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ISSUE 4 2012

ESTABLISHED IN AMSTERDAM, 1985

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

In This Issue:

Seeds for Seniors Organic Nutes vs.

Chemical Shortcuts ›› 8 WEEDONOMICS: An economic overview of the most widely produced, trafficked and consumed illegal drug in the world ›› 12

With the impending elections hanging over our nation, and the constant debate raging over universal health care, looking after the elderly, and the struggle between state-implemented medi-weed policies and the federal restrictions that effectively outlaw them, it’s time to take matters into our own hands. The Seeds for Seniors program might provide a new model for the United States to emulate.

Fifteen years ago in the Czech Republic, an NGO that is nowadays known as Legalizace.cz was formed. Founded “in order to provide a communication plat-

The Fungus Among Us

›› 15

CANNABIS AND DUID: Proposed federal limits on THC levels in blood will affect drivers across the country

›› 16

Cloning Double›› 19-20 Feature

form for growers, legalization movement supporters, activists and organizers of the Million Marijuana March in Prague,”

the organization created a Cannabis seed distribution effort called Seeds for Seniors in 2008. This campaign provides medi-weed users with free seed stock and information that enables them to self-medicate safely and effectively.

Soft Secrets recently spoke with Robert Veverka, president and press agent, about the organization’s origins and latest contribution to the medi-weed movement in the Czech Republic.

“The main goal of Legalizace.cz is to use all possible tools (campaigns, cultural events, publications, lobbying, etc.) in order to reform Cannabis drug policy, and strive for legalization of Cannabis for personal use, possession and growing. We ask for legalization of medical Cannabis as well: we want all ill people to be free to legally choose Cannabis as treatment, to be able to grow Cannabis themselves if they decide to, or to get it for free (or at a reduced-price) from official, certified or delegate growers.

“We also ask the government to allow official research on medical Cannabis, and to halt all court cases with growers or users who were caught with Cannabis – release all the people who were prosecuted because of Cannabis that was for personal use. We also point out and correct media lies about [the plant], and positively stimulate general public opin-

ion about it, while calling for an open dialog about Cannabis.”

Now in its fourth year of operation – and receiving no governmental support – Seeds for Seniors supplies patients in need (recipients must be at least 18) across the Czech Republic, also sending strains to neighboring Slovakia, Poland and Germany. Genetics are typically sourced through either local or Dutch seed banks, and some are even donated by the labels. Although this system could potentially be abused by people who just want free ganja seeds, Robert insists that it’s not a problem: “I am happy to say that our campaign is not abused by young kids or growers, as the average age of our clients is about 50. Up until now, we have given seeds to about 3,500 clients.”

Continued on page 4

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SSUSA Seeks Strong Sales Staff: Are you interested in sales? Do you have a few years of experience? We are looking for dedicated, motivated and enthusiastic individuals to staff our sales team.

Job responsibilities include – but are not necessarily limited to – calling, emailing, or pursuing other forms of contact with interested advertising clients, in addition to attempting to bring in fresh potential advertisers. Required attributes include strong networking, communication and interpersonal skills, plus the ability to tackle problems in a creative manner.

Applicants should possess a valid driver’s license and medical Cannabis card.

The ability to travel is a definite requirement. Sales are focused in California; the position on offer is as an independent contractor, paid on commission.

White Russian: AK-47 x White Widow, two legends combined (Winner of 6 Cannabis Awards!)

These seeds produce strong, fast-growing plants that are fantastic in appearance and effect – very popular for indoor growing and for outdoors in Spain, France, Italy and California. Our most typically-indica strain, White Russian is a stable cross of AK-47 and the original award-winning White Widow clone from the ‘90s. Medium height, consistent ‘not too leafy’ plants and dense, very resinous flower tops. The plants smell quite strong during both their growth and flowering period. In an independent seed comparison in which over 150 different seed strains were grown out in the UK, the White Russian finished as the strongest plant, with 22% THC. Winner of the overall Cannabis Cup in ‘96 and the Cup for Best Bio Grass in ‘97. The plants yield very powerful buds, coated with resin. Very strong, long-lasting high, more cerebral than a knockout. A medicinal plant excellent for pain alleviation.

Last award won by White Russian: First Prize Indoor, El Punto Cup 2005, Málaga, Spain.

Name: White Russian Pedigree: Mostly indica (AK-47 x White Widow) Breeder: Simon from Serious Seeds Producer: Serious Seeds Height: Short and bushy Weight: Good yielder (350 - 500 g/m2) Flowering Time: 56 - 63 days Outdoor/Greenhouse Harvest Time: Mid- to late October

WHITE RUSSIAN

Please contact Jeroen@softsecrets.nl to submit your resume or to have any pertinent questions answered.

IN THIS ISSUE: Seeds for Seniors Page 3 Girl: White Russian SSUSA Seeks Strong Sales Staff Paradise Seeds 2012 Organic Nutes vs. Chemical Shortcuts Grillin’ and Chillin’ Sugar Royal Weedonomics Cannabis.info The Fungus Among Us Cannabis and DUID Jack Plant Cloning for the Future Cloning for Success Mastering the Munchies Cannabis Liberation Day 2012 Dude, Where’s My Memory?

Home Growing in Southern England Atomical Haze Medical Cannabis Bike Tour Flood and Drain Technique Hy’s Deli by oz.

Colophon Index of Ads

1 3 3 6 8 9 10 12 14 15 16 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 26 27 28 29 30 30

MEDICAL ACTIVISM STRAIN REPORT FROM THE EDITOR SEED BANKS ORGANIC CULTIVATION CANNABIS KITCHEN PRODUCT FLASH SOCIAL IMPACT ONLINE SERIOUS GARDENING LEGISLATION POSTER CULTIVATION 101 CULTIVATION 101 MIND, BODY, SPIRIT FESTIVALS AND EXPOS MIND, BODY, SPIRIT CULTIVATION ABROAD POSTER MEDICAL ACTIVISM SERIOUS GARDENING COMIC FROM THE EDITOR FROM THE EDITOR

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Seeds for Seniors Continued from front page Author: Sativa Diva / Photos courtesy of Legalizace.cz Timing is essential. “Our campaign starts every year in autumn, and ends at the end of May the next year. After that it’s too late to grow Cannabis outdoors over here – most of our clients actually grow outdoors. The campaign is becoming known,

Robert doing what he loves

as we got some publicity on national and private TV and radio channels every year, and also appeared in newspapers and magazines. “[In addition], we have our website (www. legalizace.cz) with lots of information for clients... we provide only seeds, nothing else, such as Cannabis itself or any other Cannabis-related medications. Growing or distributing Cannabis is illegal in Czech, and we can’t take [that] risk. However, Seeds for Seniors is legal, as selling Cannabis seeds is legal in Czech – but as it is not any official program, actually anybody who wants to get seeds for free can ask us.”

As Legalizace.cz decline to require proof-ofneed (official doctor’s diagnosis, etc.) from potential Seeds for Seniors clients, the issue of non-patients taking advantage is always a possibility. Robert clarifies that steps have been taken to prevent this sort of thing from occurring by providing non-labeled or mixed-bag strains. It is unlikely that a serious grower would bother with mixed, unmarked stock, or that anyone with negative intentions would be able to re-sell these strains at much of a profit. And then there’s the waiting: it takes roughly two weeks for a patient to receive their package of about 30 seeds.

“Clients send an envelope to our postal address with a statutory declaration and empty, stamped envelope enclosed. The declaration is the proof the client is over 18, so we can be sure we don’t give seeds to minors. In this declaration we ask clients for information on their age, address, phone number, e-mail and disease. The paper has to be signed in order to declare they will grow the seeds only for their own personal medicinal use and need. This declaration is the only document we ask for in order to provide seeds.” The self-addressed envelope allows the organization to mail the requested seeds back to the patient, sparing Seeds for Seniors the postage. So, technically the seeds aren’t completely free, as the patient will incur the minor cost of shipping.

Patients receive their envelope filled with free seeds, flyers for Legalizace.cz, concise cultivation info, links to relevant websites – and the constant reminder that growing or possessing Cannabis is still illegal in the Czech Republic. In addition to the strains

Seniors sign client declarations to receive free seeds

and growing info, Seeds for Seniors also provides clients with lawyers and other legal services – should they encounter the Czech authorities – and will even assist with a

OUR CAMPAIGN STARTS EVERY YEAR IN AUTUMN, AND ENDS AT THE END OF MAY THE NEXT YEAR. AFTER THAT IT’S TOO LATE TO GROW CANNABIS OUTDOORS OVER HERE... media campaign to help the accused avoid imprisonment. Unfortunately, the only thing the campaign is not able to provide is actual medical connections.

“We don’t actually work with any doctors or medical professionals. As growing and possessing medical Cannabis is illegal in my country, not one doctor can officially tell any patient that he should treat himself with Cannabis. Cannabis is not seen by law as official medicine here. So we provide seeds as activists, and recommend that our clients inform their doctors and see if they can get unofficial support from them.”

Robert is the contact person responsible for relating client requests to the Seeds for Seniors organizers. Legalizace.cz online offers the necessary information that potential clients require to get in touch; it has been translated into English and German and shared throughout Europe in an effort to expand the activism, and the number of patients who are helped. If a patient is either too ill or inexperienced to cultivate their own medicine, Robert feels certain that friends or locals in that community will likely rally and assist them with the task.

Sometimes, patients contact him with lighter questions – ones that won’t lead to his incarceration.

“All clients can call me on the provided phone number, pretty much any time, and ask whatever they want. Usually they want to know how to recognize male and female plants, or how to make a homemade Cannabis cream. Clients can also send an e-mail, which they do, often sending me pictures of their crop to ask if all is fine with the plant – or to show off how well they do!”

Prague’s Million Marijuana March 2012

plans for the future: “I would love to work with the patient more closely, be able to provide them with the particular strain that will best suit them... I would also love to find

The Seeds for Seniors campaign could be expanded, and Robert has some ideas of how to accomplish this feat. He relates his

some good growers among [our clients] who could grow for other patients with the same disease. I also plan to establish a Cannabis social club for patients who are very ill, where inexperienced people could delegate someone else to grow for them.”

Once-in-a-lifetime clone giveaway at Prague’s MMM 2012

Describing the process of matching specific strains to certain ailments, Robert admits that this may be the “weak spot” of Seeds for Seniors. “We are provided with seed mostly from private donors and seed banks. Usually we [provide the client with] a mixture of different strains.

That way it’s not so attractive for commercial growers or people who search for a particular variety. We try to get some local growers and cultivators to work with us on certain strains, but as it is all illegal here and mostly people want to grow sinsemilla, we are very dependent on what we get. Lately we got some seeds from several new seed banks, and

5 we hope to be able to provide clients with particular strains in the future.

policy, strategy, harm reduction, prevention and medical Cannabis services.”

“Since the disease is not obligatory information in the clients’ declarations, we don’t always know what the client suffers from.

We started this campaign in order to provide ill people with free Cannabis seeds, and to point out how immoral and repressive the Czech legislation on medical Cannabis is – as is the fact that it’s not legally possible for anyone here to obtain Cannabis medicine.

The only [option] for patients who want to use Cannabis is to buy it on the black market, where it is overpriced and of unknown quality. The only logical, safe and cheap way for patients to get their medicine is to grow it themselves; however, every patient grow- Seniors requesting seeds at Cannafest 2011 ing Cannabis is seen by the law as a criminal.”

Robert strongly urges anyone wishing to establish a campaign similar to Seeds for Seniors to “go for it right now if you don’t have such an organization yet, because your country or community needs it.”

Luckily, neither the Seeds for Seniors campaign, nor Legalizace.cz itself, has experienced trouble with the authorities.

Robert feels that although their program is not legally- or medically recognized, the nation is aware of it and the lack of interference from the government implies that their efforts are universally appreciated in the Czech Republic. The problem may not even be anti-Cannabis sentiment or indifference, as much as the issue of draconian and repressive policies that restrict both the people and the authorities. However, one thing that would really help is if Canna-businesses in the country, and Europe in general, supported Seeds for Seniors on a financial level. Currently, the only aid they receive from the ganja community is

for everybody, but I reckon if there would be a referendum on legalization of Cannabis for personal use right now, that lovely plant could succeed in the Czech Republic.”

One of the ways that Legalizace.cz continues to summon public support is through large-scale, peaceful demonstrations, such as the Prague installment of the Million Marijuana March, which has been taking place during each of the organization’s fifteen years of existence. This year, over 12,000 protesters attended, proving Robert correct in his estimation that Czech public sentiment has shifted largely towards supporting Cannabis legalization – especially for medical purposes. He adds, “We do a march in downtown Prague and then host a cultural-educational happening in the

Robert helping clients with cultivation info at Cannafest 2011

the donated seeds – no grow shops, nutrient labels, etc. help to fund the campaign. Hopefully, that will soon change, as Robert notes an improvement in the local political atmosphere.

park. We call it National Free Smoking Day, and we do our best to honor that name.

Legalizace.cz is also a professional partner of the international hemp fair ‘Cannafest’, which is held in Prague as well.

“Public opinion is very liberal in the Czech Republic; I believe that, also because of our work, people can find more information on Cannabis and see that we users are normal people. Our demonstrations are without any major conflicts or problems. The media is on our side nowadays, showing that we are not potheads, but rather people who are right. People trust in us and are glad we exist and do all that we do. Of course, I can’t speak

“We are also member of ENCOD (European Coalition for Just and Effective Drug Policies, www.encod.org), and work with activist groups and media all over Europe – overseas, too. We have had information about what we do published in Spain, the United States, Canada, Hungary, Austria, Germany, Poland, France, Holland and Finland, and probably more. Legalizace.cz cooperates with activists in Slovakia, but the legisla-

tion there is much worse than it is here in the Czech Republic, so they can’t do much without having a problem.”

He concludes with a call to action. “This War on Drugs – and especially on Cannabis – has to end soon, thus it has to be opposed.

As every country has victims of global Cannabis prohibition, we all need activist groups who will fight for our rights and prove to the public and establishment that Cannabis repression is not functional: it’s expensive, useless, totally against human rights, destructive and very stupid.

Prohibition puts truly innocent people in jail over a little bit of weed, destroys lives, families, communities – and even kills.

Prohibition creates a black market, setting

NOBODY FROM POLITICS WANTS TO FIGHT FOR THE LEGALIZATION OF CANNABIS FOR PERSONAL USE HERE; NO DOCTORS WANT TO RUIN THEIR CAREER ON CANNABIS, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT IS ILLEGAL In spite of this public, global show of support, there are still Czech lawmakers and government officials who continue promoting the same taboo and false propaganda that has repressed the plant for so long, in so many nations. Robert highlights the uphill battle still to be faced on a legislative level: “I get a chance from time to time to talk on television, or to visit some politicians to discuss the topic, but our organization is seen as too radical and unprofessional to be taken seriously by some. Nobody from politics wants to fight for the legalization of Cannabis for personal use here; no doctors want to ruin their career on Cannabis, especially when it is illegal. So far, we have no members of Parliament on our side who would go for a change in legislation. Nobody is officially interested, although in private they have more liberal and rational opinions.”

Regardless, Robert wishes for a somewhatunusual future for Legalizace.cz. “I hope that the organization as it is now will not exist in five years’ time, because Cannabis will be legalized for personal use in our country, and we won’t need to fight the system anymore. However, the global War on Drugs doesn’t seem to be ending anytime soon, so we might fight for Cannabis rights on a European or global level. It is very hard to predict... we lack money to do things professionally and on a massive scale; with limited money we will have limited influence.

“We would like to start a decent Cannabis center that will include information, workshops and seminars on all possible Cannabis issues, plus a cultural space, grow rooms, medical Cannabis social club, bar, coffeehouse, offices, Cannabis university, museum, shops with Cannabis products – anything you could imagine in a building like that. In the future, I see the organization as more of a professional institution, which will have a bigger impact on national drug

high prices on Cannabis and making it worth more than gold.

“The whole criminal scene was artificially created around Cannabis, keeping the plant out of people’s reach, never [considering]

Robert gets passionate at the Million Marijuana March 2012 objective and truthful information about the plant. The whole anti-drug campaign made my grandparents almost forget how to use Cannabis, and I feel strange teaching my elders something they are supposed to know from their childhood. Cannabis is widely abused by governments – not by the people. So we should fight: not only for legalization, but also to rehabilitate the image of Cannabis and bring it back to the people, where it belongs.”

CONTACT Robert Veverka, President Legalizace.cz Tel.: +420 773 691 561 E-mail: robert@legalizace.cz http://www.legalizace.cz

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SEED BANKS

NEW, AMAZING AND MINDBLOWING STRAINS BY PARADISE SEEDS FOR 2012

Paradise Seeds 2012 The folks at Paradise Seeds would like to announce to all of our readers that they have introduced six great new varieties. Two feminized varieties date back to the late 1990s (classics) and four auto-flowering varieties were selected from famous ancestors for their superb genetics.

The brand new releases by Paradise Seeds are Original White Widow (IBL) and Original Cheese (IBL). Yes, the

names are familiar, but there’s a difference – these are the original classics! They come straight from the source, true-breeds given to Paradise Seeds by the original breeders years ago, and only now released to the world.

They are excellent breeding material and are far superior to most varieties with these names.

Paradise has also

released four new auto-flowering varieties of the finest quality.

The era during which autoflowering plants were famous for tasting similar to hay or ruderalis is over, at least for Paradise Seeds varieties. Auto Acid, Auto

Jack, Auto Wappa and Auto White Berry are all potent and tasty. These plants become strong and yield copious amounts of resinous buds. Due to the great genetics that Paradise has used in its breeding program, the new autos are guaranteed to satisfy.

Paradise Seeds is proud to be on the fore-front of Cannabis breeding and to have taken auto-flowering varieties to the next level.

Auto-flowering varieties begin to flower regardless of the amount of

Auto Jack

Auto White Berry

Auto Acid

Original Cheese

7 hours of (sun-)light they receive per day. Therefore, auto-flowering plants can finish early outdoors, within twoand-a-half months after germination.

It is ideal for growers in colder regions to harvest in summer, around the end of July or beginning of August, when the sunlight is still strong. Even in the month of June it is possible to start germinating seeds to be able to harvest on time, before it gets too cold or humid!

In warmer climates multiple outdoor harvests per year are possible. In tropical areas, you can grow these autos the whole year round. All Paradise Seeds auto-flowering varieties contain a small portion of ruderalis, which is responsible for the auto-flowering effect. The art of breeding is to select plants that have the auto-flowering gene without the lesser quality of the ruderalis plants. This can only be achieved over several generations of breeding.

Paradise Seeds wishes you good Cannabis!

Auto Wappa

Paradise Seeds Wins the Treating Yourself Medical Cannabis Cup 2012!

Last month Paradise Seeds was in Toronto, Canada, where the Treating Yourself Expo 2012 was held in the Metro Toronto Convention Center.

It had been a great Expo this year. Marco Renda had even organized live glassblowing, and as always many medical Cannabis users were present during these three days. A smoker’s lounge was placed for medi-weed patients so that they didn’t need to go outside to medicate. The Expo proved to be a true alternative medical convention, with good information and valuable advice given by guest speakers, such as lawyers, doctors and scientific researchers.

This was the third time attending the Treating Yourself event for Paradise Seeds and they enjoyed it very much, as the Paradise crew had spent much of their time giving feedback on their varieties to patients and licensed growers.

Many people were seeking information for their illnesses, as they are finding that the pills they get from the pharmacy are often not helping them, while they are instead truly benefiting from Cannabis.

Paradise Seeds is grateful to be part of this movement, and the company encourages more research being done in the field of Cannabis as a medicine.

The city of Toronto is great: millions of people live there and the majority are kind and friendly; it is a city with many cultures, as people from everywhere move there and are adapting quite easily. It seems there is no economic crisis there at the moment; the city is buzzing Atomical Haze and the skyscrapers are magnificent. The

guys from Paradise Seeds even visited some vapor lounges where people gather together to inhale.

On the last day of the expo, Paradise heard that they were going to win a Cannabis Cup for the best Cannabis in the sativa category – with their latest haze variety, Atomical Haze! It had won

First Prize! Atomical Haze [poster on p.

26] was grown from a seed that was given to Paradise the year before by a local grower who had enough nice buds to share. The folks at Paradise Seeds were very happy with this great victory and achievement.

Paradise Seeds

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ORGANIC CULTIVATION

Organic Nutes vs. Chemical Shortcuts One hotly contested topic among Cannabis gardeners is whether to use chemical-based or organic nutrients. While it is fine to disagree, there are benefits to both, and ignoring the camp you don’t agree with has been the cause of a lot of ignorance in the world. Grubbycup

Organic nutes simulate natural materials, such as fallen leaves Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K) and other nutrients are needed by plants for healthy growth. These are elements, and as such, there is no difference between the nitrogen from an organic nutrient or a chemical version. Elemental

takes time, as the bacteria only process the ammonia as they get to it.

I like to compare organic nutrients to eating oatmeal for breakfast – they tend to be bulky and release their nutrients over a

later parts of the process to be skipped over. Any of these enable a shortcut in the process, and make the nitrogen available faster than with the natural method.

Chemical nutrients are more like having an energy drink for breakfast – they release their nutrients quickly, and then need more to avoid a ‘crash’. Since chemical nutrients are shortcuts to the natural process, they can allow for a greater level of control as to how much, and when, the nitrogen becomes available to the plants. This can allow for a higher nutrient level and resulting increase in performance than is possible with organic nutrients.

With this level of control comes responsibility, however, as introducing an overabundance becomes a much more likely temptation, which can result in ‘nute burn’, overloading and damaging natural systems with the runoff. Adding a chemical version of NO3, for example, allows for the entire nitrate creation process to be skipped, and immediately supplies nitrogen to the plants; however, it is also very water-soluble and what isn’t taken up by the plant will quickly wash downstream (unless recirculated).

Overdosing plants with chemicals can imbalance a natural system to where it becomes inhospitable to the beneficial bacteria and fungi normally responsible for

SOME FORMS OF ORGANIC FERTILIZERS CAN CONTINUE TO RELEASE NUTRIENTS FOR MORE THAN ONE SEASON, IMPROVING THE GENERAL LONGTERM HEALTH OF THE SOIL nitrogen is the exact same thing, regardless of the source.

What garden plants most often use to allow them to take up nitrogen is a form known as nitrate (NO3), which is a nitrogen atom connected with three oxygen (O) atoms. NO3 is an easy form from which the plants can separate nitrogen from oxygen, and therefore makes for a good source of nitrogen (woody plants like trees can also use ammonium).

Plant material that has fallen to the ground and animal waste material are two sources of nitrogen that naturally occur in untended wilderness. To emulate this, organic nutrients tend to be made from naturally occurring materials, with minimal processing. One advantage to this is that the materials can often be collected cheaply – e.g., leaves, lawn clippings, livestock manure, etc. Compost (3-1-2) is very similar to what happens in nature when leaves fall, and assorted other plant material winds up on the ground when nobody is around to rake it up. As these things decompose (or compost), bacteria and fungi convert them into ammonia (NH3), and ammonium (NH4). This

long period of time. Some forms of organic fertilizers can continue to release nutrients for more than one season, improving the general long-term health of the soil.

Because the percentage of nutrient to total mass tends to be lower, the N-P-K values of organic nutrients tend to be lower than that of chemical-based solutions. Because they are closer to a natural state, the N-P-K values of organic products also tend to be less exact than chemical-based fertilizers, which can be made to exact recipes.

With the exception of high-ammonia ‘hot’ manures, organic nutrients tend to be less prone to overfeeding. Compost, worm castings and fish excrement can be used in almost unlimited quantities without causing ‘nute burn’. Since organic nutrients tend to be less processed, they also tend to be more prone to clogging hydroponic systems that rely on sprayers and pumps.

the process. Because chemical fertilizers are shortcuts, using them to treat nutrient deficiencies tends to give faster results than organic solutions, which is better suited for long-term release. Depending upon the exact chemical used, there may also be leftover residue after the ammonia or nitrate is

However, there is more than one way to make NH3: it can also be manufactured chemically from nitrogen gas (N2) by applying heat, pressure and an iron catalyst.

Ammonium sulfate, (NH4)2SO4, and ammo- There are many nutrients, both chemical nium nitrate, NH4NO3, are other manuand organic, to choose from factured forms of nitrogen that allow for

used, which can build up in the system over time. This is where the practice of watering heavily without nutrients for a time (flushing) comes from, to help wash away any leftover chemical residue build-up.

Regardless of the source, if the NH3 is exposed to acidic conditions (pH less than seven) it picks up another hydrogen (H) atom and converts to ammonium (NH4).

This is partially why pH can have an effect on plant growth; if the pH is too high, this conversion is inhibited. Beneficial bacteria then convert the ammonium to NO3, which can then be used by the garden plants.

Phosphorus can be obtained naturally from organic composts, rock phosphate or bone meal, or it can come from chemicals such as ammoniated superphosphate (5-50-0), or ammonium phosphate (18-46-0). Overuse

An atom of nitrogen is the same as any other, regardless of the source of phosphorus is one of the sources of environmental pollution. Potassium can be from organic sources like compost (3-1-2), kelp (1-0-4), or from a chemical such as potassium nitrate (13-0-44).

The differences between chemical and organic nutrition are not as absolute as they are often portrayed – they both supply the same elements to the plants. The primary differences are in how many shortcuts are taken, and what remains afterward. Although purists on both sides may strongly disagree, I believe there is little reason not to make use of the benefits of both, in moderation. Plants awaiting organic nutrients to become available may benefit from a little chemical boost to tide them over, and long-lasting organic materials can help create a buffer for fast-acting chemical nutrient gardens.

Sometimes a big, hearty, high-fiber breakfast is what a person needs to start the day; sometimes you just need a good strong cup of coffee to get your eyes to open. As always, understanding why you are adding something to your garden, and how it works, goes a long way toward picking what’s right for you.

Peace, love and puka shells, Grubbycup

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CANNABIS KITCHEN

Greetings from far northern California – Hempie Chef here! First, let me say what an honor it is for me to have joined the Soft Secrets family! I am really excited to be here and I hope you like the recipes I have to offer you...

Grillin’ and Chillin’ Just a lil’ bit about me: I live in northern California near the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. I have been a garden tender, bud master and smoke connoisseur, and now I am a licensed California Medical Marijuana Caregiver. I began cooking with Cannabis in 1976 – okay so I really didn’t ‘cook’ with Cannabis back then – I ground up some weed (mostly full of stems and seeds), threw it in some brownie mix, and hoped for the best! However, those days are gone.

Today, medicating with Cannabis has taken the culinary world by storm.

You can get everything from traditional brownies to a full-blown medicated four-course meal! I cater to 215 patients, making their special requests for medicated food items: pot-pancetta stuffed tenderloin, medicated wedding and birthday cakes, infused suckers and hard candies, marijuana meatloaf, mashed potatoes and tomato gravy, and much more. We throw ‘Hempie’ parties, where we invite 215 patients to learn more about the benefits of medicating through the consumption of Cannabis!

Summertime June is the time for most far Nor-Cal outdoor gardeners to get their crops planted in the rich soil. With that done, we wait and nurture our plants. With the cool waters of Shasta Lake and the National Forests right in our backyards we like to be outdoors – even more so, we like to grill. Be it over charcoal or gas, we gather to help each other plant the garden, then after the day’s hard work we fire up the grill to cook up some of the most delicious medicated foods ever: what we affectionately call “grillin’ and chillin’”!

I have included some of our favorite grilled foods, as well as a fun summer treat (I especially like the Cana-mel and Apple Cake – yum!)

PULLED POTPORK SANDWICH *Don’t trim any excess fat from meat. The fat will naturally baste the meat, keeping it moist during the long cooking time. The tender meat is coated with tangy barbecue sauce before being piled high onto buns and topped with a dab of coleslaw.

2 c hickory wood chips 1 (7- to 9-lb.) bone-in pork butt, Boston butt or end-cut pork shoulder roast* 1 T olive canna-oil 1 t kosher salt 1 t pepper 10 plain white hamburger buns (no sesame seeds), split Barbecue Sauce

t 1MBDF XPPE DIJQT JO NFEJVN CPXM DPWFS XJUI water. Soak thirty minutes. Brush pork with oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. t 1SFQBSF HSJMM BT GPMMPXT 'PS DIBSDPBM HSJMM Heat coals in center of grill to medium-low heat. Divide coals, placing half on each side of grill, leaving center open. Place drip pan between coals. For gas grill: Light two outside sections, leaving middle section unlit (threeburner grill). Or light one side and leave other side unlit (two-burner grill). Place drip pan on unlit side. Heat on high until hot. t "EE XFU XPPE DIJQT UP DPBMT PS QMBDF JO TNPLing box of gas grill. (Or place chips in heavyduty foil; fold to make packet. Poke holes in packet; place over indirect heat.) t 1MBDF QPSL GBU TJEF VQ PWFS ESJQ QBO (SJMM

covered, over medium-low heat or coals four to five hours, or until internal temperature reaches 190° F to 200° F, adjusting heat or adding coals as necessary to maintain grill temperature of 325° F to 350° F. Meat should be very tender and falling apart, and bone should come out smooth and clean with no meat clinging to it. (This is the real test for done-ness on the barbecue circuit.) t -FU TUBOE UXFOUZ NJOVUFT PS VOUJM DPPM enough to handle. Remove skin, bones and fat. Reserve crisp edges; shred meat with two forks or chop with large knife. Chop reserved crispy bits; add to pork. Stir in about 3/4 c barbecue sauce, or enough to moisten. Serve in bun topped with some coleslaw, with additional sauce on the side.

10

CANNABIS KITCHEN / PRODUCT FLASH 1 T olive canna-oil ¼ c salsa, if desired t 1MBDF IBMG PG UIF CFBOT JO a large bowl, mash slightly with a fork. Stir in half of the oats. t 1VMTF UIF SFNBJOJOH PBUT until finely-ground. Add remaining beans; pulse until chopped. Add egg whites, canna-flour, ½ t salt and chili powder, process about one minute or until coarse paste forms. Add mashed bean and oat mixture, stir in cheese, green onion and cilantro. t %JWJEF NJYUVSF JOUP GPVSUIT 4QSBZ B MBSHF QMBUF with cooking spray. Working on the plate, form each portion into a four-inch patty, a half-inch thick. Place on a small baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Cover and refrigerate one hour or freeze thirty minutes, until chilled. t .FBOXIJMF MJHIUMZ CSVTI [VDDIJOJ BOE CFMM pepper with canna-oil; sprinkle with remaining ¼ t salt. t )FBU HSJMM CSVTI HSJMM HSBUF PS MBSHF TIFFU PG foil (pierced in several places) with canna-oil; place on grill. t (SJMM CFMM QFQQFS DPWFSFE PWFS NFEJVN IFBU or coals eight to ten minutes or until slightly charred and crisp-tender, turning once. Grill burgers and zucchini, covered six to eight minutes or until burgers are firm and zucchini is lightly browned and almost tender, turning once. Halve zucchini crosswise. t 5PQ CVSHFST XJUI [VDDIJOJ BOE CFMM QFQQFS Serve with lime wedges and salsa, if desired. t :PV DBO TFSWF PO XIPMF XIFBU TBOEXJDI UIJOT or mini flax, oat bran or whole wheat pita bread; add some leaf lettuce and tomato to top it off!

SMOKIN’ VEGGIE BURGER This thin little burger has some powerful flavor.

Big chewy beans and oats add a nice touch to the texture, while the chipotle chili powder adds extra smokiness. It is important to refrigerate the patties for at least an hour before grilling them, so they will hold their shape during cooking. I also recommend grilling these burgers on foil to help keep them intact. Brush the foil with oil and make several small slits in it for heat to flow. To help avoid sticking, use damp hands when forming patties.

1 can (15 ounces) dark kidney beans, drained, rinsed and divided ½ c old-fashioned oats, divided 2 egg whites 2 T whole-wheat canna-flour ¾ t salt, divided ½ t chipotle chili powder ¼ c finely-shredded aged cheddar cheese 3 T minced garlic 2 T chopped fresh cilantro 1 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise into 3/8inch wedges 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1½-inch wedges

SUGAR ROYAL FROM PLAGRON Powerful organic flowering stimulator Plagron has a comprehensive range of additives. These UNIVERSAL products can be used with all substrates and can be combined with all fertilizers from Plagron.

One of these unique additives is Sugar Royal (formerly ‘Repro Forte’) a powerful organic flowering stimulator. It stimulates the production of chlorophyll and, consequently, the formation of sugars and resin. Sugar Royal contains a complex mix of vitamins and trace elements. It guarantees a high yield and is an ideal product for every grower.

Use Shake well before use. Add a maximum of two milliliters of Sugar Royal per one liter of water (1:500). Give the plant this plant food solution once a week, starting the second week of the growth phase through to the third week of the flowering phase. Sugar Royal is available in 100 mL, 250 mL, 500 mL and one-liter quantities.

Pass it on!

More information can be found on our new website, www.plagron.com. Here you will find loads of information on Plagron products, and growing in general. The info on Plagron products will be easy to find on this site, giving you useful tips, showing you our related products and FAQs for each product. This is an interactive website where one grower gets to meet the other, and can share his or her experiences or opinions on Plagron products with other growers – exactly how our slogan ‘Pass it on’ is meant to be. Keep a close eye on our website for the latest news and developments of our products, and for growing in general. Don’t forget to check out our Facebook page for extra tips and tricks (Facebook.com/plagron).

Of course you can also contact our service desk via servicedesk@plagron.com.

CAKE

CANAMEL AND APPLE UPSIDEDOWN CAKE As the cake bakes, the honey-brown sugar canamel sauce coats the apples and bubbles up the side of the cake, glazing the edges. The result is an irresistibly gooey, buttery, fabulous dessert. The batter itself is very thick (somewhere between a batter and a dough in its heaviness) but it spread easily over the apples and baked up tender and delicious. The honeyed cana-mel over the apples is so delicious and buttery. But the real treat of this cake is the edges, which literally marinate in cana-mel for the entire baking process and come out sweet, sticky and delicious.

CANAMEL AND APPLES ¾ c packed dark brown sugar ¼ c unsalted cana-butter, softened 2 T honey 1 lb. apples (2 to 3), such as Braeburn or Fuji, peeled, sliced (¼ inch)

2 c all-purpose flour 1½ t baking powder 1 t ground cinnamon ¼ t salt ¾ c unsalted cana-butter, softened ¾ c sugar 3 eggs 1 t vanilla extract ¼ c whole milk t )FBU PWFO UP ¡ ' 4QSBZ Y JODI SPVOE CBLing pan with cooking spray. Line bottom with parchment paper. t )FBU CSPXO TVHBS D DBOB CVUUFS BOE IPOFZ in medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves, stirring frequently. Increase

You can contact the Hempie Chef via email at thehempiechef@gmail.com or become a fan on Facebook!

heat to medium-high; bring to a boil. Boil two minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour into pan. t "SSBOHF BQQMF TMJDFT PWFS DBSBNFM NJYUVSF JO two overlapping concentric circles to cover bottom of pan, starting on outside edge. t 8IJTL GMPVS CBLJOH QPXEFS DJOOBNPO BOE TBMU in medium bowl. Beat ¾ c cana-butter and sugar in large bowl at medium speed two minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. At low speed, beat in flour mixture alternately with milk just until incorporated and smooth, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Carefully spread batter over apple slices. t #BLF UP NJOVUFT PS VOUJM DBLF JT HPMEFO brown and pulls slightly away from sides, and toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Cool in pan on wire rack five minutes. Invert onto wire rack; remove parchment. Serve warm or at room temperature.

12

SOCIAL IMPACT

AN OVERVIEW OF THE ECONOMICS OF CANNABIS, BOTH LEGAL AND ILLEGAL...

Weedonomics CANNABIS SATIVA L. is without doubt the most widely produced, trafficked and consumed illegal drug in the world, with up to 650,000 hectares (ha) of land currently devoted to its cultivation worldwide. This total area is of course tiny compared to overall wheat cultivation (over 225 million ha) and that of the world’s largest non-food crop (coffee, at 11.5 million ha); however, it is much larger than the area given over to cocaine (around 170,000 Kali Mist ha) and opium (around 185,000 ha).

The regions in which Cannabis can be grown are far greater in number than for opium and cocaine, which are geographically almost exclusively limited to Asia and South America, respectively. Total

determine, given that taxation systems are unlikely to be uniform worldwide; however, based on the idea that it would be taxed similarly to alcohol, billions could be generated globally.

Seizures of hash are greatest in Afghanistan and Morocco (© Isaf Media)

reduced smell and smaller volume). It is almost impossible to discern with any accuracy the exact wholesale and production revenues for Cannabis, but estimates of around 5% of total retail revenue for growers and producers – and roughly 30% for wholesale revenues – have been postulated. Up to 255

lion annually (more than the current estimated world total for the sale of all illegal drugs combined). Of course, it is unlikely that all Cannabis produced would ever be subject to taxation – estimates suggest that up to 50% of alcohol produced globally is consumed with no tax paid at any stage – and even

UP TO 255 MILLION PEOPLE WORLDWIDE USE CANNABIS REGULARLY, WITH THE HIGHEST CONSUMPTION RATES FOUND IN THE UNITED STATES, CANADA AND AUSTRALASIA.

US pot seizures comprise almost 70% of the world’s total

million people worldwide use Cannabis regularly, with the highest consumption rates found in the United States, Canada and Australasia at around 10% of the population.

(© CBP Photography)

production of Cannabis far exceeds any other illicit drug, with up to 76,000 metric tons (t) produced annually – up to 66,000 t of herbal Cannabis, and up to 10,000 t of resin. Opium stands at around 43,000 t and coca leaf at 150,000 t (although this figure is much bigger, the cocaine produced is only around 1,000 t).

Total revenue from the global illegal Cannabis trade is estimated at around $142 billion (2010 figure) – over one-

The human cost of the illegal Cannabis trade, again hard to measure, is without doubt massively increased by raising the severity of the measures taken against the trade, as evidenced by the horrific consequences of the drug war in Latin America. This is prompting national leaders, such as Guatemalan president Otto Pérez Molina and Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos Calderón, to entirely rethink their policies towards all drugs – not just Cannabis.

Tax revenue taken by the Netherlands amounts to approximately $600 million (from total sales of approximately $3.2 billion), with around 26.5 t sold and taxed annually in coffeeshops ($22.64 million per t or $2,264 per kg). If the entire global production of Cannabis were to be priced and taxed the same as the Netherlands, total global tax revenue would equate to almost $1.7 tril-

if it were, not every country is likely to levy such a high price or tax as the Netherlands (around 20% of retail sale price). However, even if only half of total global production were taxed at an international average of (say) 10%, at current Netherlands retail prices this figure would amount to around $400 billion annually.

In the United States, it is somewhat easier to gain a concise look at the economics of the Cannabis trade, but still not a simple procedure due to massive variation in state policies, and the emergence of the legal trade. The fact that

TOTAL PRODUCTION OF CANNABIS FAR EXCEEDS ANY OTHER ILLICIT DRUG, WITH UP TO 76,000 METRIC TONS PRODUCED ANNUALLY. third of total illicit drug revenue worldwide ($411 billion). The cost of keeping Cannabis illegal is difficult to ascertain, due to the many factors at work, but is generally estimated to be at least $10 billion annually in the United States alone.

Taxes that would be gained if Cannabis was to be legalized are also difficult to

Of the total Cannabis produced worldwide, as much as 75% is destined for domestic consumption, with herbal Cannabis most often produced close to its ultimate point of consumption.

Cannabis resin is more likely to be transported large distances due to the comparative ease of smuggling (particularly

Hash is much easier to conceal and transport (© Isaf Media)

13 the United States is the single biggest national Cannabis market also means that accurately determining the figures is an arduous task, and there may therefore be considerable variation in the range of most estimates. When it comes to determining illegal trade statistics, the figures are usually worked out on the basis of total eradication and seizure amounts (which over the years have averaged around 10% of total production). America accounts for 70% of global seizures; estimates for the total value of the illegal market in the United States range from as little as $10 billion to as high as $120 billion annually, with most estimates putting it at around $40 bil- Indoor cultivation pushes up the cost of production (© Eggrole)

Private prison corporations are among

a 75% reduction in law enforcement costs, a figure of around $200 million, and generate at least $1.2 billion in tax – if a $50-per-ounce standard tax was levied, as well as sales tax. Other savings are represented in the fact that costly and intrusive testing programs could be discontinued (such as mandatory drug testing for welfare recipients in Florida, which is estimated to have cost almost $120,000 despite leading to the detection of only 2.6% positive samples in the four months before it was put on ‘temporary injunction’ – due to lack of cost-effectiveness).

the biggest lobbyists (© Mcaretaker)

lion. The total revenue from legal mediweed is estimated at around $1.7 billion (2011), a figure that almost equals the revenue from sales of Viagra, which is available in every state.

US states where sales of Cannabis from dispensaries are taxed include California and Colorado. In San Francisco, whose dispensaries pay the standard 8.5% sales tax, medi-weed sales revenues represent a third of the city’s total sales tax revenue. In Los Angeles, dispensaries have paid a standard 5% of gross retail revenue in tax since 2011, and in Berkeley, a 2.5% sales tax has been levied since 2010. Oakland voters agreed to raise tax paid from 1.8% - 5% on gross revenue, and dispensary owners also pay a $30,000 annual fee to the city.

Total tax revenue taken in California is believed to approximate $100 million (2010 figure); the total in Colorado was around $5 million in 2011.

One in four Americans live in mediweed states, and it is estimated that up to 25 million adults could potentially qualify for prescription pot: currently, around 730,000 are registered Cannabis patients, and this figure is set to increase as more people become aware of their eligibility. Worldwide, a further 20,000 or so legally-prescribed patients exist in countries including the Netherlands, Canada and Israel. Legalization would

economic consequences. The cost of lobbying will undergo some changes: currently millions are spent annually on lobbying efforts to keep Cannabis illegal – this may see some increase if laws

the ‘risk factor’ becomes a priority at all stages of the industry, and this is usually relatively proportionate to the severity of risk. In those countries where the penalties are most severe, the cost of Cannabis is usually higher. These costs will be increased throughout every step of the process, from cultivation through transportation to retail sale.

Were Cannabis to be universally legalized, the risk factor would be removed and costs would reduce. This has been found to be the case in most countries that have attempted decriminalization or relaxation of Cannabis laws.

Transportation would be further reduced by legalization due to the fact that domestic production could become a reality, and average distance from point-of-production to point-ofsale could be permitted to decrease.

Many countries where outdoor cultivation is in fact possible, but local law precludes it, instead have growing or

TOTAL TAX REVENUE TAKEN BY THE NETHERLANDS AMOUNTS TO APPROXIMATELY $600 MILLION FROM TOTAL SALES OF APPROXIMATELY $3.2 BILLION. are to be relaxed, but it is also possible that opposition to legal Cannabis will slowly diminish (similar to the disinterest in post-Prohibition re-criminalization efforts).

Police and prison guard unions, privatized prisons, and alcohol and pharmaceutical corporations all have a massive vested interest in keeping Cannabis prisoners incarcerated for as long as possible. Until the system is entirely overhauled, lobbying efforts are unlikely to die off completely. On the other hand,

In states where sales tax is not levied, the state may still gain revenue from dispensary membership fees, such as in Oregon, where up to $6.7 million was Outdoor cultivation is by far the most cost-effective method raised in 2011. As Cannabis is illegal at the federal level, it is mostly untaxed (© John Pavelka) beyond standard sales taxes. Upon legalization, it would be possible to tax weed similarly to alcohol, with increases increase the numbers of medical users the cost of lobbying to make Cannabis in revenue expected at upwards of $30 worldwide as it becomes increasingly legal will inevitably experience great billion nationally. acceptable to use and prescribe it, and reduction as laws continue to relax. new applications will undoubtedly be It is estimated that California’s retail discovered.

Other factors to take into consideration prices for Cannabis would drop by as include the fact that the total revenue much as 80% if full legalization was to If complete global legalization were to from Cannabis is unnaturally high due occur. Furthermore, California could see be achieved, there would be various to the associated costs of prohibition –

already-thriving indoor industries in place – Australia, much of the United States, many parts of southern Europe, and increasingly, Latin American countries such as Brazil. While outdoor cultivation occurs in most (if not all) of these locations, full legalization would in all likelihood see a reduction in indoor growing and a return to the far more cost-effective outdoor method.

However, if universal legalization were to occur, those countries whose climate is not well-adapted to production of highpotency Cannabis may swing the actual and environmental cost of cultivation back up, due to the expenses incurred with indoor cultivation. Furthermore, the total number of users may well increase if worldwide legalization occurs (currently there are 170 million alcohol users in the United States, compared with 16 million Cannabis users – a ten-to-one ratio), and cultural attitudes towards consumption of Cannabis become more relaxed. It is vital that to accommodate such growth, there must be strong international dialog regarding how best to balance the growing demand with environmental concerns.

The environmental cost of the Cannabis market is hard to measure, due to much of its excesses being due to illegality (in the form of dumping of hazardous waste that cannot be disposed of otherwise), eradication programs and fuel costs, among other factors. The associated costs of a global legal industry are still to be fully determined, but it is overwhelmingly clear that the costs of continued prohibition far outweigh them, and it is becoming apparent that the tide of public opinion is, throughout the world, beginning to sway in favor of legalization and regulation.

14

ONLINE

Cannabis.info Opens the Gates to the World of Weed With its brand new website Cannabis.info, Soft Secrets publisher Discover has opened the online gates to the entire world. It’s no wonder actually, as the company is the global market leader in the field of Cannabis magazines, with publications in thirteen countries across three continents. With so many languages and nationalities, the risk of a Babylonian confusion of tongues is ever-present, but the authors have succeeded admirably in creating a sleek and streamlined portal, accessible from any login point. Cannabissimo!

While the homepage of Cannabis.info appears deceptively simple at first glance, the site contains many less obvious features.

Cannabis.info is very ambitious, with more of an emphasis on service and information than on purely commercial interests. Besides Cannabis fans and hobbyists, Cannabis.info is also the ultimate portal to the rest of

everyday information, such as Cannabisrelated news from around the world, but also all the information you need to successfully exercise your hobby. There is a whole library at your disposal in which you can perform a targeted search for the answer to your question – again, of course, in multiple languages. High quality content, including

tional meeting point where readers can discuss all aspects of Cannabis culture with the rest of the world. The international forum is the place for English-language topics; nonEnglish speakers can also enjoy themselves in various other languages in the international forums. Isn’t it cool that the grow tent in your guest room can be admired by a reader in, say, Miami or Maastricht? And who knows, that particular reader may well have a golden tip to make your tent even more productive – ‘interactive’ at its best.

C Cannabis.info also points you in the directtion of Soft Secrets TV, a YouTube channel with which the possibilities of the digital w

the world for international Cannabis entrepreneurs. While most companies jealously guard their business relationships, here they are fully accessible to all entrepreneurs in the form of an international Highlife Guide. Talk about social media! Hundreds of Cannabis companies in eleven European countries can be searched alphabetically and by business type, but can also be found in a customized map on Google Maps.

Green Morality The fact that Discover puts its current editions directly online is quite daring for a publishing company. This allows readers who have no local distribution to read the current editions online in their own language. They can even be downloaded to print out later on. This allows you to keep informed, even if you live in a hut deep in the Tatra Mountains.

This option applies to all international editions of both Soft Secrets and Highlife.

material written by renowned authors such as Jorge Cervantes and Ed Rosenthal, guarantees that your knowledge will always be up to date. Obviously Cannabis.info closely follows the international state of affairs in the field of medicinal Cannabis as well.

Already, one of the most popular features is the Soft Secrets ‘Readers Wives’ section, in which growers’ wives and/or girlfriends take off their clothes for free seeds. Online visitors can vote for the ladies of green morality through a star system in which one star (NOT) to ten stars (HOT) indicates how smoking hot you think these – unfortunately usually faceless – Cannabis babes are. Another good thing about ‘Readers Wives’ is that it shows that there is more to EU nations such as Poland than cliches, i.e., these countries produce attractive ladies of both the plant and the human variant.

Soft Secrets TV With a name like Cannabis.info you can, of course, expect information – and that’s just what you’ll get. Plenty of it. You can access

A Cannabis website without a forum is simply unimaginable. Cannabis.info’s forum may well become the number one interna-

universe are further exploited. In entertaining videos, various topics are dealt with in a manageable format with clear tutorials and mini-reports about, for example, the dilemmas of a German medi-weed patient or an interview with Howard Marks, a.k.a. Mr. Nice.

If there’s one thing the above figures make clear, it’s that the world is yours to Discover.

But the truly impressive figure is the total circulation with which Discover spreads its green message all over the world: 1,500,000 copies in ten languages. Enough copies to build a pretty decent Tower of Babel.... http://www.cannabis.info

15

SERIOUS GARDENING

The Fungus Among Us

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 over non-inoculated plants.

Mycorrhizae thrive on carbohydrates, which is part of what they receive from the plant in return for helping it to thrive.

One way to boost mycorrhizae is to feed them with a carbohydrate additive such as molasses.

The realm of things that are alive is separated into various ‘kingdoms’.

There are several different ways to do this, but a common way is to group life forms into kingdoms of Bacteria, Protozoa (amoebas), Chromista (algae), Animalia (animals), Plantae (plants) and Fungi.

Members of the Plantae kingdom are the plants that gardeners grow.

These beloved members of their kingdom supply us members of Animalia with treasures of fibers, foods, flowers and flavors. But they are not alone. The neighboring kingdom of Fungi encompasses both enemies and allies including molds, mildews, mushrooms, yeasts and Grubbycup mycorrhiza.

In general, fungi prefer dark, wet, undisturbed environments. While members of the plant kingdom use cellulose to build cell walls, fungi use chitin, which is the same substance found in lobster shells, insect carapaces and octopus beaks. They often reproduce by releas-

resistance, and blocking their environmental niche from pathogenic fungi.

tunistic fungal colony, so garden waste Mushroom kits are available should be dealt with and not allowed to collect in damp conditions. Fungal out- for home use breaks can start with as little as 24 hours of appropriate conditions. ing plant material, and the elimination of standing water are the best methods to Stem Rot is a fungus that can develop on avoid an initial outbreak. Once a colony has become established, in most cases it must be treated. Correction of environmental issues, removal of colonized plant material, and chemical- or biological fungicides are all options for treatment. Sulfur is a common treatment, as are neem oil and the bacterium Bacillus subtilis (Serenade®).

Yeast is a fungus commonly used to make bread rise, which also creates the alcohol in wine and beer. Edible mushrooms can be grown at home using logs inoculated with the proper mushroom spores.

However some mushrooms can be toxic – properly identify any mushroom considered for consumption.

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. Much like a small colony of mold will take over an entire loaf of bread, in a healthy root system mycorrhiza will spread to fill the available space.

Plant improvements from inoculate use are particularly pronounced when used early in poor or sterile mediums. In soil that already contains high levels of beneficial fungi, adding more spores has a less-pronounced effect.

Plantae isn’t the only kingdom with which fungi interacts – lichen are part-fungi and part-algae, and penicillin (Penicillium chrysogenum) is taken as an antibiotic by the Animalia kingdom to combat invasions by members of the Bacteria kingdom.

Speaking of the interaction between ani-

These oyster mushrooms are an edible fungus

ing spores, which are tiny groups of cells that float through the air, hopefully landing in a hospitable area to form a new colony. Spores from common local fungi are often already present in gardens, simply awaiting proper conditions to begin growth. These spores often require near continuous available moisture, and as a result overly-humid or wet gardens have a greater tendency to have fungal problems.

and kill off over-watered seedlings. Once contracted, it is usually fatal, but can be avoided by proper watering. Root Rot is also caused by over-watering plants, but again can usually be avoided with proper watering and root aeration. Gray Mold attacks areas of poor air circulation, and can usually be avoided with some combination of proper ventilation, trimming areas of dense growth, and tying the plant open to increase internal airflow. Powdery

STEM ROT IS A FUNGUS THAT CAN DEVELOP ON AND KILL OFF OVERWATERED SEEDLINGS. Humidity above 70% is ideal for fungal growth, although outbreaks can occur at lower levels. Air circulation can have a strong influence on fugal growth, since poor air movement can create ‘pockets’ of high humidity air around plant material, encouraging detrimental fungal growth.

Since fungi do not use chlorophyll, they have no light requirements, and in fact often prefer darker areas. Wet plant refuse in a pile is an open invitation for an oppor-

Mildew is another moist garden fungal menace, commonly appearing, but with several treatment options including milk and other home remedies.

Verticillium wilt is a destructive fungus that invades and grows inside infected plants, an almost always fatal and untreatable arrangement. Dutch Elm disease is another terminal fungal ailment. Prevention is easier than treatment, so keeping humidity under control, removing decompos-

Fungi assist in plant decomposition and the conversion of waste plant material into compost. They break down large and woody plant material into forms more accessible to further decomposition by bacteria. Some fungi are so helpful they are intentionally added to gardens.

Mycorrhiza are often added to plant root systems to improve nutrient uptake, and some are even used as biological pesticides. For example, entomopathogenic fungi such as Purpureocillium lilacinum have been used to combat parasitic nematodes by infecting their eggs.

Mycorrhizal fungi have formed symbiotic (mutually beneficial) relationships with almost all terrestrial plants. These colonies are in a symbiotic relationship with the plant, where each benefits more than it loses from the presence of the other. Mycorrhiza are found naturally occurring in healthy, ‘live’ soil. The combination of mycorrhizal fungi and plant root are what is known as mycorrhizae (fungus-roots). Plants with well established mycorrhizae tend to perform better than those that do not. The plant provides a carbohydrate source for the fungus; in return, the fungus helps assist the plants in nutrient uptake, drought

Powdered mycorrhiza fungi is used as a plant additive mals (us) and fungi, the hallucinogenic psilocybin mushroom is another fungus occasionally consumed for its effects.

While the dangers of eating a non-identified wild mushroom are very real, they can be safely grown at home as a hobby using a prefabricated kit (such as the ones offered from Back to Roots, who sell small mushroom kits made from recycled coffee grounds). Several online merchants sell spores and other equipment needed for more the adventuresome hobbyist, but a small kit is a fun way to try out the experience to see if it suits you.

There are good fungi, and then there are some unpleasant ones. As with everything else, make friends with the good, and avoid the bad where you can.

Peace, love and puka shells, Grubbycup

16

LEGISLATION

IMPLICATIONS OF THE PROPOSED FEDERAL LIMIT FOR THC IN BLOOD

Cannabis and DUID The vast and complex system of legislation applied to Cannabis-related driving offenses can be highly confusing, and vary wildly from state to state. In 2000, a federal DUI law lowered the legal Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) limit to 0.08%, and by now most states have incorporated this guideline. However, there is no federal standard in place for any banned substance, and calls have recently been made to establish a uniform system for drugged driving offenses in order to bring an end to the confusion. A proposal, made in January of this year by Senators Mark Pryor (D-AR) and Charles Schumer (D-NY), aims to earmark federal funds for the purpose of establishing standardized roadside tests for banned narcotics. While this may represent a positive move in terms of the clarification it will potentially bring about, it could mean a change Kali Mist for the worse for many.

result in revocation of license if impairment can be proved beyond reasonable doubt. Defense based upon prescription use is allowed in several states, including some zero-tolerance; in Wisconsin, a per se state, a defense based upon legal entitlement is allowed only for THC, gammahydroxybutyric acid (GHB) and methamphetamine.

Several of the remaining per se states set a legal limit for intoxication, as with alcohol, to be determined through blood or urinalysis. Legal limits are also being introduced in non-per se states, in an attempt to quantify incapacitation or impairment in such cases. Uniquely, North Carolina is zero-tolerance of Schedule I drugs, but for all other controlled substances, ‘influence’ must be proved (for those under 21 years old, per se law is applied to all controlled substances). The standard for what constitutes influence also varies between the states that have defined it in their statutes – in fourteen (including Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wyoming), the burden of proof is on the prosecutor to prove that the driver is incapacitated; in eight (including Florida and Virginia), the driver must be proved to be merely impaired, usually an easier case for the prosecution to argue.

In ‘implied consent’ states, the driver has implicitly given consent to be tested in case of the suspected presence of controlled substances; this may be done forcibly. All but five states have implied consent laws, and nine of these issue criminal penalties to those who do not submit to the test. Out of those five states that do not have implied consent laws, two (Alaska and Alabama) allow for compulsory testing in cases involving death or serious injury.

A traffic stop in New York (© Dwight’s Ghost) There are three main types of state DUID (Driving Under the Influence of Drugs) or DWI (Driving While Impaired) laws: either the state must prove that the driver is incapacitated, or rendered incapable of driving; that the driver is impaired or is under the influence of a drug while driving – or in the most restrictive states,

simply that there is evidence of a banned substance. All fifty states have one or more DUID laws in place; nineteen states have the third type of law, known as per se, but often referred to as ‘zerotolerance’. Twelve states implement strict zero-tolerance of some or all scheduled drugs, with seven of these twelve extend-

ing the law to include metabolites.

Minnesota, included in the seven, specifically exempts Cannabis: under its ‘implied consent’ laws, the state cannot revoke one’s license to drive solely on the basis of a positive blood or urine test for THC or metabolites. However, the driver may be subjected to DWI charges, which could

To ascertain the presence of Cannabis, a blood or urine test is the most common method. In states with a per se system, the presence of THC in any amount is enough to successfully convict. If the state is strictly zero-tolerance, urine or blood is sufficient to determine existence of THC or its metabolites; if the state only considers THC and not metabolites a blood test is necessary, as urinalysis to detect THC itself is not usually standard.

The legal limit proposed for Washington

A failed sobriety test leads to a Blood Alcohol Content & Relative Risk of Traffic Accident (Wikimedia Commons)

student’s arrest (© JSmith Photo)

17 (currently an influence state) in April of 2012, Initiative 502, is five nanograms of THC per milliliter (5 ng/ mL); Pennsylvania’s existing limit is already set at 1 ng/ mL (reduced from 5 ng/ mL in 2011), and Nevada and Ohio set the limit at 2 ng/ mL. Colorado recently rejected a 5 ng/ mL limit – Senate Bill 117 had been given initial approval but died during a second-reading vote on May 8th, 2012 due to uncertainties over its scientific validity. There is much doubt surrounding the veracity of testing methods as cannabinoids remain present in the body for far longer than the effects of intoxication, and tests are not usually performed until hours after the arrest is made. Around a dozen states also have roadside saliva tests for THC; but again, there is much controversy surrounding the establishment of a legal limit.

Where influence or impairment must be proved, the possibility of avoiding a DUID or related charge increases with a good defense. In California, for example, the

being done at all – often in cases where the driver admits to smoking Cannabis (although this does not legally constitute impairment).

Despite the many claims that ingesting Cannabis prior to driving doubles one’s risk of a collision, the data that supports this is questionable, and in fact the opposite may be true. The fact that Cannabis is so commonly found in the blood of drivers involved in accidents can be explained largely due to the fact that it is the most widely used controlled substance, especially in the 18 to 35 age bracket (in which accident likelihood is typically increased).

Cannabis has been found to impair driving immediately subsequent to consumption, but these effects (which usually take the form of slowed reactions, decreased speed and reduced ability to track motion and remain correctly positioned) have been shown to be mild, and short in duration.

There is little question that for a healthy adult, driving while entirely free from the

Many saliva test kits for THC Saliva test kit for THC (© MedVet) prosecutor must prove that the driver does not possess the “ability to drive with the caution characteristic of a sober person” when attempting to convict for DUID. If pulled over, the arresting officer must first assess the driver according to driving

are available (© POCD) effects of any drug is optimal. There are some who are rendered capable of driving only through their use of medications, and others whose drug use generally negates their ability to drive. Determining who is in the latter category is of course

CALLS HAVE RECENTLY BEEN MADE TO ESTABLISH A UNIFORM SYSTEM FOR DRUGGED DRIVING OFFENSES. pattern and physical appearance, as well as the results of Field Sobriety Tests (FSTs), before requesting a Drug Recognition and Evaluation (DRE). The DRE official will refer the driver for a chemical test if the results of the DRE suggest the presence of a controlled substance. There is currently no standardized limit to indicate impairment; while the current system allows some leeway, the proposed federal limit would remove much of the individual’s ability to argue the case for impairment.

difficult, due to variation in the individual behavioral response to a medication; in many states there have been cases that have challenged current thinking, leaving us with a mishmash of policy from state to state. Regardless, it is clear that the government has ignored research – including

States with DUID per se statutes (NORML.org)

its own – in the past, and not only regarding Cannabis (but also with drugs such as MDMA, which many consider illegally placed in Schedule I, considering its ongoing use as medicine). It is also clear that there are blanket decisions being made that unfairly prioritize politics over medical consensus. Indeed, Cannabis’s place in the Schedule is greatly responsible for this problematic legislation.

To illustrate the complexity and vagary of the scheduling: Diazepam (generic Valium) is a Schedule IV drug, use of which research suggests greatly impairs driving ability. In Pennsylvania – where only Schedules I through III are considered under its DUI laws – driving on Diazepam is not considered a violation. Pennsylvania is, however, one of twenty states that specifically disallow prescription use as a defense, so a medi-weed user would be liable for prosecution with no recourse to the legality of their use (should PA ever legalize medical Cannabis). Wisconsin considers Schedules I through V under its DUID laws, while making an exception for prescription Cannabis – an almost diametrically opposed approach to legislation Adderall, a Schedule II substance, is a good example of how the individual can be subject to illogical laws, even on prescription. It some states a doctor’s letter is suf-

Most states (the sole exception being West Virginia) use a DRE system: law enforcement agents are trained to recognize telltale characteristics of drug impairment, a subjective system prone to abuse and error, whereby an arrest can only be made if certain criteria are met. In effect this can mean that all that a law enforcement agent needs to do to make an arrest is testify that, according to their opinion, the driver was impaired. In most cases this must be backed up by an official test for Cannabis, but there are anecdotal Blood testing for banned substances (© US Navy) reports of DUIDs being issued with no test

ficient to confirm that the individual’s ability to drive will not be affected. However, there have been cases of commercial drivers ending up with a DUID for driving while on prescribed Adderall – with a doctor’s note, and with full knowledge of the employer. Studies have demonstrated that it significantly improves driving ability in young people with ADHD, although there are conflicting examples of users experiencing dizziness and panic while behind the wheel – another example of how difficult it can be to reach consensus.

A 2002 study (Barkley, et al.) demonstrated that ADHD sufferers are far more likely to receive speeding fines and other violations; a German study in 2008 showed that Cannabis can relieve symptoms of ADHD (without the side-effects of other common medications) and may in fact enhance driving capabilities. Cannabis use is prevalent among sufferers, and this example further highlights the need to legislate correctly for the drug, as it may in many individuals’ cases be the most appropriate medication to ensure unimpaired driving. As up to 4.4% of adult Americans have ADHD (and prevalence is increasing), it would seem that further research is required to look more deeply into the relationship between ADHD, Cannabis and motor vehicle accidents.

These examples serve to highlight the inadequacy of the existing DUID laws, and show that a federal approach setting a national legal limit for THC must be formulated carefully to avoid criminalizing unimpaired drivers and legal patients.

A more informed and less reactionary approach would be to adopt a universal system similar to that in California, which at least presents grounds for argument against a DUID conviction. Further research must be done to decisively establish the true risk of driving under the influence of Cannabis, as well as the best way to accurately determine impairment on a case-by-case basis. Adopting a universal system that does not take this into account would clearly demonstrate that the best interests of American citizens are not being considered.

Jack Plant

Image: Advanced Seeds

19

CULTIVATION 101

Cloning for the Future “As buds give rise by growth to fresh buds, and these, if vigorous, branch out and overtop on all sides many a feebler branch, so by generation I believe it has been with the great Tree of Life, which fills with its dead and broken branches the crust of the earth, and covers the surface with its ever-branching and beautiful ramifications.” - Charles F.RED Darwin, Origin of Species Cloning is taking a cutting (branch) from a plant and then inducing it to root. Cloning creates another plant genetically identical to the one it was taken from. Climate and humidity play a large factor in your success.

Roots can develop rapidly in as little as three days – or as long as two weeks – depending upon the environmental conditions, the health of the clipping, or even the particular strain it is from.

will go to waste. Some people receive great benefits from juicing raw leaves or making tinctures with these unwanted boys. Now, the remaining girls you have are untested, which – depending on the stability of their phenotype – will give you a range of yields.

A clone in this same time period with a Purple Kush mother with clones proven track record, and grown properly will be considerably larger then any seedling, or abilities, and you have the space to hang with less gamble on the final outcome. on to it for forever, why not?

Preserving a lineage is another great reason for cloning. This has been done for decades without the dreaded genetic drift, which is the idea that successive clones lose their vigor and quality. We have all heard stories of clones gone bad. This is mostly due to the change in the environmental conditions, nutrient supply and overall vitality of an individual plant. Though there is a poten-

In the last ten years the scientists among us have taken cloning to another level with tissue cultures. A small bit of genetic material can be kept indefinitely, or thousands of progeny can be created from it. These techniques in tissue culture are called protocols, and they vary depending upon the type of plant, and whether the genetic material is taken from the roots, stem or leaf. While

CUTTINGS MUST BE PLACED UNDER A CLONE DOME TO PREVENT THE PLANTS FROM DRYING OUT BEFORE THE ROOTS HAVE SUFFICIENTLY DEVELOPED. Remove the guesswork with a digital thermometer/ hygrometer

The closer your clone area can be to room temperature 75º F (24º C) the more chance roots will have to develop. Temperature from a bottom shelf to a top shelf in a grow room can be a few degrees different, potentially altering your outcome. Purchasing a digital thermometer/ hygrometer to make sure your conditions are ideal is a wise investment.

There are a great many practical reasons why an herb farmer would consider cloning as a general practice. Growing from seed requires at minimum a month of grow time before most seedlings can even show sex.

At that point, unless you are growing hemp (or breeding, and need pollen) the males will need to be removed from your garden. This does not necessarily mean that these plants

This micro-climate will often fluctuate seasonally, even in an indoor environment. A cloning setup placed straight on a slab may be fine during the summer months, but in winter you may need some insulation or even a heating pad. We all know growers who can clone in a fish tank without hormones, but the most effective way to propagate is by immediately dipping the cutting into a dry or wet rooting hormone and then placing it into a growing medium.

Dry hormones are typically used with a soil blend or straight vermiculite and perlite.

Wet hormones come in gel or liquid form and are good to use with growth media such as rockwool or clay pellets, as well as bubble- or aeroponic systems.

Most environments are far too dry to support a cutting without roots. They must be placed under a clone dome to prevent the plants from drying out before the roots have sufficiently developed. This humidity dome allows the plants to drink water from the air; they will not need much light until the roots develop. The roots themselves will need oxygen to grow. After the first few days you should get in the daily habit of briefly Clone under a dome lifting the hood to allow for air exchange.

tial for a limited life span I am very familiar with multiple strains being cloned for over a decade, and have also heard of people cloning strains for several decades without long term mothers, and without a change in quality or output. The pool of genes from which a Cannabis plant must choose for survival is truly mind-boggling. I have seen Hindu Kush elongate to Silver Haze-like proportions in sweltering 120º F (49º C) heat.

And White Widow continuously flowers from nutrient lockouts under twenty-four hours of light. If you are fortunate enough to obtain a strain with superb characteristics

many of these procedures were created in laboratories with autoclaves and other expensive equipment, they can often be duplicated with items purchased at your local grocery store. These protocols and early procedures are in many ways similar to growing mushrooms. While not practical for the average grower, for a large commercial producer tissue cloning is definitely the future.

A mass of cells becomes a new plant (Photo: gmocannabiswatch.blogspot.com)

These wonderful Cannabis flowers, with their infinitude of flavors and effects, are ultimately what we strive for. People grow for many reasons, and cloning ultimately facilitates many of them. For some, having the right medicine that works for their condition is a life or death issue. Keeping strains that have the greatest impact can make a large difference in someone’s quality of life. More fortunate individuals can relish in the pleasures of flavor and taste, with little thought to the aches and pains that life can bring. Take some of the uncertainty out of your harvests. Preserve your favorite medicine, and speed up your harvest time by learning how to clone.

20

CULTIVATION 101

Cloning for Success

“OPPORTUNITY IS MISSED BY MOST PEOPLE BECAUSE IT IS DRESSED IN OVERALLS AND LOOKS LIKE WORK.”  THOMAS EDISON

Successful cloning for soil or mixed media is simple. A few easy guidelines will allow you to, over time, take one plant and make as many genetically identical copies as you want, for as long as you want.

Several European cultivars of grapes are clones of plants originally grown over two-thousand years ago. Keeping a great strain is defiF.RED nitely a good reason for learning how to clone.

Environment: Several procedures and arrangements need to be accomplished before your first cutting is taken. A clone area with moderate- to lowlevel lighting is ideal for fresh cuttings. You want your plants focused on root formation,

Mother plants also need to be well-hydrated before cloning; it is optimal to water a few hours, or the day before, taking cuttings.

It will be around two weeks before the clones will need to be watered. Spray the mother plants with water before starting the procedure, just to make sure they are super-saturated.

Controlling temperature and humidity are very important when cloning Cannabis. As Pack mix snugly around clone with brewing beer or growing mushrooms, the parameters are very narrow, so purchasing a digital thermometer/ hygrom- ing a little ‘Super Thrive’ and/or a very diluteter will take all the guesswork out of the ed bloom mix to this water will help give equation. The closer your clone area is to your cuttings a boost in root production, the ideal 75° F (24° C), the more success due to the hormones and nutrients they you will have. The lower your tempera- provide. After watering the containers and tures drop, the slower your roots will form. making sure they are not sitting in puddles, Higher temperatures increase the chance create small holes in your media so your of rotting your cutting before roots are formed. A plant clipping without roots is in an unquestionably delicate state. Without

Poke a hole in your wet mix to make room for the clone

and bright lights will divert energy away from that endeavor. Most Cannabis strains need at least one month after sprouting from seed to be able to flower.

Growers are able to control a plant’s ability to flower by controlling the amount of darkness it receives. This reaction to the light cycle or lack of light is called ‘photoperiodic response’. ‘Photoperiodism’ controls a plant’s

Fresh clones under a dome Cut bottom leaves on stem water, wilting begins almost immediately.

A clone dome will ensure moisture stays in the air so your cutting does not dry out before roots develop. The cutting will absorb this moisture though a process of diffusion and osmosis.

Marking or labeling is very important if you have more than one similar variety. It can be very easy to lose track of which plant is which. Get your containers labeled correctly so you do not end up losing or mixing up your strains. A marker and masking tape is an efficient and simple way to go.

The best media combination to clone with is a half vermiculite, half perlite blend.

Together these two ingredients make the

cuttings will not be damaged when placing them into the mix. The stems of most cuttings are tender. Forcing your clones into this medium would hurt them.

Mother Plants and Cutting Technique: Healthy mothers ensure healthy clones.

Some growers subscribe to starving moth-

Now you are ready to determine where the clippings will be taken on the mother plant. A cutting around three-plus inches long is a good size. Use clean, sharp scissors to take the clipping. Place the cutting on a wood block, trim off the bottom leaves and cut the stem at a nice 45° angle with a fresh razor blade. Immediately dip the cutting into a wet or dry rooting hormone and place it into your medium. Make sure to gently pack the moist vermiculite and perlite, blending snugly around the stem.

When you are finished with your last cutting, place the dome over them. These new plants can be left in the clone area, undisturbed, for seven days.

You ought to see a little humidity forming in the hood of the dome. This is a good sign that your clippings will have enough moisture in the air to sustain them while the roots are forming. If your plants wilt in the first few days, your conditions are too dry. If they rot the conditions are too wet, or to hot. After the first week, lift the dome every day or two allowing for a good air exchange, as roots need oxygen to survive.

Most cuttings will root within a three- to twelve day period.

As Sophocles says, “success is dependent on effort.” These simple steps can give you 100% success at cloning. Once your clones are ready, transplant into soil, clay

A FEW EASY GUIDELINES ALLOW YOU TO TAKE ONE PLANT AND MAKE AS MANY GENETICALLY IDENTICAL COPIES AS YOU WANT, FOR AS LONG AS YOU WANT. ers of nutrients before cloning, claiming that it helps clones take faster. (This makes as much sense as saying that starving a child makes him grow faster.) Your cuttings will use the nutrients stored within them for staying alive and creating new roots.

pellets, coconut husks, lava rock, or some other exotic medium. These plants are genetic copies of their mothers, ready to flower instantly with a reduced light cycle, meaning more potential harvests of your favorite medicine every year!

Choose where to take your cutting Dip cutting immediately into circadian clock, a biochemical mechanism, rooting hormone which is literally a molecular clock coordinated with the day/ night cycle. We humans are also controlled by these circadian rhythms, perfect jumble of moisture and oxygen for but most are blissfully unaware. Cannabis is root development. A little misting will help considered a short-day plant, as in nature, keep the dust down when mixing these it flowers with the increase of darkness as constituents, as they absolutely are a dust autumn occurs. Between sixteen and twen- hazard. After being put into the cloning conty-four hours of light is necessary to prevent tainers this blend needs to be saturated with flowering in your clone area. water. To increase your level of success, add-

Ten-day-old clone with beautifully developed root ball

21

MIND, BODY, SPIRIT

Mastering the Munchies The effects of Cannabis on appetite is a well-known (although not well-understood) phenomenon. After ingesting pot, many people experience a desire to eat. While this effect can be extremely useful in replacing appetite in some individuals with medical conditions or treatments that result in a loss of appetite, for others it can help tip the scales beyond what they are comfortable with. This effect varies from person to person, and from variety to variety; for frequent smokers, it is something to be taken seriously, especially considering our Grubbycup nationwide issues with obesity.

In the interest of full disclosure: I’m not a nutritionist or medical professional, so take this as well-meaning advice from a friend, not as a mandate from any sort of authority on the topic. On the other hand, I have lost 100 lbs off my top weight, and so would like to share some of what has helped me not only maintain control of the effects of the munchies, but also to lose weight while smoking daily.

Consuming Cannabis often has the effect of allowing one to appreciate the current moment in a focused, heightened state, at the apparent expense of short term memory encoding [discussed on p. 26]. To put that another way, enjoyment of the current mouthful is greater, but the ability to properly keep track of how many mouthfuls have been taken diminishes. Some unscientific anecdotal evidence suggests that a bowl of potato chips put in front of a group of vipers will disappear regardless of por-

encing diminishing returns after a minimum point. Having a single serving of chips, or several servings, seems to have little effect on the experience – while having a large impact on calorie consumption. Since the experience appears to be

On a similar occasion, smaller portions were made available, with almost identical responses afterward. Satisfaction with the experience appeared close to identical in each case, as long as the requirement “we had some chips” was met. Responses seemed to indicate that the first and last chips were the most memorable, with the number of mouthfuls in between experi-

PRACTICE PORTION CONTROL: DON’T TAKE AN ENTIRE CONTAINER WITH YOU, PUT A REASONABLE AMOUNT IN A BOWL OR ON A PLATE INSTEAD. drate, tip number two is to try convincing yourself that water is the best choice for actually quenching thirst, with flavored drinks more appropriately enjoyed at leisure.

Since the sensations of eating can be easier to focus on while under the effects

have a high-calorie, high-fat treat, make it a good one – and enjoy every bite. Life is for living; while treats should be only an occasional celebration for the palate, when you do indulge in them, savor the experience.

A personal favorite treat is a wonder that I first learned of some years ago by the name

similar, my first tip to you is to practice portion control. Don’t take an entire container with you, put a reasonable amount in a bowl or on a plate instead.

Another effect often experienced, particularly when Cannabis is smoked, is an analgesic effect, with or without an accompanying sensation of ‘dry mouth’. This can cause the sinuses to open and drain, paradoxically causing coughing while clearing passages.

Since the feeling of dry mouth is most commonly interpreted as a symptom of dehydration, the body responds by signaling thirst. Pay attention to the particular craving that you feel. In this case, it is likely not the ‘sweet’ from soda that the body is calling for, but simply something re-hydrating, which is a need that can be met with water.

Drinking water as a frequent beverage choice is something that gets easier with practice.

Moderation in all things, plus drinking water,

tion size, and interviews with participants afterward showed a diminished ability to judge whether one bag or two was consumed. Responses similar to “we had some chips” were universal, but their estimations as to the amount of chips consumed varied widely, and tended to be low.

can help reduce the number of ‘empty’ calories a person consumes from beverages.

When you want to sit and enjoy the flavors in a drink, by all means make a tasty choice; however, when thirsty and wanting to rehy-

are filling and can help satisfy a toker’s need to eat and feel full. A piece of jerky can be chewed slowly to satisfy both salt and protein cravings. Although it isn’t very realistic for most of us to replace all the bad foods we crave with healthier alternatives, replacing at least some can make maintaining a healthy weight easier. The third tip is to try to find healthy ways to fulfill the cravings that arise.

For the fourth and final tip: when you do

of Cannabis, textures can become both important and interesting. For those seeking a crunch, fresh vegetables dipped in salad dressing can supply both a satisfying crunchy experience, and if a variety of dressings is made available, can be a nice treat.

Smooth and creamy textures can be found in fruits such as bananas.

of ‘Dutch Babies’. While not appropriate for keeping pounds off, it is very appropriate for delighting a mellow group of friends with a reason to celebrate.

Sweet, sour and spicy are other common cravings. Sweet plums can sometimes fulfill the need for ‘sweet’; dill pickles are a no fat, low calorie ‘sour’; and most hot sauces can be added in practically unlimited quantities without appreciably increasing calories.

Foods high in fiber, like a bowl of oatmeal,

* Melt 1/3 cup of butter in a shallow cast iron skillet in a 425º F oven * Blend 4 eggs for 1 minute or until light and lemon-colored * While mixing, add 1 cup milk, then 1 add cup flour * Add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional) * Blend for 30 seconds. Add to pan, return pan to oven, and bake for 20 - 25 minutes * Top with a little lemon juice and powered sugar, jelly, or syrup, serve immediately

Dutch Babies: You will need a skillet that can be placed in an oven (cast iron works best).

If all goes well, the sides will rise and curl over themselves while it cooks. Puffy while cooking, it will fall within minutes of being taken out of the oven.

The effect known as the ‘munchies’ can enh ance the experience of eating, and (when used properly) can spice up life – but in moderation. Find healthy substitutes for less healthy choices when you can, and make peace with yourself when you cannot.

Peace, love and puka shells,

22

FESTIVALS AND EXPOS

Cannabis Liberation Day 2012

PROPOT PEOPLE FROM ACROSS THE NETHERLANDS GATHER IN AMSTERDAM TO SAY, “LET’S PASS ON THE WEED PASS!”

In light of the recent suppression of the Dutch Cannabis industry, namely the Weed Pass and the 15% Rule, June 17th was a chance to gather, rally and celebrate the plant. Amsterdam’s famous Westerpark provided the setting for the fourth annual Cannabis Liberation Day, a collection of speakers, musical acts, local sound systems, seed companies, hemp products, activists and legal advocates – plus the usual assortment of growers, smokers and medical patients. Hosted by the VOC (Alliance for the Abolition of Cannabis Prohibition), several thousand people showed up primarily to protest against the Weed Pass; the nation’s largest Cannabis culture festival also acted as the launch Sativa Diva Photos by Highlife for the VOC’s new Vote2Smoke campaign.

The Cannabisbevrijdingsdag, as it’s known in Dutch, occurs at a particularly tense political time, as the cabinet fell in April and will be replaced after elections in September. Potential visitors to our capital city have been worried that the same policies currently in place in southern Holland will soon be implemented in the rest of the country – including our capital city. Amsterdam is slated to adopt the Weed Pass (officially known as the ‘Club Card’) along with the remainder of the nation as of January, 2013. In

addition, all Cannabis products that test above THC (notably ice-water extracted hash) are supposed to be banned from coffeeshop sale.

These ideas have caused murmurs of panic throughout the various international growers’ and smokers’ communities (both in person and online); however, the superficial harshness of the measure is diluted when people realize that the only support these repressive and destructive policies enjoy comes from

the recently-dissolved coalition of rightwing, conservative political parties.

Attending the Cannabis Liberation Day on that Sunday in June belied any notion that Cannabis is no longer accepted in the Netherlands. Visitors were treated to a new feature this year, known as the Speakers Corner. Highlighted was the new Vote2Smoke campaign (www. vote2smoke.nl) which encourages the Cannabis-friendly population of Holland to become more active in politics, and

informs the public as to how they can vote for the parties who actually support weed tolerance in the Netherlands.

For now, the coffeeshop industry is definitely still open for business – regardless of where you’re from. The large attendance at this year’s Cannabis Liberation Day, coupled with the fervor of its panel of speakers, proved that Amsterdam still welcomes pro-pot people from around the world, with open arms – and stash tins.

Evert, pioneer of the

Def P and the Beatbusters

Local legend Armand participating

Verdamper vaporizer

provoked wild ska moves

in the Speakers Corner

DJ Isis: “The Weed Pass is an absurd

Even the merchandise had a

step back in time!”

political theme

Coffeeshop Bulldog was among the local vendors

23

MIND, BODY, SPIRIT

Dude, Where’s My Memory?

Although THC (the active ingredient in weed) has already been indicted for a number of crimes, none could be more heinous than attempting to steal the previous thirty minutes from everyone who has ever

O’Riodon

this planet, having invented air travel, wars and stuff, but how do we treat it? Would you put 92-octane gas in a Ferrari? No, but you’d stuff a hamburger and soda into something that gave us the theory of relativity. If you

THC disrupts brain wave patterns across the hippocampus smoked it. The evidence is pretty compelling: besides giving us a good time, THC disrupts the brain wave patterns across the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, areas crucial to memory formation. It’s the equivalent of a couple of instruments playing out of tune in an orchestra, with the resulting discord meaning you can’t find your car keys – scary stuff. However, there is one piece of evidence in THC’s favor: short term memory loss only lasts as long as you use it. So that’s all right then! But what about those of us who don’t want to quit? Well, that’s where we all get together and solve the problem.

want to smoke dope and continue to have a sharp mind you also have to eat properly (there are also a few herbs involved, but more about them later).

A good first step is to start making meals that are more memory friendly by cutting down on toxins, such as refined sugar and trans fats. These substances produce mindnumbing compounds that dull the senses and damage the brain’s ability to recollect

SHORT TERM MEMORY LOSS HAS LONG BEEN AN ASSUMED SIDEEFFECT OF CANNABIS USE. THE STONER LIVING IN A MENTAL FOG IS MOST PEOPLE’S IDEA OF A TYPICAL DOPE SMOKER, BUT THAT’S NOT NECESSARILY TRUE. acid called DHA, which increases the levels of acetylcholine, a vital carrier involved in the brain’s memory function. Walnuts, flaxseed oil and hemp seed oil are another good source of omega-3.

Sage tea is a good memory booster, and green tea is just good for... everything.

Another way to boost memory is with highpotency multivitamins and mineral supplements. Look for a supplement that delivers a daily intake of the following nutrients: vitamin A, beta-carotene, the full range of B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium and chromium.

Stress, another memory thief, releases the hormone cortisol: this damages the brain’s ability to turn short memory into the longterm variety, so learn how to relax. If you suffer from stress, try practicing a relaxation exercise such tai chi, meditation or yoga.

Walking is another great memory booster, preferably in the beauty of nature, which has a very positive effect on your ability to retain memories.

DMAE (dimethylaminoethanol), will also keep your memory sharp by giving your neurotransmitters a boost. These are the chemicals that relay messages between the neurons and when levels are low, memory suffers.

Just the simple act of breathing can also play an important role in the brain’s memory function. Many of us breathe too shallowly, depraving the brain of the vital oxygen it needs to operate at full capacity. Try taking

THE FACT IS, THERE’S WEED OUT THERE CONTAINING MUCH HIGHER LEVELS OF CANNABIDIOL CBD, THE COUNTERBALANCE TO THC, AND THIS HAS NO EFFECT ON SHORT TERM MEMORY. DMAE can also potentially elevate mood, and increases physical energy. Another important herb that stimulates the brain’s neurotransmitters is St John’s Wort, but don’t use this if you’re taking antidepressants.

The fact is, there’s weed out there containing much higher levels of cannabidiol (CBD), the counterbalance to THC, and this has no effect on short term memory – in fact, it actually produces a cleaner, more empowering effect. CBD is like THC’s good twin, making sure he ‘plays nice’ without resorting to those nasty side effects. It’s the weed we should all have access to, the shit that shows us we are all one – Bob Marley’s stash!

The problem is, these specially-selected strains are expensive and hard to find in some parts of the world. Some of the blame lies with the seed companies who only develop strains to boost THC, while totally ignoring the CBD content. Hey breeders, A short-term memory goes up in smoke it’s all about balance, and growers, well you should just flush more. Nothing helps zap your memory like a bag full of ‘twitchy’ and reason. There are also allergies to wheat, dope, still full of growing nutrients. milk and corn, these can also affect the brain’s ability to function, so try whenever THC is not altogether guilty of stealing your possible to eat wholesome, (legitimately) memory, because it does have accomplices organic food and drink plenty of water, and – us. Think about it: memory is a function of maybe consider buying a water filter. the brain that sits on top of that thing you call a body, but do you take care of it? The Oily fish containing omega-3 is a great human body is an amazing thing, capable brain food. Start adding tuna, salmon or of all sorts of feats. It’s the hottest thing on trout to your diet. These contain a fatty

This mild sedative helps you sleep better and allows the brain to produce growth hormone, a substance that protects and improves memory.

a few deep breaths every couple of minutes, giving the brain an oxygen boost, sharper reactions and clearer thoughts.

Finally, try introducing new ways of thinking into your life. Every day we repeat 80% of the thoughts we had the day before.

So, start changing your routine. Break old

Ginkgo biloba, a memory booster

Periwinkle is an herb that speeds up brain activity by increasing blood flow, thus enhancing memory function, in some cases with startling effect. Ginkgo biloba is another memory herb that improves blood circulation to the brain, and it is also a powerful antioxidant.

Kava-kava is an herb from the South Pacific that induces memory-restoring sleep.

Brain food, full of omega-3

habits, or give your brain a challenge – start learning an instrument or a new language.

And turn off that TV! One day, all the weed in the world will be loaded with enough mind-expanding CBD for us all to join as one, and explore the higher realm of our minds together. Remember: use it or lose it!

24

CULTIVATION ABROAD

HOW ONE GROWER ‘ACROSS THE POND’ AVOIDS THE HIGH COST OF BUYING WEED FROM SOMEONE ELSE...

Home Growing in Southern England I’m a grower down on the southern coast of England and I’m painfully aware of how bad the current situation concerning good quality bud has become. You can go in to any city, town or village around here and get a bit of bud without too much hassle, if you know where to look.

Some local tokers may be lucky and get decent smoke but pay the high price of £10 ($15.60) per gram, while others may end up with the run-of-the-mill crap that seems to be selling everywhere these days Smokedout for around £20 - 25 ($31 - 39).

Low-watt HPS or LED lights reduce heat problems

A ten-pot system is easy to manage for beginners I, for one, can’t be asked to hunt around trying to find a decent bit of smoke that is going to cost me a small fortune. This is why I grow – not for the potential high value rewards that can be made in this business, but because I love a good bit of bud and I resent having to pay a king’s ransom for it.

I have been growing for about seven years now and only recently have I decided that something needs to change, be it the (stupid) law or the dealers standing up and saying NO to crap bud!

So this column is my contribution to help enlighten and educate like-minded people about how important it is to know what you are doing when producing a garden of beautiful Cannabis plants. We can all stick a seed in a pot

particular fondness, plus it is a strain that just seems to love me back! (You will know what I mean when you try it). I have been growing it for several years as I find it still cannot be beaten for quality or quantity when compared to your ‘standard’ and even most ‘high grade’ bud that you will buy from your next-door neighbor’s teenage son’s friend – you get the picture!

It gives me great pleasure to share this grow with you all, as I have just moved grow rooms from a cramped space to somewhere my ladies can properly flourish! On top of that, I have ditched the two ‘old faithful’ 600-watt HPS lights, (although these will reappear at some later date as they are such good lights), and have opted for a mixture of 300-watt LED bloom light-

I HAVE A STRONG PREFERENCE FOR THE WILMA TENPOT HYDROPONIC DRIP SYSTEM FROM ATAMI and let it grow; however, as most people who are passionate about growing find out, this is barely even the tip of the peak you need to scale if you want truly awesome weed.

My intention with this article is to help people to grow good Cannabis, easily, so that they no longer have to buy from a questionable source or some multitasking street dealer!

I am going to start nice and easy with a grow report on the lovely Super Skunk from Nirvana seeds, for which I have a

ing, 150-watt HPS with electronic ballasts and 250-watt CFL lights, to save a bit of energy consumption.

One thing I am keeping the same is the method of growing, since I have a strong preference for the Wilma ten-pot hydroponic drip system from Atami.

Lighting I will begin the lighting with the 150watt HPS with electronic ballasts, two of which I purchased from a grow shop on the outskirts of town for £300 ($467)! I know that this sounds like a lot, and it is

really (this simply highlights the differences in costs that growers around the world must face), but using two of them is supposed to be the equivalent of a 600-watt. For this reason alone they have to be worth a try.

High-pressure sodium is a great light to grow under; two 150-watt lamps equal a 300-watt, which equals less electricity

use, and I guess the nutrients are only as good as you are, at the end of the day.

I have used House and Garden nutrients for five years on my beloved Super Skunk plants, and they seem to adore it – much more than the B.A.C. Topflower I used to use. They (House and Garden) have a good range of products over here, ranging from root enzymes to veg and bloom

NUTRITION IS AN AREA IN WHICH THERE IS SO MUCH VARIETY THAT IT IS HARD TO SAY WHICH PRODUCT OR BRAND IS THE BEST OR WORST TO USE consumption, and as a last point of interest, they run a lot cooler than a 600-watt and come with a mirrored diffuser for better spread of lumens over your leaf canopy. These will be used in the flowering period.

Growth Medium There are many different media on the market, from countless reputable dealers, that are great for all types of growing methods or applications. These come with or without added nutrients and other goodies, such as trichoderma or worm castings. I have always used expanded clay pellets (LECCA), small rounded balls that come in fifty-pound bags. I find these cheap and easy to use as they retain little water, compared to media such as cocos. This is good for me as I like to leave my pumps on twenty-four hours a day to allow my plants access to as much feed water as they want.

Nutrients Again, nutrition is an area in which there is so much variety that it is hard to say which product or brand is the best or worst to

pH adjusters, right through to bloom stimulators and flushing solution.

The Wilma ten-pot hydro system is a re-circulating system, and House and Garden produce a great set of nutrients for this type of system called Aqua Flakes, one of the new ranges of feeds that are supposed to be ‘pH-perfect’, meaning that there should be no fluctuations in your pH values once set to your desired level. In this system it is between 5.8 and 6.1.

The Grow With the basic setup covered, it’s time to get down to the bit that we all care most about: growing our lovely bud!

After my twenty clones had rooted and were split into two batches (ten for the 300-watt LED for another grow, and ten for the 150-watt HPS for the plants discussed in this article), I set my ten ladies into their new home for the next two to three weeks so that they could establish a healthy root system and bulk up a little bit more, before they get moved to the flowering room later.

To help them along they were placed

25 over these, but if the hype was correct I should have my usual fat, glistening buds by now. Instead I have four plants in the middle that are looking okay but not brilliant, and six plants on the edges that just need more light than they are getting. This is a pain, as it means that the plants are not using the nutrient as efficiently as they could be, because the lack of light intensity means photosynthesis happens at a much slower rate!

Unfortunately, come harvest time the buds hadn’t swelled much more and the overall dried yield was only a fraction of what I’ve achieved with the same setup (excluding the lights). But, judging by the ever-present stench of the Super Skunk, she didn’t seem to care that she didn’t get as much light as she had wanted, as she still stank to high heaven. Plus, the taste was just as good, so all was not lost.

Conclusion

Multiple small grow units can maximize awkward spaces

under a bank of four-by-five (foot) 35-watt fluorescent fittings, which give off little or no heat and allow the plants to grow right up to the lamps and absorb all that yummy light goodness.

Some people will think I’m a bit mad to use only bloom nutrients throughout my plants’ lives, but I have never found this has stunted or affected my veg or bloom at all.

The ladies started their cycle on a mild solution of feed water at around 1.0 EC for a week, and then I started raising it at the start of week two. EC finished at 1.4 by the end of the third week of veg. Usually, at this time my plants are around the twelveto eighteen-inch mark and are showing off a nice sturdy main stem and plenty of branching, with deep green leaves wanting more light.

Flowering The plants have had a great start and are all looking healthy and uniform in growth, so now is the time to move them into the all-important flowering room. I love this room, it being where the magic happens.

To see a load of cuttings come through and finish, coated in resin and stinking to high heaven, is just wondrous. Frankly, I could lose myself in there all day, looking at the glistening flowers plumping up all around me.

As I’m using the Wilma ten-pot, moving the plants around is really quite easy as I can remove the drippers, pick the pot up and move it into another ten-pot system inside the flowering room. Once the plants have adapted to the new environment the feeding schedule begins again. We start with a 1.4 EC under a 150-watt HPS lamp, with an electronic ballast for supposed better use of energy. The lights are slightly smaller than a 250-watt, but are extremely bright and

give off very little heat close to the lamp.

The light is placed about sixteen inches above the plants for the first four days to give the plants a chance to adapt to the sudden jump in light intensity, and then moved down to ten inches from the canopy by the tenth day.

doubled in size after using this stuff, yet they always stayed tight and dense.

By the start of week six I was beginning to feel a little bit anxious. I looked at my garden and instead of seeing the fat, luscious buds in front of me that I’m used to seeing, I had smaller-than-usual buds that

These 150-watt lights are a good alternative to running a 250-watt, but in no way compare to the mighty 600s. I would recommend using them for veg lights or as a flowering light for the first three to four weeks, then raise the wattage to a minimum of 400-watts for the remaining time. Unfortunately, they just don’t deliver the goods to flower a decent crop of tight buds from start to finish.

As new grow shops and previouslyunheard-of lights, filters and other equipment are constantly popping up across the globe, further experimenta-

I LOOKED AT MY GARDEN AND INSTEAD OF SEEING THE FAT, LUSCIOUS BUDS IN FRONT OF ME THAT I’M USED TO SEEING, I HAD SMALLERTHANUSUAL BUDS THAT LOOKED A LITTLE BIT AIRY As with all HPS lighting, the plants picked up a bit of vigor and had a little growth spurt for a week or two, which pushed them to a height of around twenty-four to thirty-two inches. Feed was raised to 1.6 EC at this point, as the plants were starting to react to the change in photoperiod (light regimen from 18/6 to 12/12) and I was already seeing white pistils start to emerge from each flower – growth looks impressive and well-formed considering, it is only getting light from a 150-watt!

Over the next two weeks the EC level was raised to around 1.8 and things were looking good for the Super Skunks under the 150 watts. The buds were starting to form defined nuggets and the plant was looking as healthy as she possibly could. This is when I cracked open the House and Garden Shooting Powder, worth its weight in gold. This little treasure gives the plants a mighty phosphorous boost for three weeks (starting at week five of flowering, up to week eight, before flushing for a week for good measure at the end), and it has a massive effect on the size, smell and taste of your harvest. Every time I use this, it amazes me. You can literally see the buds fatten up every time you are in the room. I’ve had flowers that have

looked a little bit airy, apparently lacking something.

I checked my temperatures, which stayed around 22 - 24° C (71.6 - 75.2° F) constantly, the nutrient solution and the humidity, and they all are perfectly acceptable. Could it be the lights? I know that I’ve only got a 150-watt

tion must be accomplished before any concrete opinions are formed. I shall continue my quest to source my own ganja and avoid shelling out to the local dealers.

Happy growing and smoking, fellow stoners across the pond!

Flushing propels nutes out and aids in drying and curing

Atomical Haze

Image: Paradise Seeds

27

MEDICAL ACTIVISM CYCLING FOR MEDICAL CANNABIS RESEARCH!

Medical Cannabis Bike Tour

Sports activities and good causes are a popular match. The most Luc recalled, “We had a not inconsidamount of opposing wind for famous example is Alpe d’Huez in France, in which six amateur erable 250 miles. It blew so hard that crests cyclists cycle up the infamous mountain passes of Alpe d’Huez to formed on the sea – we later heard that raise money for cancer research. Suffering to ease the suffering of it had been Force Five. After sixty miles I wanted to get off, I was so exhausted.” others. Two Cannabis-loving cyclists came up with the bright idea However, as for the participants in Alpe of applying a similar concept to medical Cannabis. This resulted in d’Huez, giving up is not an option in the first ever three-day Medical Cannabis Bike Tour, held in late the Medical Cannabis Bike Tour.

April during the GrowMed Cannabis fair in Spain – the birth of a Cannabis Shirt Advertising Despite the suffering, the adventure glorious cycling tradition.

The pilot edition of the Medical Cannabis Bike Tour began very modestly, with only two participants, who also happened to be the only sponsors. Matej from the Slovenian rolling

THE SADDLE WAS MORE EXPENSIVE THAN THE WHOLE BIKE! paper producer Snail played the role of leader, while Paradise Seeds front man Luc was just happy to – even at a great distance – keep up. You might expect the director of a successful seed company to ride a flashy, ultra-light carbon road bike, but you would have been in for a surprise.

The Paradise front man did not even ride a racing bicycle, but rather something that could best be described

as a leisure bike. A decrepit Gazelle from the eighties, which he purchased for fifty euros. “The saddle was more expensive than the whole bike” he exclaimed with a laugh. As a relative beginner, Luc hardly knew what he had gotten himself into. He claimed to have “trained a lot” at home. As it turned out, an hour of cycling a few times a week in the flat area around his home was not the ideal preparation for covering a distance of 250 miles (400 km) in three days – certainly not in Spain, where it is often sweltering in April and where a flat surface is virtually impossible to find.

To say that Luc struggled is an understatement: it was torture. (Teammate Matej was better prepared, and even added on a 106-mile trek to Alicante the day after the tour.) It was not the dreaded Spanish hillsides that almost wiped out the men, because there were few on the flat route along the coast.

left them wanting more. Luc explained, “Next year we want to organize another tour, we are aiming for forty participants. Many people have already pledged that they want to participate, so there is clearly plenty of interest.”

The purpose of the tour is to raise money for research into the efficacy of Cannabis in the treatment of can-

will wear shirt advertising with the names of the sponsors, and we may even put a Cannabis leaf on our helmet.

This way people can see that Cannabis users are not just apathetic people sitting at home smoking a joint, but also stand for something.”

It is incidentally not the intention of the Medical Cannabis Bike Tour to pin itself down to Spain. “As far as location is concerned all possibilities remain open. The intention is however for the tour to coincide with a Cannabis fair somewhere in Europe.” The website that will soon go online will keep you informed of all options and plans.

Luc can already picture it: “In all the villages along the route there are people cheering by the roadside. There are motorcycle escorts and a helicopter,

WE HAD A NOT INCONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF OPPOSING WIND FOR 250 MILES. IT BLEW SO HARD THAT CRESTS FORMED ON THE SEA... cer. To find a suitable project for this, the IACM (International Association for Cannabinoid Medicines) was contacted. Nothing is yet fixed, but Luc’s imagination is already running at full speed.

“One idea is the possibility of getting sponsors to pay per kilometer [0.62 mi]. The more riders participating, the higher the amount raised. Participants

and of course the police will close off the roads for us.” Like a true cyclist, Luc declines to answer the inevitable question of whether doping will lead to a distortion of competition at this tour. “What do you think?” he asks with a sly grin. www.medicalcannabis-biketour.org/

28

SERIOUS GARDENING

HYDRO OVER HANDWATERING

Flood and Drain Technique Think hydro is too complicated? How about a hydro system that lets you grow in pots, using any growing medium – even your favorite compost – and cuts down on your hard work? Our campaign for the fastest growth and the biggest yields continues, with a look at ‘flood Little Lebowski and drain’...

NFT (nutrient film technique), a cultivation method that is classed as ‘pure’ hydroponics, is pretty simple to use, although it and other pure hydro styles of growing do tend to scare off a lot of gardeners. It’s understandable that they do not want to give up the security of having a growing medium – be it compost, cocos or clay – surrounding the roots of their precious plants, particularly when there are some tasty buds at risk!

What is Flood and Drain?

The principle of flood and drain is simple. A plant sits on a table or in a bucket and nutrient solution is pumped in from a reservoir, flooding the table or bucket; when the pump turns off, the nutrient solution then drains away back into the reservoir. A timer is attached to the pump and is used to set the frequency of the flood and drain periods.

nutrient solution used is easily measured and this allows experienced growers to tailor feeding schedules to get the optimum yields from their plants.

Flood and drain really is one of the most flexible hydro methods ever, because there

AS THE TABLE FLOODS, THE PLANTS TAKE ALL THE WATER AND NUTRIENTS THEY NEED. ALL STALE AIR IS EXPELLED FROM THE ROOT ZONE. is something for everyone. At its most simple it can be a way to just keep your pots automatically watered, but for the more experienced grower it is the method that offers the most amount of choice, as you can amend the number of flood periods per day (and how long each period lasts).

This way you can tailor the system to your own growing environment – because everyone’s grow room has different humidity, temperature and airflow – and get the maximum yield from your plants.

Why Flood and Drain over hand-watering pots?

In this issue we look at a hydroponic technique that offers the faster growth cycles and bigger yields of active hydro,

During the flood period the roots of the plants are submerged, allowing them to take up all the water and nutrients they

t 1MBOUT HSPX GBTUFS BOE ZJFME NPSF 1MBOUT take up more water and nutrients than they would with hand-watering; feeding little and often throughout the day

IF YOU ARE USING THE LARGER MODULAR STYLE FLOOD AND DRAIN SYSTEM THEN YOU MAY PREFER TO VEG THE PLANTS UNDER ONE OR TWO LIGHTS BEFORE THEY GO INTO THE FLOWER ROOM. but has the flexibility to be used with cocos or compost.

Ask yourself this question: when you first started growing, what technique did you use? I am guessing that at least 90% of you out there started out by handwatering pots filled with compost. Fair enough, it is a great method for a beginner; compost is very forgiving and will buffer against pH fluctuations and overfeeding. Plus, hand-watering your plants every other day means you can concentrate on getting your environment right and, let’s not forget, you can achieve a shit-hot yield using compost!

But, what if I told you that there is a hydroponic technique out there that would have been great for your first grow – and all the grows that followed – where you could use compost and pots, reduce the amount of time you spend mixing feeds and watering AND shorten your growth cycle AND achieve bigger yields than hand-watering? Less work plus a quicker crop plus more buds at the end?

Maybe you should have taken a look at flood and drain. Maybe it’s time to take a look now.

need. All stale air is then expelled from the root zone; as the solution drains away, fresh oxygen is pulled back into the root zone.

As the plants grow larger, the number of floods per day is increased. The amount of

zone and fresh oxygen is pulled back in.

Oxygenated roots mean a healthier plant that will grow faster and yield much more than a hand-watered plant. t "CMF UP BEKVTU UIF TZTUFN "MMPXT FYQFrienced growers to set the perfect feed-

is healthier than giving one large feed every other day. t 3PPU [POF JT DPNQMFUFMZ SF PYZHFOBUFE several times a day: During the flood period, air is completely forced out of the root

ing conditions for their specific growing environment – plus the ability to set variable feedings on a timer means you can set the optimum feeding schedule for specific strains. t /P CVJMEVQ PG OVUSJFOU TBMUT "OZ OVUSJFOU not used by the plants just drains back into the reservoir, instead of building up at the bottom of the pot. A buildup of nutrient salts will stunt growth, as it causes certain nutrients to be ‘locked out’.

Types of Flood and Drain System: There are two styles of flood and drain system: the table system and the modular or bucket system. Both of them use the same technique and have their own sets of benefits.

Flood and Drain Table System In a flood and drain table system, plants sit on a surface held above a nutrient solution reservoir. The table is usually flat, with drainage running to the center where there are two drainage fittings. One of the drainage fittings sits flush to the table – this is the inlet drain – the other will be around four inches above the bottom of the table – this is the overflow drain.

The inlet drain is attached to the pump

29 and the overflow drain just runs back into the reservoir. When the pump is turned ON, the nutrient solution is pumped into the table through the inlet

Modular or Bucket Flood and Drain System Similar to the table system, this setup uses a timer to control the number of

A MAJOR BENEFIT OF THE FLOOD AND DRAIN TABLE SYSTEM IS THAT YOU CAN GROW YOUR PLANTS IN ANY GROWING MEDIUM. drain. Eventually the level of nutrient solution will reach the level of the overflow drain and flow back into the reservoir. The overflow drain prevents the table from overflowing... just like the overflow drain in your bathtub! When the pump is turned OFF, the nutrient solution in the table drains back down the inlet drain, through the pump and back into the reservoir.

flood periods and benefits your plants by giving them doses of food and water throughout the day, combined with a highly oxygenated root zone.

However, the main difference in the modular system is that each plant is placed in its own individual pot.

A supply tube runs from the bottom of each pot into a main control bucket, which in turn is connected to a main

both the main reservoir and the controller bucket).

These floats control the flood level in the pots precisely, to stop any overwatering or flooding.

As the level of nutrient solution reaches a set level in the pots, the magnetic float valve in the main control bucket cuts the pump in the main reservoir OFF and turns a pump in the main control bucket ON. The pump in the main control bucket forces the nutrient solution out of the

A timer is used to set the frequency at which nutrient solution is pumped from the tank to flood the table, and is then allowed to drain away. As the table floods, the plants take all the water and nutrients they need. All stale air is expelled from the root zone; then, as the solution drains away, fresh oxygen is pulled back into the root zone.

A major benefit of the flood and drain table system is that you can grow your plants in any growing medium – soil, clay, cocos or mapito. You can grow in pots and move the pots around the table if you need to, or you can fill the whole tray full of clay pebbles and allow the roots of the plants to spread across the entire table – this is the method to go for if you are looking for the fastest growing and maximum yielding crop. Table systems are near enough to leak-proof: because the reservoir sits right underneath the table there is nowhere for the nutrient solution to leak to – perfect if you are growing in an apartment or an attic! They also come in sizes that are ideal for grow tents.

For which type of grower is Flood and Drain suitable?

As flood and drain systems are so flexible, they will benefit a real cross-section of growers: t /FX HSPXFST XBOUJOH UP HSPX JO QPUT and keep their workload simple by maintaining a number of plants from one tank, so they can concentrate on maintaining their grow room environment t &YQFSJFODFE HSPXFST TFFLJOH BO BEKVTUable system to suit their individual growing environment and really maximize yield t 1FSTPOBM HSPXFST BGUFS B TNBMMFS TDBMF TZTtem such as a flood and drain table that fits nicely into a three- or four square-foot tent, or one of the smaller modular flood and drain systems that are great for a two-lamp setup t -BSHF TDBMF HSPXFST CFOFGJU GSPN UIF modular flood and drain systems as they massively reduce the amount of time you spend watering your plants; they can be upgraded in size by just adding more pots. A smaller flood and drain table system can be used as a tidy vegging system to bring plants on under one or two lamps before transplanting to a large modular system.

Three Steps to Flood and Drain Heaven:

reservoir. The system uses gravity to send nutrient solution to the pots and

pots and back into the main reservoir.

The main benefits of the modular system are that you can space plants under lights however you like – so they

1. Keeping a dedicated flood diary is the key to massive growth and yields when using flood and drain. Write down the number of floods per day compared to the amount of solution needed to top up your system each day. The amount of solution that your plants

LARGE SCALE GROWERS BENEFIT FROM THE MODULAR FLOOD AND DRAIN SYSTEMS AS THEY MASSIVELY REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF TIME YOU SPEND WATERING YOUR PLANTS. only uses pumps to fill and drain the main control bucket, which has two magnetic float-valves mounted inside to control the power to the pumps (in

can grow huge! Plus, the systems are easy to upgrade by just adding more pots, and you can run a big room full of plants from one single reservoir.

use is directly related to their rate of growth – the idea is to maximize their consumption and maximize growth. By experimenting with the number and

30 duration of floods, you will find the optimum number of floods for your growing environment.

2. Top up the reservoir depending upon the growing medium that you are using.

If you are using clay pebbles, treat the flood and drain as a recirculating hydroponic system, and top up the tank every

INDEX OF ADS / COLOPHON maximum of one fifteen-minute feed per hour. You will need to perform a complete solution change every one to two weeks. When growing in soil or cocos and young plants first go into the system, set the timer to just one fifteen-minute flood period per day.

As the plants grow, increase the number of feeds up to a maximum of four

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How should the plants be spaced?

It depends how many you want to grow and how big you want to grow them.

Table-style systems are great for sea-ofgreen grows, where plants are spaced closely together and vegged until they form a low canopy. They are then switched to flowering for a ‘sea’ of buds!

The modular flood and drain systems are perfect for spacing out under several lights.

You could choose to put four of the modular buckets under each light, or even just one bucket per light to grow some monsters! Modular flood and drain systems are tailor-made for growing big, big plants.

I once saw a system in a twenty-lamp Californian grow room, where there were two plants per 1000-watt lamp, and each plant had been vegged for eight weeks before being switched to flower. It was like a room full of trees! few days with half-strength nutrient solution. Use half-strength, because plants grown under powerful lights will take up water at a greater rate than they take up nutrients. Over time the EC (CF) of the solution will rise, so if you top up with full-strength solution, you run the risk of overfeeding. If using an absorbent medium, like soil or cocos, the aim is to minimize runoff and top up the tank with full-strength nutrient solution. When growing in soil or cocos, increase the number of flood periods by only one additional flood per day (for example, don’t jump from three periods to six as you are growing in an absorbent medium and can run the risk of water-logging the roots of your plants, or over-feeding them).

3. Increase the number of flood periods as your plants get older and increase in size. If you are growing with just clay pebbles and your young plants have just gone into the system, set the timer to two fifteen-minute flood periods per day. As the plants grow, increase the number of flood periods up to a

fifteen-minute feeds per day. When using an absorbent growing medium, you should run the system to minimize runoff and usually only need to perform a complete nutrient solution change every two weeks, or when the level of solution is running low.

Q & A with a Flood and Drain Grower: When can plants be transferred to a flood and drain system?

If you have started your plants in rockwool cubes or small pots of soil or cocos, then ensure they are root-bound before you transfer them to a flood and drain system.

You should be able to see lots of white roots on the outside of the starter medium.

If you are using a table system then you can veg and flower in the same system. If you are using the larger modular style flood and drain system then you may prefer to veg the plants under one or two lights before they go into the flower room, as your modular system will most likely be spaced under several lights.

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How high should EC be set?

If using an inert growing medium like clay pebbles, there is very little buffer (or protection) against over-feeding, so make sure you start to feed at half of the nutrient manufacturer’s recommended dosage. If you are using soil, cocos, or a mixture of clay and cocos, then there is more of a buffer around the roots and you can start your plants at the nutrient manufacturer’s recommended dosage.

Will the plants need to be supported?

Not necessarily. Unlike pure hydroponic techniques such as NFT or aeroponics, there will be a growing medium surrounding the roots, helping the plant to support itself. However, as with all types of indoor grows, if your plants are putting out some big buds you will want to support them and stop them from falling over.

So, whether you are a newbie or a greenfingered expert, flood and drain has something to offer. Give it a try – you won’t be disappointed and your plants will love you for it!

Cover Photo: A Seeds for Seniors client [R] consults with Robert Veverka [L] (Photo: Legalizace.cz)

A word from the publisher: To the chagrin of the US Federal Government, almost half of the states have embarked on a process of relative liberalization towards the use of Cannabis, and Cannabis activists are engaged in broadening this progression. Some townships, mayors and police chiefs – on a local level – now actively support a ‘compassion club’ distribution system as a way of separating recreational stoners from the people who legitimately need therapeutic help, simultaneously decreasing the number of unnecessary arrests.

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

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

Nothing from this publication may be copied or reproduced in any format without prior permission from the publisher and other copyright holders. The publisher is not responsible for the content and/or point of view of advertisements.

The editors take no responsibility for unsolicited submissions.

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Soft Secrets USA #5/2012 out: October 12th, 2012