The Finish Line
Harvest, first and foremost, is an incredible undertaking. It involves organizing trimmers, keeping detailed records (in some form) and having enough supplies to get many jobs done.
When cutting down the plants’s branches, leave an additional two or three inches of stalk. This should form a “V” like shape easy for hanging. Once hung, begin Big Leafing (removing the large leaves) by hand. When turning the trimmers loose, be sure to communicate effectively and respectfully your desires and expectations for the work you have set out.
When trimming, pay attention to expressed desires and expectations of the gardner. Be careful to look for signs of mold or other maladies. Leave no spurs, find no spores, and the lines will move. After the initial trimming, or wet trim, the branches need to dry. After drying, the branches must be cut down, or bucked down, into the recognizable buds we all love and smoke. The number of trimmers and the crop size are the biggest factors in determining how long it will take to process. After the leaves settle, there are still so many bits and pieces left over.
Stalks and stems can be fun, despite what your first dime bag may have led you to believe. I have seen strong, tall stalks used as walking sticks and pipes alike. You just need a creative mind. Dried stems can make many brewed beverages. There are recipes for teas and hot chocolate on the web. Of course, mulching and pulping the stalks and stems is always an option.
Let’s talk cannabis like we never have before. Hash, and I don’t mean corned beef.
This is the epitome of not messing around when getting high. It is for those who looked at THC-crystalline buds and wondered why all that green matter had to be attached. It is taking the most potent, psychotropic portions of the plant and condensing them to a singular, glorious product.
Hash is short for hashish, and the word is Arabic in origin and means “grass.” Hash is ingrained in many cultures throughout the world, going as far as having religious and spiritual value. India, Jamaica and Nepal are a few countries who produce resinous hash from often wild growing plants. Morocco is believed to produce half of the world’s hash. It is known as “charas,” in case you’re traveling. Hash is concentrated cannabis, and it has been made dozens of ways for thousands of years.
Today, hash comes in nearly any variety imaginable. Kief, finger/scissor hash, bubble hash, honey, wax and oil are notably different things cut of the same saturated cloth. Kief is comparable to the light colored, sandy powder left stuck to a paper. A box or grinder can be used to collect this, and this can be pressed into hash. Finger and scissor hash result from hard work, it is inarguably for the trimmer’s amusement. Bubble hash is the result of increasingly fine levels of filtration and ice water. This hash can vary wildly in potency and quality given that the filtration is done through a series of nylon bags. Wax and oil can be created through a variety of methods, using everything from ethyl alcohol to activated charcoal. Entire websites and forums are devoted to the many processes. These are the results of chemistry and science, or alchemy and chicanery if that wording suits you.
Dabs. If you aren’t smiling or frowning, you should be. This isn’t your granddaddy’s refined psychoactive substance. This involves elaborate paraphernalia and an insatiable thirst for butane from creation to consumption. There are substantial risks in dabs, but the outcome is immaculate. I talked with a source about their experiences with dabs. They have produced potencies in excess of ninety percent THC, easily six times stronger than good cannabis buds. These potencies are achieved through the use of butane. Simply, trim or similar is packed into a glass tube and butane is sprayed through it. The seeping output is filtered and cured to form super potent hash. My source has seen better results by packing their tubes tight, contrary to what many other experts have stated on various forums. They state that a looser pack does not provide enough resistance to produce a pressure wave, thereby a tighter pack is preferred. Don’t argue with results, and my source’s results are superior.
Safety is always a priority. In everything you do, safety is a priority. When aerosolizing highly combustible, pressurized gas be sure to avoid open flames. Discharge static electricity away from work areas. Use appropriate personal protective equipment and have first aid available. Be vigilant and be ready to extinguish a fire. Gas expands quickly, so the required amount of ventilation is huge. Be patient and deliberate, homes and lives are lost pursuing this risk- saturated venture. Never underestimate the flammability of butane.
The cannabis plant can provide so much. Its flowers have provided a lucrative illicit market, and given countless counter-culture movements a rallying point. Its stalks and branches can be used for fun and practical purposes. Brew some stem hot chocolate, whittle a big branch section into a wizard pipe, and build a stalk fort with your friends. Even after you sweep and pick up the scissor snippings, stems provides a golden bounty if worked with.
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