The cannabis newspaper since 1985
www.softsecrets.com/gb/ | Issue 3 - 2020 18+ For adults only. Soft Secrets is published six times a year by Discover Publisher BV Netherlands
AMSTERDAM
UK cannabis deal sets new record and raises hopes that legalisation could be a real possibility! British cannabis producer Bridge Farm has been bought by US-based private equity fund Artemis Growth Partners in the largest European cannabis deal ever seen.
and some US states, Bridge Farm managing director Louise Motala said that the group would be well-positioned to capitalise on the change.
The fund’s partners, many of whom are former Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan executives, has a large portfolio of companies that sell and advocate the use of cannabis for a number of different purposes including for medicinal use.
“We’re already a heavily audited business because of the food crops we supply to retailers, and we have all those controls in place,” she said. “When the Home Office visited us, they wanted ongoing dialogue, because we’re an example of what good looks like.”
white berry • sensi-star • delahaze • pandora • belladonna • wappa • allkush • atomical haze • ice cream • nebula
FEMINIZED CBD & CBG SEEDS
greenpassion.eu
FREE
The Artemis consortium includes former management of Bridge Farm and according to Clearwater International, advisors on the deal, the total transaction value of £66m (€74m/$81m) ranks the transaction as the largest European M&A (mergers and acquisitions) transaction in 2020 for cannabis and cannabis-related companies and represents the largest M&A transaction of 2020 in Europe for the horticulture and farming industry. The deal comes as pro-cannabis advocates and business analysts suggest that the Covid-19 crisis could accelerate the legalisation of cannabis in the UK.
Announcing the deal, Artemis said it expected the huge financial pressures on governments around the world after the coronavirus pandemic could see cannabis legalised to make it taxable. “We’re going to find Budgets around countries to have giant gaps, and the economics are overwhelmingly in favour of governments jumping ahead and legalising cannabis and finding near-term revenue there, ”stated Will Muecke, co-founder of Artemis Growth Partners. These claims, which to pro-cannabis advocates may seem to good to be true, certainly seem to make sense when considering that a 2018 study estimated that the UK government could rake in an extra £3.5bn in tax from the legal sale of cannabis! When faced with the very real possibility of a steep postvirus worldwide recession it is definitely a very attractive option for governments around the world, not only the UK! While still illegal in Britain, Bridge Farm has a Home Office licence to grow high-THC cannabis for medical tests. Only 12 such licences have been awarded so far by the UK Government. The company operates a 2m sq ft glasshouse facility in Spalding where it already currently produces hemp for use in CBD oil, The company also produces ornamental plants and herbs for supermarkets, which it will continue to do. In the event that cannabis and its products (including THC based products) are fully legalised both medicinally and recreationally as we have seen in Canada
Talking further about the acquisition and the potential it holds, David Ball, operating partner and senior advisor at Artemis Growth Partners said the following: “Bridge Farm is the low-cost cultivation platform in the UK for cannabis with over 2 million square feet of the most technologically advanced, automated glasshouse production in all of Europe. We see Bridge Farm as the cornerstone of a vertically integrated global producer of cannabis and other medicinal botanicals with future offerings ranging from cannabis flower and concentrates, as well as other essential oil and phytomedicinal extracts, into a wide range of plant-based branded and wholesale health and wellness products”. “We have over 60 acres of fully automated, sustainable cultivation and production space and we are looking forward to realising the full potential of our scale and facilities for the benefit of our customers.” Huge acquisitions such as the Bridge Farm-Artemis deal, reveal the shifting dynamics in the medical cannabis market in the UK and Europe. The fallout from COVID 19 along with the cannabis reforms that are happening in Canada and the US are helping to change opinions and push public debate further forward than we have ever seen before! So much so, that many would say that the big question has changed from “should we legalise cannabis?” to “when should we legalise?” and “how do we do it responsibly?”. By Rich Hamilton
ey's fa n r
rm
ba
New mimosa evo
find your nearest wholesaler or retailer
io
ca
li
n
new releases collect
www.barneysfarm.com
wedding cake
tropicanna banana
dos si dos
purple punch
glookies
orange sherbert
blue gelato 41
gorilla zkittlez
Barney’s Souvenirs BV | Haarlemmerstraat 98, 1013 EW Amsterdam | Wholesale enquiries : 0031 20 41 17 249 | info@barneysfarm.com
3 Page
5
How to prepare a feeding container
Page
11
Gorilla Blue
Potent at all levels
Page
22
The origins of seed banks in Spain
Page
33
The Economic Importance of Cannabis
K-Mintz Ripper Seeds www.ripperseeds.com
Page
30
Indoor growing with an expandable LED kit
From Soft Secrets we wish to extend our sympathy to all our collaborators, customers and the whole cannabis industry in these times of coronavirus. Our love goes out to all those who are going through the disease or have suffered the loss of a loved one. You are all in our thoughts. Working together as a team we will get over this unique period in the history of mankind. As always, we remain at your disposal and stay focused on your success. Our readers and clients are part of our family and helping you is our priority. Thank you for the daily trust you place in Soft Secrets, which motivates us to continue working and giving you the best we can give. We are firmly committed to the entire cannabis scene and will regularly keep you informed in our magazines and webpage www.softsecrets.com Rest assured, we will get through it and many years from now we will tell our children and grandchildren how we managed to survive this pandemic. In the meantime, feel free to share any ideas, questions or comments you may have. Stay well, stay safe, stay healthy.
5
Do it yourself By Cesar / C-Result Holland / Photos: TWC The Water Company
How to prepare a feeding
container
To build a feeding container for your plants, simply fill a container with water and install a water pump inside. Start the pump and add the nutrients. Then, depending on acidity level, adjust the pH, and irrigate the plants immediately afterwards. This procedure takes time and you may wish to speed it up, right? But usually more haste means less speed. Why is it desirable to spend more time and pay more attention? In this article, Soft Secrets explains why. Try the following: Fill a container with water, add a heating element (20 degrees) and leave it uncovered for 24 hours, after which, put a water pump into the container and turn it on. Add fertiliser A and stir for 5 minutes, then add the same quantity of fertiliser B and stir again for 5 minutes. Next, pour the additives and mix again for 5 minutes. Before irrigating, the water pH needs to be adjusted. After doing so, stir again the solution for 10 minutes. Let it rest in the container for 20 minutes, check the pH value once more and adjust it again, if necessary. Mix again for the last 5 minutes. You now have a nutrient mix that your plants will love!
Why is it a good idea to leave the container uncovered for 24 hours? Usually tap water has no chlorine. However, chlorine is often applied when urgent repairs are made to the water supply network - e.g. in the event of a leak, or the replacement of an old pipe, or the laying of new pipes under the road surface. Chlorine is added to prevent the spread of Legionella and Escherichia coli bacteria. However, an excess of chlorine is harmful to plants. For this reason, leave the feeding container uncovered for 24 hours after filling it. This way the chlorine evaporates from the water. There is no need to do anything else, evaporation takes place on its own. Besides that, water purification companies report that they are often finding it hard to purify water. Increasingly higher concentrations of pesticides, insecticides and chemicals – such as poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (GenX, PFOS, PFOA) – are detected in groundwater. Obviously, these man-made substances are not
naturally found in the environment. The good news is that they also evaporate from heated water after 24 hours.
Is all that mixing really necessary? Most growers use two-component fertilisers. They are also commonly called fertiliser A and B. Some growers also use one-component fertilisers. A plant always needs 12 elements (NPK, Ca, Mg, S, Bo, Co, Mn, Fe, Zn and Mo) to grow and bloom optimally. If one of these 12 elements is missing, your plant will sooner or later show defects. A two-component fertiliser (A + B) consists of 12 elements, whereas a one-component fertiliser 10 elements. A one-component fertiliser is often used in soil substrates. These soil substrates (Light Mix, Full Mix, Pro Mix, etc.) often have already been pre-mixed with (powdered) fertilisers, so with the use of a further onecomponent fertiliser the defects will be absent for longer. Finally, back to the feeding container. The ideal water temperature for adding fertilisers is between 16 and 20°C. This is also the ideal temperature to accurately measure the pH. Turn on the water pump and make sure the pump stands on the bottom and pumps the water upwards. Prepare your A and B fertiliser bottles and a liquid-measuring cup and place your EC meter in the container before dosing the fertilisers to be added. An EC meter with a long cable and an electrode at the end is preferable. Do not opt for a low-cost device. Sooner or later it will float in the water like a buoy. Invest in a good EC meter with or without integrated pH meter instead! Always use the same proportion for the dosage of the A and B fertilisers. If you use 100 ml of fertiliser A, then also use 100 ml of fertiliser B. In this way, the proportions between the fertilisers will
Submersible pump
remain balanced. Why can't you just add fertiliser A and B together? If fertilisers are added at the same time, some elements will react together. This is one of the reasons why components are split into bottles A and B. In particular, the calcium element does not combine well with e.g. sulphur (sulphate) and phosphorus (phosphate) in high concentrations. These elements precipitate in the feeding container and can hardly be assimilated by plants. However, calcium is an important element for plants, with a major influence on the final yield as well as on dry weight. The reason why you have to stir for exactly 5 minutes before adding a new
fertiliser dose is that, by stirring the liquid, a high concentration of fertiliser mixes perfectly with water and no precipitation occurs. The same principle applies to all other additives (bloom stimulators, growth boosters, enzymes, rooting enhancers, etc.). After mixing fertilisers A and B, add all other additives one by one and stir for 5 minutes after each addition. When all the prodigious fertilisers and additives been added, then you can adjust the pH value. Tip: If you use an EC meter in the container where you add fertilisers and additives, place its electrode as
6 far away as possible from where these liquids are poured into the water. This avoids high fertiliser concentrations
fertilisers and additives, let the water pump continue pumping and stirring. Take a bottle of pH down or pH up and a good calibrated pH meter with sufficient battery charge. Hang the pH meter on one side of the container and dip its electrode into the water. Then start adding the pH-down or pH-up liquid drop by drop on the other side until the correct pH value is reached. In this case too, place the meter electrode as far away as possible from the side on which the liquid is poured, so as to avoid damaging the device. Even the most expensive models are not resistant. In order to obtain an optimal nutrient mix to feed your plants, measure the pH value again after 20 minutes. Why 20 minutes? All the substances already present in or added to the water, such as fertilisers, additives, pH-up or pH-down liquids and oxygen will react with each other. Chemical bonds still occur after the first pH value measurement, so the pH value can fluctuate.
Feeding container
close to the meter, which may damage the electrode.
Adjusting the pH value
PRODUCT
Acidity adjustment in the feeding container is generally not so difficult. All you need is a liquid pH adjuster which consists of two bottles (pH-up and pH-down). After mixing all the
Tip: Calibrate the pH meter you use once a week. Clean the pH electrode after each use by rinsing it with demineralised water. Then blow on the electrode to remove any residue, dip the electrode into a potassium chloride (KCl) solution and place the cover cap back on the electrode. It is ready to be used next time! Your feeding container is now perfectly in place and plants can finally be irrigated.
pH and EC meter
Hemp Heroes: Hours Of High Entertainment What’s more fun than playing board games while blazed? Playing a cannabis-themed one! Play Hemp Heroes to see who can buy up the most cannabis strains. The first player to own all the strains from a single company will reign victorious! Win cannabis cups and grams of weed to gain the upper hand against your opponents. Hemp Heroes will transform your smoking sessions into hours of giggles, entertainment, and friendly competition. Smoke some indica bud beforehand to take the laid-back approach, or hit a heavy sativa if you’re aiming to win!
www.hemp-heroes.com
ai159248986434_Anuncio-3.pdf
1
18/6/20
16:17
The ‘BLING BLING’ for your plants! C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
JOIN THE ATAMI UNIVERSE
WWW.ATAMI.COM revista_ingles_C-O.pdf
1
15/3/20
20:46
DO YOU KNOW HOW TO GROW CANNABIS? Learn to set up your own crop
10
S A YEAR
"C A N
N A B IS
D 0²0y WN E ٢ § ª R E N O § ª Ç ( À THE 0 F T E R R " à 0 ١ ª O DO
Àك
IN
C
M
Y
CM
MY
TUTO
O V ID E
CY
R IA L
O N L IN
E
“THE MOST COMPLETE AND PROFESSIONAL
CMY
K
FIND OUT HOW TO GROW CANNABIS STEP BY STEP WITH THIS VIDEO TUTORIAL
GUIDE PUBLISHED TO DATE” Hugo Madera - SoftSecrets
“ESSENTIAL FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO LEARN TO GROW WITH ALL KINDS OF ADVICE AND DETAILS” Pablo Genua - Dinafem CEO
logoph.pdf
1
5/3/20
18:24
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
www.cannabisoutdoor.com
logoph.pdf
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
1
5/3/20
18:24
8
Barney’s Farm strain report Words & Pics: Green Born Identity – G.B.I.
Blue Gelato 41 The two voluptuous sisters Thanks to their excellent Californian connections, Barney’s Farm have managed to create a couple of strains with heavily popular West Coast genetics. Blue Gelato 41 is a spectacular scoop the Barney’s breeder made and turned into an actual seed strain – good news for all growers in Europe who can easily get their hands on this elite cross now. Consisting of 60% indica and 40% sativa, Blue Gelato 41 was bred from the iconic strain Blueberry and heavily soughtafter Gelato 41 (Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies x Indica Sunset Sherbet) from the Cookies Family. Well, the breeders were sure that marrying these two genetics aces to one another was going to lead to something great… and it did. To be clear about the
hybrid. In terms of yields, Blue Gelato 41 is a hit – indoors it delivers a stately 600-700 grams per sqm. After 63-70 days of flowering outdoors bumper yields up to 2.5-3 kilos are feasible with an extended vegetative stage. This variety may reveal different phenotypes, with a likeliness of leaves and calyxes turning purple to blueish. The basic rule here is of course that the colder cultivation temperatures are, the intenser these colourations become.
results – mighty indica power that will “rapidly plunge you into a tranquil pool of potent psychedelic pleasure”, as Barney’s puts it nicely, and can act as a kind of anti-pain massage.
Exemplarily good uniform vegetative growth
But that strong relaxation effect doesn’t give you a dizzy head feeling, users can enjoy their chill-out session without the chance of falling asleep. Resin glands in vast amounts come naturally to this
Blue Gelato 41 and its genetic makeup were music to the ears of The Doc who has had West Coast fever for some time, being fired up by all those beautiful genetics coming from over the big pond to Europe.
So the race was on for this West Coast gem at his place! As usual, with two feminised seeds that sprouted very well, just 2.5 days later and the two seedlings sprouted, eagerly stretching towards the light soon after. It didn’t last long until rapid vegetative growth set in, with early lateral branching. The plants’ dark green leaves turned out to be thinner than expected, leaning more to the sativa side. Tight internodal spacing resulted in bushy compact growth, when The Doc switched them into flowering after three weeks, they had grown extremeley well, having formed an excellent scaffold of strong branches ideal for flowering. They impressed The Doc with their overall uniformity, also height-wise with 30 and 33 cm.
Buds so resinous as if a shower of resin would have rained down on them Flowering began quickly, after about a week female preflowering appeared on both plants.
9 In the period that followed they stretched so much that they way more than doubled their height - the sativa dominance of Blue Gelato 41 became apparent. “Wow, this is quite a great start!” cheered the Doc. And it was going to continue extremely well, too: in the second half of flowering, the buds grew into some real fat whoppers and oozed out tremendously amounts of resin, “as if a shower of resin would have rained down on them” as The Doc put it. That lavish resin coat covered many of the bud leaves, even big ones sticking out of the buds with their stalks were largely covered in crystals. The buds swelled heavily and became ripe after 68 and 70 days. All of the buds were of remarkable size, with the head buds naturally being particularly grand. “Just like all the plants from Barney’s Farm I’ve had so far, these two are true beauties! Beauties that are looking like twins, one could call them ‘the two voluptuous sisters’”, laughed The Doc.
Instant kick: The Doc feels buzzed in no time A huge “whoaaah!“ came from the old pothead’s lips after he had inhaled a first hit off his Mighty vaporizer, because the deliciously spicy-citrusy tasting Blue Gelato 41 weed instantly kicked in – at the very moment when he exhaled the big vapour cloud, he felt completely buzzed. His neurons were sending strong signals of relaxation which made his head feel as light as cotton wool. Two more hits and his body followed, with his limbs pleasantly slackening and his previously somewhat stiff neck loosening up. It felt like having taken a hot bath in the tub: blissful relief, deep physical and mental relaxation, but no heavy paralysis – The Doc could have got up from his chair if he had wanted to, but allowed himself the luxury of chilling the whole day, daydreaming with a happy smile on his face and listening to some music, pretty stoned, but not heavily befogged and spiritless. That splendid relaxation session lasted about 2.5 hours. “The two voluptuous sisters have treated me to a real pampering“ the Doc said afterwards, grinning. “That special relaxation effect without a mental knock-out provided by Blue Gelato 41 is just perfect for chilling. This variety has more than fulfilled my expectations, it ticked all the boxes to perfection, talking about its growth and bloom performance, yield, fragrance, taste and effect. The Californian West Coast holds some amazing treasures, and I will definitely uncover more of these!” www.barneysfarm.com
Cultivation data: Genetics
Blueberry x Gelato 41 (Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies x Indica Sunset Sherbet)
Vegetative stage
three weeks (after germination)
Flowering stage
68 + 70 days / 63-70 days in general
Medium
Plagron Grow Mix soil, 11 litre pots
pH
6.2-6.6
EC
1.2–1.8 mS
Light
up to 12 x SANlight S4W = 1680 watts
Temperature
19-28°C
Air humidity
40-60%
Watering
by hand
Fertilisation
Organic Bloom Liquid from Green Buzz Liquids
Additives/stimulants
Living Organics, More Roots, Humin Säure Plus, Big Fruits, Fast Buds and Clean Fruits from Green Buzz Liquids
Tools
CleanLight Pro for mould prevention
Height
74 + 77 cm
Yield
together, 223 grams
Goril l a Girl X l au to ® Sweet Seeds www.sweetseeds.com
11
Seed banks TricomaTeam (tricomateam@gmail.com)
Gorilla Blue Potent at all levels
A mostly Indica, feminised variety, very easy to grow and fast flowering. This powerful hybrid generates abundant harvests of beautiful resin-rich buds with a high concentration of THC. It has a sweet berry smell and the effect it produces is devastating, even for the most experienced. A spectacular cross from the Advanced Seeds seed bank, combining two of the most acclaimed strains on the market, Gorilla Glue #4 and DJ Short Blueberry. The Gorilla parent passed down its characteristic high resin production and potency, while the Blueberry mother gave it its exquisite taste. Gorilla Blue is an all-terrain strain whose ideal habitat is a temperate climate, but can be grown almost anywhere, as
it perfectly fit for producing extracts. It has a very high percentage of THC (around 24%). This means a very strong effect - narcotic at all levels, both physical and mental. Perfect to relax, clear the mind of problems and fall asleep easily.
Germination and growth These are the very first Gorilla Blue
A nice central bud.
Trichomes at first sight.
it ripens in a few weeks and is ready to be harvested outdoors between late September and early October, so growers have to cut it before the cold and heavy rains arrive. Indoors it can be harvested between 55 and 60 days from the beginning of flowering.
seeds to come into our hands. We germinated them immediately between wet cloths. In less than 48 hours, the radicle was visible in all of them. We prepared pots with a quite soft soil and watered them before placing our seeds inside. If the soil is watered later, the seeds can end up being buried too deep, with the risk that shoots may not reach the surface.
The production of Gorilla Blue is very high, with yields that can reach 600 g/ m2 indoors, under lamps, with plants of approximately one meter in height. Outdoors, if it is given space and proper nutrition, it can even exceed one kilo per plant with specimens of around 2.5 m. It is a robust plant, with profuse branching and foliage. It produces very abundant, dense and resinous buds. Its high concentration of resin makes
After moistening the substrate, we introduced the seeds with the root downwards, at a very shallow depth. We put the pots underneath sodium lamps and, in less than a day, all of them had popped above the ground. We irrigated them every two days with water enriched with a small amount of rooting agent. Fostering the growth of a good root ball at this stage of
development is very important to obtain an explosive growth and exceptional flowering. The plants remained in this substrate for about ten days. Afterwards, we transplanted them into 7-litre pots. In this new substrate, we watered again for several days with Bactohemp to stimulate their roots. The first watering cycle was more abundant in order to soak the soil thoroughly.
Flowering Within days of changing the photoperiod, all the Gorilla Blues had a last growth spurt. We had to raise the lamps again to maintain the proper distance between them and the plants, as well as use some extra stakes. After the first week of flowering, we changed the growth fertiliser for a specific one for flowering and used Bactobloom to stimulate it. In a few days, bud formation was explosive. Buds were not very big or long but had developed all over the plant and their amount was incredible. They were also very dense and sticky. The huge layer of resin that covered them was also amazing. Two weeks before harvesting, we proceeded with a good root wash and stopped fertilising while we waited for the flowers to complete their ripening. We cut all the plants about 60 days after flowering start, with buds completely covered with trichomes.
Resinous and abundant lateral buds.
After this first watering cycle, the plants hardly needed to be moistened in the next several days. After our first somewhat more generous cycle, we set the time of irrigation - for all the plants at the same time - every other day. We kept the plants a little more than three weeks in this 7-litre pots and then transplanted them again to the final pots, which in this case had a capacity of 18 litres. We repeated the watering cycle we had done after the first transplanting, adding a rooter the first few days. All the plants developed at great speed with innumerable shoots along their very long branches, and training stakes were necessary from the very beginning. After a few days, we moved them to the flowering room at 12 hours of light and 12 of darkness.
Harvest and tasting The yield per plant of this strain is very high, and the large number of buds make trimming somewhat tedious. In our case, the leaf-to-bud ratio was somewhat high, so we needed some time to carry out this task. After a little more than two weeks in the drying room, we tasted the first buds of Gorilla Blue. We immediately noticed its lineage. To the touch, we could clearly feel a large amount of resin that covered the buds. On the palate, we could taste its sweet fruity flavours. The effect was instantaneous and very potent. We felt our whole body and mind totally relaxed.
12
Background
Bayer to fight $265m fine over herbicide The firms problems continue…. German chemical giant Bayer has been ordered by a Missouri court to pay $265m (£203m) to a US peach grower who blamed a herbicide for crop damage. By Rich Hamilton Farmer Bill Bader sued Bayer, alleging that dicamba weedkiller drifted onto his orchard from nearby fields, destroying them. It is the first ruling in some 140 US cases against dicamba, a herbicide that has been historically blamed for extensive crop damage.
used glyphosate, which is the active ingredient in another controversial Bayer owned weed killer, Roundup, used to destroy weeds such as palmer amaranth, or pigweed. Eventually however, many pigweed
Protection Agency reviewed the restrictions it placed on the use of dicamba and Missouri and Arkansas also temporarily banned dicamba sales. Regulators in Missouri also tried putting together new instructions on how to properly prepare and apply the chemical. Regardless of all this however, reports of damaged crops have continued to be reported. With there being in the region of 2,200 official dicambarelated investigations open in the U.S. in recent years.
in 2018, also sell the much-criticised product, Roundup which has attracted just as much negative press and legal disputes in recent years due to concerns that it may in fact be responsible for numerous cancer diagnosis’s in regular, long term Round Up users. Most notably, in 2018, when in the first case of its kind, Monsanto were ordered by a Californian court to pay $289 million to Dewayne Johnson, a school groundskeeper who had used Roundup and other glyphosate based weed killers up to 30 times a year for many years and alleged that it was responsible for his terminal, non-hodgkin’s lymphoma cancer. This has opened the floodgates with Bayer currently facing in the region of 5000+ similar lawsuits across the US which may cost them billions of dollars in damages. In regards to the dicamba case, Bayer said it would "use all available legal resources" to fight the federal district court’s ruling. The firm were ordered to pay Mr Bader $15m in actual damages and $250m in fines as he argued that his 1,000-acre orchard was destroyed by dicamba.
Dicamba is thought to be the culprit in more than 3 million acres of damaged soybeans across the country, destroying plants and leaving farmers out millions of dollars in crops.
plants grew resistant to formulations of glyphosate. So Monsanto developed soybean seeds that were genetically modified to withstand new formulations of an older pesticide called dicamba.
Dicamba is nothing new though and has been in use for decades now, so why is it only now causing farms so much damage?
Dicamba has long been criticised as being too likely to drift in the wind onto neighbouring farmland, and onto plants not genetically engineered to withstand the chemicals.
One of the reasons is thought to be because Farmers Are Spraying more of it. In recent years, many farmers
The sheer amount of dicamba sprayed over the past few years however has magnified the problem. Another reason why problems may be on the increase is because Farmers Are Using Dicamba Later In The Year. Historically Dicamba was sprayed in April and May around corn and other crops. Many farmers are now spraying the new formulations of dicamba as late as June and July and opening up plants to exposure when they are more mature, which only increases the damage that can be done. In response, the U.S. Environmental
Bayer owned Monsanto retaliated in an open letter to farmers that says, “The overwhelming majority of farmers are experiencing tremendous success” with dicamba. They also stated that after studying the reports of damage, that education and training on the application process, is the way to improve accurate and safe use of dicamba. Bayer maintain that its herbicides pose no unreasonable risk if used correctly. US ”agrochem” giant Monsanto who were bought by Bayer for $63bn back
Bayer responded by stating "We will swiftly appeal the decision. While we have great empathy for any farmer who suffers from crop losses, in the case of Mr Bader there was no competent evidence presented which showed that Monsanto's products were present on his farm and were responsible for his losses.” In the face of adversity Bayer continue to insist that Monsanto herbicides are safe and "valuable tools for growers” and that The herbicides "do not pose any unreasonable risk of off-target movement when used according to label directions”. Somehow, however with the number of lawsuits wishing to prove otherwise constantly on the rise, I don’t see how this argument can stand up for much longer!
FOLLOW THE BIGGEST LEADER
kosmickitchen.eu KosmicKitchen.com magic truffles WWW.SOFTSECRETS.COM @ SOFTSECRETS
@ SOFTSECRETSINTERNATIONAL
@ SOFTSECRETS_UK
cannabis seeds
smartshop
Korte Haaksbergerstraat 34
Mo . 10.30–18.00
Sat . 11.00–20.00
7511 JS Enschede
Tue/fri . 10.30–20.00
Sun . closed
Want to go pro? professional light planning specifically for your grow
grow.help
grow kits
14
Outdoor 2020 By Macky / Percysgrowroom.com
Outdoor Grow Guides 2020
Starting A Cannabis Grow Outdoors Part 2 As the Springtime approaches, cannabis growers are starting to prepare their outdoor garden for the growing season. In part one of this year's outdoor grow guides, we discussed starting your cannabis grow indoors, before planting them outdoors. In part 2, we will be covering what to do to start your grow outdoors with a seedling, or the plant that has been growing indoors, outdoors. So, whether you have started your growing indoors, or whether you plan to plant seeds outdoors, this guide will help get you off to the best start with your outdoor grow this year.
Starting a Cannabis Grow Outdoors
Once the cold of Winter has passed, and you move into Spring, the conditions outdoors begin to improve. Depending on where you live, this can be anything from mid-March, to early May, sometimes even June in colder climates. A cannabis seedling is not very strong. A harsh environment can easily kill it. Also, because it is so small, it can easy be eaten by bugs or animals. You not only have to protect your plants from the cold, but also from the wildlife, crooks, and in some cases the cops. When the last frost has passed, and the conditions outdoors start to improve,
Setting up Your Outdoor Grow Space
Lighting is important to a cannabis plant, not just when it gets light, but when it doesn't. For a photoperiod cannabis plant to flower it needs to have around 12 hours of day, and 12 hours of night. If a cannabis plant receives irregular light during its night cycle, the plant can hermaphrodite (grow male and female flowers), "re-veg" (revert back to the vegetative stage) or not flower at all. For best results, you should find a place for your plant, that gets a lot of sunlight during the day, but no light at all during night. This can be street lights, cars driving by, the lights from your house. Any light, stronger than a full moon, has the potential to "hermie" or "reveg" your plant. So, choose your location wisely to ensure the night cycle will not be disturbed. Of course, a cannabis plant is a valuable crop. Even if you are growing legally, secrecy is important! If the wrong person finds out about your plant, it may be sto-
the center of the new soil. Fill that hole with around 3L of "potting mix".
Dig a Hole, and Fill it with Soil
This will be much more suitable for a seedling. As the plant grows and the roots expand, they will make their way into the stronger soil, where plenty of nutrients are available.
Give your plant a good amount of root space. Start off by digging a hole, about 50L in volume, and fill it with good soil. There are many brands you can choose from, and it is readily available at most garden centers and shops. It is also very cheap. A good soil will feed your plants for weeks, and maybe even months, without you having to add any extra nutrients. All your plant will need is water.
Plant Your Seed, or Plant
If you started your cannabis grow indoors, then it is recommended you acclimate your plant slowly to the outdoor conditions. You can do this by bringing the plant outdoors for just
Once planted, water around the plant/ seed to fully saturate the soil around it. Then, you let nature take its course. If it doesn't rain for any longer than 4 days, you should water the plant yourself.
Protecting Outdoor Cannabis Plants From Animals
Depending on your location in the world, your plant will be at risk from different animals. From moles, deer's, rabbits, badgers, your plant can be eaten by
If you started your cannabis grow indoors, then it is recommended you acclimate your plant slowly to the outdoor conditions a couple of hours a day, and slowly extending the amount of time it is left outdoors, by a couple of hours each day. After a week, your plant should be ready to live outside.
many animals, especially when it is young. You can help prevent this by building an enclosure around the plant.
When the plant is ready, dig your hole, fill it with your preferred soil, and transplant the plant from the pot, into the ground.
Start off by covering the ground around your plant with a layer of chicken wire. This will help prevent animals from digging up through the ground to get to your plant. Prevention is better than cure.
To do this, simply bury the plant and the pot, but leave about a centimeter of the pot above the ground, this will make it easy to lift it back out.
You can also build a small fence around your plant by using chicken wire or fencing. This will prevent animals from getting to your plant and eating it, or damaging it.
len. It can be difficult to hide a cannabis plant if it grows to its full height. Secrecy is very important to your safety, try and grow your plant in a place where no one else will see it.
Lift the pot out and you will be left with a perfectly shaped hole for your plant's roots. Take the plant out of the pot, and place the plant into the hole. It will fit perfectly, and she is ready to live outdoors.
Protecting Outdoor Cannabis Plants from Bugs
Airflow is also important! Don't plant your plants too close to a fence, or wall. During flower, if the plant isn't getting enough air flow around the buds, they can get bud rot, or powdery mildew, and this will ruin your whole crop.
If you're starting from seed, planting your seed straight into a strong soil, may kill it. Too much food in the soil can shock the tap root as it comes out of the shell. To prevent this, after filling the hole with soil, you should make a smaller hole in
Depending on the time of year you plant outdoors, your plants could veg for months before they get to the flowering process you can plant your seedling outdoors. But to ensure the plants survival, there are some precautions you should take. Also, you need to take into consideration how good the soil you are planting into is. Does it have enough nutrients in it? Does it have good drainage? The better quality the soil is, the happier your plant will be. So, to begin growing outdoors, you need to set up an area, and make sure it is ready for your plants to move into.
Make sure air can flow around your whole plant easily.
It's going to be difficult to prevent bugs from getting to your plant. You can plant "companion" plants next to your cannabis plant. The most common companion plants are Garlic Chives, and Mint. These will confuse the bugs because of their strong odour, and they may leave your plant alone. You can also plant "Nasturtium". This plant will be a sacrifi-
15 cial plant that the bugs will eat instead of your cannabis plant. They will be more attracted to this than your plants. Nature will find balance. There are bugs that will eat your plants, but there are also bugs that will eat those bugs. A cannabis plant will have its own immune system and will be able to fight off some pests on its own too. Keep your plant healthy, and it will stand a better chance of fighting off pests and disease. Sprinkling some crushed egg shells across the top of your soil, is a great way to prevent slugs and snails getting to your plant. This can also add some extra calcium to the soil further into the grow as the egg shell gets broken down by the microbes.
Let it Grow!
That’s all you have to do! As long as you have a good location, and some good soil for your plant to live in, she will grow beautifully. You won't have to feed your plant for a while, if you're growing in "living soil" you may not have to feed them at all! If it rains often, you won't even have to water them. Depending on the time of year you plant outdoors, your plants could veg for months before they get to the flowering process. Your plant will be huge, and the bigger it is, the harder it will be to keep hidden. Some growers choose to grow "autoflowering" cannabis plants outdoors, as they will not grow as big, and they will be finished sooner than photoperiod plants. If you would like to know more about this, head to Percysgrowroom.com to check out my guide on " Growing Autoflowering Cannabis Plants Outdoors". Once your plant is in the ground, you just have to wait. It won't need feeding for a few weeks. Pick up the next issue of Soft Secrets, for some ideas on training your plants, and what to do during the vegetative stage. Thanks for reading everyone! Happy growing!
16
FLOWERING QUIZ
7. Do plants nutritional needs differ when in “stretch/transition”? A. Yes, they still need “grow” nutrients. B. No, Swap straight to Flower Feed. C. Alternate “grow” and “flower” feeds for the first 2 weeks. D. Use lower dilution of “flower” feed for the first week.
1. When is your plant ready to go into Flower? A. Between 14 and 30 days of Veg. B. After 30 days of Veg. C. Before 14 days of Veg. D. As soon as roots are formed.
2. What light cycle should you switch to in Flower? A. 16 on/ 8 off. B. 8 on/ 16 off. C. 24hrs on. D. 12 on/12 off.
3. What temperature and humidity do you need during Flower? A. 50% RH, 24C throughout Flower. B. Early Flower 40-55%RH, 20-26C. Late Flower 30-40%RH, 18-24C. C. 45-50% RH, 18-24C throughout Flower. D. Do not change from Vegetative phase.
4. H ow long does the average Flowering phase last? A. 8 Weeks plus. B. Under 8 Weeks. C. Over 16 weeks. D. When the plants start to smell.
5. What is “the stretch/transition” phase of Flowering? A. Plant grows rapidly, thinking that winter is coming. B. Plant wilts when first put into flower. C. Lower branches grow out laterally in search of more light. D. Leaves curl up and lighten in colour when first put into Flower.
6. H ow long does the average “stretch/ transition” phase last? A. Weeks 1-2 of Flower. B. Weeks 1-4 of Flower. C. First 3 Weeks of Flower. D. Weeks 1-6 of Flower.
8. What is the “low stress training” (LST) method used during Flower ? A. With-holding water/feed from your plants. B. Reducing temperature in your grow environment. C. With-holding light from your plants. D. Bending/tying down stems for an even canopy. 9. What changes should I see in my female plants in weeks 1-2 of Flower? A. Small pollen sacks beginning to form where the fan leaves meet the stem. B. The first little buds beginning to grow. C. Fine wispy white hairs called pistils forming where the fan leaves meet the stem. D. Small yellow banana shaped flowers. 10. How will I recognise a male plant? A. Leaves turn a very dark shade of green. B. No change at all, plant just continues to grow vertically. C. Fine wispy white hairs called pistils, where the fan leaves meet the stem. D. Small pollen sacks forming where the fan leaves meet the stem. 11. What changes should I see in weeks 3-4 of Flower? A. Vertical growth stops, buds begin to grow where pistils are. B. Pistils grow much longer C. Plants taking up less water/feed D. Plants taking up more water/feed 12. What Bloom Boosters are best for early Flower? A. A foliar feed. B. One with high levels of phosphorus. C. One with high levels of nitrogen. D. PK13/14.
13. What should you see in weeks 5-6 of Flower? A. Fatter buds. Strong odour. Pistils turning darker. B. No real change except in plant height. C. Leaves start to dry up and fall off. D. Buds lighten in colour.
14. What is PK13/14 used for? A. An all round conditioner for your plants. B. It contains high levels of potassium and phosphorous. C. It cleans unused nutrients out of yourplants system. D. It deters pests and disease.
15. When should I use PK13/14? A. Throughout Flower at every feed. B. Last 4 weeks of Flower at every feed. C. 3 weeks before harvest. D. Last 4 weeks of Flower.
16. What is a late Flower Booster used for? A. You should not use a Booster in late Flower. B. It contains phosphorus, potassium, nitrogen, magnesium and hormones. C. To reduce plant odour. D. To stop any further Growth.
17. Plants can suffer from “Nutrient burn” during Flower. What causes this? A. Heat from being closer to the grow lights. B. Underfeeding. C. Overfeeding. D. Increased pest infestation as the fruits develop.
18. What is Flushing? A. Feeding plants water only to “flush” out stored nutrients. B. Increasing your feed ratios to give your plants a final push. C. Keeping your plant in darkness to produce more flavours and oils. D. Keeping your plant under constant light.
19. When do you know plants are ready to be Flushed? A. After 6 weeks. B. All pistils are dark orange, trichomes are milky/opaque. C. No earlier than 8 weeks. D. Roughly after 6 weeks.
20. H ow long am I recommended to Flush for? A. 24 hours. B. Plants do not need to be flushed. C. In-between 1 – 2 weeks. D. 4 weeks plus. That's it! For answers see page 26
17
strain report
El Dorado OG Grow Report: The Trichome Bomb Hits the Target! El Dorado OG is a full bodied indica that stands out from the crowd thanks to the intense bouquet of its terpene tones and the exceptional resin production of its buds that has earned this plant the nickname ‘The Trichome Bomb.’ There is Kush running through the foundations of this plant which has proved itself as a tower of stability and uniformity, spitting out 'trichome bomb' buds that so resinous they are literally double dipped in trichomes. A sophisticated indica (with Thin Mint GSC in the mix) Paradise Seeds has engineered a plant for day time and night time use, with impressive layers of aroma and taste.
Germination and Vegetative Stage Two seeds were given to expert grower, The Doc, for the purposes of this grow report. They were both germinated and planted in a soil mix, breaking the surface within 3 days. During the early veg stage, both plants grew so uniformly that the Doc noted in his diary that they resembled a pair of clones. Growth through the veg stage was vigorous, the indica genetics producing plants that were stocky and bushy in
their growth, establishing a solid scaffold of branches, covered in medium wide dark green leaves. At the end of the veg stage, the heights of the two plants were 32cm and 34cm.
Flowering Stage El Dorado OG responded to the switch to flowering with a period of rapid growth and within six days there were signs of pre-flowering. In two weeks an accelerated stretch saw the plants double in height with both displaying a similar growth pattern; the main stem shooting up through the middle, surrounded by a plateau of numerous lateral branches below. This trend continued and, after four weeks in flowering, the evenly distributed lateral branches were showing a multitude of tight packed calyxes upon which dense flower clusters. There was already an indication of the over productive nature of this plant, in relation to resin production, with a healthy display of trichomes. "Super resinous," wrote the Doc in his grow diary. "Very early these have begun to ooze out lots of resin." As the plants approached harvest the development of the tops was most impressive, those excessive resin glands pumping so frosty
they looked like a snow scene. Just before its climax this effect was complemented by intensely orange pistils and the turning of sugar leaves from green to purple. These changes were accompanied by a smell so strong that it could be described as penetrating. The highly odorous scent was a terpene swirl of wood, heavy earth and pine needles with a hint of sweet lemon - the plants definitely showing their Kush lineage. Harvested after nine weeks of flowering, the plants were 74cm and 85cm in height.
Harvest Yield The combined yield of these two plants was an impressive 193 grams.
Smell and Smoke Report The stand out characteristic of the El Dorado OG plant was the "trichome bomb" buds and The Doc noted that it was as if the drying and curing process had only accentuated their excessive resin coatings. As for the smell, this too had retained its incredibly potent scent, with the earth-pine-lemon character now infused with a note of fuel.
To test El Dorado OG, half a gram was mixed with a pinch of tobacco and rolled into a joint. The initial hit confirmed that combination of flavors with a spicy taste of concentrated pine and lemon. A faint bitterness, not unpleasant, added an extra dimension to the complex taste. "A dream of a true power flavor for fans of fullmouth Kush piquancy," wrote The Doc of this taste sensation. Paradise Seeds describe this strain as a good indica for day time and night time use and the effect certainly appeared to confirm this fact. This was no couch lock, stick-to-the-floor indica hit, but a slow release well balanced calm, relaxing but also focused. Yes, it was it was easy to lose a few hours in front of the TV screen binge watching a few episodes of the latest box set, but if there were tasks to be done then they weren't a problem, with The Doc adding, "It made me glide through the day with a smile!"
Verdict
El Dorado OG has its own character - intensely aromatic and intensely resinous An excellent addition to the Paradise Seeds stable, this is an indica that sits well in this trio of new strains.
Cultivation data: Genetics
El Dorado OG (indica dominant)
Vegetative stage
four weeks (after germination)
Flowering stage
63 days / 60 days in general
Medium
Plagron Grow Mix soil, 11 litre pots
pH
6.2-6.6
EC
1.2–1.8 mS
Light
up to 12 x SANlight S4W = 1680 watts
Temperature
19-28°C
Air humidity
40-60%
Watering
by hand
Fertilisation
Organic Bloom Liquid + Organic More PK from Green Buzz Liquids
Additives/ stimulants
Living Organics, More Roots, HuminSäure Plus, Big Fruits, Fast Buds and CleanFruits from Green Buzz Liquids
Tools
CleanLight Pro for mould prevention
Height
74and 85 cm
Yield
together, 193 grams
18
Grow with ED ROSENTHAL
HAWAIIAN LEGAL I met Jason at a marijuana and health conference in Oahu this past January. He invited me to visit his farm located on the North shore of Oahu. It serves about 100 patients. With each patient allowed 10- plants Jason Care Facility grows about 1000 plants . It’s all done in a 40 x 60 foot (12 x 18m) structure, a total of 2400 square feet (731m2). It has metal and wood framing, and is clad 6 mil double polyethylene. The side walls are 10’ (3m) high and the peak reaches 17’ (5m). The main purpose of the greenhouse is to protect plants from rain and wind. The temperature range here on Oahu is considered mild so the major problems are rain and moisture. The lowest temperature occur in January when the thermometer dips into the high 60’s (20OC), but most of the time it range between the 70’s (21OC) and low 80’s (26OC and the temperature rises no higher than the high 80’s (31OC) during the summer months of June, July and August.
To prevent the “greenhouse effect”, when heat generated by sunlight heats up a closed area, the sides of the greenhouse are lifted up during the day for airflow. They are closed at night and on rainy and windy days. Oahu is at the 21st latitude and there is only slight variation between summer and winter day length. On June 22, the longest day, there are just under 13.5 hours of light. On the shortest day, Dec. 21, it is Just under 11 hours. As a result,
almost all plants start to flower soon after germination unless the length of the light period is extended. Lighting the plants to prevent flowering is accomplished using CFL fluorescent lights that are hung over the plants. They are controlled using a timer that turns the lights on most of the night. Since it is so easy to manipulate the flowering cycle, there are plants in all stages of growth creating a continuous supply and continuous work-flow without requiring “bulges” of temporary workers. Jason’s farm manager, Brody mentioned
that the week around the full moon has a slight effect on flowering, holding the plants back a bit. I didn’t think that was the case until I looked at the full moon that night. The moon, rather than being at an acute angle in the sky is much closer to being straight overhead. It is much brighter than it is at the 37th parallel, where I usually view it. Jason is trying out many varieties, and is especially impressed with a Chem Dog x d Durban Poison, Greenpoint Seed’s Indiana Bubblegum x Stardog and their house strain Blue Dream x Gogi OG. Patients request those varieties the most.
THE MONTH Now is the time to take clones of your favorite plants for sowing outside in a month or two. Do you or any of your buddies have any plants that you think is truly outstanding? They may be good candidates for growing outdoors. Give the clones only 18 hours of light a day with a 6-hour dark period so they don’t go into shock and immediately start to flower when placed outdoors. Give the clones moderate light until they start developing roots, about 10-15 days. Then transplant them into bigger containers.
The greenhouse was about 2400sq, ft. (731m2 ) It was completed in last year and is still being filled with plants.
19
The fluorescent lights are used to break up the dark cycle. Most cannabis plants require a long period of uninterrupted darkness to flower. By breaking the dark cycle once or twice for just a few minutes each evening the plants remain in vegetative. Once the lights are turned off permanently, the plants begin to flower.
Young plants in 5-gallon (19-liter) containers are growing vegetatively.
Plants in the fourth or fifth week of flowering.
The canopy is uniform height because all the plants in the group are clones of a single variety.
Young flower almost three weeks old.
Plants in the last stage of vegetation before turning the auxiliary fluorescent lights off.
Mature flower about to be picked.
20
Rainbow Road Monster Sativa Delivers Historical Harvest Record!
Seed banks
Rainbow Road is a sativa dominant hybrid from Paradise Seeds that announces itself with a sweet and fruity nature and claims of being one of the biggest yielding sativas Paradise have produced in their 26 year history. A good deal of work has gone into developing this plant on behalf of the Paradise Seeds breeding team and the genetic mix is a combination of classic Hindu Kush and Strawberry Haze with some genetic fine tuning to optimize terpene profiles and yield performance.
Germination and Vegetative Stage This strain test was carried out by the well respected European grower known as 'The Doc'. Two seeds were germinated and, once they had popped, were added to a soil grow mix. Within 2.5 days the heads of the seedlings were showing above the surface. The sativa heritage of Rainbow Road was plain to see from the beginning of the grow process and the initial growth surge was particularly impressive. The plants topped 28cm and 32cm after three weeks in the veggie stage with both plants displaying fairly narrow shade leaves and four lateral branch pairs. After four weeks they were transferred into flowering and in that short time had reached heights of 40cm and 48cm, prompting The Doc to note in his grow diary his surprise at the vigour with which these plants were growing.
The Flowering Stage Placed into bud after four weeks of veg state, the two plants continued to exhibit this incredible capacity to stretch and after four weeks of flowering the plants had increased their heights dramatically, almost tripling in size the form reminding The Doc of a classic tropical sativa. Despite the incredible stretch the Rainbow Road plants were also demonstrating real power as they pushed on with aggressive flower production. Even at this early stage, bud formation was formidable with 'hairy' compact flower clusters on top of and along the lateral branches and main stem, plus a first silver resin shimmer on the calyxes and sugar leaves. After six weeks of flowering, The Doc noted that these plants were showing monstrous tendencies with incredible growth. Both of them showed similar characteristics - the main shoot sticking out from the middle like a steep tower topped with an elongated top cola. The plants' growth was also illustrated by a high calyx to leaf ratio. At the base of the main stem was a considerable growth of lateral branches (18 counted on one of the plants) which
21 were garnished with beautiful big tops as well. Also noted at this stage was the copious resin production of both plants and a very intense scent of fruity sweetness, with definite shades of mango and strawberry. Such was the surging growth and the fullness of the bud laden lateral branches that some support was required as they raced towards their harvests. Both plants took the full 10 weeks to mature, but the wait was worth it. Both plants delivered a payload of unusually dense and rock hard buds, literally pulsating with trichomes and covered in incredibly lavish resin coats. This resin production was so prolific that it extended right to the base of the upper shade leaves. Final heights of the two Rainbow Road plants were 155 cm and 135cm.
Harvest Yield The combined yield from these two monsters was a huge 340 grams (yes that is correct!).
Smell and Smoke Report The Doc was stunned by the record breaking yield he recorded for these huge beasts of plants, especially considering the "heavenly flower quality" that accompanied this massive harvest. The dried buds were impressive too, resin soaked and presenting themselves with a distinctive strawberry swirl to their scent. To test the taste and effect, a half gram of bud was rolled with a little tobacco into a long, thin joint. The first toke delivered a sensational sweetness that lingered on the lips even after the exhale. The flavor was the next pleasant surprise with that initial strawberry note becoming overtaken by a taste that was described as a "delicious potpourri of red fruits." It took just one hit to bring a wave of electrifying clarity surging through the mind. With a few more tokes the full effect took hold in the form of a hard hitting rush of euphoria that brought with it the onset of a permanent grin. This full throttle ascent into the stratosphere lasted for approximately 1.5 hours before the buzz levelled off into a sense of cozy relaxation and deep inner balance.
The Verdict In the words of The Doc, Rainbow Road is the "adorable sativa queen every grower has always dreamt of." Strength runs through this plant - from its huge yield potential to the superb quality of its smell, taste and effect. Taking into consideration all these factors, Rainbow Road has all the makings of a plant that has the potential to become a new flagship in the Paradise Seeds fleet. www.paradise-seeds.com
Cultivation data: Genetics
Rainbow Road (Sativa-dominant)
Vegetative stage
4 weeks (after germination)
Flowering stage
63and70 days / 65-70 days in general
Medium
Plagron Grow Mix soil, 11 litre pots
pH
6.2-6.6
EC
1.2–1.8 mS
Light
up to 12 x SANlight S4W = 1680 watts
Temperature
19-28°C
Air humidity
40-60%
Watering
By hand
Fertilisation
Organic Bloom Liquid + Organic More PK from Green Buzz Liquids
Additives/stimulants
Living Organics, More Roots, HuminSäure Plus, Big Fruits, Fast Buds and CleanFruits from Green Buzz Liquids
Tools
CleanLight Pro for mould prevention
Height
101and 155 cm
Yield
103 and 237 g
22
Seed banks
It was a real discovery, because it was there that he bought his first professional equipment for indoor cultivation, learned a lot and met people who shared his same ideas; people like Mila Jensen, who was testing her first extracts made from what is currently known as the ice-and-water extraction system. He also tasted premium cannabis – savoury seedless buds that were a treat for his palate. After procuring all the cultivation material they could, Yon and his brother returned to Spain with their van stocked with bags of soil, a cultivation lamp and organic fertilisers. Something as simple as organic nutrients for the cultivation of cannabis, which today you can find in any Grow Shop, simply did not exist in Spain. This intrepid grower was a visionary ahead of his time and realised something that has taken decades to sink into the consciousness of many cannabis growers; growing cannabis organically was better for the plant and for consumers, because the final product is of higher quality and free of toxic substances.
The origins of seed banks in Spain That’s how the first crops were
This year is Dinafem’s 15th anniversary. However, to understand how this seed bank was born, we need to go back much further. Its history, in actual fact, begins at the end of the 1980s, in the north of post-Franco Spain, where the cultivation of cannabis was still an unknown activity that very few growers put into practice. The first outdoor crops
Among those few were Captain Ozone and Professor OG, at that time, two teenag-ers intrigued by the cannabis plant, who in 1988 began growing it outdoors. Professor OG, 16 years old and eager to learn, grew cannabis seeds that came from Holland. The advantage in those times was that, since most Spaniards had never seen a marijuana plant, they would not have to worry about someone trying to steal their crops. They started their guerrillacrop experiments on the outskirts of San Sebastian and also in their own gardens, where all available genetics were grown.
Yon and his initial indoor growing experience On the other hand, Yon, who was in his early twenties, was taking his first steps in the cultivation of cannabis, not knowing that later on he would become a key player in the creation and development of Dinafem. In the 1980s, this young Basque, who
was enthralled by the properties of the marijuana plant and still had to meet Professor OG and Captain Ozone, began his own indoor growing experiments. He had lived in Germany and spoke the language perfectly, which made it easy for him to get in touch with everything that was happening in Holland. At that time, the Netherlands was at the forefront of the world cannabis scene and some of the most advanced cultivation manuals were written in German, the language of its neighbouring country. Let us remember that this is where the hybrid revolution started in the 1980s and where the groundwork for the cannabis industry we know today was laid. In Spain, in contrast, there was hardly any literature on cannabis cultivation, and the little that did exist addressed only very basic concepts, so Yon decided that, if the mountain did not go to Muhammad, Muhammad would go to the mountain. Amsterdam became one of his favourite destinations and, year after year, he went
on pilgrimage to the Dutch capital. On one such trip, in the summer of 1987, he de-cided to visit a club that a friend had recommended, a sort of growers’ association in the old city centre of Amsterdam called Positronics.
Because of his visit to Positronics, Yon was able to develop his first semi-organic indoor crop. From then on, he decided to devote himself to his passion, quit his job in the hotel business and started growing marijuana. He was convinced that one day the culture of cannabis and its medical uses would stop being a taboo subject relegated to underground circles.
The UK, a school for Professor OG
For his part, Professor OG, who lived in the same city as Yon in northern Spain (although they did not yet know each other), also understood that the time had come to see the world. In 1991, already in his twenties, he decided to move to London, where he met an East End dealer who provided him with high-quality buds and explained to him that there were several growers in London who produced good buds, and if he wanted to find out more he should go to the Compendium bookshop in Candem Town. This is how Professor OG found a full library of handbooks on cannabis genetics and cultivation – focusing on every aspect that any grower would want to know – and his life changed. These books included, among others Marijuana Botany by Robert Clark, Marijuana Chemistry by Michael Stark, Marijuana Grower’s Handbook by Ed Rosenthal. By reading all these US manuals over and over again, he inadvertently became an ex-pert on the subject. In 1991, the culture of cannabis was still very precarious in general or virtually inexistent. In one of these papers, he found a piece of information that would later turn his ca-reer around, the very first reference to feminised seeds; he then realised that there could be the possibility of producing seeds generating female offspring.
23
Amsterdam: Welcome to the future
After the London experience, Professor OG decided that Amsterdam was the next step. He moved there in 1992 and a new world opened up before his eyes. At that time, the Coffee Shop fever was in full
So, when Professor OG arrived in the Dutch capital, he found the same scenario that had fascinated Yon: a fledgling industry that had professionalised the production and distribution of cannabis. Most importantly, he focused on new hybrids that had been created by, e.g.,
His stay in the Netherlands allowed him to learn more about indoor production methods. There were grow-shops where you could buy all the necessary professional materials, e.g. sodium lamps, hydroponic systems, high
Clearly, at that time, there was not a single feminised seed in the Netherlands. The use of feminised seeds was not even considered. Plants were not even grown from seeds as the great innovation in production was the use of clones, which ensured stability, consistency and quality.
swing. Holland had created a revolutionary legal framework for cannabis, which had turned the country into the promised land of breeders, growers and users.
Wernard Bruining and breeders from California such as Old Ed, who had moved to Amsterdam to work on creating and stabilising strains like Haze.
density methods, fluorescent lamps for the production of clones, climate control systems, organic fertilisers, etc.
Back home: The Basque Country, the garden of Spain
He also had access to good-quality cannabis. Just as Yon had done, Professor OG visited Positronics, which was a pioneer store at the time, and there he felt like a child at Disneyland. Here, growers could buy clones, see mother plants and taste the final product – otherwise said, they could gain experience of the whole cycle. In addition, all kinds of materials for professional cultivation were on sale and consumers could also buy internally made lighting systems with 400 W, 600 W and even 1000 W lamps. That was the future that Professor OG discovered in 1992 in Amsterdam: profes-sionalism, quality, transparency and legal cultivation. He understood that the passion that had driven him to a sector still in the shadows in the rest of the planet could actually become a real industry.
In 1993, when Professor OG returned to Spain, he started to apply what he had learned in his travels. He planted various outdoor crops, including many guerrilla crops on the outskirts of his town, which he ran with the help of his friends. He committed himself, body and soul, to his passion from spring to autumn and he always used highquality seeds from Holland grown with organic fertilisers specifically produced for cannabis. His harvests were something never seen before in Spain: high quality seedless buds with a smell and power that were by no means inferior to those of the Netherlands, the only difference being that plants were grown outdoors. Using those very potent genetics that had contributed to create and stabilise the Dutch hybrids, and the lessons learnt about cannabis cultivation, his buds gave
24 main objectives with these ‘experiments’ was to obtain plants resistant to the northern climate of San Sebastian. To do this, he made a selection of Early Pearl selecta (an early Sativa), from which he chose a male to pollinate various strains: Skunk, Shiva Skunk and Early Pearl itself. One of the results of these crosses was an Early Skunk that was very useful, because he wished to shorten the flowering period of the Skunk family due to the climate of the area. He made crosses with Landrace varieties from Morocco, Nepal, Brazil and Colombia. Among these first selected plants were also strains such as California Orange, Power Plant and White Widow. At that time, the idea of creating feminised seeds also began to take shape.
rise to a cannabis revolution. “I grew absolutely all the strains available in the catalogues at that time - many Skunk#1 and Skunk series, which were the predecessors of Critical. They were cheap, potent, fast and high-yielding plants with an intense aroma. I remember strains like Early Skunk and Shiva Skunk, which was a cross of Northern Lights x Skunk. We also started to use sativas: Northern Lights#5 x Haze...”, remembers Professor OG. In turn, other growers began to take an interest in this new method of production. Professor OG taught them basic concepts to start with small crops, and so, little by little, a small circle of expert cannabis growers started to form in the town of San Sebastian. These were the years when home growing started in Spain, the beginning of a movement that later gained strength and changed forever the local cannabis scene. The country evolved from an importer and consumer of Moroccan hash to being the main marijuana garden in Europe.
Yon and Professor OG: Cannabis love at first sight
For his part, Yon had also returned from Amsterdam and set to work with his indoor cultivation. Unlike Professor OG, who grew his crops in the mountains and indoors in squatted houses, Yon did so in his own home. He lived with his plants and, therefore, could focus all his attention on them. His home garden had 6 400W lamps and 226 plants in total, which was absolutely unheard of at that time. In his grow-tents he only had highquality strains, among which, G13, Shiva and California Orange, one of his favourites, which was a very sweet. Yon devoted a lot of time to his plants and, above all, treated them with a lot of love. He began to make mothers and take cuttings from them to use
them systematically and used the SOG method with clones, like in Holland. He began to produce very uniform crops with premium yields as he only used organic fertilisers. Plants were his life and he lived for plants. “What some of us had only seen in Positronics, Amsterdam, Yon had reproduced in his home garden in San Sebastian. Crops were flawless and perfect. Everyone was amazed at the quality of buds. It was the best indoor garden in the whole of the Basque Country”, recalls Professor OG. It was then, in 1993, that Professor OG and Yon met through a mutual friend. They were both very surprised by each other’s cannabis knowledge, which was unparalleled in the region. So, they soon started to work together and share long conversations in which they exchanged everything they had learned on their own. Yon’s knowledge was really unequalled in Spain at that time. He had created an exemplary cultivation method and his house had literally become a pilgrimage centre, as growers from all over the world came to admire his work and learn from him. Those who would later open their main grow shops in the Basque Country visited him first. At that time, his indoor garden was so unusual that something similar could only be seen in Amsterdam. Those who came to his humble abode could see the whole cycle (mothers, clones and the final result of dry buds), and even taste the final product. It was a very important period for the two growers, as they learned a lot from each other. Yon learned about outdoor and guerrilla growing, and Professor OG about indoor growing. They started testing new strains by mixing the two ‘worlds’, making outdoor crops from the clones of Yon’s selected strains, rather than regular seeds.
The first hybrids ‘made in Euskadi’
In 1995, this team of advanced growers began to make their own crosses. Strains were not only created from Dutch genetics, but also from Landraces seeds from all over the world. They received seeds from Morocco, from those friends who decided to ‘go to the Moors’, so to say, as well as from India and Nepal, as some Basque mountaineering enthusiasts used to travel to these countries for hiking trails. “We also did some crosses with sativas from Brazil”, says Professor OG. “We grew a Brazilian Skunk cross that became very popular with that fledgling grower community. We were growing it outdoors and obtained very good results. The Skunk was so dominant that, despite being crossed with a Brazilian strain (which, as a good Sativa, was a late grower), continued having a short flowering period. This was a useful trait given our northern climate, as autumn rains ruined many crops.” The Bahia Landrace was a strain called Cabeza de Negro and Professor OG, along with other growers, did several breeding experiments with it. This circle of growers consisted of about 30 members who helped each other, sharing knowledge and marijuana strains through cuttings. These experiments with Landraces helped them realise that the Dutch hybrids were much more stable, as they had gone through various breeding processes. Then Professor OG, who already knew the basics of Mendelian genetics, realised the importance of stabilising the strains through selection processes in order to increase predictability and obtain better harvests. During that year, one of Professor OG’s
“We began to see that, in indoor crops where we only used clones of female plants, some seeds began to appear between the buds. At first, we thought it might be pollen that had had slipped in from the outside. But then we realised that this also happened in winter, when there were no outdoor crops and, therefore, no pollination from the outside.” They started to look closely into it and realised that these female mother plant clones produced pollen ‘bananas’ when subjected to higherthan-usual temperatures. This is how these young growers accidentally obtained their first feminised seeds that produced plants extremely similar to their mother, i.e. a dream come true; their plants closely resembled the original clone and, therefore, replicated all those special attributes, but with the vigour of seeds. That was quite a discovery. Creating such high-quality feminised seeds made Pro-fessor OG circle back to an original idea he had had when he was in London, i.e. to reverse the gender of female plants with gibberellic acid and create feminised seeds. Determined to prove his theory, the young breeder procured the acid, and, together with Yon, made a first test. After diluting it, they sprayed it on clones of Master Kush and California Orange selected by Yon and put them into bloom. In so doing, however, they discovered that this product makes the plants increase their growth, and therefore their size, but there is no trace of gender reversal. Discouraged by the result, they did not devote more time and energy to this project. Feminised seeds took a few more years before coming into existence. However, it is worth noting that this experiment took place in 1996, seven years before the foundation of Dinafem Seeds. Even though they did not achieve their goal on that occasion, the experiment itself was significant, as it would be the prelude to something very big that was to come. But that, along with many other adventures, is another story that one day we will tell.
medical with Rich Hamilton
25
CBG The Mother Cannabinoid Cannabis is an extremely complex plant containing over 400 compounds, more than a hundred of which are classed as cannabinoids. The two most abundant being of course CBD (cannabidiol) and THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). There are however some really interesting minor cannabinoids that have real potential to be recognised in their own right for their own unique potential and CBG is one of the most
By Rich Hamilton cannabinoid’ ‘parent’ or ‘stem cell’ of both CBD and THC which simply would not exist without it. CBG is the foundation on which several cannabinoids depend and this is because all
ingredients are brought to life and become CBD, THC (and CBG) as we know them best. THC of course is responsible for the psychoactive and intoxicating effects which cannabis can have, whilst CBD and CBG can support health, without ANY 'high'. CBGA however, in most cases is immediately converted to either THCA or CBDA meaning that the more THC or CBD that you have in your final product then the less CBG you will
in extractions thanks to the growing number of cannabis users who are recognising its potential. So far research has indicated that CBG can act on specific physiological conditions and problems and that its potential for medicinal use is promising. T CBG is thought to be particularly effective in treating sight conditions such as glaucoma because it can reduce fluid pressure in the eye. CBG is thought to be a powerful vasodilator, which is a medication that can dilate blood vessels, meaning it allows blood to flow much more freely and easy. CBG is also thought to have neuroprotective effects and in a 2015 study was shown to protect neurons in mice with Huntington’s disease, which is characterised by nerve cell degeneration in the brain. Further animal experiments involving mice also found that CBG was effective in decreasing inflammation in those suffering from inflammatory bowel disease. When it comes to fighting cancer, CBG is also looking like it could be a promising weapon, CBG has been shown in studies to block receptors that cause cancer cell growth. In one particular study that was carried out on mice, it was shown to inhibit the growth of cancer cells associated with colon cancer.
THE
mother cannabinoid By Rich Hamilton
promising. Although found in low levels of less than 1% in many strains, CBG has a major role to play within cannabis plants and offers many wellness benefits. In its own right. CBG stands for Cannabigerol and is actually classed as the ‘mother
cannabinoids start off as CBGA (the acidic, inactive form of CBG).
have due to the process of how these compounds are synthesised.
As the cannabis plant matures, CBGA is broken down, and is converted into CBDA and THCA, the inactive or ‘raw’ forms of CBD and THC. Once they are heated or ‘decarboxylated’ the active
Despite the minimal amount of CBG that is available in most common cannabis strains, CBG is really start to grow in popularity and is one of the most sought after cannabinoids
Topical formulations of cannabis have been known to be effective in skin infections since the 1950’s, but researchers at the time were unaware of the plant’s chemical composition. European research however has now produced evidence that CBG works as an effective antibacterial, particularly against MRSA, which is a microbial strain that is notoriously resistant to several kinds of modern day drugs. In 2017 researchers were able to show that a form of CBG that had been purified to remove delta-9 THC acted as an excellent appetite stimulant in rats which could prove potentially beneficial for the symptoms of muscle wastage and severe weight loss that are commonly seen in late stage cancer and other diseases. Another study that looked at the effects of cannabinoids on bladder contractions discovered that CBG fared best out of the 5 cannabinoids chosen to be tested, at inhibiting muscle contractions, meaning that
26 it could be a remedy for easing or prevent bladder dysfunction disorders. Similarly to CBD, CGB’s non psychoactive properties are thought to have even more possible benefits than those already mentioned, including use for general pain relief, a treatment for common skin issues such as psoriasis, and use as an antidepressant . When boasting a wide array of possible health benefits such as those listed above it is hard to understand why CBG has not yet been exploited in a such a large scale commercial way as its much better known child CBD?!. Well, one major reason would be because obtaining CBG extract from the cannabis plant is a very expensive process. So much so that it has earnt itself the reputation of being the “Rolls Royce of cannabinoids”. CBG's price is 5 times (or more) higher than CBD’s, mainly because of the thousands of kilos of plant matter that are needed to extract small isolated quantities of CBG. For example, if the CBG content of a particular batch of cannabis is 1%, then you would need to extract 20 times the amount of biomass to obtain the same CBG concentration.
already successfully bred a high CBG cannabis strain that is free from any psychoactive THC. Impressive enough as that alone is they have also managed to increase the CBG concentration to between 15% and
The baby of this genetic engineering endeavour is a high-CBG genetic called Panakeia and will be distributed through companies specialising in CBD-rich strains, and those who are providing technology for the production of new hemp varieties. It is not just in Europe where the production of CBG-rich strains is starting to take off either, in the USA “Oregon CBD” is scheduled to launch their first CBG-rich strains “Stem Cell” and “White CBG” this year after three years of trials that have proven that they can produce a final yield containing over 20% CBG and under 0.3% THC. Additionally there are several other legal corporations in the US that have been working on CBG rich strains. Early findings and research have left
CBG extraction is still relatively new and so processes are still subject to development and currently require highly-specialised, expensive equipment. With this in mind the only other way to make CBG more accessible and affordable is through manipulating the plant’s genetics to produce strains with a dominant level of CBG versus THC or CBD. I’m glad to report that there are currently projects already underway to make strides in this direction. The “Hemp Trading” company in association with the Polytechnic University of Valencia, Spain, have
18% from the standard 0.1-1% Not only is a THC free cannabis strain a game changer for those who are interested in exploring the non-psychoactive medicinal effects of CBD or CBG but it is also a great development for Industrial hemp farmers. Current guidelines in the US state that industrially grown hemp must contain no more than 0.3% THC. This is a guideline, which has seen many a hemp farmer having to destroy whole crops at harvest when testing and finding that the chosen strain that they have planted has naturally produced more THC than intended,
the world of science, medicine and hemp farming intrigued and hopeful about the full scope of potential that CBG extract and CBD rich cannabis strains could have. Indeed, further research pathways concerning the applications of CBG by itself and also in combination with other cannabinoids is well underway. In summary it is easy to see why the cannabis industry (and the hemp Industry) is so excited about the lesser known cannabinoid CBG. It is important to shine the spotlight on CBG now however as there is still a large proportion of cannabis users who have not heard of CBG or its amazing possible capabilities, and without awareness it is tough to develop a presence and demand for it in the market.
ANSWERS TO THE QUIZ: PAGE 16:
1. A 2. D 3. B 4. C 5. A 6. A 7. C 8. D 9. C 10. D
11. A 12. B 13. A 14. B 15. C 16. B 17. C 18. A 19. D 20. B
OVER 1,000,000 COPIES SOLD
The must-have, original GROWER’S BIBLE used as THE textbook by experts and universities around the world.
“
Jorge Cervantes is the cultivation expert’s expert! ‘‘ Jorge Cervantes All your questions will be is the most trusted name in marijuana answered in this one book.’’ cultivation.”
“
High Times Magazine
Keith Stroup, NORML Founder
...literally the all-inclusive guide to cannabis... a must-have.” Alex Bradley, Culture Magazine
“ I highly recommend you buy this book and always keep it handy for quick reference.” Danny Danko, High Times Magazine Cultivation Editor
The 2015 Benjamin Franklin Award Winner now just
£28.59 at
JoCerv
JorgeCervantes
Jorgecervantesmj
Amazon.co.uk
Jorge Cervantes, is proud to announce the €40,000 ‘‘Photo Cup’’ With two great ways to win, take your best shot at over €40,000 in cash and prizes! “Judges Cup” winners will be selected by a panel of experts led by world renowned cannabis expert Jorge Cervantes. “People’s Cup” winners will be determined by the most votes from
maquetación Jorge Cervantes green ENGLISH.indd 1
fellow growers and enthusiasts, family and friends! Share the Competition with all of your friends and family - get them to vote - and you too could be one of Photo Cup’s big winners! Go to www.marijuanagrowing. com/photocup and enter your best pics to win!
1/5/19 11:46
28
Background By Rich Hamilton
COVID-19 CANNABIS As of early April 2020, there were over one million confirmed cases of coronavirus worldwide. COVID-19 is causing unprecedented shutdowns around the globe and noone knows exactly when the pandemic will peak and when the after-effects will subside. The impacts of the pandemic are being felt in all corners of industry and business from international corporations, local businesses, education systems, hospitality, travel, tourism, major public events and the cannabis industry, which is no exception. So how will/has this unprecedented, international public health crisis changed the face of the
This increase in demand has resulted in record breaking sales in the legal settings as well as reported price increases on the black market across both North America and Europe. Reports from Spain and France indicated that the price of cannabis and hash hashish rose to double or triple its usual price due to the sheer demand. Governments in regions like Quebec,
legal cannabis industry, for worse and in some cases for the better!
and the Netherlands have opted to keep cannabis stores open during lockdown in a move to not only maintain supply medicinal prescriptions but also in the case of the Netherlands at least, to avoid similar increases of black market activity and price.
The majority of cannabis consumer have either maintained or increased their usage during lockdown. Consumer research conducted on Adult cannabis consumers aged between 16 and 65 in the US, Canada and the UK showed that medical users were most likely to maintain their current levels of consumption, whereas recreational users were more likely to increase consumption as they attempt to make lockdown less boring or stressful.
Legal cannabis dispensaries in the US, Canada have experienced a boom in sales after being classed as “essential” businesses and being allowed to remain open. This in itself has been seen as a significant moment of progress and recognition
by the cannabis industry. The fact that cannabis dispensaries have been classified as “essential” alongside the likes of generic pharmacies and food stores shows just how far the mainstream view of cannabis has changed for the better. No doubt that this new elevated status will help to bolster the calls and campaigns for more widespread legality. Legal states including California, Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Washington Chicago, Denver, and San Francisco have all experienced an upturn in sales. To give you some scale of the rise in demand, sales in Denver on March 23rd, were up
392% over the same weekday prior to the “stay-home order.” It has not been good news for everyone however as whilst some states have seen increases in sales, other states where cannabis sales are closely linked with tourism have suffered. Markets such as Las Vegas have been hit particularly hard. Where businesses have remained functional however many have adapted to meet demand by offering services such as takeaway and delivery and accommodat-
ing telemedicine applications to minimise in-person interactions. Even cannabis giant “Leafly” have got in on the act and launched a cannabis delivery service for Arizona, Florida, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, New York, and Oregon. Although revenue may be being lost due to factors such as disrupted supply chains, shop closures, restricted movement and economic slowdown. “Lockdown” can also be considered a time of innovation for cannabis companies, with the forming of new operational systems that could improve the way things are done in the future. Delivery services are a perfect example of this. Although at the moment
dispensaries must undertake their own delivery services we may go on to see this business model becoming “the norm” in the way food delivery services such as Deliveroo now exist. This would suit life outside of lockdown and benefit those with limited mobility or that live in more isolated area with little or no access to transport. The supply chain is another area, which is proving to be a challenge to keep moving during these uncertain times. Medical resources, including
29 compliance, standardisation and retail logistics. All of which could be used as a blueprint and applied at speed in other regions.
healthcare professionals’ time and attention are in short supply and are being concentrated on fighting the virus. Regions that are dependent on imports are also facing challenges as border restrictions tighten and staff involved in logistics become unavailable.
COVID-19 has also once again opened upon the argument surrounding cannabis criminalisation due to the high level of COVID-19 deaths in jails across the world where prisoners convicted on cannabis related charges, who may have underlying health conditions are in reality now facing a potential ‘death sentence’ as a result of the spread of the virus in the jail system.
Regulators have had to adapt to ensure supply lines are open and distributors can meet demand. In Pennsylvania for example patients can now obtain online prescriptions that are valid for 90 days rather than 30. In the UK too, a UK-based medical cannabis group has agreed emergency measures with the Home Office to import sublingual cannabis medications for the first time.
on-going social distancing measures and self-isolation.
COVID-19 is no doubt leading to supply bottlenecks, caused by the complicated processes involved in obtaining prescriptions, pharmacies dispensing cannabis, and distributors supplying cannabis. In Spain, around 200,000 patients who normally would obtain medication from semi-legal cannabis clubs, are now unable to access any supplies. This public health crisis has exposed without doubt that the current system of medical cannabis supply in most regions is overcomplicated, inadequate and vulnerable to shocks such as the current pandemic and needs to be replaced by comprehensive medicinal access schemes to ensure patient demand is met.
A steep recession following the COVID 19 crisis means an international slowdown of economic activity and widespread loss of jobs. The response to this by the governments in the US, Australia and the UK has been to release massive economic care packages to the wider population, which is great, but which will more than likely come back to bite us in the future in the form of increased taxation. The possible legalisation of cannabis now presents, more than ever, an opportunity for these governments to claw back some of the expenditure that COVID 19 has forced upon them without having to make unpopular increases on compulsory taxes such as income tax and council tax.
COVID-19 has brought the worlds Economy to its knees and Analysts from the IMF and the UN are predicting a global recession is pretty much unavoidable. So with such uncertainty, what can we expect the future of the cannabis industry to look like? To answer this it is useful to look at the 2008 financial crisis, which not only changed the global economic landscape but also saw consumer behaviour change beyond all recognition.
The proof is there to be seen through the countries and states that are already benefitting from collection of tax on the legal cannabis market. For example Colorado and Washington reported US$303 million and US$400 million, respectively, in cannabisrelated sales taxes in 2019. Considering these figures and given the estimate that a ‘legal' cannabis industry could be worth as much as £3 billion to the UK by 2024, it seems that tax benefits could make legalisation a very attractive option for ‘fast tracking’ for many governments in the developed world.
There was a shift away from professional services as consumers adopted a ‘do-it-yourself’ attitude, ditching gym memberships and visits to hair salons, in favour of home hair dyes and home workout equipment. Similarly, consumers moved away from purchasing products at premium brand stores, and moved towards more discount retailers. This could be replicated within the cannabis industry as consumers move away from the luxury cannabis brands towards cheaper alternatives, especially as bulk buying remains popular due to
Beyond the element of human injustice, is the financial one! $7.7 billion taxpayer dollars are wasted each year in the enforcement of outdated drug laws in the US alone. In the context of economic slowdown and huge government spending in the wake of COVID-19, decreasing this burden on the justice system would free up more funds to pay back the pot that has had to bail whole countries out of financial destitution. Although hopefully we are now seeing the peak of this terrible virus, the after effects will be felt for a long time to come and the world that we were used to and the way in which we led our lives will have changed considerably. In some ways for worse but hopefully in some ways for the better!
Cannabis prohibition criminalises millions of ordinary people. For example, in the US, more than 609,000 people were arrested simply for ’possession’ in 2018, whilst in the EU, more than 840,000 possession offences were recorded in 2017. The case to expunge these convictions is
RELIABLE QUALITY & STABILITY
FINEST CANNABIS SEED COLLECTION SINCE 1994
THE HOME OF FAMOUS STRAINS
WAPPA - SENSI STAR - L.A. AMNESIA ORIGINAL WHITE WIDOW - NEBULA ACID - ATOMICAL HAZE - PANDORA
AMSTERDAM SHOP CUSTOMER SERVICE AUTO WHITE PANDORA GRAVENSTRAAT 12 CUSTOMERSERVICE@PARADISE-SEEDS.COM AUT O WHI TE BERRY BER RY JACK AUTO AMSTERDAM AUTOM ARIA II 1012 NM TELEPHONE: 0031 20 67 95 4 22 5 AUTO 10 5 KONG 4 AUT O WAP THE NETHERLANDS PA 3 5 10 ®
®
®
® AUTO ACID
10
This would be a totally achievable move considering that we have already witnessed governments, healthcare systems and global commerce fundamentally change the way they operate and adapt quickly in the face of COVID-19. The legal Pioneering regions like Canada and US states have already established the foundations of a responsible system of cannabis control and know what does and doesn’t work in terms of licensing systems,
strengthened by the contradiction that Cannabis dispensaries have been widely authorised by governments as “essential services” that must remain open during the pandemic, however those same governments are keeping people locked up for cannabis related “criminal” activities which could end up costing them their lives!
®
®
®
VERTI GO
®
®
AUT O WAP PA ®
3
3
3
TRUSTED BY THOUSANDS of growers and shopsAUTO worldwide WHITE
ITE AU TO WH ® BE RR Y
BERRY ®
5
5
Join the Paradise Seeds family.
PARADISESEEDSOFFICIAL
@PARADISESEEDSOFFICIAL
@PARADISESEEDS
PARADISESEEDSCOM
CHECK OUT THE SUMMER PROMO ON OUR WEBSITE
30
Indoor growing Druida. Photos: MesMais
Indoor growing with an expandable LED kit
A test crop of Do-Sweet-Dos
We talked to MesMais, a long-time indoor home grower known for his test crops in the cannabiscafe.net forum. He has been testing several crops with the Photosystem LED lighting system, which stands out for its excellent performance and quite inexpensive price. In addition, it is highly modular, meaning you can start growing with a single LED and then increase lighting units as required, whenever appropriate. Never before has quality LED lighting been so affordable. The photos shown in this report are from his test crop of Sweet Seeds’ Do-Sweet-Dos. tion, for a couple of days, he used a 50W LED at a very short distance and so he thought this was due to an excess of light radiation. The problem was solved by an adjustable controller he used to reduce power to 30W (and therefore avoid excess light).
Do-Sweet-Dos
For this crop, he used Sweet Seeds’ Do-Sweet-Dos. This strain originates from a Girl Scout Cookies descendant, i.e. the OG Kush Breath, crossed with Face-Off OG. The final hybrid is very OG-influenced, with a distinctly American flavour and high production of trichomes resulting
Installation
Following his original philosophy, MesMais has always sought clean and ecological self-sufficiency, with crops as healthy as possible and without many complications. He generally uses a couple of grow-tents, a few LEDs, two fans, heaters, a dehumidifier, an extractor and passive air-suction. In the first 15/30 days, plants are kept in a grow-tent sized 50x50x50 cm, with two 55W fluorescent lights. When necessary, he adds a couple of LED strips. This makes the first growing stage of the plant easier.
Do-Sweet-Dos under fluorescent lamps MesMais is a veteran Cannabiscafé forumer, registered in 2003. He says: “As a hash user, I was very interested in learning more about this plant. I wanted to stop encouraging the drug trade and take better care of my health. I think I remember my brother telling me one day that there was cannabiscafe.net and I didn’t hesitate for a second to register, seeing how good the atmosphere was. Cannabiscafe was then the largest online encyclopaedia of cannabis which I could learn from; great growers, the best, and people very committed to legalisation, with a great desire to understand and share knowledge.”
Lighting
After years with HPS and then with LEC, he always thought it was not worth making a big investment with LEDs, he was not willing to change. With the help of his Cannabiscafe buddies and seeing the results of growers using LEDs from Photosystem, he opened his eyes. The investment was not that high and advantages were many; more lighting units, lower temperature, lower costs and
greater service life. When Photosystems opened a room in Cannabiscafe.net, he read a lot about the LEDs in their catalogue and eventually decided to buy a very easyto-assemble kit, which was then extended. Depending on the growing stage and size of the plants, he usually starts with 4000K LEDs, placed at a greater distance. On changing the photoperiod, he adds 2700K, thus also varying the light spectrum a little. In this case, he began with 4 CRI 97 4000K of 50W. When he changed the photoperiod, he increased the lighting with another CRI 97 2700K unit of 50W and, after a few days, when blooming started, he upgraded the system with 4 CRI 97, each of 30W. Although, in the case of LEDs, it would be preferable to measure micromoles (μmol) rather than lumens, he always uses a luxmeter for reference. In this test crop, a case of false albinism appeared, that is to say, a plant had a white tip without actually being an albino. It was just a specimen in the middle of the grow-tent, which received light from all sides. In addi-
Growth with a fluorescent lamp and a LED strip in a mini-tent.
in a powerful effect. It is easy to grow and yields very dense buds. During flowering, the specimens ended up forming beautiful, elongated, hard and resinous ‘truncheons’. MesMais commented that the plant was “easy to grow, stable, undemanding, generous and satisfactory to harvest. I would say it is resistant to powdery mildew and botrytis.”
Here plants can continue growing while the larger tent is occupied by the maturing plants. This latter tent – used for the last days of growth and the entire flowering stage – is sized 80x80x160 cm and equipped with LEDs. Here MesMais grows nine plants in fabric pots.
Climate
Grow-tents are placed outside his
31
Vegetative phase under Photosystem LEDs.
View of a grow-tent with Photosystem LEDs.
Do-Sweet-Dos growth.
Do-Sweet-Dos begins to flower.
Pruning of lower branches.
Pruned low branches.
Diatomaceous earth for indoor growing.
Pruning of minor buds.
Flowering with Photosystem LEDs.
house, in the courtyard, an area with extreme weather, so it is very difficult to keep temperature and humidity stable. Some days temperature can reach a minimum of 5º C and others a maximum of 34ºC and humidity that can vary between 40% and 80%. Therefore, his crops are always affected by the local climate, whether it is autumn, winter or spring. This forces him to adjust air extraction, heating, humidity and ventilation in order to maintain a suitable environment.
Pruning and use of meshes
During the cultivation, he prunes low branches and buds several times. Pruning low branches facilitates irrigation or any other action that has to be done in the substrate, such as fertilisation or cleaning. Pruning branches can also help the plant form better upper buds. Indoors, the lower parts do not flower with the same strength and are often used for extracts. To avoid a lot of loss,
MesMais also removes buds in the lower part. This operation has the same purpose as pruning, i.e. avoid wasting time and help the plant focus its energy on the branches and buds that need to be enhanced, as the penetration of light is lower than in outdoor cultivation. “Once you know the size it will reach, all that grows underneath means a waste of time and production”, observes MesMais. He uses a simple and effective
removable mesh system, with elastic bands and beverage can pull-tabs. The purpose of this protection is to avoid driving stakes into the substrate and accidentally cutting through a few roots. As he says: “I had an idea of something like a removable mesh, to make my job easier when I need to take the plants out of the grow-tent. I thought that pull-tabs could be useful to fasten the branches to a rubber band, so that they do not bend under the weight, and also hold the bands in position. The mesh
32 can be quickly put on and taken off without damaging anything”.
Fertilisation and precautions
In line with his goal of growing marihuana as naturally as possible, MesMais uses few environment-
better when less abuse is done. Plants usually show us how they feel, so I decide to fertilise more or less, depending on how they appear.” Plants make better use of this gentle fertilisation with the use of Bactohemp, a supplement based on bacilli, bacteria and
he uses diatomaceous earth, neem oil and potassium soap. With these ecological precautions, he prevents the development of pests and fungal infections.
Drying
Drying in winter is usually done inside the same grow-tent, at least for the first few
lent results. When consumed, its aroma is earthy and floral, sweet on the palate with earthy tones, with spicy and citrus notes. Its effect is very pleasant and not too psychoactive, relaxes the body and mind. MesMais assures us: “I wish I could have a second go, but as long as these guys from Sweet Seeds keep churning out hybrids, it is very hard.
A ‘still life’ picture of Do-Sweet-Dos after harvest.
Do-Sweet-Dos final flowering.
friendly fertilisers. In addition to adding a fertiliser to the irrigation water, he adds Top Crop’s Nitroguano and Superguano – two slow-release bat guano products – to the substrate. In particular, Nitroguano is fresh guano that supplies nitrogen to the soil and
the Ascophyllum Nodosum algae extract. It is considered to “improve soil and root life and strengthen plants against possible fungi.” He uses it once per crop, during plants’ growth, in the last transplant before changing the photoperiod. Bactohemp increases root mass, protects
days, where he has a fan, heaters and extractors in order to maintain a drier or more stable environment, without so much humidity, and plants can dry without running so much risk. As he puts it: “Tightly packed, resinous buds plus humidity means botrytis, which we all want to avoid.”
Fausse albinos pour excès de lumière.
Dos-Sweet-Dos mature.
Nature morte de Do-Sweet-Dos après la récolte.
Superguano is mature guano with high phosphorus concentration.
against fungi, fixes atmospheric nitrogen and makes phosphorus and potassium more assimilable. It is also totally environment-friendly.
When plants are dry enough, he takes them outside the grow-tent and puts them in an open cardboard box in the dark to complete drying, then he moves them to airtight containers for final curing.
In general, his fertilisation is light and not excessive and involves reasonable amounts of fertilisers and a lot of observation. It is ‘panicky’ about overfertilisation: “I feel that everything is going
Due to climate variability (with low temperatures in winter) and to the pests associated with growing plants in a courtyard,
Conclusions
The Do-Sweet-Dos strain yielded excel-
They already have two or three more that I didn’t try and I am looking forward to that. Unfortunately, I don’t have more space or enough lives to try everything.” MesMais was very satisfied with his growing experience with LEDs. To date, he has
continued to try and find what best suits his needs and those of his plants. He made a final comment on his experience with LEDs from Photosystem: “I have been using LEDs for a short time and still have a lot to learn, but the result is satisfactory, I am happy and I think it is worth forgetting about other lighting systems”.
33
Grow with Jorge Cervantes
By Jorge Cervantes jorge@marijuanagrowing.com
Economic
Importance of Cannabis
Suddenly hemp was no longer a drug consumed by deginerates according to the US government. They required farmers to grow industrial hemp to win World War II. Available on YouTube, the 1942 film “Hemp for Victory,” asked patriotic farmers to grow hemp to contribute to winning War. The heyday of hemp was curtailed after the War when the US Government re-imposed cannabis prohibition. The politicians found it more profitable to use cannabis as a tool to villify Mexican workers, blacks, musicians and others they deemed as problem-makers. Cannabis was no longer hemp; it transformed into an antisocial drug. A new word, “marihuana” (marijuana), the Mexican slang word for cannabis, was adopted. Drug cannabis, marijuana, once again gained popularity in the 1960s when it was embraced by change-oriented individuals. Marijuana soon became an international symbol of rebellion. As marijuana use grew, so did the market. By the mid 1970s, the price of female flowers started an upward trend that continues today. A large underground economy grew that attracted a full spectrum of growers and sellers. Terms such as “Sinsemillaairs” and “Green Gold” were coined and indicitive of the fortunes made. The illicit market became very lucrative and was countered by a draconian political, judicial, law enforcement, prision system with unlimited funds. A slew of anticannabis laws were passed in the US and internationally to implement the ban.
Cedar Gray, owner of Siskiyou Sungrown Farms in Southern Oregon, inspects a CBD-rich flower. He is all business and includes an entomologist on staff.
If you are in the cannabis business, make all the income possible during the next few years. Legalization has opened the floodgates for everybody to enter. Before there were just a few of us, self-starters who believed in cannabis, adventure and a good time. You had to be tough, believe in yourself to work in the cannabis industry. OK, there were dreamers, societies misfits and actual criminals too. Where did you fall within this scheme? I was a cross between a dreamer and misfit. Like me, society may have called you a criminal. Today we are visionaries that could see into the future! Today the cannabis industry has gained legimiticy. An entirely new crop experts including medical doctors, nurses, university-educated botanists, farmers, scientists and businesspeople have entered our ranks. These guys are serious professionals and most of them are well-funded. It´s not like putting together a big grow or moving a load of dope was in the past. The cannabis green rush also spawned new crop of oportunistic armchair experts, get-rich-quick conmen and
everyday crooks. Many of them wear suits and ties. Beware! The following is an abridged history of cannabis from an economic point of view. Please take special note of how legalization spawned a “brave new world” full on new entrepreneurs. You as a farmer, are on the bottom rung of the ladder and bear the expenses. Industrial hemp was planted around all major seaports in the world. The fiber was used to make canvas sails, hemp rope and other products. This is one of the main reasons cannabis plants are so widely dispersed in the world. Before cotton became popular and nylon and other sythetic fibers were invented, industrial hemp was the main source of rope, canvas, paper, etc. But in 1933 the publisher William Randolf Hurst wanted hemp banned to serve his economic interests. Check out the 1936 film “Reefer Madness” on YouTube, also a product of the US government propaganda machine, supported by Hurst.
Scientific evidence and the multitude of “marijuana drug addicts” that comprised about 10 percent of society across all socio-economic levels overwhelmed the political-driven draconian enforcement machine. The politicians decided that it was more profitable to legalize cannabis than keep marijuana illegal. Unfortunately, a few nay-sayers still believe the bullshit rhetoric about how cannabis harms societies youth. Those in denial of the benefits of cannabis usually have an agenda that involves political aspirations and of course money. Ironically, the properties of cannabis have sprouted an entire new branch of medicine, much of which helps children.
Iniative, allowing medical cannabis. Twelve years later, more than 200,000 medical patients were in California. In 2010, Sativex, the first government approved botanical cannabis product, was approved for sale. The maker, GW Pharmaceuticals, a public company, is the first multinational to enter the cannabis arena.
Farming Medical Cannabis In the USA, the Hemp Farming Act passed became law in 2018, opening the floodgates to CBD-rich cannabis cultivation. The following year more than 20,000 hectares were “reported” cultivated. But, this is the shiny picture on the outside. The reality is much different when we look at amount of cannabis harvested and who profited. For example, farmers in Arkansas, an agrucultrurally-based US state, harvested less than half of the CBD-rich cannabis planted and 94% of them lost money!
This is one of the greenhouses managed by Jimmy Sadeji, Original Breeders League. He has organized many cannabis breeders to develop varieties for today and tomorrow.
Modern medical discoveries began in the 19th century. Jump ahead to 1963, the issolation of CBD and 1964, THC, by Dr. Mechoulam. Cannabinoid receptors were cloned in 1990 (CB1) and 1993 (CB2), proving that mammals (humans) evolved with cannabis. These combined discoveries revealed the endocannabinoid system, providing scientific proof that an entire new branch of medicine could exist.
The dynamics of farming 10 hectares of cannabis is much different than growing a 100 m2 greenhouse full of cannabis. In the US in 2019, the average price of a CBD clone was $4 and seed with a germination rate of 85 percent cost about $4.400 per kg. Cost to plant feminized seeds in a hectare is $6.500, assuming 100 percent germination. Planting 4.250 clones per hectare costs $17.000. Cost to plant 10 hectares of clones $170.000, seeds $65.000. This does not allow for por germination and dead plants that must be replanted.
In 1996, California passed Proposition 215, the Medical Use of Marijuana
After applying for and receiving permits, an expensive process, land must be
Medicinal Cannabis
34 But, they have found more than enough gullible suckers in their own country. For example a US grower, Bruce Perlowin, is featured in a Medical Marijuana Daily article hitting the “groundbreaking milestone of $1,000,000 in a matter of days” for his high quality hemp flowers. Dig just a little bit deeper and learn that his public company, Hemp, Inc., lost $8,302, 992 for the year. Some public companies offer stock that is an OK deal if you feel lucky, but all public compaies in the cannabis realm are a risk, a big risk. They always show in their literature such things as, “the cannabis market will top $70, 000, 000, 000 by 2027”. Please do your homework!
Steve Rogers, Sing Pig Farm, a professional organic farmer, decided to make a test and grow only 0,5 hectare the first year. Years of experience farming have taught Rogers to be cautious when entering a new marketplace.
rented or purchased. The field must be irrigated, fertilized and weeded. Add harvesting, drying and processing the crop, and expenses add up to $75,000 per hectare, $750.000 for 10 hectares. We have not considered bad weather, disease and pest problems or wildcards like a worldwide pandemic, Covid-19! In June, biomass (the whole plant) of 10 percent CBD sold for $100,50 CBD per
Please consider who you are when you face the brave new world of cannabis. Are you a legitimate researcher and entrepreneur that used to be a misfit, a dreamer or a crook?
kg. By October the price dropped 67% to o $50,80 per kg! During the same period flower sold for $872 per kg and dropped 35% to $566,80 by October. The same principals and numbers can be applied to THC-rich cannabis. This wave of cannabis legalization and production are just starting to arrive in Europe. Many US companies have tried to enter the European market to date.
Ryan Doran and Dave Feichko from Thailand Organic Cannabis are two groundbreaking grower-entrepreneurs from California that expanded to the tropics where knowledge is scarce and production costs are low.
Educator, Farmer Tom Lauereman is holding his book, US Federal Cannabis Workplance Health and Safety Standards. Farmer Tom literally “wrote the book” on growing legal cannabis in the USA.
THC farmer, Craig Johnson, owner of Alpenglow Farms, in one of his greenhouses in Southern Humboldt county California keeps his costs low and his profit margins high.
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 available at all amazon retailers worldwide. The Cannabis Encyclopedia has an excellent chapter on water. Contact Jorge at www.marijuanagrowing.com.
Bigger is Better! Strain: The Church by Green House Seed Company
Maximizing Quality & Yield in Your Cannabis Garden
Ed Rosenthal and David Downs
Grow - Harvest - Concentrate! Grow the biggest buds, harvest the highest yields and make amazing concentrates. Let The Guru of Ganja teach you how to grow, harvest and process whether you are a beginner or a seasoned professional. “Ed Rosenthal holds the distinction of turning more people on to pot than Cheech and Chong.” -- Tommy Chong “Mr. Rosenthal is the pothead’s answer to Ann Landers, Judge Judy, Martha Stewart and the Burpee Garden Wizard all in one.” --The NY Times
Ed Rosenthal
.com
FREEDOM BOOKS • freedombooks.co.uk • AVALON WHOLESALE LTD • avalonwholesale.co.uk TURNAROUND [wholesale] • turnaround-uk.com • AMAZON.COM • amazon.com/books
Soft Secrets_10_2018_UK.indd 1
10/11/18 12:37 PM
Godz il l a Glue D r. U n d e r g r o u n d www.drunderground.com
37
Interview By Rich Hamilton
DOPEWORLD Yeah, what can I say? I was a naughty boy! But I was very shy and reserved as a young teenager. So all that stuff, breaking the law, came afterward — when I was about 17-18. Call it an early mid-life crisis! I wanted to make up for all that time I spent jacking off in my room so I started going to all these parties, shotting a few pills. And it was fun! I liked doing it! I was never a gangster; maybe a couple of times I pretended to be. My operation grew bigger, until one day I got nicked and of course, we’ve got to be lucky all the time but the feds only have to get lucky once!
Walking through the airport earlier this year a book caught my eye. With a bright distinctive cover design, the title “DOPEWORLD” and with the suggestion that drug culture was the main subject matter, well, I couldn’t say no! I started reading it on the plane and found myself total engrossed, it is an easy, entertaining, informative, educational and exciting read and to top it all off, it’s 100%
true! It doesn’t get much better than that! Niko takes us on a whirlwind tour round the world recalling the crazy stories of the characters he met, the drugs he took and the experiences he had. A refreshing change of style to the true crime or travel genre, I just had to catch up with the author Niko Vorobyov and find out more. So Niko, your book certainly shares some amazing stories, which we will get to soon but first I just wanted to ask about your pre-book years and how you first got involved the whole scene?
2. It all changed in 2013 when you were arrested in London for possession of ecstasy and sentenced to 2.5 years in prison, this was when the book was born really. Can you tell us about how prison inspired and motivated you to write Dope World? Well, it all began about seven years ago when I was sitting in prison. I’d never really thought of myself as an evil pusher, more like a bartender: after all, they sell toxic, addictive, highly-diluted substances as well! So it didn’t really seem fair I should be locked away, going crazy in my cell. But a lot of my
friends who I wrote letters to on the outside thought my takes on prison life were really funny. So it kind of evolved from there. Actually writing the book and going on a quest to all these places took me about two years, but I used parts of my life from way back as well. 3. I heard that the Howard Marks autobiography Mr. Nice was a big inspiration to you when writing the book? What do you think about his views on the legalisation of cannabis? Mr Nice, along with Bronson, is one of those books everyone reads in prison. It’s
like a prison bible. The first thing you do when you want to get a book published is find an agent (you can self-publish but it’s a lot harder) so I actually signed with Patrick Walsh’s agency, who was Marks’ old agent before he passed away. He told me Marks was a bit of a legend and judged a lot of Cannabis Cups then got invited to the after-parties, which wore him out towards the end. Anyway, there’s a line in Howard Marks’ final book (I’m paraphrasing): why would a drug dealer who makes his living on the black market want drugs to be legal? But it’s like if you’re a doctor, you make a living treating wounds and disease, but if there was a cure for everything invented tomorrow you’d be the first to jump on it. I think me and Marks shared something in that I became more idealistic while other dealers were only in it for the money. 4. You described Dopeworld as a “true crime, gonzo, social, historical memoir meets fucked up travel book’. That sounds like it’s covering a lot of genres, can you explain a bit more
about what you were trying to create with this book? So listen, I read a lot of other books on drugs and I wouldn’t be where I am without them, but most of them are quite detached. They’re written by someone who doesn’t have a stake in the matter. I do. If you want dry, academic prose, read a PhD thesis. I wanted to take readers to places like Morocco and Japan and show them my point of view. 5. The stories you tell certainly “name drop” some of the most infamous players in the game including “El Chapo” and “Pablo Escobar”. It must have been pretty intimidating at times being around the associates of such dangerous legendary characters? It depends. You’ve obviously got to be careful about the questions you’re asking; I couldn’t say shit like, “where were you on the night of Friday the 13th between seven and twelve?” But even when you’re in the hills of Sinaloa, deep in Mexico’s narco-
38 Index of ads land, at some point it dawns on you that if they didn’t want you around, you wouldn’t even be there. Actually I was most intimidated by Freeway Rick Ross, the South Central crack kingpin. Not by anything he said, but I really didn’t wanna come off as just another white boy who listened to too much gangsta rap. 6. What is your favourite or most memorable story from those you tell in the book?
broken bottle. It was the most ghetto shit I’d seen. The main guy was OK but another dude sat in the corner playing with his knife. The way he moved, too, was unnatural – like a crab. He really creeped me out. In Amsterdam I met another guy called Niko. He was a psycho who owned an ecstasy lab. In Serbia I met with a mafia chef – he wasn’t actually in the mob himself, but hearing him talk about their favorite recipes was like something out of Goodfellas.
Name
Page
Atami
7
Kosmic Kitchen
13
Barney's Farm
2
Mycologics
13
Cannabis Indoor 2020
7
Paradise Seeds
1
Cyco
39
Paradise Seeds
29
Ed Rosenthal
35
Procare
13
Funky Skunk the
13
Sweet Seeds
40
Green Passion
1
Urban Gardening
13
Jorge Cervantes
27
Colofon The first time I had ayahuasca was definitely one of the strangest nights of my life. It’s like nothing else you’ll experience in your entire life, except maybe DMT. Imagine, we’re in the belly of the Amazon, at least two hours from civilization, sitting in a hut in total darkness letting the chants of the shaman take us away. Nothing happens at first and you think what, this is it? Then suddenly visions of creatures fill your eyes: snakes, spiders, crocodiles, jaguars. Your mind travels to the end of the universe and back. It grabs your soul, pulls it apart and puts it back together again. It gives you a whole new perspective on life — that’s why they’re thinking about using it for treating PTSD. I ended up doing it four times in a week. I’d do it again, but it’s not something that should be taken lightly. 7. Are there any stories that that you left out of the book for fear of reprisals or because they were just too much? There’s not much I originally left out but since publishing I’ve been to a few other places – Serbia, South Africa, and back to Brazil and Amsterdam – either to write a story or working on a local edition of Dopeworld. I went to the townships in Cape Town and hung out with members of the 26 Numbers gang. There were these three dudes in a shack smoking Mandrax [a sedative] out of a
Finally in Brazil, I ran into the militia – that’s kind of a vigilante group they have in some neighborhoods but really it’s just another gang. I was coming home one night and their guard stopped me and put a gun to my head until he realised who I was. That was
Soft Secrets is published by Discover Publisher BV P.O.Box 362, 5460 AJ, Veghel, Netherlands Telephone: +31-(0)73-5498112 E-mail: info@softsecrets.nl Web: www.softsecrets.com/gb/ Editor: Cliff Cremer Contributors: Jorge Cervantes, Stoney Tark, Rich Hamilton, Mr. Jose, Green Born Identity – G.B.I., and others. Comics: Jim Stewart Photography: iStock Editorial adress: readers@softsecrets.nl
the second time someone stuck a gun in my face there in three weeks. Rio be crazy. 8. What are you working on now? Any other projects in the pipeline? I’ve started working on another non-fiction book, How To Break Out Of Jail. Nice controversial title. I don’t wanna say too much about it yet, but you’re gonna hear from some interesting characters. DOPEWORLD by Niko Vorobyov is available now in hard copy, digital download and in Audiobooks now. Pick up a copy today you will not be disappointed.
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 and Chile. 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 do 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 process 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 himself 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 without prior permission from the publisher and other copyright holders. The publisher is not responsible for the content and/or point of view of advertisements. The 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:
October 16, 2020
15 Years E
R
·G
·
2005 - 2020
RO
WIN
TH
Gorilla Girl XL Auto®
Tropicanna Poison F1 Fast Version®
Sweet Amnesia Haze XL Auto®
new 2020 · new 2020 · new 2 ·
new 2020 · new 2020 · new 2 ·
new 2020 · new 2020 · new 202
G TO G E
SWS82
SWS85
SWS57
TOP HO E
T
P
Now available as a long-stemmed, autoflowering version, but just as potent as ever with up to 25% THC
D PEN EN
DD RIO E
Roll up! Roll up! If you are looking for ultrafast flowering, “Super Strong”, red buds
THE ONLY ORIGINAL AND GUARANTEED SEEDS FROM SWEET SEEDS® ARE THOSE SOLD IN THEIR ORIGINAL PACKAGING Sale forbidden to people under 18 years old. Seeds for collection purposes exclusively. It is illegal to make them germinate. They are not for agriculture purposes. Consult laws about cannabis applied in your place of residence. Sweet Seeds® will not be accountable for illegal use of these seeds done by third parties.
C/ Dr. Nicasio Benlloch nº36-38 · 46015 · Valencia · Spain · +34 963 890 403 WHOLESALE: +34 963 473 730 / +34 963 404 289 · info@sweetseeds.es
Don’t forget! The autoflowering, XL version of Sweet Amnesia Haze® is now available
www.sweetseeds.com