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THE CANNABIS THREAD 101!!

Crafty Ways to Evaluate Your Cannabis Quality

Irrespective of whether you live in cannabis-legal state or not, it’s quite likely that you have come across low-quality cannabis plants. It’s also quite possible that you may have had little choice at the time but to consume it, and ignore the headache and other nasty after effects experienced later.

However, we have written this piece to bring you glad tidings: average or poor quality marijuana can be avoided altogether if you simply know how to separate the good lot from the bad.
In our very humble experience, there is historically nothing better than a good old fashioned smoke test in a superbly rolled blunt or joint – but if you want to bypass all that trouble and not live with the guilt of a wasted investment – a methodical approach such as the one we’ve discussed below will give you a very good idea about the strain type and conditions it was grown in.
Once you know all this, you’ll always have the best quality marijuana in your stash. Without further ado:
Take a Deep Whiff of the Good Stuff (or Not so Good)
Quality cannabis buds that have been well-grown and looked after properly will always give off a pungent and signature ‘marijuana smell’ – which indicates the abundant presence of terpenes – organic compounds generously produced in good quality cannabis plants.
Poor quality buds, on the other hand, have a smell that’s reminiscent of hay or, in some cases, have no smell at all. Look the other way, because these are telltale signs of poorly grown cannabis, often that which has not even been properly dried and cured – a process necessary to maximise potency.
Also, as a reference point, when you do come across good quality buds that give off strong terpene-rich smells – know that sharp and citrus notes are indicative of a sativa strain, while coffee-rich and ‘chocolaty’ scents point to an indica strain.
So all in all, you’d want to look for that pungent smell which is directly linked to terpene content and potency, all the while avoiding buds that have zero smell or smell like hay.
Careful Visual Inspection – Look at Those Colours
The best quality marijuana strains are a pure green and almost look like well looked-after grass – the colour practically pops. However, don’t be surprised if the colour ranges between lighter and darker tones of green, as there are many different strains that exhibit their own unique colour.
The key thing to remember is this: does it actually look like the bud was extracted from a healthy cannabis plant? Despite what we just said about quality buds looking green or having different shades of green, it is not at all unusual for high-quality buds to have hints of blue, purple or pink. But – and that’s a major but – if most of your bud is brown, yellow, tan or red in colour, it was extracted from a dying or generally unhealthy plant.
Furthermore, buds that look like they’ve almost been bleached white have been subjected to light burn as a result of indoor growing – avoid these under all circumstances.
Therefore, you should always look for shades of green as the primary colour along with any other accent colours they may have (as described above). But those that have taken a white, tan, yellow, red or brown colour are practically useless.
The Structure Says a Lot about the Bud’s Origins
If what you’re inspecting appears to be light and fluffy – lo and behold, you’re looking at a sativa bud! If it appears to have a tightly packed and dense structure, it’s an indica bud.
But here’s a kicker: indica buds may look like sativa buds only if grown improperly, proudly displaying those trademark open and incomplete buds along with visible stems.
Interestingly, hybrid strains exhibit structural traits of sativa and indica buds. Does this all sound a bit too much to take in?
No need to worry – just know that sativa buds are characterized by tiny orange/almost red hair coverings called pistils. Indica buds will have these as well but in a significantly lower quantity. At the end of the day, all you need to know, really, is that sativas look fluffy with lots of pistils, while indicas have less pistils and are characterized by a tight and dense appearance.
In any case, you’re going to avoid buds with visible stems, as well as airy and open structures.
The Trim Plays an Important Role for Determining Quality
As part of a proper harvest, cannabis buds are always trimmed so that leaves can be eliminated around the bud. High-quality buds are always hand-trimmed and not machine-trimmed.
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This is a crucial sign to look for because machine-trimmed buds are usually mangled which disrupts the fragile trichomes inside them – the good stuff that keeps them fresh and provides the maximum euphoric and/or medicinal effects.
So, you’d want to avoid machine-trimmed buds in any case or even those that are untrimmed and have too many leaves surrounding them – a hallmark of rushed, amateur cultivation practices. Quality buds are always (always) hand-trimmed in order to preserve those wonderful trichomes.
Which Brings Us to Trichomes
Every batch of cannabis that has been grown with great care will produce buds that contain ripe trichomes – it’s crucial that these are densely packed together on your bud because they house all the terpenes and cannabinoids – in other words, the respective profile of your individual strain, preserved as-is.
Lucky for us, trichome density can be easily observed by the naked eye. If your buds look frosty and sparkle almost like crystals, they are densely packed with trichomes.
However, this is just one component of the trichome equation as we also need to determine how ripe they are. For this, you will need a magnifying glass – after careful inspection, you should be able to tell if the plant was allowed to mature properly if it was harvested too early, or even too late. But that’s not to say that it isn’t a cause for concern.
Even though overripe buds are not a major issue, since sativa strains in particular have a longer flowering phase – but the problem, however, arises when buds are prematurely harvested.
This practice is common in states where marijuana cultivation is not legal – as a result, cultivators work ‘underground’ to try and complete the most amount of flowering phases per year to maximize yield but at the cost of quality. This may be compared with a direct, real-world example of cows being injected with hormones to have them produce far more milk than they are capable of each year.
Look closely at the glandular trichome heads of your bud – the colour says a lot about the level of ripeness. For instance, if the heads look completely clear, your plant was harvested too early. If all trichome heads look amber, the plant was harvested in an over-ripe state.
Ideally, your trichome heads should look milky white with just a touch of amber – you’ll know for sure that they are rich in cannabinoids. Additionally, they should also look frosty, just to reiterate.
Is Your Bud Hermaphroditic (Male and Female)?
Even though there is some potential to be found in male buds, majority of quality buds that you smoke today are in fact harvested from female plants. Since males produce pollen sacks, they don’t offer the best experience.
One of the best traits of strong female plants is that their genetics remain female even if they’re subjected to harsh environmental stresses during the growth and flowering process. However, some ‘finicky’ strains do have a tendency to produce female plants which will exhibit hermaphroditic tendencies – that is, with enough environmental stress or time, they may produce male flower sites or nanners (also called bananas).
Why should you pay attention to this? Because hermaphroditic plants have undesirable characteristics which adversely affect the cannabis consumption experience. This typically happens when the plant makes a ‘last ditch attempt’ to self-pollinate (rather than being pollinated as a female by a male counterpart) and reproduce as a direct result of being environmentally stressed where it thinks that death is inevitable. Therefore, you can bet the bud was seeded if the plants they came from show hermaphroditic traits early in their lifecycle.
If this sounds a bit too complicated, just remember that quality cannabis is, for the most part, produced by female plants and shouldn’t come from seeds or male flower sites/bananas.
Presence of Mold and Pests
Naturally, quality buds will always be free of mold and pests. If you see grey fuzzy deposits or a white powdery mildew, mold has manifested itself on the bud, unfortunately. Pests like aphids, gnats, thrips and mites may leave fecal matter and eggs on your buds, rendering them unfit for consumption.
Finally, make it a habit and personal choice to only buy cannabis from a reliable and knowledgeable source. Check out reviews on TrustPilot, talk to friends and family and don’t be afraid to do a little extra research on Google – it always pays.
 
How to Tell if You’re Buying Good or Bad Quality Buds

When was the last time you walked out of a pot store with a few grams of (allegedly) fresh cannabis – only to be overwhelmed with disappointment as soon as you smoked it?
‘Accidentally’ buying low quality cannabis buds is, unfortunately, a common experience that even seasoned consumers sometimes end up having to bear – despite the fact that the herb has been legalized in so many states.
So what can you do to handpick only quality buds, after being presented a plethora of options by your somewhat unhelpful and uptight budtender? It could be tempting to try out the ‘new kid on the block’ and equally enticing to buy buds that look like they just landed on Earth from somewhere in outer space.

Needless to say, one of the best tools for initially differentiating between good and bad quality buds is your nose. If you’re accustomed to having high quality cannabis, then you should be able to instantly pick up the iconic smell of terpenes and cannabinoids present in those buds.
However, this isn’t often the most reliable method because legalizing marijuana means that they are mostly sold in sealed packages – perhaps those days are gone for good when a cannabis store owner would let you pop the lid off a few jars to ‘assess the merchandise’.
Even though buying from a highly reliable budtender who’s also willing to share knowhow from time to time is definitely one way of bypassing bad quality marijuana buds – this is often not practical and even time-consuming at times.
Therefore, in this article, we’ve put together a few visual ques which can indefinitely help you decide if you’re about to buy good or bad quality buds.
Trichome-rich Crystals
All high-quality cannabis buds are covered with frosty, almost salt-like, white crystals which are actually small glands in the plant responsible for producing oils known as cannabinoids – the good stuff that gives us feelings of relaxation and euphoria.
A really salty or frosty looking plant, in our books, is a clear winner, because those buds are high in cannabinoids. So the more cannabinoids your bud produces, particularly the signature one, THC, the more potent its effects will be. However, that’s not all – these cannabinoid producing glands will display big bubbles at their tip – the bigger the bubbles, the more potent your cannabis is.
So go ahead and take a close look at the crystals on top of your bud – do they look like mere white dots or do they resemble bubbles/balls full of oil? If the latter is true, you’re in for an experience to remember.
However, all the while, it is entirely possible that cannabis buds may show super-frosty trichomes that are still not be filled up with cannabinoids. Remember, those trichome crystals need to not only look really frosty but also nice and full – practically bursting cannabinoid-rich with oil.
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Some brick and mortar cannabis shops might be friendly and generous enough to let you take a close look at the flower through a magnifying glass. So go ahead and take a good look at your bud – don’t feel like you have to rush just because the budtender wants to get your money and call it a day.
A professional budtender will never rush you or push you into buying a specific kind of bud. So take your time and utilise all the tools at your disposal.
50 Shades of Green
Now – here’s what we need to understand – great quality marijuana does not mean that it has to have a specific colour which ticks all the boxes. There so many different and unique strains available, each one displaying its own signature hues. So while some may be bright green, others might be dark purple or even gold. However, that being said, a discoloured bud is always a sign you should look out for.
Discoloured buds mean that they have been bleached as a result of harsh exposure to indoor growing light. And we’re not just talking about a lighter shade of cannabis – because some strains are characterized by lighter shades – we’re talking about buds that show irregular patches of discolouration.
Instead of the entire bud being a specific colour, it’s quite likely that only a part of the bud was exposed to indoor light, which will take a discoloured and bleached appearance – while the rest maintains its natural hue. Remember, products that have been bleached this way lose a lot of their aromatic terpenes and therefore are not as potent as fresh, high-quality buds.
Apart from this evidence of bleaching, colour may not be the best element to determine quality. For example, a deep and dark green shade may indicate that the grower took shortcuts during the curing process – however, this could also simply point to the fact that a particularly green-looking bud was carefully put through the curing process, following immediately after harvest.
A faded light white colour, on the other hand, might initially lead you to believe that it’s stale and way past its shelf life – but, it could also mean that the strain is light-coloured in nature. So in short, you need to pay close attention to irregular bleaching spots on the bud leaves – different colours and shades are not necessarily indicative of good or bad quality.
With this being said, brown-looking marijuana is something you want to avoid completely as the buds are not only humid but also way past their shelf life.
Size Matters – for the Most Part
The size of your bud can tell part of the story in regards to quality. Flowers that have been grown higher up on the cannabis plant or on the outer edges, get more energy from it – they grow larger and even more potent.
However, we’re not saying that smaller buds (popcorn nugs) are defective or don’t live up to the task – we’re only saying that if you ever have a choice between a single 3-gram ‘nug’ or three 1-gram nugs, you should always pick the 3-gram single one.
The biggest buds on the cannabis plant are referred to as ‘colas’ by growers – in fact, they often tower over the plant like a small UFO. Cannabis farmers are quick to reserve these large colas for bulk quantity sales such as eights and quarters – this is why you should generally avoid picking up single-gram buds. If you do, you are essentially getting buds that were plucked from the lower-levels of the plant, which are often not as potent.
Even black market farmers hold on to these colas for themselves, so that’s really saying something, isn’t it?
Pay Attention to that Structure
Taking a good look to the shape of the bud can also reveal telltale signs of quality. Seasoned growers will always trim the leaves off their herb before it’s sold – which should ideally be hand-trimmed and not machine-trimmed. The latter will shake off the trichomes too much, causing a decrease in potency and quality. Machine-trimmed buds will typically look asymmetrical and will have perfectly uniform edges.
Irregular edges are always a good sign – it means the bud was cared for properly and underwent careful hand-trimming.
Look for debris at the base of the container – are there a lot of tiny leaves and trichome crystals at the bottom? Cannabis buds that have been properly handled will never leave crystal trichome deposits or leaves at the bottom of the packaging.
A Hairy and Sticky Affair
Good-quality buds are always very sticky to the touch. In fact, they will coat your grinder with a nice (but potentially annoying) layer of resin. Humidity is not to blame for this but the ‘goeey’ trichomes, which are responsible for the potent effects you feel. However, despite being sticky, your buds should feel crunchy to the touch when you try to crumble them.
And then there are white microscopic crystals; the more of these tiny hairy crystals, the better. This is where THC resides, the main psychoactive compound that gives you the euphoric effects. What you see these falling in the bottom-most layer of your 3-piece grinder – that’s THC. And of course, next to the delightful frost, you’ll also notice a few brown hairs.
Even though these hairs have nothing to do with experiencing a ‘high’, they have everything to do with quality. Technically referred to as pistils, the brown hairs mean the flower has matured properly – meaning the grower went to painstaking lengths to ensure that the end product is of high quality.
Aromatic Compounds and ‘Ash Quality’
What truly sets apart great-quality buds from average quality ones are the number of aromatic compounds or terpenes, and not the total percentages of cannabinoids. High THC does not mean the marijuana you’re buying is high quality.
You might also want to light up your buds and inhale slowly – do you start to get that warm feeling on your face, particularly around the forehead as if you’re sweating when you’re actually not? Boom – high quality buds!
As you smoke, you may notice white ash – if it’s grey or black, the bud is too humid meaning that you’re in for a headache and just paying extra for the water content.
Now that you’re armed with all this information, you can certainly look forward to many memorable sessions with great quality buds and great company right at your side.
 
5 Reasons to Grow your Own Medical Marijuana

Growing your own marijuana can be a great way to cut costs and keep tight control over how your medicine is grown, in locations where the law allows personal cultivation of cannabis. But, there are many other important reasons to try your hand at this particular plant. Here are just a few reasons everyone should grow their own marijuana, at least once.
1. Better judge marijuana quality.
Having to harvest, dry, and cure your own marijuana will show you how many elements can impact the quality and potency of bud. From the kind of water you use, to picking just the right morning to finally harvest—this and so much more will impact flavor, yield, and potency. But, the work doesn’t end there! Controlling the rate of drying and choosing the right containers for curing can turn good bud into great bud by bringing out the natural qualities of the plant after harvest. This is hard to fully understand until you experience it. Growing a marijuana plant, from seed to smoke, is some of the best canna-connoisseur education there is.
2. Marijuana plants will give you a new respect for nature.
Even if you had no interest in its flowers at all, the cannabis plant is still an extraordinary gardening experience, and going through the full lifecycle of this plant will give you a whole new respect for nature. From its photosensitivity, to its vigorous growth phases, to the beautiful color-changing abilities of certain strains, marijuana is far more rewarding to grow than the average basil plant. That’s even before the life changing medicines result from the plant. Its resilience as a weed only makes it more forgiving for beginners.
3. Juice raw marijuana leaves.
If you lollipop your plants–a technique that involves removing most of the fan leaves at specific points in the lifecycle–you can add the leaves to a smoothie as a nutrient-rich bonus. It takes heat to activate the THC in the plant, so feel free to add some raw leaves into a salad, as you would any other green, without worry of significant psychoactive effects. If you’re going to consume the leaves, remember to grow organically.
4. The excitement and anticipation are second to none.
Growing your own weed takes several patient months. Once flowering begins, so begins the process of slowly uncovering the thing you usually think of as marijuana—the end result. You will watch the transformation of tiny nubs and hairs, to nascent green and white flowers, to orange-haired nugs several times larger than seemed possible just a couple weeks before. Each stage brings you closer to the familiar, until finally you get to harvest the sweet flowers of your labors. The wait is exquisite, and in the end, it often feels a bit like Christmas.
5. Save the cannabis plant for future generations.
By bringing a marijuana plant into existence–hopefully with seeds from a safe and reputable source—and by learning how to grow this plant, you help those strains to persist into the future. Plant cultivation is best preserved through its actual practice. Growing your own marijuana, even just once, helps preserve this plant for future generations because you become the link between past and future growers. Through prohibition, this is really how we’ve kept this plant thriving: individuals deciding to put a tiny seed in some earth.
These five big reasons to grown your own marijuana will hopefully inspire the sprouting of a few new seedlings. The end harvest is wonderful, but also remember the other benefits of this journey. It is something everyone should get to experience, at least once.
 
10 Facts You Probably Didn’t Know About Hemp Oil

Hemp oil is obtained from seeds of the Cannabis plant. Extracted solely from the seeds, it is also known as hemp seed oil.
People often confuse hemp extracts in an oil carrier, as “Hemp Oil”. However, pure hemp oil is a natural botanical concentrate processed only from the seeds of the plant and not from any other botanical extraction process.
Hemp oil does not contain THC, the chief psychoactive compound in cannabis. The oil which contains THC is called cannabis oil. So, you should not be confused by the two.
Containing a huge amount of phytonutrients, antioxidants, and healthy fats, daily hemp oil can boost your health in a wide variety of ways. From hormonal balance to anti-ageing protection, here are 10 surprising benefits of hemp oil you may not know:
1.One of The Most Nutritious Seed Oils Available
Hemp oil is packed with minerals such as potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc, and calcium which makes it full of nutrients useful for your body – perhaps more than any other oil available.
Hemp oil is an unsaturated oil derived from a plant that accommodates 80% unsaturated fatty acids, and only 20% undesired saturated fats. What’s more important to note is, this oil is very high in essential fatty acids – omega-3 and omega-6, which are necessary for a good functioning of your immune system and for cardiovascular health.
2. Helps Control Hormonal Balance, PMS and Menopause Symptoms
The only seed known to contain gamma-linolenic acid is the hemp seed.
Gamma-linolenic acid is the substance that converts into a protective hormone called prostaglandin in the human body. This hormone helps to maintain hormonal balance and to support menopausal health. It also helps in reducing PMS symptoms, such as irritability and fluid retention.
3. Good For Skin
Hemp oil is a good natural moisturiser because it contains a high level of omega-3 and omega 6 fatty acids.
Because it’s so rich in fatty acids, it increases the elasticity of your skin and slows skin aging. What’s even more exciting is that it dries quickly on the skin and doesn’t have that oily effect; you can put it on your skin after a shower and won’t have to wait long before it dries.
4. Great For Your Hair
Hemp Oil also contains ceramides, so it helps hair to be silkier and shinier – it’s often among the ingredients in many hair conditioners.
Amino acids in hemp oil will make hair grow stronger. Not only that, but this oil is also beneficial for the scalp, as it improves blood circulation.
5. Can Help Improve Your Mood
There is strong evidence that omega-3 fatty acids improve the symptoms of bipolar disorder and ADHD. This is mostly due to the fact that fatty acids are essential for brain functioning.
Also, since this oil contains endocannabinoids, it helps to improve general mood and reduces depression and anxiety.
6. Great for Vegetarians and Vegans
Since vegetarians and vegan don’t get enough omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in their diets, Hemp oil is especially beneficial for them.
It provides the right balance of these nutrients which is important considering the narrowed choice of fatty acid sources vegetarians and vegans have.
7. Reduces Arthritis Pain
Some studies have found that consumption of Hemp Oil reduces arthritis pain by 25%.
This is due to gamma-linolenic acid and alpha-linolenic acid, both found in hemp oil. These fatty acids are strongly anti-inflammatory.
That’s why arthritis patients have noted the effects of this oil in reducing their pain with regular use.
8. Lowers Cholesterol
Hemp oil contains alpha-linolenic acid, meaning it boosts your metabolism. When metabolism is faster, it means that fats will burn more quickly.
This means that cholesterol goes down, which also prevents clogging of arteries.
9. Aids in Antioxidant Protection
Vitamin E is the key to having a beautiful skin and also helps in aging gracefully. It also protects your DNA from free radicals present in the environment that can damage it over time.
Hemp oil is very rich in Vitamin E and other antioxidants, so consuming it will help to protect your DNA and cells and will improve your overall health.
10. Hemp Oil Shouldn’t Be Heated
One thing to bear in mind for getting the full potential from this precious oil is that you should keep it at a normal or low temperature. High temperatures can turn unsaturated fats into saturated fats, which can remove the beneficial applications Hemp Oil holds.
 
10 Quick Question with Royal Queen Seeds

Founded in the Netherlands, Royal Queen Seeds is made up of an experienced team of breeders who have lead the company to the forefront of the cannabis seedbank market in Europe. With popularity growing significantly, the seedbank hopes to become a global market leader in the not too distant future.
We sat down with Royal Queen Seeds to ask them our 10 Quick Questions.
1. How was Royal Queen Seeds (RQS) born?
RQS was born out of a passion for all things cannabis. Our founder had been involved with the cannabis growing scene for many years, expanding his knowledge and honing his skills. This, combined with a burning desire to make his envisioning of high-quality strains available across the world made the creation of RQS an inevitability.
2. Why was Royal Queen Seeds Created/what is the aim of the company?
For the same reason it was born. To breed our own varieties of cannabis strains, ensuring that the best genetics as we see them are available for growers everywhere to cultivate and work with.
3. What makes your seeds different?
That is a tough question, but we would like to think that the individual and personal experiences we all have as growers here help shape and mould our cannabis strains into what they are. It has resulted in a lot of unique and award winning varieties.
4. What is your most popular strain?
Strains like our Skunk XL and Royal AK are currently very popular, but it can change quite a lot depending on the current trends. The RQS take on classics like Amnesia Haze and O.G. Kush are always popular though.
Our Euphoria seeds are also doing very well. This variety just won first place for best medical strain at the Highlife Cup thanks to its potent and well-balanced CBD:THC ratio.
5. What unique strain would you recommend people try from your collection?
There are quite a few to choose from! I would say Shining Silver Haze, but I am quite biased towards Haze strains. It is an award-winning all-star that has it all: great taste, great aroma, a skyrocketing high, and very generous yields. If you love Haze strains, you won’t be disappointed!
6. If you could say why people should buy from Royal Queen Seeds in one sentence, what would that sentence be?
Everyone here at Royal Queen Seeds lives and breathes cannabis, and we put every ounce of our passion into our seeds – there are no finer!
7. Any special/secret cultivation tips you can let our readers know about?
Grow organic where you can. It is a lot more effort, and gives you less precise control, but if you can master it, the rewards will be tenfold. Nothing beats organic bud that has been grown well, and you will become a true master in the process! Plus you will be doing Mother Earth a favour – a small thank you for her gift of cannabis!
8. Do you have any brand new strains soon to be released?
Yes! We have recently launched four new strains with a variety of flavours and highs. These are Critical Kush, Lemon Haze, Chocolate Haze and Blue Cheese Automatic. We are particularly proud of them, and they have been created with the connoisseur in mind. It’s not all just about the buzz; you need to have the great tastes and aromas to go with it!
9. What does the future hold for Royal Queen Seeds?
Although we have just launched four new strains of cannabis seeds, we have some pretty special genetics we are currently working on for future release. So stay tuned, RQS have a lot in store!
10. How can people find out more about Royal Queen Seeds?
You can find out more about RQS at www.royalqueenseeds.com. You can also find us on most social media sites, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Vimeo!
 
10 Quick Questions with Sensi Seeds

There is no other seed bank in the world that has been coveted with more awards than Sensi Seeds. From the Highlife Cup to the Cannabis Cup, Sensi have achieved unrivalled legendary status in the seed bank world. Seedsman sat down with the coveted seedbank to ask them our 10 Quick Questions.
1. How was Sensi Seeds born?
In the early 1970’s, Ben opened a clothes shop in the Dutch city of Rotterdam where he sold homemade clothing. A few years earlier, at the age of seventeen, he smoked his first joint. But it wasn’t until he began making regular trips to Turkey, Afghanistan and Pakistan to purchase textiles that he became aware of the plant’s versatility. He learned about hemp fibre’s suitability as, among other things, a textile and he also bought or was given cannabis and cannabis seeds by local farmers. Ben discovered that the cannabis plant had so much to offer in spite of it being prohibited and vilified in all corners of the world.
It became one of his passions to collect cannabis seeds from Central and South East Asia and the Asian subcontinent. Back home in the Netherlands, he started to cultivate these seeds in order to learn more about the growth process of this very special plant.
At the start of the 1980’s, the first examples of innovative, stabilised hybrids, such as Haze and Skunk, arrived in Europe from the United States. Ben was one of a mere three Dutch cultivators who were granted access to these hybrids, which are considered an important blueprint for the development of European hybrids.
At the end of the seventies, Ben found out that cannabis seeds did not fall under the cannabis prohibition; it was only the plant that was prohibited and not the seeds. As it was not illegal to sell seeds, Ben reasoned that the production process should not be illegal either. He started his seed company after a lawyer confirmed this insight and in 1985 the Sensi Seed Club, also known as the Sensi Connoisseurs’ Club, came into being. Ben took over a company called the Seed Bank in 1991 and the gene libraries were merged to create the Sensi Seed Bank as we know it today.
2. Why was Sensi Seeds Created?
Throughout the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s, genetics were gathered throughout the world and shared among the few who truly understood the value they had. Ben Dronkers was lucky enough to be one of these people and this is what allowed him, together with the help of his friends, to initiate what would lead to the most comprehensive cannabis genetic library available today: the Sensi Seeds Bank.
Not only did he understand the value of developing new exciting strains, he also understood the importance of preserving these genetics for future generations. It is to this end that Sensi Seeds has put such incredible effort in preserving these genetics over more than 30 years.
3. What makes your seeds different?
What it comes down to is that we’ve remained true to our roots. Our search for cannabis genetics has never ceased in the last 30 years. Our dedication towards genetic preservation has also never diminished. We are to this day true to our roots and continually amazed by the versatility on this incredible plant, Cannabis Sativa L. We are now, more than ever, aware that the future of cannabis genetic research lies in its past, in the genetics that started it all.
So our genetics offer not only the high yield and range of effects people search for, they actually represent a part of Cannabis’ history.
4. What is your most popular strain?
That’s a hard question to answer. On paper, our Skunk#1® and Super Skunk® are the ones people tend to go for given the low price barrier but when it comes to popularity, it is hard for any of these strains to compete with the Jack Herer®.
5. What unique strain would you recommend people try from your collection?
Tough call! Northern Lights#5 x Haze is my personal favourite. The haze high, combined with an indica-like yield, relatively easy to grow… What more could you ask for? For the rest, Silver Haze® and Mother’s Finest® definitely make my top 3… And let’s not forget the Jack Herer® of course!
6. If you could say why people should by from Sensi Seeds in one sentence, what would that sentence be?
Sensi Seeds is the company that set the standard for the rest of the industry for the last 30 years. Our genetics can be traced back to most of the strains you find today. To get the best, try the original!
7. Any special/secret cultivation tips you can let our readers know about?
The key to any successful grow is the passion you put into it. When you love what you do, the rest will follow. For the rest we offer a platform for people to discuss their experiences and exchange tips via our forum.
8. Do you have any brand new strains soon to be released?
The latest strains we released were a feminized and autoflowering version of our popular Sensi Skunk, a favourite for beginners and expert growers alike.
9. What does the future hold for Sensi Seeds?
We’re always busy developing new strains but it takes time to achieve the level of quality we require before launching them. We have several projects running which should yield interesting results in the near future… But you’ll have to wait and see!
10. How can people find out more about Sensi Seeds?
You can find a lot more information about our products on our website and track the latest news in our blog which is updated daily in 5 languages to keep you up to date about legal, medicinal, industrial and all other developments linked to the cannabis plant.
 
What is the SCROG Method?

Screen of green, or SCROG for short, may be a mystery to most people but it’s highly important for anyone who grows their own cannabis and is serious about developing a good crop. SCROG is a way of reaching an optimal yield by training plants horizontally rather than letting them grow vertically.
The good news is it’s fairly easy to set up. Even a novice can do it. All you require is a bit of space and some time and effort to set it all up.
Compared to the sea of green method (SOG) where the aim is to nurture one central bud, the purpose of SCROG is to get more light to the important parts of your plant and thus increase the number of flowers and buds that develop.
It’s a good choice because it can be used with less powerful fluorescent lights if that’s all you have.
New growers often get screen of green mixed up with sea of green or SOG. The latter is another growing technique where multiple plants are pushed together and allowed to grow vertically. It’s an ideal method if you have limited space but want to improve you yield. To implement SCROG successfully, you will need a lot more space.

What is SCROG-ing?
Basically, it involves putting a canopy over your crop and tying the plant stems to it so that they grow horizontally. This is an ongoing process as the plant develops and can take quite a lot of work. As more stems and leaves grow they have to be trained through the canopy so that you improve yields.
The canopy can take many forms. Some growers use chicken wire, others rope or even string. You want a width of about 5cm for each of the spaces so that there’s enough room for the plant to grow through and it has to be sturdy enough for your sativa or Indica strain to be secured.
Many people combine topping with their screen installation. That means cutting off the tops of plant so that they grow new branches. It creates a much ‘bushier’ plant and should lead to more bud and flower growth if done properly.
While it’s generally used by more experienced growers, SCROG isn’t terribly complicated and is well worth experimenting with should you want to improve yields.
How to Make a SCROG Screen
You can buy SCROG screens of various sizes online or at cannabis stores and they’re not very expensive. Most people, however, prefer to make their own. Even if you are not great at building things, you can set up a simple screen that should do the job.
Your screen needs to be able to cover the majority of the area where you crop is going to be grown. It also ideally needs to be light but strong and well-lit from above.
If you have enough woodworking skill, we suggest making an initial frame from light wood to act as a base. You can then tack chicken wire to it or tie rope to create squares through which your plant can grow. The good news is there are plenty of tutorials online which you show you how to do this. It doesn’t have to be perfect but it does need to be functional so bear that in mind when you are making your screen.
Building your own SCROG screen means that you have one that actually fits your space better and it is certainly worth considering if you want to save some money.
Putting Up Your SCROG Screen
The next step is to put up your SCROG screen and a lot of this is to do with height and light. You want to suspend the screen close to your light source but not so close that your plants will grow into it and get burned. The general rule should be that individual plants should have about 30 cm of screen space to give them enough room to expand.
You can also use your screen to limit the height of your plants as you will be tying them down to essentially run sideways. There shouldn’t be a problem if you are constantly checking your plants and caring for them properly.
Caring For Your Crop
Once you have suspended your screen, you can begin to train any stems that are breaking through already. Tying them with string is less damaging than wire and all you need to do is cut it when you come to harvesting your crop at the end of the flowering period.
Every couple of days or so, you will need to check your crop and pull down any stems that have made their way through and tie these down. Exposing more than just the tops of the plants to the light should encourage more flowers to form and greatly increase your crop but it can get fairly crowded on top of the canopy.
One thing you will want to do to increase yield is expose more of your plant to light. You can improve this by removing the big fan leaves which tend to form near the bottom of each plant. These have fairly low levels of cannabinoids anyway so they are not much use accept for going on your compost pile.
The thicker collection of leaves and stems that develops around your canopy means that you should also increase ventilation around your plants. This helps cut down issues such as mold developing that can damage your crop and should keep the temperature and humidity relatively even.
Should You Top Your Plants?
Topping is a way of encouraging your plant to create multiple branches. It’s also quite simple to do, you simply cut the top of the plant as it comes through. Most plants when they grow develop one main cola which is dominant over the rest the foliage. When you top the cola, you should get two stems forming in its place which means that you develop more plant to train over your canopy.
FIM-ing is a similar practice but you shave the stem of the plant rather than cutting it off completely.
SCROG vs SOG
Some newbies can get confused over the terms SCROG and SOG. Sea of Green or SOG is a cultivating process that is almost the exact opposite to SCROG. You are not looking to develop many different colas but one. It’s used if you have limited space.
First, many plants can be planted close together and you’ll be surprised at how quickly they still grow. While the buds are only formed on the one cola, you can get a pretty good yield in a much tighter space. It also makes the final harvesting pretty easy because you don’t have to spend time looking for buds.
Our Top SCROG-ing Tips
Going down the SCROG route is not rocket science and anyone can do it but there is a best practice that you should try to keep to. Here are our top tips for getting it right first time:
  1. Don’t bother with a store bought SCROG screen, it’s best to build your own. These are relatively easy to construct whether you’re using wood and string or simple chicken wire. You can also design that canopy to fit the space you have.
  2. The SCROG screen should be put up during the vegetative stage. Once your plants start flowering, it’s way too late. Some people put up their screen as soon as they germinate their seeds. Others wait until it has reach a certain height.
  3. Be careful when you start weaving the cannabis stems into the canopy. You don’t want to snap them. Start on the outside and weave your plants to the outer edge and then gradually move further in.
  4. You may want to start trimming away stems that aren’t getting any light as well as the larger leaves lower down. This just clears the foliage to allow more light to get through and increases the potential for buds to form on what remains.
  5. You need to keep your SCROG screen under control and, particularly in the flowering stage, there’s going to be plenty of work to do. This is an art in itself but don’t be overzealous and end up cutting away something you shouldn’t.
  6. Pay special attention to the air circulation around your screen as this can affect the temperature and humidity and ultimately damage your plants if you don’t watch out.
If you have plenty of space and want to produce an abundant crop, the SCROG method is certainly something you should consider. The simplicity of setting up a light screen to train your plants over means that it’s a process that even an amateur can do.
SCROG works for any strain whether sativa or Indica. Sativa do tend to grow much higher than Indica which makes them perfect for training. Build a sturdy enough screen and it should last you for a long while and can be used for multiple crops.
 
8 Steps for Setting up a Perfect Grow Room

There is nothing more rewarding than a successful harvest after weeks of hard work and dedication. However, many can fail at the first hurdle by failing to set up a grow room correctly. However, with a few small alterations, you can avoid a failed grow.
So whether you have always been an outdoor grower, failed at past attempts at indoor cultivation or simply are a newcomer to growing cannabis, this 8-step guide to setting up the perfect indoor grow room should help you achieve the end result you want.
Please note that this is a suggestive guide only. We do not advocate the cultivation of cannabis in countries/states where it is illegal to do so. We would always advise customers to check their local laws before growing cannabis.
1 – Finding the Right Space

While finding a quiet spot to grow has its obvious benefits, its actually far more important to source a space where your plants can flourish. You need to take into account that your plants will be set up off the ground in containers, perhaps by 1 foot. You also need to remember that any lamps you are using will require around a foot of hanging space.
In some rooms, this leaves very little room left for your plants to grow. Of course, plant training methods such as bending and pruning can help resolve this issue if you are forced to grow in a compact space.
However, if you are keen for your grow to reach its full potential, you need to offer enough space for plants to flourish in both height and width.
2 – Enclose the Room

One of the biggest challenges when trying to mimic outdoor conditions in an indoor grow room is to enclose the space. This means that all furniture, especially large pieces of material like curtains need to be removed, as they can harbour fungi.
You must also have control over everything that enters and exits the room, as you are risking contamination every time you interact with your plants. Do not bring unnecessary foreign objects in with you. The only things needed are you and the tools required to maintain the health of your plants (and even these should be sparkling clean!).
3- Consider Painting

While this is not a compulsory factor when setting up an indoor grow room, it can certainly improve your chances of a perfect harvest.
By covering the walls, ceiling and floors with flat white paint, you are increasing reflection.
More reflection means more light energy available to your plants. Light coverage can improve by as much as 100% if you have painted the room white.
Alternatively, use another reflective material to cover the walls and floor, it should prove just as useful.
4 – Remember the Fans

Two of the most important things to ensure that your plants remain healthy is a constant supply of fresh air and optimum air circulation.
There are just two things that are required for this.
  • A vent to the outside – this can be an open window or a duct vented to the outside
  • An oscillating fan inside the room – this works well to ensure air circulation. Just be sure that the fan is moving at all times and isn’t stationary. A stationary fan can cause windburn to your plants and, in the case of young seedlings, can dry them out completely.
5 – Water, Water, Everywhere

Depending on the size of your grow, you could need access to A LOT of water in your grow room. For example a 10ft x 10ft garden could need more than 50 gallons of water per week.
Before you cause any damage to your back by hauling buckets of water to your grow room every hour, why not run a hose into the room so that you can adequately water your plants with little effort.
Just ensure that the water pressure coming from the hose does not overwhelm your plant and cause any damage.
6 – Floor Protection

Firstly, the floor of your grow room should be concrete or a similar smooth surface so that cleaning is an easy task! If you can not grow in a room with a concrete or similar floor, use a white painter’s dropcloth to protect the material underneath from inevitable moisture.
It is also advisable to place every plant pot in a tray, as it adds protection and will collect moisture easily, making clean up much easier.
7 – Light Fixtures

If your grow room is going to hold a substantial number of plants at any one time, you may need some powerful, expensive lights.
These lights can weigh upwards of 30 pounds and so need hooks strong enough to be mounted on. You DO NOT want to break your lights, especially if you have paid good money for the best quality.
It is also worthwhile attaching an adjustable pulley or chain to the lights. This way, you can access your plants when maintaining them, without having to work your way around these large objects.
8 – Tool Up!

While you do not have to be stocked with the most expensive gadgets on the market, having the right, high-quality tools will ensure that your grow goes smoothly.
For example, PH meters are essential to ensure that your soil is in good conditions, while a hygrometer can tell a cultivator when humidity is too high and potentially save an entire harvest.
By having the necessary tools around before you begin to grow, you could save yourself plenty of headaches later on in the plants life cycle.
After following these 8 steps, you should now be ready to move your seedlings into the grow room. Be patient, positive and thorough – this will lead to a successful outcome. Good Luck!
 
Best Soil for Marijuana: A Quick Guide for Cannabis Growers

Like most plants, cannabis requires a strong base if it’s going to grow well. There has been a lot written about the best soil for marijuana and for the beginner all this information can be pretty confusing.
For some strains, too rich a soil can affect the growth adversely. Others need a heavier mix. A lot can depend on whether you are growing autoflower or photoperiod strains. If you’re looking to grow a great tasting cannabis, therefore, it’s a good idea to read up on everything and build your knowledge base for the particular seed strain that you’ve opted for.
A good soil could mean the difference between a bountiful harvest and one that comes in just below average or worse. While cannabis seeds will actually grow in practically any medium, your aim is to cultivate more buds from your crop. The good news is that there is plenty of help and advice online. Here at Seedsman, for instance, you’ll find plenty of helpful articles on soil types and the best conditions for growth.
There are several factors about your soil choice that are going to be important. Whether you are growing indoors or outdoors is one. Another is the PH of the soil (how acidic or alkaline it is). The first thing we’ll do here is take a look at how these individual factors fit together to make the best soil for marijuana.

What Does a Great Soil Look Like?
While it’s considered a weed by most horticulturists and can grow practically anywhere, that doesn’t mean you don’t have to worry about optimal conditions for your crop to thrive. You’re not just trying to produce any old plant here but one with the right level of THC, CBD or trichomes.
That takes a bit of skill, expertise built up over time and a good deal of knowledge. If you’re serious about growing cannabis you have to put in the research hours!
There are certain things about the area where you plant that can improve the success of your crop considerably:
  • Excellent drainage (this applies whether you are growing indoors or outdoors) is an absolute must.
  • You also need to have water retention, however, at least enough for the roots of the plants to draw up enough to feed on. This can be a difficult balance to achieve.
  • Too much fungus and not enough bacteria can be a problem to. Your soil needs to be in good health which can often depend on where you live if you are planting outside.
  • The compost you use has to have a good ratio of phosphorous to nitrogen.
  • A pH of around 6 is ideal, something which means the soil is just slightly acidic. pH plays an important role in all sorts of cultivation. If you want to create the best soil for marijuana, you need to understand a little about this.
Let’s start with a definition: pH is a scale of acidity, with numbers ranging from 0 (very acidic) to 14 (alkaline). Seven is neutral.
There’s a lot of thought that has gone into deciding the pH of soil for growing cannabis and most say that around 6 is optimal – slightly lower or higher is okay but anything less than 5.8, for example, will mean you won’t get the crop you are really looking for.
The next thing you need to find is some way to measure the pH of your soil. That’s okay as there are plenty of testing devices available and they don’t cost very much.
What Are Soil Types?
For cultivating outside, you’ll probably be faced with three different soil types. A lot will depend on where you live and they are called sandy, loamy or clay soils. The trouble is that different locations can have mixtures of each. So, you can get a sandy clay or a loamy sand, for example.
It can be very confusing and that’s why we suggest you dig up the area where you want to plant and put your own soil there, one that is specially designed to help with growing cannabis.
Of course, one option is to avoid the natural ground altogether and plant your seeds in pots. This has the added advantage that you are able to control things a lot better and move your plants around.
Autoflowering Seeds vs Photoperiod Varieties
Before we look at making your own soil for either outdoors or indoors, there is also a difference between autoflowering and photoperiod strains and the soil they like. The former prefers a light or non-fertilized soil and might well thrive in untreated ground. You will want to add a natural fiber like coco coir which is readily available from garden stores as well as some perlite which is there to help with drainage.
Photoperiod strains generally have specific soil requirements that you will need to read up on before you decide to plant. You may have heard the term super-soils which are essentially specially developed environments that are designed to improve crop yield. This can be a difficult balance to get right especially if you are planting outside or are a novice cannabis grower.
Homemade vs Store Bought Soil for Marijuana
A lot will depend on how much work you want to do yourself. There are plenty of store-bought soils that are perfectly suitable for growing a cannabis crop. In some cases, you can grow straight out of the bag if you want to. The only thing that you may need is to add is some extra perlite which is used to improve drainage. Cannabis tends to require better drainage than most other garden plants.
Homemade soils are a different thing altogether.
We’d suggest you avoid these if you are a beginner and concentrate on getting your first crop. There’s plenty of time to build up your knowledge later.
For more experienced cannabis growers, however, there’s a certain pride in developing one’s own soil. In truth, it’s a lot simpler than many think. You usually start off with a store-bought mix and then add your own ingredients to this. For example, some growers like to add bat guano as a fertilizer. Others put in time release pellets which makes sure that their plants get the right amount of nitrogen and phosphorous in a steady infusion.
A lot will depend on the strain that you have decided to plant so it’s worth bending the ear of a few experts before you start any real experimentation.
What’s added to the soil during the growth process is also important as you want to keep the nutrient levels up to the right amount. One popular recipe is 420 fertilizer which contains an array of ingredients including rock phosphate and Epsom salts as well as sweet lime and blood meal. You can find vendors that sell this ready made if you don’t want the hassle of doing it yourself but there are plenty of recipes online.
What is No-Till Cannabis?
You might have heard this phrase from experts who grow cannabis. It’s a soil that is developed naturally over a long period of time. You basically don’t want to do much to the ‘living’ soil at all if you can help it and it’s about promoting the natural bacteria that form around the roots.
Get it right and you’re supposed to be able to replant over and over again without much problem. It rarely happens for most people, unless you live in a great location, and you may find yourself adding a little extra fertilizer now and again to top things up.
Our advice, if you’re not really that bothered about your soil, is to give this a miss. It’s one for the serious cannabis cultivator and there’s no real evidence that it produces a more superior crop (at least not for the amount of work you have to put into it).
Dealing with Drought Conditions
Depending on where your crop is growing, you may have to contend with droughts from time to time. This can spell the death knell for any crop, autoflower or photoperiod. Putting some polymers that absorb water in the soil can help. These can be bought for a few bucks from any hydroponics store and can stop things drying out.
Best Soil for Marijuana: Adjusting the pH
Finally, it’s one thing to know the pH of your soil, another thing entirely to change it. What do you do, for example, if you find that your soil is too acidic?
The most common way to change the acidity is to add lime to the soil because it is alkaline. Always start by adding just little and then retesting the soil with your indicator and it helps to leave for a while before doing this.
If the soil is too alkaline you should add something like sulphur, aluminum sulfate or iron sulfate. Again, start with too little rather than too much and retest before you add more. This is something that you’ll begin to get a feel for the more you do it.
Creating a great soil doesn’t require a degree in horticulture and there’s plenty of advice here online. Get the planting environment right, however, can make a big difference to your overall yield and is well worth looking into.
 
Autoflowering Cannabis Strains and How to Grow to Grow Them

If you don’t want to spend too much time waiting for your next cannabis crop, there’s always the option to grow autoflowering strains. Speedy cannabis cultivation has come on leaps and bounds in recent years.
While in the past strains tended to be a little disappointing, there are now plenty of varieties you can choose from. Over the last decade in particular, several different cannabis strains have been developed that are suited for both recreational and medicinal usage.
And you don’t need to compromise that much on strength as you did when the first strains came onto the market.
While the super-fast strains currently available can’t compete with the strongest, photoperiod strains, they are more than able to hold their own. Expect THC strengths of around 20% for many autoflowering plants and similar levels for the few CBD strains that are now on the market.
What is Autoflowering Cannabis?
The most common type of cannabis is photoperiod. That means its growth depends on the number of hours of light that are available. Ideally, you need about 12 hours a day to get to the flowering stage. Most experienced growers stick to an 18 or 20 hour day with just a few hours for the plant to recover.

Autoflowering varieties grow well when there are enough stable branches to support the flowers. The key to their development is the ruderalis cannabis plant which has lower THC levels and grows in areas with less light, such as Russia and the North of Europe.
Cultivators discovered that when you crossed this variety with other Indica and sativa plants, you produced fast grow autoflowering plants. The good news is that, if you live in a low light area you can produce a crop with as little as 5 hours of good light.
For the rest of us, the even better news is, if you can deliver up to 18 hours of light a day, you get a super fast-growing plant that cultivates and is ready to harvest in around 10 weeks (depending on the strain, of course).
There’s some mystery about how the first autoflowering grow came onto the market. The most widely accepted story to date says that it originated using the Lowryder Strain from Mexico and was developed by The Joint Doctor in the US. Others claim that the strain originated from Russia.
Whatever the true account, we are now able to grow autoflowering cannabis.
Lowryder #2 Auto Feminised Seeds by SeedsmanPhotoperiod vs Autoflowering Cannabis
There are pros and cons for each type of cannabis. How you feel about them will depend on whether you’re a purist or you just want to get your crop ready for use.
Photoperiod grow:
  • Needs an 18 to 20-hour light cycle.
  • Can be cloned.
  • Takes about 4 months to produce its yield.
  • Delivers greater potency, depending on the strain.
  • Is easier to manage and takes more abuse (mainly because it has more stems, leaves and flowers).
  • Cropping works well with photoperiod varieties.
Autoflowering grow:
  • Goes into flowering mode automatically.
  • Can develop with much less light.
  • Can’t be cloned like photoperiod strains.
  • Can produce a crop within as little as two months for some strains.
  • Produces a smaller plant which can be damaged by over cropping if you don’t know what you are doing.
  • Has a limited yield because of the crop size.
The Life Cycle of Your Autoflowering Grow
The first question you may want to ask is how much light you need to provide for your autoflowering seeds. While you can cultivate the crop with much less light than with photoperiod crops, for optimal growth, most experts suggest 18 hours a day.
If you’re growing outdoors, of course, you’ll probably be guided by what is available naturally where you live.
The one thing you should be aware of is that this plant is going to grow pretty quickly. You can expect a yield for most strains within 10 weeks, some even sooner. In the space of about 4 to 5 weeks, on average, you’ll suddenly see activity as your plants start to bloom.
Making sure your autoflowering seeds get off to the best start is critical in ensuring a reasonably decent yield at the end. You can buy germination kits nowadays for growing autoflowering cannabis and they are perfectly good enough to get things going.
Once you re-pot, however, make sure you put them in something that has good drainage. The last thing you want is water building up and rotting the roots and, as we all know, a badly draining pot can be the death knell for any crop.
The other factor to remember is to go easy on the fertilizer. Unlike many photoperiod plants, autoflowering plants don’t like a massive amount and overdoing it can cause all sorts of problems.
Controlling light, Temperature and RH
The main three things you’ll need to keep close control of are:
  • Light – cool LED or CFL lamps are good as are high pressure sodium lights. Be aware that your crop can grow upwards quite rapidly, so ensure that you adjust the distance from the leaves and height when you need to.
  • Temperature – most experts advise maintaining this between 20 and 25°C.
  • Relative Humidity or RH – This can be the big issue for indoor growers and is not something that outdoor growers can do much about. The experts recommend anywhere between 50 and 70% RH.
Once the pistils appear on the flowers, you’re about 60 days away from being ready to harvest. While before you may have been giving the occasional dose of low strength fertilizer, now is the time to up your game. Switch to bloom-based nutrients and the odd booster here and there – again,
however, you need to keep things relatively low dose compared to photoperiod and don’t overdo things.
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Cannabis Knowhow – What is Decarboxylation and Why is it Important?
The final stage is flushing and that means getting water through your soil. This is actually a critical stage and one that many newbie growers miss out for some reason. Once the pistils begin to change from the white to orangey red, you need to be flushing that soil through on a regular basis.
Pruning and Training Your Crop
This is still in the development stage as far as autoflowering grows are concerned. Experienced growers are investigating different techniques to see which is best. The bottom line, however, is that pruning can boost your final crop but it can be difficult to get right, more so than with photoperiod. Low stress training or LST is also an option, particularly for autoflowering strains that tend to get out of control.
You might like to try the Screen of Green or SCROG method, something that will maximize the amount of light all the leaves are getting. If you’re a beginner, however, our advice is to resist too much cultivation until you’ve got the hang of things and picked up more experience.
Should You Grow Autoflowering Cannabis Outdoors?
Some people like to grow outdoors, others don’t want to risk it for obvious reasons. The truth is that autoflowering grows outdoor just as easily and all you need is a relatively normal level of sunshine. Crops can be started in the spring time in certain areas and, as long as you have 2 or 3 weeks of decent sunny weather, you’re good to go.
Colder climates can be more of a problem, but hardier varieties have proved good enough even for far northern parts of Europe.
Potency and Your Autoflowering Grow
One of the things that often puts off experienced cannabis growers is the potential for lower potency when it comes to autoflowering grow varieties. The truth is that earlier strains did suffer with the level of THC they contained but new strains on the market more than match the average photoperiod varieties. Jet 47 Auto, for example, comes in at a healthy 18% while Northern Lights Big Bud Ryder can reach up to 22%.
Best Autoflowering Grow for Medical Cannabis Users
Not all autoflowering cannabis users are looking for THC, of course. Many are after medical strains and quick growing plant can be a good choice if you need to take your CBD regularly. * White Widow CBD, for example, contains just 5% TCH and 10% CBD and flowers within 75 days. * Swiss Dream has a negligible THC content and around 20% CBD and can come in under 65 days, making it a popular choice for medical cannabis users.
Is Autoflowering Cannabis for Me?
There’s no doubt that over the last few years, autoflowering cannabis has come on leaps and bounds. The initial attempts to create a fast-flowering plant ended with pretty ropey cannabis that was a pretty big distance from photoperiod strains.
That’s changed quite a bit recently and growers now have a choice of different varieties that really do compete with the best that photoperiod has to offer. Of course, there are still plenty of purists that talk about yields and quality, a bit like red wine connoisseurs.
But, if you’re after something that gets you a crop within a few short months, autoflowering cannabis is well worth a second or even third look.
 
What is a Blunt and How is it Different from a Spliff?

The way cannabis is consumed today has dramatically changed over the last few decades, especially with increased legalisation and vaping as a cool and ‘acceptable’ way of consuming cannabis.
In today’s modern culture of vaping and dabbing, the very simple, very old school, and very satisfying art of rolling a ‘fatty’ is often not considered. However, for many seasoned and old-time cannabis users, rolling up cannabis in paper is one of the most enjoyed and tried-and-true methods of smoking the recreational and medicinal drug.
You may be new to cannabis – in which case, there are three common ways of rolling up and smoking it: spliffs, blunts, and joints. However, for the sake of this article, we’ll be focusing on the first two.
Since spliffs and blunts are rather similar in nature, cannabis consumers often confuse the two – after all, they are seemingly identical but that doesn’t mean they offer the same psychoactive effects; both use different ingredients and cannabis concentrations, for one.
Spliffs Vs. Blunts: Understanding the Difference
What is a Spiff?
If you’ve ever smoked cannabis rolled up into a joint, you can quickly grasp the concept behind a blunt: it has roughly the same size and shape of a hand-rolled cigarette – so it’s small and thin, particularly when you put it right next to a blunt.
However, one property that sets apart a joint from a spliff is that the latter has tobacco mixed in some form with the cannabis. Therefore, you might call the contents of a spliff a hybrid in a sense, because there’s typically a 50/50 ratio of tobacco and cannabis.
As a cannabis user, you may enjoy smoking spliffs more due to the nicotine buzz that comes with it, much the same as the ‘pick me up’ feel-good buzz you get after consuming coffee. However, many cannabis purists tend to steer clear of these green and brown rolled up concoctions.
In What Parts of the World are Spliffs Common?
It appears, and this is probably not by coincidence, that spliffs are more commonly smoked in regions where good quality, inexpensive cannabis is not easily available. Furthermore, in places where smoking cigarettes is a common cultural phenomenon, smoking spliffs as a social activity or recreationally in the privacy of one’s home isn’t exactly unheard of.
The UK actually happens to be a very good example of just that – UK folks love their cigarettes and since cannabis has not been completely legalised, those that do grow their own plants must keep their operation on the ‘down low’, which means access to cannabis is not exactly effortless and requires one to cleverly conceal what they’re actually smoking.
At other times, there simply isn’t an abundant supply of cannabis available – the most logical thing to do, therefore, is to roll up a spliff. If you think about it, mixing cannabis with a few pinches of tobacco makes perfect sense, when you need to make your supply last longer.
Also, since really good quality cannabis is hard to come by in the UK, even the most avid of users must make do with average-poor quality plants. Adding tobacco can help mask the impurities and generally bad flavour. Apart from the UK, spliffs are also commonly smoked in other nations throughout the EU, for rather similar reasons, it should be noted.
No matter how you look at it, a spliff is a smart and savvy way of consuming cannabis, especially when you’re looking to make your supply last longer as you squeeze every last half a gram out of it.
What is a Blunt?
If you’ve ever smoked a cigar or even seen one up close, then you may already know what physical attributes a blunt has. Blunts generally contain ground up cannabis buds which are wrapped in tobacco paper – the same thick paper used to roll up cigars.
You may have noticed how blunt smokers tend to purchase cheap and easily available cigars at the local quick stop or mini mart, like those Habana or Hamlet ones; these are useful for emptying out the low-grade tobacco and using the thick cigar paper as a blunt wrapper. All you need now is a little ground cannabis to fill up the outer shell of the cigar with it, give it a little twist for added measure and start puffing away.
In fact, some brands of cheap UK cigars are now sold very commonly, simply due to how useful they are for blunt smokers. And when you see some of the ‘store regulars’ buying a large amount of cheap cigars, you can bet the store clerk secretly knows what kind of ‘mileage’ those cigars will be getting! It can actually be an awkward exchange to witness, because of the somewhat silent understanding between store clerks and cannabis users.
Anyhow, blunts are 100% packed with cannabis only and do not need to have any tobacco mixed in, for the most part. And this is why cannabis purists love smoking blunts as they don’t want anything contaminating their fresh herb. In addition, we’ve also observed how some folks love to have blunts rather than spliffs because the cheap cigars they purchase to roll up that blunt, often come in a variety of rather tasteful flavours, which certainly add an interesting element to the already pure tasting herb.
In What Parts of the World are Blunts Common?
Blunts appear to be a common part of cannabis users’ vocabulary – particularly those residing in Canada and the US. You might come across lots of gas stations and quick marts packed with White Owls and Swishers – cheap cigars ready to be purchased in bulk by the next cannabis purist that walks in.
In contrast to spliffs, making a blunt does not share the same 50/50 herb to tobacco ratio, because during the course of making one, you’re going to need a serious amount of cannabis. Blunts are, after all, nice and thick by the time you’re done rolling them, courtesy of all the herb that’s packed inside it – in fact, this is part of the reason why they’re so popular for being shared around in a circle at parties and social gatherings.
You’re also going to find blunts to be a popular way of smoking cannabis in regions where it is legal and easily available, and at a reasonable price too. The US is actually a popular spot for blunt smoking because so many states have ‘relaxed’ laws around cannabis use and also recognise it recreationally as well as medically.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise to see, for instance, a group of Californians sitting back at a local ‘hangout spot’ and puffing away big blunts. The herb is fresh, high quality and legally available in stores and dispensaries.
Spliffs Vs. Blunts: What’s Better for Me?
Depending on your personal preferences, you may enjoy one more than the other, so it’s all subjective. However, to help you decide, here’s a breakdown of each according to key deciding factors:
Experience
In spliffs, the effects are mixed given the 50/50 tobacco and cannabis mesh, which provides for a stimulating and energetic high similar to that of caffeine. Blunts on the other hand are heavy hitters, owing to the tobacco paper and cannabis interaction, which is all cannabis.
Quantity and paper used
Spliffs – the cannabis to tobacco ratio can be varied according to user preferences. Rolling papers are typically made from flax, hemp, wood or rice pulp, which can be plain or artificially flavoured.
Blunts – tobacco paper is fairly large in size which means a significantly larger cannabis quantity. Unique tobacco paper for blunts can be purchased separately, although many users prefer to hollow out a cigar. It should be noted that tobacco paper generally has a sweeter flavour.
We sell our own rolling paper, which is made from natural hemp fibers.
Burn time
Spliff rolling papers generally burn quickly while the tobacco paper used in blunts is thick and, therefore, burns slowly.
Overall popularity
Spliffs are very common and share widespread popularity in European countries while blunts are popular in urban communities such as Canada and a number of US states.
I’ve Might Want to Try Both But…
This question definitely gets asked a lot by first-time cannabis users: should I try a spliff first or a blunt?
While there’s no ‘educated’ answer to this, because the choice comes down to purely personal tastes – both options have ground cannabis and vary from one another in a number of ways, as we’ve just discussed. Now, depending on your own personal preferences, and how potent of an experience you want to have, you might go with either one. We’re leaning a bit towards blunts, because frankly speaking, they just provide more of a kick.
However, if you’re looking for a bit of the added ‘feel good’ nicotine buzz, then you might want to try out a spliff first.
Final Thoughts on Blunts and Spliffs
We hope this article has served as an information base to understand what a blunt is, what the experience is like, why so many people love consuming their cannabis this way, and how it stands out or rather stands apart from a spliff.
No matter how you look at it, the choice is entirely a personal one, and both options make for an excellent way to smoke your cannabis.
 
Everything You Need to Know about Hashish

Let’s kick things off with a definition of hashish, as described in the Merriam-Webster online dictionary:
“The concentrated resin from the flowering tops of female hemp plants (Cannabis sativa or C. indica) that is smoked, chewed, or drunk for its intoxicating effect.” – Source
In order to truly understand what hashish is, we need to acknowledge the duality it shares with the female Cannabis Sativa plant.
Let’s shed light upon the physical makings of the plant first: the rich and fibrous leafy structure which contains essential amino acids and boasts a host of benefits.
Now, let’s focus on the cannabis plant essence – also referred to as trichomes – which are directly responsible for the aromatic terpenes and cannabinoids used for medical and therapeutic purposes.
When trichomes – the cannabis plant essence – is separated from the plant material, that’s when hashish forms. This process takes place when ripe and resinous gland heads visible on top of the female cannabis plants are separated and then collected.
The above method, however, isn’t the only one in use for separating hashish from the main cannabis plant material as rapid cannabis legalisation in the west has given birth to new hash preparation methods, which are taking the legal hashish distribution market by storm.
Understanding Hashish’s Origins

Hashish is actually an Arabic word which more or less translates to “grass”. Widespread use dates back to AD 900 – however, some cannabis experts argue that methods referred to as “charas” – the personal collection of resin directly from the hands of cannabis harvesters – have existed even before the above period.
Hashish eventually found its way into the western world around the start of the 19th century, thanks largely to early European ventures and exploration into Africa. For many years, European doctors would
bring hashish home to study it, which led to the discovery of a variety of extraction methods, paving the way for refinement which inspired hashish-based medications.
As one might imagine, cannabis extractions formed a major part of western pharmacopoeia by the early 20th century – unfortunately, legal prohibition by US authorities around the same time meant that hashish was practically eradicated from the mainstream western medicine market, after which it found a home in the black market.
Are There Different Types of Hashish?
The 1960s, referred to many cannabis users as ‘the happy times’, led to the re-emergence of hashish. Morocco, Afghanistan and Nepal were among the first countries to export generous amounts of hashish to western nations, courtesy of rising interest among western tourists. At the time, the only hashish varieties that existed were the hard-pressed, brick-like types which were made from a process involving heat and pressure.
The introduction of the master sifter machine in the late 1980s saw a new method of making hashish – i.e. vibration to separate gland heads from the cannabis plant material. All the while, cannabis experts started experimenting with something called water extraction to make hashish – what we refer to as ice water extract or water hash today.
How to Make Hashish – Top 3 Ways
Described below are just some of the ways in which you can safely extract trichomes from the main cannabis plant and turn them into hashish. Follow these methods verbatim and the end result will be hashish that has physical consistency and provides for a distinct high and aroma.
Hand Rolling
This is undeniably the easiest way to make hashish and requires absolutely no equipment or materials at all. However, bear in mind that it can be a time-consuming process and will bear small yields at a time.
You’ll need to have clean hands and non-dried cannabis buds. Some cannabis users will say that it’s okay to use dried cannabis trimmings for this purpose, but that would be a mistake as it would not produce a desirable yield.
Even though it’s important to keep your hands very clean prior to the hand-rolling process, you should consider using a non-scented, non-residual soap, because we’re after organic results and don’t want any chemicals contaminating the hashish.
Placing the bud between your palms, gently roll it in a circular motion. Be careful not to apply too much pressure as this will contaminate the hashish with plant particles.
As you keep rolling, you will start to see a thick, black resin on your hands and fingers. This is more or less hashish or “charas”, as it is referred to in many South East Asian countries. Scrape the fresh hashish off your hands onto a clean surface and gently press it together until it forms a small ball or block.
Dry Sifting
This also happens to be among the easiest and most well-known ways of making hashish. Cannabis trimmings are sifted through a fine sieve to create a very potent kief – this can be later pressed into a block.
For optimal results, you should freeze the cannabis overnight in a ziplock bag, which will make it easier to separate the plant material from the trichomes. Before beginning, make sure you have a credit card, silkscreen, baking paper and cannabis trimmings.
Find a clean surface such as a kitchen top or table and place a sheet of baking paper on that surface. Make sure that sheet of paper is a bit bigger in diameter than your silkscreen. Place the silkscreen right above the baking paper.
Now, you want to place the cannabis trimmings on top of this silkscreen while making sure that any noticeably large pieces are broken into smaller ones. Using your hands, gently move around the trimmings in the silkscreen – this separates the plant material from the trichomes. Trace amounts of kief will start to form on the baking paper that’s beneath the screen.
Don’t stop moving the trimmings around until you see at least 10-20% kief beneath the sieve, in proportion to the trimmings you used. So for instance, if your trimmings amount to approximately 100g, then you should aim for 10-20g of kief.
Once you’ve completed sifting your trimmings, you need to press the collected kief. This is where the credit card comes in – form a uniform pile on the baking paper with the card and press it down into a thin hashish block.
Blending
Again, a very straightforward way of making hashish at home by simply using a few household items; you’ll need a coffee filter, a blender, cannabis trimmings, silkscreen, ice water and a fairly large glass jar.
Start by placing your trimmings in a blender full of ice and enough water to cover them completely. Blending for a minute approximately should yield a nice and thick, frothy mixture.
Drain the mixture through the silkscreen and into the large glass jar – this should be allowed to settle for at least 25-30 minutes. Now, pour about 2/3 of the blended mixture into the jar; you need to pour slowly otherwise some of the hashish at the bottom may be left behind.
Fill the jar all the way to the top with some more ice water and let the mixture settle for about 3 minutes. You need to repeat the previous two steps – pouring 2/3 of the water into the jar and adding more ice water to let the mixture settle for 3 minutes – before moving on to the final step.
However, before the final step can be executed, you must drain out all the water from the jar without losing any of that hashish. The remaining mixture can be strained using the coffee filter, after which it should be gently squeezed to remove excess water.
And now for the final step – the damp and cold mass you see after properly draining out the mixture is hashish. You’ll now need to dry it, after which it is ready for consumption.
What’s the Best Way to Consume Hashish?
This can be done in quite a few ways. Traditionally speaking, hashish has been taken orally as a solid or infused in a drink – such as the traditional Indian beverage “bhang”.
However, hashish can also be smoked in a cigarette or through a bong, either in itself or along with common cannabis flowers.
Certain varieties of hashish can melt away easily when vaporised on a hot surface – the process is referred to as dabbing. When dabbing hashish, screens need to be used, as resins sometimes leave carbon deposits behind since they may not melt properly.
A higher quality alternative is hashish oil like full-melt ice water hashish or full-melt dry sift which can actually melt completely on top of a nail, leaving no carbon deposits behind.
Since you may be just learning how to produce and consume hashish, you may want to consult a budtender in regards to the equipment that may be needed, in case you want to give something else a try other than the above 3 methods.
Closing – Hashish: The “Mainstream Cannabis”
Hashish is a widely consumed drug today, consumed both recreationally and medically. Products ranging from the traditional pressed varieties to full melt water types are available in nearly every market.
We hope this article has provided valuable insights into what hashish is and what are some of the most popular ways of making it, and consuming it.
Hashish has surely secured its place in the ever-changing cannabis industry, given the rise of the dabbing culture which has fuelled gravitation toward cannabis concentrates.
 
How to Roll a Blunt: When Bigger is so Much Better

Ever since cannabis smoking became a thing, people have looked at ways of making their joints bigger. The blunt is a natural progression of all this experimentation and came about in the sixties and seventies, especially when stronger cigarette papers were starting to appear on the market.
After all, what better receptacle for cannabis is there than a big, fat cigar.
There are plenty of different ways to get your dose of cannabis nowadays. You can smoke it, vape it, even bake it. Which works for you depends on personal preference, but if you want to create a traditional blunt and wow your friends, all you need to do is follow our simple guide below.
As with most things, how to roll a blunt is not just about technique. It takes plenty of practice too.

What is a Blunt?
Most people smoke their cannabis using a joint. A blunt is something slightly different because you basically need to gut a cigar before you start rolling your cannabis in the leaves. While not the healthiest way to get high because of all that tobacco content and the sheer size of the thing, it’s the perfect thing for that special get together with your favorite friends.
The Difference Between Joints, Blunts and Spliffs
Getting your terminology right is important if you want to make an impression in the world of cannabis.
A joint is what you normally think about when smoking cannabis. While there’s competition from vapes and dabs nowadays, as well as bongs, joints are basically the same as a normally rolled cigarette, but with that extra kick. You can get these ready rolled and to go in many cannabis stores where it’s legal for recreational use, especially around the US.
The big disadvantage is that they tend to burn a bit too quickly and you can spend a lot of time relighting them.
A spliff is practically identical to a joint but you add tobacco as well as cannabis. This is less popular in the US than it is in Europe where it’s long been the standard practice for rolling up and smoking. Of course, there are some pretty big health issues with smoking tobacco but it does help the spliff burn at a much steadier rate, something you don’t generally get with a joint.
The blunt however is the daddy of the cannabis world and designed to give you a big THC high. They are made from using specialist wraps or simply hollowing out a large cigar. Most people combine tobacco with their cannabis to add extra flavor and the quality of the cigar you choose can make a big difference. They can be loaded a lot more with cannabis which can make them extremely strong and certainly not for the faint hearted.
This is not for a quick smoke but for a dedicated session. It’s important that you learn to roll a blunt properly beforehand as you can end up loosing a lot of your cannabis on the floor if you get things wrong. You also need to be very careful about the strength of cannabis that you use.
How to Roll a Blunt Like a Pro
You don’t need much to make a blunt. You’ll require your cannabis, of course. Then you’ll need a decent sized cigar. Finally, it’s a good idea to have a very sharp knife or scalpel to break open that cigar.
Step 1: Opening the Cigar
This is perhaps the most vital step as you want to create a clean cut which is why the knife has to be so sharp. Cigars are made up of tobacco leaves rolled together. The size you chose is going to depend on personal preference but our advice is to start with something like a cigarillo.
The key here is to make a clean cut through the top shell and try not to tear the tobacco leaf. Carefully prize it open and then gut the cigar gently. Take your time over this stage as it can mean the difference between a really great blunt and a total disaster.
Step 2: Packing the Blunt
Once you’ve removed the tobacco, the next stage is to pack in your cannabis. Of course, you may want a mix of tobacco and weed and that’s fine. For a hefty blunt, however, you’re going to need around 2 or 3 grams of material whatever the constituents. If you want to add a little concentrate, feel free to do so but make sure it is all evenly distributed along the length of the cigar carcass.
Step 3: Lick and Fold
This is the slightly icky part but one that has to be done. You need to lick your casing as much as possible to make it more malleable. You’ll realize straight away that this isn’t too pleasant but you can’t avoid it if you want a really great blunt.
Next, the time has come to roll your blunt. If you know how to roll a joint, you should manage this okay. The difference is that you have to take it slow and be extra, extra careful. The outer shell is pretty delicate and it’s easy to rip things up by applying too much pressure.
Step 4: Sealing and Cooking
Now that you’ve rolled your blunt, the only thing really keeping it all in tact is your own sticky spit. Run you lighter gently over the surface, being careful not to burn it, so that the tobacco dries out. This should take you just a few minutes and by the end you’ll have the perfectly rolled blunt.
Your next step is to light it up and enjoy.
The Paper Alternative
That’s the classic way on how to roll a blunt but you can nowadays getting ready made blunt papers which come in different flavors. It’s a lot easier but not as impressive as the traditional cigar based end product. If you prefer to stay clear of tobacco, though, it’s a good choice.
For your information, the worlds biggest blunt was 5 pounds in weight and contained about $10,000 worth of cannabis. We don’t advise that you roll your blunt that big but there’s not much constraint in size. The biggest issue is making sure you create something that sticks together and doesn’t fall apart – for that you need plenty of practice.
 
6 ways to enjoy cannabis without having to smoke it



Think back to the first time you smoked cannabis. You probably recall the burning throat, the uncoordinated attempts to use a carb, the inability to gauge how long to pull the smoke… Ah yes, those were the days. But the memories of yesteryear for you veterans are very alive and real for those just now jumping on the cannabis bandwagon.
Not everyone likes to smoke, and those with compromised lung health may not even have the option. The stigmatized image of smoking might be the only thing stopping some people from trying cannabis, even if they live in a state with legal marijuana (maybe you can see your mom taking a bong rip, but I sure can’t).
Even though there are a number of different ways you can consume cannabis that have evolved over the years, you may be looking for a more health-conscious option. Here are some suggestions for a smoke-free cannabis experience.
1. Vaporizing

You don’t need to torch your cannabis with a lighter to reap its benefits; actually, its chemical compounds vaporize at a much lower, less harmful temperature. The taste of vaporized cannabis is often preferred to that of combusted flower, and the vapor is much easier on the lungs. Larger table-top vaporizers can offer high-quality vapor with advanced temperature settings, while small hand-held devices let you enjoy cannabis flower or oils wherever you go. These days there are many affordable vaporizers to choose from if you’re interested in trying out this smokeless form of cannabis consumption.



2. Edibles

One of the more obvious alternatives to smoking is cannabis-infused food and drink. The diversity of marijuana edibles is quickly and vastly expanding, so much so that you can infuse virtually anything that calls for butter or oil. You can make your own cannabutter at home (it’s surprisingly easy, but be cautious with dosing), but dispensaries and retail shops often have a staggering number of options, from infused lemonade to roasted garlic crackers. You’ve probably heard it already, but it must be said: start with a low dose and be patient. Because of the digestive process, edibles take much longer to kick in and can have intensely psychoactive effects.



3. Ingestible Oils

Ingestible oils are basically any cannabis concentrate that is taken orally. These most commonly come in capsules or plastic applicators, either of which can be consumed directly or added to food or drink. Like edibles, ingestible oils can induce powerful effects that take a while to kick in, so be mindful of your dose!



4. Tinctures

Tinctures are infused liquids that extract cannabis compounds using an alcohol soak and are applied directly under the tongue. Unlike ingestible oils and infused foods, tinctures enter the bloodstream immediately, allowing for fast-acting effects and better dose control. A variety of flavors, potencies, and cannabinoid profiles are often available, catering to your specific preferences or medical needs.



5. Topicals

Topicals are cannabis-infused lotions and balms that are applied directly to the skin for localized relief of pain, soreness, and inflammation. One unique property of cannabis topicals is their ability to treat symptoms without psychoactive effects, so if you need to be clear-headed and bypass that euphoric high altogether, topicals are the way to go.



6. Dabbing

Dabbing is a method of flash-vaporization in which cannabis concentrates are dropped on a heated water-pipe attachment and inhaled for intensely potent effects. The attachment is a glass or metallic nail that’s heated up using a butane torch – and if that sounds sketchy to you, the public eye wouldn’t disagree. But dabbing enthusiasts typically elect this method because (a) properly refined concentrates offer a clean experience free of plant material, and (b) dabbing produces a vapor as opposed to smoke. It may not be the option you suggest to a first-time cannabis consumer, but it’s certainly an option for graduates.
 
Imagine that???


Legalization Gave Police Time to Fight Real Crime, Study Finds

Akey promise of legalization is that it will free up police resources to fight real crime.


That appears to have happened in the first two legalization states, Washington and Colorado.
In a 2018 study in Police Quarterly, ‘Marijuana Legalization and Crime Clearance Rates’, an independent Washington State University research team crunched the FBI’s crime statistics and saw “no negative effects of legalization on crime clearance rates. … Moreover, evidence suggests some crime clearance rates have improved.”

“This means we’re improving the efficacy of law enforcement, …”
Law Enforcement Action Partnership
Click to expand...

The study could answer the concerns of many local officials across the nation. In legal adult-use states, local leaders are banning retail dispensaries in about half of all jurisdictions, according to Leafly’s new special report Debunking Dispensary Myths. One of the main fears driving those bans: Crime.
Research shows that legalizing cannabis and allowing state-licensed stores in a local community does not increase local crime rates, though. In fact, those actions may be having the opposite effect.
Auto burglary clearance rates, for example, rose an extra 5% in Washington post-legalization, researchers found. That’s 3% above and beyond the national average. “We are quite certain that legalization has not unduly hampered police performance, at least as measured by clearance rates,” the study reported

Funded by a US Department of Justice grant, the WSU team looked at 12 years of crime clearance rates from Colorado and Washington and compared them to the US average, as well as to other states singularly.

The study reported: “Our results suggest that, just as marijuana legalization proponents argued, the legalization of marijuana influenced police outcomes” in a positive way. Incident clearance rates “grew more in Colorado than in the rest of the country for all crime types except aggravated assault and motor vehicle theft, and similarly rose more in Washington than in the rest of the country for violent crimes and burglary.”
Legalization is correlated to better clearance rates, but it may not be causing them.
“While our results cannot specifically explain why police clearance rates have increased in Colorado and Washington,” the team reported, “we think the argument that legalization did in fact produce a measurable impact on clearance rates is plausible.”
The report came as no surprise to leaders at Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP), a group of former law enforcement officials who advocate for criminal justice reform. They said the findings confirm what they’ve observed for years: police resources were wasted on marijuana possession crimes.
“We knew we were spending an inordinate amount of time busting people for a crime that almost never harms anyone—other than the user—while serious crimes went unsolved. The disparate use of resources was obvious and incredibly frustrating to people like ourselves who became police officers because we wanted to help people and make our neighborhoods safer.”
“This means we’re improving the efficacy of law enforcement, which makes police happy because we know we’re having a positive impact—and makes civilians happy because they’re not having as many unnecessary, unpleasant, and frankly damaging interactions with us,” LEAP said in an email to

What Are Clearance Rates?
A clearance rate is a measure of police performance, and more abstractly, law and order. It’s the ratio of the number of arrests made relative to the crimes reported. When clearance rates are low, criminals know they can operate with impunity. When clearance rates are high, it means more reports of crime are resulting in police handcuffing someone, case closed. It’s not a perfect metric, but it’s one of the best indicators we’ve got.

Clearance rates in both Colorado and Washington have historically trailed the national average. Voters explicitly passed Colorado Amendment 64 and Washington Initiative 502 to free up police resources to tackle that issue. “In fact,” the research team noted, “legalization proponents made this argument in every one of the 12 states where citizens voted directly on marijuana legalization ballot measures predicting that legalization would improve clearance rates.”
The Burden of Marijuana Policing
Policing marijuana crime is a substantial burden on society.
According to the FBI’s annual Uniform Crime Reports, drug arrests are the number one type of arrest police make, by volume. And marijuana possession arrests are the number one type of drug arrest, by volume. Harvard economist Jeffrey Miron estimates the police waste $13.7 billion per year to discourage marijuana use through arrests and other operations. Despite 80 years of this criminalized approach, polls show about half of Americans have tried cannabis.
On average, every police officer in America spends five hours per week on marijuana enforcement, according to one 2004 estimate.
Lifting the Burden
Marijuana possession arrest rates collapsed in Washington and Colorado after the passage of statewide legalization initiatives in 2012.
“This overall decline in arrests for marijuana possession represents a considerable change in police activity,” researchers note. “If we can assume that the police had not somehow become less proficient in making marijuana possession arrests when attempting to do so, then by extension we would expect that they have redirected their efforts toward resolving other violations of the law.”
Measuring the Results
Whatever police were doing instead of processing thousands of marijuana arrests, the data show that in Colorado, crime clearance rates improved after legalization.

From 2010 to 2012, Colorado violent crime clearance rates were nosediving. After legalization, they stabilized and closed in on the US average. It was the same story in Washington. There, the violent crime clearance rate was falling. Legalization changed priorities, and clearance rates started climbing, eventually besting the US average.



“This set of findings suggests that right around the time of legalization, clearance rate trends seemed to increase for violent crime in general for both Colorado and Washington, though no similar shifts are noted for the country as a whole,” the research team noted.
For property crime, Colorado clearance rates underperformed the US average before legalization. Afterward, the state’s clearance rates soared. Washington property crime clearance trailed the national average, but started catching up after legalization.



Colorado and Washington burglary clearance rates also improved, as did motor vehicle theft clearance rates. “The clearance rate for these two offenses increased dramatically post-legalization,” the researchers reported.
“Washington’s auto burglary clearance rate increased by nearly 3% more than the control states at the point of intervention,” the study noted. “This is a noteworthy response, given that clearance rates for motor vehicle thefts increased by about 2% for states on average, thus suggesting that the rate in Washington increased by approximately 5% immediately following legalization.”
Why Might Crime Clearance Rates Be Improving?
The study can’t say for sure that legalization caused better clearance rates—those improvements are only associated with the onset of legalization. Some third factor could be driving the clearance rate improvements. But researchers do know that police changed their focus after 2012.
Cannabis legalization “undoubtedly resulted in the opportunity for agencies to reallocate resources” the study team wrote, and that’s an “important organizational factor that may influence clearance rates.”
The researchers also suggest, ironically, that society’s focus on crime statistics may be amplifying the war on marijuana. Budgets and police overtime tied to arrest numbers is a dynamic referred to as ‘collars for dollars.’ Now that the marijuana war is winding down, “officers are adjusting to meet existing performance goals in an environment where they are no longer able to ‘produce numbers’ using marijuana offenses.”



With cannabis gone, the team thinks police might be reprioritizing for crimes that had lower clearance rates, like auto burglaries.
“Are police officers working more overtime hours? Are we seeing new strategies being implemented or used? Or perhaps, are we witnessing the return of older, more aggressive crime clearance strategies? We cannot answer these questions with our current data.”
 
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THE CANNABIS LIE PROHIBITION = CONSPIRACY

If you examine the developments being made in the USA a few years before cannabis was declared a narcotic and prohibited, there are some interesting 'coincidences'.
In 1850 paper mills started making huge profits from manufacturing paper from trees, using dangerous and toxic substances such as sulphites and chlorine.
In 1916 the USDA bulletin called for an increase in the amount of hemp to replace wood in industry.
1920 saw the introduction of the prohibition of alcohol in the USA. The effect was social disaster with a rapid increase in homicides and gang warfare. At the same time the huge company DuPont was experimenting with synthetics.
In 1930 new machines for breaking hemp into its useful parts, was invented in the USA. It became easier to convert the hurds or pulp into paper, plastics etc. There were now about 1200 bars in New York where hash could be smoked.
1937 saw the banning of hemp farming under the Marijuana Tax Act. At the same time DuPont was patenting nylon.
After 1937 massive effort was put into huge campaigns to frighten the public: marijuana / hemp / cannabis was described as a highly addictive and toxic drug which induced 'reefer madness' and even death. Posters were put on trams in New York.
It was necessary to create these lies about cannabis in order to get the public to accept prohibition of the cannabis hemp plant - alcohol prohibition, although having failed badly, must have seemed like the way to eradicate the hemp plant which would otherwise stop the industrialists from getting even richer.
There was a temporary upset in 1943. The USA entered the war for real and it was not possible to produce the necessary rope etc from synthetics alone. The Hemp for Victory program urged American farmers to grow hemp again! Hemp farming was outlawed again in 1955.
Once the massive anti-hemp propaganda machine has successfully spread its lies, the road for the petrochemical and pharmaceutical companies was open to them to make untold billions at the expense of the environment.
By then the majority of people believed that cannabis / hemp / marijuana / hashish were highly dangerous drugs. For years governments told the people that use of cannabis caused insanity and led to hard drug use.
During the 1970 's to the present date campaigners have been spreading news again of the versatility and many uses of cannabis (a lot call it 'hemp' to differentiate between plants with good-fibre-low-THC and those which are smoked, i.e. higher amounts of THC but not such good fibre.) Nowadays, many politicians accept that industrial use of hemp is beneficial. In 1992, Australia licensed hemp farms and in 1993 the UK followed suit.
However, the conspiracy which spread the lies about cannabis was so successful that people still believe them - in the shops goods are mostly labelled as hemp products rather than cannabis.
They banned hemp to rid us of the biomass and fibre, yet now we have greater access to these properties again we still have illegal cannabis. I believe the original intention was not to stop people getting high - it even kept the slaves in America happier to have an evening smoke. People have used cannabis for centuries, as a sacrament and for the high, to no reported harm.

PROHIBITION
The American experience of prohibition of alcohol suggests that prohibition does not always work. It simply transfers the commodity from the hands of controlled legitimate suppliers to the hands of criminals. The world - wide prohibition of cannabis and drugs and the "War on Drugs" have been disastrous failures. It has led to social unrest and alienation, REPRESSION OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM, OF FREEDOM OF LIFESTYLE, OF MEDICINE AND OF NATURAL RESOURCES. Fining or imprisoning cannabis users does not stop them using cannabis. It merely throws them into the general hotpot of criminality. Prohibition forces up prices and causes a drop in purity with immeasurable social consequences.
Penalties against possession of a drug should not be more damaging to an individual than the use of the drug itself ..President Jimmy Carter
Prohibition ... goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control man's appetite by legislation and makes a crime out of things that are not even crimes..........President Abraham Lincoln (Dec. 1840)
Medicines often produce side effects. Sometimes they are physically unpleasant. Cannabis too has discomforting side effects, but these are not physical they are political.......... The Economist March 28th 1992

THE SOCIAL CONSEQUENCES OF PROHIBITION

Criminalisation and possible alienation of about 12% of the population especially the young.
Unnecessary use of police and court time at massive expense (in 1994 over half a billion pounds spent on 'fighting drugs' resulted in the arrest of over 72,000 people for cannabis, out of a total of about 87,000)
Overcrowding of prisons; mixing cannabis prisoners with other prisoners.
Young people sniffing glue; people of all ages drinking and taking drugs.
The only supply of cannabis is illegal, often sold by those who sell hard drugs.
Convictions can mean loss of job, alienation, limit on travel (those with criminal convictions are not welcome in certain countries like USA and Australia, and cannot go to live in France).
Loss of revenue which should come from tax on profits.
Illegal profits may finance illegal activities. Illegal suppliers may accept stolen goods.
Destruction of careers as a result of conviction or even suspicion.
Lack of quality control; all the health risks which go with this.
Lack of adequate funding for proper research.
Young people and even children attracted by the glory of illegality, consume in secret.
Lack of proper education and advice from the Government.
Repression of a natural remedy causing UNTOLD SUFFERING.
Repression of religious freedom.
Repression of social intercourse.
I'm sure you can add to this list.
 
Medical Uses of Cannabis and THC




General Remarks
There are marked differences in the knowledge on the medical uses of cannabis and cannabinoids in different diseases. For nausea and vomiting associated with cancer chemotherapy, anorexia and cachexia in HIV/AIDS, chronic, especially neuropathic pain, spasticity in multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injury there is strong evidence for medical benefits. For many other indications, such as epilepsy, pruritus and depression there is much less available data. However, the scientific evidence for a specific indication does not necessarily reflect the actual therapeutic potential for a given disease.

Clinical studies with single cannabinoids or whole plant preparations (smoked cannabis, cannabis extract) have often been inspired by positive anecdotal experiences of patients employing crude cannabis products. The anti-emetic, the appetite enhancing, relaxing effects, analgesia, and therapeutic use in Tourette's syndrome were all discovered in this manner.

Incidental observations have also revealed therapeutically useful effects. This occurred in a study with patients with Alzheimer's disease wherein the primary issue was an examination of the appetite-stimulating effects of THC. Not only appetite and body weight increased, but disturbed behaviour among the patients also decreased. The discovery of decreased intraocular pressure with THC administration in the beginning of the 1970s was also serendipitous. Additional interesting indications that have not been scientifically investigated, but remain common problems in modern medicine may benefit from treatment with cannabis or cannabinoids. For this reason, surveys have been conducted questioning individuals that use cannabis therapeutically. They were conducted either as oral non-standardized interviews in the course of investigations of state or scientific institutions (House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology in the UK, Institute of Medicine in the USA) on the therapeutic potential of cannabis or as anonymous surveys using standardized questionnaires.

Nausea and Vomiting
Treatment of side effects associated with antineoplastic therapy is the indication for cannabinoids which has been most documented, with about 40 studies (THC, nabilone, other THC analogues, cannabis). Most trials were conducted in the 1980s. THC has to be dosed relatively highly, so that resultant side effects may occur comparatively frequently. THC was inferior to high-dose metoclopramide in one study. There are no comparisons of THC to the modern serotonin antagonists. Some recent investigations have shown that THC in low doses improves the efficacy of other antiemetic drugs if given together. In folk medicine cannabinoids are popular and are often used in other causes of nausea including AIDS and hepatitis.

Anorexia and Cachexia
An appetite enhancing effect of THC is observed with daily divided doses totalling 5 mg. When required, the daily dose may be increased to 20 mg. In a long-term study of 94 AIDS patients, the appetite-stimulating effect of THC continued for months, confirming the appetite enhancement noted in a shorter 6 week study. THC doubled appetite on a visual analogue scale in comparison to placebo. Patients tended to retain a stable body weight over the course of seven months. A positive influence on body weight was also reported in 15 patients with Alzheimer's disease who were previously refusing food.

Spasticity
In many clinical trials of THC, nabilone and cannabis, a beneficial effect on spasticity caused by multiple sclerosis or spinal cord injury has been observed. Among other positively influenced symptoms were pain, paraesthesia, tremor and ataxia. In some studies improved bladder control was observed. There is also some anecdotal evidence of a benefit of cannabis in spasticity due to lesions of the brain.

Movement Disorders
There are some positive anecdotal reports of therapeutic response to cannabis in Tourette's syndrome, dystonia and tardive dyskinesia. The use in Tourette's syndrome is currently being investigated in clinical studies. Many patients achieve a modest improvement, however some show a considerable response or even complete symptom control. In some MS patients, benefits on ataxia and reduction of tremor have been observed following the administration of THC. Despite occasional positive reports, no objective success has been found in parkinsonism or Huntington disease. However, cannabis products may prove useful in levodopa-induced dyskinesia in Parkinson disease without worsening the primary symptoms.

Pain
Large clinical studies have proven analgesic properties of cannabis products. Among possible indications are neuropathic pain due to multiple sclerosis, damage of the brachial plexus and HIV infection, pain in rheumatoid arthritis, cancer pain, headache, menstrual pain, chronic bowel inflammation and neuralgias. Combination with opioids is possible.

Glaucoma
In 1971, during a systematic investigation of its effects in healthy cannabis users, it was observed that cannabis reduces intraocular pressure. In the following 12 years a number of studies in healthy individuals and glaucoma patients with cannabis and several natural and synthetic cannabinoids were conducted. cannabis decreases intraocular pressure by an average 25-30%, occasionally up to 50%. Some non-psychotropic cannabinoids, and to a lesser extent, some non-cannabinoid constituents of the hemp plant also decrease intraocular pressure.

Epilepsy
The use in epilepsy is among its historically oldest indications of cannabis. Animal experiments provide evidence of the antiepileptic effects of some cannabinoids. The anticonvulsant activity of phenytoin and diazepam have been potentiated by THC. According to a few case reports from the 20th century, some epileptic patients continue to utililize cannabis to control an otherwise unmanageable seizure disorder. Cannabis use may occasionally precipitate convulsions.

Asthma
Experiments examining the anti-asthmatic effect of THC or cannabis date mainly from the 1970s, and are all acute studies. The effects of a cannabis cigarette (2% THC) or oral THC (15 mg), respectively, approximately correspond to those obtained with therapeutic doses of common bronchodilator drugs (salbutamol, isoprenaline). Since inhalation of cannabis products may irritate the mucous membranes, oral administration or another alternative delivery system would be preferable. Very few patients developed bronchoconstriction after inhalation of THC.

Dependency and Withdrawal
According to historical and modern case reports cannabis is a good remedy to combat withdrawal in dependency on benzodiazepines, opiates and alcohol. For this reason, some have referred to it as a gateway drug back. In this context, both the reduction of physical withdrawal symptoms and stress connected with discontinuance of drug abuse may play a role in its observed benefits.

Psychiatric Symptoms
An improvement of mood in reactive depression has been observed in several clinical studies with THC. There are additional case reports claiming benefit of cannabinoids in other psychiatric symptoms and diseases, such as sleep disorders, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorders, and dysthymia. Various authors have expressed different viewpoints concerning psychiatric syndromes and cannabis. While some emphasize the problems caused by cannabis, others promote the therapeutic possibilities. Quite possibly cannabis products may be either beneficial or harmful, depending on the particular case. The attending physician and the patient should be open to a critical examination of the topic, and a frankness to both possibilities.

Autoimmune Diseases and Inflammation
In a number of painful syndromes secondary to inflammatory processes (e.g. ulcerative colitis, arthritis), cannabis products may act not only as analgesics but also demonstrate anti-inflammatory potential. For example, some patients employing cannabis report a decrease in their need for steroidal and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Moreover there are some reports of positive effects of cannabis self-medication in allergic conditions. It is as yet unclear whether cannabis products may have a relevant effects on causative processes of autoimmune diseases.

Miscellaneous, Mixed Syndromes
There are a number of positive patient reports on medical conditions that cannot be easily assigned to the above categories, such as pruritus, hiccup, ADS (attention deficit syndrome), high blood pressure, tinnitus, chronic fatigue syndrome, restless leg syndrome, and others. Several hundreds possible indications for cannabis and THC have been described by different authors. For example, 2,5 to 5 mg THC were effective in three patients with pruritus due to liver diseases. Another example is the successful treatment of a chronic hiccup that developed after a surgery. No medication was effective, but smoking of a cannabis cigarette completely abolished the symptoms.

Cannabis products often show very good effects in diseases with multiple symptoms that encompassed within the spectrum of THC effects, for example, in painful conditions that have an inflammatory origin (e.g., arthritis), or are accompanied by increased muscle tone (e.g., menstrual cramps, spinal cord injury), or in diseases with nausea and anorexia accompanied by pain, anxiety and depression, respectively (e.g. AIDS, cancer, hepatitis C).
 
Hemp Uses: Top Uses for Hemp


Hemp Uses
Hemp uses is known to be cultivated specifically for industrial purposes in years gone. In fact, it was used in China and the Middle East back in 8000 BC. Hemp plant has a fiber that is used to manufacture a wide range of textiles and even seeds that were good for consumption. The history of hemp is a long one and it has versatility and quite useful for many things. In fact, hemp uses is connected to thousands of commodities and household items. Hemp is used to make canvas, boat sails, clothes, paper, ship rigs, twine, fish nets and so much more.


The Hemp Plant
It is important to know that hemp is different from the marijuana plant. You could call hemp, marijuana’s cousin, if you looked at it as a family relationship. Yes, they are family, but they are both different in more ways than one. Hemp is a taller plant than marijuana. Most of its leaves are located toward the top of the hemp plant, keeping closer together as it grows. Additionally, the hemp plant has the ability to be grown in a wide range of conditions. It does not need the same care as the marijuana plant. Moreover, it grows quicker and easier than the marijuana plant. Let’s look at some of those hemp uses.

Human Food
Hemp uses include human food. You can use it in quite a few recipes. Because of its health benefits, humans can consume it. You can make salad oil using hemp. Hemp seeds are eaten in the same way you eat regular nuts. You can add hemp seeds to your cake batter to produce baked goods. Hemp is high in essential fatty acids and amino acids. These are important to your diet. You can crush the hemp seed and make oil or flour.

Pet Food and Bedding
The hemp plant can be used in pet food since it has so many healthy proteins. When given to cats, it makes their coats shiny and healthy. It can also be used as a dietary supplement for nourishing dogs, cows and horses. Hemp seeds are also enjoyed by birds. Hemp uses also include pet bedding for animals such as guinea pigs, rats and other rodents. It is good to use in cat litter.

Body Oil and Lotions
The hemp plant is known for containing oils used in body lotions and essential oils. It has an EFA content, which aids in the regeneration of cracked and dry skin. It is an amazing moisturizer.

Oil Based Products
Hemp uses include oil for candles, lanterns and paint. The oil from hemp is used to make any oil based products. Paint is one of them. In fact, when used to make paint, you will find that the paint job last much longer. Hemp oil is non-toxic and not harmful to the environment.

Clothing
Hemp is used to manufacture clothing such as jeans and sport clothing, lingerie and other high fashion apparel. Hemp uses makes clothing last longer. Some of the celebrity clothing labels that use hemp fibers are Ralph Lauren, Armani and Calvin Klein.

Plastic
Plastic products made from hemp are usually biodegradable and can aid in reducing landfills. In the past, hemp uses spanned packing materials and products like CD jewel cases.

Paper
Paper is sometimes made using hemp. It is more economical to use hemp to make paper. It saves the trees and protects the wildlife and forests. This is a nice way to protect the environment.

Construction Materials
Hemp plant can make strong and durable materials for construction. For example, cement made from hemp uses minerals and core fibers. When hemp is used to make homes, there is stronger resistance to bad weather and less damage incurred during bad weather.

Fuel
Hemp uses includes making fuel such as bio-diesel. The petroleum industry has embraced the use of hemp in making its products. Ethanol production is also popular in the hemp industry.
 
Top 10 Cannabis THC Myths and Misconceptions


THC is not the enemy. It’s a chemical component of plants in the cannabis family. The formula is described as trans-Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol or C21H30O2. It is more strongly present in some lines of the plant than others. And, it interacts on the physical, neurological, and psychological systems differently on different people.
This is THC, but it is continually the subject of myths and misconceptions that mislead users as well as non-users.

10 myths and misconceptions:

1. THC is a killer! There is no evidence to support that anyone has died directly from cannabis. That’s not to say, it should not be mixed with heavy drinking or driving. However, it is possible to overdose.
An overdose is not easily calculated because it varies with the strength and volume of the THC and the physical and psychological makeup of the consumer. Symptoms of high potency and/or an overdose include anxiety, dizziness, and lack of coordination. At worst, it can produce a level of paranoia or near schizophrenia.

2. THC is addictive! There is no evidence to support the idea that THC is addictive. Nothing in its chemical composition alters human systems in the way alcohol or hard drugs do. However, it can lead to repeated use.
CUD (Cannabis Use Disorder) is a recognized condition described as a dependence on cannabis use. It is typically found in those with a predisposition to dependence, a genetic history of chemical dependency, and/or a history of antisocial or conduct disorders. There is also a correlation with cannabis users in low socio-economic status and/or a history of cigarette tobacco smoking, unstable/abusive family life, and poor academic performance.

3. THC is potent! The potency of THC varies considerably among the hundreds of natural and genetically bred strains of cannabis. It is present to some degree in all strains designated as sativa, Indica, and hybrid. It is also present in commercial hemp in almost undetectable levels.
However, the THC potency of some strains is much higher than it used to be. Because it drives the psychic experience, creating the buzz or high, it attracts customers. As cannabis has become more accessible in expanding legalize markets, the demand for higher experiences has increased. That demand coincided with advances in the breeding science and quality standards.

4. THC is the same! There are several species of cannabis. But if you focus on Indica and Sativa, you are looking at those considered “marijuana.” Indica strains or Indica-dominant hybrids generally produce a sedating effect, one much sought by medical patients. Sativa strains generally produce the psychoactive effects associated with a marijuana high.
The THC cannabinoid is always the same. But its presence varies from strain to strain. Moreover, it’s character and effects are changed in combination with CBD (cannabidiol), terpenes, and multiple chemicals specific to the strain.

5. THC messes with your brain! Because research has been limited, THC’s precise mechanism of action is not clear. The molecule does bind with neurological receptors effectively changing their behavior.
Neurons are cells with CB1 and/or CB2 receptors. These receptors transmit messages from one cell to another. CB1 receptors are found densely in the brain and less so among other body systems. CB2 receptors are also found in the brain, but they are mostly located in the gastrointestinal and immune systems. THC binds with CB1 receptors. In doing so, it can reduce or increase their activity, but it does not change the brain.

6. THC causes accidents! Driving slowly and deliberately are symptoms of inebriation. Cannabis users may feel awake and less confused or disabled than drunks. In every state where cannabis sales have been legalized, there has been an increase in cannabis-related accidents and arrest for driving under the influence.
The fact is the THC in cannabis will affect your alertness, clear-headedness, coordination, judgment, and reaction time. That puts you and others at risk.

7. THC produces psychosis! People with psychotic symptoms may be drawn to cannabis for relief. They may be self-medicating for complex conditions not easily attributed to single factors.
Psychosis, schizophrenia, and other diagnosed psychiatric problems owe their origin to multiple threads. Diagnosed patients should avoid known triggers, but cannabis can play a part in supervised therapy, and it has been known to treat symptoms of PTSD.

8. THC is the essence of the cannabis experience! While THC does produce the psychoactive experience many users pursue, it’s not the only reason to try the benefits.
There are many ways to get high and escape the daily grind. The experience will help you appreciate differences in taste, aroma, and other aspects of the weed. Certain strains balance THC with CBD to produce a range of highs tempered with relaxation, focus, and periods of creativity. That balance also provides medical benefits for millions.

9. THC is safe! While there is nothing specifically dangerous in THC, the consumption method can cause or aggravate health problems. For instance, inhaling combusted matter, organic or otherwise can irritate respiratory issues. It lacks the tar and nicotine content of tobacco, but smoking a joint or inhaling fumes from burned cannabis releases potentially damaging carbon.
The use of some dabbing equipment increases risk, and edibles may lack clear dosing and ingredients. So, you’ll want to think twice about dosing and administration.

10. THC leads to other drugs! Cannabis opponents continue the falsehood that cannabis provides a gateway to hard drugs: cocaine, heroin, opioid addiction, and other drugs. Any correlation between the use of cannabis and later use of strong drugs is not causal.
Cannabis use may be common among those addicted to other substances because of environment, genetics, poverty, and other conditions. But such data does not indicate cause and effect.

The big misconception!
The literature against THC often equates THC with the entirety of the cannabis strain and experience. The average and common user of medical or recreational cannabis favor strains with a balance between THC and CBD shying away from the extremes of high THC content. With experience, they also select strains for flavor, aroma, and overall brain and body experience. And, with experience, they learn to differentiate strains for morning, day, and evening use. These decisions are not determined by the THC content alone.
 
10 Most Popular Cannabis Strains of 2019 So Far


We’re nine months into 2019, and they’re still bringing strains to market. Farms are multiplying and popping up in different parts of the country. Competition remains fierce in Colorado, Oregon, and Washington. But geneticists on the east coast, mid-west, and California are creating new adventures.
Increasingly sophisticated genetics are increasingly driving the marketplace taking strain development out of the hands of home farmers. And dispensaries a looking for more and more innovation and supply.
Here are the 10 most popular new cannabis strains of 2019:
  1. Bear Dance: Bear Dance goes well after dinner or in a smoking circle. Dispensaries market this 70: 30 Sativa dominant hybrid as a daytime option, but it can be sedating. It delivers a staggering 33% THC with a fast and lasting hit. You’ll laugh and giggle, but it can push some to paranoia. Fruit, berry, vanilla, lemon, and more notes flavor your taste and nose. People use it to treat cramps, depression, migraines, and PTSD.
  2. Bubble Jack: Bubble Jack crosses legendary Bubble Gum and Jack Herer for a complex experience. It’s another 70: 30 Sativa high hybrid with THC testing above 25%. Bubble Jack continues the fruity chewing gum aromas shifting to the Jack Herer earthy and woody pine finish. It starts with a quick euphoria before a gentle relaxation washes over you. Users like it for treating chronic pain, depression, and migraines.
  3. Lilac Diesel: With 20% THC and negligible CBD, Lilac Diesel is not your usual diesel. The flavors and aromas are complex and ill-defined, as subtle and confusing as wine grapes. It will move you past an energetic hit into a groggy intoxication full of giggles and munchies. This is not for new users or medical patients. It will lift mood, relax, and ready you for bed.
  4. MAC (Miracle Alien Cookies): The Alien Cookies strain was bred with a combination of Colombian x Starfighter to produce a perfectly balanced strain boasting up to 20% THC. It produces a pleasant measured high and super floral and orange zest flavors over musky and dank citrus for blissful and relaxing influences on stress and chronic pain.
  5. Master Hemp: It took three years to produce this 70: 30 Sativa-dominant hybrid with 16% CBD. That’s right; Master Hemp is bred to have a CBD: THC ratio of 32: 1 for a fully relaxing but clearheaded high with sweet lemon scents and flavors. Users jump to purchase this blend for treating appetite loss, autism, chronic pain, headaches, glaucoma, and stress.
  6. Mint Chocolate Chip: This is another balanced hybrid with a modest 18% THC resulting from crossing SinMint Cookies and Green Ribbon BX. The cross has enriched the chocolate influences with something more mocha and exotic spices. The mint leaves a cool tingle over its earthy flavors. It acts quickly with uplifted energy before phasing into a sedating relaxation treating appetite loss, chronic fatigue, chronic pain, depression, and headaches.
  7. PB Soufflé: Peanut Butter Soufflé is the result of extensive focused genetics control. It crossed Do-Si-Dos and Lava Cake for its sweet scents and nutty flavors. It’s so new, the THC count is still in testing. But users report relief from depression, headaches, and the pressure on glaucoma in a euphoric and sleepy condition.
  8. Pineapple Punch: This Sativa-dominant hybrid (75: 25) tests to 15% THC offset by 1% CBD. Despite the moderate THC level, Pineapple Punch creates anxiety and paranoia in even seasoned users. It crosses Real McCoy with Skunk #1 for an electric and urgent jolt before drifting into a swimming daze. It will subdue depression and spasms but being couch-locked may not be your best way to go.
  9. Scooby Snacks: There are several versions of Scooby Snacks that all begin with Girl Scout Cookies. Clocking in at 22% THC, one perfectly balanced hybrid comes from Platinum Girl Scout Cookies and Face Off OG. Nonetheless, it produces a hammering high you’ll feel in the front of the head before leaving you tingly and sedated. It treats anxiety, chronic pain, depression, and appetite loss with crazy munchies.
  10. Wedding Crasher: Wedding Crasher starts with a fragrant beautiful plant created by Symbiotic, known for their breeding of intensely and pleasantly flavored and aromatic strains. This one tastes like Wedding Cake with the Purple Punch grape notes of cake filling. A Sativa-dominant (70: 30) creation, it tests to a potent 21% THC for a potent hit that lifts and motivates. Long-lasting, it’s recommended to chronic stress and depression, inflammation, and nausea and appetite loss. Wedding Crasher is mellow, fruity, and memorable.
Popular cannabis strains of 2019 — so far!
What goes unnoticed is the press to develop a product that serves two coinciding markets: recreation and medicine. Few strains are markedly one or the other. Each of those listed here offers a significant psychoactive experience while also offering dramatic therapeutic effects. The happy outcome from the providers’ point of view is they can sell in either market.
 
How Do You Figure Out What Cannabis Strains to Purchase?
By M. Carroll on October 28, 2019Cannabis 101 Favorite Article

If you visit Philly for a hoagie or cheesesteak, you won’t find any two people agreeing on the “best” sandwich or restaurant. In Chicago, it’s the best deep-dish pizza. New Orleans has its po-boys. And, every town in Texas has the “best” barbecue. It’s tough when people confuse taste with opinion.
Trying to figure out how to buy cannabis can be tough, too, especially for newcomers. Some of the challenge has to do with the cannabis strains you have experienced. It has to do with the proliferation of newly bred strains. And, much as to do with accessibility thanks to new legal markets
Cannabis strains feed different experiences!
Legal cannabis belongs to Indica, sativa, or hybrid strains of the botanical family Cannabaceae. It is a relative of Hemp distinguished from hemp by its THC (∆9 - Tetrahydrocannabinol) content.
• While THC (C21H30O2) is only one of the 113 cannabinoids found in cannabis, it triggers psychoactive events from mild euphoria to near schizophrenic results. It has a stronger presence in sativa strains and sativa-dominant hybrids.
In general, the higher percentage of the THC in the content, the stronger the psychoactive high. (We say “in general” because potency is also a function of the ratio between THC and CBD.) A moderate THC content if 17% to 20% should provide the mellow trippy buzz most people want.
• CBD (Cannabidiol) has the same chemical formula (C21H30O2) as THC, but they differ in chemical structure. CBD has the sedating experiences and multiple health benefits many cannabis users seek. It rarely tests over 15% in Indica strains and Indica-dominant hybrids.
The higher the CBD content of a strain, the more likely it is to sedate you. But it also has research-proven benefits to reduce pain, inflammation, and spasticity. In a well-balanced hybrid, the CBD content will offset some of the psychoactive impacts of the THC.
• Other relevant cannabinoids include:
  • Cannabigerol (CBG): Forbes says, “CBG is the precursor from which all other cannabinoids are synthesized, which is why it’s often referred to as the “mother” or “stem cell” of cannabinoids. This unique property imbues CBG with enormous therapeutic promise, making it a subject of great interest for researchers and consumers alike.
  • Cannabichromene (CBC): CBC has a different mechanism of action than THC or CBD, but it does enhance the THC impact.
  • Cannabinol (CBN): When THC oxidizes, it produces CBN, a psychoactive booster. While it occurs in small percentages in cannabis, it may have a larger presence in cannabis-based edibles, topicals, and sprays.
Different strains produce different results!
Cannabis strains high in THC include the following:
  • Gorilla Glue 4 owes its origin to breeding Chem Sister, Sour Dubb, and Chocolate Diesel. It’s a perfectly balanced hybrid, but it has tested as high as 30% THC. It will make you socially pleasant and energetic on its way to a calm and mellow high.
  • Girl Scout Cookies offer a lot more than its sweet cookie aroma and taste. A legendary strain, it came from mating Durban Poison and OG Kush. With THC coming in at 25% to 28%, it will provide an award-winning recreational high. But just as many customers want its exceptional pain relief and anti-emetic properties.
  • Bruce Banner clocks in at 29% THC for a hulking strong high. Parented by Strawberry Diesel and OG Kush, Bruce Banner begins with a potent brain buzz before settling into a calming effect. The calm is energized and focused enough for work and daytime use.
Cannabis strains high in CBD include:
  • Charlotte’s Web is renowned throughout the cannabis world for its medical benefits. But those medical properties should not reduce the individual experience. With less than 0.05% THC, it offers benefits to those with PTSD, mood swings, epilepsy, Dravet’s syndrome and other forms of spasticity. Colorado Pot Guide calls Charlotte’s Web, “The Strain That's Saving Lives.”
  • AC/DC has just enough THC to keep it outside the Industrial Hemp species. CBD settles around 20% with a low THC count to kill pain, improve appetite, and minimize anxiety. A balanced hybrid, it owes its breeding to Ruderalis and Catatonic.
  • Pennywise is a moderately priced flower that crosses Harlequin with Jack the Ripper for another high CBD hybrid. The one-to-one CBD: THC ratio will leave you happily calm. Users report some disorientation as its high hits, but the 11% CBD will let you work with clarity and creativity and total body relaxation.
What else do you need to know?
If you are in the market for cannabis strains to smoke, you’ll also look for flavor and aroma. There are no general rules or simple recommendations. But consumers often favor strains with fruit and tropical scents and tastes.
And, here’s where some research will help. If you are a novice or veteran customer, you can explore any number of strains online. You can then compare them with strains being offered at your local dispensary.
You should read the packaging in detail and seek the advice of your budtender. Your friends may be ready with all sorts of advice, but you must take the initiative to learn more and make up your own mind.
 
7 Reasons Why Cannabis Is One of the Best Preventive Medicine


It’s no secret at this point that marijuana and especially the use of vaporizers is great for all sorts of illnesses. Use of a portable vaporizer has been proven to relieve stress and to help those undergoing chemotherapy deal with their pain and nausea. The literature and scientific studies that have shown the positive effects of marijuana use in treatment are vast and being added to all the time. But what is not as widely discussed, however, are the benefits that marijuana can offer before anything detrimental can even happen to you.
The cannabinoids present in marijuana plants can do more than what was first realized. With studies conducted all the time and new theories proven correct what we will be able to achieve with marijuana in future is as yet untapped. Whether it’s regular marijuana strains or non-high inducing CBD let’s look at seven ways marijuana could help you that you might not have considered before.
1 - Marijuana Reduces Inflammation

The anti-inflammatory properties of marijuana are perhaps the biggest benefit as we shall see further on. With more athletes than ever before using CBD oil to combat the inflammation of their muscles and joints, it’s probably no great leap to see that a portable vaporizer can benefit even the everyday person in preventing their own physical pains.
Inflammation of the joints and tissues can occur due to a number of chronic diseases such as Crohn’s disease, arthritis, ulcerative colitis and others. You might be aware that inflammation can be avoided by maintaining a good diet and exercising regularly but what you might not know is that cannabis is effective in preventing you from ever becoming inflamed in the first place. Both THC and CBD are extremely effective in reducing the inflammation associated with a number of diseases.
2 - Helps With Digestion
Throughout the body, there are cannabinoid receptors. The stimulation of these receptors by the presence of THC causes wonderfully positive things to happen. There are some of these receptors naturally found in our digestive tracts, too. One such receptor, anandamide, is responsible for the process of digestion within the body. Small wonder then why people get the munchies.
For those enduring pain due to stomach issues and poor digestion function, using something as convenient as a portable vaporizer may be the answer. There are many studies now to show that the anti-inflammatory properties of THC can be helpful in the treatment of IBS, IBD, and Crohn’s disease especially via the use of vaporizers like the Crafty and the Arizer Extreme Q.
3 - Prevents Cancer from Developing
Cannabis is already widely used in the treatment of pain and nausea during chemotherapy but can it prevent cancer outright? Well, some scientists think that yes it might. In studies done involving mice, cannabis has been shown to have chemoprevention properties.
Researchers found that when rodents were given an injection of pure CBD (cannabidiol) they were less likely to develop colon cancer even after being induced with the disease. Obviously, this is still in a developmental phase but the potential it has to help the millions of people all over the world who suffer from cancer is monumental.
4 - Prevents Heart Disease
For obvious reasons strictly controlled clinical human trials using marijuana and its derivatives in marijuana vaporizers have been few and far between. But what we do know is that low doses of tetrahydrocannabinol act to relax and widen blood vessels. This is known as vasorelaxation which is as positive as it sounds.
With widened blood vessels the strain of high blood pressure can be greatly reduced. It’s the reason you often see marijuana users with reddened and dilated eyes. This same effect could be used to help anyone in a family with previous heart disease.
5 - Alzheimer’s Prevention
The THC in marijuana can slow or even stop the increasing the progress of Alzheimer’s disease. This is because the presence of THC through marijuana intake can slow the production of beta-amyloid proteins in the brain. These proteins are a classic feature of Alzheimer’s and are thought to be a key contributor to the development of the disease. This is because these beta-amyloid proteins clump together to form a hard insoluble plaque. A study done at the University of South Florida went a long to explaining how THC acts to protect the brain, lessening and even halting the growth of these proteins.
6 - Keeps Bones Strong
Just the way we live our lives can place a huge amount of strain on our bones. In the course of ordinary life people can suffer fractures just because of an unseen pothole. But diseases like osteoporosis weaken bones significantly, leaving them vulnerable to fractures and even breakages. Also conditions like osteoarthritis cause severe pain and achiness in joints with few treatments or cures.
The good news is that marijuana can help. CB1 receptors found in bones, and elsewhere in the body, respond positively to the introduction of marijuana. The cannabinoids then work to thicken bones, this could be potentially life-changing for those suffering from osteoporosis. Another study showed that when mice who were beginning to show signs of osteoarthritis when injected with pure CBD their condition stopped almost immediately. For those immobile sufferers with early stages of such diseases, using a desktop vaporizer might provide some much needed relief.
7 - Can Slow Down the Aging Process

We all know that our memories are going to fade and that our cognitive abilities at some point just won’t be what they used to be. But does it have to be like that? Recently scientists at the University of Bonn and The Hebrew University of Jerusalem through years of meticulous research have found that that may not always be the case.
In their studies, the scientists gave mice of varying ages small doses of THC and afterward tested them on their learning capacities and memories. What they found was astonishing. The mice given placebos displayed normal age-dependent brain function while the cognition of the mice given the THC was just as good as the two month old control group. Of all the ways to consume marijuana, the most potent is via vaping. The regular use of a desktop vaporizer like the Arizer Extreme Q or something smaller like Crafty could make all the difference when it comes to your brain’s health.
As mentioned throughout this article there is still a long way to go with cannabis research. This is because in many countries cannabis is still viewed as an addiction-forming drug and so is treated cautiously. Also, its classification in many countries (some countries still viewing it as a Class A on par with heroin or cocaine!) leads many scientists and researchers to resist experimenting with it.
Hopefully with more liberal attitudes towards marijuana becoming more in vogue people will come to understand and reap the benefits of it. A quality desktop vaporizer could have significant benefits to your health and whether you realize it yet or not Future You will thank you for it.
 
Benefits of Replacing Alcohol with Cannabis


There is a degree of recidivism in Alcoholics Anonymous and similar 12-step “recovery” processes. It’s not enough to do away with these programs that have helped so many. But it’s enough to make you look at the approach.
It seems 12-step addiction programs are life-changing to the extent the participants attend meetings regularly. In other words, it’s not the program itself that benefits addicts; success stems from their commitment and willingness to attend and share experiences at meetings.
Marijuana use offers a chance to wean yourself off the alcohol habit, and many see it as a bridge to sobriety. So, more people are thinking about replacing alcohol with cannabis.
Alcohol: what’s in it for you?
♦ Creative boost! Tests show an improved problem-solving capacity in subjects at certain alcohol levels (±0.075). It does suggest a link between alcohol and creativity. However, the influence drops sharply when levels reach higher levels.
Alcohol relieves inhibitions and fears allowing for moments of clarity can creativity. But after one more drink, you may find your focus and alertness disappear into confusion and disorientation.
♦ Heart support! Moderate drinking, particularly drinking wine once daily, will dilate blood vessels preventing contraction, blockage, and clots formation.
Heart.org says. “If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation. This means an average of one to two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women. (A drink is one 12 oz. beer, 4 oz. of wine, 1.5 oz. of 80-proof spirits, or 1 oz. of 100-proof spirits.) Drinking more alcohol increases such dangers as alcoholism, high blood pressure, obesity, stroke, breast cancer, suicide and accidents.”
♦ Sugar count! Test subjects imbibing one or two drinks a day have seen their sugar count go down and reducing their chance for the development of type 2 diabetes. On the other hand, regular, even moderate, alcohol use will add calories to your diet.
People with diabetes should watch their intake carefully. Some beverages are higher in carbs and others in sugars. Alcohol affects the body’s delivery of insulin, so diabetics must manage their blood sugars.
♦ Addiction potential! Binge drinking or alcoholism seems inevitable for about 15 percent of alcohol drinkers. American Family Physician claims, “Alcoholism is one of the most common psychiatric disorders with a prevalence of 8 to 14 percent. This heritable disease is frequently accompanied by other substance abuse disorders (particularly nicotine), anxiety and mood disorders, and antisocial personality disorder.”
Continuous drinking or excessive drinking alters the brain with long-lasting neurobiological changes which contribute to continued cravings and relapsing.
♦ Real dangers! Drinking more than three drinks per day and/or seven drinks per week us a threshold to habitual drinking. More than this and you increase your risk of liver and kidney failure, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and more.
There is also increasing concern about the lesser-known “alcoholic myopia.” According to Alcohol.org, “Alcoholic myopathy is considered to be a toxic myopathy resulting from the body’s response to long-term and/or heavy exposure to alcohol. It can either be acute, after the individual has binged on alcohol, or chronic, developing over time with regular, heavy alcohol consumption.”
Cannabis: what’s in it for you?
♦ Brainpower! Researchers are excited about the potential administration of cannabis for Alzheimer’s disease. There are encouraging signs that THC reduces the accumulation of amyloid-beta peptides in the brain’s channels.
However, related research also found exposure to THC at very young ages reduce their ability to manage stress later in life. Additional studies indicate cannabis use can affect the developing adolescent brain circuits increasing the later likelihood of forming dependent habits.
♦ Lung strength! To get the most out of your cannabis experience, you inhale deeply and hold the smoke in your lungs in contrast to the quick inhale and exhale of cigarette smokers. Moderate smoking at two or three times may increase your lungs’ capacity — although this seems a bit of a stretch.
Smoking cannabis does mean inhaling a combusted material introducing carbon by-products and other toxins. There is not enough research to clarify the damage. While it may not produce the known negative effects of tobacco smoke, the jury is out on cannabis’ total effects. But there are other ways to consume and administer cannabis with positive benefits.
♦ Take it to heart! Inhaled cannabis moves through the lining for the lungs directly to the bloodstream where it constricts arteries. As it does, it increases heart rate and blood pressure, a risk to those with hypertension or pre-existing cardiac conditions.
There is also a more serious warning for adolescent users. The Journal of Thoracic Disease (2017) “cannabis use is a risk factor for acute coronary events in young persons, especially men, who do not have any other risk factors for cardiovascular diseases besides smoking. The events also appear to be triggered by highly strenuous physical activity.” But smoking is not the only way to use cannabis.
♦ Relieve stress! On the plus side, cannabinoids affect neurological receptors in the brain’s amygdala to modulate its flight or fight response. On the negative side, chronic use may desensitize the receptors and increase the stress.
Still, THC content produces different outcomes than CBD. Smart shopping and some trial and error will help you assess which strain and what combination works most comfortably for you. Bearing in mind that new strains have more THC potency and that very high THC content can produce extreme paranoia, you should look for a strain in which the CBD count offsets or balances the THC.
♦ Slow cancer: Research has found CBD reduces the influence of a gene that encourages the metastasizing of breast cancer cells.
♦ Kill pain! CBD relieves inflammation in cells, joints, and muscles to reduce related pain. It has been a recommended therapeutic support for symptoms of Chron’s disease, Lyme disease, multiple sclerosis, and nausea caused by chemotherapy.
While alcohol may numb pain transmitters to distract drinkers from their pain, researchers have affirmed cannabis’ effective (at least modest) influence on chronic pain, neuropathic pain, spasticity associated with epilepsy and multiple sclerosis, cancer-related pain, migraines, and fibromyalgia, and more (Practical Pain Management)
Weight the difference!
If you are looking to replace one bad habit with another, this isn’t for you. I have deliberately chosen research from conservative sources to keep the contrast balanced. All things considered, cannabis and alcohol use conscientiously and prudently present few problems for most people.
Over the long-term, alcohol presents a high physical and psychological risk. Alcohol excess produces more negative short- and long-term side effects. It’s not enough to justify the chronic use of chronic or to use cannabis without information and advice. But it would suggest replacing alcohol with cannabis is a prudent option.
 
Cannabis Edible Dosage Chart: A Guide for Beginners
By M. Carroll on September 5, 2019Cannabis 101 Favorite Article

There’s really only one thing you need to know about edibles. And, that’s how they metabolize.
Once you understand how your systems process cannabis edibles, you can appreciate the importance of getting the dosage right.
Metabolizing cannabis edibles
The THCA in cannabis needs to go through decarboxylation before it becomes THC, the cannabinoid with psychoactive effects. When you smoke, the burning process triggers the decarboxylation. When you cook cannabis, you make the same thing happen.
Smoked cannabis is processed through the lungs. As it leaches from the lungs into the bloodstream, it reaches the brain and Endocannabinoid System almost immediately.
But, when you digest cannabis edibles, it goes to your stomach, not your lungs. In your stomach, the cannabis processes like anything else in the stomach. The digestive system breaks it down into carbs and sugars as well as the THC.
The intestinal lining absorbs the THC and sends it to the liver for processing THC into 11-Hydroxy-THC, a high potency THC. Researchers believe but have not proven that this metabolite crosses the body-brain barrier quickly.
What you should notice, it that the digestion/liver process takes more time than the lung process. So, your first dosing challenge is to understand that cannabis edibles take longer to deliver their effects.
A guide for beginners:
1. Patience! Patience! When cannabis edibles are tasty, it’s tempting to have more than just one, especially when they are little gummy bears or berries. Why not pop a handful at once?
The fact is that you will suffer from taking too much too soon. You can easily overdose on edibles if you lack the discipline. It could take 30 minutes to two hours for cannabis edibles to kick in, so you must plan on the process.
Your body fat and personal metabolic rate run the show, so until you have some experience, you want to take a piece and wait for it to deliver before you think of a second treat. The payoff is that the effect last longer.
2. Consider your diet. The cannabis edibles are not likely alone in your digestive process. You must consider what else you have eaten. Fatty foods will slow the process and an empty stomach will accelerate it.
A bigger concern is how much alcohol you have in your system. Trying an edible for dessert after a beer or wine loaded dinner will complicate the digestion. The alcohol will increase the THC concentration significantly.
Before you dose, consider how much you’ve eaten and what you’ve had to drink. An empty stomach means your edible may kick in more swiftly, and if this is the case, maybe think about starting with half a dose.
So, empty stomach or alcohol-flooded, you should try a smaller dose or piece. A modest dose for beginners might be 1-2.5mg of THC (plus CBD).
3. Follow the directions. The industry is not quite there yet, but legalization is pressing manufacturers to develop standardized testing and labeling. Good, clear, and informative labeling will help users control their consumption and self-discipline.
Those labels will show a “standard dose” of 10mg. But, if you are a novice or have experienced low tolerance, you should divide that 10mg into mini-doses. There’s always room for another mini-dose once you feel the effects of the first one.
So, you must read those labels which will identify the dose as 5, 10, 20, 40, 80, or 100 milligrams. Those numbers should help you schedule your intake and experience until you know what you are doing. You do not want to gobble up the cannabis candies as if they were M&Ms.
This dosage chart makes slight modifications in text to the one created by Healer.com.
Dose​
Expectation​
Who for?​
1-2.5mg THC
  • Mild relief of medical symptoms
  • Improved focus/creativity
  • First-time consumers
  • Microdosers
2.5-15mg THC
  • Stronger symptom relief
  • Euphoria
  • Impaired coordination and perception
  • Persistent medical problems
  • Restless sleepers
  • Socializers
15-30mg THC
  • Strong euphoria
  • Unwanted negative effects
  • Impaired coordination and perception
  • Experienced consumers
  • Patients with tolerance
  • Insomniacs
30-50mg THC
  • Very strong euphoria
  • Strongly impaired coordination and perception
  • Patients with poor GI absorption
  • Users with high THC tolerance
50-100mg THC
  • Extreme side effects
  • Serious impairment
  • Experienced THC users only
  • Patients with conditions needy potent dosage

4. Remember the CBD. Good labeling should identify the CBD content and its ratio with the THC. Edibles can be a great and convenient source of the medical benefits of CBD. For many medical patients, the edibles are much preferred to smoking.
It offsets the high potency and negative effects of THC to successfully treat anxiety, pain, and scores of other medical conditions. So, a CBD: THC ratio of 1: 1 suggests an ideal balance, but you still must avoid overdosing.
If the CBD: THC ratio favors the THC, you invite unwanted intoxicating effects and you reduce the desired medical effects. But, if it maintains a 4: 1 CBD dominance, you should realize the experience you want.
5. Newcomer tips:
• Lozenges, gummies, mints, oils, and troches all dissolve in your mouth. They begin the process by absorption in the mouth lining and tongue.
• Adding a fresh piece of apple or orange after consuming an edible can expedite its effects.
• When eating cannabis edibles, you should let them break down in your mouth a bit before swallowing.
• Caregivers for seriously ill patients must watch the administration and effects of the treatments.
• It’s necessary to remain hydrated while consuming and after consuming cannabis edibles.
Cannabis edibles and you
The problem for beginners (and thereafter) is that cannabis edibles are so darned good. Still, you must discipline your intake and watch the results. Finally, beginners should not consume edibles without someone watching. Until you know what you are doing and are experiencing the benefits you want, you should not use alone.
 
A Beginner's Guide to Be a More Mindful Cannabis User



There’s nothing new about mindfulness. The idea is older than psychology, older than medicine, and older than Western culture. As far as anyone knows, it dates to the age when Sati and Sanskrit were universal languages.
Buddhism has the mindfulness tradition going, and now Western culture has embraced it. Cannabis has attached itself to mindful thinking, and it’s worth looking at how mindfulness can help you.
A beginner’s guide to be a more mindful cannabis user —
Mindfulness is a condition, state-of-mind and body, means and end, and much more. It’s hard to translate original terms, so it has come to mean many versions of the same thing.
Mindfulness describes a behavior of being aware of the moment. That asks you to purge yourself of past and future preoccupations. It asks you to remember to be aware. And, it asks you to find your way to mindfulness through meditation.
Start with meditation —
1. According to mindfulness.org, you start “by first learning to observe simple processes such as the breath (as outlined above) and the feelings that are present in our physical body. From the outset, this simplification and focusing of mental tasks slows the mind and allows it to relax, engendering immediate stillness and calm.”
With practice, usually in group sessions, you develop skills in observation and core body/mind sensations. As you progress, you can focus on walking, stretching, exercising, and other basic physical processes.
2. At some point in your confidence, you will start to observe mental impressions of things nearby. You ask how they impress you, what they mean to you, and how you feel about them.
Eventually, you can bring turn that focus inward to observing and evaluating your mood and emotions. It’s not enough to label them if you can assess and appreciate them. And, you may notice the emphasis on observation — not analysis.
3. Mindfulness is a focus on how your individual mind works. This stems from and contributes to a greater sense of self-awareness.
It may begin with reflection, a withdrawal from the stresses of daily life. Reflection precedes the meditation leading to mindfulness. Meditation works best when the mind and body have relaxed with reflection and calm.
4. The calming, reflection, and self-awareness leads you to recognize that your mind is inclined to chase many thoughts and moods in different directions constantly. Any life can be better when those chases are reduced or managed.
Those multiple chases distract the mind from observing and appreciating larger things. Conversations busy your brain, and most of your time goes into passing judgement on things and those around you. When mindful, you attach no importance to anything except the rhythm of breathing and beating of your heart
5. There are many schools of meditation. They are offered at meditation centers, in real and virtual classes, and with individual teachers. Some schools of yoga and exercise also link to meditation. But, if you want a serious route to mindfulness, you won’t find it at the “Y.”
In the long run, meditation does not equal mindfulness. It provides a helpful condition, but it is not the same thing.
Benefits of mindfulness —
According to Psychology Today, “Mindfulness is a state of active, open attention on the present.” It means, “Instead of letting your life pass you by, mindfulness means living in the moment and awakening to your current experience, rather than dwelling on the past or anticipating the future.”
It’s a practice where you sharpen your focus, train your brain to be mindful even when not meditating, and engage with whatever’s going on around you.
  • Improves memory and school/employment performance.
  • Heightens awareness of diet and eating to reduce calorie intake.
  • Increases benefit of exercise by committing whole mind/body to the physical routine.
  • Sharpens decisions by removing mental and emotional clutter.
  • Reduces awareness of cancer, chronic pain, and other physical trials.
  • Manages brain activity, improving creativity, and helping sleep.
Reaching and sustaining mindfulness is a process, easier for some than others.
What does cannabis have to do with it?
Some research has considered how mindfulness may provide an alternative behavior and practice to using cannabis. But, the research also concludes much more must be done to determine significant results.
As is, many people who use cannabis and seek mindfulness find some cannabis strains of complement their practice. Those strains provide a physical and emotional uplift.
Smoking cannabis is a purposeful and relaxing breathing exercise. Certain strains induce euphoria and accentuate sensory awareness. Other strains slow thinking and reduce anxiety to reduce physical problems and mental stress.
Sativa strains may interfere with mindfulness practice because of the high energy impact. Indica strains often slow the mind, promote calm, and enhance awareness.
You know that cannabis has successfully treated physical and emotional symptoms of anxiety, depression, fibromyalgia, OCD, and PTSD. You know that it relieves the pains and stresses associated with terminal disease, nausea, and wasting weight loss. But, the connection between mindfulness and cannabis use needs more research.
Is there a problem with being a more mindful cannabis user —
No, but you must consider it mindfully. An article in Cannabis.net makes the usual mistake of confusing meditation and mindfulness. They are not one and the same thing.
Meditation is a practice and behavior that facilitates mindfulness, a more profound and deeper state of being. If cannabis, smoked or consumed, can enable that condition, you might choose your strain carefully and pursue the rewarding and fulfilling practice.
Mindfulness does not have to take more than a half hour in your day. If you find it demanding, you haven’t reached the optimal practice, yet. And, if cannabis intake will allow you to enter that “zone” easily, you may find the experience mind and body expanding.
 
The Complete Guide to Medical Cannabis for Senior Citizens


Who would have thought? Senior citizens are leading the changing the cultural change that has enabled and multiplied the number of medical marijuana dispensaries.
Perhaps, they are the baby boomers returning to their habits born of the 1960s and 1970s. Perhaps, they have become better educated about the quality and benefits of medical cannabis. In any case, senior citizens have defined a large and vibrant market.
The complete guide to medical cannabis for senior citizens
What is medical cannabis?
Medical cannabis comes in various s forms. But, they are all derivatives of the cannabis plant with a high content of CBD (cannabidiol). It has little or no presence of THC (∆9- tetrahydrocannabinol), the cannabinoid that creates mind-altering, psychoactive effects.
These are only two of approximately 100 chemicals that function as cannabinoids to map over to the human endocannabinoid system (ECS), a complex and extensive neurologic system with a presence throughout the human brain and body.
Is medical marijuana legal?
The Drug Enforcement Agency (FDA) lists cannabis as a Schedule I drug, “drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse including.” Other drugs in Schedule 1 include “heroin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), marijuana (cannabis), 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (ecstasy), methaqualone, and peyote.”
Moreover, the Federal Drug Administration does not approve medical cannabis because there have not been enough clinical trials on a wide enough scale to prove the plant’s medical benefits” (Aging.com).
Nonetheless, people have voted approval to grow, sell, and possess medical in 30 states and the District of Columbia. In a few states, the sale is narrowly limited to sales of CBD derivatives for treating recalcitrant pediatric epilepsy. Still, most of the states have approved fully operational medical cannabis dispensaries.
What good does it do?
• Glaucoma is a common condition among aging people, the leading cause of blindness among senior citizens. Fluid builds up behind the eye with pressure enough to damage the optic nerve. Glaucoma victims have long sought therapy with marijuana.
The American Glaucoma Society reports, “It has been definitively demonstrated and widely appreciated that smoking marijuana lowers IOP [Interocular Pressure) in both normal individuals and in those with glaucoma, and therefore might be a treatment for glaucoma.” The American Academy of Ophthalmology says, “Studies conducted then showed that smoking marijuana lowered the IOP of people with glaucoma. Both warn that the beneficial effects only last a few hours, but as cannabis derivatives like edibles and candies multiple, glaucoma patients have ways to treat glaucoma with some regularity and discretion.
• Chronic pain afflicts seniors and increases with aging. Arthritis and other autoimmune conditions cause pain in joints, spine, and throughout the body. They treat them with over-the-counter pills, rubs, and lotions. They treat pain with prescribed medications including opioids. And, they seek relief with chiropractic care, massage, and acupuncture.
According to AARP, “older adults report misuse of painkillers more than any other type of prescription drug. Over 40 percent of older adults have chronic pain that is often treated with opioids, sometimes for long periods of time. Though the health effects of long-term opioid use among older adults need to be studied further, opioid use among older adults may increase the risk for falls, delirium, fractures, pneumonia, and all-cause mortality.”
Medical marijuana, however, has proven and acknowledged anti-inflammatory properties. Whether smoked, eaten, or applied as a transdermal treatment, medical cannabis connects with the ECS to relieve intense and chronic pain — without fear of addiction.
• Alzheimer’s Disease has some connection with plaque building among the brain’s cells. This oversimplifies this little-understood condition. But, brain scans and autopsies show this buildup among victims. Research seeks to identify the origin and mechanism of brain’s function when clouded with this plaque.
The Pharmaceutical Journal reports, “The resulting damage can be divided into three categories: the formation of amyloid plaques, the generation of neurofibrillary tangles, and cell death, which is consistent with the amyloid cascade hypothesis.” The lack of research occasioned by DEA controls has kept science from making a definitive connection between cannabis and Alzheimer’s disease and similar degenerative conditions. Still, the limited research has shown positive effects of cannabis on the reduction of amyloid plaque, repair of neuro-tangles, and reduction of cell death. It’s too early to confirm, but many patients claim they benefit from cannabis’ neurodegenerative properties.
• Cancer is a growing fear among senior citizens as they observe their friends and family fell victim. But, medical cannabis offers two benefits. First, cannabis has a demonstrated anti-emetic benefit to reduce the nausea and vomiting attached to chemotherapy. Even the FDA has approved use of Marinol and Cesamet for fighting nausea.
Second, recent research shows encouraging results suggesting that cannabinoids reduce the size of some cancer tumors and reduce their ability to metastasize. Scientific American reports, “We’re not there yet, but while the available data are limited, research that has been conducted around antitumor effects of cannabinoids so far shows great promise. The International Journal of Oncology published a study last year [2017], for example, indicating that cannabinoids successfully kill cancer cells, and the benefits increase when combined with chemotherapy. An early preclinical study we recently conducted also found that cancer cells derived from patient blood samples were differentially sensitive to the two main active compounds in cannabis—tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA).” The FDA is warning not to read too much into these claims at this time, but the scientific community is pursuing their interest, especially in the arena of treating breast cancer.
Why seniors like medical cannabis
  • Other relief: Medical cannabis appears to help with sleep and appetite, problems common among senior citizens. It may improve brain and cognitive function, and some just like the fun that comes from the THC side of the product.
  • Save and diverse: Seniors who have no problem or objection to smoking can select from many strains, some of them developed to target physical and mental maladies. But, they will also find sublingual oils, candies, lozenges, lollipops, topicals, cookies, teas, and other beverages. The diverse options help them self-medicate, distribute their dosing, and aid the caregivers in providing disciplined administration.
  • Cost: Out-of-pocket prices charged at medical cannabis dispensaries may seem high thanks to the taxation. But, compared to the cost of prescribed medications, cannabis derivatives can be cost-effective.
  • Adventure: Seniors will turn to anything for relief. But, some simply want the pleasurable side effects that go with it. Some medical products have enough THC to provide a light buzz. In fact, some products provide enough relief to produce a desirable sedation and emotional rush.
Few seniors become potheads in their final years, but many use cannabis among friends in retirement and senior living centers. It contributes to their shuffleboard and card games, but more importantly, it provides rest and relief.
 
10 Popular Ways to Smoke and Consume Cannabis
By M. Carroll on August 23, 2019Cannabis 101 Favorite Article

There were days when teens poked holes in fresh apples or corncobs to create pipes they stuffed with flakes to smoke their paltry shares of a stash. Now, teens are trying to get the same thrill from JUUL-like devices. They may learn in time there are scores of ways to smoke and consume cannabis.
Here are nine-plus ways to smoke and/or consume cannabis:
1. Toking old school: The legacy intake form still wraps strains in paper to form a cigarette-like joint. Who knows who lit the first one? But joints remain the favorite method among users. It’s a little inconvenient to cut the cannabis, roll the papers, and light and relight the joint, so most people prefer to keep the stuff at home.
2. Betting on bongs: Smoking through a bong offers a pure and potent experience on just a small amount of cannabis. The bong experience avoids the irritating carbon combustion of smoking. You feed the bong attachment with ground herbs, fire it, and inhale through the aperture. With the water filtering the smoke, you avoid the smoke’s toxins. But bongs involve sometimes cumbersome equipment that are hardly discreet unless you carry a pocket-size bubbler.
3. Joints made easy: Scores of brands promote pre-rolled joints popular among medicinal marijuana customers and those who don’t want to worry about the paraphernalia involved in rolling your own. They come in packs like regular cigarettes and offer easy and discreet use. They’ve had a bad reputation among veteran users because they often used poor product in the past. But the market is increasing the demand for competitive quality.
4. Open vaping: Vapers are everywhere. Cartridges containing a range of cannabis quality and strains. They appear as e-cigarettes, vape pens, and mod boxes providing a personal and discrete “smoke” without the carbon risk to lungs. An increasing number of locations are banning their use because of the clouds of smoke they produce. But users find the vaping smooth, tasteful, and effective.
5. Yummy gummies: Dispensaries are featuring more cannabis candies. Gummies in various shapes are the most accessible. You’ll also find mints and lollipops. Each of the forms is easy to use throughout the day without drawing attention. They have the additional benefit of clear dosing. And caregivers find administration easy in treating the elderly and extremely ill.
6. Chock full of chocolate: Cannabis candies also come in very popular chocolate bars. Manufacturers use quality chocolate with touches of other flavored to produce candy bars with segments. You break off a segment, pop it in your mouth, and benefit from precise dosing. The real problem with chocolate and other candies is that, because they taste so good, you may inadvertently overdose.
7. Under the tongue: Sublingual application was once limited to therapies for those unable to consume in other ways because of disease, illness, disability, or hospice care. However, an increasing number of customers are attracted to the convenient and private application. Everyone knows about the eye dropper administration of CBD oil, but you can now find liquid THC, a tincture with direct and fast effects.
8. Wax and Shatter: Cannabis concentrates come in a bees’ wax form or crystal shatter. The crisp glassy shatter gets heated on a dab nail until it gives off inhaled fumes for a loaded experience. Wax is pliable concentrate used in dabbing, too. Either concentrate can be added to herbs rolled into joints or burnt in a bong or pipe.
9. Homemade cookies: Dispensaries sell all sorts of edible bake goods containing cannabis. Brownies are legendary, but now you’ll find cookies, cupcakes, and more. Until there is standardized labeling, you risk dosing errors. But just about anyone can bake their own goods at home. You can learn to make cannabis butter, and with that you can make any recipe calling for butter.
Pull it all together!
A recreational or medical marijuana dispensary will sport shelf upon shelf of cannabis-infused, cannabis-derived, and other products. You will find teas, coffees, and wines — too new and without quality standards. And, there are thousands of cosmetics, lotions, balms, patches, soaps, and more, but I am not into consuming them.
If you approach use reasonably, you have enough options to avoid being trapped into one habit or the other. You can smoke freely at home or where others are comfortable with your preparation and smoke. Some swear certain strains just taste better in pipes, and others will show off their bong and dabbing skills. You’ll likely have a stronger experience with bongs or dabs, but it’s lot of equipment to carry around.
If you’re medicating with cannabis, you should let the illness govern how you use. It doesn’t make sense to aggravate your symptoms or create new ones. But a standard approach might pursue the flexibility provided by blunts, pre-rolled joints, vaping, and candies. One way or another you can find what makes you comfortable and allows you to stay under the radar.
 
These officials have been misleading the public since 1930, If you do sum simple research you will find out the whole reefer madness scare was a scam and the public bout it and swallowed everything without even chewing/reading the true facts.. Dont believe me, do your own research!!

10 Benefits of Using Cannabis as Preventative Care



Preventative care may be one solution to the escalating costs of healthcare. The strategy is to get ahead of illness, preventing sickness and injury in advance. The tactics pursued in preventative care include immunizations, diet, and routine screening tests.
Studies by the Partnership for Preventative Care find, “preventative services are grossly underused, with racial and ethnic minorities receiving the least number of preventative care in the United States. After studying the top 12 preventative care services, the authors concluded that if Americans began to utilize any five of them, up to 100,000 lives could be saved in just one year.”
But, what role can cannabis play in preventative care?
10 Benefits of Using Cannabis as Preventative Care
1. Analgesic effect: Cannabis has proven anti-inflammatory qualities. Given that inflammation is the source or symptom of countless medical problems, cannabis offers a real alternative to potentially damaging prescription and over-the-counter remedies.
Different strains perform differently on various conditions in varies patients. But, you can find a balance of THC and CBD that works best for you. They mitigate or eliminate cellular inflammation by interacting with the complex and widespread Endocannabinoid System (ECS).
2. Anti-emetic: Cannabis affects the smooth muscle tissue of the digestive system. Its natural influence on the muscular movement throughout the system reduces nausea and vomiting.
Cannabis stimulates the flow of anandamide, a fatty acid neurotransmitter known as “the bliss molecule.” Among its other functions, anandamide modulates digestion and the metabolic system. And, it has been used successfully to reduce nausea and vomiting in patients in therapy for HIV/AIDS or going through chemotherapy.
3. Glaucoma: People suffering from glaucoma often face blindness as the fluid pressure builds in the eyeball to damage the optic nerve.
The American Glaucoma Society acknowledges, “It has been definitively demonstrated, and widely appreciated, that smoking marijuana lowers IOP [Interocular Pressure] in both normal individuals and in those with glaucoma, and therefore might be a treatment for glaucoma.” They go on to point out that the effects of smoking marijuana only last three to four hours, but cannabis is now available in edibles, oils, and beverages that do not risk the negatives of smoking.
4. Anxiolytic: THC induces psychoactive events which can be disturbing and paranoiac. But, CBD has much the opposite effect. It soothes, calms, and tranquilizes.
Researchers believe CBD has an “entourage effect.” Unlike THC, it does not directly affect neural receptors. But, it works indirectly by modulating dopamine, serotonin, and cortisol. Recent studies find cannabis can relieve even the stress associated with PTSD.
5. Stroke: The American Council on Science and Health has concluded that frequent cannabis smoking may lead to ischemic stroke. But, the report also admitted that the results were flawed because most of the cannabis smoker studied were also tobacco smokers.
However, the Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism concluded that cannabinoid therapy reduced the amount of the brain cells that were injured during stroke. The testing indicated that “cannabinoids serve as a neuroprotectant and may even stimulate the growth of brain cells in areas of damage or disease.”
6. Tumors: Cannabinoids help prevent the growth of cancerous tumors. The American Cancer Society says, “More recently, scientists reported that THC and other cannabinoids such as CBD slow growth and/or cause death in certain types of cancer cells growing in lab dishes. Some animal studies also suggest certain cannabinoids may slow growth and reduce spread of some forms of cancer.”
Cannabis is anti-proliferate halting the growth of malignant cells. It also prevents cells from metastasizing (i.e., moving from one part of the body to another. And, it cuts off the food supply to cancerous cells and triggers apoptosis (i.e., cancer cells fill themselves).
7. Dementia: Alzheimer’s Disease is a chronic neurodegenerative disorder associated with aging. But, cannabis-derived compounds slow the advance of the disease and improve the associate symptoms.
Alzheimer’s remains a mystery, but a buildup of plaque in and among the brain cells appears to be the cause. Specifically, something in the cannabis relieves the accumulation of amyloid protein. Cannabis works with the human endocannabinoid system to prevent buildup and inflammation within the brain cells.
8. Osteoporosis: THC and CBD help the process of bone metabolism. Their chemistry manages creation of new bone and cartilage cells to prevent or forestall osteoporosis and osteoarthritis.
The Annals of Medicine studied how the cannabinoids in cannabis interacted with CB2 receptors to stimulate bone formation and inhibit bone resorption.
9. Skin Damage: Cannabis has the anti-inflammatory benefits explained earlier, but it also has antioxidant powers that work transdermally. Creams, lotions, topicals, and makeup derived from cannabis will fight wrinkles and dry skin.
10. Sun Damage: THC creates a fat called sphingolipid ceramide. This lipid affects carbohydrate metabolism and detoxification in cells. It keeps skin cells alive and healthy and resistant to melanoma.
Cannabinoids-infused suntan lotions block the UVB rays that damage the DNA of skin cells. Combined with SPF 50 factors and fragment emoluments, cannabis tanning lotion needs the research denied by regulation. But, it does attract those who favor anything and everything green.
Benefits of using cannabis as preventative care—
Preventive care has long been used to identify the precautions advised to stay ahead of disease and injury. It’s a form of risk management to recommend periodic pap smears and breast x-rays for women and prostate tests for men.
Preventative care uses similar tactics. But, it has come to apply to holistic healthcare that prevents and forestalls medical conditions through a continuing and focused approach. Preventative care trusts supplemental, natural, and organic treatments in a combined effort to avoid and manage body, mind, and spirit.
Cannabis in all its complexity offers preventative and mitigating options in several modes, from smoking to eating to application.
 
10 Easy Steps to Grow Cannabis at Home



Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania have liberalized laws on cannabis. But, if you live there and want to grow cannabis at home, you’ll have to move.
The other states permitting adult-use and medical marijuana have decidedly different rules on how much you or a caregiver can cultivate. Most permit citizens to raise six plants at home. Some permit as much as 12 plants, especially where you are located at considerable distance from a dispensary.
What’s the problem?
The problem is you must know what you’re doing. But, it’s not that hard if you follow these 10 easy steps to grow cannabis at home:
1. Pick a place. Little cannabis plants eventually get big. So, you’ll have to find something better than your kitchen windowsill. And, wherever you decide to grow, you must make sure it is child- and pet-proof.
You need a space where the plant or plants can grow fully. Depending on the strain, the cannabis plant will grow tall and skinny or short and stumpy. By the time its ready for harvesting and depending how you cultivate it, a plant is likely to at least reach your knees.
So, you need a grow space where you can raise the plants, so they are “comfortable” because as they grow taller, they grow wider. The plants need space to breathe, and you need space to work around them. With a little research, you can buy a grow room for a reasonable price or how-to guides on building your own.
2. Get good dirt. You don’t use dirt to grow cannabis. Dirt from your yard may include toxins and pollutants. A good nursery can select a quality potting compost. It needs a texture that retains water yet allows drainage.
You can buy packaged quality soils online or in quality nurseries. But, you can also think about a soilless mix. Good ones have a pH factor of 6 to 7. A good mix includes 30% perlite, 30% vermiculate, and 40% worm castings, a recipe you can prepare on your own.
3. Light it good. Flowering plants want light, but if your space is limited, you must choose lights well. You start by measuring square footage because the lamps generate heat as well as light.
CFLs and LEDs work well for spaces under 5’ by 5’. They light well and provide enough heat but not enough to burn or dry the plants. And, you must check for a light spectrum that supports your growth from seed to budding.
You must understand that plants need light from all sides and from underneath, so placement is important. And, you should consider reflective materials to disburse the light throughout.
4. Select good plants. With some research under your belt, you can shop for plants, seeds, or clones. Depending on your state laws and cannabis dispensary, you can purchase small plants. In some jurisdictions, you can get started plants from trusted cannabis collectives or local dispensaries.
Your option is to buy seeds from reputable online seed banks that provide details on seed genetics, growth pattern, and breeding ancestry. Or, you could consider clones, starter plants “of true and tested genetics that will taste and yield within the standard range of whatever strain you select” (Green State).

5. Start good. Seeds want light and water. And, to make it easier, you place one seed into a starter cube that you keep moist and warm. If you go this route, you’ll seed seedlings within a week.
But, the traditional towel method works well for most growers. You place a damp paper towel on a plate. After distributing a few seeds across the towel, you cover them with another damp towel. You cover everything with another plate, and check on the and dampness every day. Seeds should sprout root within four days.
You, then, use tweezers to pick up the sprouting seeds and place them about one inch into the growing medium. Covered loosely with medium, the seedling will break the surface within days under the heat and light of CFL bulbs lit 24 hours a day.
6. Feed ‘em good. Plants need nutrition, and cannabis plants thrive on balanced nutrients. The plants progressively suck the nutrients out of the existing grow medium as they approach budding. But, there are any number of good supplements available at dispensaries, nurseries, and online.
What you must regularly test the pH factor with test kits because hard water kills. As the plant grows, it wants more “balanced” water, so you want to keep the pH measure at 6.0 to 7.0.
7. Grow good. The vegetative stage starts when your seedling sprouts its first tier of leaves. After that point, the plants grow best in light generated warmth of 70⁰ - 85⁰.
As the plant grows, you apply nutrients as directed on the container to avoid burning the plant and add water enough and frequently enough to keep soil moist but not soaked.
8. Bud good. The vegetative stage leads to the flowering stage where plants produce the buds you are waiting for. This stage expects you to reduce the lighting to 12-hours a day and the heat to 65⁰ - 80⁰.
But, you also must identify the plant’s gender because only the females produce the buds. The females reveal themselves by sprouting fine white hair above each joint between leaf and stem. If you buy clones or feminized seeds, they will already be identified as male or female.
9. Pick the goods. You must be patient until the buds stop producing those fine white hairs. Then, you wait a little longer until about 40% of those hairs darken and curl up.
The aroma will be strong and the potency quick acting. When 50-70% of the wisps turn dark, the THC level is highest. And, when 80-90% are dark and curled in, the buds are heavy with CBN.
With some experience and research, you can learn about timing your harvest. When ready, you clip the buds off at the base with tweezers and a pair of narrow pointed garden scissors.
10. Cure the goods. The harvested buds are not ready for smoking until they are dried and cured. Depending on the strain, your buds should be plump and colorful. It’s time to hand them top down in a well ventilated cool, dark place until they dry out.
Keeping your eye on signs of mold or other pests, you wait some more until you can snap the thin stems and bend the thick ones. When dried, the buds go into quart-sized glass jars with tight lids.
Over the first weeks of curing, you must open the jars to admit fresh air and release moisture for a few seconds daily. Once you feel less moisture by touch, you can open the jars weekly instead of daily. But, you can expect the process to take up to 30 days.
How easy is it to grow cannabis at home?
The main problem with growing cannabis at home is that there is so much information out there. If you start small with two to four plants, you can build on your own experience. There will be mistakes, and somethings will work better than others. But, since the growing involves some investment in equipment and supplies, you will likely not repeat mistakes. So, you might think of this as a hobby with a real pleasurable result.
 

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