When cultivated outdoors, the chosen areas are those which receive twelve hours or more of sunlight in a given day. Northern locations are preferred (Humboldt County, California and British Columbia being particularly notable), but southern locations (such as Maui, Hawaii) are also known to be good producers.
In instances where the local laws do not permit growing cannabis, cultivators may choose to grow in forests or rugged and rural areas where the local population are not likely to find the crop. Another technique is to grow cannabis in a crop that is larger and obscures the plants, such as maize. This is reported by the United States government to be common in the midwestern states. Bamboo and elderberry make excellent camouflage companion plants.
Some government organizations have claimed that in state and national parks, people have been injured by these "rebel farmers" protecting their crops, including a well documented developing problem with Mexican cartels growing cannabis in US national parks and forests.
Buds are typically harvested when fully ripe. Generally, ripeness is defined as when the white pistils start to turn dark yellow, orange, light to mid red, etc. and the trichomes, "crystals", barely begin to turn milky from clear. These trichomes can range from completely clear (generally deemed underdeveloped), to amberish-red. Ideally, professionals will use a decent power magnifying glass, a brix meter (to measure "sugar" content), and a microscope. The potential seed pods swell with resins usually reserved for seed production, thus improving the quality of the buds (called colitas), which will swell to form full "colas". If harvested early on with only a few of the pistils turned color, the buds will have a more pure THC content and less of the cannabinoids CBD and CBN. The later psychoactive substances will create the bouquet of the marijuana, and influence the overall nature of the high from anywhere from purely psychedelic to purely sedative.
Contrary to sinsemilla (bud production focused cultivation), seeds are harvested when fully developed and often after the accompanying buds have begun to deteriorate. In contrast, hemp grown for fibre is harvested before flowering, and cannabis grown for cloning is not flowered at all.
The plants are dried slowly over 1-2 weeks at roughly room temperature. A stable temperature preserves cannabinoids well. Flowers are hung by their stalks, allowing the internal fluids of the plant to remain in the flowers. Roots are removed. When the stems in the middle of the largest buds can be snapped easily, the plant is dry enough to be cured. Drying is done in a dark place, as trichomes will deteriorate if exposed to light.
The curing process continues breaking down sugars and helps develop taste and smoothness of smoke. Usually, the dried product is packed (not compressed) into glass canning jars which are airtight. Initially the product is checked periodically (every few hours) to make sure it was properly dried and has not remoistened itself. After several days, when the product is satisfactorily dry, the jars are sealed off and opened just once a week. Curing is highly varied—the minimum is usually two weeks. Some growers even cure as long as six months, while others do not cure at all. As with tobacco, curing can make the cannabis more pleasant to smoke. For the same reasons as when drying, curing jars are stored in a cool, dark, place.
A recent method of curing is called water curing. This method is quicker and can improve a lower quality product. The buds are submersed in water for a period of 7 straight days, changing the water daily. The buds are then dried and are ready to use. When water curing, nutrients can be added to the plants up until they are harvested. The water will flush out harmful chemicals (such as the ones used to feed the plants) as well as proteins, sugars, pigments and some resins. This will also increase the THC to weight ratio.
Hashish can be produced by several methods. The method most employed in the West is to take the plants or flowers and beat them against a screen. This causes the trichomes to break off the plants, and be collected under the screen, which serves as a crude filter. In the East, in large outdoor grows, workers wearing leather coats run among the dense plants, and then like bees gather the pollen and trichromes off of their limbs, pressing it into shapes.
Bubble hash. One of the most preferred forms of hashish production is via the use of a bubble hash bag kit. After a harvest, there are typically many green leaves- particularly large shade leaves- which themselves cannot be smoked, but have collected over time many fallen trichromes. Rather than letting them go to waste, one takes these greens and soaks them in a bucket of cold water. The liquid is then passed through a succession of bags with decreasing screen sizes which capture the trichromes, which are then pressed into shape and let dry. The result is called bubble hash, due to the bubbling which occurs when it is heated for smoking. This bubbling is due to its purity, as adulterants tend to cause hash not to bubble. Though more expensive, bubble hash bag kits tend to pay for themselves in the long run. Many kits can be purchased over the internet.
Hash Oil. Cannabinoids are soluble in some chemicals, notably butane. It is possible to take the leaves and stems of the plant, which are generally considered to be of low THC concentration, and immerse them in liquid butane. The butane is then captured through a filter, and evaporated (butane becomes a gas at room temperature, so one may simply allow it to evaporate). The resultant hash oil is often very strong in terms of THC content, which can be then smoked. It should be noted that butane is a highly toxic chemical and should not be eaten. One should not smoke or otherwise create flame in the presence of evaporated butane, which is highly combustible. Also be aware that butane is heavier than air and will settle on the ground. For this reason, hash oil should only be made outdoors.
Another way to extract the cannabinoids from fresh or dry leaves and stems is to soak them in rubbing alcohol (isopropyl) of at least 70% alcohol by volume (91% or pure is preferable). It is important to check the ingredients and make sure that all it contains is isopropyl and water, since many contain other chemicals. After soaking the plant material in isopropyl for 20 minutes to half an hour, the material is strained out of the alcohol, which is then left to evaporate somewhere there is a decent air flow. It is suggested that the isopropyl is put into a saucer or bowl so it can be easily scraped out. The lower the isopropyl percentage, the longer it will take to evaporate. Once the liquid has evaporated and no longer smells of alcohol, scrape the gooey tar. Note: If it is too gooey to manage, the hash oil can be placed in the freezer, where it will become brittle and non-sticky.
Strong grain alcohols, such as Everclear, can also be used to extract cannabinoids from the marijuana plant. The extraction process takes longer, but results in an edible product. Marijuana stems, leaves and buds can all be used. Simply place the product in a bowl and fill with a strong grain alcohol (95% alcohol by volume or higher) until it just covers the marijuana. After letting the mixture sit for at least 24 hours, the liquid should begin to turn light greenish, as the clorophyll is also being dissolved. Strain out the marijuana and let the liquid sit until it begins to thicken. Strong grain alcohols evaporate very quickly. The liquid is then ready for consumption. The resulting mixture can be eaten straight, mixed with food or even smoked. Many smokers prefer to dip cigarettes in the mixture, which allows them to smoke in public without detection. It should be noted that contact with direct flame will cause the liquid to lose its THC content. Smokers generally tend to heat the liquid, in a spoon for example, and inhale the heated vapors through a straw.
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