Marlboro owner invests BILLIONS in Canadian marijuana company

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One of the world's biggest tobacco companies is diving into the cannabis market with a $2.4 billion buy-in.

Marlboro maker Altria Group Inc. is tak-ing a 45 percent stake in Cronos Group, the Canadian medical and recreational marijuana provider said on Friday.Altria will also pay another $1.4 billion for warrants that if exercised, would give the Altria a 55 percent ownership stake in the Toronto company.

'Investing in Cronos Group as our exclu-sive partner in the emerging global can-nabis category represents an exciting new growth opportunity for Altria,' said Howard Willard, Altria's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, in a statement.

We believe that Cronos Group's excel-lent management team has built capa-bilities necessary to compete globally, and we look forward to helping Cronos Group realize its signif icant growth potential,' Willard said.

Altria's total investment will be in the same league as the $4 billion spent ear-lier this year by Constellation Brands to acquire shares of Canopy Growth Corp., another Canadian pot producer.

The August investment by Constellation, which makes Corona and other beverag-es, was the largest to date by a major U.S. corporation in the cannabis market.

Whatever hesitation larger corpora-tions in the U.S. had about entering the

cannabis market appears to be fading if there is a f inancial justif ication.

Altria's huge investment lit up shares of cannabis companies that have begun to set up shop in Canada, where recreation-al use was legalized nationwide this year.

Shares of Cronos Group Inc. jumped 31 per cent and neared an all-time high at the opening bell Friday.

Rapid growth in the cannabis market is expected to continue as legalization expands in the U.S. and social norms change.

On Tuesday, conservative Utah became the latest state to legalize marijuana use for medical purposes.

Consumers are expected to spend $57 billion per year worldwide on legal can-nabis by 2027, according to Arcview Market Research, a cannabis-focused investment f irm.

In North America, that spending is expected to grow from $9.2 billion in 2017 to $47.3 billion in 2027.

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WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN BUYING

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THE ART OF PINCHING AND PRUNING PLANTS

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4 EDITORIAL READERS@SOFTSECRETS.NL

2019: THE YEAR THE UK WAS LEFT BEHINDIt’s 2019 and legitimate cannabis research is about to be properly booming.

Let’s take two countries as examples of how medical research should be done: America and Israel.

A number of American Universities have set up cannabis research units and are currently carrying out cutting edge work. The Centre for Medical Cannabis Research in San Diego are currently investigating the effectiveness of weed in the treatment of Anorexia Nervosa, severe autism, early psychosis, bipolar disorder and neuropathic pain.

The Institute of Cannabis Research at Colorado University are investigating the effectiveness of cannabis in treating epilepsy, and the University of Georgia is currently conducting some very worthy and highly relevant research looking at how states with legal weed are seeing a reduction in prescribed opioid use.

A number of American universities are about to begin offering both major and minor options in cannabis studies.

In Israel, there appear to be dozens of projects currently running, for example, looking at the effectiveness of weed in the treatment of heart disease, epilepsy, diabetes and some types of cancer (note: they’re looking at treatments as opposed to a cure).

Essentially, Israel is – and has been for a number of decades - way ahead of the rest of the world in the arena of medical cannabis research.

However, this shouldn’t really be much of a surprise to anyone as the Israeli Chemist Dr Raphael Mechoulam (“The Grandfather of Cannabis Research”) isolated and identified CBD in 1963, and THC in 1964. He also discovered the endocannabinoid system. As such, we’ve all got quite a lot to thank him for.

The effectiveness of the “Entourage Effect” appears to have originated in Israeli work as well.

For the past couple of years, Ariel University has offered an approved and accredited course in medical cannabis (the first, though other universities now smell the money like sharks smelling blood and are in the process of following suit). So successful has this course been that it has been consistently full, and hundreds of prospective students have had to be refused entry.

All big stuff. All very important stuff. But that’s all overseas in faraway places.

Here in the UK, quite aside from the current “anti-expert” and “anti-science” stance adopted by the government, the whole issue of Brexit leaves a number of question marks. It looks as though the UK is going to withdraw (or be removed) from a range of EU science and research projects. Many people in the UK appear to be quite comfortable with this state of affairs, taking the view that we “can go it alone”. This might have worked once upon a time, but these days are gone. Co-operation and collaboration are key here: critical mass. Once we’re out of the EU, why should they want to share with us? Why should anyone else want to share with us? This will apply to cannabis research as well.

Of course, the root of this is that in the UK cannabis is still classified under Schedule 1 (meaning that in the eyes of the law, it has no medical or therapeutic benefit), so research possibilities are severely limited to all bar a very select few. As many readers will be aware, these are a very small group of mostly already very wealthy individuals, many with connections to those in positions of power, thus allowing them to create and exploit loopholes in the law for personal enrichment. Effectively, medical cannabis in the UK has been monopolized for the benefit of the wealthy.

Whether one thinks that pharmaceutical extracts are right or wrong or that whole plant medicine is right or wrong is pretty much irrelevant here: research to determine the effectiveness of cannabis in treating specific conditions is an absolute necessity, and should be viewed in terms of the potential health benefits for all, as opposed to the potential financial benefits for a few. Dr. Dee

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What separates the different levels of Cannabis flower can be down to a number of variables, from the grower, the genetics, the price and the demand. Since America changed their laws on growing, the marketplace for flowers has been totally flooded. On the other hand, at street level it can be challenging to obtain a consistent batch of great bud when it comes to a local dealer. Below is what to consider when buying Cannabis locally, at a coffeeshop in Amsterdam, social club in Spain or at a dispensary outlet in America or Canada.

7GROW WITH STONEY TARK

By Stoney Tark

WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN BUYING CANNABIS

THE BAG APPEALThe first thing that most people will see before usually smelling the flower will be the first impression. In some places such as coffeeshops in Amsterdam, their approach to handling the buds is very strict and as a tourist you may be restricted to a look and smell only policy. There are a number of things I would personally be looking out for and the first is the development of the calyx. Are the buds bulky and fox tailing, or are they small, tight and slightly undeveloped?

The next is to look out for the amount of leaf that is covering the bud. This is always an indication into the time the grower spent trimming, so may give you an idea of the work that was put in to get to that stage. A well trimmed bud makes me think the grower is conscious of their end product and pride themselves on the quality of their dried bud.

THE AROMAOnce you have feasted your eyes on the flowers in question, your next quality control check should be down to aroma. Cannabis is one of the most advanced plants in terms of terpene production and how from over 40,000 terpene groups, the plant is able to emulate its own unique terpene profiles. In the same way that perfume is created by masking one fragrance over another to blend a new aroma, Cannabis plants are able to do this by themselves depending on their genetic make up. When a dried flower is presented to you, the first thing you should think about is how the smell when untouched comes across.

Then breaking open a bud and allowing the bud to get as a close as possible to your nostrils should release a slightly different smell.

When grinding up, you will find new terpenes will be released creating a new aroma that can be found when

smelling a freshly ground bud. What I am describing here is what top shelf Cannabis flower can be like, so if the aroma test falls short, then think twice as the terpenes are what makes the

flower taste in the first place. I know I would prefer tasty smooth Cannabis over a harsh tasting strong variety.

SIZE AND WEIGHT If a flower looks the part and smells even better, the next thing to look out for is the overall weight of

dried flower. I say dried flower as not everyone will dry their flowers accordingly, which may be down to profits, time restrictions or just greed. It is important to understand that not all varieties of Cannabis will produce the same flower and under the same circumstances. Unlike tulips for example which was once a primary currency in Holland at one point, the quality of Cannabis grown world wide can range from awful to cup winning.

If you enter a coffee shop or dispensary, then you can most likely expect to choose flowers that have been cured for a short amount of time and are dry enough to break open with an audible snap. My point here is to never buy flower that is not fully dried, in the same sense you would be dubious of buying flower that was over dried and lifeless. A flower that has a strong aroma and long lasting, loud fragrance will only translate this way when smoking, just like a flower that is too dry will take like dead wood.

HOW STICKY IS IT?Just because a bud is super resionous and silver to the naked eye, it does not mean that it has to arrive in your hands wet. Sticky buds mean that the genetics are very good and the grower also did a great job. Sticky moist buds should not be confused with trichome rich flower and often a mistake smokers make when buying something that smells incredible but is not quite ready to smoke properly and to get the best overall experience from the flower.

At the same time you do not want to buy flower that has no resin on or very little, which can often be a case of outdoor Cannabis making its way around the local scene, or just a large indoor crop of schwag weed that someone is selling cheap. The more you grow and the more you learn to dry your crop and cure will allow you to better recognise if a bud is at its pinnacle point for smoking.

THE PRESENTATIONTo me personally this is a big one and

An example of low grade, over dried flower

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can indicate a few red flags. My mind set when trimming flower is to be as delicate as humanly possible, whilst preserving every single sugar leaf and trichome for hash making. I also like to make that every single flower is as close to identical as possible and will end up with totally cleaned up 1 inch sized, thick buds. When receiving any amount of Cannabis flower be vigilant of large

sized twigs that should have been removed. In my world there is no excuse for leaving any twig in any part of my buds, so you should not have to endure this either. When buying a large amount, you can tell from the consistency of the buds if the grower is careful with the trim job and if there are a handful of good looking buds and the rest is made up of lower popcorn nugs.

AVOID DARK COLOURED BROWN BUDSYou must be very careful to ever come across dark coloured flowers. I do not mean purple strains or anything of this nature, however the dark green pesticide flowers that do float around. In Spain they are absolutely everywhere and the aroma that is associated with them is disgusting. These buds will most certainly originate from an outdoor crop that most likely had mold, mildew, bud rot and was hammered with pesticides from day one.

Everything about dark green buds should scream low grade schwag and it is not even worth smoking a joint unless you want the room to fill with a foul burning smell which is a mix of dry hay and seed. Be careful and look out for dark green, bronze and brown colouring of buds and no matter how cheap and cheerful avoid at all costs.

ASKING THE DEALERIt is amazing how the Cannabis scene has evolved where we can find dealers at social clubs, dispensaries and coffee shops. Gone are the days for most of us when it was the luck of the draw and hoping that your local dealer still had some more of that last batch. What is great about the dealer is they will have an insight about the strains available, what each one is like in terms of aroma, effects, flavour, cannabinoid profile and so on.

If you have the opportunity to ask a trained member of staff at a Cannabis outlet then you will receive well

informed knowledge about their stock and which suits your recreational or medicinal needs the most. In America and California the scene is a little different to in Europe where there is more of close interaction with the patients. In europe the Cannabis scene evolves heavily around Amsterdam and Barcelona where the culture is more hustle and bustle.

BUYING HASHAs a hash lover myself and someone who has spent years attempting to become a true hashashin, buying hash can really be a shot in the dark. Luckily the awareness amongst growers and extractors now has allowed us to start enjoying some incredible hashes made in the same old school custom as the hash makers from Morocco and Pakistan. This part really applies to those who are working with dealers and are told that there is some good hash around.

First of all you will know the quality of the hash from the quality of the melt, which can simply be tested by holding a flame close to the hash. Do not burn it directly but wait to see how much the hash bubbles when heated like this. A good quality hash will begin to bubble aggressively and burn with a clean glow and thick white smoke, releasing a body of terpenes. Not all hash that bubbles like this is a sign of purity but in fact can be the opposite. A lot of commercial hash is contaminated and will be reflected in the way the hash burns with a glowing ember and a charcoal black residue.

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10 GROW WITH MR. JOSÉ

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THE ART OFPINCHING ANDPRUNING PLANTS

WHAT IS PINCHINGPinching means removing new shoots on the main stalk or side branches. Its goal is either to prevent development of a new shoot, usually done by pinching of lateral shoots, or slowing down the vertical growth of plants and boosting development of lower shoots which can be done by pinching the main terminal or the tops of side branches. Cannabis plants, similarly to certain kinds of trees, grow in the cone shape. The main stalk grows straight up and the side branches

Many people often ask me about the ways I pinch and prune my plants. They ask if and when it is appropriate to do so, and also how it should be done. The following article will give you answers to all these questions.

are the longest in the lower parts of the plant. This way, the plant ensures the best access to sunlight for all parts. However, it can always adjust its shape

according to current natural conditions. For instance, if you sow plants close to one another, the development of the side branches will be suppressed,

or they will try to grow along the main stem up in order to reach the light. In any case, the main terminal of the cannabis plant always grows primarily in height – which may be inconvenient for some growers and that is why they decide to employ the pinching technique.

WHY YOU SHOULD PINCHIf you grow outdoors, it is usually not necessary to pinch your plants. They can evolve to an optimal shape naturally. Moreover, the height of plants is not usually much of a problem while growing outdoors. However, while growing under artificial light, growers need to limit the height of their plants almost in every case, mainly for two reasons. The first one is limited space in the growing room. For example, if your room has two meters in height, you cannot grow two meter tall plants. There have to be at least 30 centimeters of space between the plant and the light source but usually you need even more. Second, you have to limit the height of plants when growing indoors because of the effective power of the light source. To use its performance effectively, all plants should be located within the same distance from the light. That is because the performance of the light source decreases dramatically with the increasing distance – the tops of plants usually receive tens percent more light than the branches located lower. Such a drop doesn’t occur when growing outdoors. To summarize: pinching is useful for limiting the height of your plants as well as for the regulation or increase of lateral shoots.

HOW TO PINCHThere are two basic techniques of pinching. The most common is the removal of the whole sprouting shoot. If you pinch the whole growing shoot at the top of the main terminal, two new lateral shoots start developing under it quite quickly. The same happens when you remove the top of any other side branches – the two closest shoots to it start developing quickly. In this way, you can increase the number of the tops of the terminal or lateral branches. You can repeat

PINCHING IS DONE PRIMARILY TO REGULATE THE PLANT’S HEIGHT OR THE NUMBER OF LATERAL SHOOTS.

The plant after the pinching of the main terminal. The four sprouts below are going to start growing quickly.

11

this process several times if you want to. You only need to let the branch grow at least two sets of leaves and you can pinch the top of the branch again. The two lateral shoots below always speed up their growth. However, you should not pinch the branches too much if you grow plants with the intention of harvesting buds. If you want your plants to grow nice big buds, it’s good to keep the number of branches between one and eight.

Nevertheless, you can use extensive pinching when you produce clones, because with them, you want to have as many shoots on the mother plant as possible. Pinching can be further used to eliminate the growth of the lateral branches. In such case, you pinch the

shoot right at the main stem or branch as you can see in one of the pictures.

Another pinching method is called FIM by growers. With this method, you pinch the cluster of new shoots at the main terminal about a half higher than with the classic pinching method. The top of the flower does not consist of a single sprout but three to five of them. When you manage to pinch this part in the right way using the FIM method,

you get four to five new branches on the top of the plant – these can later yield nice buds. This technique is especially useful in small growing spaces where you want to have as much buds as possible (for example in micro growing). On the contrary, it is

not so useful for the so-called sea of green technique when the plants are very close to each other.

If you want to regulate the height of plants while growing outdoors or in a greenhouse, pinch the main terminal using the classic method and try to

point the lateral branches as much to the sides as possible. The more sunlight they receive, the shorter they will be.

WHEN AND HOW TO PINCHYou should pinch the plants in the growth stage before they start forming flowers. They should have at least three sets of leaves before you start pinching them. Also make sure the branch has at least three shoots. At the latest, pinching is recommended when switching to the flowering stage. Really, some people pinch the plants as late as the day when they switch to the flowering stage, however, according to my own experience, it is best to pinch them seven to five days before the transition – at the latest. You should always use clean scissors or a sharp knife for pinching. The cut should be straight in order to make the wound on the plant as small as possible. The FIM method, though, should be done using fingers – you can pinch the sprouts using simply your thumb and index finger.

WHEN NOT TO PINCHYou should never pinch autoflowering strains. Any damage done to plant’s tissue causes stress and slows down its growth for several days. Autoflowering strains have a relatively short life cycle

and thus every slowdown in their development is counterproductive. It is best to leave them grow naturally, without any interventions. With non-autoflowering strains, it is not recommended to pinch the plants during the flowering stage. In this stage, it is much better to prune them.

WHAT IS PRUN-ING AND WHY IT’S WORTH DOINGWhen the plants are already bigger, and you do not like their shape, you can prune them according to your needs. Pruning means removing larger parts of plants. Choose whole branches, for example, which wouldn’t receive enough light, or are in your way. They would only absorb energy which would be otherwise used by the rest of your plant. In indoor growing, the more branches plants have, the more buds they form, but such buds would be smaller. That is why it is sometimes advisable to limit the number of branches (ideally to already mentioned four to eight branches) to boost the growth of dense buds. Of course, buds too large can be disadvantageous as well – they are too heavy for weak branches and need to be supported. But let’s be honest, who would prefer small buds over large ones...

Pruning further involves removing lower branches that do not receive enough light because they cannot get reach high enough to make contact with the light source. When you remove them, the plant can use more energy for the growth of more promising branches. Moreover, if you employ the sea of green or green wall techniques,

BEFORE PRUNING, TAKE A CAREFUL LOOK AT THE WHOLE PLANT AND DECIDED WHICH BRANCHES YOU WANT TO KEEP.

The red line marks the classic pinching, the blue one marks the FIM method.

You can stop the growth of lateral branches by pinching the marked shoots. No new sprout will appear here.growing quickly.

12

I’ve alluded to this kind of thing before, but for those of you who may not have seen it, the narrative goes something like this:

1) An ever increasing number of people connected to these groups continue to insist that cannabis “cures” cancer. They further insist that the government has been aware of this for decades and that they collude with Big Pharma to supress this knowledge in order to allow ongo-ing and continual “self-enrichment” by means of the sale of alternative and ineffective drugs that actually prolong and in many cases worsen the condi-tions they are supposed to treat.

These next two aren’t exactly about can-nabis but are very closely connected none-theless, and as such are worth sharing;

2) No small number of people con-nected to these groups don’t have their children vaccinated for measles, mumps and so forth because they believe that vaccinations are also part of this wider conspiracy and actually cause disease, thus requiring the same sort of ineffective drugs referred to in 1 (above).

3) Many of them believe that those vapour trails that aeroplanes leave in their wake are actually “chemtrails”. Again, the purpose of these is to cause or trigger a range of diseases and health complaints requiring the same treat-ments referred to in 1 and 2 (above).

I could go on here and tell you that a number of these folk take the view that the Earth is actually flat (seriously), but that’s getting too far into la-la land, and I reckon I’ve made my point already.

As far as assertion 1 goes, in all of my thirty plus years in drug research, I’ve never seen any credible evidence to substantiate any of these claims, and believe me, I’ve looked. Just to be abso-lutely clear for everyone, cannabis does not cure cancer (as I write this, there is some research going on but it’s at a

OF CHARLATANS AND TINFOIL HATSSeason’s greetings, readers.It has been an interesting month for me already, as I wound up 2018 and commenced 2019 by being kicked off and blocked from a number of online pro medical cannabis groups basically for asking people to refrain from presenting nonsense as fact. Dr. Dee

very early stage). As far as Assertions 2 and 3 go, I think they’re just utter non-sense, and potentially dangerous non-sense at that.

Anyhow, at the end of last year I made my views regarding these three asser-tions quite crystal clear, and here we are.

I suppose I’ve really got nobody but myself to blame; having a contrary view to what appears increasingly to be the majority layperson’s line about this stuff makes me “gullible” (!) a Nazi and a “Big Pharma shill”. Apparently having a view informed by logic and fact can be trumped by ill-informed opinion and wishful thinking.

Cranks like this have always been a part of the various legalisation of can-nabis groups and movements, and personally I’ve always thought that they’re a really bad advert for cannabis use. However, I’ve noticed that over the past ten or fifteen years the tendency towards wider acceptance of this kind of nonsense has been slowly gaining momentum.

And here’s the thing: all that any of this really succeeds in doing is to undermine credibility.

Don’t get me wrong; there’s no ques-tion that Big Pharma are involved in practices ranging from the ethically questionable to the downright dis-honest. I’m acutely aware of this and cover it regularly in this very column. But let’s try to keep it real, yes? All of those who regard scientists as char-latans should really take a look in a mirror.

It’s vital that the Legalisation Movement be regarded seriously, but this isn’t going to properly happen while the conspiracy nuts are allowed such a free hand. All this does is make The Movement something of a laughing stock and that in turn undermines the likelihood of achieving the ultimate goal.

removing lower branches can improve the airflow between the plants, thus preventing mildew.

HOW AND WHEN TO PRUNEPruning is a something that needs to be properly thought over. It is best to prune during first two to three weeks of the flowering stage. In this period, you can already see which parts of plants have a good chance to receive plenty of light and which are weak and useless. You only want to keep such branches that can yield substantial buds. During these two weeks, we can cut the branches between one to three times. It is best to remove entire branches about one centimeter from the stem. As with pinching, one should use a sharp clean knife or scissors and try to make the wound as small as possible. Although I have already warned you that pruning should not be done in the flowering stage, there is one exception – we can remove shoots on branches that grow in places without a good access to light. You can find such shoots in the lower parts of otherwise promising branches. In fact, these outgrowths are already future flowers. Without enough light,

though, they would be too weak and would only draw energy from the rest of the plant. Thus, the majority of the experienced growers always remove the lower branches.

Before pruning, take look at the whole plant and choose the branches that you want to keep. Try to remove any branches that would cross or shade each other – this applies to all your plants so mind the neighboring ones as well. Your goal is to achieve an optimal number of branches where all the potential flowers will get enough light. Moreover, the growing space should be well ventilated as well.

WHEN NOT TO PRUNEAs with pinching, pruning shouldn’t be done on autoflowering strains. The only exception is when you find low branches that are stunted and do not grow. Bear in mind that you should remove them before the plant switches into the flowering stage. You should never prune any strains after third week of flowering.

REMOVING LEAVESRemoving leaves is another often discussed topic, especially with the indoor growing, because outdoor it doesn’t make much sense. The large leaves often overshadow flowers and if they are overlapping, then water condensates on them and the risk of mildew increases. No wonder many growers want to limit the number of leaves on their plants. Fortunately, cannabis plants grow more leaves than they need. Removing leaves should be done in the same period as pruning. You should always remove only the large leaves growing on the parts of the plant without flowers. Mind that the plant needs leaves for its development – it uses them to absorb the energy from the source of slight, which is an

essential part of photosynthesis. When you finish removing leaves, you should still not be able to see through the plant when viewed from above. If you are pruning leaves for the first time, the golden rule applies is “less is more”. If some leaves seem to be in the way during the final period of the growing cycle, remove only those that are extensively overshadowing your plant and are covered with water as a reason of their overlapping. If you remove too many leaves during the flowering stage, it boosts the growth of tiny leaves in flowers – and this olny complicates the harvest.

COLUMN

In order to direct more energy into upper parts of your plants, it is advisable to pinch the lower branches.growing quickly.

YOUR PASSIONOUR PASSION

DUTCH PASSIONwww.dutch-passion.com

15GROW QUIZ

1. Which of these represents the growing phase

A. 12 hours on / 12 hours offB. 18 hours on / 6 hours offC. 6 hours on / 18 hours offD. 10 hours on / 14 hours off

2. What time of year should plants be placed outdoors to grow?

A. Spring timeB. Late summerC. The fallD. Late January

3. When breeding what is a hybrid?A. The original parent line back crossedB. A cross of 2 different strainsC. A second generation crossD. There is no such thing

4. Which of these best represents the flowering stage?

A. 24 degrees and 100% humidityB. 24 degrees and 0% humidityC. 24 degrees and 70% humidityD. 24 degrees and 30% humidity

5. Which of these types of extraction uses a solvent?

A. RosinB. IsolatorC. B.H.OD. Dry Sifting

6. How many days should it take to dry a plant?

A. 14 daysB. 1 dayC. 28 daysD. 3 days

7. Which of these involves tying plants down?

A. Super croppingB. TrellisingC. L.S.TD. Fimming

8. Which of these has no nutrient value?A. Soil B. Hydroton C. worm castingsD. Bat Guano

9. How will pruning plants in veg help later on?

A. Pruning makes the plants flower earlyB. Converts the energy to the top canopyC. It causes multiple topsD. It will make no difference at all

10. Which of these means a femenised breeding line?

A. S1B. F1C. BXD. F2

11. What should be done as part of the final flowering stage?

A. Adding as many nutrients as possibleB. Starve plants completelyC. Using chemical boosters D. Flush to remove built up salts

12. When making isolator what should be done before hand?

A. Grind up all of the budsB. Blast trim with butaneC. Prepare the alcohol to mix withD. Freeze the trim

13. Which of these strains is not real?A. Gorilla GlueB. Chocolate ChunkC. Black DominaD. Gorilla Thriller

14. What is the correct abbreviation of P.A.R?A. Photon Active ResponseB. Phosphorus Active RadiationC. Photosynthetically Active RadiationD. Potassium Around Roots

15. Adding an airstone to a water source will do what?

A. Lower pHB. Increase pHC. Kill microbial lifeD. Nothing

16. When is the best time to complete plant training?

A. In the first weekB. In the middle of floweringC. During the growing cycleD. Late into the flowering stage

17. Curing Cannabis means to do what?A. Store dried flower in a jar and burping air

outB. Freezing freshly cut plantsC. Cooking in an over to decarboxylateD. To remove all of the smaller leaves

18. What is meant by a hermaphrodite plant?A. It means it will produce male pollenB. It means it has male and female flowersC. It means it it is only femaleD. There is no such thing

19. What will happen if humidity is too high in flower?

A. Buds can begin to grow mouldB. CBD levels with increaseC. THC will lowerD. Plants turn purple

20. Which of these best describes Sativa Cannabis?

A. No psychoactive elements just CBDB. Sleepy and unmotivatedC. Energetic and focusedD. Heavy legs and arms

For answers see page 38!

TASTY TASTY TERPENES

By Richard Hamilton

GROW WITH RICH HAMILTON16

Well, Terpenes are organic compounds found in many plants and also some insects. They are fragrant oils secreted in the flower's sticky resin glands. Like THC and CBD, terpenes attach to receptors in the brain and have various effects on the mind and body. Unlike THC and CBD however, Terpenes are not exclusive to Cannabis and are present in lots of plants and fruits such as peppermint, coriander, lavender, mango and pine. They are what give these and lots of other plants their signature smell and are what essential oils are derived from.

The biological purpose of terpenes is thought to be that they act as a deterrent to herbivore pests which otherwise

would attack the plant, whilst at the same time attracting the predators of these pests, so cleverly using a 2 pronged campaign to keep insects at bay. Cannabis terpenes are most noticeable in smell and flavor and explain why different strains can have such different smells, especially the new hybrid strains that we are seeing coming through. In the same way as essential oils, Terpenes have different properties that are thought to be therapeutic for a variety of physical and mental health conditions.

You obviously ingest them just like the other compounds when smoking, vaping or cooking with weed! Cooking with Cannabis has become increasingly

popular in recent years as many people choose eating weed in their food as opposed to smoking it for a multitude of reasons both personal and health based. With the relaxing of laws and legalization slowly creeping in around the world, there has been a surge in interest in "cannabis cuisine" and it is an area of the market that is growing in popularity at an incredible rate with cooking accessories, recipe books, lifestyle blogs, pop-up restaurants and pre-packaged mass produced edibles companies now starting up in many parts of the world. Basically if you can think of a dish, there is probably a cannabis infused recipe for it out there. The days of home made brownies and cookies being the start and

end of edibles is long gone. People want tasty, quality and inventive food!

With this in mind I thought I would look at terpenes in more detail in an attempt to inspire any of you potential cannabis cuisine chefs out there! I will be taking the most common cannabis terpenes, examining their properties and giving you an overview of what food and flavors match with it based on its individual aroma and taste profile. Kind of like what Chefs do with other standard ingredients which come in a variety of flavor profiles such as cheese, mushrooms, apples or chillies to name but a few. Cooking with Cannabis is really easy these days and there is something for everyone regardless of your personal preferences or dietary requirements.

A few basic rules to stick to when cooking with cannabis are, try and stick to recipes that use oils like olive ,coconut or butter itself as cannabinoids thrive in oils and fats as they allow the compounds such as THC and terpenes to be active. You can even buy machines now, like soup makers that will make your butter infusions for you within a matter of hours! Start off easy with recipes that can be either sweet or savoury for versatility such as sauce for salads or steak, a pesto if you are vegetarian perhaps or dessert sauce such as chocolate or caramel. Simple bake recipes like pancakes and waffles are a good place to hone your skills also. It is important also to consider the boiling point of each individual terpene when cooking with cannabis as heating beyond this point means you will lose the benefits as the heat burns it off.

If you are just starting out with cooking then it is probably best to use cannabis strains with higher terpene levels (anything between 2%-4%) to begin with as they will have much more noticeable and recognizable scents that you can pin-point and assign to food types with ease such as ‘sweet’ ‘spicy’ or ‘citrus’. The name of the strain will obviously tell you a lot about the terpenes and flavours also i.e ‘lemon haze” “blueberry” “pineapple express”

When purchasing cannabis try and use "trim or shake" as it will save you prep time when cooking as it is already broken up and ready to put in an infusion. Remember to trust your instinct, you will know to a certain degree what foods a particular terpene is best suited to based on it's overall scent (you wouldn't put a spicy smelling ingredient in a sweet dessert!) so just approach it as you would any regular ingredient. Use your nose and your common sense to point you in the correct general direction. Here is a summary of each however in order to educate and inspire you to culinary greatness! Pinene can be found in Sativa, Indica and hybrid strains including Jack Herer, Dutch Treat and Romulan and has a boiling point of 155C (311F). Pinene helps with

Until recently THC and CBD were the buzz words when it came to talking about weed. THC of course is the compound within cannabis that gives you that 'high'. CBD the cousin of THC is the compound which claims (although still un-regulated) to have a wide range of health benefits and medicinal uses without any of the THC high, such as helping people control and reduce the symptoms of conditions like epilepsy and neuralgia. I'm sure by now you are familiar with all the CBD oils, capsules etc. that are on the market. So what are Terpenes then?

inflammation. It's effects are sedating and muscle relaxing. Its aroma is earthy and has notes of Mushroom, Clove, Herbal and Citrus. It is also found in Mango, Thyme, Citrus, Lemongrass and bay leaf. Good food pairings for Myrcene include lots of vegetarian dishes like mushroom risotto, omelettes, vegetable quiche, curries and even soups.

Limonene is present in sativa and hybrid strains including Train wreck and Super Lemon Haze and has a boiling point of 176C (349F). It is used for gastric reflux, as an anti fungal and helps with depression and anxiety. The effects are elevated mood and stress relief. The aroma is heavily citrus, that of Lemon and Orange. It is found in citrus rind and also Juniper and Peppermint. With such a strong citrus profile it is hard to pair this terpene with anything but predominantly citrus based recipes such as lemon drizzle cake, honey and lemon tea and lemon sorbet. You can incorporate it into savoury dishes however if you are clever

such as a sauce for oysters or scallops.

Humulene is found in Hybrid and Sativa strains including Sour Diesel and White Widow and has a boiling point of 198C (388F). Humulene assists with pain relief and works as an anti-inflammatory and an anti-bacterial. Its physical effect is that it suppresses appetite. It has a woody,

earthy aroma and is also found in Hops and Coriander. It has a taste similar to the woody organic hops of a cask ale beer and helps toward the spice in coriander and has a spicy flavour when boiled for long periods so with this in mind it would be good for use in rich gravys or sauce for meat. In slow cooked meals such as Casseroles and in meat pies or any recipe that also uses beer as a recipe. Humulene is what gives sage, ginger and ginseng their zingy bite so used alongside any of these ingredients it should work well.

You would be right in linking some of the effects of terpenes as being the same

17

Inflammation and breathing conditions such as Asthma and bronchitis. Mental health benefits include improving memory retention, alertness and helping with depression. It's aroma is of sharp, sweet pine and it is also found in Conifers, Orange peel, Basil, Pine, Sage Rosemary and Dill. Recipe ideas therefore could include pesto, Italian dishes such as lasagne, flatbreads or herb rubs or marinade for meat or vegetables.

Linalool is most prominent in Indica and some Hybrid strains, including Skywalker OG, Amnesia Haze and Lavender and has a boiling point of 198C (388F). Is thought to help combat Insomnia, Stress, Depression, Anxiety, Pain and convulsions, its effects are thought to be sedating and calming. It has a Floral, Citrus, Spicy aroma and is also found in Lavender, Citrus fruits, Coriander, Birch and Rosewood. For cooking therefore you could try using it in savoury lemon sauce for fish, lemon pepper chicken or if you like a bit of spice in your food try Linalool in a tomato sauce based curry. If you love zingy desserts with a kick then try a lemon tart, a mousse or any other fruity dessert pie/pastry. You could also try a smoothie with apricots, papaya or cranberries (all of which naturally contain levels of Linalool)

Carophyllene is found mainly in Indica and hybrid strains such as OG Kush, Northern lights and Girl Scout Cookies and has a boiling point of (320F). It is thought to work as an antioxidant as well as helping with Inflammation, Muscle spasms, pain and insomnia. It has no known physical effects. It has a pepper, wood, spice aroma and is also found in Pepper, Cloves, Hops, Basil and Oregano. In food terms it is best served in savoury dishes due to its peppery spicy aroma so think of giving ordinary dishes like pumpkin pie a bit of a kick or serve in chipotle sauce, burritos, chilli or in salsa perhaps.

Myrcene is found in sativa, Indica and hybrid strains including Green Crack, Blue Dream and Grandaddy purple and has a boiling point of 168C (334F). It is thought to work as an antiseptic, an anti-bacterial and an anti fungal as well as combatting

as THC and CBD such as stress relief or relaxation but you have nothing to lose really as the terpene could only heighten these effects. Research into medical marijuana is starting to breakdown terpene profiles of different strains and manipulating them, allowing them to increase terpenes or cross breed strains to make hybrid terpenes. Imagine a future where Cannabis strains could be engineered so that all their active ingredients, THC, CBD and terpenes are combined towards assisting, managing or curing one physical or mental health need!

By considering terpenes when you buy your Cannabis you are giving yourself another factor with which to make an informed choice other than just THC content. There are over 120 identified terpene compounds in Cannabis and the 6 categories above are the most common. This is just a guide that scratches the surface of terpenes and is in no way an exhaustive list of what does what. There is a wealth of information out there on terpenes, their overall benefits and the pairing of them with food. It is an interesting topic to look at in more detail especially if you are a bit of a connoisseur of cannabis and want to try new ways of ingesting or you are looking to identify the perfect terpene and strain to meet all your needs recreationally and medicinally.

It gives those ‘foodies’ out there something to work with also, widening the scope of what it is possible to whip up in the kitchen whether you want simple sweet treats, are cooking for fussy eaters or are looking for something with a real wow factor. Pairings like anything are all about personal preference and so there is so much room to experiment. You may choose contrasting or complimenting flavors, with the bottom line being that if you like it then it works! There are few greater pleasures in life than good food and drink…. and weed, so any excuse to combine them can only result in a happy outcome and lets face it, given that most strains of weed have a tendency to induce the ‘munchies’ the chances are that whatever you make will go down a treat anyway and you will be left wanting seconds. So no excuse, get researching and get in that kitchen!

TERPENES ARE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS FOUND IN MANY PLANTS AND ALSO SOME INSECTS. THEY ARE FRAGRANT OILS SECRETED IN THE FLOWER'S STICKY RESIN GLANDS.

EVENTS18

THE BIGGEST SHOW ON EARTHThe return of the MJBizCon in Las Vegas 2018November 14-16, 2018 saw the return of the largest cannabis conference/trade show on the planet. The MJBizCon show in Las Vegas Nevada. Now in its 7th year it is the biggest cannabis trade show in the world.

The show fell just a week after more pro-cannabis officials were brought into positions of power following the U.S midterm elections. This created a rather large buzz as the hot subject on everyone's lips was the very real possibility of there being some massive shifts in the US federal status of cannabis by this time next year. This exciting vision really set the tone for what was a professional, informative, fun and inspiring few days.

Tickets cost between $500-$700+ dollars, depending on whether you wanted included access to all the talks

and seminars across the 3 days, which, when bearing in mind that there were over 150 speakers, wasn't bad value for money! The total number of attendees reached a record high of 27,600 people, with representation from over 63 countries! The whole show is very much geared toward "business to business",

There were over 1000 exhibitors covering a total of 171,400 square foot of the Las Vegas convention centre. if you were to walk the aisles of the expo up and down in straight lines, it would be over 3 miles! The show ran for 3 days and the opportunities for anyone with

a start up, established business or just the seeds of an idea that falls under the cannabis industry umbrella were unparalleled.

For such a large show the layout was good, however my advice to anyone planning to visit would be to take the time to make a list of who you want to see and where they are and then plan a route. Otherwise you may not manage to see everything that you want to.

This year saw the addition of the MJBizCon app which allowed you to set agendas for the talks/seminars that

were happening throughout the expo. It also provided you with live updates and push notifications of what’s happening and when, along with alerts for exclusive discounts.

There were 65 different seminars and talks from162 industry leading professionals . The seminars covered a multitude of different industry aspects including, cultivation, infused products, extraction, retail, money and legal matters, business strategies, insights, opportunities and trends and were inspiring and informative, really adding to the positive atmosphere that was in the air.

One stand out seminar I did attend was - cannabis 3.0: Reinventing the industry, held by Torsten Kuenzlen, in the main hall. It was a fantastic talk about the industry, where it’s going and potentially what is going to have to change. He was a really interesting guy, if you haven’t heard of him before, look him up.

There was also the chance to attend the Marijuana Business Crash Course" This one day intensive course claims to have helped thousands of businesses get off the ground and is aimed at the entrepreneurs and start ups in the cannabis industry. Providing them

with indispensable advice, pointers and insights on how to launch their businesses and be a success.

As you would expect with Vegas as a back drop, the entertainment and hospitality was out of this world. Every night there were multiple industry, invite only parties. Which were incredible and included free drinks, food, entertainment and even transport to and from the event. With each company/sponsor trying to out do the other, it lead to a competitive 'who’s who' of industry big spenders, seeing who could win the accolade of having put on the

biggest, best, most memorable party. Additionally, if you wanted to do your own thing, just having an MJBizCon badge enabled you to free VIP lane access at some of the coolest nightclubs in Vegas.

With the state of Nevada having now legalised both medical and recreational use of cannabis, Las Vegas is the perfect venue. As let’s face it, with a show this big and with this much character, there isn’t really anywhere else that could host it.

Over all, MJBizCon was very slick and clearly designed to attract large

corporate business. As the cannabis industry becomes ever more accepted worldwide, the opportunities are opening up and the big money corporations are moving in. The big boys are coming! And the MJBizCon show reminded me of how close they really are.

If you're in the industry it’s a "must". The next Event falls on December 5-7th 2019. I highly recommend that you book a ticket soon, because with the fast unpredictable pace that the cannabis industry is moving at, It will be interesting to see how they raise the bar even higher!

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GROWING WITH SEEDS AND CLONESDeciding if you will be growing from seed or from clone can do be down to a few different things. It can be down to what country you live and what the laws permit, if you are part of a cloning culture, or as the European scene is heavy into growing seeds. Below is a list of the advantages associated with growing from either seed or clone and which may be bet-ter suited to your practical needs.

By Stoney Tark

THE BENEFITS OF GROWING WITH SEEDSRegular Seeds:If you are an old school grower or simply don’t agree with femenised seeds, then you can grow out regular seeds. The advantage of growing from regular seed will mean you will get a better variety of phenotypes than with a femenised genetic match. You will need to label

pots and be ready to separate male and female plants also when pre flowering occurs. Not the end of the world and a great way to narrow down a winner keeping phenotype. If you wish to

perform your own breeding project then this would be the perfect opportunity.

Femenised Seeds:For those new to growing and have always been aware of regular seeds, then it may be a real time saver to discover femenised seeds. Basically a seed that is genetically programmed to produce only female flowers. The immediate advantage of this is the ability to fully utilise all of your space

meaning no wasted pots, no wasted vegging time and nutrients and no empty hydro systems once flowering begins. Another benefit to using femenised seeds is a grower can

perform a Sea Of Green set up with easy and have an entire crop filled from top to bottom.

Autoflowering Seeds:A serious game changer for anyone who suffered from challenging weather outdoors. When it came to growing outside, Northern European growers would face inconsistent summers that usually require strains with a short flowering time and resistance to the cold and wet weather. The evolution of autoflowering seeds means that from seed until harvest , a Cannabis plant can flower without being dependant on any photo periods. Growers in Southern Europe and South America find autoflowers to be easy to grow, discreet and the quality and quantity they produce is top class. The selection of indica, sativa, hybrid or CBD rich varieties is what makes autoflowering strains so popular around the world.

CBD Rich Hybrids:After judging the CBD category for The High Life Cup 2018, I was extremely surprised as how good the flowers were. In terms of flavour, aroma, taste, appearance and effect they certainly ticked all the boxes. CBD varieties are an amazing turning point for those who are seeking medicinal flowers or want to enjoy the full body of the flower without high THC levels. Not only do CBD strains open the doors even further for recreational use, they also provide a platform that can be enjoyed without any uncomfortable, off putting experiences often associated with potent Cannabis flower. The range of cannabinoid profiles can range from 1:1, 2:1, 1:2, 10:1 and 12.5:1.

Take A Clone Of The Keeper:The ultimate joy of flowering your labelled pots and waiting to see which one starts to stand out. You will want to have a keeper that you can clone for future use. The benefit of growing with seeds is once you have your best females picked out and after taking a clone of each, waiting to see the plant

structure, aroma, resin profile, bud structure and resistance to bugs, mildew and cold weather is the true test. Once that work is done and you can disregard the other selections that were not good enough, you now have a plant that can cloned over and again and grown out into a mother plant.

Arrive In The Post:Seed banks and breeders these days are everywhere and the choice is certainly overwhelming. One of the best benefits about using seeds is how they can be bought at a store or sent through the post. In Europe the cloning culture that exists in Canada and America is very underground, so the ability to purchase clones from a nursery is out of the question. Many seed companies now also offer many promotions on the websites and can usually guarantee save delivery of goods, within a short time frame of ordering.

THE BENEFITS OF GROWING WITH CLONESReady To FlowerIf you have ever grown from seed and flowered immediately, you will find your plants require at least 3 weeks to grow before producing any flowering sites. As clones do not have a tap roots, the main advantage of working with clones is that they can be flowered immediately once roots form. For those who are growing on a large commercial scale that is profit and number driven, then working with clones that are easy to access and able to flower immediately can increase the total number of grows in one year. Growing a Sea Of Green with clones achieves great results and will usually require a short vegging time. The same applies to growing hydroponically and providing a short growing period.

Saves Buying Seeds:Some growers have been growing with seeds for so long, that the idea of starting from seeds is a slow, painful process that is only wasting time. Not only that, the requirement to buy seeds in large quantities or bulk orders does not exist anymore. By resorting to a mother plant that provides regular stock, the overall expenses saved in comparison to a grower buying a large number of femenised seeds is huge. This does

Growing with clones can be simple and does not cost much

21GROW WITH STONEY TARK

22

Variety is the spice of life and especially when growing Cannabis Using rooting hormone will increase the success rate of rooting clones

not mean that a cloning culture is a valid reason to not grow new strains, but for those who work primarily with clones, switching to seeds can cost potential grow cycles in a year.

Guaranteed Performance:One of the main reasons why clones are so popular and the hype surrounding them on forums, in magazines and on social media is because they are guaranteed to perform in a certain way. A clone is a genetic match of an original plant that was selected for its desired traits, so even a beginner grower is guaranteed some success when it comes to starting with good genetics. If the clone is a from your keeper phenotype then you will already know exactly how she performs in both seed and clone form.

Low Cost:As the price of seeds and boutique genetics is at an all time high, it seems that clones remain consistent when it comes to value for money. Rooted healthy clones that are ready to plant up and flower will cost around £5-7 each depending on popularity and there will usually be a price drop in the more that is ordered. If you are in a situation where you need to buy clones, then you may be doing so with the intention of taking your own clones from those and then saving an further expense and time spent allocating healthy, bug free clones.

Genetic Nurseries:This really applies to growers who have medical cards and are able to legally purchase registered clones. In Humboldt, California the Wonderland Nursery is host

to some of the best varietal species of Cannabis ever passed through the hands of growers. To locals of Humboldt, a trip to this nursery and walking away with clones that are not only ready to grow outside without any shock to U.V, they are also personally recommended by well versed staff who can verify if the strain you need is best suited for your growing environment. Canada also follow a large cloning culture and that is down to the legal status on the import of Cannabis seeds.

My Final ConclusionThere are many different scenarios where growing indoors, outdoors and greenhouses require either clones or seedlings. When growing outdoors a well experienced grower will be able to take advantage of the full seasons from Spring until Winter, utilise light deprivation

and also grow clones onces the daylight drops to 12 hours of light or less. Growing autoflowering strains has many benefits in many situations and the ability to harvest nearly every 70-80 days means you can produce a constant harvest, and for those who are seeking CBD rich flowers, can enjoy a quicker turnaround time on their medicine with autos. My personal tip to anyone is to always grow from seed and then take a clone, and after growing the clone out at least 3 times, then the plant will truly reveal herself. You would be amazed how a clone of a plant grown from seed can perform better and even improve growth structure.

Good Luck growing either seed or clones to perfection…

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25GROW WITH MR. JOSÉ

HOW TO GROWSTRONGER WEEDPossibly every grower hopes for the best harvest. Some focus on yield, others look for opti-mal taste and some aim for the best of both. Taste and potency is what usually matters the most when people speak about quality. Today we will look into the possibilities of maxi-mizing the quality of both.

CANNABINOIDSBefore we dive into the techniques of increasing the potency of your weed, let us refresh our knowledge on where and how the active substances in cannabis are produced. This plant contains 1269 known substances in total, of which 144 are cannabinoids, 150 terpenes and terpenoids, and 50 flavonoids. The most psychoactive cannabinoid is, of course, tetrahydrocannabinol – THC. Cannabidiol (CBD) is another important member of this group. These two cannabinoids are the most abundant in cannabis. They are at the center of attention of recreational cannabis users because they both contribute to the psychoactive experience. Both of them also exert significant medical effects, which is the reason why cannabis has been used in medicine for thousands of years now. Another interesting cannabinoid from medical point of view is cannabichromen (CBG). The effects of individual cannabinoids are still being explored – and thanks to the fact that cannabis is now becoming accepted by modern medicine (in addition to a global wave of legalization) – we can only expect more and more interesting discoveries.

TERPENESCannabinoids have many interesting effects, but they lack any sort of taste. If you have ever lived under the impression that the characteristic cannabis smell is caused by a cannabinoid, you were sadly mistaken, as were many others. The taste and smell of cannabis is the result of a unique mixture of terpenes, of which many can be also found in totally different plants. Terpenes themselves possess a wide variety of therapeutic properties, both physical and mental. The most abundant terpenes in cannabis are myrcene, pinene, limonene, linalool, caryophyllene and eucalyptol. Myrcene can be found in mangos and hop, pinene in pines, limonene in citrus fruits, linalool in lavender, caryophyllene in pepper and clove, and eucalyptol in eucalyptus. Sounds familiar? No wonder, these

names are often used to describe the taste and smell of specific strains. Mango and other citruses also appear in the actual names of strands – Mango, Lemon Haze, etc. Individual strains’ differentiation can be based on the presence and proportions of terpenes called the terpene profile. It also seems that terpenes modify the effect of cannabinoids. And what is for sure, terpenes influence the overall medical effects of cannabis, something we call “synergy” of all the substances contained within the plant. This means that if we give someone isolated THC, the effect will be rather different from the application of the whole variety of active

substances present in whole cannabis plant, namely in its resin. Cannabinoids, terpenes and other compounds work together and influence the overall effect of the plant on its consumer.

RESINCannabinoids and terpenes are secondary metabolites found in cannabis resin, which forms in trichomes. Trichomes can be found in a huge number of plants. They have several functions: the most important one is to protect the plants from outside danger, i.e. pests and unwanted animal guests. Plants can also communicate with the outside world through trichomes, all thanks to above mentioned secondary metabolites. When a plant wants to lure a pollinator, it produces smell, which attracts a specific species of insect. When it wants to repel parasites, it produces

an unpleasant odor, which parasites do not like. Plants have created their own specific cocktails of secondary metabolites with various effects.Cannabis has two types of trichomes

– non-glandular and glandular. Non-glandular trichomes look similar to glandular trichomes but they do not produce resin. Since we are interested in taste and potency, glandular trichomes are of interest to us because they create resin rich in cannabinoids and terpenes. The largest amounts of resin are produced on trichomes on female flowers. You might ask why cannabis produces resin containing cannabinoids. As mentioned, trichomes serve primarily as a defense mechanism. Cannabis resin is sticky and can easily capture harmful insects. The consensus is that cannabis produces cannabinoids to defend itself from mammals who have aggressive digestive tracts and well-developed endocannabinoid systems. When a mammal eats a cannabis plant, its seeds lose value and reproduction is rendered impossible. This means that being consumed by a mammal is undesirable for cannabis. On the other hand, being eaten by birds has positive results. Birds can move seeds to new places where they grow into new plants. So, cannabis resin is meant to turn away mammals – obviously cannabis could not know that it will be smoked and eaten by humans – and the high cannabinoid content is probably supposed to cause unpleasant effects as well as prevent future consuming. Another theory states that the negative effect of cannabis on short-term memory is purely a tactical move – the plant wants to make sure that whoever finds it will not be able to

find again where they are growing. It does seem logical.Nonetheless, we should be interested in a completely different issue: The production of resin as a means of defense.

Glandular trichomes with resin, the trichome to the left is non-glandular. Source: www.uk420.com

26

There exists a proven link between resin production and the level of stress the plant feels – it produces the biggest amount of resin when it feels threatened. Bingo!

PLANT IN DANGERNow that we know that a stressed plant produces more resin, we must think about how to make it stressed. Those with some experience in growing may have noticed that even if the yield is not ideal, the material can still taste great and have great effects. This can pose a bit of a problem if we are focused on both quality and quantity. A plant under stress produces more resin but does not reach the maximum yield. This means that if we expose plants to stress, we should be expecting a lower yield. The exact degree depends on which stress method we use.

IRRIGATIONProbably the easiest way to stimulate resin production is to modify the irrigation cycle. Inadequate watering works best. When the plant does not get enough water, it begins to wither, it becomes stressed and triggers higher production of resin. Inadequate watering can be done both indoors and outdoors, although outdoor growing relies on the weather. When growing inside a greenhouse, there are as many possibilities as when growing with the use of artificial lights inside. Plants can be put under stress during the entire growing cycle by watering them only when they begin to wither. We must not overdo it, though. In the initial stages, the leaves begin to drop and they become softer to touch, yet the top of the plant still stands upright. In the second phase, the leaves begin to fade towards

the ground and the tops of branches begin to droop. In the third phase, the leaves are visibly wrinkled, the leafstalks grow smaller and the plant begins to lose color. When putting the plant under stress during the growth cycle, it should reach max phase two before watering, although watering it right before this phase begins is ideal. If left without water until phase three, the plant might never fully recover. The leaves fall off and parts of the flower could

dry out. This method of resin production stimulation is long-term and the resulting harvest is significantly smaller, although very potent. The method carries the risk of the plant dying, that is if we overdo it. The next method of irrigation-induced stress is much safer, and it is also my favorite one. It involves growing and watering the plants all throughout the growth cycle until the last week or two. In the second-to-last week before harvest, the plants are left to wither until phase two. They are then watered, so that they can recover. During the last five days before harvest, they are not watered at all. On harvest day, they should be at phase two again. It is easy to use this method when growing indoors and in a greenhouse. When growing outdoors, the plants must be protected from rain and humidity, which may be difficult especially during autumn. The method has another positive effect – it decreases the risk of mold. When the plant does not get enough water, there is a decrease of humidity inside its flowers, which is where mold frequently appears. Mold needs humidity and warmth, thus eliminating humidity makes mold’s life considerably harder. Putting the plant under stress during the last two weeks of its life has only minor negative effect on yield when compared to long-term stress.

TEMPERATUREAnother way to put your plants under stress is to maintain very high temperatures. This goes hand in hand with the previous method – to a certain degree. High temperatures cause water to vaporize quickly, which leads to quicker withering. This in turn leads to a higher production of resin. The temperatures, however, should

not exceed 40 °C (104 °F). Since regulating temperature is harder than modifying the irrigation cycle, this method is quite complicated. For this reason, I do not really recommend it, although it is still necessary to mention it.

UV-B LIGHTThe last method of increasing resin production I would like to mention is

UVB light. This ultraviolet light of the 280-315 nanometer wavelengths reaches the ground in very small amounts, and, frankly, we should be glad that it does. UVB light causes skin cancer and damage to eyesight. Plants do not like it too much

either, because it decreases the effectivity of photosynthesis and even affects the size of leaves. UVB light simply puts plants under stress, which is what we want right now. UVB light grows in intensity in the middle of spring, which is why plants harvested in July and the beginning of August have more active substances than plants harvested during the fall. When growing indoors, we can use artificial UVB light. Light sources with higher production

of UVB light are sold in specialized growing shops or aquatic stores. These light sources must be added to already existing sources. When using 100W classic growing lights, we add 10W source of UVB light. This means that a 60W UVB

light source must be added to 600W HID lamps. It is important to think of your health, though. When entering the room with a UVB light source, you must first turn it off or put on skin protection. When using UVB light, five or six weeks of stress before the harvest are enough. The light also eradicates mold to a certain degree, which is a positive side effect. The UVB method is a bit costly, but it is reliable and it does not affect the yield too much.

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28 GROW WITH JORGE CERVANTES

MOBILE AND IMMOBILE NUTRIENTS

By Jorge Cervantes – jorge@marijuanagrowing.com

The majority of nutrient deficien-cies and excesses can be avoided by keeping a few simple environmental factors in check including air circula-tion, ventilation, temperature and humidity. Plants will also need ade-quate light, living organic soil or clean substrate, clean water and regular maintenance, clean up. Letting these environmental factors get out of control will open the door to nutrient problems. This short article will con-centrate on the most basic nutrient availability and excesses. It will also include simple troubleshooting tech-niques and solutions.

Most any nutrient formula (fertilizer), regardless of its contents, will grow cannabis. But what quality will thecannabis be, and what are the resid-ual health concerns? With the proper nutrient formula and growing condi-tions, medical cannabis can reach its genetic growth potential.

NUTRIENTSCannabis needs the non-mineral nutrients carbon, hydrogen, and oxy-gen to manufacture food and grow. Carbon (CO2) in the air is fixed via photosynthesis. Hydrogen atoms that are building blocks come almost totally from water. Oxygen from the atmosphere is used in respiration and plant processes. The rest of the ele-ments (called mineral nutrients), are absorbed from the growing medium and nutrient solution. Supplemental nutrients supplied in the form of a fertilizer help medicinal cannabis to reach its maximum potential.

Nutrients are either mobile or immo-bile. Mobile nutrients move within plants immobile nutrients stay in the same place. Distinguishing the two will is the first step to solving nutrient excesses and deficiencies.

Nutrients must be available to roots in order to be absorbed. Nutrients occur in many chemical combinationsand forms (called compounds) that are comprised of two or more nutri-ents’ ions joined together via positive (anion) and negative (cation) attrac-tions. The compounds release nutri-ents for uptake by roots under spe-cific conditions. The proper nutrient formula delivered at the proper pH and EC concentration makes nutrients available for uptake.

An anion is an ion with a negative charge because it has more electrons than protons. A cation is an ion witha positive charge because it has more protons than electrons. Well-managed life—microbes, bacteria, fungi, etc.—in organic soil interacts with naturally occurring nutrients to make them available for uptake by roots. Properly mixed and alimented soils with high fertility require very lit-tle supplemental fertilizer. For exam-ple, during the flowering stage, out-door gardeners in Humboldt County, California, add just 2 handfuls of bat guano to grow 10-pound (4.5 kg) plants in living organic soil.

Here is a fun fact. Home gardeners caring for lawns, flowers and vegeta-

bles apply 10 times more fertilizer than farmers growing food crops. I believe that cannabis gardeners apply up to 20 times more fertilizer than needed. The excess fertilizer washes into the sewer or ground water fur-ther complicating availability of other nutrients. Or, in the case of sewer water, excess mineral nutrients cre-ates toxic residuals that are harmful to the environment.

Nutrients are grouped into 3 catego-ries: macronutrients or primary nutri-ents, secondary nutrients, and micro-nutrients or trace elements. Each nutrient in these categories can be further classified as either mobile or immobile. Solving nutrient-deficiency problems is much easier when you

know which nutrients are mobile or immobile.

Experts have a difficult time agree-ing on terms. Some confusion exists on what the secondary nutrients are, but they are generally considered macronutrients as well as secondary macronutrients, and are measured the same way as a percentage of the overall mix. On the other hand, trace elements are micronutrients and measured in parts per million (ppm).

Mobile nutrients are able to move (translocate) from one part of the plant to another as needed. When a nutrient shortage occurs, mobile nutrients travel to the area to solve the deficiency. For example, nitrogen

29

Jorge Cervantes is author of the Cannabis Encyclopedia (596 pages, 2,000+ color images, large A4 format) and Marijuana Horticulture (AKA the Bible). Booth books are avail-able at all amazon retailers worldwide. Both books have excellent chapters on nutrients. Contact Jorge at www.marijuanagrowing.com.

accumulated in older leaves trans-locates to younger leaves to solve a deficiency. Mobile nutrients show

deficiency symptoms on older, lower leaves first. Nitrogen will show a deficiency on older leaves because it is a part of essential enzyme struc-ture and has to be replaced as these enzymes are denatured and disposed of. Mobile nutrients include nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and magnesium (Mg).

Immobile nutrients either stay at their destination or move very little once assimilated and transported. Immobile nutrients include calcium (Ca), boron (B), chlorine (Cl), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), man-ganese (Mn), molybdenum (Mo), silicon (Si), sulfur (S) and zinc (Zn). Deficiencies of immobile nutrients show symptoms first in younger leaves. These nutrients do not trans-locate to new growing areas as need-ed. They remain deposited in their original place in older leaves.

Other elements—Barium (Ba), Cadmium (Cd), Chromium (Cr), Lithium (Li), Palladium (Pd), andVanadium (V)—may be necessary for plant growth and health. These ele-ments should be available in low con-centrations.

TOXIC NUTRIENT CONDITIONSToo often gardeners give their medical cannabis gardens too much tender loving care. This care and enthusiasm is kindled by countless nutrient and additive advertisements. As a consequence, medical cannabis gardeners frequently over-apply ferti-lizers and additives, creating toxic soil conditions. Often the solution to this problem is to leach the built-up nutri-ents out of the growing medium with copious quantities of water. This will wash away excess nutrients that have built up in the soil and created toxic conditions.

An overabundance of nutrients (ferti-lizer salts) in the growing medium dis-rupts the medium’s chemical balance. This imbalance causes some nutrients

to become unavailable for uptake by roots and other nutrients to be over-supplied.

Leaching the substrate works well for most nutrient problems, but it does not solve all nutrient problems. For more information, please learn more about specific nutrients.

LEACHING GROWING MEDIUMSLeach a 3-liter container full of (soil) substrate with 21 liters of water. This can be a lot of work and time consuming, but the process will help avoid many serious nutrient deficien-cies and excesses.

To leach soil or substrate, add enough water, remember, it takes a

lot of water, to the medium to wash out excess fertilizer (nutrient) salts. For a container that holds 3 liters of water, add enough water to make sure it is full—until water drips out the bottom. Then apply 3 additional liters of water and allow 3 liters to drain out the bottom of the contain-er. Do this a total of 7 times. Once a total of 21 liters of water has been added and drained, the process is almost complete.

Add 3 more liters of water that includes the correct ratio and concen-tration of fertilizer. The entire pro-cess must be completed within 20 minutes or the excess of water will drown the roots.

The process can be done 2 or 20 times, as long as it is completed with-

in 20 minutes. I repeat: the container must drain completely within 20 min-utes. “Drain completely” means drain to a point at which the water is held against gravity within 20 minutes. This practice is not overwatering.

*Water is used to leach fertilizer salts from a growing medium. Just before harvest, plants and soil are flushed to remove excess nutrients in plant tissue.

Note: See chapter 9, Harvest, Drying & Curing, for more info about leach-ing the substrate and flushing nutri-ents out of medical cannabis plants before harvest. See chapter 23, Container Culture & Hydroponics, for more information on leaching hydro-ponic mediums and water-based hydroponics.

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BEYOND BUDS, NEXT GENERATION:MARIJUANA CONCENTRATES AND CANNABIS INFUSIONSBeyond Buds, Next Generation, a completely updated edition of Ed Rosenthal’s best-selling book on marijuana concentrates, is available at bookstores everywhere.

More than a practical manual for curious consumers and would be extractors—though it certainly checks those boxes—it’s a vivid snapshot of the contemporary science and culture around cannabis at a crucial historical moment: the dawn of the regulated cannabis industry.

From those just discovering the benefits of cannabis — or rediscovering — to investors, entrepreneurs, content creators and other intellectual professionals who seek a sharply focused picture of the new frontiers in cannabis commerce and culture, Beyond Buds: Next Generation offers a panoramic view of the rapid evolution of cannabis consumption.

EXCERPT FROM BEYOND BUDS: NEXT GENERATION There was a first lucky human who dis-covered the intoxicating powers of canna-bis. Perhaps this early hominid collecting tinder and kindling inadvertently snatched up a few sticks of sativa and tossed them on the fire, realizing the powerful effects the smoke had, only after awaking to the grisly evidence he’d eaten an entire ante-lope the night before.

It is certain that once humans discovered the power of cannabis, we immediately poured our collective energy into har-nessing it.

Consuming cannabis through inhalation is an ancient practice, so there aren’t too many truly new ideas when it comes to getting the active ingredients into your lungs. Still, it’s hard to point to a more revolutionary shift in contemporary can-nabis consumption than the emergence of dabbing. Concentrates used to serve a supporting role to the undeniable “star” of the cannabis market: raw buds. Now, with the widespread embrace of dab-bing, concentrates have taken center stage in the commercial and cultural conversation around cannabis.

With high potency cannabis concen-trates, a person can experience the effects of smoking an entire joint or

more in a single breath, using only enough product to cover a pinhead. Think of it as the difference between drinking beer and liquor. If you drink a standard can or bottle of beer with an ABV of 5%, you’re drinking twelve ounces of liquid but only 0.6 ounces of actual alcohol; if you drink a typical “shot” of 80-proof spirits, you’re still consuming 0.6 ounces of alcohol, but you’re only drinking 1.5 ounces of liquid.

Side-by-side comparison between raw buds and concentrates can’t be done quite as precisely as comparing beer and liquor. But the analogy provides a foundation for understanding their relative potencies. You might drink a 12-ounce beer at a picnic, but you (prob-ably) wouldn’t chug half a fifth of vodka — and if you did you’d almost certainly regret it, even though you’d be consum-ing roughly the same volume of liquid. In the same way, you might be able to take a massive bong rip of raw buds, but trying to use the same approach for your first dab could result in an unpleas-ant experience. If you keep this in mind when dosing your dabs, you’ll avoid the potential discomfort and anxiety of over-loading your senses.

LOW TEMP DABS — THE FIRST-CLASS TICKET TO TERP TOWN Hot dabs are how most dabbers were introduced to dabbing, but thankfully this is no longer a necessary rite of pas-sage now that low-temp dabbing has become the majority practice. The key to effective dabbing is finding the ideal bal-ance between preserving the terpenes while activating the cannabinoids and THC. The problem is that the volatiza-tion point of most terpenes is far below the boiling point of most cannabinoids. Compromises must be made. Lower temps mean higher terps and less acti-vated cannabinoids, higher temps mean lower terps and higher cannabinoid activation. Thankfully, low temp dabs utilize low pressure, achieved through restricted airflow via a carb cap. Carb caps restrict and direct airflow, lower-ing the pressure and by extension the boiling points of both the terpenes and cannabinoids present. This allows for a flavorful, low temp dab that still contains higher levels of active cannabinoids.

THE ROSIN REVOLUTION: MAKING CONCENTRATE YOURSELF Dabbing rosin is where many new dab-bers start. Rosin is a concentrated blend of terpenes and cannabinoids extracted

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36using a method called “rosin tech” (RT). It’s the simplest, least expensive way to extract concentrate from raw buds or refine hash for more effective dab-

bing. Instead of a chemical process, RT uses heat and pressure to squeeze can-nabinoids and terpenes from the source material. It is a very fast process. A batch of rosin can be produced in moments and consumed immediately. Another advantage of RT is that it poses minimal risk of physical injury.

The physical science of RT is simple. Applying heat melts the terpenes and cannabinoids into a pliable resin inside of the source material. When the material is squeezed using a press, it pushes the resin outward. This results in a flat patty of starting mate-rial surrounded by an aura of rosin. The finished product is not as refined as the products using some other methods. The three tradeoffs are RT’s low startup costs, speed and ease of use.

A wide range of tools and equipment can be used to make rosin. The choice depends mostly on the quantity being pressed. On the hobby level you can use household items like a flat iron. Industrial processors use pneumatic or hydraulic presses.

Starting Material There are three basic types of mate-rial you can press rosin from: buds, hash and kief. Within those categories there are different types and grades. In this article we describe the process for creating rosin from buds. Hash and keif production are described in detail in our book, Beyond Buds, Next Generation.

Buds Freshly cured resin rich flower (small buds and trim are ideal) results in the best rosin because it is rich in terpenes and high in cannabinoids. Conversely, older, drier material results in lower yields of a darker, less flavorful and less potent rosin.

KiefDry sift kief generally contains a high percentage of plant material. The more plant matter removed from the

trichome heads, the higher the yields and the cleaner and smoother the resulting rosin.

Hash When rosin is pressed from hash it’s a secondary concentration, a refinement of an already concentrated product. This results in a higher concentration of cannabinoids in the resulting rosin.

PRESSING ROSINRosin processing, though not a cold process, occurs below the volatiliza-tion point for most of the terpenes, and doesn’t reach the temperatures needed for decarboxylation. The rosin is mostly a concentration of THCA and/or CBDA, the acidic precursors to the cannabinoids. The result: the material is great for smoking but will not be intoxicating if eaten.

MACHINE PRESSING ROSIN Choosing a press One option for those new to concentrate production, is to choose an entry-level,

mid-sized tabletop model press that offers higher volume capacity than a hair straightener without the investment and storage concerns of a large press.

If you do choose to purchase a press, a big factor is the amount of pressure it produces. You don’t have to purchase expensive equipment you don’t actually need. You don’t need to buy a press that produces 25 tons of pressure when all you need is two to five tons. That is all that is required to press small quantities of hash or bud. Pressing several ounces of bud or hash at one time requires more pressure:10 to 25 metric tons.

Most commercially available rosin-spe-cific presses are designed to press hash only. If you’re planning to press flower, choose a machine that is designed to handle it. They require more pressure than hash pressing models.

TOOLS FOR MACHINE ROSIN Pre-press molds In addition to the press there are a number of other items to consider. Press molds are a crucial component of many smaller rosin presses, so it is important to pay attention to the specs. Pressure affects yield. To maximize

pressure use the same force in the smallest area possible.

FILTER BAGS It’s possible to do a “naked press” on a bud—pressing it without the use of a bag, using a prepress or just pressing bud as-is. A press allows you to press more material in a smaller surface area, creating more pressure to larger amounts of material. But if you want to further refine your product and con-fine your material to a condensed area (without the trichome loss incurred using molds or hand pressing) filter bags are an excellent option.

PARCHMENT PAPER OR PTFE SHEETING No matter what approach to RT you choose, parchment paper, is absolutely

essential. That’s parchment paper — NOT WAX PAPER. Make sure the paper you choose doesn’t have any coating.

MACHINE PRESSING FLOWER Pressing buds yields between 10% and 35% of the original material — roughly corresponding to the cannabinoid con-tent of the starting material. If a strain tests around 20%, expect a yield of about 20% of the material’s weight in rosin under optimal conditions An ounce of buds, yields about 5 grams of rosin.

Before pressing, make sure the rela-tive humidity of the material is just right: too low and your yield and qual-ity will suffer, too high and your rosin will be difficult to collect or will smell and taste like chlorophyll and may even turn green. Generally speaking, you’ll want to use material with a rela-tive humidity level of 55% to 60%. You can measure this using a hygrometer, either a basic analog model like what’s found inside a cigar humidor or pur-chase a digital hygrometer, which can be purchased for $30 or so. If your bud is too dry, you can use a humidity

37

pack like those sold by Boveda specifi-cally for cannabis use.

Always cut and fold parchment paper before pressing. Filling or ripping parch-ment in the middle of a job is messy, awkward and inefficient.

Lowering temperature usually results in higher quality but this is not always the case, and lower temperatures will reduce yield, sometimes drastically; it depends on the starting material quality and “personality” — the collec-tive idiosyncrasies and physical quirks that affect how it reacts to pressing. A good way to judge how long the keep the bud under pressure is to watch the color of the oil and the degree to which it is flowing. Once the flow starts to darken and slow down it’s time to remove pressure.

Some producers choose to start high and work their way down, but we recom-mend starting at a low temp and work-ing up until you notice a deterioration in quality. Your goal is an even balance between yield and quality you should be able to roughly dial in your ideal tem-perature for a given strain within four or five test runs. If you want to refine your temperature to the precise “Goldilocks

zone” for pressing you might need eight to ten test runs. But once you have a batch dialed in, you’ll be able to use the setting, or combination of settings, for the rest of that batch.

Most rosin extractors heat the material 1500 to 2500 F range. This varies based on the material’s relative humidity, which also affects yield. Always check yields and rosin quality at different tempera-tures to determine the best setting for a particular batch.

Make sure to be consistent with the amount being pressed. Spread the bud so it forms an even layer. Don’t over-process your buds before pressing. Many processors feel like they get a bet-ter press from mostly intact buds versus broken or ground material, but others just break everything down to the same size and make an even layer.

Once stems are removed and flower is weighed to the desired amount, using a bag opening tool to keep your bag open, place two small buds in first and make sure they’re packed into the corners tightly. This prevents loss of oil to the corners. Once they are packed, fill the bag with the remaining material evenly with no voids and an even thickness of

ROSIN IS A CONCENTRATED BLEND OF TERPENES AND CANNABINOIDS EXTRACTED USING A METHOD CALLED “ROSIN TECH” (RT).

between a quarter inch to a half-inch, leaving a one-inch flap for a fold. There will be two additional corners after the fold, fill these voids to ensure even flow and prevent loss.

Once you’ve preheated and the tri-chomes have melted, apply full pressure.

You should start to see oil flowing from the platens. Depending on how fast the extraction is happening and amount being pressed, keep pressure on the material for 35 to 90 seconds. The rea-son for the time variation is that flow rates vary by variety and freshness. Slow flow flowers require pressure and heat for a longer time period. Fresh flowers with fast flowing oil should be pulled off the heat quicker.

COLLECTING ROSIN Gathering up rosin after pressing is often more challenging than the press itself. Depending on starting material, its moisture, temperature and timing, a wide range of consistencies can result. It can be a stable, easy to gather material

or a sticky sap. Hash rosin is more stable (less sticky and gooey) than flower rosin, which is often difficult to gather.

No matter what consistency you’re work-ing with, it’s probably best to work in as cold a room as possible, ideally with cold work surfaces, to increase or maintain the rosin’s manageability while you col-lect and package it. Make sure you wear gloves to prevent contamination of your

38

Advanced Seeds 40

Amsterdam Seed Center 27

B.A.C. / BG Products 24

Barney's Farm 6

Buddha Seeds 2

Coffeeshop Magic 31

Dinafem Seeds 1

Dinafem Seeds 39

Dr. Underground 24

Dutch Passion 1

Dutch Passion 13

Ed Rosenthal 35

Expogrow 14

Genofarm 31

Humboldt Seed Organization 19

Hydrogarden 20

INDEX OF ADSName Page

Jorge Cervantes 32

Juicy Joint 27

Kannabia Seeds 1

Kosmic Kitchen 24

Mycologics 31

Paradise Seeds 1

Paradise Seeds 23

Procare 31

Pyramid Seeds 23

Royal Queen Seeds 20

Sanlight 27

Stanford Hydroponics 1

Sweet Seeds 1

Sweet Seeds 9

Urban Gardening 31

Soft Secrets is published by Discover Publisher BVP.O.Box 362, 5460 AJ, Veghel, NetherlandsTelephone: +31-(0)73-5498112E-mail: info@softsecrets.nlWeb: www.softsecrets.com

Editor: Cliff Cremer

Contributors: Ed Rosenthal, Jorge Cervantes, Dr. John Dee, Stoney Tark, Rich Hamilton, Mr. Jose, Robert B., cccp, Thomas Valentine, Tommy L. Gomez and others.

Comics: Jim Stewart

Photography: iStock

Editorial adress: readers@softsecrets.nl

Advertisements:E-mail: info@softsecrets.nl

A word from the publisher:Soft Secrets is a bi-monthly free magazine which is published in The Netherlands (called Highlife), Germany, France, Italy, Spain, UK, Poland, Czech Republic, Chile and Argentina.

World wide there is a process going on of relative liberalisation towards the use of cannabis, be it for medicinal or recreational purposes. Several countries legalised cannabis as a way of separating soft and hard drugs, as it has proven to

COLOFONdo in Holland. Other countries legalised the use of medicinal cannabis, including the right to grow cannabis plants for one’s own use.

The publisher wants to highlight the pro-cess of normalisation of cannabis use. This assumes that the publisher does not necessarily agree with everything that appears in articles and advertisements. The publisher therefore distances him-self explicitly from published statements or images that might give the impression that an endorsement is being made for the use and/or production of cannabis.

Nothing from this publication may be copied or reproduced in any format with-out prior permission from the publisher and other copyright holders. The pub-lisher is not responsible for the content and/or point of view of advertisements. The editor takes no responsibility for unsollicited submissions.

The publisher has endeavored to reach all copyright holders of photos and/or images. Those who still believe they are entitled to these rights may contact the publisher.

Next issue out:

April 5,2019

ANSWERS TO THE QUIZ:PAGE 15:

1. B2. A3. B4. D5. C6. A7. C8. B9. B10. A

11. D12. D13. D14. C15. B16. C17. A18. B19. A20. C

rosin with skin oils and to avoid getting rosin stuck to your hands.

After pressing out the rosin, leave all the papers in the refrigerator for about 5 min-utes to cool everything down and stabilize the oil. Cold plates or cold blocks can be used to help with collection—an aluminum plate left in the refrigerator or sitting on a block of ice is an ideal cold surface.

Avoid scraping parchment paper, this can result in paper particles being scraped into the final product.

CURING AND STORAGE After collecting the rosin and rolling it into a ball, there are several ways to curing it. A large ball is a good way to protect most of it from oxidization and to prevent the evaporation of terpenes.

Always store rosin in a sealed container in the refrigerator. This preserves terpe-nes and prevents oxidization. If you do not plan to weigh it out, leave in a large ball inside of a sealed container.

Quick Kush

Quick Crit

ical+

Purps #

1

Dinamed

CBD Auto

Purple

Moby D

ickD A

uto

Gorilla

Dinamed

CBD Plus

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