[轉貼]迷幻之旅

原文轉自(From)：劣質私房

從S.R那裡找到這本著名的迷幻讀物《LSD——我的惹事生非的孩子》的中譯本，它的作者正是LSD之父——阿爾伯特·霍夫曼 (Albert Hofmann)。
這本書完整的記錄了LSD的起源、效應、以及危險。儘管全書到處都是用嚴謹的科學論著般的口吻所做的客觀描述，可是你還是不時能找到那些充滿著神秘感和誘惑力的段落。##CONTINUE##

【以下章節來自於蘇黎世大學精神病診所的斯托爾醫生1947年在」瑞士神經病和精神病學雜誌」(Schweizer Archivfur Neurologie und Psychiatrie)發表的LSD人體研究結果，文章題為《麥角酸二乙酰胺，麥角類的欣快藥？》(Lysergsaure-diathlamid, ein Phantastikum aus derMutterkorngruppe)。在這份報告中，斯托爾醫生詳細描述了他自己的LSD實驗。這是首次由一位精神病醫生發表的自體實驗報告。】

8點鐘，我服了60微克(0.06毫克)LSD。大約20分鐘後，首批症狀出現了：即出現了肢體沉重，輕微的共濟失調(迷惘，不協調)的症狀。隨後是主觀上很不舒服的一般不適感，同時檢查者記錄下血壓降低。
然後明確的欣快感出現了，儘管它比以前實驗中的體驗的要弱些。共濟失調加重了，我大步地在屋子裡繞圈「航行」。我覺得好了一些，可是很高興能躺下。
後來，屋子暗下來了(黑暗實驗)，接著產生了一種從未有過的、強度難以想像的體驗，這種體驗的強度持續增大，以一種難以置信的大量視幻覺的湧現為特徵，快速地出現和消退，然後被無數新的影像所取代。我看到大量的圓圈、漩渦、火花，噴淋的水、十字和螺旋湧現出來，它們持續不斷地、飛快地變化著。
這些影像主要從視野的中心或左下角向外湧來。當一個圖畫出現在中央時，視野的其他部分同時充滿大量類似的視覺。所有圖畫都是有顏色的：以明亮發光的紅、黃和綠色為主。
我無法在任何一個畫面上逗留。當實驗的主持人特別指出我幻想豐富、口若懸河時，我只能抱以同情的微笑。事實上，我知道我只能留住一小部分圖像，能夠描述的就更少。我不得不強迫我去描述。像「煙花」或「萬花筒」這類辭藻是很貧乏和不適當的。我覺得我不得不更深地沉入這個奇怪而神妙的世界，從而使它的生氣勃勃、難以想像的寶藏作用於我。
最初，幻覺是初級的：光線、一束束光線、雨、圓環、漩渦、環圈、噴射、雲彩等等。後來組合的視覺形像出現了：拱門、一行行的拱門、一片屋頂的海洋、沙漠的景象、梯田、閃爍的火、難以置信的壯麗星空。那些最早的、較簡單的圖像繼續在這些組合的幻覺中出現。我特別記住了以下圖景：
一連串聳立的哥特式建築的拱頂、無盡頭的教堂唱詩班座席，我看不見它們的基底部。
摩天大樓的景象，使人想起紐約海港進口的圖畫：後面高聳的住宅樓搖搖欲墜，這些樓並排立著，有著數不盡的一排排窗戶。同樣沒有基底部。船桅和繩索的系統，使我想起前幾天(在馬戲團的帳篷裡)看到的一幅油畫的複製品。
一個西班牙城市黑屋頂上不可想像的淡藍色夜空。我有一種奇怪的期待感，充滿愉快，絕對準備好去冒險。突然之間，所有星星都被點亮了，堆積起來了，變成密集的流星雨，閃爍著向我湧來。城市和天空消失了。
我在一個花園裡，看到耀眼的紅色、黃色和綠色的光穿過一個暗色棚架降落下來，我有一種不可描述的愉快體驗。
重要的是，所有的影像都是同樣組成的無數次重複：許多火花、許多圓圈、許多拱門、許多窗戶、許多火焰等等。我從沒有看到分隔的影像，而總是多個同樣的影像，無休止地重複。
我覺得自己和所有浪漫主義者和夢想家在一起，想到霍夫曼(E.T.A.Hoffmann(1776.1882)，德國著名作家、作曲家和畫家，作品以刻畫人物深層內心世界著稱，對後來的精神分析學家有重要影響。——中譯者注。)，看到坡(Edgar Allan Poe(1809.1849)美國著名小說家、詩人。——中譯者注。)作品中的大漩渦(儘管那時我已讀過坡的書，他的描寫似乎還是誇張的)。我常常好像是站在藝術體驗的高峰；我沉溺於伊森海姆祭壇(指世紀德國宮廷畫家格努尼沃德(Matthias Grünewald)於16世紀初期所作的名畫《伊森海姆祭壇》——中譯者注。)的色彩，知道這種藝術視覺的欣快和狂喜。我肯定也一遍遍提到現代藝術；我想到抽象畫，猛然間我好像明白了。然後對它們的形狀和顏色組合又有一種完全一錢不值的印象。最俗麗、便宜的現代燈的裝飾品和沙發靠墊的形像又出現在我的腦中。思想的列車加快了。可是我覺得實驗主持人還能跟得上我。當然，我理智上知道我是在驅趕著他。最初我還能不太離譜地快速描述。隨著狂亂的加速，就變得不可能把一個想法一想到底。我肯定只說了許多開頭。
當我試著把我限制到特別的主題時，試驗證明最不成功。我的思維在一定程度上說甚至集中到相反的影像：想集中於教堂，腦海中卻出現了摩天大樓；想集中於一座山，腦海中卻出現了一片廣闊的沙漠。
我想我準確地估計了消逝的時間，但是並沒有把它當回事。對這樣的問題我一點兒都不感興趣。
我的頭腦狀態是意識到的欣快。我享受這種狀態，它是平靜安詳的，在實驗中我對這種體驗最有主動的興趣。有時，我睜開眼睛。微弱的紅光好像比以前更神秘。這個忙於記錄的主持人對我來說非常遙遠。我常常有奇怪的身體感覺：我相信我的手接觸到遠處的身體，但是不能確定是否這是我自己的。
在第一個黑暗實驗結束後，我在屋子裡走了走，路走得不穩，又感覺不太舒服。我覺得冷，很感謝實驗主持人給我蓋了一條毯子。我覺得邋遢，沒刮鬍子、沒洗澡。這間屋子好像奇怪和寬大。後來我蹲在一個高凳子上，老想著我像鳥在鳥巢裡坐著。
實驗主持人指出我的頹喪的表現。他好像十分優雅。我自己也有一雙小巧玲瓏的手。當我洗手時，好像它們離我很遠，在右下的什麼地方。是否它們是我的手大有疑問，但這一點也不重要。
許多我很熟悉屋外景觀已經改變了。除了幻覺，我現在也能看見其真實景象。過了一會兒我又無法看見真實景物了，雖然我心中仍然明白現實與我當時所感不一樣。
一座兵營和其左邊的車庫突然變成一片廢墟，碎成一塊塊的。我見到斷垣和突出的房梁，這毫無疑問是由這個地區的戰爭事件引發的。
在整齊劃一的一大片原野上，我總是看到形體，我試著去描畫清楚，可是總不能從粗糙的開端進行下去。我看到不斷變形、持續變動的極華麗的雕塑裝飾。我想起每種可能的外國文化，看到了墨西哥人，印度文化主題。在一個小細條柵欄和捲鬚之間顯現出小漫畫、神像、面具、突然間奇怪地和兒童般幼稚的人物繪畫混合在一起。和黑暗試驗比，此時的節奏是鬆弛的。
欣快感現在消退了。我變得抑鬱，尤其在隨後的第二個黑暗實驗中更為明顯。在第一個黑暗實驗中，幻覺飛快地在明亮和發光的顏色中變化，現在藍色、紫色和墨綠色遍佈。較大影像的運動更慢緩和安靜一些，儘管它們也是由很細的雨「點兒」飛快地流動和旋轉所組成。在第一個黑暗試驗中，騷動常常侵犯我，現在它常常明顯地離開我，進入顯出吸嘴的圖畫中心。我見到被奇異般侵蝕的洞穴鐘乳石，使我想到兒童讀物《山王的奇妙王國》 (Im Wunderreiche des ergkonigs)。拱門靜靜地升起。在右手邊，一排棚頂突然升起來了。我想到服兵役期間晚上乘車回家的情景，很明顯與乘車回家有關：不再像要出發或熱愛冒險。我感到像被母愛所保護和擁抱，我感到平安。這種幻覺不再激動人心，而是緩和並減弱的。後來的什麼時候，我有擁有同樣的母親般力量的感覺。我察覺到想要幫忙的傾向，然後出現了誇張的柔情和不恰當的舉止。我意識到了這些，能夠停下來。
但是消沉的情緒還在。我一次次試著去看明亮和愉快的影像，但是一無所獲，只有暗藍和綠的征像出現。我渴望看見第一次黑暗實驗時的明亮的火。我確實看到了火，但是它們是在遙遠的秋季荒野上、昏暗的城垛上的祭火。一次，我勉強抓住一大串上升的火花，但是在半路上它轉變成一組孔雀尾巴上靜悄悄地移動著的點。在這個實驗期間，我很有印象的是，我的心理狀態與我的幻覺類型之間始終不間斷地相互呼應。
在第二個黑暗實驗時，我觀察到隨機出現的噪音，還有實驗主持人有意發出的噪音，同時引發視覺印象的改變(聯覺)。以同樣方式，壓迫眼球產生視知覺的改變。
在第二次黑暗試驗的末期，我開始尋找性幻想，但是完全沒有。我不能體會到性慾望。我想像出一個女人的形像，只出現了一個粗糙的現代仿古雕塑，完全引不起性慾，她的形像馬上被躁動的圈和環所取代。
第二次黑暗實驗後，我感到麻木，身體不適。我渾身出汗，疲勞不堪。我覺得幸運不必去咖啡廳用午餐。給我帶來午餐的實驗助手，在我看來顯得小而遠，就像這個實驗主持人一樣小巧優美。
大約下午3點左右，我覺得好些了，這樣主持人可以繼續他的工作。經過一些努力，我設法自己寫記錄。我坐在桌邊，想要閱讀，可是不能集中精力。一度我覺得自己像一幅超現實繪畫中的形像，四肢和身體不連接，而是被畫到附近的什麼地方……
我很抑鬱，產生對自殺感興趣的想法。我有些恐懼地認識到我對這類想法非常熟悉。一個抑鬱的人要自殺這似乎完全是不證自明的。
在回家的路上和當晚，我再次覺得欣快，充滿了早上的體驗。我白天已經體驗了未曾預料到的、令人印象深刻的事情。好像我的生命的一個偉大時期被壓縮到了幾個小時。我想重複這個實驗。
第二天，我的想法和行為都顛三倒四，我的精力不能集中，情緒冷淡……。這種隨隨便便的、輕微夢幻般的狀況一直延續到下午。此前我不能有條理地說出簡單的事情。我覺得渾身越來越疲憊不堪，我越來越意識到我回到了日常的現實。
試驗後的第二天我出現了猶豫不決的狀態…。在隨後的一週裡我感到了輕微但明顯的抑鬱情緒，這種感受當然可能只是間接與LSD有關。

放心藥解放

原文轉自(From)：國際邊緣‧藥平等／藥物政治與科學：放心藥解放

何春蕤、卡維波

《迷幻異域：快樂丸與青年文化的故事》序

這本書的主題在台灣常被泛稱為「搖頭文化」，所涉及的「瑞舞」(Rave)與「搖頭丸」是世紀之交在中、港、台華人地區流行的社會爭議，爭議的核心則是所謂的「毒品」與「吸毒」。
##CONTINUE##
雖然有人認為毒品文化是西方傳來的，不過，在西方的語言裡並沒有「毒」這種明顯負面價值判斷的說法。單從字面意義來說，「毒」對身體的影響似乎就是不證自明的，然而在西方，這些毒品大多被歸屬於「藥物」的範疇，有些是植物的提煉，有些是化學的合成，其對身體的影響也還有理性認識與辯論的空間。華人所謂的「吸毒」事實上包含的是西方的「濫用藥物」和「服用禁藥」。作為理性思辨，我們應該拋棄「毒品」和「吸毒」的說法，改從「藥物」的角度來審視本書所提及的這些會影響或變異心理狀態（altered states）的藥物。

「毒品」的說法和現代華人深層心理有著另一個密切的連結：近代中國民族主義的重要建構之一，就是在帝國主義壓迫的歷史際會中（即鴉片戰爭），將鴉片建構為帝國主義掠奪中國經濟的侵略工具的象徵，同時也是毒化中華民族健康、使中國人成為沒有生產力的東亞病夫的象徵。這個雙重象徵的建構造成了至少兩種後果：

第一、吸食鴉片原來不是一個下層階級的偏差行為或犯罪，中國社會的上層階級一向就吸食鴉片，鴉片也並沒有現在「毒品」的意義。但是鴉片戰爭之後，鴉片以及之後的類似藥物都蒙上了「毒品」的污名，而且被嚴重的妖魔化，吸毒與販毒者都被視為犯罪與偏差者。

第二、「毒品」扣合上民族主義的意識，使得毒品問題成為民族主義與國家權力的工具。現代以來，國家以「人口」（國民身體健康、生殖與性、平均壽命）為權力掌管的目標，不斷深入規訓人民身體，也得以擴大自己權力的範圍、深度與細密度，進而深入滲透社會網絡、細緻地管理個體。這種權力技術被傅柯（Michel Foucault）稱為「生命政治」（bio-politics）。「毒品」則為國家的「生命政治」或「治理」（govern mentality）提供了一個最佳的正當化論述。事實上，中華國族（主義）的建構就正建立在「反毒救民族存亡」（以鴉片戰爭為象徵）這套論述以及民國以來的生命政治之上。從「毒品／吸毒」這樣的語言與背後意識之沿襲來看，台灣與其他華人地區一樣，仍然深陷於中國民族主義意識對於毒品的文化建構之中。

為了保持一個理性中立的討論態度，我們將本書所討論的這些大麻、LSD、安非它命、MDMA 等家族藥物統稱為「放心藥」（psychedelic drugs）。之所以將psychedelic翻譯為「放心」，乃是因為這些會造成心靈意識變化的藥物符合了「放」的七個意思：

1. 縱之使去（例：放肆）。「放心」──縱心，讓心自由、狂野。
2. 逐、棄（例：放黜）。「放心」──棄心，將自己的心放逐。
3. 置（例：安放）。「放心」──心非固定，可以被置放他處、可以離身等。
4. 至（例：放乎四海）。「放心」──直指心、直到心、直見心。
5. 依（例：放於利而行）。「放心」──依照心、順從心、與心翱翔。
6. 散（例：放款、放糧）。「放心」──心沒有統一原則，可以多重分散。
7. 擴而大之（例：放寬）。「放心」──心延伸到全人、全宇宙（心人天合一）。

我們之所以將psychedelic drugs稱為「放心藥」，而非「迷幻藥」，乃是因為：第一、放心藥雖然有時也會造成「迷幻」的感覺或狀態，但是同時也會造成其他感覺或狀態（例如狂喜、心暖、離身）；易言之，放心不只是迷幻而已（像鎮靜劑、安眠藥也可以造成非迷幻的放心狀態），而「放心」一詞的七種解釋比較寬廣，可以涵蓋服用放心藥後的各種可能意識狀態。第二、「迷」與「幻」都有某種負面的含意，「迷」暗示當事人喪失自主，「幻」則否定放心藥可能造成實際的轉變，這兩點都不是事實。放心藥的迷幻狀態乃是自主的放心，是真實的心靈改造，就像讀書、聽音樂、坐禪、體驗等各類活動一樣真實。

為了營造一個理性的討論氛圍，我們不應再把這些藥物稱為「毒品」，因為它們沒有「毒」。讓我們正名它們為「放心藥」。

許多以非理性的恐嚇為手段之主流團體說：放心藥物會對身體產生不良的副作用，所以要稱它們為毒品。但是主流團體所依賴的「科學研究」常常是道聽途說的，因為正如本書所顯示的，放心藥的科學研究或證據本身就是政治問題。同時，放心藥的副作用之說並沒有指出：這些副作用是在什麼樣的條件下出現，多長期的使用才會有副作用？（由於長期追蹤的困難與副作用因人而異的特色，這些問題其實是所有藥物的副作用研究所共有的基本難題，不限於放心藥。）眾所周知，所有的藥物都有副作用，所謂藥物的「副作用」其實根本就是一種「作用」，只是看我們服藥的目的為何來定義什麼算是副作用而已。俗話說：「是藥三分毒」，既然所有的藥都有毒，那麼何以單單抹黑放心藥為「毒品」呢？再說，MDMA（快樂丸或搖頭丸或E）或大麻的副作用，一般均認為比起許多其他「正當」藥物要小得多。即使 MDMA 有可能讓人上癮，但是和酒精的「上癮性」、「傷害腦細胞」相比，後者顯然沒有被當成毒品來禁絕，反而成為國家的重要稅收來源。更有甚者，改變身體化學的藥物（即大多數藥物）往往比改變心理化學的藥物（即放心藥）更「毒」，但是國家與社會主流卻總是選擇嚴厲地管制放心藥物。

這個選擇性的管制還可以更進一步來觀察。

首先，不只放心藥可以造成「放心」狀態，還有很多作為也可以造成放心狀態。如果我們只討論心靈或意識的迷幻狀態或知覺轉換（altered states of mind or consciousness）這種放心現象，那麼，除了服用放心藥物可以造成這種迷幻狀態之外，剝奪睡眠、重複的身體動作、靜坐或禁食修行、失戀、太空漫遊、過度羞恥、劇烈的調整日常例行習慣、聽音樂、跳舞、性、唸咒或誦經、飲酒、催眠、高速飛馳、視覺光影的奇異變化、嗅覺的不尋常刺激、集體狂熱地重複動作或口號、前衛的多媒體藝術、吸強力膠……等等舉不完的例子都同樣地可以造成迷幻的效果。很明顯的，如果國家法律禁止放心藥，是為了禁止放心狀態的存在，那麼也應該同時禁止其他導致放心的作為。

其次，放心或迷幻心靈的狀態不是個罪惡現象，反而是值得追求的狀態，是自古以來人類一直希望達到的目標。從古至今，人類就不斷利用許多不同手段（如宗教修行、儀式、重複身體動作、魔音狂舞的狂喜等）來變異心靈狀態以達成「放心」，有些更藉助放心藥物來和深層內心、社群、神祉以及宇宙溝通。在發明化學合成的放心藥之前，過去的人類主要藉助自然的放心藥飲食，例如菸草、酒精、咖啡、茶、某些特殊植物（菰蕈類、大麻等），以及提煉的放心藥物（如古柯鹼、鴉片）。而這些自然的放心藥也都曾在歷史不同的社會與時期中被查禁（禁菸、禁酒、禁咖啡、禁茶等），也都（曾）被視為「毒品」。

一九六○年代到七○年代不但是新放心藥物（如LSD）大放異彩的年代，也是放心藥的政治首次被自覺地引入社會批判、以及反抗主流的次文化（或稱「反文化」）的年代。一部被湮沒的放心（藥與人）歷史傳統在世人眼前豁然開朗；放心藥、音樂（舞）與性解放在那個年代結合（sex, drugs, rock and roll），也大大地豐富了反文化的基進（radical）深度。反文化的英雄們提倡利用放心藥來探索內心與宇宙的奧祕，視放心藥為航向心靈銀河的太空船。放心藥對於意識的變異作用則被視為人類心靈進化的契機，因為放心藥能開發心靈潛力或甚至集體潛意識等等過去人類無法觸及的奧祕，幫助人們更容易的獲取宇宙宗教經驗，人類的進化因此可以藉著科技（放心藥）而邁向一個新的跳躍。1980年英國導演肯羅素拍攝的與本書同名的電影Altered States（台譯「變形博士」）大體上表達了這樣的一種科幻的期望與探險。

一九六○年代 反文化（counter culture）的放心藥政治，其核心要求至今仍然有效：人類有權利『利用』放心藥向心靈拓荒、開發心理經驗，進而得到快樂愉悅、精神昇華、自我認同、社會團結（與他人打成一片）、形塑生活風格（「玩耍藥」作為一種生活方式）。「放心」是人權、是身心自主權。我們有權利「放心」，也有權利使用放心藥！

不過從一九六○年代之後至今，反文化運動結束，但餘緒猷存；新的消費文化和新的壓迫－反抗形式，造就了新的放心藥文化──這是我們在今日思考放心藥政治時必須面對的，這也是本書的重要價值所在。

這本書的＜前言＞首先清楚地點出了新放心藥政治的企圖與能量，接下來的第一章對於MDMA這種放心藥與電子樂舞在美國反文化與次文化中的發展回顧，也為本書後來的歷史敘述（主要是英國社會的放心藥文化）鋪陳了足夠的政治線索。這個敘事有其特殊的意義：雖然新的放心藥文化也有過去反文化的鬼影，但是較為奪目的乃是商業利潤、享樂主義、消費文化、黑道暴力、危險與幻滅等等，這些現象則使許多「左派批判家」把放心藥文化當成去政治化的甚至反動的證據。這類左派從反文化時期開始，就沒有真正接受像性、藥、年齡世代之類的新興社會對抗（antagonisms），他們把這些新形態的政治都當作波希米亞式的放縱，或者小資產階級的幻滅情緒與空虛態度。在很大的程度上，這本書可以說駁斥了這類左派與社會批評家對於放心藥文化的去政治化解讀。

就放心藥的當代文化面貌而言，本書顯示新的放心藥文化更緊密地結合了科技、音樂與跳舞，但是又不僅止於「DJ利用新科技來生產新音樂」這個簡單事實。音樂本身必須和服用放心藥（亦即MDMA）後的效果緊密結合；跳舞也不僅止於身體的動作，舞客的裝扮（奶嘴、白手套、墨鏡等），以至於舞會的燈光、裝潢、佈景或佈置、花樣噱頭等等也有帶出放心藥氣氛的作用。總之，新的放心藥文化離不開跳舞派對，但是同樣地也離不開警察的取締與黑道的干預，這些都構成了放心藥舞會場景的內在元素。例如，因為逃避警察取締，舞會舉辦者和參加者必須利用新通訊科技管道來聯絡與動員，舉辦場地也趨向荒僻的鄉間山邊或廢棄空屋。

就好像同性戀與黑人在放心藥文化中曾經扮演要角，但又不僅止於他們而擴散到不同的階級與族群，放心藥文化的發展也包含了很多不同或矛盾的成份。有昂貴的舞會門票與商業化收編，但是也有免費舞會與延續60年代反文化的嘗試。放心藥舞會在都會延燒，但是也在郊區。放心藥文化的夜生活娛樂出現在商業都市，但是也在工業城鎮生根。本書顯示英國的放心藥文化發展乃是一個有多重因素與多種人物、多樣行動和反動，此起彼落，既銜接又斷裂，既分岔又匯流而成的結果，構成了一個很複雜的故事。

雖然放心藥文化是複雜的，但是進步社會運動仍須從中追索政治的可能性，串連或建構出之中的各類社會對抗，以開展壓迫／解放的辯證；而不是嘲諷放心藥文化中看似幼稚的口號（如PLUR，但嘲諷者忽略了這口號也是嗑E後的感覺經驗），更不能否定放心藥文化對批判文化與主體的可能貢獻，如此才能釋放出存在於社會邊緣的能量。至少，對於放心藥所遭到的抹黑污名、對於沒有受害人的嗑藥卻被指為犯罪、對於國家以掃毒來製造道德恐慌、對於查禁放心藥而引來黑道的暴力與暴利…這些基本的簡單事實，進步社會運動不能視而不見。

作為一本快樂丸文化歷史的記錄，本書自然沒有觸及許多其他相關主題，而這些主題對放心藥政治則是極為重要的。例如：放心藥合法化的論證；放心藥運動（例如大麻合法化）的進展與影響；不限於放心藥的當代藥物革命與藥物新文化（百憂解、柔沛、威而鋼、荷爾蒙藥物、β受體阻滯劑等等不計其數的新藥與新用藥文化）。當藥物使用與藥物濫用的區分隨著用藥者知識增長（因而能夠抗拒醫療體系的指示並且自行挪用與調整）而日趨模糊時，當大麻合法化時，當（例如）β受體阻滯劑成為人人出席重要活動前的必備良藥時，查禁放心藥的理由又焉能站的住腳呢？（註：β受體阻滯劑有治療心臟病等效果，但是同時此藥可以產生非迷幻的「放心」狀態，有些音樂演奏家在表演前服用，以保持演奏時的心情放鬆與精神一致）。

另外，這本書雖然觸及了休閒消費文化、夜間娛樂工業、身體文化，但是還不夠深入；未來，進步社會運動也同樣地須要辯證地看待放心藥文化的商業化，認識其中的積極抵抗成份與政治可能。台灣本世紀初開始的週休二日已經創造出夜間娛樂工業與夜間休閒文化的成長可能，越來越多上班族正在加入無業者的夜間活動（都會大型購物中心的夜間延長營業更增長此一趨勢）。夜間作為社會邊緣性的衍生時間，雖然因此出現更多商業化與主流化的趨勢，但是也構成了邊緣性擴大影響力的場域。性、藥、與許多邊緣「偏差」都在夜間蔓延，故而國家對於夜間活動（特別是對舞場等性與藥的場所）的監視與干預必然加強，不過，由於夜間商業未必能配合──甚至某種程度的排除──國家這種監視與干預，夜間商業與國家的矛盾也將有助於邊緣空間的政治化。

讀了本書後，我們發現英國警方對於放心藥舞會場景的取締，瑞舞舞會舉辦者與警方捉迷藏、和黑道周旋、設計新的舞會舉辦策略等等現象，也已經在台灣出現；甚至主流假借瑞舞派對之名而進行收編之舉，也同樣發生在台灣。但是略微不同的可能是，台灣的E文化有更多年齡世代的政治牽涉其中，這使得台灣的放心藥爭議似乎無可避免的會有世代鬥爭的成份。

至於放心藥政治在台灣，我們預測「掃毒」將成為「掃黃」之外的另一個尖銳社會對抗；國家與新主流對「毒化青少年」道德恐慌的建構將進一步擴張與鞏固新主流的權力。

那麼誰是這一波的新社會主流？我們現在已經看到的是，許多比傳統民族國家還要靈活能動並有正當性的NGO，正以打造「新的公民社會」為目標，以民間自發來替代政府功能。然而，這些向上提升的「新公民」與民間社會也同時針對「不具公民資格」的青少年與外勞、以及「公民資格存疑」的偏差邊緣，進行著比國家更有效的排它（exclusive）規訓與監視。事實上，透過排擠醜化邊緣，來打造自身的道德文化優勢，正是這些新主流的權力基礎與身份認同。我們同時也觀察到，新主流（包括了昔日的社會運動與社會批判者）往往以過去左派的社會批判論述來抗拒新藥物、新科技、新身體的出現。不過，令人感到樂觀的是，對於台灣這種新形勢的抵抗也一直存在著，許多年輕世代很自覺地集結為放心藥文化政治團體（例如Studio E），積極進行更深入的抵抗部署，這自然使得國家與新主流的掃毒論述或甚至整個霸權計畫出現變數。這本書在此時的出現也是一個重要的抵抗跡象。

10. Glossary

Glossary

18/6: Time normally associated with the vegetative stage of growth i.e. 18 hours of light to 6 of darkness.
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12/12: Timing used to initiate the flowering stage of the plant i.e. 12 hours light to 12 hours darkness.

Abiotic stress: Non-living environmental factors such as frost, drought, excessive heat, etc. that can have harmful effects on plants.

Abscisic acid: Mediates stress tolerance responses in higher plants, is a key signal compound that regulates stomatal aperture and, in concert with other plant signaling compounds, is implicated in mediating responses to pathogens and wounding.

In seeds, ABA promotes seed development, embryo maturation, synthesis of storage products (proteins and lipids), desiccation tolerance, is involved in maintenance of dormancy (inhibition of germination), and apoptosis. As well, ABA affects plant architecture, including root growth and morphology, and root-to-shoot ratios.

Aeroponics: is the growing of plants in a container in which the roots are suspended in a nutrient mist rather than in a solution. The most popular container for aeroponics is an enclosed A-frame constructed of styrofoam boards. The plants are placed in holes along the sloped sides of the frame. The nutrient mist is delivered to the roots by a vaporizer or by special attachments available with drip irrigation kits. The mist clings to the roots. Any excess runs down the inside of the frame, is collected at the bottom, and is recycled back to the nutrient reservoir.

Alternating leaf: As the plant grows, in the beginning, every leaf(that is not damaged) will have another leaf growing from exactly 180 degrees on around the stem. they grow in pairs. when the plants mature, the leaves will grow one at a time. that is a leaf will pop out on one side, then, up the stem/ branch, another will grow. i.e. alternating.

Auxins: are plant hormones governing many biological processes in higher plants such as cell enlargement and division, differentiation of vascular tissue, apical dominance, root initiation and signaling.

Ballast: Provides current and power to the light. Here it mostly refers to the above for H.I.D. (high intensity discharge) lighting.

Blood Meal: This organic fertilizer is very high in nitrogen and is very soluble in water (unlike most other dry organic fertilizers). It also contains plant growth regulators. All this together means that its effect is strong and quick, but its power will only last a short while, especially in wet weather. When applying blood meal, take care, as it will easily burn a plant's leaves.

Buds: The reason this website exists! -The part of the flowering female plant that contains high concentrations of THC and other psychoactive ingredients.

Bud Leaves: The small leaves that grow in the buds of the plant, usually covered in trichomes when harvested.

Calyxes: "The usually green outer whorl of a flower consisting of sepals" - Merriam-Webster I was looking for a diagram to illustrate, but I haven't come across a real good one yet.

Canopy: The top branches of a plant, usually shading the lower branches, except when branch training methods are used. (See LST, SCROG, and SOG).

CBD/CBN: Byproducts of the main psychoactive ingredient in pot, THC. these byproducts are created when the THC degrades, due to over exposure to heat/oxygen(some THC will naturally do this while the flowers ripen). it is believed that they are responsible for the stony part of the high, and known to have a direct effect on the psychoactive effect THC has on the "user". it is only needed in minimal amounts, in comparison to THC.

CFM - Cubic Feet per Minute. This describes the volume of air that is displaced in 1 minute (see ventilation).

Chlorophyll: The green pigment in leaves. Chlorophyll pigment is produced in the chloroplasts of leaf, stem and flower cells. Chlorophyll pigment dominates all other pigments present including the xanthophylls and carotenes. Chlorophyll captures the sun's energy which is used to manufacture sugar from carbon dioxide and water. Chlorophylls are constantly being "used up" and thus are continually manufacture by the plant, provided the environmental conditions are appropriate.

Cloning: The process of replicating female plants. Cloning Guide, with pics.

Colas: "The female flowers develop tightly together to form dense clusters (racemes) or buds, cones, or colas"- Mel Frank Marijuana Grower's Guide This is the dank shiznit you are going to be smokin' friend.

Composting: The process by which organic materials mixed together in specific conditions create a nutrient-rich medium.

Curing: Process of placing the dried harvest in tightly sealed, sterile, jar, which should be stored in a dry, dark, cool place. Then according to preference open the jar for a certain amount of time everyday to release co2 and moisture and this slowly dries the crop, thus improving taste and over all quality.

Cotyledons: Small round leaves that are the first to appear on a small seedling, they are not considered 'true leaves? and often fall off of the plant early in the growth stage.

Cuttings: Sometimes the easiest (and fastest) way to grow a new plant is not from seed, but asexually from cuttings. Cuttings are taken from roots, stems, or leaves and encouraged to regenerate by providing ideal growing conditions and (oftentimes) applying rooting hormones. Unlike plants started from seed, a plant grown from a cutting will have exactly the same characteristics of the parent plant (See Also - Cloning)

Decarboxylation: This occurs after buds are harvested and during the curing process. The THC loses a CO2 molecule, which then makes the THC psychoactive. This process is why drying and curing buds after harvest is crucial to the high that the bud produces.

Fish emulsion: This is a liquid organic fertilizer with a NPK ratio of about 4-1-1 to 7-2-2. It is water soluble and thus immediately available to plants. It is valued for its high nitrogen content.

FIM: Acronym for "Fuck I Missed!? A variant of the topping technique, where only a portion of the growth tip is removed, causing an increase in resulting cola sites. (See also topping).

Flo, Flouro, Floro's: Fluorescents come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. There are compacts, twist bulbs and circle bulbs. They all work the same way. They have a starter and ballast which help provide a steady and regulated amount of electricity to the light.

FLIR: Acronym for Forward-Looking Infrared, it is a thermal imaging process whereby differences in heat emission are measured and reflected on a videotape. Heat concentration is indicated on a videotape on a spectrum of light to dark, with bright white showing intense heat. Increasingly, law enforcement personnel are using FLIR thermal imaging to detect indoor marijuana growing operations. However, the Supreme Court in the U.S. has recently banned the use of FLIR to find these operations.

Flush: The act of cleansing a plant's roots of nutrients and contaminants by giving the plant large amounts of water (usually equal to 3 times the volume of soil the plant is in).

Foliar Feeding: The act of giving water and/or nutrients to the plant through the leaves instead of through the roots.

Force Flowering: Giving a female plant a photoperiod of 12/12 to force the plant into producing buds.

Garlic: (Apologies to any vamps out there) Planted in the same pot/area as your plants will act as a natural systemic insecticide to greenfly and black fly the plants absorb it from the growing garlic it DOES NOT affect the plants scent or taste, can also be used for same reason with other plants.

Germinate: To begin to sprout or grow.

Gibberellic Acid: A hormone used to promote plant growth, especially that of seedlings, and obtained from the fungus Gibberella fujikoroi (GA) is used to reduce flowering and fruiting which maximizes growth and minimizes pollen transmitted. GA is also used in mature plants to increase the fruiting capacity by stimulating the development of lateral shoots and spurs.

Harvesting: The act or process of gathering a crop Harvest & Drying 101

Herbs: Aromatic plants used for seasoning, medicinal purposes, or garnishes. Aromatic herbs are the ones that have fragrant or smelly leaves or flowers.

HID: High Intensity Discharge (lighting) .

HPS: The best light available today for growing Marijuana. High Pressure Sodium lights are very bright and very efficient. This light has a red/orange spectrum that is ideal for the flowering phase. With enough of these kind of lights you too can grow those centerfold buds. HPS comes in a wide variety of wattages from 70 watts up to 1000 watts.

Hormone: A biochemical product of a specific cell or tissue that causes a change or activity in a cell or tissue located elsewhere in an organism.

Hydroponics: The growing of plants without soil, instead using a medium like clay pebbles, rockwool -floc or perlite and vermiculite mixture.

Humus: A complicated material formed during the breakdown of organic matter. One of its components, humic acid, provides many binding sites for plant nutrients, such as calcium, iron, potassium, sulfur and phosphorus. These nutrients are stored in the humic acid molecule in a form readily available to plants, and are released when the plants require them.

Hybrid: Often refers to a plant or variety that has been developed by interbreeding two or more varieties, species, or genera

Indica: Indica is a great plant to grow indoors as well as outdoors due to its low lighting requirements and tight internode spacing, also offering resistance to fungus and pests, early maturation tendencies, and dense flower production. Indica's come from colder climates exhibiting the traits described above by acclimating to the environment from whence they came. Their stout stature and extremely wide leaflets make them easy to identify. An Indica generally produces a hard hitting, tiresome, sedative stone, and will take around 45 to 60 days to finish flowering.

Leggy: If seedlings and plants do not get enough sunlight, they grow tall and thin stalks as they seek sunlight. These "leggy" plants have a difficult time supporting the weight of the plant and is easily damaged.

Light-burn: When the heat from a light burns the plant.

Lumens: One lumen is equal to the amount of light emitted by one candle that falls on one square foot of surface one foot away. Lamp Lumen Data .

LST: Acronym for Low-Stress Training, the technique of manipulating the branches in order to reduce plant height, expose certain branches to light, and/or distribute hormones to lower branches of the plant to encourage larger buds.

Macronutrients: For a plant, there are nine major elements essential for healthy growth; these are called macronutrients. They are: carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen (which are all three derived from air and water); and nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, sulfur, and magnesium (from the soil).

Micronutrients: There are about eight nutrients essential to plant growth and health that are only present in very small quantities. These are manganese, boron, copper, iron, chlorine, cobalt, molybdenum, and zinc.

Medium: A soil or soil-less mix used to start or re-plant houseplants, flowers, vegetables, and other plants.

Mottling of Leaves: Discoloration or spotting of leaves.

MV: Mercury Vapor is the type of lights that were used for streetlights many years ago. Not very good for growing because it doesn't provide enough of the right kind of light spectrum. While they do provide a little of the blue spectrum, MV also produces too much heat to get very close to a plant, and are very inefficient to operate.

MH: The Metal Halide is a very good source of the white/blue spectrum of light that is ideal for vegetative growth. Many growers use MH during the vegetative phase. MH is bright and cost efficient to operate, but not as efficient as HPS lights. Most commonly used sizes are 400 watt and 1000 watt. Works best when used in combination with HPS lights.

Necrosis: Death of parts of the plant, usually refers specifically to the leaves.

Node: The point on a stem where a leaf is attached or has been attached; a joint.

N-P-K: The elemental symbol for nitrogen is N; for phosphorus it's P; for potassium it's K. All three of these elements are essential for plant growth and are considered macronutrients. N, P, and K are the three principal ingredients in most fertilizers. The NPK ratio is shown by three numbers, such as 2-1-1, that reflect the percentage of each.

Nute-burn: the result of feeding a plant an excess of fertilizer.

Organic Nutrients: Natural, non-synthetic nutrients.

Peat moss: The partially decomposed remains of mosses harvested commercially from the wild. Though difficult to wet initially, peat moss can absorb up to 25 times its own weight in water and is therefore valued as a an organic soil amendment. Peat moss is acidic with a pH of about 3 or 4.0 and should only be used around acid-loving plants or to help lower the pH of alkaline soils.

Perlite: A unique volcanic mineral which expands from four to twenty times its original volume when it is quickly heated to a temperature of approximately 1600-1700 degrees F. This expansion is due to the presence of two to six percent combined water in the crude perlite rock which causes the perlite to pop in a manner similar to that of popcorn.

When expanded, each granular, snow-white particle of perlite is sterile with a neutral pH and contains many tiny, closed cells or bubbles. The surface of each particle is covered with tiny cavities which provide an extremely large surface area. These surfaces hold moisture and nutrients and make them available to plant roots. In addition, because of the physical shape of each particle, air passages are formed which provide optimum aeration and drainage. Because perlite is sterile, it is free of disease, seeds, and insects.

Perlite has been used for many years throughout the world for soil conditioning and as a component of growing mixes with materials such as peat moss or bark. Extensive studies have shown that the unique capillary action of perlite makes it a superior growing media for hydroponic cultures.

Among the many uses of perlite today are propagation and seed cultivation, plug production and transplants, interior scape and planter growing, composting,

PH: the measure of soil's acidity or alkalinity, measured on a scale of 1 to 14. Water is considered neutral at PH 7. PH levels below 7 are classified as acidic, or "sour". Levels above 7 are basic, alkaline or "sweet". Most plants prefer a slightly acidic soil pH of 6.0 to 6.5.

Phloem: Nutrient conducting tissue.

Photoperiod: AKA lighting schedule, it is the number of hours of light and darkness the plant is exposed to. Usually expressed as a fraction. Ex: 18/6 = 18 hours of light, and 6 hours of darkness.

Photosynthesis: Biochemical process in which light energy is absorbed by chlorophyll, and is used to fuel the building of sugar molecules.

Pistil: A hair-like protrusion from the nodes/buds of a female plant, also a precursor to the buds themselves. Pistils turn from white to brown as the buds mature.

Potash: Broadly, potash describes any material containing potassium. More specifically, though, potash is potassium carbonate derived from wood ashes. The term potash comes from the process of extracting lye from wood ashes in iron pots.

PPM: Acronym for Parts Per Million, this term is used most in hydroponics to measure the amount of nutrients given to a plant.

Rock Wool: Mineral or rock wool has been used extensively in Europe and is recently finding applications in the U.S. greenhouse market. Like perlite and vermiculite, it originates from a natural mineral (alumino silicates with some calcium and magnesium) that is heated to 2,700?F to form fibers that are used to make blocks or cubes as a finished product. Blocks or slabs of rock wool are used extensively by hydroponic growers of greenhouse vegetables. Rock wool typically has an alkaline pH, is sterile and chemically inert.

Regenerate: AKA re-vegging, refers to the act of putting a plant back into the growth cycle after harvesting the flowering buds off of the plant, in order to bud the plant again or to take clones off of the plant.

Root Bound: A condition where a plant or seedling's roots have grown compacted and entwined in the pot and has no room to grow. This condition results in stunting the plants growth and potential. The solution is a larger pot or transplanting outdoors.

Ruderalis: Ruderalis is not a very good choice for flower production, indoors or out. Despite maintaining a short stature, growing only one to five feet tall, and maturing rather quickly, Ruderalis just doesn't produce the yield or quality one looks for in their flowers. A slight light cycle reduction can trigger a sprout with as little as 2 to 3 leaf sets to flower. Ruderalis spontaneously initiates flowering a few weeks after sprouting, and will not produce decent flowers unless the photoperiod provides around 18 to 19 hours of light. Even then, the yield and quality are less than desirable, incomparable to that of the Sativa or Indica sub-species.

Sativa: Sativa is a hard plant to grow indoors due to high lighting requirements, tall stature, and late flowering traits. Sativas come from equatorial regions, thus the necessity for high amounts of lighting and a warmer tropic-subtropical climate. You can identify a Sativa by its long, slender, finger-like leaves. A Sativa will typically produce a euphoric, energetic, cerebral high. Despite the Sativa's climatic limitations, they are truly a reward to obtain, grow, and smoke. A pure Sativa will take 2 to 4 months to finish flowering.

ScrOG/ SOG: "Screen Of Green" method. The purpose of ScrOG is to maximize your usage of the available space and lighting by training the new growth of a plant into a screen or mesh. What is ScrOG?

Seed Casing: The integuments of the ovule, which are the ovule's old coverings, harden and become the seed's protective coat.

Sensimilla: Spanish for 'without seed', AKA sensi, having a female plant bud without letting a male plant pollinate it, thereby preventing seeds from forming in the buds. This increases THC potency and smokable bud weight.

Sepal: Sepals are components of the calyx. Located at the base of the flower, these modified leaves usually function as protection for the petals while in bud stage. Occasionally, sepals will be colored, but they are usually green.

Sex: verb. The act of determining the gender of a plant by giving it a photoperiod of 12/12.

Stamen: This is the male reproductive organ of a plant, located in the androecium of the flower. It has two components: the filament and the anther.

Stigma: The sticky tip of a pistil.

Strain: Refers to the specific genetics of the plant. Example: White Widow, Northern Lights.

Stomata: Opening in the epidermis of a leaf which permit gas exchange with the air.

Stress: Any unhealthy stimuli the plant receives. Examples: Light-burn, over watering, nute-burn. Stress can cause slow growth, mutations, or death.

Sun Leaves: (AKA fan leaves) these are the large leaves that grow off of branches, and while not rich in THC, they play an important role in photosynthesis.

Synthetic Nutrients: AKA Chemical nutrients, concentrated and industrial-made nutrients. They have a longer shelf-life than organic nutes, but are known to nute-burn a plant more quickly.

THC:

1. Tetrahydrocannabinol A compound, C-21 H-30 O-2, obtained from cannabis or made synthetically, that is the primary intoxicant in marijuana and hashish.

2. The main psychoactive ingredient in pot. this is what gets you "high!". it is often(not totally accurately) measured by the trichomes(fairy dust) visible on pot.

Topping: Method used to increase yield and maximize space, by trimming off the top bud. Traditionally, topping your plant causes two shoots to grow back in place of the one pruned off, thus increasing the number of top/main buds.

Transplant Shock: When transplanting seedlings from one place to another, the roots are often disturbed and occasionally the change in climate can cause the plant to slow down or appear to stop growing. This is transplant shock. It is really redirecting it's energy to re-grow lost roots and to get accustomed to a change in temperature that it hadn't experienced before.v

Trichomes: AKA crystals or sugar, they are tiny, mushroom-shaped capitulate glands full of THC that form on the flowering buds and bud leaves of cannabis.

Vascular: Refers to the xylem and phloem tissues, which conduct water and nutrients through the plant body.

Vermiculite: is sterile and light in weight (5 to 8 lbs/ft3). The pH of vermiculite will vary depending on where it is mined. Most U.S. sources are neutral to slightly alkaline, whereas vermiculite from Africa can be quite alkaline (pH = 9). Vermiculite is used extensively in the greenhouse industry as a component of mixes or in propagation. It is usually sold in four size grades: #1 is the coarsest and #4 the smallest. The finer grades are used extensively for seed germination or to top dress seed flats. Expanded vermiculite should not be pressed or compacted, especially when wet, as this will destroy the desirable physical properties.

Ventilation: Circulating air in order to provide the plant with fresh air and/or to reduce the temperature in the grow area. Air movement also encourages strong stems.

Watering Schedule: term referring to how often and how much water a plant is given, usually measured in days and gallons. Ex: 1 gallon every 4 days.

Watts: A measure of the amount of electricity flowing through a wire. Watt hours measure the amount of watts used in one hour. A kilowatt/hour (KWH) is 1000 watt/hours.

Worm Casting: (Vermiconversion) or using earthworms to convert waste into soil additives, is a biologically active mound containing thousands of bacteria, enzymes, and remnants of plant materials and animal manures that were not digested by the earthworm. The composting process continues after a worm casting has been deposited. In fact, the bacterial population of a cast is much greater than the bacterial population of either ingested soil, or the earthworm's gut. An important component of this dark mass is humus.

Xylem: Water-conducting tissue.

09. Organics

Organics

The first and best reason to consider using organic fertilizers instead of chemicals is that there is almost zero chance that you will burn (overfertilization causing injury or death) the plants with them. When fed organic substances, plants will only take in the nutrients they need, leaving the rest in the soil. Additionally, organic fertilizers are broken down slowly in the soil by microorganisms, which ensures a steady supply of nutrients to your plants; also, lots of soil microorganisms are good for the soil and consequently, your plants as well.
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Chemical fertilizers, on the other hand, are in a highly soluble form and are generally of a much higher concentration than organic fertilizers. Upon applying them to the soil, they are quickly taken up by the roots. Because they are so concentrated, this rapid action will cause the plant to take in toxic levels of nutrients if the fertilizer is overapplied, leading to injury and even death if the levels are high enough. Additionally, chemical fertilizers leave salts behind in the soil. If the plant is not flushed periodically (every 1-2 months), these salts will build up to levels that are dangerous to the plants. (As a related note, if the soil is not flushed just prior to harvest, the taste of the smoke will be adversely affected.) Finally, chemical fertilizers have an adverse effect on soil microorganisms, including earthworms.

Beyond the issues of soil chemistry and nutrient uptake, there is little question that using organic substances are better for the environment, even when growing indoors. Organic fertilizers - blood and bone meal, fish emulsion, manure, worm castings - are renewable. Petroleum, which chemical fertilizers are synthesized from, is not.

For the outdoor grower, choice of fertilizer has an even more profound effect. Successful outdoor growing is closely linked with the health of the soil. Chemical fertilizers, as mentioned, have an adverse effect on soil life, which decreases the biodiversity and overall health of the soil. Chemicals are also far more soluble than organics, and are often washed away with rain or a too-heavy watering. Not only does this not help your plant, it also causes a potential pollution problem - for instance, toxic algae blooms in lakes and ponds are often linked with fertilizer run-off from lawns.

Organics are not without their drawbacks, however, especially to the indoor grower. Some organic fertilizers, fish emulsion in particular, have an odor that may offend delicate noses. (However, any security measures involving air filtering or ionization should keep the smell to a minimum.) Also, because organics encourage soil life, there are sometimes more problems with insects, particularly fungus gnats. Finally, organics require a greater investment of time and effort: chemical fertilizers' main advantage is their ease of use.

In the event that you face insect problems, there are a number of organic controls at your disposal. The easiest homemade, all-purpose bug killer is about a teaspoon of soap (I prefer Dr. Bronners Eucalyptus or Peppermint, which are generally eco-friendly and may have additional insecticidal effects) in a spray bottle of water. Spray any bugs you see, the plants (including the undersides of the leaves!) and the soil surface thoroughly with this solution. The soap coats the outsides of the bugs' bodies, which suffocates them.

Another, stronger option is Tobacco tea. The nicotine in tobacco is one of the more potent poisons known, and will generally wipe out even mites, which are usually quite difficult to kill. It's worth remembering that nicotine is poisonous, so keep that in mind. (Unless you also smoke cigarettes, in which case, go crazy.) Here is a recipe:

Buy a package of Chewing Tobacco and put the whole package into 1 gallon of warm water. Let it stand in a warm place overnight 12 hours minimum. Filter the solution using a coffee filter and put it into a clean spray device. You can add 4 tablespoons of dish soap to this and spray the foliage down. Make sure you get the mites. Spray the tops and bottoms of the leaves. Once you have done this sparay the floor and walls in the grow area. Bear in mind that the spray may brown the leaf tips and visible pistils. This is a very powerful contact insecticide.

If you feel like going the store-bought route, a product called Safer Insecticidal Soap has been used with good results. As a final resort, you can use insecticides made from pyrethins, which are synthesized from certain varities of Chrysanthemums. Although they are reportedly non-toxic to humans and animals, they are a potent toxin and probably shouldn't be used anytime near harvest.

With any insecticide, multiple treatments over a 1- to 3-week period will probably be necessary to kill the bugs, plus any new ones that hatch after your first applications.

Finally, perhaps the best route is to go outside and catch some ladybugs (or order them from a nursery or garden supply). Ladybugs are vicious insect killers, but won't touch your plants.

Blood Meal: 13 - 0 - 0

Blood meal has one of the highest concentrations of Nitrogen of any organic fertilizer, and is consequently a popular choice for the vegetative growth period. In its dry and slow-acting form, it can be mixed in with the soil at a rate of 1 to 2 tablespoons per gallon of soil mix. However, many growers prefer to use it as a soluble fertilizer as it acts very quickly without much danger of burning - much like the action of a chemical fertilizer, but without the risks.

To make blood meal tea, soak 1 tablespoon of blood meal in a gallon of water for 5 to 7 days. The longer you wait, the higher concentration of N the tea will have. Shake well, then strain out the solids and water your plants with the tea.

Bone Meal: 1 - 11 - 0

Bone meal is high in Phosphorus, and is most suitable for the flowering period. However, as it is a slow-release fertilizer, it is fine to add to the soil earlier in the grow period. (Perhaps the best course of action is to add it to the mix you perform your final transplant into.) One caution about bone meal, especially in Europe, is that many growers will not use it for fear of spreading Mad Cow Disease. Although this has not been proven, it is wise to bear this in mind.

Fish Emulsion: 5 - 1 - 1

Fish emulsion is a liquid solution made from decomposed fish and sometimes other ingredients. It is an exceedingly gentle fertilizer and is thought by many growers to be the best "first fert" to use on young plants. Its NPK ratio is also ideal for vegetative growth. It is usually mixed with water at a rate of 1 to 3 tablespoons per gallon.

Worm Castings: 0.5 - 0.5 - 0.3

Also known as worm compost or good ol' worm shit, this may be the single best all-purpose fertilizer. Although the nutrient levels are relatively low, worm castings somehow have amazing effects on plant vigor, and anyone who has used them can testify to their effectiveness. They are very gentle on plants, making them ideal for seedlings, and also contain micronutrients. Worm castings can be used as part of the soil mix (no more than 15% total volume is suggested) or can be made into tea (1 part WC to 5 parts water) and applied as watering solution or as a foliar fertilizer.

Kelp Meal: 1 - 0.5 - 2.5

Kelp meal provides over 60 trace elements, plus growth promoting hormones and enzymes. As such, it is often used to ensure the plant is properly supplied with micronutrients. Can be used as part of the soil mix (1-2 tablespoons/gallon) or brewed into tea at the same rate.

08. Hydroponics

Hydroponics

Hydroponics is simply the growing of plants without soil, instead using a medium like clay pebbles, rockwool-floc or perlite and vermiculite mixture. The type of mixture you choose to grow your plants in will depend on the type of system you are using to grow your plants in, some methods use no medium at all. There are many advantages to hydroponics, firstly it is fast as you are providing the exact elements the plant needs to grow, secondly plants do not generally become root-bound in hydroponic grows as the food is delivered to the roots, the plants don’t have to go searching. Things will happen a little quicker in hydro so you have to make daily visits to the garden, inspect it and notice what’s happening with the plant or plants there, look listen and learn.
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As we are not using soil we will need to provide the elements the plant needs to grow, generally we should try and use a hydroponic food, but any mineral salt plant food will do. Remember to use it according to the directions, as your plants will not grow any faster if you give them too much food. Nutrients are usually sold, as concentrates that are mixed with water, never pour these directly on to your plants, as they are too strong when undiluted. Generally you will want to flush your plants once per month with fresh water to remove any excess salts that may buildup. PH is important in hydroponics but electronic pens whilst necessary for active systems are not so for passive whose growers can use PH test kits for aquariums or even test tape as a cheaper option.

We aim for a Ph of between 5.5 and 6.1 in hydroponics at all times. In vegetative state we aim for the more acidic 5.5 and in flowering up higher at 5.9 to 6.1 so we get all the available elements the plant needs. We can lower the Ph making it more acidic with Phosphoric acid or we can raise it making it alkaline with Potassium Hydroxide, both available from gardening stores. The strength of the nutrient is measured either by a PPM pen or an EC Pen available from hydroponic and gardening stores. Beginners can grow simply by following the nutrient recommendations on the bottle.

There are two types of hydroponic systems, passive and active. Passive systems are the simplest and easiest to use, they are also the cheapest. You can simply get an 8-inch pot, some perlite/vemiculite mixture and a small fluorescent light and you are growing. Some people may wish to grow outdoors using this method, as the results are just as good. Passive methods of growing will usually use perlite & Vemiculite granules as a medium or other suitable materials, the plant will simply be hand-watered when the medium becomes dry 1 inch down, you can test this by sticking your finger in and checking. Another basic passive system is the wick system, again its just a pot that sits above a small tray of nutrient, there is wicks running from the tray up through the pots, keeping the mixture moist and providing food the whole time for the plant. Another option is a tub placed in a tub, make some holes in the top tub and run the wicks through into the nutrient below fill the top tub with perlite vemiculite and you’re growing. The solutions in these types of systems are discarded every 3 or 4 days and a new solution is prepared.

A simple Rock-wool system can be made by getting a kitty litter tray and cutting a rock-wool slab in half so it sits inside the tray, next saturate it with mixture of nutrient solution that is ph adjusted to 5.5 and leave for 24hrs, Rock-wool is advantageous in that you can buy small plugs to plant seeds or start clones in then simply cut a hole in a larger rock-wool slab and plant straight in, the roots will grow straight through the small cube into the slab. You will need to make a hole in the bottom of the tray for the slab to drain, keep it wet and allow it to drain by placing the tray on an angle. Remember to flush the whole slab with at least 5 gallons of water every 2 weeks to prevent excess salt buildup. Rockwool slabs can also be used in Ebb and flow tables where a pump floods the table to a particular height then it over flows through a tube back to the tank below, after the pump turns off the tray drains back through the pump hose. Pots with expanded clay pebbles can also be used in systems like this, watering is controlled by a timer attached to the pump and is generally turned on for 15mins every hour or more. We only need use 8 inch pots in our systems unless massive plants are our goal as the plant is always delivered what it needs, an overall highly efficient method of gardening.

Active systems are those that use a pump to in some way circulate the nutrients, this can be as simple as a 10 gallon tub below containing the nutrients, and a tray above with 6 or 7 pots in it, a tube runs from the pump in the tank below up to a smaller hose that runs to each of the plants, a hole in the bottom of the tray allows the nutrient solution to run back down to the tank. DWC or Deep water Culture gardens have pots or tubs that are suspended 1 inch over nutrient solution, an aquarium bubbler is placed below the bottom of the plant and bubbles feed the plant the air it needs whilst its constantly in nutrient meaning that the growth can be extremely quick this also is possible with high performance aeroponic and the Quantum Hydroponic gardens.

All active systems perform well, but can be costly to setup initially, the advantages is that the nutrients are either periodically or continually pumped and delivered to the plants resulting in very fast and lush growth and flowering. These systems will require more daily work than the passive systems but are not overly hard to master with patience and practice. Aeroponic systems often have small 6 inch pots filled with expanded clay or pea gravel, the roots grow in netted pots down into opaque tubs or tubes and small misters spray micro fine droplets of nutrient solution that are absorbed by the plants. We can buy small aquarium bubblers with tubes and bubble air through our nutrient solutions to keep them balanced. Optionally we can use aquarium heaters also to heat the solution to around 75° F or 21° C.

No matter what method we choose to grow our plant or plants there are a few things we should remember about hydro grows. Plant mediums should never be saturated for extended periods of time, this is especially important with Rockwool slabs and Perlite/Vemiculite pots, too much water can cause death (the plant will drown). We don’t over feed our plants to make them grow bigger buds either, marijuana plants will only take what they need and cannot be force fed, too much nutrient just means burnt leaves and poor health. In the garden we regularly remove dead leaves and make sure the plants are healthy and bug free. Some green algae may grow on the medium, we can prevent this by covering our Rock-wool slabs and our pots with black plastic to prevent the light from reaching it, harmless but annoying.

07. Deer, Rodents & Insects

Deer, Rodents & Insects
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Deer

Deer have an extremely sensitive sense of smell, as much as six times more so than dogs. Deer are very wary of predator scents such as urine and hair. Of these, urine has the stronger scent and the urine of the deer's natural predators - bobcat, fox, wolf or coyote would probably serve best. One such method is as follows:

Materials
Small plastic bottle
Cotton balls
Fishing line
Coyote urine (garden supply store)

First you'll want drill or puncture several holes about 1/8 of an inch in diameter around the middle of the bottle. Then stuff the bottle with the cotton balls and soak the cotton well with the coyote urine and place the cap back on the bottle. Hang the bottle with the fishing line from one of your perimeter plants and resoak the cotton every 2-3 weeks.

There are also natural scents such as putrified (rotted) eggs or the blood based (bloodmeal) deterrants that work well, but must be reapplied after each rain or particularly heavy dew. Strong scented soaps like Irish Spring will work in a pinch, and dryer sheets, like Bounce, torn into strips and tied to the stalks will work even better.

Using human hair is an old tried and true method that requires nothing more than a few inches of your hair or asking your barber if you can have his floor sweepings. Just tie clumps of hair to the stalks to keep deer away. But this method like the blood and soap methods must be repeated after each rain.

One of the simplest, easiest and most effective methods is stringing a strong monofilament fishing line around the perimeter of your grow about 3 1/2 to 4 feet above the ground. I know it seems ridiculous, but deer won't advance past the point where the string touches their chest because deer have a natural fear of anything they feel but can't see.

Of all the methods to repel or deter deer nothing beats a good fence. But since deer can jump 4-5 feet from a standing still position and as high as 5-7 feet on the run a deer fence must be around 8 feet tall or 5 feet tall with a 2 foot section slanted outward to be effective. A double fence will work well as long as it's high enough that the deer can't see above it because deer won't jump into an enclosure they think they'll be trapped in. Fences are ideal when dealing with deer, but not very practical for the guerilla grower that doesn't want to attract attention to his grow location.

To ensure a deer free growing environment I suggest employing 2 or 3 of the mentioned methods and change the set up each season.

Rodents & Small Pests

Since rodents fear the same predators as deer the same urine odors that work with them will work just as effectively with rodents of all kinds. These are a few specific tips that may come in handy for those who prefer to grow outdoors.

Rabbits

Rabbits will avoid the scent of vinegar, so if you save the corn cobs from your dinner and cut them in half you can soak them and scatter them around your plants. You can reuse the cobs and vinegar over and over again too.

Planting a few onions will repel rabbits too. I'm not sure on why this is, but my granny swore by it and who am I to question her?

Sprinkling red pepper, black pepper, cayenne, paprika etc on the ground around your plants will work well as a deterant too. Because bunnies are always sniffing the ground they'll get a snootfull and bolt. (This is one of those methods that needs reapplying after a rain or heavy dew.)

Garlic Oil Spray is an option with rabbits. You'll need the following materials:

3 Ounces of minced garlic gloves
1 Ounce mineral water
1 Teaspoon fish emulsion
1 Tablespoon Castille soap
1 Empty mayomaise jar
1 Mist sprayer

Combine 3 ounces of minced garlic cloves with 1 ounce of mineral oil. Let soak for 24 hours or longer. Strain. Next mix 1 teaspoon of fish emulsion with 16 ounces of water. Add 1 tablespoon of castille soap to this. Now slowly combine the fish emulsion water with the garlic oil. Kept in a sealed glass container this mixture will stay viable for several months. To use: Mix 2 tablespoons of garlic oil with 1 pint of water and spray on the stalks.

Raccoons & Skunks

Not much will stop raccoons and they usually have litters of between two to seven babies. They're territorial and will run the same area for generation after generation. This knowledge won't make combatting them any easier, but it will make your success failures more bearable.

Surrounding the grow area with a horizontal border that coons and skunks don't like to walk on such as crumpled up black plastic, newspaper, or aluminum foil. Hold these in place with some rocks, landscape pins, or soil.

Using mesh fencing or chicken wire as a horizontal barrier is probably one of the best ways to deal with these varmints. Raise these slightly above the ground with some bricks to make it even more of a hassle to cross.

Finally, spreading naphthalene flakes or balls around, raccoons hate the taste of this in their paws and they are said to also aid in repelling skunks. Also the vinegar soaked corn cobs used to keep away rabbits will aid in keeping 'coons and skunks away too.

Squirrels

Squirrels will not be much of a problem until the budding stages. To repel squirrels mix naphthalene flakes, gypsum, and chile pepper. Spread around the grow area. The pepper mixture used on rabbits will be effective here as well.

My advice for dealing with squirrels is get stoned and watch them as a source of amusement because they don't usually do enough damage to get upset about.

Moles, Voles & Groundhogs

I don't have much first hand information on these critters, but here are a few tips I gleened from other growers:

Spray a solution of 1 tablespoon of castor oil and 1 tablespoon of liquid dish soap per gallon of warm water on the soil around plants.

Some people have had success at keeping moles at bay using hot peppers. Use jalapenos or habaneros, the hotter the better! Keep a bag full in the freezer to have on hand when you need them, ready to use against moles and for your bug sprays. What you want to do is tightly pack the peppers into the openings of the runs using as many as you need. Do this everywhere you find an entrance and at intervals along the tunnels if you can find them. Dig an opening then stuff with peppers. For every spot you pack with peppers be sure to fill it in with dirt and tamp down firmly.

As a last resort and a more permanant solution you can place rolled up pieces of Juicy fruit gum in mole tunnels. Be sure to wear gloves to mask your scent when you unwrap the gum. Moles love it, but it clogs their innards, fatally. Or use Ex-Lax which has the opposite effect.

Rats & Mice

These varmints can ruin an entire harvest by getting into a drying bin and eating your stash. What they don't eat they'll defecate on and ruin that way. A simple yet effective method of keeping them away is to scatter fresh or dried mint or holly leaves as a repellent. The mint works like a charm and it smells good too. Use it everywhere mice are a problem and they will not go near it.

A more final solution is to slice up corks, mix with food grease (bacon grease, hamburger grease etc.) then scent this mixture with oil of anise. Put out for the rodents. They love to eat it, but cannot digest it and die.

Cats & Dogs

If you're having a hard time keeping Fluffy and Fido out of your grow then here's a couple tips that will help you out and won't hurt the family pet.

Try scaring the begeezus out of them by placing mouse traps with the trap side down on the soil. When they are disturbed they will pop into the air and scare the intruder. This will not only work well with dogs and cats, but wild critters will be kept away as well. The trap is already sprung when it jumps so it won't hurt the animals. Also making use of the pepper mixture mentioned before will deter cats and dogs.

Slugs & Common Insects

I've never had a slug problem before, so I searched the web and found this section from Natural Life that verified some of the methods I'd heard of but never used myself.

Controlling Slugs

Keeping plants healthy in an organic garden involves avoidance techniques like creating a garden environment that encourages plants to grow while discouraging pests and diseases. Inevitably some problems will still arise unless specific action is taken.

The common slug is too common a pest to even need much of an introduction. Slugs attack a wide range of plants, causing anything from slight damage to death.

Unfortunately, there is no foolproof method for eradicating slugs. All one can hope for is to reduce their numbers and protect plants when they're at a vulnerable stage.

Toads, frogs, and beetles eat slugs and are worth encouraging in your garden.

There are few fleshy plants that slugs don't eat. But if your slug problem is particularly bad, avoid their favourites, such as hostas and marigolds.

One of the best ways of dealing with slugs is to use physical barriers. Place plastic bottle cloches around plants, or sprinkle circles of lime, eggshells, or sawdust around plants.

Slugs are attracted to saucers or plastic pots of milk or beer (they drown themselves in ecstacy).

To be sure you're keeping your slimy slug population under control, collect them by hand at night or on damp days. Try collecting them under a tile or wet cardboard, and squash all eggs you find while digging.

Placing a saucer of salt is the method I've heard since I was old enough to dig in the dirt while mom pulled weeds in her flower bed. Martha Stewart recommends coiling a piece of wire around the base of your plants to give slugs a shocking experience. Of course Martha probably doesn't have the same plants in her garden as we do, but I won't tell her if you don't.

Insects

This is a recipe for an organic insect repellant that works pretty well with most insects.

3 hot green peppers (canned or fresh)
2 or 3 cloves garlic
3/4 tsp liquid soap
3 cups water

Puree the peppers and garlic cloves in a blender. Pour into a spray bottle and add the liquid soap and water. Let stand 24 hours. Strain out pulp and spray onto infested plants, making sure to coat both tops and bottoms of leaves.

Aphids

To keep aphids and other pests off your plants just finely chop1 onion and 2 medium cloves of garlic. Put ingredients into a blender with 2 cups of water and blend on high. Strain out pulp. Pour liquid into spray bottle. Spray a fine mist on plants, making sure to coat both tops and bottoms of leaves.

Spider Mites

Combine 1/2 cup buttermilk, 4 cups wheat flour and 5 gallons water and apply the same as the aphid solution. This suffocates spider mites and other mites.

Australian Indigenous Varmints

My appreciation to Rob Young for his contribution. Rob suggests tying fresh bones around your crop, with fence wire, to attract dingos, or wild dogs. According to Rob:

"Not many leaf eating animals will hang around where a dog craps. I had an area with some bones tied around it, and it kept enough digoes camped around my crop that no kanagroos would go within coo-ee of the place. When I visited the crop, scuff marks were all over the place where they had been fighting, and the definate smell of "dog" could be noticed even by humans, let alone kangaroos, or wallabies, which are our biggest problem with chewing on plants."

Rob also had this to add on fencing in Australia:

"Use an electric fence. You can buy small battery operated ones. Put in some posts, either steel, and insulate the electric fence wire, which u can buy in different colors, or u can buy plastic posts, that dont need insulating, and can be painted to hide them easier. Space the fence wire a few inches apart from almost ground level up. The wombat will snif the wire with his nose, and get zapped, and bolt.

They look like toys, but friends of mine that run big properties have gauges that measure the output of electric fences, and my little portable one put out about 100 watts more than their big industrial ones. They run on 4 D size batteries, and the electric fence comes with two pulse speeds. On slow speed, the batteries last about one month, on fast speed, about 3 weeks.

You have to place an earth peg in the ground to earth the whole turnout or else it wont work. So put a bit of water on the earth peg whenever things get a bit dry.

Since carrying water is a drag, I used to use every drop I carried for my plants, then pissed on the earth peg. If the earth peg dries out, the fence will be useless.

Not will it only keep wombats away, but wallabies, roos, and possums, and cattle."

Additions to this section of the Grow Guide are welcomed and encouraged.

06. Outdoor Cultivation

Outdoor Cultivation

For many cultivators,outdoor growing is by far the best. It will produce the most potency and unlike indoors,you can grow 12 foot monsters if conditions are correct.
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Being a naturally robust and fast growing plant marijuana thrives in full sun-but will produce satisfactorily with only 5 hours of direct sunlight.

Growing outdoors has many benefits especially in comparison to indoor cultivation. No electricity bills, no huge monetary layout, and also no dark times to keep you away from your plants. Sunlight tends to reach more of the plant and often the bottom of the plant is as developed as the top, especially when grown in full sunlight. From seed to harvest outdoors can be a long, and though very enjoyable time, one can be faced with a number of problems. In the 6 months or so it takes to grow out your plants, rain and wind can rip little buds apart, deer may eat your crop, rodents, snails and a number of insects/bugs can and will destroy an entire crop. These things need to be considered, vigilance and care can keep problems to a minimum.

The most important factors to be considered before planting, however, are Security, the need for maximum light, quality of the soil in the area and water availability. A compromise of these basic factors will assist you in choosing the most appropriate site for your crop. Light exposure is all important when first locating a site. Try to find an innocuous spot where the sun shines for the longest period of time. If you must choose between the morning sun and afternoon sun, it has been shown that the morning sun is more penetrative. Optimum exposure would be 8-5, however, 10-4 will suffice. Large open areas have the best exposure although if electing to grow on a slope usually the south side of a hill receives the most sunlight (in the northern hemisphere, north side of the hill for you in the southern hemisphere). Keeping in mind that sunlight at higher altitudes is more intense due to the thinner atmosphere. East/West exposures can be very beneficial when getting the morning and midday sun.

There are many precautions one can take to protect their bounty from poachers and the law, which include pruning to obscure that distinctive cone-shape of a cannabis plant. Another is inter cropping/companion planting-plant amongst soybeans, tomato plants, bamboo, sugar cane, etc.

When growing away from the house-in the wild-access to water can be a huge challenge. Once you have chosen a site, well away from prying eyes and in direct sunlight, water must be your next consideration. It must be available nearby or close to the soil surface otherwise you will have to carry it in. Water is heavy and watering is very hard work let alone the risks taken walking back and forth to your crop every 4 or 5 days in mid-summer. Try to find an area as close to a source of water as possible, a novel idea in this regard is to find water in the mountains-at altitude-and route it down to a lower spot close by. It is possible to create water pressure in a hose this way, and route it to a drip system that feeds the plants at continuous intervals. You can take a 5 gallon (20 litre) drum and punch holes in it, run a hose from the main oriface and secure it somehow. Bury the drum in a river or stream under rocks,so it is hidden and submerged. Bury the hose coming out of it and run it down hill to your garden area. A little engineering can save a lot of hard work-and this rig can be used year after year.

You will also need to decide whether you are going to plant in the ground, which is by far the best option, or into large pots. Planting directly into the ground gives you freedom from root bound worries and the need for transplanting. Some growers prefer growing in large pots, however, so the plants can be easily transported should the need arise. Entire crops have been saved due to being transportable in pots. Also, by digging a big hole and placing the pot inside it, you can reduce the height of your plants if fence level is an issue.

Once deciding upon your plot, begin by digging a big hole with at least 2.5 feet dimensions. The bigger the better and if tree roots are present,be sure to dig as wide as possible. The soil quality will now be more easily analysed, however there is no one perfect soil to grow cannabis in. Different varieties grow within a wide range of soil conditions. Your objective is a soil comprising of good drainage and aeration, high in available nutrients and with an average pH. Though these days,outdoor growers aim for a pH. reading of 6.3 to 6.8. Cannabis grows very poorly in extremely compacted soils with poor drainage and extreme pH. When the soil in the plot is not adequate, options are open to you in the way of improving the soil medium. Soil conditioners are available or you can carry topsoil in.

Plants grown in the ground should grow much bigger and will need more space than smaller, indoor plants. How far apart you space them will greatly depend on variety, plus whether or not the plant has been topped. Pruned plants have a much wider base than unpruned plants. Plants which are topped more than once can grow twice the size as they normally would. The more space afforded to each plant the more sunlight they will receive, therefore growing bigger thus increasing yield.

When choosing to grow in a greenhouse it is a good idea to disguise it as a tool shed, or some similar structure which can partially be achieved by using only one wall and the roof of white opaqued plastic, PVC, Felon or glass, and using a similar colour material for the rest of the shed-or painting it white or silver to look like metal. Try to make it appear as if it has always been there, with plants and trees that grow around to mask it while still allowing in sunlight. Clear plastic sheets of Felon (corrugated fibreglass) are available and you can opaque them with white wash (made from lime) or Epoxy resin tinted with white or gray painted on in a thin layer-this will pass more sun than white PVC or Felon. The coats of Epoxy resin will also protect the Felon for many, many seasons. Be sure not to tint the resin too much. You need to also keep the sun blockage to a minimum.

Felon can also be used as a roof/cover for any plants in the garden requiring camouflage and protection.

05. Harvest (Drying & Curing)

Harvest (Drying & Curing)

The harvesting, drying, and curing of a mature cannabis plant is the climax of the growing experience, it is the final step in claiming cultivation independence.
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Although these are the last steps of the cultivation process, they are of the most critical to the final product. The harvest, for example, depending on the cultivators ability to judge maturity, can greatly increase or decrease the levels of THC, as well as the levels of CBN and CBD.

Cannabis is harvested when the flowers are ripe. The best indicator of ripeness is the color of the flower's pistils. Over the course of the flowering period, these pistils begin to die and, depending on the strain, turn different shades of brown, orange, and so on. Many cultivators choose to harvest when 60-75% of the pistils, or "hairs" have changed colors. Optimum harvest times will vary widely with each Cannabis strain, so the best way to find that perfect harvest time is to experiment! Try cutting buds off during different times of flower (one at 6 weeks, then one at 7 weeks, etc.) to determine which time period suits you best.

When picked early and immaturely, Cannabis flowers will contain a lower concentration of CBN and CBD while maintaining a high amount of THC content. For some, flowers that have been picked a bit early are desirable, as the higher level of THC produces a very 'up' and cerebral high.

When Cannabis buds are picked in a more mature state, the levels of THC drop and the levels of CBN and CBD increase. This fluctuation is cause for a more 'down' and stone high. Sit back and have some food already prepared!

The final yield of the plant will depend greatly on your chosen harvest time, nutes you have provided over the course of the plants life, time given for the plant to vegetate, soil mixture/hydro solution used, and many more variants. Keep in mind, a bud weighs more when fully ripe and freshly picked. After a proper dry and cure, the average loss of weight is around 75 percent.

Because of impatience, most novice cultivators want to pick flowers early. That's OK! Be sure, however, to take buds from the middle of the plant or the top. Allow the rest to continue maturing. Often, the tops of the plants will be ripe first. Harvest these and let the rest of the plant continue to ripen. You will notice the lower buds getting larger and more resinous as they come into full maturity. The overall yield can be increased with a staggered harvest as the lower branch buds are receiving higher amounts of light and more attention from the plants internal chemical processes.

Use a magnifier and try to see the capitated stalked trichomes (tiny THC crystals on the buds). If most are clear, not brown, the peak of floral bouquet is near. Once most of these trichomes have reached a brown color, the THC levels are dropping and the flower is past optimum potency, declining rapidly with light and wind exposure. Don't harvest too late! Watch the plants and learn to spot peak floral potency.

Manicuring tends to be the most tedious of the cultivation processes. It is the point when you remove all the excess fan leaves and unwanted foliage from your flowers. This stage can be executed in one of two ways, either wet or dry. A wet manicure tends to be much cleaner, as the leaves are still moist and will not create too much of a mess, whereas a dry manicure can leave quite a sticky mess!

Use a pair of clean, sharp scissors or clippers to remove the excess. Work your way from the largest leaves to the smallest to make the process much easier. Many people clip around the bud as if they were giving it a hair cut, snipping the outer extremities of the bud, leaving a clean, beautiful nugget.

Do not dry Cannabis flowers in the sun, as this process has shown to reduce the potency of the buds. Slowly drying buds by hanging or laying them in a ventilated area is all that is needed to ensure great sensi. Bud is much more pleasing to the taste when it has been slow-dried over the course of a couple of weeks, depending on the density of the flowers. Leafier bud will take less time, as heavier bud will take much longer.

Although you may want your bud to taste premium when fully completed, sometimes impatience gets the best of you. If your in a hurry, it's fine to dry a small amount in-between paper sheets or a paper bag in a microwave oven. Be sure to watch the bud and not let it get over-dried. As convenient as this is, the end result will be a very harsh smoke with a most unpleasant taste as the chlorophyll has not had the chance to convert into starches and sugars.

A good indicator of a properly dried bud is actually its stem. If you are able to bend the stem a bit before it snaps in half, it is ready to be cured. This is another critical part of the cultivation experience. A bud that has been properly cured can be much more potent than one that has not. Following a simple process will ensure a great-tasting, mind-blasting smoke.

Glass jars, metal coffee tins, or Tupperware, amongst other items, can be used to cure your buds. Place the well-dried flowers in the container of your choice and leave it in a relatively cool, dark place. Remove the lid from the container daily and turn the buds, allowing carbon dioxide to escape. Repeat this process for at least two weeks, or until you achieve the desired taste and/or potency.

Lastly, make sure to keep the dried and cured bud in a container away from heat or light exposure as much as possible and you will be pleased with the long shelf-life of your very own harvest!

04. Vegetative Growth & Flowering

Vegetative Growth & Flowering

Once your new sprout starts producing leaves, you are in the vegetative growth stage of the plant. Only water when the soil is dry all the way to the bottom of the container it is growing in. You can check by sticking a finger through one of the drain holes in the bottom of the pot to feel how wet the soil is, or by using a water meter. Perhaps the best method, however, is to wait for the plant to tell you it needs water. The leaves will start wilting slightly and the plant generally looks "thirsty." The reason this method is preferable to others is twofold—one, you are assured of not over watering, and two, allowing the soil to dry out completely stimulates the roots to grow as they search for water.##CONTINUE##

More Roots = Bigger Plant = More Buds

Probably the most common error for new growers is over watering. Over watering will cause the plant to grow poorly, and if continued will lead to root rot and eventual death. Be careful if you are starting out with a large pot. If you water a small plant too much in a large pot, the plant may not be able to soak up all that water. It may look dry on top, but you might end up having mud on the bottom of the soil. This will cause root rot on your plant and is very unhealthy. A plant that is not watered enough is much more healthy then a plant that is watered too much. It's also harder to recover from over watering then under watering.

As a rule 1/2 inch of gravel or another suitable, high draining mixture at the bottom of the pot will help to prevent this problem and will also stop the plant from drowning if it’s over-watered. It's a good idea to have a fan hooked up and ready to go once the plant breaks though the soil. Having a fan blowing on the stem from the start of growth will insure a good strong stem so the plant will be able to hold it self upright during its life span. Simulating wind by providing a gentle breeze will help your stem grow strong to support the weight of the leaves and buds as the wind will cause small tears in the plants stem walls, tears that are repaired as the plant grows and provide strength to the main stem. Bigger, stronger stems = bigger, stronger plant = more & better buds.

Bigger Stems = Bigger Plant = Bigger Buds

The temperature can be anywhere from the low 70s to the high 80s with no damage to the plants. For soil, the desired pH range is between 6.3 and 6.8 generally speaking. Anything in that range will be safe for your plant. The humidity should be around 60% for vegetative growth. During the vegetative cycle feed your plants a high Nitrogen (N) food. There are many kinds of products that carry high Nitrogen content. It's generally best to start the mixture out at 1/4 the recommended dosage and increase the strength whilst the plant grows and develops in both foliage and root size, overdoing the nutrients at this point will not make the plant grow faster, but will most likely burn it. For vegetative growth, look for a fertilizer with a N-P-K ratio of roughly 2-1-1. N-P-K is the number found on fertilizer packages that signifies the amount and ratio of the three major nutrients needed by plants: Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K). For this stage, then, look for a fertilizer that has roughly twice as much N as it does P and K. Now that your plant is around the 12" mark or 4-6 weeks old, you might notice the leaves sets start to alternate. When the top branches start to alternate this is the sign that your plant has reached maturity and are ready to be flowered.

Since you have your plant in the 24/7 cycle let the plant grow for as long as you like. A plant may double, triple even quadruple its' height when flowering. Sativas can stretch up to 4 times there height and Indicas generally double in height. Some strains call for up to 8 weeks of vegetative growth. Your height, yield and potency will all depend on the strain and the way it was grown. As our aim is for bud, and lots of it, we will try and avoid massive plants unless we have the light to provide them with, otherwise we get a plant with huge stems, and only bud at the top 9 or 10 inches.

Remember, you can only get "bud" from a female plant. So you want to focus your efforts on the female plants. In order to find the sex of the plant, get a light timer and put the lights on a cycle of 12-hours on and 12-hours off. Having a light timer is much easier then doing it manually and is much more accurate. Make sure your plants get the complete 12hours of darkness during this stage. Any light interruption may prolong your sexing results for days or even weeks. Your flowering stage may take 2-3 months. You need to keep them on a constant cycle and remember to have complete darkness during the 12 hours of no light. Any interruption may cause reduced yield, potency, or extended harvest.

During the flowering cycle feed your plants need a high Phosphorous (P) food. There are many kinds of products that carry high amounts of Phosphorous. Generally start out the mixture at 1/2 the recommended dosage. The humidity should ideally be around 40% to 55% for this stage.

After a few days to usually 14 days of your 12/12 cycle, look for little white hairs (indicating a female) or little balls (which will be male) starting to grow at the base of each inter node. The hairs will grow to about 1/4" long or so. They will be easily visible. Expect to see a pair of these hairs at each site. The balls may also grow at the base of each branch. They will grow in bunches and look a little like horns before forming. These balls contain pollen. As soon as you have identified what sex your plant is (male or female) then cull the males (remove them from the area) to give the females more room and more light. This is the start of the buds forming. As time goes on the buds will get bigger and bigger and they will use more and more fertilizer. It is advised that you stop using ferts 2 weeks before your harvest to ensure that all chemicals are out of the plant. If chemicals are in the plant when you harvest, the smoke will be very harsh. To prevent harshness, flush the plants heavily with fresh water 2 weeks prior to harvesting them. Ensure you flush at least 3 times the capacity of your pot. So a 4 gallon pot would be flushed with 16 gallons of fresh water.

You can smoke male plants, but the main focus is the female bud. This is rich with THC and can be very enjoyable to smoke. Soon you will be harvesting your plant once it has grown to the point where it stops, and begins to swell and become ripe.

03. Germination

Germination

So, you have your beans in your hand. Now you are wondering what you are gonna do to get these to start growing. If you have purchased seeds from a reputable seed bank then you can be sure that they are all fit to attempt to germinate since they have been through a screening process already. However, if you have obtained your seeds from a bag then you need to do some simple checks to see if the seeds are viable or not. One way to test yourself is to lightly squeeze the seed between your index finger and thumb. If it gets crushed, then it's no good. Usually white, dried up seeds are immature and will crush. Dark green, green or brown seeds are more apt to germinate well. You can't tell the sex of a plant by looking at the seeds. The are some theories here but there are no physical signs that one can use to distinguish male from female seeds.
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Some people like to germinate the seed using methods such as the paper towel method before they grow the plant. This is to ensure that the seeds get off to a good start. But it is not really necessary to do this unless you have a large amount (50 ore more) of seeds for your area. If you only have a few seeds then you can plant them right in the soil.

Paper Towel Method

To germinate in a paper towel simply place the seed between to dampened pieces of the paper towel. Next, place the seed/towel combination into a Tupperware container or plate. Set the container on top of a computer monitor, refrigerator or propagation pad and wait until the seed cracks and you see a tiny white root tip start to emerge from the seed.

Planting The Seed

After you have germinated the seed you will see a little white root sticking out of the split shell. Dig a small hole in the soil. The end of a pencil works great for making a hole. When planting the seed or sprout be sure to only go down 1/4" to 1/2" and drop the seed in. Make sure that the root or pointy side of the seed is pointing down when inserting into the soil. Fill over the whole with soil, then keep the soil moist but not damp/wet with some water. You should provide at least 4" of vertical space for the tap root to grow down. Place one seed each in a 20 ounce cup, or a one gallon pot, then place your pot under your lights. Start with a 24/7 light cycle, meaning twenty-four hours on, seven days a week. You should see sprouts within 2-14 days depending on your individual conditions and the method you used. For quickest results try and keep the temperature in the mid to high 80's (F). You will see slower germination rates but lower temperatures are acceptable as well (70s), this will simply increase the amount of time it takes to germinate the seed.

What To Look For

The sprout will emerge first with the two seed leaves. These leaves are small, smooth and round followed by a set of single bladed, serrated leaves known as the first leaves. The height of your light from the sprout will depend on what kind you are using. If using florescent lights, they usually run cool enough to put them within 1-2 inches of your sprouts. If your going with a HPS or MH type of light, they get hot, so you won't want them too close. A good way to test a light is to put your hand between the plant—or in this case soil—and test how hot it is with your hand. If it's uncomfortable for your hand, it's too hot. Raise the light up until you reach a good temperature. These type of lights will also dry your soil out fast, so keep your eye on it. Once your light is set and the leaves start coming in you now are on you way to growth stage.

Once you see the plant break though the top of the soil—it should take from 1 day to 1 week—you will see two small round leaves. Your plant will grow up a few inches with the two leaves getting a bit bigger and new leaves starting between the two round ones. Your stem will probably look white, green or even purple at this stage. The color depends on what strain of plant you have.

What To Avoid

It's advised that you refrain from giving your plant fertilizer during the first stages of growth. These stages are quite delicate, it doesn't take much to make a fatal mistake. Remember though, that throughout the whole life span of your plant, like most other things in life, the more things you have going on at one time, the more likely for a problem to arise. Your best bet is to keep things simple.

02. Lighting

Lighting

Light is needed by a plant for using nutrients and manufacturing food. It has a great influence on chlorophyll production, growth rate, leaf size, and flower and seed production. Light will be one of the most important aspects of your grow operation. For the purposes of growing marijuana, there are two basic types of lights: fluorescent's and high intensity discharge (HID), including MV (mercury vapor), MH (metal halide), and HPS (high pressure sodium).
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植物需要光來利用養份和製造食物。它對葉綠素的製造、生長速度、葉子的大小、及花和種子的製造有很大的影響。光將是種植最重要的面相之一。對於種植大麻來 說，有兩種基本的光源：日光燈和高壓放電燈(HID)，包含了水銀燈(MV)、複金屬(滷素)燈(MH)和高壓鈉燈(HPS)。
HID vs. Fluorescent

The main difference is that fluorescent's create light by passing electricity through a gas vapor under low pressure and HID creates light by passing electricity through a gas vapor under high pressure. HID lights are much brighter and while initially more expensive, are more cost efficient to operate and will grow a much nicer crop. Therefore, they are the light of choice for most indoor growers.

HID和日光燈最主要的差別在於日光燈藉由低壓電子穿透氣體發光而HID藉由高壓電子穿透氣體發光。HID亮得多而且初期成本較貴、但較有效率也讓植物長得較好。所以它們是大多數室內種植者的首選之光。

Fluorescent

Fluorescents come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. There are compacts, twist bulbs and circle bulbs. They all work the same way. They have a starter and ballast which help provide a steady and regulated amount of electricity to the light. Before HID lights were available indoor growers used fluorescent lights. While fluorescents can be used for an entire grow from seedling to harvest, it is generally not advised to use them in this way. To grow effectively with fluorescent's, think small. These lights are better suited for starting seedlings, rooting clones and small plants, maintaining moms for cloning purposes, and providing sidelight for the undergrowth. These situations do not require a high intensity of light to run their course. The light emitted by fluorescents is gentler and more diffuse, it doesn't release a lot of heat, and doesn't make the plant work as hard. For this reason they can be kept closer to the plant. One or two inches is sufficient, but this also means that the lights must be adjusted almost daily to accommodate growth which can be troublesome.

日光燈有多種不同的形狀和大小。它們都用同樣的方法發光。它們有一個啟動器和一個提供穩固和定量電力的安定器。在有HID之前，室內種植者使用日光燈。日 光燈可以用在整個從種子催芽到收成的種植過程，但通常不建議這樣使用。要想有效率地用日光燈種植，想小一點。這些光比較適合催芽、髮根和小的植物，照顧無 性生植的母株，和提供底層的邊光。這些情況並不需要強烈的光線。日光燈所發出的光要溫和、擴散得多，也不會產生太多的熱、也不會讓植物長得太辛苦。因為這 樣，它們可以放得離植物更近。一到兩英吋就夠了，但這也表示光源必需每天調整，以適合植物生長，這有個麻煩。

High Intensity Discharge

There are basically three types of HID lights. Mercury vapor (MV), metal halide (MH), and high pressure sodium (HPS). These lights also require a starter and a ballast.

HID有三種基本款式，水銀燈(MV)、金屬滷素(複金屬)燈(MH)、高壓鈉燈(HPS)，這些也都需要啟動器和安定器。

Mercury Vapor

Mercury vapor is the type of lights that were used for streetlights many years ago. Not very good for growing because it doesn't provide enough of the right kind of light spectrum. While they do provide a little of the blue spectrum, MV also produces too much heat to get very close to a plant, and are very inefficient to operate.

水銀燈是好多年前拿來當做街燈的光源。並不非常適合拿來種植，因為它提供的光譜不足夠。它們提供一小部分藍色光譜，水銀燈也提供更多的熱以致於不能離植物太近，非常沒有效率的一種燈。

Metal Halide

The metal halide is a very good source of the white/blue spectrum of light that is ideal for vegetative growth. Many growers use MH during the vegetative phase. MH is bright and cost efficient to operate, but not as efficient as HPS lights. Most commonly used sizes are 400 watt and 1,000 watt. Works best when used in combination with HPS lights.

金屬滷素燈是白和藍光譜非常好的來源，因此它很適合植物性生長階段。很多種植者在植物性生長階段使用金屬滷素燈。MH 很亮而且操作很有效率，但還是不如高壓鈉燈有效率。最常被使用的是400W和1000W。和HPS合用時是最好的。

High Pressure Sodium

The best light available today for growing marijuana. High pressure sodium lights are very bright and very efficient. This light has a red/orange spectrum that is ideal for the flowering phase. With enough of these kind of lights you too can grow those centerfold buds. HPS comes in a wide variety of wattage from 70 watts up to 1,000 watts.

今時今日種植大麻最好的光源。HPS 非常亮非常有效率。這個光源的光譜偏紅橘色，因此很適合開花的階段。使用足夠的HPS，你也可以種出雜誌插頁內或是網頁上那樣漂亮的花。HPS 有很多不同的瓦數，從70W到1000W都有。

Lighting Formulas

To correctly determine the best lighting for your space there are several things that you have to know. At this point, a couple of definitions are in order. The amount of light emitted by one candle that falls on one square foot of surface one foot away is called a lumen (lm). The amount of electricity flowing through a wire is measured in watts. Watt (W) hours measure the amount of watts used in one hour. A kilowatt/hour (kWh) is 1,000 watt/hours (Wh).

要正確的計算出適合你的空間的最佳光照有幾件事情你必需要知道。有幾個定義要先明確。光的量是由一支蠟蠋由一英呎的距離照在一平方英呎的地方做為計量單位：流明。電的量則是以瓦特做為計量。瓦特小時則是一小時內使用的電量。一個仟瓦小時是1000瓦小時。

Operating Costs

Find your kWh charge on your electric bill. Assume you have a 1,000 W light and your kWh charge is $.05/hour. A kilowatt (kW) equals 1,000 W, therefore it will cost you $0.05 cents per hour to run that light. Here's another example. Say you have a 400 W light and your kWh charge is $0.03. Since 400 W is not a kilowatt, you must divide 400 by 1,000 (0.4 kW) and multiply that by the kWh rate from your electricity bill (0.03 kWh), leaving you with a cost of $0.012 cents per hour.

從你的電費帳單中找出你的仟瓦小時計費方式，假設你有一個1000W的燈而你的仟瓦小時計費是0.05美元，而仟瓦等於1000瓦，所以你的燈每開一小時就花你0.05美元。另一個例子：假設你有一個400W的燈而你的仟瓦小時計費是0.03美元，既然400W不等於仟瓦，你必須將400除以1000等於 0.4，再乘上0.03等於0.012，這表示你的400W燈每開一小時花費你0.012美元的營業成本。

Lumen Per Square Foot

To determine how many lumen per square foot you have, find out the square footage of your space by multiplying the width and depth. Divide the lumen available by your square footage. This will give you lumen per square foot. For example, say your space is 3 feet deep by 4 feet wide, for a total of 12 square feet. The total lumen available from your light(s) is 45,000 lumen, which means you have 3,750 lumen per square foot.

想要計算出你每平方英呎的空間得到多少流明的光量，找出你所有的空間的總面積，用你的總流明數除以總面積。這會給你每平方英呎的流明數。舉例來說，假設你的空間有3呎深4呎寬，等於總共是12平方英呎，而你的燈的總流明數是45,000流明，這就表示你有3,750流明每平方英呎。

How Much Light Do I Need?

Technology has advanced so much in the last 15 years that we are constantly refining the process and updating what we know works best for growing. Current theory holds that the minimum amount of lighting needed to sustain growth is around 2,000 lumen per square foot. Mid range is around 5,000 lumen per square foot. Optimal is 7,000 to 7,500 or higher lumen per square foot.

科技在過去15年來有長足的進步，所以我們不斷地改進並修正我們所知對種植最好的作法。目前的理論，要保有基本的種植成長，最少要有每平方英呎2,000流明以上的光量。中等則是5,000流明/平方英呎。最佳則是需要7,000到7,500或更高的流明/平方英呎。

How Many Watts Do I Need?

The general rule of thumb for providing light for an area is a minimum of 30 W per square foot. 50 W per square foot is optimal. You can determine the proper lighting for your area by using this formula:

Watts x Square Feet

提供光照的通用的法則是最少每平方英呎30W。50W是較佳的選則。你可以藉由瓦數乘以平方英呎來計算出你所擁有的光是否足夠。

For example, say you have an area of 10 square feet and a 30 W. That would mean you have a 300 W per square feet minimum. Also, remember that fluorescent's are weaker and emit less light than an HID. This means you will need 5 times the amount of wattage to equal the output of an HID. So, 30 W of HID would equal 150 W of fluorescent's. This is why it is advised to provide a minimum of 30 W per square foot for HID lights and a minimum of 150 W per square foot for fluorescent's.

舉個例子，如果你有一個10平方英呎的區域和最少的光，這表示你最少需要300W的燈才夠。同時，記住日光燈要比HID弱得多也產生較少的光量。這表示你需要5倍的日光燈才能和HID產生一樣的光量。所以30瓦的HID等於150瓦的日光燈。這是建議最少每平方英呎30瓦HID和最少每平方英呎150瓦日光燈的原因。

This is all important because the light intensity will directly affect the quality and yield of your crop. If you have less than optimal lighting your yield and potency will be reduced and buds will not develop as dense. This point can not be stressed enough. You must have the right amount of light for your space to grow high quality bud.

這全都很重要，因為光的強度將直接影響到你的作物的質和量。如果你用少於建議值的光，你的收成量和效力將減少，而且花將不會密集。這個點將無法避免。你必須要有對你的空間來說足夠的光量才能生產高品質的花。

Can I Have Too Much Light?

The basic answer is no. According to the law of diminishing returns, you could theoretically reach a point when your plants just couldn't absorb any more light, but it would be impossible to have that many lights in your space. Heat from the lights would become a problem long before you ever reached that point. So use as many lights as you want, just control the heat.

基本上答案是否。 根據邊際遞減效應，你應該會達到一個點是你的植物再也吸收不了更多的光，但在一個有限的空間裡不太可能容納這麼多光。在你一邊加光想要達到那個頂點之前，光源所產生出來的熱會成為一個大問題。所以，盡你所能的加光吧，只要你能控制熱這個問題。

Experimentation is the only sure method to determine the best solution for each plant. If plants are not receiving enough light, they begin to grow tall and spindly as if stretching for the light and foliage becomes pale green. Or, if they need to be moved closer to the light, or given a longer light exposure period. Too much light may lead to bleaching of leaves and flowers, browning and shriveling. Leaves would become overly compact and curl under at the edges.

實驗是唯一明確求出每株植物所需光源的方法。如果植物吸收的光不夠，他們會為了更接近光而開始長高變得細長，葉子也會變得青綠色。或者他們需要被移靠光近一點或照光久一點時也會有同樣情形。太多的光會漂白葉子和花，葉子會過度地緊密而且葉緣會捲曲。

Photoperiod

Your plants should be started and taken through vegetative growth with a 24/7 or 18/6 light regimen. The reason for an 18/6 regimen is to give the plants a short dark period to breathe and to reduce your electric bill a little bit. Most plants thrive with at least 16 hours of light a day. Adjustments should be made according to individual plant requirements. For flowering 12/12 is the norm. Again, adjustments may need to be made. A minimum of 12 hours of darkness is required to trigger the flowering process.

你的植物應從生長期開始獲得一天24小時一週7天的光照或一天18小時光6小時暗的光照分配。18/6分配是為了給植物一小段黑暗的期間喘口氣以及節省少許電費支出。多數植物一天至少需要16小時光照才能長得繁盛。調整需針對每株植物的需求。開花期用12/12，想要讓植物開花一天12小時黑暗是最基本的。

Lighting No-No's

Don't burn your plants by getting them to close to the light(s). Fluorescent's do not put out much heat and can be as close as one or two inches. HID lights get much hotter and will need to be farther away. A good test is to put your hand between the light and the plant. If your hand gets too hot for comfort, the light is too close.

不要讓植物靠光太近而燒了它們。日光燈不會放出太多的熱，而且可以近到1或2英吋。HID 熱多了，而且需要多一點空間。一個測試方法是把你的手放在植物頂端，如果你的手背會覺得熱到不舒服，就表示太近了。

There are some common lights that may induce a seed to come up, but are worthless for growing purposes. These lights include; Any incandescent (regular) light bulb, halogen lights, black lights and heat lamps. Don't waste your time trying to grow with these lights, you will only be disappointed.

有一些常見的燈或許適合發芽，但是對種植來說沒什麼價值。包括白熱燈泡、滷素燈、黑光燈、和熱燈。別浪費時間去嚐試用這些燈種植，你只會失望而已。