The secret to growing high quality cannabis is that there is no secret. Mastering the basics like room control and proper nutrition are a good place to start. There are a great many techniques and tricks growers use to maximize yields, however, if you start with bad genetics, there isn’t a whole lot you can do.

Cannabis seed genetics are the foundation

Finding the best possible cannabis seed genetics for your garden is the first step any grower should take. Genetics carry the foundation of life for everything living on the planet. Cannabis is no different. Every time you talk about Blue Dream, or OG Kush, or any strain, what you are really talking about is the genetic makeup of the plant. If you didn’t notice, new strains are popping up all the time, thanks to the few dedicated cannabis breeders out there. You can’t expect to get a quality product if you start with bad genetics. It’s just that simple.

The multitudes of variety that we currently encounter when we walk into the dispensary haven’t always existed. There was a time when cannabis was indigenous to varying regions of the world. The wild strains that populated the countryside have become known as landrace strains. They are the fundamental strains from which all of our modern favorites have sprung. When you hear about Afghan Sativa, or Hawaiian Indica, those are landrace strains that grew and adapted to the local climate. For generations, landrace strains were interbred, resulting in stable genetics. These now stable landrace genetics would go on to populate the world with more strains than anyone can keep up with.

Cannabis breeding and strain preservation

Creating new strains or ironing out specific traits in an existing one is the purpose of cross-breeding. Cross-breeding entails the fertilization of a female by a male of a different strain. Anyone who’s ever accidentally planted a male in a room of females knows what happens next. The female, once fertilized, will produce seeds that are a hybrid of the two strains. Breeding doesn’t only result in new strains. It can be used to eliminate unwanted traits or to enhance desirable traits in a single strain. Sometimes, a breeder will experiment with genetics trying to maximize THC or other cannabinoids only to find that many have failed. Now you know why there’s a Gorilla Glue #4 and not a #1.

Once you have found a strain that you enjoy and want to preserve, keeping those genetics fresh is pretty easy. Ever heard of Pre-98 Bubba Kush? What that means is that the genetics were from a strain bred before 1998. Keeping a genetic alive entails maintaining a Mother plant; a plant kept in a vegetative state that produces many potential flower sites that can be cut and cloned. Clones are an identical copy of a genetic that are cut from the mother plant. Replanting a clone will result in a new full plant containing the same biological makeup as it’s predecessor.

Brothers Grimm Seeds

Nowadays, the assortment of genetics available to the public is astounding. When you take a look back at marijuana throughout the seventies and eighties, it is almost unrecognizable as cannabis as we know it today. The high quality medicine that has become commonplace today is the result of generations and generations of crossbreeding, mixed with a solid 40 years worth of science and research behind it. To learn more about cannabis genetics and breeding, make sure to listen to the The Real Dirt with Chip Baker, episode, “Why Cannabis Seed Genetics and Breeding Matter” featuring Mr. Soul of the Brothers Grimm Seed Company.

The University of Colorado Boulder has been awarded an $839,500 grant to study the effects of concentrated marijuana extracts. Dabbing is a form of cannabis consumption that has taken off over the last few years, with extract sales more than doubling between 2015 and 2016.

Studying the effects of dabbing

The dabbing study will be conducted by the University’s Institute of Cognitive Science, who have been internationally recognized for their work on issues pertaining to the human mind. It will last for three years and the aim is to determine the effects ingesting concentrated amounts of THC and the impact it has on behavior. According to CU’s lead investigator for the project, Cinnamon Bidwell, “These concentrates are basically extracted cannabis. The THC levels can be as high as 95 percent. In the context of a research study, nobody has assessed how intoxicating these are or studied the effects in public health behaviors such as driving.”

As the University receives some of its funding from federal sources, and cannabis is still federally illegal, the study had to be designed in such a manner that didn’t violate the law. Basically no one involved in the operations from the college will be allowed to handle concentrated marijuana, nor will they be allowed in the same room as the test subject while ingesting. All research conducted by CU will be done immediately following the test subject’s dab, at a comfortable place of his or her choosing, certainly off-campus.

“Dabbers needed”

The researchers at CU have even designed their own mobile marijuana laboratory, which will serve as their research center in the field. They will have no problem recruiting the 135 projected test subjects, who will be asked to hop into the mobile weed lab after consuming a dab. Once inside, they’re in the hands of Dr. Bidwell and her team. “We’ll collect data on a range of potencies that people smoke and see what happens to their physiology and their brain responses under the influence of these products.” Bidwell also voiced her concern in regards to how little is actually known about the concentrates and extracts that are hitting the shelves at dispensaries across Colorado. “If there’s a potency at which it really tips the scale for acute effects, then policy makers can have that information to make decisions.”

Marijuana studies abound

Dr. Bidwell and her team weren’t the only ones to receive funding for marijuana related projects. Public health research grants were awarded to seven different groups in all, covering a range of marijuana related studies. The decision to fund multiple projects connected to the effects on users while driving shows how much importance the state puts on the subject. Law enforcement has moved forward with a marijuana breathalyzer, which is seemingly able to determine presumptive levels of THC in the blood. This has been in development for some time, however, a recent ruling by an Arizona federal court determined that the level of THC in the blood is not the determining factor in the driver’s level of intoxication.

Overall, the amount of conflicting information out there makes studies like Dr. Bidwell’s vital in coming to understand what the truth really is. Fortunately we live in an age where cannabis research and funding of science based marijuana projects is just beginning.

Clean, fresh water is essential to carry the building blocks of life your plants need to grow. Public water sources, although filtered, still have remnants of contaminants like chlorine and a host of other nasty substances you won’t want to feed your cannabis plants. HydroLogic filtering systems are the perfect solution for ensuring your water is as clean as can be.

HydroLogic Filters

HydroLogic Purification Systems make a variety of top notch water systems, from home grow to industrial scale. They have earned their reputation as one of the top water purification systems manufacturers around. It’s hard to find a grow these days that doesn’t have a HydroLogic filter installed somewhere. HydroLogic’s SmallBoy and Stealth-RO200 water filtration systems are all you need to make sure your plants receive the very best in hydration.

The HydroLogic SmallBoy

The HydroLogic SmallBoy is a de-chlorinator and sediment filter that will rid your water of up to 99 percent of chlorine and as much as 90 percent of other contaminants like silt and rust. The SmallBoy attaches to any water source, from a hose to your kitchen sink. They are durable and can be permanently affixed to your already existing nutrient-doser. Better yet, the SmallBoy can pump out 60 gallons per hour of pure H2O, filtered down to 5 microns. The SmallBoy is great for removing chlorine and sediments, but isn’t built for removing heavy toxins like pharmaceutical residues and other chemicals. Each SmallBoy comes with the following accessories: SmallBoy Filter Housing; Filter Housing Wrench; Green Carbon Filter; Garden Hose Connectors; White Sediment Filter; 1/4” Ball Valve Shut-Off; and 1/4” Blue Tubing. You can watch this video to learn how to replace the SmallBoy filter.

The HydroLogic Stealth-RO200

The HydroLogic Stealth-RO200, on the other hand is a reverse osmosis system that will strip your water of any potential toxins that could affect your grow. Fluoride, lead, iron and excess calcium are caught by the Stealth-RO200’s membrane element, keeping them out of your garden. The Stealth-RO200 utilizes the same basic filters as the SmallBoy with the addition of the membrane element.  It can pump up to 100 gallons per day of purified water and just like the SmallBoy, is a snap to set. With the Stealth-RO200, you can even adjust the ratio of waste to product water. The Stealth-RO200 comes with the same accessories as the SmallBoy plus a few extras: Stealth-RO Membrane; 3/8” QC X Garden Hose Connector; Double Ended Wrench; Pressure Gauge Assembly; RO200 Eco-Waste Reducer; and RO200 Flow Restrictor. You can skip the instructions and watch this video to learn how to assemble the Stealth-RO200.

To grow hydro, get yourself a water filter system

HydroLogic’s water filter systems are the best in the business. There’s a reason they can be found in cannabis grows around the world. Growing quality cannabis is about ensuring your plants get the very best nutrient mix and that starts with clean water. If you want to grow-hydro, either in your basement or in a 44,000 square foot grow house, you’ll need a HydroLogic water filter system.

What are your tips and tricks for using a HydroLogic filter system? Let us know on social media.