JULY/AUGUST 2009 $4.95 USD

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LOS ANGELES NEW YORK SAN FRANCISCO MIAMI LONDON PARIS ZURICH SHIBUYA

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Printed on recycled paper with soy-based ink.

TODD MCCORMICKeditor-in-chief

TODD MCCORMICK BRIAN ROBERTS

publishers

KIRA LEE ORSAG deputy editor

DRUE YOUNGcreative director

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contributing writers:LAWRENCE BROOKE

DALE S. CLARE WILLIAM L. COURTNEY, M.D.

RICHARD COWANSTEPHEN DEANGELO

FRED GARDNER &O’SHAUGHNESSY’S

NEWS SERVICEJEFF JONES

TODD MCCORMICKJOE ROGAN

ARJAN ROSKAM

contributing artists:AARON MCGRUDER

SCOTT STEWART

contributing photographers:TONY CHAVEZ

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PREMIER ISSUETABLE OF CONTENT

Photo by Ideeone. Hemp cultivated for the paper and textile industry.

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FEATURES

THE FIRST ANNUAL THC EXPO SHOWGUIDELos Angeles Convention Center

WELCOME TO THE RESISTANCEThe War against the War On DrugsWords by Joe Rogan

A HEMP SPORTS CARThe Lotus ECO Elise

THE RESOLUTIONARYQ&A with Julia Butterfly

HEMPIRE STASH

LETTER FROM THE EDITORWords by Todd McCormick

A TRANSDERMAL CANNABINOID PATCHWords by Lawrence Brooke

CANNABIS CROP REPORTSThe Economics of LegalizationWords by Richard Cowan

GOING BACK TO CALIWords by Stephen Deangelo

THE GREATEST STORY NEVER TOLDSmoking Cannabis DOES NOT Cause CancerWords by Fred Gardner

CANNABINOID LEVELSWords by O’shaughnessy’s News Service

OAKSTERDAM UNIVERSITYThe Highest DegreeWords by Dale S. Clare

VAPE MEASUREThe Vaporizer Assessment ProjectWords by Jeff Jones

GREEN LEAFCompost the Leaf or Consume it?Words by William L. Courtney, M.D.

VOLUME 1 NO. 1JULY/AUGUST 2009

WTF?!?

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Welcome to the THC Expo and HEMPIRE Magazine! �ank you very much for taking the time to pick up this magazine and for attending the First Annual THC Expo being held at the Los Angeles Convention Center. �is is an exciting time in history for all of us who have been working in the Cannabis reform movement; the winds of change move quickly as the ease of information dissemination touches us all.

Just 25 years ago, HEMP was a long-lost part of history that more people had forgotten then remembered, now with the help of Google, a person only has to mistype HELP with one keystroke of the letter “L” and change HELP to HEMP and in doing so, become exposed to information that not so long ago was an almost unspeakable part of our history, now there’s not an environmentalist among us who cannot elegantly espouse the environmental benefits of this age-old plant.

I chose the name HEMPIRE for our new magazine because it exemplified Cannabis’s true place in history. Cannabis was since the dawn of man an agricul-tural empire unto itself, no single plant has ever given to humanity as many gifts as has Cannabis Sativa L. in fact, no single plant even comes close.

Cannabis has also one great distinction in the plant kingdom that separates it apart from most; in that it has never in-recorded human history taken a human life. When I first learned of that fact I sincerely did not believe it to be true, but even now our own United States government has acknowledged it as fact. Cannabis literally is safer than aspirin and less addictive than caffeine according to the United States government.

Not too surprisingly, our federal government seems to be a little confused on the subject as it also states that Cannabis has no medical value and that its users should be locked up for its mere possession, and then at the exact same time our federal government owns patents on the chemicals (in this case Cannabidiol: CBD, which is known within the Cannabis community to be useful as an analgesic) naturally created only by Cannabis, for of all things medical use! Take a look at the patent on the opposing page and tell me what you think! We at the THC Expo are looking to clear up this confusion, we believe it is high time for change and we are bringing together the community so that we can all be the change we want to see.

Dr. Lester Grinspoon from Harvard University was once quoted as saying that “While marijuana per se was not addictive, learning about it soon becomes”. We agree, and we hope that the information we present to you in the pages of this magazine and in the halls of our THC EXPO convinces you to demand re-legalization of one of nature’s greatest gifts.

Turn On, Tune In, Take Over!

HEMPIRE MAGAZINE!

9

THE FIRST ANNUAL THC EXPOLOS ANGELES CONVENTION CENTERPARTICIPATING VENDORS FROM USA, CANADA, AMSTERDAM, SPAIN, U.K.

JUNE 13-14, 2009SATURDAY & SUNDAY$10.00 ADMISSION ONLY

ADD US ON MYSPACE.COM/THCEXPOFOR MORE INFO EMAIL US INFO@THCEXPO.COM

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We live in a very strange time in human history. We have more access to information today than any other culture ever by a long shot, and yet when it comes to cannabis we still find ourselves under the influence and rule of laws that were formed by lies and disinformation over 70 years ago.

Most of the United States at the time I'm writing this still operates under the astonishingly hypocritical guidelines where cigarettes and alcohol are available at grocery stores and potent, brain-altering anti-depressants can be had by virtually anyone willing to complain to a doctor, but if you're caught with an incredibly beneficial plant that grows naturally and kills no one, you can be "legally" locked in a cage. Now ain't that some shit?

It is complete, total insanity, and it's not like any of this informa-tion is a secret. �e positive effects of cannabis and the hypoc-risy of the organizations fighting against its legalization can be researched almost instantly by anyone with an internet connec-tion. Did you know that the folks that make those wacky, nonsensical TV ads and call themselves "A partnership for a drug free America" have received millions of dollars from alcohol and tobacco companies? Pharmaceutical companies are still to this day sending fat checks to help fight the good battle against the evil weed.

Just stop for a minute and think about how fucking crazy that is... alcohol and tobacco companies making commercials against pot is like hookers making commercials against strippers. Even worse, it's like hookers that beat you up or kill you making commercials against strippers you fall in love with and marry. Not even including drunk driving some 70,000 people die from the effects of alcohol every year in this country, and during that same time pot will have killed 0.

For all the people that tobacco kills every year (around 400,000 in this country alone) do you ever hear politicians talk about making it illegal? I can't remember a single one ever. Every fucking few years the nonsense debate on gay marriage gets bigots inflamed and politically active, yet I can't remember the last time I saw a demonstration against the cigarettes that are silently killing their families and loved ones.

�is past November in Los Angeles I did see a woman protest-ing against gay marriage while breathing from an oxygen tank. All I could think of was there's a woman who at one point in her life could have really used a joint and a hug.

�ere are plenty of people that still think there's something evil and life-sucking about marijuana, and I don't blame them, because for a long time I was one of them. For most of my adult life I thought that pot was for losers and burnouts. It wasn't until I was 30 years old that I started smoking it and realized how misled I had been. I know that if I had it wrong, there's got to be a lot of other people that bought into the propaganda too, and that's one of the reasons why I'm so vocal about the subject. It's a very important aspect of my life and I think that this information can help a lot of people.

Marijuana has enhanced my creativity, expanded my conscious-ness, and made me a kinder, gentler and more introspective person... and it's schedule 1 illegal substance classified as more of a no-no than heroin. �at, my friends, is just plain fucking nuts, and it needs to stop. �e nonsense and propaganda that we've been subject to our whole lives does not have to be passed down to our kids. It can end right here with the internet generation.

�ere are a host of natural, psychedelic substances that humans have been using for thousands of years that are currently illegal for no reason other than fear. Fear that the counter culture will rise up like it did in the 60's, fear that profits for synthetic pharmaceuticals would drop and companies would lose money and have to cut employees, fear that white women will start having sex with blacks and Mexicans - all of which are true, and all of which are good.

�is empty, material-driven society that we're currently trapped in is primarily a prison of the mind, and even the jailers them-selves are being held captive. I firmly believe that all of these natural substances; mushrooms, peyote, marijuana, ayahuasca - all of these things are tools for expanding your consciousness, and no tools, even dangerous ones should be illegal. Pot is just like a hammer - you can build a house with one, or you could just hit yourself in the dick if you're fucking crazy.

Welcome to the resistance.

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Welcome to the resistance.Words by Joe Rogan

“Marijuana has enhanced my creativity, expanded my consciousness, and made me a kinder, gentler and more introspective person... and it's schedule 1 illegal substance classified as more of a no-no than heroin.

�at, my friends, is just plain fucking nuts, and it needs to stop. “

�at doesn't mean hammers should be illegal, and when the same logic is applied to responsible adult use of cannabis there's no rational argument against that either.

�e war against drugs isn't really a war against drugs, it's a war against the drugs that grow naturally. It's a war against conscious-ness that's being waged for profit - ironically by the very people in our culture that could benefit from these drugs the most.

It is high time (no pun intended) that this shit came to an end. �is current generation of activists and artists has opened many eyes to the benefits of the sacred plants.

In southern California alone hundreds of marijuana dispensaries have opened up, and the movement is growing daily. �e genie is out of the bottle, and it's not going back in. �is is the war against the war on drugs.

Welcome to the resistance.

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Visit us at

MySpace.com/ChronicIce

LOTUS ECO ELISE

ECO-FRESH REVIEWS

The Lotus Eco Elise project promotes a different perspective on "green", one which does not revolve solely around tailpipe CO2. This holistic approach is in keeping with the progres-sive Lotus culture, driving Lotus to become the world's green automotive consultancy. Sustainable materials, hemp, eco wool and sisal have been developed for body panels and trim and, combined with hi-tech water based paint solutions, showcase new affordable green technologies.

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The new green materials sourced for this car have been carefully studied to ensure that each technology used reduces the environmental impact of the vehicle. The life of the components has been analyzed; during the production stage, in-use and at the end of the vehicle's life. The technology used aims to offer lower emissions of both solvents and CO2 in the lifecycle of the vehicle, with reductions in energy consumed during manufacture. The Lotus Eco Elise will be displayed in the Greener Driving Pavilion at the 2008 British International Motor Show from 23rd July until 3rd August. The project displays affordable green technology that is intended to be feasible and production viable in the near term future. The renewable materials have been incorporated into the project, with hemp, eco wool and sisal providing natural, biodegradable engineering materials. Cleaner manufac-turing processes have been sought, utilizing the latest water based paint technology. Using this paint system saves energy and reduces emissions of solvents from the paint shop. Solar panels have been set into the hemp hard top to help power the electrical systems and give a means of renewable energy generation.

With the use of locally farmed hemp, the carbon miles to produce the Lotus Eco Elise are reduced, in keeping with the holistic approach to this vehicle.. The Lotus Eco Elise puts an emphasis on efficient driving techniques by using an "economy" gear change display to improve fuel efficiency and promote greener driving. The car has undergone a weight reduction program to add a little extra lightness, assisting in more economical, greener driving.

The green credentials of the technology on show in the Lotus Eco Elise have been analyzed throughout the lifecycle of the car. A green gear change display has been integrated into the dashboard to promote greener driving as well as a weight reduc-tion program, illustrating the holistic approach taken.

The energy expended to manufacture the car has been evaluated, working to the 3R's - Reduce, Re-use and Recycle. Mike Kimberley, CEO of Group Lotus plc commented, "This Eco Elise is a great example of the advanced and affordable green technologies Lotus is developing. We are at the cutting edge of environ-mental technology and are determined to push forward with our green agenda. The Lotus brand values of lightweight, fuel efficient, and high performance are more relevant today than they ever have been. We are keen to ensure that Lotus as a company and its products offer an ethical, green option that appeals to our customers". In keeping with the "performance through light weight" philosophy, the Lotus Eco Elise weighs 32 kg (70.5 lbs) less than the standard Lotus Elise S, which means that the efficient Elise S engine in the Lotus Eco Elise will give higher fuel

economy figures and even better performance. Dramatic improvements to the culture and operations at Lotus has rewarded the company with staggering reduc-

tions in energy (Electricity 14%, Gas 30%) and water (11%) consumed across the Hethel headquarters in 2007, compared to 2006. These advances have coincided

with improvements in recycling, with 57% of waste product now being recycled.

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Julia ButterflyThe Resolutionary

Julia ButterflyInterview & Photos by Todd McCormick20

�ank you very much for sitting down with HEMPIRE Magazine and being part of our first issue and lending your time and support to the THC Expo. As you know, the environment is very important to most Hempsters and you have been an inspiration to many of us, so thank you.

You have been one of the most recognized voices in the mainstream environmental movement and one of the few to actually speak up and out about the benefits of hemp as an alternative resource. Would you comment on why you think it is important for stewards of the planet to speak up in favor of hemp?

JB: First thing I like to ask is “Why is everything that is GOOD for our bodies, our communities, our world and our planet called the ‘alternative’?” 

Hemp is not an alternative.  Hemp is a VITAL SOLUTION to the current crisis facing humanity.   We need to stand up loud and proud for Hemp and declare we are not an alternative culture, rather we are the solution culture.  I call us “resolutionaries”!  It is shameful and highly destructive that hemp is illegal.  Hemp is a solution for food, fuel, paper, clothes and so much more.  It is a vital solution to the problems of mal-nutrition, petroleum, deforestation, and water/nutrient/ chemical-intensive cotton.

What do you think the hemp movement can do to make more progress?

JB: We need to make “consciousness cool” and “sustainability sexy”!  Hippy is cool, but it only speaks to a small segment of society.  We need to branch out and communicate more effectively to mainstream society. 

Also, we need to be willing to take more risks on behalf of what we care about.  �e greatest changes in history (and herstory) have happened when people put their bodies where their beliefs are and took risks in order to create a lot of the rights many of us take for granted today.

Because hemp history was literally hidden from the public, many of us have a story about how we first found out about the connection hemp had to the development of humanity and its connection to cleaner industrial solutions; do you remember how you first came across hemp’s many benefits?

JB: I actually knew very little about hemp until shortly before my two year tree-sit.  I had seen some hemp jewelry and things like that,  but it wasn’t until I went to California for the first time that I started to learn about all of its properties and benefits.  Sadly, not only is hemp history hidden, there is also a lot of misinfor-mation in our society.  We have our work cut out for us to first undo the misinformation as we work to educate people about how vital and wonderful hemp truly is.

You are known as quite the vegan chef to your friends; do you use hemp in your recipes?

JB: I love making hemp milk.  I use hemp seeds in a vegan, raw parmesan-like sprinkle for salads and pasta.  I have made hemp-crusted tofu.  And the oh so yummy list of hemp in food goes on and on.

Have you found a health benefit to using hemp foods in your nutritional plan?

JB: Hemp is so important as a powerful protein source.  Being a joyous vegan is one of the most important things we can do for the health  of the planet and our bodies—not to mention a more compassionate choice.  Being a joyous vegan requires paying a little more attention and intention to what we eat, and hemp can and should play a very important, as well as tasty, role in our dietary needs.

Do you wear or use any hemp?

JB: I have some hemp clothes.  Although this is where I have to complain a bit.  Most of the hemp clothes on the market just don’t work for me.  I actually want to work with a hemp clothing company to design my own line so we can get hemp clothes on the market that people like me will wear.  I use hemp lip balm and a few other hemp personal care products as well.

Not too long ago you built an environmental bio diesel bus for touring and educat-ing people about the environment called ‘We �e Planet’, is there any hemp on board and can we smoke it?

JB:Our “We �e Planet” bus has hemp fabric curtains and mattress and cushion covers; beautiful and beyond sustainable.  You could smoke it if you were looking to get a big-ass headache. Way better to smoke marijuana with THC if you want to get high.

Do you think Cannabis will be re-legalized for industrial use?

JB: Cannabis will be re-legalized for industrial use when enough people speak out and take risks and get active.  Get involved, get active, get healthy, get HEMP!!!!!

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HEMPIRE

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ATTENDING THE FIRST ANNUAL THC EXPO BEING HELD AT THE LOS ANGELES CONVENTION CENTER!

Please help us by keeping this event hassle free by not Smoking, Vaporizing or Consuming Cannabis while inside of the Los Angeles Convention Center. Our goal at the THC Expo is to represent to society how beneficial Cannabis is and bring together the community, while showcasing the many available products made from or available for, the Cannabis lifestyle. We are proud to present to you the widest array of Cannabis products ever offered under one roof. As you roam the 96,000 ft. of exhibition space dedicated to your favorite plant you will see our Hemp pavilion which highlights the many qualities of Hemp environmentally and industrially. Hemp has been a mainstay and industrialized society through out humanity, only in the past century have we seen the decline of the industry, it is our goal at the Expo to bring that industry back.

We have divided the floor into two groups; one is all ages, where we are highlighting the environmental, professional and media related side of the Cannabis. �e second side is 18 and over, more information about that section you can find on the other side of this magazine; Totally Hip Culture, or simply T.H.C. which we have dedicated to the more psychedelic and inspirational side of Cannabis. We have divided the rows from row 100 to row 1800 with the booth numbers starting at 01, so that you can easily find whatever you’re looking for.

�e all ages stage will be run by Oaksteram University, where we will be highlighting the various topics they cover throughout the day. We will have wide array of speakers as well as guest appearances throughout the day. Please look for the auxiliary bulletin being handed out around the Expo floor specific times and appearances.

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Right now, all across America, and throughout the world, people are suffering f rom numerous disabling conditions that could be relieved with Cannabis based medications. Ranging f rom acute pain to congenital illnesses, these individuals suffer without relief. Why? Because government regulations prevent scientists and doctors f rom developing and administering the medications that could help these individuals. I developed the Transdermal Patch, not as a replacement for smoked or vaporized cannabis, but as a compliment to the inhaled form of administration. Many individuals prefer not to inhale cannabis so for them the Transdermal Patch is an ideal way to administer medication. Physicians prefer the standardized and dose-predictable pharmaceutical. Unique to the Transdermal Patch is its ability to provide long-term low-level application of the many specific Cannabinoids that can be extracted f rom Cannabis.

Developing technology - �ough the accumulation of knowledge of medical applications for cannabinoids has been slow, the vast array of therapeutic benefits contains some surprises. Recent studies in Spain and Italy indicate that THC appears to cause some types of brain cancer cells to be destroyed by the plant extract through a process called autophagy, essentially the cancer cells are digested by the body.

One of the most significant applications for cannabinoids, the active compounds f rom Cannabis, is the reduction inflammation. �is may be the most important use since it is indicated for so many therapeutic applications. Significantly, it seems that the anti-inflammatory treatment does not always require THC, the part that gets people ‘high’ when they use marijuana. CBD and CBN as well as many other active compounds are non-psychoactive and found in significant quantities in some varieties of Cannabis. Applications for these compounds include relief of neuropathic pain and even Alzheimer’s disease according to some studies. Other discoveries demonstrate that patients suffering profound pain and being treated with powerful pain medications including morphine can greatly reduce the amount of the addictive opium derived medication and still get excellent pain relief when the patient is given THC plus CBD and CBN. �ese patients become more lucid and are able to enjoy a better quality of life when the opiates are reduced. Cannabi-noids can also be used for appetite stimulation by AIDS and cancer patients who are suffering f rom loss of appetite. By enhancing the patient ’s appetite, recovery f rom the debilitating affects of the disease and the chemotherapy can be relieved.

�e most important factor that differentiates the Transdermal Patch f rom other methods of administering Cannabinoids is that a Patch can be designed to provide a quick and powerful dose for a short term to relieve pain, or to provide a lower dose for a long period of time; days in length for applications such as preventing epileptic seizures, where a consistent application of low dose cannabinoid is

A brief History of the Transdermal Cannabinoid PatchBy – Lawrence Brooke, President, Patchtek Inc.Founder and President - General Hydroponics Inc.

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indicated. �e Patch can enable a long-term constant level of medication instead of the powerful spike and consequential drift-down in blood levels of the drug that follows inhalation, sub-lingual, injected or ingested use. �is also appeals to Doctors who prescribe cannabinoids for psychiatric conditions including marijuana withdrawal symptoms for those who are over-coming an addiction to marijuana, much like the nicotine patch that tobacco smoker’s use to break their addiction to nicotine. Collectively the studies that have been undertaken indicate that Cannabis contains a host of useful com-pounds that can bring relief to patients.

�e underlying problem in the United States is that a system of prohibitions, going back many years, is overriding the ability of doctors and scientists to do the fundamental research work needed to better understand the science of Cannabis-inclusive medications. �e victims are the many patients who suffer and are denied relief for many conditions that can be relieved though cannabinoids.

�e logical and appropriate procedure that must be done at the legislative level is to re-schedule Marijuana f rom schedule I to schedule II or III. Numerous studies world-wide have provided conclusive proof of the therapeutic value of Cannabis based medica-tions. �e keys are good science, appropriate regulation, seeking standardization in the chemistries and developing modern tools for physicians and patients. It is unconscionable that in the 21st Century draconian laws and ignorance prevail when so many people suffer f rom a host of disabilities that could be relieved by applying the natural extracts f rom an ancient plant in conjunction with modern medical tools.

U.S. Patents 6,113,940 and 6,328,992European Patent - EP 1186298Canadian Patent - 2356020Australian Patent- 785275

Given the current economic mess, and the growing recognition that marijuana prohibition is a counterproductive fraud, it is not surpris-ing that people are looking at both the revenue potential from legalizing marijuana and the possible savings from ending prohibition. However, such is the absurdity of prohibition, it is easier to find good weed than it is to find good numbers for any realistic economic cost/benefit analysis on marijuana prohibition.

First, estimates on the size of the current contraband cannabis market in the US range from $10 billion to over $110 billion! Similar unworkable guesstimates have been current in Canada, especially for “BC Bud”, which is somewhere between a $1 Billon and $7 Billion per year. And somewhere between 10% and 90% of that was supposedly exported to the US. (And then there is the rest of Canada. But so what?)

Even if we knew the size of today’s contra-band market, we still would not know what would be the future average selling price of legal marijuana. How many people would grow their own? And how much would be bought at full retail, as in Dutch “coffee shops”? (They supposedly pay The Netherlands about $500 million per year in taxes.) Consequently, we cannot realistically estimate the revenue potential from taxing legal marijuana.

Inevitably, prohibitionists have used the uncertainty of these numbers as a reason to continue prohibition, as if not knowing lost revenue caused by a government program is a reason to continue it! However, there are other areas in which the costs of marijuana prohibi-tion are truly incalculable. For example, Dr Lester Grinspoon in his seminal Marihuana, The Forbidden Medicine, argues that the full medical potential of cannabis cannot be achieved until it is fully legal. Unfortunately, during the 15 years since he wrote that, the medical establishment and law enforcement have proven him all too correct.

So, what has the suppression of the medical use of cannabis cost our already hugely expensive health care system? What is the cost of the human productivity lost because of the disabilities resulting from the overuse of opiates in pain relief? Similarly, “industrial hemp” – cannabis not grown for its cannabi-noid content – could contribute billions of

dollars to the economy, but it will take many years to develop the infrastructure to grow and utilize large quantities of hemp. Although we might guesstimate the ultimate size of a fully developed hemp industry, we cannot even begin to calculate the economic costs of the suppression of this versatile plant over the last 70 years.

Then there are the direct costs of marijuana prohibi-tion, arresting over 800,000 people per year, but at least we have some hard numbers here. For example, Harvard economics professor Jeffrey A. Miron estimates that "legalizing marijuana would save $7.7 billion per year in government enforce-ment of prohibition."

I don’t doubt Miron’s math, but I am sure that he would agree that the real economic costs go far beyond his calculations. For example, we don’t know the indirect costs of having a marijuana possession arrest record have been on the average future earnings of the 20 million Americans who have gotten “busted” over the last 40 years. For some, it has been a minor inconvenience, while for

The Economics of Legalization Versus the Economics of Prohibition.Asking the Wrong Questions.

others it has been disastrous, and we are not talking about “pain and suffering” – or death – just the actual economic costs. And then how do we quantify the damage being done to Mexico by marijuana prohibition, and how that cost spills over into the US?

In any case, calculating the obvious direct costs of law enforcement resources used on marijuana prohibition completely misses the point. Frankly, it is very unlikely that law enforcement budgets will be cut significantly as a result of legalizing marijuana, but the economic value of law enforcement resources can never be determined by their direct costs. If law enforcement resources are misused to arrest marijuana users instead of going after violent criminals – or terrorists – or fraudsters – what did they really cost us?

Last January, The Seattle Post-Intelligencer carried an extraordinary article by Paul Shukovsky about how the FBI was aware for years of "pervasive and growing" fraud in the mortgage industry that played a major role in creating the present mess, because after the terrorist attacks of 2001, “about 2,400 agents were reassigned to counterterrorism duties.” Shukovsky reported that even though the Bush Administration “was thoroughly briefed on the mortgage fraud crisis and its potential to cascade out of control with devastating financial consequences… (it) made the decision not to give back to the FBI the agents it needed to address the problem.”

Of course, the Feds still had the law enforce-ment resources to arrest, prosecute, and imprison Tommy Chong for selling bongs. While it is true that law enforcement resources are not fungible, and any idiot could bust Chong, and one did, it seems obvious that the huge law enforcement resources used on marijuana prohibition could have been better used fighting terrorism and massive mortgage fraud. The real economic value of legalization will only become visible when the creativity of the cannabis communities can be freely exercised. If we pay protection money – AKA taxes – in exchange for ending prohibition, that may be a good deal politically, but we should not think that it begins to count the economic value of freedom.

(Richard Cowan has a B.A. in Economics from Yale University, is a former National Director of NORML, and publishes MarijuanaNews.com)

BY RICHARD COWAN LOS ANGELES, MONDAY APRIL 20, 2009 HEMPIRE MAGAZINE

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Top Cash Cropsin the United States

2003 – 2005Average Production Value (Billions)

1 Marijuana $35,803,591,000

2 Corn $23,299,601,000

3 Soybeans $17,612,200,000

4 Hay $12,236,638,000

5 Vegetables $11,080,733,000

6 Wheat $7,450,907,000

7 Cotton-All $5,314,870,000

8 Grapes $2,876,547,000

9 Apples $1,787,532,000

10 Rice $1,706,665,000

11 Oranges $1,583,009,000

12 Tobacco $1,466,633,000

13 Sugarbeets $1,158,078,000

14 Sugarcane $942,176,000

15 Sorghum $840,923,000

16 Cottonseed $821,655,000

17 Peanuts $819,617,000

18 Barley $653,095,000

19 Peaches $474,745,000

20 Beans $467,236,000

Top Ten indoor Marijuana Producing States

Plants Production (lbs) Value ($1000s)California 4,222,055 930,788 $1,494,846

Washington 1,239,514 273,262 $438,858Florida 1,192,349 262,864 $422,159Oregon 595,925 131,377 $210,991

Texas 524,729 115,681 $185,784Alaska 359,417 79,237 $127,254Indiana 301,991 66,577 $106,922

Michigan 300,502 66,248 $106,395Kentucky 295,280 65,097 $104,546

Ohio 248,962 54,886 $88,146

Top Ten Marijuana Producing States

Plants Production (lbs) Value ($1000s)California

Tennessee Kentucky

Hawaii Washington

North Carolina Florida

AlabamaWest Virginia

Oregon

21,667,609 8,622,831 $13,848,2676,779,093 2,980,853 $4,787,2506,467,186 2,786,396 $4,474,9525,447,131 2,378,196 $3,819,3832,074,349 641,354 $1,030,015

998,512 418,588 $672,2531,434,745 369,740 $593,802

810,287 354,551 $569,409723,986 307,801 $494,328967,307 295,126 $473,972

Top Ten Outdoor Marijuana Producing States

Plants Production (lbs) Value ($1000s)California 17,445,553 7,692,043 $12,353,421

Tennessee 6,742,057 2,972,688 $4,774,137Kentucky 6,171,906 2,721,299 $4,370,406

Hawaii 5,340,368 2,354,660 $3,781,583North Carolina 900,204 396,915 $637,446

Washington 834,835 368,093 $591,157Alabama 797,955 351,832 $565,042

West Virginia 672,200 296,385 $475,994Georgia 603,671 266,169 $427,467

Arkansas 599,632 264,388 $424,607

Marijuana Production in the United StatesBy Jon Gettman, Ph.D.

For more info, visit: http://www.drugscience..org/bcr/index.html

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WORDS by STEPHEN DEANGELOPHOTOS by HARBORSIDE HEALTH CENTER

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first arrived in Amsterdam in the early 1990s, when it was city of light and hope for US Hempsters. We were amazed and delighted to visit coffee shops, and see for first time in our lives what freedom looked and felt like.

I was one of wave of Americans drawn to Amsterdam by the High Times Cannabis Cup, and the burgeoning Euro-pean hemp industry. First dozens, then hundreds, and finally thousands of Americans traveled to Amsterdam for their own taste of freedom, and possibility for the future. �e trip became a rite of passage for US activists. Some decided to stay and formed the core of what came to be a vibrant expatriate community of cannabis refugees.

At that time, the legality of cannabis in the Netherlands seemed to be expanding. More and more coffee shops and seed companies greeted us every year. Positronics started the first cannabis university, and Dutch coffee shops began advertising in US magazines. We all assumed that progress would continue, and those of us who returned to the US came back full of inspiration and hope.

So let’s fast forward to 2009. California is now home to the world’s largest legal cannabis market. Many of the activists responsible for that change were inspired by their Amster-dam sojourns, and have taken leading roles in California’s medical cannabis industry—people like Debby Goldsberry,

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Etienne Fontan, Todd McCormick, Rich Lee—and myself. �e Netherlands provided us our first model of what legal cannabis distribution could look like, and strongly influenced our approach.

It is easy to see the signs of this inspiration in California’s medical cannabis industry. It is reflected most obviously in terminology such as the Bulldog Coffee shop and Oakster-dam University. Many other early California dispensaries called themselves coffee shops and their interiors often emulated Dutch coffee shops, including espresso bars. Many of the strains of cannabis sold by California dispensaries were developed by Dutch seed companies and staples of the coffee shops like pre-rolled joints and space cakes can be seen in most California dispensaries.

Sadly, on my last visit to Amsterdam, the light of hope had dimmed somewhat. I found coffee shops being squeezed by government pressure: new regulations strictly limited the amount of cannabis they could have in stock, and customers were limited to purchases of no more than five grams. Alcohol could no longer be sold in coffee shops, and tobacco was restricted to small cramped “smoking booths”—a major issue in a place where the most popular method of ingesting canna-bis is tobacco-hash joints. Worst of all, the government had closed many coffee shops entirely, and the rumors I heard indicated that they were planning on closing still more.

I found my Dutch friends who owned coffee shops and seed companies in a state of anxiety and depression. Some had already had their facilities closed, and others feared it would soon happen to them. Ironically, I found them looking to the US for hope. �ey were following developments here very closely—all of them knew about AG Holder’s announcement that the Obama administration would respect state medical cannabis laws, and Tom Ammiano’s legalization bill--and they were eager to learn everything they could about Califor-nia dispensaries. �ey hoped that a change in the United States would relieve the pressure they were suffering.

�e people who had so inspired American Hempsters with their pioneering models of legal cannabis distribution were

now looking to our shores for positive news. While this was a grati-fying sign of the progress we have made in California, it also was terribly ironic and tragic.

�e light that had so sustained us through our time of darkness seemed to be flickering. Our friends, who had provided us safe refuge during our time of anguish, were now having the same anguish visited upon them. It made me sad and depressed, and fearful that our own advances here might someday be pushed back.

But I could sit with that sadness only so long—I was after all on my way back to California. So I sat down and had a good smoke, consulted the plant, and gave the situation some thought. I thought about the nature of light; about how it is always moving, always in the process of transformation. I considered how silly I was to lose sight of those facts, and expect light to be still and remain in one place. And I realized that the light of hope that had inspired us in Amsterdam was still present in our lives. It was here, well and alive in California. And it was bright enough to send some comfort to our friends in the Netherlands, as they had comforted us in our time of darkness. And that was not a tragic thing; it in fact that was a beautiful thing.

Stephen Deangelo

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�e National Institute on Drug Abuse, which supported Tashkin's marijuana-related research over the decades, readily gave him a grant in 2002 to conduct a large, population-based, case-controlled study that would prove definitively that heavy, long-term mari-juana use increases the risk of lung and upper-airways cancers.

What Tashkin and his colleagues found, however, disproved their hypothesis. (Tashkin is to marijuana as a cause of lung cancer as to what Hans Blick was to Iraq's weapons of mass destruction-an honest investi-gator who set out to find something, concluded that it wasn't there, and reported his results.)

Tashkin's team interviewed 1,212 cancer patients from the Los Angeles County Cancer Surveillance program, matched for age, gender, and neighborhood with 1,040 cancer-free controls. Marijuana use was measured in "joint years" (number of years smoked times number of joints per day). It turned out that increased marijuana use did not result in higher rates of lung and pharyngeal cancer, whereas tobacco smokers were at greater risk the more they

O'Shaughnessy's publishes material of special interest to pro-cannabis doctors and their patients. Managing Editor Fred Gardner is a former editor of Scientific American and public information officer for the District Attorney of San Francisco. Expanded versions of these stories can be found in the summer 2009 issue, now available at doctors' offices and dispensaries, or at PCMD4U.org. (�at's PC as in "Pro-Cannabis.")

The Greatest Story Never Told Tashkin Reiterates: Smoking Cannabis Does Not Cause Cancer of Lung or Upper Airways Words & Photos by Fred Gardner

O'Shaughnessy's News Service

One in three Americans will be afflicted with cancer, we are told by the government (as if it's our immutable fate and somehow acceptable). Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the U.S. and lung cancer the leading killer among cancers. So you'd think it would have been very big news in June, 2005 when UCLA medical school professor Donald Tashkin reported that components of marijuana smoke -although they damage cells in respiratory tissue- some-how prevent them from becoming malignant. In other words, something in marijuana exerts an anti-cancer effect!

Tashkin has special credibility. He was the lead investi-gator on studies dating back to the 1970s that identified the components in marijuana smoke that are toxic. It was Tashkin who published photomicrographs showing that marijuana smoke damages cells lining the upper airways.

It was the Tashkin lab's finding that benzpyrene - a component of tobacco smoke that plays a role in most lung cancers- is especially prevalent in marijuana smoke. It was Tashkin's data showing that marijuana smokers are more likely than non-smokers to cough, wheeze, and produce sputum.

Tashkin reviewed his findings in April, 2008, at a conference organized by "Patients Out of Time," a reform group devoted to educating doctors and the public (as opposed to lobbying politicians). Some 30 MDs and nurses got continuing medical education credits for attending the event, which was held at Asilo-mar, on the Monterey Peninsula.

Donald Tashkin

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smoked. Tobacco smokers who also smoked marijuana were at slightly lower risk of getting lung cancer than tobacco-only smokers. �ese findings were not deemed worthy of publication in "NIDA Notes." Tashkin reported them at the 2005 meeting of the International Cannabinoid Research Society. �ey were published in the October 2006 issue of "Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention."

Without a press release from NIDA calling attention to its significance, the assignment editors of America had no idea that "Marijuana Use and the Risk of Lung and Upper Aerodigestive Tract Cancers: Results of a Population-Based Case-Control Study" by Mia Hashibe, Hal Morgenstern, Yan Cui, Donald P. Tashkin, Zuo-Feng Zhang, Wendy Cozen, �omas M. Mack and Sander Greenland was a blockbuster story.

I suggested to Eric Bailey of the L.A. Times that he write up Tashkin's findings -UCLA provided the local angle if the anti-cancer effect wasn't enough. Bailey said his editors wouldn't be interested for some time because he had just filed a marijuana-related piece. �e Tashkin scoop is still there for the taking!

Tashkin Defends His Findings. Investigators from New Zealand recently got widespread media attention for a study contradicting Tashkin's results. "Heavy cannabis users may be at greater risk of chronic lung disease -including cancer- compared to tobacco smokers," is how BBC News summed up the New Zealanders' findings. �e very small size of the study -79 smokers took part, 21 of whom smoked cannabis only- was not held against the authors. In fact, the small New Zealand study was given much more coverage by the corporate press than the large UCLA study that preceded it.

�e New Zealand study was portrayed as the latest word on this important subject. As if scientific inquiry were some kind of tennis match and the truth just gets truthier with every volley.

Tashkin criticized the New Zealanders' methodology in his talk at Asilomar: "�ere's some cognitive dissonance associated with the interpretation of their findings. I think this has to do with the belief model among the investigators and -I wish they were here to defend them-selves- the integrity of the investigators... �ey actually published another paper in which they mimicked the design that we used for looking at lung function."

Tashkin spoke from the stage of an airy redwood chapel designed by Julia Morgan. He is pink-cheeked, 70ish, wears wire-rimmed spectacles. "For tobacco they found what you'd expect: a higher risk for lung cancer and a clear dose-response relationship. A 24-fold increase in the people who smoked the most... What about mari-juana? If they smoked a small or moderate amount there was no increased risk, in fact slightly less than one. But if they were in the upper third of the group, then their risk was six-fold... A rather surprising finding, and one has to be cautious about interpreting the results because of the very small number of cases (14) and controls (4)."

Tashkin said the New Zealanders employed "statistical sleight of hand." He deemed it "completely implausible that smokers of only 365 joints of marijuana have a risk for developing lung cancer similar to that of smokers of 7,000 tobacco cigarettes... �eir small sample size led to vastly inflated estimates... �ey had said 'it's ideal to do the study in New Zealand because we have a much higher prevalence of marijuana smoking.' But 88 percent of their controls had never smoked marijuana, whereas 36% of our controls (in Los Angeles) had never smoked mari-juana. Why did so few of the controls smoke marijuana? Something fishy about that!" Strong words for a UCLA School of Medicine professor!

As to the highly promising implication of his own study -that something in marijuana stops damaged cells from becoming malignant--Tashkin noted that an anti-proliferative effect of THC has been observed in cell-culture systems and animal models of brain, breast, pros-tate, and lung cancer. THC has been shown to promote known apoptosis (damaged cells die instead of reproduc-ing) and to counter angiogenesis (the process by which blood vessels are formed -a requirement of tumor growth). Other antioxidants in cannabis may also be involved in countering malignancy, said Tashkin.

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O'Shaughnessy's News Service

Lab Starts Testing Cannabis Samples For Pathogens & Cannabinoid LevelsWords & Photos by O'Shaughnessy's News Service

In December 2008, the founders of a lab in the East Bay doing business as "Steep Hill Medical Collective," emboldened by the election of President Barack Obama, notified dispensary operators that they had begun testing cannabis samples for something no one wants to find on their medicine -pathogenic mold- and something every-one wants to find out about -THC and CBD content. �e lab also reports levels of CBN (cannabinol, a breakdown product of THC that indicates time in storage).

Dand Lampach

Addison Demara

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28.14%27.16%25.90%25.51%25.34%25.25%25.11%24.41%24.14%24.12%

OG KUSHSTRAWBERRY COUGHSUPER SKUNKHEADBANDPURE KUSHLEMON JACKPURE KUSHTHE WHITE SUPER DIESELOG KUSH

9.61% 11.32%5.27% 10.58%7.90% 9.16%11.69% 9.01%7.40% 7.90%7.90% 7.14%11.66% 5.32%9.77% 5.05%11.23% 4.97%7.51% 4.95%

NYC DIESELGANJA MAGANJA MANYC DIESELSHAKTISOMA A+GANJA MASOMA A+SOMA A+SOMA A+

TOP 10 HIGHEST THC

TOP 10 HIGHEST CBD

NAME

NAME

Steep Hill is gearing up to add tests for pesticides -which many indoor growers use- and terpenes. �ere is an emerging consensus among researchers that aromatic terpenes work in concert with THC to create the charac-teristics and effects of a given cannabis strain.

Running the lab are two former growers, David Lampach, 32, and Addison DeMoura, 35, who decided to find a different niche within the industry. �ey spent a year learn-ing how use the sophisticated testing apparatus and refin-ing their procedures under the tutelage of a sympathetic university-connected chemist.

Lampach operates the gas chromatograph-mass spectrom-eter (GC/MS) and flame ionization detector (GC/FID). DeMoura is liaison to the dispensaries, many of whose operators are eager to take part in the testing program, he says. �e hold-up has been development of a software program that will enable the lab to handle 100 or more samples per day.

To date the lab has been testing eight to 10 samples a day provided by Oakland's Harborside Health Center, whose proprietor, Steve DeAngelo, has backed the project from its inception. "If you're calling for regulation, you've got to get ready for inspection by public health authorities," DeAngelo says.

Promoting quality assurance is a goal shared by the "Clean Green" organic certification program, the Medical Canna-bis Safety Council and other industry groups.

�e lab has found levels of mold - notably - Aspergillus Fumigatus that bear witness to unsanitary production methods. About 3% of the tested samples were found to contain pathogenic mold and Harborside returned the pounds from which they came to vendors with instruc-tions to clean up their acts.

DeAngelo says, "It can't be the whole family and friends sitting around with all the dogs in the living room. We're putting out the message: 'Clean up your trim areas, clean up your storage areas, do not have cannabis curing in an

THC

THC CBD

David and Addison check samples for mold, THC and CBD.

area that's exposed to animals. Set up a clean room and put on different clothes when you go in. Wear gloves. Wash your hands. In other words, remember that your product is medicine and treat it as medicine.'"

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OU does not offer your typical student encounter. Oakster-dam University welcomes many students who are looking to change careers, or simply brush up on horticulture skills. OU also attracts business owners who want to train their current staff, folks who want to open their own business, and patients trying to understand their rights. Several concerned parents have decided to send their young adult children to learn how to involve themselves with cannabis safely and responsibly, rather than continuing to flirt with the Black Market. �e many motivations to learn about this controversial plant create an interesting blend of individuals and opportunity.

Required study includes the legal, politics and history classes. Students learn how we arrived at the current politi-cal landscape, first understand where we have been and respect what might set happen you choose to cavort with cannabis. �e classes continue to become more specific to medical applications, ingestion methods, cooking, concen-trates and extracts. �e Basic 101 Course covers core issues on how to help patients by providing better knowledge about cannabis, including working as a Budtender. Horti-culture is the popular anchor for all of the current courses. �e Advanced Course is focused on starting a business, Cannabusiness, and knowing your rights during law enforcement encounters.

Soon, the question for officers and media to identify themselves will likely cause every student in the room to respond. Oaksterdam University is about to kick off Law Enforcement Sensitivity Training to assist cops with identifying qualified patients and under-standing the changing community expectations. We will be filling the room with officers and officials for select dates. �is educational alliance brings new meaning to the mission statement to “provide quality training for the cannabis industry” and will help garner understanding and respect.

In June, during simultaneous events across California, Oaksterdam University will have a strong presence at both the THC EXPO at the LA Convention Center, and the Harmony Festival in Sebastopol. Both landmark events are the first time cannabis and hemp has been welcome within mainstream venues. �e “welcome” was won through the diligence and politi-cal savvy on the part of organizers. �e Harmony Festival will mark the launch of OU Sebastopol (OUSB) offering the original weekend courses for Northern California. Oaksterdam University Michi-gan (OUMI) just kicked off May 23 & 24th in Ann Arbor, MI with a 300 person educational symposium.

Not quite. Our front row seats fill first. Class begins on time, with an earnest request for any undercover law enforce-ment officers to please identify themselves. �e uncomfortable silence is only broken by the restless students shifting in their chairs as they look around for the Narc. As the situation sinks in, you can almost see the thought cross their faces; “I am actually sitting in a room with over fifty other people to learn about pot.” After 2,500 students sat in OU chairs, no one has stood up to identify themselves as a cop, and class seems to continue with an increased sense of awareness. �e school asks the question to remind students that you do not really know whom you are talking to, during school, at lunch or in life.

Does Oaksterdam University run on Standard Stoner Time?Words by Dale S. ClarePhotos by Todd McCormick

Richard Lee

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Plans are germinating for Rhode Island (OURI) and beyond. You can be a part of this budding industry. �ere are already over 500 medical cannabis dispensaries in California, creating thousands of new jobs and millions of tax dollars. Become a freedom fighter at Oaksterdam University and earn a living while helping to end cannabis prohibition.

Richard Lee has been working to end cannabis prohibition for 17 years. In 1992 he co-founded Legal Marijuana - �e Hemp Store in Houston, Texas, one of the first hemp products retail outlets in the United States. Lee moved to Oakland in 1997 and co-founded the Hemp Research Com-pany, supplying cannabis to the Oakland Canna-bis Buyers' Club and researching efficient and environmentally friendly cannabis horticulture. In 1999, he opened the Bulldog Coffeeshop, the second cannabis outlet in "Oaksterdam". In 2003 Lee founded the Oakland Civil Liberties Alliance, the PAC that passed Oakland's Measure Z making private sales, cultivation, and possession of cannabis the lowest law enforce-ment priority and mandating that Oakland tax and regulate cannabis as soon as possible under state law. From 2005 to 2007, Lee published the Oaksterdam News quarterly newspaper with a circulation of over 100,000. In 2007, he founded the first cannabis college in the United States, Oaksterdam University. In 2008 he funded the startup of the monthly magazine West Coast Cannabis, current circulation 30,000. Since 2005, Lee has been serving on the City of Oakland Cannabis Regulation and Revenue Ordinance Commission, which was created after Measure Z passed with 65% of the vote 2004. He manages several other Oaksterdam companies, including the Oaksterdam Gift Shop and Nursery. His dedication to ending cannabis prohibition continues to play a crucial role in the revitaliza-tion and economic growth of Oakland.

Oaksterdam University was founded in 2007 to provide students with the highest quality training for the cannabis industry. �e faculty is comprised of the most recognized names in the California cannabis movement. �e original Oakland campus is located on the corner of 19th and Broadway in revitalized downtown Oakland, adjacent to the renovated Fox �eater with convenient access to BART.

Los Angeles Campus (OULA) is hosted by the Patient ID Center• 323-852-1039 • 470 S. San Vicente Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90048 (Between La Cienega and Wilshire Blvd, south of the Beverly Center, cross street is Drexel, located on the first floor) www.patientidcenter.org

Sebastopol Campus (OUSB) is hosted by Peace in Medicine www.peaceinmedicine.org

Michigan Campus (OUMI) is hosted by Michigan Medical Marijuana Association www.michiganmedicalmarijuana.org

Rhode Island Campus (OURI) is planning with the RI Patient Advocacy Coalition www.RIpatients.org

To enroll, contact Oaksterdam University at 510-251-1544 www.oaksterdam.com

Oaksterdam UniversityExecutive Chancellorwww.OaksterdamUniversity.com

Medical Cannabis Safety Council (MCSC)Regional Coordinator, Southern CaliforniaEducation & Research Committee Chairwww.CannabisSafety.org

Medical Cannabis Association (MCA)Director of Public Affairs and Patient Advocacywww.MedicalCannabisAssociation.org

Jeff Jones Sarah Diesel Dale Clare

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I have been a fan of vaporizing since I first located a do-it-yourself guide, published in the early 1990's by NORML, explaining a quick DIY version that could be built for less then $20. It was not perfect in design, but did lessen the amount of plant material that was burned. �ings have come a long way since I first experimented with the technology in the form of this partially successful attempt at a personal vaporizer.

Because of my experiences, I hope to highlight the different aspects of vaporizers to provide you an honest consumer guide with a connoisseur perspective. �e new and potential vaporiz-ing assistive devices coming out on the market can be costly to assess yourself. I will also revisit the pro’s and con’s of industry leaders; companies upholding the standards that are continuing to offer quality vaporizers for the marketplace.

To begin, let us familiarize ourselves with what is needed to accomplish vaporizing cannabis. You must have a device that can consistently control the heat…temperature control needed to boil the resin of this plant, allowing the release of cannabinoids (the parts of the plant you benefit from) into a gaseous state. I have seen many different types of devices over the years used to accom-plish this task, varying from simple to very complicated. To be clear, your device must simply be able heat the beneficial compo-nents to their boiling point, releasing a vapor, without actually burning the plant material, which produces smoke, tar and ash.

�e optimum choice for vaporizing devices can vary upon where and how you will be using cannabis. Storz and Bickel, the manu-facturer of Volcano products, offer the Classic or Digital heating base with a Solid or Easy Valve balloon collection kits. To my knowledge, the Volcano is the first vaporizer that allows for "saving the vapor for later", providing a chance for users to experi-ence the benefits of vaporizing without having to immediately use what they prepare, although efficacy fades over time. �is capability is due to the patented balloon vapor collection system. As the industry leader, this company has established the standard that all other vaporizers are judged by, however the Volcano vaporizer is not very stealthy, and has limited portability due to necessity for a power source.

I hope to see another great product from this seasoned industry leader in 2011. �e prices are steep for their current line of vapor-izers, but the quality and durability of their product is proven, stemming from true German craftsmanship; all units are manu-factured in Germany and shipped worldwide. �e Volcano vaporizer continues to stand strong in a growing field of products. It will take a new and innovative approach to unseat this industry leader, considered the Mercedes Benz of the vaporizing. www.storz-bickel.com

For your portable use, an up and coming unit recently available is the “iolite” portable vaporizer made by Oglesey and Butler, a company from Ireland. �is new vaporizer utilizes butane as the heating method, which makes it portable longer then most that

The Jeff Jones Vaporizer Assessment Project (The VAP)

Words by Jeff Jones

have batteries for the heating element, so I give the iolite a high rating. It is currently being made of sturdy material, and will hopefully prove to survive some wear and tear out in the field during my rigorous assessment process. �e largest positive is the very lightweight and compact design, and can fit into your pocket or coat for easy concealment before or after use. You can also reload and use without much difficulty, where some vaporiz-ers are not so easy to figure out or refill. �e largest negative is that is made of a plastic type material on the outside, potentially not so environmental friendly for long term use. But if you have to be portable this one gets a sure “buy” review, as I have found them to be ready to use in less then one minute after starting up and can be recharged with any standard refined butane fuel. www.my-iolite.com www.gotvape.com

If you would like your favorite vaporizers reviewed or are marketing vaporizing technology drop me a email at thevap@patientidcenter.org.

If you are a vaporizer company interested in having your product reviewed, I encourage you if you to send us a demo to test, information you would provide for a patient to purchase, and a way to contact you directly.

I will work to get your vaporizer reviewed in a future column. Next column I plan to analyze the Vripmaster line of vaporizers. www.vriptech..com

Je� Jones shows the THC Expo some love.

49

MySpace.com/ChronicCandy

Human culture and its preparation of food markedly impacts the quality of the nutrition. Humans dissatisfied with the color and flavor of food alter it by preparation or cooking to elevate it culturally. A classic example is our desire to grind off the outer cover of rice and wheat, feed the vitamins to the animals while civilization enjoys white rice, white bread and a case of Beriberi (B1 deficiency).

Should we compost the leaf or consume it?

Photos by Todd McCormick

51

It is rumored that fire was a gift to humanity, stolen from Zeus by Prometheus. For 10,000 years we have been enjoying our purloined pleasure, fire, by roasting, toasting and smoking the food around us. By report, Prometheus paid dearly for his stealing of fire from Zeus, it is clear now that we share in Prometheus’ fate to some degree. Humans stand out from the rest of the animal kingdom in our application of heat to canna-bis. We smoke, simmer, sauté, steep our way to one desired endpoint, the increase of THC. In India, the non-psychoactive large green shade leafs of the cannabis plant are simmered for 10 minutes, then the leaf is ground up and rolled into balls. One is mildly psychoactive, two moderately and three signifi-cantly psychoactive. None of them have the original medicinal value.

If we wind back the clock 10,000 years, humans ate cannabis raw as did the deer, horses, rabbits and cats. �e particular profile of terpenes, cannabinoids and flavinoids found in raw, green leaf represents 34 million years of evolution and it will be a few more years before we fully understand the synergistic actions of the 400+ molecules found in raw cannabis. At last years International Cannabinoid Research Society symposium attention was paid to the delicate cannabinoids that are destroyed by heat. Turns out these delicate Cannabinoids have unique medical properties that are lost after the plant is heated.

In addition the delicate cannabinoids, the terpenes are driven from the plant with heat. �e terpenes, which are volatile at room temperature, are responsible for the unique odor that distinguishes one strain from another. In addition to the aroma, the terpenes have diverse medical functions; anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anti-oxidant, antibiotic and they are reduced if not lost in drying, grinding and in the application of heat.

One cannot begin to appreciate the wide range of the medical benefits provided by cannabis until one understands the immune system. A couple of hours spent with Wikipedia, will add significantly to one’s understanding of how cannabis, the ultimate immune modulator, helps the immune system main-tain and restore health. �e terpenes are known act synergisti-cally with the cannabinoids to restore optimal function to the immune system. In summary the raw green leaf is a balanced offering of primary and secondary immune modulators degraded by heat, drying or age.

�e green leaf was evolved to be eaten and will one day be recognized as a dietary essential. Don’t wait till it makes it to the food pyramid though, consume don’t compost the shade leafs, one of the best parts of the plant. Make sure there are no toxic miticides, store the leaf in one of those green bags, use ten large fan leafs per day in juice, salsa, pesto, salads etc. Since the cannabinoids are cleared rapidly from the blood, frequent consumption of a small amount of juice is ideal. Leaf is not psychoactive so it can be used around the clock. Since the cannabinoids are fat soluble and stored in the fat tissue it can take 4-8 weeks to saturate for a given dose of leaf. Raw green leaf gradually but powerfully modulates the immune system consequently it is not effective for acute symptom relief. Break through pain is nicely complemented by vaporization of your favorite high CBD strain.

William L. Courtney, M.D.DrCourtney@mcn.org LeavesOfGrass.info Mendocino, Willits, Garberville & Arcata

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VOLUME 001

PREMIER ISSUEJULY/AUGUST 2009

$4.95USD

“I inhaled, frequently; that was the point!” -President Obama

“I inhaled, frequently; that was the point!” -President Obama

THE FIRST ANNUAL

THC EXPO 2009LOS ANGELES CONVENTION CENTER

THE FIRST ANNUAL

THC EXPO 2009LOS ANGELES CONVENTION CENTER

WEST HOLLYWOOD7825 Santa Monica Blvd.

323.848.7981

VENICE1509 Abbot Kinney Blvd.

310.392.3890

WESTWOOD1035 Gayley Ave.

310.208.0820

® ®

03

05

TABLE OF CONTENTVOLUME 1 NO. 1PREMIER ISSUE

JULY/AUGUST 2009

FEATURES

FRIDAY AT THE STUDIOWith DJ Pooh

LETTER TO THE PRESIDENTWords by Todd Mccormick

STRAIN HUNTERS: THE MALAWI EDITIONWords By Arjan Roskam

THC LEVELS

BLAZING HOT FLICKSWho Burns It Up

HASH RULES EVERYTHING AROUND MEHashish Enlightenment

Words By Robert C. Clarke

CLASSIC BOONDOCKSBy Aaron Mcgruder

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE HIGH KINDA High Def Photo Gallery

CALIFORNIA LOVECali Girls Photo Gallery

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Welcome to the 18+ side of the THC Expo, here you will find all of the cultivation, medication, and para-phernalia accessories available to the industry. With medical marijuana becoming so popular in California and the talk of legalization on the tongues of sitting senators it is high time we acknowledged the Cannabis user as a demo-graphic that is to be respected and not oppressed.

Please do your part to help us keep this event hassle free by not Smoking, Vaporizing or other-wise Consuming Cannabis while in the Los Ange-les Convention Center.

We are proud to have a mix of businesses from all over the world from local medical marijuana dispensaries to European seed companies to

Canadian cultivation equipment manufacturers. Here you will find everything you’re looking for as well as things you never knew you needed.

Our 18 and older stage will have a more adult oriented theme and a focus on the more advanced side of the industry; we will feature comics, lectures, celebrity appearances and even a fashion show.

Our new magazine is designed much in the same way as our Expo to best highlight the diversity of the subject matter; we hope you enjoy the concept. We at the THC EXPO hope you have a wonderful time at this year’s expo and we hope to see you next year!

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BlazingHotFlicks

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Daz Dillinger & DJ TooHigh

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Snoop Dogg & friends

Yukmouth & Lou Dog of Kottonmouth Kings

Tommy & Shelby Chong

Lena Nicole

Eddie Bravo & friends Angel Raich Angel Rach15

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20

Letter to the PresidentTHC EXPOLos Angeles Convention CenterJune 13 and 14th, 2009

The White House1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NWWashington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President,

We at the THC Expo wanted to take a moment to congratulate you on succeeding to the highest Office in America. We applaud you for telling the truth about your past Cannabis use. In doing so, you proved to the world that responsible adult use of Cannabis is no big deal and that people who use Cannabis can go on to become anything they want in life. We Cannabis users have been plagued with the stereotype that is completely falsified by the propaganda surrounding the current prohibition and your elevation to the office of President is the shining example that makes all these allegations clearly false.

“Yes We Can” was a motto that many of us related to; we certainly hoped that you would be the difference that we the people have not seen for so long in Washington, quite arguably; if ever. Your wonderful speeches and amazing optimism inspired us all; upon your inauguration you united billions of people worldwide with your breaking of racial boundaries and doing what most people said could not be done in our lifetime. By doing so you inspired us all to dream our own personal, albeit sometimes seemingly impossible, dream and we thank you. We were however very dismayed when you so easily dismissed the topic of re-legalization of Cannabis on change.org. The topic of legalization of marijuana was your most voted on question and the fact that more people voted for marijuana legalization on your website than any other question posed should tell you something; that maybe this topic is long overdue for review and that the people are ahead of the politicians and that this plant prohibition is long over in the eyes of the American people.

We at the THC Expo would also like to remind you of your history, for when Columbus arrived he brought with him on all of his ships Cannabis/Hemp, it was a vital necessity to any seafaring culture, for without Cannabis/Hemp they could not sail the open seas: Cannabis/Hemp alone was responsible for all of the ropes and all of the sales, all of the maps, Bibles and clothing that the sailors wore and used were also Hemp, and history also tells us that the fiber matting called ‘oakum’ that was pressed between the boards of the hull and kept the boat buoyant, was made of primarily Hemp fiber, as well was the paint they used to seal the hull was processed from Hempseed oil. Cannabis/Hemp was such an important commodity at the founding of our nation that for over 200 years the federal government, that you now preside over, accepted raw Cannabis/Hemp as payment for taxes because it was indispensable to the military. All of the feral Hemp that grows across the Midwest was planted there by the settlers of this great country, all the canvas that covered all the canvas-wagons that crossed this country settling the West was made from only one plant; Cannabis.

We ask you now Mr. President to acknowledge history; past presidents that you quote so eloquently, were in fact, Hemp farmers out of sheer necessity. Because they lived before nylon, tree- based paper, petrochemicals and synthetic-based paints, they had to look towards Mother Nature to provide them with their bare necessities and in doing so, they found an organic and sustainable solution: Cannabis/Hemp. We all realize that you have the opportunity to rebuild America, to free us of the ignorance of past presidential decisions and implement a future based on what is right for the many instead of what is profitable for the few. You alone have the power to make the changes that are needed to save our economy and to save our environment and to give back a history that has been stolen by corporate lies and government propaganda.

We need Cannabis/Hemp now as a nation just as we did in 1619 when our federal government passed the first laws that stipulated that all residents had to grow it least 10% of their land as Hemp because it was such an important commodity in society. What worked then will again work now, as we can no longer afford your cheap tree paper, or your foreign oil at the expense of human lives. We can no longer afford to have you lock up our citizens for choosing to use a benign plant instead of the other available poisons that are available on every corner at any convenience store. And we can most certainly not allow our friends and family with cancer/AIDS and other debilitating diseases to stand by and suffer while we contemplate the ethics of denying them beneficial medication. It’s time the federal government legalizes adult use of Cannabis and re-legalizes Cannabis/Hemp as a commodity for our foods, fuels, fibers and medicines and we hope you will take the time to acknowlege our history and do what’s right and give back to the people their right to utilize this God-given gift.

Sincerely,

THC EXPO

21

THE MALAWI EDITIONTHE MALAWI EDITION

Dangerous chemicals are sprayed over fields and over the farmers themselves in most of the third world countries, and the poorest people of the planet are the ones paying the highest price for cultivating a plant that does not kill. But in the economy of scale, where demand dictates supply, the poorest people of the planet have no choice but to cultivate cannabis as a cash crop to feed their children and send them to school. Communities that are isolated in remotes areas in the poorest regions of the planet are often the keepers of very special landraces. The worldwide prosecution on the cannabis plant generates the need to go hunt-ing for the real landraces that are left in the most remote corners of the planet. These strains, isolated for decades and sometimes for centuries, costantly inbreeding, are at the origin of all the thousands of variations that we know today in the cannabis industry. In these landraces there are hundreds, maybe thousands of unique cannabinoid profiles that have never been evaluated by the pharmaceutical industry; nevertheless they could be of enormous help in the future, when the knowl-edge about the medicinal properties of the canna-bis plant will advance further. One of these can-nabinoid profiles could be hiding the next miracle drug for the treatment of very serious diseases. The concept of strain hunters stems from the need to preserve nature's gifts to man, in a quest for a better future. Being a strain hunter is a personal challenge, a passion, and a way of life. Strain hunt-ing is a very delicate task, one that involves social skills, a travelling-oriented mindframe and a pinch of crazy. Besides being physically fit, the strain hunter has to speak several languages, be able to blend and socialize in different environments, and has to be willing to commit to a lifestyle on the fast-lane. From the jungles of Africa and Asia to the mountain ranges of South America, the strain hunt-ers are on a mission to bring back the most impor-tant and isolated cannabis landraces known to man. The logistical challenges involved in strain-hunting are quite considerable, but Arjan, owner and founder of the Green House empire, has been devoting a great deal passion, time and resources to this task. After two decades spent strain hunting for the breeding programs of the Green House Seed Company, it is now time to show the world what the hunt is all about. Strain Hunters is a brand new series of documentaries, real-life reports of the search for the greatest lost cannabis strains, a deep insight in the typical "day at the office" of the most successful seed makers in the world.

Our planet is home to millions of species of animal and plants with their own habitat, and each plays a unique role in the perfect design of nature. Unfortunately many species of plants and animals are victim of uncontrolled human development. Cannabis, one of the most ancient plants known to man, used in every civilization all over the world for medicinal and recre-ational purposes, is facing a very real threath of extinction.

Besides the threath posed by human development, one of the goals of the United Nations, published years ago in official reports, was to wipe out the cannabis plant from the face of the earth by the year 2010. In reality this is far from being achieved, because man keeps using the cannabis plant for religious, medicinal and recreational purposes no matter what the law says. Most cultures cannot comprehend how a plant can be made illegal.

In most people's perception, plants and animals stand above a status of legality or illegality, they just exist in a higher design of nature that goes beyond human laws and regulations. Nev-ertheless most governments of cannabis-producing countries are implementing drastic measures to destroy crops.

Words by Arjan Roskam Photos by Greenhouse Seed Co.

24

Words & Photos by Greenhouse Seed Co.

Dangerous chemicals are sprayed over fields and over the

farmers themselves in most of the third world countries,

and the poorest people of the planet are the ones paying

the highest price for cultivating a plant that does not kill.

But in the economy of scale, where demand dictates

supply, the poorest people of the planet have no choice

but to cultivate cannabis as a cash crop to feed their

children and send them to school.

Communities that are isolated in remotes areas in the

poorest regions of the planet are often the keepers of very

special landraces. The worldwide prosecution on the

cannabis plant generates the need to go hunting for the

real landraces that are left in the most remote corners of

the planet. These strains, isolated for decades and some-

times for centuries, costantly inbreeding, are at the origin

of all the thousands of variations that we know today in

the cannabis industry. In these landraces there are

hundreds, maybe thousands of unique cannabinoid

profiles that have never been evaluated by the pharma-

ceutical industry; nevertheless they could be of enormous

help in the future, when the knowledge about the medici-

nal properties of the cannabis plant will advance further.

One of these cannabinoid profiles could be hiding the next

miracle drug for the treatment of very serious diseases.

The concept of strain hunters stems from the need to

preserve nature's gifts to man, in a quest for a better

future. Being a strain hunter is a personal challenge, a

passion, and a way of life. Strain hunting is a very delicate

task, one that involves social skills, a travelling-oriented

mindframe and a pinch of crazy. Besides being physically

fit, the strain hunter has to speak several languages, be

able to blend and socialize in different environments, and

has to be willing to commit to a lifestyle on the fast-lane.

From the jungles of Africa and Asia to the mountain ranges

of South America, the strain hunters are on a mission to

bring back the most important and isolated cannabis

landraces known to man.

The logistical challenges involved in strain-hunting are

quite considerable, but Arjan, owner and founder of the

Green House empire, has been devoting a great deal

passion, time and resources to this task. After two

decades spent strain hunting for the breeding programs of

the Green House Seed Company, it is now time to show

the world what the hunt is all about. Strain Hunters is a

brand new series of documentaries, real-life reports of the

search for the greatest lost cannabis strains, a deep

insight in the typical "day at the office" of the most

successful seed makers in the world.

25

27

Part one: Constituents and Quality

There are two mechanical (nonchemical) methods for collecting cannabis resin to manufacture hashish (or charas). The resin gland containing psychoactive THC can either be rubbed off living plants with the hands, or the resin glands can be collected by sieving after the plant has been harvested and dried. While labor intensive, hand rubbing requires no tools other than fingers and palms and was told was the first method of making hashish. Even simple forms of sieving our high tech compared to hand rubbing; and sieved resin collection offers greater control of hashish purity and potency, and production of larger quantities of resin powder in shorter periods of time. Collecting small amounts of resin by hand is easier than sieving, while sieving is much more efficient collecting technique.

Neither method extracts much more than one-half the total THC contained in the flowering tops. The remaining THC is trapped within or smeared upon the plant tissues, rather than being contained within the resin glands. Resin collec-tion for hashish making only extracts THC contained within and on the plant tissues. In terms of total THC consumed, smoking marijuana is more than twice as efficient as efficient as smoking hashish. Hashish smoking has other advantages that will be discussed in later editions/ hashish or charas is composed of psychoactive and non-psychoactive compounds. The relative amounts of THC and non-cannabinoid constituents determines the texture, purity and potency of hashish. The non-psychoactive com-ponents of hashish are derived from plant matter, water and other substances. Some of these substances are naturally occurring contaminants, others are intentionally added adulterants. There are some simple physical tests that can be done to determine the quality of hashish.

What is Hashish?

Hashish is a psychoactive drug prepared from the isolated resin glands of the female, seed-bearing, Cannabis plant. One common misconception is that hashish is made by grinding dry Cannabis flowers into a powder and pressing

Hashish is easily the most misunderstood part of the Cannabis plant. In our quest to take the mystery out of life’s simple pleasures, HEMPIRE saw the need to explain this much discussed mind-chocolate. Rob Clarke, best known for his book ‘Marijuana Botany’ will be our guide in a series of articles excerpted from his book ‘Hashish’. Words by Robert C. Clarke

This Cannabis plant was growing in a �eld of Poppies in Southern Afghani-stan and was taken by an American G.I.Photo by Manxman

29

(cannabinoids and terpenoids), vegetable matter, water-soluble com-pounds, insoluble dust and dirt, and volatile matter. The higher the con-tent of alcohol soluble compounds, the higher the quality of hashish. The sticky oily liquid terpenoids and cannabinoids serve as the glue to hold the matrix of particulate vegetable matter and dust together and form a solid but pliable mass. A basic knowledge of the physical prop-erties of the various hashish constituents is key to an enlightened approach to hashish preparation and use.

Given that THC is relatively neutral in aroma, terpenoids must be responsible for the bulk of the other aromatic characteristics of hash-ish. A host of terpenoid compounds, with varying chemical makeup and physical characteristics, account for differences in the integral adhe-sive structure of a piece of hashish. Terpenoids are largely responsible

Cannabis resin glands are highly specialized plant cells that secrete resins and essen-tial oils consisting mostly of cannabinoid and terpenoid compounds. The resin glands of Cannabis are the primary site of synthesis for the prin-ciple psychoactive cannabi-noid, THC, and a host of other cannabinoids and terpenoids. Resin glands are most well developed and numerous on mature, female floral bracts (the green tissue encasing the flower and seed). Resin is secreted from the glands and accumulates under a waxy cuticle that enlarges like a blister until it is nearly spheri-cal. The spherical balls, con-taining the gland and the attached balloon of resin it secreted, fall off when dried flowers are threshed and are collected as resin powder, or are wiped off of the flowers on to the palms during hand-rubbing. When Cannabis con-sumers speak of the sparkly ‘crystals’ on marijuana, it is actually the resin glands that are being described.

the powder into solid pieces. The idea is not simply to grind a lot of Cannabis and make mari-juana powder. Rather, the idea is to sieve out (and thus concentrate) the THC-containing resin glands in order to make a more potent Cannabis preparation. Another common misconception is that Cannabis resin powder is pollen. The most common name in the Netherlands for sieved Dutch, Lebanese or Moroccan hashish is “polm” or “pollen”. Hashish actually contains no pollen at all. Pollen is produced only by male flowers and only female flowers produce the resin glands that are collected for making hashish. Hashish makers never use male pollen-producing plants to make hashish.

Hashish Constituents

In theory, a piece of hashish in its purest form con-tains nothing but Cannabis resin glands and their contents. In real life, hashish always contains the same containments such as airborne dust particles and pulverized plant tissues. Hashish contains a mixture of the primary psychoactive compound THC, with non-psychoactive constituents of both Cannabis and non-Cannabis origin. Hashish is made up of alcohol soluble constituents

Hashish varies just like cannabis.

30

for the aroma, flavor, and general appearance of hash-ish. Much of much of the variation in the characteristics of hashish from different regions (such as texture, aroma, and flavor) result from variation in terpenoid content.

The canabinoid and terpinoid constituents of hashish range in constancy from soft solids trough oily liquids to thin, volatile aromatic compounds. The mixed cannabi-noid and terpenoid compounds produce a dense viscous solid that is brittle at room temperature (22 ° C) or below, and soft and pliable at body temperature (39° C). Any other consistency at these two temperatures is an indication that the hashish is either contaminated or adulterated. Both contaminates and adulterants alter the natural physical state and texture of pure cannabis resin.

The physical characteristics of hashish change as it is heated from the frozen storage state (less than 0° C) to normal temperature (22.5 ° C), pressed, vaporized ad eventually burned. Frozen hashish is very hard and the cannabinoid and terpenoid levels remain nearly stable for long periods. As soon as hashish is removed from the freezer and warmed to room temperature it softens. The softening is a function of the most volatile terpe-noids melting and turning to their liquid state.

During hand-pressing a piece of hashish is warmed to near body temperature (39° C). The hashish becomes even softer as more and more of the solid terpenoid constituents reach their melting points. When hashish is heated during smoking (100°-300° C), the most volatile terpenoids boil and vaporize first producing the characteristic vapor and aroma of hashish. As the temperature climbs between 200 and 300 the THC vaporizes along with the higher boiling point terpenoids. Eventually (above 500° C) the solid vegetable matter and other flammable containments catch fire and completely burn. Only a few degraded terpenoids and cannabinoids remain in the hashish ashes.

Containments and Adulterants

Pieces of commercial hashish always contain contaminates and often also adulterants.

Contaminates are non- resin hashish constituents that arise from plant debris, dust and dirt collected along with resin glands. Adulterants are sub-stances that are intentionally added to hashish during its manufacture in order to change its basic physical character and lower its potency, making it more suitable for marketing. An adulterant is any non-Cannabis containment purposefully added to Cannabis resin. Adul-terants do not include dust, sand, plant tissues, and the other natural, unintentionally included containments men-tioned above. Opium, henbane, and datura are psychoactive adulterants and would add their own effects to the high Only after the intial physical test is it time to �re it up and really check it out.

31

produced by hashish. The extra effect of the adulterants may have been necessary to market low potency hashish made from low-quality resin powder. None of the adulterants make hashish more potent or more pleasant to smoke, they only serve to make poor resin powder salable.

Quality Determination

For the casual hashish smoker is important to assess the quality of each purchase. The following physical criteria are commonly used for determining the quality of Cannabis resin powder and pressed hashish. The criteria only express gen-eral rules, and in most rules, an exception can always be found. However, if most of the physical criteria are satisfied, then the resin powder or hashish is probably high-quality, and ought to be potent. If few of the criteria are satisfied, then the product is most likely low-quality and will also be of low potency. Without chemical analysis the only way to determine the potency of Cannabis resin with any certainty is to eat or smoke it.

The debris that contaminates Cannabis resin powder provides a matrix that keeps the resin glands physically separated, allowing them to burn more easily. When resin glands melt together into a lump they have less surface area and will not burn properly. Some contaminates are necessary in a piece of hashish for it to burn correctly on its own. If hashish is too pure it will melt and bubble but not produce an ember. The answer to the following questions will give the smoker a good idea of the quality of any given piece of hash-ish. Only after the initial physical tests is it time to fire it up and really check it out!

What color is the resin powder before pressing?

Lighter colored resin powders are almost always of higher purity and quality, and are therefore more potent, than darker colored resin powders. Pure clean fresh resin powder of the highest quality is nearly clear. The next best grades of resin powder are transparent and amber-colored or milky translucent-white. If resin powder contains dust and dirt it will usually be a darker brown color or it will be tinted green by pulverized plant matter.

What is the texture of the resin powder?

Fine, dense, resin powder is of higher quality than coarse, fluffy resin powder. Cannabis resin is very dense, while con-taminants such as dust and powdered plant material, are much less dense. Soft and moist texture is a sign that the resin powder is fresh, while hard and dry texture is indicative of old stale resin powder.

A close up of hashish.

What color is the piece after it is pressed?

Higher quality resin powders turn darker, and do so much faster (when thoroughly kneaded) than do lower quality resin powders. The higher of proportion of resin in the sample, the faster it will soften and darken. The glands in high purity resin powder burst and melt together easily making a denser and darker piece of hashish. Cannabis resin begins to oxidize and darken as soon as it is directly exposed to light, air, and heat.

What color is the piece after it is pressed?

Higher quality resin powders turn darker, and do so much faster (when t h o r o u g h l y kneaded) than do lower quality resin powders. The higher of proportion of resin in the sample, the faster it will soften and darken. The glands in high purity resin powder burst and melt together easily making a denser and darker piece of hashish. Cannabis resin begins to oxidize and darken as soon as it is directly exposed to light, air, and heat.

Lighter colored resin powders are almost always of higher purity and quality, and therefore more potent, than darker colored resin powder.

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What is the texture of pressed hashish?

When plant impurities are present a piece of well-pressed hashish will still be soft and spongy. Pure hashish is dense and solid. Pure hashish makes a sharp click, rather than a dull thud, when dropped on a hard surface. Mineral impurities can make a piece of hashish hard and brittle. Often hashish with mineral impurities will not get very soft in the palm. The freshly broken edge of a piece of high quality hashish will be sharp and clean, even if the resins are soft. If the piece pulls apart rather than breaking and the edge is fluffy and stringy, then there are pieces of plant tissue or other debris contaminating the resin. If the piece is so hard that it will not reform when heated in the hand then the piece is old and stale. A fresh piece of high quality hashish is soft when it is warmed in the hand for a few minutes. If a piece of hashish is very soft even when it has not been warmed, then it usually contains a fat or oil adulterant.

However, spongy pieces of hashish such as blonde Moroccan hashish that are often contaminated with plant debris, but are not adulterated, can also be soft; so a soft texture at room temperature is not always a sigh of contamination by fats or oils. In any case, very soft texture at normal room temperature is always a sign of lower potency and quality.

What does the resin powder or hashish smell like?

Both fresh resin powder and fresh hashish smell clean and spicy. If either smells musty or dirty than the product is probably stale, con-tains contaminates, and /or may have molded or spoiled. If the hashish lacks aroma all together, it is probably either very old or contains little resin, or both. Is hashish smells like anything other than Cannabis, then there is some containment or adulterant in it. Smell can give al clue as to the cause of softness in hashish. Veg-etable oils and butter often smell rancid, Cannabis oil smells of chemical solvent, and turpentine smells of pine.

What does hashish taste like?

If a small piece of hashish is placed in the mouth and chewed, it will often produce a peppery taste. If hashish is spicy and peppery tasting, the piece will usually be more potent than hashish that tastes flat. If hashish tastes like vegetable matter or dirt it is con-taminated.

Does the hashish stay lit?

Cannabis resins are highly flammable because they contain many extremely volatile terpenoid compounds. When lighting a good piece of hashish, it usually stays lit on the second or third try. A piece of high quality hashish will often flare up in flame on the first few attempts to ignite it. The body of the hashish fails to stay lit

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because all of the energy of ignition is con-sumed by the flaming aromatic terpenoids. After a couple of attempts, a good piece of hashish will stay lit and carry the coal like a piece of incense. If the piece lights on the first try and stays lit, it may be composed mostly of plant material or contain flam-mable but non-volatile binders such as paraffin wax. If the piece must constantly be relit, it probably contains very little resin, it may not have been pressed sufficiently, or the resin powder may be dirty, old, or wet.

What color is the smoke?

The embers of high-quality hashish give off a milky-white to slightly blue-grey tinted smoke. Flaming resins give off black smoke because the aromatic terpenoids are vapor-izing faster than they can efficiently burn. If the embers give off brown smoke it is a sign of contaminates. If the smoke from the embers is very dark brown or black, then the hashish is highly adulterated.

How does the smoke smell and taste?

When Cannabis resin burns, it produces aromas and flavors that are pungent and spicy, like fine incense. Hashish smoke smells sweet and rich.

What does the ash look like?

When pure resin buns completely it leaves a white to light grey ash. Darker grey ashes indi-cate the presence of con-taminates. Very dark grey or black ash is a sign of adulteration.

Is the hashish potent and are its effects pleasurable to you the smoker?

While entirely subjective in nature, the most important criteria to the smoker are the potency of the hashish and nature of its effects. Every persons idea of both potency and pleasure varies, just as the potency and nature of the high produced by each batch of hashish varies. Each smoker must judge the potency of a Cannabis product for themselves. If a smoker feels that hashish is potent enough to satisfy, and also feels that the hashish produces pleasurable physical effects and a desirable mental state, then it is ‘good’ hashish to them. Ultimately, decisions concerning the quality of any given piece of hashish rest with the individual consumer.

Upcoming articles of Hashish Enlightenment will bring you ‘Super Stashes’ from around the planet, how to make ‘Hol-land High Quality Hashish’ and much more!

Stay Tuned Earthlings!

© All text are copyright 1995 Robert Connell Clarke and are excerpted from the book HASHISH published by Red Eye Press, Los AngelesA close up of tricombs.

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Classic Boondocks StripsBy Aaron McGruder

CATCH AARON MCGRUDER AT THE THC EXPO, JUNE 13-14, 2009 AT THE LA CONVENTION CENTER

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vol. 01 l GALLERY: CALIFORNIA LOVE

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mood: hot, sticky and moistPHOTOS: TODD MCCORMICK

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