Marijuana Horticulture: The Indoor/Outdoor Medical Grower's Bible

unless you have taken appropriate security measures.
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    Internet information can be great or it can be packed with problems. All growers and “authorities” have the same status on the Internet, and can post “facts” to their site or news group. Many times unverified, poorly researched “facts” are either self-serving or untrue. Always ask yourself if the information you are reading makes sense. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. I often surf through many sites and pages before finding something worth retaining. “Free” often means the material is sales oriented. News groups provide an excellent forum to share grow stories.

Marijuana Chemistry
    Cannabis is the only plant that produces chemicals called cannabinoids. However, with gene splicing and genetic engineering, it is only a matter of time until cannabinoids are added to other plants. Cannabinoids are ingredients unique to cannabis; the psychoactive cannabinoids are responsible for the mind-bending effects of marijuana. Some cannabinoids get you high. Around 40 cannabinoids have been confirmed to exist, but most are not psychoactive. Here is a short rundown on the six most prominent cannabinoids.
    ∆ 9 THC, the main ingredient that gets you high, is called: ∆ 9 -trans-tetrahydrocannabinol. All cannabis, whether industrial hemp or drug marijuana, contains some ∆ 9 THC. Industrial hemp cannabis contains infinitesimal amounts while dried flower tops (buds) of potent marijuana can contain up to 25 percent ∆ 9 THC. In potent varieties of marijuana, perhaps all of the mind-bending effects are derived from ∆ 9 THC. ∆ 8 THC is found in very low concentrations in cannabis. It also gets you high, but there is so little ∆ 8 THC in most cannabis that researchers, breeders, and growers concentrate on the more abundant and potent ∆ 9 THC. To simplify matters we will refer to both ∆ 9 THC and ∆ 8 THC as THC.
    Cannabidiol, known as CBD, also appears in virtually all varieties of cannabis. The amount of CBD varies enormously, from a trace to more than 95 percent of all cannabinoids present in a plant. CBD generally has a sedative effect regarding the high you experience. CBD, when combined with THC, tends to postpone the beginning of the high, but the good part is that CBD can make it last twice as long. Whether CBD increases or decreases the force of the high is subjective and must be discerned by each smoker.
    Cannabinol, or CBN, is produced as THC oxidizes or degrades. Only a trace of CBN exists in fresh bud. Stored and cured tops or hashish have higher levels of CBN that has converted from THC. Marijuana with high levels of CBN generally makes the toker feel disoriented, often sleepy or groggy, referred to as a stupefying high. At best, CBN contains only 10 percent of the psychoactive potency of the original THC.
    Tetrahydrocannabivarin, called THCV, is the shorter three-carbon propyl that replaces the five-carbon pentyl chain. This compound is associated with the fragrance of the plant. In other words, very pungent-smelling marijuana normally contains THCV. Warmer temperatures bring out more smell. THCV is found in very potent marijuana that originates in Southeast and Central Asia as well as regions in Africa. Concentrations of THCV usually make the high come on quicker and disappear sooner. There is still much research to do on this cannabinoid.

    Here is a look at a THC molecule.
    Cannabichromene, or CBC, may make up to 20 percent of the cannabinoid profile in a plant. Little study has been done on this cannabinoid. So far, researchers believe it may interact with THC to make the high more intense.
    For a complete background on cannabinoids, including chemical diagrams, resin profiles, and production of cannabinoids, see the classic book, Marijuana Grower’s Guide, by Mel Frank, Redeye Press, 1997, 330 pages.

Three excellent reference books that all indoor marijuana horticulturists should have on hand are: the Marijuana Grower’s Guide, by Mel Frank (Redeye Press), Marijuana Botany, by Robert Connell Clarke (Ronin Press), and Hemp Diseases and Pests by J. M. McPartland, R C. Clarke, and D. P. Watson (CABI Publishing). The books are classic cultivation and breeding guides. For more valuable background information on gardening, read some of the 20 magazines we list in the back of this book, and hit the Internet sites listed in this chapter. You may also want to attend some of the cannabis fairs listed in the