THE CANNABIS NEWSPAPER SINCE 1985

WWW.SOFTSECRETS.COM | ISSUE 3 - 2019 FREE

Cannabis breeders and cultivators took to social media to express their frustrations concerning whether Phylos would be using community-submitted cannabis data for their own in-house breeding project. Phylos have been collecting genomic data from cultivators since 2014 to create their “Galaxy strain and mapping database”.

In response to the hysteria, Phylos’ CEO Mowgli Holmes publicly assured the disgruntled masses via instagram that Phylos was “not going to compete with breeders.” Or grow strains that they may have acquired through their testing work.

However, this did little to stem the growing flow of anger as a leaked video of Mr. Holmes speaking at the Benzinga Cannabis Capital conference in February earlier this year then appeared to contradict matters. The video appeared

to show the CEO pitching to investors on how Phylos’ strains will dominate the cannabis market in the years to come!

Phylos’ game plan was seemingly revealed in full, as they appear to be making a play for a prime and lucrative position in the large-scale commercial cannabis industry in the near future, stating that they will be responsible for “the next generation of plants”. Also revealed in the video was the fact that they do indeed intend to use all of the genomic data the company has gathered from cannabis cultivators since 2014.

Companies and individuals sent samples of their own cannabis strains to be tested by Phylos under the impression that they

operated solely as a Genomic Laboratory and are now worried that their plant tissues have potentially fallen in to the hands of a breeding competitor and risk being re-produced to create new and superior Phylos plant strains.

It would seem that Phylos will use the genomic data collated from their Galaxy strain and database project and tissue culture operation, to their advantage, scaling up and gaining market share much

faster than would otherwise be possible. Their Biotech corporate approach to plant breeding could have far reaching and

extremely detrimental effects on all existing plant breeders, cultivators and cannabis varieties in the not so distance future. This would affect, amongst other things, small businesses and farmers access to genetic resources as well as increasing the

cost of both plants and seed stock as well as seriously affecting crop biodiversity. The image is all too familiarly seen in other sectors where small family farms are driven out to make way for the corporate big money!

Many breeders who sent their samples in for testing and certifying, would never

have participated had they known of Phylos’ true intentions.

A ‘Phylos future’ seems unfair and so far removed from what many of us recognize as the culture and ethos of the cannabis community. A community created through a mutual love and respect for a plant, that so many people have struggled to push forward and keep alive. (RH)

For a full report see page 18!

The Phylos power grabOregon based Cannabis test-ing company Phylos Bioscience caused outrage across the inter-national cannabis community in April with the announcement of their plans to begin an in-house plant breeding company.

18+ For adults only. Soft Secrets is published six times a year by Discover Publisher BV Netherlands

ESTABLISHED 1987AMSTERDAM

DUTCH PASSION ®

A M S T E R D A M

RRY SENSI-STAR DELAHAZE PANDORA BELLADONNA WAPPA ALL

Quick Kush

we

st coast

new RELEASEs

www.BARNEYSFARM.COM

3

IN MEMORY OF NEVIL SCHOENMAKERSTHE MASTER OF HAZE

Page 7

GROWING WITH LED WITH MR. JOSE

Page 15

Page 18

THE PHYLOS MONOPOLYSCIENCE IN THE NAME OF PROFIT

Page 34

CARBONATED CANNABISTHE RISE OF CANNABIS DRINKS!

Page 21

SORBETS, TANGERINES AND COOKIES!

SWEET SEEDS IN 2019

SHOPREVIEW4

COFFEESHOP PAPILLON AMSTERDAM

Friendly staff and fantastic weed

In the trendy Amsterdam neighbourhood De Pijp, Coffeeshop Papillon has been part of the weed and hash business for several generations. Local residents and other enthusiasts are equally passionate about this coffee shop.

The coffee shop on the attractive and leafy Van der Helstplein opened its doors sometime in the 1980s, just steps away from the Albert Cuyp market and the Heineken Experience. The neighbourhood has changed a lot since then, just like Papillon, while much has also remained the same. In 2002, the coffee shop was passed down from uncle to cousin, so that it can justifiably be considered a family business.

MORE THAN JUST A SALES POINTNaturally, improvements have been made over the years, such as an expansion of the range, the monitoring of the quality of its products, the music, and the visitors' lounge area. Papillon clearly wants to be more than just a place to buy weed, hash, edibles and related items. Visitors of the coffee shop truly appreciate this, which is made abundantly clear by the feedback.

PROFESSIONAL SERVICECustomers are happy with the relaxed and spacious lounge area with a number of screens, the music and the fact that everything is clean and clear; customers

are also enthusiastic about the helpful, reliable and professional service, the quality of the supplied smoking products and the relaxed atmosphere. All of which are issues that Papillon's employees keep a close eye on.

THE INFORMATION DISPLAYED IS INFORMATIVE.Papillon is happy to welcome tourists but is also rooted in the neighbourhood, so there is something for everyone. It is clearly not a tourist trap, which are already in abundance in the city centre. The website makes it easy for globetrotters and provides them with additional information.

SPECIALITIESIn terms of supply, Pineapple Cookie Kush and Strawberry Banana Kush

are the most expensive varieties. Specialities include both those two and Moonrocks, a combination of weed and hash powder, also available in joints in pure form, and with tobacco. But that's not all, specials in the hash crossed with cannabis and hash seeds range are Nepalese, Amnesia and Kush Berry,

and for joints they are Strawberry Kush, Candy Kush and Golden Cream.

ICE-O-LATORThere are various types of traditional Moroccan hash such as Papi Special, Cream Supreme and Golden Cream, as well as Ice-O-Lator. Ice-O-Lator or Ice hash is an extremely powerful hash. Ice-O-Lator owes its potential to a special production process that includes extraction and

sieving in ice water. The exact THC content is always a bit of a guess, but Ice (like hash oil) is one of the purest forms of THC and cannabinoid-containing substances available for consumption.

For more information you can visit Papillon’s website, while it can of course also be found on Facebook and Instagram. And remember: Papillon is ranked number 1 among the best coffee shops in Amsterdam-Zuid for a reason!

Coffeeshop PapillonVan der Helstplein 81072 PH AmsterdamTel.: +31610024332 (WhatsApp only)

Opening hoursMonday to Friday: 08.00 am - 01.00 pmSaturday: 09.00 am - 01.00 pmSunday: 10.00 am - 01.00 pm

Email: info@papillonamsterdam.nlWebsite: www.coffeeshoppapillonamsterdam.nl

5READERS@SOFTSECRETS.NL

7IN MEMORIAM

In Memory Of Nevil Schoenmakers

THE MASTER OF HAZE

WHO WAS NEVIL SCHOENMAKERS?An old school member of the Dutch cannabis scene when Holland was still the pinnacle of Cannabis in terms of breeding, Nevil was born in Australia in and with both parents being Dutch meant he was entitled to dual citizenship. It was in the late 1970’s when Nevil decided to move to Holland and enjoy the freedom and underground nature that the Cannabis scene provided, as well as the opportunity to work with indoor lighting.

THE SEED BANK OF HOLLANDIn 1984, Nevil started his own seed bank which allowed the general public to access his work that comprised of all his private collection reworked into different lines. This gained great popularity from U.S growers as well as European growers. Some of his most memorable work is Super Silver Haze, G13 x Skunk, G13 x Hash Plant, G13 x Haze, Neville’s Skunk, Silver Pearl, Northern Lights #5 x Haze and most famous Neville's Haze.It was during this time when Nevil was

able to work with indoor lighting and to grow the more demanding sativa strains he had acquired around the world, seen as some of the original breeding blocks in the Cannabis scene. It was rumoured that Nevil lived in a mansion in Holland that was named the Cannabis Castle where he had all of his grow rooms throughout the house, however as he kept such a low profile this was just a rumour.

It was in 1988 when Nevil unleashed his Haze upon the Dutch. After the commercial demand for Haze variety in the U.S slowly diminished, as growers who were also moving indoors wanted varieties that were better suited to their practical needs. Long flowering sativa varieties unfortunately lost a place in a grow room and the same mind set is actually the same to this day in the U.S.

The Haze Brothers who were responsible for the Haze hybrids being produced in the States, took a trip to Holland and the stars aligned for the Cannabis world! It was around this time Nevil was cleaning up winning cups and knocking people dead with superbly potent flower and offering Haze hybrids that showed true hybrid vigour and enormous yields.

OPERATION GREEN MERCHANTThe Drug Enforcement Agency targeted indoor cultivation, the sale of growing equipment and Cannabis seeds. In 1991, Nevil was arrested whilst in Australia where he was jailed for 11 months. Afterwards was then extradited to the U.S to face the brunt of the D.E.A who had racked up 44 charges.

Luckily, Nevil was granted bail and whilst facing a career ending threat, decided to go off the radar and basically vanish. During this time was when Nevil sold his seed bank to Ben Dronkers who created Sensi Seeds.

Nevil would make his much awaited public return in 2015 after waiting for the charges in the U.S to be dropped, where it was the Australian media who reported his return working for AusCann, as head breeder.

THE PIONEER OF HAZES.For those who are in the know, Holland is famous for its 5 Haze cuts which are A5 Haze, C5 Haze, H.P.H, AG13 Haze

and Neville’s Haze. Nevil was a black belt when it came to creating heart thumping, sweat inducing, cerebral roller coasters and nothing beats Neville’s Haze.

Neville’s Haze will take 16 weeks to flower meaning that if you plant her outdoors in a Mediterranean climate the grower can harvest in December. Indoors she requires extreme patience and will reward you will some of the strongest Cannabis you will have ever smoked.

Modern day watered down Haze hybrids have lost the original characteristics that made Neville’s Haze so notoriously potent. That wispy bud structure, aggressively vigorous growth in both veg and flower, 14-16 week flowering time, spicy, earthy, haze taste with a heart thumping, sweaty palm, curtain twitching effect.

The original Neville’s Haze seeds are like gold dust and those lucky enough to breed Neville’s work will now continue a legacy that paved the way for so many across the globe.

Make sure that every year at March 30th, you light up a Haze joint in memory of a legend who left his mark on the Cannabis scene for ever and will never be forgotten!

In Memory of Nevil Schoenmakers : 1957 - 2019

Way before femenised seeds and any other haze variety that finished in 10 weeks, there was a man who walked the Earth named Neville Schoenmaker who single handedly fine tuned the greatest Haze varieties around. Rumoured to have lived in a Cannabis Castle mansion, Soft Secrets pays tribute to a true pioneer who sadly passed away at age 62.

by Stoney Tark

8 GROW QUIZ

1. What is the official date in NW Europe at which you can put your plants outside?

A. April 22B. May15C. June 21D. March 30

2. Why do you have to wait till the date from question 1 to put your plants outside?

A. The sun is at it’s best peekB. You avoid a lot of insects thenC. The temperature at night won’t go below

0 C.D. It’s the start of summer

3. Which of these stands for pH?A. Potential HydrogenB. Potential HumidityC. Phosphorus HalvedD. Potential Helium

4. A way to filter water to a low mineral content is by?

A. Leaving out in the sun for 24 hoursB. Using reverse osmosisC. Using a 25 micron bubble bagD. It is not possible

5. What is the best way to test the EC of a nutrient solution?

A. You can tell by eyeB. Using an E.C penC. By doing a pH testD. Just check the nutrient bottle

6. When is the best time to train Cannabis plants?

A. During the flowering stageB. During the first week of 18/6C. The entire 18/6 periodD. Never train Cannabis Plants!

7. How should correctly flushed flower smoke?

A. A harsh taste, poor flavour with black ashB. A smooth taste, great flavour with black

ashC. Quite smooth, Ok tasting with a clean

white ashD. Very smooth, great flavour with a clean

white ash

8. Which of these is best for improving aeration and drainage?

A. RockwoolB. PerliteC. VermiculiteD. Peat moss

9. Smoking a dab means what?

B. Smoking through an ice bongC. Smoking extract through a rigD. Never heard of it

10. For NW Europe, at what time should you germ your outdoor seeds?

A. End of April/ start of MayB. End of May C. Start of June D. Halfway March

11. What is meant by the transition period?

B. When lights change from 18/6 to 12/12C. The time it takes for plants to use

nutrientsD. When plants go into a state of hiberna-

tion

12. Brown and yellow spots on leaves means what?

C. Zinc Toxicity

13. How can a grower adjust the pH of a nutrient solution?

A. By adding more water than nutrientB. Starting with a humic acidC. Using pH Up or DownD. It is not possible

14. FIMMING is a technique that involves?A. Removing 70% of the lowest growthB. Completely removing the crown growth

tipC. Cutting off 70% of the crown growth tipD. Bending the main stem

15. Which of these most resembles an indica?

A. Short in height, flowering in 8 weeksB. Tall in height and flowers automaticallyC. Short in height and flowers in 10 weeksD. Tall in height and flowers in 12 weeks

16. What will enzymes do when feeding plants?

A. They are a powerful P+K boosterB. Will break down organic substratesC. They are a rich source of NitrogenD. They will do absolutely nothing

17. When is the best time to start flushing plants?

A. During the last 5 daysB. During the last 7 daysC. During the last 2-3 weeksD. Flushing occurs naturally

18. What can you do to add more oxygen to your feed water?

A. Use a pump to get the water moving adds oxygen

B. Tightly shut the container holding the water

C. Use rain waterD. Use fresh water from ponds and lakes

19. What is the main reason for stretching seedlings?

A. Bad nutrientsB. Too high a temperatureC. Lack of lightD. Too low a temperature

20. What does potassium do to your plants?

A. It is responsible for the height of your plants

B. It ensures that the plants develop a sturdy stem and strong side branches

C. It helps in breaking down bacteriaD. It generates extra photosyntesis energy.

For answers see page 38!

YOUR PASSIONOUR PASSION

DUTCH PASSIONwww.dutch-passion.com

10 GROW WITH JORGE CERVANTES

Raw cannabis is generally non-intoxi-cating but may have some psychoactive effects depending on how much free THC is present versus THCA. Patients report that the therapeutic effects of raw canna-bis include providing relief from spasticity and inflammation and some reported no therapeutic effect.

Cannabinoids are found in the form of acids (THCA) and attached to the carbox-ylic group (COOH). It must first be “liber-

CANNABIS BUTTERDecarboxylation and Solubilization

from their acid forms to theirnonacid forms. Decarboxylation and solubilization, achieve the same end but through different processes.

Decarboxylation is a chemical reaction that releases carbon dioxide (CO2). Decarboxylation of cannabis denotes a reaction of carboxylic acids, removing a carbon atom from a carbon chain.

Decarboxylation can be achieved by

ated”; that is, cannabinoids including THC must change from an acid to a nonacid form to become psychoactive.

The process of decarboxylation converts CBD and non-psychoactive THC acid found in raw cannabis to psychoactive nonacid THC. Decarboxylation con-verts CBD to its nonacid form, which is extremely therapeutic.The process of solubilization also con-verts CBD and THC found in dry cannabis

By Jorge Cervantes – jorge@marijuanagrowing.com

Smoked or vaporized cannabis that enters the lungs passes directly to the brain via the

Decarboxylized and solubilized cannabis that is eaten passes through the stomach and liver

heating THC-dominant dry canna bis to above 100ºC or heating CBD-dominant dry cannabis to above 146ºC for 60 to 90 minutes. Do not heat cannabis – both THC-dominant and CBD-dominant – to above 160ºC to prevent boiling off can-nabinoids. Heating beyond 160ºC may cause desirable cannabinoids, CBD and THC, to volatize and be lost when they mix with the air.

Decarboxylation also occurs rapidly dur-ing vaporization: heating cannabis to 187.8ºC–193ºC, at which point it vapor-izes and the conversion to the “active” nonacidic form takes place. Do not heat above 193ºC or it may cause preliminary burning/charring. This process frees molecules to convert into carbon dioxide (CO2) and water vapor (H2O).

Note: THC is liberated rapidly at temper-atures between 187.8ºC–193ºC, and CBD is liberated rapidly at 187.8ºC –193ºC. The other 80+ known cannabinoids volatize at different temperatures often lower than 193ºC.The same decarboxylation process also occurs at a very rapid rate when cannabis combusts (burns). Heat in smoked can-

Step One: Chop cannabis flower buds in a small coffee grinder (or food processor). Make sure coffee grinder is clean and used only for cannabis. Chopped flower buds release cannabinoids into the butter faster.

Step Two: Melt the butter on low heat. Step Three: Once the butter has mel-ted, add the chopped cannabis.

and oils (lipids), alcohol, and other oil-based solvents. Once combined, cannabinoids are soluble and convert from the acid to the nonacid form. THC becomes psy-choactive, and CBD becomes much more therapeutic.

cinogens—that are inhaled into the lungs.See www.marijuanagrowing.com for more information.

Cannabinoids are soluble in fats, sugars,

nabis causes THC to convert into the psy-choactive form. CBD is converted into its nonacid form. Combustion releases many toxic compounds—aromatic hydrocar-bons such as benzopyrene and other car-

11

Jorge Cervantes is author of the Cannabis Encyclopedia (596 pages, 2,000+ color images, large A4 format) and Marijuana Horticulture (AKA the Bible). Booth books are available at all ama-zon retailers worldwide. The Cannabis Encyclopedia has an excellent chapter on nutrients. Contact Jorge at www.marijuanagrowing.com.

Step Four: minutes, stirring every few minutes, which mixes cannabinoid and butter molecules and speeds, speeding absorption.

Step Six: Pour the cooled, filtered liquid into a storage container.

Step Five: Filter butter and cannabis through a cheesecloth-lined strainer. Wait until the mix has cooled enough to handle, and then wear rubber gloves to squeeze residual liquid from cheesecloth.

Step Seven: Refrigerate the liquid until solid.

Solubilization occurs when cannabis is mixed with fats, sugar, oils, alcohol, and other oil-based solvents. The cannabinoids migrate and concentrate in the solvents.

Combine cannabis with these solvents, and heat at low temperatures (50ºC –62.8ºC) for 60 to 90 minutes to solubilize (extract) can-nabinoids. Simmering and stirring ensures that complete extraction occurs.

Combining cannabis with alcohol (spirits or glycerin) requires no heat, but the process takes much longer. For example, place a bud in a bottle of ethyl alcohol—vodka, rum, or spirits of any kind. Over time the alcohol will take on the flavor and the potency of the cannabis. Or the alcohol can be evaporated to leave a concentrate.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) can also be used as a solvent to liberate cannabinoids. CO2 is becoming a popular method to extract CBD and THC from dry cannabis.

MAKING CANNABIS BUTTERSmoke Pointsbutter: 121.1ºC–148.9ºColive oil: 190.6ºC–246.1ºCpeanut oil (refined): 232.2ºCsunflower oil (refined): 226.7ºC

Cannabis butter is a main ingredient in many recipes. It can be used alone, as butter on bread, or mixed into countless recipes. Cannabinoids are bound to milk fats in butter and are preserved as long as butter is safe to consume. Use salted but-ter for most recipes; it has a higher smoke point than unsalted. Use unsalted butter for baking. Slow, even cooking at a low temperature and adequate stirring are essential to avoid burning when making cannabis butter.

QUICK CANNABIS BUTTERProcess small amounts of cannabis but-ter, less than 1 kg. of cannabis butter by sautéing it in a pan and adding cannabis. Process larger amounts of cannabis with the recipe that follows:

Utensils

Ingredients

cannabis flower buds

SHOPREVIEW12

As always, the shop at Korte Haaksbergerstraat 34 in the centre of Enschede is a hive of activity. Just 5 minutes from the train station, Kosmic Kitchen has been 'the place to be' for 22 years, with an amazing range of products and expert advice for any possible trip you have in mind. Because Kosmic Kitchen has it all. This smartshop not only has magic truffles and magic mushroom grow kits on offer, but everything in the field of CBD products as well. It also has an extensive collection of herbs for those who want to experiment for themselves. And as mentioned before, the Kosmic Kitchen team has extensive experience and is always ready to provide you with expert advice.

CANNABIS SEEDSIn addition to the smartshop area, Kosmic Kitchen offers a wide range of cannabis seeds. It has many leading seed banks in stock so that you have a wide choice for every type of grow & high. Autoflowering, Feminized, High CBD, Hybrids, it has it all. Of course, this also applies to any type of smoking equipment you are looking for; bongs,

KOSMIC KITCHEN REOPENS AT OLD ADDRESS IN

ENSCHEDE WITH NEW INTERIOR

FOOD FOR MIND & BODYSince 1996, smartshop Kosmic Kitchen in Enschede has been a popular spot for anyone searching for 'food for mind and body'. Customers come to the popular shop from all over the world because of the excellent price/quality ratio and the expert advice they get from the Kosmic Kitchen team. After an extensive renovation at the familiar address with a brand-new interior, the shop is ready for the future.

grinders, cigarette papers, you name it. Do you want information about vaporizers or E-smokers? No problem! Because Kosmic Kitchen has a great collection available.

OUR KOSMIC JOURNEYAs we wrote before, the Kosmic Kitchen team has significant experience. Or, to put it in their own words: "For millions of years, people have found ways to alter their consciousness and to change the limits of their everyday perception using a wide variety of psychoactive concoctions. Just think of the Mayans, the Aborigines, the Native Americans and of course recent explorers such as Terence McKenna and Alexander Shulgin. We find this fascinating. That's why we started Kosmic Kitchen in 1996. It was the first smart & headshop in the Eastern Netherlands. After more than 22 years we are still excited to continue our cosmic journey and give you all the service and information necessary to start your own cosmic journey. Cheers from our team and we hope to see you in our new shop at the old and familiar address!"

Kosmic KitchenKorte Haaksbergerstraat 347511 JS EnschedeTel: +31(0)53 737 0261

www.kosmickitchen.eu

Opening hours:Monday: 10.30 - 18.00Tuesday - Friday: 10.30 - 20.00Saturday: 11.00 - 20.00Sunday: closed

E U R O P E A N W H O L E S A L E R

The New

www.humboldtseeds.net

by SHERBINSKIS

More than 3000 items in our catalogue

ALL YOU NEED FOR YOUR GROWSHOP!

15GROW WITH MR. JOSE

Mr. José / info@pestovat.cz

HOW IT ALL BEGANWhen LED modules started appearing on the plant-growing market several years ago, I was curious how long it would take for them to reach the quality of traditional, high-intensity lamps. My first experience with LED was not too bad, on the contrary. The plants grew strong with dark green color and their flowers were strong and stiff, too. That includes the lower ones, which does not always happen even under sodium-vapor lamps. You could see at first sight that the flow-ers were completely covered in resin. The taste, smell and effects of the first LED-

grown harvest were all excellent, as sev-eral people that were able to try it have confirmed. The crop was not the richest, but considering the lower power con-sumption, it was still above average. On the other hand, if I used a sodium-vapor lamp over the same growing area, I would get at least 50% more in the same amount of time. One of the reasons for that is the fact that I used a 300 W LED module instead of the original 600 W sodium-vapor lamp. With the knowledge from my first experience, I would have now rather used LED module rated for more than 400 W. The plants growing under the LED light were shorter than I was used to, they had thicker stems and were generally more compact. The second harvest had

Growingwith LED

from the ground up, it is important to account for a heating unit for the cultiva-tion area, especially during winter or in colder regions. The optimal temperature for proper plant growth is 24-28 °C. For growing plants under LED, it is better to keep it between 26 and 29 °C. It is also important to keep the humidity higher, ideally around 60 %. Even under LED lights, there is still the risk of mold in the last weeks of flowering, of course. That is why the humidity should be decreased to 40 % in the last two to four weeks before harvest. While the climate conditions change rapidly thanks to the variable run-ning times of sodium-vapor lamps, LED

lights do not affect them too much. That is a big advantage, especially for domestic growers in warmer regions, where the temperature does not drop below 20 °C and usually stays above 30 °C in summer.

CULTIVATION METHODThe intensity of the lighting and the com-position of the light spectrum emitted by the light source significantly affect the morphology of plants, the formation of their resin, the amount of cannabi-noids and other active substances. The light from sodium-vapor lamps is rich in green, yellow and red spectrums. The plants grow taller and have larger inter-

nodal gaps under this type of light. Most sodium-vapor lamps are weaker in the blue spectrum. The versions with added blue spectrum have a lower amount of red spectrum light. In comparison, most LED modules for cultivation are stronger in the blue spectrum but not as strong in red and yellow spectrums. This results in a shorter plant height and smaller inter-nodal gaps. High-end LED modules allow the user to adjust the emitted spectrum according to their needs, which can differ depending on the vegetative phase the plants are currently in.

Another important factor is the fact that sodium-vapor lamps cannot be hung too low above the plants without cooled reflectors thanks to their high operational temperature. LED sources can be hung right above the plants. Thanks to the power savings of LED modules, we usually replace stronger sodium-vapor lamps with less powerful LED modules, but these have a lower light intensity when comes to increasing distance between plants and them. Because of this lower intensity, the light does not penetrate in such amounts deeper into the growth. That is why it is better to grow shorter plants to reach optimal results, so that the distance between the top and bottom flowers is as short as possible. The afore-mentioned higher amount of blue spec-trum helps that already, but it can also be achieved using SOG or ScrOG methods.

IRRIGATION AND FERTILIZATIONWhen the temperature in the cultivation area is lower and the plants grow shorter, it results in slower water evaporation not only from the growth substrate, but also from the plants themselves. And that is exactly what happens during cultivation under LED. Even if the temperature in the cultivation area is the same (which it should because plants simply need heat), the water consumption would decrease because of the smaller volume of plants. Larger plants consume more water and that leads to more water evaporating into the air. That is exactly the case with sodium-vapor lamps. The logical conclu-sion is then to decrease the number of plants and amount of irrigation when cul-tivating under LED modules. Many grow-ers overwater their plants, which leads to a number of problems and a generally poor crop. It is one of the most common mistakes, regardless of the illumination technology used. Many gardeners who switched from sodium-vapor lamps to

the same qualities as the first one, but its quantity has decreased. The reason for that was a decrease in room temperature compared to the first growth cycle. This temperature difference was caused by coming winter. From my experience with sodium-vapor lamps, I was used to deal-ing with temperatures that were too high instead of too low, and that is why the area was not artificially heated.

As you can see, I have encountered several differences in cultivating under LED lights compared to sodium-vapor lamps from the very beginning. During that time, the reactions of people trying

LED were mostly negative. The modules were expensive, and the outcomes did not reach the promised results or sav-ings. Many resellers promised unrealistic decrease in power consumption but were unable to provide the necessary informa-tion for growing under LED lights. The situation has completely changed since then and even people that were totally against LED modules in the beginning are trying them now.

CLIMATE CONDI-TIONS FOR LEDWhether you are switching to LED mod-ules from sodium-vapor and metal-halide lamps or want to start growing with them

Growing cannabis under artificial light has long been more than just sodium-vapor and metal-halide lamps. Over the last decade, LED technology has earned its right-ful place above plants, and the future of this technology is more than promising. Growing with LED modules has its specifics, pros and cons. In the following article, you will get to know the most important features and also learn about the results of one particularly interesting research.

Right away, we can tell that LED light has a different light spectrum… …compared to the spectrum of sodium-vapor lamp.

16 COLUMN

LED lights achieved much worse results only because they kept the irrigation program the same. The highest risk is with active automatic irrigation system. With manual irrigation, you can notice the problem right away and I have never come across overwatering problem in good quality passive systems.

There are discussions among growers whether the amount of fertilizers should be decreased when using LEDs. Some resellers recommend lowering the dosage by 30%. Their reasoning is that the slower consumption of the nutrient solution together with the volumetrically smaller plants leads to faster water evaporation from the growing medium and results in higher nutrient concentration in the medium itself. I believe that this generally depends on the medium used, its amount and most importantly on the irrigation sys-tem. We already know quite precisely what the ideal climate and growth conditions are. I grow in a passive cultivation system under both LED and sodium-vapor lamps and I feed the plants from one tank. The nutrient solution has the same nutrient concentration and I have never encoun-tered over-fertilization. If the nutrient solution stays in the growth medium for too long, the error is usually in the irriga-tion method, the amount of the growing medium or its type.

LIGHTING AND CAN-NABINOID CONTENTIn the beginning of this article, I have men-tioned that I was surprised by the amount of resin after the first harvest under LED. I was not the only one to notice that. The light spectrum of LED modules encour-ages higher resin yield, probably thanks to the increased amount of blue spec-trum light. It has been proven that adding UV-B radiation can make plants produce more resin and impact the production of cannabinoids. I have found a link to an interesting research paper on the web-site of one of the biggest manufacturers of garden lights. It is called The Effect of Light Spectrum on the Morphology and Cannabinoid Content of Cannabis sativa

L. and its authors are Magagnini G, Grassi G and Kotiranta S. This Italian-Finnish team of scientists tested three light sources used for the cultivation of can-nabis – a traditional sodium-vapor lamp and two LED modules. Each light was tested in its own chamber, so that their light would not mix. The light fixtures were hung in such a way that the PPFD

the plants. Thanks to this, it was possible to perfectly compare the real influence light spectrum has on the observed indi-cators. The results have confirmed that plants growing under a sodium-vapor lamp grew faster, had larger internodal gaps and produced a higher volume of green matter. They also yielded the high-est amount of dried flowers by weight. On the other hand, plants grown under LED modules had a higher volume of cannabi-noids and also differed in the volumes of THCa, CBDa, CBNa and CBGa. When the researchers added up the total amount of cannabinoids, the yield from plants grown under sodium-vapor lamps and plants grown under LED modules was equal. The test was repeated twice and afterwards, the team came to a clear con-clusion: by adjusting the light spectrum, it is possible to fundamentally affect the morphology of plants and the concentra-tion of cannabinoids. The whole research paper is available on the internet for free.

THE FUTURE OF LEDThe ways of changing the light spectrum of sodium-vapor lamps are quite limited compared to LED technology. Diodes can be combined in an infinite number of possibilities and the light can thus be changed even during growth. In the future, it will not matter how many dried flowers can be harvested from a plant, but how many specific cannabinoids can be extracted from it. This will play a huge role not only in the pharmaceutical indus-try, but also in the creation of products for recreational users, who are going to move away from dried flowers, especially if the wave of legalization continues. In such a situation, LED lighting will have a major advantage.

A comparison between the light spectrum of sodium-vapor lamp (HPS) and LED module.

us how much heat the HPS lamp produces.

WOKE FOLKS’ DOPE CONUNDRUM

Dr Dee

“Woke” (adjective): actively aware of systemic injustices and prejudices, especially those related to civil and human

rights. (Dictionary.com).

So, this is something close to the hearts of all the Social Justice Warriors out there, and why not? It’s a righteous thing, and should be embraced, yes? Fair enough, all of the hate stuff, racism, misogyny, homophobia and all the rest of them are clearly a bad thing. Big Pharma is also obviously a bad thing: I’m not quite sure that it should be classed in there with these others, but that’s just a personal view. Anyhow, these righteous folks will boycott products from particular coun-tries, go on marches, demonstrations and suchlike. And it’s a good thing, too.

But of course, “woke” folk can get it wrong too. Recently, a colleague of mine was pretty much forced to make an apology for stating in a lecture that “men can’t have babies”: it’s a “grey area”, apparently.

One wonders what the situation is among the “woke” and social justice communities regarding drug use? I’ll come to cannabis in a minute, but not so long ago, UK citizens were given a pretty stern ticking off by the Home Office drug prevention people regarding their use of illicit substances. In that instance, they were specifically aiming at people who use cocaine (though it could certainly be applied to heroin as well), and the main point of the campaign was that purchas-ing and using coke was pretty much tan-tamount to “funding terrorism”.

It’s a fair point, I suppose. However, in the same way that coke and H could reason-ably be regarded as funding terrorism, could the purchase of Israeli cannabis products reasonably be seen as fund-ing a terrorist (if you happen to be a Palestinian) state?

Fact: for a number of decades, the Israelis have been at the forefront of cannabis science; Raphael Mechoulam “The Grandfather of Cannabis Research” isolated and identified CBD in 1963, and THC in 1964 (albeit based on the work of one Dr Roger Adams some 20 years earlier). He discovered the endocannabi-noid system. As such, we’ve all got quite a lot to thank him for.

The effectiveness of the “Entourage Effect” appears to have originated in Israeli work as well.

At the moment, there’s intensive research investigating the effectiveness of cannabis in treating ailments more commonly found in older people, such as dementia.

More recent developments include the Israeli government green lighting the export of medical cannabis products,

And, to digress from cannabis briefly, in the past week, it seems that the Israeli Ministry of Health has approved thera-peutic MDMA for PTSD Treatment; bang, just like that.

Essentially, Israel is – and has been for a number of decades - way ahead of the rest of the world in the arena of medical cannabis research. Weird, given it’s an absolute no-no to spark up a joint there for non-medical purposes: it’s all big stuff. It’s all important stuff.

Here’s my problem with all of this. Many people – both “woke” and just generally concerned - of my acquaintance here in the UK, take a pretty dim view of the Israeli State (as opposed to Jewish people per se, let’s be absolutely clear about that, and not conflate the two things, please), principally regarding their treatment of the Palestinians. I’m wondering whether they’ll apply the same rigid set of princi-ples to Israeli cannabis medicine?

All of this may well be a moot point very soon as right now in the UK, we have this, frankly, ludicrous situation unfolding, whereby shadowy vested interests seem intent on turning even the most moder-ate of protests against the Israeli State into a criminal act of anti-Semitism. And it’s not the same thing. Not in the least.But it’s a problem.Or perhaps it isn’t. Perhaps cognitive dis-sonance will kick in, the same way it does when the woke folks buy their cocaine.

D i n a f e m S e e d s

w w w . d i n a f e m . o r g

B L U E B E R R Y C O O K I E S

REPORT18

THE PHYLOS MONOPOLY SCIENCE IN THE NAME OF PROFIT

For those unfamiliar or confused by the whole situation lets break it all down and explain how and why Phylos are causing such a stir.

WHO ARE PHYLOS?

Phylos are an Oregon based Bioscience company, launched in 2014 that until recent-ly specialized solely in the genetic certifica-tion of cannabis.

The most popular test being a genetic iden-tity test which tells you what plant you are growing, where it came from, what other varieties it is related to and where it fits in with the whole cannabis “family tree”.

The results of your test would then be included on the cannabis “Galaxy” which is an interactive 3D map of the whole cannabis population. Companies are then sent their genetic report along with certification seals which can be shared online or on packaging to show potential customers that your strain has been certified and authentically identi-fied as true. Phylos sold this test on their website as a way to “defend your intellectual

property,” and “build a trusted brand” whilst further stating that they would not claim ownership over their genetics.

So far this all sounds like a great idea, so what’s the problem?

On April 16th 2019 Phylos CEO and founder Mowgli Holmes announced that Phylos would be starting their own in-house breed-ing program to create new and better strains of Cannabis and Hemp!

WHY IS THE CAN-NABIS COMMUNITY ANGRY?

Many who submitted strains to Phylos feel deceived after believing that Phylos would not share or use their information to their own advantage. The idea of the Galaxy pro-ject was sold as a means to prevent other breeders from stealing genetics. The large majority of participants would not have taken part, had they known of Phylos’s true intentions.The concern now is that Phylos could use

tissue samples of plant stock to recreate or breed new and improved plants or at the very least use the statistical data that they have collected since 2014 to inform their own breeding project! This is a big deal, as the mass of genetic information that Phylos has acquired since 2014 would both allow them to recreate the best strains and also give them ideas on how to improve them further.

HOW HAVE PHYLOS RESPONDED?

Phylos CEO Mowgli Holmes responded to this outrage via Instagram, in an attempt to clarify some of the details behind Phylos’ new and controversial breeding endeavour. “It’s been suggested that we’re claiming own-ership over plant samples that have been sent to us and leveraging our genetic data-base to compete against our customers,” Holmes wrote. “That would be really f*cked up. But it’s not true.”

“We are not using the data about your plants to help us breed. Your plants don’t belong to us and we’re not going to steal them.”He also stated that the Galaxy testing pro-cess was not advanced enough to allow his company to recreate plants and that they would not do that anyway as it would be theft.

Despite this insistence however, the Phylos breeding plan sounded to many like it was something to worry about and that it would indeed be competing with other breeders. The plans of the program include making

high-THC strains and flavored strains, tack-ling powdery mildew and making stronger plants”.

Matters were only made worse when as shortly after the release of this statement a video was leaked of Holmes pitching to investors at the Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference in February earlier this year. The video contained information that seemingly revealed the true intentions that Phylos had held from the start.

The video revealed that, despite Phylos later claiming that they would “not be competing with Breeders,” the new breeding program had always been the company’s long term plan, with the future eventual aim of making the company a lucrative target for acquisi-tion by Big Agriculture.

“In a couple years, this is going to be the third biggest ag crop in the country right behind corn and soy,” “And none of the science has ever been applied to it. So we built our company to take all of that science that mainly exists inside commercial AG and bring it to this new crop.”

In the video, Holmes revealed that he fore-sees companies like Phylos, that are running genetic breeding programs to be the first to be bought up once the big corporate money lands within the cannabis industry. He also adds that Phylos was already in the middle of a $20 million raise that would fund the company through the release of its first set of strains.

Additionally, Holmes is heard admitting that Phylos WILL in fact be using all the informa-tion that they have collated since 2014 in order to give themselves a massive competi-tive advantage and create “optimized” plants which they hope will dominate the market. Holmes is quoted as saying the following.

"I think the main ones (advantages) are that it would be impossible for anyone else to collect

The recent announcement by US Bioscience company Phylos that they will be starting their own “cannabis breeding” division has sent shockwaves through the cannabis industry. Whilst some say it’s an inevitable result of capitalism, many feel cheated and lied to and are worried that their products and intellectual property could now be at risk of being used against them to drive them out of the market.

19

this data set at this point. We are fully inte-grated in the cannabis industry, we have more trust in the cannabis industry than any other science company."

The fallout from this video has been one of widespread anger and condemnation across the board as many in the industry step forward to express their disappoint-ment and anger. This is a trend that does not look like it will be slowing down any time soon, as the story continues to gain traction worldwide through all the usual media and social media channels.

At the time of writing this report a story had just broke where a non-profit organi-sation that Phylos had helped to set up in Oregon called “The Open Cannabis project”, announced that it was to dissolve its company. This was in direct response to the intense backlash against Phylos who they feel have now totally undermined their work in trying to protect the canna-bis genome from patent trolls. Executive Director Beth Schechter of the Open Cannabis Project issued a statement on Monday 6th May, extracts of which are below.

"Dr. Holmes's presentation to investors con-firms many of the fears the community has had about Phylos' intentions for years”

"We also feel we have been deceived. As a result, no matter what we do as an organiza-tion going forward, Open Cannabis Project will never escape this deception."

It is scary to think that Phylos’ boast that their competitive advantage will be so great that growing their plants “WON’T BE OPTIONAL” could actually come true and that other

breeders and farms could be swallowed up as a result. For Phylos the game plan was simple, to make themselves as attractive an acquisition as possible for a big money take over!

Unfortunately there is a very real possibil-ity that they may succeed in their plans, especially as they are armed with the world’s largest set of cannabis data that they have unscrupulously acquired (at the cost of the breeders, both literally and metaphorically!)

Don’t forget that the breeders that submit-ted their genetics for certification paid a lot of money in good faith for Phylos’ services and to be added to the Galaxy, and now one has to wonder has the money they paid been used toward setting up this new breeding program? Their deceit really does seem to be the gift that keeps on giving!

Phylos’ actions have cut deep against the traditions and community of those who have worked tirelessly together with the common interest and goal of moving the cannabis industry forward in an ethi-cal way. These are the people who have built this industry up to the point that it’s at now and so it is easy to see why the breach of trust that Phylos have commit-ted runs so deep.

THE CONCERN NOW IS THAT PHYLOS COULD USE TISSUE SAMPLES OF PLANT STOCK TO RECREATE OR BREED NEW AND IMPROVED PLANTS

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SORBETS, TANGERINES AND COOKIES!Wishing you a sweet and therapeutic 2019For Sweet Seeds®, the beginning of 2019, the last year of the this decade, marks the culmination of a rigorous pro-cess of élite clone search and selection for the breeding of new, high-yielding, easy-to-grow hybrids with marvel-lous aromas and tastes, as signs of an identity that has never changed over the years, since the day when this great seed bank was founded.

21SEED BANKS

Sweet Seeds

For this new 2019 season, Sweet Seeds has developed a range of new products that will delight all home growers and cannabis lovers. Whatever your preference is – tall sugary autos, US genetics, medical cannabis – you will fall in love with the star of the season, an exquisite and remarkable strain with red flowers that joins our Red Family, this time in a photoperiod dependent version.

Our new red-flower ‘photoperiod’ – with ultra-rapid flowering – named Red Mandarine F1 Fast Version® (SWS79) has finally come to the fore to show us all its beauty and splendour – after various years of search, selection and development of the tastier photoperiod specimens. Our original goal was to meet the needs of a large number of customers, forum members and followers of Sweet Seeds® in social networks who, after the astounding success of our auto-flowering Red Family, were seeking a new product that was as good, beautiful, stable as

the original plant, but this time in a photoperiod version.

Had we been able to launch this strain 5 years ago, when our customers first requested it, we would have done it! But good work needs time, patience and devotion. And now we can finally roll out a red-flowered plant that is compliant to the Sweet Seeds® standard and

stands out for its aromatic perfection, unsurpassed quality level, and a seed germination rate of approximately 95%.

Based on our previous successes, we thought the best way to close the decade was to cross a rare and infrequent red-flower phenotype, with a great aroma and an intense tangerine taste, i.e. the photoperiod élite clone of Tangie (California Orange x a Skunk hybrid), with our Red Poison Auto® (SWS39).

The result is a bright red strain, which we named Red Mandarine F1 Fast

Version® for its superior tangerine notes. This plant is very elegant, resinous and embellished by awesome red flowers and is ready to be harvested after only 7-8 weeks from the change to the flowering photoperiod.

Our hard work finally rewarded us with probably the best smelling red-flower variety available on the market. Its

powerful sweet tangerine aroma, with fresh hints of blue cypress, makes it an ideal choice to produce fresh off-the-bud extracts standing out for the quality of their aroma. Another unique quality is the reddish and rosy hues of its resin coating.

Nowadays, quality plants are trend-setters in a dynamic, rapidly changing virtual world where the USA still leads the scene for its glorious tradition. Cannabis is no exception to this tendency and all plants that meet with success in the USA, will soon achieve it in the rest of the world, including Europe.

Year after year, we receive different élite clones from the USA, which we select and cross with our classics to create offspring meeting the tastes of the most demanding cannabis consumers and growers.This time, using various select élite female clones of Do-Si-Dos as starting material, we developed a cannabis masterpiece (its name comes from the US highly popular Do-Si-Dos ‘Girl Scout Cookies’ produced from a mix of oat and peanut butter and a unique aromatic and sweet flavour).

The genetics we used is much appreciated among medical cannabis users in Californian dispensaries to treat pain, headache, anxiety, insomnia, etc. After a programme of selection and improvement, we obtained a final product which is also pleasant and sweet. This is how Do-Sweet-Dos® (SWS80) was born, a plant with sweet earthy aromas and a citric/floral backdrop. Its exaggerated resin cover and the large size of calices in its flowers call to mind the quality of its ancestor Girl Scout Cookies. The effect is relaxing and powerful.

Another remarkable Sweet Seeds® product, with a similar US origin, equally required an arduous selection, improvement and development work. It is an auto version of one among the most potent and famous American lines coming from the San Francisco bay. Our new Sweet Gelato Auto® (SWS76) results from the hybridisation of Gelato, one of the most appreciated plants of the Cookies family, and our Killer Kush Auto® (SWS56).

We used OG Kush genetics to introduce auto-flowering genes into this new delicious strain of the Sweet Seeds® collection. As a 5th generation auto strain, Sweet Gelato Auto® releases a sweat and fruity aroma, with earthy notes, citric and minty hues, and dense

22

buds. Yield is high. Its long big-headed trichomes make it a highly resinous plant.

Whether you use it as a mild natural remedy or for tasty smoking with no psychotropic effect, you will soon

realise the qualities of the new Sweet Pure Auto CBD® (SWS75). It is the first Sweet Seeds® auto strain that makes a generational leap to the 6th generation, away from its old Ruderalis origin, with only 0.4% of Ruderalis traits and it is also the first Sweet Seeds® CBD-pure auto strain with very low THC levels

ranging between 0.4 and 0.9%, whereas the CBD rate spans from 8% to 21%.With this strain, your smoking or vaping experience will be unique. Be ready to inhale a true delicacy, without the psychoactive effect of THC-rich marihuana. For this very reason, it also suits therapeutic cannabis consumers, who do

not like the psychotropic effects of THC.

Sweet Pure Auto CBD® is the result of crossing and selecting CBD-rich and THC-poor specimens; more specifically we crossed the photoperiod-sensitive Sweet

Pure CBD® (SWS70) with Honey Peach Auto CBD® (SWS64), a CBD-rick auto.

The aromas of this strain are sweet and fruity, with citric notes and a few cypress touches. You will be amazed by this ‘CBD-pure’ auto – very sweet and pleasant, smelling like the modern hybrids we are all used to, with minimum psychoactive effects but maximum taste.

However, if the qualities of this new extraordinary plant do not suit you, you should not miss the greatest of all in our new collection, two new plants we have just added to our tall “XL Auto” family. Plant them in your grow tent or garden and, before long, they will grow huge.

Then all you have to do is grab a loaf… and some large rolling paper and get ready to taste a plateful of our famous spicy cured cheese in extra large version, Sweet Cheese XL Auto® (SWS77), a present for your palate in this 2019 season.

If you have already tasted our Sweet Cheese Auto® (SWS33), in our catalogue since 2012, you already know what we are talking about. But your glass jars this time will be filled with loads of buds produced from a much bigger (75-140 cm) and consequently more productive plant. It can be harvested at only 8 weeks from seed germination, without sacrificing taste. Indeed, the typical intense and sweetish Skunk aroma of this

Sweet Cheese® (SWS19) has remained unchanged. Its cured cheese base – with a spicy flavour and slight touches of lemon – will please your palate.

Another auto of the Sweet Seeds® genetic library that directly feeds on the magic potion of growth is our most famous and classic Jack 47 XL Auto® (SWS78), a Sativa-dominant plant. For 2019, make sure you do

not miss growing this great product in your garden, developed after a recurring selection – which lasted several generations – of tall high-yielding individuals of Jack 47 Auto® (SWS31).

Plants are tall (65-130 cm), with abundant and compact buds full with resin and giving off an excellent aroma. Apart from the sweet and fresh smell, with lemon and incense notes making it so special, this strain is probably among the most potent autos.

Before saying goodbye, we wish to thank you for the confidence placed in Sweet Seeds and propose again our special promotion with 1 and 2 free seeds in packs of 3 and 5 seeds respectively. We also increased our strain selection in the maxi packs of 25 and 100 seeds.

Sweet Seeds capitalises on its knowledge and passion for cannabis by improving genetics, expanding its offers and

meeting the needs of its consumers, i.e. not merely the most demanding home growers but also all cannabis gourmets.

In 2019, we present you with 6 sweet novelties! They all come with the quality warranty of Sweet Seeds®, i.e. prime, highly aromatic and resinous cannabis products, with a femininity percentage of around 99.9% and a germination rate in excess of 95%. That’s all folks for now. We wish you a sweet smoking and vaping experience!

ALL PLANTS THAT MEET WITH SUCCESS IN THE USA, WILL SOON ACHIEVE IT IN THE REST OF THE WORLD

SWEET PURE AUTO CBD® IS THE RESULT OF CROSSING AND SELECTING CBD-RICH AND THC-POOR SPECIMENS

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25HISTORY

CANNABIS AND THE FRENCH INVASION OF EGYPT.One of the first large-scale exposures of Europeans to cannabis came about in Egypt in the late 1700’s. Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Egypt in 1798 with thousands of troops for a campaign which lasted until 1801. Bonaparte was, amongst other things, defending French trade and commercial interests. The campaign involved extensive travels in the middle-east, primarily in Syria and Egypt. The Muslim culture meant that no alcohol was available for the troops during this campaign. Alcohol production had been outlawed and made illegal

under Islamic law. The French troops were keen for some fun and social relaxation in Egypt and Syria, and the locals had the perfect solution, hashish.

MILITARY GRADE HASH.The troops enjoyed their hash, and word spread quickly. Alcohol may have been off the menu thanks to local prohibition. But hash proved very popular and in any event, it was the only game in town. Hash must have seemed like a strange experience for the first soldiers who wouldn’t have experienced anything quite like it. The genie was out of the bottle. All of a sudden huge numbers of cannabis fans had been created and many would return to Europe to tell the tale. It’s ironic

to consider that the prohibition of alcohol had allowed the introduction of such a pleasant alternative. Interest in cannabis continued to gather pace, and reports about cannabis use would continue to trickle back to Europe. The French Doctor Jacques-Joseph Moreau toured the Middle East and North Africa in the 1830’s and wrote about the psychological effects and uses of cannabis. Moreau was an influential character, who became a member of the Parisian Club des Hashischins (Club of the Hash eaters). This was formed in 1844 an can be thought of as an early cannabis social club. Members would meet up at the Hotel de Lauzon in Paris. The Club of the hash-eaters would enjoy copious amounts of cannabis. Among the educated, cannabis was thought to offer a different creative perspective. It was popular with writers, poets artists and philosophers. Learning from Bonaparte’s troops, they found that consuming/smoking large amounts of hash would induce different mental states. Moreau was the first scientist to write a book about drugs in 1845, called Hashish and Mental Alienation. Moreau would experiment on himself, consuming heavy quantities of hash and exploring the different states between being asleep, being conscious and being under the powerful psychological effects of hash. At the time there was a growing awareness of drugs such as cannabis and opium, and a certain degree of curiosity from the Europeans. Other Doctors, such as William Brooke O’Shaughnessy had used and studied cannabis whilst working as a medical officer in Bengal. He brought a quantity of cannabis back to Britain with him, this generated renewed European awareness and interest.

CANNABIS POPULARITY INCREASES. SO DO THE RULES, RESTRICTIONS AND PROHIBITION.Through the late 1800’s cannabis use in Europe began to increase. The various European trading routes, empires and colonies ensured that cannabis use spread rapidly from one country to another. Cannabis seeds were easy to transport and grow in the new destinations. After the first harvest, there would always be a second. And so cannabis spread from Europe to South America and far beyond. Many of the first people to popularise the use of cannabis were noble explorers, Doctors and influential writers. But as cannabis culture began to spread, workers and slaves were increasingly enjoying it. And this meant the the authorities were keen to clamp down and restrict use. Throughout the late 1800’s and early-mid 1900’s various forms of prohibition were introduced. Much of this legislation was aimed at preventing African/Indian/Asian workers from using cannabis.

MID 20TH CENTURY. THE WAR ON DRUGS BEGINS.As cannabis use started to become mainstream in the 1950’s and 1960’s, worried Governments began to clamp down much harder on cannabis use. The United Nations led from the front, with various conventions targeting cannabis and those that enjoyed using it. Perhaps the mis-placed illegality made some people more interested in cannabis. But one lesson from the UN anti-cannabis conventions is that they simply didn’t work. Cannabis use exploded from the 1960’s onwards in Europe and the rest of the world. People didn’t appreciate being told how to relax, and they certainly didn’t like being judged or stigmatised for it.

LIBERALISATION AND MEDICAL USES.Many Europeans felt that the restrictions on cannabis use were an inappropriate over-reaction from the nanny state. But prohibition wasn’t working for one simple reason - people enjoyed their cannabis and didn’t like others telling them not to. In 1972 the Dutch Government started differentiating between dangerous and less dangerous drugs. Tolerance had arrived, and the coffee shops began supplying personal amounts of cannabis to citizens (and plenty of tourists). Millions of Europeans were now safely enjoying cannabis. They didn’t believe the anti-cannabis propaganda from their Governments and still don’t. And what’s more, many of the new cannabis users were reporting some profound observations. They were claiming

Since the 1960’s cannabis use in Europe has seen a huge increase in the number of users. Today, more Europeans use cannabis socially or medically than ever before. And with medical cannabis being approved in more and more countries usage rates are likely to further increase in the coming decade or two. The biggest irony is that the prohibition of cannabis did very little to limit demand or reduce the number of users. But cannabis didn’t originate in Europe. It is thought to have originated in, and been indigenous to, the Indian sub-continent and Central Asia.

HISTORY OF CANNABIS IN EUROPE

By Tony, Dutch Passion Seed Company

26

that cannabis had some remarkable properties for people suffering from a wide range of medical conditions.

THE REALIZATION THAT CANNABIS HAS MEDICAL USES.Claims of medical uses for cannabis were not taken seriously for many years. The UK only legalized medical cannabis in 2018, and even then didn’t

do a particularly good job if it. The anti-cannabis propaganda had sunk in and wasn’t easy to undo. But medical cannabis quickly became a hot topic in places such as USA and was legalized in California in 1994. The evidence was easy to shove aside, but impossible to completely ignore. As medical cannabis use gained traction, public interest and usage rates continued to increase. Anti-cannabis rules and regulations began to look increasingly tenuous and ill-considered. Cannabis varieties rich in CBD further strengthened

the medical case for cannabis use. Companies like Dutch Passion are also looking into selective breeding to enrich cannabis varieties with some of the minor cannabinoids which may open new medical possibilities in the future.

THE FUTURE OF CANNABIS IN EUROPE.History shows us that medical cannabis tends to lead the way. Once medical cannabis has been approved,

political fear diminishes and legality of recreational cannabis can be discussed with less hysteria. The decision by so many US states, along with Canada and Uruguay to legalize cannabis shows the likely direction for Europe. The next decade or so should see the first European countries legalize recreational cannabis. Europe may also soon see legal commercial cannabis cultivation for both medical and recreational users.

www.dutch-passion.com

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WATER HASH 101

Water hash is another favorite method of making concentrates employed all over the world. Its name comes from the water process used to collect glands from the trim, leaf, and buds. On a fundamental level, the process works because cannabi-noids are not water soluble, meaning that

the desired resins are not damaged by contact with water and ice. Water hash can be smoked as loose, granular resin or pressed into traditional hashish: High-quality loose hash can eas-ily be pressed into hashish using nothing more than the palm of one hand and some light, brisk friction, applied using the thumb of the other hand. Loose or pressed, many people are still enthralled by the unique, full-spectrum experience of this potent natural product.

Water hash can be made in small or large quantities, and turnkey extracting systems can be purchased to simplify the process. It is also possible to make water hash using home-gathered equip-ment, but with inexpensive kits availa-ble, the savings are often negligible. Pre-

made systems offer increased precision and efficiency for the water hash pro-cess, and their availability contributed to a surge in water hash’s popularity during the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Water hash’s two decade run of dominance ended with the rise of solvent-extracted hash; shatter, wax, and other butane hash-oils have muscled aside bubble hash on many dispensary shelves in the United States over the last few years. But this

competition from solvent hash has also inspired water hash makers to step their game up, inspiring an increased emphasis on appearance and flavor. Ultra-fine water hash is now being sold as “solventless wax,” reflecting the broad demand for solvent-free products that mirror the desir-able consistency and refined flavor profile of solvent-extracted hash.

High-grade water hash is also great for edi-bles, and any experienced dabber will tell you that “five star” hash is very dabbable.

It’s also next to impossible to seriously injure yourself or anyone else making water hash, because the process doesn’t involve any flammable chemicals or potentially explosive machinery.

HOW WATER HASH WORKS All water hash methods use water, ice, and agitation to separate resin glands from plant material. Water and plant material are placed in a bucket that has been lined with filtration bags, similar in composition to the screens used for mak-ing dry sift kief. Like those screens, the bags filter the glands by micron size, sepa-rating the hash from the trash. A micron is one-millionth of a meter, or .001 mil-limeters. The material is stirred to knock

the trichomes free, and while the plant material floats in the top bag, the glands (which are heavier) sink and are collected in the lower bags.

Ready-made systems use multiple bags that sort the glands by size: Unlike kief making, the material is separated in one step rather than through repeated sieving. Usually the material is processed once, but some commercial hash makers process it a second time to further isolate the THC.

As with all extraction methods, cold tem-perature is a key element of water hash production. The ice keeps the water and material very cold so the glands remain brittle and snap off with agitation. After the material is agitated in ice water, it’s allowed to settle. Then the bags are sepa-rated, and the glands are removed from each one. After the water hash is dried, it’s ready to smoke.

Water hash varies in color and can be many shades of white, brown, red, even purple. When extracted from the finest-grade material, the potency of water hash can test as high as many solvent hash products, with up to 80% cannabi-noid content.

A NOTE ON YIELDSProcessing 227 grams of high-quality material usually yields between 18 grams (5% yield) to 35 grams (15% yield). Yields increase with the quality of the starting material. However, in some instances, such as with Tangie, obtaining a yield over 7% using water is nearly impossible. This is one reason solvent-based methods and other, newer extraction techniques have overtaken water processing in popularity.

But there are considerations other than yield; the full-spectrum effects and natural flavor profile of water hash are unique because the process preserves the terpe-nes in the glands. For this reason, some people prefer high-quality water hash to solvent-extracted products.

WATER HASH BASICSAll gland-bearing plant material (leaf, trim, buds, shake, or any combination of the four) can be used to make water hash. Dried or frozen material can also be used.

When making water hash it is important to keep the material and the environ-ment very cold. Heat is the enemy. Low-temperature water, near freezing, makes trichomes brittle enough to snap off. A cool room keeps terpenes from vaping off.

Humidity is also a factor. Avoid humid storage conditions to prevent deteriora-

Raw material

WATER HASH’S TWO DECADE RUN OF DOMINANCE ENDED WITH THE RISE OF SOLVENT-EXTRACTED HASH; SHATTER, WAX, AND OTHER BUTANE HASH-OILS

30

tion from bacteria or molds. One method is to store wet or dried cannabis in the freezer. When using material that has not been stored in this way, place it in the freezer until it gets cold.

It’s crucial to treat the cannabis delicately to preserve all of the glands and keep them on the vegetation. Take the utmost care when bucking buds from twigs and stems. Don’t mangle the material from excessive trimming or grinding. Coarsely chopped cannabis is most convenient. Remove twigs, stems, and twist ties, because they can tear the hash-making bags.

Whether using a ready-made bag system or materials from your kitchen, the basic principles of making water hash are the same. There are slight contributions by technique, patience, and proficiency, but what primarily determines the quality of the hash you produce is the caliber of the plant material and the quality and size of the filter.

READY-MADE BAGSFor water hash, the ready-made bag sys-tems are an excellent choice. They can be used many times.

Bubble Bags are the design of Fresh Headies in Canada. Bubbleman, the head hash master of Fresh Headies, has traveled extensively, spreading the good word of water hash. He can also be found moderating in online forums on this topic. Bubble Bags are available in one-gallon, five-gallon, and twenty-gallon sizes. All filtration systems are available in sets of four or eight bags and as singles.

There are several other brands of bags. The eight-bag system separates hash into finer categories. The size difference between just-ripe THC glands and overly mature or premature ones allows them to be separated into grades.

USING BUBBLE BAGSFirst, the coarse filter bag is secured in a bucket and the water, ice, and plant mate-rial are added. The cannabis is agitated using a kitchen mixer or a drill with a paint-mixing attachment — it’s worth not-

ing that hash “purists” deplore this level of agitation. After the material settles, the starter bag is pulled out and squeezed. The bulk of the plant material now held in this bag is set aside. This material can be processed again, but the resulting product will be lower grade, though still suitable for cooking.

Line the empty bucket with the additional bags. The finest bag goes in first, so it will be on the bottom. The green water is poured into the bucket, lined with the filter-ing bags. Pull the bags out one by one and collect the material in the bottom of each one. Allow the end product to dry. Toss the water out or use it for watering plants.

HOME-MADE BAGSIt is possible to make your own bags or to make a smaller amount of water hash without using bags at all. To make bags, acquire silk screen in the appropriate mesh size. Standard silk-screen material is avail-able in several size increments between the desired 100 to 150 strands per inch.

The screen must be attached to a tightly woven, water-resistant material (nylon works well) so that the silk screen forms the bottom of the bag. Multiple bags can be made with different screening levels in the 50- to 150-micron range for separating

the water hash by quality. The finest screen produces the purest hash. Multiple bags should be designed to fit inside one anoth-er, with the finest mesh bag being the larg-est, and the coarsest mesh bag being the smallest. A separate bag made for coarse filtering (200–250-micron-sized gaps) is used to separate the bulk of the vegetation from the glands in the first phase. This bag

should line the bucket. It does not get lay-ered with the other bags, so it should be as large as the bucket allows.

VARIATIONS ON A THEME: OTHER DIY METHODS OF WATER HASH PRODUCTION Any overview of the water hash-making process would be incomplete without mentioning the many alternate variations on water hash—all of which use slightly different methods to combine water and agitation. Many of these methods sprung from the DIY ingenuity of home hash mak-ers. These methods include the jar shaker method, the coffee filter method, the bucket method, and the blender method.

THE JAR SHAKER METHODThe simplest method for making water

hash is using a homemade shaker. This method is the easiest in terms of time and equipment, but it also produces the least amount of hash, and the product won’t be as pure as with methods using micron-gauged filtering bags. Manual agitation is more labor intensive, but it requires no electricity and can be accomplished any-where that the materials can be gathered.

EQUIPMENT

bits, or shake

business card)

METHODGrind the marijuana to a coarse powder, similar to dried cooking herbs such as oregano or basil, using a bud grinder, cof-fee grinder or blender for a very short time.

Place the material in the jar, up to 1 quar-ter full. Pint, quart, and 2 quart jars all work. Add equal amounts of ice and very cold water until the jar is almost full. Leave about an inch of space at the top of the jar, then seal it and shake for 10 minutes.

Pour the water/material mix into a bowl and put it in the refrigerator to allow it to settle for an hour. Most of the ice may melt in this time.

Remove the floating plant material with a tea strainer or slotted spoon. The plant material can be saved and reprocessed. Manual shaking does not remove all tri-chomes on the first round.

Once the plant material has been removed, allow the silt to resettle at the bottom of the bowl for 15–20 minutes. Drain off one-half to two-thirds of the water slowly, with an eye to saving all of the silt-like water hash material in the bot-tom of the jar.

Set up the cone lined with a paper cof-fee filter. Pour the contents of the bowl through the cone slowly. As the water hash collects in the bottom of the filter, the water will drain more slowly. Allow all of the water to drain from the filter. Then remove the filter from the cone, allowing it to flatten with the wet hash inside. Set it on a dish towel and carefully remove as much water as possible by pressing with the towel or paper towels.

Split the coffee filter along the seam and open it like a butterfly spreads its wings. Collect the material inside using a spoon or card to scrape it loose from the paper. The material is easier to separate from the

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coffee filter when it’s dry or slightly damp.

The material can dry either before or after it’s removed from the filter. Even if some of the material is collected for use before the drying completes, the water hash should be allowed to air dry over a day or two to reduce the chance of mold. After the water hash is dry, it can be used, stored, or pressed into hash.

THE COFFEE FILTER METHODThe coffee filter method works well for small-scale water hash production and uses common kitchen equipment.

Chop the plant material to a coarsely ground consistency. Cone-type coffee makers look like a pointier version of a standard coffee maker basket. They are inexpensive and are available at kitchen-ware stores, some gourmet coffee shops, grocery stores, or on the web. The #4 size or larger is recommended. Both reusable and disposable filters for these cones are available at the same shops where the cone was purchased.

This method yields nice hash, but not like the product of the precise micron-sized

filters of bubble bags. Also, there is no final filtration of small vegetative matter, so the product is not as pure as the hash made in a bag system. Still, water hash produced using this method is equal in quality to dry-screened kief.

EQUIPMENT

screen

business card)

THE BUCKET METHODThe essentials of water hash methods are the same, whether using a ready-made system or working from your own home-made bags.

EQUIPMENT

-ing attachment

METHODFirst, clean and sterilize the buckets and equipment. Mix 10 ounces (1¼ cups) of 3% hydrogen peroxide per quart of water to make a rinse.

If you’re using a bag in the first round, place this bag in the bucket. Add equal amounts of ice and water until the buck-et is two-thirds full. Add the prepared plant material. Wearing the long rubber gloves, use your hands to submerse it evenly in the ice water. Up to 3½ ounces (100 grams) of plant material can be used in a 5 gallon bucket.

One convenient tool for agitating the mix is a kitchen mixer. Another choice for agi-tating the water is a drill with paint mixer attachment. A larger mixing tool, powered by an industrial drill is used for the 20 gal-lon bags. Punch hole(s) in the bucket lid to accommodate the mixing attachments. This keeps the material from sloshing out while it’s being agitated and allows the mixer to run hands-free.

Agitate the material for 15 minutes and then allow the mixture to settle. If using a ready-made system, the speed recom-mended in the instructions should be used. As a general rule of thumb, lower speeds work well when mixing amounts under 5 gallons. Medium to high speeds are better when using a system that is 5 gallons or larger. As it is mixed, the mate-rial becomes frothy. You may want to remove the suds before recommencing.

Blend the material up to 4 times for 15 minutes at a time. Mixing the material more times produces higher yields, but also results in more particulate vegetative matter. Longer times produce less pure results, especially if multiple bags aren’t separating the hash into grades. With a single collection mechanism, a shorter time should be used on the first round. After this hash is collected, the plant mate-rial can be reprocessed using a longer mixing time. Multiple bags allow the mate-rial to be processed all at once without sacrificing a high-grade collection.

After the mixing round is completed, let the mixture sit for at least 30 minutes to give the glands time to sink into the col-lection filters. If most of the ice has melted add more. In cold weather the bucket can be set outside to keep the mixture cold.

Once the material has settled, it’s time to separate the glands. If the agitation has been done inside a bag, pull out this bag, removing the bulk of the plant material. The bucket now contains green water with silt in the bottom. This silt is the water hash and a small amount of particulate vegetative matter.

Line the second bucket with the collec-tion bags. The finest mesh bag goes on the bottom, so it’s added to the bucket first. The coarsest bag is the last bag added, so it’s the top layer. The first bag has separated out everything over the 200–250-micron size, depending on its mesh size. Now the successive layers of the bags will do the grading for you.

Pour the water into the bucket that is lined with the filter bags. Slowly lift out each bag, allowing time for the water to drain. Be patient. If the entire bottom of the bag seems to be clogged it may be necessary to reach in and gently push some material to the side. Stir up the material as little as possible.

After each bag is removed, lay it on the towel and pat off excess water. Wrap it

33

with towels and squeeze it to remove more water. The inside of each bag con-tains some tan to brown silt-like material. Carefully arrange the bag so that the mate-rial is accessible. Blot the material off with a paper towel. Remove it from the bag using a credit card or a spoon. If multiple bags were used, keep the grades separated.

Place the material in a flat-bottomed bowl, or on a plate or other surface where it can be left to dry, then put it in a cool, dark

place where it will get some airflow but won’t blow away once dry. The material will appear dry in about 12 hours, but allow a full week to completely dry and cure. Allow the moisture to evaporate from the remaining material by keeping it open to air in a cool space to prevent mold growth.

THE BLENDER METHODPlace enough plant material in the blend-er to fill it halfway. Add ice and cold water in equal amounts until the blender is full. Turn the blender on at full speed for 45 seconds to a minute. Let the mixture set-tle. Repeat 3 or 4 times. The more times the blender runs, the higher the yield.

Pour the mixture from the blender through a colander or strainer into a mix-

ing bowl. Bowls designed to pour, such as a pancake batter bowl or a 1–2 quart measuring cup, work best. This step sepa-rates out the bulk of the plant material.

Pour the water through the reusable coffee filter into the glass jars until they are about two-thirds full. Sealable glass canning jars work well. Smaller vegeta-tive matter will collect in the coffee filter. However, the glands are small and pass through the reusable coffee filter into

the glass jars. After pouring the water/trichome mix through the filter, pour two more cups of water through the filter so remaining trichomes pass through it.

Seal the jars. Place them in the refrigera-tor for an hour. The glands settle and form silt at the bottoms. Tapping the jars lightly a few times on a tabletop helps set-tle some of the floating material.

Remove the jars from the refrigerator without stirring up the material that has collected at the bottom. Pour off the top two-thirds of the water. The goal is to retain the glands that are gathered in the bottom while removing as much water content as possible.

Set up the cone on top of a suitable container such as a quart jar. Drain the remaining water and silt through the cof-

fee filter with a disposable filter paper. The flow of water through the filter slows as the material collects; allow it to drain completely.

Carefully remove the paper coffee filter from the cone. Flatten it with the material inside by patting it with a towel.

Material can be dried before or after it’s collected from the coffee filter. Drying it inside the coffee filter takes a little longer but the hash is protected from blowing away and is easier to remove from the paper when both are dry. To dry in the coffee filter place it atop a layer of paper or cloth towels. Once it’s dry, split the filter along a seam.

Collect the material using a spoon or plastic card. Allow the material to fully dry before pressing or storing, which takes a day or two depending on the environmen-tal conditions and the amount being dried.

TIPS Use a siphon rather than a pour to remove one-half to two-thirds of the water from the container. This gives you more control and creates less turbulence so the silt at the container bottom is not disturbed. Use clean, flexible aquarium

tubing. Place the other end of the tubing into a sink or other drainage area.

Heat speeds up the drying process. Use a propagation mat, usually used to sprout seedlings—it will maintain a 74°F (23°C) temperature—or a heating pad set on low. Place the mat under a towel and put

the drying water hash on top. Food dehy-drators set on low are another effective controlled heat source.

WATER HASH DO’S AND DON’TS Fresh-frozen material works best. If it was not stored in the freezer, place it inside until it’s frozen.

Use a standard two-beater mixer, a drill with a paint-mixing attachment, or blender. Don’t get impatient in the final steps! Dry the material thoroughly at the end of the process. Water hash stored before it is dried molds, ruining it.Water and mash left over at the end of the process contain nutrients present in the plant material. It’s great for watering plants, using as mulch, or adding to compost.

IN THE NEXT PART: ADVANCED WATER HASH

GROW WITH RICH HAMILTON34

CARBONATEDCANNABIS

By Rich Hamilton

With any new upcoming health or lifestyle trend businesses are always looking to cash in and benefit from the next big hype, and the partially legal, ever evolving cannabis market is no different! If 2018 was the year of endless CBD products, with everything from lubes to sweets available, then brace yourself because 2019 is going to be the year of the cannabis drink! Carbonated cannabis IS the next big thing!

The fact that this year will see the launch of the first ever dedicated cannabis drinks expo in July, in San Francisco should tell you all you need to know about the potential and demand for this product. Business trend analysts have it down as one to watch with Bloomberg.com making the projection in September 2018, that the cannabis beverage market could be worth as much as $600 million by 2022 (Personally I think thats a conservative number). Recreational marijuana is now legal across Canada and in 10 US states, with New York looking to potentially join that list this year. This is exciting as it means that there is so much potential and room to grow within this

market, as the legal cannabis business "boom" is still only in its infancy.

WHY DRINKS? Drinking is super convenient, socially acceptable, discreet, cheaply manufactured, has a long shelf life, is easily accessible, a common compliment to a good meal or staying home. Most importantly, drinking doesn’t impact on the health or social forays of others as smoking and vaping does, creating smells and unwanted second hand smoke.

These reasons show why alcohol has remained such a socially acceptable drug to indulge in, despite the

devastating effect that it can have on your health. It seems that if you can drink it, then it’s ok. It’s cool to make thinly veiled jokes about “how you need a drink” or brag about how you can’t remember anything from the night before (but you had such a good time). Or to inform everyone in the office or on your social media that you are going to get “wasted” tonight! Try doing that when it comes to cannabis and you will get a much frostier reaction! Which is crazy when you think; when was the last time you saw someone who had smoked a joint, out on the street on a Friday night throwing up on their shoes and being arrested for fighting? Or clogging up and using the resources

of an over-stretched health service

due to their self induced states of intoxication?? (a song from “the streets” comes to mind) But hey, I digress; that my friends, is an article all of its own. Interesting point though, don’t you think?

So back to the matter in hand, with legalisation upon us the opportunity exists to package cannabis into this consumer friendly, socially acceptable form that could probably see those who are anti-cannabis, tempted into trying and most possibly enjoying. Tricking themselves to believe that now that it’s in a lovely bottle featuring a woman practicing yoga with radiant skin, that it is more acceptable and

has some new super food status. Or that its ok now because you can buy it with a craft beer label slapped on it, featuring claims that it has been brewed by Vegan hipsters in a log cabin out in their own self sustaining eco-system, using the teardrops of albino unicorns. The power of packaging and advertising has a lot to answer for!

I think that you have to approach any new big trend or hype with a healthy

amount of cynicism as although I’m sure that the move into cannabis drinks will result in some great new products it will also produce a lot that are just poor quality and do not live up to their claims. So with this in mind I thought it necessary to look at what is happening out there? What is legal what is not? Who are the big players and companies who want in? What can we expect to see hitting our shelves?

Whilst Cannabis is still illegal federally in the US this is not stopping the big players from investing money and marking their territory for future plans and trying out their ideas within the US dispensary market (cannabis drinks and edibles are not

CANNABIS DRINKS HAVE SEEN SOMEWHAT OF A TRIAL RUN IN THE DISPENSARIES IN THE US

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set to become legal in Canada until July 2019). The drinks industry might indeed be about to change the way we choose to enjoy cannabis forever.

There are already cannabis drinks available in the USA where legalisation has occurred. You can currently purchase THC and CBD loaded varieties of sodas such as lemonade, pomegranate and orange and alcoholic drinks such as Apple and pear cider and lager. You will find however that the majority of drinks contain CBD only as it is currently prohibited for alcoholic drinks to contain THC. Which is a good or bad thing depending on your relationship with alcohol, but is probably the most responsible decision, given the endless combinations of intoxication such a combination could produce.

Beware therefore (back to my point about the Vegan hipster Brewers!) about what you are being sold and what claims it is making because beer claiming to contain THC won't get you high and drunk at the same time. FACT. Alcoholic beer that claims to contain THC Is actually just brewed with terpenes to add the tell-tale herbal flavours of cannabis. In comparison, beer that claims to contain active THC will be alcohol free.

In terms of alcohol companies, some have already entered the market, like

Heineken owned, Laguinitas Brewing Co, who produce a non-alcoholic THC infused beer called Hi-Fi Hops sold in US dispensaries. Many of the big alcohol companies already produce non-alcoholic versions of their drinks and so its no surprise that given the

interest and hype surrounding all things cannabis that they are willing to take a gamble in developing cannabis based drinks. A gamble which is expected to pay off big time if statistics about the demand for people wanting to drink their weed are to be believed! The last 12 months has seen some big corporate deals, with Corona's owner Constellation Brands investing $4 billion in Ontario based cannabis producers Canopy Growth and Molson

Coors investing big money in Quebec based cannabis producer HEXO, with a view to producing non-alcoholic cannabis infused drinks for the mass market in Canada in 2019). It doesn't stop at beer brewers either. The parent company of Tanqueray and

Johnnie Walker has also expressed an interest in investing in cannabis.

Many Alcohol businesses see the legal weed industry as a big competitor and threat to their industry. With sales in alcohol currently either in decline or

at a standstill due to the changing of customer lifestyles and habits they see combining their products with the cannabis market as a great way to secure future sales and remain relevant.

This interest does not start and finish with the alcohol industry either, big soda companies that often come under fire for their high sugar, nutritionally vacant drinks are also expressing an interest in merging with the cannabis industry, albeit tentatively, so as not to damage their

wholesome family brands. Companies such as Coca-Cola (they don't get much bigger than that! ) Who amongst others, have held talks with British Columbia cannabis producer Aurora Cannabis about creating possible CBD infused drinks.

The official statement released by Coca-Cola states that " Along with many others in the beverage industry, we are closely watching the growth of non-psychoactive CBD as an ingredient in functional wellness beverages around the world". The use of CBD would of course fit in perfectly for all mainstream soda brands allowing products to be packaged for the health, exercise and well being market. CBD would offer the consumer benefits in the way of mood and energy enhancers without the presence of any THC.

Cannabis drinks (both CBD and THC varieties) have seen somewhat of a trial

run in the dispensaries in the US, where as of December 2017 there were already more than 100 different products available, a number that has no doubt has grown since and will surely continue on an upward trend. The success of cannabis drinks has not been lost on the big drinks companies who have taken note and considered the possibilities of replicating this model on both a national, and eventually, international scale as a fight back against the threat of falling alcohol sales. In August 2018 it was reported that following the

legalisation of cannabis in then 9 US states (now covering 64% of the US population) that the average sale of wine had decreased by 16.2% and beer by 13.8%. There is no doubting therefore that recreational cannabis is the number 1 competitor for alcohol sales. It could also prove to be the number 1 booster for drinks sales however if figures are to be believed about the potential such products have.

Analysts at Cannacord Genuity are predicting that beverages containing CBD could reach sales of $260 million by 2022 whilst drinks containing

THC could reach sales of $340 million, more than tripling their current contribution. Further predictions estimate that by the same date all drinks containing THC or CBD could hold a 20% share of the U.S edible market, compared to the 6% they hold currently. The real first big test will come this year when Canada legalises the sale of such drinks nationwide, an event which many of the big drink producers are anticipating and hurriedly preparing their new products for. If these drinks do prove to be the hit that is expected then the sky is the limit and I would fully expect the cannabis drinks market to explode into new unchartered territory, possibly, even eventually eclipsing smoking as the number 1 form of cannabis consumption.

Almost a freakish dark irony is that one of the biggest contributors of how cancer is coursed (smoking) may also be the largest cure.

MANY ALCOHOL BUSINESSES SEE THE LEGAL WEED INDUSTRY AS A BIG COMPETITOR AND THREAT TO THEIR INDUSTRY

P y r a m i d S e e d s

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O LY M P I A

38

Advanced Seeds 6

Amsterdam CBD Center 31

Amsterdam Seed Center 27

B.A.C. / BG Products 27

Barney's Farm 2

Canapa in Mostra 35

Coffeeshop Magic 1

Dinafem Seeds 1

Dinafem Seeds 39

Dutch Passion 1

Dutch Passion 9

Ed Rosenthal 28

Genofarm 19

Hempbroker420 35

INDEX OF ADSName Page

Humboldt Seed Organization 14

Jorge Cervantes 20

Kosmic Kitchen 27

Mycologics 35

Namaste Technologies 13

Paradise Seeds 1

Paradise Seeds 31

Procare 35

Pyramid Seeds 23

Royal Queen Seeds 23

Sanlight 31

Stanford Hydroponics 1

Sweet Seeds 40

Urban Gardening 35

Soft Secrets is published by Discover Publisher BVP.O.Box 362, 5460 AJ, Veghel, NetherlandsTelephone: +31-(0)73-5498112E-mail: info@softsecrets.nlWeb: www.softsecrets.com

Editor: Cliff Cremer

Contributors: Ed Rosenthal, Jorge Cervantes, Dr. John Dee, Stoney Tark, Rich Hamilton, Mr. Jose, Robert B., cccp, Thomas Valentine, and others.

Comics: Jim Stewart

Photography: iStock

Editorial adress: readers@softsecrets.nl

Advertisements:E-mail: info@softsecrets.nl

A word from the publisher:Soft Secrets is a bi-monthly free magazine which is published in The Netherlands (called Highlife), Germany, France, Italy, Spain, UK, Poland, Czech Republic and Chile.

World wide there is a process going on of relative liberalisation towards the use of cannabis, be it for medicinal or recreational purposes. Several countries legalised cannabis as a way of separating soft and hard drugs, as it has proven to do in Holland. Other countries legalised

COLOFONthe use of medicinal cannabis, including the right to grow cannabis plants for one’s own use.

The publisher wants to highlight the pro-cess of normalisation of cannabis use. This assumes that the publisher does not necessarily agree with everything that appears in articles and advertisements. The publisher therefore distances him-self explicitly from published statements or images that might give the impression that an endorsement is being made for the use and/or production of cannabis.

Nothing from this publication may be copied or reproduced in any format with-out prior permission from the publisher and other copyright holders. The pub-lisher is not responsible for the content and/or point of view of advertisements. The editor takes no responsibility for unsollicited submissions.

The publisher has endeavored to reach all copyright holders of photos and/or images. Those who still believe they are entitled to these rights may contact the publisher.

Next issue out:

July 26, 2019

ANSWERS TO THE QUIZ:PAGE 8:

1. B2. C3. A4. B5. B6. C7. D8) B9) C10) A

11) B12) D13) C14) C15) A16) B17) D18) A19) C20) B

Denver becomes first city in the U.S. to decriminalize 'magic mushrooms' after yes voters edge out the nos by less than 1 per centDenver will become the first city in the United States to decriminalize magic mushrooms, based on final unofficial results of a ballot initiative about the hallucinogenic drug.

The initiative called for Colorado’s capital to end the imposition of criminal penalties for individuals at least 21 years of age for using or possessing psilocybin, widely known as magic mushrooms.

The Denver Elections Divisions will certify results, but the final count on its website was 50.56 per cent of voters in favor and 49.44 per cent against.

If the initiative is approved, psilocybin would still remain illegal under both Colorado and federal law.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration classifies the drug as a Schedule 1 substance, meaning the agency has deemed that it has a high potential for abuse with no accepted medical application.

Decriminalize Denver, the group behind Tuesday’s ballot question, said psilocybin had a wide range of medical benefits.

It has been shown to reduce depression

and anxiety and to help in treating tobacco, alcohol and opioid addictions, and with alleviating symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to the organization.

Some opponents worry that if passed, the initiative would increase the city’s image as a haven for drugs, given that Colorado was one of the first states to legalize possession and sale of marijuana for adult recreational use.

Denver District Attorney Beth McCann opposed the initiative.

But if the measure were approved, she supported formation of a review panel under the initiative to study the effects of the drug and the impact the ordinance would have on Denver, spokeswoman Carolyn Tyler said.

Denver residents first voted to decriminalize marijuana possession in 2004, years before Colorado voters ultimately approved its legalization statewide for recreational purposes, establishing a full regulatory framework to license retail outlets and collect sales taxes on cannabis products.

Source: Dailymail.com

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