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Washington Changes New Marijuana Laws

Washington Governor just signed a bill updating marijuana regulations.

A few exciting changes made by Washington with Senate Bill 5131 will go into effect July 2017. And some of those changes could surprise you. For instance, it is now legal to share a bowl. Medical marijuana card-holders are now allowed to buy seeds and clones directly from producers. And, the state is now required to investigate the possibility for recreational consumers to grow weed from home.
Washington cultivators are also moving toward organic standards. In addition, dispensaries will have limited advertising. This is an effort to minimize the appeal of weed to youths. Dispensary owners are also getting a present. owners can now open 5 locations, the old limit was 3.
Washington kept their strict no public advertising rules. The people don’t want businesses to market weed that would appeal to children. Meaning no putting pot advertisements on toys and movie cartoons, no advertising cannabis out of state, or work at a dispensary before turning 21. And business owners who don’t open shop after two years of gaining a license will forfeit their permit.

It is finally legal to share a bowl.

In 2012, weed was legalized but no one could share a bowl, not even a single leaf. Now, anyone 21 years or older can gift to another adult 21 years and older cannabis. Up to a ½ oz. of flower, 8 oz. of solid edible, 36 oz. of infused liquid, or 3 ½ gm of concentrate. If the exchange is happening in public, then the products must remain in their original store packaging.

Consumers can also buy seeds from producers.

Before, cultivators could only sell seeds and clones to dispensaries. Now, patients can buy their seeds and clones from cultivators. This new change in the bill gives leeway to medical marijuana patients who prefer to grow their own plants from seeds.

Recreational home growing is still not allowed, yet.

The state liquor and cannabis board must conduct a study for recreational plant production. They must report their findings by Dec. 1, 2017. Until then, home growing is considered taboo.

Organic-grade cultivation is a new must.

Currently, cultivators are not allowed to use the word ‘organic’ when it comes to describing their cannabis products. However, the new bill suggests that cultivators attempt to match to the extent practicable to the Federal Department of Agriculture’s Nation Organic Program.
There is an advisory board being assembled to help draft the rules and regulations needed to comply with the FDA labeling.Anyone who wishes to take part in the advisory board should contact the WSDA Organic Program at organic@agr.wa.gov for consideration.

Other important changes to the bill.

When it comes to advertising rights, it’s about the children. Washington wants to protect children from seeking out weed because it looks cool. They don’t want commercial mascots or cartoons with marijuana related images on them.
Its ok to have billboards with a business name, location and description of business on the sign. But no weed images are allowed on anything including billboards, toys, costumes, or spiny signs. It may be legal everywhere in Washington but that doesn’t mean they want it marketed everywhere. 

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10 Best Weed-Friendly Destinations

If you could smoke anywhere, where should you go?

Smoking weed will get you in trouble most places. There are an increasing number of places that are weed friendly though. In this list, we cover the best places to get stoned.

1 Uruguay

The best weed-friendly location found. You can smoke on the beach! Plenty of good vibes, local shops and historic sights. You can’t buy it, but you can smoke it. You won’t be bored; you’ll have lots of fun in the sun.

2 Washington State

While in Washington, people can have up to 1 oz. of weed on them at a time. It’s legal for adults to buy but not consume in public. Washington has an EMP Museum which includes Jimi Hendrix and Star Wars so you won’t get bored. This place is definitely an eclectic place to explore while stoned.

3 The Netherlands

Like Uruguay, The Netherlands is a nice weed-friendly location to visit. Where locals and travelers can feel free to smoke just about anywhere. A stoner haven for sure. It’s nice to get high then ride a bike, enjoy a gondola ride, visit coffee shops and enjoy historic sights before partying it up at night.

4 Colorado

Get stoned and explore Colorado’s beautiful landscapes. Colorado is where weed is 100% legal. As a result, Colorado created dozens of attractions and activities that are weed-friendly. They also host a variety of award winning medibles for those who prefer to eat their weed.

5 Portugal

Don’t worry about getting busted in Portugal. Weed has been decriminalized since 2001, so you don’t have to worry about cops ruining your visit. Portugal has many wonderful sights to explore, especially their Ponte de D. Luis bridge. Just don’t get high and start jumping off bridges.

6 Oregon

Oregon is another state in the U.S. where weed is legal. Bend and Portland are the two best towns for recreation and weed. There are a lot of fun activities to choose from like surfing or skiing. Oregon also has vibrant food, wine, beer, art, books, theater and nature communities. Plenty of fun for all types of people.

7 California

Head on over to California where there is plenty of sun, ocean waves, and of course lots of weed. Although legal, the state is still setting up their marketplace. You can still blaze while dig your toes in the sands of Venice Beach (as long as it’s in a private area). There is so much to see and do in Cali that it might take multiple trips. Don’t forget to visit the legendary Hollywood California, theme parks, clubs and more.

8 Alaska

Alaska is a beautiful, wild and relaxing destination. It’s fun to get stoned then go watch the northern lights with a buddy or two. After breathing in the lights, check out Bud and Breakfast. It’s an Airbnb with weed-friendly accommodations. So go ahead and enjoy the fresh air, then go for a hike in beautiful Alaska before crashing out in a stoner haven.

9 The Virgin Islands

Weed is decriminalized in The Virgin Islands and it’s easy to get a hold of, especially in Coki Beach. But don’t take any home or else you’ll get into trouble with the local sheriffs. At the Caribbean Islands, it’s nice to partake and enjoy the aquamarine waters and warm temperatures.

10 At Home

At home may not sound like the most exciting and exotic destination for a vacation. But sometimes the best place in the world is chillin at home with a few homies, roasting bowls and sharing laughs. It is also private property, which is a prime requirement for legal consumption in most weed-friendly areas.

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5 Ghost Towns Saved by Weed

5 Ghost Towns that were saved and revitalized by weed.

The marijuana industry brought in about $4 billion in sales in 2016. Many companies and communities are benefiting from the economic boom. Even America’s ghost towns are seeing a big boost in funds brought in by legalized weed. Here are 5 ghost towns that seem to be doing the best.

1 Sedgwick, Colorado

This ghost town of 150 residents has been struggling economically since the early 2000’s. When Sedgwick legalized weed in 2012, people started to travel to Sedgwick from nearby regions. And now, buildings that were falling down are starting to be renovated. New street signs and equipment are being installed. They even opened a 420 friendly bed and breakfast where there used to be a former bank.

2 Adelanto, California

Adelanto was a broken town. About 40% of the population lived in poverty, and nobody stayed in town for long. In 2014, the town was in debt by $2.4 million. But when weed became legalized, a huge industrial marijuana farm opened. The new weed farm brought in millions of dollars in tax revenue into the town. And in turn it created more grow facilities, more work for people without college degrees, and new housing.

3 Pueblo County, Colorado

Pueblo County has a population of 161,000 and they’ve been struggling ever since their steel industry collapsed. The local employment rate was at 7.2%, the highest unemployment in Colorado. However, ever since weed became legalized, people have started moving back and getting busy.
When the first dispensaries opened in 2014, there was nothing. Soon cultivation facilities, product manufacturers and over 100 retailers moved in and created 1,300 jobs. Pueblo County is now generating over $4 million in annual tax revenue. This income funds their 4H and Future Farmers of America clubs. The funds are also put toward medical marijuana research at Colorado State University Pueblo and  even established a scholarship program. The new scholarship sends high school graduates to college and it will become available fall of 2017.

4 Huntington, Oregon

Huntington is a dusty little boarder town in Oregon with a tiny population of 435. Huntington’s struggles began when their cement factory moved away. As a result, residents started looking for employment elsewhere.
Now there is plenty of employment in Huntington. Where there once was a dilapidated grocery store now stands a thriving dispensary. Huntington brought in $100,000 in weed taxes this year. The city hopes to put the money toward repairing streets and hiring full time medical emergency support.

5 Trinidad, Colorado

Trinidad is a former mining town with a population of 8,200. The streets were filled with empty stores, and their ancient water pipes were over a century old. Since the legalization, Trinidad is no longer the little abyss of nothingness.
In 2015, the cities tax income from recreational and medicinal sales was $850,000. They began using those funds to repair buildings and old water pipes. Trinidad officials also purchased a new fire engine. By 2016, Trinidad more than doubled their cannabis tax revenue and they are continuing to thrive.
These 5 ghost towns have reversed course thanks to legalizing weed. All of these towns are continuing to thrive and raise themselves above the poverty line. Just imagine how pot revenue is affecting bigger cities and metropolitan areas.
 

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50lb Pot Party Busted

Florida’s Amendment 2 doesn’t mean weed is fully legalized.

The Florida Medical Marijuana Legalization Initiative, Amendment 2, was approved November 8, 2016. It is a bill that helps patients with ailments such as cancer, Parkinson’s Disease and other similar conditions obtain medical marijuana. Patients with a qualifying medical condition can now receive access to marijuana from a physician.
The passing of Amendment 2 is a big step toward fully legalizing marijuana in the sunshine state. Before now, there was no access to medical cannabis for patients. There simply wasn’t a framework in place to regulate and provide access to the market.
Many Miamians were thrilled when Amendment 2 passed, especially Leandro Arriage. He decided to host a kick-ass pot party in honor of Amendment 2. Too bad Arriage didn’t plan well for the event.

Kick-ass party gets busted.

Arriage hosted an open-air “medical marijuana” Amendment 2 celebration. He invited as many people as he could to his big house for the greatest stoner session in human history. Arriage had several tables filled with all types of weed. The table tops were covered in various types of weed, wax’s, weed infused cookies and candies. Sounds like a tasty fun time, but unfortunately, Arriage couldn’t control his crowd and that is what attracted the attention of neighbors and police.

How Arriage’s party got busted.

Arriage basically had an open invite to his party. He didn’t have enough parking for everyone or amenities for people to dispose of garbage’s and such. Nobody had an issue until it spilled into the streets. Party goers illegally parked vehicles and threw trash everywhere. As a result, one of the neighbors called the cops.

What the cops found.

When the cops showed up to Arriage’s house they found a lot of things wrong. First, the cops were taken back by the huge wall of smoke that escaped the front door. The cops also saw lots of people running out from the back door as they approached. The fleeing guests  are what drew the most suspicion.
After the cops realized what they had on their hands, they called the narcotics division. That’s when the cops discovered that Arriage’s lease has expired. So, he was throwing a party in a residence that was not even his.
After the police got the approval from the landlord to enter the facility, they found 51.1 lbs. of weed and other drugs on the tables. The cops also reported that they believe they saw people selling drugs at the party. Because, why not? This wasn’t just a weed party, it was a drug extravaganza.

What ended up happening.

Arriage’s party was hardcore busted. Police confiscated all the drugs, and arrested 32-year-old Arriage. Florida hasn’t fully legalized pot yet, someday soon perhaps but not today. Arriage claimed he was throwing a “pot party” in celebration of Amendment 2. But it didn’t excuse him from throwing a big ol’ drug party in a house that technically didn’t belong to him.

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Synthetic Marijuana Popular in Prisons

Synthetic Marijuana is becoming a popular drug in U.S. prisons.

Synthetic marijuana has taken over the prison market for a few big reasons. First, it is easier to smuggle into prisons than most other drugs. Because synthetic marijuana doesn’t show up in tests, inmates find it easier to hide use.
The punishment for those who are caught with synthetic weed is also less severe than getting caught with other drugs. Synthetic weed isn’t all good though.Early results show that consuming synthetic marijuana may pose a health hazard but that hasn’t stopped inmates.
Synthetic Marijuana is easy to smuggle in prisons.
Tiny packs of synthetic marijuana that resemble tea-bags can be purchased under a variety of names. Many names don’t reflect that they are cannabis products. Names like Spice and K2 help inmates fly under the radar with potential contraband.
These little packs are shredded vegetable material coated with THC extracts which can easily be snuck to inmates. Soaking pieces of paper with THC is another popular method of sneaking in marijuana but won’t pass drug screening. The soaked pieces of paper are disguised as letters to inmates, which are rolled up and smoked (or eaten) without alerting guards until a drug test.
Passing random drug tests is another reason to go synthetic.

Another reason inmates prefer to smoke synthetic weed is because it is one of only a few substances that  won’t come up in any of their test results. Prison urinalysis drug tests for alcohol, amphetamines, barbiturates, cocaine, codeine, marijuana (THC specifically), methadone, opiates and phencyclidine (PCP). Although marijuana comes up in prison urinalysis drug tests, synthetic marijuana does not.

Even if caught using synthetic marijuana, punishment is light.

When prisoners are caught with synthetic marijuana in their possession,they can expect a slap on the wrist and a note on their record. Inmates who are caught with actual weed, alcohol or any other drugs face harsh penalties. Penalties can include losing phone privileges for a year, up to 60 days in segregation, loss of good time. Penalties can even include limiting visitation rights or even halting them for a period.

How do people get access to synthetic weed?

Synthetic marijuana can be legally purchased by the public in sealed packages that look like standard sized tea-bags. Synthetic weed can also be made without the use of sophisticated lab equipment. Nor does it require you to be a Heisenberg. Basically, anyone can make synthetic weed at home. After all, the most basic synthetic weed is just shredded plant material (paper) coated with THC juice.

Synthetic weed is not safe to use, especially compared to regular marijuana.

Smoking a letter from “Grandpa Purps” is not the healthiest way to get your fix. The unregulated use of synthetic weed is potentially dangerous. People are getting sick from smoking unknown chemicals (like those found in ink) in addition to using unsafe methods of consumption.
The reported side effects of synthetic marijuana include mental agitation, rapid heartbeat, drowsiness, vomiting and confusion. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that in several cases, life-threatening and substantial lasting effects were documented. Researchers have also found that synthetic weed increases suicidal thoughts.
Even star athletes have succumbed to the negative side effects of synthetic marijuana. Former NFL player Aaron Hernandez committed suicide while in a state prison. The inmates, guards and autopsy reported that Aaron’s habitual use of synthetic weed caused his suicidal behavior.
The synthetic marijuana in prison crisis is another example of why marijuana needs to become federally legal. Once marijuana is moved from being a schedule I drug, then inmates who can have access to tobacco may also have access to marijuana. Thus not needing to suffer needlessly.
Photograph: Jim Havey / Alamy/Alamy

stoneapps

Weed Apps Every Stoner Would Love

6 Weed Apps Stoners Can Use

Weed apps are essentials for the average consumer. Looking for a good strain, Leafly is the place to go. To understand usage and dose, Releaf is the next app to use. For those growing marijuana plants, GrowBuddy and weGrow are wonderful apps to keep track of plants progress. Below are 6 popular essential apps that cannabis connoisseurs will love.

One of the most popular apps is Leafly.

Leafly is similar to Yelp, Amazon and Wikipedia. Leafly has a plethora of strain information along with weed related articles. Their strain index covers thousands of different types of cannabis which include name, scent, effects, reviews and dispensaries that carry them. It isn’t as in depth as an index like Cannafo.com, but Leafly has a great layout.

An app that keeps track of usage.

Releaf is the app that keeps track of dosages taken, the equipment being used, ailments that are being treated and the dispensaries where cannabis is bought. The graphs and charts are used to keep track of the experiences of being high. They give the user a better idea of what works for them. The idea of Releaf is to help consumers keep track of strains that work best for them.

MassRoots, the Instagram of weed.

An app with weed related images and posts. The app is not just about sharing beautiful marijuana plants though. There are images of exemplary glass works from all over the world. All a person needs to do is create a profile and they can start sharing and liking.

MJ app, designed to bring up to date marijuana news and coverage.

Twitter for stoners, MJ brings users up to the minute news from a variety of topics from around the world. This app is different from MassRoots because it is not an app where people browse and share thousands of images. MJ is strictly a current events news coverage site for cannabis.

GrowBuddy app & weGrow is great for tracking growing progress of weed.

GrowBuddy is an app designed to keep track of the growing process such as methods, progress and any changes or experimentations. The private app, GrowBuddy, is designed to help keep track of growing plants, from one to 3,000. Similar to GrowBuddy is weGrow. WeGrow is an app made for the first-time grower. It also helps keep track of methods and growing notes, but it also provides feedback to help create the perfect nugs. To sign up with weGrow it is necessary to send them an email for access to the weGrow app.
 
 
 
 

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Top 10 Ultimate Weed Stash Hack

Maybe you have heard of a few or use these stash hacks yourself.

Maybe you have used similar stash hacks forever and didn’t realize others hadn’t. Whatever the case may be, here are the 10 best tricks in no specific order.

You need just the right amount of water.

Keeping weed at the optimal hydration level (about 55-65% relative humidity) can feel downright impossible. If left exposed to the open air, valuable terpenes are lost and flower will burn fast and hot. Overly dried flower also has the bad habit of crumbling into dust. Get it too wet and it won’t even smoke or worse yet, it could start to mold!
Once a stash has succumbed to things like molds, mildew, fungi or other pathogens, it is a complete loss. Don’t even be tempted to smoke the ones you “can’t see anything wrong with” if there is any evidence of corruption. The risks are simply too great to roll that dice. Drying out is an altogether different problem though.
Once a weed is dried out, it becomes harsh and burns up significantly faster. Nobody wants to smoke old, crumbly weed. We want sticky nugs that snap apart but slightly hold their shape when shoved in a bowl. Yet cannabis can be re-hydrated and return to being sticky. Many a stash has been saved by trying one of these following hacks. I have used all of them to keep my own stash in peak condition but each has its own time and place.

Citrus Boost!Lemon Skunk stash

Method: Take a small bit of citrus peel and stick it in with the weed. Must use real peels, extract doesn’t do the same.

Benefits: This hack infuses the citrus terpenes (like Limonene) into the cannabis. Since the peel has a high water content way higher than cannabis where cannabis should be at, it will rehydrate a dried out stash.

Drawbacks: Lemon peels rot. When they do, it creates the perfect breeding grounds for molds, fungi and other harmful pathogens. It can also over saturate cannabis of too much is added to a stash. This has the side effect of making the weed difficult to light and produce little smoke.

Q-Tip Quality!

Method: Simply wet a Q-tip (any cotton swab will work) and drop it in with the stash. Keep an eye on when it dries out so you can  reuse or replace the swab.
Benefits: This method preserves the unadulterated taste of pure cannabis. It also provides a low cost alternative (although way less cool) to getting a humidifier. Because swabs come sterile, mold issues are kept to a minimum if replaced often.
Drawbacks: Cotton swabs are disposable for a reason. Reusing swabs leads to cross contamination and can also be a breeding ground for mold, fungi and other pathogens.

Cotton Balled!landrace 2

Method: Similar to the Q-Tip method except that a moist cotton ball is taped to the top of the container. Reuse or replace once it dries out.
Benefits: Taping the cotton ball to the top of the container keeps it from coming in contact with the stash. This prevents cotton fibers from getting caught in the bud and limits cross contamination. Cotton balls also come sterile so there is no risk of additional contaminants being introduced to the stash.
Drawbacks: Replacing tape over and over can get to be a chore so it is tempting to simply reuse the cotton ball for extended periods. Doing so exposes the user to the same dangers of mold, fungi and pathogens through cross contamination.

You also need the right kind of storage.

Regardless if the stash comes from a legal dispensary, a guys basement or Snoop Dogg himself, you need somewhere to store it. In the old days, Ziplock baggies were the standard. Today, people can obtain legal cannabis from dispensaries that use medicine bottles. While the medicine bottle is mandated by many states for sales, they still suck for keeping a stash. Here are a few suggestions for ways to store weed that is better than the old Ziplock or medicine bottle.

Mason Jar Madness!

Method: this glass container is sold in most stores across the world. This is a simple glass vessel with threading that allows a metal ring and lid at the top. It is air/watertight, reusable and cheap.
Benefits: They comes in several sizes, produce and airtight and watertight seal, and are easy to store or obtain almost anywhere. In addition to that, they are easy to clean, don’t rust or otherwise break down over time.
Drawbacks: Glass is fragile and has a tendency to break when exposed to extreme temperature changes.

Divided Stash Storage!

Method: Use two different sized containers to store your stash. The first is a small “daily” jar that keeps what you typically consume in a day. The second is “the vault” where you store your remaining cannabis. Load bowls from the daily jar and only open the vault when needed.
Benefits: This method reduces stash moisture loss from cycling the air in the jar. It helps budget or regulate the amount of product consumed in a day. This method also helps maintain stash security by not advertizing you have a pound of weed every time you load a bowl.
Drawbacks: Unnecessary if you get a jar that is too small or don’t buy more than a day or two worth of product at a time. It also adds one more step to the smoking ritual.

Freeze!

Method: Take any amount of cannabis you don’t plan to use immediately and put it in the freezer in a sealed container. Freezer bags are commonly used for this method. Freezing the weed prevents loss of hydration over extended periods.
Benefits: People have stored weed in freezers/fridges for years and still had a pleasant experience. Freezing cannabis makes trichomes brittle and easy to break off for ice wax and other concentrates.
Drawbacks: Just like meat, weed can get freezer burn if it is not sealed correctly. Cannabis can also be exposed to many bacteria and other pathogens from decaying food nearby (I’m looking at you Strawberries!) so keep a tight lid on it. Frozen trichomes also break off much easier than at room temperature.

Silicone Serenity!

Method: Instead of glass or plastic, use a silicone container. There is a wide variety available online, at dispensaries or at head shops built to suit your needs.
Benefits: Silicone wont shatter/rip/shred/cut/melt under normal use. It is even safe to touch with a warm dab tool when frozen (just not a red hot tool). Wax and other concentrates can’t stick like they do to glass or plastic. They also come in a wide variety of colors and shapes.
Drawbacks: Can be very expensive, especially when getting something airtight and cool looking.

We have all had times when there isn’t enough to go around.

Sometimes there is more month than money and we are faced with some hard choices. Do you share what you have and possibly spend days without THC or keep it for yourself? These tips can help you make that decision without alienating yourself or getting caught holding out. Just don’t get mad if someone else uses these tips too. It’s just a matter of making the most of what you got.

Twice Smoked Weed!

Method: This requires that you can suspend you weed in the pipe itself (best with screened metal pipe). You store a nug in the middle of the pipe so that every hit has to pass over the nug before making it into the users mouth.
Benefits: The stored nug gets coated with a layer of resin (poor man’s wax) and therefore gets additional THC added to it. It also makes it easy to carry around a second bowl for personal use if you are limited on how much you can share.
Drawbacks: Your delicious weed gets coated in resin. The terpene profile is destroyed and if left for several days, the nug gets dried out. Can make smoking the stored bud feel really harsh.

Double Cup It!

Method: Using two soft drink cups (one small, the other medium) you place the stash in the bottom of the larger cup. Put a lid on the smaller cup and then place it inside the larger cup. It now looks like you simply have a medium drink.
Benefits: This method is almost undetectable without physically removing the lid or getting help from a canine. Larger cups also hold progressively larger quantities for those long road trips to base camp. Works especially well for stealthily moving concentrates
Drawbacks: Limited on size to about an eighth to a quarter ounce of flower. Also doesn’t provide an odor barrier by itself so additional precautions are needed if that bad is stanky.

Grind it!

Method: If you want to make a little bit go further, you can grind it. This is especially helpful with dense, tightly packed nugs. You can use a small chunk of herb as a screen to cover the bowl hole which prevents the ground material from being sucked through.
Benefits: Increased surface area makes weed burn better and produce denser and more flavorful smoke. It also increases the overall volume which can turn a single small nug  into two small bowls.
Drawbacks: It can be easy to suck it though the bottom of the bowl so a screen of some kind is needed. Ground product burns faster than solid nugs and dries out faster. Grinding also releases many of the terpenes trapped within a nug so don’t grind more than you are going to smoke in one sitting.
I hope these tips were helpful. Be sure to share them with friends if you liked them. I would love to know what tricks you use to keep your stash safe and in top condition. Thanks for reading.

wrr

Light and How Cannabis Consumes It

In the eons before dinosaurs, plants dined on light.

During the early formation of our planet, there was no oxygen to breath, only water and light. This paradise of water and photons gave rise to the first plants. Not like the orchids and redwoods we are accustomed to today, early plants were mostly algae in the early oceans. These early plants developed a way to transform light into food.
By using sunlight to convert light energy into chemical energy, plants were able to store it for later use. Although photosynthesis is performed differently by different species, the process always begins when energy from light is absorbed by proteins called reaction centers that contain green chlorophyll pigments.
In plants like cannabis, these proteins are held inside organelles called chloroplasts, which are most abundant in leaf cells. In the light-dependent reactions, one molecule of the pigment chlorophyll absorbs one photon and loses one electron. This electron is passed to a modified form of chlorophyll called pheophytin and the process propels a chain reaction of life.
cannabis lights

Plants can use light from across the visible spectrum for photosynthesis.

Yet some wavelengths of light are more useful to a plant than others. Wavelengths that the plant uses a lot of get absorbed into its leaves and stem while wavelengths they don’t use get reflected back. We only see plants as green because they don’t use green light energy. They reflect the one color they don’t photosynthesize so we perceive them as green.
Because of how plants evolved their ability to photosynthesize, different wavelengths are needed in greater amounts at certain stages of a plant’s growth, such as the blue and red. Light high in the blue range enhances vegetative growth, while red light strongly influences flowering and fruiting.
What we perceive as visible light is comprised of seven main colors. All the odd colors we see like pinks, browns, and beiges are just mixtures of other colors. Our eyes can only register wavelengths of light are within the 400 to 700nm range. Below 400nm, we move towards ultra violet, x-ray and finally gamma rays. Above 700nm is infra red, then microwave and finally radio waves.

Let’s start with some measurements.

Nanometres (nm) are a measurement of light waves. Each degree in Kelvin (°K) rates the ‘temperature’ of a light and offers an indication to the peak nanometers (nm) or color within the spectrum. The lower the nm, the more blue the light appears while higher numbers look red.
Marijuana uses light from approximately 420nm through to 750nm. But what does that mean? To understand the unique diet of cannabis (and make those real yield gains) we need to create the ideal environment for the plants.
Giving them just any light simply won’t do if the goal is heavy crops (and who doesn’t want that?). Normal incandescent bulbs produce more high energy wavelengths like infra red (heat) and midrange light (550-650nm) than anything else. Anyone who has tried to grow a plant in a room lit only by incandescent bulbs can attest to their poor performance so avoid trying to grow with them.

Even light in the right wavelength may not have the right amount of lumens.

Cannabis need light from the right part of the spectrum with the right amount of intensity to encourage proper yet fast growth. Marijuana evolved to grow under sunlight which changes intensity over the seasons. Young weed plants can be easily burned if put under the same intensity of light as a mature ones.
For this reason, many cultivators use different lighting techniques for the different stages of plant growth. Fluorescent lights produce the right wavelengths for growth but lack the intensity of other lighting options making them the standard for use with seedlings and young clones. HPS (High Pressure Sodium) and MH(Metal Halide) are industry standard lighting options that are used during vegetative and flowering stages although LED (Light Emitting Diode) are quickly establishing themselves as premium lights in the market.
HPS light

There are a few different types of light.

HPS lights offer light from approximately 540 through to 700 nm, typically yellow, amber and red light so they are great for flowering/budding marijuana. These lights tend to burn hot and need to be ventilated as well as hung from a decent distance from the plants. This makes having a tall area to grow in a priority. Luckily, the light produced by HPS lights penetrates deeply into thick canopies which is perfect for the flowering stage when buds and leaves are competing for room.
MH lights offer light from approximately 350 to 550 nm in the blue, green to yellow range.  However exact levels depend on what lamp your purchase as some lamps are ‘cooler’ and others a bit ‘warmer’ than average. MH lights are good for the vegetative stage but not as much for the flowering/bud stage.

Lighting is going high tech.

LED grow lights can have a mix of LED diodes in a single ballast or specialized ones. This gives cultivators one more variable to work with but it also opens up a whole world of adjustment. With the increased lifespan of diodes over bulbs, reduced energy consumption and lower heat production, it is easy to see why cultivators are switching to LED.
While LEDs are far more efficient then HPS or MH lights (with almost 30% savings reported on average) they come with a significantly higher initial price tag. Small projects and weekend cultivators may not want to shell out the cash needed to obtain a quality growing LED but commercial outfits normally opt to go with the reduced energy consumption and quickly make back the difference in initial price.
LEDs also have the benefit of not needing specialized heat venting as they produce almost no heat.  While HPS and MH lights require ducting, fans and additional controllers, LED lights don’t need any of that while providing a dynamic mix of color temperatures. The best LEDs are full spectrum and use some blues, some reds and a very stable white to create broad (full) spectrum LED grow light. These are the new breed of grow light and cover the full light range from around 420 through 750 nm.

SuperCropping

Super Cropping: Why It's the Best Ever

What is Super Cropping exactly?

Super cropping (also supercropping) is the name for a High-Stress Training (HST) technique where the plant is stressed by slightly hurting it in a strategic way. Super cropping is basically just a coined word for growing a bush-like plant by crushing its stems instead of cutting them off. This technique can be performed on virtually every cannabis plant (excluding autos) and can actually be done multiple times during the vegetative process.
Super cropping is most effective with 600 watt lights or bigger because they allow good light penetration. If growing a bush style plant from clones, it’s important to top the plant right after the clone roots. Doing so will provide a strong base where the extra branches start low on the trunk.
Cannabis plants become stronger after recovering from trauma. Things like bent or crushed stems can become even larger and stronger than undamaged stems. If the main cola (flower) of a cannabis plant is removed, the plant will put energy into growing the remaining colas. Each super crop basically  doubles the number of potential colas on a plant.

What Does Super Cropping Do?

After super cropping the plant will grow bushier, produce more buds, and possibly even produce more THC! This is how the plant naturally responses to danger and protects itself. Growers take advantage of this technique to get bigger yields and more potent buds than would be produced otherwise.
If the goal is to harvest the biggest and the best buds, you should actively stress the plant in a way that will result in an increase in the production of cannabinoids. If the aim is to get a better harvest, “super cropping” is by far the best method of stressing your marijuana before harvesting.
Of the 483 known compounds in Cannabis, Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the primary psychoactive component of cannabis and produced in the plants trichomes. The second major component is CBD. It is also considered to have a wider scope of medical applications than THC because of study results in treating epilepsy, anxiety disorders, nausea etc. Both are produced in greater amounts by plants that have been properly super cropped.
Super Cropping Bud

How do we ‘stress’ the marijuana plant?

Super cropping works along with Low Stress Training, or LST. LST is the simple process of training your cannabis plant to grow laterally. This is usually done by tying down the branches of the plant to stop it from growing vertically. Light is one of the most important factors contributing to the growth of a plant so when it comes to cannabis, light dictates when a plant produces its flowers and how well those individual buds develop.
The main idea of super-cropping is to get marijuana to expose as many branches as possible to direct light and induce the plant to produce more leaves, buds and flowers. To apply the method, a certain amount of stress must be applied to your plant.
By exerting gentle pressure firm enough to slightly damage the tissues, a grower can intensely escalate marijuana yields. Because of the special stress response that takes place within the plant, the risk of infection or splitting is also minimized.

The technique is really simple.

Choose the most suitable branches you want to super crop. Start by doing only a few branches at a time, you will make sure that the plant reacts well to the stress technique. Remember that the goal is to stress the plant, not kill it.
After selecting the spot, gently hold the branch between the thumbs and forefingers of your hand and while gently exerting firm pressure, soften the inner tissues and carefully roll the branch between your fingers until stem feels limp in that spot.
A severely damaged branch may be beyond natural repair, especially if the branch is visibly split. Applying grafting tape or Duct tape will help to strengthen the damaged branch during the healing process.

Super Cropping takes advantage of natural processes.

When it’s time for a plant to flower, the size of the buds it produces is largely dependent on light exposure. The more light (in the right wavelengths) a certain part of the plant canopy gets, the stronger and bigger it is likely to be. That’s why the crown of a plant usually has denser, bigger flowers than the bottom.
Super cropping allows you to manipulate a plant and its canopy for maximum exposure. By ensuring the entire canopy gets evenly exposed to light, growers encourage it to build big, dense buds. This is true even in areas normally be covered by foliage.
For its own survival, the plants growth mechanism will cause it to ‘set’ the break and keep the limb in place after it is done healing. Arranging super cropped tops horizontally creates an environment for increased bud production as colas that would have been under the main cola are exposed to direct light.

Super crop at the right time.

Be really careful because this method is designed to induce the plant to throw out a greater number of colas and new leaves. Being too aggressive can have seriously negative results.  Following the logic of nature, this method works because the plant is deceived into believing that it is under attack by some force and therefore it will compensate.
In the process of healing, the branch will grow a protective nodule to strengthen the damaged area. This ensures that transpiration of essential nutrients and water are not restricted. Growing the nodule is a key step of maintaining the overall health of the plant.
Since this technique requires time for the plant to heal, the best time to super crop is in the plants’ vegetative or growing stage. During the second or third week of growth will likely be most effective time. How will you know? When the plant produces vigorous new branches but has not yet fully started the flowering stage, it’s time.
By super cropping, cultivators enjoy shorter and more controlled plants that produces a great number of branches and buds. Even though the plant needs more time to recover, proper super cropping does not retard the growth of the plant like pruning of the tops or picking leaves to induce growth.

Investing in the Cannabis Industry 2017

Investing in the Cannabis Industry 2017

Marijuana stock investing in 2016 has seen a meteoric rise.

Investing in cannabis is making some major money with one especially impressive company posting gains of well over 2,000%.  This despite how fraught with risk this industry is. Since marijuana is still classified as a Schedule I substance with “no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse,” according to the federal government, there are still some hurdles to overcome.
The National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse issued a series of reports concluding that marijuana was “less a serious threat to public health than a sensitive social issue and recommended changes to federal law that would permit citizens to possess a small amount of it at a time, while still maintaining that the drug should not be legalized.” Yet investing remains risky because the people in power refuse to be moved to action.

Is $50 billion motivation enough?

Investing 101Ackrell Capital projects that the cannabinoid-based pharmaceutical market could clear $50 billion annually. Investors took special not of the prediction due to the explosive growth the industry has seen so far. They make sure to include plenty of caveats in their report that basically boil down to legalization=money.
AbbVie (ABBV) is ahead of the game in medicinal marijuana field because its drug (Marinol) is already been approved by the Food and Drug Administration and in the market. Marinol is mainly used to relieve nausea and vomiting for chemotherapy patients. It has also been prescribed for AIDS patients to help stimulate appetite.
If you want to talk about AbbVie, let me just say that it has had 44 years of consecutive dividend increases. Over the past three years alone, the dividend has grown by 12.5%. the 4.13% dividend yield is considered attractive for income investors.
Just because they were first to the market doesn’t make them invincible though. Company revenues, gross profit and net income have been stagnant during the last four quarters. If Marinol can raise profits, AbbVie and others like it could be treated as an income play rather than a growth stocks for 2017.

There are currently 28 states willing to sell.

Support for use of medical marijuana is rapidly expanding along with investing opportunities. After the November U.S. elections, 28 states plus the District of Columbia now have legalized use of medical marijuana. A handful of states have also chosen to allow recreational use.
Legalization should diminish some of the institutional barriers for companies investing in the marijuana industry. Although we can see how slow the movement is by looking at recent court decisions about drug testing. The advancement of legalization on a state level presents a special opportunity for investors but at great risk.
Weed’s mis-classification as a schedule-I compound creates restrictions for patients in non-weed-friendly states. Not to mention how much of a damper it puts on investors’ plans. The chief regulator of Wall Street (Financial Industry Regulatory Authority or FINRA) blocked a S-1 filing from weed companies attempting to go public and trade stock. The ban will remain in place until the drug is re-scheduled.

There are only 3 approved options on the market.

While opportunities exist, current realities paint a stark picture. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a whopping total of three cannabinoid drugs. It took seemingly forever for another cannabinoid to join Marinol and Cesamet in the medicine cabinet.
In July of 2016, the FDA gave the go ahead for Insys Therapeutics’ (NASDAQ:INSY) Syndros to join the party. Like Marinol, the active ingredient of Syndros is the synthetic cannabinoid dronabinol. And don’t think that only drug companies are trying to get in on the action.
Investors sent shares of Scotts Miracle-Gro Co. up 48 percent last year when they saw the lawn-care company as a relatively safe way to capitalize on the cannabis trend. It sells fertilizers, lighting and other supplies for hydroponics that are used by most indoor cultivators.

One person can tip the scales.

A very important fact for investors considering investing in marijuana to remember is who the next attorney general is. And the person who got the nomination to fill that role was Alabama Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions. A man who is an adamant opponent of legalized marijuana.
In a Senate hearing last April, Sessions cited a 20% increase in the traffic deaths in some states where marijuana has been legalized to show the drug is a problem. His continued vigorous attempts to demonize cannabis users signals major disappointment for those hoping for banking reform.
Marijuana companies have continued to struggle with limited access to basic banking services since most banks fear federal prosecution for dealing with pot businesses. Being forced to operate on a cash-only basis is a security concern and an expansion inhibitor for any business. With Sessions taking the helm, there is little hope for meaningful pressure to improve access to banking services. Additionally, marijuana businesses must pay tax on their gross profits instead of net profits. This is because they’re disallowed normal corporate income tax deductions.

How should you approach the industry?

Investing in cannabis weed
It has been said that getting rich during a gold rush is to easiest when you sell shovels. With that in mind, the best figure for investors trying to turn a profit from the “marijuana rush” are the companies that have zero marijuana-related products. The smartest play might be in companies that have the potential to benefit by serving people and companies that do sell cannabis.
But before you invest in any company, get as much information about that company as you possibly can. Find out if they are a legitimate company with a good management team. Look into who’s running the company and at the company’s finances. Don’t be afraid to go over the balance sheet, the cash flow, the income statement, and the shareholder’s equity.
Look at all of the info you can before making a decision. Call the nearby Chambers of Commerce, find out if they know the people or company. Don’t forget to look at the other officers and management to make sure the engine is firing on all cylinders if you catch my drift. Do all the research you can but don’t forget to talk to your financial advisor as well before pulling the trigger.
The early bird doesn’t always get the worm.

Companies are making serious efforts to develop effective medicines using on cannabis. These companies deserve all due diligence before investing in any of them. Understand that investing in potential is risky and any of the drugs discussed in this article could fail or disappoint. Some medicinal marijuana stocks will undoubtedly succeed in 2017, so research and be vigilant when navigating this exploding industry. But don’t forget all the good that cannabis can do.
Cannabinoids have been found to have potential in treating over 40 medical issues including cancer, chronic pain, epilepsy, and glaucoma. Companies developing marijuana-related compounds rarely focus on cannabis alone. Be aware that some “mainstream” stocks may actually profit from loosened restrictions on marijuana even if they don’t grow or sell it themselves. Thanks for reading.