SamuiGrower

NO, not BS. Cannabis does indeed affect sleep architecture: namely REM sleep (Rapid Eye Movement). In fact, all the cannabinoids do, in one way or another with the exception of CBD. The problem with cannabis (namely THC, and all the forms in which we consume it) is the difference between short and long term use (for sleep). Tolerance (as in every day chronic use) shifts the effectiveness of the “pros” and it’s therapeutic affects to the “cons” of REM suppression, sleep fragmentation (multiple awakenings) and prolonged sleep onset. There are short and long term effects. THC is quite effective in inducing faster sleep onset, and because of this, is used in PTSD and insomnia treatment. THC reduces nightmares by reducing REM sleep. Initially, THC increases slow wave, deep sleep cycles. However, chronic everyday use shifts the balance away from REM sleep and does the opposite. THC, for short term use is quite effective in managing fast onset sleep, PTSD, nightmares and anxiety, but chronic use defined by developing a tolerance, and most smokers on this forum understand this, does the opposite. In fact, cold turkey cessation can result in vivid dreams, nightmares and insomnia. This is not speculative. THC binds to CB1 receptors and alters neurotransmitters that regulate sleep rhythm and directly affects REM sleep. There are multiple research papers written on the subject you can research. Google and YouTube are NOT the recommended path for research though. lol.

A poster in this forum once wrote, “…..the difference between getting high on 15% THC flower and 30% THC flower is one hit! “ I found this so humorous AND so true. Lol. I have smoked “vintage” hash that was several years old and yes, it still got the job done. The takeaway catchphrase for those that enjoy flower: “Fresh is BEST”

Cannabis begins to degrade immediately from post harvest. You can slow it down by controlling the environment in which it is dried, cured and stored, but can not keep it at bay for an extended time. Degradation of flower directly affects quality and value. Cannabinoids (THC, CBD, etc al.), terpenes and flavonoids degrade by light (photo-oxidation - primarily UV light), enzymes, and oxygen/air. Monoterpenes are the most volatile and begin to evaporate (volatilize) almost immediately. Chlorophyll degrades through enzymatic and microbial degradation. This is a good thing, reducing harshness and affecting the flavor in a positive way. Decarboxylation, the conversion of THCa to THC (also a good thing) occurs slowly. The conversion of THC to CBN also occurs and is an indication of “old” flower - not a good thing! A research paper I saw a couple of years back showed a linear decrease of THC and other cannabinoids over time, regardless of storage techniques used. Temperature, humidity and light are the major factors attributing to quality and purity loss. On a commercial level, cannabis is viewed as a perishable crop and should be sold and consumed before any quality characteristics are compromised. For personal/hobby grows and consumption, cool, dry environments will slow down the process. Vacuum sealing and refrigeration will slow terpene loss but will not abate CBN conversion. Freezing will do the same but if the flower has more than 5-10% moisture it will not ‘look’ very good, but if it is for personal consumption, no big deal, right? A humidity pack (63%) with your flower in a sealed mason jar, kept out of direct light, in a cool place is the correct handling for those of you who enjoy connoisseurship. One of my pet peeves, here in Thailand, is the handling and display of flower in dispensaries/weed shops. That pale, bleached look, that makes all flower look the same is a result of photo UV oxidation. High temperatures and humidity fluctuation certainly doesn’t help. Does your local weed shop turn off the air cons at the end of the day? Where do they store their flower when they are not open? Oversupply and poor merchandising of perishable flower is the issue. It always reminds me of an overcooked green vegetable - pale and drab. i hope this was helpful.

Male

Rest assured there is an outlet/market for cannabis trim in the grossly unregulated Thai cannabis industry. Stating illegalities to processing, edibles, oils, tinctures and topicals, is to ignore the fact that anything but flower exists in the marketplace. The first, and obvious, downstream use is in “washing”, to produce water hash: a relatively low tech, low labor, mechanical process. This can be done with fresh or dried trim. I see it marketed throughout Thailand as hash, bubble hash or as unpressed kief. If a commercial grower is not utilizing or selling off their trim, they may just be in the ‘flower’ market or not vertically integrated to make/sell other products or interested in selling their trim to processors. The ‘other’ use of trim would be for extraction, to produce: M.I.E’s/C.I.E’s (marijuana/cannabis infused edibles), oils, tinctures and topicals. Because cannabinoids are oil soluble, a solvent (alcohol, hydrocarbon) is typically used for extraction. The solvent is then evaporated to create a concentrate that is then incorporated into the final above mentioned product. This is an over simplification as other refinement steps may be incorporated. Lastly, yes, the trim could be sold off as trim, much like popcorn buds are sold. This represents a lower tier of buyer.

And, when crossing/hybridizing C. Ruderalis (autoflowers), the dominant autoflower trait (day neutral flowering) becomes recessive, appearing in only 25% of the crosses (autoflower x autoflower). If crossing with a photoperiod plant, the autoflower trait (day neutral) is lost. It essentially takes 5-6 crosses to stabilize the autoflowering trait. Autoflower strains are extremely fickle and unpredictable in the best of environments. The slightest bit of stress and they will flower unpredictably with minimal yields.

Any type of leafhopper is not welcome around cannabis (especially in a tent) and is NOT harmless, katydids included. They are herbivores and eat leaves, not other predatory insects, and should not be there. Cannabis thrips do NOT eat fungus. They are not beneficial and are the bane of any cannabis grower. A thrip infestation can be above and below the substrate and can devastate a crop - especially in flower. “Lost Coast” is predominantly soybean oil, peppermint oil, a little citric acid and isopropyl. It acts the same way as neem oil by smothering soft body insects. The best way to use Lost Coast, neem oil and potassium salts of fatty acids (Insecticidal soap) is as a preventative IPM during vegetative growth. Once cannabis is in flower (post week F3) there is very little you can do. Use of Lost Coast, Neem oil and insecticidal soap will show little results after you have a problem. i agree with the post that it is unlikely you had septoria. Likely powdery mildew, grey mold, fusarium, pythium etc. The bad news: you are responsible for your thrip and fungus situation (as well as visiting leafhoppers) through poor management. The entire idea of tent growing is the same as CEA (controlled environment agriculture) - a relative sealed environment where YOU control the heat, humidity, air movement, light cycles, IPM and general plant husbandry. Leaving doors open, screens, and your tent(s) open to the environment obviously invites the results you are experiencing. My advice: Seal your tents from the outdoor environment. Use Lost Coast, Neem, Insecticidal Soap as a preventative spray (IPM) once a week during vegetative growth and the first week of flipping to flower. Place a small space heater on a thermostat during cool nights, warm days. It also knocks down humidity at night. More air movement keeps sporulation of PM, septoria, fusarium and pythium from setting in. Incorporate a silica product, increase calcium and increase air movement in a clean growing environment and your plants will naturally ward off predatory (soft body) insects and molds.

Decarboxylation, conversion from THCa to THC, the psychoactive form, begins after harvest, from drying onwards. Drying and curing (without heat) is a slow, natural, linear process of decrboxylation. It is not necessary to cure your flower for extraction. Curing, furthers decarboxylation but should be considered more for flavor development by degradation/conversion of chlorophyll, sugars and starches. What is critical though, is thorough drying of your flower before decarboxylation for efficient conversion. A good friable, milled flower should be your starting point.

If you have pre-existing medical conditions, especially heart related, the best advice you can get would come from a medical doctor. Your arrhythmia should be of great concern. The medication you are taking, Flecanide (Tambocor) regulates your heart rhythm. Cannabis directly effects: heart rhythm (cardiovascular effects), increasing heart rate (tachycardia) and blood pressure (increasing and decreasing). Combining cannabis and your heart meds can increase your risk of adverse events. Both Flecanide (Tambocor) and cannabis are processed through the liver enzyme system (P450). Cannabis can influence the metabolism of that drug that can alter enzyme absorption leading to either toxicity or sub-therapeutic effects of your heart meds. The Imatnib you are taking works directly with enzyme P450 functions and can have some nasty side effects (the least of your worries) in conjunction with cannabis and Flecanide. My PSA to you (and others), if you have medical issues, is seek qualified medical advice when considering cannabis use for any consideration.

Thanks @stoner. I’ve said a few words on the subject as an anti-hero, in an industry that I am a staunch advocate of in all ways except for lies. We are at an ‘event horizon’ with cannabis; research dollars are pouring in everyday, in both public and private partnerships. Soon enough we will understand all the pharmacokinetics of all the cannabinoids and secondary metabolites of cannabis. BUT until then… …The science does not support the internet/social media claims at present. The claims range from the sublime to the ridiculous, and I explain all the whys. I have written a few things on this forum, and have included a few links. If you want to go in further depth, look at my posts……or not. To address the post about CBD and Sleep, here is an extract from a similar post: ”Using CBD as a sleep aid is a “movement” magnified on social media. Because it has anti-anxiety effects it has been co-opted as a sleep aid and this is the furthest thing from the truth. It has more placebo inducing sleep effect than the CBD itself. It is NOT a sleep aid. The anti-anxiety effect only works in the presence of THC. CBD modulates all the effects of THC, not being able to bind to Endocannabinoid receptors on its own. ” Required strength CBD oil for a good night sleep CBD products don't ease pain and are potentially harmful, study finds Required strength CBD oil for a good night sleep cont.

Epidiolex https://www.epidiolex.com/epidiolex-results

Are you smoking said oil? Yes? Do NOT add flavorings. If you are ingesting it, do as you please. Perhaps I should have prefaced my post….. re: smoking/vaping It was you, actually, that referred to “extract concentrates”. This implies smoking.

Most monoterpenes will volatilize in ‘home’ decarboxylation due to low molecular weight of these compounds. Regardless of popular thought, here in this forum, the home decarber can do little to preserve these aroma chemicals - VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compounds). Once they volatilize (come out of solution), you can’t trap them and get them back in. Lol. Lid or no lid. It’s a little more than avoiding boiling points of terpenes. Thermal and oxidative degradation occurs way below the boiling points of mono/sesquiterpenes and is unavoidable in an uncontrolled home setup. Sorry. While it is true that most extracts destined for smoking (dab, shatter, butter, rosin, vape carts, et al.) have terpenes added back in, like limonene, myrcene or a ‘proprietary’ terpene profile mix, you should NOT add flavoring agents. This is quite risky. Any “flavors” that are ethanol based (vanilla, mint, almond, etc) will convert to acetalaldehyde which is carcinogenic upon thermal decomposition. Sweet and buttery flavors degrade to acetoin and diacetyl. When vaped/combusted can cause irreversible lung damage: bronchiolitis obliterans (popcorn lung). Fruit and ‘sugary’ flavorings break down into benzene (a known carcinogen), acrolein and formaldehyde. Please do not add flavorings to your DIY vape products. I am sure there will be an outpouring of responses disagreeing with me, because “you” have never heard of anyone that has developed a problem. You’re entitled to your opinion but not your own facts. Another PSA (Public Service Announcement) from yours truly.

PGR’s (Plant Growth Regulators) are considered MRL type 1 (Minimum Residue Limit - category I) and are tested for in all established legal markets (USA, Canada, Uruguay(?)) For testing purposes, they are categorized with the worst of pesticides - 0 tolerance limits or more precisely LOD, limits of detection. I am familiar with most of them as they come directly from the ornamental horticulture/floriculture industry where they are still used. They crossed over to cannabis around 2012 and we trialed several of them in Colorado for companies that were repackaging them from the floriculture space, in particular: chrysanthemum and poinsettia, both short day, photoperiod plant. We worked with: paclobutrazol, benzyladenine, daminozide and Chlormequat. Some of you old timey growers, like myself, may remember them under their marketing names: Gravity, Bushmaster, phosphoload, topload etc. They were quickly labeled toxic (some carcinogenic) and not allowed to enter the legal cannabis stream. My experience: They were ALL designed to be used (in cannabis), at super low concentrations, one application, for limiting stretch when flipping to 12/12 in flower. In fact, they stopped the plant stretch dead in its tracks. If you flipped a plant that was say 45 cm, it finished 8-9 weeks later at 45 cm. This has devolved today (in black/grey markets) to applying higher concentrations creating short plants with many, many flowering nodes that bulk up and create dense flowers, as their is little plant biomass to support, other than lots of flowers. I do not agree with most posters on this forum that dense bud is PGR bud. Genetics will ALWAYS dictate leaf to calyx ratio. Leafy bud is, to me, NOT an indication that PGR’s were not used, and conversely, dense bud is NOT an indication that PGR’s were used. We just grew out Strawberry Guava 2.0 and White Truffle. Super hard, dense buds, very little leaf material. Some here would be quick to say “PGR”. The AI generated cut and paste list (above) of perceived PGR characteristics is highly inaccurate and extremely misleading. I have not revisited PGR’s since 2012 because, they are illegal to use and most importantly, completely unnecessary. We find stretch is controllable through temperature, light spectrum and minimizing nitrogen and phosphorous in the critical stretch. The goal is to maintain short distance between flowering sites (internodal distance). Perceived smells, flavors, headaches, etc. is, in my opinion, an affectation to the perception of PGR’s, but again, is not an area of my research, having left it behind some 12 years ago. I do NOT suspect it is as prevalent (pgr usage) as some believe it is. To conclude with my soapbox topic: there is NO testing for PGR’s, pesticides, mycotoxins or anything nasty to your health, here in Thailand. This also goes for THC and terpenes - two more reported “myths” here. The limited testing labs that are here are dubious at best and show wildly inconsistent results. For those smokers that are concerned, buy from a grower you know, trust. One that you have a direct relationship with, that is open to discuss their growing practices. Lastly, please let everyone know that this post is “OFF TOPIC” and belongs somewhere else. LOL

There are several reasons: 1. Terpenes, especially monoterpenes are extremely volatile and have low boiling points: 110-160C. They begin to volatilize in drying/curing, and are the first to “go”. Outside of lab technique, extended dry heating (decarboxylation time/temp curve) or heating in fat (especially at the 4 hr mention in the above post) will assure terpene evaporation. 2. Degradation. Even at temperatures below the decarboxylation curve, there is oxidation of both C10 and C15 terpenes (mono/sesquiterpenes). Because of this oxidative (and some enzymatic) degradation, the low molecular weight odor compounds are destroyed. 3. Dissolving in ethanol (winterizing/chlorophyll mitigation) will dissolve all terpenes and cannabinoids. Evaporating off the ethanol leaves only the cannabinoids (i.e. THC, CBD, etc.) remaining (higher BP). Mostly all terpenes are lost. 4. Lack of a controlled environment will almost assure you of terpene loss. Uniform drying, grinding, even surface area and even time/temp curve in a calibrated, oven or, as mentioned, a “prosumer decarboxylation device” will minimize terpene loss. Decarboxylating in a glass reactor, closed loop vacuum, at the lowest temperature is a common way of preserving terpenes - commercially. A vacuum lowers the boiling point (BP) considerably, facilitating terpene preservation. See attached photo. Extraction of fresh frozen flower, in ethanol/hydrocarbon and then decarbing in a vacuum glass reactor is the current standard for terpene preservation and whole plant ‘goodness’. “Live Rosin” - extraction of fresh frozen flower is the current de facto standard in vape extracts and DAB. This is the best and current standard for terpene preservation. It is, however, decarboxylated at the time of combustion THCa ——>THC and would not be suitable for edibles. Yes, this is industry standard. Putting the extract/oil through vacuum decarboxylation will preserve terpenes and increase yield.