10 Things You Will Experience When Trying Marijuana The First Time
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10 Things You Will Experience When Trying Marijuana the First Time

If you have ever been curious about trying cannabis for your first time, don’t worry.  This is a completely normal anxiety.  While there are many reasons for the use of marijuana, the effects can be different for everyone.  There are, however, similar things that people experience.  Knowing how marijuana will affect you may help to lessen your anxiety.  So before using a service to get marijuana, know what to expect.
Trying Marijuana for the First Time
There is really no wrong way to try marijuana for the first time.  These days cannabis comes in so many different forms.  There is no reason why you have to smoke low quality bud as a starter.  While nothing can compare to top shelf flower, there are other things to consider.  If you are worried about your lung health, consider using an edible.  With products like edibles, topical creams and tinctures, your options are endless.
It is important to note that while smoking marijuana will bring you instant results, other ways are much slower.  This is especially true for edibles.  If you are using one of these, remember to wait an hour or two before taking another dose.  This will be the big difference between having a positive first time experience and a negative one.

  1. Body High

A body is one of the first things you will experience.  Some people describe this as an out of body experience.  Your limbs will feel weightless.  This is great for people who suffer from chronic pain.  You will still have complete functions over your body so have no fear.  If the high becomes too much for you, find a quiet spot to sleep it off.

  1. Fuzzy Head

The THC in marijuana means that you can experience some insane brain highs.  While you might not be able to think clearly, this will all depend on how much you have consumed.  It is important to know your limits.  This is especially true when it comes to doing everyday activities like driving.

  1. Hunger

Different strains will affect you differently.  But, no matter what the strain, chances are you will get hungry.  Munchies are not a cannabis myth.  Stock up on tons of healthy snacks before trying marijuana for the first time.

  1. Euphoria

One of the main reasons why people love using marijuana in is because of the euphoric properties.  Euphoria helps with common social problems like anxiety and depression.  This can actually help you to lead a productive life again.

  1. Sleepiness

A common effect that first time marijuana users experience is sleepiness.  While this may seem like a waste of good bud, it has its benefits.  Insomnia suffers love to use indica strain cannabis to help them sleep at night.  Sleepiness will also depend on how much cannabis you have consumed.

  1. Mellow

The most common thing you will experience is a serious mellow state of mind.  This means that not only will your body be calm but your mind will be too.  This is a great way to help to deal with anxiety and stress.  It also can help you out in most social situations.

  1. Settled Stomach

A calm stomach is a big reason why pain suffered love to use cannabis.  If you are smoking weed for the first time and you have stomach pain, it will pass.  The THC in marijuana has been known to calm severe stomach pains.  Just be careful, swallowing too much smoke can have an adverse reaction.

  1. Giggles

While this experience doesn’t have any healing value, it sure is a lot of fun.  People who smoke marijuana for the first time have an overwhelming urge to laugh.  This can make even the most mundane of situations fun.  Like all of the other effects, this too will pass.  So, enjoy it while you can.

  1. Dry Mouth

Cotton mouth is one of the more unpleasant symptoms of smoking marijuana.  If you are planning on smoking weed for the first time, make sure to surround yourself with water.  Having plenty of fluids on hand will help to offset this little annoyance.

  1. Lack of Motivation

While some strains are known as “work friendly” that isn’t always the case for every type of weed.  To keep you from wasting a perfectly good work day, plan on smoking on your day off.  This way you can see how marijuana affects you before returning to work.
Final Thoughts
When looking to try marijuana in  for the first time,  Just remember to take it slow and to not put too many expectations on yourself.  Everyone will have a different experience, even when taking the same strain.  So have fun and experiment.

cannacul
CategoriesAnalysis/Opinion, Marijuana News by

Cannabis Cultivators Struggle to Go Green

Cannabis Cultivators try and grow environmentally friendly when possible.

Currently, cannabis cultivators are struggling with the large carbon footprint that is needed to produce weed. Marijuana uses just as much energy as a hospital per square foot, and eight times more than an average commercial building. There are major monetary rewards for growers who figure out a constructive method for reducing the environmental footprint.
Cannabis cultivators are trying to reduce the amount of energy needed, water and pesticides. In the U.S. 29 states have legalized marijuana, but no state has implemented strict environment friendly growing regulations. It’s a difficult task because currently there’s no scientific study that recommends which method for cultivation is safest for the environment.

Scientists are needed for testing but are limited due to costs.

Cannabis testing labs are only required to test 0.01% of product for potency and microbes. Other facilities would like to test for more potential issues but it is expensive to do so. But the market is extremely competitive and therefore additional tests are seen as an unneeded expense. “With limited testing, and the desperation to maintain and appease their clients, a lot of the value of laboratories has been lost.” Says a laboratory owner wanting to remain anonymous.

There are problems with testing a small amount of cannabis products.

Facilities are required to check one sample instead of several samples from each batch or an annual harvest. Re-validation is only necessary if the cultivators change their growing process such as adding a new nutrient.
Some labs have manipulated their results to appease their clients, and the state won’t do anything about it. A couple in Colorado do just that. The husband owns the extraction facility and the wife runs the testing lab. They fudge their results to make it seem like they are selling the highest concentration available. The state won’t and can’t do anything about them. If cannabis was treated the same as a food or typical medicine, then 1% of all regulated product would be tested instead of the current 0.01%.
Florida House of Representative members Matt Gaetz and Darron Soto proposed a bill to move cannabis to schedule III. This act would reduce restrictions on cannabis to the same level as Vicodin, making it easier for labs to test. Not just labs, but Universities and other institutions could study marijuana as well.

A lack of organic cannabis certification makes it difficult to control quality.

Only a handful of cultivators try and go above and beyond for their clients. One of the dispensaries in Colorado called, L’Eagle Services, grow high end cannabis and can claim “100% clean cannabis”. A problem L’Eagle runs into is they can’t label their products with official organic certification because it’s not federally legal.
This makes it hard for companies like L’Eagle to offer a clear distinction for their customers. One of L’Eagle’s owners said, “There is no real, national, universal seal of organic certification. It doesn’t exist right now.” Currently, there is no real way for customers to tell the difference between organic and non-organic grade marijuana.

The Organic Cannabis Association looks to create a standard.

The Organic Cannabis Association is trying to develop a national organic seal for cultivators to be able to use. Andrle is one of the owners of L’Eagle, and one of the chair members of The Organic Cannabis Association. Andrle says that they want to change the way people buy weed. And they want to change the way people perceive cannabis.
The Organic Cannabis Association (TOCA) wants organically grown weed to be seen similar to Whole Foods produce. When people think of Whole Foods, healthy and organic comes to everybody’s minds. And that is exactly what TOCA wants consumers to start seeing organic weed as.
People who shop at Whole Foods look for pesticide free vegetables, free-range eggs, wild-caught fish and hormone free meats. TOCA wants the nation to treat organic grade cannabis as a natural, healthier version than normal store brand weed. “We are in a unique period where the cannabis industry does not have federal oversight,” says Ashley Preece. She is the new Executive Director of the Cannabis Certification Council (CCC). “The [organic] certification will give consumers a way to be assured that what they’re putting into their bodies is safe, clean, and supporting their local communities.”

An official organic seal is not the only reason to grow green.

Growers are looking for creative methods that cut down on expensive energy costs. California indoor cannabis cultivators are responsible for 3% of the entire state’s energy consumption and it continues to rise. However, there is nothing California can do to help reduce the costs for the time being.
Mrs. Darwish received a California CCC permit in 2016. After growing for 15 years in Humboldt County, her team no longer needs to hide their growing operation in the mountains. Mrs. Darwish does her best to maintain a low environmental footprint. She claims to not use pesticides or fertilizers. And she keeps track of her water consumption carefully. According to Mrs. Darwish, “We believe that sustainability extends to setting a high standard for conduct, and we are working to show the community that the emerging legal cannabis industry is contributing to society, not taking from it.”

Not all cultivators have access to Eco-friendly options.

Growing outdoors slashes the costs of energy because cultivation teams like Mrs. Darwish do not require to purchase grow lights. Warehouse growers have to pay a lot more; they require lots of energy for indoor cultivation. LED and regular grow light systems, HVAC systems, and general utility costs consume much of the environment’s resources. But not everyone is blessed with an outdoor growing option.
Many cannabis cultivators are inner city and have no other option but to continue to use expensive systems. Slowly but surely more and more cultivators will create innovative measures for growing green but for now things are in limbo. Hopefully, the federal system will embrace cannabis and allow research institutions to assist in creating ingenious cannabis Eco-friendly grow methods.

Collecting Marijuana Sculptural Glass
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Collecting Marijuana: Sculptural Glass

Collecting glass is a passion shared by millions of people.

People aren’t the only ones that start collecting either. Some animals cache or horde items too. Crows are attracted to and give shiny objects as presents. Deep under the ocean certain crustaceans collect rocks. The act of collecting stems from a desire to make life easier or more bearable.
Collecting isn’t based exclusively on physical necessity either. People can collect everything from experiences like visiting all 50 United States to items like paintings. Even though these items and experiences don’t seem amazingly important, they can make all the difference to the color of the memories created with them.

Why collect glass?Collecting Glass

Glass is known for being fragile but modern advances make them far more durable than in days past. While some people still lose glass regularly, careful attention to storage and maintenance will keep a pipe around for decades. Granted, law enforcement has a habit of destroying paraphernalia when they find it.
Even if a smoker isn’t losing pipes regularly to damage or enforcement, the first pipe is rarely perfect. New users rarely know how a pipe should feel in the hand or how a bong should draw. This means many first-time purchases are based on looks and not function, leading to additional purchases.

What makes sculptural glass pieces special?

People buy sculpture because they feel it embodies some aspect of their personality or persona. Sculptural glass offers smokers the opportunity to merge their love of cannabis with other loves. What better piece to represent a SCA fighter than a steamroller in the shape of a mace or sword?
The glass sculpture also becomes a social extension of the person who owns it. A giant glass spider pipe suggests a flair for extravagance and a hint of danger. While a lewd and nude sculptural pipe reinforces acceptance of the chauvinistic tendencies of ‘that one guy’. The piece itself becomes an extension of the person collecting it.

And glass isn’t cheap either.

It is also difficult for many people to justify paying hundreds or even thousands of dollars for a piece of glass that has the same function as an $80 one. This is especially difficult to justify if the person might break or have to toss the piece at any given moment.
Spending $50 on a basic pipe every month because it gets dropped or has to be ditched is expensive. Over the course of a year, replacement costs add up to $600 or more. That is a lot of money to dish out regularly but it also means spending $300 on a bong once a year doesn’t feel as bad.

Remember that the smoking experience is colored by the device.

Smoke out of enough pieces and you will find one that looks cool but smokes like trash. Veteran smokers should recognize that function is more important to a smoking device than form. Even so, nobody can resist the draw of smoking out of and collecting something special.
Claiming to have a glass turtle to smoke out of is intriguing and grabs people’s attention. But if the piece is poorly made, it holds their attention for all the wrong reasons. People will critique burnt fingers and remember the stench of sizzling nose hair instead of the cool elements of the piece.
If the glass piece is masterfully crafted, it will show through on every element. Years after the fact, people will bring up the time they smoked out of your bad ass animal. They will fondly recite the story to friends as they describe the legendary status of smoking out of a spider. They won’t even remember how stellar or crappy the weed was!

There are a few key things to look for when collecting sculptural pipes.

Pipes and bongs are supposed to create thick smoke but not all can. The smoke cools as it is inhaled through the glass which allows it to expand and thicken. Denser and colder smoke fills the chamber evenly. But wide chambers aren’t able to empty as a slipstream is created between the narrow openings.
The airflow should be restricted enough to produce resistance while the flame is hitting the weed but strong enough to force the heat down and through the plant matter. Smokers should be able to draw a hit easily and the chambers should clear quickly.

Make sure it fits before you buy.

Buyer’s remorse is a real thing and stoners experience it regularly. Most glass galleries ensure that all sales are final so there is no recourse once the piece is open at home. In addition to that, nobody outside of a few Facebook groups and friends accept used glass.
The people who do accept used glass will likely offer pennies on the dollar. That’s assuming they are willing to pay for it to begin with. So make sure you really like a piece before dropping hundreds of dollars on it.

Keep an eye out for bad welds.

There are a lot of talented and honest glass galleries out there. There are also plenty of fly-by-night charlatans both online and in the real world. Instead of relying on the word of a salesman, inspect the piece for defects and shortcuts.
When two pieces of glass get fused, it creates a weld line. High quality pieces have smooth welds that create even transitions between pieces of glass. Poor quality pieces have bubbly, ridged or uneven welds. Poor quality welds create stress on the glass and can lead to spontaneous fracturing and other unpleasantness.

And make sure it’s stable!

Every piece needs to be stable when sitting on a flat surface. If a piece can’t stand on its own, it should at least have a stable stand. Nothing is quite as stunningly horrible as watching a $4000 piece crash every time a door closes.
Ideally, expensive pieces should also be easy to handle. Glass pieces need to sit well in the hand so they don’t get dropped while being used or passed. Some designs are inherently intricate and fragile but even these need to be stable enough to stand on a shelf and get moved from time to time.

10 Slang Weed Terms and Why to Use Them
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10 Slang Weed Terms and Why to Use Them

Before mankind learned to write, we used slang to describe the cannabis plants.

One of the most ancient plants ever cultivated is embedded with slang. Over the last few thousand years, people have come up with a lot of different ways to describe the plant we all know and love. Every time someone comes up with a new moniker for Shiva’s Gift, the list of slang terms grows longer.
The scientific name for our favorite plant is cannabis sativa and cannabis sativa indica. These species have collectively been called cannabis since the early days of mankind. Modern governments refer to industrial cannabis grown for fiber and seed as hemp. Cannabis plants cultivated for medical or recreational usage is called marijuana. Yet most people refer to cannabis with slang.
Cannabis use transcends social and economic barriers across all continents and times. As such, there are often divergent or outright contradictory stories about every name. I tried to include some historical reference to the entries and also some context. Be sure to let everyone know in the comments below if you have heard any alternative theories.

Herb: Youtube Bong

Herb is one of the older known slangs for cannabis. Originally coined when Latin was popular, it basically meant green or crop. The term was later used by Old French speakers to refer to a more specific subset of crops. Middle English speakers also adopted the word and it maintained its meaning since. As one of the oldest known crops, cannabis was often referred to as an herb throughout historical accounts. When cannabis was criminalized, it retained the old moniker.

Ganja: MS treatment

Ganja was originally coined in Sanskrit a millennia ago. The term was eventually adopted by the Hindi and Bengali people to describe hemp (the THC-free version of cannabis). The term is still used to describe cannabis in India and across the Caribbean.

Marijuana: coco coir

Originally coined in the early 1920’s by Larry Anslinger, marijuana was a derogatory term. Created to generate and reinforce negative stereotypes about minorities and later, hippies. There are several different spellings of the word from the early propaganda produced by Anslinger and associates. Other terms that mean similar to marijuana and is used widely today is MJ and weed.

Hydro:

Hydro refers to using hydroponic (water-soaked/submerged) techniques to grow any strain of cannabis. Advances in lighting technology and electronics during the 60’s and 70’s enabled growing indoors for the first time. By the late 80’s the technology was available to the mass market and people shortened the word from hydroponic to hydro.

Chronic: slang

Chronic does NOT refer to a chronic user of cannabis. In an interview with Seth Rogan, Snoop Dogg explained that the term stemmed from a misinterpretation in the 1990’s. Unfamiliar with hydroponic technology, Snoop, Dr. Dre and company mistakenly called it hydrochronic. It was shortened to ‘the chronic’ before long. Once Dr. Dre released the era-defining album by the same name, the misinterpretation stuck.

Terpy:

Terpenes are a broad group of hydrocarbon molecules that most plants produce. The term became popular in the late 1800’s. Used to describe aromatic compounds, the term came from the German word for turpentine. Terpenes interact with our olfactory organs to create smells and cannabis produces a wide range of them. Higher concentrations of terpenes create more potent smells so weed that smells strongly are called terpy.

Hit:

Smoking cannabis flower is known as ‘taking a hit’ or ‘hitting a pipe’. The term comes from the Middle English word hitten or ‘to strike’. It was later adopted by the Dutch before arriving in the US in the mid 1900’s. A hit is a single dose of marijuana flower, or dab, consumed by smoking from a pipe, bong, or dab rig.

Dab:Vapes 2016

To dab is to apply hash oil to a heated surface in order to vaporize it. Popularized in the early 2000’s, dabbing has developed into a subculture of cannabis consumption. The trend is partly due to advances in mobile vaporizing devices and a public perception of decreased risk of harm. A person needs to buy a dab rig in order to take a dab. Another type of dab is called Live Resin. It is made differently than a dab, but a dab rig is still required to take a dab hit.

Hash:

Originating in ancient India, hash describes cannabis preparation used by ancient assassins. Hash is produced by separating the oily trichomes from the rest of the plant and can be compressed into bricks. Smoking hash produces the same effects as smoking raw flower but at high potencies.
Some people can create their own hash with the right equipment, or it can be bought from a dispensary. Rick Simpson oil is another type of hash oil. It can be used as a bowl topper, for dabbing, or as a coating on joints.

Doobie:

A cannabis cigarette is commonly called a doobie. The origins are unknown but there are a few possibilities. The word could be derived from the Latin term dubiety, which basically meant to give rise to uncertainty. It was also slang used by black slaves during the mid-1800’s to describe smoked cannabis cigarettes.
The TV show Scooby Doo is credited with popularizing the term but the source material seems unconnected to cannabis consumption specifically. Several people who knew of cannabis from the 60’s still use this term today instead of a joint or jay. Another type of cannabis cigarette is cannabis wrapped in tobacco paper, but that is called a blunt not a doobie.

There are even more ways to say cannabis!

There are so many more slang terms for cannabis that I couldn’t include them all. Terms like stoned, blazed and faded. There are also slang specific amounts of weed  like dub and QP. Let us know if we should do a follow-up to this article and dive into more slang.
Also be sure to let us know in the comments below what slang you think should have been on this list. Or help add more slang to the list using the comment below. Remember, sharing is caring and thanks for reading.

Trump Cant Reverse Marijuana Legislation
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Trump Can't Reverse Marijuana Legislation

Jesse Ventura is a jack of all trades.

He started his career as a U.S. Navy Underwater Demolition Expert. He eventually became a professional wrestler, actor, author, television host and political commentator. He debuted his political career by running for governor.
As the 38th Governor of Minnesota (from 1999 – 2003) he accomplished several achievements including overseeing Minnesota’s property tax reforms. After his stint as governor, Jesse decided to fight for the legalization of cannabis.
Ventura recently gave a keynote speech at the Cannabis World Congress Business Expo in New York City (CWCBExpo). It is the preeminent trade show for the cannabis industry. Cannabis connoisseurs of all fields joined the party; from marijuana and hemp farmers, to cannabis activists and thousands of like-minded individuals. He said the experience was truly refreshing.

Individuals in the legal cannabis industry form a united front.

Jesse Ventura learned how the united front was working to get the federal government to accept the marijuana industry. “When it comes to economics, let me put the state of marijuana to you in this way: If Trump reverses state law, he’ll be crippling if not bankrupting the states that have legalized marijuana,” Jesse said. According to Jesse, over half of the states have now legalized marijuana (medical, recreational, or both).
As a result, the states are receiving millions of dollars in tax revenue. If Trump reverses state law regarding cannabis, then there will be a country-wide budget crisis. When all the revenue sources are outlawed, where will the money come from?

Jesse explained why reversing marijuana legislation will change the nation.

Jesse gave a great analogy using the auto industry bail-out. He said that about $80 billion of tax payer money was used to bail-out the auto industry. The auto industry gets to pay back their debt over time.
There is not going to be a bail-out when marijuana legislation becomes reversed. It’s like saying that a multi-billion dollar industry will vanish over-night. The domino-like fallout would cause hundreds of thousands of Americans to become unemployed. The resulting economic chaos includes millions of dollars in unpaid mortgages, bankruptcies and tax shortfalls in every state in the Union .
According to a report by New Frontier Data, the marijuana industry is on-track to create a quarter of a million jobs by 2020. The marijuana industry was worth $7.2 billion in 2016 and is compounding at a rate of 17 percent annually. Medical marijuana sales will grow from $4.7 billion to $13.3 billion by 2020. Recreation sales are also booming from $2.6 billion in 2016 to $11.2 billion by 2020.

There is real danger for the financial health of the country.

Jesse reiterates again, “If Trump reverses state law, he’ll be crippling if not bankrupting the states that have legalized marijuana. This action go against the will of the people who voted for legalized marijuana. The action will cause yet another economic collapse.” It’s hard to argue with Jesse’s facts and reasoning.
Colorado currently has a $1.3 billion thriving cannabis industry. And that industry is paying for their student’s scholarships, police stations, libraries, new streets and bridge repair. When the money stops flowing with no replacement, how is Colorado supposed to recover from the loss.
California will earn $1 billion in cannabis tax revenue by 2018. In California, they expect to bring back American farms by growing hemp fields in rural areas that are struggling for a chance to thrive. But reversing marijuana legislation would crush the hopes of reviving American agriculture.
The cannabis industry is an American workforce comprised of American entrepreneurs, employees, and customers. And it’s not practical to expect business owners to outsource labor, production or processing to other countries. So businesses have to find a work-around.

Cannabis business owners will always find a way to thrive.

Due to federal law, American cannabis owners are expected to stay up-to-date on all cannabis related laws and regulations. And cannabis business owners struggle to keep up with the new marijuana legislation while trying to run a business. And they can’t even get a bank loan or find a safe space to store their money.
The community will find a way to succeed, even though marijuana legislation seem to be working against them. If the worst-case scenario happens, Jesse says that American cannabis business owners will go Canada and set up shop there.
Many marijuana refugees could go to Puerto Rico because the IRS Tax Code 280E does not apply. Mexico just legalized medical marijuana, so we can expect many owners to set up shop there too. Cannabis isn’t going to disappear, it’ll just get relocated along with its billions.

Jesse says, “The president doesn’t have the power to overturn votes”.

At the CWCBExpo, Jesse pled with cannabis business owners to not maximize profits to secure a golden parachute when things go south. Jesse said, “That’s not the united front the American cannabis industry is after.” The united front he talks about at the CWCBExpo are thoughtful business owners who’ve seen cannabis legislation change over time. They are also doing all that they can to work with lawmakers and educate citizens to continue that trend.
Jesse says that the cannabis industry is about innovation as much as it is about fighting against oppression. When the American people vote to legalize something, it should become legalized. The government doesn’t have the right to overturn that vote. American industry is about creating a better place for everyone and for future generations to come.
Ventura tried to add an air of calm to the storm that surrounds American government today. Tax money makes a great difference in the communities that generate it. Taxes should go toward schools, roads and libraries and cannabis taxes actually do.
American business owners should not be worried that Trump or any president will revert business regulations. It takes more than sitting at a tiny desk and signing a piece of paper. And it takes effort to erase the best thing going for America right now. But that doesn’t mean he won’t try. Unfortunately, Jesse Ventura doesn’t believe he can succeed.

How To Kill Spider Mites On Your Marijuana Plants
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How To Kill Spider Mites On Your Marijuana Plants

If you grow your own marijuana, either for personal use, medicinal use or otherwise, you know how tricky it can be to keep spider mites off of your plants. In the cannabis industry, even the smallest pest problem can mean a huge interruption to your yield.
Read on for these top tips on killing spider mites without killing your yield!
But first, what is a spider mite?
A spider mite is a tiny insect related to spiders, ticks and other mites. They build their homes on the underside of the leaves of plants. Many species spin webs for protection, which is where the “spider” in their name comes from. Spider mites live in hot climates that are consistent with growing weed and reproduce quickly; it can be difficult to control how fast they multiply under these conditions.
The first sign of a spider mite are tiny bite marks on the leaves of the cannabis plant, often found on the underside of the leaves. Since the mites are so small, it is unlikely that you will see the mites before you see their tiny bites, unless you are looking for them.
What is my first line of defense?
Since spider mites reproduce so quickly, destroying their populations before they explode is key. Carefully examine the undersides of your cannabis leaves for tiny eggs and webbing, destroying any eggs before they have the chance to hatch.
You can also examine where the infestation may be coming from. They could be coming from: a nearby vegetable crop, tracked in from other animals/pets or from another marijuana plant. Once you have identified where they may have come from, you can better defend your plants. If they were tracked inside from another animal or plant, regular elimination strategies should work fine. If they were infested by one of your clones you may have a more serious problem; spider mites that have grown especially adept at living on marijuana plants could be harder to get rid of.
To Eliminate Spider Mites:
Keep a constant breeze blowing over your plants.
Spider mites hate moving air, preferring an environment that is not only hot but also has a stagnant airflow. To do this, set up a fan that you can keep on the plants at all times to keep them from settling under your leaves. By keeping continuous airflow you will both improve air circulation and plant growth while keeping the tiny insects from making themselves comfortable homes under your plants.
Use an insecticide or product to treat infestations.
There are plenty of insecticides to kill spider mites out there. Which one you choose depends greatly on your budget, how serious your spider mite infestation is and how many chemicals you want to use on your crops.
AzaMax is one of the most trusted products to get rid of spider mites. AzaMax is strong, effective and can also be used in the water you water your plants with as it will not hurt your roots but will destroy spider mites in your soil. Mighty Wash is another effective product used in the same way.
Spinosad is a natural substance made from soil bacterium. It is a mixture of two chemicals called spinosyn A and spinosyn D and can naturally control your spider mite problem. Spinosad is used in many organic insecticide products because it is completely harmless to humans and pets as well as being effective whether sprayed directly on leaves or in plant roots.
Another organic option is Essentria IC3, a mixture of horticultural oils that is safe and organic for use. So safe and organic, in fact, that they are often recommended for bed bug treatment.
In comparison to Mighty Wash and AzaMax, organic solutions have few, if any, negative effects.
Tips for treating plants with insecticide:

  • Set up a fan once you have sprayed your plants with insecticide to dry the product onto the leaves faster
  • Remember to spray the underside of the cannabis plant leaves, where most spider mites reside
  • Read up on the specific directions for insecticide application; it varies per product whether you spray right before you turn your plant’s lights out for the night
  • You will want a one-hand pressure sprayer or something similar for even distribution of the insecticides onto your plants
  • Treat your plants more than once, even if you believe your mite problem has disappeared, to fully ward off potential mite regeneration

Use multiple kinds of treatments for the mites that stick around.
Some mites may become resistant to your treatments or were never killed off by them in the first place. If this happens to your plants, try switching up your treatments with another variety and always use a combination of a few techniques at eliminating the mites.
NOTE: While there are some particularly strong chemicals used for treating mites, these can be damaging to plants. Other growers also suggest treating an entire crop for mites. This can be dangerous to breath in so proper ventilation and only treating this way in the most extreme circumstances is important.
There you have the easiest and most effective ways to remove spider mite problems on your cannabis plants. Don’t let spider mites kill your buzz and your yield; adopt a multi-tiered approach to keeping bugs off for good, grow after grow.

The University of Maryland Now Offers Marijuana Training
CategoriesMarijuana News, Medical by

The University of Maryland Now Offers Marijuana Training

Finding someone well-trained in the intricacies of cannabis can be hard.

There is no shortage of people who are interested in weed. But interest doesn’t always translate into skill. Few stoners possess the technical understanding and training needed to provide real medical care with cannabis. The University of Maryland School of Pharmacy is looking to change that by offering certified medical training.
In a growing trend, Baltimore joins a short list of universities and colleges, including the University of Vermont College of Medicine providing cannabis related coursework. These educators seek to capitalize on the growing marijuana industry and introduce educational standards to the industry. Yet even in the midst of assembling coursework, the science and legal standing of pot are evolving.

There is a big push to reform cannabis education.

“We wanted to be there as a resource,” said Magaly Rodriguez de Bittner to the Baltimore Sun. As a pharmacy professor and the executive director of the school’s Center for Innovative Pharmacy Solutions, Magalay is serious about educating cannabis professionals. Her department got the ball rolling and began signing up potential workers for training June 29.
Magalay doesn’t endorse marijuana use but feels that better educated workers are important. “If you’re going to be dispensing,” she said, “let’s make sure your staff in trained in best practices to do it safely and effectively.” The school offers all the coursework online so people already employed full-time in the industry can still participate.
The University of Maryland is also partnering with advocacy groups like Americans for Safe Access to provide the highest quality training. In a highly collaborative effort, advocacy groups are developing the curriculum while the school vets and adjusts it. The certification is part of Marylands new medical marijuana law.

Education is not the same as endorsement.

The school maintains that training doesn’t mean an endorsement of using marijuana. The University of Maryland wants to preserve its standing as a well-regarded institution since its founding in 1841. The university heads also reiterated that medical marijuana is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Maryland passed its medical marijuana legislation in 2014 but still doesn’t have any working dispensaries. But that didn’t stop them from building the infrastructure needed to support it once developed. The school had an online platform to offer the training and a mission to provide education to health care providers. So even if the science and government regulation has yet to catch up with demand, Magalay is moving forward.

But Maryland isn’t operating in a vacuum.

There are only a handful of universities that support research into medical marijuana. This is partially due to cannabis being a federally restricted, schedule 1 classification substance. The classification (the same as heroin and LSD) prevents medical research in many ways. And has caused several large health systems to ask doctors not to recommend marijuana.
Global names in the fight against cancer like Johns Hopkins still can’t support treatment with cannabis. Even state healthcare providers like LifeBridge Health and Medstar Health ask their doctors to avoid cannabis. They have policies like this because of the political and more importantly, financial repercussions of supporting marijuana.
While Maryland and 28 other states plus the District of Columbia have legalized medical marijuana, it is federally illegal. The Justice Department has a long history of seizing assets, revoking funding and retaliating against supporters of marijuana. Attorney General Jeff Sessions continues a long tradition of prosecutors who feel “Good people don’t smoke marijuana.” And he is willing to do whatever he feels is necessary to keep it illegal.

Maryland is still determined to offer certification.

Doctors are not obligated to get specific training before prescribing cannabis. Growers, processors, dispensaries and laboratories are required to be ‘certified’ according to the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission executive director Patrick Jameson. Certifications and subsequent inspections intent to focus on safety, security and record keeping.
Businesses must ensure relevant training to a person’s position and different agents have different requirements. A field-hand working in the nursery will need different training and certification than a budtender. According to Jameson, dispensary workers have even more requirements than other marijuana workers listed in the law.
There are a number of certification services available around the state. Most struggle to stand out as more credible than the others. Americans for Safe Access hope the University of Maryland name adds legitimacy to the courses they offer. Having the support of the state university acts like a funnel which perpetually introduces students to the non-profits.

Partnering is a win-win.

Shad Ewart is a professor at Anne Arundel Community College. He teaches a course about the marijuana industry that is credited but isn’t part of the certification yet. He pointed out that both the schools and the non-profits benefit.
Developing a curriculum can take months or even years. University officials simply reviewed the content submitted by the non-profits and made it conform to educational norms. It is a rare example of real-world job skills in the classroom.
Everyone understands that colleges and universities don’t want to jeopardize federal funding they already receive. Current research, student loans and other programs risk defunding because the school waded into the medical marijuana arena.

Every miner needs a shovel.

Ewart said there is a need and demand for certification from students who want to launch their own businesses. But the school can’t offer degrees in cannabis like they do for other fields. Instead of a degree in growing, transporting or selling weed, Ewart guides students to ancillary operations. These include less illicit industries like security, marketing, accounting and retail.
Much like the California ‘gold rush’ of the 1800’s, the modern ‘green rush’ is benefiting ancillary businesses the most. “If the legislation says you must have fencing with video surveillance, well, that’s good for the fencing and video industries,” Ewart said.
When Americans for Safe Access began offering training in 2002, there were only 11 dispensaries in the country. Over the last 15 years, the industry has grown and evolved with many competitors entering the market.

The race is on.

As more states join the green rush, more schools will offer similar programs. Companies like the THC Institute, Cannabis Training Institute and Green Cultured have certified training programs available. Each has a unique perspective and philosophy so finding the right one for you requires a little research.
Courses offered by Americans for Safe Access include instruction about laws and regulations; the latest evidence on uses for medical marijuana; plant and product consistency; pesticides; sanitation; operating procedures; labeling, inventory control and record keeping; and more.
The University of Maryland offers 30-hour certification courses on their website for $450 to $750. People from West Virginia, the District of Columbia and even California have also shown interest in the courses. Only time will tell if this becomes a major trend but I for one hope it does.

Would you attend a college that offers marijuana courses? What would you major in? Let us know in the comments below.

How to Find the Right Dispensary
CategoriesGuides by

How to Find the Right Dispensary

Finding the right dispensary can be a laborious task – much harder than getting a medical marijuana card. Sure, some people manage to get a dispensary they like straight away, whether it’s because they happen to live in the right zip code or because they just went to one by chance and enjoyed it. For others, however, finding the right dispensary takes a few months and lots of travel.
Here are three simple ways to make finding the right one easier …
Ask, Ask, Ask (And Research) …
This means asking doctors (although the one recommending you cannot recommend any particular dispensary by law), other healthcare professionals, other patients and anyone else who might know a thing or two about dispensaries. This also means that, when you get to the dispensary, ask as many questions as possible. “Do you lab test your medications?” “Who supplies your dispensary with cannabis, and what is their growing environment like?” “Can you show or tell me the evidence for the efficacy of cannabis for depression, anxiety, etc.?” These are all valid questions.
Another thing to remember is that there are no stupid questions when it comes to your health. Ask your budtender about the strains, their taste, effects etc. Tell them what sort of thing you’re looking for, and what problems you’re trying to deal with. Remember, though: different strains and cannabinoid-terpenoid concentrations have different effects on different people. Everyone has a different endocannabinoid system (ECS), so what may work for one person or even group of people may not work for you.
Once you have done all the asking, it’s time you ask yourself, “Did the dispensary answer my questions properly? Do I feel informed and confident, or am I still in the dark? Were my concerns treated with regard?” If the answer is “no”, then it might not be the best dispensary for you. Searching up the dispensary online and checking reviews can help. If people are complaining of moldy, mildewy weed, then this is a very bad sign, and it is perhaps best to avoid this dispensary.
Also Check: What kind of marijuana dispensary supplies do you need?
Who Are the Dispensary’s Main Customers?
This will tell you what the environment at the dispensary is like. In California, almost every dispensary has a different look, and they are clearly vying for different markets. Some are more sportsbar-like, others with a sleek, high-end pharmacy feel. Some will be like a cosy living room, others like a colorful hippie headshop. Dispensaries from many other states have gone for a contemporary, upmarket look (whether by regulation or simply trying to change perceptions), whereas California’s dispensaries have gone down a more individualistic route.
In the end, who and what demographic of people go to a dispensary shouldn’t really matter, as all that matters is the quality of their products and how stringent their quality control is. However, if you want a good sign of potential high quality, it might be worth asking, “How many pediatric and senior patients use your dispensary?” Granted, there won’t be many dispensaries treating children, but those that do will more than likely be of high-quality. Parents tend to want the best for their kids, after all. Medications targeted at children also have to be stringently tested, so you can rest a little bit easier with the testing processes they’re put through.
As for senior citizens, they can be very discerning when it comes to quality medications. They may have more time to do their research and, just as with kids, many want the best for their parents, too. Senior citizens also seem a bit more willing to talk about their ailments and medications, so there’s a whole heap of knowledge to gleam from them!
What About Other Amenities and Facilities?
Does the dispensary hold question-and-answer sessions for newbies? Exercise & meditation classes? Games nights? Growing classes? Seminars on cutting-edge cannabis research? Do they have good contacts with the local doctors and hospitals? Yes, there will be some great dispensaries keeping it no-frills and doing nothing but simply providing you with the best-quality cannabis available, but it’s the ones that give their patients lots to do and think about that are often rated best. Why? Because providing extra stuff shows that they care, and that they are more likely to be fulfilling their status as places where you go to get better. As amazing as cannabis is, it can’t do everything!
Of course, before you can find your perfect dispensary, you will need to get your medical marijuana card first. Oh, and if you don’t find what you’re looking for in a dispensary, why not get a grower’s license and start a mini-farm of your own? You will not only get your own medications for much cheaper, but there are proven health benefits to growing your own plants as well!

10 Easy Makeshift Smoking Devices
CategoriesCulture, Guides, List, Marijuana Recipes, Offbeat, Technology by

10 Easy Makeshift Smoking Devices

Everyone needs a makeshift piece eventually.

Sometimes, an accident robs you of the only pipe you own and a makeshift option is needed. Other times, you bring weed to a party expecting to find a pipe there already. Either way, two of the three key ingredients for smoking (weed, fire, and a pipe) are present with no hope of the third finding you.
It is up to you to channel your inner MacGyver and create a makeshift smoking device they will talk about for decades. Many stoners struggle with trying to be as inventive as the Big Mac himself. This list will help you go from zero to hero in 420 style.

Here is a list of 10 makeshift smoking devices that will keep the smoke flowing and the party going. 

 

  1. 2-Liter Bong:

Drill a 1/2″ hole halfway down in the middle of a 2-liter bottle. Make another hole on the opposite side of the bottle from the first and about 2 inches higher. Take a 1/2″ straw and wedge a 10mm socket into one end securely. Insert the open end of the straw into the hole at ~45-degree angle. Fill the bottle with water until the tip of the straw is submerged but ensure the liquid does not reach the first hole. Load the weed into the socket, cover the second hole with thumb and draw through the mouth of the bottle.

Pro Tip:

Plastic straws melt (producing toxic chemicals) after a couple hits. Try using silicone straws for a safe makeshift smoking that won’t react to the heat of a bowl. Just don’t try setting silicone on fire.

 

  1. Apple:Makeshift Smoking Device

Use a pencil or drill to make hole down the entire center of the core. Create another hole that intersects the first hole at ~135 degrees near the bottom of the apple and bite out a bowl. Use the bottom of the core as a carb and the top of the apple as the mouthpiece. Draw hit from the first hole.

Pro Tip:

Place metal or glass bowl (if available) in the hole instead of letting the weed touch the fruit. This keeps the cannabis dry.

 

  1. Banana:

Use knife to cut the first inch of the tip (not stalk) off the banana. Set the tip aside for use later. Use a straw or drill to create a whole going 1/2 to 3/4 the length from the end that was cut. Drill hole at ~90 degrees to the first hole. Set the tip in the second hole and secure with toothpicks. Use the banana tip as bowl and draw through the first hole.

Pro Tip:

Fresh fruit is better for making pipes because old fruit can be too soft to hold its shape.

 

  1. Soda Can:

Flatten one side of empty can until it forms a small divot. Using a knife or screw needle, punch holes in the can to create the bowl. Punch additional hole in the side of the can for carb. Draw hit from can opening. Soda have chemical linings on the inside and out. Make sure to burn off the harmful material before taking the first hit.

Pro Tip:

Right handed smokers like a carb on the left of the pipe while left handed smokers prefer a carb on the right side. This makes it easy for the thumb to close or open the hole while toking.

 

  1. Strawberry:

Use a straw to core the strawberry. Create a second hole with the straw intersecting the first at ~90 degrees. Place a joint in the hole and draw hit from first hole.

Pro Tip:

You can use a steel 1/2″ or 10mm socket as a makeshift bowl.

 

  1. Knife Hits:

Roll a piece of paper up into a cone with an opening at both ends. Secure paper with tape or origami that shit to make a smoke hood. Take two kitchen knives and place the blade side against a heating element until red hot. Take a small pea sized nug (of any grade cannabis) and twist between knives beneath wide end of hood. Draw hit from narrow end of hood.

Pro Tip:

Cut the bottom off a 2-liter bottle. Punch holes in bottom piece. Fill bottle with ice and wedge bottom piece into the top piece. This creates a cooling ice dome that makes the smoke significantly smoother.

 

  1. Paper Towel Steamroller:

Drill a 1/2″ hole 3/4 of the way down an empty paper towel roll tube. Wedge a 10mm socket securely into the hole. Draw through the end furthest from the bowl and use the palm of the hand to cover the other end like a carb.

Pro Tip:

Fill a different empty paper towel roll with wadded up dryer sheets. When exhaling smoke, blow through the sheet-filled tube. The air on the other side smells like fresh laundry instead of pure resin.

 

  1. Coconut:

Drill a hole in top of the coconut. Drain the milk and set aside. Drill second hole intersecting first in the center of the coconut at ~135 degrees. Place joint in second hole. Draw hit from first hole.

Pro Tip:

You can use the coconut juice as bong water if you drop a stem down the second hole.

 

  1. Sobe Hit:

Using a nail or screw driver, punch a hole in the bottom divot of a glass Sobe bottle and set aside. Cut 1/2″ hole in the lid of the bottle. Wedge a 10mm socket into the hole in the cap. Cover hole in the bottom of the bottle and fill with water. Screw cap back on and fill with weed. Uncover bottom hole and light bowl simultaneously. Once all water has drained, unscrew cap and draw hit through bottle mouthpiece.

Pro Tip:

Hold Sobe bottle above a pitcher to catch and reuse the water. This also makes it easy to do gravity bong hits if the bottom breaks out of the bottle.

 

  1. Lightsaber:

Unscrew blade portion of saber and set handle aside. Remove plastic light bulb housing. Apply thin line of superglue to base of plastic cup. Slice top 1″ off the saber blade. Drill 1/2″ hole in second to bottom section of blade. Drill second 1/2″ hole 1 inch above and directly opposite the first hole. Take a 1/2″ straw and wedge a 10mm socket into one end securely. Insert the open end of the straw into the hole at ~45-degree angle. Fill the bottle with water until the tip of the straw is submerged but ensure the liquid does not reach the first hole. Load the weed into the socket, cover the second hole with thumb and draw through the open end of the blade.

Pro Tip:

Steel down-stems are commonly available in a variety of sizes at smoke shops. A properly sized down-stem should almost tough the opposite corner of the bottom of the chamber. Having it touch can transfer heat and cause plastic parts to melt faster.

cannabis
CategoriesGuides, Research by

Cannabis Hangovers and How to Get Over Them

There are limited studies about cannabis hangovers.

Cannabis hangovers happen frequently, but they often have the same feeling as an alcohol related hangover. There are limited scientific papers on the subject. However, there are a few facts that provide a partial understanding about what they are and how they happen. Yet, we do know what constitutes a hangover.
Brain fog, headaches, fatigue, nausea, cotton mouth and dry eyes are the most common symptoms of a hangover. While different individuals experience different combinations, the intensity is proportional to consumption. Studies indicate that, like alcohol, consuming a small amount of marijuana has a low likelihood of producing a hangover.

Previous studies are limited and small in scale.

Prohibition is the biggest reason there are limited studies about cannabis hangovers. However, a few research notes exist that help prove weed hangovers are a thing. A study published in 1985 showed that there is such a thing as a weed related hangover but it had some issues.
The study was small with only 13 subjects. Everyone was male, and smoked marijuana that had 2.9% THC. The subjects were asked to perform several behavioral tasks during the day like card sorting and time production before and after smoking. After the subjects had a full night’s sleep, they were tested again.
The results showed that the subjects were experiencing a cannabis hangover, but the extent of their hangover remained inconclusive. There is room for critique because of the small sample size and lack of diversity. A similar study was done in 1998 close to the same demographics.
The 1998 study found that smoking a single joint did not result in a weed hangover. But that study was also critiqued due to the small sample size and lack of diversity. Most accounts from consumers who smoke, or consume, large amounts of potent marijuana claim to experience a hangover. Without evidence to support the effects of a cannabis-induced hangover, more research is needed to help fully understand what heavy users are experiencing.
The average heavy cannabis consumer tends to claim that edibles create the weed related hangover. This is probably due to the slow metabolic rate of the body while asleep. When a person consumes an edible before sleeping, the body slows down the processes that purge THC from the bloodstream. Users then wake up feeling slightly high but that doesn’t mean that they are experiencing a hangover.

Cannabis does not cause dehydration.

Many cannabis consumers falsely believe weed causes dehydration because they experience symptoms of dry mouth. Studies show that THC binds itself to the glands responsible for producing spit (saliva). When THC binds itself to the submandibular glands, it temporarily stops the production of saliva. This leads to the uncomfortable sensation of dry mouth that is generally associated with many types of cannabis strains.
Because cannabis can inhibit saliva production, it is especially important for people to stay hydrated. Saliva provides many functions, including facilitating taste. Spending a lot of money on live resin is a waste if there isn’t enough saliva to taste the difference. Sometimes, cotton mouth is caused by dehydration instead of chemical binding.
In an article from May 2016, a medical cannabis user was experiencing chronic back ache. Medicinal marijuana helped relieved him of his symptoms, but he still experienced back pain from time to time. He soon discovered that the culprit for his random spams was dehydration. After increasing his fluid intake, he stopped experiencing issues.
While there is no evidence to support that cannabis directly causes dehydration, it also doesn’t prevent it.  Many symptoms of a cannabis hangover can be improved by consuming water. But that still doesn’t explain what a weed hangover is.

Weed-related hangover symptoms vary.

Reported symptoms of a weed hangover include; brain fog, headaches, fatigue, nausea, cotton mouth and dry eyes. These findings are based on reports from cannabis consumers and not scientific studies. This is because the research previously mentioned did not test for these symptoms, only cognitive impairment.
For those struggling with a cannabis hangover, the best medicine is to get moving. Sitting at a monitor doesn’t stimulate the cardiovascular system. Gentle exercise like a walk or yoga can encourage the body to filter the THC out of the bloodstream.
Additional steps include taking a cold shower to shock the body and clear the mind. Eating healthy food and staying hydrated nourishes the body and decreases hangover symptoms. There is also caffeine to help clear the fog and give the brain a jump start.
These methods may not help completely alleviate these symptoms but they do help a person get through the day comfortably. It is recommended that users pay close attention to their dosage and hydration levels to help reduce the frequency and intensity of cannabis hangovers. Stay healthy, and keep hydrated.