marijuana - biggest cash crop in CA! And questions regarding horticulture

[shireen]

I was listening to the Thom Hartmann archives from Monday, first hour.
http://www.620kpoj.com/cc-common/podcast/single_podcast.html?podcast=hartmann_nationwide.xml
and his first segment was about legalizing pot.

He mentioned that marijuana was the largest cash crop in CA. That's a lot of plants! Does he mean that it reaps the largest profits or is this a volume harvest comparison?

Where are all these plants grown in CA? I've seen a documentary about illegal "farms" deep in the forests that are found from airplane searches by the DEA. Or is it mostly done indoors under lights? I've dabbled in hydroponics, and am familiar with those kinds of growing techniques -- very cool, but very expensive!

I recall watching a fascinating documentary some time back (which i remember it, would love to get the DVD), and was interested to learn that the plants are being "bred" to produce more potent amounts of THC. I think most of this work is being done, legally, in Canada. Are the products of these breeding studies, the seed or tissue cultured plants, being made available to the farms and individual growers? How do these new more potent plants affect the way marijuana is used?

Which horticultural zones support natural-growing marijuana plants in the wild?

It's been interesting to learn about marijuana, and hope to read more about it. Personally, I've never had an interest in taking so-called recreational drugs -- guess it's just a personality thing, all our brains are wired differently -- so i've never tried pot. Anyhow, the current laws are utterly ridiculous, and i strongly support legalization of pot. From a horticultural perspective, i find it such a fascinating topic. :)

[jaksavage]

1. westcoastleaf.com

[shireen]

4. thanks, those newsletters look interesting. nt

[PetrusMonsFormicarum]

2. This spotlight will also illuminate

The completely ridiculous U.S. ban on growing the enormously multiversatile hemp plant. We've all heard the litany of its benefits, but the list is still growing: hemp's potential as a biofuel source (adaptable to numerous climes, grows like a weed, improves soil--much like switchgrass) is being investigated.

Yes, our pot laws are hopelessly antique. Powerful lobbies are arrayed against legalization, most notably Big Tobacco. Municipal police departments all over the country have grown addicted to the easy revenues from property confiscations of convicted growers and dealers. Recently I read an interview with a local cop, who said that he and his fellow cops loved busting grows, because the suspects were often easier to deal with than other, harder-drug dealers, and busts of big grows was always a guaranteed spot on the evening news.

What the news doesn't show are the thousands of prison cells and the billions of dollars spent to keep marijuana users, growers, and dealers imprisoned there.

The optimist in me says that in ten years, hemp will be revered. A household word. And legal pot will be just an afterthought, something to chuckle at with friends: "Hey, remember when this was illegal?"

Ahhnold gets a thumbs-up from me on this one.

[shireen]

5. ridiculous laws

now that tobacco has been pretty much vilified as evil cancer-causing big leaves, and the industry has taken a nose-dive, i'm surprised that "big tobacco" has not taken a fresh look at marijuana. I'm guessing that if they did, and threw all their lobbying money at Congress, we'd get it legalized next week. But that's another can of worms. I hate the idea of marijuana as an industrially-farmed crop like corn (tho' hemp may be fine). When it becomes legalized, i hope the cultivation remains with small family farms.

[tridim]

3. I think "cash" crop implies cash value, and not volume.

It's currently the number one cash crop (in CA, and the entire US) because it's illegal.

The game will change if/when hemp is legalized. At that point Cannabis could easily become the number one crop in volume as well as profit. It's the most useful plant on Earth. Hemp (Cannabis Sativa) and Marijuana (Cannabis Indica, certain Sativas and hybrids) are all Cannabis.

Cannabis is bred for desired traits via selection like any other plant. It is more potent today for that reason and also that it's generally grown and cured with more care. Again, no different than any other plant. Corn used to be just a field grass, until humans got involved and selected for various traits that eventually led to the Corn plant we consume today.

It will grow anywhere in the world, except the poles. However there are some varieties that were originally bred specifically for certain altitudes and climates. Today's hybrids will grow almost anywhere, indoors or out.

I hear you, it's extremely exciting from a horticultural perspective. If you want to learn more than you ever wanted to know about the subject check here: http://www.icmag.com

This thread is especially informative:
http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=42050

[shireen]

6. thanks for the links!

that's going to be interesting reading, esp. the hydroponics aspect of it. Each plant has optimum cocktails for different growth stages, and it would be interesting to hear about how growers are tinkering with it for different cultivars. Too bad it has to be hidden indoors, HID lighting is expensive.

After posting the OP, i googled around to find out more about marijuana and lupus (got the bad news last fall). There are some immune-suppressing properties in THC, which sounds interesting.

[asdjrocky]

10. Great links. I'm working with the blueberry right now.

[TxRider]

7. Pretty much any of them..

"Which horticultural zones support natural-growing marijuana plants in the wild?
"

Pot will grow pretty much anywhere... From Alaska down to the equator.

[Rocketjones]

8. Government controls what we grow. WTFBBQ?

[asdjrocky]

9. It's amazing to grow.

It doesn't do as well in hot weather as it does in slightly cooler climates. Cannabis actually means 'cane or stick of two sexes' because the plants are either male or female with hermaphrodites occurring rarely. It is the unpollinated female flowers, called sensimilla (meaning seedless), that are favored among any other part of the plant for its medicinal and recreational properties.

By the way, two fathers of our country, Jefferson and Washington did not care for tobacco and often traded "hemp blends" with each other. There is little doubt that the Declaration of Independence was written by someone who regularly got high.

“Make the most of the Indian Hemp Seed and sow it everywhere.” George Washington

[pfloydguy7750]

11. Marijuana should be legalized, PERIOD

[AmEricanGirl79]

12. How Weed Won the West

Kevin Booth, the director of "American Drug War", is releasing his latest documentary "How Weed Won the West" in late October. Check out the trailer at http://www.youtube.com/user/AmericanDrugWar

And the number 2 cash crop in California is grapes, if you're interested.

[Reform]

13. that film looks great

cant wait to watch it