ESTABLISHED IN AMSTERDAM, 1985

ISSUE 3

2011
18+ For adults only. Soft Secrets is published
six times a year by Discover Publishers USA, Inc.
Welcome to another fresh installment
of Soft Secrets USA!
For those of you interested in Cannabis
culture, weve given you some proper
summer reading material. When you
travel to the beach in the coming
weeks, make sure to bring along your
copy of SSUSA to keep you busy while
sunbathing. This issue is dedicated to
featuring some of North Americas Hemp
Heroes: John Sinclair, Rick Simpson and
Richard Davis.
Sinclair, pioneer, wordsmith and musical
activist, discusses his arrest and incarcer-
ation (in response to which John Lennon
implored, Let him be; set him free!), the
current state of popular music and what
we need to do if we want to avoid the 20
to life mentality of past decades.
Rick Simpson has prevailed in the fight
against debilitating and fatal illnesses
such as cancer, MS and arthritis. His hemp
oil has literally saved lives, and Simpson
was repaid with years of legal trouble for
his efforts. In spite of this, he continues to
educate and assist those who need him
most. Hear the man himself defend this
amazing product and explain its genesis.
Richard Davis, founder of the USA Hemp
Museum, presents an interesting tale of
his journey down the road of public
enlightenment. Its impossible to ignore
the virtues of hemp when visiting his
display; now you can find out how it all
started, and from where all those inter-
esting hemp artifacts originated.
The warmer months are upon us, and
we are here to help with your summer
stumbles in the garden. Read on to find
out why its possible to select the best
available strains for your environment,
and how some varieties can even gradu-
ally adapt to the harsh rays and high
temperatures of new regions.
Well show you some of the common
issues associated with the warm sum-
mer months, and explain what you can
do to soothe your over-heated gardens.
In- and outdoor growers, breeders and
the simply curious will benefit from our
in-depth analysis of Cannabis evolution
and adaptation.
The invention of feminized genetics has
split the Cannabis industry. Whats the
real story behind these Franken-strains?
The science that explains light and an in-
depth examination between water and
pH, EC and PPM are also highlighted, as
well as the technical side of the produc-
tion of hemp biodiesel and hemp plastic.
These two innovative fields are
potentially the solution to our over-
consumption and depletion of the
Earths natural resources.
Inside, youll find all the reviews, editori-
als, interviews and more that have made
the Soft Secrets family the number one
Cannabis publication worldwide.
Pull up a beach lounger, put on your
sunglasses (and hemp sunblock) and get
ready for some good reading. Enjoy!
Summer Reading: Getting
to Know Your Hemp Heroes
In this issue:
RICHARD DAVIS
Curator of the USA Hemp Museum, Richard
Davis explains how he ended up where he
is now, and where he found all that great
hemp stuff!

17
RICK SIMPSON
If you dont know who Canadian Rick
Simpson is, then you must read this inter-
view. Responsible for single-handedly intro-
ducing thousands, if not millions, of people
all over the world to the benefits of medical
Cannabis, Simpsons tincture/oil extractions
have literally saved lives.

5
The Energetic
Evolution
of Cannabis 33
Hemp Plastics 9
JOHN SINCLAIR
Living legend John Sinclair talks about the old
days, new music and what the future holds for
the legalization movement.

13
3
FROM THE EDITOR
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Whos Who in the Industry? 1 FROM THE EDITOR
Page 3 Girl 3 STRAIN REPORT
Rick Simpson 5 HEMP HEROES
Hemp Plastics 9 HEMP INNOVATIONS
Strain Awards 10 STRAIN REPORT
Light, Wavelengths and Intensity 12 SERIOUS GARDENING
John Sinclair 13 HEMP HEROES
Richard Davis 17 HEMP HEROES
Zombie Weed 19 MADE IN HOLLAND
Hemp Biodiesel 21 HEMP INNOVATIONS
Acapulco Gold & Jamaican Lambsbread 22 ENDANGERED STRAINS
Surf, Skate, Sativa 24 CULTURE
The Value of Water 26 SERIOUS GARDENING
Mile High & Cannabisbevrijdingsdag 27 FESTIVALS & EXPOS
Summertime 29 ADVANCED INDOOR GROWING
Ganja Juice & Higher Level Co-op 31 MEDICAL PRODUCTS/DISPENSARY
Hys Deli 31 COMIC
Energetic Evolution of Cannabis 33 BOTANY
Accidental Smuggler 36 SMUGGLING
Kuchi by DHSC 37 POSTER
Sweet Seeds 38 SEED BANKS
Drug War Rant 41 OPINION
Cannabis Goddess Cults 42 HEMP HISTORY
A Stoned Selection 44 MUSIC REVIEWS
Confessions of a Cannabis Junkie 45 FEMININE PERSPECTIVE
IN THIS ISSUE:
Co
The Original Amnesia owes its name due to
Dinafems access to the Dutch breeder who popu-
larized this gene, the original Dutch Amnesia.
Since 1994, it has dominated the menus of Dutch
coffeeshops; it is faster, more resinous and more
productive than most other known sativa plants.
This strain has been winning award after award at
cups in Europe and international Cannabis festi-
vals. In fact, it has accumulated 16 first prizes, in
sixteen years, at the prestigious High Life Cannabis
Cup, in the categories of Hydro and Bio Haze.
For its cultivation we recommend lots of light,
fertilizers and continued micro-element supple-
ments. Even the lower branches of the plant pro-
duces buds of desirable size and density.
Outdoors, you can expect to have a tree. It is
very vigorous and its clones take root very easily.
Reaches a considerable height, up to 13 meters.
It grows fast, being predominantly sativa, and
needs between 65 to 75 days of flowering.
Type: Sativa
Genetics: Haze
THC: High
Height: up to 3.5m indoors
Flowering Time: 65 to 75 days
Photo credit: Dinafem
Were not talking about reality TV show
kind of talented; rather, are you or is
someone you know particularly gifted
with a camera? Then why not submit your
amateur photos to SSUSA? They could
end up on the cover! Subject is of your
choosing, and an emphasis on Cannabis
is absolutely not necessary. Be as crea-
tive and expressive as possible, and you
might just see your work on the front
page of the next issue of Soft Secrets USA.
Photographers will be credited for their
work. Oh, and lets keep it classy, people!
Not into photography but still have an
interesting talent or story? Contact us if
you think you deserve a place in our publi-
cation. Feel free to let us know about new
books, television and film projects; festi-
vals, events and demonstrations, medi-
cal advances or even interesting com-
panies who deserve a little support and
free press. We love hemp, and are always
happy to highlight the innovations that
make this industry so exciting.
We hope to hear from you.
* Press concerns and photos (minimum
resolution 300 dpi at 4 x 6 inches) may be
emailed to Kristie@softsecrets.nl.
* All submissions will be handled
with discretion. Soft Secrets USA is not
responsible for unsolicited submissions,
either for graphics or text.
Are you
Talented?
5
HEMP HEROES
5
When did you become aware that the
oil from this plant you were smoking
could be a potent medicine?
Rick Simpson: I became aware of the fact
that cannabinoids are an effective treat-
ment for cancer after hearing a radio
broadcast in 1975. The report was read
like it was some king of joke, and as time
went on I heard no further reports like this
so I thought that, possibly, the report I had
heard was a farce.
Almost thirty years later I had three skin
cancers that had to be dealt with, so an
operation was preformed on the cancer
that was close to my right eye. Later, I was
to return for two more operations on the
other cancers. About a week after the sur-
gery had been performed, I was looking at
the area that they had operated on when
suddenly the report that I had heard years
before popped back into my mind.
Since the operation they had done was
not a pleasant experience, I was looking
for some way to avoid the the two other
coming operations. I started to wonder
what would happen if I put the oil directly
on the two remaining cancers. I went
down to the bathroom and applied oil
on the two areas and covered them with
bandages. I never felt a thing and four
days later, when I took the bandages off,
the cancer was completely gone.
Within weeks the cancer that had been
removed by surgery returned and I cured
it in four days also. It was about this time
that it finally sunk into my head, what this
natural essential oil could do. But from
that time to the present it has been an
uphill battle to have this medicine recog-
nized for the true healing wonder that it is.
How does the oil kill the cancer
cells exactly?
For years we went over scientific reports
about the medicinal uses of this plant,
but I found most of these reports to be
very vague. They always said things like
it may, it might, it could; but in reality I
learned very little. After years of reading
such reports, I had pretty much given up
hope of ever finding out how this oil was
working all these medical miracles.
But, a couple of years ago, a lady by the
name of Batya Stark contacted me with
information about the pineal gland and
melatonin. Once we connected all the
dots it seemed to explain how this oil was
having such an effect on incurable condi-
tions like cancer. Many of the chemicals
that doctors give us and substances like
fluoride impair the function of the pineal
gland. When the pineal gland becomes
impaired it secretes much less melatonin;
melatonin is the greatest anti-oxidant on
Earth and it travels to every cell in our
bodies. People suffering from cancer and
many other conditions have lowered mel-
atonin levels, which allows their bodies to
become a breeding ground for disease.
When a patient takes the oil it de-calcifies
the pineal gland and your melatonin lev-
els go through the roof. This is, in part,
what we believe has a great deal to do
with this medications effectiveness on
so many serious conditions. Our endo-
cannabinoid system allows our bodies to
absorb the beneficial cannabinoids. This
boost in cannabinoids balances the body
in all respects and produces full body
healing. There are other explanations by
those who are much more qualified than
myself, but even if Im not quite correct, I
take great satisfaction in simply knowing
that this medication works.
How come this relatively simple con-
necting of the dots with Cannabis oil has
never come out in a mainstream way?
The reason this plants medicinal use is so
misunderstood is simply caused by all the
misinformation that big money interests
shove down the publics throat. Hemp is
mans oldest-known and safest medica-
tion and its use in medicine is legend-
ary. Up until about a hundred years ago,
hemp produced the most widely-used
medicines on this planet. However, its
presence was a huge threat to many big
money interests so lobby groups greased
the right palms in government and this
was how the growing and free medicinal
use of this plant was outlawed.
Imagine if we were allowed to grow this
Rick Simpson
HIGHLIGHTING A LEGEND
If you dont know who Canadian Rick Simpson is, then you must
read this interview. Responsible for single-handedly introducing
thousands, if not millions, of people all over the world to the
benefits of medical Cannabis, Simpsons tincture/oil extractions
have literally saved lives. SSUSA was lucky enough to steal some
time from this busy, busy man. Robert Michael
DISEASES LIKE MS ARE VERY EASY TO BRING UNDER CONTROL
- IF THE PATIENT STARTS USING THE OIL SHORTLY AFTER THEY ARE DIAGNOSED
SIMPSON IS SIMPLY HERE TO BRING MANKIND THE TRUTH
AND TO TRY TO EASE THE SUFFERING OF THE MASSES
66
plant as we should be able to do for our
own medicinal use the effect this would
have on the drug companies? In no time
they would be out of business because we
would have no further use for the poison
chemical trash they have been provid-
ing. Now, I dont mind companies making
money, but when that money is made
at the expense of the publics health and
well-being, something has to change.
Cannabis/hemp is a God-given plant and
since it is totally harmless, what right does
anyone have to tell the human race that
its use is restricted? Did these people talk
to God and get permission; or was it done
just because these heartless fools had the
money to make it happen?
How does dosing work?
The dosage regimen is about the same
for all serious conditions: build up your
tolerance as quickly as possible in the
beginning, and in a short time most peo-
ple no longer feel the oils effects. With
life-threatening conditions like terminal
cancer, the idea is to get the treatment
into the patient as quickly as possible.
Ive seen some people with terminal can-
cer take the whole 60g. (ca. 2oz.) treat-
ment in one month and cure their cancer.
It usually takes the average person about
90 days to ingest the full 60g. treat-
ment. We all have different tolerances
for everything; some people can take
this medicine very quickly, while others
take longer.
If the medical system would do tumor
inoculations with this substance, the same
as researchers have been doing to lab ani-
mals for decades; I think doing this would
be of great benefit to a patient whose
life is threatened. But, since the medical
system refuses to do this, we are only
left with the option of having the patient
ingest the oil as fast as possible.
For patients who have lung cancer, I think
its a good idea to ingest the oil and also to
vaporize the substance so the unburned
cannabinoids can be inhaled directly into
the lungs, where they can go to work
destroying the cancer. Doing the treatment
in this manner attacks the cancer from both
directions, which I think can increase the
patients chances of survival. The effects
from so-called treatments like radiation and
chemotherapy linger in the body for years.
All the damage these treatments have
caused must be reversed in the quickest
way possible. In cases like this, the patient
will require more than just the standard
60g. treatment. Quite often it may require
120g. or even 180g. of high grade oil to
undo all the damage that has been done.
Diseases like MS are very easy to bring
under control if the patient starts using
the oil shortly after they are diagnosed.
But, for others who have suffered with this
condition for years and have taken many
chemical medications, it will take much
longer to heal.
RICK SIMPSON, JENDRICH BAYER AND DR. LUMIR HANUS (L TO R) RICK SIMPSON, JENDRICH BAYER AND DR. LUMIR HANUS (L TO R)
SIMPSON EVEN HAS A STRAIN NAMED AFTER HIM, FITTING OF A LEGEND
7
we already have a medicine at our dis-
posal that is far better than anything they
have ever produced? Its my point of view
that these companies have been killing us
long enough. If the drug companies are
allowed to get their dirty hands on this
oils future development, curing cancer
and other conditions will not come cheap.
Luckily for us all, we really dont need
them; for now anyone can produce their
own medicine. But it is my intention to
try to bring this medicine to the public in
the cheapest possible manner. I now have
offers from three countries who are willing
to turn me loose and, if all goes well, in
just a few days from now I will start get-
ting things underway in a big way. Then
we will be able to start mass distributing
this medication, and in a very short time
this oil will be available to all.
Finally, why is your Cannabis oil so
much better than others?
The oil that I produced gained its reputa-
tion due to the fact that I used the best
material possible in its production. I know
there are also many others that are trying
to do the same thing. But still there are
suppliers who are trying to rip people
off by selling low quality oil just so they
can make more money. In the near future
when we have some standards in place
there will no longer be any room for rip off
artists in the Cannabis oil business.
At present I am not in the position to sup-
ply oil, but in the next few months I should
have a clinic where people can come to
be healed. Until I can get this up and run-
ning, I advise people, if at all possible, to
produce their own. In the coming months
and years I hope to see production facili-
ties in all countries. But I still insist that
everyone should have the right to grow
and produce their own medicine.
www.phoenixtears.ca
Can you take the oil along with chemo
and/or radiation?
Yes. A patient can take the oil along with
chemo and radiation and it would give
them a better chance to survive treat-
ments like this.
Lung cancer is notoriously difficult to
heal how effective is the oil here?
Many people that I have put under treat-
ment were lifetime smokers and often,
even though they are dying, many people
do not want to quit smoking. One of
these cases was a 79-year-old man who
had smoked all his life and the first thing
he asked me was, Would he have to quit
smoking? I told him that I didnt care if
he smoked during the treatment or not
and that the choice was his to make.
His breathing was down to 70% and the
medical system didnt even offer treat-
ment; they simply told him that he had
three months to live. I really think the only
reason that he decided to do the oil treat-
ment was because I did not insist that he
quit smoking. He smoked two packs of
cigarettes every day during his treatment.
Ninety days later his lung cancer was
completely gone and his breathing
capacity was back to 100%. I think such
cases highlight the effectiveness of the
oil treatment and dispel many things that
doctors tell us.
How many patients have you treated?
I have been directly involved in the treat-
ment of about 5,000 people with many
different medical conditions, and count-
less others have followed my protocols
with great results. The success rate is
extremely high in the treatment of all
conditions and I often tell people that if
the oil cant help them, then likely there
is nothing that will. If you have been
diagnosed with something (like a serious
cancer) and you have not had any other
treatments, its almost a given that the oil
can cure you.
For those who have been badly damaged
by other treatments the success rates
are still 70-80%. Even for people who are
too badly damaged to save, many can
survive for much longer than expected.
In the end, when they do die at least they
pass away with no pain and they die with
dignity. Which is a lot more than treat-
ments provided from the medical system
can provide.
Skin cancer is the fastest growing of all
cancers. How long does it take for the oil
to work here?
In the treatment of skin cancer it usu-
ally doesnt take very long to cure the
condition, but it does depend upon the
patients own healing rate and how long
the cancer has had to establish itself. I
have seen many skin cancers cured in a
matter of days and its quite unusual for
the treatment to be needed longer than
a month. I always tell people to apply the
oil directly on the cancer and cover it with
a bandage that is not waterproof. Then
apply fresh oil and a new bandage every
three to four days until the cancer is gone.
I also tell patients to continue treatment
for two more weeks after the cancer has
disappeared. If they do this it will destroy
any cancer cells that may remain and, to
the best of my knowledge, all who have
followed my instructions have never had
the cancer return.
Arthritis?
There is no better treatment for arthritis
of all forms than this amazing oil it is the
greatest natural anti-inflammatory known
to man. We have seen all types of arthritis
brought under control and even cured
with the use of this substance. So again,
why suffer the effects of this condition
and the medications the medical system
provides? Do yourself a favor and stop
using these harmful substances to treat
your arthritis; give mother nature a chance
to show you what pain relief is all about.
What about side-effects and overdosing?
A great number of people have overdosed
with the use of this substance because
they did not follow the dosage instruc-
tions in the beginning. Of course since
this oil is totally harmless and its effects
wear off quite quickly, no danger was pre-
sented to the patient. This oil is not like the
chemical trash drug companies provide,
which can and often does cause death.
Unlike what the medical system gives us,
which can be very deadly if too much is
taken, no one dies from an overdose of
hemp oil.
How high do you get when ingesting
the oil?
Of course a person can become high if
they take too much of this oil. But why
are people so worried about the so-called
high that hemp can produce? Do you
know anyone who has died or even been
harmed by the effects of getting high on
hemp? I, for one, do not want to take the
high out of this medication; its the high
that causes the sedative effect and kills
the pain. This was the same lame excuse
the drug industry tried to use and they
said this was the reason that they wanted
to produce synthetic THC.
We all now know, even their synthetic
trash gets you high, so what have they
really accomplished? Look at the harmful
and often deadly highs produced from the
drugs that they prescribe to us every day.
Drug companies do not seem to be con-
cerned about the deadly and dangerous
effects such drugs have upon the public.
How have the law and medical commu-
nities reacted to your treatments?
I have been treated very badly by both
the law and the medical establishment
and they have called me a charlatan and
a drug dealer. But how many drug deal-
ers do you know that give their products
away free of charge? I am not here to sell
the public anything; I am simply here to
bring mankind the truth and to try to ease
the suffering of the masses. If indeed I was
some kind of charlatan, do you not find it
strange that no one in the medical indus-
try can defrock what I have been telling
the public?
They are the real criminals and they are
the ones who are deceiving you, not me.
The Canadian legal system broke every
rule in the book trying to make the public
believe that I am some kind of criminal.
If its a crime to help suffering and dying
people, then I am as guilty as they come.
They have given me a criminal record
and I wear the badge proudly; one day
very soon now the general public will
finally realize the real truth. When that day
comes, it will be very clear just who the
criminals really are and I doubt very much
that my name will be among them.
Have you ever been approached by a
drug company to mass produce and
try to get the word out about your
hemp oil?
I was approached by a drug company to
collaborate with them, but they can take
such offers and shove them where the
sun dont shine. This medicine belongs to
the people; I would never work with drug
companies to develop anything and
why would I need to? Since it seems that
THEY HAVE CALLED ME A CHARLATAN AND A DRUG DEALER. BUT HOW MANY
DRUG DEALERS DO YOU KNOW THAT GIVE THEIR PRODUCTS AWAY FREE OF CHARGE?
I BECAME AWARE OF THE FACT THAT CANNABINOIDS ARE AN EFFECTIVE TREATMENT
FOR CANCER AFTER HEARING A RADIO BROADCAST IN 1975
MILAN ROMSY, RICK SIMPSON AND DR. LUMIR HANUS (L TO R)
9
HEMP TECH
9
Some of the first plastics ever made were
bioplastics: in 1869, John Wesley Hyatt Jr.
created a cotton cellulose derivative to
replace ivory in billiard balls. He went on to
produce cotton celluloid and cellophane,
both of which can also be synthesized from
hemp. As ever, murky legality has hindered
research here, as prices are high and sup-
plies are inconsistent. Yet when compared
with other bioplastics crops, such as soy
and corn, hemp has many advantages. The
bast fibers, when mixed into a compos-
ite form with glue or resin, are extremely
strong, durable and flame-retardant.
Cellulose, the basis of around 77% of all
plastics, constitutes as much as 85% of the
hurds, according to some sources.
Cotton contains percentages reaching the
high nineties, but cultivation requires very
specific climatic conditions and many fer-
tilizers and pesticides. Hemp has few such
requirements and flourishes in all manner
of habitats. Corn, which contains around
45% cellulose and is very damaging to
the environment when intensively farmed,
prevails as the favored crop for bioplastics
against all logic.
Outside of the US, the movement is expe-
riencing some ongoing success in the
effort to legitimize hemp. Funding from
the European Regional Development Fund
(ERDF) has been available since 2008 for
initiatives to use locally-produced hemp in
car parts for the UK firm Lotus. A $2.13m
grant from the Australian Commonwealth
Scientific and Industrial Research
Organization (CSIRO) for New South Wales
company Biofiba to further develop their
100% natural and biodegradable hemp
fiber and natural starch composite was
approved in April this year.
Vancouver-based Hemptown Clothing
received government funding to the
tune of $1.45 million as early as 2005, to
develop their natural fiber Crailar, primarily
used in textiles but also useful for creating
advanced composites. Funding has also
been awarded to other participants in the
hemp industry, from primary producers
to initiatives specializing in textiles; indus-
trial materials such as insulation, hemp
concrete and isochanvre; and producers of
hemp oils and foodstuffs.
Most hemp plastics so far produced have
been composites, where fiber is mixed
with synthetic thermoplastics (such as
polyesters or natural resins) to form rigid,
durable materials similar to fiberglass. Even
the resin used to bind the fibers can be
produced from hemp-seed oil. These com-
posites are suitable for injection molding,
and can be thermoplastic or thermoset-
ting. They are very diverse in application,
but colors have so far been limited, and
appearances often somewhat rudimen-
tary. This is now changing, and as more is
learned about the mechanical properties
of fiber in different hemp varieties, tech-
niques are set to undergo rapid evolution.
Cellulose, a natural polymer (or long-chain,
structurally repeating molecule) of glucose,
can be isolated and modified to form many
kinds of 100% hemp plastics, without the
need for any resins or glues. The processes
involved are often much more expensive
and final costs are therefore much higher
than for composites.
They are remarkably attractive and versa-
tile, however. Hemp stone is an extremely
strong blend of cellulose and water used to
make musical instruments and other dura-
ble items. Hemp cellophane is significant,
although the process to produce it involves
highly toxic chemicals. The potential to
replace traditional plastics in packaging
is very significant, as the percentage of all
plastic currently produced for this purpose
is estimated at up to 56%. Bioplastics for
packaging are usually designed to rap-
idly biodegrade, making them safer for the
environment. However, they remain more
expensive than standard petrochemical-
based synthetics.
In the categories they are most useful for,
hemp plastics have started to gain a rea-
sonable and growing market share and
the expected pattern of cost reduction
and streamlining of production has begun.
New formulas are being developed con-
tinually, and an increasing amount of new
applications are being discovered.
Hemp Plastic (UK), established in 1996,
last year released their highest perfor-
mance composite yet, and also manufac-
ture high-end 100% hemp plastics. With
the capability to produce plastic tailor-
made to their customers requirements,
they are in the process of developing spe-
cific compounds for several multinational
electronics corporations keen to enhance
their green credentials.
Currently, the most well-known propo-
nents of hemp plastic are in the auto-
mobile industry. Companies in Canada,
Germany and Austria are acknowledging
hemp composite plastics many qualities as
a fiberglass substitute, and its contribution
to overall emissions reductions in the sec-
tor. Hemp is lighter, and very encouraging-
ly, 20% cheaper than fiberglass. This is very
significant when one considers the variety
of products (sporting goods, boats, suitcas-
es, flat roofing, piping, and many more) for
which fiberglass is in widespread use, and
we may see the biggest market advances
of all being made in these sectors.
As ever, in the US our biggest obstacle is
the illegality of domestic production, which
forces businesses to import from Canada
or the EU. There are companies that use
imported hemp, but the practice is far from
widespread. In 2004, Stanford University
discovered that hemp fibers fused with
polyhydroxy-butyrate (PHB), a natural
resin, formed the strongest synthetic wood
substitute out of all tested combinations.
This composite can be molded into heavy-
duty flooring and building materials, or
bottles and other lightweight plastic items.
This is encouraging, but we need to invest
further in bioplastics research in order to
not fall far behind globally. The time is ripe
for the domestic market to take advan-
tage of such research and push for more.
To innovate further with hemp plastic we
need a consistent, affordable supply.
It must be reiterated we have a poten-
tial goldmine awaiting us if we legis-
late for hemp. As weve stated in previ-
ous articles, many states have approved
industrial hemp production and license
applications have been made to the DEA,
which have simply taken the fees then
denied the requests. On April 28th of this
year, the Presque Isle County Board of
Commissioners in Michigan approved a
resolution to relax restrictions on indus-
trial hemp, with a specific request for state
control of licenses that would effectively
bypass federal obstructions. This may rep-
resent a legal precedent for other would-
be hemp activists to follow, but whether
they are successful remains to be seen. In
the meantime, we and many like us are
going to keep on piling up the evidence for
hemp, because, sooner or later, the world
just has to pay attention.
Photos courtesy of www.hempplastic.com
Hemp Plastics Kali Mist
HOW IMPORTANT ARE THEY TO THE GLOBAL
PARADIGM SHIFT TO SUSTAINABILITY?
WHEN COMPARED WITH OTHER BIOPLASTICS CROPS,
SUCH AS SOY AND CORN, HEMP HAS MANY ADVANTAGES
INJECTION-MOLDED HEMP AND RECYCLED POLYPROPYLENE TOY CARS
DISPLAYED ON A BED OF THE RAW MATERIAL FROM WHICH THEY ARE MADE
A HEMP AND RECYCLED
POLYPROPYLENE FLOWER POT, ANOTHER
EXAMPLE OF INJECTION MOLDING A CHAIR MADE FROM 100% HEMP CELLULOSE
100% HEMP PLASTICS CAN BE USED FOR
HIGH IMPACT PURPOSES, SUCH AS THIS DRUM
KIT AND OTHER MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
10
STRAIN AWARDS
Strain Genius
Lab Awards
Best Pain Relieving Strain Award (High THC)
As difficult as it may be to choose one single strain for this award, this month we were
blessed with a real beauty. Blue Rhino from Chronically Inclined scored super high at
nearly 25% THC. This indica is sure to knock your socks off and most likely your sen-
sibilities too. Beginners beware! Too much tokin on this baby and youll find yourself
painless, yet immobile. Even the cartoons youre watching on the television set will
know how high you are. Connoisseurs: rejoice, relax, and enjoy.
Best Anxiety Relief Award (High CBD)
While we see many great rating THC strains every day, the rarest of the rare are high
CBD (Cannabidiol) strains. These are an interesting breed that, strangely enough,
are known for their properties in not getting you too high. They maintain many pain
relief qualities, but are best known for their exceptional anxiety relief. Its a com-
pletely different experience that we highly recommend. So if you gotta pass that cal-
culus test, and need to take the edge off, pick up some Sour OG from H.I.P Collective.
Remember though, not all strains are created equal! Hats off to these master growers
for cultivating this rare gem.
Green Monster Award
Baseball season is back, and a great way to celebrate is with this beautiful green
strain from GSC Wellness. The Purple Blueberry Kush is bound to lift you over the
fence and keep you medicated long into those extra innings. Its another home run
for GSC Wellness! This picturesque Kush strain provides a monster high, extreme
pain relief, and massively increases your appetite, giving you a triple crown winner
through and through.
Purple and Gold Award
LA is known for its Purple and Gold Champions, and what better way to pay homage to
the Lakeshow than with this winning strain from Downtown Collective? This months
Purple and Gold award goes to the Royal Grape Ape for its outstanding purple perfec-
tion. Dark purple throughout, this strain provides an all-around high for every need and
still allows you to ball with the best of them, instead of riding the bench.
Dirty Hairy Award
I know what youre thinking: Did he award six strains or only five? Well, to tell you the
truth, Im pretty stoned and kind of lost track myself. But, being as this is a Magnum force
hybrid, the kindest bud in the world, and would blow your head clean off, youve got to
ask yourself one question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk? The Dirty Hairy bud award
goes to the Hindu Skunk from Venice Beach House and will definitely make your day.
12
ADVANCED INDOOR GROWING
12
Light
Light is energy specifically; it is a form of
electromagnetic radiation. The two com-
ponents of light are the electric and the
magnetic fields, which are set at right
angles to each other. These fields are
synchronized together and collectively
are known as an electromagnetic field.
Electromagnetic radiation travels in a
wave from a source.
Wavelength
Although the speed of the wave is con-
stant, the frequency or wavelength is not.
The speed at which the same point on
the wave passes by a point in space is the
frequency. The distance between wave
crests is its wavelength. A wavelength is
literally the length of the wave.
Even though specific numbers are often
used as a boundary, electromagnetic
waves are a gradient. Where one color
starts being a different color is more an
approximation than a hard line. The order
of longest to shortest wavelengths is:
radio waves, infrared (heat), visible light,
ultraviolet, x-rays and gamma rays.
The human eye only uses a small por-
tion of the electromagnetic spectrum to
see. These wavelength of visible light are
between about 790 and 390 nanometers.
This visible light is further broken down
into colors. The long wavelength end of
the visible light spectrum is perceived as
red, and at the short end of the spectrum
is violet.
Approximate values by color:
Red 700-625nm
Orange 624-600nm
Yellow 599-670nm
Green 569-500nm
Blue 499-465nm
Indigo 464-426nm
Violet 425-400nm
Light waves slightly too long to be red are
called infrared, wavelengths slightly too
short to be violet are called ultraviolet.
Objects appear to be the color of the
light they reflect. If all colors are absorbed
by a leaf except for green, then the leaf
will appear green. The wavelength of the
electromagnetic field determines its color
if visible, or its type if not.
Photosynthesis in plants makes best use
of light with wavelengths from peaks at
the red, blue and violet bands. Chlorophyll
a is the blue-green pigment in plants,
and two peaks of absorption occur at
665nm (red) and 465nm (violet-indigo).
Chlorophyll b is the yellow-green pigment
in plants, and absorbs light at two peaks
of 640nm (red) and 450nm (indigo-blue).
The valley between the two spikes
between 600 and 500nm (the green
and green-yellow bands) is not used as
much, and is reflected by the plant. An
ideal light source should supply wave-
lengths including 665-640nm (red) and
465-450nm (indigo). A rule of thumb is
that cool lights lean toward the blue-
violet side, and warm lights tend toward
the red-orange side.
Intensity
Waves not only have length, but also
have height, or amplitude. The greater the
amplitude, the brighter the light. A light
at 550nm will appear green, either dim at
low intensity or bright at a high intensity;
however, the color remains the same. The
greater the intensity, the more energy is
being transmitted.
A lumen is the light of one candle. A lux
is that light from one meter away spread
over a square area one meter wide. A full
moon on a clear night lights at about one
lux; a well-lit indoor room is about 400 lux
and bright sunlight is about 100,000 lux.
Lighting Efficiency
Power comes from some source, such as
a wall plug, and goes through a process
to give off light. How much of this power
is converted to useful light is the lighting
efficiency. If the process produced 683
lumens per watt used, perfect efficiency
would be achieved. Fire gives off light,
but most of the energy is expressed in the
infrared wavelengths, and therefore it is
not well-suited for growing plants.
Incandescent lighting has an efficiency
of about six percent (10-30 lumens per
watt). LEDs are also about six percent (20-
60 lumens per watt) efficient although
in theory they could be made more effi-
cient. Fluorescents measure at 10% (30-
100 lumens per watt), metal halides/MH
around 14% (70-125 lumens per watt)
and high pressure sodium/HPS at 15%
(60-140 lumens per watt). The excess heat
generated by lighting systems is often the
largest source of waste heat in a garden.
Matching the Light to the
Space
One number that is often listed is the
lumens, which includes all the light given
off (including the less-used wavelengths),
but at least it is an estimate with which
to work.
The amount of light that hits the plants
drops off as an inverse square to the dis-
tance. At two meters, the lux is reduced
to 25% and at three it is reduced to 11%.
A plant that is twice as far from the light
source only receives a fourth of the light.
A plant three times as far only receives
a ninth.
If a 400w bulb gives off 50,000 lumens in
an area one meter to a side, then the bulb
gives off 50,000 lux. These lights are used
for areas .5m to 1m to a side. This same
bulb could be used to light an area two
meters on a side, but at only 12,500 lux to
the plants. A 600w giving off 95,000 lumens
at one meter still delivers only 23,750 lux at
two. Good for 1-1.25m gardens.
A 1000w bulb may give off 130,000 lux
which would be overkill for a one meter,
but 32,500 lux over a two meter space is
more reasonable. These are well-suited for
gardens of 1.5m to a side.
If you measure your grow space, you can
draw out different scenarios until you find
one you like. For example, in a space 1.5m
x 3 m, two 1000w lights, two or three 600w
lights or three 400w lights could be used
as a general guideline. However, make
sure you can deal with any waste heat the
lights generate as cooked plants perform
even worse than under-lit ones do.
There are many factors involved in choos-
ing the lights for an indoor garden; the
better informed you make yourself, the
better the chances are youll be happy
with the results you get.
Peace, love and puka shells,
Grubbycup
Light, Wavelengths and Intensity
Light is one of the most important
aspects to a successful garden, and
serious growers should understand
at least the basics. by Grubbycup
RICHARD DAVIS, CURATOR OF THE USA HEMP MUSEUM 17 THE ENERGETIC EVOLUTION OF CANNABIS: WHY IS THIS SPECIAL PLANT SO KEEN TO ADAPT? 33
RED LIGHT HAS A LONGER
WAVELENGTH THAN BLUE LIGHT
IF AN OBJECT REFLECTS GREEN LIGHT,
THE OBJECT WILL APPEAR GREEN
OBJECTS AT TWICE THE DISTANCE ONLY
RECEIVE A QUARTER OF THE LIGHT
HIGH PRESSURE SODIUM (HPS) LIGHTS
GIVE OFF A LOT OF ORANGE AND RED
LIGHT, BUT NOT MUCH GREEN
LIGHT EMITTING DIODES (LEDS)
CAN BE USED TO TARGET SPECIFIC
WAVELENGTHS. THIS UNIT EMITS
MOSTLY RED AND INDIGO LIGHT.
A METAL HALIDE (MH) LAMP WILL GIVE OFF
MORE OF A GREEN LIGHT THAN AN HPS
13
HEMP HEROES
13
The Cannabis scene needs more people
like John: despite his bitter arrest, con-
viction and incarceration, he is still one
of the warmest, most easily accessible
activists and musicians in the history of
our industry.
SSUSA: Thank you, sir, for taking the
time to share with our readers.
John Sinclair: Oh Grubby, please dont call
me sir any more okay? It scares me.
SSUSA: [Laughs] Well, we cant have that.
JS: John is good enough. Fire away
when ready.
SSUSA: Art for arts sake isnt in vogue
right now.
JS: Exactly, but what is in vogue is so
ugly and awful that everybody wants
something different. Why not try creative
music? Why not try something that chal-
lenges your intelligence? Something that
expands your ability to feel things about
other humans. Why not? The current
trend isnt working any fool can see that.
SSUSA: Do you think the Internet has
helped the indie movement? Helped inde-
pendent people get their art out there?
JS: Absolutely. It hasnt really solved the
question of how to get paid for your
efforts, but at least you can publish them
and get them heard. Or you have a chance
to get them heard anyway. You still have
to go through the complicated machinery
of publicity to get people to want to listen
to your works. But at least you get them
out there; you arent sitting in your base-
ment wishing you had enough money to
rent a studio like you used to.
Nothing is more perfectly suited for the
independent frame of mind than the con-
temporary communications media. You
can do whatever you want.
SSUSA: Since independent art tends
not to be financially rewarding, do you
think we miss out on a lot from people
who have to spend their time flipping
burgers just to get by?
JS: Absolutely its whats sick about our
social order. It punishes people who are
creative and original and productive artis-
tically. It punishes the non-academic intel-
lectual, because there is no market for
your services. Its not what they want.
In music, they want somebody who sing
songs written by somebody else. Its all
one ugly fabric, tightly-woven. You have
to turn off the television set; thats the first
step to freedom. Turn off your TV, and try
to think. Not constantly be bombarded by
the shit that the rich people want to keep
you occupied by so you buy their prod-
ucts. Thats my simplistic solution. [laughs]
It works for me.
SSUSA: Any advice on how a non-aca-
demic intellectual can get by?
JS: You have to figure that out yourself.
Everybodys circumstances are different.
Some people can work at some jobs, and
be comfortable, and still have a creative
life. And some people cant be creative
and have a job or any responsibilities at
all. Make your output as large and as pro-
ductive as you want. Focus on what you
can make or create. Im not saying an audi-
ence will gravitate to you, but what can
you do about an audience? I dont know.
I dont know how to get an audience. Ive
never got one Im underground. Im so
far underground they have to pump air
down to me. I dont really know and Ive
been doing this fifty years. I mean, I know
how they do it, but I dont know how to
do it and have the integrity of my work
that means so much to me, that I derive
so much enjoyment from. So I just dont
worry about it any more. Im old, Ive been
through the hard parts, and I dont have
that much longer to worry about how to
keep going and survive. I grew my chil-
dren; now its just me, and I dont have
that much to pay for. So I dont have to
raise that much any more.
SSUSA: Once upon a time, under-
ground newspapers like the 5th Estate
were one of the few ways that passion-
ate political writers could have a voice.
With the Internet everyone can have a
voice, but there are so many; its hard
to be heard. Which is better?
JS: With the Internet things are much
better. The Internet is better since it prac-
tically doesnt cost anything. You can
publish what you believe in, and you
can reach a lot more people. Beats hav-
ing to stand on a street corner and give
away papers that you had to pay to have
printed up. Its just we dont have the
ideas now. We had a lot of ideas. Like in
the music, we had a lot of ideas. You just
didnt have the means of distribution.
Now you have unlimited means of dis-
tribution, but very few people with any
fucking ideas. Do a little surfing, you see a
lot of endless horseshit about every trivial
thing its possible to imagine. You know
where Lady Gaga played last night. You
can find sites where they analyze Lady
Gagas costume down to the last button
on the last shoe. But they have three wars
going on in the United States and nobody
seems to even say anything about them.
The failure is in not getting the people to
rise above their fucking television sets,
movies and horrible pop music, so they
can have some ideas. Too much same
old, same old. You have a much better
chance now of getting them across. Man,
I love the fucking Internet. You can make
a record in your living room, put it up for
free, and anybody in China can listen to it
if they want. I shouldnt say China they
might not be able to listen for very much
longer.
SSUSA: Thats the second time youve
said something disparaging about
todays music; would you elaborate?
JS: Yeah, I cant stand it. Ive had a problem
with pop music for almost forty years.
Since the mid-seventies. The Eagles, and
Fleetwood Mac, that was the end for me.
John Sinclair
P A S T , P R E S E N T A N D F U T U R E
Claims to fame: John Sinclair was a beatnik poet and activist arrested
and sentenced to ten years for giving away two marijuana joints to an
undercover policewoman. A jazz musician, Cannabis activist, prolific
author, White Panther, journalist, father, former manager of rockers
the MC5, poet, activist and friend, John Sinclair is both the voice of his
generation and a shining star in Americas musical history. by Grubbycup
T h e y g a v e h i m t e n f o r t w o . - J o h n L e n n o n
JOHN IS A PROLIFIC POET AND AUTHOR, TRAVELING THE
WORLD TO SHARE HIS WORDS AND MUSIC WITH HIS FANS
14
Elton John. I dont want anything like
that in my life. Bruce Springsteen. I cant
handle any of it; I dont even want to
think about it.
SSUSA: Too commercial?
JS: No, I dont know; its just lame. James
Brown was commercial. You dont have to
be shitty to be commercial. Commercial
just means people like it. Chuck Berry was
commercial. Little Richard was commer-
cial. John Coltrane sold a million copies
of A Love Supreme over the years. I hate
popular culture. I just think its lame. I dont
like the way it feels or sounds.
SSUSA: Lets switch over to Cannabis
whats your favorite method of con-
suming?
JS: Im a joint man. Since Ive been based
in Amsterdam, Ive adapted to the tippy.
SSUSA: Tippy? Is that like a crutch?
JS: Yes. The filter, the rolled up piece of
paper that keeps the weed from touching
your lips. Dont know why they call it a
filter; it doesnt filter anything. I smoke my
joints with a little filter in there. I do that,
but I dont add tobacco.
SSUSA: Whats your favorite hangout?
JS: 420 Cafe [in Amsterdam]. Its my
favorite haunt.
[coughs] The combination of smoking
tobacco and marijuana: one is bad for
you, and the other is good. One is toxic
and one is not.
SSUSA: One is legal and one is not.
JS: But its the toxic one thats legal.
Marijuana isnt about bud, its about what
happens inside your brain when you
ingest it, and what you create as a result.
Everybody gets high, it isnt just goofy
people in a rap band or something. Every-
fucking-body gets high, not just stoners.
In the creative world, penetration is at
least 90%. Can you imagine any records
being made? Any movies? Paintings?
Without people getting high? Its out of
the question, it isnt going to happen.
SSUSA: And its been that way for
JS: Forever; since the 50s anyway. All the
best ideas during the modern period, in
my experience. Look at our history, Louis
Armstrong, Charlie Parker, you know, eve-
rybody. Id like to see that reflected more
in magazines. Thats kind of been my mis-
sion, I started in the marijuana movement
almost fifty years ago.
In 1964 I was inspired by other poets
Allen Ginsberg and Ed Sanders who
became activists to try and change the
marijuana laws. They were the first; I was
the third. I came right after them. It was
because in our work our artistic work
first of all, we got high. Then we wrote
something, you know what Im saying?
That came first: you get high, and then
you have the idea and then you write
something.
So it was important, but then we were
getting attacked. We were just trying to
write poems, and they were trying to send
us to prison. The movement comes out
of that. We just didnt want to get fucked
any more.
SSUSA: Can I have your opinion on
whats going on in the US as far as the
legalization of marijuana?
JS: Very little is going on in terms of
legalization per se; although there are
a couple of cities where its pretty close
to being legalized. But the bulk of the
action is in the medical marijuana field.
Big wonderful things are happening in
that rubric. Its changing everything. Its
taking the weapon out of the hands of
the police for those who have the good
sense to register as patients, like myself.
Im a patient in Michigan.
I was charged with giving two marijuana cigarettes
to an undercover policewoman.
IN EARLIER DAYS, THEY GAVE HIM TEN FOR TWO. - JOHN LENNON
FANS SHOULD CHECK OUT 20 TO LIFE
THE JOHN SINCLAIR FREEDOM RALLY TOOK PLACE ON
DECEMBER 10
TH
, 1971. THE FILM VERSION OF THE RALLY AND
CONCERT WERE RELEASED UNDER THE NAME TEN FOR TWO.
they change that its going to be like this.
Its a sad commentary, but there it is.
We have the power to, there are more
of us then there are of them, but we
keep allowing them to run the world for
their own benefit. If the 99% under the
one percent on top could get their shit
together, we could all be a lot better off.
If they cant, what am I going to tell them?
Trouble is, intelligent people have differ-
ent ideas, and then they start fighting
each other. Its just part of the human
condition. I try to take it with a sense
of humor, and remain flexible. Realize
the one thing I can do is alter my own
behavior and I can change that for
the better if I want to. I dont have to be
like the people I dont like if I decide not
to. That is the one thing I can do. I cant
make them do anything, but I can make
myself be different.
SSUSA: That sounds like a very sage
philosophy.
John Sinclair: Well Im old, Im supposed
to have learned something. Thats my job.
http://johnsinclair.us/
15
SSUSA: That sounds like a good thing.
JS: Well yes, its the first step toward the
end of the War on Drugs. I got my patient
card. I left my patient card with my car-
egiver. I just changed my caregiver now
my caregiver is my daughter, Marion. (Im
also a proud parent.)
It gives a caregiver and an address. This
takes the main weapon of the War on
Drugs away from the police: Where did
you get it? Tell us who gave it to you.
You know, thats what theyve used to
corrupt Americas morals for the last fifty
or sixty years. Get everybody to rat their
friends out. So thats really the beginning
of the end of their power, I think.
Of course we hope so but I think now
its actually happening. They dont will-
ingly give up this power. In some parts
of the state the prosecutors and the
police are still treating medical marijuana
patients as criminals. So there is still
some work to be done in the courts. But
then, take those areas where the police
and the prosecutors accept the will of the
electorate and recognize the new law.
Then it changes things considerably, and
a person who smokes medical marijuana
and has a card can walk around without
worrying about being arrested by the
police. Thats a big step forward. The
essential step I think. Whatever comes
after that is of a lesser magnitude.
SSUSA: Oh yes, helps keep the vipers
out of the dark.
JS: Thats the big step, to keep the police
off of our asses. What did they have to do
with this in the first place? It was all good
until they that usurped this power, and
then they had a lot of nerve. There werent
enough people standing up, because we
were demonized not only as felons
and criminals, but as dope fiends. People
who get arrested on a drug charge often
lose their jobs, lose their scholarships,
lose their government-approved hous-
ing. They can lose their car, their house.
Over what? Wanting some relief?
SSUSA: Do you have any advice on how
citizens can help advance the cause?
JS: To fight back when persecuted. I
think that was the downfall of the [anti-
weed] movement, when NORML came
in. Forty years ago, lawyers started being
the front line against the drug law. What
a lawyer knows how to do is get you
to cop a plea, and get you probation.
That just perpetuates the structure, the
framework. My example, and my belief,
is that you fight them back on this. I
fought back in Michigan when marijua-
na was classified as a narcotic. I went to
prison to prove it wasnt a narcotic. They
cant call it a narcotic any more, and they
cant call it a felony.
SSUSA: That was when getting picked
up for marijuana was really scary.
JS: That was forty years ago, yes. I was
charged with giving two marijuana ciga-
rettes to an undercover policewoman
that came under the sales and dispensing
schedule. So for two-and-a-half years I
was on bond for the sale of a narcotic,
which carried a minimum of a ten-year
sentence, and a maximum of life. I served
29 months out of a ten-year sentence.
Over two joints that I gave away.
SSUSA: What bits of wisdom do you
have to share with the Soft Secrets read-
ers?
JS: Do what you want to. Figure out what
you want to do, and then figure out how
do to it, and then do it. It seems so easy;
but it seems so difficult for many.
SSUSA: Why do you think its so
difficult?
JS: I dont know, its not my problem. Thats
not my job. I know what I want to do, and
Im doing it. Im a happy guy.
SSUSA: What is your typical day like?
JS: I have no typical day. But typically, a
day starts with a cup of coffee, a cigarette,
reading my paper and doing a crossword
puzzle. I do that every day, and have
breakfast. Then after that, who knows?
SSUSA: Its things like that, that help
keep you sane.
JS: Well I dont have any chance of being
sane. I gave that up a long time ago. The
search for sanity is not my search.
SSUSA: What has been your search?
JS: Im searching for a way to do what I
want to do, and to get out of doing what
I dont want to do. Thats my goal. Ive
kind of found ways to make this hap-
pen. But the temptation dangling, that
someone will pay you for doing some-
thing else? You swallow that, and then
you accept that life. In poverty, you can
do anything you want to, as long as you
dont have to pay for it.
SSUSA: What are the things you dont
want to do?
JS: Have a job, get up and have to be
somewhere at a certain time. Have
to drive a car in traffic. Have a car. I
dont even want to have a house, Im a
beatnik! Old school. I want to
have a good time, and be
productive artistically.
SSUSA: What do you
think about Obama?
JS: I voted for him. Hes
my President. Im happy
hes the President. He
just has the unrelent-
ing opposition in the
rich people backing the
Republicans. Rich people own all the tel-
evision stations, all the newspapers, all
the radio networks, all the movie studios
and all the record companies. They own
every piece of media in America, except
what goes on the Internet. So they fight
him on everything, every minute. I saw
this in Detroit when the first black mayor
of Detroit, Coleman Young, was elected in
1974. They pounded him daily, the media.
SSUSA: The Republicans tend to be
the cats on the very top and the cats
on the bottom. A huge portion of the
Republican party is made up of the
people who get screwed the most by
the Republican party. How do we wake
up the cats on the bottom?
JS: They watch too much television; I dont
think we can. I wish for their own sake
that theyd wake up. But theyve been
like that forever its the way of the
world. We cant even keep from killing
each other. There are more of us than
there are of them. They are the minority,
but they vote in every election, and
they organize themselves. They put its
principles and ideas forward, and they
win, because there are lots of people too
dumb to speak up for themselves. Until
We were just trying to write poems,
and they were trying to send us to prison.
In poverty, you can do anything you want to,
as long as you dont have to pay for it.
17
HEMP HEROES
In fact, you may have seen him driv-
ing around town in his maroon Honda,
adorned with a massive hemp bushel
atop it like some sort of automobile rein-
deer, and the blaring HONK IF YOU LOVE
HEMP stickers splattered everywhere.
Yeah, you cant miss the car, Davis tells
me, his Indiana Jones-like fedora and
urban-jungle outfit giving him the look
of a modern day Romancing the Stone-
type figure.
Oh, look at this its a Bible made from...
hemp!
Yes, the 8,000-square-foot warehouse is
stuffed: posters, books, soap, food, lit-
erature, elixirs, flags, shoes, cereal, maga-
zines, shirts, pants, suits... well, almost
anything you can imagine and all made
from hemp. The boats that discovered
the West were sailed with hempen rope;
the prairie wagons that rambled across
America were covered with hemp can-
vas. Kentucky, Missouri and Wisconsin
farmers grew acres and acres of hemp on
their rich, well-drained soil, planted like
fields of corn all the way to the sunset
the August and September harvest being
so plentiful that party celebrations were
always in order.
In a glass display case an old copy of
Popular Mechanics magazine declares on
its cover that HEMP IS A MIRACLE CROP
and, a few displays down, a short video
declaring that the parachute George
Bush used during WWII was made from
hemp rope. As we toured the museum
the soft-spoken Davis, who is also the
author of three books on hemp(Hemp
for Victory, A Global Warming Solution
and The Trillion Dollar Crop) offers me
a hemp milkshake (I make them every
day), some green paste in a small jar
(This will help your moms arthritis... I
make this on my farm; hemp oil lotion
is very effective for many ailments), and
his very own honey-roasted hemp nuts,
which he is currently pitching to Alaska
and Southwest Airlines to carry on their
planes as nutritious snacks. After the tour
was over we sat down for a chat and,
well, a real education.
WHERE DID YOU GROW UP?
Richard Davis: I was born in Phoenix,
Arizona. My Dad was a Methodist preach-
er so we moved somewhere in Southern
California or Arizona every four years.
Some of the towns were Gilbert, Ajo and
Willcox in Arizona, and Paso Robles and
Yorba Linda in California.
WHEN DID YOU FIRST HEAR ABOUT
MARIJUANA?
RD: In Yorba Linda, which is Orange
County, California; friends of my older
brother were busted for pot. I was maybe
fourteen years old. I had the same job
as Richard Nixon had: mowing Mrs.
Pickerings lawn.
WHEN DID YOU FIRST SMOKE
CANNABIS?
RD: I joined the Air Force right out
of high school in Willcox, Arizona, and
started taking college courses at night.
After four years of the Air Force, I went
back to school full-time and graduated
with a Bachelors Degree in Zoology at
Cal State U in Los Angeles (CSULA). I
was working on my Masters Degree in
Biology when I met my future wife, who
turned me on to pot.
I didnt drink for eight years because I
hated to get sick. Here was a smoke that
didnt get me sick and had no hangover.
Cannabis changed my whole life. It was
the 60s, and I became a long-haired hip-
pie feminist while attending the School
of Public Health at UCLA. In 1972, after
becoming a Doctoral Candidate, I took a
leave of absence and never went back. I
moved to Mendocino County and began
to grow Cannabis.
AT WHAT POINT DID YOU LEARN
ABOUT HEMP, AND THAT IT CAME
FROM THE SAME PLANT?
RD: I learned about hemp in 1990, after
almost twenty years of growing pot. I
was already an activist in the pot move-
ment, having run for Congress from the
First District in Northern California as an
admitted pot grower in 1985-86. I lost,
but being out there in public probably
kept me out of trouble. I met Jack Herer,
author of The Emperor Wears No Clothes,
at a demonstration against the Army
being used against citizens in the Kings
Range of Humboldt County in 1990. He
sold me two copies of his book on hemp.
I knew hemp; I had been growing it for
twenty years. I read his book twice in
two days.
WHEN DID YOU START INVESTIGATING
THE USES OF HEMP?
RD: I needed little investigation to figure
out I had been lied to and deceived about
hemp. I knew how fast hemp grows. I had
the resource at home and didnt know
what I had until I read the book, really.
WHEN DID YOU START COLLECTING
HEMP MEMORABILIA AND TURN IT
INTO YOUR LIFES MISSION?
Richard Davis of the
USA Hemp Museum:
SCIENTIST, FARMER, HEALER, AUTHOR, INNOVATOR, CHEF AND CURATOR
A few hundred yards from the
Staples Center, and the swirling
hive of the new downtown LA,
lies (believe it or not) the biggest
treasure trove of hemp artifacts
in the world. Just across the train
tracks and down Flower Street, in a
nondescript warehouse, USA Hemp
Museum curator Richard Davis has
assembled his lifes work: hemp.
Robert Michael
DAVIS IS CURRENTLY PITCHING HIS HOME-MADE HONEY-ROASTED HEMP NUTS TO
ALASKA AND SOUTHWEST AIRLINES TO CARRY ON THEIR PLANES AS NUTRITIOUS SNACKS
THE USA HEMP MUSEUM WAS INITIALLY KNOWN AS
THE MENDOCINO MOBILE MARIJUANA MUSEUM
RICHARD DAVIS IS ENTHUSIASTIC AND
PASSIONATE ABOUT HIS LIFES WORK: HEMP!
18
RD: I am a scientist, who had worked
in the school museum at CSULA. The
museum idea took about a week, after
Jacks book in 1990. The first item from
outside the farm was neighbor Bill
Grieners grandfathers forty-five star US
death flag for being a Spanish-American
War Veteran. These flags are tradition-
ally flown over the US Capitol. The late
Bill donated it to the museum effort. All
made from... hemp.
WHAT HAVE BEEN SOME OF THE USES
FOR HEMP THAT AMERICA HAS SEEN
IN THE PAST?
RD: More books should be written and
many more corrected about the histo-
ry of hemp. The time of early America
could be called the age of hemp. We
grew hemp to supply the Navy and Army
clothes in a war that won us our inde-
pendence from Britain. Every farm grew
hemp for homespun cloth or to pay
taxes, or for rope, paper, sails, tents, etc.
The paper on which our laws were writ-
ten was hemp paper. And hemp was the
first true pulped paper in China some
2,000 years ago.
AND BIBLES....
RD: The hemp museum has three hemp
paper Bibles. The oldest is a hemp rag
bond Bible from England in 1830; I
picked it up in a San Francisco library
book sale for $4. Remember, Bibles used
to have this ultra thin crisp paper? That
was hemp paper. Great paper.
HOW DID THE MUSEUM COME ABOUT,
AND WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MOST
SURPRISING ITEMS YOU HAVE IN THE
MUSEUM?
RD: The USA Hemp Museum started
as the Mendocino Mobile Marijuana
Museum, a play on the fact that the US
Government calls all Cannabis the mis-
leading marijuana word. Hemp is the
correct common term for the Cannabis
plant, there being only one species. The
museum was invited to the first Hemp
Expo at the Los Angeles Convention
Center by Brian Roberts.
He allowed me to spread out the muse-
um for the first time. Now we have 38
display cases and ten tables of hemp,
hemp history, hemp products and hemp
collections, including books, magazines,
stickers, buttons, patches, belt buckles,
roach clips and jewelry. I call them the
rooms of the museum, which include
agriculture, history, bio- fuels, textiles,
food, rope and twine, medicine, plas-
tics, building materials, paint and varnish,
recreation, religion, economics, environ-
ment, legal, library and hemp heroes.
Some of the neat things are a page of
hemp paper from 1,496 AD, a board
with samples of 99 different kinds of
hemp fabric from China, a vintage Civil
War can of varnish from the Pittsburgh
Plate Glass Co. (the varnish is still good!),
the medical display; and the varnish,
paper, press board, boxes, and hemp-
crete (hemp concrete) that I make. A very
effective and very durable and environ-
mentally friendly alternative to concrete.
Hempcrete is carbon negative. Like other
plant products, the hemp crop absorbs
CO2 gas as it grows, retaining the carbon
and releasing the oxygen. They are using
it to build houses in Asheville [NC] even
the Mayor had his house built from it!
HOW MANY ITEMS DO YOU HAVE?
RD: I havent counted, but thousands of
items, for sure, not counting boxes of
papers and magazines not yet cataloged
and displayed. This collection is the result
of twenty years of being aware and not
letting anything hemp past my eye. Ive
scoured flea markets, yard sales, antique
stores, hemp rallies and friends have all
contributed to the collection.
YOU ARE ALSO A FARMER AND CREATE
HEMP OIL FOR MEDICINAL PURPOSES
AND HEMP FOOD/DRINKS?
RD: I have heard it from all the experts:
hemp seed protein and hemp seed
oil are excellent foods. The protein is
easily digestible and the oil is like fish
oil, very high high in Omega 3 fatty
acids that clean your arteries and veins,
with other fatty acids in a perfect blend
for humans and seal your cells from
virus invasion.
Less meat, more hemp. Less meat, more
water to grow hemp.
WHAT IS THE MAIN IMPEDIMENT TO
BRINGING BACK THE HEMP INDUSTRY
AND CREATING ITEMS AND A BRAND
NEW INDUSTRY THAT COULD PUT
FARMERS BACK TO WORK, ETC.?
RD: One of the main impediments to
free market hemp is ignorance. We have
been lied to and deceived by the govern-
ment and corporate America. Obama
says he wants more science, but the sci-
ence is there and he continues the war
on pot and hemp. Shame on him. The
government has known since 1974 that
Cannabis kills cancer cells. The UN Single
Convention on Narcotic Drugs, which
erroneously includes Cannabis (non-nar-
cotic), exempts industrial uses of hemp,
which the rest of the world is now plant-
ing. Just pure ignorance.
WHERE DO YOU SEE THE HEMP
INDUSTRY GOING IN 5-, 10-, 20 YEARS?
RD: We have a model to show how fast
hemp can be incorporated into the econ-
omy. During World War II, we needed
hemp for the war and in two years
the first year to grow seed 360,000
acres were planted, mills were built, and
rope and canvas were being produced.
Canada, which has been growing hemp
for ten years, has concentrated on seed
crops for food production and it is quite
a big and growing industry. In Canada,
the farmers wanted hemp and they got
hemp. It seems like we in the US always
need a crisis to institute a new way of
doing things.
WHAT OTHER COUNTRIES ARE
PIONEERING THE HEMP MOVEMENT?
RD: It is hard to keep up with the interna-
tional movement but Google mentions
lots of companies under the global hemp
industries in England, Spain and France.
And China is producing a lot of paper
from hemp. The Germans are doing plas-
tics from hemp. The US is stuck in a
prohibition mentality that stifles most
experimentation.
FINALLY, TELL US ONE ITEM THAT CAN
BE MADE FROM HEMP THAT WOULD
SHOCK MOST PEOPLE?
RD: Gasoline! Oil companies have pat-
ents for processes that turn wood alco-
hol from hemp into synthetic gasoline.
Of course, flex-fuel cars and other vehi-
cles can run on any mix of alcohol and
gasoline right now. How do we get off
the fossil fuel grind? Grow hemp! Im
not kidding.
I LEARNED ABOUT HEMP IN 1990, AFTER ALMOST TWENTY YEARS OF GROWING POT
THE US IS STUCK IN A PROHIBITION MENTALITY THAT STIFLES MOST EXPERIMENTATION
HEMP TWINE AND ROPE ARE ONLY A SMALL
PERCENTAGE OF THE ITEMS ON DISPLAY
THE 8,000 SQ. FT. WAREHOUSE IS STUFFED
WITH HEMP PRODUCTS AND INFORMATION
19
MADE IN HOLLAND
If you want to run a successful business,
you must compete. In order to do so,
professional business owners should
be constantly aware of changes in the
market and to what extent they are
being topped in their field. Owning a
Cannabis seed label is no exception
especially now, considering the
industrialization of the plant in some
parts of the western world, plus
innovations such as feminization.
Due to the unnatural that is, straining
against the plants inherent botanic and
genetic tendencies quality of femin-
ized seeds, many experienced growers
choose to avoid them, instead purchas-
ing regular genetics. (For the amateurs
out there, feminized seeds produce
female only plants; regular genetics
result in a rough 50/50 ratio of male
to female plants.) In addition, the pro-
cess of feminization usually includes the
application of chemicals onto the plants;
therefore, many have environmental and
health objections to the practice. So how
are we to learn anything about it, when
the industry surrounding it appears to be
one of shame, guilt or secrecy?
Luckily, one company stepped forward
and offered to talk with us. Amsterdam-
based Devils Harvest Seed Company,
established just over a year ago, have
been behind the scenes much longer
than in the spotlight. In fact, it was per-
haps this wealth of knowledge and expe-
rience that makes them such a successful
seed label, despite the companys young
age. A willingness to share information,
coupled with a finesse for heavy-hitting
genetics, has made the DHSC rising stars
in the Dutch and international ganja
game. And none of it would have been
possible without feminized seeds.
The DHSC arent breeders, and theyre
quite honest about that. We make
crosses; we dont breed strains. Were
not breeders were just taking todays
popular strains and making them into
new crosses. Thats what sets us apart
from other companies.The fact that they
were willing to sit with SSUSA and spill
their technical secrets also makes them
unique. Many seed companies refuse to
divulge company information to even
their own staff. This should give you an
idea of just how lucrative the feminiza-
tion movement has become.
Zombie Weed:
IS FEMINIZATION THREATENING THE
INTEGRITY OF OUR GENETICS?
Hailed by some as the industrys best innovation, by others as a scourge
to the preservation of true Cannabis genetics, feminized seeds have
been surrounded by controversy since their introduction into the main-
stream. SSUSA attempted to find out how the insiders the people who
now must produce these seeds in order to compete feel about the oft-
maligned alternative genetics. The Sativa Diva
Popular with commercial growers, and...
more of the young, stoner population,
the DHSC is quickly rising in popularity
as developers of Amsterdam favorites
such as Kuchi, Strawberry Sour Diesel,
Dazy Jones and Shoreline, the effect of
which the two describe as a great kick
in the head. Despite being experienced
growers and preferring regular strains for
themselves, the duo became faced with a
harsh truth a short time into their profes-
sional careers: no seed company would
excel without a feminized option for at
least a few varieties.
Luckily, the transition posed few prob-
lems. The DHSC were already working
to produce S1 seeds, since the original
parentage for so many beautiful vari-
eties has been lost. Were providing
Amsterdam coffeeshop genetics, that
otherwise arent in seed form, and were
making them into seeds and making
them available for people to gather in
libraries again, preserving Amsterdam
genetics; its more about keeping whats
present alive.
We in the industry are lucky enough to
still have access to some of these legend-
ary varieties: some have later-generation
offspring for which seeds are available;
while others are limited to being doled
out, a gram at a time, in obscure cof-
feeshops. The DHSC would hate to see
some of these legends disappear, cre-
ated at a time when the two were just
wetting their feet in the industry. This
happened to coincide with the birth of
female seeds.
They take us back to the awakening
of the feminization movement, which
occurred from the mid- to late-nineties.
Back then, Dutch Passion were the big-
gest company that went for it. They
used gibberellic acid (which was an old
method) and found out how to make
feminized seeds, which before were
being made by farmers around, roughly,
the early 1900s. No one really used it on
Cannabis until the present day, when it
started becoming so popular and peo-
ple started becoming hobby growers,
demanding less space being wasted
and more efficient grows. Feminization
became very popular in the mid-nine-
ties, when they realized they could pro-
vide that for their customers.
With regard to the publics perception
of these newly-debuted Franken-strains,
the smokers just didnt know the differ-
ence in the beginning but nowadays
they realize that when they start smoking
seeds in their weed, theres something
wrong. The DHSC also remember, wryly,
how growers thought that feminization
was the answer to all of their problems,
but in reality, they got more problems
than solutions in the end, because it
backfired. The primary method of femin-
izing Cannabis seeds wasnt good.
Feminization methods originated with
gibberellic acid. But then, as the demand
further increased, people tried other
methods. Nowadays it seems the STS
Formula works best for feminization,
provided youre using really good genet-
ics that dont have hermaphrodite traits
existing in their lineage. So, were try-
ing to take the strongest female plants
that are available in the current market,
and were only feminizing the ones we
think are best suited to feminize with.
Otherwise, certain flavors that are really
popular just cant be feminized because
of the onset of troubles youll get when
you grow them out.

WHEN PEOPLE FOUND OUT THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, AK-47 GIVES OUT THE MOST POLLEN,
THEY WOULD USE THAT ONE PLANT TO BREED OUT ALL OF THEIR FEMINIZED SEEDS
SHORELINE IS DESTINED TO BE ONE OF THE BEST-
SELLING STRAINS FROM THE DHSC (SHOWN AT SIX
WEEKS OF FLOWERING)
A MACRO SHOT OF THE DAZZLING SHORELINE TRICHOMES
ITS IMPERATIVE THAT HEALTHY, FEMALE
(NOT HERMAPHRODITE) CLONES ARE USED
IN THE FEMINIZATION PROCESS
DAZY JONES DELIVERS A GREAT KICK IN THE HEAD
CHEESE MEETS SAN FERNANDO VALLEY (SFV)
OG KUSH IN THE KUCHI, WHICH WILL JOIN THE
RANKS OF FEMINIZED STRAINS
20
If only the earliest, intrepid seed labels
were aware of this. Perhaps the reason
feminized strains have a bad reputation
can be traced to those early, gibberellic
acid-soaked days. It became more of a
hassle to grow feminized stock than it
was the original way and people forgot
how to do it the original way, because
feminized [seeds] took over in such a
short space of time. So, if anything, it
nearly crushed the market.
The worst pitfalls that breeders encoun-
ter when feminizing seeds? Well, firstly,
its the hermaphrodite problem; its a
big issue with them especially when
they pollinate other rooms and pollinate
other plants.
Also, mutated genetics. Not getting
what they expect to happen. Freaky
plants that was the biggest problem.
With clones, you can be sure that youre
getting an identical plant to the original
mother; but with feminized seeds, you
can never be certain that youre going to
get the exact same result each and every
time. Problems occur from that, because
its so unpredictable (what can happen
with each different strain). Also, with the
batches of seeds that are being made by
the feminized seed breeders, you dont
even know if its the same person who
made this batch, or if its the same seed
batch that was made the previous year.
If the process is difficult for breeders,
then the result is devastating for grow-
ers. We as growers are limited in our
success by the limits of our breeders
abilities and knowledge. It is a shame;
however, this issue highlights the need
for diligence among the Cannabis culti-
vation community.

Breeders are able to select from sev-
eral tried methods for feminizing seeds.
It seems that the most popular thing
that people are doing is to select only
one breed that puts out enough pollen.
When people found out that, for exam-
ple, AK-47 gives out the most pollen, they
would use that one plant to breed out all
of their feminized seeds. Theyd then sell
you the seeds as if it were another cross,
like Cheese. But that Cheese has been
crossed with an AK-47 x Cheese, and they
dont tell you that at the seed company.
And you dont notice it because you
dont expect it or werent looking for it;
whereas were trying to do it the way you
should be doing it.
Some people who are making them
are still using gibberellic acid. Theres
another way people are trying a home
method, and mixing their own formulas,
which arent really good to be making.
You have to get the components from
pharmaceutical companies, but you need
licenses to purchase them. So, resourcing
the formulas can be difficult that is a
flaw of this whole industry, getting the
resources to make feminized seeds has
proven to be difficult.
Theres another method that I found out
about here in Amsterdam, where theyll
take a whole room and spray them, and
let them trigger and turn into hermaph-
rodites, and pollinate themselves. They
then take all those seeds and sell them as
feminized seeds; when this happens peo-
ple automatically have hermaphrodite
problems. The breeder then may also
take the weed he produced, bash it up
and make it into hash and sell it back to
people, but that would be contaminated
product. Because of the lack of knowl-
edge on his part (its not his fault; hes just
trying to make money like we all do) he
wouldnt know what he was really doing.
Regarding other methods, people claim
to have natural hermaphrodites; I dont
believe that thats so. I dont think theyd
breed with them in that way.
After all their years of research and obser-
vation, the DHSC has settled on the STS
Formula. Why? Because through trial
and error, the STS method seems to be
the most successful one in the indus-
try, and from talking to many people
who make feminized seeds, this method
seems to be the favorite of everyone. It
seems to be the most reliable; it works,
simple as that.
In the Netherlands, at least, it isnt always
easy to get a straight answer out of the
super-secretive breeders, due to the clan-
destine nature in which the (legal) seeds
are produced. Thats right: everything
leading up to the sale of the little bubble
packs in shops and online is illegal and
a punishable offense. Selling the seeds
themselves, however, is quite legal if the
business is registered and taxes are paid.
For this reason, many new seed
companies find it difficult to survive
and compete in the Dutch industry,
especially with more than one popular
process and little related info still
floating around. Other people will tell
you that they do one thing, and maybe
they do, but maybe they dont. There
arent any other methods here, besides
STS, that people are using successfully
at the moment.
So who benefits from feminized seeds,
other than the seller? For the outdoor
growers, they get the benefit of maxi-
mized space; for indoor growers, the
benefit is not having to keep a collection
of mothers and clones, and constant stor-
age. Also, they dont have to maintain a
library, which is fucking hard!
Despite the transparency with which
my questions had been answered, their
next response was still a little blunt.
When asked if there is anyone out there
who should not be using feminized
genetics, the DHSC openly replied,
Experienced growers shouldnt be
using feminized genetics. Anyone
who has any experience should know
fully about them and why not to use
them, and why they arent good for
everyone.
The only reason people should be using
them, as such, is when good genetics
become lost, and you only have the
female available the S1 genetics, they
are definitely the good ones to find.
If youve got experience, you should
know not to use them; those are the only
people who I think shouldnt. Basic grow-
ers can use them; mid-level growers can
use them; but, other than that, experi-
enced growers should know better.
It may seem strange to hear this sort of
blatant honesty from the people who are
trying to sell you feminized seeds, but
that wasnt the purpose of this interview.
Were not trying to smear the name of
feminization, nor are we implying that
such a product doesnt have a healthy
market and a viable future.
As the DHSC puts it, for the alterna-
tive strains, a lack of consistency, lack
of stability of genetics, mutant-ism and
hermaphroditism are the major issues
zombie weed! If you do it right, it works;
if you do it wrong, it will make everyone
else look bad.
Stay tuned for Part II; well be join-
ing the DHSC again in SSUSA#4/2011,
where they will reveal their exact pro-
cess for feminization.
www.thedevilsharvestseeds.com
IF YOU DO IT RIGHT, IT WORKS; IF YOU DO
IT WRONG, IT WILL MAKE EVERYONE ELSE LOOK BAD
THE PROCESS OF FEMINIZATION USUALLY INCLUDES THE APPLICATION
OF CHEMICALS ONTO THE PLANTS; THEREFORE, MANY HAVE ENVIRONMENTAL
AND HEALTH OBJECTIONS TO THE PRACTICE
THE BUDS USED IN THE FEMINIZATION
PROCESS MUST BE DISCARDED AFTERWARD,
EVEN IF THEYRE AS LOVELY AS THIS KUCHI
THIS MACRO REVEALS JUST
HOW RESINOUS THE KUCHI, A
DHSC ORIGINAL, REALLY IS
THE DHSCS STRAWBERRY SOUR DIESEL
COMBINES TWO LEGENDARY STRAINS AND WILL
SOON BE AVAILABLE IN FEMINIZED FORM
If successful, this initiative could pave
the way for many like it, increasing the
necessity for domestic production yet
further. Currently, the major obstacle
to more widespread implementation
of hemp biofuel is high cost and lack
of availability.
In Canada, and much of Europe, cultivation
of hemp is still a niche industry, such that
available harvests are quickly snapped up
at a premium by health food manufactur-
ers and producers of expensive ethical
textiles. As production increases, costs
are anticipated to decrease, and more
consistent supplies will become available
for biomass needs. With awareness of
hemp as biofuel increasing throughout
the world, it is to be hoped that enlight-
ened and strategic decisions for funding
allocations will continue to be made, and
the growth of this inspiring industry will
continue unabated.
HEMP TECH
21
As an oilseed crop, hemp has been known
as a good alternative to petrochemical
fuels for over a century. Unsurprisingly,
much past reluctance to conduct serious
research can be explained by the tradi-
tional intolerance to a crop that some gov-
ernments still refuse to view in its own
right, as separate from marijuana in growth
patterns and requirements. Now, biofu-
els are increasingly attractive, discussed at
length in political discourse, and subject
to exploding demand. Beyond being the
choice of the environmentally-conscious,
it is a question of growing insecurity over
future energy sources that now drives this
biofuel frenzy. With biodiesel representing
a small but explosively growing segment
of the global market for diesel, the hunt is
on for the best oilseed crop and hemp is
a very strong contender, indeed.
Hemp leaves the soil in a better state than
it finds it, absorbs as much CO2 as will
be used in its combustion, can grow on
infertile ground much faster than other
biofuel crops, and offers higher yields of
usable feedstock per hectare. As one of
the biggest arguments against biofuel is
the environmental damage by pesticide-
and fertilizer-hungry crops, which leave
good soil exhausted, hemp would seem
a hugely viable alternative. Hemp can be
used to produce various forms of fuel, from
different parts of the plant. Hemp biodiesel
exhibits all the expected positive traits;
as well as the important characteristic of
functionality at low temperatures, unlike
other biodiesels that may become gelid
and inoperable as molecules aggregate to
form crystals.
However, one of the major arguments
against biofuels in general is that to pro-
vide enough to supply the whole of, say,
the USAs energy needs, a huge amount
of land would need to be set aside quite
possibly from our diminishing untouched
wilderness for large-scale monoculture
of a single crop. This in itself is worrying,
although estimates suggest that 6% of
the USAs total area could provide the
countrys entire biomass requirements a
potentially manageable figure. Of course,
the usual reaction of Western corpora-
tions in this scenario is to simply buy
up chunks of less developed countries, a
growing and short-sighted trend.
Although monoculture of hemp is argu-
ably less damaging than that of most
crops, it is nonetheless vital that future
developments with hemp biodiesel are
realized within an environmentally- and
politically sound framework, to ade-
quately present sustainable alternatives
to current practices. Intrusive rainforest-
clearing initiatives to provide cropland
for soybeans and the like have been
roundly criticized in the media, and right-
ly so it is important not to see repeats of
these complaints with hemp.
Biofuels represent one aspect of hemp
research where the US may well be ahead
of most other nations. Many European
governments seem to be completely
unaware of the plants biofuel potential,
despite actively encouraging research and
development in other areas, such as plas-
tics and building materials. In the US, on
the other hand, several organizations are
actively investigating hemp. Investment
in biofuel has been significant: the US
recently overtook Brazil as the worlds
largest ethanol producer. The US military
has even been investigating biofuels for
supersonic jets over the last few years.
Bio-ethanol accounts for about 90% of
total biofuel production, so any unex-
plored sources are taken increasingly seri-
ously. As well as biodiesel from hemp
seeds, ethanol and methanol can be pro-
duced from waste (woody and starchy)
materials by gasification and acid hydroly-
sis ten times more efficiently than corn,
the current ethanol crop of choice. The
potential profit in biofuel is encouraging
further research into hemp as a feedstock.
Last October, the University of Connecticut
unveiled plans to build a plant capable
of processing hemp into 200,000 gallons
of biodiesel annually, funded by a $1.8
million grant from the Department of
Energy. This rate of production is small,
but the facility is intended to be used for
experimental research into future large-
scale production methods, rather than
to itself providing energy for the masses.
The University holds a patent for a specific
design of reactor system that converts
hemp-seed oil and other feedstocks with
an efficiency rate of up to 97%, follow-
ing research involving conversion of the
virgin oil through a method known as
transesterification. Their process involves
use of methanol, isopropyl and lye, which
separate the glycerol and other waste
products from the hemp seed oil to pro-
duce methyl ester.
This obvious interest in hemp from a
federal agency such as the DoE is almost
unheard of and highly significant.
Hemp Biodiesel
A Truly Viable Solution for our Future Energy Needs
Biodiesel is the blanket term for a group of long-chain,
mono-alkyl ester oxygenated fuels made from plant oil or
animal fat, catalyzed with alcohol. It is unique amongst alter-
native fuels in that any diesel engine can run on it without
the need for special modification. Biodiesel is non-toxic, has a
high combustion temperature, compared with petroleum die-
sel, and is therefore safer to store and transport. Emissions
are cleaner, and costs are competitive. Kali Mist
A FLOURISHING OILSEED CROP IN FRANCE
THE PROCESS OF TRANSESTERIFICATION
A BEAKER OF HOME-MADE BIODIESEL
22
ENDANGERED STRAINS
22
Although Cannabis is believed to have
originated in the region now compris-
ing parts of Kazakhstan, Afghanistan and
India, humans have enabled its spread
over thousands of years, so that the
plant has established distinct communi-
ties in many places worldwide: Jamaica,
Thailand, South Africa and Brazil, to name
a few. These landraces have provided the
building blocks for the massive variety of
Cannabis genetics available today, but as
a result of hybridization and exposure to
foreign genetics as well as human eradi-
cation efforts many of these strains are
disappearing.
On our list of endangered strains is the
legendary, almost mythical Acapulco
Gold, arguably one of the most famous of
all landrace varieties. First popularized in
the 1960s, the variety was given the title
of gold due to the yellowish-gold colora-
tion of the leaves and flowers although
in time the term became synonymous
with superlative quality and potency.
According to local myth, growers of the
Acapulco Gold would, in recognition of
the superior potency, treat the harvest
differently to the usual Mexican method
of pressing uncured, half-dried buds into
a block instead leaving the buds to cure
in the sun and keeping them in the loose,
unpressed form for sale. For the average
end-user, used to receiving seedy bricks
of dark green leaf and twig, the overall
appearance and effect marked it out as
something super-special. Furthermore,
the price-tag of up to four times the nor-
mal cost ensured that it was the smoke of
connoisseurs.
The Gold has a very special place in the
annals of weed history. It seems that sev-
eral landrace strains emerged in Central
and South America after undergoing a
natural process of adaptation to their sur-
roundings over a period of at least 300
years, sometime after the introduction of
Indo-European and African genetics to
the local gene pool by early Spanish colo-
nists. The Gold, while not unique amongst
Cannabis genetics for exhibiting the char-
acteristic yellow coloration, is more prized
than others due to the flowers having
a seriously weighty kick, along with the
unusual appearance. Although falling vic-
tim to the same influx of hybrid genet-
ics that has occurred in most Cannabis-
friendly terrains, now that commercializa-
tion has taken such firm root, it is believed
that the pure Acapulco Gold strain still
flourishes in certain remote areas of the
Acapulco region.
As with many of the old-school sativa
landraces, the Gold is less favored by com-
mercial growers as it has a long flow-
ering period and a relatively low yield.
Unfortunately, the high price it has always
commanded does not provide enough
Our second Endangered Strain is Jamaican
Lambsbread the fabled smoke immor-
talized in song by Bob Marley famed for
its bright green, sticky appearance and
legendary high. In Jamaican patois, lambs
bread is often used simply to mean good
ganja; although most breeders use the
term to denote a particular long-flow-
ering sativa, the type of which can still
occasionally be found growing wild in
some remote areas of the island. It is not
the strain of choice for most commercial
growers, due to the flower time and com-
paratively low yield, but for the connois-
seur or medical breeder, it has a place in
the library due to its very clear, cerebral
sativa effect.
The Lambsbread has fallen victim to inva-
sion of Dutch varieties favored by com-
mercial farmers, mostly growing outdoors
where escaping male pollen can find its
way to the unprotected females and inter-
mingle with the gene pool. Growers often
remove male Lambsbread plants to ensure
high quality flowers as a result of this,
the natural gene pool lacks male DNA and
crops are vulnerable to that of invaders. It
is increasingly hard to find genetically pure
examples growing wild, although certain
seed banks and medical research institutes
retain it in its natural form. According to
rumor, certain Hawaiian breeders keep the
strain as part of their library.
From US- and European seed banks, it is
possible to find many Lambsbread crosses,
but the real thing is much harder to find.
For the indoor grower, it exhibits many
undesirable characteristics: it is lanky and
spindly, usually undergoes a substantial
vegetative period and shows resistance
to height restriction techniques; coupled
with the low yield it is a tricky plant to
grow successfully. However, its clear sativa
high is prized when hybridizing for indoor
growing with strains (such as skunk) and
for this reason its survival in the pure form
is much desired.
It is not just for our benefit that we
preserve the landraces, but also for the
ecosystem in which they have evolved
to be an intrinsic part. Repeated
incentive for local growers to protect the
strain more decisively. There is a new
favorite for growers in the form of the
foreign hybrids they yield higher and
command a reasonably high price them-
selves, meaning that the overall value of
the harvest is often greater. Sadly, as with
all commodities in this modern world,
potential profit is the key. It is for this rea-
son that we see the natural strains like the
Acapulco Gold disappearing.
Acapulco Gold
By Kali Mist
Jamaican Lambsbread
Kali Mist
ulco
A VERY PROFESSIONALLY-CURED AND
MANICURED BUD, SHOWING THE CARE
THAT IS TAKEN WITH THIS SPECIAL VARIETY.
ANARGRATOS (WIKIMEDIA COMMONS)
A RARE SNAP OF AN INDOOR GROW OF THE ACAPULCO
GOLD, SHOWING THE DISTINCTIVE YELLOW COLORATION.
FLICKREVIEWR (WIKIMEDIA COMMONS)
A BEAUTIFUL EXAMPLE OF THE
LAMBSBREAD VARIETY IN FULL FLOWER
A TRADITIONAL JAMAICAN GANJA PLANTATION
foreign invasions could cause complete
disappearance of the indigenous strain,
and the effect this could have on the
local environment is unknown. It is
safe to say that loss of biodiversity is
seldom positive. However, Cannabis is
an extremely adaptive plant and, when
left untended, will rapidly revert back
to the dominant genotype through
the generations. Lets hope the wild
Jamaican varieties are given a chance to
recover, and soon!
24
CANNABIS CULTURE
Today, surfing, skateboarding and
Cannabis sativa are still synonymous as
shared pastimes within certain contem-
porary sub-cultures. Traditionally, howev-
er, this has not always been the case. The
dichotomy that exists between the often
contrasting cultures of surfing and skate-
boarding, while stemming from the same
root, have not always flowered from the
same stem. The point where surf culture
and skateboard culture often reunite and
entwine however, is over a reefer of the
finest grown flowers of Cannabis sativa.
Before continuing it must be made clear
that skateboarding (and to a lesser extent
surfboarding) are the pursuit of teenag-
ers and young adults. Primarily this arti-
cle does NOT aim to encourage the use
of Cannabis amid teenagers. But let us
not get things twisted. In reality teenag-
ers do smoke Cannabis, several of whom
immerse themselves into various forms of
street culture as a form of artistic expres-
sion. It would also be misleading to think
that all Cannabis smokers skateboard
and/or that sativa culture is somehow
based around surfers.
Soft Secrets USA is always interested in
exploring the historical context of
Cannabis culture in its various forms
including the street culture that Cannabis
culture now shares. Today, this street cul-
ture comprises of many elements includ-
ing dance, graffiti, underground music;
as well as extreme sports like BMX-ing,
snowboarding and skateboarding. To real-
ly understand the relationship between
surf, skate and sativa, we must firstly
(to quote the Mad Professor), turn on,
tune in, and drop out; or, more specifi-
cally, drop into, several of the predomi-
nant sub-cultures that were happening in
California during the late 1960s.
The Hippie Movement
Contrary to popular misconception, the
hippie movement only really lasted for a
few years at the end of the 1960s. As the
birth-child of an earlier beatnik move-
ment, the hippie generation did, how-
ever, continue well into the 1970s and
beyond. During this time beatnik parents
gave birth to hippies and hippies gave
birth to lots more hippies. These hippie
children were raised in an altogether dif-
ferent environment and society to the
one that surrounds teenagers today. The
air was cleaner, the grass was greener;
and people were not as preoccupied by
info-mercials, iPods and computer games.
Rather, teenagers were outside enjoying
life; which, back then, included the new
sports of surfboarding and skateboarding.
Early Surf Culture
The origins of surf culture date back hun-
dreds of years in the Pacific, Polynesia and
Hawaii. The modern fashion of surfboard-
ing (and skateboarding), however, only
really started to develop into a scene
during the 1950s in California. The origi-
nal style back then could be described as
monotone, since both surfboarding and
skateboarding were still heavy, clumsy,
and generally lacking the slim lines that
define both sports today. Initially surfing
was practiced by wealthy adults. Learning
how to hitch rides by holding onto the
back of Cadillacs along the beach front,
on the other hand, was more the pursuit
of Californians youth.

Gradually as the sport of surfboarding
developed into the 1960s, local competi-
tions, hang-outs and happenings started
to occur all the way up the west coast
of the United States. Many travelers then
drifted overseas looking for the perfect
wave and Cannabis to toke. As a result
many surfers came back home with
Cannabis surf friends and Cannabis seeds.
Filmmakers (such as George Greenough
from Santa Barbara and David Elfick from
Australia) later projected the essence of
this scene on cine-film in 1973.
The film-documentary Crystal Voyager
best captures this unique lifestyle from
inside the wave during surf cultures early
days. George Greenough is still consid-
ered a pioneer of the ocean, since he
helped to design the style and shape of
the surfboards we recognize today. Most
notably Greenough based his designs
on the dorsal fin of a Marlin; which
allowed surfers to gain more speed and
control over their surfboards. Only a
keen eye will notice the cultivation of
Cannabis sativa in such films (now avail-
able on YouTube).
Early Skateboard Culture
Likewise, during the early 1970s, the pur-
suit of street skating (when there were no
big waves to surf ) slowly started to unfold
in Santa Monica, California. This revolu-
tionary movement was spearheaded by
the then- Zephyr Surf Shop owners Jeff
Ho, Skip Engblom and Craig Stecyk, who,
as the Elders of the Village, adopted a
group of wild-eyed rebellious teenagers
from Venice Beach. At this point skate-
boarding and surfing crossed paths tem-
porarily and intermingled between genre.
As a result, a whole new form of street
culture started to evolve between the
beach-front and the break of the next
wave. Modern skateboarding was argu-
ably shaped by the perception of style: by
bringing surfing out of the waves and onto
the streets. Following the introduction
of new urethane skateboard wheels, the
young Zephyr Boys (which also included
a girl) were able to bring the fluidity of
surfing into their skateboarding technique.
Likewise, by attempting maneuvers never
witnessed before, Jay Adams, Tony Alva,
Stacy Peralta, and fellow members of the
Zephyr Team started to push the bounda-
ries of street culture back out into the
ocean. A dichotomy in style that would
later (and still does) typify the sport of
skateboarding.
Pinnacle to contemporary skateboard
culture is the day that Jay Adams and
Tony Alva broke into an empty garden
in Santa Monica with the express inten-
tion of skateboarding the transitions in
the yards empty swimming pool. At the
point Jay Adams decided to jump the
lip of the edge of the swimming pool
another branch of urban skateboarding
was rooted into popular culture. Shortly
after that, the Zephyr Surf Shop became
more of a skateboarding shop where you
could also purchase surfboards.
The early history of this movement is
covered both in the documentary film
Dog Town and the Z-Boys and in the later
movie The Lords of Dog Town. Notably
following the illness of a skater friend
who was prescribed medicinal marijuana,
the Zephyr Boys further immersed them-
selves into Californias Cannabis culture.
Teenage Rebellion
Alongside the dramatic changes in street
culture that were happening above, to
by Lazystrain
25
taking Cannabis indica hits on a bong.
Just as skateboarding took center stage,
while its water-borne twin, surfboarding,
was happy to take a backseat down
at the beach; so Cannabis sativa took
a few years to redevelop its own style
and technique.
From the 1980s onwards the new
Cannabis sativa/indica hybrids traveled
across the oceans like a surfer-skate-
boarder from Venice Beach. This hap-
pened seemingly totally beyond con-
trol, yet, ironically, in full control of the
situation at its feet. Meanwhile, Cannabis
sativa was pretty much left alone during
this period to naturally drift about on-
road and off-shore, wherever it landed.
Like the wave that carries the willing into
paradise, this soon attracted those surf-
ers with a specific passion for heirloom
genetics of Cannabis sativa.
Much later, during the 1990s, an
Australian surfer called Scott Blakey
(aka Shantibaba) took his enjoyment for
cultivating Cannabis sativa and collect-
ing Cannabis seeds to the extreme, and
became a professional Cannabis breeder
in Holland. Likewise, many of the con-
temporary activists, breeders, bong-
shapers, bubble-makers, journalists and
seed bank owners involved in Cannabis
culture today, if questioned, would prob-
ably admit to having been a skateboard-
er, if not a surfer, during their heyday.

Until next time, keep it street!
quote Tony Alva, a total F-You attitude
started to develop amid teenagers. Not
only in Santa Monica, but across the
whole of the western world. An atti-
tude that was well beyond the hippie
ideals their parents had nurtured them
towards. An attitude that still persists
today within certain aspects of under-
ground street culture and, to a lesser
extent, within the wider mainstream. An
attitude that was further personified by
punk and punk-rock music in the UK
during the same period.
Teenagers have always rebelled against
their parents commands as children
growing into adults it is natural that teen-
agers should explore the wider world
about them, on their own terms. Until the
1960s, however (and the invention of the
notion of a teenager), a them and us
attitude had always persisted within the
root of western society. Hippie parents
raised their children in a completely dif-
ferent way altogether, where free speech,
freedom of expression and freedom of
liberty were values to be upheld with-
in society. This naturally included the
freedom to experiment with substances,
including Cannabis.

Ironically, during the 1980s President
Ronald Reagan is quoted to have been
deeply disturbed about three social
pariahs. Firstly, that teenagers smoked
Cannabis. Secondly, that teenagers
smoked Cannabis with other teenag-
ers. And third, that teenagers smoked
Cannabis with other teenagers and read
books. A dangerous combination that
allowed teenagers to question author-
ity and think for themselves. During this
period, many teenagers decided to do
away with books completely, choosing
to listen to music and partake in surfing
and skateboarding instead. What most
social historians fail to mention, however,
is that many teenagers held on to the
Cannabis part of the equation.
Sativa Culture
The very term Santa Monica Airlines,
which later became synonymous as
one of the worlds leading skateboard-
ing manufactures, implies that some
folks back in California during the 1970s
were getting high on the whole con-
cept of local supply. Cannabis culture
in California during the late 1960s, fol-
lowing recent prohibition, had not yet
eclipsed the idea that marijuana smoking
was still just another thing that cool-cats
and tourists did when they werent surf-
ing. The coolest of which were those that
bummed down at the beach all day on a
fat bag of sinsemilla and practiced what
they preached.
The inquisitive nature of surfers and
skateboarders (and hippie parents) takes
them to remote places. Over fences and
briefly onto other peoples property
with the soul intention of being there
for as long as possible and having fun.
Conversely, while skateboarders often
arrived armed with a can of spray-paint,
intent on leaving their art work on the
wall, surfers often arrived with a spade
and seeds with the intention of grow-
ing sinsemilla from their favorite varieties
of Cannabis sativa.
During the 1970s, many hippies were
still contently growing their own at
home, just as they had in the late 1960s.
Not just in Humboldt County and at
the Brotherhood of Eternal Love, but all
over California, people were busy grow-
ing seeds from freshly-imported varie-
ties. Varieties of Cannabis sativa from
South East Asia, including Vietnamese,
Cambodian and Thai became increas-
ingly popular at this time. Many of
these form the genetic base of some
of the most commonly-held varieties of
Cannabis sativa/indica in the USA today.
Cannabis as a Culture
In a similar spirit to those early surf
documentary-makers in Santa Barbara,
Cannabis botanists (including Mel Frank
and Ed Rosenthal) started to pattern the
culture of Cannabis in the United States
from an almost biographical perspec-
tive. The results of these efforts are still
held in high regards as the cornerstones
of empirical study. Thus was born a cul-
ture of marijuana growing and smoking,
which ultimately stemmed from Mexican
influences within California at the time.
This was true of both the origin of the
Cannabis the majority of people were
smoking, and the method via which
people were learning how to grow a
superior quality seedless marijuana as
sinsemilla at home. Gradually this culture
of Cannabis (or at least its present ideol-
ogy) spread itself north-eastward from
the west coast to cover the whole of the
United States and beyond.
This is not to say that farmers were not
harvesting seeded flowers of hemp in
Kentucky and Nebraska way before even
the beatnik generation cottoned on to
the ethos of growing their own. Likewise,
farmers in the deep south have always
valued the virtues of Cannabis sativa
as an annual crop, as have many other
regions and peoples of the United States
throughout history.
A New Wave
The uptake of home-growing, from the
late 1970s onwards, followed that of
the overall New Wave in culture, music,
fashion and lifestyle that was happening.
Gone were the days of rolling really
long reefers of pure Cannabis sativa at
parties; the new buzz in California was
GEORGE GREENOUGH
JAY ADAMS
TONY ALVA TODAY
SCOTT BLAKEY AND HOWARD
MARKS IN SWITZERLAND
26
ADVANCED INDOOR GROWING
pH Scale
The pH Scale is a measurement of acid-
ity and alkalinity of water. The term
pH stands for the potential (p) of the
hydrogen ion (H+) in water. At a pH of
7.0, there is an equal balance of hydro-
gen (H+) ions and hydroxyl (OH-) ions.
The simplest method to get a precise
measurement is by using an electronic
pH meter.
Imagine pH as being how hot or cold
your food is. If the food is too hot, you
get heartburn; too cold and you get
brain freeze. In the same way, finding
the right balance is vital for your plants
ability to absorb its food and therefore,
to its good health.
Throughout the scale, (1 to 14), are con-
ditions that will affect the ability of the
plant to absorb the various nutrients
you feed it. Constant monitoring of pH
levels is vital to prevent damage to the
roots and to the plant altogether.
Soil, Hydro-, Aero-
Using soil as a medium will act as a
buffer, which can reduce damage from
possible mistakes. This means that using
soil can be a lot more forgiving for first-
time growers; the down side being that
any damage done is also a lot harder to
remedy. Mixing distilled water with a
sample of your soil can help determine
what the pH of your soil is, to avoid this
kind of mishap.
Hydro- systems work by directly feed-
ing the plant everything it needs with
mediums that are more inert than soil,
thereby reducing the buffer zone. Using
cocos or rock-wool maintains a small
buffer with its own pH. This means that
the pH of the nutrient solution should
be adjusted to compensate.
Aeroponics takes the feeding process
one step further by using no medium
at all, resulting in the absence of any
buffer. Therefore, the pH of the water
used does not require compensation,
given the more direct nutrient input.
The pH of food solutions is not always
the pH at the roots; check the table
for compensation values for respective
mediums. Remember: all pH, EC and
PPM (parts per million) values are tem-
perature- and time dependent.
Water is essentially the primary food
delivery system via a process called
osmosis. Through the roots, nutrient
levels balance between water in the
plant and water around the roots. The
plant will absorb nutrients from the
outside water, while discharging waste
products (salts). The logic of dont shit
where you eat applies to plants as much
as to humans, which is why we need
methods of determining how many
nutrients already are present in the
water we use.
EC and PPM
Electrical Conductivity (EC) and PPM
(Parts Per Million; also referred to as
TDC, or Total Dissolved Solids) are two
scales with which we can measure the
presence of ionic salts in the fluid. Pure
H
2
O water does not actually conduct
electricity efficiently. However, most
water found in pools and taps contains
ions (H+, Cl-) that do. The more ions in
the water, the better it is at conducting
electricity. This is the relationship we
use to measure the amount of nutrients
(salts) present in the water.
The diets for plants are as varied as there
are diets for humans. Certain plants
might require heavy meals to help
provide all the nutrients for growth;
whereas other plants will get clogged
up with too much food at once and
require lighter meals. Optimum EC val-
ues change with different foods as well
as plants.
Feeding the Plants
Soil
Growers using soil will generally be
more concerned with their pH than
with their EC/PPM, though having an
EC meter is never a bad investment.
Generally speaking, soil can be moni-
tored by using pH alone and keeping
within the advised range.
Specific nutrients are better absorbed at
different pH values. The graph displays the
best pH value to maximize the absorption
of nutrients. For example, while nitro-
gen (N) is best absorbed from pH 6.0,
phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) peak
from about 6.25 onwards. This indicates a
necessary change in pH when going from
vegetative cycle to the flowering cycle.
Quick tip: when mixing a nutrient solu-
tion, always prepare the formula first,
before measuring and adjusting the pH.
Hydro-, Aero-
Since hydro- and aero- mediums reduce
the buffer, emphasis should be made on
the EC and PPM of the water, as well as pH.
Like pH, absorption of individual nutrients
is optimized at different levels of conduc-
tivity. These media employ direct feeding,
meaning that extreme care must be taken
to give the plant enough food so it doesnt
The Value of Water: pH, EC & PPM
Water, H
2
O, is the basis for life
on this planet, and without its
existence we would cease to be.
Not only do plants need water to
absorb nutrients but they them-
selves weigh, much like the human
body, 2/3 water. Understanding
the water that feeds your plants
is as important as knowing what
foods to eat and how they act
on your own body. Water content
varies, so here are some simple
guidelines to better understand
its value. By Sativa Indica
starve, but not enough to restrict the
roots absorption with salts.
With reservoir/re-circulatory water sys-
tems, cleansing methods such as reverse
osmosis can greatly improve the quality of
water. By filtering out excess salt build-up,
growers can maintain the quality of their
water, and encourage nutrient-absorp-
tion, to provide optimum grow results.
Basically, ensuring water quality takes a
bit of effort but is essential to a successful
grow therefore well worth the effort!
Any comments/questions?
Feel free to get in touch with us at the
Cannabis College in Amsterdam:
The Cannabis College
Oudezijds Achterburgwal 124
info@cannabiscollege.com
www.cannabiscollege.com
Grow Medium Required pH Range pH of Sample from
Medium
Compensation pH
Value for Food
Soil 5.8 -6.2 >6.2
5.8-6.2
<5.8
5.8
6.0
6.22
Coco 5.5-6.2 >6.2
5.5-6.2
<5.5
5.5
5.8
6.2
Rock Wool, Clay 5.2-6.2 >6.2
5.5-6.2
5.2-5.5
<5.2
5.2
5.5
5.8
6.2
YOU CAN CHECK YOUR LOCAL GARDEN
CENTER, POND STORE OR GROW SHOP
FOR AN INEXPENSIVE pH METER
pH SCALE
pH ABSORPTION RANGE
27
FESTIVALS & EXPOS
Co-hosted by the Progressive Gardening
Trade Association (PGTA) and Maximum
Yield Magazine, the show was held from
March 31st to April 3rd. At one mile
above sea level, Denvers air takes a little
getting used to, so if you visit, be pre-
pared to drink plenty of fluids. However,
the people are friendly, and the law of
the land is reasonably pot tolerant.
Normal-looking doors opened into a
gardening wonderland. The mysterious,
multicolored fluids pumping through
auto-dosing equipment would not have
looked out of place on the set of a sci-
ence fiction movie. Short towers of Just
Right Xtra soil, a pyramid of General
Organics Go Boxes, and a psychedelic
bus made for an unusual landscape. A sea
of hydroponic chatter washed though
the room, and Nickel City Wholesale
Garden Supplys ongoing prize drawing
announcements boomed through the
hall. Over 240 exhibitors filled the expo.
Sexy sirens sang songs of bigger yields
and new products to try. An oversized
ballast waved and shook hands with
visitors, and barely-dressed women in
tempting outfits drew in the crowd to
view their wares. Friendly faces vied for
attention as products were displayed,
discussed and demonstrated.
As I wandered from stall to stall, I was
greeted with smiles, and had my ques-
tions answered pleasantly and thorough-
ly. It was a nice stroll, and by the time I
reached the end I was pleased with the
experience.
Mile High in Denver by Grubbycup
THE DENVER INDOOR GARDEN EXPO 2011
The smoking section was both popular
and uncovered, which had its drawbacks
under a light spring snow. It was interest-
ing to note that several people braved
the weather (myself included) to share a
smoke with friends, rain or snow.
Beyond the spectacle of the trade show
proper, the event really shined in the
opportunities for learning and making
new contacts that it presented. Business
cards were traded by the hundreds, and
industry folks who had previously only
spoken on the phone had the chance to
meet face to face.
Authors Ed Rosenthal, Jeff Lowenfels and
myself were on hand signing books and
answering questions. I had a chance to
chat with Mr. Rosenthal and Mr. Lowenfels,
and I walked away with a handful of handy
new tips from each. Jeff and Ed were a hit
with the crowd, and often had a line wait-
ing to speak to them.
I had the chance to meet Lee and Beau
from Chlorophyll Hydroponics, who
explained their new fully-functional
indoor greenhouse that runs inside their
store. The produce from the sealed room
is used by local gourmet restaurants. Such
mainstream activities help integrate the
industry into the local economy instead
of just skirting the edge of respectability.
With more and more trade shows being
scheduled every year, organizers are
going to have to compete for attention.
In these tough economic times, vendors
and visitors will have to pick events in
which to participate carefully. For me,
the Denver Indoor Garden Expo was well
worth the trip.
The event started off slowly at around
2PM, which was a nice break for local
business owners and stall holders. Usually,
especially if the weather cooperates, they
dont get much of a chance to network
and catch up with each other, due to the
large crowds that sometimes wait at the
gates. This year, however, the first few
hours of the event seemed to crawl by, as
local business owners filled each other in
on their progress for the past year.
Reunion over, at around 4PM the crowd
swelled, and with it the music. Guest
speakers, poets and lots of music boomed
out from the larger of the two stages; the
King Shiloh Sound System, a staple at
many Amsterdam parties, entertained the
visitors with their own massive speaker
stacks and island grooves.
Two long market-style tables contained
the dozen or so vendors, and those in
attendance took advantage of the unsea-
sonable lack of rain to lounge about on
the grassy verge of the park, smoking,
shopping, dancing and generally enjoying
the relaxed vibe. Hemp clothing, vapor-
izer hits from the famous Verdamper and
Volcano machines, and loads of books,
pamphlets and other info were in abun-
dance. Strangely enough, there were
even a few seed companies in attend-
ance (strange because most people in
Amsterdam grow from clones).
Legalize! Amsterdam were visibly present,
hosting a Cannabis Film Festival that drew
in most visitors at one point or another.
Films such as Run from the Cure: the
Rick Simpson Story and What if Cannabis
Cured Cancer? were a huge hit, along with
others from both Canada and the US, as
well as the UK and Holland and even
an animation special with scenes from
cult favorites such as South Park and The
Simpsons.
Reports are mixed, but throughout the
day around 500 people wandered through
the event. Due to the ever-increasing con-
servatism that seems to be gripping the
Netherlands, many people downplay their
interest in our beloved plant especially
when in public or with family and friends.
The Cannabis Liberation Day, with its sce-
nic location, relaxed entertainment and
mellow crowd, allows the Cannabis com-
munity to gather, inform themselves and
present a united front in support of legali-
zation, without furthering any stereotypes
that we might want to avoid.
Cannabisbevrijdingsdag
Amsterdam 2011
Sunday, May 8
th
marked the
annual Cannabisbevrijdingsdag
(Liberation Day) in Amsterdams
beautiful Westerpark. Finally
settling in to the comfortable
location (after originating in
the famous Dam Square), the
Cannabis Liberation Day drew
mixed crowds of activists, medi-
cal users, vendors, musicians,
growers and regular old smokers.
The Sativa Diva
AMSTERDAMS ANNUAL CANNABIS LIBERATION DAY
ELABORATE EXHIBITS CATCH THE
EYE, AND ATTEMPT TO OUTDO THE
NEIGHBORING STALLS
A MAD FARMER REPRESENTATIVE
ENCHANTING AN AUDIENCE
HEMP CLOTHING AND OTHER MERCHANDISE WAS AVAILABLE FROM
AMSTERDAM INSTITUTIONS HEMPWORKS AND THE POLLINATOR COMPANY
DESPITE OVERCAST SKIES, SEVERAL
HUNDRED PEOPLE WERE IN
ATTENDANCE AT MOST POINTS
THROUGHOUT THE DAY
29
ADVANCED INDOOR GROWING
Most Cannabis varieties can withstand
a maximum ambient temperature of
around 95F before systems begin to
shut down, and anything above 85F will
usually affect yield and quality of harvest
if uncorrected. How well your plants will
respond to heat depends on genetics,
the stage of life they are at, and various
other environmental factors. Cannabis
is found in many hot areas of the world
and the key to successful harvests is
maintaining balance between the tem-
perature and all other factors.
Humidity is one of these factors a
major one. Cannabis usually prefers a
relative humidity (RH) of 60-70% (55%
during flowering) to effectively main-
tain the transpiration cycle, but some
strains can handle 80% or even higher.
As temperature rises, plants drink and
transpire more water in an effort to keep
cool. Increased transpiration (where the
stomata on the leaves open to release
water droplets that often evaporate in
high temperatures) leads to a dramatic
increase in humidity. As air temperature
increases, more water vapor can mix with
it before being forced to condense or
precipitate.
In an insufficiently ventilated room, the
effect can become runaway. When satu-
ration point is reached, the excess water
vapor in the air simply condenses on any
available surface, including the leaves
that are attempting to lose it. When the
humidity level in the air immediately sur-
rounding the stomata is high, there is no
steep temperature gradient to encour-
age transpiration, which slows and even-
tually stops. When transpiration stops,
the plants internal temperature increas-
es until it can reach a critical point, where
growth stops and irreparable damage
may occur. Ventilation and good air circu-
lation are the best cures for this problem,
but again in a region where the outside
air is also humid and hot, even the best
rate of air exchange will do little to main-
tain correct conditions.

Some heat-adapted varieties can tolerate
up to 120F if light intensity and irrigation
are adequate, but this is most often seen
outdoors, where air replacement is more
than sufficient to ensure humidity does
not get too high. In the average grow
room, temperatures that high indicate
that something is seriously wrong.
Cannabis that is flowered in consistently
high temperatures often shows a loss of
potency, with unusually light harvests of
stretched, airy buds. Vegetative growth
is often also stunted. Flowers and leaves
Summertime, and the
Growing Aint Easy
HIGH HEAT, HUMIDITY AND HARVEST HEARTBREAK
Indoor grows can be a nightmare in summer. Even if lights
are timed to come on during the relative cool of the night
as many indoor growers will tell you is crucial the
hot months bring a whole host of problems. Most indoor
grows rely on induction ventilation systems to regulate
temperature, but when the air drawn in from outside is
almost as hot as the air inside, this system fails dramatically.
and transpiration to resume, and accord-
ing to some sources it also has the added
benefit of killing many parasites, includ-
ing spider mites. Using this technique
has its risks, however allowing the
concentration to exceed 1800ppm can
cause toxicity to the plant.
It is generally accepted that CO2 use
to maintain rapid growth in high
temperature should be stopped when
flowering commences. In nature,
flowering mostly occurs when the
days begin to cool and shorten. By all
accounts, your plants will not thank you
for excessive temperatures at this stage,
CO2 or not, and alternative methods to
control conditions should be employed.
Temperatures can be lowered with the
use of air conditioning, but this can cause
costs to skyrocket as large systems con-
sume much power, and can be expen-
sive to buy and install. They are also
noisy, which is a real disadvantage when
attempting to maintain discretion. Water-
cooled systems have the advantage of
being quieter but will cause another hike
in monthly bills, while possibly attracting
the attention of more suspicious officials.
Some A/C units also act as dehumidifiers,
and these are especially worth consid-
eration by those experiencing very hot
and humid conditions. A small A/C and
dehumidifier unit that is sufficient to cool
up to three 1000w lights can cost as lit-
tle as $300 new, but can use over 2000w
in power. It is a cost that simply must be
borne in some situations.
close to lights will burn more easily and
severely as air flow becomes less effec-
tive. In hot, dry conditions, spider mites
and other insect pests can thrive.
Conversely, heat coupled with high
humidity causes the plant to become
susceptible to increased pathogen levels.
Botrytis (otherwise knows as bud rot or
gray mold) and other fungal infections
can take hold. Whole, apparently healthy
crops can be ruined almost overnight.
Solutions to increased temperature in
grow rooms include: addition of CO2 to
the atmosphere, A/C units, adding cool-
tubes to lights or switching to cooler
systems (such as LEDs), making sure your
nutrient solution is constantly cool (more
important for hydroponics growers), and
buying up the entire stock of fans from
every hardware store in the local area. The
last is less a solution, however, than a des-
perate last resort by unprepared growers
about to lose their entire crop....
With CO2 enrichment up to 1500ppm, it
is believed that plants will actually grow
faster in high heat, at least in the vegeta-
tive stage, and as long as light is ample
and humidity is kept below around 60%.
Increasing atmospheric CO2 in high tem-
peratures allows the stomata to open
AS LONG AS YOUR VARIETY IS CORRECTLY SELECTED FOR YOUR CLIMATE
ZONE, YOU SHOULD HAVE FEW PROBLEMS OUTDOORS
THIS PLANT SHOWS SEVERAL SIGNS OF HEAT STRESS AND NUTRIENT BUILDUP, MOST NOTABLY IN THE CURLED-UP, DISTORTED LEAVES
RICHARD DAVIS, CURATOR OF THE USA HEMP MUSEUM 17 THE ENERGETIC EVOLUTION OF CANNABIS: WHY IS THIS SPECIAL PLANT SO KEEN TO ADAPT? 33
30
depend on external conditions, unless
you do not rely on air drawn in from
outside. Sativas found in hot, dry regions
often have narrow leaves with high resin
content which reduce transpiration. Long
internodes, wide-spaced branches and
loose flower structure allow greater air-
flow and less opportunity for damp spots
in hot, humid conditions. Leaves are often
somewhat wider to provide greater sur-
face area for transpiration.
Cooler, humid conditions (such as are
found in parts of mountainous northern
India and Nepal) see indica varieties with
shorter, stockier structures and very wide
leaves. These are the strains that are most
dependent on photo-period to flower:
equatorial plants are used to a 12/12 light
cycle so will continue to flower; ruder-
alis and some hemp varieties auto-flower
based on age rather than change in day
length. Cool northern conditions favor
these hemp and ruderalis landraces,
which are highly resistant to molds and
fungi. When attempting to grow potent
marijuana in these short summers, out-
door growers encounter many difficulties,
and varieties bred to withstand cool and
damp are often lacking in potency and
yield. The best solutions are often com-
promises, and in this case there is great
potential for some of the more potent
ruderalis crosses to make a mark.
As long as your variety is correctly select-
ed for your climate zone, you should have
Cooled HPS lights can knock a few degrees
off the mercury, but switching to LEDs
can dramatically lower the temperature of
your room. The lower power consumption
of the light itself, when added to the sav-
ings made on cooling systems, presents
an attractive solution. But initial cost of
the top-end products remains so high as
to be unaffordable to many in the short
term. Growers are also still wary as LEDs
have received poor press over the years,
but recent advances have been rapid
and results are becoming more and more
impressive with time. As experimental LED
grows continue, we will learn more about
how they are most effective, but conclu-
sions are already being drawn amongst
enthusiasts that they may indeed be the
solution to the summer heat problem.
In cold conditions they are in fact osten-
sibly pointless due to the need to use
energy-consuming supplementary heat-
ers. A set-up consisting of several lower-
wattage LED lamps will provide superior
light intensity and coverage to a single
high-power light. Using this as an impor-
tant guideline, growers are reporting tight
buds and good yields in summer.

Paying attention to the genetic back-
ground of the strain you choose will serve
you well plants with a subtropical or
tropical lineage will respond much bet-
ter to increased heat and humidity than
a temperate zone specimen. There is a
variety for almost every climate zone, and
finding the right strain for your own may
be challenging but will certainly prove
rewarding. Although this is obviously
much relevant to outdoor growing, it will
have some bearing on an indoor grow.
Conditions inside still to some extent
few problems outdoors. The more sun the
better, as long as the plant is comfortable
in other respects. As I mentioned ear-
lier, Cannabis is designed to grow during
the hot months and in much of North
America your harvest is more likely to be
affected by the fact that the season ends
too soon for many strains to finish with
full potency. The more south you look,
the greater the variety that can safely
grow outdoors. Some growers are even
managing two harvests a year! Variation
in day length throughout the year is much
smaller in these areas in California its
around four-and-a-half hours, in southern
Texas and Florida just three hours, com-
pared with closer to eight in the north-
ern states, and fourteen in Alaska. Yet
there are strains that will grow in all these
places, and just as a tropical sativa used to
small day-length variation will be useless
outdoors in Anchorage, a strain that really
needs long days to prevent flowering will
have a hard time growing in Key West.
Much of the continental US is capable
of producing good harvests of indicas
and indica-dominant hybrid strains, so
sticking with these varieties is usually a
safe bet. If you are in the south, you can
choose sativa strains, but be careful with
regards to humidity as there are massive
variations between states. California is
much less humid than Florida, it goes
without saying, as although they expe-
rience similar annual precipitation, the
westerly prevailing winds carry most of
the moisture eastwards.
In the far north, strains such as Matanuska
Tundra have been developed for the cold-
er climate, though with many of these
indica-dominant varieties, the tight bud
structure means extra care must be taken
to prevent mold and a lower RH is pre-
ferred. For cold, damp conditions, indica
varieties selected for mold resistance
(such as Dinafems Blue Hash strain) may
be more suitable, and ruderalis hybrids
should be considered. Frost in early spring
is a risk for most of the US, so it is always
wise to germinate indoors in February or
March and transplant when conditions
are favorable, often in April or May.
Beyond issues of climatic suitability, the
risks associated with outdoor growing in
summer are mostly to do with pests and
diseases. Although a plant that flourishes
in your climate zone may be well adapted
to resist local parasites, this may not be
total, and regular visits to ensure health
will be necessary, along with a foliar spray
every so often to guarantee peace of
mind. Always ensure plants have ade-
quate root space, as with strong sunlight
outdoor growth can be rapid. In hot, dry
areas, placing water-absorbing polymers
in the soil reduces the need to water as
frequently by releasing water steadily.
However you choose to go about your
summer grow, the important concept to
bear in mind is that all conditions must
be right. Many strains will grow in less-
than-ideal circumstances but it is a deeply
unsatisfying feeling to spend months on a
crop only to see substandard results. While
it may not be possible to tweak every last
variable to perfection, we still have a lot
to work with when ensuring our crop
remains trouble-free in the heat. If youre
serious about your horticulture, it should
not be an impossible challenge to opti-
mize your growing conditions. It may take
some financial investment, but a lot rests
on making the correct, informed decisions
about the variety you will choose and the
methods you will employ, and a solution
should be within reach whatever your
budget. Making sure that we check all the
boxes and provide the best possible care
to our plants is the least we can do the
rest is up to nature.
MUCH OF THE CONTINENTAL US IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING
GOOD HARVESTS OF INDICAS AND INDICA-DOMINANT HYBRID STRAINS
THIS CROP SEEMS TO BE FLOURISHING IN 90F
TEMPERATURES, WITH CO
2
ENRICHMENT
HPS GROW LIGHTS ARE ONE OF
THE BIGGEST CONTRIBUTORS TO
EXCESS HEAT
THIS HAWAIIAN HAZE SHOWS THE WIDE-
SPACED BRANCHING AND INTERNODES
THAT ARE CHARACTERISTIC OF PLANTS
FROM HOT, HUMID CLIMATES
THIS SILVER HAZE, WITH ITS VERY
NARROW LEAVES, SHOWS ADAPTATION
TO HOT AND DRY CONDITIONS
31
DISPENSARIES / REVIEW
The first thing you notice as you enter
Higher Level Co-op are the beautifully
painted walls: a sweeping lime green
jungle of Cannabis plants, pleasing to
the eye, set behind the well-polished
goblets and jars of medicine; and with
dark wood floors and creamy suede
couches you immediately feel you are
in a modern and classy establishment.
Its sorta got the vibe of a Beverly Hills
plastic surgeons office, quips Matt, one of
the owners of Higher Level.
The second thing you notice is the invit-
ing and eclectic menu: Hybrids like
Ducks Foot and Allen Wrench; indicas
from Aztec OG to Super Bubba Kush;
sativas like Hawaiian Ono and Super Silver
Haze; and, perhaps most inviting, edibles
such as Goldfish Edibles (regular gold-
fish crackers tossed in hash oil), Pepper
Mint Patties (mixed with half a gram of
hash) and a concoction called Blackberry
Volcano Melt (concentrated hash made
with higher pressure CO2).
However, menu and decor aside, what truly
Higher Level Co-op Robert Michael
Kief Hempner, Founder: With Ganja Juice
Smoothies you get 100% all natural ingre-
dients without added sugars or sweeten-
ers. The Ganja Juice is 100% organic flax
seed oil infused with a controlled amount
of THC and CBD for maximum results and
potency. With all natural ingredients and
100% organic oils and medication, you
have the best and healthiest way to medi-
cate without smoking.
There are many benefits: no smoking
and great medicinal results equals a much
healthier experience. Also, in-taking fruits
and veggies as well as flax seed oil for a
healthier diet and lifestyle is a big plus.
And it is very discreet; no marijuana odor
and it does not have pot leaves all over it...
so its subtle and easy to take on the go.
Dosages are done in shot form and can
be added to the drinks based on per-
sonal desired effects; most feel the effects
between one to two shots but some go
as high as six shots. The average shot
has approximately 12-18% THC and over
40mg of THC-A, which is the unburnt or
unused THC before it is broken down; the
CBD-A is also above 20mg per shot, giving
the more physical body effects. Anyone
who benefits from smoking medical mari-
juana needs to try a Ganja Juice.
It can be taken orally or topically by rubbing
on the skin. You can even rub Ganja Juice in
its raw form right onto the desired area, or
you can mix it into many different foods and
drinks to take orally. Ganja Juice can now be
purchased at your local collective.
Ganja Juice
MOTHER NATURES WAY OF SAYING HIGH
For those for whom smoking is
a bad idea, why not try a Ganja
Juice Smoothie?
separates Higher Level from other dispen-
saries is its professionalism, knowledge of
the medicine on a connoisseur level; its no
surprise that their slogan is The Co-op.
Our clientele is 30-65 years old with an
array of backgrounds and occupations,
says Matt. And they appreciate the
staff members willingness to assist in
getting the right medication for each
individual ailment.
And, well, if all this wasnt enough good
news, Higher Level runs a smattering of
inventive specials (Daily Deals) second-
to-none: Early Bird Gets the J, a free joint
with a $50 donation between 11AM
and 1PM; Power Hour, where you get
a free raffle ticket with a $40 donation
between 7 and 8 PM; and our favorite,
Hash Wednesdays, 10% off all hash.
If there was ever a name apropos of a dis-
pensary, its without a doubt the Higher
Level Co-op.
4443 30th Street, Suite #105
San Diego, CA 92116 (North Park)
(888) 987-MEDS (6337)
Premium Organic Treatments PCA
3148 East La Palma Ave Suite J
Anaheim 92806
33
CANNABIS BOTANY
The genus of Cannabis, which com-
prises a single species (Cannabis sativa
Linnaeus); three subspecies, C. sativa
Sativa, C. sativa Indica and C. sativa
Ruderalis; and many postulated varieties
(although the distinction, and wheth-
er the three are indeed subspecies, or
in fact separate species, is still unclear
despite years of debate within botanical
circles), is believed to have existed for
around 34 million years. It is classed as
belonging, along with Humulus (hops),
Celtis (hackberry) and about ten other
flowering plant genera, to the family
Cannabaceae, present in the fossil record
since the early Tertiary period, which
began around 65 million years ago.
Biologically, Cannabis exhibits many
traits that enable it to flourish in a wide
variety of habitats. Not all varieties exhib-
it all these characteristics, but for every
climatic zone except polar, there is a type
of Cannabis that will grow well there.
As the plant is so quick to reproduce, it
stands to reason that any introduction
of Cannabis to an area will lead to rapid
selection for dominant traits that fit the
environment until a new variety is estab-
lished, even without cultivation.
It can withstand large fluctuations in
average temperature and rainfall (from
43F to 80F comfortably with 12
160in. of annual precipitation), as well
as drought and frost; it will grow in all
manner of soils from loamy to sandy (it
does not flourish in poorly drained soils,
particularly clay-based, although it does
not mind temporary flooding, making it
a common feature of river banks in many
parts of the world). It is highly resistant
to fungus, disease and weeds, has few
pests, and can grow at any altitude with
no apparent signs of stress on slopes.
Some varieties, mainly in the hemp cat-
egory, can also handle massive variations
in pH (4.5 to 8.2).
Its rare dioecious nature can also be
sidelined in times of genetic emergency,
enabling females of a population with
few males to develop monoecious traits
(usually instances of male and female
imperfect flowers at different points on
the same plant, and more rarely true her-
maphroditism where individual flowers
are simultaneously male and female, or
perfect) to ensure new plants will grow
next season (albeit as clones of the moth-
er) in the hope that new and more diverse
male DNA will eventually find its way to
them. Conversion back to strictly dioe-
cious can then occur, allowing for rapid
genetic exchange and an increase in vari-
ation in subsequent generations.
Cannabis is also a colonizer species,
meaning that it is often the first plant to
grow on ground newly cleared by flood,
landslide or fire, and due to the ubiquitous
method of seeds being distributed where
they naturally fall around the branches,
thick stands of it are often found in these
areas. However, it is not the most aggres-
sive species and is not so invasive that
it will take over already densely popu-
lated ground. For this reason it is the per-
fect camp follower: it is postulated that
back in the Neolithic, clearings left by
human settlements would be colonized
by Cannabis, and on the reappearance of
the nomadic humans initial contact with
the plant was made.
So it is arguable that humans have been
truly crucial to its spread, and that con-
tact in fact began closer to 10,000 years
ago. The pattern of domestication runs as
follows, according to a Russian study of
Siberian country-dwellers in 1926: popu-
lations of Cannabis establish themselves
in the wild, then invade areas of human
settlement in a weed-like manner; the
weed is then recognized for its proper-
ties and utilized, and finally attempts at
cultivation are undertaken.
The Energetic Evolution
of Cannabis
WHY IS THIS SPECIAL PLANT SO KEEN TO ADAPT?
Although it has been assisted in its conquest of the world by humans
for at least the last 4,500 years, there are several characteristics of
Cannabis that enable it to adapt remarkably well and quickly to
its environment. Indeed, this is partly what makes the species such
a good candidate for selective breeding programs, the like of which
have given us the huge variety of cultivars available today. Here,
we attempt to briefly describe how Cannabis came to be so varied
and ubiquitous, how it has co-evolved with humans, and how it has
affected the ecosystems it has been introduced to. In doing so, we aim
to shed a little more light on the ever-appealing topic of just what
makes Cannabis so significant to us. Kali Mist
WILD CANNABIS INVADING CLEARED GROUND IN ISLAMABAD ( ZANTASTIC)
C. RUDERALIS GROWING WILD IN ROMANIA ( DENIS BARTHEL)
A BEAUTIFUL SHOT OF A LANDRACE SATIVA, GAMBIA ( MISHIMOTO)
34
The reason for resin production in
Cannabis is unclear - it has been sug-
gested that it may be to protect develop-
ing seeds from moisture loss (production
goes up with temperature and stems
may split to allow resin to run down
stems, encasing them in an imperme-
able layer preventing loss of water); or to
discourage insect and bird pests through
intoxication (although the preferred
method of seed distribution is surely
partly through bird ingestion/expulsion,
and therefore the reverse could to some
degree be true - that animals actively
seek out the intoxicant and therefore dis-
tribute the seeds more effectively); per-
haps the resin also acts as a temporary
adhesive for animals rather like burrs
and other plant adaptations.
However, the fact that an unfertilized
female will produce more resin is strong
causal evidence that resin is produced
primarily to attract pollinators rather
than distributors of seed, especially as
the female largely stops producing resin
after receiving pollen. To return to the
idea of animal self-medication: although
it is difficult to prove a link here, there
is some evidence of animals (e.g. chim-
panzees) seeking out flowering Cannabis
as an anti-nausea treatment in times of
gastric difficulty (and perhaps as it also
can reportedly kill intestinal parasites), so
there is a strong likelihood that its unique
properties are not just known to humans.
Research into animal use of Cannabis is
sparse, but is sure to increase with time,
and deserves further attention. It is more
than possible that we were drawn to the
plant in the first place by observing such
animal behavior (although Im sure the
smell would have been a dead giveaway,
if nothing else), and true understanding
of how the plant fits into the ecosystem
would be massively aided by knowing
more about its relationship with our ani-
mal brethren.
The fact that physiological barriers to
reproduction seem to be absent in
Cannabis would belie the argument that
the plant is, in fact, several species in one
genus (although species is a difficult
term to define, and interfertility does
not always denote lack of speciation).
It is yet another feature of the plant
that would seem to greatly increase its
chances of taking hold, flourishing and
cementing new DNA within an exist-
ing gene-pool, and thereby increasing
diversity, viability, and chances to fur-
ther evolve. An introduced genetic can
therefore co-operate with existing local
genetics, rather than being in competi-
tion as would be the case with two
non-interfertile populations.
Physical barriers may exist, and thank
who evers up there for that as its provid-
ed us with some lovely (apparent, if not
actual) speciation such as the Hindu
ESCAPED MALE CANNABIS PLANT
GROWING WILD IN THE USA ( BASTIQUE)
Kush mountain range neatly isolating
the subspecies (or species, or variety)
of C. Indica prior to any human involve-
ment. But despite these physical barri-
ers leading to massive genetic variance
through the world, any two Cannabis
plants, whether Ruderalis growing wild
in Hungary with a 20-week Cambodian
sativa, or North American ditchweed
with the finest Hindu Kush, can repro-
duce. Much like humans, really!
Add to this the rapid growth rate and
effective reproductive cycle, which can
lead to two healthy harvests in one year
in some climates, and we quickly see
the generations passing in each the
potential for new mutations, and with
almost limitless possibilities for what will
be the new dominant strain or charac-
teristic. The genome of Cannabis is cur-
rently being researched and mapped by
more than one team, and distinct mark-
ers are now being discovered that show
true genetic differences between many
cultivars: for example, the University of
Minnesota discovered in 2006 that hemp
cultivars display DNA fingerprints nota-
bly different from marijuana strains.
This research may ultimately aid the
cause for legalization of industrial hemp
in the US, as it can be used to prove
its THC-free nature. THC testing will not
always show accurate results as THC
production differs through the life cycle
of the plant; whereas these tests can
accurately show the potential for THC
production throughout the life cycle of
the plant.
With scientists only now beginning to
perceive just how far the genetic ice-
berg extends below the tip we are now
uncovering, it is difficult-to-impossible to
ascertain why certain features in species
came to be geneticists can often see
when characteristics began to emerge,
but it is often unknown why they emerge
in the first place, and in response to what.
In an isolated population, strains that
interbreed or self-replicate through her-
maphroditism may breed true for certain
characteristics while varying in others,
or they may not breed true for any traits,
but instead display what botanists call
segregated or hybrid genes.
Usually, within a few generations of
inbreeding, these segregate genes will be
much less common and populations will
rapidly begin to breed true for numerous
traits and resemble each other more. It
is an homage to the majesty of nature
that we see this almost insatiable desire
of the Cannabis plant to adapt to fit its
environment expressed in the now
often threatened landrace varieties that
have sprung up across the planet after
its introduction. Huge differences in col-
oration, from yellows through reds to
purples and blues; height ranging from
less than three feet to more than twenty;
fragrances from spicy to earthy, from
fruity to skunky; and thousands upon
thousands of different combinations of
cannabinoids are just some examples of
just how varied a plant Cannabis really is.
As we have ourselves spread over the
planet, we have taken the tools for sur-
vival with us: our weapons and tools, our
foods and medicines, and our knowledge
of how to use them.
With Cannabis, in every new ecosystem
we have introduced it to, we can see
which characteristics best suit the local
environment from our earliest attempts
to cultivate, and can select accordingly.
This helps to speed up the evolution of
the plant. For example, in temperate
and subtropical zones, it is the hemp
varieties and those narcotic varieties
that are short-day obligate (i.e. require
fewer hours of light than darkness to
trigger flowering) such as ruderalis and
indica, that are most adapted to the cli-
matic conditions.
In tropical areas, the long flowering peri-
od allows for greater production of THC,
and therefore resinous sativa strains are
more prevalent. We recognize this: we
grow existing strains that match up as
closely as possible, we select from the
natural variation in progeny the offspring
that are even closer to what we want
(say, strong and woody with few lateral
branches for fiber crops), and we breed
new generations from them that are
increasingly close to the ideal we seek.
In doing so, we are part of a cycle that
is hugely beneficial: to us, for obvious
reasons; to the plant, as we are enabling
more effective colonization; and to the
ecosystem itself, as a plant well-adapted
to its ecosystem will be more successful
and develop a greater degree of integra-
tion with other member species.
This at least is the traditional pattern,
although it remains to be seen what
consequences lie ahead due to the trend
for large-scale monoculture that is on the
increase worldwide. Monoculture is rare-
ly good for the environment, and it must
be stressed wherever possible that small
is beautiful when it comes to agriculture.
No matter how well-adapted a plant
is to its surroundings, if biodiversity is
lost the whole balance of the ecosys-
tem becomes out of synch. Cannabis is
unfairly labeled as a noxious weed by
the USDA, and it would be terrible to
see it become truly the case through
the actions of money-hungry commer-
cial growers. Where production is small-
scale, with respect paid to the environ-
ment, Cannabis is truly a crop that has a
place in every ecosystem.
IT IS AN HOMAGE TO THE MAJESTY OF NATURE THAT
WE SEE THIS ALMOST INSATIABLE DESIRE OF THE CANNABIS
PLANT TO ADAPT TO FIT ITS ENVIRONMENT
WILD CANNABIS AT THE FOOTHILLS OF THE
HIMALAYAS, NEPAL ( ARNE HUCKELHEIM)
ESCAPED CULTIVAR GROWING WILD
NEAR KETAMA, MOROCCO ( PICCAYA)
36
SMUGGLERS TALES
Our story begins in the tribal area of
northern Pakistan in the late 80s. Clark,
an antique dealer, was on his second trip
to the area and excited at the prospect
of a acquiring a batch of rare Chinese
artifacts. Since the recent opening of the
Karakoram Highway, there had been a
steady trickle of rare Chinese and Tibetan
antiquities smuggled into Pakistan for
hard currency. The area was dangerous
and outsiders usually disappeared unless
accompanied by a local. Malik was just
such a local. Born in the Swat valley, hed
met Clark in Islamabad a few months
prior. Together theyd traveled the tribal
area; Clark had bought a few Tibetan arti-
facts and sold them in Paris for a hand-
some profit. This time hed been prom-
ised first pick of a load due in a few days.
After days on a bus they arrived at a
remote guest house close to the meeting
place, only to find two Scotsmen staying
there. Foreigners in this area were either
gun runners or drug smugglers; this pair
turned out to be the latter. They seemed
friendly enough and over the next days
shared their excellent Afghani hashish
with Clark. It was during one of these
stoned evenings that Clark revealed the
reason for his visit and that he was carry-
ing cash a bad move. The next evening
they put sleeping pills in his drink.
He woke to find his money and plane
ticket gone, along with the Scotsmen.
Malik returned from his meeting with the
Chinese smugglers to find Clark in a rage.
The guest house owner told Malik the
Scotsmen had left hours ago and could
be anywhere by now.
Devastated, he didnt know what to do,
but Malik said he had a solution. There
was a man in Islamabad who could help.
Two days later they booked rooms in the
Intercontinental; fortunately he still had a
credit card. Malik made a phone call and
an hour later there was a knock at the
door. Shalid was well-dressed, and after
a short conversation with Malik in Urdu
he turned to Clark and addressed him in
English, getting straight to the point.

Ill pay you $10,000 to take an attache
case to Amsterdam. He pulled out a
wad of cash. Half now, half on delivery.
Clark eyed the cash. I wont carry heroin.
Shalid looked shocked. No, its just hash-
ish, twenty kilos of it. A bag will be under
your seat when you board the plane and
in Amsterdam somebody will take it from
you before customs. Clark thought for
a moment. He had no choice he was
bankrupt. Ok, Ill do it. He shook Shalids
hand and took the cash. Ill return tomor-
row with your ticket and the case.

The next morning he reappeared carry-
ing a light brown attache case. Youre
flying tomorrow night, he said and this
will accompany you. He lifted the case to
the table and flipped it open. Inside was
a huge block of Afghani hash, wrapped
in plastic. In Amsterdams airport, deliver
it to the gate for the Brussels flight and
someone will switch cases with you and
give you the rest of your money.He hand-
ed Clark the ticket and shook his hand,
then snapped the case closed. The next
time you see this, itll be under your seat.

Thirty six hours later Clark boarded the
PIA flight to Amsterdam. Taking his seat,
he felt case underneath and settled down
for the nine hour flight. Next to him was
an American and soon they were in con-
versation. During the meal Clark noticed
a man staring at him and the bag at his
feet. It made Clark uncomfortable, but he
dismissed it as paranoia. The remainder of
the flight was uneventful, aside from the
man occasionally staring at him. After the
plane landed he thought to leave the bag
where it was, but dismissed his feelings
as nerves.

The minute he stepped off the plane
he saw them: two men trying to look
like tourists, but obviously policemen.
Still in conversation with the American,
he walked toward the terminal and the
policemen followed. The flight was dry,
so the American offered to buy Clark a
cognac and he needed it. The American
chatted away, but Clark was busy think-
ing how to get rid of the bags contents.
Drinks finished, they shook hands and
parted company. Clark headed for the tax
free shop.
Inside he went to the cigarette aisle and
kicked open a hole in a pile of Marlboros.
He planned to dump the contents in it,
but the case wouldnt open, the locks
had jammed. By now the policemen had
caught up and were watching him from
the next aisle. Clark knocked over a whis-
key display the distraction allowed him
to slip through the crowd and run, and
the policemen were left behind. Next stop
The Accidental Smuggler
By ORiodon
was the luggage shop to look for a similar
attache case, but there was only a black
one. Desperate, he decided just to dump
it among the bags. Then he walked out
into the open and headed toward the exit.
When the police spotted him without the
bag, he saw just how many there actually
were. They ran in all directions trying to
find who hed passed it to. Passport con-
trol was no problem and Clark was almost
through customs when he was stopped.
After a search he was taken for interroga-
tion. In the next room the American was
professing his own innocence.

They asked where the bag was and were
serious about it; Clark denied any knowl-
edge. This continued for a few minutes until
an officer entered and said theyd found it.
There followed a lot of ruckus; eventually it
stopped and the officer returned. Its only
hash, he said. They all groaned, then got
up and left. Theyd thought it was a bag full
of heroin. Apparently Shalid was a known
heroin smuggler. 24 hours later Clark was
back on the street with only a five thou-
sand dollar fine.
ILL PAY YOU $10,000 TO TAKE AN ATTACHE CASE TO AMSTERDAM
HE WOKE TO FIND HIS MONEY AND PLANE TICKET GONE, ALONG WITH THE SCOTSMEN
AN ATTACHE CASE FULL OF AFGHANI HASH
AFGHANI HASH
PIA ARRIVES AT SCHIPHOL AIRPORT
The Devils Harvest Seed Company
www.thedevilsharvestseeds.com
Kuchi (Cheese x OG SFV Kush)
Flowers in: 56-70 days
Yield: High
Flavor: Unique twist pleases both the US and the UK
Smell: Fruity, tangy, sweet and pungent
K
u
c
h
i
38
SEED BANKS
Nowadays, auto-flowering varieties are
becoming more and more sought-after
and requested by cannabis growers all
over the world. Their main trait is that they
flower automatically, regardless of the
hours of light they receive. This entails a
whole series of advantages in comparison
with their non auto-flowering relations,
thus resulting in the fact that, in such a
short period of time, these once-despised
plants have found their place in the hall of
fame of cannabis varieties.
Modern auto varieties inherit the auto-
flowering trait from plants of the Ruderalis
type (Cannabis Ruderalis), which come from
the cold areas of Eastern Europe (Hungary,
southern Siberia, Russia) and Central Asia,
where the climate especially the cold
and snow - only allows for three or four
months of favourable conditions in which
the plants can grow and reproduce each
year. Thus, these varieties developed spe-
cial adaptation traits in order to flower and
produce their seeds in the short period of
time available to them, perpetuating their
species even in such inhospitable places.
The above-mentioned wild Cannabis
Ruderalis plants have always been looked
down on, for medicinal as well as rec-
reational uses, as they produce cannabi-
noid plants with a very low THC content.
Furthermore, these Ruderalis plants are
fairly short, 30-80 cm which is another
reason they used to be scorned as raw
material for industrial uses, due to the
small size of the fibres.
Interest in auto-flowering varieties ini-
tially arose when a few enterprising
breeders observed the immense poten-
tial hidden by the small, condemned
plants in question. Thus, the decision to
experiment, cross-breeding the primitive
Ruderalis with selected clones. Their pur-
pose was to obtain 100% auto-flowering
plants, which maintained cannabinoid
levels without giving up the aromas typi-
cal of the lite clones used.
The amazing success obtained by these
auto varieties in recent years is due to their
ever improving quality, as far as cannabi-
noid levels and aromas are concerned. It is
also and especially due to the many advan-
tages discovered by cultivators in these
new strains. The main advantage is the
ability to flower and be harvested regard-
less of the hours of light they receive.
In outdoor cultivation, this allows for sev-
eral new possibilities and combinations,
helping cultivator-consumers to better
program their annual cannabis self-suffi-
ciency. The possibility of harvesting out
of season is an incredible advantage for
all outdoor cultivators. With the arrival on
the scene of auto varieties, these farmers
no longer need to limit themselves to a
single yield at the end of the summer;
now they have the possibility of enjoying
yields before the summer, as well.
Taking advantage of these opportunities,
outdoor cultivators in humid areas, which
are susceptible to fungal attacks because
of the environmental conditions, have
also started to grow these varieties, to
avoid the September-October climate,
when fungal attacks might otherwise
cause the buds to rot. Cultivators in high
mountain or cold areas are also beginning
to plant these varieties in the spring-sum-
mer season, obtaining excellent results.
In cities, these varieties are immune to
light contamination from street lighting,
flowering correctly even directly under a
lamppost. This, together with the small
size of the plants, makes them perfect for
city growing, perhaps on a balcony.
There are also several indoor cultivators
who are starting to make space for these
varieties in their closets. The main rea-
son these cultivators select auto varie-
ties is the velocity of their life cycle: just
60-70 days from planting to harvesting.
Although these auto-flowering varieties
are cultivated indoors, with a photoperiod
of 18-20 hours of light and 4-6 hours of
darkness for the duration of the plants
life cycle, this excess of hours of light
compared to the 12 hours needed by non
auto seeds is more than made up for by
the month of growing duration that the
cultivation of auto-flowering seeds saves.
The end result for indoor growers is a
savings in electricity, as well as a month
of cultivation. Those growers who have a
room set aside for mothers and cuttings
also enjoy the benefits of the openings
in the room, with an 18/6 growth photo-
period, to grow auto plants.
Another of these varieties main features is
their small stature. This is also considered
to be an advantage by the many growers
who require small, discreet plants. It has
been observed that these varieties are
much more popular in the Western coun-
tries with rigid laws against self cannabis
growing than in countries whose legisla-
tion is more permissive.
The Sweet Seeds example
The Sweet Seeds seed bank of feminised
seeds began experimenting with auto-
flowering seeds around 2007. Early in the
2009 season, Sweet Seeds presented their
first auto-flowering variety, Speed Devil, to
the cannabis community. And it was imme-
diately successful, offering growers a 100%
auto-flowering strain with an extremely
rapid flowering period, characterised by
an abundant resin and cannabinoid pro-
duction as well as a pleasant Skunk-type
aroma, with yeast and cheese tonalities.
Sweet Seeds presented two new auto-
flowering varieties for the 2010 season:
Since the beginning of the 21st century, the entire Western world has
known a boom in the growing of cannabis destined for consumer self-
sufficiency. In the following article, we describe the basic features
of auto-flowering seeds, as well as introduce the new wave of auto-
flowering seeds known as Super Autos. As an example, we provide
information pertaining to the development of the Sweet Seeds seed
banks catalogue of auto-flowering seeds. All photographs are of
auto-flowering seeds belonging to this bank. Mr. Stoned Edge
BLACK JACK AUTO
39
BLACK JACK AUTO
BIG DEVIL
CREAM CARAMEL
SAD AUTO
SPEED DEVIL
SPEED DEVIL
Fast Bud and Big Devil. Fast Bud is
the Sweet Seeds catalogues most rap-
idly growing strain, a high-quality auto-
flowering seed that is ready to yield just
seven and a half weeks after planting. It
is characterised by an abundance of resin
and exotic aromas inherited from plants
of the Diesel family. Big Devil is the result
of a program designed to come up with
high quality, larger auto-flowering plants;
this strain produces plants that reach a
height of 80-150 cm, with an abundant
production of resin and a sweet, incense
aroma similar to Haze plants.
During the 2009 and 2010 seasons,
Sweet Seeds breeders continued to work
with these three auto varieties, keeping
them in a constant state of evolution,
mainly due to the necessity of selecting
the best specimens of each generation
to be parents for the next generation.
Breeders must also keep in mind that
the process has to include new genetic
contributions, to avoid inbreeding, which
could cause the loss of valuable hybrid
vigour. Selections must be made, gen-
eration by generation, also considering
the risk of producing genetic derivations
with undesired qualities. With non auto-
flowering varieties, genetic compositions
remain much more stable as the years
go by; thus, selected clones are used to
produce commercial seeds.
Now, for the 2011 season, Sweet Seeds
presents a revolution of these three pro-
posals. The new versions are being mar-
keted under the names Speed Devil #2,
Fast Bud #2 and Big Devil #2.
The seed bank doesnt intend to elimi-
nate the original versions of these vari-
eties from the market; also, and very
importantly, not to mention appreciably,
considering the current financial crisis,
Sweet Seeds is offering a significant
price reduction for these varieties, which
were the most popular auto-flowering
seeds in Spanish grow shops for the
2010 season. With this price reduction,
we can safely say that they are the most
inexpensive feminised auto-flowering
seeds on the market, with a really excel-
lent value for money.
Aside from the three new versions, Sweet
Seeds surprises for the season include
another three new auto-flowering varie-
ties: Cream Caramel Auto, Black Jack Auto
and S.A.D. Auto. They are the result of
breeding programs aimed at introduc-
ing and stabilising the auto-flowering
trait from some of the best and most
renowned Sweet Seeds strains. The seed
bank currently has more than ten open
programs for crossing their best strains
with the latest auto-flowering strains. The
long-term objective is having all of the
Sweet Seeds catalogue varieties available
both in the auto and non auto versions.
These new auto-flowering versions repre-
sent a step up, quality-wise, compared to
the majority of auto-flowering seeds that
are currently on the market. They are far
removed from their Ruderalis ancestors
and more similar to the modern, polyhy-
brid, non-automatic seeds we are used
to. These new generations, 100% auto-
matic and feminised, are in no way lack-
ing compared to their non auto-flowering
relations as far as vigour, flower density,
aroma, resin and cannabinoid production
are concerned. Thus the definition Super
Autos, which is beginning to circulate
amongst cannabis farmers. Not much is
left of the Ruderalis in these strains, except
for its auto-flowering trait and the rapidity
of its life cycle.
Below you will find some information on
the new auto-flowering seeds, courtesy of
the bank itself.
Speed Devil #2
First evolution of the Speed Devil strain,
developed during the 2009/2010 seasons.
All plants begin flowering approximately
from the fourth pair of real leaves, regard-
less of the photoperiod and the time of year.
This new version of Speed Devil maintains
its predecessors rapid flowering period,
yielding plants whose resinous and aro-
matic buds are mature and perfectly
formed just 60 days after planting.
With Speed Devil #2, the average plant is
larger, 70-80 cm. Another characteristic
is the noticeable increase in side branch-
es, which produce large buds; this also
increases production.
This version shows an increase in resinous
crystal. The aroma is much more intense,
sweet and musky, with tonalities reminis-
cent of yeast and cheese.
Fast Bud #2:
First evolution of the Fast Bud strain. This
auto-flowering variety produces numer-
ous large buds laden with an abundance
of aromatic resin; a more productive
and aromatic new version. It produces
extremely vigorous plants, with more side
branches compared to the previous ver-
sion, and reaches a height between 40
and 90 cm. Powerful effect and sweet
aromas with an exotic touch inherited
from plants of the Diesel family. Rapid
flowering auto plant.
Big Devil #2:
The first evolution of the Big Devil strain
is an auto-flowering and feminised, high
stature variety. Sweet Seeds selected this
strain, which can reach a height of 1-1.5
m, to satisfy customer request for taller
auto-flowering plants. More productive
and aromatic than its previous version,
resinous and compact buds with an abun-
dance of side branches. Sweet, incense
aromas with a touch of Skunk.
S.A.D. Auto:
Auto-flowering version of the S. A. D. S-1
aromatic, the result of cross-breeding and
subsequent stabilisation of the best auto-
flowering indicas with the S.A.D. S-1. A
high quality auto plant, with abundant
buds and resin productions, an intense,
sweet and musky aroma, rapid flowering,
powerful effect and the great vigour of a
hybrid. The auto-flowering revolution is
here. By the end of their flowering period,
these plants show the same resinous and
desirable appearance as their non auto-
flowering siblings.
Cream Caramel Auto:
New auto-flowering version of Cream
Caramel, the result of cross-breeding
between the best auto-flowering indicas
with the Cream Caramel strain. A high qual-
ity auto plant, with abundant buds and
resin productions, an intense, sweet aroma
with earthy tonalities, a powerful effect, the
great vigour of a hybrid and rapid flower-
ing. Medium-small size (40-80 cm).
Black Jack Auto:
An auto-flowering version of Black Jack,
the result of a cross-breeding between
S.A.D. Auto and a Jack Herer Auto, created
by Sweet Seeds R&D department espe-
cially in order to produce this cross.
A high quality auto plant, with abundant
buds and resin productions. Intense, sweet
incense aroma, rapid flowering, powerful
effect, with the great vigour of a hybrid.
41
DRUG WAR RANT
I came across an interesting fact the other
day. It seems that more people die from
tobacco-related illnesses in one year than
the total drug deaths in the last hundred
years. Now, given that the government is
supposed to be in the business of look-
ing after our welfare, this is a very large
elephant in the room. Turning a blind
eye to collateral damage in a tobacco tax
garnering scheme that kills thousands is
a little cynical. (Marijuana deaths over this,
or any other period, by the way, were
zero). So what is locking up 800,000 for
marijuana offenses actually protecting us
from, hoards of people in a good mood?
Because it costs the taxpayers $8 billion
per year.
The government has really painted itself
into a corner on this one. It spent years
telling us about brains turning into fried
eggs and meanwhile we just got hungry!
As a result, when they now try to warn
us about something truly dangerous, we
dont listen!

The US has always been the biggest dog
on the block when it comes to dictating
drug policy, but its time to admit the
plan isnt working. The War on Drugs has
turned into an industry, a job creation
scheme thats just lining peoples pockets;
the CIA has even run the stuff to top up
its funds when they needed it. On top of
that theres only a 10% seizure rate a
private corporation would have fired its
executives for this kind of performance. If
they really wanted to protect us from dan-
gerous substances, better to start with
education. Tell the truth about drugs, the
positive along with the negative. It is so
cynical to condone the sale of alcohol, a
drug that makes us stupid and kills mil-
lions, and then deny us the right to use
Cannabis. Isnt it about time an adult took
over and sorted out this mess?

Drugs have been a part of our culture for
thousands of years. A large proportion of
art and culture wouldnt exist it if werent
for drugs. Great thinkers, artists, writers and
musicians have all experimented with mind-
altering substances; it is part of the creative
process. We should have the right to control
what we put into our own bodies and be
free to explore altered states of conscious-
ness. We do it all the time with medita-
tion; mind expanding drugs are just another
facet of this experience. Consciousness-
expanding drugs (particularly Cannabis)
combined with a healthy lifestyle can actu-
ally open doors to new levels of awareness.

Youd think the government would wake
up to the tax dollar potential on this one,
especially during a recession. In a country
that willingly spends more money on illegal
drugs than it does on food, does it make
sense to continue fighting a losing battle?

Drug cartels grow powerful off the trade
and their profits are flowing freely into
the financial world, buying them influ-
ence and power that could one day rival
the government itself. Destroy one car-
tel and another fills its place. To defeat
the cartels you must remove the profit.
Of the billions the drug trade creates,
only a small proportion ends up back in
the producing country. Add the billions
governments spend fighting it, plus the
crime and health costs, and youve got an
astronomical sum. Back in the producing
countries the drugs themselves actually
cost a fraction of the total trade. In this
there is a clue to a new approach. Its time
to draw a line separating the harmless
drugs from the dangerous ones and focus
on the latter.

Thirty years ago Khun Sa, the Burmese
drug lord, offered the United States his
total opium production for five years in
exchange for 30 million dollars. A paltry
sum for keeping eighty percent of the
What if?
IT SEEMS THAT MORE PEOPLE DIE FROM TOBACCO-RELATED ILLNESSES IN ONE YEAR
THAN THE TOTAL DRUG DEATHS IN THE LAST HUNDRED YEARS
By ORiodon
heroin off the streets. The offer was turned
down, so the opium was refined into hero-
in and shipped to America realizing many
times that amount, along with untold
crime and misery. Khun Sas response was
that his people had to eat and, in the jun-
gles of Burma, nothing else would grow.

The world drug trade is now measured in
trillions of dollars per year; for a fraction
of that sum governments could buy the
crops at source and put them to better use
or destroy them. A few years ago there
was a worldwide shortage of morphine,
yet in that same year Afghanistan had a
bumper crop of opium (opium is turned
into morphine before it becomes heroin).
The entire crop was refined and ended up
on the streets of the west as heroin!

If we want to solve the problem we have
to admit that addiction is an illness and
not a crime. Take the addicts out of the
hands of the dealers. Science has already
proven that some people carry an addic-
tion gene, so locking them up is not going
to solve the problem. Heroin and cocaine
should be provided under controlled cir-
cumstances; this would reduce crime and
improve health, as its often their adulter-
ants that do the damage. Holland decrimi-
nalized Cannabis a while back, separating
it from hard drugs and running a success-
ful heroin program that has seen a reduc-
tion in addiction and a general falling off
of the hard drug trade. Obviously this is
the route to follow if governments genu-
inely what to help people.

Because Cannabis is (mostly) illegal and
expensive, prescription drug abuse is the
major problem among the young in the
US today. These are more addictive and
dangerous than the generally considered
illegal drugs. If Cannabis was freely avail-
able, perhaps people wouldnt resort to
dangerous prescription drugs. Lets face it
you dont see many Cannabis overdoses
in the ER.

Media scare tactics also have a lot to do
with the present situation. Millions travel
everyday in cars; however, only the acci-
dents get reported. So it is with drugs:
millions get high every day in a respon-
sible safe way and have good time. An
idiot jumps off a building on acid and the
media claims all drug users are destined
to do the same. Its time the powers-that-
be grew up; we have.
POPPIES THAT WILL SOON BE SHIPPED TO THE WEST AS HEROIN
THE CARTELS BILLIONS IN PROFIT MARIJUANA LAWS PLACE ONE MORE BEHIND BARS
42
ANCIENT HISTORY
Historically women were very involved
with plant care and cultivation we may
well have learned the secrets of plants
before men, and enjoyed the power such
knowledge would bring. As was com-
mon with highly significant plants, many
Cannabis-worshiping goddess cults once
existed; some, such as the faithfuls of
the Hindu goddess Kali, continue their
use today in certain rituals. Other god-
desses associated with Cannabis include
the Egyptian goddesses Seshat and Bast,
Ashera of Canaanite mythology, Freya
of the Norse pantheon, the Titaness and
mother of the principal Greek gods Rhea,
and the Chinese Hemp Maid (and pro-
tector of females) Ma Gu. Many great
mother goddesses are strongly linked to
Cannabis or hemp.
Marijuana, when correctly used, is said to
exert a leveling influence on the genders
until something close to equality may
be achieved. It puts men in touch with
their feminine sides or, at least, their spir-
itual, meditative sides. Therefore for the
male mystic and seeker of enlightenment
its always been useful; whereas for the
aggressive and domineering personal-
ity type the effects are often detrimental.
Unification of yin and yang, it is said, is the
key to spiritual transcendence: the Hindu
Lord Shiva, whose May celebrations have
long been associated with harvest and
consumption of Bhang, is also the god
who is both male and female.
Many of the old Pagan gods and god-
desses are now forgotten. Its not univer-
sally applicable, but it seems the emphasis
in most young monotheistic religions is
more on wine than on weed. Possible
tentative quotes in the Bible have been
postulated as referring to Cannabis, but
definite repeated references to wine per-
sist throughout, at least in translations
with which we are familiar. While replac-
ing sacramental use of Cannabis with that
of alcohol may not necessarily have been
the primary objective in the destruction of
the cults, it could definitely be argued that
it was a by-product. Aggressive, imperial-
istic cultures certainly have far more use
for alcohol than for Cannabis.
Similarly, it seems that the effect of Islam,
another masculine monotheistic religion
(even if it abhors alcohol), has caused
or perpetuated the trend of side-lining
women in the Cannabis industry in Muslim
countries. Who knows, maybe money and
the way that modern business operates is
to blame. But theres a striking difference
between the legendary hash-making
matriarchs of Malana (where pantheistic
Hinduism has obviously persisted) and
the fact that Moroccan women are just
not involved in traditional hash-making
there. Maybe its just money; but money,
masculinity, monotheism, and modern
issues seem to be inextricable.
As possibly the worlds most important
cash crop, it is extremely telling that
women have been excluded from the
Cannabis market. It is laughable that the
same old fear of female empowerment
should persist in this day and age, but
hey, its ubiquitous, we just have to deal
with it, right?
We need to look back to the time of the
monotheistic takeover to see how the dis-
enfranchisement of women in the weed
world took place. As monotheism spread,
so did the beginnings of capitalism, and
the switch from traditional methods of
producing and marketing commodities
such as Cannabis to new, larger-scale tech-
niques occurred. As profits increased, so
did levels of violence, sparking the vicious
circle leading to alienation of women, as
production of Cannabis was now danger-
ous, mans work. For the powers involved,
organized religion served as a tool for
indoctrination of required ideals, and
helped by providing scriptural precedent
for the roles of men and women to
reinforce new capitalist ideals of separa-
tion of labor according to gender. In areas
where production is much more limited
and methods are traditional and small-
scale, such as Malana, the need to exclude
women has perhaps not been so pressing.
I cant help but prefer Malanas arrange-
ment and I wish that it could be applied
universally. Its tragic (and not necessary)
that we as a species have reached a point
where we can no longer sustain ourselves
through traditional farming methods, not
just of Cannabis but every important crop.
Im not alone in my conviction that large-
scale monoculture in farming is destroy-
ing swathes of the environment, and its
crucial to embrace something closer to
our ancestors ways if we are to ensure our
survival on this planet. It requires a com-
plete cultural shift away from the violent,
profiteering ways we currently rejoice in,
as we cant seem to separate this profit
from environmental destruction.
Equal participation from both genders is
vital to a sustainable future that is truly
in balance with our environment. During
the years in which the balance of power
and wealth has been so firmly weighted
towards the masculine side, we have seen
the balance that humans have histori-
cally enjoyed with our ecosystem become
so dangerously misaligned that we are
at risk of causing massive disruption, to
ourselves and everything else that we
depend on for survival. Perhaps balance
with our ecosystem simply cannot be
achieved without balance between the
two halves of our species.
Religion has a purpose: to guide society
and establish who power belongs to. If
we could do without it entirely, I for one
would be overjoyed, but it seems that even
in this rational age its hold is tenacious. If
we must look for divine guidance, lets at
least give the older gods and goddesses
a chance. Religions that teach harmony
with nature are better served to protect
nature (than those teaching that the mor-
tal world belongs to Satan); following such
principles, society will surely then begin to
re-accept female power and significance.
Marijuana Smoke of the Goddesses?
THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE CANNABIS GODDESS CULT
During my years researching the history of Cannabis, Ive noticed
something: in many places, within similar historic time-scales, use of
Cannabis was strongly linked to Goddess worship. Theres an obvious
link between the rise of male-dominated monotheistic religions and
the destruction of the feminine deity. This ties in so strongly with the
drive to eradicate Cannabis use throughout the world that I wonder if
the one could have been achieved without the other. Furthermore, this
attempt to stamp out the feminine side of religion (and culture and
power itself) has led to a massive imbalance not only within our spe-
cies but within the ways we interact with our environment. Kali Mist
RICHARD DAVIS, CURATOR OF THE USA HEMP MUSEUM 17 THE ENERGETIC EVOLUTION OF CANNABIS: WHY IS THIS SPECIAL PLANT SO KEEN TO ADAPT? 33
SESHAT DEPICTED WITH WHAT
SOME ARGUE IS A SEVEN-POINTED
HEMP LEAF ON HER HEADDRESS
( EGYPTARCHIVE.CO.UK)
THE MOTHER GODDESS HERSELF, KALI-MA: THE FUNDAMENTAL
FEMININE LIFE-FORCE, WHOSE DEVOTEES USE CANNABIS IN THEIR
RITUALS TO THIS DAY ( RICHARD B GODFREY)
44
MUSIC REVIEWS
Creation Rebel Starship Africa ONU SOUND
Re-released as part of the ongoing 30th anniversary celebrations of the On-U Sound
label, Creation Rebels Starship Africa is the greatest sci-fi dub soundtrack never put to
film. Produced and arranged by Adrian Sherwood and created by some of the greats
from the On-U stable of musicians (including Doctor Pablo, Crucial Tony, Style Scott and
Eskimo Fox), it is one of the finest moments of British Dub. Compared to acts as far afield
as Tangerine Dream and the Grateful Dead, Starship Africa is a truly psychedelic dub expe-
rience, spread over just two tracks (albeit broken
down into five- and four movements apiece), that
stands among the most intriguing of Sherwoods
early work. This album is a criminally underrated
masterpiece and essential headphone listening.
ORIGINALLY RELEASED ON THE LABEL IN 1982,
THIS NEW EDITION ALSO INCLUDES FOUR
BONUS TRACKS PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED
OUTSIDE OF JAPAN. DON YA LIDS, BUILD UP A
BIGGEE AND SPACE RIGHT OUT!
DJ Shakra & Mandjou Kon Wamian - DJ Shakra Maian Mix GARDEN HOUSE RECORDS
Released on 12vinyl, this latest project from San Francisco-based Audiokin Design is destined to inspire and uplift the dance floors across both clubs and
festivals this summer, and beyond. A collaboration between Malian singer Mandjou Kon and master percussionist Ben Issacs (co-written, produced and
arranged by David Jenkins) the song is dedicated to Mandjous great great great grandfather who was the Michael Jackson of Mali. Wamian reportedly
lived until he was over 120 years old.
Mandjou Kon was born and raised in West Africa in the countries of Mali and Burkina Faso. She was born into the Kons, a well-known Griot family. The
Griot people of West Africa are world renowned for their unique ability to record events carefully and accurately, passing history from one generation to
the next. One cannot learn to become a Griot; rather one is born into it, along with the responsibility to preserve the culture.
As a young girl, Mandjou assisted her Griot father in keeping his band alive by singing, dancing and playing instruments like the djembe, bala, dundun,
kora and tama. She also danced and performed with the National Ballet of Burkina Faso. With her brothers group Surutukunu, Mandjou toured Europe
extensively as lead singer; she was then invited to come to the United States to help translate a documentary about the last 40 years of her familys musical
tradition and history. The film, entitled Great Great Great Grandparents Music, went on to win several awards from the Pan-African movie world.
A PROPELLING AND DELICIOUSLY DEEP ACID BASS LINE, AIDED BY DEFTLY SHAPED ELECTRONICA, FLOWS NATURALLY AND EFFORTLESSLY WITH TRADITIONAL PERCUSSION (SUCH
AS THE BALAPHON) CREATING SHIMMERING WAVES OF RHYTHM. THE POTENTLY BEAUTIFUL VOICE OF MANDJOU BLOWS SURE WIND TO THE SAILS. WHILE IT MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE,
FOR SOME YEARS AT LEAST, TO UNDERSTAND EXACTLY HER WORDS, THE ESSENCE OF THIS COMPELLING AND REMARKABLE AFRICAN PAST REVERBERATES THROUGHOUT THE SONG,
TRIGGERING POWERFUL VISUAL IMAGES AND A FEELING OF HAPPINESS AND HARMONY.
Including two monster remixes by B. Smiley and DJ Majitope along with a dub mix from DJ Shakra, this is a sonic connection to our archaic phuture!
Pablo Fully Baked SELFISH RECORDINGS
Los Angeles-based artist and lover of everything psychedelic, Pablo releases his third
album Fully Baked a true mind bending explosion of style, tone and color, a little
akin to the infamous 1960s album White Noise.
Created as an alternative to consensus reality, multi-instrumentalist Paul Pablo
Thomas was sickened by the media obsession with celebrity culture. Playing most of
the instruments himself including guitars, sitar, organ, Meinl Helix Bowl and percus-
sion the album is a roller coaster ride through a gamut of genres, from acid rock
and garage through blissed-out ambience and trance, into
psychedelic folk (with a cover version of Jerry Garcias Bird
Song). Theres even a strangely atmospheric take on 1950s
rock n roll tune Got My Mojo Working.
TWISTING AND TURNING LIKE THE CHANGING PHASES
OF AN ACID TRIP, FULLY BAKED OFFERS A COMPLETE
PSYCHEDELIC EXPERIENCE. HOLD ON TIGHT!
Compilation Delta Swamp Rock - Sounds from the South:
At the Crossroads of Rock, Country and Soul
SOUL JAZZ RECORDS
Soul Jazz really is a music lovers label. Every compilation, whatever the genre, reach-
es right into the heart of the matter always drawing together top class material. This
double CD pack, accompanied by a 68-page book of background information and
insight (along with some excellent photographic material) is certainly no exception.
DELTA SWAMP ROCK IS AN INTERSTATE SOUTHERN ROAD-TRIP THROUGH THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WHERE COUNTRY, ROCK AND SOUL MET AT THE
CROSSROADS AN EXPLORATION OF THE MUSICAL AND CULTURAL LINKS
BETWEEN THE CITIES OF MEMPHIS, MUSCLE SHOALS AND NASHVILLE IN THE
1960S AND 70S.
Featuring Lynyrd Skynyrd, Cher,
Link Wray, Linda Ronstadt,
Waylon Jennings, Johnny
Cash and many more, this is
an impeccable collection of
Southern Rock: the musical
representation of a post-civil
rights southern identity, com-
plete with a celebration of the
regions natural landscape and
way of life. Grey Reverend Of The Days MOTION AUDIO
The latest artist to be championed by Jason Swinscoes Motion Audio imprint will
be familiar to fans of The Cinematic Orchestra. Brooklyn based L.D. Brown (AKA Grey
Reverend) had a chance meeting with Swinscoe shortly after the Cinematics main man
had relocated to NYC. Impressed by his material he asked Reverend to supply a cover
version of To Build A Home. Swinscoe liked the resulting mix so much that Grey Reverend
began to tour with TCO, singing with them and performing his own material in support.
Now, four years on, Brown releases his first album, Of The Days, with Swinscoes
new label. Brown performs his songs primarily as a soloist, using acoustic guitar
and voice to convey his music to his audience. THE DEVILISH DETAIL WITHIN THE
SONGS CREATES FLASHES OF ALLEGORY,
IN WHICH FAMILIAR SENTIMENTS
SIMULTANEOUSLY COMFORT AND
UNNERVE THE SENSES. COMPELLING
AND POSITIVELY AMBIGUOUS, WITH
REVERENCE FOR THE GRAY, UNDEFINED
AREAS OF STYLE, HIS SONGS ARE
UNCONCERNED WITH MUSICAL OR
SOCIAL EXPECTATIONS. THEY SIT
COMPLETELY OUTSIDE OF TIME AND
FASHION, THE BEAUTY AND SIMPLICITY
OF HIS VOICE ENOUGH TO CARRY THEM.
By Kaz Peet
45
EDITORIAL
After the initial meeting, Mary Jane and
I went our separate ways for a while, but
we began to run into each other now
and again soon after, and by the time I
was sixteen we were inseparable. I guess
it was the group I was hanging with that
really brought us together; but even at
our first meeting, aged eleven, I had a
feeling I couldnt quite define, that we
were going to be close. I guess we just
had so much in common from the start.
My dreamy, abstract nature was per-
fectly complimented by my new friends
exquisite capacity to express the most
complex of ideas, and our gangs con-
versations during those stoned summer
evenings could have healed the world.
I look back on those days with nostalgia,
my accumulated cynicism now informing
me that those so-called revelations are
nothing new. They are simply a part of
growing up to be a thinker, and a thinker
should also be a doer. So what went
wrong? How is it that my new friend led
me astray instead of down the path to
enlightenment, seemingly so inevitable
and so total at the time? Why did my
unshakeable beliefs become so shaken?
Why is it that instead of feeling that my
thoughts can change society, right now
its enough to just live a quiet life and put
a roof over my head?
Granted, life has taught me harsh lessons
and increased my sense of caution. But
life had already gotten to me well before
I encountered weed, and at first it truly
helped me to cope.
But, as the cliche I refused to believe in
goes, too much of anything is a bad thing.
One must never make oneself too availa-
ble. To a lover, a friend, or a powerful drug,
which many users fail to truly comprehend
Cannabis is. Too much constant emotional
intensity drains whoever is involved until
the relationship becomes unhealthy and
stagnant. An enduring, positive exchange
of energies can only happen when each
participant is given time to re-invigorate
between encounters.
So: after becoming emotionally depend-
ent and even moving to Amsterdam to
be near her, I began to abuse weed by
being constantly stoned, on waking and
immediately prior to sleep. A vicious circle
of depression and inner conflict ensued
that took five years to climb out of. I lost all
confidence, the thoughts I was initially try-
ing to quell became more insistent in their
demands for my attention, and, due to the
introspective nature of marijuana, I spent
hours wrapped up in dangerous thought
processes that caused serious damage
to my health (both mental and physical).
Of course I do not lay the blame for this
only on weed. However, if a person is
susceptible to certain thought processes,
marijuana can act as a powerful amplifier.
I was and still am extremely sus-
ceptible to introspection; when nega-
tive thoughts abound, perpetuated by
constant marijuana use, reality ends up
feeling like a permanent bad dream. The
courage in my convictions and actions I
was feeling when I first began to smoke
had been entirely replaced by fear: that I
was a weak and useless person, that the
future could only be terrible, and that the
world was full of horrors. The voice in me,
which had always told me how wonder-
ful I was, began to sound sad, pathetic,
and ashamed of even trying. But it still
piped up occasionally.
One day, something changed. Im sure
the process was gradual, but it felt very
sudden one day I felt I wanted to kill
myself; the next I felt full of a boundless
energy and hope that I somehow knew
was not going to fade away into more
depression. It was too strong, too new,
too vital for my survival for me to keep
that feeling alive. I dont know exactly
what precise circumstances surrounded
this moment, but I do know that it hap-
pened during a day where I wasnt com-
pletely stoned from start to finish, and
having that gap in the weed-induced
haze enabled the clarity that sparked off
the crucial thought process. I knew then
that I did not need to be stoned all day,
every day life, in fact, was and always
had been sufficient, and that I did not
need to fear anything. My future is now
full of promise, and Im starting to make
some truly ambitious plans again. Im
back to the real me.
I know Im far from being alone in going
through these experiences. Many peo-
ple I know will reach a crisis point such
as the one I describe, and at that point
they completely stop their Cannabis use.
They feel that the are crazy, paranoid,
and losing control. But they need to
remind themselves as my small posi-
tive voice still managed to occasionally
achieve in me that they have become
dependent on a powerful, unpredictable
drug that must be used with respect
and in moderation. When used in such a
manner, there is no reason to totally cut
Confessions of a Cannabis Junkie
OR, WHY CUTTING DOWN IS A GREAT IDEA
Since my elder brother first thrust a nugget under my nose at the age
of eleven, Ive had a fascination with weed that borders on unhealthy.
Tobacco, alcohol, and all the rest: I can take em or leave em, and I
have done, quite enthusiastically, at certain points in my life but,
like a not-entirely-suitable lover, it is marijuana thats always been
the thing that I have found hard to shake off, the one I crave when I
wake up at 4AM and cannot sleep, and the only one I still find myself
wanting to be near every hour of every day.... By Kali Mist
oneself off from its benefits. Those initial
reasons to fall in love with Mary Jane still
hold true: but are so powerful in them-
selves they open the doors to whats
really inside ones head that they must
always be approached with caution, and
only when one is strong enough to pre-
vent overuse becoming the pattern.
Now that I know how to maintain my
game plan and stand on my own two feet
without her, weve gotten back to having
the easy-going carefree vibe we used to
have way back when. The slate has been
wiped clean; weve made a few ground-
rules which will prevent this whole sorry
situation ever happening again. Me, Im
getting back to those plans to take over
the world that have been gathering dust
in the attic for the last few years. This time
I know how Mary Jane can help.
IT IS MARIJUANA THATS ALWAYS BEEN THE THING
THAT I HAVE FOUND HARD TO SHAKE OFF
ONE DAY I FELT I WANTED TO KILL MYSELF; THE
NEXT I FELT FULL OF A BOUNDLESS ENERGY AND HOPE
IN AMSTERDAM, CONSTANT AVAILABILITY DOES
NOT HELP WHEN TRYING TO DISCIPLINE ONESELF
WITH SO MUCH VARIETY, THERES ALWAYS
AN EXCUSE TO ROLL ANOTHER ONE
OUTDOOR GROWING / INDEX OF ADS / COLOFON
46
Colophon Index of ads
Name Page
Advanced Seeds 1
All American Healing Group 43
Apothecary 420 35
Attitude the 2
Attitude the 4
Best Price Evaluations 32
Devils Harvest Seed Company the 23
Dinafem Seeds 16
Ganja Juice 11
Green Door the 49
Higher Level 28
Letgrow.net 1
Paradise Seeds 1
Royal Queen Seeds 47
Sensible Seeds 43
Serious Seeds 40
Sweet Seeds 1
Sweet Seeds 8
Vapors 40
Soft Secrets USA is published by
Discover Publishers USA, Inc
Century Park Plaza
1801 Century Park East, 24th floor / Suite 2400
Los Angeles, CA 90067
E-mail: usa@softsecrets.nl
Editor in chief: Kristie Szalanski
Contributors: Grubbycup, Buddy Kush,
Kali Mist, Robert Michael, The Sativa Diva,
Lazystrain, ORiodon, F.Red, Kaz Peet, et al.
Translations: Jules Marshall
Comic: Hys Deli by oz.
Editorial adress:
E-mail: kristie@softsecrets.nl
Advertisements: Jessica
Telephone: +1-661-333 3151
E-mail: jessica@softsecrets.nl
Distribution by:
P.A.I.N. Distribution
Carlos Garcia
Circulation Manager
www.magazinedistribution.org
Telephone: +1-310-488-1911
A word from the publisher:
To the chagrin of the US Federal Government,
almost half of the states have embarked on a
process of relative liberalization towards the
use of Cannabis, and Cannabis activists are
engaged in broadening this progression. Some
townships, mayors and police chiefs on a
local level now actively support a compassion
club distribution system as a way of separating
recreational stoners from the people who legiti-
mately need therapeutic help, simultaneously
decreasing the number of unnecessary arrests.

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

In the meantime, the publisher hopes Soft
Secrets will expose the positive aspects of the
normalization of Cannabis use to the public,
and is excited to offer a forum to both pro-
and anti-legalization advocates. Soft Secrets
forums operate under the assumption that the
publisher does not necessarily agree with the
views and opinions expressed in articles and
advertisements therein. The publisher therefore
distances himself explicitly from statements or
images that might give the impression that an
endorsement is being made for the illicit use or
production of Cannabis. Soft Secrets does not
advocate breaking any laws, whether local-,
state-, Federal or international.
Nothing from this publication may be copied
or reproduced in any format without prior
permission from the publisher and other copy-
right holders. The publisher is not responsible
for the content and/or point of view of adver-
tisements. The editors take no responsibility
for unsolicited submissions.
Soft Secrets USA 4/11 out:
August 13
th
, 2011
If you love building meaningful, high-
value relationships and you are a success-
ful (ad) sales executive, then Soft Secrets
wants to speak with you.
Founded 20 years ago in the Netherlands,
Soft Secrets publishes the worlds leading
medical marijuana magazine in eleven
European countries and in the USA.
Are you
- Located ln the San Pranclsco Area.
- |ndependent and experlenced ln the
Medical Marijuana Industry.
SOFT SECRETS USA IS LOOKING FOR
A GR8 SALES REPRESENTATIVE
We want you!
You may not be fortunate enough to be
a homeowner, or able to enjoy a lush,
rolling lawn or fertile vegetable patch. If
you, like many, are stuck in a suburban (or
worse, downtown) location and hungering
for your own outdoor weed plants, dont
despair. A tiny balcony can perfectly suit
your purposes.
Of course outdoor cultivation is more difficult
for some, especially with the patchwork pro-
gress currently being made across the coun-
try with regards to legalization. However, all
the plants need to thrive are a good location
(plenty of sun and wind; good soil), water and
organic plant nutrition.
Environment
Small plastic collapsible greenhouses are
often available at home improvement
stores, traditionally sold to protect garden-
ers tender shoots in the colder months.
These are perfect to squeeze into your
square meter of outdoor growing space,
and can help to prevent infestation, protect
against cold snaps and shield the plants
from the whipping wind.
Of course, if the summer sun gets too hot,
the greenhouse may need to be removed
to prevent heat stress. While the plants
love a well-lit, south-facing spot, too much
sun can burn the leaves and decimate
seedlings. The wind may be too strong on
higher floors, but dont spoil or protect
the plants: the wind naturally ventilates
the plants (helping them to breathe) and
strengthens the plants stalk by stimulating
cellulose production, leading to nice, thick
stems. Wind can even pop those nasty
predators off of the leaves and branches.
Food
Balcony plants tend to be on the smaller
side (think of a fish tank), perfect for those
attempting to avoid detection and the
lazy! Since the plants are smaller, be care-
ful that you dont overfeed especially if
youre used to growing indoors or large
patches outdoors. In addition to the usual
adjustment of nutrients per strain you may
find that the plants simply dont eat or
drink as much due to their stunted size and
pampered life. Conversely, a warm spell
can double their water demands.
The equipment necessary for balcony
growing makes it a preferred method for
those with not only limited space, but
also limited funds. All you need are a few
different-sized flower pots (the smallest
for seedlings; transplant to slightly larger
pots every few weeks, only during veg),
some good organic soil and nutes for the
seedlings and plants, and clean water (pH
5.8-6.8). Treat these plants as you would
your prized tomatoes.
Hygiene
Its not easy to keep outdoor grows clean.
However, as long as you sterilize the space
beforehand and attempt to maintain
basic cleaning routines, you should antici-
pate few problems. Occasionally there is
an infestation in a particular neighbor-
hood, such as spider mites or aphids, and
the plants cannot be saved. However, you
have the benefit of both rain and wind on
your balcony, which will help to keep the
plants clean.
In addition, you should sterilize your pots
and other equipment between grows. If
you end up with bugs, always shower and
wash your gardening clothes immediately
to prevent cross-contamination.
With little space and limited effort, your
balcony could be a sea of green!
Balcony Babes:
Fill Your Place
in the Sun with
Shades of Green
Stuck in a high-rise apartment
building? With the warmer
months upon us, why not take
advantage of your (limited)
outdoor space and fill your
little balcony with beautiful
ganja plants? The Sativa Diva
IF YOU LIVE IN A COLDER CLIMATE,
YOU CAN START YOUR SEEDLINGS
INDOORS TO PROTECT THEM,
MOVING THEM OUTSIDE WHEN THE
NIGHT FROSTS HAVE STOPPED
STREETLIGHTS WILL PREVENT
THE PLANTS FROM FLOWERING
PROPERLY. BLOCK OUT THE LIGHT!
Then please contact us at
marc@softsecrets.nl. Please mail us your
resume and salary requirements.