11.01.2019 Views

Maximum Yield Cannabis | USA Edition | Vol. 02 Issue 01 2019

You’ve done everything right and have some great-looking plants ready for harvest. Don’t blow it now. Take a deep breath with Lee G. Lyzit and make sure you get the best quality possible from the plants you worked so hard on. Also inside: Smoking, Vaping and Your Health, Keep Bugs Off Your Nugs, Types of CBD, and much more.

You’ve done everything right and have some great-looking plants ready for harvest. Don’t blow it now. Take a deep breath with Lee G. Lyzit and make sure you get the best quality possible from the plants you worked so hard on.

Also inside: Smoking, Vaping and Your Health, Keep Bugs Off Your Nugs, Types of CBD, and much more.

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

KEEP DESTRUCTIVE BUGS OFF YOUR PRECIOUS NUGS!<br />

CULTIVATING A HEALTHY LIFE FOR YOU AND YOUR PLANTS<br />

Expert Advice for a<br />

BETTER<br />

HARVEST<br />

Smoking, Vaping and<br />

YOUR HEALTH<br />

LED Efficiency vs.<br />

PERFORMANCE<br />

Understanding Different<br />

TYPES OF CBD<br />

Smoking or<br />

INGESTING?<br />

5<br />

Display<br />

Growroom Winterizing<br />

SECRETS<br />

January/February 2<strong>01</strong>9 $7.99<br />

Until Feb. 15, 2<strong>01</strong>9 maximumyield.com


CLEAN CROPS<br />

FROM THE START<br />

Providing <strong>Cannabis</strong> Growers<br />

with Virus-Free, Pesticide-Free,<br />

True-to-Type Plants<br />

Solve your supply chain challenges with:<br />

• Clones of verified genetics<br />

• Clean Stock ® nursery services<br />

• Virus-free, pesticide-free certifications<br />

• Genetic storage and production<br />

Download our brochure at<br />

frontrangebio.com/cleanplants<br />

SALES@FRONTRANGEBIO.COM<br />

WWW.FRONTRANGEBIO.COM


PhytoMAX-2<br />

®<br />

Full Spectrum Grow Lights<br />

®<br />

EXCLUSIVE GLASS LEDS<br />

ALLOWS 10% MORE LIGHT<br />

TYPICAL YIELD FOR PHYTOMAX-2 1000:<br />

2.5 - 3.5+ LBS<br />

GENUINE UV INCREASES<br />

THC & CBD<br />

MAXIMIZE YOUR PLANTS’ POTENTIAL - SEE FOR YOURSELF WITH OUR 90-DAY GUARANTEE<br />

400 nm<br />

700<br />

350<br />

400 450 500 550 600 650 700 750<br />

TRUE FULL SPECTRUM<br />

GOES BEYOND PAR<br />

WITH UV AND IR<br />

BlackDogLED.com | 720.420.1209


This is an indictment of<br />

prohibition. The reason that<br />

people don’t know about<br />

the dangers of pesticides<br />

is because we don’t have<br />

a legal and regulatory<br />

market for this product.<br />

<strong>Cannabis</strong> needs to be<br />

available, but it also<br />

needs to be safe.”<br />

Features<br />

20<br />

Expert Advice for a Better Harvest<br />

by Lee G. Lyzit<br />

You have some great-looking plants ready for harvest. Don’t blow it now.<br />

Take a deep breath and make sure you get the best quality possible from<br />

the plants you worked so hard on with these four tips to make the most<br />

out of your harvest.<br />

26<br />

Smoking, Vaping, and Your Health<br />

by Jessica Zimmer<br />

There is little peer-reviewed science available on how smoking and<br />

vaping cannabis grown with pesticides affects human health. However,<br />

most experts agree that inhaling anything burned is not recommended,<br />

and pesticides can exacerbate health risks.<br />

6<br />

<strong>Maximum</strong> <strong>Yield</strong>


Contents<br />

First Feed<br />

10 From the Editor<br />

12 Bare Roots<br />

14 Branching Out<br />

16 Ask a Grower<br />

18 Good to Grow<br />

54 Stash Box<br />

Chronicals<br />

30 Cut and Dried<br />

44 Ask a Nurse<br />

73 Baking a Fool of Myself<br />

Grow Cycle<br />

32 Keep Bugs Off Your Nugs<br />

38 Red Light, Blue Light<br />

46 How to Winterize Your Growroom<br />

50 Smoking versus Ingesting<br />

56 Benefits of <strong>Cannabis</strong> Juicing<br />

62 Six Types of CBD<br />

66 GreenBroz<br />

8<br />

<strong>Maximum</strong> <strong>Yield</strong>


®<br />

Crafted for<br />

ORGA N IC GA R DE N I NG TM<br />

Call Us: 800-4FOXFARM<br />

Find Us: FoxFarmFertilizer.com


Prior to legalization, much of the<br />

debate centered around the history of<br />

racist drug laws and political views on<br />

the plant. It should have focused on<br />

the science of marijuana, particularly<br />

its effects on the adolescent brain.”<br />

from the<br />

EDITOR<br />

TG<br />

Toby Gorman<br />

Since our last issue of <strong>Maximum</strong> <strong>Yield</strong><br />

<strong>Cannabis</strong>, marijuana became legalized<br />

federally in Canada, the second country on<br />

the planet behind Uruguay to do so. Other<br />

countries, including Mexico and a number<br />

of South American countries, are on the<br />

brink of legalizing it.<br />

The Canadian government, under the rule<br />

of the Liberal party, legalized cannabis to<br />

fulfill its campaign promise in 2<strong>01</strong>5 prior<br />

to the federal election. Its reasons to end<br />

prohibition were many: keep profits out of<br />

the hands of criminals, reduce backlog on<br />

the criminal justice system, and keep pot<br />

out of the hands of young people.<br />

That latter reason is, by far, the most<br />

important. Prior to legalization, much of<br />

the debate centered around the history of<br />

racist drug laws and political views on the<br />

plant. It should have focused on the science<br />

of marijuana, particularly its effects on the<br />

adolescent brain. We are still gathering<br />

baseline information on how cannabis<br />

affects various ailments, but we know for<br />

certain its mind-altering chemical delta-9<br />

THC has a negative impact on the neurowiring<br />

of young minds (cannabidiol, for its<br />

part, is relatively safe).<br />

What do we know? We know that teens who<br />

used marijuana heavily from puberty to their<br />

mid-20s are less likely to graduate from high<br />

school, have a higher likelihood for addiction<br />

to alcohol or harder drugs, and suffer more<br />

from depression. The potency of delta-9 THC<br />

in modern strains can only exacerbate these<br />

statistics if not controlled properly.<br />

We won’t go into the neuroscience here — the<br />

information is widely available online — but<br />

the discussion now needs to be, and should<br />

have been all along, how legalizing marijuana<br />

will affect our youth and, ultimately, their<br />

future and the future of our communities.<br />

The Canadian government has said one of<br />

the key objectives of legalizing marijuana<br />

was to keep it out of the hands of youth.<br />

Time will tell if it’s successful, and it will<br />

only be successful if laws are based on good<br />

science and enforced. Needless to say, the<br />

world will be watching.<br />

10<br />

<strong>Maximum</strong> <strong>Yield</strong>


Guard Your Grow<br />

Protect Your Bottom Line<br />

Mite Predator - Phytoseiulus persimilis<br />

Beneficial Insects<br />

Mite Predators<br />

Rove Beetle - Dalotia coriaria<br />

Specialist Predators & Parasites<br />

Beneficial Nematodes<br />

Biological Pest Control & Thousands<br />

Of Organic Growing Solutions<br />

• Soil Health & Fertility<br />

• Natural Insecticides & Traps<br />

• Disease & Pathogen Control<br />

Call Today For Your Free IPM Consultation!<br />

Serving Growers Since 1979.<br />

1-800-827-2847<br />

www.arbico-organics.com<br />

© 2<strong>01</strong>8 ARBICO Organics . All Rights Reserved.<br />

12/2<strong>01</strong>8


are<br />

ROOTS<br />

Featured Contributors<br />

LL<br />

Lee G. Lyzit has been involved<br />

in the medical cannabis industry<br />

for nearly 15 years. His passion for<br />

natural healing drives him to learn as<br />

much as he can about the miraculous<br />

cannabis plant. Lee breeds his<br />

own strains of cannabis to create<br />

concentrated glycerine and coconut<br />

oil extracts. Aside from cannabis<br />

education and consumption, Lee<br />

enjoys playing music, gardening,<br />

hiking, and cross-country skiing.<br />

JZ<br />

Jessica Zimmer is a California,<br />

Florida, and New York-licensed<br />

attorney and reporter based in<br />

Sonoma County, California. She<br />

has a background in cannabis<br />

defense. One of her primary<br />

interests regarding cannabis is<br />

understanding its medical uses.<br />

VOLUME 2 NUMBER 1<br />

January/February 2<strong>01</strong>9<br />

<strong>Maximum</strong> <strong>Yield</strong> <strong>Cannabis</strong> is published monthly by<br />

<strong>Maximum</strong> <strong>Yield</strong> Inc. No part of this magazine may be<br />

reproduced without permission from the publisher. If undeliverable<br />

please return to the address below. The views<br />

expressed by columnists are personal opinions and do not<br />

necessarily reflect those of <strong>Maximum</strong> <strong>Yield</strong> or the editor.<br />

Publication Agreement Number 40739092<br />

Printed in Canada<br />

2339 A Delinea Place, Nanaimo, BC V9T 5L9<br />

Phone: 250.729.2677; Fax 250.729.2687<br />

<strong>Maximum</strong> <strong>Yield</strong> is now available on<br />

magazine stands across the <strong>USA</strong>!<br />

Contributors<br />

+<br />

Ian Ashdown<br />

Luis Cordova<br />

Lindsay Engle<br />

Gibson Lannister<br />

Karen Lloyd<br />

Alan Ray<br />

Eloise Theisen<br />

Treefrog<br />

Rami Vardi<br />

Watermelon<br />

METAL HALIDE<br />

<strong>Maximum</strong> <strong>Yield</strong> <strong>Cannabis</strong> is<br />

distributed direct to retailers,<br />

medical clinics, and dispensaries with<br />

distribution support from our partners:<br />

Great Lakes Garden Wholesale<br />

greatlakesgardenwholesale.com<br />

Grow Green Michigan<br />

growgreenmi.com<br />

<strong>Maximum</strong> <strong>Yield</strong> <strong>Cannabis</strong> will be at:<br />

Emerald Cup<br />

December 15-16, Santa Rosa, CA<br />

Indo Expo<br />

January 26-27, Denver, CO<br />

Metal Halide (MH) lights produce a high-intensity discharge (HID). MH bulbs<br />

utilize an electric arc encased within a small discharge tube. Mercury vapor<br />

within the bulb creates an exceptionally bright light. Halide salts add a bit<br />

of necessary color spectrum to the light. MH lights are beneficial during the<br />

vegetative growth stage of the cannabis plant because they produce a soft blue<br />

light that the plants adore. They can be used throughout the plant’s lifespan,<br />

all the way to harvest time and are generally considered a better option for<br />

cannabis plant growth than fluorescent tubes.<br />

12<br />

Check out Rami Vardi’s article on page 38 for more information.<br />

<strong>Maximum</strong> <strong>Yield</strong><br />

Cover and feature photos courtesy of<br />

Broken Coast <strong>Cannabis</strong><br />

brokencoast.ca


anching<br />

OUT<br />

@kristensaldrich<br />

This is one of the best ads I have seen in a long time.<br />

Article Archives<br />

Can’t recall that great gardening<br />

recommendation from a few months<br />

ago? Look it up online. We have<br />

hundreds of indoor gardening articles<br />

available at maximumyield.com.<br />

Ask a Grower<br />

Stumped by something strange<br />

happening in your garden? Fill out<br />

our Ask a Grower form and we will<br />

find you answers.<br />

Free Digital Subscriptions<br />

Sign up for our free digital subscription<br />

and you will receive <strong>Maximum</strong> <strong>Yield</strong><br />

<strong>Cannabis</strong> to your inbox every other<br />

month. You will also receive a monthly<br />

digital newsletter so you can be the<br />

first to know what’s happening in<br />

the industry. Prefer the print version<br />

of the magazine? Use your digital<br />

subscriptions as notifications for<br />

when a new issue is available at your<br />

local grow shop. Sign up online<br />

at maximumyield.com/subscribe.<br />

Matt S.<br />

From personal experience, its so much more<br />

satisfying to see that little sprout from the seed and<br />

watch it grow. Its a must for first-timers.<br />

@GreenBoxGrown<br />

Always stoked to be apart of the @Max_<strong>Yield</strong><br />

community! Thank you for sharing and as<br />

always… happy growing!<br />

@cannhempexpo<br />

The @Max_<strong>Yield</strong> team will be at our #Winnipeg<br />

expo this weekend. For over 20 years, they have<br />

been the go-to source of info for controlledenvironment<br />

cultivation for growers worldwide. Be<br />

sure to go to them for all your growing questions!<br />

@puffsalotdr<br />

I have seen with my own eyes the power of Rick’s oil.<br />

There is no substitute for the real thing.<br />

Do you want to be featured?<br />

Send your email or post to:<br />

editor@maximumyield.com<br />

@maximumyield<br />

@max_yield<br />

@maximumyield<br />

@maximumyield<br />

maximumyield<br />

14<br />

<strong>Maximum</strong> <strong>Yield</strong>


®<br />

FLOWERMAX <br />

• The high yield flowering light for<br />

commercial grows<br />

• High (2.3) efficacy, cost competitive<br />

cool lights<br />

• Slim width for customized uniformity<br />

and PPFD<br />

• Energy efficient—extremely low heat<br />

allows plants to be inches<br />

away from light<br />

FLOWERMAX <br />

&<br />

AVAILABLE AT<br />

www.vividgro.com


DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION FOR A GROWER? Email editor@maximumyield.com to get an answer.<br />

ask a<br />

GROWER<br />

Q<br />

I just put in a 10K bulb (finisher bulb) as it adds lots of UV.<br />

What’s your opinion on using the 10K bulb during veg?<br />

Steve<br />

a<br />

This is short question with a long answer. It may<br />

be true that a 10K finisher lamp adds “lots of UV,”<br />

but it is important to ask what this means. Several<br />

academic studies have shown exposure to UV-B<br />

radiation promotes the production of THC in <strong>Cannabis</strong><br />

sativa. A 1987 study reported the THC content of floral<br />

tissue increased by 30 per cent when the daily UV-B<br />

dose over 70 days was increased by 13 times. More<br />

recently, an unpublished study by Seoul Semiconductor<br />

demonstrated that five hours of exposure to UV-B in<br />

the final three weeks prior to harvest increased THC<br />

content by nine per cent (interestingly, total terpene<br />

content was increased by 48 per cent). This, however,<br />

is for UV-B radiation, which ranges in wavelength<br />

from 280 nm to 315 nm. There do not appear to be<br />

any academic studies regarding the effects of UV-A<br />

radiation, with wavelengths of 315 nm to 400 nm,<br />

on cannabis. This is unfortunate, as most of the<br />

commercially-available finisher lamps produce plenty<br />

of UV-A radiation but basically no UV-B radiation.<br />

There is plenty of anecdotal evidence available on<br />

the internet claiming finisher lamps are effective<br />

in increasing THC content. However, “lots of UV”<br />

comes with considerable risks. Exposure to UV-A can<br />

enhance photosynthesis, but excess UV-A can inhibit it.<br />

Depending on the species, UV-A exposure may enhance<br />

or inhibit the production of terpenoids — it depends<br />

on the species. For cannabis, we simply do not know.<br />

Perhaps more important is the risk of eye damage<br />

from both UV-B and UV-A radiation exposure —<br />

you can literally sunburn your retinae, a painful<br />

condition called photokeratitis that is not noticed until<br />

several hours after exposure. UV-blocking sunglasses<br />

are available and should be worn when working with<br />

finisher lamps. As for the question of whether finisher<br />

lamps are useful during veg … well, the jury is still out.<br />

Thanks,<br />

Ian Ashdown<br />

IA<br />

Ian Ashdown is a horticultural lighting research engineer who is developing lighting design software for<br />

greenhouses and plant factories. He has forty years of experience as an architectural lighting research engineer, and<br />

holds more than 140 patents and patent applications in LED-based lighting and for predictive daylight controllers.<br />

16<br />

<strong>Maximum</strong> <strong>Yield</strong>


good<br />

TO GROW<br />

1<br />

2<br />

4<br />

3<br />

1 | Anden AV-Series<br />

Dehumidifiers<br />

Anden AV-Series<br />

dehumidifiers range<br />

from 210-300 pints per<br />

day of moisture removal.<br />

Components utilize<br />

materials designed<br />

for the most extreme<br />

conditions and demanding<br />

enterprises, while sensors<br />

and controls can be<br />

custom-configured for each<br />

facility. Anden AV-Series<br />

units are recommended<br />

for large, high-volume<br />

industrial facilities. Anden<br />

dehumidifiers are designed<br />

to prevent humidity spikes<br />

when lights are turned off<br />

and temperature drops<br />

by utilizing a TXV valve to<br />

achieve full capacity quickly<br />

and hold capacity until<br />

lights are turned on.<br />

2 | New Book:<br />

Design and Build<br />

a Room to Grow<br />

This never-done-before<br />

book titled Design and<br />

Build a Room to Grow, by<br />

Bill Faulconer, provides<br />

step-by-step instructions<br />

for designing, building,<br />

and effectively operating<br />

a growroom. Beginner<br />

growers can save thousands<br />

of dollars in costly mistakes<br />

and experienced growers<br />

can save even more with<br />

the innovative operating<br />

techniques detailed<br />

within. Whether you are<br />

considering growing in<br />

a closet, tent, bedroom,<br />

garage, warehouse,<br />

shipping container,<br />

or greenhouse, this<br />

book provides project<br />

photographs, cost<br />

summaries, worksheets,<br />

diagrams, and narratives<br />

to ensure that nothing<br />

is overlooked.<br />

3 | Cutting Edge<br />

Solutions pH Up<br />

& pH Down<br />

The new CES pH Up<br />

and CES pH Down from<br />

Cutting Edge Solutions<br />

are more concentrated,<br />

and don’t contain those<br />

unwanted dyes. The<br />

pH Down is an acidic<br />

buffer that lowers water<br />

and nutrient solution<br />

pH. It contains both<br />

phosphoric acid and<br />

citric acid. The pH Up<br />

product is an alkaline<br />

buffer for raising nutrient<br />

solution pH. Both are<br />

highly concentrated, yet<br />

can be shipped without<br />

HazMat fees. These<br />

products are potent,<br />

so add to nutrient<br />

solutions carefully.<br />

4 | Xtrasun LT1<br />

Lighting Controller<br />

The Xtrasun LT1 provides<br />

dual-zone lighting control<br />

for use with Xtrasun<br />

double-ended fixtures.<br />

Xtrasun DE systems offer<br />

reliable technology at a<br />

reasonable price, and the<br />

LT1 can control up to 160 of<br />

these fixtures (80 per zone).<br />

It is specifically designed<br />

to be used with the Xtrasun<br />

XTDEKT1 and XTDEOKT1<br />

fixtures, which use 0-10V<br />

dimming and have proper<br />

RJ14 ports for compatibility.<br />

The LT1 controller offers<br />

temperature-based<br />

dimming, auto shutdown<br />

for extreme temperature<br />

situations, sunrise/sunset<br />

simulation, and connections<br />

for external equipment<br />

such as dehumidifiers<br />

and A/C systems.<br />

18<br />

<strong>Maximum</strong> <strong>Yield</strong>


5<br />

6<br />

8<br />

7<br />

5 | Reiziger<br />

Bloom Minerals<br />

Reiziger Bloom Minerals<br />

boast a formulation<br />

tailored to give blooms<br />

the energy they need<br />

to thrive. To achieve a<br />

plentiful harvest, this<br />

formulation is made<br />

for high-metabolism,<br />

flowering annual plants in<br />

hydroponic systems. The<br />

fast-acting formula feeds<br />

through roots and leaves<br />

to promote aggressive<br />

and quick-flowering bud<br />

set and formation. It has<br />

a fully balanced blend<br />

of rapidly absorbable,<br />

proprietary phosphorus<br />

and potassium. Bloom<br />

Minerals contains no<br />

nitrogen, making it an<br />

ideal source of minerals<br />

for late applications to<br />

fruiting plants when<br />

nitrogen applications<br />

need to be controlled.<br />

6 | Age Old Nutrients<br />

Hydrofarm now offers<br />

Age Old Nutrients<br />

brand products. Age<br />

Old Nutrients strike the<br />

beautiful balance between<br />

the natural and synthetic<br />

worlds — embracing the<br />

“Age-Old” ways of growing,<br />

while weaving in specific<br />

technologies that enhance<br />

the growth of plants in<br />

a sustainable way. With<br />

a profound respect and<br />

appreciation for the old<br />

ways, along with a culture<br />

that thrives on research<br />

and innovation, Age Old<br />

continues testing and<br />

developing plant nutritional<br />

products that bring<br />

solutions for growers.<br />

7 | MEDXtractor<br />

CO 2 <strong>Cannabis</strong><br />

Oil Extractors<br />

MedXtractor’s small-scale<br />

CO 2-based cannabis<br />

oil extractors are ideal<br />

for craft marijuana<br />

growers. These wellpriced<br />

products allow<br />

craft growers to produce<br />

high-value, residual-free<br />

cannabis extracts from<br />

trim, flower, and rosin<br />

chips without breaking<br />

the bank. Using patentpending<br />

technology,<br />

MedXtractor oil extractors<br />

feature stainless steel<br />

construction with no<br />

mechanical pumps<br />

and don’t leave any<br />

hydrocarbon residue.<br />

MedXtractor can ship<br />

their extractors anywhere<br />

around the world.<br />

8 | Ushio America<br />

NaOClean<br />

Electrolyzed<br />

Water System<br />

Ushio America<br />

introduces the NaOClean<br />

electrolyzed water<br />

system for commercial,<br />

on-site, and indoor use<br />

to enhance plant growth<br />

and potentially suppress<br />

certain diseases and<br />

plant microbes, including<br />

powdery mold and<br />

mildew. The NaOClean<br />

technology utilizes<br />

electrolysis and a unique<br />

mixing process of pure salt<br />

and tap water to create<br />

a safe and effective pHneutral<br />

electrolyzed water<br />

solution of hypochlorous<br />

acid, which is effective in<br />

controlling plant diseases<br />

while not harmful to crops<br />

or workers. The system<br />

generates 300 gallons per<br />

hour of electrolyzed water.<br />

<strong>Maximum</strong> <strong>Yield</strong> 19


20<br />

<strong>Maximum</strong> <strong>Yield</strong>


Expert Advice for a<br />

BETTER<br />

HARVEST<br />

by Lee G. Lyzit<br />

photos courtesy of Broken Coast <strong>Cannabis</strong><br />

You’ve done everything right and have<br />

some great-looking plants ready for harvest.<br />

Don’t blow it now. Take a deep breath with<br />

Lee G. Lyzit and make sure you get the best quality<br />

possible from the plants you worked so hard on.<br />

photo by Gary Lund<br />

Harvest time is an especially exciting time for a novice<br />

cannabis grower. After all, being able to experience<br />

the fruits of one’s labor is what makes growing your own<br />

cannabis so rewarding. Up to this point, first-time cannabis<br />

growers have been focusing their efforts primarily on<br />

the actual growing process. Dialing in the atmospheric<br />

conditions of a growroom, in addition to providing the<br />

plants with adequate lighting and nutrition, is usually more<br />

difficult than most rookie growers expect. However, once the<br />

garden is up and running, the bright light at the end of the<br />

tunnel is harvest time.<br />

Harvesting cannabis plants is a relatively straightforward<br />

process. Still, there are certain tricks of the trade that can<br />

make all the difference in the quality, flavor, and aroma of<br />

the finished product. <strong>Cannabis</strong> enthusiasts who educate<br />

themselves on proper harvest techniques can avoid the<br />

common (and costly) mistakes made by many new growers.<br />

It is not just the quality of the flowers that needs to be kept<br />

in mind during the harvest process. Inefficient methods<br />

can lead to increased labor costs and the loss of valuable<br />

byproducts that could be used to increase a grower’s overall<br />

return on investment. Essentially, each step of harvesting<br />

should be studied individually to maximize the efficiency<br />

and effectiveness of the overall harvesting process.<br />

<strong>Maximum</strong> <strong>Yield</strong> 21


photo by Gary Lund<br />

“THERE ARE CERTAIN TRICKS OF THE TRADE THAT<br />

CAN MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN THE QUALITY,<br />

FLAVOR, AND AROMA OF THE FINISHED PRODUCT.”<br />

BE PATIENT<br />

The number one mistake made by first-time cannabis growers<br />

is harvesting too early. I must admit, I was just as guilty of<br />

this offense as anyone. As Tom Petty noted, “the waiting is<br />

the hardest part.” This couldn’t be truer for first-time cannabis<br />

growers, but believe me, it’s worth the wait. In fact, most<br />

of a cannabis plant’s essential oil and terpene production<br />

happens in the final weeks of flowering. It is also during the<br />

later stages of flowering that cannabis plants pack on flower<br />

density. In other words, harvesting early not only severely<br />

impacts the quality, odors, and flavors of the flowers, it can<br />

also drastically reduce the crop’s overall yield. The ideal<br />

time to harvest cannabis plants depends on the strain. The<br />

average flowering time for a cannabis plant is eight weeks.<br />

However, to decide on the best time to harvest, a grower<br />

should pay close attention to the trichome development on<br />

their flowers. With a jeweler’s loupe or pocket microscope, a<br />

grower can closely examine the trichomes on their cannabis<br />

flowers. As the flowers ripen, the trichomes turn from clear<br />

to milky to amber in color. For maximum THC potency, the<br />

optimal time to harvest is when the majority of the trichomes<br />

are milky. At this point, most of the pistils (little hairs) will<br />

have turned from white to brown or orange. Growers who<br />

wait until their plants (more specifically, the trichomes) are<br />

rewarded with the most potent buds. fully ripe are rewarded<br />

TRIMMING<br />

There are many different approaches to trimming cannabis<br />

flowers, including wet trimming methods, dry trimming<br />

methods, and automated trimming methods. There are<br />

multiple acceptable ways to trim and high-quality buds can<br />

be obtained with all types of trimming. That said, another<br />

common mistake made by first-time growers is inefficient<br />

trimming methods. If the cannabis flowers are handled more<br />

than they need to be, it can cause a reduction in quality<br />

and an increase in labor costs. When trimming, a good rule<br />

of thumb is to not disturb anything until necessary. Every<br />

time the flowers are recut, transported, shifted, or jostled, a<br />

grower runs the risk of losing some potency. Although there<br />

are different ways to approach trimming, the best methods<br />

seem to take a systematic approach. For example, first remove<br />

the large fan leaves while minimizing any contact with the<br />

flowers. Next, carefully remove the leaf material close to<br />

the flowers, touching and bumping the flowers as little as<br />

possible. There is no reason to get too crazy with this. Growers<br />

shouldn’t be afraid to touch the flowers; it is just a good idea<br />

to get into the habit of handling the flowers as gently as<br />

possible during the harvest process. Flowers handled gently<br />

will retain the highest amounts of terpenes and essential oils.<br />

22<br />

<strong>Maximum</strong> <strong>Yield</strong>


Easy to Use, Easy to Clean<br />

& Unmatched Performance<br />

Available Now<br />

www.arizer.com<br />

Wholesale Inquiries Welcome<br />

Email Sales@arizer.com<br />

Built to last with only the highest quality components.<br />

Backed by a limited 2-year warranty & Industry Leading Customer Service.


photo by Daniele Rudischer<br />

“CURING OFTEN TAKES ANYWHERE<br />

BETWEEN TWO TO EIGHT WEEKS,<br />

AND SOME CANNABIS VARIETIES<br />

SHOW THEIR FULL POTENTIAL ONLY<br />

AFTER A FEW MONTHS OF CURING.”<br />

will retain the highest amounts of terpenes and essential oils.<br />

LEFTOVER TRIM MATERIAL<br />

Don’t throw away all that trim material! Another mistake<br />

commonly made by some growers is deciding which trim<br />

materials should be kept and which should be trashed.<br />

Generally, the large fan leaves are not worth the effort.<br />

However, the leaf material that was trimmed away from near<br />

the flowers will contain a good amount of essential oils. In<br />

fact, many of these leaves will have trichomes visible on them<br />

at harvest time. So, any of this leaf material that is not brown<br />

or dead and that has visible trichomes should be saved for<br />

making extracts or edibles.<br />

DRYING, CURING, AND STORAGE<br />

Second to harvesting too early, the biggest harvest mistake<br />

made by beginner cannabis growers is in the drying and<br />

curing process. More specifically, many first-time growers dry<br />

their marijuana flowers too quickly. The two biggest culprits<br />

of undesirable drying are air movement that is too vigorous<br />

or dehumidification that is too aggressive. It is very important<br />

to dry cannabis slowly. <strong>Cannabis</strong> flowers should be dried for<br />

seven to 14 days in a room kept at a temperature of 65-75°F and<br />

a humidity range of 45-55 per cent. This humidity level ensures<br />

the flowers dry at the proper rate. The drying room should<br />

also be kept in total darkness. Ultraviolet light from the sun<br />

or artificial light sources will degrade the tetrahydrocannabinol<br />

(THC) and other components in the essential oils. Once the<br />

plants have dried to the point where the stems snap instead<br />

of bend, the flowers are ready to be removed from the stems<br />

and placed in containers for curing. The curing process allows<br />

the remaining moisture in the cannabis flowers to dry over<br />

an extended period of time. Once the dry flowers are placed<br />

in the airtight containers, they should be “burped” every few<br />

days during the first week or two to bring fresh oxygen into the<br />

containers to allow the flowers to breathe. Curing often takes<br />

anywhere between two to eight weeks, and some cannabis<br />

varieties show their full potential only after a few months of<br />

curing. A proper cure also extends the shelf life of the cannabis<br />

flowers. Properly cured cannabis flowers can be stored for<br />

a year or more without losing quality or potency.<br />

FINAL THOUGHTS<br />

After waiting eight (or more) long weeks for a cannabis plant<br />

to mature, it is extremely difficult to extend one’s patience<br />

through the harvest process. However, growers who wait until<br />

the trichomes on their plants have fully developed automatically<br />

set themselves up for a larger yield and a more potent<br />

product. To retain the powerful flavors and odors of the plants,<br />

a horticulturist must dry and cure the flowers slowly yet effectively.<br />

Trying to take shortcuts during the harvest process<br />

is a great way to turn flowers that smell like fruity, skunky<br />

goodness into ammonia, hay-smelling nastiness. But don’t be<br />

deterred if that happens, though. As with most things in life,<br />

growing quality cannabis takes practice. There is no reason<br />

to get discouraged during the first few attempts. As they say,<br />

experience is the best teacher. A cannabis grower gets better<br />

and better each and every time a crop is harvested.<br />

24<br />

<strong>Maximum</strong> <strong>Yield</strong>


After Extraction,<br />

How Do You Achieve Greatest<br />

Purity, <strong>Yield</strong>, Clarity & Profit?<br />

“Pope” it!<br />

Extraction can only go so far in purifying cannabinoids such as THC and CBD.<br />

No matter which extraction method is used [ethanol, hydrocarbon, SCFE, etc.]<br />

and whether or not extract has been winterized and/or decarboxylated,<br />

Pope stills will finish the process with the greatest possible results.<br />

Pope stills are scalable from small<br />

lab duty up through industrial<br />

production sizes as large as you<br />

need. Shown are Glass 2” (left) and<br />

Turnkey Multistage Automated<br />

System (right).<br />

Why is Pope the Leader In <strong>Cannabis</strong> and<br />

Hemp Distillation Technology?<br />

Since 1963 Pope Scientific has manufactured thousands of distillation systems<br />

used throughout the world in many different industries and labs. Always at<br />

the forefront of distillation technology, Pope’s scientists and engineers back<br />

our equipment with the highest levels of chemical processing knowledge and<br />

experience. And our excellent customer service team backs up our clients.<br />

We offer an all-encompassing range of distillation equipment sizes. Our<br />

multistage,stainless steel, fully turnkey skid-mounted systems serve major<br />

cannabis production installations requiring capacities anywhere from 10 kg/hour<br />

up to 100 kg/hr. Our classic 2” Wiped-Film Stills [WFE] continue to be the favorite<br />

choice of startup cannabinoid processing companies, while our larger 4” and 6”<br />

glass models are utilized for greater throughput of 5 to 10 liters/day.<br />

Pope stills deliver the highest possible quality, yield and ultimate product value—<br />

all at surprisingly reasonable pricing. And our standard glass systems are available<br />

in weeks, not months, with spare parts and accessories shipped overnight.<br />

And after distillation…<br />

ISOLATION<br />

CBD to > 99% with Pope<br />

Nutsche Filter-Dryers<br />

Also offering equipment for<br />

ethanol extraction, winterizing,<br />

filtering, reacting and CBD<br />

crystallization purification.<br />

For more information call 262.268.9300<br />

or visit www.popecannabisdistillation.com<br />

PROUDLY MADE IN<br />

THE <strong>USA</strong>


SMOKING,<br />

VAPING<br />

and Your Health<br />

by Jessica Zimmer<br />

There is little peer-reviewed<br />

science available on how smoking<br />

and vaping cannabis grown with<br />

pesticides affects human health.<br />

However, most experts agree that<br />

inhaling anything burned is not<br />

recommended, and pesticides can<br />

exacerbate health risks.<br />

There is little data about how<br />

smoking and vaping cannabis<br />

containing pesticides affects respiratory<br />

and overall health, yet available<br />

information about pesticides<br />

and cultivation practices has led<br />

cannabis testing labs and medical<br />

professionals to agree about what<br />

is healthier for patients.<br />

“Most people who use cannabis<br />

for medical purposes have<br />

chronic conditions with ongoing<br />

symptoms. They don’t need to<br />

develop additional concerns,”<br />

says Dr. Ethan Russo, a boardcertified<br />

neurologist and director<br />

of research and development at<br />

the International <strong>Cannabis</strong> and<br />

Cannabinoids Institute in Prague.<br />

“Up to 70 per cent of pesticides on<br />

cannabis will be transferred in<br />

the smoke to the lungs and into<br />

the bloodstream. They will not get<br />

burned up. There’s a great potential<br />

for (developing) cancer as well as<br />

a chronic cough, too much phlegm,<br />

and bronchial problems.”<br />

26<br />

<strong>Maximum</strong> <strong>Yield</strong>


Pills, sublingual applications, tinctures, and<br />

transdermal patches containing organic cannabis<br />

are likely to prove more beneficial for patients<br />

than smoking or vaping cannabis grown with or<br />

contaminated by pesticides.<br />

Russo adds many patients use cannabis smoke<br />

or vape because these methods offer quick, almost<br />

instant relief. Instead, he says, patients should<br />

maintain therapeutic blood levels of cannabinoids<br />

by taking a pill or tincture three times a day.<br />

Josh Wurzer, president and co-founder of SC<br />

Laboratories, a cannabis testing lab in Santa Cruz,<br />

CA, says there is no way to<br />

determine how pesticides<br />

will affect a patient<br />

once inhaled.<br />

“Many patients<br />

use cannabis smoke<br />

or vape because<br />

these methods<br />

offer quick, almost<br />

instant relief.”<br />

“There’s just no data on the respiratory dangers<br />

of these pesticides. There are no studies on what<br />

happens when a pesticide combusts, either. So few<br />

crops (other than cannabis) are smoked. In addition,<br />

no two pesticides are exactly alike,” says Wurzer.<br />

He added there is also little information about<br />

how the chemicals in one pesticide and in<br />

multiple pesticides interact with one another<br />

when ingested, and that chemicals may interact<br />

differently when burned together.<br />

Outdoor growers should beware of the risk of<br />

contamination of pesticides from nearby pesticide<br />

sprays on close-by commercial crops or<br />

other applications.<br />

Robert Martin, Jr., co-founder and chief executive<br />

officer of CW Analytical Laboratories, a cannabis<br />

testing lab in Oakland, says very few barriers fully<br />

protect outdoor-grown cannabis plants.<br />

“All it takes is for the wind to drift over from the wine<br />

(or other) fields,” he says.<br />

Home growers should also grow<br />

with clean soil, according to Mary<br />

Lynn Mathre, an RN and president<br />

and co-founder of Patients<br />

Out of Time, a non-profit organization<br />

that educates health<br />

care professionals and the<br />

public about the therapeutic<br />

uses of cannabis.<br />

“The cannabis roots<br />

pick up everything from<br />

the soil, including heavy<br />

metals,” she says.<br />

Mathre advises that plants<br />

be organically grown<br />

without the use of toxic<br />

pesticides. Growers should<br />

also take care in the curing<br />

and storage process to prevent<br />

mold. But burning cannabis<br />

to ingest it introduces another<br />

level of risk according to Jeff<br />

Raber, CEO of The Werc Shop,<br />

a cannabis consulting firm<br />

based in Los Angeles.<br />

“Hot air can be a superirritant<br />

to the airways.<br />

For some patients, just<br />

inhaling cannabis<br />

smoke that contains<br />

pesticides could<br />

exacerbate their<br />

medical issues,”<br />

says Raber.<br />

<strong>Maximum</strong> <strong>Yield</strong> 27


“A patient should document in a<br />

journal what (strain) they take in, how<br />

much, how they take it, and what<br />

their doctor said about their use.”<br />

Raber and Russo agree long-term exposure to pesticides<br />

on cannabis through repeated smoking or vaping is likely<br />

to lead to a slow build-up of harmful chemicals.<br />

“It will help if patients determine their minimum effective<br />

dose,” says Raber. “Patients should start low and work<br />

their way up to more. It’s also good practice for a patient<br />

to keep track of how they are using cannabis. (Over time),<br />

a patient should document in a journal what (strain)<br />

they take in, how much, how they take it, and what<br />

their doctor said about their use.”<br />

Uncleaned smoking devices and some rolling<br />

papers containing toxic chemicals may pose<br />

additional problems. Mathre advises that when<br />

smoking cannabis, a patient shouldn’t hold the<br />

smoke in their lungs.<br />

“The therapeutic properties in cannabis are<br />

readily absorbed, but the longer one holds their<br />

breath, the greater the risk of absorbing toxic<br />

chemicals in the smoke,” she says, adding<br />

vaping a clean cannabis product<br />

can possibly mitigate potential<br />

problems incurred in smoking.<br />

Fortunately, the ability to<br />

detect pesticides in plants is<br />

improving, according to Martin.<br />

“Now we’re using NASA-grade<br />

machines, which has opened up<br />

a whole new way of looking at<br />

cannabis,” he says. “We are able<br />

to identify really low levels of<br />

pesticides in mature plants.”<br />

Testing, however, remains<br />

complicated because different<br />

parts of a cannabis plant<br />

may have different amounts<br />

of pesticides. In addition,<br />

cannabis plants grown in<br />

the same bed may have<br />

different amounts of a<br />

pesticide. This is because<br />

some cannabis plants may<br />

be closer to the source of<br />

the contamination.<br />

What’s more, patients<br />

using cannabis concentrates<br />

such as hashish or oil should<br />

be extra careful because it is<br />

likely pesticides in them will<br />

be concentrated as well.<br />

Russo said awareness of the dangers of<br />

pesticides is growing, but patients need to<br />

learn more. He advised patients who grow<br />

and obtain safe medicine educate themselves<br />

and others about the risks posed by pesticides.<br />

“This is an indictment of prohibition. The<br />

reason that people don’t know about the<br />

dangers of pesticides is because we don’t<br />

have a legal and regulatory market for this<br />

product. <strong>Cannabis</strong> needs to be available,<br />

but it also needs to be safe,” says Russo.<br />

28<br />

<strong>Maximum</strong> <strong>Yield</strong>


cut and<br />

DRIED<br />

by Gibson Lannister<br />

SOURIS SKIES<br />

“CIG has<br />

perfectly<br />

cured their<br />

Souris Skies<br />

and it breaks<br />

up so easily.”<br />

Souris Skies is a wonderful, indica-dominant<br />

strain from Canada’s Island Garden (CIG).<br />

It is part of their Craftgrow Collection and is<br />

grown on Canada’s east coast in small batches.<br />

This boutique bud has THC levels ranging<br />

from 10-14 per cent and CBD levels measuring<br />

less than one per cent. Souris Skies is rich in a<br />

variety of terpenes such as myrcene, pinene,<br />

caryophyllene, and lemonene.<br />

The buds may be small, however, Souris<br />

Skies is a very eye-catching strain. The<br />

compact buds have a thick coating of<br />

orange hairs and shimmer with crystals like<br />

frost on a windshield.<br />

The scent profile is mostly earthy with notes<br />

of pine and leather. CIG has perfectly cured<br />

their Souris Skies and it breaks up so easily.<br />

My preferred method of cannabis consumption is<br />

vaporization. Souris Skies vaporizes as smooth as<br />

butter. I had a terrible cough and sore throat while<br />

writing this review and this was the only strain that<br />

didn’t hurt or irritate my throat to vaporize. It even<br />

helped with my congestion. Souris Skies is extremely<br />

calming, with a light body buzz, and mild dry mouth.<br />

The effects last about two hours with a clean come<br />

down. I would recommend it for evening and nighttime<br />

use, although it is mild enough to use during the day.<br />

Souris Skies is best suited for treating insomnia and<br />

sleep deprivation, stress, anxiety, depression, and can<br />

improve one’s appetite.<br />

Overall, I enjoy Souris Skies a lot. It really hits the<br />

spot when you are looking for something effective but<br />

not too strong.<br />

Souris Skies is a great strain to cultivate for beginner and advanced cannabis gardeners alike.<br />

It has the classic shape of an indica: short, squat, and under 30 inches in height, making Souris Skies an ideal<br />

candidate for indoor gardens. Flowering lasts between seven and nine weeks after which you will reap a high<br />

yield for such small plants.<br />

30<br />

<strong>Maximum</strong> <strong>Yield</strong>


all photos provided<br />

by dewey mister with<br />

permission<br />

wwwwsocascadeecom<br />

. .


KEEP<br />

BUGS<br />

OFF<br />

by Alan Ray<br />

YOUR<br />

NUGS<br />

Growing your marijuana plants indoors<br />

definitely has advantages. But once a pest<br />

insect population takes hold, Mother Nature<br />

won’t be able to help. Follow<br />

Alan Ray’s tips for inspection and<br />

eradication, and your plants will live<br />

happy and productive lives.<br />

Ah, the advantages of growing<br />

your strain of choice inside. The<br />

upside seems so obvious: access to<br />

the garden 24/7, protection against<br />

the forces of Mother Nature, and practically<br />

no chance some fur-bearing<br />

creature will break in and destroy your<br />

garden. Sounds like the ideal growing<br />

situation, so what could possibly<br />

go wrong? In truth, lots. Indoors<br />

doesn’t mean invincible.<br />

32<br />

<strong>Maximum</strong> <strong>Yield</strong>


While growing inside gives you control and protection<br />

from the elements, Newton’s Third Law can dull that<br />

edge with an equal and opposite reaction. These same<br />

indoor perquisites can also prove problematic. Without<br />

rainfall and wind there is nothing to help wash away<br />

the little parasites that make their way into your growroom.<br />

Beneficial insects like ladybugs and parasitoid<br />

wasps also won’t be around to help.<br />

What’s more, in an enclosed environment like a house<br />

or greenhouse, many pest insects can build up an immunity<br />

to pesticides very quickly. The best way to keep<br />

your plants free of unwanted pest colonies is to be vigilant<br />

and practice good clean habits in your grow space.<br />

Essentially, there are five pest insects appearing on<br />

the marijuana marquis of undesirable garden guests.<br />

Those names include thrips, fungus gnats, aphids,<br />

and whiteflies, with the headliner being spider mites.<br />

These seemingly ubiquitous little sap suckers are the<br />

bane of an indoor grower’s existence and need to be<br />

dealt with immediately upon detection. Let’s begin<br />

with the dreaded spider mite.<br />

“HAVING a control strategy that<br />

incorporates good cultural practices like<br />

regular inspections and effective pruning<br />

to remove injured areas of the plant can<br />

forestall or even derail an invasion.”<br />

SPIDER MITES<br />

The twospotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae<br />

Koch), which seems to be the most prevalent of spider<br />

mites, infests some 200 species of garden plants both<br />

indoors and out. Be it greenhouse, warehouse, or<br />

basement, they will find your Eden. Their specialized<br />

sharp mouths penetrate the skin of the leaf and suck<br />

the sap from it, leaving a skeleton in its stead and<br />

photosynthesis impossible in severe infestations.<br />

At 1/50 of an inch long, these tiny terrors can be hard to<br />

spot with the naked eye, so a good magnifying glass is<br />

needed. Small as they are, they still leave telltale signs<br />

of their presence if you know what to look for.<br />

Early indicators are the appearance of stippling<br />

(small dots) on the underside of the leaves. They also<br />

weave a gossamer thin webbing on the plant, hence the<br />

name. These cobwebs become the highway on which<br />

they travel from leaf to leaf and plant to plant. If left<br />

unchecked, your plant can become mummified in a<br />

short period of time. This is why you should check your<br />

plants early and often, before an infestation takes hold.<br />

To scan for unseen mites, take a piece of white paper<br />

and place it below your plant. Now give the plant a<br />

little shake. Look for moving mites, their eggs, or larvae<br />

that have fallen onto the paper. Specks of black frass<br />

(fecal matter) may appear as well. If you detect spider<br />

mites, you need to take action.<br />

<strong>Maximum</strong> <strong>Yield</strong> 33


ERADICATING SPIDER MITES<br />

Always isolate any infected plant from the others.<br />

Insecticidal soap or horticultural oils can be applied to the<br />

leaves to kill the mites. To make your own soap, simply<br />

combine two teaspoons of mild dish soap with a gallon of<br />

warm water. Stir it up and use a small brush or atomizer to<br />

apply to both sides of the leaves.<br />

Mites prefer warm, dry climates. As a preventive measure,<br />

mist your plants (leaf undersides too) to create a higher degree<br />

of humidity that will help thwart their advance. A moist grow<br />

medium will also help. Rinsing your plants afterward with<br />

cool water will help dislodge the mites. Do this outside if<br />

feasible to avoid them running to another plant once rinsed<br />

off. Treatment once a week is recommended.<br />

THRIPS<br />

Thrips are slender, winged pests that dine on your plants in<br />

much the same way as mites. They pierce the leaf and suck<br />

out its essential sap. Treating thrips can be tricky, however.<br />

Having a control strategy that incorporates good cultural<br />

practices like regular inspections and effective pruning<br />

to remove injured areas of the plant can forestall or even<br />

derail an invasion.<br />

“WITHOUT rainfall and wind there is<br />

nothing to help wash away the little parasites<br />

that make their way into your growroom.”<br />

ERADICATING THRIPS<br />

Clean up the infected debris and promptly remove it from your<br />

grow areas. Applying neem oil and/or insecticidal soap are<br />

quite efficacious in controlling thrips. Neem oil is a vegetable<br />

oil extracted by pressing the seeds and fruits of the neem tree<br />

of India. Dish soap works well, but only if there are all-natural<br />

products available.<br />

In their defense, there are some good thrips that prey on<br />

plant-eating bugs. If you have the time and patience to differentiate<br />

them, you can apply the live-and-let-live approach.<br />

Most growers don’t.<br />

WHITEFLIES<br />

Whiteflies bring with them the same devastation as the others<br />

mentioned here and in the same way. White and winged,<br />

they are yet another of the sap-sucking plant predators that<br />

love their greens. Aside from seeing the insects themselves,<br />

evidence of whiteflies on your plants can be the sticky film<br />

they leave behind on the leaf. Other indicators may be shriveled<br />

or yellowing leaves.<br />

The real damage, however, is done by the nymphs —<br />

their immature offspring. They are wingless, legless,<br />

and, for the most part, motionless. They are content<br />

to munch away at your plant while awaiting<br />

their full development. In a perfect world,<br />

ridding your plants of whiteflies would be done<br />

by predatory insects like green lacewings,<br />

ladybugs, big-eyed bugs, and others.<br />

34<br />

<strong>Maximum</strong> <strong>Yield</strong>


THE ORIGINAL<br />

All Purpose Home & Garden Bag<br />

The key to longevity!<br />

Protect, cure, store & transport your harvest<br />

in True Liberty® Bags & Liners!<br />

www.TrueLibertyBags.com 888-800-2680 info@truelibertybags.com


ERADICATION OF WHITEFLIES<br />

If you don’t have a stash of those beneficial bugs handy you’ll have<br />

to take action yourself. This can be done by pruning yellowed or<br />

damaged leaves, picking the flies off manually, and by wiping the<br />

leaves with a mild soap and water solution. Of course, there is<br />

always the old standby, neem oil.<br />

“IN a perfect world, ridding<br />

your plants of whiteflies would<br />

be done by predatory insects<br />

like green lacewings, ladybugs,<br />

big-eyed bugs, and others.”<br />

APHIDS<br />

Aphids are nasty little creatures that, like their brethren, drain the<br />

life-giving fluid from a plant’s leaves. All these little buggers<br />

do primarily the same thing. They damage, or, if unchecked,<br />

kill your plants. Aphids graze in groups which increases their<br />

devastation. Aside from the actual damage caused by their feeding,<br />

they also leave behind a sticky exudate called honeydew that can<br />

encourage a soot-colored mold fungus to form on the residue.<br />

Aphids also carry viruses with them that can be transferred from<br />

plant to plant. Some aphid species inject a toxin into the plant<br />

causing the leaves to yellow and distort in shape.<br />

ERADICATION OF APHIDS<br />

Aphids are quite easy to spot and controlling them can be as simple<br />

as brushing them off by hand or rinsing them off with a stream of<br />

water. Careful with the pressure though. You don’t want to damage<br />

your plant in an effort to help it. Applying a one to two percentage of<br />

neem or canola oil to water works best. This method smothers them.<br />

As always, be sure to target the underside of the leaves. This application<br />

will need to be repeated daily until the aphids are gone.<br />

FUNGUS GNATS<br />

Fungus gnats are tiny, winged insects that love moist, organically-rich<br />

soil like compost or potting soil and decaying vegetable<br />

matter. These gnats are probably the least damaging of the five pests<br />

listed here but still can be devastating to a plant. They don’t really<br />

bite or eat the leaves, but the larvae are born in the soil, and, being<br />

underground, go undetected.<br />

These little devils dine on the roots of the plant, so in large numbers<br />

they can be a serious problem causing root damage and stunted<br />

growth, especially in younger plants.<br />

ERADICATING FUNGUS GNATS<br />

Purchase and use only potting mix or soil that<br />

has been pasteurized. Since they thrive in moisture-rich<br />

conditions, keep your grow area dry. Clean<br />

up water spills and let the top of the soil dry out before<br />

watering. Improve the drainage of your pots by decreasing<br />

the amount of perlite or by adding sand to more clayey soil.<br />

Use sticky traps. Yellow sticky traps are great against flying<br />

insects like fungus gnats and whiteflies. Tip: the traps can be<br />

cut into smaller pieces and put on<br />

sticks, so you can place them<br />

into separate pots.<br />

By following these simple steps<br />

of prevention and taking proactive<br />

measures, you’ll help ensure this traveling<br />

troupe of trouble won’t be attacking your<br />

cannabis plants any time soon.<br />

36<br />

<strong>Maximum</strong> <strong>Yield</strong>


First B2B Conference in the Country.<br />

Emergent Market in the Region.<br />

Meet with Local Companies.<br />

Reserve your Booth Today.<br />

Investors Welcome.


RED<br />

LIGHTBLUE<br />

LIGHT<br />

BALANCING LED<br />

EFFICIENCY WITH<br />

PERFORMANCE<br />

The ability of LED technology to manipulate<br />

the lighting spectrum should be used<br />

sparingly and as a means of mimicking natural<br />

diurnal and seasonal changes to benefit<br />

plants, not marketing, says Rami Vardi.<br />

by Rami Vardi<br />

Light-emitting diode (LED) technology offers revolutionary improvements to indoor<br />

horticulturalists. However, as with other emerging technologies, the higher initial<br />

investment is a hurdle that slows adoption despite a lower total cost of ownership.<br />

Yet as the medical marijuana industry has evolved, growers’ pockets have deepened<br />

such that an initial cash outlay doesn’t preclude any equipment purchase. Cultivators<br />

and investors now take the long view on profitability, and they’ve moved toward more<br />

efficient, multi-million-dollar facilities. From this broader perspective, it’s clear LEDs<br />

offer a financial benefit. LEDs dramatically increase efficiency, create minimal heat<br />

production, offer 50,000-hour service life, and require low maintenance, making them<br />

an obvious choice over traditional high intensity discharge (HID) technologies.<br />

38<br />

<strong>Maximum</strong> <strong>Yield</strong>


MANY LIGHT DESIGNERS<br />

WERE<br />

“<br />

ONCE ENTHUSIASTIC<br />

ABOUT THE POTENTIAL OF<br />

BLUE/RED LEDS TOO,<br />

but philosophies have evolved<br />

with experimentation. Based<br />

on real-world experience,<br />

many now champion fullspectrum<br />

white lights.”<br />

quality yielded by traditional HID lighting. Lackluster<br />

performance and a handful of bad anecdotes from firstgeneration<br />

LED products perpetuate these beliefs. The<br />

reason for these problems was designers’ deviation<br />

from what worked (e.g. high pressure sodium (HPS) and<br />

metal halide (MH) spectrums) in favor of a supposedly<br />

ideal blue/red combination. This new spectrum was<br />

intended to give plants precisely the light they needed<br />

and nothing more. Omitting “unused” wavebands of<br />

light was thought to save energy. For reasons we’ll<br />

discuss later, the existing system of light measurement<br />

didn’t favor the new spectral profile championed by this<br />

design philosophy. These manufacturers imposed a<br />

change in the units of light measurement, and product<br />

comparisons became complicated.<br />

So why hasn’t LED technology been widely adopted<br />

by growers and greenhouses? The answer lies in how<br />

the designers of the new grow lights manipulated the<br />

light spectrum — and how photometric unit conventions<br />

changed to favor these new products.<br />

Within the grow community, LEDs have a dubious track<br />

record and questionable reputation. Given the design of<br />

many products on the market, that reputation is largely<br />

deserved. <strong>Cannabis</strong> industry groupthink holds that<br />

LED-produced light can’t match the all-important product<br />

<strong>Maximum</strong> <strong>Yield</strong> 39


THE BLUE/RED SPECTRUM RATIONALE<br />

The new blue/red designs were well-intentioned and not without logic. Two loosely-defined<br />

spectra of light — blue and red — drive much of the action of photosynthesis. This<br />

much is true. Dr. Keith J. McCree, a pioneering researcher and founder of the McCree<br />

Curve, described these two spectra as peaking around 440 nm and 620 nm — blue and<br />

red, respectively. A wide body of research has confirmed this data, though subsequent<br />

research has found the absorbance maxima to be slightly different. The action of<br />

so-called “chlorophyll A” demonstrates a peak at 430 nm and 662 nm, while “chlorophyll<br />

B” is driven by 453 nm and 642 nm light.<br />

The first generation of LED designers went wrong by forcefully reducing the plant<br />

growth spectrum to just these two segments of the photosynthetically active radiation<br />

(PAR). Many light designers were once enthusiastic about the potential of blue/red<br />

LEDs too, but philosophies have evolved<br />

with experimentation. Based on real-world<br />

experience, many now champion fullspectrum<br />

white lights.<br />

Light-emitting diodes are often more<br />

electrically efficient at red and blue<br />

wavelengths, so it logically followed to<br />

reduce the output of horticultural lights<br />

to these two colors if plants preferred<br />

them as well. By doing so, no resources<br />

were expended on “wasted” portions of<br />

the PAR spectrum. After eons of sunlight,<br />

light designers thought they had discovered<br />

just what plants needed after all:<br />

pinkish-purple light. By excluding the<br />

inefficient and electrically wasteful<br />

greens, yellows, and oranges, spectrum<br />

engineers thought they could grow better<br />

plants and do so more efficiently.<br />

Much of this thinking stemmed from<br />

the McCree Curve, the camel-backed<br />

spectral profile that shows plant metabolic<br />

response peaking at blue and red. McCree<br />

established this illustrative tool in his 1970<br />

study of dozens of plant species at Texas<br />

A&M University. His work has served as<br />

the central tenet of spectrum science and<br />

the foundation for other research building<br />

upon his key observations.<br />

Figure 1<br />

Money<br />

Can GROW<br />

ON TREES<br />

This never-done-before book titled Design<br />

and Build a Room to Grow, by a veteran<br />

grower with decades of construction, electrical<br />

and automation experience, provides step-bystep<br />

instructions for designing, building, and<br />

effectively operating a growroom.<br />

Included are project photographs, cost<br />

summaries, worksheets, diagrams, and<br />

narratives to ensure that nothing is overlooked.<br />

“<br />

CANNABIS<br />

INDUSTRY<br />

GROUPTHINK<br />

HOLDS THAT LED-<br />

PRODUCED LIGHT<br />

can’t match the allimportant<br />

product<br />

quality yielded<br />

by traditional<br />

HID lighting.”<br />

Learn more at roomtogrowav.com<br />

40<br />

<strong>Maximum</strong> <strong>Yield</strong>


“<br />

THESE<br />

MANUFACTURERS<br />

IMPOSED A<br />

CHANGE IN THE<br />

UNITS OF LIGHT<br />

MEASUREMENT,<br />

and product<br />

comparisons<br />

became<br />

complicated.”<br />

Figure 2<br />

But the McCree Curve is not a recommendation for an ideal horticultural lighting<br />

spectrum and, by McCree’s description, was orchestrated to provide a basis for the<br />

discussion of the definition of PAR — not the optimization of a growth spectrum.<br />

It explored if plants responded to the various colors of light and what was —<br />

and was not — part of the PAR spectrum. Accordingly, the experiment took a<br />

reductionist angle. McCree’s team tested plant response to one wavelength of light<br />

at a time, isolated in 25 nm intervals between 400 nm and 700 nm. A single cut leaf<br />

was placed in an isolation chamber and exposed to colored light while the carbon<br />

dioxide and oxygen levels were measured to deduce the metabolic response.<br />

<strong>Maximum</strong> <strong>Yield</strong> 41


So, the exalted McCree Curve, while<br />

useful, isn’t a depiction of an ideal growth<br />

spectrum or a recommendation for light<br />

design. It’s simply a set of isolated data<br />

points stitched together into a smooth<br />

line. It isn’t holistic. When considered as<br />

a unified spectrum, it’s foreign to plants<br />

that are hardwired for sunlight.<br />

A PARADIGM SHIFT: LUMENS VS.<br />

MICROMOLES PER SECOND<br />

Before the introduction of LEDs,<br />

horticulturalists measured light<br />

output in lumens and lux, with<br />

lumens representing the rate at<br />

which a bulb produces light and lux<br />

referring to the rate at which light<br />

falls on a particular area. In this<br />

era of light measurement, product<br />

comparisons were straightforward.<br />

Growers understood the brightness<br />

of their lighting and fewer lighting<br />

spectrums were in use.<br />

But the new technology of LEDs didn’t<br />

align with the prevailing frame of<br />

measurement, so the units were stated<br />

differently. Micromoles per second<br />

(μmols/sec) became the standard for<br />

assessing the quantity of light, and<br />

the change in units created lots of<br />

Figure 3<br />

confusion. The reason for the change centered on the luminosity function built into<br />

the lumens/lux measurement scale. Lumens take into account the sensitivity of<br />

the human eye to particular wavelengths of light — namely those centered around<br />

550 nm (green light). A micromole, by contrast, is a quantity of photons. The lumen<br />

system’s weighting of the spectrum allows us to assess the brightness of a light<br />

as we experience it rather than as a PAR meter would experience it. A PAR meter<br />

registers photons (measured in μmols/sec) within the PAR range of 400-700 nm. In<br />

many ways, this flattened approach to the lighting spectrum makes sense, and<br />

for blue/red grow light manufacturers, it’s essential for marketing their products.<br />

Because of the absence of green light in their designs, the new products didn’t fare<br />

well when measured in traditional lumens. The increased blue and red light looked<br />

good when expressed in μmols/second of PAR, but not so good when compared to<br />

the system of measurement used by the proven technology of HID lamps.<br />

Many believe technology should accommodate plants, not the other way around.<br />

This means designing products by assessing what works and has worked traditionally<br />

— rather than what should work in theory. Proponents of full-spectrum LEDs<br />

sometimes battle against those that dismisses the technology as a whole. Fullspectrum<br />

light and lumens-based measurement was (and is) producing great results,<br />

so it makes sense to use what works.<br />

Implementing LEDs creates significant efficiency improvements regardless of<br />

wavelength. But by skewing the PAR measurements with excesses of certain<br />

colors of light, some designs demonstrate efficiencies that don’t carry over into<br />

benefits for plants.<br />

Note the following example: The two boards pictured look<br />

similar, but the first board — let’s call it Board A — incorporates<br />

six 660 nm LEDs, while Board B employs 24 of the<br />

660 nm diodes. Because the physical characteristics and<br />

silicon doping of a 660 nm LED naturally create a more efficient<br />

chip at the red wavelength, Board B tests as significantly<br />

more efficient. Within the PAR range of 400-700nm,<br />

Board A achieves 1.64 μmol/watt. Board B, however, emits<br />

2.15 μmol/watt because it takes advantage of the efficiency<br />

of red diodes. Yet this 31 per cent increase in efficiency isn’t<br />

all that meaningful because it goes beyond nature and<br />

creates an overdose of red light. Plants don’t benefit as much<br />

from this light as much as that final efficiency number does<br />

when the results come back from the testing lab. While this<br />

red-heavy spectrum creates an impressive efficiency number,<br />

the results per watt will be disappointing upon harvest.<br />

“<br />

WHILE THIS<br />

RED-HEAVY<br />

SPECTRUM<br />

CREATES AN<br />

IMPRESSIVE<br />

EFFICIENCY<br />

NUMBER,<br />

the results per<br />

watt will be<br />

disappointing<br />

upon harvest.”<br />

42<br />

<strong>Maximum</strong> <strong>Yield</strong>


BY SKEWING<br />

“<br />

THE PAR<br />

MEASUREMENTS<br />

WITH EXCESSES<br />

OF CERTAIN<br />

COLORS<br />

OF LIGHT,<br />

some designs<br />

demonstrate<br />

efficiencies that<br />

don’t carry over<br />

into benefits<br />

for plants.”<br />

Furthermore, an absence of green light in Board B<br />

may cause imbalances. Conventional thinking wrongly<br />

asserts that plants don’t use green light. Based on the<br />

green appearance of many plants, some people assume<br />

plants aren’t using green, yellow, and orange wavebands<br />

of sunlight. A broad consensus of research shows<br />

otherwise, however, and McCree himself noted plants do<br />

indeed use green light — and they do so with efficiencies<br />

nearing that of blue wavebands. Blue/red theorists insist<br />

plants don’t use green light, but their insistence neglects<br />

the rationale by which the lumens/lux measurement was<br />

discarded: if humans perceive green light more readily,<br />

objects (like plants) are more likely to appear green.<br />

Though modern botany has benefited horticulture<br />

tremendously, we can’t assume to have mastered the<br />

metabolic complexities of plants, and we can’t succeed at<br />

gaming the light spectrum. The spectral needs of plants<br />

are complex, interwoven, and dictated by millions of<br />

years of full-spectrum sunlight; we shouldn’t presume<br />

to discard half of the natural spectrum in expectation<br />

of better results. The ability of LED technology to manipulate the lighting spectrum<br />

should be used sparingly and in service of mimicking natural diurnal and seasonal<br />

changes. These versatile new LED products offer tremendous improvements<br />

in efficiency — even without packing a board full of red diodes. To limit their<br />

application to a less effective spectrum does the entire technology a disservice.<br />

When replacing 1,000W HPS lights with LEDs, look for an output exceeding<br />

60,000 lumens and a proven light spectrum. Building on the previous successes of<br />

horticultural lighting design makes more sense than imposing radical changes on<br />

our plants, especially when those changes go against millions of years of evolution.<br />

There’s a reason why growers continue using HPS lights despite higher lifetime<br />

costs: quality is priceless, and it’s best achieved with full-spectrum light.<br />

<strong>Maximum</strong> <strong>Yield</strong> 43


DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION<br />

FOR A NURSE?<br />

Email editor@maximumyield.com<br />

to get an answer.<br />

ask a<br />

NURSE<br />

Q<br />

a<br />

Can medical marijuana relieve the pain associated with shingles?<br />

I’d rather not take a prescription for the pain.<br />

Angie F.<br />

In most cases, the symptoms associated with<br />

shingles last about one month and resolve on their<br />

own. In these instances, cannabis (via inhalation or<br />

ingestion) can be an effective analgesic and can also<br />

help take your mind off your pain.<br />

Some shingles patients, however, suffer from ongoing<br />

pain called post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN). PHN affects<br />

nerve fibers and the skin, and can lead to chronic<br />

peripheral neuropathy, which is chronic pain in<br />

the body leading up to the spinal cord and brain.<br />

Peripheral neuropathy can be caused by:<br />

• Microbial infections, such as the varicella-zoster<br />

virus (which causes chicken pox and shingles).<br />

• An underlying disease or condition, such as diabetes,<br />

shingles, or HIV/AIDs.<br />

• Nutritional deficiency such as lack of vitamin B12.<br />

• Chronic degenerative conditions that include<br />

autoimmune diseases, vasculitis, and cancer.<br />

• Adverse effects of numerous pharmaceutical drugs.<br />

Studies demonstrate that cannabis can effectively<br />

treat neuropathic pain. For example, researchers at<br />

UC Davis Medical Center performed a double-blind,<br />

placebo-controlled trial to study the effects of low and<br />

medium-dose vaporized cannabis for the treatment of<br />

neuropathy (the low dose contained 1.3 per cent THC<br />

and the medium dose contained 3.5 per cent THC).<br />

Patients reported that vaporized cannabis, even at<br />

the lowest doses, provided relief for those with treatment-resistant<br />

neuropathic pains.<br />

A review of 15 double-blind, placebo-controlled trials<br />

conducted on more 1,600 patients with chronic neuropathy<br />

found that cannabinoids worked significantly<br />

better compared to the placebo in reducing neuropathy.<br />

Ten of the studies used a plant-derived, 1:1 oromucosal<br />

spray, three studies were with nabilone and<br />

dronabinol, and two studies used cannabis flower.<br />

The delivery method you use to consume cannabis<br />

will influence the benefits that you derive from<br />

cannabis medicines, and understanding the delivery<br />

methods and corresponding absorption sites can help<br />

you identify which products are best suited to treat<br />

neuropathy. For example, a topical can provide local<br />

relief with few (if any) side effects, while a cannabis<br />

edible can provide longer, systemic relief and, over<br />

time, can reduce inflammation. Inhaling cannabis<br />

can relieve pain quickly and can give you the most<br />

control over your dose.<br />

Finally, when treating shingles, it’s important to<br />

get enough sleep and avoid stress, and small doses<br />

of cannabis can help alleviate stress, help facilitate<br />

sleep onset, and extend sleep duration.<br />

ET<br />

Eloise Theisen, AGPCNP-BC, has been a dedicated and patient-focused nurse practitioner<br />

specializing in aging, cancer, chronic pain, dementia, Alzheimers, Parkinsons, anxiety, depression,<br />

fibromyalgia, and various auto-immune and neurological diseases for more than 17 years. The<br />

founder of Radicle Health, she started her career at John Muir Medical Center caring for patients<br />

suffering from cancer, terminal illnesses, respiratory failure/complaints, drug overdoses, acute<br />

alcohol ingestion, gastrointestinal bleeds, traumatic brain injury, and multiple traumas and from<br />

there worked her way up to management. Following that, her work with Aunt Zelda’s and the<br />

American <strong>Cannabis</strong> Nurses Association gained her an extensive knowledge of the Endocannabinoid<br />

system and how cannabis and cannabinoids can be used successfully to treat patients.<br />

44<br />

<strong>Maximum</strong> <strong>Yield</strong>


YOUR BUDS<br />

DESERVE THE BEST.<br />

55<br />

The cleanest humidity-control solution<br />

for optimal curing + extended storage.<br />

YOUR BUDS. YOUR WAY.<br />

Prevent mold & overdrying<br />

Maintain flavors, potency & aroma<br />

Regulate humidity at 55% or 62% R.H<br />

PEACE OF MIND.<br />

Salt-free solution<br />

Tear & Spill Resistant<br />

Non-Toxic & Biodegradable<br />

JUST FOR GROWERS.<br />

Custom sizes<br />

Bulk discounts<br />

Automated packaging<br />

®<br />

BOOST YOUR BUD TODAY!<br />

Contact us today to discuss your needs 775-393-1500 or customerservice@desiccare.com


HOW TO<br />

INTER<br />

YOUR GROWROOM<br />

46<br />

<strong>Maximum</strong> <strong>Yield</strong>


IZE<br />

by Treefrog<br />

by Treefrog<br />

With proper preparation and knowledge,<br />

winter doesn’t have to be a cold and dark<br />

season inside your growroom. There are many<br />

tools and tricks to keep your indoor garden<br />

warm on those long, cold winter days and<br />

nights, and your plants will be all the happier<br />

for your hard work, effort, and planning.<br />

Changes in the weather can be challenging for indoor<br />

growers who want their plants to experience the same<br />

“season” year-round in their rooms. To keep a handle on environmental<br />

stresses and to remain efficient, even the most<br />

sophisticated growrooms will need to be reconfigured a little<br />

between seasons. With a well thought out room design, configuration<br />

changes to the growroom can be kept to a minimum by<br />

choosing equipment that allows for the desired temperature<br />

and humidity, regardless of what’s happening with the outside<br />

elements. However, if your room’s budget doesn’t allow for all<br />

the bells and whistles, consider using can-style inline fans and<br />

changing the direction of airflow to blow hot air outside or keep<br />

hot air inside, depending on the season.<br />

GREENHOUSES<br />

Nowadays, with innovations in greenhouse technology, cultivators<br />

are using the sun to grow quality indoor cannabis all year.<br />

They have to deal with the same issues as indoor growers as<br />

they prepare and winterize for the cold months.<br />

WINTER INDOOR GARDENING TRICKS<br />

(HOW TO HELP WITH HEATING COSTS)<br />

With some planning, indoor growers can utilize the heat<br />

created from their cannabis garden to heat other areas of the<br />

building. The grow lights are hundreds or thousands of watts<br />

and thus, create an equal amount of heat. Think of a 1,000-<br />

watt light as a 1,000-watt heater. Energy in equals heat going<br />

out and most of that heat will end up leaving the growroom.<br />

Why not capture it and utilize it since that energy is a fixed<br />

cost? Just put the heat in other areas of the house or building.<br />

Use inline can-style fans and flexible ducting equipment<br />

to move the air where it is needed. This can be in the crawl<br />

space, between floors, or from one room to another. In the<br />

summer veteran growers might have been putting the heat<br />

out of the window, but in the winter that warmth can easily<br />

be used to increase the overall efficiency of the building’s<br />

heating system by redirecting it inside.<br />

CHANGING ROOM CONFIGURATIONS<br />

BETWEEN SUMMER AND WINTER<br />

If using a non-sealed room, growers will need to preheat cold<br />

air coming in from outside. This might have worked in the<br />

summer or cooler months, but when it is extremely cold outside<br />

the extreme temperature can really damage cannabis and<br />

most other types of plants. Consider bringing the air through<br />

a window into a spare room, such as a closet or laundry room,<br />

before entering the growroom. In the summertime it might<br />

be better to bring the cool air from the house in through the<br />

growroom and out through a window instead of the other way<br />

around. It just depends on the garden’s access to windows and<br />

cool air. In sealed rooms, air conditioning is used year-round.<br />

WINTER AIR IS DRIER<br />

Seasoned gardeners keep in mind that winter air is drier than<br />

summer air. This will cause gardens to fluctuate in humidity<br />

from season to season. Although they can withstand larger<br />

fluctuations, cannabis plants mostly enjoy a humidity range<br />

between 40 and 50 per cent, so adjustments may need to take<br />

place to regulate humidity between seasons. Although winter<br />

air is drier, often the decreased need for ventilation of heat<br />

during winter will help increase humidity. It is best to be<br />

aware of humidity levels across all seasons and invest in the<br />

proper equipment to control it. A hygrometer will measure<br />

the garden’s humidity and trigger fans on and off to increase<br />

airflow and thus lower humidity. Consider a room controller to<br />

handle all aspects of the growroom environment.<br />

<strong>Maximum</strong> <strong>Yield</strong> 47


HOW COLD IS TOO COLD IN A GROWROOM?<br />

In a growroom, if it’s too cold for human comfort, then it’s too<br />

cold for cannabis plants. That is the best rule of thumb, as<br />

most plants thrive close to room temperature. For example,<br />

humans tend to become quite uncomfortable below 60°F<br />

or above 85°F and so do most plants. For us to really sit in<br />

comfort, air needs to be somewhere between 67-74°F and<br />

cannabis plants thrive in the same settings.<br />

TEMPERATURE PREFERENCES<br />

OF CANNABIS VARIETIES<br />

Different cannabis strains react in different ways to<br />

environmental stresses. Most marijuana varieties have been<br />

crossed and hybridized to enjoy high THC levels, similar<br />

flowering periods, and a general indoor environment,<br />

however, before human intervention this wasn’t the case.<br />

Tracing cannabis genetics back to land-race strains shows<br />

that indicas typically evolved in colder, mountainous areas<br />

with shorter grow seasons. The flower times are shorter<br />

due to later frosts in the spring and earlier frosts in the fall,<br />

compared to sativas that evolved in warmer areas near the<br />

equator with longer grow seasons, such as Hawaii. So, another<br />

way to help protect your growroom against the cold is to select<br />

indicas or indica-dominant hybrids.<br />

FOR WHEN IT’S EXTREMELY COLD<br />

If it is extremely cold outside, it may be necessary to<br />

completely close the air flow off from the outer areas until<br />

temperatures come up above freezing. When it is not possible<br />

to buffer the air coming in, it is best to close off external<br />

air completely. If a cold spell is prolonged, consider supplementing<br />

extra CO 2. Consider the use of space heaters only if<br />

other options have failed and be sure to keep them well clear<br />

of any obstructions or flammables. Turn them on a low setting<br />

to prevent excessive amperage draws that may trip circuits or<br />

increase fire hazards. Check your local grow store for controls,<br />

accessories, and other environmental equipment.<br />

LOSS OF POWER<br />

When power is disrupted, it is incredibly destructive to the<br />

garden. Anything from pumps, fans, air conditioning, dehumidification,<br />

lights, or any other major players in your<br />

garden can be completely wiped out until the power outage<br />

is corrected. Depending on how it is configured, total crop<br />

loss can occur from power outages. There are ways to protect<br />

against this type of loss such as providing backup power,<br />

watering by hand, or using dimmer, battery-powered lighting<br />

to minimally control the photoperiod and at least wake up<br />

plants that should be awake when there are temporarily no<br />

lights. The main goals should be to prevent crop stress and to<br />

restore power or create alternate power as soon as possible<br />

using a generator, extension cords, etc. Remember to account<br />

for wind, snow, and ice storms by planning for the storm and<br />

the days following the storm.<br />

LITTLE THINGS THAT MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE<br />

Sealing gaps and cracks with spray foam, caulk, or other<br />

sealant will prevent cold air drafts that can quickly chill your<br />

room below comfortable temperatures. Use weather stripping<br />

under and around doors to prevent overlooked air leaks.<br />

Basically, anywhere there may have been light leaks needs to<br />

be insulated. Also insulate walls that connect to outside walls<br />

to further protect your growroom from the outer elements.<br />

Although you may have stopped using exhaust fans during<br />

extremely cold periods, remember to continue to run oscillating<br />

fans to prevent stagnant air and still benefit from the heat<br />

of the grow lights.<br />

48<br />

<strong>Maximum</strong> <strong>Yield</strong>


Remember the literal power, as stored heat energy, of thermal<br />

masses. Use concrete in floors and walls, water in reservoirs,<br />

and even some grow systems as thermal masses to store heat<br />

during daylight hours and slowly radiate it into the growroom<br />

throughout the colder dark periods.<br />

If you are having trouble heating your entire space, consider<br />

making your growing area smaller by separating it from other<br />

areas such as workspace or storage.<br />

WHEN WEATHER GETS WARM AGAIN<br />

(BACK AND FORTH FROM COOL TO WARM)<br />

Be ready toward the end of winter to begin to cool your room<br />

again as warmer spring temperatures come around. This can be<br />

extremely challenging if you aren’t ready for the back and forth<br />

temperature swings that occur before springtime. Depending on<br />

your geographic location, you may want to pay attention to the<br />

weather forecast and invest in the proper equipment to handle<br />

larger hot/cold swings that can occur between seasons. Don’t forget<br />

to plan for the first frost in autumn and the last frost in spring.<br />

Every season brings about its own set of unique circumstances<br />

with problems to solve. The cold of winter can be seemingly<br />

daunting at first, however, with the proper planning and tools,<br />

you can achieve the same success, or greater, as other times of<br />

the year. Winter-grown cannabis often yields higher quality than<br />

summer grown cannabis because cold is generally less harsh to<br />

cannabis plants than heat. By utilizing the tools at your disposal,<br />

you will be able to customize to fill your needs and achieve<br />

the success you desire. Don’t let the changes in weather cause<br />

changes inside. Pick and choose the tips and tricks discussed<br />

here and you’ll be on your way to wintertime success.<br />

<strong>Maximum</strong> <strong>Yield</strong> 49


SMOVS.<br />

KING<br />

INGE STING<br />

by Luis Cordova<br />

How you choose to consume your cannabis<br />

will have vastly different effects on how your<br />

body absorbs it. Read on to learn about the<br />

differences in the effects between consuming<br />

edibles or smoking cannabis.<br />

50<br />

<strong>Maximum</strong> <strong>Yield</strong>


Is It Best to Eat or Smoke My <strong>Cannabis</strong>?<br />

<strong>Cannabis</strong> is such a diverse plant that it can be<br />

smoked or eaten, and each consumption method can<br />

have vastly different effects on the body and mind.<br />

Smoking cannabis is often predictable in<br />

its effects, which happen quickly, and<br />

for this reason is easier to control.<br />

However, smoking cannabis will<br />

negatively affect a user’s health.<br />

When eating cannabis, the high is<br />

often intense and longer lasting,<br />

but takes a while to occur and is<br />

therefore less predictable in its<br />

effect. This occurs mainly due to how<br />

cannabis is absorbed, its potency,<br />

and dosage amount.<br />

Absorption of <strong>Cannabis</strong><br />

When smoking cannabis, Delta9-<br />

tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is<br />

rapidly transferred directly<br />

from the lungs into the blood<br />

stream. The blood then carries THC<br />

throughout the body and ultimately<br />

effects sensations of the central nervous system.<br />

Due to the rapid transfer of THC, the effect is felt<br />

quickly (minutes). However, smoking cannabis is<br />

relatively inefficient in delivering the full range and<br />

amount of cannabinoids unless you take into account<br />

vaporization. Vaporizing cannabis allows users to<br />

receive a larger amount and range of cannabinoids.<br />

A smoker can also set a vaporizing temperature<br />

range to capture specific types of cannabinoids that<br />

can positively affect the cannabis experience.<br />

When cannabis is consumed in edible form, the<br />

absorption rate is vastly different when compared<br />

to inhalation because edibles must settle in the<br />

stomach where they are slowly broken down. The<br />

cannabinoids in the edible are then transferred to<br />

the liver where they are converted into 11-hydroxy<br />

Delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (11-OH-THC).<br />

11-OH-THC is the main metabolite of<br />

THC and results in a maximum<br />

amount of THC in the body.<br />

“<strong>Cannabis</strong> is such a diverse plant that<br />

it can be smoked or eaten, and each<br />

consumption method can have vastly<br />

different effects on the body and mind.”<br />

Due to the metabolic process, effects are often<br />

experienced within one to two hours after ingestion.<br />

After ingestion, THC is absorbed into every part<br />

of the body but is decreased in the plasma of the<br />

blood. The tissue distribution is followed by a slower<br />

redistribution of THC into the blood by means of<br />

deep fat tissue. Redistribution of THC can occur<br />

for many hours in a cyclic fashion, increasing the<br />

duration of the effects.<br />

Duration and Potency<br />

As mentioned before when cannabis is smoked or<br />

vaporized, the effects are felt almost immediately.<br />

Depending on the strain of cannabis, the amount<br />

smoked, and the type of cannabis inhaled (flowers<br />

or concentrates) the effects range from relaxing<br />

to energetic. However, when cannabis is smoked,<br />

approximately 23-27 per cent of the THC is absorbed<br />

by heavy users and 10-14 per cent by occasional<br />

users. This assumes 30 per cent of the THC is lost<br />

in burning the cannabis. The remaining 43-56 per<br />

cent is thought to be lost to high temperatures<br />

of burning and be unavailable in the body as it<br />

was not converted to usable THC. After smoking<br />

cannabis, the effects are immediate but then peak<br />

after approximately 15 minutes. <strong>Cannabis</strong> rapidly<br />

decreases in the body after three to four hours. After<br />

the effects have worn off, 90 per cent of the remaining<br />

THC is circulated in the blood stream, taking<br />

between two to seven days to be eliminated from the<br />

plasma. This can decrease the potency of THC when<br />

cannabis is smoked again as a tolerance is built.<br />

Ingesting cannabis is different from smoking<br />

cannabis in many ways. Due to how the body<br />

breaks down edible cannabis, the effects can take<br />

between 30 minutes to two hours. This is mainly<br />

due to the absorption of THC and its transfer into<br />

the plasma of the blood. The effects on the body are<br />

similar to smoking in terms of having an energetic<br />

or relaxing effect. However, the availability of THC<br />

is thought to be approximately four to 12 per cent<br />

available for absorption. In some people the peak<br />

plasma concentration can occur more than once,<br />

making a user feel higher for a longer period of<br />

time. The longer duration is mainly due to THC<br />

and other cannabinoids being stored in deep fatty<br />

tissues. The fatty tissue then repetitively releases<br />

the cannabinoids, making the user feel the effects<br />

longer. It has been observed that higher concentrations<br />

of 11-OH THC occur after ingestion due to<br />

its storage in the body when compared to smoking.<br />

Therefore, the potency and duration felt by a user is<br />

often stronger as well as longer.<br />

<strong>Maximum</strong> <strong>Yield</strong> 51


Dosing<br />

Smoking cannabis is much easier to dose as a user can inhale small<br />

amounts in one sitting, then smoke more if needed. It is important to<br />

know what type of cannabis you are buying and the THC concentration<br />

it boasts. Knowing the concentration will ensure you don’t smoke all your<br />

product without feeling any effect.<br />

Dosing edibles is much more difficult for homemade products but easier<br />

to understand for commercial products. Commercially, most edibles are<br />

tested in a laboratory and labeled with their THC concentration. Knowing<br />

the concentration allows a user to know the correct dose they will need or are<br />

buying. The most common commercially available concentration is 10 milligrams<br />

of THC per serving. While some products may be sold as a 100-milligram bar, they<br />

are often divided into 10 milligram pieces. However, commercial cannabis products<br />

may not be the correct dosage for every user. This is a result of factors such as body<br />

weight, tolerance, and food consumption prior to use. These factors influence the<br />

strength at which the edible will affect the user. While, dosing information is useful<br />

for all products, it is not a guarantee the concentration is exact for every batch of<br />

edibles. This is mainly due to how lab testing is done. Small amounts should be<br />

taken initially, then more can be taken later, if need be.<br />

Which is Better… Smoking or Eating <strong>Cannabis</strong>?<br />

The answer to this question is complex as it comes down to user preference.<br />

For people who have lung infections or other conditions, smoking cannabis may not<br />

be the best option and eating cannabis is a better alternative. For users who can’t<br />

wait for edible cannabis effects to kick in, smoking cannabis may be their best option.<br />

With the large amount of commercially available cannabis products, edibles<br />

are longer lasting, stronger, can be taken in small amounts, and are healthier.<br />

For these reasons, edibles are the most economical choice.<br />

PROACTIVE<br />

PROTECTION<br />

FOR YOUR PLANTS!<br />

✔ AzaMax® is a systemic Botanical Insecticide with multi modes of action<br />

✔ Controls Aphids, Spider mites, Fungus Gnats, Thrips, caterpillars and more<br />

✔ No Pest Resistance and Resurgence. Great tool in IPM<br />

✔ Safe to Honey Bees, People and Pets<br />

✔ Zero day PHI<br />

Visit us online at www.parryamerica.com or<br />

#bePROactive #useAzaMax®<br />

generalhydroponics.com/azamax<br />

52<br />

<strong>Maximum</strong> <strong>Yield</strong>


stash<br />

BOX<br />

1<br />

2<br />

3<br />

4<br />

1 | Axton CBD Gummies<br />

Axton CBD Gummies are<br />

100 per cent natural and<br />

delicious. Pharmacistformulated<br />

with 10 mg of<br />

high-quality CBD per candy,<br />

Axton CBD Gummies can<br />

make any situation more<br />

relaxing. They are a perfect<br />

and delicious way to help<br />

treat anxiety, pain, stress,<br />

and sleep-related issues.<br />

CBD is a non-psychoactive<br />

component of cannabis<br />

to support a wide range<br />

of therapeutic benefits.<br />

Axton’s CBD Gummies<br />

are Made in the <strong>USA</strong> and<br />

contain a total of 600 mg of<br />

CBD per bottle.<br />

2 | SkyBlue Vapor<br />

Deluxe Pen Kit<br />

SkyBlue Vapor products<br />

are designed to be<br />

ultra portable, discreet,<br />

and high-functioning.<br />

Virtually smell-proof<br />

and backed by a lifetime<br />

warranty, this vape pen<br />

can be taken everywhere.<br />

SkyBlue Vapor offers a<br />

variety of atomizers to<br />

vape wax, bud, hash, kief,<br />

and cartridges. Every<br />

atomizer is crafted with<br />

medical-grade titanium,<br />

ceramics, and pure SiO 2<br />

quartz that operate<br />

at a low temperature<br />

to preserve terpenes,<br />

medicinal compounds,<br />

and your cannabis itself.<br />

3 | Arizer ArGo<br />

Vaporizer<br />

The versatile ArGo<br />

consistently produces<br />

thick and tasty vapor.<br />

This latest release from<br />

Industry Pioneers, Arizer<br />

is a powerful and discreet<br />

portable vaporizer<br />

made for everyday use<br />

at home and on the<br />

go. A rechargeable,<br />

interchangeable, highcapacity<br />

battery plus<br />

USB charging and Use<br />

While Charging features<br />

provide non-stop<br />

enjoyment. Custom<br />

Session Settings (only<br />

from Arizer) put all the<br />

features you need at<br />

your fingertips and the<br />

included accessories<br />

offer the ultimate<br />

portable experience.<br />

4 | Hempindica Organic<br />

Wheatgrass Powder<br />

Hempindica’s organic<br />

wheatgrass powder is<br />

a great way to get CBD<br />

dosage as it boasts 42 mg<br />

of CBD per wheatgrass<br />

shot. Wheatgrass is<br />

an excellent source of<br />

nutrition that includes<br />

vitamins and minerals.<br />

Hempindica’s wheatgrass<br />

powder is 30 times<br />

stronger than tray-grown<br />

wheatgrass shots. It<br />

supports overall health<br />

and wellness and boosts<br />

the immune system<br />

while detoxifying the<br />

body of chemicals. Using<br />

Hempindica wheatgrass<br />

powder can help you<br />

reach your recommended<br />

daily serving dose of<br />

fruits and vegetables.<br />

54<br />

<strong>Maximum</strong> <strong>Yield</strong>


y Lindsay Engle<br />

Benefits of<br />

cannabis<br />

juicing<br />

You don’t have to smoke or eat cannabis to enjoy its wideranging<br />

benefits. Making a cannabis smoothie will provide<br />

all kinds of healthy nutrients and CBDs in liquid form.<br />

here are plenty of health benefits from juicing<br />

T any fruit or vegetable and the market for juicing<br />

is growing in popularity around the world. It’s<br />

no surprise that medical cannabis patients and<br />

healthcare professionals are looking into the health<br />

benefits of juicing the misunderstood plant.<br />

Vegetables usually consist of roots, leaves, stems, and<br />

flowers of a plant. Technically speaking, cannabis is<br />

a vegetable with similar nutrients found in other leafy<br />

greens (fiber, calcium, and iron). Cannabinoids are<br />

unique to the cannabis plant; they can improve cell<br />

function and reduce damage caused by free radicals.<br />

When cannabis is juiced, it is a nutritionally dense,<br />

medicinal compound without the psychoactive<br />

components that are normally activated when the<br />

plant goes through decarboxylation. Decarboxylation<br />

is basically the heating of the cannabis plant; it is a<br />

chemical reaction that removes a carboxyl group and<br />

releases carbon dioxide.<br />

There is a high concentration of raw cannabinoid<br />

acids and the perfect amount of fatty acids in juiced<br />

cannabis. This can reduce inflammation and improve<br />

two-way communication with nerve cells.<br />

56<br />

<strong>Maximum</strong> <strong>Yield</strong>


Pioneer<br />

Grow Books<br />

“For the avid grower,<br />

these books are indispensable.”<br />

GARDEN CULTURE<br />

Check out our new website at<br />

MAMAPUBLISHING.COM


How to Juice Raw <strong>Cannabis</strong><br />

Really, you can’t just get dried flower, throw it into a<br />

juicer, and expect magic healing potion. When juicing<br />

you want raw, freshly-picked, and properly grown<br />

cannabis. It is important to avoid any plant material<br />

that may have been exposed to pesticides or other<br />

microbiological contaminants.<br />

Like most vegetables, when it comes to juicing fresher<br />

is better. Do not juice cannabis that has been dried and<br />

prepared for smoking, it is not suitable for juicing. Since<br />

most local dispensaries do not have a supply of raw<br />

cannabis, many patients and caregivers grow their own<br />

medicine to ensure quality material for juicing.<br />

When juicing, it is recommended that people juice 15 large<br />

fan leaves, 30-40 sugar leaves, and two large (2-4 inches<br />

long) raw buds per day. Raw buds are flowers that are<br />

harvested while the trichomes are clear rather than amber.<br />

Mixing another vegetable juice to cut down on the<br />

bitterness of raw cannabis is highly recommended. A<br />

popular choice is carrots — a ratio of one-part cannabis<br />

juice to 10 parts carrot juice is a good rule of thumb. When<br />

you have your juice, split it into three parts and drink with<br />

each meal or store it for up to three days refrigerated in a<br />

sealed container or in the freezer for several months.<br />

“ There is a high<br />

concentration<br />

of raw cannabinoid acids and<br />

the perfect amount of fatty<br />

acids in juiced cannabis.”<br />

Carrots and <strong>Cannabis</strong>: A Juicing Match<br />

Carrots and carrot juice in ancient practice were used as<br />

therapeutic agents. Carrots are rich in biotin, calcium,<br />

magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, organic sodium, and<br />

more. Most of a carrot’s nutrients are concentrated just<br />

beneath the skin, so it’s important you try not to peel the<br />

skin off. You can simply brush the carrot’s skin with water<br />

until the dirt is cleaned off.<br />

The cannabis leaves and buds contain much needed<br />

cannabinoid acids: tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THC-A)<br />

and cannabidiolic acid (CBD-A). These acids found<br />

in cannabis have been shown to reduce or eliminate<br />

epileptic seizures, and assist in the management of<br />

many other health issues. <strong>Cannabis</strong> is a complete<br />

protein and natural source of healthy omega 3 and<br />

omega 6 fatty acids.<br />

When carrots and cannabis are juiced they have a great<br />

deal of fiber. This fiber can create a foam at the top of your<br />

drink and most people consider this too thick to drink with<br />

ease. If you can get past the unpleasant texture, you will<br />

be doing your body a favor.<br />

Juice derived from carrots contains more vitamin A<br />

than nearly any other juice. Vitamin A assists the liver<br />

in flushing toxins out of the body, making this a great<br />

recipe for detoxing.<br />

Health Benefits of Juicing Raw <strong>Cannabis</strong><br />

The cannabis plant is more than a psychoactive drug.<br />

In raw form cannabis leaves and buds are loaded with<br />

non-psychoactive, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and<br />

anti-cancer nutrient compounds known as cannabidiol<br />

(CBD). CBD is proving to be a “superfood” capable of<br />

preventing and reversing a host of chronic illnesses.<br />

The human body has a built-in endogenous cannabinoid<br />

system, complete with cannabinoid receptors. Using CBD<br />

from cannabis can help normalize the body’s functional<br />

systems, including cell communication and proper<br />

immune function.<br />

CBDs bridge the gap of neurotransmission in the central<br />

nervous system, including the brain, by providing a<br />

two-way system of communication that completes a positive<br />

feedback loop. The unique two-way transmission<br />

system engaged by cannabis CBDs mimics the body’s own<br />

natural two-way communication system.<br />

Individuals with autoimmune disorders, cellular<br />

dysfunction, chronic inflammation, and various other<br />

illnesses can derive a wide range of health-promoting<br />

benefits simply by consuming CBDs.<br />

58<br />

<strong>Maximum</strong> <strong>Yield</strong>


It’s all<br />

fun &<br />

games<br />

‘til santa<br />

checks the<br />

naughty<br />

list.<br />

Happy<br />

Holidays<br />

from<br />

growing with you since 1998<br />

maximumyield.com


“ One of the best ways<br />

to acquire CBDs<br />

is to juice raw cannabis<br />

leaves and buds.”<br />

Juicing Provides Ample CBDs<br />

One of the best ways to acquire CBDs is to juice raw cannabis<br />

leaves and buds, according to Dr. William Courtney, who runs<br />

a clinic in Luxembourg that provides raw cannabis medicinal<br />

services to patients in need.<br />

“CBD works on receptors, and as it turns out, we have cannabinoids<br />

in our bodies — endogenous cannabinoids — that<br />

turn out to be very effective at regulating immune functions,<br />

nerve functions, bone functions,” says Dr. Ethan Russo, a<br />

Washington area physician who is also a senior advisor to<br />

GW Pharmaceuticals, a British drug company that is utilizing<br />

CBDs healing powers in a new epilepsy drug called Epidiolex.<br />

More Variety, More Nutrients<br />

Fiber is a very important part of our diet because it contains<br />

nutrients that help with digestion but when we juice, more<br />

nutrient absorption happens because the gut doesn’t need to<br />

digest all that fiber.<br />

Juicing makes getting the recommended vegetable serving<br />

possible and introduces nutrients directly to the bloodstream.<br />

Minimize high fructose fruits like apples and strawberries.<br />

Our bodies only need 15-25 grams of sugar daily. A good ratio<br />

to follow would be 80 per cent vegetables and 20 per cent fruit.<br />

Of all the apple varieties, green apple has the lowest sugar<br />

content. As you become accustomed to the taste of green juice,<br />

lessen the fruit to the bare minimum.<br />

People new to juicing can find it tough because drinking<br />

vegetable juice isn’t palatable. If you mix lemon to the strong<br />

flavor of dark greens the taste is less bitter, and lemon has low<br />

fructose content.<br />

Juicing will have you consuming vegetables you didn’t think<br />

you would eat, cook, or enjoy. When you juice before every<br />

meal you can use four or five different vegetables per day that<br />

may include dark leafy greens or different cannabis varieties.<br />

More variety means more nutrients.<br />

You have lots of options in terms of recipes and your only<br />

limitation will be your garden or<br />

your grocery store availability.<br />

Juicing can inspire us to<br />

choose new vegetables<br />

and create a new<br />

juice each time.<br />

Carrot&<strong>Cannabis</strong><br />

Juice Recipe<br />

This takes about 5 minutes or less depending<br />

on your juicer. The recipe makes 2-3 servings,<br />

is vegan and gluten free. Using a masticating<br />

juicer when juicing cannabis is best, they<br />

operate at lower temperatures and retain the<br />

most nutritional benefits of the plant.<br />

WHAT YOU NEED:<br />

• 7-10 raw cannabis leaves, freshly picked<br />

(within 2-3 days)<br />

• 6 swiss chard leaves<br />

• 2 cups chopped organic carrots<br />

• 1-in. fresh ginger root<br />

• ½ green apple<br />

• 1 slice of lemon<br />

DIRECTIONS<br />

1. Soak the cannabis leave in cold water<br />

for a few minutes and then drain<br />

2. Start by slicing the carrots until you have<br />

about 2 cups<br />

3. Cut one slice of lemon and remove<br />

any seeds<br />

4. Remove the skin from the ginger root<br />

and add it to the juicer<br />

5. Add the ingredients and be sure to mix<br />

in spurts so the cannabis inside<br />

the juicer does not overheat<br />

6. Pour over ice and enjoy<br />

60<br />

<strong>Maximum</strong> <strong>Yield</strong>


still helping you grow<br />

tomatoes<br />

“ ”<br />

growing with you since 1998<br />

subscribe today and never miss an issue!<br />

subscriptions@maximumyield.com


Six Types of CBD:<br />

Find the Right<br />

Form for You<br />

by Karen Lloyd<br />

When it comes to CBD products, there are several<br />

different products available, each boasting low THC<br />

levels. Karen Lloyd explains the top six various CBD<br />

products, how they’re consumed, and how they work.<br />

Cannabidiol (CBD) from hemp is all the rage these days<br />

and with more demand for this increasingly popular drug<br />

comes a plethora of ways to get your daily dose.<br />

Less intense and lower in mind-altering TCH, CBD products<br />

are ideal for patients who want to control pain, inflammation,<br />

anxiety, epilepsy, and an ever-expanding list of other chronic<br />

conditions without getting high. Instead, CBD offers consumers<br />

feeling of pleasure, well-being, and happiness.<br />

“I get mine online in flower usually but vape is very popular,”<br />

says Oregonian Cate Pricer. “If you don’t smoke, there are<br />

edibles, tinctures, capsules, and creams.”<br />

Because of its success in treating many conditions, this<br />

natural medicine has become a multi-million dollar industry<br />

and, for many patients, an alternative to pharmaceutical<br />

painkillers or other medications that are not only addictive but<br />

come packed with harmful and nasty side effects.<br />

Last year, a preliminary<br />

report from the World Health<br />

Organization (WHO) stated<br />

that no public health problems<br />

have been associated with<br />

the use of pure CBD, nor<br />

has it shown potential for<br />

dependence or abuse.<br />

Patients considering using<br />

CBD to treat medical conditions should consider trying<br />

a variety of different products to see what they like,<br />

do as much research as possible, and treat their bud<br />

tenders like knowledgeable pharmacists rather than<br />

drug dealers. At the end of the day, it’s just a matter of<br />

lifestyle and preference.<br />

“I use it before and after yard work or housework<br />

because I have psoriatic arthritis,” says Pricer, who<br />

claims CBD helps to take the tension out of her shoulders<br />

and prevents stress headaches. Her mother vapes<br />

CBD oil for fast relief from sciatica pain.<br />

“After about 20 minutes of vaping, she was reaching<br />

down to adjust the cuffs of her pants without any pain and<br />

then, without noticing, about five to 10 minutes later she<br />

was walking across the room without her cane,” Pricer<br />

says, recalling the first time her mom tried CBD.<br />

62<br />

<strong>Maximum</strong> <strong>Yield</strong>


“CBD products are<br />

ideal for patients who<br />

want to control pain,<br />

inflammation, anxiety,<br />

epilepsy, and an everexpanding<br />

list of other<br />

chronic conditions<br />

without getting high.”<br />

With that in mind, here are the top six CBD products:<br />

Tinctures: Tinctures are a potent liquid solution with<br />

typically 100-1,000 mg of CBD per 15 ml bottle making only a<br />

few drops necessary. CBD tinctures are made by dissolving<br />

cannabidiol extracted from hemp into a carrier oil like MTC.<br />

Some brands even add flavors like cinnamon or bubblegum<br />

to their tinctures making them easier to swallow. In addition<br />

to dissolving drops under your tongue, they can also be<br />

added to food and drinks.<br />

Concentrates: In it’s purest and most potent form, CBD concentrates<br />

tend to boast the strongest dosage of CBD compared to<br />

other products and can range in consistency from thick sticky<br />

oils to resinous bits. Concentrated cannabis oil extracts can be<br />

heated and inhaled with a vape pen for immediate treatment of<br />

acute symptoms or consumed orally via gummies, cookies, and<br />

fudge brownies for a slower onset but longer lasting effects.<br />

Capsules: Since each capsule offers a set amount of CBD,<br />

usually 15-35 mg, patients have a far better chance of monitoring<br />

and maintaining their daily dose than with any other method.<br />

Capsules are easy to swallow, just like vitamins, and flavorless<br />

so they can easily be added to any health regime.<br />

Topicals: CBD topicals like lotions, salves, and lip balms come<br />

in a variety of pleasing fragrances and are clinically proven to<br />

be beneficial for inflammation, anti-aging, and a wide<br />

range of other common conditions. Topicals are appealing<br />

since they can be applied directly to affected areas and<br />

readily absorbed through the skin for fast relief.<br />

Sprays: With approximately 1-3 mg of CBD per spritz,<br />

sprays are typically the weakest in concentration among<br />

the different types of CBD products. However, since they’re<br />

easy to carry around, simple to use, and come in a variety<br />

of flavors, CBD sprays are ideal for individuals who are<br />

new to medical marijuana.<br />

Flower: CBD flowers containing three per cent THC or<br />

less may cause feelings of euphoria but they won’t get<br />

you high. Smoking CBD is ideal for pain management<br />

and blood sugar stability, among many other conditions,<br />

and can be purchased at most medical marijuana<br />

dispensaries or online along with papers and other<br />

smoking accessories.<br />

Anecdotally, these products have helped reduce pain<br />

and other ailments, but it will take science years if not<br />

decades to provide accurate baselines when it comes to<br />

using cannabis as a treatment. Keeping detailed notes<br />

on how these products affect you each time they are used<br />

will help you create your own personal baseline.<br />

<strong>Maximum</strong> <strong>Yield</strong> 63


<strong>Maximum</strong> <strong>Yield</strong> is<br />

taking a<br />

stand.


a newsstand.<br />

<strong>Maximum</strong> <strong>Yield</strong> is excited to announce that<br />

<strong>Maximum</strong> <strong>Yield</strong> <strong>Cannabis</strong> is NOW AVAILABLE<br />

on select magazine stands across the <strong>USA</strong>!<br />

Find us at:<br />

growing with you since 1998<br />

maximumyield.com


3639 Midway Drive, San Diego, CA 92110<br />

844.DRY.TRIM • 6 years in business<br />

greenbroz.com<br />

66<br />

<strong>Maximum</strong> <strong>Yield</strong>


SOME<br />

REVOLUTIONS<br />

ARE BORN.<br />

OURS WAS<br />

ENGINEERED.<br />

GreenBroz Inc. was, is, and<br />

always will be all about<br />

their customers, says Cullen<br />

Raichart, founder and CEO.<br />

They manufacture machines<br />

that allow clients to process<br />

their harvest more efficiently<br />

and consistently while saving<br />

them time, money, and labor<br />

costs — all without sacrificing<br />

the artisanal quality their brand<br />

is known for. GreenBroz’s<br />

approach to design puts<br />

‘gentle’ above all other<br />

considerations. After all, we’re<br />

talking about a medicine that<br />

people depend on to treat<br />

their ailments. MY <strong>Cannabis</strong><br />

sat down with Raichart to<br />

learn more about GreenBroz’s<br />

unique and successful<br />

approach to business.<br />

What did you do before starting GreenBroz?<br />

Before starting GreenBroz, I served in the United<br />

States Navy where I learned countless skills, including<br />

engineering, that would prepare me for the business<br />

world and this specific endeavor. Once I got out of the<br />

Navy, I grew my engineering experience working with<br />

Hewlett-Packard. While the corporate life gave me a<br />

great look into a Fortune 500 company, I always had the<br />

entrepreneurial itch and eventually that itch inspired me<br />

to create GreenBroz.<br />

How did you get into this industry?<br />

Like many entrepreneurs in the space today, my path to<br />

the industry was not a straight line. I knew I wanted to run<br />

my own company, but not necessarily in which industry. I<br />

was familiar with the evolving cannabis space and began<br />

to look at the industry and what the bottlenecks were that<br />

existed inside of it. After visiting a handful of cultivation<br />

facilities, I realized that, while the industry was evolving<br />

faster and faster, the process of harvesting cannabis<br />

seemed stuck in the stone age. I looked at the trimming<br />

machines on the market at the time, and other harvesting<br />

tools, and I knew I could do better.<br />

So, I went to the drawing board and designed my<br />

first machine, which is now called the Alchemist 420<br />

Trichome Extractor. By now, I had multiple connections<br />

to cultivation facilities that were either friends or<br />

company representatives interested in these tools I<br />

said I could create. I packed up the prototype of my first<br />

machine and off I went. The funny thing was, while<br />

the machine worked fine and the cultivators were<br />

impressed, I saw a trimming machine at their location<br />

that was absolutely butchering their product. That’s<br />

when it clicked. I looked them in the eye and told them<br />

I would be back in a couple of weeks with a machine<br />

that would blow this one out of the water. That’s when I<br />

created the first version of the GreenBroz Dry Trimmer.<br />

The minute I got back to the facility and we began<br />

to trim their flower in our dry trimmer they were so<br />

amazed at the results they wouldn’t let me take the<br />

machine out of their facility. It was that moment when<br />

I knew that GreenBroz had a chance to really make an<br />

impact in helping people achieve their version of the<br />

American Dream. We hit the ground running after that<br />

and never looked back.<br />

When and where did GreenBroz Inc. begin?<br />

GreenBroz Inc. was founded in 2<strong>01</strong>2, in San Diego,<br />

California. San Diego is a big military town, with Marine,<br />

Coast Guard, and Navy stationed all over. As a veteran<br />

of the US Armed Forces, it was important to me to root the<br />

company somewhere I could create jobs, hire veterans<br />

whenever possible, and play our part in boosting the<br />

local economy. I don’t know if this company will always<br />

be located in San Diego, but wherever we are located<br />

you can be sure our machines will continue to be made<br />

in America and we will remain committed to hiring<br />

Veterans of our great nation’s armed forces.<br />

<strong>Maximum</strong> <strong>Yield</strong><br />

67


What were the start-up years like?<br />

Lean. GreenBroz being my first start-up, I made sure to operate as lean as<br />

possible during the first few years and, while we are six years in and a multimillion<br />

dollar per year company, we still operate with a lean mentality. One<br />

thing we are very proud of is that we are constantly providing our staff with<br />

a chance to move up in the company. Because of that, in addition to bringing<br />

in outside hires as we expand, we are able to absorb growth internally with<br />

different staff members taking more responsibility and stepping into roles they<br />

might not have been originally hired for, but were either trained, educated, or<br />

simply trusted to do. This approach has created a very tight team atmosphere<br />

that fosters the most humbling family work environment I’ve ever been a part of.<br />

How does GreenBroz’s philosophy translate to opportunities?<br />

When our customers succeed, we succeed. It’s an internal motto that always<br />

reminds us of why we do what we do. By constantly striving to improve<br />

the entire harvesting process, we are creating an avenue for cultivators to<br />

streamline their operation, compete in an ever more competitive market, and<br />

achieve their version of the American Dream.<br />

Additionally, this motto means that we are always listening to our clients’<br />

feedback and paying attention to the next bottleneck that we identify in the<br />

process, often times working hand-in-hand with our clients to determine which<br />

bottleneck is most critical. For instance, we are currently designing custom<br />

end-to-end processing systems for some of our larger clients. When in place,<br />

these systems will allow our clients to process and pack thousands of pounds per<br />

day. Projects like this would not be possible without the flexibility, support, and<br />

enthusiasm for solutions displayed by our clientele.<br />

What did you first produce?<br />

The first machine I invented was the Alchemist Trichome<br />

Extractor. However, shortly after that I created the Dry Trimmer,<br />

and since there was nothing like it on the market, it took off<br />

and became our flagship product that has really propelled<br />

GreenBroz to the notoriety it has today.<br />

What were some of your struggles as you started<br />

the business and how did you overcome them?<br />

Ultimately, our largest hurdle mirrored that of the entire<br />

industry: changing perception. Just like the industry was and is<br />

trying to change the perception of cannabis from the ‘marijuana<br />

mania’ propaganda of decades past, we were dealing with<br />

cultivators who tried, saw, or heard about first generation<br />

trimming machines and refused to try another one.<br />

Before we entered the harvest space, trim machines were<br />

mainly built around speed, often at a substantial loss of quality.<br />

Our approach was completely different as we wondered how<br />

we could build a machine that could mimic the process of<br />

hand-trimming, but on a larger scale. That’s how we came up<br />

with our patented blade design, which acts like hundreds of<br />

little scissors gently removing the leaves from the flower.<br />

Now we had to get these cultivators, many of whom had had<br />

poor experience with trimming machines in the past, to let us<br />

demo our machine in front of them. We found that, once we did<br />

a demo for a potential client, they would buy our machine on<br />

the spot because of how impressed they were. This evolution<br />

led us to create a team of sales managers across the country<br />

who give demonstrations and show clients first hand why our<br />

machine is so special.<br />

How did you gain market share and recognition?<br />

Hard work. Plain and simple. We built a machine that we knew<br />

was superior to other options on the market, and those we<br />

did a demo for agreed. We put our nose to the grindstone. We<br />

cold-called whoever we could, attended trade shows whenever<br />

possible, and constantly took steps that we knew would propel<br />

us to be the company we knew we could be. We can say we<br />

knew now in hindsight, but at the time it was a leap of faith.<br />

68<br />

<strong>Maximum</strong> <strong>Yield</strong>


We also worked hard to educate our clients, current and prospective, on<br />

the dry-trimming process. There are many physiological benefits to the<br />

plant when you dry-harvest, so as we designed more machines around<br />

this idea word got out that we knew what we were doing. Word of mouth<br />

became one of our best friends and to this day many of our clients come<br />

from other cultivations who have recommended our machines, which is<br />

incredibly humbling because their promotion of our products holds much<br />

more weight than our own promotion.<br />

Has GreenBroz moved or expanded since the beginning?<br />

Like some of the best companies around, GreenBroz started in a garage,<br />

my garage. From there we moved into an 800-square foot warehouse in<br />

National City, California. However, we quickly grew out of that and got<br />

into a 7,000-square foot facility in El Cajon, California. Soon enough, the<br />

walls were closing in on us and we needed to expand yet again, so we<br />

grabbed another 7,000-square foot warehouse in the same complex, giving<br />

us 14,000 square feet currently, which seems like a lot, but we’re currently<br />

looking for an even larger facility as we continue to expand.<br />

What is your current product line?<br />

• 215 Cannagin Destemmer — Destem four to six pounds per hour<br />

• 215 Sorter — Adjustable size sorter that can do six size variations<br />

at a time. Ten to 15 pounds sorted per 10-minute run<br />

• 215 Dry Trimmer — Small- to medium-sized grows/two to<br />

four pounds per hour<br />

• 420 Dry Trimmer — Medium commercial-sized grows/<br />

eight to 12 pounds per hour<br />

• 215 Alchemist Trichome Extractor — Dry-sift, solvent-free trichome<br />

extraction for small- to mid-sized grows<br />

• 420 Alchemist Trichome Extractor — Dry-sift, solvent-free trichome<br />

extraction for mid-commercial sized grows<br />

• Precision Batcher (Powered by Green Vault Systems) —<br />

Precisely weigh and batch up to 20 bags per minute<br />

Where do you distribute?<br />

We are proud to say that, thanks to the hard work of countless<br />

people in our company, we have international distribution in<br />

addition to the United States and Canada. We have retail partners<br />

in six European countries, 17 retail partners in Canada,<br />

more than 200 retails partners in the US, and one in South<br />

Africa. We also have nine full-time sales managers throughout<br />

the US and two in Canada. Simply put, anywhere there is a<br />

harvest, we can get our people and equipment there.<br />

How many people now work for the company?<br />

Forty-eight.<br />

“WE DON’T JUST SELL<br />

YOU A MACHINE<br />

AND THEN SEND YOU<br />

OFF TO FIGURE IT OUT.<br />

We work hard to provide information and<br />

problem solve, and we offer customer<br />

service that far surpasses your average<br />

company-customer relationship.”<br />

<strong>Maximum</strong> <strong>Yield</strong> 69


“While the industry was evolving faster and faster,<br />

THE PROCESS OF HARVESTING<br />

CANNABIS SEEMED<br />

STUCK IN THE STONE AGE.”<br />

What significant things have you learned<br />

so far about the industry?<br />

Wow, what a question. Where to begin. One of the most significant<br />

things about this industry is the people are very hard working and<br />

many have had to endure a lot of hardships to get where they are today.<br />

Because of that, you have to shoot straight with people. They can see<br />

through the bull and, because our machines speak for themselves,<br />

we’ve had a lot of success in earning the trust of our clients. That’s<br />

what good relationships are all about in this industry and I guess that’s<br />

one of the most valuable things this industry has taught our company.<br />

It’s not about selling products, it’s about forming relationships with<br />

your clients and truly helping them in any way you can. This idea has<br />

turned our jobs into our passion and it gives us great satisfaction when<br />

we’re able to help our clients become successful.<br />

What have you learned about starting<br />

and growing a company?<br />

It’s about passion. When you’re working long hours without the<br />

guarantee of a paycheck, if you don’t have passion then you don’t have<br />

a business. That’s probably one of the more common answers you see<br />

when asking this sort of question. Getting a little more specific, it’s about<br />

the people you surround yourself with at your company. Resumes and job<br />

history are one thing, but finding people who fit in your company culture<br />

and who buy in 100 per cent to your vision is a completely different beast.<br />

It’s like trying to use the stars to navigate a ship at sea. You know which<br />

star you want to follow to get where you want to go, but if everyone is<br />

looking at a different star and a different direction you’ll never get to<br />

your destination. That’s one thing I’m very happy about in terms of the<br />

evolution of this company, that our staff buys in to what we are doing,<br />

and they trust our leadership to navigate these tough waters.<br />

Share your favorite story from a day on the job.<br />

Wow, tough to pick just one. Recently we hired a new engineer named<br />

Hussain, who came to America around five years ago as a political<br />

refugee from Iraq. As a United States Military Veteran, the idea of the<br />

American Dream is important to me and in many ways GreenBroz is my<br />

version of the American Dream. But the idea of the American Dream isn’t<br />

something exclusive to only born and raised Americans. To be able to<br />

provide a stable, well-paying job to someone like Hussain, who is looking<br />

to live his own version of the American Dream, is something that isn’t lost<br />

on me and it holds a special place in my heart. Not to mention he is an<br />

awesome engineer and a great personality to have in the office, but hiring<br />

him was a special moment. Anytime I get to hire someone and provide a<br />

job and a means of living it just motivates me to keep working hard.<br />

Feel free to include anything further you’d like to share.<br />

I think we covered just about everything in this article. Great questions.<br />

The only other thing I would like to mention is that we’re just honored<br />

and humbled to be part of the evolution of this new industry. Throughout<br />

the last six years, we’ve met some amazing people, listened to countless<br />

stories that have wowed us, and formed relationships we know will last<br />

a long time. Because of that, no matter what we do or where we go with<br />

GreenBroz, we know it will have been a success that we can be proud of.<br />

70<br />

<strong>Maximum</strong> <strong>Yield</strong>


going where<br />

you grow<br />

check out our app<br />

for info on-the-go...<br />

and pick up our print magazine<br />

for your garden adventures<br />

growing with you since 1998<br />

subscribe today and never miss an issue!<br />

subscriptions@maximumyield.com


the magazine you<br />

can’t put down...<br />

even when you<br />

probably should.<br />

growing with you since 1998<br />

subscribe today and never miss an issue!<br />

subscriptions@maximumyield.com


aking a<br />

FOOL OF MYSELF<br />

by Watermelon<br />

CLARIFIED<br />

BUDDER<br />

& LOBSTER<br />

serves 4<br />

INGREDIENTS<br />

• 1 gram dried, ground and sifted<br />

cannabis (shake flour)<br />

• 2/3 cup of butter in pieces<br />

• Chopped green onion<br />

• Lobster for 4<br />

INSTRUCTIONS<br />

1. Melt butter and shake in sauce pan on super low heat.<br />

DO NOT STIR.<br />

2. Wait for white milky foam to form on top.<br />

3. Pour through a fine sieve once or twice, removing the milky foam.<br />

4. You will be left with beautiful green clarified budder.<br />

5. Garnish with fresh chopped green onion.<br />

6. Dip with lobster (or crab if you can get it!)<br />

<strong>Maximum</strong> <strong>Yield</strong> 73


UIDE<br />

ATERMELON’S<br />

TO MAKING &<br />

EATING EDIBLES<br />

2.5 - 15MG - JULIE ANDREWS<br />

15-25 MG CARL SAGAN<br />

baking a<br />

FOOL OF<br />

MYSELF<br />

by Watermelon<br />

25-50MG WATERMELON<br />

50-75 MG CHEECH & CHONG<br />

75-125 MG BOB MARLEY<br />

1. KNOW YOUR SOURCE<br />

2. USE A SCALE<br />

3. LESS IS MORE<br />

4. FOOD VARIABLES<br />

5. BE PATIENT<br />

See pg. 73 for<br />

Watermelon’s Budder<br />

& Lobster recipe.<br />

With the flood gates<br />

open on consumption,<br />

now more then ever folks need<br />

to know what a proper dose to<br />

ingest is and how to attain that<br />

in their home cooking.<br />

When baking with marijuana,<br />

consistency is the number one problem,<br />

assuming you’ve acquired a clean, sustainable supply.<br />

THC content is typically measured in milligrams (mg).<br />

The higher the stated milligrams, the higher you’ll get.<br />

Most people are not prepared for high doses when they<br />

first begin ingesting cannabis. Over time tolerance will<br />

increase, but it’s best to start with lower doses to avoid<br />

unwanted effects like anxiety or even nausea.<br />

*THE APPROXIMATE AMOUNT OF DRIED CANNABIS YOU WILL NEED PER MG UNIT.<br />

*25 MG = 0.2 GRAM *50 MG = 0.4 GRAM<br />

*15 MG = 0.12GRAM *125 MG = 1 GRAM<br />

*75 MG = 0.6 GRAM BEGIN WITH 15 MG OR LESS<br />

An estimation of how much 15 mg of dried cannabis<br />

is offered in my guide, “Watermelon’s Guide to<br />

Making & Eating <strong>Cannabis</strong>.”<br />

In my observations, the average person plateaus<br />

somewhere around 50 mg. If ingesting consistently,<br />

that tolerance can double. After taking three or four<br />

days away from edibles, your tolerance level usually<br />

drops back down to 50 mg.<br />

The burgeoning cannabis market has a lot of proprietary<br />

products with more coming each day. Every<br />

product is going to have a different effect on different<br />

people, so I can’t comment on marketed products.<br />

My rules are for home bakers and cooks.<br />

Adding pre-made marijuana extract to a brownie<br />

mixture does not make you a marijuana chef.<br />

Converting fresh or dried cannabis into<br />

recipes at home does.<br />

Here, I’ve set out time-honoured truths<br />

I’ve observed along the way about<br />

serving size and how to achieve that<br />

goal within a small delta every time.<br />

When cooking with cannabis, here<br />

are a few tips to keep in mind:<br />

• Know your source<br />

• Less is more<br />

• Use a scale<br />

• Food variables<br />

• Be patient<br />

WM<br />

home cooking with<br />

<strong>Cannabis</strong><br />

Home cooking with cannabis<br />

can be tricky...<br />

Dosing, the type of food you are preparing, and even your<br />

metabolism rate will all determine how long and intense<br />

your high is. To avoid an unwanted experience, follow<br />

Watermelon’s own “Guide to Making and Eating Edibles.”<br />

RULE 1: KNOW YOUR SOURCE.<br />

I prefer clean, dried, outdoor cannabis sativa. It’s<br />

grown drenched in sunlight and refreshed in rain<br />

water, much like most of the farm fresh vegetables we<br />

eat. Nothing beats clean dirt and sunshine.<br />

RULE 2: LESS IS MORE.<br />

Always err on the side of caution. The other side of<br />

caution, with edibles, can scare people off for life<br />

with a bad experience. I am focusing entirely on the<br />

average person. There can be quite a delta even within<br />

this category. Don’t be a hero, be a subtle genius.<br />

RULE 3: USE A SCALE.<br />

There’s fine grind and there’s finer. Don’t eyeball your<br />

way into a sleepover. Scale up a perfectly good time<br />

and make it an enjoyable experience; one you’ll want<br />

to have over and over.<br />

RULE 4: FOOD VARIABLES.<br />

Simple sugars process faster through the liver than<br />

complex carbohydrates. As a result, simple sugars<br />

have faster onset but shorter lasting effects. Put<br />

cannabis on a ribeye steak and you could be high for<br />

a day or two as it slowly makes its way through your<br />

system. Proper planning is essential.<br />

RULE 5: BE PATIENT.<br />

Achieving the full effects of cannabis by ingestion<br />

takes more than an hour with many contributing<br />

factors along the way. Did you have dinner before<br />

you ingested cannabis, or dinner after? Do you<br />

have a fast or slow metabolism? Please wait. Then<br />

wait a little longer to be sure.<br />

For whatever reason you have decided to cook<br />

with cannabis, it’s important to understand all<br />

the variables that will determine its effect on you.<br />

It will be much better in the long run to start at<br />

Julie Andrews and slowly work your way up to a<br />

comfortable level, whatever that may be for you.<br />

Take notes and pay attention to what works and<br />

what doesn’t. Over time, you’ll know exactly what<br />

you need to get you to that sweet spot.<br />

Watermelon is a Vancouver-based entrepreneur who loves to tango, tell jokes, bake, get baked, suntan nude,<br />

and host dinner parties. She has graced the cover of most leading marijuana magazines including <strong>Maximum</strong><br />

<strong>Yield</strong>. You can find her Baking a Fool of Myself videos on YouTube and her backstory at maximumyield.com.<br />

74<br />

<strong>Maximum</strong> <strong>Yield</strong>

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!