Issue #18 -
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Dear Fellow Grower,
In today's issue you'll discover...
- Part 2 of our guide on how to control your cannabinoid levels for maximum potency and just the right effects!
- Enjoy your marijuana more responsibly with a high-end vaporizer.
- Learn how you can give back to the marijuana growing community
- The answer to a question about a defoliating autoflower cannabis plants.
We hope you enjoy this issue of Grow Weed Easy!
Happy Growing!
Nebula Haze and Sirius Fourside (founders of GrowWeedEasy.com)
"The secret of improved plant breeding, apart from scientific knowledge, is love."
Luther Burbank
Cannabinoids I Love 2:
Part 2 of Mastering Your Cannabinoid Levels
By Nebula Haze
Last week, we did an expose on the differences between THC, CBD and CBN, the 3 main cannabinoids that we've studied which cause many of the effects of marijuana.
Today we will explain what you need to know, as a grower, to influence these levels in your marijuana buds.
Quick Summary from last week:
THC (delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol)
- relieves some types of pain
- causes euphoria
- contributes to altered space-time perception and lapses in memory
- stimulates appetite for many people
- too much THC can cause anxiety for some
CBN (Cannabinol)
- much less psychoactive than THC
- can reduce anxiety some people experience from THC
- has a relaxing effect
- too much CBN can make people feel groggy
- some argue that small amounts of CBN make buds seem more potent
CBD (Cannabidiol)
- CBD levels in marijuana primarily determined by genetics
- CBD is not psychoactive (though like CBN, the presence of CBD can influence effects of THC)
- may prevent convulsions
- offers relief for anxiety and nausea
- relieves some types of inflammation
- may slow growth of cancer cells
Now we're going to jump into the practical and show you exactly what you need to know, so you can control the levels of each of these 3 cannabinoids in the buds you grow.
3 Steps to Controlling THC, CBD, and CBN levels in your buds
1.) Pick Your Strain (genetics play a big factor for THC and CBD)
If you've grown a few different strains before, you probably already realize that the genes of your plants plants play a big role in the results of your marijuana grow.
When it comes to influencing your levels of THC and CBD, the strain you start with is basically the most important factor.
Genetics largely determine the amounts of THC and CBD produced in your buds.
Remember: Unlike THC and CBD discussed in this step, the most practical way to control CBN levels is using the correct harvest, drying, and curing methods. We'll discuss these in a moment.
Because genes determine many of the cannabinoids levels, for best results you must find a strain which has the effects you are seeking.
Looking for marijuana strains with high THC levels?
THC levels are commonly bragged about. THC is the most psychoactive component of marijuana buds.
Many of the more famous, "ultra-potent" strains are high-THC (low CBD) strains.
High THC Strains
Looking for marijuana strains with high CBD levels?
Strains with "Afghan" or "Afghani" lineage tend to have higher levels of CBD, as do most non-psychoactive varieties like Ruderalis (auto-flowering) and hemp.
Afghan strains are potent and easy to grow, generally have high CBD content and produce great yields. Therefore strains with Afghan lineage are usually a great choice for beginning growers looking for a marijuana strain with higher levels of CBD.
Ruderalis (auto-flowering) plants are high-CBD yet stay very tiny, so are only recommended for stealth grows or those looking for small amounts of medicine.
2.) Harvest At the Right Time (plays a factor for THC and CBN)
While you cannot control CBD levels with harvest methods, you can influence the the amount of THC and CBN in your buds by choosing the right time to harvest your plant.
CBD levels seem to remain relatively stable for most of normal harvesting period.
Pick the right time to harvest by watching:
- Pistols ("white hairs" that grow from new buds)
- Trichomes (crystals or resin glands, the glittery stuff on your marijuana buds)
Watch Pistols
This is the simplest harvest method. Watch the pistols/hairs growing on the buds and harvest based on how many have darkened and curled in.
- For a speedier high, harvest when about 40% of white hairs have darkened and curled in
- For highest THC levels and buds that make you soar, wait until buds have fattened and 50-70% of the white hairs have darkened and curled in.
- For higher CBN levels, which cause more of a relaxing effect, wait until new white hairs stop growing, and 80-90% of the hairs have darkened and there are few white hairs.
Watch Trichomes
For the marijuana scientist, watching the trichomes gives you a bit more insight into what's going on with your plant's cannabinoinds.
Plus it's really fun to look at trichomes through a jeweler's loupe or microscope.
- Early on, when there are still many clear trichomes, buds tends to produce a heady, wired kind of high. THC levels are lower at this point, though they're ramping up each day.
- For highest THC levels, harvest when nearly all the clear trichomes have turned milky white. This will produce buds with the most mind-altering effects.
- For a more relaxing effect, wait to harvest until many of the milky white trichomes have darkened to amber/gold. These amber trichomes have a bit less THC, but more CBN. The presence of CBN often reduces the anxiety some people feel from high THC levels.
There is a lot of variation between strains and people's preferences, so it is highly recommended you experiment with your plants to see what works best for you.
Important Tip: Exact harvest time isn't as critical as we once thought.
Often buds have similar levels of cannabinoids even when harvested weeks apart.
How do I experiment with harvest time if I only grow 1 or 2 plants?
It is totally okay to harvest different parts of your plants at different times.
Just make sure there is enough green foliage left to support the plant.
Some growers say that harvesting different parts of the plant at different times is stressful for the plant, and that is true.
It's also been shown that stress near harvest time actually causes an increase in resin/cannabinoid production, which most growers find beneficial.
While you're in the harvest window, your plant puts all her effort into making the most awesome buds possible.
As long as you have a healthy plant, I highly recommend harvesting different parts of the plant at different times (labeling them so you remember which one you harvested when!) to find out what works best for you.
3.) Dry and Cure Buds Properly
Most growers agree that drying buds slowly and then curing buds in an air-tight space improves the taste and smell of buds.
Many growers also agree that curing your marijuana buds for 2-4 weeks or longer actually seems to increase the subjective potency of buds.
Curing buds for a longer period causes some of the THC to turn into CBN, which happens as the THC is exposed to air.
Some people also speculate that having a bit of CBN helps "activate" THC effects.
Whether it's because of this process or or something else, curing marijuana buds has an effect on potency, in addition to improving the taste and smell.
Curing for too long (over 6 months) does not continue to cause any increase in potency. Buds actually start getting less potent as much of the THC degrades.
You can safely store buds longer when marijuana is kept in a dark, cool, dry airtight environment.
Remember: marijuana buds should always be dry prior to any kind of long-term storage, and you may have dry them again if you store them somewhere that has high humidity.
About Nebula Haze and Her Love of Cannabinoids
I personally use cannabis for the treatment of anxiety, and to prevent seizures. I like to have slightly higher CBD and CBN levels in my buds. Because of this, I tend to choose higher-CBD strains, harvest later and cure buds longer.
On the other hand, I know many growers who prefer cannabis with high THC and low CBD and CBN levels because the result can be more 'up' or 'trippy.' These growers choose low CBD strains and tend to harvest their buds several weeks earlier than I would.
We both love the buds we grow.
To see what suits you best, I strongly recommend personal experimentation with strains, harvest times, and curing length.
This is one of the best aspects of growing your own weed; you can choose to produce buds that do exactly what you want.
Now everyone's individual experience is going to be different, there's no one-size-fits-all.
Yet now you have something most other growers don't; you are armed with the knowledge you need to tune into your own perfect grow.
Join Nebula Haze on Twitter
Check It Out!
 We all know that vaporizers are better for your health, yet do they really work?
I used to think that vaporizers just didn't work for me...
Now, I have found 2 full-size vaporizers that will do the trick, even for someone with my "higher" tolerance.
One is the Volcano Vaporizer which is without a doubt, an awesome, high-quality product. However, the $530 price tag can be more than a little scary for many of us. The Volcano is definitely the "cream of the crop" Rolls Royce of vaporizers.
The other, and my favorite vaporizer/"smoking" piece, is the Arizer Extreme-Q Vaporizer. It costs about $140, it's very easy to use, it's easier on your body, and it packs a punch! Remote control? Check. Timer? Check. Multiple ways to vaporize? Check!
We Need Your Help!
Ever wondered how you could help overgrow the world?
Interested in getting exposure while showing off your growing skills
and helping other growers around the world produce bigger, more
potent buds?
Do you have experiences, pictures, or lessons learned that you believe will be helpful for other growers?
If so, we want to hear from you!
Nebula
Haze and Sirius Fourside, founders of GrowWeedEasy.com, have dedicated
their lives to building the most comprehensive, easy-to-follow marijuana
growing resource in the world.
We
know that the best way to get medicine into the hands of those in
needs is to provide people with information that makes it easy for
anyone to grow it themselves....
From a newsletter subscriber
"Great info as always. I honestly gleen something important every issue. I too tried defoliation for the first time and did it ever work. WOW! The girls got REALLY frosty and rewarded me for pruning them with a batch of honest to God two hit wonder. Barneys Pineapple Chunk and Dutch Passion Blueberry - both just loved the attention. I had no idea what defoliation was until I came to this site. Thanks as usual!"
Thanks! These are the best kinds of emails we get! Good luck in your grow!
Sirius
Question: I am 3 weeks in on my 1st autoflower cannabis grow of Pineapple Express. Can defoliating also work with autoflowering plants?
Answer: That's a great question! To be honest, I don't know since neither Nebula nor I have tried it. So here's my totally speculative answer:
Autoflowering plants work on a set biological clock. After a certain amount of time, they will flower and eventually be ready for harvest whether you like it or not.
This self-set schedule makes it tough to defoliate a plant properly and give it time to recover and grow stronger. In short, It's not something I would recommend considering the short auto-flowering lifespan.
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