The Fresh Squeeze on Rosin

So with cannabis extracts taking the nation by storm the techniques have come along way from the wood kief boxes our dealers had on his coffee table.  My first introduction to cannabis extraction back in 1999 was a comical story I tell as an icebreaker, pun intended. It involved waffles, a rubbermaid garbage can, coolers of ice, a hand blender, a 10 pack of outdoor fire, and a giant bearded man in his boxers whipping it up dancing to Wu-Tang. It was bubble hash and Bubbleman Bags brought  back from Amsterdam by a family friend. Nowadays they call this type of extraction solventless extract because once the h2o has evaporated you’re left with no residual solvents.

There are a number of solvents use for cannabis extraction some safe and some flammable chemicals. BHO is the most popular and then Co2 extraction for large scale processing. With the popularity of extracts you have some novices trying their hand and some cause damages with the explosive fuels and equipment.  Also the industrial chemicals used in the extraction machines and tanks have come into question with the improvements in testing requirements.  With the worries of patients getting medicine with solvent residue, or “mystery oil” from dirty tanks, there has been a movement back to solventless extraction.

Solventless extraction has been considered to be any extraction that uses no chemicals or has no chemical residue in final result. Then this guy making shatter extracts with hair straightener got on instagram and changed extraction forever.  Most thought it was a novelty trick, impracticable, and wasted of good bud, but for those patients tired of sub par extracts went out and bought hair straighteners. From pressing buds of weed in between parchment paper to now an industry with presses, custom designed micron pouches, and useable paper; this is called rosin tech shown to the masses by @soilgrown on instagram.

So you may say it’s too good to be true. Well… it kind of is. BHO can take a poorly grown plant, old trim, and make decision extracts with good test numbers. With Rosin the material has to be of good quality because you are literally squeezing whatever is in the trichomes and leaving no residue of solvents. When the material is on point and you have a great technique whether at home or in an extraction facility you will get fire meds that reflection the uniqueness of the strain you’re extracting. Growers have taken Rosin tech and made it a personal way of obtaining cheap high quality medicine for their patients. So can you the recreational smoker try your hand at rosin extraction without blowing up your garage? Yes, but your gonna have to get that hair straightener and parchment.

Rosin: Home method legal recreation extracts
Heat hair straightener to lowest temp preferably just under 300 degrees. Cut parchment paper into 4inX4in squares and fold into envelope with an open end. This is where you put in the bud. Make sure you compact the bud into a dense ball without breaking it up. It’s good to rehydrate dried out bud before pressing. Place bud in envelope and place parchment with bud with the middle of the heating plates. Press gently to make sure the bud doesn’t slip out. Once the bud is secure squeeze the crap out of it. I mean really squeeze, the more pressure the better. I’ve seen people using, #FootTech, meaning they step on the straightener for max pressure. The press time is around  8-10 sec press depending on the quality of straightener and bud. Once you hear a sizzle you know you’re almost done. Open and let the bud slip off the paper. These are call Rosin Chips, keep those we will get back to them in a later post. Now take a look at your paper and you should see some golden extracts.

I know it may not look like much but once collected with a dab tool it adds up. The yield it something to be debated about and that’s why growers have taking the lead on the study of quality, yield, and methods. The best quality results come from bubblehash and dry sift, or also known as that old school kief. So that box your dealer had may come in handy.  With rosin’s gaining popularity the techniques have changed and evolved. With hash and dry sift micro screens are needed whether metal screen or silk, the methods vary and so have the press machines. The hair straighter made way for the t-shirt press that made way for the modified vise presses that made way for 20 ton pressures that made way for one button pneumatic low temp presses.

Now a rosin extractor can take lbs of trim pack, micron pouches, unbleached reusable paper, and safely extract with the power of
pressure and heat in non combustible method. This form of extraction treats the cannabis plant more like an agricultural product rather than pushing the plant into a laboratory.  With new pharmaceutical companies using cbd cannabinoids to treat illness they are using costly methods of extractions and those costs will inturn be put of the bills of patients and their family. Rosin extraction could be the future of not only in the cannabis industry but in the legitimate eyes of the medical field.

With growers being pressured to use less chemicals and regulations on testing calling out companies for the use of harsh chemicals it’s only a matter of time that testing takes a closer look at extractions. Growers in the know are on the organic tip because rosin profiles exactly the natural effects of the cannabinoids but will profile the bad stuff an irresponsible grow is using. So organics and solventless extraction have met and the Rosin Revolution has started, and some say it may be the death BHO. Time will tell.

Pure Saturation: Call for Action

Since my last update medical marijuana in Oregon has taken a bit of a stumble. Let’s start with the catch 22. Organic outdoor and greenhouse gardens had an amazing 2015 season and  with all the new indoor facilities the cannabis market was not in short supply for Oregon’s legalization. New laws also let home growers harvest up to 4 plants on their own so it seemed like Oregon became the Willy Wonka factory of weed and like the movies things took a dark turn. With prices of marijuana falling established OMMP growers found that the reimbursements were barely covering costs and labor. The new recreation customers were loving the top shelf flowers for mid shelf prices so some dispensaries put their once loyal patients to the side and focused on the newer larger recreational crowd. While patient based dispensary took quite a hit keeping a large inventory solely for OMMP  patients but some of those patients were out benefiting from their own growers awesome season. These dispensaries suddenly saw a drop in patients and couldn’t sell their extracts and edibles to recreation customers so some products just sat there. New laws also were pressuring dispensary owners to choose between medical or recreational making things even harder to operate as a patient based dispensary.

Despite all the marijuana anyone could ask for, the easy access, and safe consumption the state of Oregon always think it make more money. Measure 91 was passed giving adults 21 years and older the right purchase and consume marijuana legally with in Oregon. A key that made this ballot different then others was the fact that it stated that OMMP would not be changed or altered. Well that didn’t happen. As soon as the money start coming in the more changes to OMMP were being written in the rule books. Counties started adding new rules to OMMP grows stopping patient based farms in their tracks. The state decided to lower plant counts for patient based farms and added stricter property and facility requirements. All this after years of safe and legal operations. Medical gardens are getting pushed out or shut down because of a new taxed industry in Oregon.

Some patients have been scrambling for growers because of the new plant counts and some growers are now deciding to grow for recreational farms because licenses are now being issued through OLCC. OLCC is also in the process of making the rules for recreational concentrates and edibles. The lack of knowledge on the committees behalf has some of the potency regulations
being scrutinized by patients and producers. Low potency concentrates and edibles would have no medical benefits for those patients that choose not to or couldn’t renew their OMMP card. The fact is is that OLCC and recreational marijuana are slowly choking OMMP and the patients that need this program to live normal and healthier lives. With no appointed leader or legal defender the major advocates and OMMP communities leaders have rallied patients, growers, and producers to be more politically active. Strong numbers arrive at every OLCC meeting yet the committee seems to have a more monetized agenda and have no guilty in going behind voters backs and continuing the alteration of OMMP. A call for action has been called to tell the state of Oregon to stop damaging the medical marijuana program. If you would like to participate click (here) for more info.

With presidential elections coming up later this year cannabis is being spoken on by one of the presidential candidates. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont has expressed his desire to federally decriminalize cannabis which would change a lot of things in legal states and possibly benefit medical marijuana patients. Obama also has a chance to make a change marijuana laws on his was out of the white house. Even though it seems like Oregon has flip flopped on it’s voters and the holistic importance of the cannabis plant the nation as a whole has a chance to make real difference in regards of cannabis research and also hemp production and manufacturing.

AK-48 Update: Super Cropping, Topping, and Watering

The AK-48 mother was having a drinking issue that I had mentioned in past blogs. I began to water the sides of the bag with the hose before watering. This kept the ph’d water from leaking out. She got a good drink so I decided to super crop one more time. I did some training early in veg but I went with a hard snap super crop. She bounced right back with lots of new tops. I have since topped her again and this is the video of her recovery 2 days later.

Oregon Outdoor Grow July 1st Update

Here in the Willamette Valley the heat is always welcome but the thing most complained about in the summer is the humidity. This year I’m not so restless in the outdoors knowing my garden is loving the moisture in the air. Temps outside have been in the 90’s to mid 90’s for about 2 weeks now. The occasional overcast in the morning is just enough to keep the air heavy, just how the plants like it. Keeping hydrated is a must not only for myself but for my big grow bags. They dry up a little faster then traditional pots and have to be checked routinely. I have no regrets making the bags because the air flow also helps keep the heat from building up around the roots.

A lot has changed since my first grow blog. Mostly the plant count in the greenhouse. The test Mystery Indica that I placed outside in the greenhouse as a seedling is thriving and developed a nice trunk and thick stems. The main lining was going great but when the roots took to the soil the bottom growth blow up so fast I decided to keep about five of the off shoots. I still gave an early veg trim just so I can focus the growth on the new tops and the off shoots. I had topped the main lines during the first week it was outside and now I have five new top off the main line. It differently isn’t the two cola plant I visioned when I started but the more the merrier.  Since I had the off shoots I decided to super crop the tops for an even canopy. I couldn’t help myself.

Last night my patient came through to say hi and I noticed my AK48 was looking droopy. Lucky I had my water barrels all filled for the morning plus 5 gallons of tea. I got up before the sun and headed out to the greenhouse and along with me was a clone of the AK48 mother that was getting stressed in it’s little orange pot. My plan is to let the clone adjust to the conditions and dry up before I transplant. I watered the AK48 mother with 3 gallons of tea and 2 gallons of ph’d water. I believe the AK48 plant is drying out faster because of it’s placement in the greenhouse and channels have formed causing the water to stream to the side of the bags. So I did the slow approach. I only use milk jugs, I know I know, but I am stuck in my ways. I sat there and did a slow watering that took about 20 mins and didn’t start coming out the bag till last gallon mid bag.  I think I mentioned this in my previous blog  but I keep my plants searching for water. I don’t keep them thirsty I just don’t water more then soil volume. I have these plants in 50 gallon bags and water 5 gallons of water every 2-3 days. Luckily flushing my plant has not been needed and I am upping the water the bigger the plants are getting.

 

The PineSol is the beast of the ball and broke out of her cage… literally. I had a tomato cage around the plant but I noticed the plant was lifting the cage as it grew. When I tried to anchor it down the plant began to lean so I decided to let the beast free. It was a delicate endeavor but by  late June I got some pliers and opened up the cage and finessed the stems through the holes. There was zero recovery time; the PineSol mother took off and it was a much need change. I am glad I had on at the start. It helped let the middle fill out and was a great trainer but I am glad I was able to remove it. With the summer solstice  just a few days ago plus the heat I noticed some rapid growth causing smaller leaf development. Today the new leafs are filling out and the girls are drinking it up.

 

I don’t usually deal with clones. I find them to be a liability to seedlings especially clones from other growers. I know there are a lot great growers out there but I am doubly safe with my garden.  I was gifted two clones of Critical Mass from a follow ommp grower. Luckily I had constructed a baby hoop house for my herb garden.  I transplanted the cloned into my seedling soil which is Pro-Mix Organic from Down to Earth and placed them in my mini greenhouse separate from the mothers. I also acquired a clone of one my favorite strains of flower, Cinex. This is a big nug producer that is super earthy and frosty. I was gifted the last Cinex clone that was the runt in my local dispensary. Shout out to The Holistic Choice for letting me save this baby. If you read my previous blog you may know I like to experiment and try to stay as organic as possible. That being said I gave outdoor, direct to soil cloning a shot. I got 3 cuttings of both the AK mother and PineSol Mother dunked them in some local honey from a mile away and stuck them into the soil. I used no cloner or plastic bags or humidifier. They all straight up wilted and played dead for the first two days. Slowly they up righted but still continued to shrivel up from the heat and lack of moisture coming through. That thirst helped the cuttings root and new growth started sprouting. The older leaves will have to die off sadly but I got rooted clones with honey, water, and soil.

The plant count hasn’t stopped there. With recreational grows now legal as of today here in Oregon plus the success of my Mystery Indica seedling I have transplanted one of my clones I had cut early in the season and used old school water rooting technique where I placed the cutting in ph’d water for a week and pow a root poked out. It’s now topped and in a 10 gallon pot in the green house and doing great. I also have my two single colas of Blue Mountain and Big Skunk out in the greenhouse as well. With all these plants vegging with the summer solstice and still early in development I have to make plans for bigger grow pots. It’s to late in the season to hope for beasts like the mothers but I still want them grow to their max potential. I am back on the grow bag sweat shop line. I went and got more glue sticks and still have plenty of material for another 6 bags. I’m aiming for 50 gallon bags because of the success of my AK bag. It’s seams are clean and haven’t given and its round and solid. My 60-70 gallon bag for my PineSol mother did have a minor rip that I made worst when I tried to fix. I stopped stepped back and made a bandaid instead. Using extra plastic I had laying around I stapled the opening of the bag shut. The bag has a little bulge on the bottom but it’s still level and solid.

I had a scare with my other Blue Mountain. New growth pods had me thinking male but they sprouted new leafs and its still vegging nicely.  Over all this grow has been super fun and really educational. My patient has been awesome and been very encouraging. We have done some reviews on The Holistic Choice in the greenhouse and I will be giving tours to friends and family during our 4th of July party. I protect my grow because my patient’s medicine is important and I do have different levels of security around our property. That being said my grow is a learning tool not only for myself but for anyone interested in growing. The cannabis plant and the hemp plant are very important to our future. The more we learn the more we can benefit from it and find alternative eco-friendly products.

Patients to Friends and Family at The Holistic Choice

It’s almost been a year since I last wrote a blog about the The Holistic Choice dispensary. A lot has happened since then both good and bad but they conitnue to fight the good fight. In my OMMP outings I’ve had the opportunity to visit a large number of dispensaries from Portland to Veneta and I have never met such devoted people to their patients.  The Holistic Choice has a strong following in Salem and Polk County because of their down to earth approach to medical marijuana.

The Holistic Choice, also known as THC, has some of the Willamette Valley’s best top shelf cannabis flowers that are all tested and cured to perfection. The jars of crystallized nugz decorate the back wall of the dispensary room like a forest shinny green. Edibles are available and some of the best vendors are showcased like ComaTreats with their wide selection of goodies. 1st place winner at the Oregon Cannabis Cup, Miss Mack’s, products are always flying off the shelves with her vegan , gluten, and sugar free treats.

I’ve built up a good relationship with the operators of The Holistic Choice and every time I see them I am revived and see the world brighter then when I came in. A genuine caring and respect radiates from this family run dispensary. Patients you never met before suddenly become friends. From a 50 yr old vet laughing it up with 20 something patient too old high school buddies reuniting after 20 years whatever it is The Holistic Choice is the spot. Guards and walls drop because of the friendly and knowledge staff behind the counter and the comfort you feel the second you step in the door. 

The entry lobby has an awesome decor and if you’ve read my past blogs you’ve seen the artwork on the walls. House plants keep patients company and occasionally the dispensary therapy dog visits the lobby. Of course what would an Oregon dispensary be without an ATM and a stack of free weed mags. I suggest people pick those mags up their are some great stories and ads in there. The more you educate yourself on the culture the more the culture will open up for you. Also it’s a good resource for new strains and growing ideas. T-shirts and hemp necklaces are for sale for non OMMP or the impulse shopper that sees that funny tee they just gotta have.

The donations for flowers range from $7 to $12 a gram depending the quality and growers reimbursement needs. The edibles are always good  because of the completely different effect and the strength. The concentrates are on the higher end but not to far from wholesale donations. The justification for paying a little more is the quality, strength, and of course the selection. Where else can you go and see almost 50 different concentrates to choice from and it’s not just BHO. They have great Co2, RSO, Bubble, and Caviar nugz that all come in several strains. Ready to go vape cartridges are a good pick up if you want to keep your smoke on the low low.

Over all if your an OMMP patient, caregiver, or just a marijuana lover be sure to like The Holistic Choice on FB and review them on there Google Page. I will continue updating all of you on The Holistic Choice and other OMMP products and events. Please subcribe and follow on my FB, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google.  

Oregon Department of Health Trying to Limit Plant Numbers.

IMPORTANT!!! March 30th and April 1st, there will be public hearings on bills that will affect OMMP grows on residential property. This will jeopardize legal co-ops that are not in commercial zones and outdoor grow numbers. This effects everyone in OMMP patients, growers, caregivers, and dispensary operators. Read this article and make noise in Salem March 30th and April 1st. Read this article and follow is instructions on how to go about contacting your Oregon Rep.

1st Choice Cannabis OMMP Dispensary Tv Commerical