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.

The Holistic Choice Salem Dispensary 2015 Flashback

The Holistic Choice Salem Dispensary, 1045 Commercial St. Salem, OR. Visit The Holistic Choice #TeamTHC on Facebook, @theholisticchoice on Instagram and @Holisticthc on Twitter.

2016 Cannabis Flowers from The Holistic Choice #TeamTHC

Why Mess with a Good Thing? Saving OMMP

The Oregon State Capital Building was once again crowded with frustrated OMMP patients, growers, processors, and dispensary operators looking to save the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program from new rules and requirements.  After over a decade of safe operations and no major federal busts the OMMP has been a safe haven and new home for many patients from across the country. A tight net community has been formed between growers and patients and even into the dispensary scene is the last few years. With measure 91 passed into law by Oregonians last year voters were assured that no changes would be made to the existing program but with recreational sales and taxable income for the

Anthony Johnson Cannabis Advocate and Consultant

state on the line those word in the bill might as well not even have been in there. Many of the patients and growers feel betrayed and some regret supporting measure 91. Lucky the people that helped lower penalties for possession and ushered in legal adult use of cannabis were there to help defend OMMP.

Oregon Health Authority has not made OMMP a major priority over the years with minimal requirements for testing labs until recreation was being looked at as a real industry in Oregon. Many people in the medical marijuana community see these new changes by OHA to OMMP as a blatant move to choke operations and allow recreational farms to step right in and take the opportunity from local growers that were hoping to start a small business. During the committee hearing the topic that small family farms would have difficulty affording major additions to their grows and would put a lot of people in violation and possibly encourage black market activity. So with this in light the committee seems to be striking out these new requirements to allow growers to continue to take care of patients and still be able to get reimbursed thought the dispensary program.

There was also a sigh of relief from dispensary owners knowing that the joint committee is leaning toward dispensaries serving both medical and recreational patrons.  With the decision of choosing one or the other a survey said 80% of dispensaries would leave OMMP behind and commit to recreation sales. That same survey also show the that 98% of dispensary would prefer dual operational allowing tax free transactions for OMMP patients and taxed cannabis products for recreation. This is great for patients that need high dosage concentrates that may not be available through recreation.

100mg in 10mg portions seem to be the current projected limited for recreational edibles. Many rec customers are buying recreational cannabis flowers for its medical benefits but due to finances  or lack of health insurance they never participated in ommp. Taking these high dosage products out of the hands of dispensaries or not allowing higher dosages to recreational user would lower the quality of life or prevent relief for low income recreational consumers.  Cutting these dosages to edibles would raise to cost of producing and purchasing these holistic foods.

With recreational interests and the obvious tax income for the state these new rules to OMMP by OHA seem to be being pushed so there is an equal playing field for the incoming recreation businesses. What the committee and OHA do no realize is that OMMP producers have be swimming up stream for years. Many working two jobs and for years were unable to be reimbursed for the labor. There were no years of building small businesses or government supporting education in testing though public universities. Banks still will not work with businesses involved in federally illegal substances and yet the OHA still calls for more changes instead helping build a local industry. It wasn’t until these OHA and these elected official’s social and professional circles start looking at marijuana as a viable industry that they started taking action toward OMMP threatening patient access and the hopes of local cannabis entrepreneurs.

Lilian Weeks OMMP patient trying to save OMMP

Should OHA focus on OMMP more? Sure. Should this focus be more rules and plant limits which would have hundreds of patients scrambling for new growers? No. These plant limits will force them growers and patients into shady dealing or possible blackmarket activity. OHA has proposed ridiculous plant limits for residential growers that had zero bases or reasoning except that the amount of cannabis these farms could produce could compete with the new recreational farms. This committee and OHA seems to have once again stressed out patients, wasted taxpayers money with meetings about useless rules and illogical proposals. So the question is why are OHA  and joint committee messing with a good thing? Because it’s their job.

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.

Mid Valley OLCC Laws Rules Conference

MidValley Edibles, Producers, and Vendors Conference

OLCC and OMMP laws update and discussion. From testing, potency, to Oregon marijuana dispensary relations.

January 23rd 2016 at  2-7pm

4090 Cherry Ave Ne

Keizer, OR, 97303

(503) 689-1057

2015 Greenhouse Harvest

I haven’t been updating my blog as promised with plant updates due to some unexpected mishaps. I did manage to post some great pictures to my instagram and twitter of late flower on most of the plants. As you can see they were all great during flower and I was very happy with the variety I decided on. From fabric 65 gal potted trees to my in grown bushes, they all had there own unique colors, smells, and as I will mention later they have their different medical uses as well.

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The set backs first. I have to tell you with my first outdoor grow I was already on my toes for ripper, thieves, then I had a curve ball thrown at me. The city planners had scheduled a storm drainage clean up along the edge of  the neighborhood property line. They city failed to go into the details that there were deforesting all the trees and shrubs exposing my greenhouse. For the last two months I have had to chase off city workers day and night. It got to the point where I was shining my high powerful flashlight at city vehicles parked yards from my greenhouse at 11 pm. I ended up getting a guest in my greenhouse that ended up knocking over my monster Pine Sol as I scared them off.

I was so busy and stressed up righting and anchoring a flowering 7 ft tree that I never bothered to take pictures. I also never mentioned it over social media so not to provoke or give anyone else ideas. With bungee cords, tape, and rope I managed to get her up righted without further stress. Unfortunately her lean was still crowding the AK-48 and both were above 7 ft tall and in full flower. I decided to let them ride the month out closely monitoring for bud rot or powdery mildew. The challenge was getting air flow and keeping the moisture out of the inside of the plant. For the next 3 weeks the weather was cooperating and no heavy showers or fog but the last few weeks were not great. The early morning fog was rolling in and wasn’t burning off till late afternoon. A week of that and I knew I had no choice it was time to start cutting.

The Pine Sol was needing to be harvested due to the fact that I couldn’t afford it to cause mold on the AK-48 both my biggest producers. The Pine Sol was looking fire with huge trichomes but half the heads were mostly clear with the odd amber trichome on the outer leaves most likely due to stress. I was still very happy with the yield and the out come of the buds. I decided since it was an early girl and the mid and lower buds were still so loose I would freeze half the plant. So I have few lbs of straight Pine Sol buds ready for processing.  I harvested and trimmed mostly by myself with help

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from my patient every now and then. I had a system of lines up to hang up branches. Once they were filled I sat down and removed the fan leaves and placed the branches in my cardboard drying boxes lined with hemp cord. After 7 days hang in the boxes I hung them in my grow closet that is sealed with my fan on for 5 days of drying then they were cut into buds and trimmed all pretty and jarred up.

My other plants went the same way and timed perfectly apart to allow one plant to be harvested every 5 days one after the other. A full month of harvesting, trimming, and testing some products.  I am very happy and my patient is very happy with the harvest. The Critical Mass is a dense bud with a sweet candy smell, frosty and a great hybrid.  The Cinex Wild West clone from The Holistic Choice turn out great. It has the Cinex sativa and earthy flavor characteristics know in the Cinex plant. My Skunk was not so high on the trichome production but the plant grew amazingly and has a unique smell. It does make great edibles. My patient has been making brownies with it so, even though not a great smoke it still has it’s benefits. The mystery strain has a beautiful smell with loud terps and the effects are euphoric and productive so I named it Keith Moon. My Lemon strain wasn’t a huge produce but I got some great lemony buds and plenty of sugar leaf a popcorn buds for hash. My AK-48 was the big surprise.

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My AK-48 grew like a champ letting her Pine Sol sister lean on her for the last weeks of her life. Huge blue and purple sugar leafs started showing and full dense trichome production. Giant smelling colas on every top and the side and bottom growth was huge and fully frosty. Harvesting her was a choir. No frozen this time, she was all cut, hung, trimmed, and jarred. Three weeks of trimming and I was so happy when I loaded my first bowl. I had made sure not to smoke the day before so I could critic the effects. I lit, I smoked I waited… and waited… and waited. I took another hit and I noticed my sinus pressure that’s usually in my head this time of year was clearing up. I shrugged it off and chalked it up to maybe it wasn’t dried yet. I smoked my Pine Sol and immediately felt the effects of my face tingling, strong terps in my noise and pepper heat on the exhale. I was blazed off one hit.  An hour later I decided to give my AK another try. Still feeling the Pine Sol I took a hit and there it was again. My head cleared up and my high from the Pine Sol was gone. I was confused because this was not the  hybrid sativa affect AK-48 is known for.

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I decided I would take the AK-48 to my people at The Holistic Choice. Master grower and owner Denise Concannon took a macro look at the bud and said she would test it for me and put it on their shelves. I was a little nervous about seeing the results so I wasn’t in a rush to pick up my money or the results. After a few days of my flowers on the shelves I decided I would head into check out the tests. John “TinMan” Concannon had a little fun with me as I entered the dispensary. With a sad look on his face he said “Hey man… that flower you gave us… 5%”. To tell you I was shocked would be an understatement but before I could say no way. He grinned and said “but it’s at 16% cbd”. I was unbelievably happy when I heard the news. Not only did I grow a beautiful stain but that’s great medicine with 1:3 ratio thc:cbd. Because it is uncharacteristic of the Nirvana AK-48 I get to rename this one off strain. I already had a name in mind. My cousin Sophia pasted in 1991 of Leukemia at the age of 14. So in her honor I named the strain Sophie’s AK and made it affordable for OMMP patients at $7/g which is $3 under market average for CBD flower.

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My Pine Sol is also on the shelves at The Holistic Choice on discount. From the beginning my goal was to grow good medicine with natural resources and at low cost. So like Sophie’s AK the Pine Sol is affordable and will get you high as hell with 23% thc. My Blue Mountain strain was not a great producer with leafy buds but it did have an amazingly perfume smell. I am going to try my hand at essential oil extracting with this plant and see what terps I can use for a fragrance for a perfume for cologne.

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Heavy Micro Grow Trimmers

Introducing Heavy Micro Grow Trimming crew. Experienced harvesters and trimmers, we have worked with ommp growers, dispensaries, extractors, and vendors. We come with our own equipment and offer ice hash extracts or connections to some of Willamette Valley’s top producers. If you’re serious about getting into dispensaries we can point you in the right direction so you can get the best deal for your hard work. Our staff is trusted and experienced and travel to the greater Salem and Corvallis areas with a few days notice. We can discuss payment with grower. We accept cash, donation, and entertain bartering is some cases.   Which ever way you choice it will be worth every cent because you can’t put a price on trust and skill. We will send photo verification of the trimmer or trimmers heading out to you so you know exactly who is coming to your grow.

If your wondering who runs Heavy Micro Grow, my name is Joaquin Ojeda and I am an OMMP grower and marketing consultant. I have gathered a great crew of educated, tech savvy, cannabis heads, that have been working in gardens and dispensaries for years. We understand the pressures of harvesting and trusting the people who help you. Let us take the stress off of you and also get you on the road to maximizing your harvest’s potential. Please email us with the size of your harvest and get your quote today. heavymicrogrow@gmail.com

Outdoor Organic OMMP Cannabis Grow

It’s been a few months since my last post on my ommp garden. I’m proud to say most are going into their second week of flower and are looking very healthy and strong. Along with my patients plants I have my personal recreational plants. I planted them straight in the ground under my mini greenhouse. I had mentioned the gifted Critical Mass clones in earlier posts and just today I found one a new home so I am one under my legal count which is great. The patient had the miss fortune of a thief taking his very first plant. My grow is going better then expected so I gifted him a great looking lady.

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So my complete strain list goes like this:

AK-48: from seed
AK-48: clone
PineSol (Pineapple Chunk x Super Lemon Haze): from seed
Big Skunk (Botaniscience Genetics): from seed
Blue Mountain (Botaniscience Genetics): from seed
Lemon Haze: from seed
Cinex (The Holistic Choice Dispensary): clone
Critical Mass (OMMP Gift): clone
Mystery Strain (Blackbird Dispensary Gift): from seed

 

My greenhouse has taken a beating but it’s still holding up to wind and rain. I am thinking of replacing the plastic soon just to make sure it holds through fall. I have had some issue with light but the man made kind. My neighbor was turning on his back floodlight around 4am in the morning keeping my the girls in veg for an extra two weeks. Luckily I stayed up one night and caught on to the light so I brought out my giant black out tarp. Now every evening around 6:45 I cover my girls and put them to sleep. Every morning I’m up with the sun and taking down the tarp and waking up the plants. So far it’s been two weeks and everything is lovely. Everyone is budding and filling out the greenhouse nicely. It’s a little tight in some areas but the stretch is over and now I gotta support the girls.

I am not using stakes, scrog, or cage. I am simply using two layers of netting and zip ties to anchor all the branches together. I am not expecting giant colas because of the greenhouse light so I am just making sure the major joints are braced . This will give me plenty of room to get around the plants and take care of them later in flower. I gave the girls their last feeding of bone meal, Down to Earth Bloom blend, epson salt, molasses and kelp powder. This will take a few weeks to completely break down and feed the plants and I think
there is plenty of natural nutrients built up to last till harvest. This is a super soil organic grow fed with compost teas and OMRI all natural fertilizers. This means no need to flush the ladies before harvest and this same soil will be my soil for my next outdoor run.

I will keep you updated on full flower in a few weeks and then harvest. I make this blog to educate and show that organic cannabis grows can produce quality, can be simply done, and at low cost. Please like my Facebook page, follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and Support my local dispensary The Holistic Choice in Salem Oregon. Also visit Everwood Farms for all you organic growing needs. Thanks for reading and feel free to read by older posts.

 

Salem Oregon’s Felony Flats Rock Hemp Fest 2015

Felony Flats hit the stage at Salem Hemp Fest, a celebration of medical marijuana and the newly legal recreational marijuana . The Salem local boys brought the rock for sure. With their heavy hitting hard rock and powerful vocals the crowd had no choice but to give the band their full attention.  Great original song writing shows off these guys awesome arrangements with slick guitar licks, steady thumping bass, and of course great fills from them back bone of the band, the drummer. The Salem Hemp Fest was a great venue for these guys to showcase their music to some out of town music lovers that may not make it to one of Felony Flats intense bar shows. I’m sure Felony Flats got some new fans after their set and if you wanna catch their next show or pick up their CD visit their Facebook by clicking here and find their CD at The Holistic Choice OMMP dispensary at 1045 Commercial St. Salem, OR.

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Salem Hemp Fest 2015

It was a landmark day in Salem Oregon with it’s first annual Hemp Fest held at Riverfront Park. With help from the city of Salem, organizers throw one heck of a celebration. With special speakers and free giveaways the crowd was never bored especially with all the wonderful talent on the stage.

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Here are just a few pictures of the Hempfest. I will be posting another blog detailing vendors and bands. Hope you get a chance to join us next year.