DrCannaCanadian: MarsHydro & Seedsman, Soil & Coco, 2020

[DrCannaCanadian]

Hey @Preston9mm ,

I just ran into a situation in the FAQs where a person running multiple strains, including a temperamental White Widow and an automatic drip system, ran into trouble with the WW because it had different nutrient requirements.

Have you heard of this before? or run into this issue before?

If not, I just wanted to give you a heads-up amigo - just in case that WW is temperamental.

PS - feel free to give your audience a heads-up on things to watch out for with drip irrigation systems

 

[Preston9mm]

Hey @Preston9mm ,

I just ran into a situation in the FAQs where a person running multiple strains, including a temperamental White Widow and an automatic drip system, ran into trouble with the WW because it had different nutrient requirements.

Have you heard of this before? or run into this issue before?

If not, I just wanted to give you a heads-up amigo - just in case that WW is temperamental.

PS - feel free to give your audience a heads-up on things to watch out for with drip irrigation systems

Yeah... I've got one "stand-out" in my current group, who is much more thirsty than the others. I'll augment a bit of hand feeding on that one (in between irrigation feedings)

Shoot me a link, I'll try to help if I can.

Ultimately, I'd try to isolate that plant, to address it's individual needs, and leave the rest on the dripper system.

 

[DrCannaCanadian]

MY Growing Experiences


By DrCannaCanadian


Heavy Topping & Heavy Defoliation In Veg - With MY Notes​

Hello 420!

We just wanted to do a quick video on two High Stress Training (HST) techniques which are very useful in the vegetation stage of growth: namely Topping & Defoliation.

Like I said before, I'm not a pro at holding the camera yet when stoned, so there are parts in the video where you can't see my hand and I still mumble a bit. But hey, I'll do better next time!!!

Note: Remember we want to be saying MY Grow will be a Maximum Yield Grow - plants tall & wide!

Heavy Topping & Heavy Defoliation In Veg

• DrCannaCanadian
• Feb 11, 2020
• heavy defoliation heavy topping my growing experiences

Currently, we are a few weeks away from flipping to 12-12, so we choose to open the growth nodes...

Right now, we have two healthy Seedsman Peyote WiFi phenotypes with a strong primary stalk and strong side branches to support large dense buds.

Note: In the flowering stage, to minimize stress, we: 1) do not top, and 2) use minimal selective defoliation.

MY Growing Experiences

• DrCannaCanadian
• Feb 11, 2020
• heavy defoliation heavy topping my growing experiences

A few weeks before flipping to 12-12, we choose to open the growth nodes to light and air using...

Currently, we are a few weeks away from flipping to 12-12, so we choose to open the growth nodes to light and air using heavy defoliation of the fan leaves.

With defoliation, we are looking down into the plant and removing fan leaves which block lower growth nodes. Fan leaves which grow inwards typically get trimmed. We tend to keep fan leaves around the outside of the plant which are growing outwards.

Some fan leaves you are unsure of, just tuck them down. If they are in the way the next day, then trim them.

We also choose to top many of the side branches which are in the top third of the plant.

We want lots of dense bud sites in the top canopy during flowering!

Note: We allow our plants at least 1 week recovery time before flipping to 12-12.

MY Growing Experiences

• DrCannaCanadian
• Feb 11, 2020
• heavy defoliation heavy topping my growing experiences

We allow our plants at least 1 week recovery time before flipping to 12-12.

Just as an aside, as a standard practice, we choose to do our lollipopping of the bottom third of the plant 1 week before we flip to 12-12.

We will track the recovery of the plant over the next week.

Note: In about 1 week or so, we will expect the plant to have recovered and to have a full canopy again.

 

[GardeningGnome]

Thanks @GardeningGnome ,

I'm trying to get practice doing videos and just log my thoughts and practices that I can look back on in the future.

I am hoping in a few weeks I'll have the basics covered so I can delve more into terpenes and breeding - plants that is lol

Nice nice!

I had to get comfortable with doing videos myself when teaching information-security on a high level. Doing recorded classes, video tutorials and live-sessions was nothing that happened overnight for me. I'd say for each really good recorded video was at least x4 the amount of time spent on script and retakes in the first couple of months. Practice makes perfect. Do takes completely without a script infront of you, just a dry-run with whatever you "have in your mind" that the video should convey. Build on that, start arranging a segmented script, add some of the material that came natural and keep it loose. Run it again. See how it looks, perhaps change a few bits. Run it again. Add a joke. Run it again. And again. Practice makes perfect.

You mentioned sniffing noises in another post. I had to train away my "a-uhm" sounds. Sniffing, "you know", "a-hum" and other "filler noise" is a sign of not being sure, and filling that time with something to figure out where to go next. Don't try to rush anything. What is often overseen by the novice is the need for a simple, natural pause. The more comfortable you are with your script and your own voice, the better and more natural it becomes.

 

[DrCannaCanadian]

Nice nice!

I had to get comfortable with doing videos myself when teaching information-security on a high level. Doing recorded classes, video tutorials and live-sessions was nothing that happened overnight for me. I'd say for each really good recorded video was at least x4 the amount of time spent on script and retakes in the first couple of months. Practice makes perfect. Do takes completely without a script infront of you, just a dry-run with whatever you "have in your mind" that the video should convey. Build on that, start arranging a segmented script, add some of the material that came natural and keep it loose. Run it again. See how it looks, perhaps change a few bits. Run it again. Add a joke. Run it again. And again. Practice makes perfect.

You mentioned sniffing noises in another post. I had to train away my "a-uhm" sounds. Sniffing, "you know", "a-hum" and other "filler noise" is a sign of not being sure, and filling that time with something to figure out where to go next. Don't try to rush anything. What is often overseen by the novice is the need for a simple, natural pause. The more comfortable you are with your script and your own voice, the better and more natural it becomes.

Very help and greatly appreciated!

 

[GardeningGnome]

MY Growing Experiences


By DrCannaCanadian


Heavy Topping & Heavy Defoliation In Veg - With MY Notes​

Hello 420!

We just wanted to do a quick video on two High Stress Training (HST) techniques which are very useful in the vegetation stage of growth: namely Topping & Defoliation.

Like I said before, I'm not a pro at holding the camera yet when stoned, so there are parts in the video where you can't see my hand and I still mumble a bit. But hey, I'll do better next time!!!

Note: Remember we want to be saying MY Grow will be a Maximum Yield Grow - plants tall & wide!

Heavy Topping & Heavy Defoliation In Veg

• DrCannaCanadian
• Feb 11, 2020
• heavy defoliation heavy topping my growing experiences

Currently, we are a few weeks away from flipping to 12-12, so we choose to open the growth nodes...

Right now, we have two healthy Seedsman Peyote WiFi phenotypes with a strong primary stalk and strong side branches to support large dense buds.

Note: In the flowering stage, to minimize stress, we: 1) do not top, and 2) use minimal selective defoliation.

MY Growing Experiences

• DrCannaCanadian
• Feb 11, 2020
• heavy defoliation heavy topping my growing experiences

A few weeks before flipping to 12-12, we choose to open the growth nodes to light and air using...

Currently, we are a few weeks away from flipping to 12-12, so we choose to open the growth nodes to light and air using heavy defoliation of the fan leaves.

With defoliation, we are looking down into the plant and removing fan leaves which block lower growth nodes. Fan leaves which grow inwards typically get trimmed. We tend to keep fan leaves around the outside of the plant which are growing outwards.

Some fan leaves you are unsure of, just tuck them down. If they are in the way the next day, then trim them.

We also choose to top many of the side branches which are in the top third of the plant.

We want lots of dense bud sites in the top canopy during flowering!

Note: We allow our plants at least 1 week recovery time before flipping to 12-12.

MY Growing Experiences

• DrCannaCanadian
• Feb 11, 2020
• heavy defoliation heavy topping my growing experiences

We allow our plants at least 1 week recovery time before flipping to 12-12.

Just as an aside, as a standard practice, we choose to do our lollipopping of the bottom third of the plant 1 week before we flip to 12-12.

We will track the recovery of the plant over the next week.

Note: In about 1 week or so, we will expect the plant to have recovered and to have a full canopy again.

Think this video is good! Just had a watch.
I would suggest getting a tripod for the camera. This way you don't need to be thinking about camera angles and all that. Frees up your hands and your mind!
Other than that = Solid information, calm and understandable voice. Kudos!

 

[Northern Hydro]

 

[DrCannaCanadian]

​

Hey @Northern Hydro , I heard they are going to have cheese poofs soon lol

 

[Northern Hydro]

​

Hey @Northern Hydro , I heard they are going to have cheese poofs soon lol

https://www.420magazine.com/community/attachments/cheesy-gif.2052820/

Sweet hahahahaha

 

[DrCannaCanadian]

Daily Tips & Tricks


By Royal Queen Seeds


How To Force Cannabis Flowering Outdoors
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Growing outdoors can sometimes be tricky because it means you are relying on natural daylight cycles for your plants’ growing stages. But not always does the location or the climate allow for your plants to go through their entire flowering cycle. When this is the case, you may want to force-flower your plants to get an optimal harvest.

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For those who live outside moderate climate zones, such as in northerly and southerly regions of the globe or in locations near the equator, growing outdoors can be a bit tricky. If you grow in northern climates, nature may not give your plants enough time to complete flowering by the time the winter cold sets in. A similar problem can be if you grow near the equator. There, your plants can go through a very long period of vegetative growth, convincing you to initiate force-flowering to prevent them from growing out of control. Below, we provide an overview on how to force cannabis flowering outdoors.

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WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO FORCE-FLOWER CANNABIS?

For cultivators who grow cannabis in the northern regions of Europe (or those in the Southern hemisphere respectively), force-flowering outdoor plants is a way to make sure that crops can finish before the cold winter weather arrives. In these zones, flowering will start as the daylight hours become shorter, but the winter frost will be arriving just a few weeks afterwards, potentially destroying your crop and your harvest. When you start flowering early, however, you can plan your grow accordingly and give your buds the extra days they need to fully ripen.

While force-flowering can be a necessity in these aforementioned climate zones, it is also a way for growers in other climates to cultivate multiple harvests in one single season. By strategically planning a crop and then force-flowering at a particular time, some growers can harvest as many as 2 or 3 cycles per year. This means that outdoor cannabis growers can start planting very early in spring and then flower a part of their crops for a harvest in June, with the rest of their plants being ready by autumn.

Seasoned cultivars can plan their forced flowering in such a way that they can harvest every 2 or so weeks in what is called “perpetual harvests” all year long.

WHEN CAN YOU FORCE-FLOWER CANNABIS OUTDOORS?

Some locations and climate zones allow you to essentially grow cannabis at any point throughout the year. Cultivars that happen to grow in these warm-temperate regions, like in parts of Southern Europe or the tropics, may start to force-flower at any time. There may be local conditions, however, that should be taken into account; but otherwise, there won’t be any restrictions on when to flower.

This is different in cool-temperate climate zones like in the UK or some Northern parts of Europe. There, autumn can be cold and damp, correlating to a full, natural flowering cycle lasting through mid-October. Rather than waiting for the natural flowering period to set in, a grower may force-flower their crops prematurely, say in July, to ensure that they can harvest early enough. Here too, local conditions can play a role in when it is best to force-flower. Last but not least, the time to force can also depend on the particular strains being used and their unique flowering durations.

As an example, let us take an outdoor grow in the UK. Flowering there will usually not start before September. To avoid the strong winds and rainy conditions in autumn, it can be a good idea to start flowering as early as mid-June or early July. Growers in these climate zones will normally start their plants indoors since these zones that have a cold and/or wet autumn will also have a spring that will be too cold for starting plants outdoors.

​

HOW TO FORCE CANNABIS FLOWERING OUTDOORS

The basic principle behind force-flowering cannabis outdoors is that you artificially reduce your plant’s natural daylight hours to provide them with longer hours of uninterrupted darkness each day. You do this by covering up your plants with some type of material that doesn’t allow any light through. In the simplest case, you could use a tarp of some kind; in a “fancier” case, it could be that your plants are sequestered inside some type of enclosure, possibly even with an automated roof on a timer.

Urban cannabis growers that have only a small number of plants outdoors, like on their balcony or in their yard, could make a simple frame from wood and some light-proof material. They can then put this frame over their plants in the evening to ensure that plants get the required 12 hours of darkness for flowering. Folks who are not too keen on DIY can also look into toy tents, which they can re-purpose as a plant cover as long as the fabric used is light-proof.

What also works is a light-proof garden shed. In this instance, you would move your plants into the shed at night. Obviously, this means that your plants would need to be in containers and that you, depending on the number of your plants, would have to lug them in and out of the shed on a daily basis. Likewise, if you grow in a greenhouse, all that you’d need there would be light proof curtains if you want to initiate flowering.

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FORCE-FLOWERING: THINGS TO KNOW WHEN COVERING YOUR PLANTS

When you cover your plants or put them away somewhere to start flowering, heat is likely to become an issue. Together with your light-proof tent, shed or DIY light-blocking frame, you will want to maximise good air circulation so that your plants won’t die from the heat. There are some elaborate solutions to provide your plants with adequate temperatures, but in some cases, a simple fan with a cool breeze can be all that’s required.

When you decide to go the route of force-flowering your outdoor crop, it is very important to stick to the schedule and not miss one single day. Cannabis that has started flowering is very sensitive to any type of changes in light exposure; some forgetfulness could easily make your plants revert back into the vegging phase, something which would seriously hurt your harvest. Seasoned growers who might depend on force-flowering because of their climate zone may want to consider some kind of automated system.

Likewise, any type of cover or enclosure for your plant needs to be 100% light proof. Sometimes, street lights alone can make flowering impossible. No light should reach your plants in the hours of darkness.

What if you grow indoors, but your plants won’t go into flowering? If you’re one of the many cannabis cultivators who grow under artificial light and your plants just won’t bud, check out our blog on “What To Do When Your Homegrown Cannabis Won’t Flower.” This article will help you get your indoor plants flowering in no time.

 

[DrCannaCanadian]

Daily Tips & Tricks


By Royal Queen Seeds


Turn Your Trichomes Into Dry Sift Hash​

Dry sift hash is one of the easiest cannabis concentrates to make. It's simply a matter of filtering trichomes through a screen. It can be smoked on its own, mixed in with regular herb, or added to all manner of edibles and extracts.

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The diversity of cannabis products ensures smoking and consuming concentrates never gets boring or repetitive. Modern technology has unleashed a new class of concentrates, including eye-catching products such as wax and shatter.

However, old-school concentrates like hash are just as popular as ever. Hash is ultimately a homogeneous mass of trichomes—structures that produce cannabinoids and terpenes. Traditionally, hash is made by hand-rolling dried and trimmed cannabis flowers. The resin collects on the surface of the hands and gradually forms a sphere. This type of hash provides a euphoric and intense high. You'll commonly find it in dispensaries, coffeeshops, and cannabis clubs alike.

Dry sift hash is another form of this timeless product. It's just as potent, but the process is much different. Below, we'll explore the nature of dry sift hash, what trichomes are, and how to make this potent concentrate.

WHAT IS DRY SIFT HASH?

Dry sift hash is similar to traditional hash. The main difference is the preparation behind the product. As its name suggests, it's made using a technique called dry sifting.

Dry sift hash is extremely similar to kief. Most smokers will be familiar with this substance as the powder that builds up in the bottom of their grinder. The fine layer of dust—which can quickly become a thick coating—is made up of trichomes. These structures become dislodged during grinding and are separated from the plant matter as they pass through a mesh screen.

The process of making dry sift hash is almost identical. However, hash-makers usually conduct it on a much larger scale to produce significant quantities.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF DRY SIFT HASH?

Dry sift hash is a flexible cannabis concentrate. Smokers can sprinkle it into joints, spliffs, and blunts for an added kick of potency. It can also be layered into a bong bowl or vaporizer chamber.

You can incorporate dry sift hash into almost any means of inhaling or ingesting cannabis. Budding cannabis chefs can also decarboxylate the concentrate and use it when cooking up a batch of super-strong edibles. It's fun to get creative with dry sift hash and explore all the ways you can incorporate it into your preferred consumption methods. Just know it'll dramatically increase the potency of anything you introduce it to.

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UNDERSTANDING DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRICHOMES

As we've discussed, dry sift hash is a mass of trichomes. These mushroom-shaped structures are miniature chemical factories that occupy the flowers and leaves of cannabis plants. To the naked eye, they appear as a dusting of sugar over the buds; however, macro-photography and microscopy have unveiled their beautiful, jewel-like properties up close.

Trichomes produce a viscous resin loaded with secondary metabolites such as cannabinoids and terpenes. In nature, this resin plays a protective role against predatory insects and heat stress. After plants have been harvested and dried, the trichomes become susceptible to dislodging. Once you've detached enough trichomes, you effectively have dry sift hash. However, dry sift hash isn't merely made up of "trichomes". It's more of an umbrella term that incorporates different types of glands.

Advanced microscopic imaging techniques offer a fascinating peek into the landscape of cannabis flowers. Using these tools, researchers have identified three types of glandular trichomes: bulbous, sessile, and stalked.

Bulbous trichomes are the smallest of the three types and produce a limited amount of metabolites.

Sessile trichomes feature a spherical head that sits on a short stalk. The head features a disk of secretory cells and storage cavities that hold metabolites.

Finally, stalked trichomes feature a spherical head that sits on a longer stalk. They sit higher above the tissue surface than their sessile counterparts. Stalked trichomes develop on flowers from sessile-like precursors as buds begin to emerge.

Science hasn't yet discovered if one type of trichome churns out different types of metabolites than the others.

Now you know the biological complexity of dry sift hash. Next, let's learn how to make it!

HOW TO MAKE DRY SIFT HASH

Remember when we talked about collecting dry sift hash in the kief compartment of a grinder? Well, this is a perfectly reasonable way to make your own supply, and doesn't require any extra investment. The downside is quantity. You'll have to grind up a lot of buds, and even then, the yield will be enough for maybe one or two joints.

If you want to scale up the operation, it's worth investing in—or making—a pollen box.

A pollen box acts like the mesh grid and kief chamber in a grinder. It's just much bigger. A pollen box is a wooden or plastic tray with a large, 100-micron mesh sealed to the top.

Hash-makers can also opt to use a series of pollen boxes that feature smaller and smaller mesh sizes. This will help to separate the metabolite-rich trichome heads from the stalks and other small pieces of plant matter for an even higher-grade end product.

Making dry sift hash isn't a complicated process. Simply place a few handfuls of properly dried cannabis flowers onto the mesh surface of the pollen box. It also helps to cure your flower for around four months beforehand. Curing is essentially a drawn-out drying process that helps to achieve an optimal moisture balance. Too much moisture will cause mould to form, and too little will cause your dry sift to smoke harshShake the box vigorously from side to side and backwards and forwards. You'll start to see a fine layer of trichomes building at the bottom of the catch tray. Repeat this process with the rest of your material until you've gathered a substantial quantity.

Hash-makers report more success when processing their plant material in a colder environment. This encourages the flowers and trichomes to stay firm and dry, and prevents them from sticking together. Switch on the air conditioning before sifting your weed.

Filter the collected trichomes through smaller micron screens if you want the purest hash possible. Try passing it through a 70-micron screen next.

Now that you've got some dry sift hash to play with, it's time to prepare it for storage. But don't forget to sample it first!

PRESSING AND STORING DRY SIFT HASH

Now that you've collected your dry sift hash, it's time to store it. Some hash-makers choose to store theirs in its powder form. This makes it easy to sprinkle into blunts and bong bowls.

Others choose to press their dry sift into coins or blocks. Pressing is a better option if you're planning on storing your product for a long time. Only the outer layer will be exposed to oxygen, whereas the interior will stay protected and fresh. The easiest way to press hash is to use a pollen press. Load the press with hash and tightly screw down the head.

Regardless of what form you choose, your dry sift hash needs to be stored in an airtight container and placed in the fridge. This will keep it at the ideal consistency and slow down the degradation process.

FINAL CHECKS AND TOP TIPS

Every time you dip into your supply, check up on the state of it. The cold conditions of the fridge should keep it in good shape. The main factor that will affect the quality of your stash is poor flower preparation. Make sure your buds are dry, free from mould, and adequately cured.

And remember, sift your buds in the cold! It's not uncommon for hash-makers to take their pollen box and plant material outside after it snowed. This will keep your trichomes in top quality and stop everything from caking and getting overly gooey.

 

[DrCannaCanadian]

Daily Tips & Tricks


By Royal Queen Seeds


How To Make Dry Ice Hash​

If you're interested in making dry ice hash, we shall guide you through the process of make high-quality and delicious hash using dry ice.

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You’re excited to learn how to make dry ice hash, and we're excited to guide you through the process. The sheer power and quality of dry ice hash will make you question your prior dry herb vaping decisions. Here we present a step-by-step guide on how to create quality dry ice hash, which shall induce smooth and superb highs. Let’s dive in!

THE BASICS

First, let’s begin with the basics. There are many different types of hash, made by using various different methods. Hash is a cannabis concentrate, which is produced with or without solvents. The dry ice method creates a solventless hash, because no substances are used to chemically extract the cannabinoids from the plant. Solventless hash is always considered a “purer” product, because no chemicals were involved in the process.

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STEP BY STEP

The first step of making dry ice hash is getting some dry ice. You can purchase it in a supermarket, if not, just google “where to buy dry ice” in the language of your residence. Dry ice is very cold, it measures approximately -78.5°C. You’ll need to purchase some thick gloves for handling dry ice. Never touch dry ice with your bare skin! Next on the shopping list is a mesh bag, a specially designed sifting bag for making dry ice hash. Just search for “dry ice extraction bags”, that's what you need. They differ in their design, however, the most important part is their mesh, basically how small the "sifting holes" are. The less micron, the higher quality hash shall be produced. A 73-micron bag will produce golden high-quality kief (resin in powder form, which is used to make hash). A 160-micron bag will include slightly more plant material in the kief mix, but will still result in high-quality hash. Some sift bags are sealed on the sides, while some allow the sifting all the way throughout the bag. For more control, the former one is advised. Also, buy a plastic container in which you'll be able to shake the mesh bag in comfort. You could do the sifting on any dry and flat surface, however, you don't want the kief dusting outside of your designated area. Also, purchase a pollen press for turning the kief into a compact hash piece. Once all the equipment is purchased and set up, it's time to make some dry ice hash!

Place the plant material, trimmings and/or buds, into the mesh bag, put on your gloves, and place the dry ice pieces into the bag. You might want to crush the dry ice with a hammer and insert smaller pieces for logistical purposes and to improve the cooling process. When the dry ice and plant material are in contact, it slightly freezes the plant, the trichomes become very brittle, and easily detach from the plant, that’s why the dry ice is necessary. Now, hold the mesh bag with your hands over the plastic container or a flat and smooth surface from which you can easily collect the kief.

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Start shaking the bag with control, you’ll notice golden powder sprinkling on the surface – that's your precious kief! Shake the bag for 10 seconds, wait for 5 seconds, start shaking again, and repeat. This will allow the cold to spread more evenly. Once there's no more kief coming out, place all the material into a second mesh bag with a bigger mesh size, and repeat the shaking process. You can separate the kief coming from different mesh bags, or you can mix everything together, it's your choice.

Whatever you do, don’t have any air circulation going in the area where you’re extracting kief, otherwise, the kief will blow into the air and all over the room!

Once you’ve scraped the kief with a credit card or similar tool, collect it wherever you see fit. You could skip the hash-making stage, and sprinkle some of that kief into a joint and make it exponentially more potent. But be patient, and finalize the process by turning kief into dry ice hash – we believe in you.
Place the kief in the Pollen Press, close the lid, tighten the press, and you shall receive nice small blocks of high-quality dry ice hash! So, there you have it, folks. Make sure to organize every step beforehand to ensure a successful extraction. We hope that this guide has provided you with all the information necessary to create some killer dry ice hash!

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[DrCannaCanadian]

Daily Tips & Tricks


By Royal Queen Seeds


How To Make Hash​

Wondering what to do with all that spare trim? Looking for an improved cannabis experience? You came to the right place! Here is how to turn kief into hash.

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WHAT IS HASH?

Hashish results from the separation of trichomes from the cannabis plant. Although most trichomes are found on mature cannabis flowers, they can be sourced from all over the plant in smaller concentrations. This is the reason so many growers save their trim; they can extract all the trichomes holding the almighty cannabinoids and terpenes. These trichomes are then used to make edibles, or are pressed/heat-treated to form hash. Until recently, trichomes were referred to as simply “kief”. In fact, kief is technically the swollen crystal formation on the end of trichomes, which appear as microscopic, hair-like glands.

It’s the additional procedures of hash-making that give the final product its distinct high, aroma, and physical consistency. Below, we’ll be showing you a few different ways of extracting trichomes and turning them into hash.

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HAND ROLLING

Hand rolling is a process that normally occurs as a consequence of handling large amounts of cannabis buds and trim while harvesting. Basically, trichomes will stick to your hands, eventually forming a noticeable black layer of sticky resin. Once a decent amount of the material has been gathered, you can rub your hands together to form small spheres of hash.

There is no specific amount of trichomes required to make hash this way, but it’s usually best to gather a lot, as they are quite small. Of course, the more trichomes you compress and roll, the more hash you’ll collect.

Keep in mind: Depending on how clean the hands of the person rolling were, you’ll be collecting natural oils and dirt from the person’s skin, along with the cannabinoids and other good stuff. Most likely, however, you won’t taste the difference as the trichomes will dominate in terms of aroma and flavour.

TURNING KIEF INTO HASH

Kief is what most of us know as that good stuff you get on the bottom of your grinder. Indeed, this is one of the several methods of extracting it. We’ll be getting into more serious methods of doing so below. But now, it’s important to establish how to make hash once your kief is collected. You’ll need a pollen press. The pressure from this device will transform the kief into perfectly compressed hash.

To make this process successful, gather as much kief as you can and load it into the press. Now, turn the knob as tight as you can. This part really does require you to put in some serious elbow grease. Once you feel it’s ready, screw the other side of the press off. Turn the knob until the hash pops out. The amber-looking cylinder that appears will be your hash. You can crumble as much as you want onto your next joint or bowl.

FLAT SCREENING AKA DRY SIFTING

Flat screening is also a relatively easy method, but you’ll be needing a silkscreen. The smaller the perforations are on it, the purer your hash will be. It’ll depend on whether you’re looking for quantity or quality.

Put your cannabis in the freezer beforehand for a few hours. This will help the trichomes separate from the plant. Place your trim on the screen atop a clean and flat surface. Gently rub the plant material against the screen. All the trichomes will fall on the flat surface below. Do this for as long as you’d like. You should be trying to get at least 10% of the total weight of your trim in trichomes.

BLENDER METHOD

You’ll probably have most of the materials for this one at home, but you’ll also need a silkscreen. Put your trim into a blender and add water until it covers your greens. Add plenty of ice and blend for around a minute.

Once this is done, grab a glass jar and drain the mixture into it through the silkscreen. Let this sit for around half an hour. You’ll see the trichomes settle on the bottom of the jar. This is what you want. Try to empty about ⅔ of the water without losing any of the good stuff. Now, fill the jar again with ice water; let it settle for 3-5 minutes, then drain ⅔ of the water again. Repeat this process 4-5 times for top-quality hash.

Finish by emptying as much of the water as you can from the jar, without losing trichomes in the process. Finally, you’re going to grab your coffee filter. Pass the solution through it; this should separate most of the water from the trichomes. Squeeze the filter to remove any excess water, then let the kief dry. What you’ll be left with is your final product. No need to press or heat it. You can enjoy it like this in a joint or a bowl!

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DRY ICE HASH

Dry ice hash is a method which extracts nothing but the resin itself. This is one of the purest methods of homemade hash-making around. For this cannabis science experiment, you’ll also be needing a bucket, dry ice, safe gloves, and bubble bags. These mesh bags should be perforated to fit your desired purity. A 73μm bag will give you the purest result with nothing but resin. If you increase to a 160μm bag, you’ll be gathering a higher quantity of product, as well as more plant material. This is not necessarily a bad thing, it just depends on what you’re looking for.

Now that you have your materials, put your cannabis trim/flower in a large bucket with the dry ice. Stir and shake this lightly for a few minutes. This will help the resin glands separate from the plant material. It’s the temperature that causes this. Using dry ice is primarily to keep your product from becoming too humid.

The next step will be to get your bubble bag and wrap it around the top of the bucket so that you can turn it upside down. Find a large, flat, and clean surface. Turn the bucket upside down, transferring all your product and dry ice to the bag. Once you have a safe and tight grip on the bag, shake it on top of your surface. After doing this for a few minutes, you’ll see the surface filled with amber-looking dust. Get a card and scrape it all together. This will be your resin, and it probably looks delicious. To turn it into hash, place in the pollen press and follow the same directions as above.

CHARAS

You might’ve heard this name before, as this is a very popular extract in India, Nepal, and other regions. It is very similar to that of hand rolling, only charas derives from uncured buds and trim instead of already harvested material.

For this, most growers will remove a few cuttings from plants that are 2-3 weeks away from full maturity. Others wait until it’s harvest time. From here, the process is the same as hand rolling. Rub the buds and trim gently between your hands until a thick coat appears. Charas will be smokable under most methods. You can add it to some flower in a joint, blunt, bong, or pipe.

MECHANICAL DRUM

For those of you with a larger budget, there is an automated option that will save you both time and energy! It works similarly to the dry sifting method, but it’s all done by a machine. There will be a container where you’ll place your weed, which will be covered by a large silkscreen. The machine will shake this container, releasing all those delicious trichomes. To achieve the best results, freeze your cannabis three hours before you place it in.

Once again, this process will only extract your kief. Use a pollen press or your preferred method to turn it into hash.

CHOOSING THE ONE FOR YOU

As you can see, there are numerous methods of extracting pollen. Each technique can vary from grower to grower, but they all involve separating trichomes/kief from plant matter and compressing into a solid substance. Even this list does not cover the full breadth of methods used today. So how do you decide which one to use?

You should take into account several factors. First, establish how much money you’re willing to spend. Some of these methods can be performed using materials you may already have at home. So you might as well start with one of those. If you don’t feel satisfied, you can purchase a silkscreen or bubble bags and try those methods. And if you still believe you can do better, then you can invest more than €300 in a mechanical drum.

It will also depend on whether you’re doing this at a professional level or simply looking to upgrade your personal stash. We hope we’ve provided you with enough information to help you make a decision and get started making your very own hash!

THE BEST STRAINS FOR CRAFTING HASH

ROYAL GORILLA
If you’re thinking of making a fresh batch of hash, then you should definitely consider using Royal Gorilla, but only if you can handle enormous levels of THC. This monster is the result of an ambitious growing project featuring parent strains Sour Dubb, Chem Sis, and Chocolate Diesel. This strain shows no mercy and offers instant and long-lasting highs fuelled by THC values of over 25%. What’s more, she has a genetic makeup consisting of 50% sativa genetics and 50% indica genetics, offering a powerful effect that is equally balanced between the domains of the body and mind. The sativa elements wake up the brain and open the gates to in-depth creative thinking and problem solving, whereas the indica aspects send a warm and comforting feeling into the muscles.

This award-winning variety pumps out large quantities of resin during the flowering phase of the grow cycle, making her a dream for growers that like to hand-rub hash fresh from the flowers. This highly psychoactive hash can be moulded into balls and blocks, and gives of pleasant scents of earthiness and pine. Royal Gorilla favours a warm climate and will produce more resin for hash production if provided with these settings. Indoor plants raised within grow rooms or tents have the capacity to reach heights of 160cm and put out large yields of 550g/m², considering adequate lighting and nutrients are provided. Plants cultivated in larger outdoor spaces will grow to slightly taller heights of 170cm and produce yields of up to 600g/plant. Growers should expect to harvest and trim these flowers during the middle of October. Royal Gorilla has a flowering time of 8–9 weeks.

​

SOUR DIESEL

Hash is known for producing a euphoric and buzzing high, so it only makes sense to select genetics that are going to emphasise these effects. Sour Diesel will certainly accomplish this task. This sativa-heavy strain consists of 70% sativa genetics and 30% indica genetics, giving her a fiery and energetic kick that goes hand in hand with the “upper” effect of good-quality hash. She is the result of a diverse lineup of strains including Original Diesel, Northern Light, Shiva, and Hawaiian. Smoking a joint loaded with her flowers will catalyse a clear-headed and lucid high that boosts alertness and critical thinking. Hash crafted using these flowers unleashes taste bud-teasing flavours of herbs and sourness.

Sour Diesel produces small and compact bright green flowers that form neatly shaped nuggets. Upon closer inspection, growers will be happy to witness high numbers of trichomes that pump out large quantities of psychoactive resin. This trait makes her a high-performing hash plant. Simply get rubbing away to collect the good stuff. Sour Diesel thrives in a mild to warm climate and performs well indoors and outdoors. Indoor plants offer generous yields of 475–525g/m² and grow to heights of between 90–160cm. Outdoor plants produce yields of 600g/plant and achieve heights of 200cm. Plants grown outdoors will be ready for harvesting and processing during late October. Sour Diesel has a flowering period of 10–11 weeks, but the wait is worth it.

​

ICE

ICE, otherwise known as Indica Crystal Extreme, is named after her massive trichome production. The large and bulbous flowers of this strain look as though they have endured snowfall, but in fact it's just huge amounts of resin! It’s as though this specimen was designed entirely for hash-making; each rub will leave layers of viscous resin glued to the palms of the hand. It won’t take long at all until you have a large temple ball constructed. Her stellar hash genetics stem from parent strains Afghan, Northern Light, and Skunk. This mix has created a highly indica-dominant strain that provides an instant body high when inhaled. The effects are relaxing, meditative, and therapeutic. Smoking this hash in a candlelit room in the evening is a one-way ticket to calming euphoria. Each hit is enriched by flavours of spices, herbs, and mint. A THC value of 18% ensures satisfying highs that aren’t overly intense.

ICE grows well both indoors and outdoors, providing rewarding outcomes in either environment. Indoor plants turn out yields of up to 450g/m² and stretch to heights of 120cm. Their outdoor counterparts achieve yields of between 500–550g/plant and taller heights of 200cm. Expect to be harvesting outdoor crops during September. ICE has a flowering time of 8–10 weeks.

​

 

[DrCannaCanadian]

MY Medical Cannabis Experiences



By DrCannaCanadian


Investigation Of Cannabinoids & Terpenes
​

I am very excited to delve a bit more into the Entourage Effect and to continue learning how the complex cannabis plant can help our family as a medicine.

​

On Monday February 10, 2020, I posted an update outlining my long-term goals on how I planned to go about making medicine for our family.

In that post, I noted how I need to track down some strong phenotypes:

01) A strong pheno - high THC & low CBD
02) A strong pheno - low THC & high CBD
03) A strong pheno - high in terpenes - Myrcene & Limonene



I now want to track down strains which have high THC, high CBD and high levels of certain terpenes. These five seem like a good place to start:

​

At a high level, it seems like myrcene, pinene and linalool in a cannabis indica will provide help against chronic pain and insomnia.

It also seems like limonene and beta-caryophyllene in a cannabis sativa will provide help against depression and anxiety.

I think I'll start with myrcene because I really like mango fruit!

 

[DrCannaCanadian]

Medical Cannabis Science & Technology




What is myrcene and what does this cannabis terpene do?
By Leafly​

Cannabis’ distinct aroma isn’t coming from your favorite cannabinoids. Instead, it’s the terpenes that give cannabis its unique fragrance and flavor. They may also influence the cannabis experience and may convey some of its potential therapeutic benefits.

​

One of the most common terpenes found in cannabis is myrcene. Beyond cannabis, myrcene is found in hops and is responsible for the peppery, spicy, balsam fragrance in beer. It’s also expressed in lemongrass, which has been used in traditional folk medicine for centuries.

​

How common is myrcene in cannabis?

Myrcene is the most abundant terpene in modern commercial cannabis. When we look at thousands of samples of cannabis flower tested by Leafly lab partners, we see this clearly. On average, myrcene represents over 20% of the terpene profile in modern commercial strains, although individual samples vary widely in their terpene content.

​

Myrcene is also the most likely cannabis terpene to be dominant in flower. A strain’s “dominant” terpene is simply the terpene present at the highest level. In modern commercial cannabis, only a limited number of terpenes show up as dominant even though there are many more cannabis terpenes in a strain’s overall profile.

If you picked a random flower product off of a shelf in a legal state, you could expect it to be myrcene-dominant about 40% of the time. This reflects the relative lack of chemical diversity in modern commercial cannabis. There’s a lot of room for breeders to experiment with increasing the chemical diversity of strains, potentially even creating novel strains with terpene profiles that are unlike anything commercially available today.

​

High-myrcene cannabis strains

What popular strain names tend to be associated with the highest levels of myrcene? These prolific strains tend to produce high levels of myrcene.

OG Kush​

Blue Dream​

Remedy​

9 Pound Hammer​

Grape Ape​

FPOG​

Granddaddy Purple​

Tangie​

Harlequin​

Strain names commonly classified as indica, sativa, or hybrid can be found with high levels of myrcene, including popular sativa-dominant hybrids like Tangie and Blue Dream. You’ll also notice myrcene is common in both THC and CBD strains alike.

Myrcene levels in indica and sativa strains

A common claim we hear is that you can tell whether a strain will have “indica” or “sativa” effects by knowing its myrcene levels. It’s often stated that strains with more than 0.5% myrcene by weight will produce “indica” (relaxing) effects, while strains <0.5% myrcene by weight will produce “sativa” (energizing) effects. If this claim was true and reliable, we would expect to see a clear difference in myrcene levels between strains labeled as indica, hybrid, and sativa. Indicas should have mostly >0.5% myrcene by weight, sativas should have mostly <0.5%, and hybrids should be in the middle.

​

When we use lab data to look at myrcene levels across strain names based on their popular indica, hybrid, and sativa designations, this is generally not what we see:

​

On average, flower products tend to have similar myrcene levels across indicas, hybrids, and sativas. There is also no clear indication from the data to support a general rule such as, “more than 0.5% myrcene = indica.”

This claim may have originated from the common belief that myrcene is sedating and may be responsible for the “couch lock” effect many consumers sometimes feel with cannabis consumption. But do we know that this is actually true? What’s the evidence that myrcene produces sedating effects in humans?

Does myrcene make you sleepy?

Herbal medicines containing myrcene have a long history of being used as a sleep aid in folk medicine. In Mexico, myrcene-rich lemongrass infused tea has been used in as a sedative and muscle relaxant. It is common for Germans, who are the second largest hops growers in the world (the US is first), to use myrcene-rich hops preparations as a sleep aid. However, it’s not clear that any controlled studies have pinpointed myrcene as having a causal role in driving sleep in humans; we are not aware of any well-controlled human clinical trials that clearly demonstrate a sedative effect of myrcene.

A limited number of rodent studies have suggested that myrcene, given at high doses, may have muscle relaxant effects. The same study also showed that myrcene can increase the amount of time mice spent asleep, but only when given in combination with narcotics with strong sedative effects. However, animal studies often do not translate to humans, so more research is needed before we will have a clear indication of whether myrcene can produce sedative effects, especially at the levels it is commonly found in commercial cannabis products.

Can myrcene relieve pain and reduce inflammation?

Lemongrass tea containing high levels of myrcene has played a role in Brazilian folk medicine for its claimed anti-anxiety and pain-relieving properties. The first published claim for myrcene reducing pain was generated in 1990 by scientists in Brazil. They concluded that myrcene reduced pain by increasing the brain and spinal cord’s own opioid chemicals, but this has been debated. Much more work is needed to prove whether or not myrcene has bona fide pain-relieving properties in humans.

More research is also needed to support myrcene’s potential anti-inflammatory effects. Evidence for myrcene’s role in reducing inflammation comes mainly from animal studies.

Other potential benefits of myrcene

Myrcene can block the cancer-causing effects of aflatoxins that are produced by fungi but find their way to our food. These anti-mutagen properties stem from myrcene’s inhibition of the liver enzyme, CYP2B1, which induces aflatoxin’s ability to damage our DNA. Myrcene also protects against DNA damage from toxins such as t-butyl-hydroperoxide. These anti-mutagen effects are consistent with those of other terpenes, along with their antioxidant and antimicrobial benefits.

What’s next for myrcene research?

As for research on other cannabis terpenes, one of the biggest questions regarding myrcene is whether we’re consuming sufficient myrcene doses to achieve these effects. Mouse studies inject between 2mg/kg and 1g/kg (consider that the average adult male weighs around 80 kg) and it’s unclear how much is needed to achieve a therapeutic effect in humans or whether these amounts are present in cannabis strains.

The importance of terpenes in cannabis’ effects are just beginning to become widely appreciated. Research has lagged as scientists have spent the bulk of their effort on the cannabinoids, mostly in isolation. However, that appears to be changing. The National Institute of Health, which is the largest science funding agency in the country, recently issued a call for proposals to study the analgesic effects of terpenes and “minor cannabinoids” from cannabis. Now if scientists can only get research access to the wide variety of available strains!

 

[Northern Hydro]

Medical Cannabis Science & Technology




What is myrcene and what does this cannabis terpene do?
By Leafly​

Cannabis’ distinct aroma isn’t coming from your favorite cannabinoids. Instead, it’s the terpenes that give cannabis its unique fragrance and flavor. They may also influence the cannabis experience and may convey some of its potential therapeutic benefits.

​

One of the most common terpenes found in cannabis is myrcene. Beyond cannabis, myrcene is found in hops and is responsible for the peppery, spicy, balsam fragrance in beer. It’s also expressed in lemongrass, which has been used in traditional folk medicine for centuries.

​

How common is myrcene in cannabis?

Myrcene is the most abundant terpene in modern commercial cannabis. When we look at thousands of samples of cannabis flower tested by Leafly lab partners, we see this clearly. On average, myrcene represents over 20% of the terpene profile in modern commercial strains, although individual samples vary widely in their terpene content.

​

Myrcene is also the most likely cannabis terpene to be dominant in flower. A strain’s “dominant” terpene is simply the terpene present at the highest level. In modern commercial cannabis, only a limited number of terpenes show up as dominant even though there are many more cannabis terpenes in a strain’s overall profile.

If you picked a random flower product off of a shelf in a legal state, you could expect it to be myrcene-dominant about 40% of the time. This reflects the relative lack of chemical diversity in modern commercial cannabis. There’s a lot of room for breeders to experiment with increasing the chemical diversity of strains, potentially even creating novel strains with terpene profiles that are unlike anything commercially available today.

​

High-myrcene cannabis strains

What popular strain names tend to be associated with the highest levels of myrcene? These prolific strains tend to produce high levels of myrcene.

OG Kush​

Blue Dream​

Remedy​

9 Pound Hammer​

Grape Ape​

FPOG​

Granddaddy Purple​

Tangie​

Harlequin​

Strain names commonly classified as indica, sativa, or hybrid can be found with high levels of myrcene, including popular sativa-dominant hybrids like Tangie and Blue Dream. You’ll also notice myrcene is common in both THC and CBD strains alike.

Myrcene levels in indica and sativa strains

A common claim we hear is that you can tell whether a strain will have “indica” or “sativa” effects by knowing its myrcene levels. It’s often stated that strains with more than 0.5% myrcene by weight will produce “indica” (relaxing) effects, while strains <0.5% myrcene by weight will produce “sativa” (energizing) effects. If this claim was true and reliable, we would expect to see a clear difference in myrcene levels between strains labeled as indica, hybrid, and sativa. Indicas should have mostly >0.5% myrcene by weight, sativas should have mostly <0.5%, and hybrids should be in the middle.

​

When we use lab data to look at myrcene levels across strain names based on their popular indica, hybrid, and sativa designations, this is generally not what we see:

​

On average, flower products tend to have similar myrcene levels across indicas, hybrids, and sativas. There is also no clear indication from the data to support a general rule such as, “more than 0.5% myrcene = indica.”

This claim may have originated from the common belief that myrcene is sedating and may be responsible for the “couch lock” effect many consumers sometimes feel with cannabis consumption. But do we know that this is actually true? What’s the evidence that myrcene produces sedating effects in humans?

Does myrcene make you sleepy?

Herbal medicines containing myrcene have a long history of being used as a sleep aid in folk medicine. In Mexico, myrcene-rich lemongrass infused tea has been used in as a sedative and muscle relaxant. It is common for Germans, who are the second largest hops growers in the world (the US is first), to use myrcene-rich hops preparations as a sleep aid. However, it’s not clear that any controlled studies have pinpointed myrcene as having a causal role in driving sleep in humans; we are not aware of any well-controlled human clinical trials that clearly demonstrate a sedative effect of myrcene.

A limited number of rodent studies have suggested that myrcene, given at high doses, may have muscle relaxant effects. The same study also showed that myrcene can increase the amount of time mice spent asleep, but only when given in combination with narcotics with strong sedative effects. However, animal studies often do not translate to humans, so more research is needed before we will have a clear indication of whether myrcene can produce sedative effects, especially at the levels it is commonly found in commercial cannabis products.

Can myrcene relieve pain and reduce inflammation?

Lemongrass tea containing high levels of myrcene has played a role in Brazilian folk medicine for its claimed anti-anxiety and pain-relieving properties. The first published claim for myrcene reducing pain was generated in 1990 by scientists in Brazil. They concluded that myrcene reduced pain by increasing the brain and spinal cord’s own opioid chemicals, but this has been debated. Much more work is needed to prove whether or not myrcene has bona fide pain-relieving properties in humans.

More research is also needed to support myrcene’s potential anti-inflammatory effects. Evidence for myrcene’s role in reducing inflammation comes mainly from animal studies.

Other potential benefits of myrcene

Myrcene can block the cancer-causing effects of aflatoxins that are produced by fungi but find their way to our food. These anti-mutagen properties stem from myrcene’s inhibition of the liver enzyme, CYP2B1, which induces aflatoxin’s ability to damage our DNA. Myrcene also protects against DNA damage from toxins such as t-butyl-hydroperoxide. These anti-mutagen effects are consistent with those of other terpenes, along with their antioxidant and antimicrobial benefits.

What’s next for myrcene research?

As for research on other cannabis terpenes, one of the biggest questions regarding myrcene is whether we’re consuming sufficient myrcene doses to achieve these effects. Mouse studies inject between 2mg/kg and 1g/kg (consider that the average adult male weighs around 80 kg) and it’s unclear how much is needed to achieve a therapeutic effect in humans or whether these amounts are present in cannabis strains.

The importance of terpenes in cannabis’ effects are just beginning to become widely appreciated. Research has lagged as scientists have spent the bulk of their effort on the cannabinoids, mostly in isolation. However, that appears to be changing. The National Institute of Health, which is the largest science funding agency in the country, recently issued a call for proposals to study the analgesic effects of terpenes and “minor cannabinoids” from cannabis. Now if scientists can only get research access to the wide variety of available strains!

They definately play a roll! I kept a journal of the affects for me and I definately know what works and what doesn't ..., for me . Knowing a chemical analysis was critical in my conclusions thou to be sure

 

[DrCannaCanadian]

Dagobah Frost Forest
Update


Vegetation - Day 32​

Hello 420!

Things are coming along really well here in the Dagobah Frost Forest!

We did have a mini-emergency yesterday which we corrected immediately. We noticed the top fan leaves on both Peyote WiFis were getting tip burn! This symptom appeared only 12 hours after an accidental fertigation with a 150% strength nutrient feed.

We immediately made up another batch of feed at 50% strength and did a "Flush & Feed All In One Go" on each plant with 6 litres (6 quarts) of nutes.

We were able to quickly identify and correct our mistake because: 1) we look closely at our plants every 12 hours, and 2) we have gained experience helping people in the FAQ section.

BTW, the Seedsman Peyote WiFis are growing as if they hardly notice the heavy defoliation and heavy topping!

These sure are strong Phenos!

Emperor Sidious is still growing in his conical form - I just like the look of him.

Darth Maul is expressing himself quite differently with fan leaves praying to the light - strong growth but funny looking. But like I said, cannabis sure doesn't care about looking pretty! lol

Alright here are all of our Seedsman Jedis growing strong with the help of Mars Hydro:

Dagobah Frost Forest - Group Photo

• DrCannaCanadian
• Feb 12, 2020
• mars hydro peyote wifi royal queen seeds seedsman tangie cookies

Group Photo - Veg Day 32

Dagobah Frost Forest - Princess Leia

• DrCannaCanadian
• Feb 12, 2020
• mars hydro peyote wifi royal queen seeds seedsman

Peyote WiFi - Coco/Perlite - Veg Day 32

Dagobah Frost Forest - Obi-Wan Kenobi

• DrCannaCanadian
• Feb 12, 2020
• mars hydro peyote wifi royal queen seeds seedsman

Peyote WiFi - Coco/Perlite - Veg Day 32

Dagobah Frost Forest - Emperor Sidius

• DrCannaCanadian
• Feb 12, 2020
• mars hydro royal queen seeds seedsman tangie cookies

Tangie Cookies - Coco/Perlite - Veg Day 32

Dagobah Frost Forest - Darth Maul

• DrCannaCanadian
• Feb 12, 2020
• mars hydro royal queen seeds seedsman tangie cookies

Tangie Cookies - Coco/Perlite - Veg Day 32

 

[DrCannaCanadian]

They definately play a roll! I kept a journal of the affects for me and I definately know what works and what doesn't ..., for me . Knowing a chemical analysis was critical in my conclusions thou to be sure

This is so fascinating for us!

We're thinking about getting some seeds lined up to buy during the big 420 sales!

We would really like to try the Somango XL from Royal Queen seeds.

And we are wondering what other strains we're going to find on our adventure into medical cannabis science!

But the real fun for us starts when we start breeding for THC, CBD, terpenes and flavinoids to create our own family strain!

For me, this is where our grow journal gets fun!!!

 

[DrCannaCanadian]

Daily Tips & Tricks


By Royal Queen Seeds


What Is Charas And How Is It Made?​

Charas is one of the oldest forms of cannabis concentrate. But what exactly is it, where does it come from, and how is it made? Read on to find out.

​

The world of cannabis concentrates is booming. In fact, new types of extracts, such as live resin and all kinds of BHO, have taken the cannabis market by storm, offering both recreational and medicinal users completely new ways to enjoy their bud.

But those are all recent developments. In this post, we take a look at Charas, one of the earliest and most traditional types of concentrated cannabis, made from the finest bud growing naturally along the foothills of the Himalayas.

WHAT IS CHARAS AND WHERE DOES IT COME FROM?

Charas is a type of cannabis extract very similar to hashish. It is handmade, and is thought to originate from regions of Asia, in particular India, Pakistan, and Nepal. Like most cannabis extracts, it is made by separating the trichomes from cannabis plant matter to produce a highly-concentrated extract. These trichomes are usually found to form a frosty, sticky layer on cannabis flowers and, to a lesser extent, stems and leaves.

The main difference difference between hashish and charas is that the latter is made from live cannabis cuttings, whereas as the former is made using dead, dried plant material. Charas is also most commonly made using a hand-rolling method (which we explore in more detail below), whereas hash can be made in a variety of ways, mainly using dry sifting, bubble bags, and more.

Charas is usually sold in balls or sticks and is traditionally smoked using a chillum, a special kind of pipe traditionally used by Hindu monks (or sadhus). Across the Indian sub-continent and many other parts of the world, cannabis has played a significant role in spiritual and religious practices. Charas, in particular, plays a central role in many Hindu rituals and practices.

The Shaivs (a Hindu sect worshipping Lord Shiva as the supreme God), for example, often depict their Lord smoking a chillum, and incorporate the practice of smoking charas into their rituals. They usually load it into a chillum and, prior to smoking, chant the many names of Shiva in veneration.

​

While charas is widely available across India, it’s production is generally only traced back to a handful of places, like the Parvati Valley and Kashmir. In these areas, cannabis plants grow freely along the foothills of the Himalayas and are often treasured by strain hunters, breeders, and other cannabis enthusiasts. The Parvati Valley is particularly famous for a special type of charas known as Malana Cream, treasured for its high THC content.

Kerala Gold is another well-known type of charas, sometimes also called Idukki Gold. It gained a lot of attention after the premier of a 2013 film following the story of 5 friends in search of this intensely powerful concentrate. Unfortunately, it is not as easy to find any more.

Charas is also commonly used and produced outside of India, in countries like Pakistan and Nepal. However, the charas from India is arguably the most famous.

HOW TO MAKE CHARAS:

Making charas is messy and requires a lot of patience, effort, and weed. However, the principles behind its production is really simple. By handling the resinous cannabis trimmings, you’ll automatically build up a thick, brown-black residue on your hands. This is essentially the trichomes of the plant sticking to your hands and, due to friction, combining to make a powerful extract.

To make charas at home, you’ll need:

• Trimmed cannabis flowers (with a bit of stem) from a plant that’s roughly 2-3 weeks away from reaching full maturity.
• A pair of hands.

Start by washing your hands and making sure they’re really clean. Stay away from overly scented soaps or lotions; instead, use a non-scented, organic hand soap if possible.

​

Next, take a few cannabis buds and begin rubbing them gently between your hands. Be careful not to apply too much force, as you’ll just lose resin rather than extract more of it. You really want to be gentle and patient when handling these buds. You may want to try lightly squeezing the flowers against your palm with your thumb to extract more oils.

As you roll the buds, you’ll notice them excreting a thick, sticky, tar-like substance that’ll build up on your palms and fingers. This is charas. Once you’re happy you’ve extracted enough resin from the buds, you can dispose of them and actually create your charas ball or stick.

Simply keep rubbing your hands together together slowly in order to create a stick or ball of the concentrate. Remember, the slower you go and the more patience you have, the higher the quality of your charas. Remember to store your charas in tightly wrapped plastic film to ensure it doesn’t dry out.

HOW TO SMOKE CHARAS

Once you’re done, it’s time to enjoy the fruits of your hard labour. For a more traditional experience, we suggest investing in a chillum. Alternatively, simply take a piece of charas, roll it into a little snake, and roll yourself a nice joint with a mix of tobacco to ensure an even, slow burn.

If you’re not a fan of tobacco, you can just as easily roll your charas with regular flower in a joint or blunt. And, if you’re not a fan of joints or blunts, you can simply mix some into a bowl and smoke it through a regular pipe or bong. Finally, you can also vaporize charas in a dab rig like other cannabis extracts.

Whenever trying a new cannabis product, it's always best to take things easy. After all, you can always smoke more, but you can never smoke less. Remember, charas, like hash and other concentrates, has a much higher percentage of THC and other cannabinoids than regular regular flower.

​

WHAT STRAINS TO USE FOR CHARAS?

You can use any strain you like to make charas. For a more traditional finished product, we suggest going for an indica strain, ideally with roots somewhere in india, Pakistan, or the surrounding areas (like some Kush varieties, for example). Most importantly, you’ll just want to make sure you’re working with a highly resinous strain known for producing a lot of trichomes.

Below we’ve listed some RQS strains that we believe will work well to make some powerful homemade charas. But remember, these are just suggestions; play around with other RQS varieties to see what yields the best results.

ROYAL KUSH

A powerful kush variety that packs a very, very potent punch. Our Royal Kush is extremely easy to grow and, thanks to being a big resin producer, renders itself perfect for homemade charas.

NORTHERN LIGHT

Northern Light is a classic strain loved all around the world. Producing big yields of super potent, frosty buds, and packing a huge, indica-dominant punch, we’re 100% confident this variety can make some ultra powerful charas.

BUBBLE KUSH

Harnessing the best of a carefully selected group of sativa, indica, and even ruderalis varieties, our Bubble Kush boast really powerful genetics that produce really solid results each time. While it might not be very traditional, we’re sure this stuff will produce some great charas regardless.

 

[DrCannaCanadian]

Daily Tips & Tricks


By Royal Queen Seeds


An Introduction To Kief And Six Ways To Put It To Good Use ​

While admiring your cannabis, you've probably noticed those beautiful, tiny little crystals that cover it. But did you know that what you're seeing is kief? In this blog, you will discover what kief is, how to collect it and its many uses.

​

Smoking cannabis flower is an age-old and highly effective way to experience the psychoactive effects of THC. However, some smokers like to step things up a notch and opt for concentrates, refined versions of the active constituents of cannabis that make for a fast-acting and hard-hitting high.

WHAT IS KIEF?

One such concentrated form of cannabis is known as kief, which is essentially trichome dust. Trichomes are tiny glands that occupy the flowers and leaves of cannabis plants, excreting a thick and sticky resin that houses molecules we know and love, such as THC, CBD, and many other cannabinoids and terpenes. Trichomes aren’t just there to provide humans with a psychoactive experience; they play an important role in the survival of plants. These small glands produce secondary metabolites that help protect plants against potential threats such as insects and high temperatures.

Creating kief involves detaching these small chemical factories from cannabis flowers and saving them up until a large quantity has been collected. This pile of trichomes can then be used in a multitude of ways to provide a potent high. Because the trichomes contain cannabinoids, kief offers a much more intense high than smoking cannabis flowers, where the smoke would normally contain combusted plant material and other less desirable molecules.

HOW TO COLLECT KIEF

Kief is a simple cannabis concentrate and doesn’t involve much preparation or work at all. The easiest way to harvest kief is from bone dry buds that have been properly dried and cured. Wet and incorrectly dried flowers will not grind up as well, meaning the trichomes will be harder to remove.

The typical way to start building a collection of kief is to use a grinder with multiple chambers, with three layers being ideal. These grinders feature an upper chamber, where the cannabis flowers are placed between metal or plastic teeth and ground up to a powder. The ground up particles then fall through small holes into the second layer where they are collected on top of a metal mesh. This ground plant matter is too big to pass through the mesh, however, the miniscule trichomes easily fall through to a kief chamber that resides below.

Over time, this bottom chamber will fill up with trichomes. Before long, you’ll have a mountain of trichomes ready to be used in whatever ways you wish.

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WHAT TO DO WITH ALL THIS KIEF?

Once you have built up a decent supply of kief, it’s time to decide how to use it. This trichome powder can be used in many different ways to provide a potent psychoactive high.

1. LOAD IT INTO A JOINT
Kief can be used as a THC supplement when it comes to rolling joints. If you and your smoking buddies feel like it’s time to blast off, then reach for the kief jar and sprinkle a few pinches inside the joint before rolling. This will add some serious kick, and will be of particular assistance when the flower you’re smoking isn’t as potent as you’d hoped. Alternatively, the more creative joint engineers out there may wish to coat the outside of the joint in kief for an extreme aesthetic appeal. Douse the outside of the joint in wax, or simply lick it and roll it around on a plate full of kief.

2. GET CREATIVE IN THE KITCHEN
Kief can be infused into cannabutter, which can then be used in practically any recipe to provide a potent edible high. Kief cannabutter can be added to cakes, brownies, sauces, dressings, and a whole host of other options. Just remember the golden rule of cooking with cannabis: decarboxylation. Whatever you’re cooking, make sure to expose your cannabis to a temperature of 110ºC for 30–45 minutes first to convert THCA into psychoactive THC.

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3. MAKE SOME E-LIQUID AND VAPE IT
Kief can be used to create some homemade e-liquid that can be loaded into a vape pen and used at home or discreetly whilst on-the-go. To make e-liquid, you’ll need to obtain some propylene glycol and vegetable glycerine, along with a coffee filter, a metal or glass bowl, a cooking pot, and some syringes.

Fill your pot with water and place your bowl on top of it to create a DIY double boiler. Then pour a 1:1 ratio of vegetable glycerine to propylene glycol into the boiler. Add your kief to the mix and turn up the heat to a boil. Wait for the mixture to melt and form a thick and smooth consistency. Then proceed to pour the mixture through the coffee filter into a container and let it cool. Fill up your syringes and you’re ready to load up your vape.

4. TURN IT INTO ROSIN
Kief can be used to make your own supply of hash, considering you have saved up a good quantity of trichomes. To make this, you’ll need some parchment paper and an iron (hair straighteners can also be used). Place your kief within the parchment paper and fold it over. Press the paper with the heating device of your choice for a short period of time under heavy pressure, and watch a brown goo ooze across the paper. This resinous substance is ideal for loading into bong bowl or firing up on the dab rig.

5. MAKE A SIFT-HASH STASH
Hash made from kief is also known as dry-sift hash. This substance has a different consistency than normal hash and is more powdery and crumbly. The key to making hash is compressive force. This force can be applied via the use of a pressing machine or with bare hands. You'll need a fair amount kief to get started on this project, but once you have enough it's very easy to make. Fill a small plastic bag with your kief, roll it up tight, and tape shut. Next, wrap the package up tightly in 3 layers of newspaper and wet the newspaper once it's wrapped. Now, use a hair straightener and apply pressure to the package for a few seconds at a time until it’s properly compressed. Unwrap the package to unveil a compressed, clean block of kief hash.