Cannabis:

A Compilation

December 19 2009
 Some Words
Hello to all you cannabis growers and tokers!
I want to take this page to say a few words. First I need
to say thank you to the entire cannabis community. I’m hon-
ored to be part of this great group of people. Next thank you
to the online community. If it wasn’t for sites like overgrow I
would have never grown my own cannabis. Particularly thank
you to all the people who have posted quality, detailed, and
helpful information on the internet. Your knowledge has led
many hopeful growers to bountiful crops of some of the best
cannabis. Without your DIY threads and grow journals many
of us would be lost.
Now let me explain what this whole book/file thing is
about. During my years of growing I’ve always gone to the fo-
rums to find answers to my questions. Sometimes it can take
a little longer than I would like, wading through all the post with little information. I thought maybe I would copy
all of the most useful information that I’ve found and put it in PDF form. This way I could just include the infor-
mation, allowing myself and others to look back through the PDF as a reference. This was one of the reasons I
decided to create this. The book is NOT intended as a replacement for the forums. Please check the online com-
munities regularly for the most up to date information.
The other reason is to try to preserve the best information in another format other than the forums and
websites that host the original material. As I’m sure you’ve heard of a site called overgrow was shut down a sev-
eral years ago and a lot of information was lost or only partially
recovered. This PDF should aid in the preservation of cannabis
knowledge.
Let me note that this book will not just contain grow in-
formation. I would like it to contain anything cannabis related,
from the vocabulary, to the medicinal effects, all the way to legal
issues. I want this to be a go to resource to people just entering
the cannabis world and for old time tokers.
This is going to be a continuing project, carried out by
myself, alone. So please be patient in waiting for updates to the
book. I want to try to keep it as up to date as possible, but we all
have our lives outside of cannabis and the internet. Updates may
happen once a month or once a year, but I will do my best to keep
releasing this as I find more up to date and useful knowledge.
Finally I will currently be releasing this as a torrent on de-
monoid and as a pdf on scribd.com. Future means of release will
be announced here. If you find this the least bit useful please
spread the file by any means.

Peace & Love - Phr3

 How To Use This Book (Effectively)

To get the most out of this book you should know how to use it properly. I’ve put the book together as a refer-
ence book rather than a read from beginning to end read. Of course you could read it beginning to end, and
maybe this is best if your a beginner, but if your looking for a specific topic then reading from beginning to end
would be time consuming. So first let’s look at how to find what your looking for.

When looking for a specific topic you will need to know what category it is in. This book will divided into several
main categories and then within these main categories will be sub categories. The main categories are:

Cannabis History & Culture

Consuming Cannabis
Growing Cannabis
Medical Cannabis
Legal Issues
Glossary

There will be no table of contents within the book though so you must listen carefully here if you wish to find
something. This book should be read with a PDF reader which allows the use of bookmarks. If you look through
the book marks you will see these 5 categories. If you expand on category you will see the sub categories. Finally
if you expand the sub categories you will see the individual articles within.

Let’s say your looking for info on carbon filters. You would expand the “Growing Cannabis” category, then expand
a sub category like “security.” Then you would look through the articles to find one’s about carbon filters. In the
future there may be so much information that even the sub categories will need sub categories, but for now it
should be fairly simple.

Another way to find specific information is to use a PDF reader which will let you search the document. You could
then search for “carbon” or “carbon filter” and click through to see where the word appears. This may be a little
more time consuming in the future as articles not directly related to the search term may contain the words.

The book will also include a glossary of words/slang used both in speech and on the internet that is related to
cannabis. There may also be unrelated cannabis terms, but only if they frequently appear in threads and are dif-
ficult to understand.

One last note on using the book. Within the articles themselves you may see different colored text. At the mo-
ment I’m only using black, blue, and red. The black text is the main content, or what the original poster has
posted. The blue text is relevant information posted by people other than the original poster. Say in a thread
someone ask a question about why the original poster added so much perlite to the soil. Then the original poster
replied back with an explanation. I’ve decided to included the question and the answer so it’s more clear for
everyone. Lastly red text are comments of my own. This may be a further explanation that I think is needed, or
it could simply be a citation of where the original content was found. If I feel the need to put some of my own
words in I will put it in red text so it’s clear that it’s my view.

Now that you understand how to use this book in the most efficient way, set out on an information journey!
Cannabis History & Culture
 Inside Cannabis Castle!!!
The incredible story of the man who would be King of Cannabis
By Steven Hager

The Importance of Seeds

It is Thursday, November 6, 1986, and Nevil has just returned from his daily pilgrimage to a nearby post office. It
is raining lightly and a cold breeze blows off the Rhine River. Although the sun made a brief appearance early in
the day, it has since been obliterated by massive, billowing clouds.

As Nevil enters his house, he is assaulted by his watchdog, Elka. He climbs the stairs to his living room, flops on
an old couch, and starts opening his mail. “Breeding is a matter of bending nature to your will,” he says while
drawing a toke on a joint of Skunk #1. “There’s not a coffee shop in Holland that can produce better weed than
this. But I don’t sell it. I give it away---or I throw it away.”

In a few short years, Nevil has made an incredible transformation from penniless junkie to wealthy entrepreneur.
Although he’s an effective and efficient businessman, marijuana is his business, so things are run a bit differently
around here than at most companies. For example, resinous buds of exotic types of cannabis are strewn haphaz-
ardly about the room, as are large chunks of hash and bags filled with seeds.

Nevil is a displaced Australian of Dutch heritage, and has a quiet, understated sense of humor. He lives in relative
seclusion on his estate, breeding marijuana, playing pool, watching video, waiting patiently for his many canna-
bis experiments to bear fruit. He has his doubts about the future of the marijuana business in the Netherlands,
but these doubts are likely to disappear in a whiff of smoke whenever he samples a new, successful hybrid.

“In the beginning I was quite keen for people to come here and visit me, but I found it takes large amounts of
my time,” he says. “I have to sit around and smoke with them. Now it has to be someone worthwhile, someone
who has a large project in mind. Most American growers are looking for the same thing: strong, overpowering,
two-toke indica with huge yields. My number one seller is Northern Lights.”

After the mail has been sorted and delivered to the in-house accountant, Nevil visits the basement to inspect
his prize plants. The doors to four grow rooms are wide open, disclosing the blinding glare of dozens of sodium
and halide lights. Powerful exhaust fans circulate the air, and the smell of cannabis is overpowering. Three of the
rooms are devoted to seedlings, while the largest contains 40 flowering females in their spectacular resinous
glory.

It’s no secret that an explosion of indoor marijuana propagation has taken place in America: grow stores are
sprouting across the nation and sodium and halide lights are selling faster than Christmas trees in December. The
reason for this sudden interest in indoor growing is no secret either; for the past two years high-quality mari-
juana has been nearly impossible to find---unless, of course, one personally knows a grower. But any pot farmer
will tell you good equipment does not guarantee a good harvest. The most important element, in fact, is good
seeds. And until recently, good seeds have been as rare as a $15 lid of Colombian gold.

Thanks to Nevil, however, this sad situation has changed. Every day letters pout into his post office box, letters
containing American dollars wrapped in carbon paper to avoid detection. The money is for seeds. Not ordinary
pot seeds, but the best, most potent seeds on the market, seeds that will grow gargantuan buds dripping with
resin, seeds that cost between $2 and $5 each.
Nevil’s seed factory has been in business for three years and is perfectly legal. The Dutch government views Nevil
as a legitimate, tax-paying businessman. Seed merchants are held in esteem in Holland, and even though Nevil is
something of a small fry by seed merchant standards, he is a protected national asset nonetheless. Last year his
company supplied $500,000 worth of seeds to 15,000 American growers. If you smoked high-quality marijuana
sometime in the last three years, chances are good the buds were grown with Nevil’s stock.

There is a big difference between growing marijuana and breeding for quality. The best-known example of the
long-term effects of breeding are the cannabis indica plants that arrived in the united states in the ‘70s. For hun-
dreds of years indica plants were bred by Afghani farmers for disease resistance, early flowering, large buds, and
wide leaves. The strain was developed for hash production, but it was also useful for American growers who had
difficulty with sativa strains, most of which require longer growing cycles.

Ever since indica arrived in this country, breeders have been creating hybrids that take advantage of indica’s
hardiness and sativa’s clear, bell-like high. The results of these experiments first appeared at secret harvest festi-
vals in California, Oregon, and Washington. Then, in the early ‘80s, a legendary underground organization called
the Sacred Seed Company began distributing these remarkable hybrids. Nevil’s company, The Seed Bank, sells
many strains originally developed by the Sacred Seed Company, including the famed Skunk #1, Early Girl, and
California Orange. In the past three years, however, some of the most mind-blowing strains have come out of
the Pacific Northwest area: Northern Lights, University, Big Bud, and Hash Plant are adequate proof that Seattle
and Portland now hold the breeding crown. Needless to say, Nevil’s Seed Bank has obtained cuttings and seeds
of all these varieties and will soon be offering them for sale.

Who is Nevil and how did he come to found this amazing company? As usual, the truth is wilder than anything
HIGH TIMES could invent.

The Making of a Seed Merchant

The man who would be King of Cannabis is the son of Dutch migrants who settled in Perth, Australia, in 1954.
His father worked as an instructor for telephone technicians, while his mother became a counselor for unwed
mothers. They were adventurous, hardworking Catholics, and they raised their six children strictly, sending them
to Catholic schools.

“I wasn’t the most malleable child,” admits Nevil. “From an early age I had an aversion to authority. I was the
first-born, and I saw myself as a sort of path breaker for the rest of the children.”

Despite his rebellious nature, Nevil was intelligent enough to jump two years ahead of his peers, a leap that
resulted in his being the smallest in class. “I got beat up a lot,” he admits. “A typical day would start with the
teacher calling me up in front of the class to smell my breath. ‘Yep,’ she’d say, ‘you’ve been smoking.’ And I’d get
six of the best straight away. And that was just the start of the day! Usually a thing like that would put me into
a bad mood, so the rest of the day wasn’t much good either. It worked out I got the strap 900 times in one year,
the school record.”

Nevil was not your typical juvenile delinquent. At age seven, he began raising parakeets; two years later he
joined the Parakeet Society of Western Australia. “My best friend across the road got some parakeets,” he ex-
plains, “and I got extremely jealous. After he started breeding I became quite adamant I’d do the same.”

He eventually became friends with one of Australians leading parakeet breeders, bob graham. “I learned an aw-
ful lot from him,” he says. “He was a quadriplegic and he was incredibly intelligent.” Nevil learned Mendel’s laws
of breeding and began charting dominant, recessive, and intermediate traits for his birds (something he would
later do with cannabis plants). “I bought some of Graham’s stock and got immediate results,” he says. “When you
breed parakeets, you breed to an ideal. It’s like sculpting with genes.”

When he was 15, Nevil was sent to a state school and forced to repeat his third year of high school. Consequent-
ly, he caught up with his classmates in size. “I got into a few fights,” he says with a smile, “just to get back for all
the times I’d been beaten up.”

Although discipline at the school was considered harsh, it proved a cakewalk after catholic school. “the first time
I was brought before the headmaster to be punished, he made me hold out my hand and he tapped it twice with
a cane.” recalls Nevil. “I thought he was just aiming. I closed my eyes and waited for the real pain, but it never
came. I was quite shocked. I thought, ‘Well. Now I can do anything I want.’ I ignored dress code and dressed how
I pleased. That didn’t go over well and I managed to get kicked out within three months.”

He also discovered marijuana.

Nevil’s First High

“I had an American friend who suggested we buy some,” he says. “I remember thinking, ‘okay, I’m not scared.’
We both pretended we’d done it before, when in fact, neither of us had. After scoring from someone at school,
we went back to a shed outside his house. I volunteered to roll joints, even though I’d never done it before. There
were three of us and I rolled three joints, one for each of us, hahaha. It seemed logical at the time, still does,
actually, even though it was more normal to pass joints. But we didn’t know any better. It was Indonesian weed
and we got extremely ripped. I really liked the sense of time distortion---everything happened so slowly.”

There was plenty of high-quality reefer going around Australia, and to insure a steady supply for himself, Nevil
made the jump from smoker to dealer in a matter of weeks. Meanwhile to satisfy his parents, he found a legiti-
mate job.

“As long as I couldn’t be the pope, my mother wanted me to be a doctor or a veterinarian,” he says. “My father
didn’t see this as a possibility and just wanted me to get a job. Fortunately, I was offered work as a lab assistant
at a local university, which was semi-professional, eh? And I was working, so they were both satisfied.”

Nevil did well at the position. So well, in fact, that he was made acting head of the anatomy lab with responsibil-
ity for the operating room, animal room, and office. He was given the only set of keys to the drug cabinet and
placed in charge of ordering drugs when supplies ran low. For someone interested in sampling illicit chemicals,
it seemed like the perfect job.

“Having heard horror stories about cannabis and how horrible it was for you, I decided everyone in authority
lied about drugs,” says Nevil. “I knew cannabis wasn’t harmful. I concluded the harmful effects of other drugs
must be exaggerated as well. I started with barbiturates. I knew many people used them for sleeping tablets.
Eventually, I tried morphine. I was quite good at giving injections. There’s something very professional and doc-
tor like about giving yourself an injection. I had to inject rabbits and mice all the time, and if you can hit a vein
in a rabbit’s ear, you can hit any human vein. I veined the first time I tried. Morphine made me feel good. I had
friends who were already addicted to heroin and they encouraged me. Soon, I had a bag filled with tablets, pills,
and chemicals of all sorts from the lab.” Unfortunately for Nevil, this situation was not destined to last. Within a
few months, he was arrested for drug possession. And it didn’t take long for the police to figure out where the
drugs had come from.

The head of the anatomy department suggested Nevil be sent to a treatment center. His parents agreed and had
their son committed to a university psychiatric ward for six weeks. “I wasn’t addicted at the time,” says Nevil.
“I used far too large a variety of ingestible to become addicted to any one thing. After I was released I had the
option of working part-time at the University---to build up my position again. But, uh, I felt the stigma of being a
known user. It was a bit unbearable. So I left and started hanging around with people who supplied smack. Even
though I started shooting smack, I never sold it. I just sold weed.”

One day Nevil woke up with a terrific backache. His hips and the base of his spine hurt terribly. He went to a doc-
tor and was given some pain pills, which proved useless. The doctor couldn’t find anything wrong. Nevil went
home and the pain still wouldn’t go away. “Then I realized, ‘Shit, I’m addicted,’” he says. “It was quite a substan-
tial shock even though I knew it had to come eventually.” He enrolled in a methadone program, which proved
to be an extremely dehumanizing experience. “They made me beg for drugs,” he says. “I didn’t like that. I was
scoring weed in Melbourne and shipping it back in huge speakers, telling people I was in a band. I was making
what seemed like a huge sum of money---$5,000 a week.”

Unfortunately, Nevil gave a free sample to a girl who was later arrested by the police. The girl identified Nevil as
her supplier and a long court case ensued, one that eventually reached the Australian version of the Supreme
Court. Throughout the trial, Nevil was enrolled in a methadone program and under psychiatric supervision. “I
got the feeling things were coming to a head,” he says. “My drug problem seemed quite insurmountable and the
case didn’t look promising. So I flew to Thailand.”

Escape to Bangkok
For several weeks Nevil lived in a cheap hotel in Bangkok, shooting heroin until his money ran out. He skipped
out on the bill, moved to another hotel, and began hawking his valuables to raise money. “I found a taxi driver
who would take me to exclusive shops in the city,” he says. “The driver would get a kickback from the store for
delivering Europeans to the shop, whether they bought anything or not. After we left the driver and I would split
the kickback.”

However after they’d visited every shop in Bangkok (and were no longer welcome at any of them), Nevil tele-
phoned his parents and asked for a plane ticket home. Unfortunately, the police had already appeared at his
house with a warrant for his arrest. “It didn’t seem prudent to return to Australia,” says Nevil with typical under-
statement. His parents sent him a ticket to the Netherlands and the address of an uncle living in the countryside.

After Thailand, Nevil’s habit was really out of control. Upon arriving in Holland, he immediately enrolled in a
methadone program and discovered he required 24 tablets a day to stay straight. “I handled that for about six
months,” he says. “I was trying to cut down, trying to fit in. I had unemployment benefits, which is enough to
survive in Holland. But I was feeling quite lonely.” Six months later he moved to Tillberg, the center of Holland’s
smack scene.

Obviously, Tillberg was not the sort of environment conductive to kicking heroin. Junkies had taken over the
city, converting pubs and hotels into shooting galleries. “My first day in town, I went to a bar called the Lawyer’s
Purse,” says Nevil. “Smack was being sold up and down the counter. It was a madhouse. Apparently, the police
didn’t---or couldn’t---do anything about it. It went on like that for quite some time. When the police would close
one place down, everyone would move to another bar. It was a fairly rough town and I went through a time of
hardship. I had no money except welfare. I had a raging habit. I was living in a town known for being tough and
criminal. I cost the state large chunks of money as I went through all the available drug rehabilitation programs.
After having made numerous failed attempts at stopping, I decided no one could help me. Which is true. No one
can help a junkie. He can only help himself. So, I decided to kick heroin on my own. I convinced a doctor to give
me ‘ludes to sleep and a synthetic opiate, which probably didn’t do anything. I stayed home and suffered for six
weeks until I reached the point where I could handle alcohol. Then I started drinking every day, a half bottle of
scotch in the morning, a half bottle at night. I used the ‘ludes to sleep, so that there was always a certain part of
the day blocked out. Eventually, I got sick of hangovers and turned to grass. I decided it was probably the only
acceptable drug.”
In 1980, while still trying to kick his habit, Nevil stumbled across a copy of the Marijuana Grower’s Guide by Mel
Frank and Ed Rosenthal. “I’d grown some weed in the bush in Australia,” he says. The book helped reawaken
Nevil’s interest in genetics. Why not combine his two favorite pursuits, breeding and drugs? Nevil applied for a
loan to build an indoor growing chamber for marijuana. Only in Holland could such a request be taken seriously.
“The drug program I was enrolled in gave grants to drug addicts to get them started doing something useful,” he
explains. “I told them I wanted to grow weed indoors. They weren’t thrilled with the idea, but they gave me the
money anyway.” The unit consisted of eight 5-foot fluorescent lights. “There was a vacant lot behind my apart-
ment and I filled it with weed. I had Nigerian, Colombian, and Mexican seeds. The Mexican was the best. I still
have the strain. My dwarfs come from it.” Although there wasn’t much demand for homegrown weed in Holland,
hash oil was a valuable commodity and could be sold easily. So Nevil became a professional hash oil maker.

The Fire
Nevil used petroleum ether, an extremely flammable liquid, for the distillation process. “I was heating it with
thermostatically controlled electric plates,” he says. Unfortunately, however, Nevil didn’t realize that the ther-
mostat on the heater had to be placed in another room because the thermostat sparks when turned on. He had
a sink filled with 40 liters of petroleum ether, as well as a can with another 10 liters on the floor. One day he
turned on the thermostat and it sparked. The spark turned into flame, which instantly turned into a raging fire.

With eyes closed, Nevil ran to the adjoin room and dove out the window, bouncing off a roof and rolling onto
a sidewalk. “My first thought after hitting the ground was to save my dope,” he says with a laugh. He ran back
inside, grabbed whatever hash oil he could find, and buried it in the backyard. He went back again and collected
whatever valuables he could find. “Then I went next door to tell the neighbors,” he says. “They were shocked by
my appearance. I didn’t realize my hair was singed, my face was black, and my clothes were torn. I had first- and
second-degree burns and was covered with blisters.”

Twenty minutes later the police arrived, followed by the fire brigade and an ambulance. At the hospital, the burn
specialist told him he was lucky to be in such pain because it meant the burns weren’t first degree. He was given
a shot of morphine to kill the pain. The next morning, however, Nevil refused further shots. “I knew I’d turn into
a junkie again.” He says.

Despite horror stories from his doctors about being scarred for life, Nevil was released tow weeks later with no
visible damage. There was one permanent change, however: Nevil decided not to make hash oil anymore.

Since Nevil had been reading HIGH TIMES, he knew revolutionary new indica strains were appearing in the
United States, even though none were available in Holland. If only he could grow weed the Dutch would consider
palatable, then he’d be in business and could sell marijuana instead of hash oil. He searched through copies of
HIGH TIMES, hoping to find an indica seed supplier. “I looked for hidden meanings in all the ads,” he says. “Of
course, it was just fantasy on my part. I knew how difficult it was to get good Nigerian and Indonesian seeds in
America and I wanted to trade with someone.”

Eventually, Nevil realized there was only one way to obtain good seeds, and that was to become a seed merchant
himself. He hired a lawyer to investigate the legal implications and discovered it was possible to sell cannabis
seeds in the Netherlands. Within a matter of months, he sent his first ad to HIGH TIMES.

“I expected there were thousands of people just like me, and as soon as they saw the ad, I’d be in business,”
recalls Nevil. Business, however, was disappointingly slow for the first few months. Why? Probably because most
readers found it hard to believe high-quality seeds could be obtained so easily. Nevil doesn’t discuss his distri-
bution system, but there is no doubt the seeds were getting through. Most of the money Nevil received went
back into improving his seed strains. Nevil went to great expense to obtain seeds, a commitment that is best il-
lustrated by a secret trip to Mazar I Sharif in Afghanistan. According to the Moslem legend, one of Mohammad’s
sons died in the city. Consequently, it is a very holy city. It is also known for high-quality hashish. Although hash
from the area had been readily available in Holland in the ‘70s, the soviet invasion of the country greatly reduced
exports. In 1985, an Afghan refugee told Nevil the fields around Mazar I Sharif were being destroyed. “That was
all I needed to hear,” says Nevil. “I caught the next plane to Pakistan to save the strain.”

The story of this adventure was first reported in Regardies Magazine and written by former HIGH TIMES reporter
A. Craig Copetas. “After being smuggled into a refugee camp near Peshwar while lying on the floor of a car,
Nevil made contact with a 30 year old Muslim fanatic who had a throbbing vein that ran from between his eyes
straight up his forehead,” wrote Copetas. “The man took a lump of black hash out of his pocket and told Nevil
that it had been processed by his uncle, a man known as Mr. Hashish. Surrounded by four men who were point-
ing machine-guns at him, Nevil set about negotiating with Mr. Hashish, a Mujahedin commander, and finally
persuaded him to send a squad of his men 280 miles into Soviet-occupied territory and come back with two kilos
of healthy Mazari seeds.”

“He thought I was ridiculous because I didn’t want to buy hash or opium,” recalls Nevil. “Nobody had ever come
there before to buy seeds, and at first he had no idea what I was talking about. I stood there trying to explain
genetics to this tribal hash leader in sign language. When he finally figured out what I wanted, he asked for too
much money. I took a zero off his price and gave him ten percent up front. He called me a bandit, but I had the
seeds four days later.”

Nevil also went to great lengths to obtain ruderalis seeds, a little-known cannabis strain that grows primarily in
Russia. Although some American growers have sold so-called ruderalis strains in the past, Nevil undertook the
necessary trip to Russian-Hungarian border to authenticate the plant. Ruderalis is not known for spectacular
resin content, but it flowers automatically---regardless of photo period, which makes it an extremely useful hy-
brid, especially for outdoor growers. Nevil plans to cross ruderalis-indica hybrids with his Mexican dwarfs. The
result? The ultimate cannabis strain: a potent indoor/outdoor bonsai marijuana tree that matures within two
months and never reaches a height over two feet. The plant would be nearly impossible to detect from the air
and it could take years before the DEA even figured out what it was. Nevil is so close to perfecting this strain that
seeds could be available by the time this article is published. This and other miracles can be expected soon from
Cannabis Castle.

“Since becoming a seed merchant, I’ve directed all my energies and money into finding people superior strains of
cannabis and getting seeds out of them,” says Nevil. “And I can honestly say, I’ve never heard of a strain I wanted
that I wasn’t able to get---one way or another. Theoretically, there is someone out there growing better stuff
than I am using my seeds. Why? Because tens of thousands of plants are being grown with my stock. Selection
from tens of thousands gets phenomenal results, while I can only select from a few hundred. I’m not holding
back anything. Any grower in America can experiment with the same stock I do.”

This article was originally taken from High Times and has been edited for clarity and conciseness.
 The Origins of Blueberry
By DJ Short

Choosing Your Parents

The place for breeding to begin is with choosing the parent plants, called the P1 generation. For best breeding
results you use true-breeding stabilized strains as your P1’s. Different breeders have different standards as to
what qualifies as a P1. I have very high standards for my P1 generation. For me, the P1 must be either a fully ac-
climated, region-of-origin landrace variety, or no more than one generation removed, and crossed with itself or
another highly similar, region-of-origin landrace variety.

I used three P1 strains to breed Blueberry, Flo and others. They were the Highland Thai (also called Juicy Fruit
Thai, a first-generation Thai seed grown in the Pacific Northwest); a cross called Purple Thai which was a first
generation land-race Chocolate Thai crossed once with a first generation land-race Highland Oaxaca Gold; and
an Afghani Indica which came to me one generation removed from Afghanistan via the California/Southern Or-
egon growing community.

Juicy Fruit
The Highland Thai was a joy to grow and behold, despite its hermaphroditism. This plant grew fast, filling in any
empty spaces with lush, green growth. It was a very slow finisher, 12 to 16 weeks and beyond in the bud period
for most. It had the longest and skinniest leaves out of all the plants I have worked with. Thick side-branching is
another characteristic of this variety.

The plant only periodically produced any kind of “tight” bud structure. Most of the buds were very loose, with
some sporting long, slender shoots of widely-spaced single female flowers in a row (especially when grown hy-
droponically under halide lights.)

This bud structure is known as “spindly”. Many of these spindles resemble threads protruding from a semi-
formed bud. Each single thread averaged anywhere from five to ten inches long, some even longer, and con-
sisted of a row of evenly-spaced female flowers and their corresponding bract leaves, anywhere from a quarter
inch to one inch apart, alternating bract and flower in single file.

Thai
The entirety of the “thread” and bud structure was coated with sweet/fruity aromatic resin glands. The overall
plant color was dark, while the bud structures matured a lighter shade of green, sometimes green/yellow. I was
never able to get a Juicy Fruit Highland Thai to “over mature”. I took one to almost twenty weeks into its flower
cycle and she just kept pumping it out. Outdoors, one was taken in early-mid December from a greenhouse. The
only difference was that the later harvest was a more stony, body high.

The finished product from the Highland Thai was an all-around champion herb. Though difficult to trim and cure,
the outcome was fully worth the effort. It was a powerful, long-lasting and exquisitely flavoured herb with little
or no ceiling. The high could last up to seven hours! The flavour, aroma and taste were a totally sweet tropical
punch – tutti-fruity all the way.

The Purple Thai was the other sativa in my repertoire. This was a first generation cross between the Highland
Oaxaca Gold and the Chocolate Thai. This cross grew medium/tall and was very symmetric in structure. The side
branches were shorter and, if left alone (untopped) the main stalk (meristem) remained the dominant shoot.

The entire plant of the Purple Thai was very dark colored and would express a deep royal purple color at the
slightest exposure to cold. It did not exhibit any of the spindly bud syndrome of the Juicy Fruit Thai, and the fin-
ished buds were a medium and compact sativa type. The finished product was equally as fruity and strong as the
Juicy Fruit, also without ceiling.

For whatever aesthetic reason, I preferred the Purple Thai to the Juicy Fruit Highland Thai. I believe that the
Purple Thai was emotionally kinder or gentler than the Juicy Fruit. At larger doses the Juicy Fruit could evoke
quite a terror, especially when combined with psychedelics. Though no less potent, the Purple Thai seemed
easier to handle, including when tripping. The Purple Thai was one of the first to show resin gland production in
the early bud cycle, at roughly three to four weeks into the cycle. It also matured at 10 to 12 weeks indoor, and
early to mid November outdoors.

Afghani
The Afghani Indica plant is short with large, wide leaves, stout and thick-stemmed. It has early to very early mat-
uration, producing large, dense buds that smell earthen to skunk, with a strong smoke that is generally sedative
or “down” in effect. Though consistent in its growth and overall effect, its appeal is somewhat limited in my opin-
ion. I believe more indicas should be made into hashish, which is where the finer qualities of the indica appear.

The sinsemilla Afghani Indica first showed up on the market in 1979. They were huge, green, stinky, sticky, dense
buds of potent, pungent herb that smelled like a skunk and produced a narcotic-knockout stone that was tre-
mendously novel, when compared to all the sativas that had come before. This was right after sinsemilla herb
hit the market with big appeal.

The triad of sinsemilla, indica, and the advent of high powered halide and HPS lights, all wreaked havoc on the
breeding programs of most pot-entrepeneurs. Few people maintained their sativa lines, and the strains virtu-
ally disappeared from the commercial markets. The short, dense, early-maturing and body-powerful indica has
dominated the scene since 1983 – a matter of disjointed economics.

Such were the three main P1’s I used for my breeding lines.

Afghani Male
The f1 Cross

The f1 cross is the first cross between two distinctly different P1 parents. The “f” stands for filial (child). I can-
not overstress the importance of the two P1 parents being as genetically different as is possible. It is this initial
genetic diversity that leads to the most possibilities in succeeding lines.

If the P1’s are sufficiently diverse, then the f1 will be a true hybrid, expressing a near total uniformity and great
vigor. It is in the crosses beyond the initial f1 (especially the f1xf1=f2 cross) that specific traits are sought. There
will be a tremendous amount of variance in the f2 crosses of f1’s obtained from a female pure sativa and a male
pure indica.

The Blueberry (among others) was discovered and stabilized from an f1 cross between the P1 parents of a fe-
male Juicy Fruit Thai or a female Purple Thai and a male Afghani Indica. Thus there were two possible routes to
essentially the same finished product. Blue Velvet and Flo seem more accessible via the Purple Thai route, while
Blue Moonshine seems more accessible through the Juicy Fruit lineage. That is, there is a higher probability of
occurrence of the specific traits which I’m seeking, and so they’re easier to “find”.
Oddly enough, the opposite cross (female Afghani indica crossed with pollen from male Thai sativa) was not
nearly as interesting. The f1’s from this cross were more leafy and less desirable. They were also more her-
maphroditic and subsequent breeding revealed them to be less desirable. It has been my observation that in a
successful cross, the (usually female) sativa contributes the type of aroma and flavour, while the (usually male)
indica contributes the amount of aroma and flavour to the prodigy. So far this observation has proven fruitful.

Blue Moonshine
So the Thai female is pollinated with the Afghani male and an abundance of seed is produced. The seed is
uniformly sized and shaped; small, ellipsoid and mottled with dark stripes upon a grayish brown shell. A single
female is capable of producing thousands of seed, leaving plenty for experimentation. This is the f1 generation,
which I called simply “The Cross”.

The plants of The Cross grew uniform, medium-tall “spear” structures of many competing side-branches around
one main (meristem) stalk. Large, long buds formed along the branches. There was a wide palate of colors, es-
pecially among the Purple Thai cross. The buds were lighter, almost yellow to the centres, wile the outer leaf,
bract and calyx tips showed red, purple and blue hues. The maturation rates were uniform as well, with a wide
window of harvest being between weeks eight to eleven in the bud cycle, indoors. The finished bud had a very
strong “astringent” chemical/terpene aroma that bordered between pine, gin, licorice and paint. Only a very few
of The Cross expressed hermaphroditism, about 1 out of every 25 females.

Afghani
The f2 Cross

The f2 is the second filial generation, simply a cross between any two of the f1 stock. With my f2 crosses the
outcome was extreme, with almost every characteristic of the cannabis plant being expressed in some of the
plants. The diversity was spectacular, both in structure and aesthetics. From sativa to indica, short to tall, dark to
light, early to late maturation, wide to narrow leaves, along with an extensive array of flavours, aromas, tastes
and highs. The f2 seeds collected were equally diverse, ranging from large to small, plump to slender, striped to
solid, round to oval.

A grand amount of time, energy and money was spent from this point to isolate and stabilize the desired traits.
There is a tremendous amount of work between the f2’s and the f4’s and f5’s. Trial and error is the rule; certain
paths prove futile while others bear further examination. On average, there are about nine errors to each suc-
cess. Coupled with the difficult clandestine aspects of the trade through the 80’s and 90’s, it was a difficult task
to accomplish. Many sacrifices were endured by my family and friends.

It was however, a fun and worthwhile occupation to sample all the research material. It was hard work and
dedication to record the findings and attempt to create useful categories and find patterns and traits to specific
characteristics. Then there’s the wait for the cured sample. If the sample passed “the test” then the plant was
kept for further consideration. The most desirable samples were used for further breeding to f3, f4 and f5. The
harvested plants, cut above the lowest few nodes, were placed under a vegetative light cycle to stimulate new
growth for cloning.

Blueberry x NL#5
I like to do one backcross somewhere between the f3 and f5 generation. Exactly when, where and how that is
done remains a trade secret for now. Another trade secret is the art of selecting the best males for breeding.

Select the best, reject all others. Mendelian procedures are fine for sweet peas, but when it comes to herb I
much prefer Luther Burbank’s philosophy: “Select the best and reject all others!” This simple phrase is worth
much consideration. Mendel’s work is useful, especially concerning P1 and f1 crosses. But beyond the f2 and f3
cross, Mendel’s theories add copious complexity to the equation.

Afghani Clones
Your friend the freezer

A benevolent tool in our trade is the refrigerator and freezer. The fridge is extremely useful in extending the lon-
gevity of seed and pollen. The trick to successful freezing is to freeze deep (-10 to -40°F/-20 to -35°C) and then
keep the seed undisturbed. Hard frozen objects are very fragile. The slightest shock may shatter crucial, delicate
cell structures within the seed. Double wrap the seed in paper; little manilla envelopes work great.

I like to do small amounts, in one-time-use packets, to keep waste to a minimum. Then place the wrap into a
plastic freezer bag, then place the freezer bag into a plastic tub or tupperware container. Now the seed is ready
for the deep-freeze. In the fridge, storing seed in airtight, brown glass jars with a little rice or other non-toxic
desiccant seems to work best.

I have had pollen last for years in a deep freeze. It must be frozen immediately after fresh collection from the
plant, in as low a humidity as possible (preferably 0%). I like to shake the productive male flowers over a flat and
clean piece of glass. The pollen pile is sifted to rid the unwanted plant material from the pure powder.

It is also useful to cut pollen with flour to stretch the amount. A pollen-to-flour ratio of 1:10 or even 1:100 works
best. The cut pollen may then be separated into small, one-time-use amounts, stored in a flap of paper and
frozen the same way as the seed. The frozen pollen must be applied to the live female flower immediately after
thawing to increase viability.

Blue Velvet
The sweet sativa room

I recommend the creation of a special “sativa room” for indoor breeding of such strains. This room needs to con-
sider and satisfy the unique needs of the sativa variety. The goal is to replicate the equatorial conditions of the
world’s various “sweet spots”. Some of these conditions include: a different light cycle than the standard 18/6
vegetative 12/12 bud cycles, a higher angle of light (using a straight track shuttle instead of a circular one), hu-
midity control set on low for the highland and high for the lowland, and variations in soil composition and depth.

Light cycle is one of the key considerations for those wishing to breed truly fine quality cannabis indoors under
lights. The 18/6 veggie and 12/12 bud cycles are perhaps the main influence towards the indica dominant strains
and generic blandness of the indoor commercial product. A true equatorial sativa will require closer to a 13/11
vegetative and a long (four to six month) 11/13 flower cycle. Different variations may be tried, such as 15/9 veg-
gie and 10/14 flowering cycle. Be prepared for much fine tuning.

Equatorial strains also experience a higher arch of sunlight than those grown beyond 38° north or south – with a
sunrise almost due east and sunset nearly due west. Therefore the sativa room will need intense overhead light-
ing with a straight track mover. Keeping the plant in a stationary position, especially through the bud cycle, may
positively influence the outcome of the finished product.

As jungle (lowland) herb requires only a thin layer of nutrient soil, perhaps a four-to-eight inch layer of soil over
clay or concrete (with some form of drain system) would encourage lateral root growth, stationary plants, and
a more lowland sativa-friendly environment. If successful, the sativa-friendly room can be used to acclimate an
indoor sativa variety, which expands the possibilities of your breeding operation.

This article was obtained from the icmag.com forums and has been edited for clarity and conciseness.
 Strains of Yesteryear
A retrospective of the best marijuana varieties from the 70’s and 80’s
By DJ Short

COLUMBIAN
Colombian Gold
Colombian Gold came from the highland Colombian valleys near the equator, as well as on the coast (the Carib-
bean and the Pacific). This was specialty pot offered commercially in the mid-70’s, for about $60 to $100 per
ounce. It was seeded, but most of the seeds were undeveloped, white and useless. A few rare, viable seeds were
found that were dark, small-sized and roundish. The buds were leafy and the most beautiful golden blond color.
Legend has it that upon maturity the plants were girdled, then left standing to die and cure in the mountain sun
and mist.

The color and cure were unique, and the aroma, flavor and high were equally so. The smell was that of sandal-
wood incense, almost like frankincense. The flavor was that of a peppery cedar. It was some of the most unique
tasting herb in the world, and the high was just as exciting. It was truly psychedelic, powerful and long lasting.
First came the great flavor, then the stupefying awe of the shift in consciousness followed by a giddy excitement
and bursts of joyous laughter. Smile-lock and red-eye made it painfully obvious who was under the influence of
this great psychedelic herb.

The plants from the seeds of the Gold were primarily of Sativa origin. They grew a medium to tall size outdoors at
45°N (Seattle), and were mostly symmetrical. On occasion the symmetry was interrupted by one side outgrow-
ing the other, causing a rounded and bulging tipped bush look. The leaves were long and slender. When grown
in Washington state, the finished product was a sweet, spicy Sativa bud that matured around mid-November.
The high was adequate but not as good as the Oaxaca Highland grown at the same latitude. The plants were also
slightly hermaphroditic.

Colombian Red
Colombian Red was the near polar opposite of Colombian Gold. This lowland jungle pot (possibly from Brazil)
was made up of dark red, almost black, chunky little nuggets of what appeared to be hash, stems, leaf and
seed. The aroma was that of cedar and hash. In the early 1980’s, the Red cost only $30 to $60 an ounce due to
its appearance, making it one of the best deals going. This pot was a narcotic, knock-you-down-and-out, super
munchie, red-eye express. The joints would only burn half way before drowning in their own resin! The smoke
was very expansive in the lungs with a powerful pine/hash flavor.

Before subjecting its victim to fits of gorging and deep snoozing, the experience usually included ridiculously
long spasms of uncontrollable laughter. The silliest little image could induce hilarity beyond belief. This was the
main herb around when the Cheech and Chong movies first came out.

The plants from the Red were among the first grown out by Americans. There were many seeds, medium-sized
and dark grey, that sprouted and grew easily into a finished product that was more than adequate. The plants
grew low, dark, and bushy, with uneven and somewhat scraggly branches that were easily broken from wind
damage. The locally grown varieties rarely budded very much, so it is not certain when they would have finished.
It would have been relatively late in November at the earliest.

MEXICAN
Highland Oaxaca
Highland Gold, somewhat similar to the Colombian Gold, lacked bright gold color but sported purple and red ca-
lyx tips on its blondish-brownish-green buds. It had larger buds surrounded by long, skinny leaves. I smoked this
variety during brief periods in the early 70’s and again in the late 70’s, paying anywhere between $40 and $120
per ounce. It was some of my all-time favorite because the aroma and flavor were of a super-spicy cedar incense
with a slight fermented berry taste, in a very comfortable yet powerfully psychedelic pot. This herb contributed
to many great parties, concerts and events of the era because it produced a very socially-conscious experience
and mixed well with other psychedelics.

With a long lasting, creeper high that kept coming on in waves over the hours, this stuff had no ceiling. One phe-
nomenon consistently reported from the Highland Oaxaca experience was that of peripheral visual distortions of
primarily cartoon color images. This tended to increase the visual distortions caused by other psychedelics such
as mushrooms or LSD.

The Oaxaca Highland Gold was a nearly pure Sativa which grew tall at 45°N, outdoors. It was also one of the
most symmetrical Sativas I have encountered. The plants grew long side branches toward the bottom, and the
even growth made these productive beauties look like Christmas trees when mature. The finished product was
a very sweet and spicy herb of the highest quality, with a hint of fruity pine aroma. The seeds for this variety
were small, dark and round, and the plants exhibited slight signs of hermaphroditism and required surveillance
to maintain seedlessness.

Guerrero
This strain from Mexico’s coastal mountains came in famed green, seeded spears and cost $60 to $120 per ounce
in 1977. It had a spicy, almost wintergreen fragrance compared to the other Mexicans with a very clear head high
and a most pleasant smoke. It was not as strong as most, but this herb still had a way of satisfying all its own.

There was a legend about a group of entrepreneurs who imported seed from Lebanon to Guerrero and grew the
famed Lebanese Upper Mountain (LUM) from the late 1970’s to 1980. The LUM was electric, psychedelic and
slightly sedative as well. A unique herb that I wish there would have been more of.

The seeds from the Guerrero were medium to large in size and grey to green in color. The plants from these seeds
grew similarly to other Mexican and Colombian strains: a medium to tall, bushy, productive plant. The Guerrero
Green, however, is where some of the famed onion and garlic flavored bud of the Pacific Northwest originated.

Michoacan Brown Spears

From the high valleys of Michoacan, this strain was very similar in shape and texture to the Guerrero, but dark
brown, and with a more peppery, spicy, woody aroma. $40 to $60 bought a seeded ounce in 1975. Although it
was somewhat more bland tasting than the Guerrero , this semi-commercial pot was by far better than the com-
mercial Mexican that was all too available. It had a more distinct, spicy flavor than the regular Mexican, as well
as a brighter high that was not as susceptible to tolerance or burnout.

The plants from the Michoacan Spears were nothing great. They were thick and bushy and matured earlier than
the Colombians. Some were ready in late October, but most were ready in early November. The seeds were me-
dium grey and plentiful. Like the Guerrero, they produced some unique spicy flavors when grown outdoors in
the Pacific Northwest.

THAI
Highland Thai
Highland Thai was among the absolute sweetest and fruitiest herb on the planet. The delicate, sticky Sativa buds
so efficiently tied to the little sticks were among the finest of herb. The Highland Thai, I believe, is at least partial-
ly where the Haze variety originated. It was one of the finest Sativa plants grown for its finished product at 45°N.
It is from this variety that Juicy Fruit Thai came. Juicy Fruit Thai was one of the original (and very successful)
P1’s of my breed stock. Juicy Fruit Thai grew fast, long and very unevenly. Every week or so another side branch
would erupt in a growth spurt, compete with and conquer any existing meristem (main stem), and become the
temporary meristem until another faster shoot overtook it. The leaves were very long and slender, containing
as many as 13 leaflets, and deeply contoured. The aroma was a super-sweet fruity tropical punch and the flavor
expressed itself both in the bud and the smoke.

The Juicy Fruit Thai took anywhere from one to 19 weeks indoors to finish. Outdoors, the Juicy fruit was smok-
able, but undeveloped and leafy, by late September. Small buds developed during October and would ripen and
swell during November. The longest I was ever capable of growing Juicy Fruit outdoors was until mid-December,
in a greenhouse, and the plant could have gone on longer.

The primary drawback to growing the Highland Thai, after its leafiness, was its hermaphroditism. Though few
seeds were found, and plants grown from the seeds produced only minor quantities of seed, all of the product
was hermaphroditic. Also, many of the male flowers were sterile on some of the plants, or on certain parts of
certain plants.

Out of all of the varieties that I have worked with at 45°N, this Thai produced some of the most powerful herb.
This stuff was purely cerebral, yet mentally devastating in quantity, with absolutely no ceiling. Once, a seasoned
smoker friend and I tested how far we could go with the homegrown Juicy Fruit. I recall making it to the 14th
bong hit and being completely incapable of continuing. My coordination and depth perception were so skewed
that I was unable to physically conquer the bong! The experience rivaled that of taking too much LSD, causing an
incapacitation of the psychedelic kind. Yet, it was also uniquely enjoyable, entertaining and educational at the
same time. I had sparkly eyes for a day or two afterward.

Chocolate Thai
The Chocolate Thai was another being entirely. Chocolate Thai came in larger wrapped sticks of a deep, rich,
roasted coffee color and a coffee-chocolate aroma that was heavenly. It is my uncertain estimation that the
Chocolate Thai was a lowland variety. The imported product itself was unique not only in its aroma and flavor but
in its strength as well. This was a dreamy, sleepy, narcotic high that was long lasting and consistent. The aroma
possessed a deep, rich chocolate, appeal.

The seeds, many of which were pure black, were extremely small and round. They were few in numbers and only
a few would sprout. The plants that did survive were terribly difficult to grow, and all were hermaphroditic. The
leaves were long, dark and slender, with most sprouting trichomes early on. This strain was successfully crossed
with the Oaxaca Highland to create what came to be known as Purple Thai.

Opium Soaked Herb

An element was added to certain shipments of Thai herb in the 70’s: “early water.” A by-product of the heroin
trade, early water was the leftover water used to create the heroin from the raw opium. It contained all of the
constituents of opium except most of the heroin. The curing Thai herb was soaked in the water and redried to
absorb the opiate alkaloids. The result was a high that was sought out by some, but more than most bargained
for. A good wash was an enjoyable thing, but some were over-laced, which caused a dilemma for those who
would start spinning after a few hits on a joint.

VIETNAMESE
There was a bit of the Vietnamese herb around in the 70’s, primarily early harvest which was mostly badly-cured
leaf. Nonetheless, it had a quality all its own with a spicy, tangy flavor and crisp high. It was great joint pot, but
I never grew any. I heard rumors that a Vietnamese strain was cultivated in the Emerald Triangle in the 70’s and
early 80’s.
SPECIALTY HERBS
Black Magic African
This herb is the strongest ever. Although I have only smoked the Black Magic a very limited number of times,
and I’ve never had more than a joint of my own, I feel it needs mention. I did once get to see a bag of this herb
that belonged to someone else. It looked like rotted, black leaf, some leaves intact but crumpled, plus a powdery
black shake. It had no particular odor other than sweet spicy moldy hay, and rolled best into thin pin joints.

The smoke was slightly harsh, but with a very deep, rich flavor. I also recall that it produced lots of white smoke.
Anyhow, this stuff was dangerous! I often questioned if it was truly pure herb. I have, however, sampled the
same product from different sources at different times, all with the same story.

It was equatorial Black African, the supposed herb of some tribe, Pygmy group, or another equally incredible
origin! It was likely an indigenous Central African herb. One pin joint between three or four people was more
than adequate. This was truly the most devastating and consciously inebriating herb I have ever smoked. I do not
recall ever passing out or losing consciousness, but I did have to let go in order to come back . This stuff alone
could cause one to reach 3.5 pluses on the Shulgin psychedelic rating scale!

I never was able to acquire seeds from the Black African, though I have tried. It is one of the few indigenous
strains that I am interested in working with.

Durban Poison
Durban herb has reached semi-commercial levels in the past. All of the South African herb that has made it to
market that I have tried has been a bit too powerful and speedy. I always get that heart racing effect similar to
the Jamaican. There are, however, very many people who enjoy a good carnival ride herb, and Durban is a very
powerful choice, indeed.

The seeds of Durban that I grew during the early to mid-80’s produced medium/tall Sativas with spear shaped
buds – uniform plants in both structure and finished product. Although production was good, the flavor was a
sharp, astringent, chemical odor that burned the nose and sinuses. The high was intense and strong but not
notably enjoyable, so the Durban was dropped from any further breeding work.

Venezuelan
There was some fine Venezuelan herb available briefly in the mid-1970’s for between $50 to $70 an ounce. It was
sort of like the better commercial Colombian or Mexican of the day, but it was a bright yellowish color and not as
tightly bricked, making the buds fluffier than most other bricked shipments. The smoke was sweet, then spicy on
the exhale – evidence of a good cure. The head was also a bit more pleasant than the more commercial varieties.

Unfortunately, I was never able to grow any of the many seeds available from the Venezuelan. I remain curious
as to how they would fare both indoor and out.

Indian Elephant & Buddha Stick

There was a small supply of Indian tied stick pot available at the end of the 70’s and the beginning of the 80’s.
These sticks were characterized by their large size compared to the smaller Thai Stick. The Buddha stick was
lighter colored and sweeter with a distinct juniper flavor. It was very stimulating to the palate. The Elephant stick
was the largest tied sticks, some up to an ounce each, and darker. Of the two, I preferred the Buddha due to its
being more cerebral and heady, but the Elephant stick was a fine and powerful product as well.

I was able to grow some of the seeds from the Buddha stick. It produced a pungent smelling herb of the juniper/
licorice flavor. Most of the plants grew medium bushy, and most, but not all, were hermaphroditic. The harvest
time was medium as well, 10 to 12 weeks indoors, very late October to November outdoors at 45°N.
I called the product Gin Blossom and grew a bit of her in the late 70’s and early 80’s. It was not until I replicated
the flavor in the Blueberry lines that I retired the Gin Blossom strain.

Panama Red
From what I’ve gathered, Panama Red comes from any number of brash entrepreneurs who have damned the
tides of oppression and grown copious amounts of primarily good old Colombian Red seeds in the wonderfully
situated country of Panama, or any of her many isles.

Located a mere eight or nine degrees north of the equator, this tropical paradise has a coast on both the Pacific
or the Caribbean Sea, without much distance between them, but a lot of elevation. The Panama Red that I am
accustomed to was similar to the Colombian Red, but airier – not as compressed. It had a unique island flavor to
it, with a spicy/sweet Sativa rush. Some called it the Tequila of herb, as it produced a high that greatly lowered
inhibitions, creating a desire to consume more until it was too late! For some drinkers, the Panama Red did not
mix too well with alcohol, but for most it was a pleasant party high.

I did grow some seeds of Panama Red on more than one occasion. The plants were of the medium bushy char-
acter of the Colombian Red, with a little more hermaphroditism, and very long flower cycle (12 weeks indoor,
late November outdoors). Unfortunately, however, this was at the same time that I was also growing the famed
Highland Thai and new Afghan plants that were so unique, new and powerful, and the Panama Red became
neglected.

HASHISH
Moroccan
Moroccan hash is the North African staple. It appears anywhere from deep brown to golden yellow and has a
spicy leather flavor to it. Almost all Moroccan hash is screened and pressed. Though lower in potency than most
black hash, this commercial offering costs less and tends to be more readily available through the years. Moroc-
can plants are shorter and designed to grow tightly together, producing a single hemp-like stalk and a fat and
dense single cola at the top. It is an apparent Sativa/Indica cross.

Lebanese Red and Blonde

Lebanese is another Sativa/Indica cross of short stature and density. A bit shorter and bushier than the Moroc-
can, it had a dark reddish hue. The legendary Red Lebanese hash holds its own place. Red Leb had the distinct
pine/juniper flavor and aroma, with a tangy spice leather to the exhaled smoke. It was sharp on the sinuses and
nasal passages.

Most Red Leb hash was screened and pressed, except for the legendary Red Lebanese Honey Oil. The famed oil,
only available to me from 1973-77, was in a class all of its own. The oil had a sharp juniper/cedar smell to it. It
was the most powerful, lung expansive cannabis product that I had ever encountered. We would buy these glass
oil pipes simply to find them useless, as no one could hold even the smallest toke of this stuff. The oil had to be
smeared onto a rolling paper or the side of a cigarette, or it had to be chased into a pile of herb with a flame
from below. It was truly some of the finest. The home-grown isomerized oils of the 80’s were pale in comparison
to the great Red Leb.

Lebanese Blonde, the “working person’s hash,” was a lower grade of hash than the Red, and quantities were
less expensive as well. It was less dense, making grams appear larger and giving the illusion of economy. Good
Blonde had character, a spicy/woody flavor and aroma, plus a clean, woody taste. The high was a bit more than
the Red, furthering the appeal to working people.

Nepalese Temple Balls

The Buddhists have a saying: “May all beings be happy.” They also have a hash to back it up with: black finger
rubbings from high in the Himalayas. This was some of my all-time favorite. Nepalese is among the most cerebral
of hashish. A strong yet pleasant head journey packed in every puff. This is some of the happiest hash I have
experienced. The taste is spicy/fruity/earthen and among the most enjoyable of hash flavors. Most Nepalese
hash is from rubbings, although I have heard from travelers to the area that screened and pressed varieties are
available.

Simply put: Nepalese Temple Ball is some of the happiest, fruitiest and most pleasantly flavorful, highest quality
hash that I have ever experienced.

Afghanistan & Hindu Kush

Rolling off the great crest of the Himalayas to the west and to the north are an apex of mountainous zones that
define the northern borders of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Squished among these is the little region of Kashmir
and the Hindu Kush mountains. This area may well be the oldest hashish producing area in the world, perhaps
the birthplace of hash!

The plants of the area, the Indica variety, have been manipulated and bred by humans since antiquity. Short,
dense and stout, with wide, dark leaves, these plants make the best of their high mountain, short-seasoned envi-
ronment. They were bred to produce large amounts of easily detachable glandular resin heads, ideal for hashish
production. These areas incorporate both rubbed, screened and pressed methods of hashish production.

Afghan hash, and the Indica strain for that matter, possess a much more sedative, dreamy, narcotic effect com-
pared to the Sativa. This is true of the Afghan and Hindu Kush plants grown in the Pacific Northwest since 1978.
I believe more Indicas should be made into hashish, which is where the finer qualities of the Indica appear.

A quantity of Afghan seed was smuggled to the Emerald Triangle in 1978. Commercial production of the strain
began shortly after that. There may have been earlier trials with Afghan seed in the region prior to 1978, but
none ever made it to commercial production quantities or to public market.

THE ISLANDS
Hawaiian
Hawaiian a true classic. There is something special about a good island herb, and Hawaiian is among the best.
When properly grown outdoors it has a wonderful and unique bouquet of fruity spice, similar to the sweetness
of the fine Thai, but with a kind of tangy taste. Good Hawaiian herb has always been a devastatingly powerful
experience for me. It is very psychedelic and internally focused, contemplative and overpoweringly meditative.
A Walk with the King, a Dance with the Queen, and a sunset on the beach! Aah... Hawaiian!

I have tried to equal the Hawaiian experience outdoor on the mainland, and indoors, with no success. Everything
I have grown from Hawaiian stock turned out to be nowhere near the quality of the parent stock. This is true for
three generations of trials. The product from Hawaiian seed was equal to the best plants grown from mid-quality
Colombian stock!

This led me to a hypothesis about Hawaii: that just about any stock grown in Hawaii will turn out to be of unique
and relatively high quality. Hawaii just happens to be one of those special places, I suppose. All breeding at-
tempts with Hawaiian stock were dumped from my garden by 1983. It was a pretty and robust plant though, and
also quite productive. Just not all that impressive when grown outside its homeland.

Jamaican Lion’s Herb

It has been on rare occasion that I have sampled truly enjoyable Jamaican herb. These rare samples came di-
rectly from friends who knew growers there. It was similar to the Hawaiian experience, but with more of a take-
your-breath-away feeling of excitement.
The problem I have encountered with the commercial Jamaican is that it is too damned strong and speedy! Ja-
maican is renowned for its lively herb, for which I can vouch. It is a heart lifting herb and I have a sensitive heart.
So I am careful with the samples of the commercial Jamaican ganja that I try.

Much like Hawaiian, the Jamaican strains are perhaps best expressed in their homeland, because I have had little
success in producing an adequate example. Both indoors and out, the Jamaican behaves and ends up much the
same as mid-level Colombian. Perhaps all Island herb is unique in this fashion.

Philippine Thrilla from Manilla

The Philippines are another Island chain renowned for producing great herb. I once possessed a small quantity
of what was supposed to be Philippine herb in the late 1970’s. It had a strong citrus aroma that produced a spicy
smoke and a heady high. I never grew the strain, so I have nothing to report on the plants. The herb was a light
green Sativa and seeded, so hopefully someone has had experience with this strain.

This article was originally taken from Cannabis Culture and has been edited for clarity and conciseness.
Consuming Cannabis
 Methods of Using Cannabis
By THC Club

Smoking/inhaling: Burning or vaporizing cannabis and inhaling the smoke into the lungs is the fastest route to
the blood stream. Conventional wisdom is that holding in the smoke increases the effects felt. Recent research
shows the opposite; it causes more harm to the lungs without increasing the amount of THC absorbed. Studies
done in Australia indicate that 95% of the THC in cannabis is absorbed in the first few seconds of inhaling. Hold-
ing in the smoke longer just allows more tar and other noxious chemicals to be absorbed. Take small, shallow
puffs rather than deep inhalations.

Irritation of the throat and lungs is one of the most obvious adverse effects to the marijuana smoker as is the
inevitable cough upon inhaling. The cough is the body's reaction to the irritation of the numerous constituents of
the smoke. Prolonged and repeated exposure to these irritants can lower resistance to, and aggravate infections
from viruses, bacteria, or fungi. The lesser coughing, the safer the smoke. The fewer puffs the better; the more
potent the cannabis used is the fewer puffs required. For these reasons, it is preferable to use only the more
potent flower tops, or high grade hash for smoking use.

Despite the obvious dangers of inhaling hot smoke, there is evidence that in some cases (ie. Asthma) smoking
could be a beneficial medical use of cannabis. Another advantage of smoking is that it allows the user to control
their dosage better as the effects are almost immediate, unlike when eating, or using THC in pill or spray form.
In general however, smoking is not the best way to take cannabis, especially for pain, being a less efficient use of
the herb than eating. However, many medical users find they appreciate the immediate and pleasurable effects
of smoking cannabis and the harm of smoking can be reduced in various ways. One alternative to inhaling smoke
is to release the THC through Vaporization; inhaling vapor rather than smoke, see vaporization.

Joints: Smoking cannabis in ‘joints’ is one of the least harmful ways of smoking. A loose, fat joint is preferable to
a thin one because the temperature of the smoke is lower in a thick joint. Mixing cannabis with tobacco counter-
acts the positive effects of THC. Some research suggests that Cannabis may actually offset some of the harmful
effects of tobacco but there is also evidence that the relaxing effects of cannabis on the lungs allows the toxins
in tobacco to get in deeper. There is evidence that a thin joint gives a more stimulating ‘high’, while a fat joint has
a more sedative effect (due to different burn temp in ‘fat’ or ‘thin’ joints). Avoid rolling papers with 'strawberry'
tasting chemicals and the like, 'rainbows' and any use of colored inks.

Pipes and Bongs: Many ingeniously designed products are on the market that claim to offer a cooler smoke but
they are not all safe or efficient to use. Avoid wood, aluminum or plastic materials. Use glass, stainless steel or
brass pipes and bongs.

Water pipes: Recent research suggests that water pipes are the most harmful and least efficient methods of
smoking cannabis. The water absorbs a great deal of the THC in the smoke (up to 50%!), increasing the amount
of tar the smoker must ingest to get the desired result. Using a water pipe with a mouthpiece less than 20cm
from the water level can allow water vapor and water drops to enter the lungs.
Vaporization: Using a vaporizer which heats but does not burn the cannabis, is an alternative to smoking. The
process involves releasing the THC as vapor which is inhaled rather than smoke. The effect is ‘clearer’ and it is far
more economical and reduces the exposure of the throat and lungs to products of burning. Vaporization works
because THC, the active ingredient of cannabis, is a resin that vaporizes at a lower combustion (burning) point
than cellulose. You can make your own vaporizer very cheaply or buy various types starting at around £35 up to
£300+ for the 'hospital standard' 'Volcano’. High heat destroys some of the THC in smoked cannabis (estimates
vary). Vaporizers heat it more gently; the THC molecules decarboxylate and evaporate in a whitish vapor. A prob-
lem with vaporizers is with correct use. Many users tend to overheat and consequently burn the stuff. They are
now 'smoking' not 'vaporizing' the cannabis, often without realizing - and just as many toxic tars are released
as smoking in a pipe. Vaporizers sometimes fail to satisfy longtime recreational smokers who associate burning
lungs with getting high. They distrust the incredibly smooth taste of the vapors, and they don't like waiting 20
seconds to 1 minute for each hit. However they always like the fact that their supply seems to last up to four
times as long because valorization wastes so little of the active ingredients lost through smoking. Some regular
users of vaporizers have complained that they produce a fine dust along with the vapor. This can't be good and
they should maybe be fitted with a filter system but vaporizers are still the safest way to consume cannabis using
heat.

Eating or drinking: Simply sucking a small piece of hashish or eating cannabis prepared as a cake, drink or other
food is a very effective and economical method of using cannabis. The effects take up to an hour and last 4-12
hours. Over dose is possible by eating too much (see ‘Over-Dosage’). This could result in an unpleasant ‘whirling-
pit’ feeling but no lasting physical damage. If in doubt ‘self-titrate’ the dose; experiment with a little, and then a
little more. More worrying are the dangers of adulteration and infection encouraged by the unregulated trade
in cannabis. These include smuggling methods and profiteering practices which can make eating the resulting
product totally undesirable. In general avoid eating most hash especially ‘Soap Bar’ and ‘Manali’ or 'Squiggie'
black. Eating Hemp seeds (see 'Hemp Seed & Nutrition') or their oil (which have no THC content) is a very valu-
able source of nutrition; a quality which can have considerable medical value and contribute to general well
being.

Creams and lotions: Applied on the skin to treat complaints ranging from muscle pain and/or tremors to ache.
You can make these your self. The simplest way to do this is to put leaves and buds of cannabis into a bottle filled
with surgical alcohol available in any chemist. Leave in a dark place for 1-3 weeks, shaking every day or as often
as possible, then use to rub on area suffering from pain.

Tinctures: The active ingredients of the plant are extracted as oil and can then be used either as drops taken
orally, or the ingredient for creams and lotions to be rubbed on the skin to relieve pain and other symptoms.
Cannabis Tincture was available by prescription for medical purposes in Britain until 1971.

Article originally taken from THC Club: Cannabis Users Guide and has been edited for clarity and conciseness.
Growing Cannabis
 Tutorial to Growing with CFL’s
By Dr. Chronic

What is a CFL?
A Compact Fluorescent Light is a type of fluorescent that was originally designed to replace the standard E26
Edison Incandescent Lamp. The reason being, CFL’s will put out the same amount of visible light using much less
power and a significantly longer rated life span. Even though the price of the CFL’s is higher than Incandescent
bulb’s, they are generally rated to run anywhere from 8,000 to 15,000 hours. There many advantages of using
CFL’s. Maybe you are growing personal smoke, or you can’t afford a HID system, or a HID system just isn’t practi-
cal. For some, HID lights aren’t available in their area. However, CFL’s are sold almost anywhere (Home Depot,
Lowes, Walmart, etc…). CFL’s are in general a much cheaper growing solution, and their just plain simple to use
–self-ballasted and it screw’s into a regular light socket. I’m NOT saying CFL’s are better for growing than HID‘s,
but in some cases it’s the only thing that will work.

CFL Wattage
Now sometimes there can be a lot of confusion when it comes to power
of the light due to poor labeling but we will do our best to clear all of that
up. Normally light manufacturers that make CFL’s will put two numbers
on the box your CFL comes in. One is Actual Wattage and one is the In-
candescent Equal. As you can see here on this CFL the Actual Wattage is
23 Watts, and it’s Incandescent Equal is 100 Watt ’s. You need to totally
ignore the Incandescent Equal and pay attention only to the Actual Watt-
age of the Bulb.

Color Temperature
You might see a lot of different labels when shopping at the store for CFL’s.
Label’s including Soft White, Warm White, Cool White, Bright White, Hal-
ogen White, Daylight White, Full Spectrum. And also label’s like 2700K,
3000K, 3500K, 4000K, 5000K, 6400K, and 6500K. These are all the color
temperature of the light you are using. This is a measure of how warm
 or cool the light given off by a lamp appears, with warmer col-
ors having a yellowish tinge and cooler colors being tinged with
blue. What confuses some people is that the warmer a color is,
the colder its color temperature is. (ex. Warm White = 2700K).
Bulbs ranging in the 2700K-3000K spectrum are usually labeled
Warm White or Soft White, bulbs ranging in the 3500K – 4000K
spectrum are bright white or cool white, 5000K is labeled Full
Spectrum, and finally 6400K – 6500K is labeled Daylight. You
can grow an entire crop with CFL’s if you chose the right spec-
trum of bulb’s. For Vegetation you will want to use 6500K or
5000K, and when you flower you will want to switch to 2700K
or 3000K . The reason being, throughout the year the plant’s
outside receive more 6500K light because the day’s in summer
are long and hot and as Autumn/Winter get’s closer the day
get’s shorter, and gradually receives less 6500K light and more
2700K light as the plant flower’s. Do what you can to avoid
bulbs within that 3500K – 4000K because they emit very little
light that Is useful to your plant. Notice in the photo the differ-
ence between the color temperature of these lamps.

How to use CFL’s?

In order to efficiently use CFL’s to grow your MJ you will need to position the lights around 2 – 4 inches from the
foliage of the plant. If you place the light too close, then your plant will have nothing to vertically stretch to and it
will remain short and stocky. (Ex. My First Grow and FarmingToronto’s) Some people combat this by addingCFL’s
to the side of foliage instead of on top of it. On the other hand if the light is too far away from the plant, the
stem will suffer elongation (stretching), which will result in loose and fluffy bud’s. It is very important to note
that when using CFL’s it’s a daily “battle” to have lights in the right spot. Many of us are in our grow areas at least
once a day anyway, so to move your bulbs a bit really isn’t that big a deal. Also many people wonder is it better
to have many low watt CFL’s or just a few high watt CFL’s. Both ways are capable of providing you a good harvest
but I suggest you chose the configuration that is easiest for you and your grow area.

Where can I get these CFL’s?

Many low wattage (23-42) CFL’s can be bought at locate retail giants , such as Wal-mart, Lowes, Home Depot,
and just about any hardware store you can find. If you are looking to purchase higher wattage (42 – 200) CFL’s
I would recommend ordering them online. http://www.1000bulbs.com/ has very good prices on CFL’s ranging
from 2 – 200 Watt ’s. http://www.buylighting.com/ has a good selection ranging from 5 – 200 Watt ’s in a wide
range of spectrum’s. I have used both of these sites several times and I would recommend them to anyone that
plan’s to grow with CFL’s.

In the end there are many different GOOD setup’s so don’t set your mind on the ONE perfect CFL setup. Just ap-
ply these basic tip’s when starting a CFL grow and you WILL see success. If you have any questions or comment’s
I would greatly appreciate it. I want to thank the one and only, FarmingToronto for editing this Tutorial.

This article was originally posted on the rollitup.org forums. Post has been edited for conciseness and clarity.
 Ventilation 101
By redgreenry

Hey guys,
As you all know if the women don't find you handsome, they better find you handy... I've got some background
experience and have wanted to do a good write up for a while. I have a collection of source material and will be
cutting and pasting from it with a more detailed explanation that is more relevant to our hobby, building cabi-
nets. One of the lads in the Lodge says that growing leads to carpentry LOL.

Here is an excellent fan sizing guide from Grainger Fans who produce the Dayton line which many cab builder
use.
http://www.grainger.com/images/vent_fundamental.pdf
I found an ventilation engineering course on the EPA website. There is a wealth of information here but it is very
technical.
http://www.epa.gov/air/oaqps/eog/bces/toc/full_toc.htm

This site has some good info too

http://www.mil-embedded.com/articles/id/?3281

Fans are a pressure producing device which are basically an air pump. Air flow is created by the fan’s
pressure. It doesn’t take much pressure to move air which has little mass compared to water or hydraulic fluid.
Air pressure is measured in Inches of Water which are 1/28 of a pound per square inch.
Computer Fans (Axial) produce about 0.2 inches of water pressure and are ideal for unrestricted blowing.
They can move a lot of air, but don’t block them up.
Centrifugal Blowers produce more pressure than an axial fan. Typically the ones used by most cab build-
ers produce about 0.5 inches of water pressure and will work with more static pressure such as scrubbers. The
shape of the fan blades make a big difference in the pressure produced by the fan.
Industrial blowers will produce much higher pressures but they require multiple horsepower motors to
drive them.

Static Air Pressure is measured with a manometer

which is just a U shaped tube filled with water. This
picture shows the manometer measuring the intake
side of the fan which has 1 inch of water pressure.
If you stick a ruler next to the tube one side is 1”
higher than the other.

Every fan manufacturer can provide you with

a fan curve for your fan which is produced
by operating the fan with various static pres-
sures and taking flow measurements. All
they do is put a variable damper on a duct
and move it from fully open to fully closed.

This fan curve is for 1200 CFM fan that will

produce 0.6 inches of water pressure. When
the fan is fully blocked, it creates 0.6 inches
of STATIC PRESSURE and 0 CFM AIR FLOW.
When the fan is unrestricted, it creates 0
inches of STATIC PRESSURE and 1200 CFM
AIR FLOW.
Now if you have a fan speed controller and
can change the speed of your fan this is what
happens at different speeds. The fan oper-
ates with the same shaped curve, just shifted
outwards or inwards depending on speed.

Every ventilation system can be described by a SYSTEM RESISTANCE CURVE where the static pressure and airflow
are graphed together.

If you took a big fan and connected it to your growbox, then put a duct on the exhaust with a damper so the air-
flow could be adjusted, then measured the static pressure as the air flow is increased, this curve would be made.

Every "SYSTEM" has a unique resistance curve.

AIR FLOW = K * SQRT(PRESSURE) where K is a unique system constant

Point A is my cab with an Axial Fan

producing 0.2 in of static pressure
and 1000 CFM of air flow (not too
realistic eh!)

Point B is my cab with an Centrifu-

gal Blower producing 1.0 in pressure
and 2000 CFM air flow.
Now let's do something to our cabinet to
change the system constant K. Let's say
our cabinet has two intakes and Curve A is
normal. If we block up one intake, we have
changed our system constant K to a new
number and we get Curve B.

My cab with 2 intakes and an axial fan pro-

ducing 0.2 in static pressure has an air flow
of 700 CFM on curve A

My cab with 1 intake and the same axial

fan at 0.2 in static pressure has an air flow
of 500 CFM on curve B.

Changing the system will produce a new

system curve and a new system constant K.

The Operating point is where the Fan Perfor-

mance Curve crosses the System Resistance
Curve. In this case a 0.6 in 1200 CFM fan is
operating with 0.25 in of Static Pressure and
producing 1000 CFM. The resistance of the
system causes reduced performance.

STATIC PRESSURE WORKS AGAINST AIR FLOW

AND IS CAUSED BY RESISTANCE

A new operating point is created by chang-

ing the speed of the fan without making any
changes to the system. This is the same as up-
grading from a low performance fan to a heavy
duty industrial type.
 Changing the System Resistance moves the operat-
ing point along the Fan Performance Curve. In this
example I cut a new intake and reduced the System
Resistance from Curve A to Curve B that increased air
flow from 1000 to 1150 CFM. A while back I threw
out a simple formula for calculating air flow. Here's a
better calculation that takes Area into consideration.

CFM = K * SQRT (PRESSURE) * AREA

What's interesting is that doubling the intake area

will double the air flow. You have to change the pres-
sure produced by a fan by 4 times to double the air
flow. If you want to improve your cabinet, adding in-
takes, increasing duct size and adding more surface
area to scrubbers is the way to increase air flow.

So what actually makes the Air move? All a

fan does is makes a difference in pressure
between the intake and exhaust. Let's call
this the Total Pressure.

Resistance to the air flow is called Static

Pressure and what's left over is called Ve-
locity Pressure.

It's the Velocity Pressure that pushes the

air. The Static Pressure is best described as
pressure losses in the system.

TOTAL PRESSURE = STATIC PRESSURE + VELOCITY PRESSURE

or another way to look at it is:

VELOCITY PRESSURE = TOTAL PRESSURE - STATIC PRESSURE

Static pressure is your enemy in a good ventilation system. If you find your cabinet door hard to open, then you
have high static pressure. If you open your cab door and the air flow from the exhaust increases, then you need
more intake area.

The fan curve is useful for converting static pressure readings into actual airflow.

Let's say I have a nice fan that is rated at 0.5" WC. Measuring the static pressure at the exhaust I find 0.05" WC
and the static pressure at the inlet is 0.25" WC which would give me a Total Static Pressure of 0.3 and an air flow
of 950 CFM.

The velocity pressure would be 0.5 - 0.05 - 0.25 = 0.2"

Duct Air Flow

Here's the full formula for calculating the air velocity in a duct knowing the Velocity Pressure

velocity = 4005 * SQRT( velocity pressure) * SQRT (0.075/air density) where 0.075 is the density of air at 68*F

Let's ignore air density for now.

v = 4005 * SQRT (Vp)

To calculate the air flow in a duct

v * A = 4005 * SQRT(Vp) * A

with velocity in ft/min and area in square feet

Flow = 4005 * SQRT(Vp)*A = Airflow in CFM (cubic feet per minute)

Static Pressure Losses

Now let’s say I have this growbox
with two chambers and some inlet
and outlet ducts connected to a 0.5”
1200 CFM Fan. The Total Static Pres-
sure at the fan is 0.3” which will give
me a flow of 950 CFM using the fan
curve.
The Vp is 0.5-0.3=0.2

The Total Static Pressure loss for the

system is 0.3” which is 0.1 for the
inlet air ducting, 0.1 between cham-
ber B and A and 0.1 between A and
the outlet of the fan.

Now let’s try to improve the airflow

between chamber A and B by add-
ing a second vent.

Wow, the static pressure in cham-

bers A and B are the same so there
is no more loss and it also dropped
the static pressure at the fan inlet
to 0.2”. Going off the fan curve the
airflow increased from 950 to 1050
CFM with the velocity pressure in-
creasing from 0.2 to 0.3.
Let's add a second intake. This re-
duces the Sp down to 0.05" in each
intake duct and drops the Sp down
to 0.1" at the Fan.

The overall airflow is improved to

1125 CFM which is almost the full
rating of the fan at 1200 CFM.

In this example by removing an in-

ternal restriction and opening up
the intakes, the airflow was im-
proved from 950 to 1125 CFM.
This is the handiest chart that I've ever seen. It's based on a cooling formula that I've come across in a few places
during my research.
CFM = 3.16 * Watts Dissipated / delta T
Where “delta T” is the change in temperature in degrees Fahrenheit.

If I had a dollar for every time someone asked how many CFM's do I need for my Cabinet....

I picked up this graph a long time ago and have verified it against a ventilation program for cooling electronic
cabinets. This chart is for the airflow needed to cool a simple cabinet with just a light bulb and enough intake
area not to cause any static pressure loss.

Cooling lights and providing ventilation for your plants are two different things. One air exchange per minute is
all you need to keep your plants happy. Measure your grow box in feet and multiply height x width x length and
that's the CFM you need for one air exchange per minute.
A has an inline scrubber blocking the air flow
(VERY BAD)

B is a growbox with not enough intake space

(POOR)

C is an unrestricted fan cooling your grow box

with negligible Static Pressure losses (EXCEL-
LENT)

At an intake to a duct, Static pressure inside the duct

is converted to Velocity pressure which makes the air
move.

Air Flow (cfm) = K sqrt(SP) * Duct Area

Now all the air around your intake is sitting still and it
has to be pulled into the intake and accelerated up to
the velocity of the air travelling in the duct.

All the air being pulled into the inlet causes an effect
called the vena contracta. Some of the air around the
inlet isn’t moving at all while some of the air is com-
pressed and expands as the velocity pressure is con-
verted to static pressure. The duct static pressure and entry losses are
related to the size of the vena contracta. The shape of the intake is very
important in reducing the hood entry losses.

Sp = (1 + Fd)Vp
Vp= Sp/(1 +Fd)

Assuming a Fd of 0.96, Vp = Sp/1.96 = 0.5 *Sp

So the Velocity pressure is only 1/2
the Static pressure with the so ef-
fectively we are losing 1/2 our air
flow at the entrance to the duct.

The way to combat Static Pressure

losses at the intakes is to reduce the
Velocity of the air at the intake by
increasing the area of the intakes.
Intake Sizing
Sizing intakes causes people lot's of grief so here's all the work done for ya.

A = pi * radius * radius = pi*radius^2 m= (pi *diameter^2)/4

Areas for common duct and pipe sizes

Diameter----------------- Area
Inches ----------------Square Inches
1-----------------------------0.8
2 ----------------------------3.1
3 ----------------------------7.1
4 ---------------------------12.6
5 ---------------------------19.6
6----------------------------28.8

Intake Calculator
Exhaust----------------- Intake---------------- Square--------------- # of--------------- # of---------------- #of
Inches------------------- Area------------------- Hole--------------- 1" PVC----------- 2" PVC------------ 4" PVC
4 --------------------------25.2------------------- 5"x5"----------------- 32----------------- 8------------------- 2
6 --------------------------56.6------------------- 8"x8"----------------- 70 ----------------18------------------ 5

Don't assume that a 4" exhaust needs four 1" inch PVC intakes. You really need 16 to match the exhaust area and
up to 32 to make it work right.

Darkroom Vents
I see lot's of guys using darkroom vents which are an excellent way to light trap the intake. From my observa-
tions, it appears that they are an obstruction to the airflow and seem to cut the air flow down by 1/2.

Noise
Let’s make some noise about noise. Our ears are some pretty special instruments that can pick up very faint
sounds to all the way to a rock concert at over 100 db. Noise level is computed using the formula 10Log(Sound
Pressure Level). What’s important to know is that every 3db difference in sound is double the noise. Every 10db
difference is 10 times the noise. A 100 db rock concert is 10000000000 times louder than a whisper.

Another measurement to know about is SONNES

1 Sonne = 40 db and 4 Sonnes = 60 db where each sonne is 5 db starting at 40 db.

Bathroom fans are measured in Sonnes to make it easy for the average shopper to compare noise levels. A high
quality bathroom fan runs 1 sonne and most of the cheaper ones are 3 sonnes or about 55 db. Computer fans
are very quiet at 20-30 db compared to bathroom fans at 55 db or centrifical fans at 60-70 db.

While we are talking about noise, a big source of noise in ventilation comes from the rushing sound of the air
itself.

Air Flow is the velocity of the air in ft/min * the Area of the duct flow in square feet.

Cubic Feet per Minute = (ft * ft * ft) / min

I just helped out a friend that has a 440 cfm fan hooked up to a 4” duct and he can’t stand the noise of it.
My suggestion is to increase the
duct size or connect the duct to
a large cardboard box to drop
the air speed down while main-
taining the air flow rate. This is
the basic technology behind a
muffler or silencer. Increase the area of the ducting to drop the airspeed. Add a grill or grid to even out the flow
of air to reduce turbulence and the noise will be significantly reduced.

Case Study
One of the key features of a good growbox design is fitting a carbon scrubber to the ventilation system. Let's
take a look at CANFAN's stuff. They publish decent spec's with their equipment. I'd like to fit a 6" CANFAN which
is rated at 269 CFM with 1.5" WC pressure. This is a workhorse of a fan. http://www.canfilters.com/fan_metal_
home.html

Now let's get a nice CANFILTER 50 that's rated at 420CFM @ 0.75"WC.

http://www.canfilters.com/canfilters_50.html

Hey this sounds pretty good, I think I can get 270 CFM out of this combo, maybe? Well let's take a look.
The operating point for the 6” CANFAN/50 combo is
around 200CFM. Canfan says 210 CFM so that’s close
with about a 25% loss due to the scrubber. So what
gives, the filter is supposed to give 420CFM @ 0.75”
and we have a 1.5” Fan, how did we end up running
at 50% of the scrubber and 75% of the fan? This is
where the fan curve is needed to see how both these
components make a system where the actual airflow
is the operating point where the two curves cross.

Let’s hook this puppy and see what happens. Holy

cow this thing is loud. No wonder, look at the noise
spec. 6 Sonnes, that’s like 70 dB. Look up 70db, its
a vacuum cleaner loud or the same as radio or TV
music. And that’s the noise of the fan, the fan spec’s
don’t include the air rushing though the ducts either.
Am I happy? Let’s see I just spent at least $300 on this stuff, my cabinet is 90* and I can here this thing on the
street.

So what are my options. Add a speed controller, box runs hotter. Get a quieter fan, if it’s less that 1.5”WC, the box
runs hotter. Downsize the lights? Leave the door open? Every growbox you see fitted with a scrubber/fan com-
bination is using this brute force approach to the ventilation. This is caveman engineering by Fred and Barney.

An alternative is to run unrestricted quiet fans to cool the lights. A high airflow, low noise computer fan will run
with 15-25 db which is whisper quiet compared to this hoover. Add a second small fan pushing through a small
scrubber and you’re set. Cool, quiet and smell free.
Putting Fans in Series vs. Parallel
One of the challenges in building a good ventilation system is to get the right amount of airflow. If you're stuck
and you need to add or replace a fan, many times it doesn't quite work out.

One of the reasons is that the Air Flow is propor-

tional to the square of the Pressure. Adding a sec-
ond fan will not double the flow but will increase it
by square root of 2, (1.41), or by about 40 percent.
To double the Air Flow requires four times the Pres-
sure.

There are two ways to add a second fan and they have completely different effects on the system. The first way
is to add a second fan inline with the first. The fan curve is the single fan curve with the pressure doubled at the
same flow rate value.

The second way is to add a parallel fan. This doesn’t boost the pressure at all
but doubles the air flow at the original fan curve pressure value.

Now let’s see a fan curve comparison of these methods.

System A is very restricted. We can see that the air flow improves quite a bit
with series compared to parallel.

System B and C are less restricted and the improvements in air flow are similar between series and paralllel.
System D is an unrestricted sys-
tem with the parallel fans pro-
viding a significant improvement
over the series fans.

I did a little experiment a while

ago with 4 computer fans. I
connected them in series and
boy did they ever make a good
amount of pressure and they
were pretty quiet too. Each
computer fan can produce 0.2”
static pressure. Four in series
will produce the same pressure
as a Dayton blower at 0.75”.
The noise of a computer fan
is around 20 db with the noise
doubling every 6 db so four fans
would make about 38 db of
noise which is way quieter than
some of the noisy blowers that
start at 65-70db.
This thread was originally posted
on the icmag.com forums. Post
have been edited for conciseness
and clarity.
Stealth Mother Chamber
By justanotherbozo

As I haven’t posted here in some

time, and as I just completed my new
micro mother cabinet, I thought I’d
share the construction details hoping
maybe to inspire the noob’s.

Anyway, I’m sure no-one will mind if I

make this thread mostly pictures as I
believe they are self-explanatory.
 As you can see, this is “justanother” dresser conver-
sion cabinet. Note that I’ve created a chamber within
the dresser. My goal was a sealed “room” that would
be muffled by the styrofoam between the inner and
outer walls.

Photo #12 >

Here is the light I bought for the cabi-
net. It’s a 2 foot T5 HO fluorescent fix-
ture that runs four 24 watt bulbs (I’m
using 3 blues and 1 red) for a total of
96 watts. These next photos illustrate
my mounting solution. You’ll note the
notch I left in the Styrofoam to receive
the excess power cord from the light.
 Looking great! So the top light fixture will swivel open for ac-
cess to the cabinet?
Thanks man and yeah, the top opens kinda like a foot locker.
Here’s the pictures to illustrate. Note also the chains I’ve used
to keep the top from opening too far.

These photos show the beginnings

of the exhaust. I built this little box to
bump the fan deeper into the cabinet
in hopes of further muffling fan noise.
Truth is, with the fan situated as it is
and with the foam insulation between
the inner and outer walls, it is pretty
damned quiet!
Here you can see why I drilled out the hole that was illustrated in photo #12.

Because this is a stealth cab, I wanted the electricals to be hidden.

Note the 1 red bulb and 3 blues
 Here's a few more pics to show the intakes.

How are you tackling the light leaking from the exhaust and inlets?
Well, it isn’t enough to bother me, plus it’s easy to hide. All I do is put some laundry on top and, unless you go
looking, you’d never know it was there. Not only that, I’m just another old guy and I don’t get much company so
there just aren’t that many people here that could notice. Otherwise, I’d use a darkroom louver.
That black fabric is the stuff you use to keep weeds out of your garden.
It doesn't block out all the light, but it helps, plus, it filters the intakes.
 Note the two PC fans for circulation.
A random question...The dark, laminate
stuff that is on the inside walls, did that
have a strange smell to it before painting?
I have something that looks VERY similar
(it was really cheap) but the smell is mak-
ing me doubt using it.
First, that isn’t a laminate, it’s more like par-
ticle board as it appears to be some sort of
compressed board. It’s used a lot as backing
material for cheap furniture and I’m pretty
sure they call it ‘masonite’. It’s the same
stuff they make pegboards out of, just with-
out the holes. It did have a bit of an odor to
it but I put several coats of paint on it and it
no longer smells.
What I did was to take some flat white ceil-
ing paint I had laying around and thin it with
water so I could use it as a primer, I wanted
it to soak in good. Then I put two coats of an
elastomeric paint that is designed for patch-
ing roofs and such on trailers and whatnot.
Next I took some of the flat white paint
and mixed it in with the elastomeric paint,
which btw is also white, mainly to thin it
as the elastomeric paint is thick! Anyway, I
then put two coats of that on as my final
finish coat. The elastomeric paint is rubber-
ized so it’s waterproof, plus, it’s mildew re-
sistant. Another thing worth noting is that
it’s cheap at about $15.00 USD per gallon.
This thread was originally posted on the icmag.com forums. Post have been edited for conciseness and clarity.
Are you using just one Axial computer fan for your exhaust? It
looks like the purpose of your other one is to circulate the air
inside.
That fan isn’t a PC fan, it is an axial fan, but it’s 4.5 inches. So it’s
bigger than a PC fan, plus, it comes wired for 110 volts (I think it’s
rated at 112 cfm). If you look close, you’ll see there are two PC
fans in there for circulation. One to the right and one to the left.
Is that one fan powerful enough to ventilate that entire dresser?
Yeah, so far at least, it seems to be doing an admirable job, my
temps are running in the mid to high 70’s.
Can you get those fans at local stores or did you have to order
it?
I bought the axial at a local grow shop for about $30.00 USD. If
you look online I’m sure you can find a wide assortment of sizes,
cfm’s and prices.
It doesn’t look like you have any odor control for this. I guess
you will only need that for flowering?
Actually, while it doesn’t reek like flowers, it does have a distinct
aroma. I’m thinking I’ll try that activated charcoal fabric they
make for air filtration units. I’ll just cut it to size and use Velcro to
hold it in place.
I see you built a little wooden ventilation box for your fan, this
reduces the sound? Would that fan really be noisy if you had
just placed it directly inside the square cut hole, without any
inner box?
I haven’t run it without that box so I don’t know if it really makes
a difference or not. What I do know is it’s pretty damned quiet.
 Grow With Wisdom - The First Two Weeks
By Soma

I truly love cannabis, and if you love cannabis the way I do, you too can grow this sacred plant. Don’t let fear
hold you back. Don’t let politics hold you back. Approach this sacred plant with wisdom, and it will truly help
you grow. In this article I’m not going to go into extreme detail explaining how to build your grow room, that will
come later. As for now I assume you have one. I will however go over some important points to consider. Your
neighbors; try your best to get along with them, at the same time being low key and not drawing unwanted at-
tention towards yourself. Electricity; make sure you have safe wiring, good fuses and you don’t have water and
electricity mixing anywhere. Light; make sure you have no light leaks, go into your room when the lights are out
in the daytime and see if you can see any light coming in, do the same from the outside of your house when the
lights are on and see if any light is visible.

Genetics; is a very important subject to consider, there are many, many cannabis strains and it’s worth doing a
little research as to which ones are right for you and your particular situation. Care of the seeds themselves must
be done in the correct way. Seeds can’t get too hot, they can’t get moist or wet and keep best when kept in a
dark, cool, dry place. Sprouting the seeds can be done in a few different ways. When I first started I would put the
seeds in a moist paper towel in a warm dark place, that was fine for making the seeds open up and sprout, but
what I didn’t know at the time was that the micro roots would get damaged when I would pull them away from
the paper towel, leaving opportunity for infection and stunting. Since those days I’ve learned a better method.
First take a clear plastic cup and label it with the name of the strain you are going to germinate. Next put your
seeds in and add a third of a cup of distilled water. At first the seeds will float on the top. Put your cup(s) in a
warm dark place overnight. In the morning when you look in the cup swirl the seeds around with your finger and
all the good ones will sink to the bottom. On close observation you will see that the seeds have slightly split open
and have begun to germinate. They are now ready for planting.

You must use very mild, airy soil with a good moisture level. I prefer to use a tray with sixty jiffy peat pots, but
small plastic pots work very well. When putting the seeds in the soil be very careful not to plant them more than
two seeds deep. If planted too deep they can entangle themselves in their own roots exhausting them of their
vital starting energy. The tray or pots with the seeds in them must be then placed in a well lit warm environment.
The light that is used must be at least a 250 watt metal halide, but a full spectrum 400 watt light is even better.
I keep the light at least a meter and a half away from the top of the plants. When the seeds first start to break
through the top of the soil, many times the outside of the seed will stick to the top of the plant and the stem.
You can sometimes help it off the seedling with a very gentle lift from a fingernail. The first hint of green that
you will see will be these little round leaves called cotyledons. In the middle of them you will see the first signs
of their beginning set of serrated leaves that we all know to be cannabis. As the top of the plant gets larger the
stem starts to strain from the weight and bends over, a little wooden stick or a piece of wire with a hook works
well to keep the little plant standing up as straight as possible. After the 7th day I give the plants a mild mixture
of a vitamin B1 and kelp seaweed, mixed with 3 ml per 10 liters bio-N27. This isn’t totally necessary, but it defi-
nitely helps.

With all the little plants standing straight with their little wire supports holding them up, the tray of babies is kept
growing under the light at 24 hours a day. The temperature that I keep the room at is about 27C. I find that the
roots develop quickly under that temperature. The colder the room, the slower the roots will grow. You don’t
want to go above 27C either. The tray must be checked daily to make sure it doesn’t dry out and can’t be left too
wet.
It needs a kind of happy medium between being too wet and being too dry. At the end of two weeks, the little
plants are carefully transplanted out of the tray into small pots. The soil mixture that I use is a mix of 2 parts
all-mix, 1 part cloning soil, and 2 parts perlite. I then water them from the bottom using a product called power
thrive, a mixture of kelp seaweed and vitamin B1. I make sure to use a mild mixture. These plants can stay in
these little pots for 7 to 10 days, before needing to be transplanted. Check your plants every day, quiet time
spent communing with your plants can be found to be a very rewarding experience. By growing biologically you
can make it a non-toxic, life enhancing project that will help expand your consciousness, green up your thumb,
and give you some good exercise.

Happy gardening, Soma

Until next time, Keep it GREEN, LOVING and full of LIGHT.

Peace, Soma

Article originally taken from somaseeds.nl and has been edited for clarity and conciseness.
 Water Cure
By NiteTiger

Heads Up:
Do not use the water cure on seeded bud - the seeds will try to germinate and die.

Place your buds into a container that will hold enough water to cover the submerged buds by at least an inch.
I personally use a cooler with a drain spout. For the first 2 or 3 days, the buds will want to float, so you'll need
something to hold them underwater. I use thin fry baskets to prevent from compressing the buds, but you can
use anything that will hold them under, like a plate or even a board.

Keep the container in a cool, dark place, out of direct sunlight. Do not cover the top of your container. Mine sit in
the back of my closet with the lid of the cooler open. Once a day, drain your water and add fresh water. Repeat
for 7 days.

On the seventh day, remove the buds from the water, and dry. Because the buds are water logged, dehydrators
are preferred for drying water cured buds, but not necessary. Standard hang drying is not recommended, due to
the high water content making mold an extremely likely occurrence. I personally use a cake cooling rack, with a
fan blowing across and under it.

Water curing robs your bud of its aroma, flavor, and, some say, bag appeal. It will, however, leave you with an
extremely smooth, stealthy smoke. You can also expect a slight increase in potency, because the water cure
does remove more weight from the bud. With a standard dry and cure, you'll generally see 25% of wet weight
returned, whereas with a water cure, you should only expect about 15%.

Water curing, in my experience, is best used for 'Stealth Stash' and edibles. A significant portion of every one of
my harvests gets water cured, because I'm more likely to reach for my 'Stealth Stash' than my jar cured, and also
because I love edibles. Edibles with water cured bud don't have that telltale taste and smell, and I have smoked
my stealth bud with police officers walking within arms reach.

Water cure is also excellent for crops that have not been properly flushed, or were over fertalized. Some have
also reported using it to great success on moldy buds, but I do not recommend it - moldy buds should be ex-
tracted or trashed, period. DO NOT SMOKE MOLDY BUDS, IT CAN CAUSE SERIOUS, LIFE THREATENING MEDICAL
CONDITIONS.

The water cure is just like every other tool in a gardener's arsenal - use it correctly and you'll love it, use it wrong
and you'll hate what it does to your crop.

This thread was originally posted on the icmag.com forums. Post have been edited for conciseness and clarity.
 Harvesting With Soma
By Soma

Harvesting the fruit of any crop you have been working your heart and hands with, is a very fulfilling experience.
With cannabis it is even more fulfilling. After all you are working with one of the main sacred plants on planet
earth, harvesting it is definitely more intense than harvesting apples. In many ways though it is similar to an
apple harvest. In harvesting a fair amount of apples, you need a good working team who you can trust and de-
pend on, and you need a few important tools of the trade. You need ladders, apple baskets, a place to wash the
apples, containers for storing and packing, and someone to do quality control, making sure that there are no bad
apples in the bunch. With a cannabis harvest you need an even better team of people you can trust and depend
on, and you need some important tools of the trade. You need some pruning shears, some real sharp sturdy scis-
sors, some type of clothes line type of set-up that you can hang the plants on, a smell proof room that’s dry and
cool and if possible a T-55 silkscreen to work over when your doing the manicuring.

The most important factor in a marijuana harvest is that it is not picked too early, I can’t stress this enough, it is
one of the main mistakes humans make when harvesting. I’m going to go over some things not to do.

Don’t look in your wallet for the date of the harvest, in your wallet you will only find things that have to do with
money. Money should not be a factor for when the harvest should be done. Try to avoid this mistake.

Don’t look at the calendar except for knowing when the full moon and new moon are taking place. Harvesting
by the calendar does not work well at all. Some people start seeds that are supposed to take a certain amount of
time to finish their cycle, whatever the particular seed package say’s, and as soon as that amount of time passes,
they harvest. Harvest with your heart, let your heart guide you. Having let yourself become good friends with
your plants, you are always looking at them just like a good human friend. In looking closely at them, that exact
point in time when the green tomato turns red, or when the green banana turns yellow is noticed by you, the
gardener with the green thumb. When the white hairs on the buds of your cannabis plants are not forming any
longer, and all the places where the red hairs are, the calyx’s, are becoming very swollen and many visible THC
crystals can be seen it’s time to harvest. To double check, smell the top of the plant, rub it with your fingers, smell
your fingers, if it smells like the most wonderful hash perfume you ever smelled, then you are ready to harvest
the fruit of your labor.

Taking the pruning shears you cut the plant underneath the bottom branch, then, you remove only the large fan
leaves, saving them to cook with. Then you hang the plants up.

Hanging the plants upside down on a clothesline is easily done by using the natural crooks of the plant. Select
a strong bottom branch, then hang that branch over the clothes line, remember these plants are being hung in
a smell proof room with a dry, cool temperature. Keep hanging your plants in a row being careful not to crowd
them too much. It usually takes at least 10 days to 14 days to dry before you start the final manicuring. Now
comes the part when you really need your trustworthy team of friends. You need a good large table glass ones
work very well. Place your T-55 silkscreen, over the table, making sure that the glass is underneath all of the
screen. Next arrange a comfortable seating arrangement for you and your friends around the table, with each
person having their own sharp sturdy scissors. Have some really fun music on to enhance the mood. To make
sure the plants are dry enough I take one of the stems and try to snap it, if it is still rubbery it’s not dry enough
to manicure. You have to wait until the stem snaps with a good snapping noise only then you know it is ready to
clip.
I only use the scissors for cutting the stems with and I take the extra fine leaf off with my fingers. After a while
you adopt quite a fine technique of moving your fingers carefully around the dried buds, making sure not to
damage the best part, but also making sure to get every bit of extra leaf off. You keep putting the leaf in a bag
as it builds up, and under the silkscreen you get the heaviest resin glands that fall off when the plants are be-
ing moved and clipped. On your fingers you start to notice resin building up where you have been constantly
touching the plants. When you have a good amount you take it off by first making sure all the leaf sticking to
your fingers is gently rubbed off, then over a small bowl you rub all your resined fingers together enough so all
the hash comes off into the bowl. Next roll the hash in the bowl together into one piece and voila you have your
fresh piece of organically grown charas.

The buds that have been manicured I place on a screen to finish drying out, I double check them for extra leaf,
and if there is any I take it off. When the buds are dry enough for the stem to snap when broken in half, I place
the finely manicured buds in a large glass canning jar, and leave them in there closed over night. Being in the
closed jar makes the buds re-hydrate from the inside of the stem to the outside of the buds. I then open the jar
again, making sure the cannabis is the perfect consistency, texture, smell, and flavor.

I then put my jars away in a cool dark place and they are good for at least 18 months or longer. All of the trim
that is saved up is used for making water hash with the bag systems, Ice-o-lator and or Bubblebags. Smoking the
sacred herb that you grew with your hands and heart, together with your friends and family is one of the most
fun and fulfilling actions that can be done by any aspiring hippie. Seeing the medicinal grade weed that you grew
truly help someone who is very ill with something like cancer, can bring tears to your eyes. Growing sacred herb
is powerful stuff, treat it with integrity and it will help you find it within yourself.

Until next time, Keep it GREEN, LOVING and full of LIGHT.

Peace, Soma

Article originally taken from somaseeds.nl and has been edited for clarity and conciseness.
 Hybridization
By Soma
As a breeder of cannabis genetics, making hybrids is part of my life's work. I specialize in medicinal canna-
bis genetics. A hybrid is caused by the cross between two plants of different species, varieties or cultivars, or on
occasion different genera. Hybrids today are often more resistant than their parents. When an atom hybridizes...
This process of restructuring is known as hybridization.
What I do is take two plants and genetically cross them to produce a new plant that has some of the
characteristics of the original plants but also creates additional characteristics that are unique to it. The fact that
new combinations can be formed shows the continuous nature of the process of speciation. When working with
cannabis you may have to produce hundreds of plants before you discover the winner you have been looking for,
so patience is a virtue.
Through the years I have had an amazing kind of inspiration to find the finest medicinal cannabis genetics
this planet has to offer. It has been my health. Since 1984 I have had cancer of the tongue and cannabis has been
my medicine of choice. Having it as my medicine is a powerful driving force. When looking at different charac-
teristics of cannabis plants, there are a few main things to look for. How much stem is in-between nodes, what
the aroma is like, how much THC trichomes are present, how long the finishing time is, and last but not least the
effect.
Once several valuable species are acquired the crossing can begin. You need males and females. One
male can be sufficient to impregnate hundreds of females. One of my newest crossings was to mix a G-13 Haze
male to 11 of my favorite strains. When I take seeds from these plants and sprout them I basically get 3 dominant
phenotypes and 1 recessive phenotype. One will be like the father, one like the mother, one a combination of
both and one a recessive phenotype that can bring earlier genetics back out to be seen.
Choosing which types of plants to use takes really knowing your plants well. Different strains have differ-
ent traits. Once you have decided which traits you want to add to your new hybrid, you use one for the donor
parent and one for the recipient parent. The male sending the new characteristics to the female. For this the
two plants are mated or crossed and the progeny is screened for the desired trait. The progeny plants possessing
the desired trait are then selected and crossed back to the recipient parent. This process is repeated until the
desired plant type having all the characteristics of the recipient in addition to the trait being transferred is finally
obtained. This exercise is known as backcrossing. Backcrossing involves both hybridization and selection.
Overall, the hallmark of selection lies in human ability to choose the best from a cluster of many. In his
quest to find more variability, man started experimenting with hybridization of plants so as to achieve the per-
fect plant type. This process was actually the beginning of expedited evolution since it led to the formation of
new plant types artificially or due to human intervention at a much faster pace than it would have happened in
nature. For example the bread wheat that we eat today has taken about 500 years to evolve to its present form
through human intervention. This form of wheat would have taken thousands of years to evolve had it been left
to the natural evolution process.
In our modern world many things have accelerated. Today an item found on the other side of the planet
can arrive at your door tomorrow. So it is with my seeds, they travel the globe. In this way many people besides
me get to plant them and pick through different phenotypes, all of us looking for the best. For one person to do
this would take many years, but with many people doing it and staying in touch via the internet the knowledge
comes fast and with it new strains.
In my newest crossings between the G-13 Haze male (wanted to bring more of the sativa genetics into
the mix) and Buddha’s Sister, Somango, Somativa, White Willow, Lavender, Citralah, White Light, New York City
Diesel, Rockbud, Reclining Buddha, and Free Tibet, I am finding some of the finest plants ever. I love plants,
plants of all kinds, they are my favorite life form, they are teachers, I surround myself with plants in my home, at
least 100 different kinds, and cactuses. Until next time, Keep it GREEN, LOVING and full of LIGHT.

Peace, Soma
Article originally taken from somaseeds.nl and has been edited for clarity and conciseness.
 Collecting Pollen
By lilbuddie

I was getting ready to gather up some pollen for the

next round of flowering. I remember we really didn't
have any pictures of this so I threw some together
whilst I was doing it.

First, take a mature flowering male plant, like this

one. I have waited until the majority of the flowers
are open and spewing pollen. This is obvious from
yellow powdery residue on the leaves.

Next, I get a pair of scissors, piece of wax paper fold-

ed in half, with one end folded over to form a corner.
I use wax paper since it resists moisture which will
spoil your pollen.

Then take the scissors and cut a nice big branch off

just one so it is easy to handle.
 Then carefully lay the branch in the opened wax
paper, close the sides with the holding hand so a
breeze doesn't blow too much away. Then twist,
jiggle, shake, and rub the branch against the wax
paper.

After a few branches to see how much you have col-

lected, remove some of the flowers that have fallen
off and check out what you have so far.

Once you have run out of branches or you feel you

have enough pollen then shake the pollen down
into the cover you made and remove any additional
flowers that still remain. Once all the male flowers
are removed you can unfold the wax paper to be
sure to get them all, you can transfer the pollen to a
new piece of wax paper if you desire.
It kinda sorta looks like a blonde hash eh?
Then wrap it up, tape it and you have enough pollen
for a few million seeds. You can now carefully unfold
it and use a small paint brush to dip into it and pol-
linate buds. Or if you are really lazy you just pinch
some out and sprinkle it!!

This thread was originally posted on the gardenscure.com

forums. Post have been edited for conciseness and clarity.
 Breeding with DJ Short
By DJ Short

My Cataloguing System
Perhaps one of the most useful devices used in a quality cannabis breeding project is that of catalogue tech-
niques. This refers to the method used to categorize various traits for future reference, or how to best label traits
from a given population. It is also a means to track who came from where (generational references).

First and foremost, I cannot begin to describe the level of complexity involved with a breeding project that ex-
tends from the f-2 to the f-5 range. It took me over a decade and a half of trial and much error to fully compre-
hend and develop a system that actually works to this level and beyond. It starts out simple enough, until the
f-2’s, then the complexity expands exponentially with each generation.

The P-1’s are simple enough, they are the original breed-stock and labeled for what they are, i.e. Highland,
Purple or Chocolate Thai, Oaxacan or Santa Marta Gold, Pure Afghan, etc. The f-1’s were equally simple as they
were of uniform expressions and I simply chose to label them “The Cross”. The f-2 generation was equally easy to
identify with the label “Double Cross”, or the progeny of the f-1 cross. However, when the f-2’s were grown out,
extreme diversity ruled the making of the f-3’s (or the descriptions of the f-2’s selected to breed further with) a
tougher call to make.

It is at this level (and beyond) that some form of labeling system becomes necessary to catalogue all of the dif-
ferent variations found. Beginning with the plants grown out from the f-2 seeds I chose to utilize an alphabetized
system with each letter corresponding to a specific trait. For example, the letter “B” came to signify the “Berry”
characteristic, “F” stands for “Fruity” (sometimes “Floral“), “G” is for Grape, “C” for Citrus, “O” for orange, “L” for
lemon or lime, “K” equaled “Kush”, “S” for “Sativa” “P” for Purple, “X” for extreme glandular trichome produc-
tion, etc.

I must confess that it took much trial and error to finally get it right. Therefore, if one were to look at my early
notes many exceptions to what developed as “the rule” can be found. I left these early “mistakes” as they were
so as not to over-complicate what came next. It is also very important to note that most of these observations
were relatively subjective and that no more than two traits, or characteristics were ever assigned to any one
plant. Therefore, the label “BK” came to stand for “Berry Kush”, or a Kush dominant plant with outstanding berry
attributes. It is also important to note that only the most outstanding plant of any given attribute was selected
for future work. So the plant that ended up with the “BK” label was the most Berry-Kush of the lot.

So, my f-3 stock became labeled with a two-letter code indicating what the most outstanding characteristics of
it’s parent (primarily mother) were, and only those with the strongest expressions earned their label. When the
f-3’s were grown out and crossed to make the f-4 generation, these labels were coupled to indicate the parents
of the f-4 progeny, i.e. BK/FS would be a cross between an f-3 Berry-Kush mother (I always list the female first,
male second with a back-slash in between) and an f-3 Fruity Sativa father.

F-4’s and Beyond

Consider the label number: 4/5 3 96-2. This is the type of numbering symbol I use to label F-4 and beyond plants.
Before we dissect this number I need to point out a few rules that I follow in a breeding project beyond the F-4
generation.

First, I only grow out no more than six varieties at any single time. The reason is to avoid too much confusion. Six
is about the maximum number of varieties an individual can realistically keep track of. These six (or five, or four
etc.) varieties are then labeled as “1” through “6” (or the number of varieties used). Let’s say the 6 f-3’s I use
are: 1. “FK/FK”, 2. “BK/PK”, 3. “FK/FL”, 4. “GK/GK”, 5. “PK/FP” and 6. “XP/FK”. Notes are made to record this fact
and the seeds are then sprouted and grown using these simple, single digit identification numbers (1 through 6
in this example).

Second, I select only one male from any single breeding project. Again, this simplifies things and avoids mistakes
enormously. That male is generally selected at about the third week in the flowering cycle, unless it is a clone
from another project. After the single male is selected the other males are removed and the remaining females
are numbered according to their variety category (i.e. if there are seven #1. females, five #2 females, etc. they
are labeled #1–1 through 7, #2–1 through 5, etc.) The male simply retains the number from its variety label, in
our above example the number “5” (in the 4/5), or the “PK/FP” male.

Now we may examine the above example: 4/5 3 96-2. The first two numbers, “4/5” are the variety number of
the female first and male second. So in this case that would be: a “GK/GK” female crossed with the “PK/FP”
male. The third number in our example, “3” means female #3 from the #4 (“GK/GK”) batch. The next number in
the example, “96” is merely the year and the final number is the crop number for that year. So, translated, the
number 4/5 3 96-2 is the third “GK/GK” (or #4) female crossed with the “PK/FP” (or #5) male grown from the
second crop of 1996.

Please note that the “/5” male-used indicator will be /5 for all of the seeds labeled from this batch as the #5
(“PK/FP”) male is the only one used. If a male clone from a past crop is used it may be indicated by using the
#7 in the initial notes (if six varieties are sprouted) and described as the male-clone-used in the #7 description.
Likewise, if any of the six varieties tested are from a past clone (female), they may be selected as one of the #1
through #6 varieties, labeled and described accordingly.

It seems complex at first, but I assure you that it works great. The same system is used for the F-5 generation,
and beyond. The system merely requires that dated notes be kept and catalogued. That way, any crosses may
be backtracked and referenced via one’s notes and a simple, six or seven digit code is all that is needed to label
and catalogue one’s plants.

Finally, this system works best for forward crosses mainly. Backcrosses will need another connotation to note
their use . The “clone-used” labeling described prior works well for backcrosses involving clones.

This system is good for only one grow out at a time. If multiple grows, or facilities are used then they will need to
be noted as well, perhaps with a lettered “A”, “B”, “C” etc. appended onto the catalogue number. Also, detailed
notes of each individual plant are necessary to fully utilize any cataloguing system and are obviously required for
success. Other than that, I have found this to be a relatively simple and foolproof system for cataloguing one’s
breeding projects beyond the f-3 generation.

Background, Review and DJ’s Law

Remember; all of my seed-stock came from the cross of two distinctly different P1 parents with the mother be-
ing of pure, land-race sativa origin and the father being a pure indica. This cross produced a very uniform line
I’ve referred to as “The Cross”, or f1 generation. When “The Cross” was bred with itself (dubbed “Double Cross”
at the time) the resulting variance was phenomenal in the f2 generation expressions. Beginning with this f2 gen-
eration, intense scrutiny and application of the selection rules and laws come into play. The bulk of the variation
from this f2 generation were primarily discovered in the 1980’s.

I must comment here that the variation witnessed from this f2 cross, and subsequent crosses, was truly amazing
in its complexity of variance. I also need to mention the fact that, as far as “the number’s game” is concerned
(selecting from as large a population as possible), this f2, and to some degree the f3 generations are the most
relevant. That is, the larger the number of f2’s and f3’s sprouted, the greater the degree of variance that is wit-
nessed. It is from the f3 and beyond generations that specific traits are bred for and stabilized. Once a specific
trait is recognized, the numbers necessary for success diminish with each generation successfully crossed toward
the desired traits. In simple terms; the more f2’s and f3’s sprouted for examination the better. However, once a
specific trait presents itself and is chosen for future work and appears to breed true through subsequent genera-
tion, the less f4’s, f5’s etc. that are needed to witness the desired results.

There is one very simple rule that I feel is primary when considering one’s involvement in a quality cannabis
breeding project, or when applying Luther Burbank’s law (“Select the best and reject all others.”). It is an exten-
sion of Luther Burbank’s Law that I will refer to as:

DJ’s Law of Quality Cannabis Breeding

“The progeny must equal or surpass its parent in overall quality and desirability to be considered for future
breeding.”

That is, if the progeny is not as good as the bud it came from, it is rejected from further breeding. The finished
product from the grown seed does not need to be exactly like the bud or parent from which it came. A good
example is from the land-race Thai and the plants grown from its seed. The plants grown from the land-race
Thai seed, especially produced indoors, were not much like the imported Thai from which it came (primarily due
in this case to very different growing environments and curing techniques). It was, however, very equal, and in
some instances superior to the buds from which it came and therefore worthy of consideration.

On the other hand, I have not had much luck in equaling the effects of certain tropical island herbs such as Ha-
waiian or Jamaican indoors, and therefore these offerings never made the grade. For the record, the majority of
land-race varieties grown out prove to fail DJ’s law, IMHO. Very few end up being of significant value or worthy
of future consideration. But DJ’s law also applies to the selection of the f2’s, f3’s and beyond.

I realize that it is sometimes impossible in the current seed market to be able to sample a true example of the
bud (parent) of the seed one purchases. Sometimes these varieties are commercially available in places such as
a Dutch coffee shop, but one is never really certain if the bud one is purchasing (or the seed for that matter) is
the real deal. This is perhaps one of the main flaws in the current seed market–reliability. Given this situation,
the seed buyer and breeder will need to employ Luther Burbank’s Law first, and DJ’s Law after a parent is created
for testing.

A Word About Mutagens

I am aware of concerns involving mutagens such as colchicine and their possible use on cannabis plants. Colchi-
cine is a chemical that when applied to seeds or sprouts can cause extreme genetic mutations in future genera-
tions of the seeds that survive the treatment (often less that 1%). For the record let me state that I have never
used colchicine, or any other mutagen, in my breeding work . All of my selections are from organically produced
crops. I do have my suspicions, however, primarily concerning some of the Thai strains that I have used.

I am not certain, but I suspect that the Highland and Chocolate Thai may have been the results of a mutagenic
regimen. The reasons I make the speculation is due to observations witnessed in the growing cycle of the High-
land and Chocolate Thai and their progeny. Both were extremely “freakish” in some of their expressions, as
were a number of subsequent generations. These freakish anomalies are similar to many of the abnormalities
documented by mutagenic experiments published in journals such as High Times and Cannabis Culture. These
abnormalities include asymmetric growth patterns, “albino” mutations that affect parts of the plant such as half
of a leaf, various polyploid expressions and mild to extreme leaf mutations. I am very interested to learn about
any first hand experience anyone may have had in this capacity. Having said that, one of the most important
aspects to consider in regard to a breeding regimen is that of ratios.

Ratios
The math for this selection process involves watching the ratios of desirable plants from f2 to f3 and beyond
generations. The ratio of plants exhibiting a specifically desired trait from the f2 generation may be 1:20 or 1:50
or 1:100 or even as high as 1:1000 (approximate ratios). Once obtained and selected, however, and crossed to
the correct pollen source, this ratio will equate more and more per each successful generational cross. This is an-
other indicator of which individuals actually breed true for the specific desired trait(s). Therefore, if the ratio of
plants with desired traits presents itself in an approximate 1:100 ratio in the f2 generation, and successful cross-
es are made, this ratio should diminish to between 1:50 to 1:20 for the same desired trait in the f3 generation.
If the cross remains successful, the ratio will diminish to anywhere from 1:10 to an absolute IBL (In-Bred Line)
beyond the f4 cross of 1:2 (or 1:1 barring male sexual exclusion, i.e. the ratio among the female plants only).

It is important to note that any 1:2 (1:1 female) IBL ratio is generally for a very specific, singular trait. When
considering combinations of traits, the best obtainable ratio I have found is between 1:5 to approximately 1:10,
depending on the number of desired traits sought. Please note that these ratio numbers are approximate and
the true numbers may be closer to the powers of two such as 1:8, 1:16, 1:32 etc. It also needs to be noted that
my ratios relate to total number of seeds sprouted and not just the number of female plants.

Therefore, if I sprout 100 f2 seeds and find one female plant with any number of desirable qualities, and I suc-
cessfully find a male f2 pollen donor to cross with, and the ratio of these same desirable plants in the f3 genera-
tion becomes at least 1:50 (preferably 1:30 or better) then I consider myself on the right track and proceed from
there. If a subsequent cross of the f3’s provides a ratio of desirability in the f4’s of 1:20 (or closer), I am definitely
on the right track. In essence these are the (general) numbers I look for in the early breeding trials. Suffice it to
say that my informal observations have proven true enough for me to be able to judge desirable results with
adequate success, despite the approximations. Suffice it also to say that I have a large collection of f3’s and f4’s
and beyond that merit further investigation. These f4’s (and some f3’s and f5’s) are the primary source for all fu-
ture breeding work along the lines established by the ratios of plants with the desirable traits expressed therein.

A Word About Anomalies

Anomalies, individuals that are markedly different from the general phenotypic expression of a given variety,
are rare, but occur with a near predictable ratio. Beyond the f-3 generation (and from my personal seed-stock)
anomalies present themselves at the ratio of approximately 1:100. Because there are both positive (desirable)
and negative (non-desirable) anomalies, the overall ratio of positive (desirable) anomalies is probably some-
where in the neighborhood of approx. 1:200. Desirable anomalies are very valuable to cannabis breeding provid-
ing that they are viable. So always keep an eye out for desirable anomalies and put sufficient energy into their
reproduction. More often than not however, anomalies can be very finicky and therefore difficult to work with.

Past Selection Processes Review

Originally, in the late 1970’s, I was growing up to 100 plants at a time using over 1000 watts of light, and also
outdoors in a backyard garden space. These were all land race sativa that fortunately cloned well. The ratio of
highly desirable individuals from these plants was about 1:100. One of the most annoying traits of these variet-
ies was hermaphroditism. Approximately 60% of all of these plants from seed were unmanageable hermis, and
about 25% more were what I referred to as manageable hermaphrodites, meaning that with close observation
and intense scrutiny the male pods could be seen and eliminated as they appeared. About 15% of these sativa
plants were female enough to produce marketable sinsemilla bud, with a constant vigilance toward the occa-
sional stray pollen sack. In other words the hermaphroditism expressed in these equatorial sativa was extreme
and nearly total.

A quick word about the virtues of hermaphrodites: Ask any old-time herbalist, one who has been experiencing
fine herb since at least the early 1970’s, what their favorite all-time herbal variety was, and the answer will be
something to the effect of; “Santa Marta or Acapulco Gold” or “Highland or Chocolate Thai” or “Punta Roya (red-
tipped gold Highland Oaxacan)” or “Guerran Green” or “Panama Red” etc. et. al., all of which were equatorial,
or sub-tropical, origin sativa and hermaphroditic. Even the great hashish of the era such as Lebanese Red and
Blonde, all Moroccan and Nepalese were produced from seeded stock.

This is not so much in praise of the hermaphrodite as it is a suggestion in regard to the cannabinoid profile of
seeded verses non-seeded herb. It has been my experience that the cannabinoid profile of seeded herb produc-
es a wider range of effect than from non-seeded, or sinsimilla, herb. The equatorial environment also probably
contributed to a wider range of cannabinoids. One of the aspects of the equatorial environment is its consistent
day/night temperature range, there is little difference between day and night temps on the equator supposedly
inspiring a wider cannabinoid profile. Couple this with the seeded cannabinoid profile and it becomes easy to
understand the popularity of the equatorial produced sativa, despite its hermaphroditic problems. I am curios
as to what future research in this capacity may provide.

Once the indica was introduced into the mix the hermaphrodite “problem” became controllable. It only takes a
few zero-tolerance generations indoors to fully eliminate hermaphroditic tendencies. As a matter of fact, this,
coupled with shortening the flowering cycle, became the first main concerns of the indoor or commercial horti-
culturist. This unbalanced focus may be the strongest contributing factor to the “blandness” of much of the herb
to follow. The author “R” did a cover piece for High Times magazine in the mid-1980’s calling for a “Ban the Bud”
campaign, against the indica onslaught, due to how bad and bland the quality of some herb was becoming then.
I remember the times clearly.

During this period I was beginning to venture out into larger satellite grows (indoor and out) that kicked my se-
lection numbers up to around 1000 plants at a time for awhile. It was from these trials that I was able to do the
bulk of my f2 experimentation and selections. I worked with these numbers for enough trials to manipulate and
witness the phenomenon of quality production to a high degree of certainty. Once I was certain how to produce
the f3’s, the f4’s and beyond became much easier to produce.

During the late 1980’s, and due to the harsh political realities of the times, the high numbers game became too
dangerous. The war on some drugs and spooky ops such as Operation Green Merchant forced my experimenta-
tion deep underground. Fortunately, the lessons learned prior proved fruitful and progress was possible despite
the political weather. I had already learned to produce f3 and f4 Blueberry. However, doing so with diminished
numbers actually helped boost my learning curve. Between 1987 to 1990 I was able to do so using less than 100
plants from seed at a time. And by 1991 I was able to do adequate selection work from past produced stock using
less than 50 plants (seeds) at a time.

EUROPE
Holland
By the early 1990’s I was extremely interested in the burgeoning seed market developing in Holland. I had known
about the seed banks since 1983 and was always only interested in obtaining more pure, land-race varieties.
Unfortunately, there were only hybrid crosses ever available at the time and I had more than enough of my
own to work with. By 1993 I finally made the pilgrimage to Amsterdam where I made new connections. In 1994
I connected with the first company that I worked with in Europe. By 1995 I was supplying this company with
seed-stock both for sale and for breed work. I had contracted with this company to produce Blueberry, Flo and
Blue Velvet.

The first company I worked with in Europe sprouted only 25 seeds of each of these varieties to make selections
from. Other than supplying seed-stock, I was only minimally involved in the selection process. I did get to see
the mother and father plants alive, however, the selection process had already been done prior by others. Un-
fortunately, my relationship with this company was short-lived as all the owner really wanted was my seed-stock.
Once he had it I became a very low priority in his scheme. In all honesty I was never paid one red cent for any of
the Blueberry (or “Flow” or Blue Velvet) that company number one in Europe produced (plus having over 3,000
seeds that I produced completely ripped off).

Needless to say this lack of concern prompted me to seek other possibilities that culminated in my relation-
ship with the second company I worked with in Europe. At this company about 50 seeds of each variety were
sprouted, but I was once again mainly left out of the selection process except for sampling a number of finished
products and making selections based on those (which is enough, actually). I never got to see any of the live
plants from this selection process at company number two in Europe. I also contributed seed-stock for three
more varieties there; Blue Moonshine, Blue Heaven and Purple Passion. The owner of this company was satisfied
with paying me the minimum amount I would consider adequate. Fortunately, part of the deal was my ability to
remain independent and work with whomever else I pleased.

Switzerland
The third company I worked with in Europe was in Switzerland. The owner of this company was able to dramati-
cally push the envelope there and some interesting results blossomed. I visited Switzerland three times between
1999 and 2001 and was truly amazed at what I witnessed on each visit. Out of all of the companies that I worked
with in Europe, I felt the most involved and productive in Switzerland. I was involved with selections of finished
products and with live mother and father plants as well. I even got to help plant, transplant and harvest a few of
the gems produced there.

The varieties produced by the third company that I worked with in Europe included Moonshine Rocket Fuel,
Rosebud and Blue Satellite. I must admit that the bubble hash from the Blue Satellite is among the finest and
most desirable product I have sampled (outside of my own) since the 1980’s! Unfortunately, the owner of this
company was unable to successfully work with the local authorities and was forced to leave Switzerland. Some
truly intrepid tales were spun during the brief stay there and I will remember many of them with delight.

Canada, The True North Strong and Free

With glimmers of hope on the horizon, Canada is fast becoming the Cannabis Breeding capital of the world. With
the much-appreciated activism of entrepreneurs such as Marc Emery, a new haven for a seriously dedicated can-
nabis community is developing. One such entrepreneurial dedicate is Red of Legends Seeds. I met Red in Swit-
zerland where he was very busy and involved working for the happening community there. Red is a high-flying,
free spirit with a savvy sense of taste.

Red was able to orchestrate the necessary requirements to produce a very large selection process. This grow
consisted of about 400 plants (over 200 Blueberry phenos and over 100 Flo). Out of these there ended up be-
ing over 160 Blueberry and over 70 Flo females and about 60 males that made the initial cut. Copies of each of
these were cloned and meticulously maintained by the crew. This actually turned out to be a slight overkill, but
a testimony to the absolute dedication of the crew.

The Crew
Mighty-G is a green-thumbed master gardener whose success with cannabis is phenomenal. Mr. G was able to
provide and maintain a near-perfect growing environment for a lengthy period of time as the plants were kept
in an extended vegetative state to insure 100% clone success. The plants were absolutely beautiful. Kermit was
in charge of clone reproduction and maintenance. Kermit has been a respected part of the local cannabis com-
munity for many years. Chimera appeared online a few years ago and has proven himself to be an intelligent and
dedicated soul, along with being a focused horticulturist with excellent credentials in the field of genetics. I first
learned of Chimera online where he posted to a few message boards that I occasionally lurk and I appreciated
the information he shared. The Cannabis Cowboy also added his expertise, especially considering the collection,
purification and pressing of the dry-sieved resin. I just want to give a big “shout out” and a huge thank you to all
of the crew for their very successful efforts on this project. You cats rock! Thank you.

The Process
The main room was divided in two with the Blueberry on the left and the Flo on the right. The plants were rela-
tively huge considering how long they’d been in veg. Lush growth dominated as three distinct Blueberry phe-
notypes and two distinct Flo presented their development, along with a small number of unique anomalies. Of
course, all individuals were numbered and labeled and notes were made over the course of several inspections
during the flowering cycle.

During this period all of the males were isolated in a separate room and watched closely to enable the best se-
lection from them. From this particular gene-pool, I find it relatively easy to select the best males as they tend
to express their traits regardless of environment or light cycle. There were so many to choose from during this
process that the difficulty became who to cull out. Most of the males were at least to some degree resinous with
glandular stalked trichome, some more than others. This usually makes it easy to test certain profiles such as
overall flavors.

Only after the most desirable males are selected (i.e. all the others rejected) are issues of structure and growth
pattern considered. Sweet, fruity and floral expressions are most desirable, but attention is paid to other possi-
bilities as well. Top quality candidates of indica, sativa and mutant anomaly are picked by process of elimination.
Then those with the best structure; hollow stems, good color and flower density, become the final candidates.

The females also pose the same problem in regard to who is eliminated. Notes are made as to any outstanding
qualifications that present themselves during the bud cycle. But it is not until the sixth week in flower, and some-
times not until the eighth week (or longer if the variety is strongly sativa), that the real differences in individuals
becomes apparent and the truly amazing qualities shine. And even then, it only amounts to field-notes until well
after harvest and the cut-and-dried product is totally cured. It is then that the final selection process begins.

During our selection-crop numerous individuals could have passed the requirements to be a great mother plant.
By and large, the overall ratio of desirable plants that qualified for final selection from this crop was approxi-
mately 1:10 (employing DJ’s Law). As it turns out the elite ratio of final candidates turned out to be approximate-
ly 1:30–the best of the best as it were. By the eighth week in bud approximately two dozen individuals stood
out as primary candidates. After these samples were individually labeled and jar cured for about two months, a
total of eleven were of supreme quality. Believe it or not, the final elimination process among these eleven was
perhaps the most difficult to complete. Part of the process involved selecting one of each of the three Blueberry
phenotypes, one of the Flo, one Blue Moonshine and deciding on the possibility of something new.

The Varieties
After the fourth week in bud, generally speaking, certain characteristics become apparent. On the Blueberry
side of the room three distinct phenotypes presented themselves, while on the flo side two less distinct phenos
appeared. The three Blueberry phenotypes could be referred to as indica, sativa and variegated or mutated.
The indica were shorter, denser and had larger calyx and bract leafs making the buds look plump. The sativa
were taller, more slender leafed with more elongated buds of dense, smaller calyx. The indica tended to be of a
stronger, more musky odor where the sativa were more delicate and floral. The variegated or mutated individu-
als varied more in their aromatic palate with some seeming more potent than others. On the flo side the differ-
ence was less pronounced between phenotypes but two distinct types developed. The primary difference was
in bud structure and formation with one type growing with its bract leaves pointing more up and the other with
its bract leaves pointing down. Both were more sativa looking with dense buds of small calyx. There was also a
difference in potency of aroma between these individuals.
The seed stock “True Blueberry” currently under scrutiny derived from f2’s that were very “BK” or Berry Kush-
like. These f2 “BK”’s were crossed with very “TF”, or “True Floral”, sometimes referred to as “Temple Flo”, mates
in the f3 and/or f4 generation to brighten the head considerably. Once the right mix was discovered these f4’s
(and beyond) crosses were inline bred (filial crossed) to stabilize the proper traits. The “flo” pheno’s are closer
to the “TF” (“True Floral”, “Temple Flo”), headier side of the mix, most reminiscent of the Highland Oaxaca Gold.

“Grape Krush” (or “Blue Krush”)–a productive, deep-colored hybrid of very high quality. This plants exhibits
partial to full leaf-deformities of the “krinkle” type, but with good structure and heavy bud production of large
calyxes. The buds express a strong sharp/fruity odor with a distinct sweet/grape flavor brought out in the cure.
A strong, long-lasting head/body mix is evident in the finished product with an exciting, but not “racy”, head and
a mild narcotic body. Very euphoric and desirable effects that most seasoned connoisseurs prefer. 50-60 day
flowering time.

“Flodica” – a mostly indica phenotype from the flo line. A rare, near-total recessive indica found by chance in the
“TF” line (“TF”= “Temple Flo” or “True Floral”). Generally, the flo line sports very sativa like structures of taller
plants with slender leaves and spear-shaped buds. The “Flodica”, however, is a near-pure indica phenotype of
short, stout, yet productive, structure with very large, dense, dark indica buds. Very resinous with heavy gland
production of an earthen palate to the buds that produce a very strong, narcotic-type experience. 50-55 day
flowering time. Unfortunately, the “Flodica” (and the “True Blue Moonshine”) were nearly sterile--i.e. no (or
very few) seeds developed, and were therefore culled.

“True Blueberry”–the ultimate hybrid of Blueberry expression. Selected for its superior quality from a large pool,
this hybrid contains the best from both worlds (indica and sativa). Medium height with long, fruity and produc-
tive buds of medium sized calyxes. Beautiful lavender hues become apparent soon into the flowering cycle. The
finished product is of the highest quality with sweet, elongated Blueberry buds destined to please the most fin-
icky palate. High resin production as expected from the “Blue” family. 50-60 days flowering time.

“True Blue Moonshine”–a true “hash-plant”. Selected for its outstanding production of large, clear gland heads,
this mostly-indica hybrid really packs a musky/fruity punch. Medium height producing large, dense buds glis-
tening with trichomes. More musky than fruity with a burgundy/earthen flavor at cure. Top-notch Moonshine.
50-60 days flowering time.

“F-13”–a Holy Grail plant of four-star excellence. Previously unreleased, a very desirable product and potential
breeder. A more-sativa hybrid of medium height with long, spear-shaped, dense and resinous buds and an ear-
lier finish time than most sativa. The superfluous quality of the finished product is remarkable: a clear, clean,
crisp head of the kindest order with a sweet/floral flavor. This girl really rings the bell every time! Not for the
couch-lock crowd, this heady sativa is for those who truly enjoy its stimulating yet comfortable appeal. A real day
(or night) brightener. My personal favorite from this batch. 50-65 days flowering time.

This article obtained from icmag.com forums and has been edited for clarity and conciseness.
 Growing With Guano
By Soma

People I meet and smoke with always ask me, how do you get your pot to taste so good. I am an intense
caretaker and lover of plants, when I do it I am fanatical in working with them, making little sacrifices in my own
life so that the plants can feel the best they can. I always think medicine first, bills, money, problems, second.
To get medicinal cannabis I grow on organic soil, rich in worm castings and all the other nutrients and
trace minerals needed for a healthy weed plant. I don’t use pots to grow my buds, I use beds, flowering beds.
These beds are made of wood put together with metal braces and screws; they are on wheels that rotate 360
degrees. They are 1.25 meters wide by 1.25 meters long and 35 centimeters high, (sorry after being here so long
I think in centimeters). They are lined with waterproof plastic. The bottom 5 centimeters is clay pebbles called
Hydrocorals.
I then take plastic coated chicken wire and place it on top of the hydrocorals. On top of that I put a layer
of felt root cloth, the kind most nurseries use under their potted plants. Roots of the Marijuana plant love air so
I mix a lot of perlite in with my organic soil mix before filling the beds up. In each corner of the bed, I have a PVC
tube 70 MM wide and 35 centimeters long. The tube goes down into the hydrocorals, through the root cloth, up
through the 25 centimeters of soil, leaving 5 centimeters above the soils surface. These 4 tubes in each bed help
the roots to have a constant air- flow, and the hydrocorals underneath make it almost impossible to over-water
your garden.
The plants are spaced out as evenly as possible affording each plant as much light and space as they can
get. They are given liberal amounts of black and brown seaweeds, both foliar and in the soil until the end of
the 3rd week in flowering. Each plant has at least one stake supporting it as the buds get heavier and heavier.
Leading up to the 3rd week in flowering, I have twisted and bent my tops in the tried and true method of super-
cropping, giving them that added stress which makes the yield and taste better. In the 4th week, I give the plants
some organic flowering food with an NPK of 1.5-13-14. I give it to the plants twice in that week. From the end of
the 4th week in 12/12, I start to give the ganja my secret ingredient, Guano tea. The guano I use is a mix of bat
and seabird guanos with an NPK of 2-15-2; this particular one comes from Indonesia. I like it because it has no
smell. I take 100 grams of the dried guano and mix it with 2 quarts of hot water, stirring it with a plant stake until
it is almost all dissolved. I then take an 8-ounce cup of the tea and add it to 10 liters of water with a PH of 6.6. I
water the beds twice a week with this tea waiting until they are dry before applying it. I keep doing this until the
middle of the 7th week in 12/12. With 10-week plants like the ones I’m growing now, I like to give them a good
flush with water for two weeks or more before harvest.
In the 32 years I have been growing this most Sacred of plants, I have tried all kinds of plant foods, from
miracle grow, to 10-52-10 with all its heavy metals. I have never found anything that beat the guanos for taste,
yield or potency. It is 100% organic besides.
The taste that the cannabis acquires when using this guano is so fruity and clean tasting that the taste
lingers on your tongue for at least 5 minutes after finishing the joint. The bud quality and yield that comes from
using the beds instead of pots is incomparable. I use nothing but neem oil and ladybugs for insect control, and I
only take the large fan leaves off when I first harvest the plants, waiting until the plants are dry before the final
manicuring. There are so many Mango farmers out there using guano fertilizers on their crops. If you want, the
fruit of your labor to taste like mangos try growing with guano. Wishing all you farmers out there, bountiful
green harvests with the taste and smell of fine fruit.

Until next time, Keep it GREEN, LOVING and full of LIGHT.

Peace, Soma

Article originally taken from somaseeds.nl and has been edited for clarity and conciseness.
 Understanding the Art of LST
By Quazi

First off I want to thank the creator of the mighty LST thread started by Caprichoso (LST training in detail. Why
bushes are better) as it is highly informative and a wonderful collection of pictures of the LST process.

Not too long ago I did not even know what LST was until I started researching it. Now, however, it is apparent
from some of the more recent comments (and some of the older comments) in the LST training thread, that
there is a basic lack of understanding when it comes to LST. More than a few people are just imitating pictures
and going "WOW! That worked really well!"

Hopefully this post (along with the research I've done) will help some people understand a few things when it
comes to LST. There is a lot of information out there on how to LST but it is mostly comprised of diagrams and
pictures. If you understand what LST is and what you are doing by tying down the stems of your plants, then you
will know when and how to LST your plants. If you understood why and how LST worked, then you would not
even need the pictures to help you in the first place.

So here we go ladies and gentleman, gonna drop a bit of info and science here from various sources and read-
ings:
The Art of LST
What LST Is
Why LST Works
How LST Works

Armed with this information, you should be able to LST until your hearts are content or learn about how to bet-
ter your LST practices. Instead of looking to pictures to learn about LST, you'll be using pictures as examples of
how to LST.

What LST Is
LST stands for low stress training.

When it comes to marijuana growing, LST refers to a particular type of low stress training. It appears on the out-
side (and to the untrained eye) that the training of a plant is simply teaching a plant to be short and grow lots of
buds. It is much more important and involved than that.

Topping the plants (or chopping as it is also referred to) is actually done for similar reasons that LST is done. Even
though it is a completely different method. It, too, is a form of training (a high stress one). A lot of you might be
thinking: "Topping and LST aren't even close to the same. You're full of crap. I'm done reading this post."

Well, stay with me here and you'll understand.

Why LST Works

One of the #1 things you need to understand about LST: auxins. If you don't understand them, then you are just
putting strings on your plant so they look like other plants in pictures.

Auxins are plant hormones that interact with other plant hormones to form the "plant nervous system" in the
most simplest terms. Auxins are used to help stimulate nearly all facets of plant growth. Auxins are used to help
promote new root growth and is often part of what is used in rooting compounds or rooting hormones that are
so popular in marijuana horticulture. There has also been research (in the 50s I believe) that indicates that levels
of auxins also influence the sex of a marijuana plant. Some research has also indicated that levels of auxins also
play a role in the ways flowers mature on a plant.

Most of all, auxins, in marijuana plants, are known for producing adventitious buds along the stem and in the
roots. Adventitious is sort of like it sounds: it's the "adventurous" part of the plant that sprouts when the plant
is wounded or trained. With LST, it is not as simple as: "Make more auxins. Plant grow big."

So why did we learn about auxins if we're not going to be making more of them? I mean, more is good when
it comes to marijuana right?! Well: no, not in this case. This part is important so pay attention: auxins are most
concentrated (and synthesized) at the apical bud or the tip of the plant closest to the light. The rest of the plant
has the ability to produce auxins, but the cells must be triggered to do so. Now, although auxins are hormones
essential for many facets of growth, it is also an inhibiting hormone for the other buds further down the stem.
This is to prevent the plant from producing buds which may compete with the apical bud.

In other words:
The plant is very happy having one bud that it tries to stretch as close as possible to its source of energy. It will do
what it can to inhibit other sprouts below it from becoming that bud as it would require the plant to push those
sprouts up to that level again. If you are still a bit confused, think of images of trees and picture the growth that
they have in a cone-shaped fashion. They are working to push the apical bud up to the sky.

Now that you understand what auxins are and how they are important for growth in marijuana, you can begin
to understand how LST works.

How LST Works

This is where I get to those people who were saying "Topping and LST aren't even close. You're full of crap."

When you top a plant, you are removing the apical bud (the bud closest to the light) where most of the auxin is
concentrated and synthesized. The plant stresses itself out (high stress training) and eventually produces new
sprouts along the stem that will form new growth so that it can get a new apical bud and send it soaring towards
the heavens.

LST is helping to stimulate that growth near the bottom but by tricking the plant instead of chopping it. In nature,
if something happens to a plant and the bud that is closest to the light gets blocked, it will try to move around
that something. If it can't, then eventually new growth will form lower along the stem to try and send a new
shoot out to head towards the light.

When you LST, the reason that you are tying the tip of the plant down is so that the plant gets confused. It is used
to producing the auxins in the tip of the plant close to the light. However, because the tip of the plant is pulled
down to such a degree, it is not receiving light at the very tip like it used to so it sends the auxins down the stem
to produce new sprouts to become new apical buds (or so the plant hopes).

This is why some people continue training as the plant gets older, but like to start when the plant is new as auxin
development starts with roots and continues through all stages of the plant. Continued training of the plant is
helpful because, as you can imagine, each apical tip can be brought down to promote new growth further down
the stem. Every time you bring the tip down, the plant will be fooled. As new tips of the plant are reaching to-
wards the light, pulling them back down below 90 degrees (or close to it) will make those auxins start to flow
again. This can continue on and on.
Now that you know how LST works, you don't even need a picture to look at. You just know that you need to trick
the plant into thinking it's highest tip is no longer its highest tip. It's as simple as that, but it is also as complex
as you want it to be.

So, what did we learn here?

1) LST can be done for all strains of marijuana
2) LST is another way of altering/stimulating the auxin hormone to produce additional growth just like other
training methods
3) LST is not just for training height
4) Understanding auxins will help you understand LST
5) There is a lot of material available about this but most of it is in books which means if you really want to un-
derstand how auxins affect marijuana, you should look further than Wikipedia

I hope this information is helpful to everyone looking to figure out how to LST or why it works or when is the
best time.

Just an additional note: using shielded copper wiring instead of string is not only easier as there are no knots to
tie, but it is very reusable because there are no knots to untie. Here are some examples of my own LST just for
posterity's sake:

This thread was originally posted on the icmag.com forums. Post have been edited for conciseness and clarity.
Medical Cannabis
Legal Issues
 Glossary
Bong: A device used to smoke cannabis. Bong usual-
ly refers to a medium to large sized water pipe. The
smoke of the cannabis travels through the water be-
fore being inhaled. This is supposed to cool the smoke,
allowing for a smoother hit.
nol. THC is the main psychoactive ingredient in canna-
bis flowers.
Trichomes: The glands that grow on cannabis flowers.
Trichomes contain the active ingredient THC.

DIY: The abbreviation for Do-It-Yourself. Refers to build-
ing or creating something yourself rather than buying
it.
Grow Journal: This is a thread in an online forum which
follows the progress of a cannabis grow. Usually fol-
lowing from germination all the way through harvest.
Hash: A potent product of cannabis. Hash consist
mostly of the trichomes of cannabis, having very little
or no plant matter. Also called “Hashish.”
Heterogeneous: Being varied, diverse, or different.
True-Breeding: A strain for which all offspring con-
tain the same biological trait as the parent. (ie. a true
breeding short strain would have all offspring growing
short.)
Vaporizer: A device used to vaporize cannabis. Vapor-
izers are a healthier alternative to smoking cannabis
because it allows you to only inhale the THC. THC va-
porizes at a lower temperature than the combustion
temperature of the plant matter.
Volcano: A famous, high end vaporizer. Often used by
medical patients.

Indica: Refers to one species of cannabis. Indicas usual-

ly are shorter, have shorter flowering times, have more
compact flower buds, and give one a more stoned/
body high.

Joint: A cannabis cigarette, hand rolled with rolling pa-

pers. Usually does not contain anything but cannabis,
although some users prefer to combine tobacco and
cannabis inside the joint.

Landrace: An early, cultivated form of a species,

evolved from a wild population, and generally com-
posed of a heterogeneous mixture of genotypes.

LST: The abbreviation for Low Stress Training. LST is

used often in fluorescent grows. It helps expose many
bud sites to the light.

Meristem: The main growing stem, where active cell

division takes place.

Sativa: Refers to one species of cannabis. Sativas usual-

ly grow taller, take longer to flower, have less compact
flowers, and have a more heady/racy high.

THC: The abbreviation for delta-9-tetrahydrocannabi-