ESTABLISHED IN AMSTERDAM, 1985 ISSUE 4 2012
18+ For adults only. Soft Secrets is published six times a year by Discover Publishers USA, Inc.
WEEDONOMICS: An economic overview of the most wide-
ly produced, trafficked and consumed
illegal drug in the world ›› 12
CANNABIS AND DUID: Proposed federal limits on THC levels in
blood will affect drivers across the country
›› 16
Continued on page 4
Cloning Double-
Feature ›› 19-20
Organic Nutes vs.
Chemical Shortcuts ›› 8
The Fungus
Among Us ›› 15
With the impending elections hanging over our nation, and the constant debate raging over universal health care, looking after the elderly, and the strug-gle between state-implemented medi-weed policies and the fed-eral 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-
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 lat-
est contribution to the medi-weed move-
ment 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 grow-
ing. 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 gov-
ernment to allow
official research on
medical Cannabis,
and to halt all court
cases with grow-
ers 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.”
Seeds for SeniorsIn This Issue:
3
WH
ITE
RU
SS
IAN
IN THIS ISSUE:
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 flow-
ering 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
Seeds for Seniors 1 MEDICAL ACTIVISM
Page 3 Girl: White Russian 3 STRAIN REPORT
SSUSA Seeks Strong Sales Staff 3 FROM THE EDITOR
Paradise Seeds 2012 6 SEED BANKS
Organic Nutes vs. Chemical Shortcuts 8 ORGANIC CULTIVATION
Grillin’ and Chillin’ 9 CANNABIS KITCHEN
Sugar Royal 10 PRODUCT FLASH
Weedonomics 12 SOCIAL IMPACT
Cannabis.info 14 ONLINE
The Fungus Among Us 15 SERIOUS GARDENING
Cannabis and DUID 16 LEGISLATION
Jack Plant 18 POSTER
Cloning for the Future 19 CULTIVATION 101
Cloning for Success 20 CULTIVATION 101
Mastering the Munchies 21 MIND, BODY, SPIRIT
Cannabis Liberation Day 2012 22 FESTIVALS AND EXPOS
Dude, Where’s My Memory? 23 MIND, BODY, SPIRIT
Home Growing in Southern England 24 CULTIVATION ABROAD
Atomical Haze 26 POSTER
Medical Cannabis Bike Tour 27 MEDICAL ACTIVISM
Flood and Drain Technique 28 SERIOUS GARDENING
Hy’s Deli by oz. 29 COMIC
Colophon 30 FROM THE EDITOR
Index of Ads 30 FROM THE EDITOR
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, email-
ing, or pursuing other forms of contact with interested advertising clients, in
addition to attempting to bring in fresh potential advertisers. Required attrib-
utes 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.
Please contact [email protected] to submit your resume or to have any
pertinent questions answered.
SSUSA Seeks Strong Sales Staff:
4
Continued from front pageAuthor: Sativa Diva / Photos courtesy of Legalizace.cz
Seeds for Seniors
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 out-
doors. The campaign is becoming known,
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-of-
need (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 nega-
tive 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 request-
ed 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
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
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 poten-
tial 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 light-
er 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!”
The Seeds for Seniors campaign could be
expanded, and Robert has some ideas of
how to accomplish this feat. He relates his
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
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.”
Describing the process of matching spe-
cific 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 com-
mercial 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 depend-
ent on what we get. Lately we got some
seeds from several new seed banks, and
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...
Robert doing what he loves
Prague’s Million Marijuana March 2012
Seniors sign client declarations to receive free seeds
Once-in-a-lifetime clone giveaway at
Prague’s MMM 2012
55we hope to be able to provide clients
with particular strains in the future.
“Since the disease is not obligatory informa-
tion in the clients’ declarations, we don’t
always know what the client suffers from.
We started this campaign in order to pro-
vide 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 mar-
ket, 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-
ing Cannabis is seen by the law as a criminal.”
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 finan-
cial level. Currently, the only aid they
receive from the ganja community is
the donated seeds – no grow shops,
nutrient labels, etc. help to fund the cam-
paign. Hopefully, that will soon change,
as Robert notes an improvement in the
local political atmosphere.
“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
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 contin-
ues 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 sup-
porting Cannabis legalization – especially
for medical purposes. He adds, “We do a
march in downtown Prague and then host
a cultural-educational happening in the
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.
“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 – over-
seas, 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.”
In spite of this public, global show of sup-
port, there are still Czech lawmakers and
government officials who continue promot-
ing 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 tel-
evision, or to visit some politicians to discuss
the topic, but our organization is seen as too
radical and unprofessional to be taken seri-
ously 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 somewhat-
unusual 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 profes-
sionally 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, work-
shops and seminars on all possible Cannabis
issues, plus a cultural space, grow rooms,
medical Cannabis social club, bar, coffee-
house, offices, Cannabis university, muse-
um, shops with Cannabis products – any-
thing 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
policy, strategy, harm reduction, prevention
and medical Cannabis services.”
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.”
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 activ-
ist groups who will fight for our rights
and prove to the public and establishment
that Cannabis repression is not function-
al: 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
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]
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: [email protected]
http://www.legalizace.cz
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
Seniors requesting seeds at Cannafest 2011
Robert helping clients
with cultivation info at
Cannafest 2011
Robert gets passionate at the
Million Marijuana March 2012
6 SEED BANKS
Paradise Seeds 2012NEW, AMAZING AND MINDBLOWING STRAINS BY PARADISE SEEDS FOR 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 dif-
ference – 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 breed-
ing material and are far
superior to most varie-
ties with these names.
Paradise has also
released four new auto-flowering vari-
eties of the finest quality.
The era during which auto-
flowering plants were famous
for tasting similar to hay or
ruderalis is over, at least for
Paradise Seeds varie-
ties. Auto Acid, Auto
Jack, Auto Wappa and Auto White
Berry are all potent and tasty. These
plants become strong and yield copi-
ous 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 flow-
er regardless of the amount of
Auto Acid
Auto Jack
Auto White Berry
Original Cheese
7hours of (sun-)light they receive per
day. Therefore, auto-flowering plants
can finish early outdoors, within two-
and-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 ger-
minating 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 tropi-
cal areas, you can grow these autos the
whole year round. All Paradise Seeds
auto-flowering varieties contain a small
portion of ruderalis, which is responsi-
ble for the auto-flowering effect. The
art of breeding is to select plants that
have the auto-flowering gene with-
out 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
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 medi-cate. 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 varie-
ties 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 eas-
ily. It seems there is no economic crisis
there at the moment; the city is buzzing
and the skyscrapers are magnificent. The
guys from Paradise Seeds even visited
some vapor lounges where people gath-
er 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
Atomical Haze
Paradise Seeds Wins the Treating Yourself Medical Cannabis Cup 2012!
8 ORGANIC CULTIVATION
Organic Nutes vs. Chemical ShortcutsOne 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
Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium
(K) and other nutrients are needed by
plants for healthy growth. These are ele-
ments, and as such, there is no difference
between the nitrogen from an organic
nutrient or a chemical version. Elemental
nitrogen is the exact same thing, regard-
less 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 untend-
ed wilderness. To emulate this, organic
nutrients tend to be made from naturally
occurring materials, with minimal process-
ing. One advantage to this is that the mate-
rials 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 com-
post), bacteria and fungi convert them into
ammonia (NH3), and ammonium (NH
4). This
takes time, as the bacteria only process the
ammonia as they get to it.
I like to compare organic nutrients to eat-
ing oatmeal for breakfast – they tend to
be bulky and release their nutrients over a
long period of time. Some forms of organic
fertilizers can continue to release nutri-
ents 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 fertiliz-
ers, 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 caus-
ing ‘nute burn’. Since organic nutrients tend
to be less processed, they also tend to be
more prone to clogging hydroponic sys-
tems that rely on sprayers and pumps.
However, there is more than one way to
make NH3: it can also be manufactured
chemically from nitrogen gas (N2) by apply-
ing heat, pressure and an iron catalyst.
Ammonium sulfate, (NH4)2SO
4, and ammo-
nium nitrate, NH4NO
3, are other manu-
factured forms of nitrogen that allow for
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 result-
ing increase in performance than is pos-
sible with organic nutrients.
With this level of control comes respon-
sibility, however, as introducing an over-
abundance becomes a much more likely
temptation, which can result in ‘nute burn’,
overloading and damaging natural sys-
tems with the runoff. Adding a chemical
version of NO3, for example, allows for
the entire nitrate creation process to be
skipped, and immediately supplies nitro-
gen 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 bac-
teria and fungi normally responsible for
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 left-
over residue after the ammonia or nitrate is
used, which can build up in the system over
time. This is where the practice of watering
heavily without nutrients for a time (flush-
ing) 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
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 sup-
ply the same elements to the plants. The
primary differences are in how many short-
cuts are taken, and what remains after-
ward. 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 mate-
rials can help create a buffer for fast-acting
chemical nutrient gardens.
Sometimes a big, hearty, high-fiber break-
fast 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 add-
ing 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
SOME FORMS OF ORGANIC FERTILIZERS CAN CONTINUE TO RELEASE NUTRIENTS FOR MORE THAN ONE SEASON, IMPROVING THE GENERAL LONGTERM HEALTH OF THE SOIL
Organic nutes simulate natural materials,
such as fallen leaves
There are many nutrients, both chemical
and organic, to choose from
An atom of nitrogen is the same as any
other, regardless of the source
9CANNABIS KITCHEN 9
Grillin’ and Chillin’
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...
Just a lil’ bit about me: I live in north-
ern California near the Shasta-Trinity
National Forest. I have been a garden
tender, bud master and smoke connois-
seur, 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 tradi-
tional brownies to a full-blown medi-
cated 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!
SummertimeJune 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!)
*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
water. Soak thirty minutes. Brush pork with
oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper.
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 (three-
burner grill). Or light one side and leave other
side unlit (two-burner grill). Place drip pan on
unlit side. Heat on high until hot.
-
ing box of gas grill. (Or place chips in heavy-
duty foil; fold to make packet. Poke holes in
packet; place over indirect heat.)
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.)
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 addi-
tional sauce on the side.
PULLED POTPORK SANDWICH
SUGAR ROYAL FROM PLAGRONPowerful 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, con-
sequently, 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.
UseShake 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 interac-
tive 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 [email protected].
10 CANNABIS KITCHEN / PRODUCT FLASH
You can contact the Hempie Chef via email at [email protected] or
become a fan on Facebook!
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 refrig-
erate 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 3/8-
inch wedges
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1½-inch wedges
As the cake bakes, the honey-brown sugar cana-
mel sauce coats the apples and bubbles up the
side of the cake, glazing the edges. The result
is an irresistibly gooey, buttery, fabulous des-
sert. 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 pro-
cess and come out sweet, sticky and delicious.
CANAMEL AND APPLE UPSIDEDOWN CAKE
CANAMEL AND APPLES
1 T olive canna-oil
¼ c salsa, if desired
a large bowl, mash slightly
with a fork. Stir in half of
the oats.
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.
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.
pepper with canna-oil; sprinkle with remain-
ing ¼ t salt.
foil (pierced in several places) with canna-oil;
place on grill.
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.
Serve with lime wedges and salsa, if desired.
or mini flax, oat bran or whole wheat pita
bread; add some leaf lettuce and tomato to
top it off!
SMOKIN’ VEGGIE BURGER
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
-
ing pan with cooking spray. Line bottom with
parchment paper.
in medium saucepan over medium heat until
sugar dissolves, stirring frequently. Increase
heat to medium-high; bring to a boil. Boil two
minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour into pan.
two overlapping concentric circles to cover
bottom of pan, starting on outside edge.
in medium bowl. Beat ¾ c cana-butter and
sugar in large bowl at medium speed two min-
utes, 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.
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.
CAKE
1212 SOCIAL IMPACT
AN OVERVIEW OF THE ECONOMICS OF CANNABIS, BOTH LEGAL AND ILLEGAL...
WeedonomicsCANNABIS 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 ha) and opium (around 185,000 ha). Kali Mist
The regions in which Cannabis can be
grown are far greater in number than for
opium and cocaine, which are geograph-
ically almost exclusively limited to Asia
and South America, respectively. Total
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-
third of total illicit drug revenue world-
wide ($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 bil-
lion annually in the United States alone.
Taxes that would be gained if Cannabis
was to be legalized are also difficult to
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.
The human cost of the illegal Cannabis
trade, again hard to measure, is with-
out doubt massively increased by rais-
ing 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 nation-
al leaders, such as Guatemalan presi-
dent Otto Pérez Molina and Colombian
president Juan Manuel Santos Calderón,
to entirely rethink their policies towards
all drugs – not just Cannabis.
Of the total Cannabis produced world-
wide, 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 trans-
ported large distances due to the com-
parative ease of smuggling (particularly
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 reve-
nues – have been postulated. Up to 255
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.
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 rev-
enue would equate to almost $1.7 tril-
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
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 eco-
nomics of the Cannabis trade, but still
not a simple procedure due to massive
variation in state policies, and the emer-
gence 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.
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
(© CBP Photography)
Seizures of hash are greatest in Afghanistan and Morocco
(© Isaf Media)
Hash is much easier to conceal and transport
(© Isaf Media)
1313the United States is the single biggest
national Cannabis market also means
that accurately determining the figures
is an arduous task, and there may there-
fore 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 produc-
tion). America accounts for 70% of glob-
al 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-
lion. The total revenue from legal medi-
weed 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, dispensa-
ries have paid a standard 5% of gross
retail revenue in tax since 2011, and in
Berkeley, a 2.5% sales tax has been lev-
ied 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.
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
raised in 2011. As Cannabis is illegal at
the federal level, it is mostly untaxed
beyond standard sales taxes. Upon
legalization, it would be possible to tax
weed similarly to alcohol, with increases
in revenue expected at upwards of $30
billion nationally.
It is estimated that California’s retail
prices for Cannabis would drop by as
much as 80% if full legalization was to
occur. Furthermore, California could see
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 detec-
tion of only 2.6% positive samples in
the four months before it was put on
‘temporary injunction’ – due to lack of
cost-effectiveness).
One in four Americans live in medi-
weed 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
increase the numbers of medical users
worldwide as it becomes increasingly
acceptable to use and prescribe it, and
new applications will undoubtedly be
discovered.
If complete global legalization were to
be achieved, there would be various
economic consequences. The cost of
lobbying will undergo some changes:
currently millions are spent annually on
lobbying efforts to keep Cannabis ille-
gal – this may see some increase if laws
are to be relaxed, but it is also possible
that opposition to legal Cannabis will
slowly diminish (similar to the disinter-
est in post-Prohibition re-criminaliza-
tion efforts).
Police and prison guard unions, privat-
ized prisons, and alcohol and pharma-
ceutical corporations all have a mas-
sive 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,
the cost of lobbying to make Cannabis
legal will inevitably experience great
reduction as laws continue to relax.
Other factors to take into consideration
include the fact that the total revenue
from Cannabis is unnaturally high due
to the associated costs of prohibition –
the ‘risk factor’ becomes a priority at all
stages of the industry, and this is usually
relatively proportionate to the sever-
ity 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 legal-
ized, 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-of-
sale could be permitted to decrease.
Many countries where outdoor cultiva-
tion is in fact possible, but local law
precludes it, instead have growing or
already-thriving indoor industries in
place – Australia, much of the United
States, many parts of southern Europe,
and increasingly, Latin American coun-
tries such as Brazil. While outdoor culti-
vation 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 high-
potency 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, com-
pared with 16 million Cannabis users
– a ten-to-one ratio), and cultural atti-
tudes towards consumption of Cannabis
become more relaxed. It is vital that to
accommodate such growth, there must
be strong international dialog regard-
ing 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 oth-
erwise), eradication programs and fuel
costs, among other factors. The associ-
ated 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.
TOTAL TAX REVENUE TAKEN BY THE NETHERLANDS AMOUNTS TO APPROXIMATELY $600 MILLION FROM TOTAL
SALES OF APPROXIMATELY $3.2 BILLION.
Private prison corporations are among
the biggest lobbyists (© Mcaretaker)
Indoor cultivation pushes up the cost of production
(© Eggrole)
Outdoor cultivation is by far the most cost-effective method
(© John Pavelka)
14 ONLINE
Cannabis.info Opens the Gates to the World of WeedWith its brand new website Cannabis.info, Soft Secrets publisher Discover has opened the online gates to the entire world. It’s no won-der 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
the world for international Cannabis entre-
preneurs. 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 MoralityThe fact that Discover puts its current edi-
tions directly online is quite daring for a pub-
lishing 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 edi-
tions of both Soft Secrets and Highlife.
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
everyday information, such as Cannabis-
related news from around the world, but
also all the information you need to success-
fully 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
material written by renowned authors such
as Jorge Cervantes and Ed Rosenthal, guar-
antees 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 – unfor-
tunately 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 TVA Cannabis website without a forum is sim-
ply unimaginable. Cannabis.info’s forum
may well become the number one interna-
tional meeting point where readers can dis-
cuss all aspects of Cannabis culture with the
rest of the world. The international forum is
the place for English-language topics; non-
English speakers can also enjoy themselves
in various other languages in the interna-
tional 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.
Cannabis.info also points you in the direc-
tion of Soft Secrets TV, a YouTube channel
with which the possibilities of the digital
universe are further exploited. In entertain-
ing videos, various topics are dealt with in a
manageable format with clear tutorials and
mini-reports about, for example, the dilem-
mas 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
C
t
w
15SERIOUS GARDENING
The Fungus Among UsThe 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 mycorrhiza. Grubbycup
In general, fungi prefer dark, wet, undis-
turbed 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-
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 gar-
dens, simply awaiting proper conditions
to begin growth. These spores often
require near continuous available mois-
ture, and as a result overly-humid or
wet gardens have a greater tendency to
have fungal problems.
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-
tunistic fungal colony, so garden waste
should be dealt with and not allowed to
collect in damp conditions. Fungal out-
breaks can start with as little as 24 hours
of appropriate conditions.
Stem Rot is a fungus that can develop on
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 com-
bination of proper ventilation, trimming
areas of dense growth, and tying the plant
open to increase internal airflow. Powdery
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 anoth-
er terminal fungal ailment. Prevention is
easier than treatment, so keeping humid-
ity under control, removing decompos-
ing plant material, and the elimination of
standing water are the best methods to
avoid an initial outbreak. Once a colony
has become established, in most cases
it must be treated. Correction of envi-
ronmental issues, removal of colonized
plant material, and chemical- or biologi-
cal fungicides are all options for treat-
ment. 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 alco-
hol in wine and beer. Edible mushrooms
can be grown at home using logs inocu-
lated with the proper mushroom spores.
However some mushrooms can be toxic
– properly identify any mushroom consid-
ered for consumption.
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 pesti-
cides. For example, entomopathogenic
fungi such as Purpureocillium lilacinum have been used to combat parasitic nem-
atodes by infecting their eggs.
Mycorrhizal fungi have formed symbi-
otic (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 com-
bination of mycorrhizal fungi and plant
root are what is known as mycorrhizae
(fungus-roots). Plants with well estab-
lished mycorrhizae tend to perform bet-
ter 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
resistance, and blocking their environ-
mental niche from pathogenic fungi.
Mycorrhizae collect and process nitrogen,
phosphorus and a variety of micronu-
trients 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.
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 mycor-
rhiza 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 ben-
eficial 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 chry-sogenum) is taken as an antibiotic by the
Animalia kingdom to combat invasions
by members of the Bacteria kingdom.
Speaking of the interaction between ani-
mals (us) and fungi, the hallucinogenic
psilocybin mushroom is another fungus
occasionally consumed for its effects.
While the dangers of eating a non-iden-
tified 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 experi-
ence to see if it suits you.
There are good fungi, and then there are
some unpleasant ones. As with every-
thing else, make friends with the good,
and avoid the bad where you can.
Peace, love and puka shells,Grubbycup
STEM ROT IS A FUNGUS THAT CAN DEVELOP ON AND KILL OFF OVERWATERED SEEDLINGS.
These oyster mushrooms are an edible fungus
Mushroom kits are available
for home use
Powdered mycorrhiza fungi is
used as a plant additive
16 LEGISLATION
IMPLICATIONS OF THE PROPOSED FEDERAL LIMIT FOR THC IN BLOOD
Cannabis and DUIDThe 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 rep-resent a positive move in terms of the clarification it will potentially bring about, it could mean a change for the worse for many. Kali Mist
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 driv-
ing – 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 ‘zero-
tolerance’. 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, specifi-
cally 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
result in revocation of license if impair-
ment 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 enti-
tlement is allowed only for THC, gamma-
hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) and metham-
phetamine.
Several of the remaining per se states set
a legal limit for intoxication, as with alco-
hol, to be determined through blood or
urinalysis. Legal limits are also being intro-
duced 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, ‘influ-
ence’ must be proved (for those under 21
years old, per se law is applied to all con-
trolled 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 con-
trolled substances; this may be done for-
cibly. All but five states have implied con-
sent 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 compul-
sory testing in cases involving death or
serious injury.
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 consid-
ers 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 traffic stop in New York (© Dwight’s Ghost)
Blood Alcohol Content & Relative Risk of Traffic Accident (Wikimedia Commons)
A failed sobriety test leads to a
student’s arrest (© JSmith Photo)
17(currently an influence state) in April
of 2012, Initiative 502, is five nano-
grams 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 valid-
ity. There is much doubt surrounding the
veracity of testing methods as cannabi-
noids 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 establish-
ment 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
prosecutor must prove that the driver
does not possess the “ability to drive with
the caution characteristic of a sober per-
son” when attempting to convict for DUID.
If pulled over, the arresting officer must
first assess the driver according to driving
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 con-
trolled 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.
Most states (the sole exception being
West Virginia) use a DRE system: law
enforcement agents are trained to recog-
nize telltale characteristics of drug impair-
ment, 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 enforce-
ment 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
reports of DUIDs being issued with no test
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, espe-
cially 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
effects of any drug is optimal. There are
some who are rendered capable of driv-
ing 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
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 gov-
ernment has ignored research – including
its own – in the past, and not only regard-
ing Cannabis (but also with drugs such
as MDMA, which many consider illegally
placed in Schedule I, considering its ongo-
ing use as medicine). It is also clear that
there are blanket decisions being made
that unfairly prioritize politics over medi-
cal 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 driv-
ing 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 diamet-
rically 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 prescrip-
tion. It some states a doctor’s letter is suf-
ficient to confirm that the individual’s abil-
ity to drive will not be affected. However,
there have been cases of commercial driv-
ers 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 abil-
ity 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.) demonstrat-
ed that ADHD sufferers are far more likely
to receive speeding fines and other viola-
tions; 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 unim-
paired 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 deep-
ly 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 criminaliz-
ing unimpaired drivers and legal patients.
A more informed and less reactionary
approach would be to adopt a univer-
sal system similar to that in California,
which at least presents grounds for argu-
ment 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 uni-
versal system that does not take this into
account would clearly demonstrate that
the best interests of American citizens are
not being considered.
CALLS HAVE RECENTLY BEEN MADE TO ESTABLISH A UNIFORM SYSTEM FOR DRUGGED DRIVING OFFENSES.
Saliva test kit for THC (© MedVet)Many saliva test kits for THC
are available (© POCD)
Blood testing for banned substances (© US Navy)
States with DUID per se statutes (NORML.org)
Image: Advanced Seeds
Jack
Pla
nt
19CULTIVATION 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 gen-eration 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 Darwin, Origin of Species F.RED
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.
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, poten-
tially altering your outcome. Purchasing a
digital thermometer/ hygrometer to make
sure your conditions are ideal is a wise
investment.
This micro-climate will often fluctuate sea-
sonally, 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 grow-
ers 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 sup-
port 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
lifting the hood to allow for air exchange.
Roots can develop rapidly in as little as three
days – or as long as two weeks – depend-
ing upon the environmental conditions, the
health of the clipping, or even the particular
strain it is from.
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
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
proven track record, and grown properly will
be considerably larger then any seedling,
with less gamble on the final outcome.
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-
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 pro-
portions 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
or abilities, and you have the space to hang
on to it for forever, why not?
In the last ten years the scientists among
us have taken cloning to another level with
tissue cultures. A small bit of genetic mate-
rial can be kept indefinitely, or thousands of
progeny can be created from it. These tech-
niques 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
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 com-
mercial producer tissue cloning is definitely
the future.
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, hav-
ing 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.
Remove the guesswork with a digital
thermometer/ hygrometer
CUTTINGS MUST BE PLACED UNDER A CLONE DOME TO PREVENT THE PLANTS FROM DRYING OUT BEFORE THE
ROOTS HAVE SUFFICIENTLY DEVELOPED.
Clone under a dome
Purple Kush mother with clones
A mass of cells becomes a new plant
(Photo: gmocannabiswatch.blogspot.com)
20 CULTIVATION 10120
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 guide-lines 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 defi-nitely a good reason for learning how to clone. F.RED
Environment:Several procedures and arrangements need
to be accomplished before your first cutting
is taken. A clone area with moderate- to low-
level lighting is ideal for fresh cuttings. You
want your plants focused on root formation,
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 dark-
ness it receives. This reaction to the light
cycle or lack of light is called ‘photoperiodic
response’. ‘Photoperiodism’ controls a plant’s
circadian clock, a biochemical mechanism,
which is literally a molecular clock coordinat-
ed with the day/ night cycle. We humans are
also controlled by these circadian rhythms,
but most are blissfully unaware. Cannabis is
considered a short-day plant, as in nature,
it flowers with the increase of darkness as
autumn occurs. Between sixteen and twen-
ty-four hours of light is necessary to prevent
flowering in your clone area.
Controlling temperature and humidity are
very important when cloning Cannabis. As
with brewing beer or growing mushrooms,
the parameters are very narrow, so pur-
chasing a digital thermometer/ hygrom-
eter will take all the guesswork out of the
equation. The closer your clone area is to
the ideal 75° F (24° C), the more success
you will have. The lower your tempera-
tures drop, the slower your roots will form.
Higher temperatures increase the chance
of rotting your cutting before roots are
formed. A plant clipping without roots is in
an unquestionably delicate state. Without
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
perfect jumble of moisture and oxygen for
root development. A little misting will help
keep the dust down when mixing these
constituents, as they absolutely are a dust
hazard. After being put into the cloning con-
tainers this blend needs to be saturated with
water. To increase your level of success, add-
ing a little ‘Super Thrive’ and/or a very dilut-
ed bloom mix to this water will help give
your cuttings a boost in root production,
due to the hormones and nutrients they
provide. After watering the containers and
making sure they are not sitting in puddles,
create small holes in your media so your
cuttings will not be damaged when plac-
ing 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-
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.
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.
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 cut-
ting, place the dome over them. These new
plants can be left in the clone area, undis-
turbed, 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
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!
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.
Poke a hole in your wet mix to
make room for the clone
Choose where to take
your cutting
Cut bottom leaves on stem
Dip cutting immediately into
rooting hormone
Pack mix snugly around clone
Fresh clones under a dome
Ten-day-old clone with beautifully developed root ball
21MIND, BODY, SPIRIT
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 smok-ers, it is something to be taken seriously, especially considering our nationwide issues with obesity. Grubbycup
Mastering the Munchies
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 mem-
ory encoding [discussed on p. 26]. To put
that another way, enjoyment of the cur-
rent mouthful is greater, but the ability to
properly keep track of how many mouthfuls
have been taken diminishes. Some unsci-
entific anecdotal evidence suggests that a
bowl of potato chips put in front of a group
of vipers will disappear regardless of por-
tion size, and interviews with participants
afterward showed a diminished ability to
judge whether one bag or two was con-
sumed. 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.
On a similar occasion, smaller portions
were made available, with almost identi-
cal 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-
encing diminishing returns after a mini-
mum point. Having a single serving of
chips, or several servings, seems to have
little effect on the experience – while hav-
ing a large impact on calorie consump-
tion. Since the experience appears to be
similar, my first tip to you is to practice
portion control. Don’t take an entire con-
tainer with you, put a reasonable amount
in a bowl or on a plate instead.
Another effect often experienced, particu-
larly when Cannabis is smoked, is an analge-
sic 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 com-
monly interpreted as a symptom of dehy-
dration, 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,
can help reduce the number of ‘empty’ cal-
ories 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-
drate, tip number two is to try convincing
yourself that water is the best choice for actu-
ally 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
of Cannabis, textures can become both
important and interesting. For those seek-
ing a crunch, fresh vegetables dipped in
salad dressing can supply both a satisfying
crunchy experience, and if a variety of dress-
ings is made available, can be a nice treat.
Smooth and creamy textures can be found
in fruits such as bananas.
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 quanti-
ties without appreciably increasing calories.
Foods high in fiber, like a bowl of oatmeal,
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 pro-
tein cravings. Although it isn’t very realistic
for most of us to replace all the bad foods
we crave with healthier alternatives, replac-
ing 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
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 occa-
sional 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
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.
Dutch Babies:You will need a skillet that can be placed in
an oven (cast iron works best).
* 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
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,
PRACTICE PORTION CONTROL: DON’T TAKE AN ENTIRE CONTAINER WITH YOU, PUT A REASONABLE AMOUNT IN A
BOWL OR ON A PLATE INSTEAD.
2222 FESTIVALS AND EXPOS
PROPOT PEOPLE FROM ACROSS THE
NETHERLANDS GATHER IN AMSTERDAM TO
SAY, “LET’S PASS ON THE WEED PASS!”
Cannabis Liberation Day 2012In 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 com-panies, 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 thou-sand people showed up primarily to protest against the Weed Pass; the nation’s largest Cannabis culture festival also acted as the launch for the VOC’s new Vote2Smoke campaign. Sativa Diva Photos by Highlife
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 south-
ern 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 remain-
der 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 interna-
tional growers’ and smokers’ communi-
ties (both in person and online); however,
the superficial harshness of the meas-
ure is diluted when people realize that
the only support these repressive and
destructive policies enjoy comes from
the recently-dissolved coalition of right-
wing, 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 fer-
vor 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
Verdamper vaporizer
Def P and the Beatbusters
provoked wild ska moves
Local legend Armand participating
in the Speakers Corner
DJ Isis: “The Weed Pass is an absurd
step back in time!”
Even the merchandise had a
political theme
Coffeeshop Bulldog was
among the local vendors
23MIND, BODY, SPIRIT
Dude, Where’s My Memory? O’Riodon
SHORT TERM MEMORY LOSS HAS LONG BEEN AN ASSUMED
SIDEEFFECT 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.
Although THC (the active ingredient in
weed) has already been indicted for a num-
ber of crimes, none could be more hei-
nous than attempting to steal the previous
thirty minutes from everyone who has ever
smoked it. The evidence is pretty compel-
ling: 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 equiva-
lent 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.
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 empow-
ering 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,
it’s all about balance, and growers, well
you should just flush more. Nothing helps
zap your memory like a bag full of ‘twitchy’
dope, still full of growing nutrients.
THC is not altogether guilty of stealing your
memory, because it does have accomplices
– us. Think about it: memory is a function of
the brain that sits on top of that thing you
call a body, but do you take care of it? The
human body is an amazing thing, capable
of all sorts of feats. It’s the hottest thing on
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
want to smoke dope and continue to have
a sharp mind you also have to eat prop-
erly (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 mind-
numbing compounds that dull the senses
and damage the brain’s ability to recollect
and reason. There are also allergies to wheat,
milk and corn, these can also affect the
brain’s ability to function, so try whenever
possible to eat wholesome, (legitimately)
organic food and drink plenty of water, and
maybe consider buying a water filter.
Oily fish containing omega-3 is a great
brain food. Start adding tuna, salmon or
trout to your diet. These contain a fatty
acid called DHA, which increases the lev-
els 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 high-
potency multivitamins and mineral supple-
ments. 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.
DMAE (dimethylaminoethanol), will also keep
your memory sharp by giving your neuro-
transmitters a boost. These are the chemicals
that relay messages between the neurons
and when levels are low, memory suffers.
DMAE can also potentially elevate mood, and
increases physical energy. Another important
herb that stimulates the brain’s neurotrans-
mitters is St John’s Wort, but don’t use this if
you’re taking antidepressants.
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 anoth-
er memory herb that improves blood circu-
lation to the brain, and it is also a powerful
antioxidant.
Kava-kava is an herb from the South Pacific
that induces memory-restoring sleep.
This mild sedative helps you sleep better
and allows the brain to produce growth
hormone, a substance that protects and
improves memory.
Stress, another memory thief, releases the
hormone cortisol: this damages the brain’s
ability to turn short memory into the long-
term 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.
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
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 think-
ing into your life. Every day we repeat 80%
of the thoughts we had the day before.
So, start changing your routine. Break old
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!
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.
THC disrupts brain wave patterns
across the hippocampus
A short-term memory goes up in smoke
Ginkgo biloba, a memory booster
Brain food, full of omega-3
24 CULTIVATION ABROAD
HOW ONE GROWER ‘ACROSS THE POND’ AVOIDS THE HIGH COST OF BUYING WEED FROM SOMEONE ELSE...
Home Growing in Southern EnglandI’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 for around £20 - 25 ($31 - 39). Smokedout
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 (stu-
pid) 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 pro-
ducing a garden of beautiful Cannabis
plants. We can all stick a seed in a pot
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
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 re-
appear at some later date as they are
such good lights), and have opted for
a mixture of 300-watt LED bloom light-
ing, 150-watt HPS with electronic bal-
lasts 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.
LightingI will begin the lighting with the 150-
watt 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 differ-
ences 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
consumption, and as a last point of inter-
est, 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 flower-
ing period.
Growth MediumThere 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.
NutrientsAgain, 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, 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, rang-
ing from root enzymes to veg and bloom
pH adjusters, right through to bloom stim-
ulators and flushing solution.
The Wilma ten-pot hydro system is a
re-circulating system, and House and
Garden produce a great set of nutri-
ents 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 fluc-
tuations in your pH values once set to
your desired level. In this system it is
between 5.8 and 6.1.
The GrowWith 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 flower-
ing room later.
To help them along they were placed
I HAVE A STRONG PREFERENCE FOR THE WILMA TENPOT HYDROPONIC DRIP SYSTEM FROM ATAMI
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
A ten-pot system is easy to manage for beginners
Low-watt HPS or LED lights reduce heat problems
25
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 twelve-
to eighteen-inch mark and are showing
off a nice sturdy main stem and plenty of
branching, with deep green leaves want-
ing more light.
FloweringThe 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 sys-
tem inside the flowering room. Once the
plants have adapted to the new envi-
ronment 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 ener-
gy. 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.
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 start-
ing 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
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, lus-
cious buds in front of me that I’m used to
seeing, I had smaller-than-usual buds that
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
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, judg-
ing 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.
ConclusionThese 150-watt lights are a good alterna-
tive 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 previously-
unheard-of lights, filters and other
equipment are constantly popping up
across the globe, further experimenta-
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!
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 SMALLERTHANUSUAL BUDS
THAT LOOKED A LITTLE BIT AIRY
Multiple small grow units can maximize awkward spaces
Flushing propels nutes out and aids in drying and curing
Image: Paradise Seeds
Ato
mic
al H
aze
27MEDICAL ACTIVISM
Sports activities and good causes are a popular match. The most famous example is Alpe d’Huez in France, in which six amateur cyclists cycle up the infamous mountain passes of Alpe d’Huez to raise money for cancer research. Suffering to ease the suffering of others. Two Cannabis-loving cyclists came up with the bright idea of applying a similar concept to medical Cannabis. This resulted in the first ever three-day Medical Cannabis Bike Tour, held in late April during the GrowMed Cannabis fair in Spain – the birth of a glorious cycling tradition.
The pilot edition of the Medical
Cannabis Bike Tour began very mod-
estly, with only two participants, who
also happened to be the only spon-
sors. Matej from the Slovenian rolling
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 com-
pany 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 some-
thing 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 prepara-
tion for covering a distance of 250
miles (400 km) in three days – certainly
not in Spain, where it is often swelter-
ing in April and where a flat surface is
virtually impossible to find.
To say that Luc struggled is an under-
statement: 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.
Luc recalled, “We had a not inconsid-
erable amount of opposing wind for
250 miles. It blew so hard that crests
formed on the sea – we later heard that
it had been Force Five. After sixty miles
I wanted to get off, I was so exhausted.”
However, as for the participants in Alpe
d’Huez, giving up is not an option in
the Medical Cannabis Bike Tour.
Cannabis Shirt AdvertisingDespite the suffering, the adventure
left them wanting more. Luc explained,
“Next year we want to organize anoth-
er tour, we are aiming for forty par-
ticipants. 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-
cer. To find a suitable project for this,
the IACM (International Association for
Cannabinoid Medicines) was contact-
ed. Nothing is yet fixed, but Luc’s imag-
ination 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
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 sit-
ting 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 vil-
lages along the route there are people
cheering by the roadside. There are
motorcycle escorts and a helicopter,
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/
WE HAD A NOT INCONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF OPPOSING WIND FOR 250 MILES. IT BLEW SO HARD THAT
CRESTS FORMED ON THE SEA...
THE SADDLE WAS MORE EXPENSIVE THAN THE WHOLE BIKE!
CYCLING FOR MEDICAL CANNABIS RESEARCH!
Medical Cannabis Bike Tour
28 SERIOUS GARDENING
HYDRO OVER HANDWATERING
Flood and Drain TechniqueThink 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 and drain’... Little Lebowski
NFT (nutrient film technique), a culti-
vation 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 com-
post, cocos or clay – surrounding the
roots of their precious plants, particularly
when there are some tasty buds at risk!
In this issue we look at a hydroponic
technique that offers the faster growth
cycles and bigger yields of active hydro,
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 hand-
watering pots filled with compost. Fair
enough, it is a great method for a begin-
ner; compost is very forgiving and will
buffer against pH fluctuations and over-
feeding. Plus, hand-watering your plants
every other day means you can concen-
trate 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.
What is Flood and Drain?The principle of flood and drain is sim-
ple. A plant sits on a table or in a buck-
et 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.
During the flood period the roots of the
plants are submerged, allowing them to
take up all the water and nutrients they
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
nutrient solution used is easily measured
and this allows experienced growers to tai-
lor 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
is something for everyone. At its most sim-
ple 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 eve-
ryone’s grow room has different humid-
ity, temperature and airflow – and get the
maximum yield from your plants.
Why Flood and Drain over hand-watering pots?
take up more water and nutrients than
they would with hand-watering; feed-
ing little and often throughout the day
is healthier than giving one large feed
every other day.
several times a day: During the flood peri-
od, air is completely forced out of the root
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.
-
rienced growers to set the perfect feed-
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.
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 SystemIn a flood and drain table system, plants
sit on a surface held above a nutrient solu-
tion 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
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 THE TABLE FLOODS, THE PLANTS TAKE ALL THE WATER AND NUTRIENTS THEY NEED. ALL STALE AIR IS
EXPELLED FROM THE ROOT ZONE.
29and 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
drain. Eventually the level of nutrient
solution will reach the level of the over-
flow drain and flow back into the res-
ervoir. 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.
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.
Modular or Bucket Flood and Drain SystemSimilar to the table system, this setup
uses a timer to control the number of
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
reservoir. The system uses gravity to
send nutrient solution to the pots and
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
both the main reservoir and the con-
troller bucket).
These floats control the flood level in
the pots precisely, to stop any over-
watering or flooding.
As the level of nutrient solution reach-
es 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 con-
trol bucket ON.
The pump in the main control bucket
forces the nutrient solution out of the
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
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.
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:
and keep their workload simple by main-
taining a number of plants from one tank,
so they can concentrate on maintaining
their grow room environment
-
able system to suit their individual grow-
ing environment and really maximize
yield
-
tem 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
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: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
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
A MAJOR BENEFIT OF THE FLOOD AND DRAIN TABLE SYSTEM IS THAT YOU CAN GROW YOUR PLANTS IN ANY GROWING MEDIUM.
LARGE SCALE GROWERS BENEFIT FROM THE MODULAR FLOOD AND DRAIN SYSTEMS AS THEY MASSIVELY REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF TIME YOU SPEND WATERING YOUR PLANTS.
30ColophonIndex of Ads
Name Page
Advanced Seeds 1
Dinafem Seeds 2
Green Style Consulting 11
Mountain High 11
Paradise Seeds 1
Pasquini Bini 31
Plagron 32
Seeds of Life 11
Vapors 31
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INDEX OF ADS / COLOPHON
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 hydro-
ponic system, and top up the tank every
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 absor-
bent 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
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 num-
ber of feeds up to a maximum of four
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.
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-of-
green 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 modu-
lar buckets under each light, or even just
one bucket per light to grow some mon-
sters! 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!
How high should EC be set?
If using an inert growing medium like clay
pebbles, there is very little buffer (or pro-
tection) 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 surround-
ing 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 green-
fingered 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!