African countries legalise cannabinoids to help revive flagging economies

Africa’s cannabis revolution has generated renewed hope and billion-dollar future market valuations, reports CBD-Intel

Africa is in a cannabis race. From Lesotho to Morocco the cannabis revolution has renewed economic hopes. Legalised cannabis had a dismal future on the continent even less than a decade ago, but the past five years have witnessed a massive policy shift on cannabis. Many ailing African economies are turning to hemp and cannabis cultivation in a bid to turn around their economic fortunes, in particular those that were heavily reliant on tobacco production – such as Malawi and Zimbabwe – and have been heavily affected by global anti-smoking efforts.

Multiple reports suggest a Pan-African hemp/cannabis economy could be worth billions of dollars over the coming years, albeit in an ideal, optimistic scenario. Grand View Research puts a figure of $70.6bn by 2028, with a projected market expansion CAGR of 26.7% from 2021 to 2028. Prohibition Partners suggests the legal cannabis sector, covering regulated markets in eSwatini, Ghana, Lesotho, Malawi, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe, will be worth $7.1bn by 2023. A 2019 report from New Frontier Data suggested African hemp and cannabis together made a $37.3bn contribution to the combined global market – representing a 11% share of the market’s overall value.

However, growth assumptions such as these assume an implementation of regulatory regimes will happen relatively smoothly. Reality has not matched that so far. For instance, in Zambia, exorbitant cultivation licences have been blamed for holding back the country’s efforts to start cultivation and production of cannabinoids.

Daniel Tonga, a Zambian economist told CBD-Intel that while the law in Zambia makes cannabis cultivation legal, the country’s expensive cannabis cultivation licences are sending a negative message, where local players perceive the industry as being promoted for rich multinational companies. “Small scale farmers have for long been complaining of the exorbitant licence fees, however, the authorities have done nothing to consider the farmers’ concerns,” said Tonga.

In Malawi it could perhaps be argued that the opposite has occurred. The country has awarded cannabis cultivation licences to 36 companies but only four have started cultivation. This, according to Ketulo Salipira director general at Malawi’s Cannabis Regulatory Authority (CRA), is because of the expensive nature of cannabis cultivation. “Cannabis cultivation requires huge investment. We have awarded around 36 cultivation licences but mostly the farmers have failed to start cultivation because they don’t have enough resources to start growing,” Salipira said.

In Zimbabwe, it may be a different issue entirely. The country has lofty ambitions of becoming a major regional player in the cannabinoid production industry. It registered over 57 companies to grow medicinal cannabis and over 20 companies to grow hemp, following a change in state ownership stipulations. However only ten of the 57 licensed companies (seven cannabis and three hemp) have started cannabis cultivation so far.

Zorodzai Maroveke, vice-president of the Cannabis Industries Association of Zimbabwe (CIAZ) says this is because most companies that were licensed to grow the plant are not active.

“The industry is failing to grow because most of the licensed companies are dormant, and most of the licensed companies are registered in Zimbabwe, with most of them having majority foreign shareholding and minority local shareholding,” Maroveke told CBD-Intel in an October interview.

In South Africa, generally considered to be the biggest potential African cannabinoid market at this time both in terms of potential production and in terms of potential domestic consumption, the legal status of cannabis remains a legislative work in progress. Despite the 2018 South Africa Constitutional Court’s revolutionary ruling that permitted cannabis smoking in the home on privacy grounds, the country is yet to sign the Cannabis for Private Purpose Bill into law.

The government has already published guidelines for medical cannabis and has since drafted a master plan for the industrialisation and sale of cannabis, paving the way for legal licences. There has, however, been criticism from some industry players and cannabis advocates on the slow pace the country is taking to actualise the industry.

There may be more success in Morocco, which has also recently embraced legal medical cannabis cultivation. The new law only allows medicinal, cosmeceutical and industrial use of the plant and criminalises its recreational use, which has drawn some criticism in a country with heavy illicit production already in existence.

The story is similar in Eswatini, a country with a popular recreational variety, Swazi Gold, commonly being produced already. It too will only permit the production and processing of medical cannabis and industrial hemp, with some quarters doubting the cost benefits of the plant to the country.

In a bid to strengthen its foreign exchange earnings, Rwanda’s legislature recently legalised the use of medical cannabis. The Rwandan government anticipates cannabis cultivation will generate substantial employment opportunities and export revenue to the country.

These successes, small though they are, represent positive steps in the development of the cannabinoid sector across Africa. Other countries have faced greater opposition.

Ghana joined the list of African countries that have legalised cannabis cultivation in 2020. However, the state-led sector has been met with a vociferous backlash from government officials, mental health experts and the Christian Council of Ghana.

Similarly in Uganda, a country that is reported to have more than 2.6m cannabis users, anti-cannabis advocates including the country’s first lady Janet Museveni are reported to have strongly opposed attempts to legalise cannabis cultivation, which they described as ‘satanic’ and a threat to the country’s younger generation.

Despite the opposition, growing interest from industry players including Uganda’s richest businessman, Sudhir Ruparelia, resulted into the country legalising hemp cultivation. In 2019 Uganda spent more than US$264,000 to secure high-quality cannabis seeds. Following approval from the European Union, Uganda, which has one of the stringent laws curbing the use of cannabis, managed to secure buyers from Germany and Canada in 2019.

Perhaps the biggest success thus far remains Lesotho, the first African country to legalise cannabis cultivation. It has started to become a major producer of legally grown medical cannabis in Africa. In 2018 alone, three Canadian cannabis firms – Supreme Cannabis, Canopy Growth and Aphria – invested around $31.5m in Lesotho. MG Health – a local company 10% owned by Supreme – was the first African based cannabis firm to get EU Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) certification and intends to increase its workforce from around 350 to somewhere nearer 3,000 as it strives for full production capacity.

What This Means: The economic logic of legalising and regulating hemp and cannabinoid production looks attractive to many African governments that like the idea of potentially vast export revenues that could compensate for falling revenues and employment from tobacco production. However, as with other parts of the world, there is strong opposition to cannabinoids that variously cites health, moral and/or religious objections. Medical cannabis production is likely to be an acceptable compromise in these cases.

 

CBD-Intel provides impartial, independent and premium market and regulatory analysis, legal tracking, and quantitative data for the cannabidiol (CBD) sector.

We provide our clients with the tools to navigate this fast-moving sector, tailor their business strategy, optimise resources and make informed decisions. In addition, we offer customised research and consultancy support.

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Malta becomes the first EU country to legalise recreational cannabis but whats next?

What impact will Malta’s legalisation move have on the cannabis market, asks CBD-Intel

Malta becoming the first EU country to legalise recreational cannabis in some form will still have a commercial impact even though the regulations do not create a retail market.

The legislation will finally confirm the legality of hemp-derived CBD products, something that was unclear before. And it will not prohibit the sale of cannabis – merely limit it to non-profit cannabis clubs.

The non-profit statute that the bill references states:

“Provided further that an organisation shall continue to be deemed as non-profit making notwithstanding that:

(i) it obtains a pecuniary gain from its activities when such gain is not received or credited to its members but is exclusively utilised for its established purposes;

(ii) it buys or sells or otherwise deals in goods or services where such activities are exclusively related to its principal purposes”.

It is expected that these cannabis clubs will operate similarly to those seen in the Catalonia region of Spain – albeit with the full backing of being expressly permitted in national law, unlike those operating in Barcelona and its surrounds.

Furthermore, Maltese lawmakers may have written the law with an eye to eventually establishing more of an export market. The country is already attempting to set itself up as major player in the production of medical cannabis products.

It now states that the to-be-established Authority on the Responsible Use of Cannabis is to “identify overseas developments related to cannabis use that are of direct interest and relevance to Malta”.

The new law, which will become effective on a date to be set by the Maltese minister for equality, also records a definition of cannabis that includes flowers, leaves and resin from the cannabis plant but does not include seeds or “cannabinoid products containing not more than zero point two (0.2) percent of tetrahydrocannabinoil (THC)”.

This does open a question about the future of hemp production, as hemp plants would seem to be included in the definition of cannabis, with only cannabinoid products being excluded.

These may be clarified at a later date as the Ministry for Equality has the powers to make further regulations for the provisions of the act to be implemented better as time goes on and potential issues are identified.

It will now be worth monitoring the international response. The microstate of San Marino was set to become the first European country to create some form of legal recreational cannabis provision but was forced to shelve its plans as a result of international pressure.

How both the European Commission and the United Nations respond to this will be interesting. The UN will likely add Malta to its list of habitual rule-breakers that it warns are violating international drug treaties on a fairly regular basis. This includes countries such as Uruguay, the US (because of individual states) and Australia (because of the cannabis liberalisation actions taken by the Australian Capital Territory).

It is the EC action that could have the greater impact, both in terms of Malta’s plan and the future actions of other European states in various stages of looking to legalise or decriminalise recreational cannabis such as Luxembourg (where plans are advanced), Germany (promised) or the various countries where some form of cannabis law relaxation has been proposed. A critical response from the European Commission could delay or even scupper those plans, despite Luxembourg’s progress.

CBD-Intel provides impartial, independent and premium market and regulatory analysis, legal tracking, and quantitative data for the cannabidiol (CBD) sector.

 

We provide our clients with the tools to navigate this fast-moving sector, tailor their business strategy, optimise resources and make informed decisions. In addition, we offer customised research and consultancy support.

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CBCWhat is it?

Why haven’t I heard of this cannabinoid yet?

Cannabis is a complex plant that can produce up to 100 different cannabinoids. You are familiar with the well-known THC and CBD. But what is CBC? Cannabichromene was discovered over 50 years ago and has since been the focus of medical research.

Similar to THC, CBC is found first in cannabis in another form. Cannabichromenic acid (CBCA) converts to CBC when exposed to UV light or heat. Unlike THC, the conversion from CBCA to CBC does produce a high. CBC has derivatives similar to other major cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant. These include cannabichromevarin (CBCV) and cannabichromevarinic acid (CBCVA).

Because it does not bind to the CB1 receptor in the endocannabinoid system, CBC is non-psychoactive. It has been shown to have a wide range of medical applications.

It has strong antibacterial properties [1]. It appears to have anti-inflammatory properties without inflicting the negative side effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) [2]. And it acts as a neuroprotectant [3] and anticonvulsant [4]. In fact, the anticonvulsant applications of CBC include CBCA, CBCV, and CBCVA as well as the well-known use of CBD. According to the study by Anderson, Et al, “Cannabis-based products are increasingly being used to treat refractory childhood epilepsies such as Dravet syndrome,” and CBC is “frequently detected in artisanal cannabis oils used in the community by childhood epilepsy patients” [4].

These properties and applications for CBC are only enhanced when combined with other cannabinoids. Due to the fact that every endocannabinoid system is as unique as the individual it belongs to, the specific effects of CBC are variable. However, as with most applications for cannabis, the cannabinoids work best together through the entourage effect.

Even though CBC was identified over 50 years ago and we have decades of research to show the potential benefits, there are currently no human studies being preformed to show the efficacy of this perticular cannabinoid and its benefits and applications.

 

1- Turner, C.E. & Elsohly, M.A. Biological activity of cannabichromene, its homologs and isomers. Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. Aug-Sep 1981;21(S1):283S-291S. doi: 10.1002/j.1552-4604.1981.tb02606.x. Times cited=14. Journal impact factor=2.812

2- Zurier, R.B. & Burstein, S.H. Cannabinoids, inflammation, and fibrosis. FASEB Journal. 2016 Nov;30(11):3682-3689. doi: 10.1096/fj.201600646R.Times cited=31 Journal impact factor=4.966

3- Stone, N.L. Et al. A systemic review of minor phytocannabinoids with promising neuroprotective potential. British Journal of Pharmacology. 2020 Oct;177(19):4330-4352. doi: 10.1111/bph.15185.Times cited=9. Journal impact factor=8.739

4- Anderson, L.L. Et al. Cannabichromene, Related Phytocannabinoids, and 5-Fluoro-cannabichromene Have Anticonvulsant Properties in a Mouse Model of Dravet Syndrome. ACS Chemical Neuroscience. 2021 Jan 20;12(2):330-339. doi: 10.1021/acschemneuro.0c00677. Times cited=2. Journal impact factor=4.48

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Using Bottled Nutrients All NaturallySay What?

Howdy all, using bottled nutrients all naturally is something I don’t do myself, anymore. But I used to. Because I have heard from a decent number of growers in the last couple months asking me how they can grow TLO style with very limited space, I wrote this. They have the room to do the growing, just not for composting, or a worm farm; with actually no storage space to speak of.

Today I wanted to basically answer this question in one place so I can just send a link to anyone else who wants to know this. I totally get this problem and living in like a 1-bedroom apartment or a studio, could definitely be challenging when it comes to all the composting and recycling logistics. You can get away with some limited composting usually and recycling your soil can be done it a tote.

The most important part of using bottled nutrients here, are which nutrients and how much to use. There aren’t many that will work in this situation, but there’s a couple I know of I will share. Okay then, let’s rock and/or roll baybee…

Things You Need for Using Bottled Nutrients All Naturally

Having a TDS Meter is Essential

• Dolomite Lime

The fish fertilizer will take pH down, while the Big Bloom will take pH up. Using dolomite lime as I will show you below, ensures not only good, buffered pH levels, but also a great source of magnesium and calcium.

• Low-ish PPM Groundwater

Your base water should ideally be groundwater, like dechlorinated tap/well water. You’ll be wanting to finagle your PPM to around 30 to 50 PPM for your base water. Usually this is a simple matter of adding some distilled, rain, or reverse osmosis filtered water, until your desired PPM is reached. Just measure how much it takes the first time, and you’ll have your formula benchmark making things easier in the future.

• TDS Meter

A TDS meter is a must have, in fact I would get two if possible. They’re not spendy, and for 20 or 30 dollars you can get one that will be perfectly good. PPM should always guide your hand heavily.

• Dual Output Air-pump, Airline, and Air-stones

You always want to bubble (aerate) your plant water, if possible, but you’ll also want to be for sure aerating your nutrient solutions for at least 24 hours before using on plants. You will definitely want at least a dual output air pump with some power to it.

• A Couple 1-Gallon Pitchers

Depending on your garden and space requirements you could get smaller pitchers like ½ gallon.

• Big Bloom Organic Liquid Fertilizer by Fox Farm

Do not confuse Big Bloom with Tiger Bloom, the latter is synthetic, also by Fox Farm.

• Liquid Fish Fertilizer 5-1-1 N-P-K by Alaska Brand

The NPK numbers are uber important, you absolutely do not want to use any organic liquid fish fertilizer that has P (phosphorous) or K (potassium) numbers higher than 1. Super-duper important!

These Two Organic Fertilizers Combined Makes a Complete Nutrient for Your Plants and Soil

The Set-Up

When using bottled nutrients all naturally, as in all naturally how Mother Nature does things, you are going to make yourself a powerful living organic tea, basically. Big differences from your normal organic living teas are things like PPM levels, which can be uber high. This special tea will keep bubbling away 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for the duration of your grow, you just keep re-beefing it up. So, choose a good location. Not too cold and not too hot per ambient temperatures, and dark/dim is also good.

I Bring in My Water Using Sparkletts’s Type Bottles and Build my Plant Water in 5-Gallon Buckets

I’m pretty sure there are other bottled organic nutrients that would work here, however, the two I have suggested are time tested. Big Bloom is like an earthworm castings and bat guano tea extract, and it also has some good salts present, so don’t fertilize directly with it, or those salts could work against you in the longer term. The organic fish fertilizer is chalked full of great stuff and the soil life goes crazy for this. Like I said above, the P and K numbers should NEVER be over 1, and ideally the N no higher than 5.

Methodology Using Bottled Nutrients All Naturally

Okay, your whole watering program is in 3-stages. You have…

1. Your base groundwater, dechlorinated, and diluted if needed to reach desired PPM (30 to 50 PPM), and I use those 5-gallon water bottles to hold this water.
2. The 1-gallon pitcher aerating and bubbling the high PPM perpetual tea. I call this pitcher ‘The Churn’ sometimes.
3. The water for your plants (aerating), and I use a 5-gallon bucket for this purpose. This is where you blend your bubbling high PPM tea from the 1-gallon pitcher with your base groundwater from the 5-gallon bottle to reach your desired PPM. Low to mid 60’s PPM wise is a good target to shoot for.

What I used to do was to fill the 5-gallon bucket (with aeration) with PPM adjusted groundwater from the 5-gallon bottle (so, say 40 PPM), and I bubble The Churn (1-gallon) at least 24 hours before I will use it for the plants. I also would add dolomite lime at about 1/8^th teaspoon to The Churn, and a very small pinch to the aerating/bubbling 5-gallon bucket. When using bottled nutrients all naturally, aeration is a must.

So, The Churn and your 5-gallon bucket are both bubbling away (with the added dolomite lime) for at least 24 hours before using on your plants. You can bubble them much longer too, no worries. Just always be pretty OCD regarding your PPM and always recheck PPM right before you use the plant water on your plants.

Methodology

The 5-Gallon Bucket of Bubbling Churn x Groundwater Plant Water, Running 63 PPM Ready to Rock!

1. Fill 5-gallon bottle with groundwater (dechlorinated if needed) and adjust (dilute) PPM if necessary.
2. Pour water from 5-gallon bottle into 5-gallon bucket at least 24 hours before needed for plants and add a pinch of dolomite lime; aerate.
3. About an hour before you will water, add a small amount of the nutrient solution from The Churn to the 5-gallon bubbling bucket. I normally check PPM of the bucket, then add something like 6 ounces from The Churn, and recheck PPM. This will give you a basic formula to reach your desired PPM level.

I keep both the 5-gallon bucket and The Churn on sort of perpetual status after starting things up. Always pour off the top of The Churn to avoid bottom sludge, but I never completely empty it out I just refill and redo it with nutrients when needed. This keeps all the microlife evolving and working better and better for your plants.

I sort of do the same thing with the 5-gallon bucket, never letting it go all the way empty before refilling. I keep this up through the entire grow. If the only place you have to make plant water at is cold, you can add small aquarium heaters to The Churn and to the 5-gallon bucket. Make sure aquarium thermometers are set at their lowest setting somewhere around 68 to 72 degrees f.

The Churn Recipe Using Bottled Nutrients All Naturally

Optimally Your Churn Pitcher Should be Opaque for the Most Part

You can make The Churn all crazy-high PPM wise, it really doesn’t matter if The Churn is running around 150 or 350 PPM. The only difference will be how much of The Churn you add to your plant water to reach your desired PPM level. As your Churn gets used, you can just add more groundwater to it to fill it back up. That’s fine, it will just take more Churn solution added to your plant water to raise the PPM accordingly—you dig?

You can adjust these nutrient ratios a bit for The Churn if you like, but those ratios below are a proven winner in the past. If you also wanted to add something like 1/2 teaspoon of alfalfa meal, that would be all good.

The 1-Gallon Churn Blend for Vegging Plants

• 3 Tablespoons of Big Bloom
• 2 Teaspoons of Fish Fertilizer
• 1/8^th Teaspoon of Dolomite Lime

The 1-Gallon Churn Blend for Flowering Plants

• 3 Tablespoons of Big Bloom
• ½ Teaspoon Fish Fertilizer
• 1/8^th Teaspoon of Dolomite Lime

Kickass Coffee from Vermont and a Killer Sativa Sure Works for Me

L8r G8rs

Okay mi amigos, that’s a wrap for today’s article. I don’t ever use the Big Bloom or Fish Fertilizer these days myself. Using bottled nutrients all naturally is a good option for like apartment growing where your space is very-very limited. But if you have a little space, you don’t need any bottles. Dolomite lime comes powdered usually, but sometimes it comes prilled or pelletized, and this is all good, but if prilled/pelletized IT MUST SAY—FAST ACTING—on it.

Try out the crossword below if you’re worthy, heh heh. Also, if you have never smoked a real Thai before, consider visiting Kingdom Organic Seeds and grabbing a 10-pack of Chunky Cherry Thai. About 1/3^rd of the female plants are longer flowering (75-ish days) and representative of a true Thai-High in my opinion! Check her out here at SKUNK too: MILF Rev’s Rave: Chunky Cherry Thai. For more info on growing true all-natural cannabis just using good water and recycling your soil, grab a copy of my True Living Organics 2nd Edition by The Rev on Amazon.

• REv

New Year Cannabis Crossword Time…

LINK: Key for Crossword Jan 2022

 

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The Spirtual Side of a New Cannabis Grow Season

By Nikki and Swami

The world is clearly changing rapidly around us, in some ways for the better and, in others, for the worse. Even as people worldwide slowly begin to be conscious of not using fossil fuels, climate change continues to wreak havoc. Even as proper dietary habits take hold in many communities, preventable but deadly diseases are on the rise. And as regenerative farming practices gradually become more widespread, Roundup herbicide continues to poison the soil, rivers, lakes, and streams. It’s a delicate balance, and with the right action, we can make a difference to tilt everything in a positive direction.

This certainly pertains to the world of cannabis, as well as everything else. We are seeing that conscious craft farmers who use organic regenerative methods and employ the power of the sun to energize their plants, as opposed to indoor lighting coming off the grid, are growing the best flowers and reducing their carbon footprint. These methods are beginning to catch the attention of traditional farmers of all sorts of crops, and we can only hope that the message and methodology of living soil will spread far and wide. 

This coming planting season is even more delicate as the situation surrounding us is so precarious. In California, we’ve received far less than our average rainfall this winter, leaving ponds, creeks, and springs barely filled enough to support a full growing season. The threat of wildfires in the summer and autumn looms heavily over us all, as this year shapes up to be another drought year. And now, there is the novel coronavirus and all its associated challenges.

At times like this, we tend to go to the Goddess to ask for guidance. Our family Devi is Sri Mukambika — a Hindu deity who hails from a small temple in the jungles of South India. She is a manifestation of Maha-Lakshmi, Maha-Saraswati, and Maha-Kali, the three most powerful female deities, all rolled into one.

A few years ago, to honor Sri Mukambika, who inspired our spiritual path, we constructed a small temple dedicated to Her here at our ranch, near the cannabis garden. A Hindu priest inaugurated it, bringing the Goddess’s blessings from India. Starting in the ’80s, we would visit Sri Mukambika’s temple on the west coast of India every year, stay for a few weeks, meditate by the side of the river that flows through the jungle, and offer her our devotion. She has been the guiding spirit of our ranch in Mendocino, California. 

While we don’t ask favors of Mukambika often, this felt like a time when real answers were required. And so we went to the temple last week, and after some heartfelt prayers, a response came very clearly: “It is time for a new phase.”

The Goddess’s simple seven words — “It is time for a new phase” — answered all of our questions. Our primary concern was about our lead gardeners for this coming season. Our beloved Adam and Colin — whom we have known since they were teenagers and are now young men, as well as excellent cannabis farmers — are clearly entering new phases, too. New love, new locations, and more changes in their lives were making it apparent that they wouldn’t be able to tend our garden, along with Swami, for the whole season. 

While we were in the midst of considering what to do, an email came out of the blue from a young man named Chris, right here in our area of The Emerald Triangle. He wrote that he has practiced craft cannabis farming with regenerative methods for years and was, at that moment, looking for a new gig. On a whim, he had thought, “Why not just ask Nikki and Swami if they need help in their garden this year? I would really like to work for them.” In the email, he mentioned that he had just returned from visiting a Devi temple in South India and that he is a devotee of Amma. Surely, this was a message and a gift from Sri Mukambika.

Our loyalty to the previous farmers was strong. But once it became obvious that the logistics just would not work — and we were given the message about the “new phase” — we decided to hire Chris to join our team. As with all oracles and means of divination, if you don’t listen and follow the guidance, don’t expect solid answers in the future. The new phase had begun.

At its most fundamental, the new phase is the conscious intent to place more expressly spiritual content around the entire process of growing the sacred herb, and also putting more obvious spiritual intent in all aspects of our daily lives. Concerning the garden, discussions now turn around philosophies and methodologies of growing, soil testing, nutrients and amendments, composting, and mulching. Chris has created hugelkultur gardens in the past, is down with regenerative farming, has installed drip irrigation systems, and seems to know local suppliers who offer discounts. All important considerations. 

Now is time to decide what cultivars to plant from among the many seed packets we have collected. How many different cultivars altogether do we grow? Do we have enough seeds from the cultivars we like? In the past, we grew as many as 24 different varieties, but due to the high cost of lab testing and the 50-pound batch limit, we have cut that down to seven cultivars. It is never easy to decide which ones not to grow. As in the past, once we gather and choose the cultivars for that year, we place the seed packets at the feet of the Goddess of Cannabis, Sri Ganja Ma, and intone her mantra. From then on, the season is underway. 

Over the years, it became clear that the space needed to properly dry a crop is about the same as the square footage of the plants’ canopy. So, if we also select seeds for early, middle, and late harvest points, then we only need one-third the drying space. After consulting the astrological calendar to determine the best day according to the moon phase, we place the seeds in water for cracking.

The waxing moon at the beginning of April is best for our latitude and elevation, and sprouting seeds is best done in an earth or a water sign — known as the fertile signs — rather than fire or air signs, which are known as the barren signs. Moon in Taurus, Virgo, or Capricorn — which are earth signs — or in Cancer, Scorpio, or Pisces — which are water signs — are the better times for planting. 

We have a relatively late spring up here in The Emerald Triangle, so we like to wait until the grasses, trees, and flowers are all bursting forth and join in that momentum of the sprouting energy. If we were to start the seeds much earlier than that, we would have to coddle and care for them when it turns cold, damp, and even snowy, as it did this weekend. By waiting until April, the ground warmed, and when there are more sunny days, the plants are not stunted by cold, gray days and colder nights.

Ganja Ma in the garden

Growers in other climes may want to crack seeds at an earlier date, but we find that no matter when in the spring they start, as long as the seeds cracked female plants and are in the ground by June 20 at the latest — just before the summer solstice — they all produce about the same yield, as long as you choose the right moon phase.

As planting time approaches, the energy shifts to preparing the pots to receive the seeds. Last year’s pots need to be washed and checked, then filled with a special sprouting mixture. 

Also, the garden beds will be topped up with various amendments and materials we gathered from the ranch, such as wood chips, oak leaves, cannabis stalks, wood stove ashes and charcoal, compost, and worm castings. We are rededicating our efforts to source more and more garden additives from our own immediate environment to advance our regenerative program. We will be starting the compost teas sooner this year to stimulate the local soil food  web.

When the appointed day for sprouting arrives, a small water jar for each cultivar is labeled with the strain name and the appropriate METRC number, and then we add a few drops of water from the sacred Ganges River in India. Then, 40 or 50 seeds are put into the soil, and the Sri Ganja Ma Mantra is chanted: “Om Aim Hreem Kleem Shreem Ganajamayai Nama.”

The seeds normally crack after 24-36 hours in water. If they don’t pop after 48 hours, they probably won’t crack, period. You will see the tiny white taproots peeking out of the cracked seed shell. Each seed is gently placed with the taproot pointing down in a half-inch deep hole made with the finger in the sprouting soil in a 3- or 5-gallon pot. Now, each seed gets another drop of Ganges water, and the mantra is repeated. The intention is clear: The flowers and leaves will bring health, inspiration, and a blessing from the Goddess to those who partake. The Goddess has been invited to inhabit the sacred herb. 

Inside the Mukambika temple after prayers (puja)

It is curious indeed that Sri Mukambika’s message comes at a time of crisis with the coronavirus and the self-quarantine we have established. This is new territory for the human race, and it is changing how everyone lives and interacts socially. We sensed the need to be more in the garden this year to cut labor costs; hence we are attending fewer cannabis advocacy meetings and in-store marketing presentations.     

The advent of the coronavirus means we must plant many more vegetables for ourselves than we ever have before. It’s all part of companion planting with cannabis anyway. Due to the need for social distancing and isolation for our age group, we are still trying to figure out how to create safe working conditions for our team members while also protecting ourselves from outside contamination. We’ll find a way as everyone has to in their own environment. 

As the French author, Voltaire famously said in Candide: “Cultivate your gardens.” This should be interpreted in the widest possible sense, from growing one’s own food to cultivating one’s inner life, to reinvigorating one’s spiritual direction in order to imbibe the regenerative power of the Earth and to celebrate the Spirit manifest in all of life, and especially in cannabis. Jai Ganja Ma! Jai Sri Mukambika!

 

Nikki Lastreto and Swami Chaitanya are the founders of Swami Select brand of craft cannabis flowers. They consciously cultivate premium sun-grown cannabis, using regenerative methods in living soil at their sanctuary in Mendocino County. As Flower Judges for The Emerald Cup since it began in 2004, they have sampled thousands of cultivars and are true Cannabis Connoisseurs. Nikki and Swami lived abroad for several years, especially in India. They infuse their cannabis, and their lives, with spiritual devotion and, are dedicated to shaping the future of cannabis through political action and education.

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Roots in the Medicine The Martyjuana Garden

Story By: Marty and Laura Clein

Editor: Jude Thilman

Words: 2,172

A Journey Begins With Healing

Nestled in the hills above Round Valley in Mendocino County, California, Martyjuana is a 27-acre farm devoted to sun-grown, high-quality cannabis. Martyjuana founder, Marty Clein, began his journey to legal cannabis from a desire to secure natural, effective medicine for his wife, Laura. They were motivated not only by their own personal health challenges but also by their experiences with the negative impact of prohibition on their lives.

Photo: Laura & Marty Clein

In the late 1990s, Laura became disabled due to cascading health issues: beginning with EBV/mono, which developed into pneumonia; then suffering a dislocated tailbone, resulting in chronic pain; followed by an ongoing series of health conditions that have lasted for 24 years, including fibromyalgia, ME/CFS, endometriosis, IBS, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, MCAS, dysautonomia, ankylosing spondylitis, a hypersensitive immune system, and various neuropathies. The years of pain medications prescribed for her just made her sicker. 

Marty also suffered from pain due to an old sports injury, and he shared Laura’s belief that there is a better, more natural treatment for pain and ill-health. They both were living in Florida, and Marty had been working at Fairchild Tropical Botanical Gardens in Miami and was a longtime cannabis fan. An early experience of discrimination unfairly disrupted his life. 1986, Marty was arrested at the age of 14 for having marijuana in his school locker. After court-mandated rehab, he “cleaned up his act” and became a star football player, state champion wrestler, and president of his high school in 12th grade. He then excelled at Wentworth Military Academy and planned for a future military career. After a few years, he was up for a promotion to work with horses in the Army. The job required top clearance, and when his background check turned up the 9th-grade pot bust, he not only did not get the job but he was honorably discharged from the military. This experience shaped the values that he lives by to this day, applying the same determination, discipline, diligence, and duty toward his cannabis business as well as he does to all his endeavors.   

After California passed Proposition 215 and legalized medical cannabis, Laura and Marty moved across the country and became legal cannabis patients. They landed in Sonoma County, where, for ten years, they cultivated for themselves and other medical patients to the legal limit of 99 plants per patient. While growing their medicine, Marty always had a diverse resume, including a decade in the wine industry, from working seasonally at Benziger Family Winery to Tasting Room Manager at a wine co-op in Sonoma Valley, CA. They were designated legal caregivers for medical marijuana patients so they could cultivate additional plants with patient/doctor recommendations. As Laura puts it, “Cannabis has been an industry of patients caring for patients for over 25 years. … 

I continue to rely on this organic sun-grown plant medicine every day. It’s clear that it has quite literally saved my life a million times.”  

Growing Pure and Potent Medicines

By growing their own cannabis, Marty and Laura could be sure that there were only organic amendments and sunshine added to pure, clean soil. They plant their seeds in spring on and around the new moon. They harvest their flowers in autumn on and around the full moon. The Martyjuana tag line is “Plants by the Moon with Sun, Soil & Soul!” 

Photo: Laura & Marty Clein

Sustainable. Regenerative. Organic. 

Marty and Laura do not focus on one certification but work toward sustainability in every way possible. They also appreciate 3rd party verifications, like “Non-GMO verified” labeling on foods, and they recognize their value to consumers. They are in the process of obtaining Sun & Earth as well as OCAL certifications. As Marty describes, “We are attuned to the sun and moon cycles with our biodynamic focus; we love the permaculture model of seeing the entire farm as one working system, using only organic amendments, planting fruits, flowers, and veggies as insectaries so that the good bugs can fight the bad bugs. Our packaging says, “GMO-free, PESTICIDE free, WORRY free.”   

Laura makes her own extracts for personal use, using organic oils or spirits because cannabis is alcohol and fat-soluble. They always test their products, because they are competing with an indoor market and believe it is important to prove that their outdoor cannabis has a high value and is not only clean of contaminants but contains a large percentage of cannabinoids and terpenes. As Marty states, “We have always tested our medicines at labs like Steep Hill or SC Labs. Long before it was required, we wanted to know what was in it. To keep it clean and green is always our goal.” 

Hurdles They Faced

Marty testifies. Photo: The Mendocino Voice

Marty and Laura moved to Mendocino County in 2013 and became part of the County’s legal 9.31 zip tie program, which charged the County Sheriff with monitoring all medical cannabis growers. But the political climate soon changed. And while they did not vote for Proposition 64 in 2016, which legalized recreational as well as medicinal use statewide, the Cleins chose to step into the light of the regulated market. They always maintained all of the necessary paperwork to be as legal as possible in every way, including by hiring multiple consultants, land use experts, engineers, lawyers, and others to navigate the complex local and state permitting/licensing systems. They were rewarded with obstacles and onerous expenses.

First, the County zoned them out cultivating on their place near Willits, so they set up a new farm in Covelo to cultivate medical cannabis. They were able to obtain an annual County permit which they’ve held since 2017. However, due to changes in the ordinance, they are still waiting for certain application and CEQA approvals, which are needed to obtain an annual state license to replace their current provisional state license.  

Marty’s and Laura’s medical cannabis history and experience were impacted by unfair County regulations. They applied to become a permitted and licensed farm in 2017 in spite of the County’s requirement that all cannabis cultivation be 10,000 sf or less. 

Laura’s doctor’s recommendations for her medical cannabis stated that because she was using cannabis through so many delivery systems, such as tinctures, salves, and others, she required a larger amount of raw plant material than the regulations permitted for patients. 

Overall, the burdens of excessive and expensive regulations and requirements have had a negative impact on Laura and Marty’s lives, as well as on the cannabis that they cultivate. Because of the restricted amount the County will allow them to grow, they have had to partner with another party. Laura describes what this has meant for the craft that they so cherish: 

“Until now, [cannabis] was part of our backyard garden. But our farm is now an hour away from home. Marty is my full-time caregiver, and traveling regularly so far to the farm for work puts much greater burdens on both of us. We still grow with our same eco-conscious standards. When the medical cannabis we grew was in our garden, we were able to work with it in a specialty, artisanal quality, boutique, craft farm style. Our way has always been to keep it small scale and at home so we can tend it daily with the rest of our biodynamic and organically grown veggies and herbal medicines.”

Dealing with the Hurdles Through Community

Marty & Laura have known each other since childhood. They are old family friends, taught early on to always advocate for their own needs as well as on behalf of others in need. They extend this practice to the earth itself, to their community, and to the plant medicine they provide. One of the best feelings they have had since 2018 was in donating products to those who need it most through cannabis compassion programs, like Sweetleaf Joe’s, in many dispensaries throughout the state.

“We have since day one wanted to be part of the cannabis community more than the cannabis industry. Herbal medicine as compassion is at the heart of our ethos; Marty grows for Laura and himself. Growing up in the Reform Jewish Movement, there was a big emphasis on Social Justice called Tikkun Olam, which means ‘Repair the World.’ We want to share what we love and what we have found works with as many people as possible.”

Marty and Laura have always been community-minded. From the time they grew their first pound, they took half of it to a local collective, knowing they wouldn’t make a lot of money, but they simply wanted to be a part of the community! Now they, along with many of their friends and neighbors, had an even bigger reason to get involved. They were fighting for their very existence.

As Marty puts it, “It has been expensive and arduous. I could see that there was much confusion at the local level as well as the state with regard to cannabis policy. So I began to go to meetings.”  

Marty showed up to many, many Board of Supervisor meetings, while Laura wrote letters to their representatives and watched it all online.  

Marty and Laura participate in their County-wide trade association, the Mendocino Cannabis Alliance, and their local advocacy organization, Covelo Cannabis Advocacy Group. They also support Origins Council and NORML. They are involved with the Mendocino Producers Guild, which is hosting four cannabis farmer’s markets this spring and summer, where Martyjuana will be featured among all the other small farms’ cannabis.  

(See https://mendocinoproducersguild.org/cannabis-farmers/ )

for details and dates.)

Like many small cannabis farmers in northern California, individual cultivators have sought creative ways to share resources with their community and survive these difficult times. Marty is a founding member and sat on the board of the RVCC / Round Valley Cannabis Cooperative, which is a dedicated group of cultivators working together toward shared goals. The RVCC has evolved through a very slow-moving process, impeded by complications inherent in the state legislative language written specifically for cannabis co-ops. These severe restrictions don’t exist for general agricultural co-ops but are imposed on cannabis farmers, largely as a residue of the Prohibition mentality. 

Things have changed so much since adult-use legalization and the Martyjuana business model has had to change as well. Marty and Laura believe that direct access between cultivator and consumer could be the savior of the small farm culture. The Martyjuana Garden is a Featured Farm in the recently published final edition of Ed Rosenthal books, The Cannabis Handbook. Their cannabis flowers are in a handful of dispensaries in Northern California as well as the rest of the state and benefit from collaborations with Fully Melted Hash and Rove vape cartridges.  

Promo:

Martyjuana can be found through the Producers Guild at https://mendocinoproducersguild.org/martyjuana/ Also, go there to learn about Marty’s demos, called “Marty parties” that he will hold at the Mendocino Producers Guild Farmers Markets. There are four scheduled for Spring/Summer 2022. And Martyjuana will be a part of the upcoming Kure Invitational Box set, coming soon.

Bios

Marty Clein is a longtime cannabis consumer, a seed breeder, and top-notch plant cultivator. He will serve as an Ambassador for the 2022 California State Fair’s first-ever Cannabis Competition. Marty has always been an entrepreneur, owning various small businesses. While it seems like a natural step, nothing could have prepared him for the chaos of California’s cannabis industry. 

Laura Clein worked as a recreational therapist in retirement communities and an event coordinator on college campuses. She was in graduate school for an MSW at the University of Southern California and wrote a paper for a Social Policy class on medical marijuana in 1996. Although she lives with chronic pain and illness and has for 24 years, she helps with the back end of the business as much as she can. She has trimmed and processed in the past and writes many articles, and manages their social media.

Editor: Jude Thilman serves as Co-Chair of MCA and is owner of Dragonfly Wellness Center, a medically-focused dispensary on the Mendocino Coast, between Fort Bragg and Mendocino Village.

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2022 Looks to be a Hempy New Year as New Cannabis Laws Take Effect

The coming year is shaping up to be a stony one. The recreational use of cannabis is now legal in 18 states. Our nation’s capital is joining the freedom fray, and New York City is now the second-largest state to legalize adult recreational use. An additional 13 states have decriminalized cannabis use, and medical use of the herb is allowed in 37 states.

Sales of legal are forecasted to exceed $30 billion in 2022, and recent polling indicates that 68% of Americans favor full legalization, a number that any discerning politician should notice. We seem to be inching closer to reaching a critical mass to end this critical mess of prohibition once and for all.

Multiple states have enacted new laws or will see actions to expand reforms in the coming year. In California, Governor Gavin Newsome signed into law legislation last year that will give terminally ill patients the option to use cannabis therapeutically in health care facilities, a significant advancement for patients’ rights.

Oregon has done away with fees for medical cannabis cards for veterans and seeks to expand its current cannabis access programs. Home delivery across county and city lines will not be allowed. And starting April 1 THC limits on edibles will raise from, 50 mg to 100 mg, so remember to wait while you titrate.

Oregonians can now have at-home delivery of cannabis products from across county and city lines with officials’ approval.

Arkansas doctors are now allowed to grant medical cannabis recommendations via telehealth services. Out of state patients will gain legal access to the healing herb in Arkansas for 90 days.

Louisiana decriminalized cannabis last summer, and patients will now be allowed to access and possess actual flower, instead of being limited to just vaping from a “metered-dose inhaler,” big win for the medical cannabis community there.

In Vermont this March, the state will allocate $500,000 of General Fund money to its newly established Cannabis Business Development Fund, which will go to social equity applicants opening licensed cannabis facilities in the form of loans, grants, outreach, and financial assistance.

In Montana, adults 21 and over can now buy up to an ounce of the herb when patronizing any cannabis dispensary. A 20 percent tax on cannabis sales has been added in those counties where citizens voted for cannabis legalization.

And Ohio has seen an explosion in applications for medical cannabis dispensaries, reporting that there are as many as twenty times the applicants as there are available licenses.

After a century of prohibition that generated innumerable injustices and contributed to America being the largest jailer of citizens per capita, the pendulum is finally swinging the other way. We might still be a ways away from seeing the Presidential Dab Bar in the Oval Office, but this year is shaping up to be an Irie one.

All of these steps forward are a testament to the hard work and sacrifice that thousands of community activists have contributed. But we should not see these advancements as any justification to slow our roll toward full federal legalization. There are still tens of thousands of Americans in jails and prisons, and while some cannabis entrepreneurs are making their life savings from legal pot sales, others are still serving life sentences for the same thing.

Sparky wishes you the best year possible and reminds you to use responsibly, albeit often.

 

 

 

 

 

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