’s responsibility.

StrainGeniusLabs.com 1600 Santa Fe Ave Los Angeles, California 90021 855-420-8378 » www.straingeniuslabs.com

22

GARDENING DISASTERS

Grow Room Hazards:

F.Red

THREATS FROM WITHIN, THREATS FROM WITHOUT Growing brings with it great risk and responsibility. Decisions made will have the potential to affect yourself, the community, and the patients and family you are growing for. My father always said, “you will make your own bed, and you will lie in it.” With a little care and common sense, many dangers involved with a grow room can be avoided. What materials and how they are used, as well as the condition of your finished herbs, compose the major risks coming from within a grow room.

‘Materials’ in a grow include all of the equipment, as well as the chemicals you may use in the process. Some grow equipment may only pose a mild risk to a user, or none at all; while others can cause serious injury and, in some cases, death. Electrical equipment failures can easily become deadly. Improper wiring and overloading circuits generate many structural fires across the country.

A house fire can spread effortlessly to a neighbor’s, and an apartment fire can rapidly burn a whole complex down.

Family and neighbors are not alone in this risk. Emergency responders lose their lives every year putting out these fires and rescuing people. Even a small fire is enough to alert authorities. In a medical state this may not be a major problem if you’re up to code with license and permits, but for most Americans it would be the beginning of some serious legal issues, and potential jail time.

Having a basic understanding of how electricity works in a home will help you make good choices. Using old and frayed equipment is looking for trouble. Electrical outlets and lights are powered by circuits; each circuit is controlled by a breaker, which connects to the main and then out into the grid. A room may be on one or several circuits. You can easily map your room’s circuits by having appliances and lights on while you flip the circuit breakers off to see where they lead. This way, if a breaker trips from an overload, you can spread some of the offending equipment onto different circuits – or bring in an entirely new one.

People are tempted to put in a larger breaker when their breakers continually trip, but home wiring is not always thick enough to handle the wattage. The wire will heat up until it catches fire. So how many watts can a circuit handle? Well, standard homes are either 15-amp breakers x 120 volts = 1800 watts or 20-amp breakers x 120 volts = 2400 watts. For continuous loads over three hours (which is what every indoor grower is going to need) these numbers are 20% less, so a 15-amp breaker is more like a 12-amp pushing 1440 watts. Exceeding the wattage flips breakers. If your breaker does not flip, melting wires will induce electrical fires. Be smart – do not overload circuits!

Replicating the sun indoors requires lighting. Some lights, like metal halides, can be irritating to the eyes and skin. Prolonged exposure causes premature aging and the potential for skin cancer. Eye protection, hats and long-sleeved shirts will minimize this exposure. Even cool white fluorescents can have negative effects. This type of fluorescent light has been shown to increase low-grade stress conditions and depression. Germany has banned these lights in work environments.

Risks from these types of lighting continue well beyond their useful life cycle; for example, mercury is a vital component in the functioning of these lamps.

Lights must be recycled to keep mercury from becoming a toxic waste in landfills and leaching out into our waterways.

Mercury is an elemental metal and one of only two elements that are liquid at standard room temperature and pressure. Mercury can be included into a group called ‘persistent bio-accumulative toxins’. This means it will not break down in the environment, collects in organic tissues, and builds up in the food chain over time. Mercury and most of the compounds produced with it are extremely toxic. Even at low-level exposure it may produce profound nervous system disorders and broad ranging functional disturbances, which ultimately can lead to death.

Even the growth medium you decide upon has potential repercussions.

Vermiculite is mined as a naturally occurring mineral. It is transported sometimes half a world away to an exfoliation plant, where it is heated and expanded (like an air popper making popcorn). Early on in my farming adventures, vermiculite had asbestos contamination. Asbestos is a natural mineral composed of thin, fibrous crystals. Inhalation causes several types of cancer and other serious illness.

Fortunately, now that vermiculite is tested for asbestos, it is much safer to use.

Vermiculite contains crystalline silica and is identified on the Material Safety Data Sheets as a hazard. The inhaled dust creates a disease called silicosis, which is a literal scarring of the lungs.

This concern is greater in the processing, where there is massive exposure. At the consumer level exposure is thought to be negligible and not a health hazard. I

THE ONLINE CANNABIS ENCYCLOPEDIA

FIRE IS A DANGER THAT COULD AFFECT YOUR ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD

MOLDY WEED SHOULD NEVER BE CONSUMED

still recommend wearing a bandana or dust mask, and misting with water to keep the dust down.

Perlite, a volcanic glass, is mined and also transformed in the same way as vermiculite, with even more expansion potential.

It is heated until it softens and moisture bubbles out, expanding it up to 16 times its original size. There are no significant risks in using perlite. The dust is a nuisance, so mist it down with water as well.

Rockwool is made of basalt and chalk.

These are melted to a liquid state and spun out like cotton candy. Fortunately, rockwool is less potent then asbestos in scarring and producing tumors. The body is more able to break the fibers down. It is still not a good idea to breathe it in or get it into your eyes, as it can be terribly irritating. Some consider media like rockwool a future landfill problem, as it will sit in landfills indefinitely.

Chemicals are a ‘can of worms’. Whichever ones you decide to use, remember: less is more. Nutrients for growing in soil or hydroponic systems contain mainly, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.

These elements are pretty safe to use, as long as you’re not ingesting them.

Nutrients can become an environmental nightmare if you dispose of them improp-

23 erly. Excesses beyond what nature can absorb are polluting many of our waterways and coastal areas, creating ‘dead zones’. This process is called ‘eutrophication’. The degradation of these habitats serving as nurseries for fish is leading to major declines in commercial and non-commercial fisheries. Supporting the conservation and restoration of small streams, wetlands and estuaries will help reduce future damage.

Terrestrial ecosystems can also be negatively impacted by eutrophication. The majority of orchid species in Europe have been decimated by this pollution. Chemical pesticides pose an even greater risk for the individual, community and the environment. Pesticides can affect you immediately with rashes and headaches, or years down the road with cancers. The World Health Organization estimates upwards of 18,000 people die a year from pesticide exposure. Avoid using the super toxic persistent ones that bio-accumulate.

Recent government studies exposed that upwards of 80% of fresh water fish in the US are contaminated by pesticides. Eliminate use the use of pesticides by following vigorous pest management techniques, like preventing infestation before it occurs. Never use these deadly chemicals into the flowering cycle.

Covering your medicine in pesticide and smoking it is not a good idea. Not under

MERCURY FROM LAMPS DAMAGES THE CNS any condition should any chemicals be stored in food containers unless they have been heavily re-labeled. Chemical free is a much safer way to grow for everyone involved; however, man-made toxins are not the only hazards coming out of a grow room that can harm Cannabis patients.

Growing in humid conditions or curing improperly and allowing mold to develop can be an easily-preventable danger. Dehumidifiers, as well as temperature controls, are available on the market. Bugs will also pollute flowers with bacteria and molds. Aspergillus is a common mold we are exposed to on a regular basis. In the body it causes Aspergillosis and takes on several forms.

In Aspergilloma, a fungus ball develops on past lung disease or scarring. In pulmonary aspergillosis, an allergic reaction usually develops in someone who already has lung problems, like asthma.

The pulmonary type is invasive and will spread throughout the body. A healthy person may be able to fight off this fungus, but patients with compromised immune systems are especially at risk.

Several people have died from smoking Aspergillus-contaminated Cannabis.

Threats from without are other dangers prevalent in a grow room. Freud once said, “No mortal can keep a secret. If

it is possible some of these gangs are rogue cops. In fact, small and large sums of money often disappear into police

involved, the safer you will be. Staying natural helps to protect your loved ones and the community around you. There

SHARING EVERY DETAIL OF YOUR LIFE WITH SOMEONE YOU HAVE ONLY BEEN DATING A SHORT WHILE CAN COME BACK AND BITE YOU IN THE ASS IF YOU HAVE A NASTY SPLIT the lips are silent, he chatters with the fingertips; betrayal oozes out of him at every pore.” Just like fight club, the first rule of growing is DO NOT TALK ABOUT IT! The more individuals that are aware, the more chance for the wrong ones to find out. Pulling beautiful, pristine colas out at parties to impress lots of random people is probably not a good idea.

pockets on house raids. Our boys in blue are the largest gang out there, after all.

“Loose lips sink ships,” is definitely the motto to live by as you’re getting ready to start your future grow room, or if you already have one going. The less people

are plenty of toxins and environmental degradation happening without you adding to the mix. Making the proper decisions to ensure the safety of everyone involved ought to always be a priority in your mind. And don’t forget Rule #1: DO NOT TALK ABOUT IT!

Police informants can earn money, and some are allowed to continue nefarious acts – as long as they feed their handlers new people to bust on a regular basis.

Police also reduce charges and sometimes offer to ‘make it easy on’ someone if they share information. Many busts are because of informants. The zeitgeist growing up was, “We are lucky to be free and not to be in a communist country where you cannot trust your neighbors and friends.” It is troublesome how we have become what we abhor.

Controlled by fear and ignorance, the ‘dominant culture’ forgets that laws based upon science were what propelled us out of the Dark Ages. These laws, created to control and influence economic markets, are for the benefit of the few and erode the principle foundation of our liberty. We find ourselves facing this intractable situation, where a for-profit prison industry and treatment complex actively lobbies to create harsher penalties, to put us in jail and keep us there longer – for an herb statistically safer than caffeine.

Relationships are another great danger for a grow room. Sharing every detail of your life with someone you have only been dating a short while can come back and bite you in the ass if you have a nasty split. Even a multiple-year relationship can become ugly and lead to horrible repercussions. I’m not advocating that you become a celibate monk, just use discretion: over the years I have aided in several grow room evacuations due to a result of insane relations. Love is easier said then done.

PERLITE

VERMICULITE

‘Rippers’ (crop thieves) are another increasing risk. Some are organized gangs that earn complete – or at least supplemental – incomes robbing grow operations. There is a group in the Midwest that is notorious for robbing and tying up their victims, then calling the police to bust them for what’s left behind.

In the ‘90s it was figured that Cannabis could be commercially produced outdoors for a penny a pound, like broccoli. The prices for quality indoor can still fetch upwards of $4,000 (US) per pound.

Considering these black market conditions, and potential for large sums of cash,

ROCKWOOL

24

Winter Gardening

Kali Mist

In this great and beautiful country we have many different climate zones, ranging from the tropical south-east to the frozen Alaskan tundra, and when attempting to grow Cannabis a little thought should always be given to the weather conditions outside – even when you’re growing indoors. In winter, growing outdoors is all but impossible – save for in the southernmost areas where we can often achieve two harvests a year, and with some expert management have pot growing all year ‘round.

However, although indoor growing is of course possible at all times, one should still pay mind to the vagaries of climate, as micro-adjustments may be needed to maintain optimum growing conditions.

Many indoor growers in the temperate zones prefer the winter months, as the oft-experienced summer heat issues have miraculously disappeared; when using HPS lights it can often be easier to maintain that ideal 70-80° F temperature. However, when the dark period sets in, if outside temperatures are very low this can affect the plants inside the grow room. This is also an issue for users of cool lights such as LEDs and CFLs. Temperatures below 60° F can be crippling to your plants, if they are forced to endure them repeatedly or for sustained durations. Growth will slow to the point of being indiscernible, and if the temperature drops still further, the chance of the plant recovering reduces proportionately.

In such cold conditions, growers often attempt to provide extra heat in the form of heating pads or fan heaters; even covering cold floors with insulating materials or raising the plants a little above the ground can help, as the ground is usually the coldest point. Depending on the systems used, it can often take more energy to cool a room than to heat it, so warming your room in winter may cost a little less than cooling it in summer. Over all, the

THE CA PACIFIC COAST STAYS MOSTLY FROST-FREE DURING WINTER (© KEN LUND) lower in winter than in summer, and can often be below the 40% considered to be the low point of the optimum range for Cannabis. This effect occurs due to the fact that most heating systems draw cold air in from outdoors, and heat it without adding any moisture. As cold air cannot hold as much water vapor as warmer air, the relative humidity drops.

If the air outside is 32° F, at 100% RH it will contain five grams of water. When heated to 77° F, that same air will be at only 23% RH, as at that temperature the saturation point is 22g/m³. To correct this, it may

A very similar approach can be applied to greenhouse growing in winter. It is probable that extra lighting will be required in most latitudes, as the sunlight is weaker – much of the extra heat requirement can be supplied in this way.

Covering the greenhouse with Mylar at night-time can help prevent heat loss and tell-tale traces of light (given that hours of daylight drop so low, in the more northerly climates artificially providing light after nightfall is the only way to sustain a crop through the dark months). Despite the inherent difficulties, there are occasional reports from

be necessary to install a cheap humidifier; plants experiencing the effects of low relative humidity transpire too much, requiring more frequent watering. Then, if nutrient levels are not corrected, this can lead to toxicity. Low RH may also slow

growers as far north as Ontario growing throughout winter in specially adapted greenhouses. Conversely, in California, many greenhouse growers keep plants in the vegetative stage throughout the winter, giving them the chance to

A BEAUTIFUL, SNOW-COVERED

NOT PERFECT FOR CANNABIS (© GENERAL ANTILLES)

CANNABIS PLANT (© DMTCOREY)

Another factor that the indoor grower should consider in winter is humidity. Indoors, the relative humidity is often

Even in the tropical southern corner of Florida, where temperatures never

THERE ARE OCCASIONAL REPORTS FROM GROWERS AS FAR NORTH AS ONTARIO GROWING THROUGHOUT WINTER IN SPECIALLY ADAPTED GREENHOUSES

SUBTROPICAL SOUTHERN WINTER: IDEAL FOR ORANGES,

differences in cost and energy consumption are likely to be minimal – if you have to use extra systems to heat or cool, you’re looking at spending more either way.

grows. In the southernmost states, there are some who will put hardy strains out through winter; however, while temperatures are mostly mild winter does bring extreme conditions, and storms are frequent and intense in many regions.

Florida, despite its subtropical climate, has sustained periods of below-60° F temperatures, and humidity can drop sharply. But, if a sheltered spot is carefully selected, crops can survive the winter – although the yield will be reduced.

growth by inhibiting full opening of the stomata, and symptoms similar to nutrient burn may appear in the leaves, as CO2 and other compounds cannot escape (as with normal transpiration). However, low RH is not a huge concern; it can be cheaply and easily managed, and presents only slight danger to your plants.

grow large and bushy in preparation for spring. In such clement conditions, little extra heat and light is needed to maintain optimum conditions.

The outdoor grower is the most unhappy in winter. In much of the US, winter conditions entirely preclude outdoor

drop below 60° F, the drop in light levels means the yield is less than optimum. However, in this tropical corner of the continental United States, it’s possible for a short growing season to run from December to March – much as in Thailand, Hawaii and India. The tropical sativas from these regions are adapted to grow almost year-’round, and their flowering period is often triggered by age rather than photoperiod.

In southern- and coastal California, the prevailing Pacific winds keep the weather mild through the winter as warm ocean air currents pass eastward, meaning that frost is very rare. Some varieties of long-flowering Cannabis will continue to produce THC right up until the winter solstice on the 21st of December, after which THC production ceases.

Throughout the southern states, the shorter days and weaker sunlight cause plants to grow less vigorously and yield smaller harvests than in summer, but in many places it is possible to complete a grow cycle – a little research and experimentation with your set-up is all that’s required.

25

LIGHT 101 The four seasons are especially important to outdoor Cannabis.

It is an easy spice to grow (to be correct, it’s a spice – not an herb – since the flower clusters are the part of the plant that is harvested and consumed), with a pretty distinct growing season.

Plant Cannabis after the spring equinox, and harvest around the fall equinox.

Cannabis is affected by ‘photoperiodism’, which means that it uses the duration of the dark periods to determine when to flower. Flowering hormones slowly build up over the long night for use the following day. Light interrupts this process, which is why a light that breaks up the dark period can prevent flowering, and introduce stress.

Cannabis Seasons Depending on the date of the last frost, some areas can use this season to flower Cannabis plants for a ‘spring harvest’. Be forewarned that planting in damp, wet, cold conditions can lead to fungus-related problems. Check with your local garden zone guide, and plant no earlier than the last frost date – or start out using cold frames or greenhouses. To get a headstart on the season, plants can be started indoors three or more weeks before moving outside.

Plants started indoors need to be ‘hardened’ before they can be left outside permanently. To harden a plant, it is

Summer Solstice is at midsummer, around June 22nd. This date has the longest day and shortest night; artificially-lit gardens often use light-to-dark periods of eighteen on, six off to simulate this lighting condition and initiate flowering. Dense plants can be tied open to improve airflow and sun exposure.

The hot summer months are the season for spider mites. Keeping your plants adequately watered and occasionally misting them can help make a less attractive environment for these pests. Side dress plants with additional nutrients to give them a home stretch boost.

Grubbycup

is opened or closed is dependent upon the moisture level of the bud inside. Open the container when the Cannabis is too wet, close as air dries it back out. If the weed becomes too dry, broken bits of terra cotta pottery (or homemade pottery coins) can be used to help rehydrate overly dried buds. Weed that is too wet must not be kept sealed in a container too long, or it will mold and be ruined.

Winter Solstice occurs around December 21st and is the shortest day of the year.

While in many areas the cold of winter prevents exposed Cannabis gardening, it is an excellent time for indoor gardening, as

In outdoor gardens, spring, fall and winter all have longer nights than the short nights of summer. The plants bulk up during the growth stage of summer, until the longer nights of fall trigger flowering.

If plants are set outside early in the spring months when the nights are still long, they will take their cue to start flowering from the long nights.

Under many different names and guises, seasonal holidays are common. Each season has a reason to celebrate, and a life with celebration tends to be fuller. To help get you started, an associated munchietype food is suggested for each season’s party. These are divided into the traditional sweet, salty, crunchy and chewy.

While any well prepared viper gathering includes all four, the suggestion is to showcase the seasonal highlight.

The Spring Equinox is around March 20th, when day-night approaches 12/12 (note that the dates given are reversed in the southern hemisphere, where midsummer occurs in December, and midwinter is in June).

Many countries have spring planting and fertility celebrations. The Cannabis enthusiast’s flavor for the season is sweet, to give extra energy for planting.

NEAREST POLE TOWARDS THE SUN MEANS SUMMER; AWAY, AUTUMN. EQUINOXES ARE

NORTHERN POLE TOWARDS THE SUN CAUSES

MIDPOINTS WHEN TILT IS NEUTRAL

SHORT SUMMER NIGHTS (NH) AND WINTER (SH)

placed outside in a mild location for an increasingly longer period each day, from around a few days to a week. This will ease the transition from the protected indoor environment to the harsher outdoors. Depending on how severe a sudden change is, plants not hardened may die from shock.

Outdoor planting takes place from late March to late May; it is a common practice to add slow release nutrients (such as blood meal, bone meal and rock phosphate) to the soil while planting. These fertilizers will help feed the plant not only throughout the season, but also improve it for the following year.

Serve crunchy foods on midsummer night’s eve; fresh veggies are a treat, especially straight from the garden.

Autumn Equinox is around Sept 22nd, when day-night approaches 12/12. As the weather cools, keep an eye out for bud rot and other fungal diseases, which

PLANTS STARTED INDOORS NEED TO BE ‘HARDENED’ BEFORE THEY CAN BE LEFT OUTSIDE PERMANENTLY can thrive in the moist, cool fall. Plants grown outdoors are cut down in the autumn months, and often marked with a trimming party or harvest celebration.

Healthy leftover plant material can be set in a compost pile and used the following spring (assuming it’s mature). Clearing the garden of debris as part of harvest means less work in the spring, and deprives some pathogens of a place to overwinter.

This season’s food texture is chewy, something that can be eaten over long periods of harvesting and trimming. Smoke up the last of the stored bud to make room for the new harvest.

STARTING PLANTS INDOORS GIVES OUTDOOR GROWERS A HEAD-START

cooler outdoor temperatures usually make indoor lighting/heat issues easier to cope with. Winter is a good time to think about spring planting and making variety selections. Read your garden notes from last season, and plan how to improve next year.

Winter is an excellent time of year for reading, and learning more about gardening.

Allow the harvested buds to dry somewhat, and then slowly finish drying as part of a curing process. A simple method is to hang the Cannabis until it feels dry to a casual touch, and then transfer to closeable containers. The amount the container

Celebrate making it halfway to spring. The flavor of the season is salty, in honor of foods preserved to last the winter.

With spring right around the corner, it’s getting close to planting season. Paying attention to the cycle of solstices and equinoxes can let gardeners know what to expect from their plants, and some idea of when.

Keeping track of which dates you have planted on, when flowers start to form, and what the result was one particular year, can give you very valuable information about how to plant the next crop.

Improving upon past performance is a goal every gardener should strive for, but any garden that produces smoke can be considered a success, and the gardener treated with a pat on the back.

Peace, love and puka shells, Grubbycup

26

PRODUCT FLASH / ONLINE / COMIC

Dry Ice Bags If you’ve ever made ice-hash with the famous Ice-o-lator bags from Pollinator Company, you are aware of the high-quality, super-clean, embarrassingly strong hash that can be produced from grow room clippings – formerly regarded as waste material. This Dutch institution, with the legendary Mila at the helm, recently delivered a new product that turns hash production on its head: Dry Ice Bags.

Sativa Diva

The new bag, containing a mesh of 150 microns (same as the Pollinator screen) is simply loaded with clippings and some dry ice, cinched up to prevent loss, and shaken. This 30 cm bag accommodates up to 200 grams and fits a 20 L (five gallon) bucket. A simple up/down motion produces cascades of glittering crystals, propelling themselves out through the mesh bottom.

Since the trim used is dry to begin with, the hash need not be processed or even dried itself. Production time is dramatically slashed, while the procedure itself simply could not be any easier. Now there is an alternative to the long days of burning-cold hands, soaked in ice water and fiddling with wet pyramid bags or trim. The Dry Ice Bags reduce your work to a matter of minutes, leaving your grow space clean of tell-tale clippings and plant waste.

A ‘Cleaner Bag’ is also available, with a 70 micron mesh and drawstring. The waste from your Dry Ice Bags is placed in the Cleaner Bag (around 50 grams at once) and

shaken in the exact same manner. Counterintuitively – and rather excitingly – this time, once you’re done shaking, the crystals actually remain inside, expelling any waste product as powder. The remnants inside the Cleaner Bag maximize potency. The hash is ready to use, and perfect for making oils, butter or other medical products. » www.pollinator.nl » www.facebook.com/PollinatorCrew: Check out the video demo!

www.Cannabis.info NEW CANNABIS SITE HANDLES ALL YOUR WEED NEEDS The ‘web just got even easier to navigate regarding Cannabis news, growing information, medical- and legal updates, hemp innovations – and all those extra bits and pieces from the weed world that are often difficult to track down. Now you can find it all in one place, at www. cannabis.info!

Each news section will keep you informed of the latest local legal developments, trade shows, competitions and more, thanks to our international team of online editors. Sign up for a free account, keep track of your research, comment on news articles and join in the global discussion.

Or, simply browse the site anonymously

and refresh your Cannabis education when you need a quick reference point.

The new website also provides visitors with a one-stop location for the entire Soft Secrets archives, from nine different international perspectives: the US, UK, Holland, Spain, Italy, France, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Germany. You can brush up on your foreign languages and find out what’s happening across the ganja globe, or search the archives for previously published issues of any edition of Soft Secrets – how easy is that?

Each complete edition is still available as a free PDF download; readers may also employ the search function or browse

our suggested topics to locate individual articles that specifically address your needs.

Fans of the Dutch Highlife Guide, a sort of ‘green pages’ indexing the international Cannabis industry, will be glad to see that its wealth of information is now also accessible through the new site. Find a seed label in Spain, a grow shop in the UK, an Amsterdam coffeeshop, or a hemp cosmetics company

in the Czech Republic within the virtual pages of this handy and essential guide.

Expand your marijuana horizons – check out www.cannabis.info!

28 Humans have used both both Cannabis and pottery for thousands of years, and both arts have been improved upon since their discovery. High tech growing systems can be both complex and expensive, and between kilns, glazes, pottery wheels and thermal coefficients, the ancient art of pottery has mostly been relegated to artistic specialists and art classes.

However, keep in mind that the ancestors of your ancestors likely knew enough to both grow a bit of weed and make a jar to keep it in, both done without today’s modern equipment. It is only natural that there are ways to combine the time honored traditions of Cannabis consumption and pretty pottery.

One common problem that vipers encounter is overly dried smoke. Many home remedies such as a fruit slice, bit of wet bread, etc. release their moisture very quickly, and can quickly lead to molding if not carefully tended to. Small pieces of terra cotta style clay, soaked in water, release moisture at a much slower rate, making for a safer way to re-moisten your stash. Care must still be taken not to over hydrate and invite mold to begin to develop, but the process tends to take longer.

By checking at least daily, adjusting the number and moisture of clay pieces, and opening and closing the container, properly cured buds are easier to produce.

To use this method, one must first procure some appropriate bits of terra cotta to use.

A quick, simple, and cheap way to obtain clay chips to use is to take a clean clay

expected; the colors are fused with the clay and will not rub off.

Grubbycup flowerpot and break it into small, manageable pieces. These pieces will work well, but are generally not terribly attractive.

For a more involved and craftier solution, primitive clay coins can be made. Making homemade clay coins involves hot coals, so should only be attempted by those able to deal with hot objects safely.

The first ingredient needed for making clay coins, is natural clay. Depending on your area, this may be something that you can fetch yourself from a nearby riverbank. Different areas have different resources available, just make sure that any local clay deposits used do not contain asbestos. Clay can also be purchased at art- or craft stores. I purchased a couple of inexpensive bags of clay for $10 US, and have plenty left over for some future projects. Make sure that any clay purchased is natural clay, as there are ‘modeling-’, and ‘polymer’ clays that are unsuitable.

The clay should be wet enough to shape, but dry enough to hold its shape. If the clay is too dry, add a small amount of water and mix. Add water in only small amounts, as too much water will make a soupy mess that is difficult to work with.

If the clay becomes too wet, let the air dry it, mixing occasionally, until it reaches a more usable consistency.

Touch the tip of your finger to the tip of your thumb in a circle. That is about the size your coins should be. Make them half as thick as your finger is wide. There should be no air pockets inside the coin.

To make the coin shapes, there are several options: You can roll the clay into a long cylinder and coil it into a spiral, flatten the clay and cut out with a small cookie cutter, or simply take a ball of clay and press it into shape with your fingers. Using a toothpick or other instrument, words or shapes can be inscribed on the coins. The coin lends itself to this project very well, as it is a simple and reasonably stable shape that is less prone to cracking than more complicated pieces. Once the coins have been shaped, they must be allowed to dry completely.

Before the coin is able to withstand being exposed to water without losing its shape, it must first be heated to a high temperature in a process called ‘firing’. Prior to firing the clay, it must have as much moisture as possible removed. Otherwise, the high temperatures of firing the clay will turn the encased water into steam, which will burst the clay as it escapes.

Once the clay has thoroughly dried, it can be placed in a warm (under boiling) oven for an hour or so to evaporate any remaining moisture and increase the chance the coin will survive.

More complicated shapes can be attempted, but keep in mind that the more complex the shape, the more likely it is to break in the coals. Pipes seem to crack most often where the stem joins the bowl, so take care to reinforce the area. If possible, the clay’s thickness should be as consist-

THE CLAY BEADS BETWEEN THE PUKA SHELLS WERE MADE USING THIS METHOD

Traditionally, our ancestors used fire pits to make ‘pit-fired’ pottery. Unfortunately, my back garden does not have a fire pit to use, and digging one seemed overkill for my needs. I do, however, own a charcoal grill, which is pretty much the modern human equivalent. Charcoal burns very hot, and a piece of pottery buried in charcoal can reach temperatures high enough to glow.

MAKE SURE THE CLAY COINS ARE COMPLETELY DRY BEFORE FIRING

HAND MAKING YOUR OWN COINS AND PIPES ALLOWS YOU TO PERSONALIZE THEM TO YOUR TASTE

Lay down a bed of natural wood charcoal, and place the coins on top, then cover with more charcoal. Use enough coals to cover the coins; an excessive amount is not needed. To add color or variety, the coins can be wrapped in leaves and sprinkled with salt. I used Cannabis leaves for the ones I made for this article, although there are many different things that can be added with the leaves to add coloring effects: copper, steel, aluminum foil, or chemicals – make sure that you do not use anything that may leave a toxic residue.

Using just smoke and leaves will leave a safe and varied coloration on the pottery.

Light the coals, and stay close enough to supervise the fire for safety. Take some time to relax, possibly reading Soft Secrets (or shaping a pipe for the next attempt) for a few hours until the coals have burned out and cooled. Once cooled, fish the coins from the ashes, and wash. Note that there may be dark and discolored spots that are part of the coloring, and will not wash off. This is normal and to be

TWO COLORS OF CLAY WERE USED TO HELP WITH VARIATION ent as possible. If you do attempt (as I did) some pipes, here is a handy tip for making the stems: Take a bamboo skewer, and put it into a drinking straw. Form the stem of the pipe around the straw. Once the pipe is finished, the skewer can be removed, and once the pipe has dried enough to handle safely, remove the straw.

If you enjoy crafts, this is a nice project that can be done with a minimum of expense. For those looking for a costeffective Valentine’s date, this may be a nice thing to do with your partner.

Peace, love and puka shells, Grubbycup

29

Synthetic Pot: THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE SPICE We’ve all seen the endless pages of questionable, lurid ads filling various weed magazines and websites, screaming for you to buy their mysterious bud-like objects in inch-high Word Art – but is there any truth to the claims these ads make? What’s in the stuff, and what does it do? There is no simple answer. There are hundreds, if not thousands of different products, and while some are simple blends of (hopefully) harmless herbs, an increasing percentage is made up of far more worrying synthetic chemicals derived from THC – but whose effects may Kali Mist be very different from the Δ⁹-THC we all know and love.

As many will no doubt be aware, in March 2011 the DEA made the previously legal product Spice™ a Schedule I substance, simultaneously specifying five synthetic cannabinoids to be outlawed. In this article I’ll take a look at them – but I’ll also be looking at some of the true medicinal plants themselves, and their uses, both medical and recreational.

The US is not alone in outlawing these laboratory-made chemicals, which are often many times stronger than THC itself and may have serious side-effects. The UK, Germany, Finland, New Zealand and many more have made rapid legislative moves to ban numerous synthetic cannabinoids, mostly in response to marked increases in emergency calls and hospitalizations as a result of their consumption. The five cannabinoids outlawed by the DEA are cannabicyclohexanol, JWH-018, JWH-073, JWH-200, and CP-47497, all considered to be highly hazardous to health. HU-210 is another well-known ingredient in many synthetic Cannabis blends, and is a THC analog that may be several hundred times more potent than its natural counterpart.

THE INFAMOUS ‘SPICE’

Many of these synthetic cannabinoids were first isolated by respected organizations: the Hebrew University synthesized HU-210 in 1988, and Pfizer developed cannabicyclohexanol in 1979. They have established medical uses – they are all analgesics, and HU-210 can also reduce inflammation, particularly in the case of

Alzheimer’s disease; JWH-200 has less sedative effect than THC. Despite their known uses, they are not fully understood; when used recreationally, they have been implicated in a number of adverse reactions.

JWH-018 has addictive properties, causing withdrawal and toxicity if consumed long-term. It has been blamed for at least one death, apparently causing organ failure in a South Carolina college basketball player in October 2011. It is also thought to cause dissociative- or psychotic episodes in otherwise healthy individuals. All five synthetic cannabinoids are thought to intensify or cause symptoms of psychosis – as has THC, but Cannabis itself usually contains CBD, which mitigates the psychotic effect. It has been suggested that synthetic Cannabis blends may cause greater incidents of psychosis and mental illness due to the lack of CBD to mitigate the effect.

Although these substances can be useful in the right hands, it is irresponsible to sell potentially inferior, cheaply-manufactured versions of them to consumers who are wholly ignorant of the risk. However, to knowingly deceive the consumer as to the contents of the blend is beyond irresponsible – it is reprehensible. Some of the more dubious synthetic THC products initially marketed themselves as being simple herbal blends, before being tested and found to be factory-made chemicals sprayed on otherwise completely inactive plant matter.

This scam has, understandably, shaken the confidence of many consumers as they are entirely unsure which products to trust – let alone affected the cause for cannabinoid research in a negative way! Right now purveyors of natural, herbal Cannabis alternatives have been finding it difficult to distinguish themselves from the now illegal and largely discredited synthetic THC derivatives.

Even when buying true herbal blends, uncontaminated by synthetic THC, consumers run the risk of receiving bags of low-quality, unidentifiable shreds of veg-

“DRY ICE HASH PRODUCTION EXPLAINED”

7

A SELECTION OF LEGAL ‘HIGHS’ (© THUNDERHILL29)

etation, which may not have been grown to particularly exacting standards. There are some websites available that claim to sell organic, hand-selected premium products, which are often sold as individual plants rather than pre-blended mixes.

Here a careful consumer may stand a better chance of receiving products that are what they say they are, and do what they say they’ll do.

These herbs are mainly sold for their psychoactive effect, which – when smoked, vaporized, infused or extracted, alone or in various blends – can mimic the effect of Cannabis to varying degrees. They are understandably more popular in areas where access to Cannabis is restricted, as consumers seek to achieve the effect of their drug of choice without necessitating recourse to illegal activity. However, medical users of Cannabis are strongly advised to research the potential sideeffects of any herb or herbal blend with which they wish to experiment, as the medicinal effects of Cannabis are not necessarily mimicked in the same way as the recreational ones. That said, some of these plants do possess medicinal qualities in

“STUDY IT BEFORE YOU SMOKE IT!”

9

their own right – some of which can be powerful indeed.

St. John’s Wort, or Hypericum perforatum, is a small yellow-flowered perennial (originally native to Europe but brought to North America by early settlers) considered an invasive weed by many countries. An effective anti-depressant that can strongly interfere with other medications, St. John’s Wort has been used in folk remedies for centuries, and in modern times is widely prescribed in capsule or pill form to those suffering from mild depression. In clinical trials, it has also been found to be more effective than placebos at alleviating the symptoms of major depressive disorder. It is useful in treating infected and inflamed wounds and skin conditions.

However, although side-effects are widely held to be far less extreme than with many anti-depressants, St. John’s Wort may aggravate symptoms of psychosis in schizophrenics, might lead to drowsiness and digestive issues, or potentially reduce the effectiveness of other medications.

There is a further, grave risk of serotonin toxicity – which can be fatal – occurring

“GENETICALLY MODIFIED WEED: ENTER THE TERMINATOR”

31

30 in those who combine St. John’s Wort with certain anti-depressants, opioids and central nervous system (CNS) stimulants (including cocaine and amphetamines), as with LSD, MDMA and psilocybin.

Damiana, whose Latin name is Turnera diffusa, is another small, yellow-flowered shrub, native to South-, Central-, and (southern) North America, as well as some parts of the Caribbean. It has an aroma similar to chamomile, and is a member of the Passifloraceae or Passion Flower family – which is apt, due to its strong aphrodisiac effect. It has been used by indigenous Mexican tribes for centuries for this purpose, and has been shown in laboratory tests on rats to be highly stimulating even to ‘sexually exhausted’ and impotent males.

It is thought that damiana may be an aromatase inhibitor – this class of drug restricts production of estrogen, which may account for damiana’s aphrodisiac nature, and also may be useful in treat-

ing breast cancer in post-menopausal women. It is also held to be anti-depressant, energy- and mood-boosting, hormone-balancing and an appetite stimulant. It is worth noting that research into the medicinal uses of this plant has been mostly inconclusive; also that since the 2005 passing of the Louisiana State Act 159, it has been prohibited – save

Lotophagi, or lotus-eaters, mentioned in Homer’s Odyssey. The petals are steeped in alcohol for several weeks to make a tincture; they can also be lightly boiled for twenty minutes for a tea, and the dried leaves can be smoked. The effect is sedative and mildly psychoactive, and is said to bring a sense of tranquility and mental well-being.

Other lesser-known herbs that may be worth investigating include Lactuca virosa, colloquially known as wild lettuce or opium lettuce. This is another yellow-flowered shrub – a biennial originally from the south and south-east of

WILD DAGGA IS WIDELY KNOWN IN LOCAL COMMUNITIES TO PROVIDE A SIMILAR, BUT LESS POWERFUL, EFFECT TO MARIJUANA for strictly decorative purposes – in that state. Elsewhere in the USA, and indeed throughout the world, it is legal.

Blue Egyptian lotus (Nymphaea caerulea) is a beautiful waterlily native to the Nile Delta, and also common in India and other parts of Asia and Africa. It has been used for sacramental and ritual purposes for thousands of years, and may well have been the lotus consumed by the

DAMIANA, PRIZED FOR ITS APHRODISIAC AND RELAXING PROPERTIES (© RUBYONWHEELS)

However, an alkaloid found in blue lotus, nuciferine, can cause catalepsy (rigidity of the muscles similar to that caused by Parkinson’s disease or epilepsy) so it is important to research this plant before use. The blue lotus, although not a true lotus, is from a related genus. The tubers and rhizomes of all waterlilies and lotuses are edible, and the leaves and flowers of many varieties may also be eaten.

Interestingly, the true lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) also contains nuciferine, but is far more important to humans as a food source than an entheogen.

Leonotis leonuris, commonly known as lion’s tail or wild dagga, is an evergreen plant with bright orange flowers, abundant in southern Africa. Wild dagga is widely known in local communities to provide a similar, but less powerful, effect to marijuana when smoked: calming, sedative, and euphoric – but possibly also causing nausea, lightheadedness, dizziness and sweating. It is thought to have a hypoglycemic effect (i.e. it lowers blood sugar), and may be anti-inflammatory

ST. JOHN’S WORT, EFFECTIVE AGAINST DEPRESSION (© CYANOCORAX)

be effective in treating infections such as streptococcus.

THE SACRED EGYPTIAN BLUE LOTUS (© STEPHEN EDMONDS)

when applied topically, as well as reducing nervous pain. It has traditionally been used to treat a plethora of complaints including intestinal parasites, arthritis, menstrual problems, and eczema – all problems that have been at one time or another treated by various parts of the Cannabis plant.

WILD DAGGA, NATIVE TO SOUTHERN AFRICA (© DEATHBOB)

Wild dagga leaves are reported to be harsh and irritating when smoked, although the flowering tops may be more pleasant in taste. It is often more palatable in tea form. There is also a related species, Leonotis sibiricus or honeyweed, which contains several of the same alkaloids as wild dagga, most notably leonurine, which has been shown to

England. Its effects are sedative, analgesic and somewhat hypnotic, and it was widely used as a substitute for opium by doctors of the 19th century.

Bay bean (Canavalia rosea), is a saltresistant vine that is widespread throughout the dunes and cliffs of the coastal tropics. This plant was important to indigenous Mexicans, and was used not only as a Cannabis substitute but also to treat skin complaints, arthritis, and fibromyalgia. The seeds and leaves may be smoked, and apparently have a very fragrant aroma.

Zornia latifolia is yet another yellow-blossomed herb, native to South America, and is very popular as an ingredient in Cannabis substitutes. The seeds are the only part of the plant commonly smoked.

Finally, the Indian warrior (Pedicularis densiflora) is a perennial with distinctive reddish-purple, many-petaled flowers, and is native to California and Oregon. These striking blooms are made into tea or tincture, and are also popular in smoking blends due to their agreeable appearance and flavor. It is thought to provide a relaxing, calming effect.

All of these herbs – as well as many more that could not be included in this article – are legal to cultivate, possess and utilize throughout the United States (although residents of Louisiana are advised to check the details of State Act 159). However, the research is far from exhaustive on some of these species, and side-effects and toxicity levels not always firmly established. That said, with a little investigation and experimentation it should be possible for most people to find an herb or blend that suits their specific needs, be it recreational or medicinal.

Anyone seeking to use these herbs to treat serious medical issues should consult their physician prior to commencing treatment. It is strongly recommended that consumers look for reputable sources for these herbs – they are legal, and as such it shouldn’t be too hard to find reasonable-quality products, either locally or online. If the sole option is an online outlet, buy small samples at first to be sure that the quality is up to par. If local outlets are available, look before you buy!

Don’t be afraid to ask questions about how old the product is, how it was grown and where it was sourced – and if there is any hint of synthetic THC, leave the store without buying anything.

31

BREEDING

Genetically Modified Weed: ENTER THE TERMINATOR

Dr. John Dee

This story has been brewing for a good number of years now, but in recent months has started to – as it were – grow legs as the wider implications of what it might mean start to sink in.

As most of those reading this will be aware, the whole landscape of the Cannabis growing scene has changed dramatically over the past couple of decades.

Advances have been made in hydroponic science, plant nutrition; grafting one type of plant onto another to produce strains with higher yields, stronger yields, speedy dope, trippy dope: all of those kinds of things. And genetics – we mustn’t forget genetics. Genetics itself has changed a lot over the past few decades; now it’s less about just studying hereditary transmission and inherited traits, and more about

Enter ‘Terminator Technology’. This horrible scientific ‘breakthrough’ involves modified seeds that can be used only once.

Any seeds produced via Terminator seeds are sterile and useless, so anyone wishing to grow more of the same will have to buy more seeds from the source.

This will be bad enough – eventually – for Cannabis growers, though it does strike me that as weed is one of those plants with an innate capacity for survival, it will be pretty much impossible to eradicate it from the face of the planet; the

Arguably, high THC isn’t very good for you over the long term anyway, and there are plenty of decent single varieties out there. Think about it this way: what did you do for grass before Skunk and all the

AS FAR BACK AS 1938, THE VALUE OF CANNABIS AS AN ORGANIZED AND BONA FIDE INDUSTRY WAS ESTIMATED AS BEING WORTH BILLIONS OF DOLLARS changing these; modifying them – and, so the propaganda machine is forever telling us, improving them.

There’s been an element of modification present in the dope scene for a long time in the shape of cross pollination, simple grafting, etc. But what’s on the horizon is something else completely because the big (and we are talking BIG) genetics and bio-technology boys have decided that they want to play too, but they don’t want to share the ball, and they want to re-write the rules of the game into the bargain.

Naturally, it’s all about money: not the sort of amounts usually attributed to the Cannabis market, but gazillions of dollars, Euros, pounds sterling, whatever... and all of it legal (but definitely not moral).

As far back as 1938, the value of Cannabis as an organized and bona fide industry was estimated as being worth billions of dollars. Since those days, of course, the potential of the Cannabis plant is becoming more widely recognized. To take one example, the medical and therapeutic possibilities of Cannabis have come to the fore in relation to effective treatments for – among many others – Multiple Sclerosis, various cancers, and mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety. Find truly efficacious medicines for any of these and you’ve hit the jackpot. Find a single source for treatments for all of them and you’ve got a ‘license to print money’, particularly if you can keep the source to yourself. And restricting access to the source is what’s going on.

“But it’s a plant! How could that possibly happen?”

Americans have been trying to do it for years, after all.

The best advice I can think of (but do get in touch if you’ve any better to offer) would be: just grow a nice, moderate strength, au naturel strain that’s not been fiddled with in a lab or tweaked by some kitchen geneticist to up the THC content.

rest of them came along? Get cuttings from a reliable and trusted source and do it the low tech way that functioned perfectly well for millennia. This is fine for small scale operations, but what about bigger ones, producing crops other than Cannabis but more immediately important? Something like corn, for example?

As I was saying, this will all be bad enough for Cannabis growers, but there’s a more serious issue at the heart of the matter. When the whole GM crops thing started to properly hit the news back in the late 1990s, it was predicted by some that all of what is now happening would come to pass. There was (and remains) a question mark over whether or not introducing GM to the food chain and consuming GM food might be harmful.

However, this was only one part of a far bigger concern; namely, if in the fullness of time the only crop seeds available are patented GMO seeds, which when planted produce edible (?) food stuff but not viable seed for growing more crops next season, what happens?

Here’s what happens: something that used to be part of a natural cycle – plant a seed, grow the crop, use the crop while saving the seeds from that crop for the next planting and growing cycle – is gone.

All of that will be gone, and Cannabis grown for R&R purposes should really be the least of our worries. Before the start of every sowing season, the seed supply for planting will have to be bought anew from one of the big bio-tech interests or their subsidiaries (I’m taking care not to mention any names here). If you’re not prepared to do that, or can’t afford to do it, then that’s very unfortunate, but ‘business is business’ and we can’t just give the stuff away as we’ve got shareholders to keep in the manner to which they’ve become accustomed.

Consider for a moment the effect this will have on, say, maize production in the developing world. The implications are seriously grim, aren’t they? Where will it all end? Fifteen years ago, I’d have dismissed all of this as paranoid nonsense, but it’s here and I’m sure it’s just the beginning.

A possible future: the weed in your pipe; the medicine you need to keep you well; the food on your plate; all of it monopolized and regulated by scientists and money men. If this isn’t what you want for the future, then it’s time to take a stand.

33

LEGISLATION / ENDANGERED STRAINS

100 Years of the International Drug War export. This led to another, even more effective policy-writing assembly, one that would permanently define our society’s modern history of – and relationship with – drugs.

CHARAS IS TRADITIONAL, HAND-RUBBED INDIAN HASH (PHOTO: WIKIKNOWLEDGE)

SADHU OFFERING CHARAS TO SHIVA IN INDIA (PHOTO: MANNASEEJAH)

In 1909 the US assembled 12 other nations in Shanghai for a meeting known as the International Opium Commission. The multi-country unification of drug control policy was a result of intense international pressure placed upon the Chinese government due to their large-scale opium

Last month marked the centennial of the signing of a single document, ushering in 100 years of ‘war’ on drugs around the world. The International Opium Convention formalized the International Opium Conference, attended by representatives of the US, the Netherlands, Italy, the UK, France, Germany, Portugal, Russia, China, Japan, Persia (Iran) and Siam (Thailand), and was signed on the 23rd of January, 1912. Hosted by the Hague, the Conference established the world’s first official international drug policy agreement.

By 1915 the document had been implemented in the US, Holland, Norway, China and Honduras; four years later the Convention applied globally after being incorporated into the Treaty of Versailles.

Every country in the world was now expected to control the distribution, cultivation/production, importation or exportation, or sale of opium, morphine, heroin or cocaine – or any alternative form of these drugs.

Purple Haze Purple genetics, and especially Purple Haze itself, are a topic of endless controversy within the growing community.

Cold temperatures during flowering play a large part in the appearance of purple coloration, but in recent years varieties that express purplish, blue or red hues – without the need for a drop in temperature – are becoming hugely popular. In the midst of all this progress the original

Kali Mist

that its descendents may be found in a smallish selection of purple outdoor varieties still available in the Netherlands today. The fact that the existing Dutch purple strains are very similar in appearance, effect and taste could be explained by this theory.

The majority of known purple strains are sativa-dominant, with a cerebral and

OPIATES HAVE BEEN Sativa Diva

In 1922 the document was registered in the League of Nations Treaty Series. Nearly 60 countries had become members by the mid-1920s, again signing and ratifying the treaty (between then and 1949, seven more nations would join.)

The Convention was revised in Geneva in 1925; this version simultaneously took effect and was registered in the League of Nations Treaty Series (for the second time) three years later. It established a ‘Permanent Central Opium Board’, under the auspices of the League of Nations.

The ‘control’ that member nations were expected to exhort over their local drug industries was clarified, and finally provided with a statistical, measurable system. Concurrently Egypt, supported by the US and China, implored for hashish to be incorporated into the list of prohibited drugs.

The addendum dictated that: “The use of Indian hemp and the preparations derived therefrom may only be authorized for medical and scientific purposes.” It went on to recommend addition of resin (hash) to the existing ban, stating that not only were there were no medical applications for charas, but that it was “susceptible of utili[z]ation for harmful purposes”.

It is difficult to pinpoint the origin and characteristics of the original Purple Haze, and some claim that there never was a single, true-breeding strain of that name – that it is in fact merely a generic term for purplish pot, whatever the lineage. Others are adamant that the strain existed, and is now extremely rare, if not extinct. Those in the latter school of thought believe that the original Purple Haze was a cross between an early Dutch skunk and a Thai/Colombian haze, and

uplifting effect (no doubt due to the Thai genetics that are so common with purple lineages), and a refined, delicate grape or hyacinth aroma. Often, Afghani or Indian indica varieties are used to create purple strains, due to their tolerance of colder temperatures. In today’s cornucopia of Cannabis varieties, there are strains with purple leaves only, those with purpling on just the buds, and those that express purple over the entire plant.

The purple effect begins to express towards the end of the flowering cycle, as molecules that reflect the red end of the spectrum begin to accumulate.

OPIUM POPPIES (PHOTO: SUPERFANTASTIC) India and other countries protested the language of this provision, illuminating the cultural, religious and ethno-botanical history of Cannabis in certain regions. As a result, the hashish clause was ultimately rejected, in favor of re-wording the ban to include international export of Indian hemp. Resin and related products were to be highly controlled, and illicit international drug trafficking curtailed. Certain loopholes are still taken advantage of today – such as in Dutch coffeeshops – where domestic consumption is not as strictly legislated.

This document stood as the unifying international drug policy until 1961, when it was superseded by the UN’s Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs.

These molecules, called anthocyanins, form in response to successively cooler nights and shorter days, which leads to the idea that purple buds are just the result of cold temperatures. However, when grown from seed, purpling occurs to varying degrees – and often not at all – depending on the individual plant’s genetics.

Despite this, if a plant that has a tendency to purple is exposed to cooler-thannormal temperatures, the purple effect will be intensified. This is certainly the

THE PURPLE EFFECT BEGINS TO EXPRESS TOWARDS THE END OF THE FLOWER CYCLE Purple Haze has apparently been lost, as with so many of the famous strains of the 1970s.

PRESCRIBED FOR MANY YEARS (PHOTO: MPV_51)

A SWEET PURPLE EXAMPLE SHOWS PURPLING TO THE BUDS ONLY

case with the present-day outdoor Dutch purples, which often are so purple as to almost appear black, while the stems and leaves remain lighter and greener in comparison. The original Purple Haze was said to share this tendency.

Whether or not the Dutch purples of today are truly the direct descendants of the original, they seem to have much in common with it. However, the focus has shifted onto more potent strains that will still go purple even indoors; while some of these genetics are incredible in their own right, it is sad that the original strains are being forgotten.

THIS BEAUTIFUL PURPLE KUSH EXHIBITS SOME PURPLING THROUGHOUT

34

INTERNATIONAL GROWERS

Growing in Laos: Mr. Don and the Wild Man, Part II

The Professor

THERE WAS STILL A GOOD WEEK TO GO OR SO I THOUGHT BEFORE THE END OF THE LONG WAIT WHEN MR. DON KNOCKED ON THE WINDOW OF MY HUT AGAIN...

It was about seven in the morning; he looked a little bit concerned and he was motioning for me to follow him: “Nah, man, it’s too early, you gotta leave them another week.”

He shook his head. “Cannot, people come, steal two plants, only four left.”

“What?”

He laughed…

“It’s okay, have a bigger crop, more plants.”

He raised his fist and wrapped his hand around his forearm, indicating the size of the stalks, “I not tell you before!”

I jumped into my shorts and followed him down the path into the jungle of the island. When we got to the last house at the end of the track he led me upstairs, where the plants had all been stacked on top of each other. The wild man was there as well, still grinning his wild grin, but this time without the machete in his hand. They both looked incredibly proud of themselves. Mr. Don ripped a branch from one of the plants, wrapped his forefinger and thumb around the bottom end of the branch and then, very aggressively, pulled the branch through the tight hole he’d made in his hand, ripping all the leaves off, squashing the buds and taking a good portion of the precious trichomes off with it all.

I couldn’t believe what I’d just seen! Still holding the branch, he grabbed my wrist and led me briskly down into the yard again; he broke off a bud, put it on a flat stone, picked up another stone and then bashed it into a soggy green mess! He was still looking very proud of himself. He told me to roll it up and try it. I did what he asked but I was laughing at him and shaking my head: “Won’t burn, not dry, need to dry....”

pairs of nail scissors I had with me, went down to the stash house again and met up with the wild man, where we set to work trimming the plants as we sampled the harvest.

It was great smoke, not a seed to be found, and I doubt the extra week I’d have given them would’ve made much difference – it was fully mature, pure sativa, organic sinsemilla that had been grown

“Yeah, sorry mate, I got stuck here and went there late, I was hoping you’d still be there – I’ve only just gotten back. Do you know a guy there called Mr. Don? He’s got some fucking good weed!”

I laughed, “Yeah man, that’s the shit I’ve been talking about!”

“Really? Don’t tell anyone, but I brought a kilo back. I’m gonna make some good money from that – I’m going back in a couple of weeks’ time to get another one as well!”

She was a sharp little Thai girl and I didn’t worry too much about her smuggling between the two borders, she knew the risks and she knew the game. That was the icing on the cake for me – I’d had a great experience out there, I’d helped a couple of locals get a financial step up in a very poor country, one of my best

IT WAS FULLY MATURE, PURE SATIVA, ORGANIC SINSEMILLA THAT HAD BEEN GROWN UNDER THE TROPICAL SUN AND FERTILIZED WITH SOME LOCAL CHICKEN SHIT I led the confused looking Mr. Don upstairs again to rescue the rest of the plants before the wild man set to work ripping them to shreds. I showed them how to hang the plants and stressed the need for gentle treatment. They were big, heavy plants as well; there looked to be at least a kilo on the smallest ones and the bigger ones were twice the size – there were ten of them in total.

Mr. Don ripped off a good-looking branch from one of the bigger plants and gave it to me to take back to my hut. I told him I’d use it as a time gauge, and when it had dried out properly I’d give him a shout and we’d set to work trimming the rest of it. We didn’t have to wait long – the heat and the breeze of the river dried the branch out in five days. I took the two

under the tropical sun and fertilized with some local chicken shit. Read and weep, my friends! After trimming a couple of plants with those pathetic little scissors our hands were aching badly and we decided to ditch the work for the day.

We spent the next few hours getting smashed in the back yard under the banana trees. Smoking in that environment just adds to the amazing sativa high.

They gave me several bags to take and sell to the other lucky travelers wandering around; I wasn’t particularly sure about that but they assured me I wouldn’t get into any trouble.

Back in Bangkok, it was over a month before I caught up with the friend who promised me she’d visit. “What happened to you?”

Thai friends was lining her pockets with proceeds from the crop and several of my pals in Bangkok were getting to sample it courtesy of her efforts.

Two years later I was back in South East Asia and I wanted to go and see how Mr. Don was doing; I was curious to know if they’d expanded their operation and I was hoping for some new, improved smoke. I managed to find him easily enough; he’d built a big new restaurant thanks to getting a lot of tourist dollars for the crop. His kids were lazing about, watching portable DVD players and enjoying luxuries that none of the other kids on the island could afford – I felt a twinge of guilt when I saw that. I asked Mr. Don if he had any spare smoke and he gave me a handful of stalky, seeded crap.

“What’s this? What happened?”

He shrugged his shoulders and grinned his shifty grin. “I take you on a fishing trip tomorrow,” he told me, with a subtle nod of his head.

I asked about his friend, the wild man, and his face dropped – he told me that they weren’t friends anymore because the wild man had gone crazy on Lao Lao, fighting people and causing trouble. I was sorry to hear that; I’d gotten on well with the guy despite our total lack of verbal communication.

The next day he came and told me to get ready to leave in the evening, we were going for the whole night. This time he piloted the boat through the river for a good 30 minutes before we got to where we were going – another island a lot farther away from the one we were staying on. He told me it was the fisherman’s island and that I was the first non-local that had ever been there. There were a few fishermen milling about, some of them giving me a wary once-over; others happily coming up and shaking hands.

35 Mr. Don led me to a little bamboo platform where the local wreck-head, a guy I recognized from the island we were staying on, was getting stuck into a bamboo bong; he was off his face and sprawled, grinning and glassy-eyed, on the floor of the platform. When he saw me he sprang to life and, between Mr. Don pushing and him pulling, I was up on the platform with him and the bong in no time at all. Seeing the state he was in, I was a bit appre-

either of us were getting out of this now! I took my bong, held it, enjoyed it, exhaled and then loaded it for the newcomer.

I didn’t want to dose him, so I only halffilled the bowl. I don’t think this guy had ever smoked anything before – certainly not a bong – because he held the flame to the bowl and inhaled as hard as if he was sucking his first breath of air after being held underwater for five minutes! The

After all the excitement died down Mr. Don told me to follow him – it’d be getting dark very soon and he wanted to show me something. I followed him through the trees, and just as we were getting close to the shelter we were going to be sleeping under he stopped me: “Look!”

LAO WEED IS OFTEN COM“Look at what?” I asked, looking around.

HE AGGRESSIVELY PULLED THE BRANCH THROUGH THE HOLE HE’D MADE IN HIS HAND, RIPPING ALL THE LEAVES OFF, SQUASHING THE BUDS AND TAKING A GOOD PORTION OF THE PRECIOUS TRICHOMES WITH THEM hensive about having a hit – I’d given up bongs years ago but I wasn’t exactly in the position to turn it down!

The wreck-head loaded it for me; I took the lighter and gave it some lungs. I took my finger off the shotty and the smoke flew down my throat as smoothly as a glass of Baileys after a three-hour walk in the desert! Mr. Don asked me how it was.

weed in the bowl burned through so fast he didn’t have time to take his thumb off the shotty before the ash sucked through into the water. The air that flew in behind it forced the smoke into his lungs at a rapid rate.

The poor guy exploded into a desperate cloud of coughing, spluttering and smoke before he rushed down the little slope of the river bank and started throwing hand-

“Look,” he said again, pointing at the ground. I looked down and realized we were standing right in the middle of a big patch of about 60 little ganja plants.

“Last year we have more security trouble, people steal the plants, not good, no trust and lots of fighting, bad for the island. This year we all grow together, everyone share, good for the island, good for everyone.”

PRESSED INTO ‘BRICKS’

Laos police!” We were still standing in the middle of the young plantation.

That was a bombshell I never expected. I scoffed in disbelief and he laughed at me.

“It’s okay, no problem,” he told me, enjoying his ultimate moment of glory.

That night about 12 of us pitched our hammocks under the small shelter that had been made from metal posts and bits of corrugated iron left over from the American war in Vietnam. We smoked until long after dark and listened to Hallucinogen’s The Lone Deranger through my small speakers – one old guy

“Yeah man! Nice, smooth!”

He laughed and translated for the small crowd that was gathering to watch the white man smoke the bong; they all burst out laughing and started chattering amongst themselves. The wreck-head loaded the bong again and we had a few more each – I insisted he took a hit for every hit that I had, and after a few bongs each we’d become the evening’s entertainment for the growing crowd of fishermen.

THIS SATIVA PLANT THRIVES IN THE LAO SUN (PHOTO: TUKTUKCHARLIE)

I’d had enough after several big hits when a young, clean-cut local guy came along.

He’d heard all the commotion but he was too late – I was trashed and I wasn’t going to smoke anymore just to amuse him.

He was insistent though, and so was the crowd. I negotiated with him; I told him I’d do another one if he did one after me, he didn’t want that but as soon as I mentioned the idea the rest of the fishermen started howling with laughter and slapping him on the back – there was no way

fuls of water down his throat. The rest of the crowd were howling with laughter; a few of them went down to slap him on the back and congratulate him and I jumped down from the platform to shake his hand and make sure he was all right. He was, but he was just starting the ride of his life... his bug-eyes were rolling and he was laughing along with everyone else, but he didn’t have a clue what had just hit him!

I was over the moon! The nagging feeling of guilt I’d had when I’d seen the size of his new restaurant and the hi-tech toys his kids had just disappeared; the whole community were in it together now.

“You talk about security, but now many people know; what if someone talks?

Don’t you worry about Laos police?”

Mr. Don grinned his usual shifty grin, “I am

in particular loved it, he was staring at the speakers and I could see him floating on every sound that came out of them.

When the album finished he looked at me with stoned, happy eyes and a big smile.

He grabbed my hand in a firm handshake and didn’t say a word, just nodded his approval before we all drifted off to the white noise of the waterfall a few hundred yards away.

DOWNLOAD AND READ YOUR FREE COPY ONLINE

WWW.SOFTSECRETS.NL

AND NEW OVED IMPR ITE WEBS

36

Controversy can be good!

By Len Richmond

FOR DOCUMENTARY, WHAT IF CANNABIS CURED CANCER They say write about what you know, and well, I have always been a big pothead.

Those High Times centerfolds of plump marijuana buds are like porn to me.

I’ve also had a family with a history of cancer. It’s killed most of my older relatives — except for my mom, who successfully went the alternative natural route.

After making a small, but sincere doc about people who had been given death sentences for cancer but survived using diet and herbs (Everything Bad is Good), I was searching for my next subject. It had to be something equally important.

A marijuana rights group, “Americans for Safe Access,” published a series of small pamphlets about cannabis and health.

One was called Medical Marijuana and Cancer. In it was one paragraph that grabbed my attention: it explained that cutting-edge research was being done into whether cannabis could kill cancer cells. That was basically all it said — one short paragraph — but I thought to myself, I have the idea for my next project!

What if cannabis cured cancer? Damn, wouldn’t that be nice? And wouldn’t it annoy all those anti-pot crusaders?

Wouldn’t it undercut the government’s misinformation campaign about my favorite herb? I was practically drooling.

(No, actually I was drooling).

I made What if Cannabis Cured Cancer with my own money; it’s the type of film that nobody else was going to finance.

Pictures like this one seldom, if ever, get theatrical releases; they’re just too far out of the mainstream. What if Cannabis Cured Cancer has, however, been a darling at film festivals around the world, winning “Best Documentary” awards in sold-out screenings. It has also sold extremely well on Amazon.

Frankly, filmmakers like me don’t need the corrupt old system anymore to get our message out. We have DVDs, internet downloads, film festivals, and community screenings. My film is being shown around the country in libraries, churches, and town halls by cannabis organizations.

Because of its passionate support in the medical marijuana community, What if Cannabis Cured Cancer has had a bigger launch than any niche theatrical releases could have given it.

To start with, I wrote a solidly researched script, consulting with doctors in the field.

Then I worked hard to gain the trust of the scientists doing this controversial research. Once I managed to capture a number of interviews with them, I was ready to start working on the documentary structure. The problem was, being more emotional than logical, I’m not a natural editor, so I was having trouble piecing together the jigsaw puzzle of the picture.

Then happenstance happened: a talented Italian filmmaker I knew was fascinated by the subject matter offered to help.

Massimo Mazzucco had already made a best-selling documentary entitled, Cancer, the Forbidden Cures, and so a new herbal treatment for the disease was something he personally wanted to investigate. Over the next year Massimo worked on the gargantuan task of piecing together the elements of the film. He brought a highly professional gloss to What if Cannabis Cured Cancer that I doubt I could have achieved with my old Toshiba laptop.

What my Italian editor wasn’t, was a pot smoker, so I had to guide him through my world. Massimo thought we should repeat some of the scare tactics about pot that the greater society accepts as true.

I strongly disagreed. “For God’s sake, we know the government’s side of the argument. This is a pro-pot movie,” I explained.

“I want people to realize how damn smart they are to have chosen marijuana as their drug of choice!” Being an intellectual, Massimo brought to the film a strong respect for science — as well as an Italian flare for visuals. We were a great combination: the gay, Jewish comedy writer and the straight, Italian film director. I wanted to entertain. He wanted to inform. I wanted a film that you could enjoy high. He wanted to convince a skeptical, non-stoner public. Friendly battles ensued, mostly over Skype, since we didn’t live in the same city. He sent me various cuts over FTP and I’d send him back pages of notes.

Cannabis cures cancer? I know it sounds ridiculous, but in making this film, I’ve interviewed many courageous doctors and struggling researchers who are challenging the medical system and its pharmaceutical monopoly — with the truth.

A truth they are able to back up with hard (and some soft) science. As my doc out lines, the government knew that marijuana had a strong potential to cure certain cancers over thirty years ago, but quickly shut down the promising research because it conflicted with their war on drugs.

The first physician I interviewed, Dr. Jeffrey Hergenrather, started monitoring cancer patients who were making their own concentrates of cannabis or consuming large amounts of the whole plant. Over time, several started getting better. Why? As Dr. Hergenrather explains in the film, whether you smoke pot or not, you have marijuana-like substances in your body.

They’re naturally in your body, you are born with them, and they’re called the endocannabinoid system.

Endocannabinoid receptors are found in our nervous and immune systems, and they have almost an identical structure to the chemicals found in cannabis.

When marijuana meets the endocannabinoids already inside of us, it’s like a key opening a lock. Working together, they form into modulators of good health. Endocannabinoid receptors act as tumor regulators, mood regulators, antidepressants, anti-inflammatories, and the list goes on.

Duringourinterview, a s Dr . Hergenrather as was talking about this, I thought, “Oh my God, there’s a really important issue here — beyond anything I realized. We’re dealing with the whole science of medicine!” After a year, Massimo and I had our first solid cut of the film. It was then that I decided to try and get some name talent on board. I felt that such a controversial issue could use the stamp of celebrity. We eventually got Peter Coyote to narrate.

Peter seems to be the narrator of half the documentaries on Public Television. Who could be more convincing?

The legendary Roseanne Barr, and brilliant Malcolm McDowell agreed to do voiceovers for Kurt Cannabis Meets Connie Cancer, a comedy puppet short that we added as a bonus on the DVD. They weren’t free. They’re union. They’re stars. But they worked for greatly reduced fees because they believed in what we were doing.

I’ve been working with several medical marijuana groups to get the documentary into the hands of lawmakers and the establishment medical community.

So far, my film has been given to the Los Angeles City Council, the Kansas State Legislature, the Dutch Parliament, the Las Vegas City Council, 100 selected members of Congress in Washington, D.C., and over a dozen other city councils and legislatures across America. I’ve become a bit of a working- class hero taking on the antistoner establishment.

My early hippie dreams of making a better world are finally coming true — because now I have a weapon I can use to fight back! I’m not really the kind to go out and picket with signs. My movie is my weapon for effecting change.

Email Len: lenrichmondfilms@earthlink. net. What if Cannabis Cured Cancer is sold on Amazon or can be ordered through LenRichmondFilms.com. Check Facebook for the latest film festivals and free screenings.

MOVIE STILL OF GUZMAN IN LAB

PUPPET CHARACTERS KURT AND CONNIE (VOICED BY DIRECTOR LEN RICHMOND

ROSEANNE BARR AND MALCOM MCDOWELL)

37

SMUGGLER’S TALES

Once upon a Crime This one you just couldn’t make up. Our tale starts in an old Amsterdam bar, hangout of a group of ex-patriot Americans trapped in the city’s gravitational pull.

Clever and resourceful, they were making a living running loaded campers between Morocco and Scandinavia, but they were ambitious. Their focus shifted to Lebanon, a major exporter of hashish at the time.

They decided to buy half a ton of red Lebanese hashish, a particularly soft and pungent variety much in demand – and sadly missed these days. Their chosen method of transport was going to be a boat; the fact that none of them had any nautical experience seemed irrelevant in the swirl of egos and enthusiasm.

TJ, with the largest ego, divided them into two teams. The first, an equal mix of muscle and brains, would fly to Beirut with a contact number and a bag of cash; they would arrange the buy. The second team, more muscle than brains, would locate a boat.

Back in the ‘60s, Beirut was the ‘Paris of the Middle East’, an easy-going place where money could smooth any wrinkle. It was also awash with hashish, so 500 kilos

would be no problem – and it wasn’t.

Ten days later, over mint tea a deal was sealed on a farm outside Baalbek. Money changed hands, and in two weeks half a ton of the finest quality hashish would be delivered to the coast. It was running like clockwork; what could go wrong?

Across the Aegean Sea the second team was combining their search for a boat with a vacation. Their plan called for a fishing boat or small cargo vessel, but being light on brains, what they actually bought was a seventy-foot J-Class racing yacht with two acres of sail. TJ exploded when he found out, and hopped on the next plane to Athens. Arriving unannounced,

off the boat. Then the argument started.

In the end TJ agreed it was a beautiful boat, but ‘the fucking exact opposite’ of what they were told to buy. Despite their best efforts, they couldn’t get the money back. A survey revealed the vessel needed ten grand and a month’s work to get it shipshape, a month they didn’t have – delivery was only days away. TJ and company returned to Amsterdam, leaving the ‘Captain’ behind, nursing a black eye and with instructions to get rid of the yacht.

TJ arrived back to find numerous messages from Beirut, each one a little more desperate, as they were running out of cash.

This was not the time to tell them about

O’Riodon In Beirut the money arrived just in time; payment was already overdue and the farmer was becoming suspicious.

Assuming TJ’s imminent arrival meant the boat was close by; they made an appointment to take delivery. The following day, in a rented panel truck, they drove to an olive grove outside the city. The farmer was waiting, leaning on his pick-up, rifle at his side. The exchange was a nervous moment. The boys showed the cash and asked to check the load. The farmer pulled back the truck’s tarp to reveal ten large kit bags. Opening one, he took out a plaque and slit it open, the air immediately filled with the scent of flowers.

He waved the plaque under their noses

Their chosen method of transport was going to be a boat; the fact that none of them had any nautical experience seemed irrelevant he found the boat awash with blondes and booze.

Below decks he punched the first guy he came across and kicked everybody

their new racing yacht, so he simply wired money and a message that he’d be there soon. With no boat and no time, there was only one alternative: get the campers out of storage and drive the load back.

and smiles broke out all round. While the farmer sat counting his money, they checked the rest of the bags – all was in order. At that moment, anyway, it seemed as if everything was.

TJ called to say he’d be there in a couple of days, after he’d dealt with a minor problem, and then hung up before they could ask more. If the truth got out now they’d back out and he’d never pull it off. There was a plan, but he needed more time.

The couple of days turned into a week and the boys were getting nervous. They changed hotels and smuggled the hash up to their rooms. Now they had the 500 kilos under their beds, and every air freshener in Beirut.

THE LEGENDARY RED LEBANESE HASH

INFLATABLE TRANSPORT

THE WRONG BOAT

WAITING FOR THE BOAT

TJ arrived a week late. Back at the hotel he came straight to the point and told them about the boat fiasco. There was lots of cursing, mostly because he hadn’t told them sooner. When things calmed down, he opened a bottle of JD and told them about his new plan.

Two camper vans were already on board a ferry bound for Cyprus, and would be there in a couple of days. As for getting the load over to Cyprus, the solution to that problem was out at the airport: a heavy duty inflatable boat purchased from a Dutch oil company, along with a pair of outboards. Big enough to carry a car, it would easily carry the load and the fuel needed for the trip to Cyprus. Moving the load any other way was impossible; ferries and borders were heavily controlled due to the heroin trade. It was this or nothing.

Besides, it was summer and the weather was quiet; it would be an easy crossing.

After some bitching they agreed. The next moonless night was only a week away, they’d do it then.

38 Drawing straws they picked a crew, who then used the next days to become accustomed to the boat, which turned out to be very fast and well-suited for the job.

Dressed in wetsuits and diving equipment, they cruised the coastline looking for a loading spot and it didn’t take long to find one.

TJ and the remaining members of the team located extra equipment that would be needed for the trip. A message arrived that the campers were in place on Cyprus, along with the coordinates of the pick-up spot. Everything was ready.

The day came and the boat left the harbor as usual, but this time it wouldn’t return.

At the loading spot they transferred the bags on board, covering them with a tarp.

Dressed in wetsuits, if stopped they would say they were diving and had gotten lost.

They set off at sunset, armed with charts,

weren’t in Cyprus, but Turkey.

The storm had blown them far north and if that wasn’t enough, the place they’d buried the load was in the middle of a military firing range, not in use that day because it was Friday, a Muslim holiday.

He’d also called TJ, who was shocked, but relieved they hadn’t drowned. The plan now was to get the campers to Turkey, but it would take time. Their instructions were to continue on to the next coastal town and wait. The harbor officials and the police bought their story, especially when it was illustrated with dollar bills.

They booked into a hotel and waited.

TJ arrived the following Saturday with just one camper, the other had broken down.

Not wanting to wait until the following Friday, they set off in the repaired boat to pick up the load. This time they saw the military warning signs. It took over four

Now they had the 500 kilos under their beds, and every air freshener in Beirut compass and more than enough fuel for the trip. The others would fly to Cyprus and meet them next morning. Out at sea, the loaded boat was a lot heavier, but still very fast – so much so they decided to slow down in case they arrived too soon. There was only one flaw in their plan: nobody had bothered to check the weather forecast.

hours to find the spot. As they started to dig, live shells began flying over their heads. Scared shitless and high on adrenalin, they loaded the boat in minutes and left at full throttle. TJ met them on the beach at the edge of the military zone.

Once the bags were in the van, they filled the deflated boat with rocks and watched it sink beneath the waves.

The storm hit them around midnight; within minutes the sea was a raging torrent. From out of the darkness a large wave swamped the boat, almost capsizing them, and killing the engines. For the next four hours they were at the mercy of the elements, nearly capsizing a number of times. At first light the storm subsided and they were able to take stock of the situation. Four bags had gone overboard, along with charts, compass and spare fuel.

There was a survival kit, but the compass was broken.

The six bags they’d saved contained 300 kilos; the van only had space for 250, so the remaining 50 kilos were stuffed temporarily into the roof. Reaching Istanbul a couple of days later, TJ rented a Mercedes and transferred the extra hash into the back body panels.

The next day, with the camper in the lead, they headed north toward the Bulgarian border. Arriving late at night, the guards waved the camper (with its Dutch license plates) straight through. TJ, with Turkish

BULGARIAN BORDER CROSSING

STRAYING OFF COURSE CAN LEAD TO...

...DANGEROUS DESTINATIONS, SUCH AS MILITARY ARTILLERY RANGES

plates, was stopped and searched. After a few minutes of poking around they found the hash. When TJ hadn’t appeared, the others parked up and walked back, just in time to see TJ being led away in handcuffs.

With the dodgy false British passport he was using, things looked bad.

Being nighttime, the border only had three guards and TJ was being interrogated by one of them in a side office. They had to work fast, they had to improvise.

Back at the camper they got the bicycle off the back, along with the reserve

guards were busy tackling the blaze, they used the cover of smoke to run in and grab TJ, dragging him off into the night.

Then there was another explosion; this one they hadn’t set, the fire was beginning to spread. Back at the camper they cut off the handcuffs and put TJ on the bike, ramming passport and money into his pockets, they then pointed him toward the Turkish border. He took off, pedaling like a maniac. The guards were far too busy dealing with the fire to notice him fly past. The others ran back to the camper and roared off into the night.

The storm hit them around midnight; within minutes the sea was a raging torrent fuel can. Inside they found bolt cutters, money and TJ’s real passport. They then made a couple of Molotov cocktails and headed back.

The first explosion brought the border guards out immediately; moments later the rental car burst into flame. While the

Five days later they arrived in Amsterdam with the remaining 250 kilos. TJ had flown back via Istanbul and was there to greet them. After the trip’s huge expense, the little bit of profit left over was spent on a large party. Back in Bulgaria, police were searching for an Englishman named Eric Clapton.

They drifted all day, occasionally trying to start the engines. In the evening, finally, one coughed to life, but they were low on fuel. They decided to drift through the night, hoping the current would carry them to Cyprus. Sure enough, next morning they sighted land and thought they’d made it. Firing up the engine, half an hour later they landed on a long deserted beach, which they didn’t recognize.

Climbing atop a sand dune, that’s all they could see to the horizon.

Dragging the load ashore, they buried it and marked the spot with driftwood.

Without a compass, they headed what they guessed was north, but the beach continued for miles with no sign of life.

Almost out of fuel they spotted a road.

Fortunately they still had their passports and a wad of cash. Barefoot in shorts and a tee shirt, one of them set off to find signs of life. He returned three hours later in a taxi with supplies and the news that they

BURIED THE LOAD AND MARKED IT WITH DRIFTWOOD

39

Saint Valentine’s Day Valentine’s Day is celebrated on February 14th in many countries around the globe. It is the day of celebration for romantic love and affection between people. It’s exact origin is debatable, although the Roman fertility holiday between February 13th and 15th, known as Lupercalia, may have be re-purposed over time and modified until it reached its current form.

Valentine’s Day is still a fertility holiday of sorts, dedicated to lovers in love. To paraphrase Chaucer: “For this was Saint Valentine’s Day, when every bird comes to choose his mate.” Commercial and religious influences aside, Valentine’s Day is about romantic love. Love is an important human emotion, and one to be celebrated and rejoiced. Today’s economic climate has tightened the budgets of many and extravagances may have to be smaller than they once were, but love comes free in human hearts. Use your skills. You have skills, find a romantic way

to use them and show them off. Be creative and express yourself.

Here are some ways to show your favorite viper what you think of them on Valentine’s Day: Take the day off and spend it with them.

Do a new or favorite activity with them (see the article on backyard Pot-tery in this issue for an idea). Clean their pipe, bong, or other smoking apparatus for them (carefully). Avoid harsh chemicals, or sudden changes in temperature. Hot

ATTACH TWO PAPERS TOGETHER IN A SQUARE, THEN FOLD IN HALF DIAGONALLY

Grubbycup

water with alcohol and rock salt is a common home cleanser. Write them a real love letter, with paper and pen. Although many communications today are electronic in nature, writing down what is in your heart and giving it to your love can make for a wonderful keepsake. Remind them (and you) why the two of you are together. Find a pressure you can give them a break from; take care of chores they usually do; hire a babysitter; make a

sheet should connect the two sheets, and the glue from the second sheet should be face up and to the extreme left. Fold the lower right corner up to the upper left edge, forming a triangle shape. Leave enough space to fold over the glued edge and seal to the outside of the paper.

This should form a cone, which is filled and packed with Cannabis. A long joint is inserted into the center of the cone, and the paper from the cone is wrapped around the end of the joint. A torn glue strip from a spare rolling paper can be used to secure the two pieces together.

One makes for a nice-sized joint to share,

To paraphrase Chaucer: “For this was Saint Valentine’s Day, when every bird comes to choose his mate” special dinner for them – show them that you appreciate the things that they do.

Roll up some fancy joints for two. A ‘cupid’s arrow’ is a variation on a tulip: Take two papers, and connect them so they form a square. The glue from the first

SEAL THE CONE, AND ROLL A JOINT

and several make for a lovely bouquet.

Being in love is something to honor; it is a day for rejoicing, and feeling alive.

Peace, love and puka shells, Grubbycup

INSERT THE END OF THE JOINT INTO THE CONE, WRAP, AND USE A SPARE GLUE STRIP TO HOLD IN PLACE

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SMUGGLER’S TALES take it – if for nothing else than for the sake of the poor, confused seagulls.

Flying High IS IT A BIRD? IS IT A PLANE? NO, IT’S A MODIFIED MODEL CESSNA WITH FIVE POUNDS IN THE HOLD...

There’s been a spattering of news reports recently about model helicopters and airplanes crashing or being intercepted by the authorities, which are then found to be specially adapted for smuggling Cannabis.

These (often custom-built) units can be highly advanced, and many operate using GPS for guidance, meaning that it is not necessary for an operative to be constantly manning the controls. Their guidance systems are usually so accurate that a device will land mere inches from its programmed coordinates – weather and air defense systems permitting. It’s possible to modify the interior design and layout of the aircraft to increase the hold space; usually just a few pounds of pot or hashish can fit in such cramped conditions, but anecdotes suggest that some model helicopters can be

the UK – and occasionally for Caribbean island-hopping. The advantage of this system is anonymity. If the authorities find a crashed model aircraft, they can seldom extract clues as to its origin; a mule on the other hand may be persuaded to part with potentially incriminating information. Furthermore, the only witnesses to such a flight would usually be a handful of bemused sea birds, who have thus far proved somewhat reticent on what they may or may not have seen.

However, the initial expense of the equipment can be prohibitive. From research it seems that a reliable GPS helicopter, large enough to carry viable weight and with all necessary accessories, would cost a couple of thousand dollars – more

Kali Mist

Another contender for the title of Most Innovative Smuggling Attempt Ever is the plot, exposed by National Guard troops watching the Mexico-Arizona border in January 2011, to use a nine-foot-tall, custom-built catapult to fling up to 4.4 pounds of marijuana over the International Border Fence across to American soil. The catapult was driven on a flatbed, pulled by an SUV, to within a distance of just twenty yards from the border. Unfortunately for these would-be entrepreneurs, the troops alerted the Mexican authorities immediately, and the operation was disrupted. Thirtyfive pounds of marijuana were seized – although the smugglers themselves evaded capture.

Overuse of such a method would lead to marked increases in the number of busts, as it would be impossible to ensure the craft would get through undamaged each time, and with time the authorities will catch on to the system. If a smuggling method can be kept ‘niche’, those that utilize it can be somewhat confident that it is not known to every provincial sheriff, who might happen to be gazing at the sky at the very moment the little machines buzz overhead. Someone wise to the game would have them shot down, followed or whatever it is that these people do.

Someone who had no clue would just think it was kids having fun.

In Halifax, a man was arrested for trying to smuggle Cannabis to his brother in prison by throwing tennis balls stuffed with pot and steroids over the fence; in Bucaramanga, Colombia a carrier pigeon was intercepted and found to being carrying a miniature backpack filled with 1.6 oz. of weed and 2 oz. of crack into the local prison. But while it’s amusing to read about these ridiculous attempts, the moral of the story is that these methods are relatively harmless compared to the often ruthless treatment of mules in the smuggling game – not just human but even animal ones, such as the puppies found by the DEA to be stuffed with packages of heroin, destined to be cut open for removal upon reaching their destination. The most obviously unethical aspect of smuggling is the exploitation of these mules, who are often blackmailed or otherwise coerced into making the trip.

If I were to run a small hash-smuggling outfit in Tangiers, I’d keep my ‘copter for the extra-special, straight-from-KingHassan’s-stash, once-every-season grade,

Conversely, the methods described here are simply the efforts of supply to meet demand, without any desire to cause suffering to anyone – merely to trade commodi-

to smaller operations, where one or two flights would go out every week, at most.

A CATAPULT, SIMILAR TO THAT USED AT THE MEXICO-ARIZONA BORDER (© GEOGRAPH.ORG.UK) altered to squeeze in as much as twenty pounds of hash.

So, while it’s hardly an Escobar move, each flight can still be worth tens of thousands to the organizers. This method is still rare, but it seems to be popping up with slightly increased regularity over the last few years. It is preferred for short ocean-crossing journeys such as between Spain and Morocco, the Netherlands and

if it is built to order. It’s possible to get much cheaper models, but these are usually much lower-performance and often radio- or remote controlled, meaning that an operative needs to follow the craft in a boat or other vehicle. Due to this, as well as the limited range (most can hold enough fuel or charge for flights lasting no more than one hour, in fair conditions) and the restricted carrying capacity, this method would seem to be most suited

A LARGE MODEL HELICOPTER, CONTROLLED BY RADIO (© LOCUTIST)

making sure I programmed those coordinates to land right in the lap of the Dampkring guys in Amsterdam. I’d let my ordinary mules do the everyday work – ‘cause that’s just the kind of girl I am – and an average-looking student backpacker type sticks out much less than a mini Apache with a metallic paint job. But as I’m not running said dope-ring, I’ll continue to offer my expert advice from the comfort and safety of my sofa. I hope they

ties highly valued by those on both sides of the fence, wherever it may be. The fact that such methods must be resorted to is endlessly frustrating to all participants, due to the risks and uncertainties always inherent in attempting such moves – if a helicopter goes down, or a catapult is seized, the loss of earnings can be crippling. It is ridiculous, and highly unsustainable in global economic terms, that we should seek to penalize honest traders in such a fashion.

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Water, Water Everywhere – and Something to Make You Think...

The human body should come with some kind of instruction manual.

Even a simple toaster has a pound of paper explaining its operation, but the thing you’re born with, the thing that gets you ‘round the place, O’Riodon nothing! Or is it that we just haven’t discovered it yet?

Scientists are busy mapping DNA, predicting everybody’s potential health risks, life expectancy, even social behavior – but this approach comes with decades of dogma attached, and usually pharmaceutical- and insurance companies lurking in the back ground. 2012 requires a new way of looking at the human body – even a new way of looking at life itself.

There is an ancient legend that says water invented us to carry it about. Although we think of ourselves as flesh and bone, in truth we’re actually large soggy bags of water; approximately 70% of us is liquid.

Reach down and squeeze your thigh, (I said your thigh!): that’s water you’re feeling and it’s magical stuff, all 326 million cubic miles of it on earth, including the water in you.

Water most likely arrived here in the form of ice from deep space a few billion years ago; a few million years later life crawled out of it. Since then, water in some form or other has attended every event that’s ever taken place on this planet, been part of every living thing – and now, finally, it’s part of you.

Formed in the creation of stars, there are vast amounts of water throughout the Universe and within every drop is the trigger that can unlock the chemicals of life.

Special things begin to happen when it comes into contact with DNA – it switches itself ‘on’ in a biochemical sense, almost as if programmed to do so. Does water have a memory?

As our bodies are 70% water, 70% of our diet should be liquid, but forget alcohol as it dehydrates the body. If you are chowing down on fast food and beer, com-

pensate by drinking lots of water. Plain, clean water is best, but fruit and vegetable juices are also a good way to get water on board. Remember, just two percent dehydration can lead to medical problems, so drink lots and often.

Water can also have a deep effect on how we think and feel. Research by Dr. Masaru Emoto, a Japanese scientist, has led to a very interesting discovery. Although the scientific community has yet to respond to his findings, that doesn’t affect its importance.

Working in subzero temperatures, he was photographing the formation of ice crystals when he noticed this could be effected by positive and negative energies. He then started exposing water to different kinds of stimuli, first music, then photographing the crystals as they formed – with surprising results. He then exposed water to aromatherapy essences; the crystals that formed were images of the flowers themselves – a discovery that could help explain some of the mysteries of homeopathy. He then wrote positive and negative words on labels and stuck them to glasses of water. The results were astonishing in that positive words created beautiful crystals, and the negative words malformed ones.

WATER IN SPACE latter part of the last century. A zoologist noticed monkeys would climb into the higher reaches of the Himalayas in the late summer, despite there being no obvious food source there. Following them one time, he noticed they would take incredible risks to reach the dark deposits oozing

issue is a simple cup of tea, morning and evening with half a gram of shilajit in it. Try it for three months and see what you think – I’m sure you’ll be pleasantly surprised. It is best to find the powder; the better quality is like hash and can be rolled into a ball with just the warmth

WATER MOST LIKELY ARRIVED HERE IN THE FORM OF ICE FROM DEEP SPACE A FEW BILLION YEARS AGO; A FEW MILLION YEARS LATER LIFE CRAWLED OUT OF IT All this research, along with many beautiful photographs, was published in a book called Messages from Water; I highly recommend it. Dr. Emoto also has his own site devoted to promoting the understanding of water and its relationship to life (www.masaru-emoto.net).

So, think about it: being mostly water, and the fact that water is affected by positive and negative energies, maybe there’s more to your moods than you think. Understanding the nature of your physical makeup gives you the power to control it, bringing calm to the water within – and water all over the world – eventually bringing peace.

Water can also unlock amazing treasures.

One such treasure is Shilajit, a powerful mixture of minerals and acids that can rejuvenate the human body. Well known to the ancient Greeks and Tibetans, it only came to the notice of the West in the

from cracks in the rocks. This substance, which was well known to the locals, was shilajit, a liquid released from the frozen rock when warmed by the summer sun. It would seep out onto the warm rock where it would dry, leaving a dark deposit rich in natural ionic minerals and acids that have been sealed for millennia inside the rock.

The word shilajit in Sanskrit means ‘rock invincible’.

of your hand. Research has shown it to be anti-inflammatory, pain relieving, antiulcer, anti-stress, anti-aging – and even a ‘smart drug’. It’s pretty amazing stuff for something that oozes out of a crack in the rock. There are many sources on the ‘net, so make up your own mind, but you heard it here first!

Shilajit is water soluble, so the body absorbs it immediately. I’ve been taking it for three months and have noticed a marked improvement in my health. An old sports injury that had bothered me for years cleared up, and I feel younger and stronger. Shilajit is also reputed to activate the pineal gland – the third eye – and on this I can report that my dreams are more vivid and I remember them, which is unusual for a Cannabis user.

So, we come to the recipe, which for this

SHILAJIT

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Pipe Classic Six SALT / Photography by Chris Carlson It’s fall. The leaves are beginning to change colors here in Burlington, Vermont.

Fortunately the month of September also holds a bit of excitement, because every year for the last six years the Bern Gallery has held the ‘Pipe Classic’, a battle royale of a dozen of the world’s best and most exciting pipe artists, where winners are awarded a trophy and a new torch from Glass Torch Technologies. This past autumn was no exception.

Each artist has six hours to do their thing. I already had spoken with Steve Bates about the nature of his piece so I knew what was coming. He had decided to enter the contest without having rehearsed his pipe and in fact had only decided days before just exactly what to make, but he seemed comfortable.

Speaking with Erik Anders (EA) revealed an entirely different approach, one that involved much thought and practice. In fact, he went through his piece three times before the competition. Now, as for Hickory, I could see right away that he was ready. This was a man who had both watched and participated in the Pipe Classic before. I could see by his expression that he had put much thought and energy into designing a piece that would maximize his skills and aesthetic.

Day Two: The first heat began at nine AM with EA, Bates and Hickory trying to finish their entries. Hickory jumped right in.

Erik, in truly professional form, charges forward and begins to execute his piece in order to salvage his entry. Meanwhile, Bates had actually finished all his lampworking the day before, so he is outside wowing the crowd by demonstrating his ‘flame-thrower pipe’. It runs on butane and throws up to a five-foot diameter ball of flame, eight feet out from the weapon.

SAKI

As the first heat comes to an end, Erik and Hickory finish their lampworking and everyone will have an entry. The second heat of day two began with Saki Bomb, Matt Mclamb and JOP. Saki seems a bit nervous at first, but settles into a nice rhythm. JOP begins with some solid prep work. When asked, he says he has practiced but is going to make a piece that is double the size of what he trialled. Meanwhile Matt looks utterly comfortable, and in fact he produces two strange jigs and fixes over 30 rods of glass, cut to size, in each. He dances and sings along with the music playing while the spectators discuss in wonder “what could he be making?”

ENTRY BY STEVE BATES

CREATED BY DOSHWORLD

ANYTHING BUT As the day progressed Erik’s strangelyshaped piece grew until finally an ‘oil lantern’ started to emerge. Unfortunately, due to a high propane pressure output, the color he was using reduced, cracked, and ultimately destroyed his piece. Things like this are what make competing in a foreign environment, under time constraints and with an audience, so difficult. Bates had everyone guessing as to what exactly he was doing but it was clear that fire would be involved. Meanwhile, with laser beam focus, the parts that would combine to make Hickory’s piece were getting big and showing the form of a tree.

I ping-ponged back and forth until at one point in the background I could see Tito and Mikeala discussing something that seemed serious. I approached and was shortly informed that D-Wreck had decided he could not make it to Burlington for the competition. It was something about how he had just gotten his period and was having trouble finding more authentic Cherokee hair tampons. The result was a coin toss between Chris Carlson and I, who were present in order to document the event, which I won and thus I became the 12th man in the 2011 Pipe Classic.

From Austin, Texas, Salt was known for the Eye Face tooth tongue claw horn style, or the ‘Salt style’.

The end of the day came quickly and sent the competitors off to a hotel to rest.

Day two ends with only a few minor hiccups from each competitor. The atmosphere of the pipe classic stays true to its reputation of an intense competition that becomes a party, with all sorts of members from the glass scene present.

DOSHER WORKIN’

Day Three: As the third day begins, Matt says he has some minor checks to deal with. I’ve guessed that his problem is with the wings, but if he can handle this issue, he is probably going to have smooth sailing from there on in. Saki is reluctant to reveal too much, but from what I can gather, she has had some minor setbacks. JOP starts the day by clamming up in some headphones that I suspect weren’t necessarily on. This seems to be a focus-oriented move meant to offset the fact that he is a bit behind his schedule and outside of his comfort zone.

The day wears on and the scale and nature of JOP’s piece is revealed; the phrase ‘go big or go home’ doesn’t quite cover it.

When I check back with Matt, he is wrapping things up and has some time to spare for cold working. Things have gone well for him. His game face is solid. Saki works feverishly and ends the day with a large number of finished pieces that are meant to go together – and only three minutes to spare. Unfortunately, the unfamiliar shop time constraints and huge scale factors all come together – and with very little time left, JOP’s piece breaks.

“DRY ICE HASH PRODUCTION EXPLAINED”

7

HAMM’S CREATION

The line-up for the second heat of day three is The Worm, Dosh, and myself.

Now I’m in an interesting position, since I’m both reporting on the event and competing, but I also happen to know what many of the other competitors are going to make. The third day ends with all of us on track and either on or ahead of schedule.

Day Four: We arrived the morning of day four around eight AM. By nine, the

“STUDY IT BEFORE YOU SMOKE IT!”

9

OLD FASHIONED

PIPE CLASSIC SIX COMPETITORS

torches were back on and we were all off and running. Dosh had looked as though he had almost finished his piece the day before, but started adding attachments and really filling it out.

When I check in on Worm, I am surprised to see that his piece is much bigger than the practice one I had seen, and that he is able to leave it out of the kiln for a ridiculously long time, while still moving the flame around the piece to polish welds.

“GENETICALLY MODIFIED WEED: ENTER THE TERMINATOR”

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SALT HICKORY’S ENTRY...

...IS THE WINNER OF PIPE CLASSIC SIX

STEVE BATES TORCHIN’

DON’T LET THE COPS SEE YOU WITH THAT – AGAIN

THE WORM!

FASHION IS A KEY ELEMENT OF GLASSBLOWING

JOP

THE BERN GALLERY, HOSTS OF THE ANNUAL EVENT

WORM

MATT MCLAMB

44 Having completed the main part of my entry, I’m using it to visually measure and formulate the rest of my composition. As the day progresses so does my idea and my excitement. At some point during the fourth day, Adam G and Cmazz walk into the Bern Gallery wearing windbreakers that can be seen from space. By the end of our heat, three successfully finished pieces are in the box.

The second heat of day four brought three heavy hitters to the plate. Adam G, Dellene Peralta and Hamm all reported to set up. Only 15 or so minutes into the day, it was discovered that Hamm had an illegal tube prep due to some confusion about the rules. Things come close to him not participating, but very quickly a solution is found and things go forward.

The Pipe Classic’s reputation of striving to be fair prevails.

To the average spectator, Adam seems to be making a ray gun, but his reaction to my saying so told the story that he had a few tricks up his neon-green windbreaker sleeve. As the hour grows late, Dellene’s pieces take shape as some sort of wagon. I asked, but she was being coy.

Time runs out on the fourth day and all seems to have gone fairly well.

Day Five: The fifth day begins – game faces fixed on each contestant. As Dellene gets further into her piece, a figure about 12 ft. tall started to emerge.

He had frills and what Dellene told me was a Masonic symbol. Naturally I had a lot more questions but she was competing, so I decided not to pry. Hamm’s piece really started to tell a story. The sculptural element that before looked like a tree, started to take the shape of a fetus with root-like hands and feet, and a second element entered the picture that I can only describe as a penguin. All the while, Adam G’s piece looked like a ray gun, except for the shoulder stock that he had recently added, changing it up a bit.

By late in the day all three contestants were reporting the same thing: “I’m gonna be cutting it close,” but as I spoke with Hamm he actually bet me five dollars that the time crunch was going to make his piece crack. He pretty much called the time of the crack to the second. It was brutal. Dellene had her signature look – half pissed-off, half in pain – which meant time was tight, but she was doing well. I walked back to Hamm and was amazed to see he had begun working out the gnarly crack with a fluffy bright flame. He is making measured progress as I return to watch the others.

As I get up close I notice that Adam G has put on the fabled Power Glove to attack the other side of his crossbow. This was a bold move, but as the curved piece snapped and crashed to the ground, I couldn’t help but wonder if the Power Glove was too much power for such a delicate move. Time is so short and Adam’s adherence to his aesthetic, so strict that he knows the ten minutes left

will not be enough to finish the way he wants to, and opts to withdraw and finish over time.

Hamm, meanwhile, had fixed his piece only to have it crack somewhere else, and subsequently had fixed that crack – only to have the first one come back even worse. Amazingly he keeps his piece together and finishes with moments to spare. Simultaneously, Dellene is scrambling to finish and somehow does so with less than a minute on the clock.

Day five ends with Dellene and Hamm squeaking it out, and Adam finishing a couple of hours over.

Judgment day arrived and the artists all began to slowly collect their pieces and walk over to the local bar where the closing ceremony was held. Once the pieces were set up and the judges arrived, hot wings, gravy fries and cupcakes were served as the contestants mingled with the judges and explained their entries in detail. The diversity and quality of the work made the judging process difficult.

DELLENE

LOOK AT THE SHINY TROPHIES!

ADAM G

In the end, the winners were as follows: In third place Dosher, in second place Matt Mclamb, and finally your winner of the 2011 pipe classic – Hickory.

The trophies are handed out with congratulations, and after a bit of good old fashioned celebration everyone makes their way back to the Bern Gallery for one last bit of business. As is tradition with the Classic, all serious buyers and the 12 artists crowd around the counters of the Bern Gallery, where Mikeala stands behind a row of pipe entries and begins the auction. It is a fast paced free-for-all as bids are yelled out, and one by one the pieces were all sold off – until finally only the winning piece remained.

THE HIGH-SPIRITED AUCTION

Many people, including myself, bid on Hickory’s Tree Tube, but quickly the price shot up and only a few remained – and then only two. I watched as these two shop owners spit larger and larger numbers back and forth at each other until finally, with a large jump in bid and a stare that would have melted a hole in most people, the bidding war was over and the winning piece had been sold for a record price of $5,400.

It had been one for the books again at the Bern Gallery, and naught was left but for everyone to head to the woods for a huge party involving alcohol, a bonfire, various clouds of smoke, gunshots, tequila shots, bad jokes, good conversation, pre-emptive hugs and some late night bacon cooking.

In closing I would just like to say that, after being involved with the Pipe Classic for three years now, I would recommend it as an experience to anyone interested in the pipe culture. because pipe events just don’t get any better than this! » www.pipeclassic.com » info@bernglass.com

HAMM

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MUSIC REVIEWS Group Inerane: Guitars from Agadez, vol. 3 SUBLIME FREQUENCIES In many ways, the nomadic Tuaregs of the Sahara remain stubbornly immune to modernity – a small miracle in these days of hyper-connectivity and viral culture. But over the last 30 years or so, the barriers to cultural homogeneity (brought about by geography, politics and tradition) enabled a unique musical bouillabaisse to brew among the Tuareg: an electric guitar-based melange of traditional Arab song and the sounds of Hendrix, Dylan, James Brown, and John Lee Hooker – gleaned from cassettes carried on foot and camel-back between Saharan trading posts.

A few of these groups – most notably Tuareg guitar pioneers Tinarawen – have reached European and North American listeners, but few offer a Tuareg guitar experience as raw and fiery as Group Inerane.

Guitars from Agadez, vol. 3 is essentially a field recording of a band making supremely intense, imaginative and original guitar music in the face of no-joke, real-world adversity. Before this recording, second guitarist Adi Mohamed was shot and killed in violence related to the political strife in Tuareg lands.

Fellow guitarist Bibi Ahmed and the rest of the band carried on in the wake of the tragedy, and the results are some of the most intense and ecstatic guitar grooves ever committed to record. If you’re a stickler for high fidelity, these are not antiseptic studio recordings. But they are absolutely thrilling for their naked grittiness. Through these heated and hazy trances you can hear the echoes (or is it seeds?) of John Lee Hooker’s swamp grooves; Keith Richards’s stinging, open-tuned explorations; and The Velvet Underground’s street-trucking rave-ups. It’s white hot and hypnotic, truly electric folk music by some of the most original electric guitar players alive today.

By Kaz Peet

Lee Scratch Perry: Nu Sound & Version ONU SOUND If there was Guinness Book of Records recognition for the person to have smoked the most ganja in a lifetime, then surely the odds on the name of Lee Scratch Perry making an entry must be extremely high (pun intended)!

With a shamanic embodiment of the longevity of a turtle, the intuitive wisdom of an elephant and the merciless spit of a poisonous snake, this original toaster or microphone chatter channels the word from above. Delivering his BURN DOWN BABYLON message of peace, love and positivity to this planet and beyond, Lee Scratch Perry has gained (spanning several generations of riddim’ pundits and music lovers, joker smokers and dance-floor movers) much respect and international fame; tho’ catch him on a bad day, or to the uninitiated, he may simply appear totally insane.

Bosco Delrey: Everybody Wah MAD DECENT Bosco Delrey, the stylish purveyor of electronic-tinged rockabilly, releases his debut full-length album, Everybody Wah, on Philadelphia’s invigoratingly innovative label, Mad Decent. Spearheaded by Thomas Wesley Pentz, aka Diplo (Grammy-nominated producer of M.I.A.’s Paper Planes), the label has fashioned a wellrevered reputation as the hub and musical home of a maverick – yet extremely talented – bunch of artists and producers from across the planet. With a flair for the unique being the common thread, Mad Decent has a passion for embracing new genres, as well as artists, and can claim a first hand in the introduction of new global styles (such as Brazilian ‘baile funk’ and Angolan ‘kudoro’) to clubs around the world.

Hailing from New Jersey by way of Memphis, and described by Diplo as ‘Elvis in a garbage can’, Bosco’s sound references the sounds of Sun Studios-era recordings. Updating the lo-fi guitar twang with the use of an MPC drum machine and vintage synthesizer emulators, he creates a wall of distorted dance/grunge, with other apparent influences ranging from southern rap to church hymns, punk, and dancehall.

From the starting whistle of opener, Baby’s Got a Blue Flame, Everybody Wah transports you into a psychedelic-fueled future rock world where any musical influence is fair game. Yet it is not the extent of these influences that make this album special, but more the energy and glint-in-the-eye personality that has put it together.

This is like theater for the ears, and like all good dramatic works, drawing on aspects both tragic and comedic, is deep but not dull or boring, and fun, whilst never trivially inane – a compelling foot stompin’, hip swingin’, booty shakin’, rip-roarin’, rock ‘n’ roll show is played. Exit stage left (-field), for this is sure to bring, at the very least, a wry smile to even the most glum of faces!

Released as part of the 30th anniversary celebrations of the mighty On-U Sound stable and avoiding any bad day moments, Nu Sound & Version contains reworked, remixed and reinterpreted versions of eleven Adrian Sherwood-produced Lee Perry classics. The tracks see The Upsetter receive some of the most radical treatment of his work – Perry’s distinctive vocals in the midst of bass, rave riddims and extreme experimentation, fashioned from the imaginations of some of today’s most cutting edge dub-influenced producers, including Digital Mystics, Moody Boyz, Kode 9 and Congo Natty, to name a few.

The album provides ample proof that Adrian Sherwood and his pioneering label can flex with the times and contribute to the continuing development of a genre for which they helped lay the foundations.

Grinderman: Grinderman 2 RMX ANTI Nick Cave’s career revival wrecking crew Grinderman may be no more (as the man himself returns to the studio to record a new Bad Seeds album), but thankfully they leave us with one final platter: Grinderman 2 RMX, which collects remixes, reinterpretations and collaborations based on the songs from the band’s 2010 critically-celebrated album, Grinderman 2.

The album’s many outstanding tracks include the mesmerizing Super Heathen Child – a collaborative version of Grinderman’s Heathen Child, which teams up the band with legendary guitarist Robert Fripp (King Crimson, David Bowie, Eno); along with a treatment of the same tune from that master of left-field dance music, Andrew Weatherall; an exclusive, previously unreleased, cacophonous remix of Bellringer Blues by Yeah Yeah Yeah’s guitarist Nick Zinner; a remix of Mickey Mouse & the Goodbye Man by producer/ musician Joshua Homme (Queens of the Stone Age); and Evil reinterpreted by Silver Alert (Grinderman’s Jim Sclavunos) and The National’s frontman Matt Berninger.

Let’s just hope and pray this is not the final death rattle of the very wonderful Grinderman – at least not in this lifetime!

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FESTIVALS & EXPOS / INDEX OF ADS / COLOPHON

Music and Magic in Mali, Amidst the Dunes and the Stars Far, far away, in a land untouched by the hands of time, something very special (and possibly one of the world’s most unique and unusual happenings) takes place. It is the most remote music festival on the planet: Mali’s Festival au Désert, seen equally as an opportunity to promote world peace, and a traditional celebration of Touareg music and culture. Created in 2001, the event seeks its origins in the big traditional Toureg festivities (such as Takoubelt in Kidal and Ternakannit in Timbuktu), which long- GROOVING CAMELS AT THE represented a place for decision-making FESTIVAL AU DÉSERT II and exchanging information among the different communities. At the beginning there were songs and Touareg dances, poetry, camel rides and games. Now, although still strongly Toureg in essence, the festival has become an international affair, welcoming visitors from America, Europe, and around the globe.

A NIGHTTIME THRONG SOAK

Index of ads Name

Colophon Page

Dinafem Seeds

4

Dutch Passion

15

Green Style Consulting

32

Hydroasis.com

27

La Wonderland Caregivers

2

Letgrow.net

1

Mountain High

27

MWW Stealth Led

11

Paradise Seeds

1

Plagron

48

Pollinator Company

39

RAW

21

Seeds of Life

32

Sensible Seeds

39

Serious Seeds

27

Strain Genius Labs

8

Sweet Seeds

47

Vapors

32

Now in its 12th year, the festival takes UP THE SOUNDS AND VIBE place each January and, until recently, was held near an oasis at a small village called Essakane. However, largely due performers, from not only Mali itself and indeed be able) to travel to and parto security reasons, the organizers have Africa, but from every corner of the world. take in this festival. Yet, despite being now moved it much closer to Timbuktu. A This year, dune dwellers were treated to threatened by both terrorism and the complete, temporary settlement springs, a stellar line-up, including the riveting ‘monoculture world’ that withers away as if by magic, from nothing and in the rebel Malian group Tinariwen, the deep- upon the experience of travel, it is a middle of nowhere. Amidst the endless ly soulful Khaira Arby, a group formed remarkable joy to know that Festival au sand dunes, everything has to be brought as a ‘Tribute to Ali Farka Toure’ (featur- Désert even exists! in – from staging and sound equipment ing Tounami Diabate and Vieux Farka to accommodation, food and other pro- Toure), as well as artists from Mauritania, visions. Created in traditional Touareg Nigeria, Senegal, Italy, England and India. style and in harmony with the landscape, However, this is not simply about ticking the site is kept immaculate – there are no bands off a list – the music is much more abandoned pop-up tents or plastic water deep rooted. It tells stories, speaks of bottles strewn here. Seasoned festival- hopes and fears, engages the spirit and goer, Rob Wray, describes his arrival: “It reflects the very pulse of life itself. was like a mirage in the desert after three dusty and bumpy days in a Toyota Land His experience heightened by some local Cruiser. Nomad tents, Touaregs, music, bush weed, Rob Wray lucidly recalls, “I camels and cocktails in an oasis, outside could just make out a lightening-fast of Timbuktu. It was literally like being in flurry of motion against flickering orange another dimension.” firelight – hands upon a drum, composing an insistent rhythm that froze me in my tracks to listen. I twisted my feet into the Saharan sand beneath, gazed into the endless expanse of stars above, and felt humbled by the superlatives of the continent where life began. Continuing on to the natural sand amphitheater fronting FESTIVAL DIRECTOR MANY the main stage, my attention turned to the local crowd. In all directions, fervent ANSOR (WEARING WHITE outbursts of dancing, fiercely spirited TURBAN) AT THE CONTROLS and wholly surrendered to the sound, generated heat that countered the Naturally, music provides the very heart- desert’s dropping temperatures.”

NIGHTINGALE KHAIRA CHANTS beat of the festival. For an event far smaller than most of its possible parallels, the Clearly one must feel passionately about IN MANY TONGUES Festival au Désert consistently draws top the music and the culture to want (or

Soft Secrets USA is published six times per year

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, Kali Mist, Buddy Kush, Sativa Diva, O’Riodon, The Professor, Little Lebowski, Kaz Peet, et al.

Comic: oz.

Editorial Address: E-mail: Kristie@softsecrets.nl Advertisements: Telephone: +1 661 333-3151 Email: 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.

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Soft Secrets USA #2/2012 out: April 20th, 2012