In Illinois if you are caught with 2.5 grams of marijuana you will get 30 days in jail, or fined up to $1500 dollars. If the cops find up to 10 grams in your possession you’ll get up to 6 months and possibly a $1500 dollar fine. But if found with more than 30 grams of marijuana, the courts will slap you with a class four felony and lock you up in the state penitentiary up to 3 years. Illinois marijuana laws, when it comes to possession and distributing, are not much different from other states. However, the laws surrounding medical marijuana are different and a little confusing. Many don’t know, or haven’t been told, that marijuana used for medicinal purposes is actually legal in the Land of Lincoln. But…there is a catch! The herb cannot be administered to patients in need until the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act is passed by state officials. Let’s go back about 33 years for a minute to see how?And why? Medical marijuana is technically legal in the state of Illinois.

In 1978 a bill called the Cannabis Control Act was passed by Illinois legislation to bring some kind of understanding to the states drug laws. The CC Act claimed that weed caused sociological, physical, and psychological damage, but it “occupies the unusual position of being widely used and pervasive,” in Illinois. So the Cannabis Control Act was passed in part to have a penalty system that focused on “commercial trafficking and large-scale purveyors.” Even back in the 70’s researchers and doctors argued that marijuana could and should be used for patients with certain ailments and diseases. Because of the doctors and researchers strong cases for medical marijuana the CC Act gave the Illinois Department of Human Services permission to “authorize licensed physicians to use it to treat glaucoma, the side effects of chemotherapy or radiation therapy in cancer patients or such other procedure certified to be medically necessary.” This sounded like a giant win for patients who seriously needed medical marijuana to help alleviate their pain from chemotherapy. There were two big problems with the CC Act though. The first issue was that Human Services was not required to authorize physicians, or anyone else, to administer medication to patients. Yes, they could give their consent to licensed doctors but they were not required under the CC Act. The second problem, and probably the biggest, is that Human Services could not move without the written approval of the Department of State Police. Before any patient could be prescribed medical cannabis the State Police and Human Services Dept. had to create new policies that would allow them to work together and make decisions regarding the distribution of it. Both Departments are basically sitting around waiting on one another to set some sort of policy so the other dept. can move forward. Sounds like a lot of wasted time at the risk of really helping someone in need. So…on paper medical marijuana is legal in the state of Illinois, but no one can get it yet because two departments are sitting around waiting on each other to set laws and guidelines on how it should be distributed.

The Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act, which will allow a certain amount of cannabis plants to patients with a debilitating medical condition, passed the Illinois Senate last May by a vote of 30 to 28. However, the Illinois House of Representatives did not pass the Act. As of now, medical marijuana remains illegal in Illinois. The bill has been placed on ‘postponed consideration.’ Meaning that it’ll come through the House of Reps again only if they are certain they’ll have enough votes to push the Act through.

Medical Marijuana is legal in 14 states. Illinois could be the next progressive state to help sick and suffering people if the state officials and policy-makers stop waiting around for something to happen and take a stand and come up with a plan that will allow physicians and doctors to help people. In the meantime medical marijuana will continue to be legal…just on paper, though.

Darryl Carlisle

Posted in Cannagen Exclusive | No Comments »

Twin initiatives that would regulate marijuana sales and production and legalize the possession of pot by adults were filed with the state Secretary of State’s office Wednesday. The initiatives were filed by a new coalition called Show-Me Cannabis.

You could grow 100 square feet’s worth of these if a Missouri initiative becomes law (Image: The author)

One of the initiatives would amend the state constitution; the other would revise state statutes. The Secretary of State’s office has a month to approve their language. Once one or both are approved, signature gathering aimed at putting the initiative on the November 2012 ballot could get underway.

The initiative would:

–Remove marijuana from the state’s schedule of controlled substances; –Legalize marijuana possession by adults over 21. No amount is specified;

–Legalize the cultivation of up to 100 square feet of marijuana for personal use; –Allow for licensed commercial marijuana cultivation and sales;

–Allow the legislature to enact a tax of up to $100 a pound on marijuana sold for personal use;

–Allow for medical marijuana use with a doctor’s recommendation and apply protections to doctors and patients;

–Allow employers to fire workers who are impaired on the job; –Make no changes to impaired driving laws; and

–Allow for the production of industrial hemp.

“The state presently spends millions of tax dollars incarcerating citizens who use cannabis, depriving those imprisoned of the ability to earn a living, pay taxes and care for their families,” said initiative backer Fred Raines, Professor Emeritus of Economics at Washington University. “Meanwhile, the law of supply and demand continues to support an unending criminal enterprise. The social and economic costs of prohibition continue to far outweigh any benefits. It’s time we acknowledge that and move forward.”

Also backing the campaign are the Missouri affiliate of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, NORML chapters in St. Louis, Kansas City, Joplin; the MU campus in Columbia, the MSSU campus in Joplin, Students for Sensible Drug Policy, and the medical marijuana group Sensible Missouri.

Missouri is now at least the sixth state where efforts to get marijuana legalization on the November 2012 ballot are underway. The others are California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Oregon, and Washington.

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Phytocanabinoids•THC and other marijuana chemicals

By Edgar A Suter MD, DoctorSuter.com

Our bodies make a variety of marijuana-like chemicals called “endocannabinoids” that activate many brain, pain receptor, and other endocannabinoid receptors distributed throughout the tissues and organs of our bodies. As you would expect, the activation of these endocannabinoid receptors affects and regulates the chemical processes of our bodies—pain, inflammation, immune response, cardiovascular function, gastrointestinal function, etc.

How necessary to our health are these cannabinoid systems? Recall the European diet drug Rimonabant™. Rimonabant blocked endocannabinoid receptors and was a fabulously effective diet drug. Unfortunately, Rimonabant so effectively blocked cannabinoid receptors that it caused such severe depression that patients taking Rimonabant committed suicide and the drug had to be pulled from the market. Activation of cannabinoid receptors is essential to mental health and life itself.

THC and the other unique chemicals of the marijuana plant, cannabis, are categorized as “phytocannabinoids,” namely, “plant cannabinoids.” THC and other phytocannabinoids mimic our own endocannabinoids because, in three dimensions, the phytocannabinoids are shaped like our endocannabinoids. Because of their similar shape, phytocannabinoids activate our endocannabinoid receptors. It is no surprise then that marijuana’s chemicals cause a multiplicity of pleasant and beneficial effects, enhancing physical and mental health. Recall too that, quite unlike the medical and recreational drugs marijuana replaces, marijuana has never caused a fatality. In a 1997 New England Journal of Medicine article “Reefer Madness–The Federal Response to California’s Medical-Marijuana Law” (N Engl J Med. 1997 Aug 7; 337(6): 435-9.), George Annas calculated that one would have to smoke “nearly 1500 pounds of marijuana within about fifteen minutes to induce a lethal response,” a death by asphyxiation, not drug toxicity. Unless a 1-ton bale of marijuana falls on your head, marijuana cannot kill you. You cannot say the same for aspirin, oxycodone, or even alcohol.

In 1964 THC was the first of marijuana’s unique chemicals to be isolated, but discovery of CBD and numerous other cannabinoids quickly followed. Marijuana has other unique cannabinoids, “terpenophenolic” chemicals that, besides giving marijuana strains their unique scent and flavor properties, are being discovered to have medical benefits. This article will focus on the two most-studied cannabinoids, THC and CBD.

THC

THC, short for ∆⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol, read “delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol,” is marketed commercially as “dronabinol” or Marinol™ and is the most psychoactive of marijuana’s chemicals. THC partially activates CB1 and CB2 receptors about equally (see “The endocannabinoid system—whazzat?” in The Green Leaf, March 2011). THC mimics the endocannabinoid anandamide and so eases pain and is thought to account for the neuroprotective effects of marijuana (e.g., the decreases in the damaging demyelination of multiple sclerosis, amyloid deposition and neurofibrillatory tangles of Alzheimer’s Disease, and even regression of the aggressive “GBM” brain cancer, glioblastoma multiforme).

THC and other cannabinoids dissolve poorly in water, but dissolve well in fats, glycerine, and alcohol. Their relative insolubility in water explains why the cannabinoids resin-making cells of marijuana, the “trichomes,” can be separated by cold-water extraction methods to make bubble hash without the trichomes’ active ingredients simply dissolving into a soupy tea in your hash bags. Because some of the characteristic chemicals of marijuana do dissolve in water, some compounds are washed away by the cold-water method and so connoisseurs do note a blandness of bubble hash in comparison with hash made by traditional methods. On the other hand, the non-traditional methods of extraction do provide the “full melt” characteristic that lends so well to vaporization. Qualified patients who wish to study these methods in depth should consult the 2010 second edition of Robert Connell Clarke’s book Hashish.

Too, THC’s excellent solubility in fats, glycerine, and alcohol explains why butter, oils, glycerine, and liquor make such effective extracts and tinctures.

CBD

CBD, short for “cannabidiol,” acts by influencing endocannabinoids, phytocannabinoids, and serotonin. While there is evidence that CBD directly activates CB1 or CB2 receptors, CBD’s indirect actions chemically competing with THC and other cannabinoids may also be important. CBD has also been shown to activate a certain subset of serotonin receptors, the 5-HT_1A receptors (receptors related to commonly prescribed anti-depressants such as Prozac and Zoloft).

It is often, but inaccurately, said that CBD is not psychoactive. CBD does moderate the cerebral “high” of THC. Strains of marijuana high in CBD are less psychoactive than the percentage of THC would otherwise suggest, but CBD does display its own subtle psychoactivity. Paradoxically, some CBD research has shown that CBD can be sedating while other research shows CBD increases alertness. Interest in CBD, however, does not center on its subtle psychoactive properties. Instead CBD is receiving increasing attention for its remarkable anti-epilepsy, anti-inflammatory, anti-anxiety, anti-nausea, and even anti-cancer benefits. CBD inhibits cancer cell growth through a combination of actions (CB2 receptor, TrpV1 capsaicin-receptor, down-regulation of the ID1 oncogene, and induction of oxidative stress) that force “apoptosis,” forcing the programmed cell death from which cancers escape.

To reap these benefits of CBD, breeders have developed high-CBD strains of marijuana. Currently the Society of Cannabis Clinicians defines high-CBD strains as those with greater than 4% CBD by weight or greater than 2.5% CBD if CBD exceeds THC content. Typical medical grade cannabis may have only 0.5-1% CBD, but 14-18% THC. Among the better known high-CBD strains (percentages vary greatly depending on drying, curing and storage, but are reported here as tested by Steep Hill Lab, Oakland CA): Cannatonic 6% CBD/6% THC (Resin Seeds, Barcelona, Spain), Harlequin 8-9% CBD/5.5-6% THC (Cornerstone Research Collective, Los Angeles CA), Women’s Collective Stinky Purple 9.7% CBD/1.2% THC, and the champion, outdoor-grown “True Blueberry x OG Kush” 13.9% CBD/6-7% THC (Full Spectrum Genetics, Yreka CA).

Patient preferences and needs vary. Some prefer and need more THC; others prefer and need more CBD. Besides choice of strains, patients have another method to adjust their relative THC and CBD dosages, vaporizing their medicine. Vaporizing or “vaping” involves heating the medicine to a temperature below the combustion temperature, the temperature at which the marijuana actually burns, approximately 200°C. (392°F.). This allows the inhalation of the vaporized medicine without inhaling the unhealthy stuff from burned “wood,” much better than smoking.

THC and CBD vaporize (turn from a solid into a gas) at different temperatures. THC vaporizes at 157°C. (315°F.) and CBD at 188°C. (370°F.). By adjusting the temperature of a quality vaporizer like the Storz and Bickel Volcano® (http://www.storz-bickel.com), patients may selectively inhale medicine that is THC-rich or CBD-rich.

To obtain THC-rich medicine, simply set the vaporizer for 160°C. and titrate your inhalation of the collected vapor.

To obtain CBD-rich medicine, set the vaporizer for 160°C., allow all the THC to be vaporized without collecting it (or collect it to be used by another patient that prefers the THC-rich fraction). After all the THC has vaporized, turn up the vaporizer temperature to 190°C. and titrate your inhalation of the now CBD-enriched vapor.

For the history and to follow promising developments in the study of CBD, I refer readers to http://www.projectCBD.com.

“Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera”

This is, of course, a short and simplified overview. At my recent check almost 100 phytocannabinoids have been isolated from marijuana, so stay tuned. Much more remains to be known about other common cannabinoids: CBG (Cannabigerol), CBC (Cannabichromene), CBL (Cannabicyclol), CBV (Cannabivarin), THCV (Tetrahydrocannabivarin), CBDV (Cannabidivarin), CBCV (Cannabichromevarin), CBGV (Cannabigerovarin), and CBGM (Cannabigerol Monoethyl Ether). In future articles I will develop the details.

In 2003 the US government awarded itself US patent #6630507 for cannabinoids as antioxidants and neuroprotectants. No, you are not confused; that is the same federal government that classifies marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug because it supposedly has no medical usefulness. Go figure.

Underscoring “our” government’s hypocrisy regarding inexpensive and easily-grown marijuana is the recognition that besides endocannabinoids and phytocannabinoids, there is a third class of cannabinoids, synthetic cannabinoids, the drugs that Big Pharma is patenting to sell you. Wanna bet whether the feds will classify those expensive synthetic drugs as Schedule 1 having “no medical benefit”? Follow the money.

Any questions? Any topics you would like me to address in these columns? Send me an email at staff@doctorsuter.com.

Posted in Research | 6 Comments »

By J.Lee – San Jose Ca

April 27th 2011

By order of the City Council, now opening in San Jose…the following legally approved
Medical Marijuana Mega-Dispensaries:

Canna –CO
Shears
Mari-Mart
Safe-Access-Way
Spacey’s
And of course,
4/20
(“Open 4 days a week, 20 hrs a day for your convenience!”)

Maintaining the South Bay Area reputation of innovation, the San Jose City Council
sponsored “10 Cannabis Club Maximum Law” has now gone into effect. Even if low
estimates of patient numbers are distributed evenly, each Club will need to service
10,000+ patients per month, over 300 per day, or roughly 30 per hour throughout average
opening times. As a result, in order to handle all the activity, an additional law will soon
go into effect allowing 24 hour dispensaries. Since medicine can only be grown on-site,
each Mega-Club will be required to occupy at least 100,000 square feet of space in order
to provide for all their patient needs. Several Council members are proud to note their 2
years of hard work and well thought out plans for regulation of medical dispensaries is
directly responsible for alleviating some of the recent unoccupied real estate concerns and
also for improved employment figures in the gardening sector. PGE expects to recover
much of its’ recent loss of profits with the resulting increased power consumption of
the grow “farms”. Of course, traffic patterns have been affected resulting in huge daily
bottlenecks around the designated areas approved for dispensary operations. Commuters
are enraged and a movement is underway to create “non-user lanes” on local freeways to
avoid the congestion. On a related note, the immense back-up of legal maneuvering by
the coalition of closed dispensary owners has created a need for more lawyers and thus
additional housing occupancy and employment increases in San Jose.

Reality:
The San Jose City website states the new decision on the 10 club limit passed by a
6-5 vote. In the May/June time-frame, the process will be reviewed with a decision
released sometime in August on how to apply to be one of the chosen 10. The website
specifically says to not come down to city hall and line up but to check back on the
website for updates. The guidelines state that no more than 2 clubs can operate per
district with supplies only available from on-site grow operations. Still to be determined
special licensing and other regulations will be outlined in the upcoming decisions. The
motion put up for vote was based on a recommendation by Vice-Mayor Madison Nguyen
and supported by Mayor Chuck Reed. Voting against the 10 club limit were Council
Members Pierluigi Oliverio, Ash Kalra, Don Rocha, Kansen Chu and Xavier Campos

The Good News:
On a positive side for medicinal marijuana advocates, new Santa Clara County District
Attorney Jeff Rosen is expected to soon release guidelines that would allow marijuana
collectives to operate legally in Santa Clara County. A key element will be the emphasis
on cooperation and communication as an alternative to police raids. Letters would
be sent to dispensaries detailing possible violations and asking that they be remedied,
whereas last year’s police raids occurred without any warning. Upon approval, the un-
announced raids would stop. Said chief assistant district attorney Jay Boyarsky, “We
have to enforce what the law really is, not what we might wish it to be.” Also providing
comment was James Sibley, head of D.A. Rosen’s narcotics unit and the person
who wrote the protocols following several months of investigation. Regarding the
investigations and arrests, he stated “I think we can do it more efficiently and a lot
more within the spirit of the law.” Sibley added “If the (marijuana dispensaries) are
genuinely trying to comply, then giving them opportunity to do so seems to better fulfill
the public intent.” These are reasonable, well thought out, common-sense based remarks
that although must be taken in the proper context of yet-to-be defined authority, are an
indication of positive compromises that were unexpected and unthinkable just a few short
months ago.

A new sense of cautious optimism is certainly a step forward for San Jose. If the City
Council fails us now, they could go down in history…or just plain down.

Ref:
www.sanjoseca.gov
www.mercurynews.com

Posted in Cannagen Exclusive | 1 Comment »

Medbox founder developed dispensing system to further legitimize medication

By Jason Morgan

Whether you use it to fulfill your prescription, have seen it at your local collective or are reading about it for the first time right here, it’s easy to see the far-reaching benefits of the Medicine Dispensing System—aka MedBox—from Prescription Vending Machines, Inc. (www.thedispensingsolution.com)

In fact, it’s not a stretch to believe that the MedBox could be just what the medical marijuana industry needs to be taken seriously across the country, as well as the world, as a legitimate medication.

The concept is simple: Supply safe and convenient access to medicine for patients and, at the same time, provide inventory management for pharmacy owners. Those were the primary objectives for Prescription Vending Machines founder and CEO Vincent Mehdizadeh, who got a taste of owning and running collectives for quite a few years and immediately saw a need for a standard method of dispensing medical marijuana.

“If medical marijuana is ever to be treated fairly in medicine, we need a standard method of dispensing it in a place similar to that found in the pharmacy industry,” said Mehdizadeh, who has dedicated the last three years perfecting the patented medicine dispensing machine and supporting software. “The machine does exactly that and more.”

Within strict compliance of California’s SB420 and Proposition 215, as well as all other states’ legislative regulations concerning collectives, the system is based on a debit-card-style membership where patients add cash to a prepaid identification card coded with their unique fingerprint. Cards are only valid at MedBox clinics where a patient has already registered by providing proper identification and a valid physician’s statement.

Once a patient is entered into the system, he or she can easily and conveniently obtain their medical marijuana via the high-tech vending machines, which are already available at nearly a dozen collectives in Southern California and are expanding to countries such as Canada, Japan, England and even Russia.

The machine’s touchscreen user interface allows patients to choose from up to 50 different varieties of medicine in four different quantities—1 gram, 3.5 grams, 7 grams and 14 grams. And according to Mehdizadeh, who encourages dispensaries to stock the machines daily, patients can still examine the medicine contained in the machine during normal business hours at the collective through over-the-counter inspection. He also said medicine can be dispensed over the counter with the same member contribution card used at the dispensing machine.

But the company’s goal isn’t just to serve patients—Mehdizadeh wants to alleviate the stressful business environment that can come with owning and operating a dispensary.

“I’ve ran clinics myself and I have a legal background, so I wanted to take my legal knowledge and knowledge of dispensaries and come up with a compliance tool such as this machine,” Mehdizadeh said. “That’s what it is—a compliance tool. Something for clinics to help document that what they’re doing is within the local and state legal guidelines.”

Mehdizadeh said it’s also a powerful tool for inventory management, as the software and hardware allows the machine to organize, dispense, itemize, and, best of all, manage the medication. Furthermore, operators have the power to restrict patients to a designated quantity dispensed at the machine per day, week, etc.

And since cash is transacted on prepaid cards, tracking overall clinic income and expenses is simple and completely confidential as the system and data are all maintained on site.

Mehdizadeh believes the machine also promotes a safer dispensary that is less likely to be robbed, violated or vandalized since most of the inventory is safely locked away.

For dispensaries that may not want the full machine, the company offers its POS (point-of-sale) software package that includes a computer, software, biometric reader, card swiper and application that allows for patients to receive prepaid member contribution cards. The process is similar to the dispensing machine as transactions are tracked via the software, but the medication is dispensed by collective personnel as opposed to the machine itself. The POS system is included with each machine at no additional charge.

While the MedBox may not be for every patient or every collective, the company seems to be on the right track toward overall legitimacy for the medical marijuana industry. In fact, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the MedBox pop up at a lot more collectives in the near future.

Mehdizadeh also is proud that a portion of the company’s proceeds from every sale of a Medicine Dispensing System will be donated to the following organizations: Americans For Safe Access, National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws and the Marijuana Policy Project.

For more information, check out www.thedispensingsolution.com or www.cannamedbox.com. And if you’re interested in purchasing a machine or POS system, call 866-592-5890.

Tags: Cannabis, cannabis doctors, compliance, medbox, medical marijuana vending machines, prop 215, sb 420
Posted in Cannagen Exclusive | 1 Comment »

April 2, 2011 | Sanden Totten | KPCC

The third HempCon came to the Los Angeles Convention Center this weekend. It’s an event that brings together businesses involved in the medical marijuana industry. Convention organizers say it’s the largest one yet, with close to 150 vendors.

With reggae music in background and promoters handing out samples of treats and smoking devices, HempCon has a party like vibe. But vendors are hoping to do some serious business.

A recent study from an economic group called See Change Strategy estimated that the medical marijuana industry will be worth 1.7 billion dollars this year. Growers, dispensaries and pipe makers all turned out to grab a piece of that market.

Andrew Schoenfeld brought an invention he hopes will be the next big thing in smoking technology, a coffee cup like device he calls the “PipeMug.”

“It’s a pipe with a mug in it,” Shoenfeld explains. “You put your weed in the bowl here and you suck through the handle.”

Shoenfeld says the idea came to him while he was high and as far as he knows it’s the first device to combine drinking and smoking.

“Rip it and sip it,” Sheonfeld says.

The convention also features a number of start-ups seeking to bring weed to the web, including a daily deal site similar to Groupon called Kushpon. It offers users discounts on pot related products.

Another booth advertises a marijuana friendly social network called WeedHookUp.com. It’s a site where people can find dispensaries, doctors and even a date. The site’s promoters hope it will be the Facebook of marijuana users.

Read Original Article Here  – http://www.scpr.org/news/2011/04/02/latest-medical-marijuana-paraphernalia-display-hem/

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

WEED DEALINGS – GOLDEN NUGS

Article from – Viceland

Read the rest at Vice Magazine: WEED DEALINGS – GOLDEN NUGS – Viceland Today

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

By William Weir, The Hartford Courant
Source: Hartford Courant

Connecticut — After shooting down a proposal for the state to grow medical marijuana and dispense it through pharmacies, the General Assembly’s judiciary committee passed a bill Tuesday that would allow patients with certain conditions to grow their own marijuana.

The bill, which would allow patients suffering from a debilitating disease to grow marijuana for medicinal use, passed 34-10. It now goes to the Senate floor, although a review of the bill could refer it to a different committee.

If the measure passes, the state could not prosecute people for possession of marijuana if they have a signed certification from their physician. To receive the certification, a person must have a debilitating medical condition such as cancer, glaucoma, AIDS, Parkinson’s disease or multiple sclerosis.

The bill would allow people with certification to grow up to four plants in their home.

This legislation is the same bill that then-Gov. M. Jodi Rell vetoed in 2007, but it now has the support of Gov. Dannel P. Malloy. The two main arguments against the bill were that medical substitutes for marijuana are available and have gone through the Food and Drug Administration’s approval process, and that it conflicts with federal law.

John W. Hetherington, R-New Canaan, opposed the bill, saying that it invites “people to undertake a great risk legally.” He added that although he’s in favor of anything that will help people who are suffering, going against federal law isn’t the way to do it.

“What kind of message are we sending to the young people?” Hetherington said. “What kind of message are we sending? ‘We don’t like the federal law, so we’re simply going to disregard it.’ “

The committee’s co-chairman, Sen. Eric D. Coleman, D-Bloomfield, said that the president has signed an executive order that the federal government would not interfere with state laws regarding medical marijuana.

Before the discussion of the bill itself, committee members discussed an amendment proposed by Sen. John A. Kissell, R-Enfield. Instead of allowing patients to grow their own marijuana, the amendment called for the state to grow it and have pharmacies dispense it. Kissell suggested that it could be grown at the University of Connecticut, under proper security. Kissell noted that the University of Mississippi has received federal permission to grow marijuana for research purposes, and suggested that UConn might get a similar federal go-ahead.

“If marijuana is going to be used for medicinal purposes, then we should treat it like any other drug and dispense it through pharmacies,” Kissell said. “If we’re going to move forward with this, it does need to have some kind of dispensary that would work.”

In other states where patients are allowed to grow their own marijuana, Kissell said, criminals have targeted those homes. Having medical marijuana dispensed at pharmacies would eliminate that risk, he said.

Other committee members said that the amendment was flawed. Some questioned whether pharmacies actually could dispense marijuana legally, and others objected to the idea of growing marijuana at UConn. Rep. Mary G. Fritz, D-Wallingford, said that cultivation of marijuana could jeopardize the university’s federal grants, especially those for its agricultural program.

The amendment failed, 27-10, but committee members said that parts of the amendment might be worked into the bill as it proceeds through the legislative process.

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Hydroponic nutrients and additives are seen by many beginning growers as the key to success.  As I stated before , the 3 most important factors that contribute to a quality harvest are genetics, atmosphere and nutrition.  If you were to grow 2 genetically identical hydroponic crops side by side within the same atmosphere, and supplied them with an adequate supply of any base nutrient they would both grow well.  Another thing to keep in mind is that every strain has different needs. Some base nutrients may have a formula that are preferred by some of the varieties in your garden but not by others. There are so many factors effecting the final yield and quality of cannabis. Nutrient solution temperature, CO2, amount of light, room temperature, air flow, nutrient ratios,  etc.   What company has the best nutrients?  The winner of any side by side grow trial is whoever sponsors the trial. The point is that there is no rigorous peer reviewed laboratory trials going on with any base nutrients or additives for that matter. Most of the claims of hydroponic products are extrapolations from scientific research.  To come to a conclusion that one brand of hydroponic base nutrient is the best fit for every variety of cannabis is not grounded in reality.

Today I am here to answer one simple question. Are Nutrifield base nutrients worth the money?  Will they give you a solid foundation and quality crops?  Read on my thirsty friends.

To test these nutrients I setup 2 -4×4 ebb and flow tables with 9 cuttings on each table. The room is 10 x 7 with an 8 foot ceiling and is being cooled by a Kenmore 6000BTU wall AC unit. The temperature is kept in the range between 72F and 77F. The humidity stays within the 30 – 50% range. The two strains I am growing are Mary O.G kush and the local favorite Bubba Skywalker. I have been growing both these strains for around 4 years so I know exactly what they like. The cuttings were started in 1.5″ rockwool cubes but were transplanted into 6″ Hugo blocks and vegged for two weeks. I used ph adjusted tap water and only Nutrifield base nutrients, no additives. Within 2 weeks of veg, the cuttings had grown to about 14″ and it was time to flip them to 12/12. They were fed once a day for 8 minutes and the reservoir was changed once a week. The ppm started at around 800 in Veg and they were gradually raised to about 1200-1300 during week 7 of flower. At the end of week 7 I dropped the ppms to around 800 and then down to 600ppm for the last 2 weeks. The buds were not flushed. Now for the total yield and smoke report.

Yield: Mary OG – 352 grams, Bubba Skywalker – 902 grams. (2.8 pounds)

Note: This room typically yields anywhere from 2.5 to 3.25 pounds with these strains depending on conditions. As you can see I hit the target almost directly in the middle.

Smoke report: After a 3 week cure the buds were ready to smoke. The Mary OG and the Bubba Skywalker were booth absolutely dripping with trichomes.  The smell of each was as they usually are. The taste and effect of the cured buds was also as expected.I didnt taste or feel any differences in the final product.

Conclusion: Nutrifield Base Nutrients are a cost efficient alternative to Advanced Nutrients, Canna or House and Garden. Nutrifield Elements usually run you about 35% cheaper than the big boys. I would highly recommend trying a run with these nutrients.

Tags: Cannabis, cannagen, dispensaries, dispensary, ebb and flow, ganja, hydroponics, medical marijuana, og kush
Posted in Product Review | No Comments »

Posted in Humor | 3 Comments »