Slippyface

Member
Hello fellow cannabis growers, smokers, and enthusiasts of all types.

I have a few grows under my belt and have become very passionate about my endeavours. I am always on the look out for well studied, evidence based sources of information. As I’m sure many will agree it is often very difficult to navigate through the confusion of opinion, facts and no doubt false claims that a budding cannabis cultivator (pun intended) is faced with when undergoing a sesh on google and exploring the subsequent forums.

Due to the conjecture that is often rife in said forums. I would like to open this thread to any good sources of research (and reputable old sources) that others may be aware of; any websites, scientific papers, best practice shared by dispensaries (if this exists, may not due to competition) well evidenced side by sides etc.

All topics are welcome, i’m keen to see research on:
- Stressing techniques
- Feeding techniques
- Veganics
- Defoliation
- Finishing techniques
- Drying and curing

This is my first post, I hope it proves beneficial for all.
 

Slippyface

Member
Interesting article regarding terpenes (unable to post link as I’m a very new member):

Wake up and smell the Aromatic Terpenes


When selecting among varieties of dried cannabis, people will often ask to smell the particular strain for it’s signature scent. The musky smell commonly associated with the Kush family comes from an abundance of a terpene called Myrcene, known for it’s sedative effects, also found in hops...

By Owen Smith January 14, 2015

When selecting among varieties of dried cannabis, people will often ask to smell the particular strain for it’s signature scent. The musky smell commonly associated with the Kush family comes from an abundance of a terpene called Myrcene, known for it’s sedative effects, also found in hops (Humulus), another member of the Cannabaceae plant family. Linalool, also commonly found in plants like lavender, is known provide anxiety-relief and stress relief. The Piney smell associated with many varieties of cannabis is Alpha-pinene (essential pine oil), known to promote alertness and memory retention. Lemoney sativa strains contain limonene, which anecdotal evidence suggests is “sunshine-y,” and is also found in, you guessed it, lemons.

Terpenes are aromatic compounds that are produced alongside cannabinoids in the rosette of cells that holds up the head of the trichome (fig. 1). Most of the terpenes that create the many scents of cannabis are shared among the plant kingdom. The Aug. 2011 British Journal of Pharmacology: Cannabinoids in Biology and Medicine, Part 1 includes numerous articles exploring the nature of the cannabis plants’ chemical dynamism. In the article “Taming THC,” scientists explored how these aromatic oils synergize and mitigate the active cannabinoids contributing to an entourage effect.



(fig. 1, trichome cross section)

Traditional responses to cannabis induced anxiety may include sniffing pinene-rich black pepper, limonene-rich citrus, linalool-rich lavender flowers and calamus root high in myrcene. “Cannabis terpenoids and flavonoids may also increase cerebral blood flow, enhance cortical activity, kill respiratory pathogens, and provide anti-inflammatory activity.” (source)

Ed Rosenthal, author of many books on cannabis, has suggested that the myrcene in mangos can increase the quality of low potency cannabis when eaten one hour before medicating. A study launched by David Watson and Robert Clarke for Holland based research company Hortipharm found that terpene-infused resin with 50 percent THC was more potent by dry weight than an equivalent amount of pure THC.

Scientists have discovered that beta-caryophyllene (BCP), which is another terpene that contributes to the aroma and flavour, also found in other herbs, spices, and food plants, activates the CB2 receptor and acts as a non-psychoactive anti-inflammatory. Because it binds to a cannabinoid receptor […] and since it is an FDA approved food additive and ingested daily with food, it is the first known dietary cannabinoid. (source)


Terpenes break down over time, if you can smell it, you’re losing it. Some terpenes are volatile below room temperature: smaller, lighter terpenes (monoterpenes) like myrcene and limonene evaporate faster. Bigger, heavier terpenes (sesquiterpenes) like caryophyllene don’t evaporate as quickly, and represent a larger percentage of the oil after drying. (study) Careful handling and storage can help to prevent the breakdown of the cannabinoids and terpenes, choose a cool, dry, dark place (out of the reach of children and pets) to store your cannabis in a sealed container.

Leading the way on terpene identification is Green House Seed Company in Holland who have performed spectral analysis of each of their strains identifying 16 different terpenes. They have developed an odor wheel to help individuals decide on their strain of choice. Lift offers a system by which you can select your strains by the flavours. Licensed Producers are not currently required to list terpene profiles, but as the industry evolves, and if consumers demand it, such information could soon be included when you purchase medical marijuana.
 

Slippyface

Member
And to preserve those delicate terpenes, I like Dinafem’s blog page tutorial on drying and curing:

Drying and curing of fresh cannabis buds

Dinafem Seeds 18/01/2012
  • Harvesting a crop is for most cultivators the greatest moment of their grow. It's the time a grower can reap the fruits of his labour But this is not the last step.
  • Fresh cannabis contains about 75% water, which needs to be evaporated first before the buds can become a fantastic smoke. To get rid of this excess water, the buds need to be slowly dried and cured.
A good drying and curing process is a critical step in the production of high quality cannabis. During this process you can lose, preserve, or enhance the odour, taste, and potency of your cannabis. A bad drying process can even ruin the best quality buds. It's a painfully time consuming process, but the patient grower will be rewarded with some buds that have a much better taste and a much better high.

Drying of fresh cannabis buds

During the drying process the water content of the buds needs to be reduced from 75% to 10-15%. Usually this will take around 10 to 14 days. The most popular method is cutting the branches with the buds, trimming the leaves and hanging them upside down in a room or cabinet. Try to keep the branches from touching each other to avoid uneven drying and mould. It's best to get rid of the biggest amount of moisture in the first 3 days. After these 3 days the drying process should be slowed down a bit.

When drying fresh cannabis buds the proper way the following circumstances are required:

  • Temperature: In the first 3 days the best temperature is around 20 degrees Celsius. This way the buds will dry quick, but not too fast. After 3 days the temperature should be lowered to about 17-18 degrees Celsius to slow down the process.
  • Humidity: In the first 3 days the relative humidity should be around 50%. After three days the relative humidity should rise to about 60%, again with the reason to slow down the drying process.
  • Air circulation: It's very important there's enough air circulation in the room, so it's advisable to use an electric driven fan. A ventilation fan can also come in handy to control the temperature and humidity. Don't point the fan directly on the buds though, this will dry the cannabis buds unevenly.
  • Darkness: The room should be relatively dark as light, especially direct sunlight, degrades THC.

The buds are dried when you can easily snap the stem. If it bends, it needs some more time. You will know when it happens…

It's very important not to dry the buds too fast. During drying not only moisture, but also chlorophyll and other pigments within plant tissue will evaporate and leave the buds. If the buds are dried too quickly, some of these pigments don't have enough time to leave the buds and will end up in the final product. Cannabis with a high amount of chlorophyll often has a bitter, 'green' taste and smell, by many compared to stinky hay. So enough reason not to speed up things too fast.

Last important note about drying cannabis. When fresh cannabis buds are drying they give off an extremely strong smell, especially in the first few days. So if you need to be discreet, take care of enough odour control.

The curing of dried cannabis

When the buds are properly dried, it's time to cure and store the finished product in an airtight glass jar. Even after a proper drying period of 10-14 days a little chlorophyll and other pigments will be left and will continue to break down.

The whole curing period takes from 2 weeks to 2 months, depending on how the grower wants his buds. And on how much patience he has. There are cannabis connoisseurs out there who only smoke cannabis which is cured for at least 1 year.

The cannabis needs to be put loosely in a jar and the jar needs to be filled for a maximum of 2/3, since the buds need some air to breath. The jar needs to be placed in a cool and dark place. It is very important in the first 2 weeks to check the buds at least once a day to replace the air and check for growth of mould and mildew. After 2 weeks the jar needs to be opened and checked only 1-2 times a week.h

Curing good quality cannabis buds is like ageing an exquisite wine. It needs time to develop that intensity of flavour. It needs time to reach that rich and smooth lingering taste. It needs time to achieve that complex and refined philosophical high.

Surprise yourself and your friends; take your time with drying and curing your cannabis. It will be worth it…


Author


Dinafem Seeds The Dinafem team comprises cannabis experts and growing specialists eager to share their knowledge and expertise with the entire cannabis community. Don’t hesitate to give us your feedback on our posts. We’ll be happy to answer your queries and, above all, to learn new tricks and techniques.
 

Slippyface

Member
I regularly like to check in with the major seed companies blog pages, they can often share some great info. I’m mostly familiar with the European companies; like dinafem, RQS, Green House Seeds, etc.
 

Roger A. Shrubber

Well-Known Member
you have a good goal, but all of this info you want to collect is already here, just scattered around. if you want to make the effort to collect it all into one thread, you're going to have a fucking huge, disorganized, confusing mess. the search function on this site is kind of crappy, but you can generally find what you want with a little diligence.
 
No its not.. The info is not here. It's in ancient food crop and oil crop industries.

As passionate as you are about being Cannabis specialist, plant specialist have been feeding and perfuming the planet for thousands of years.

What is the ultimate goal of Cannabis production? These forums will lead you to believe it is flower development. Its not. Who cares about plant material. Hemp growers, thats who.

Try finding some books on essential oil crops. You won't find any for less than a couple hundred bucks. Because that's real knowledge that applies, not fake science to sell gimmicks and stroke egos.
 

Joint Monster

Well-Known Member
the search function on this site is kind of crappy, but you can generally find what you want with a little diligence.
Let google do the searching, add "site:www.rollitup.org" without the quotations behind whatever you search. Google will filter out your specific search but only through rollitup.


What is the ultimate goal of Cannabis production? These forums will lead you to believe it is flower development. Its not. Who cares about plant material. Hemp growers, thats who.

Try finding some books on essential oil crops. You won't find any for less than a couple hundred bucks. Because that's real knowledge that applies, not fake science to sell gimmicks and stroke egos.
I thought the ultimate goal was to produce good medicine?

Can you recommend anything specific that you may have recently purchased or found particularly useful?

But would these larger practices still apply when looking at acres of land versus an indoor crop?


I think he is saying, to apply oil-seed crop practices (botany/cultivation) to cannabis. Oil-Seed being Coconut plants, Hemp-plants, Soybean plants, etc?
 

Slippyface

Member
Hey, thank you gjs, this is exactly the kind of resource I’m looking for. Thanks to Joint Monster as well.

I get what people are saying, I do find the search function slightly frustrating on this site. Maybe I should have just specified ‘research websites’.

Do dispensaries share their knowledge? Or is this kept hush hush due to competition?
 

Lordhooha

Well-Known Member
Hey, thank you gjs, this is exactly the kind of resource I’m looking for. Thanks to Joint Monster as well.

I get what people are saying, I do find the search function slightly frustrating on this site. Maybe I should have just specified ‘research websites’.

Do dispensaries share their knowledge? Or is this kept hush hush due to competition?
Dispensaries usually blow you don’t want knowledge. All they see are dollar signs. They take short cuts and don’t care much about the plant or quality.
 

Slippyface

Member
Dispensaries usually blow you don’t want knowledge. All they see are dollar signs. They take short cuts and don’t care much about the plant or quality.
I see, I have heard this before, I’ve also heard that the black market still thrives in many places because of these issues.
 
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