Have you ever packed a really good bowl and just taken a moment to admire the general goodness of your favorite lady, Mary Jane? Have you ever taken a second to appreciate the decedent crystal coverage or breathed in the dark, rich scent of the herb you’re about to smoke?
It’s pretty safe to say we have all appreciated a particularly quality batch of marijuana. There is nothing quite like getting a really good bag, the kind you know is going to leave you in the throes of jubilance after just a few tokes.
Yet, have you ever wondered: Where did this weed come from? How was it grown? What exactly is inside of this magical plant that I adore so much? What am I actually putting inside of my body?
There is more to smoking weed than general dankness and potency. What makes some marijuana different than others is how it’s grown. When it comes to putting something inside of your body, it’s important that the substances you’re choosing are actually good for your health. Just like those homegrown spinach salads you shovel into your gobs at Whole Foods, so to should your weed be held to the same high stand of production.
It’s not just “hip” to care about your bodies, guys. It’s literally the difference between longevity and disease. It’s time to put health first in all aspects of life. Yes, this includes your marijuana.
Since before the birth of the hipster, there has been a collective of those who prefer to consume the healthiest plants, foods and substances for human consumption. Unfortunately, modern farming techniques are more hell bent on mass production rather than the bodily health and environmental damage caused by these methods.
So what is with all of this unhealthy food production? As the world population has skyrocketed over the past century, the demand for food placed pressure on producers who succumbed to the modern industrial method of farming. Farming became about mass production, without any consideration for the damage that production had on both the earth and the product themselves.
Toxic substances such as pesticides, damaging fertilizers and hydroponics have become so normalized in modern farming and food production that many rarely think about what effects these chemicals and methods have on our food. We never really take a second to wonder how this fresh summer squash got into this grocery store and onto our plates.
A new movement in produce production is rapidly gaining more and more traction. Now, some producers strive for quality over quantity, which ends up giving consumers healthier products all over the globe. Instead of the shortsighted vision of mass production, focus is instead shifting towards the way these products are produced.
Sure, the food I eat may be shifting towards a more healthy method of production, but what does it have to do with Marijuana?
Marijuana is the most widely used, non-addictive substance in the world. It’s so extensively visible with more strains than we can count, and since it’s main battle has been its class I drug classification and has therefore been illegal for most of its existence, most people don’t really consider how it’s grown.
If we’re going to stringently monitor the way our vegetables and fruits are grown, doesn’t it make sense to desire the same careful process to be used for our marijuana? After all, we’re putting everything inside of our bodies. There should be equal discrimination for everything we consume.
If we want our salads to be organic, we should want our weed to be organic too.
So, let’s talk about marijuana farming. There are traditional modern day farming methods with ‘super chemicals’ that are intended for rapid growth, farming and consumption. This is the easiest way. Just like the mass production of corn, lettuce of vegetables en masse, so to are there mass methods for growing your weed. Then, there’s the way mother nature has intended for it to be – organic.
According to US Law, the marijuana industry can’t lay claim the same organic label as other crops can. Because marijuana is still illegal at the federal level, it’s not yet possible to get the same levels of approval as legal substances. It is not so much considered a plant as it is a drug. The label “organic” requires certification by the US Department of Agriculture, a federal agency.
But government certified or not, organic marijuana still absolutely exists. And it is the way to go when choosing your product.
Origins of Organic Marijuana
The Uproot Man
Jeff Lowenfels, A Harvard grad, lawyer, and passionate Alaskan gardener gave birth to a new era of cultivating marijuana that set the tone for the organic movement in America.
His unusual but strikingly sound gardening movements were enough to shake up a storm amongst the marijuana farming movement and cause many home and garden owners to question traditional gardening methods. “Let the ‘no rake’ movement began!”, as titled in one of articles in the Alaska Dispatch. The no rake movement refers to the idea of not interfering with the plant’s soil and simply allowing the soil take its natural course. This means, no outside, human interference. It means no pesticides, no chemicals and no harm to the finished product. It means allowing the earth to create plants without forcing unnatural growth.
His advice was sound and there was proof to match the claim that organic was king.
Granted it hadn’t snowed during the fall season in Alaska, some homeowners were finding their lawns look more green and lush Nature was left to take its course in a usual way The lawn clippings and leaves were left alone to decay, resulting in the plants to fertilizing themselves, without human interference. As Jeff terms it “Teaming With Microbes”.
Lawns seemed to be perfect; exactly how one would want them once the snow melts in the spring. The grass was green, fertile and clean.
During the autumn season when the leaves fall and hit the ground, mulch up, and are left alone, nature take its course. Without any fertilizer to interrupt. This process that takes place is called a “soil food web”. When you leave out all the extra human interference, the process is called: organic. Go figure.
A soil food web is made up of the community of organisms that lives completely or partially in the soil. The soil food outlines a quite complex living system in regards to the soil and how it interacts with the plants, animals, and the environment around it.
Once Alaskan homeowners and gardeners saw their greens more lively in their bloom than ever before, the word started to spread. Growing organically was a no-brainer: better for the environment, more natural, and better results.
As time went on, produce became more and more popular. Suddenly, it was truly en vogue to buy, grow and eat only organically grown food And as the organic food movement permeated the fabric of society, people began seeking out organic alternatives to not just their food, but in everything they consumed. Of course, this natural chain of events eventually lead to the desire for an organic marijuana or smoke and ingest.
In states such as Colorado and California, where the organic food trend was particularly robust organic marijuana grew in popularity.
Nationwide, generation is moving more towards an era of acceptance and legalization of marijuana.
With states beginning to legalize not only medical usage, but also recreational, more stipulations for the methods of cannabis cultivation will fall into place. In fact, they already are. And thus, begins the true era of organic cannabis cultivation.
Let’s cut to the chase: What is really so wrong with non-organic?
If we’ve smoked, eaten and ingested inorganic marijuana thus far, why should we switch to organic now?” We eat non-organic food all the time, so can we get by with consuming non-organic marijuana without any negative side effects? Let’s look at the downside of non-organic cannabis.
Toxins
It may not immediately be apparent when you’re indulging in your favorite strains, but those ‘super chemicals’ and ‘specialized plant foods’ do carry chemicals and toxins.
These toxins are in no way natural and are not supposed to be funneled through our bodies.
The toxin, Piperonyl butoxide (PBO), it is a synergist chemical; that is frequently added to pesticides to increase their effectiveness. Piperonyl butoxide (PBO) and bifenthrin are just some of the most common toxins found in the soils used in mass-produced farming
Bifenthrin is a synthetic pyrethroid that is used in the cannabis industry to ‘bomb’ grow-rooms in between crops to control spiders mites. Though the plants may not have been present at the time, it has been found that bifenthrin application leads to long-term contamination of tools, lights, ventilation systems, and the general workplace.
“Smoking can create pyrolysis compounds with unknown toxicities, and inhaled chemicals enter the bloodstream without first undergoing first-pass metabolism by the digestive and hepatic systems. As a result, inhaled chemicals are typically present at much higher levels in the body than those that are orally ingested.” – Pesticide Use on Cannabis, Cannabis Safety Institute, 2014
Take a minute to think this one over to yourself. Do you find it appealing to inhale a seriously intense chemical used to eradicate large quantities of insects? Do you want to breath in something that is so poisonous, it wipes out flocks of organisms en masse? Yeah, I didn’t think so.
Metals and Salts
Non-organically grown plants are laden with heavy metals and salts. As a result, this has a drastically negative impact on the plant’s entire makeup.
Water soluble nitrogen, any water that leaves the pot of a growing plant, is still nutrient-laden. As water leaves your pots, it takes along with it the metals and salts to its final point of drainage rivers, lakes, or the world’s oceans.
Meaning that these harmful toxins are being pushed back into the origins of the growing environment, turning the pollution of plants and produce into a vicious cycle of harm both to humans and to the earth.
Though we can’t taste many of these underscored negative effects when we consume non-organic marijuana, there are negative effects that are taking place behind the scenes. By using salts and metals in the growing marijuana plants, it mixes with the rainwater, polluting the groundwater. This damages in the local environment, polluting rivers, lakes, and oceans.
Benefits Of Organic Marijuana
Organic vegetables are sometimes twice the price of non organic vegetables. Are the benefits worth it? I guess that depends on who you ask.
When you look at the benefits of organic marijuana,it will seem pretty surprising that it’s not widely popular. Let’s take a look at the final product that makes it into the hands of customers as well as the environmental impact or organically grown cannabis.
Better Potency, Taste and Flavor
Mother Nature makes tastier goodies.
The thing that should really sell you on going organic when it comes to weed? Organic marijuana tastes better and has more flavor.
When you force feed the plants with crappy soils filled with harmful toxins, it’s never good for the overall taste of the finished product. When you let your marijuana grow naturally, it will grow the way that it is naturally inclined to grown the way it’s been growing for thousands of years. And we all should know better than to mess with Mother Nature.
Like any plant, marijuana has complex requirements in order for it to grow optimally. When your focus is mass production, you’re tampering with nature’s complicated methods by adding chemicals.
Nature is a complicated lady and it is impossible to match her awe perfectly. If you mess with the way a plant naturally grows, you can bet your behind that fall short of it’s full potential.
Organic plants are left to their own devices and are therefore optimized for flavor and aroma. Mother Nature makes tastier goodies. Organic cannabis produces the perfect amount of terpenes, terpenoids and cannabinoids:the aromatic combinations that give cannabis its smell. cannabis owes its sweet or citrus aroma to the dozens of these compounds present within its stems and leaves.
Put simply, the more terpenoids and terpenes there are, the better the marijuana will smell and the more flavor the final product will have.
Best of all? Organic is consistent. You’ll never look at organic marijuana and wonder, “What did the grower put in this? Are there hidden toxins I may not know about?”, You never have to wonder because you know that it’s all natural. As a result, all users can enjoy the strong effects of their unhindered product.
And Mother Nature Thanks You Kindly
Organic cannabis is best for Mother Nature as a whole. Instead of manipulating the process ourselves, when we let the microorganisms run the show, the plant can grow the way it’s supposed to.
This is better for the soil, as the retentive potential of the soil for nutrients and water are increased and nutrient losses are decreased as well. As a bi-product, it is also better for the water, leaving it clean, natural, and free of any salts, metals, and chemicals.
When we allow Mother Nature take control, it allows for the biodiversity in the area to remain unaffected. Therefore, the results are optimal and the product is the best it can be.
When humans stay out of the growing process we are able to see the natural genetics intended for the cannabis to look, taste, and smell, all while ensuring a more healthy and sustainable habitat.
Better For The Environment As a Whole
Just like every organic plant, growing organic marijuana has a less negative impact on the environment.
When you produce organic nutrients, it requires less processing compared to the more damaging alternatives. When you grow organic marijuana, you don’t have to throw away or remove the remaining pesticides or chemicals left behind.
Just like the food soil web described earlier, growing marijuana organically involves natural composts that can be left as is. If you allow for a natural cycle, the cycle of life will thrive independently.
Organic growth is sustainable, as it produces crops while also establishing an ecological balance to prevent soil fertility or pest problems. There is no need for heavy bug eradication because the habitat will naturally take these problems into account.
Safer To Consume
Since marijuana has been legalized in several states across the USA, it’s becoming more common to rely on pesticides when growing cannabis. These pesticides are meant to yield more crops and keep away hazardous animals and weeds. However, many growers are using dangerous pesticides for the sake of profit. Like any other agricultural industry, growers sacrifices time and money for quality and safety.
When you inhale nonorganic cannabis, you’re inhaling more than THC and other cannabinoids;.you’re inhaling chemicals and other dangerous neurotoxins. By not adding chemicals, organic marijuana keeps your health risks low, allowing you to reap all the benefits of cannabis without all of the added risks.
How Is Organic Marijuana Grown?
Imagine lush green fields, covered in beautiful, serene greenhouses. Each one of these greenhouses contains the purest of cannabis plants, diligently sprinkled with the cleanest water, in a habitat that is unpolluted and untainted.
These plants all enjoy the benefits of natural growth. No need for secrecy or mass production. No need for chemicals or unnatural substances. Only the most natural, perfect plants that God’s green earth would have to offer.
This the dream that is swiftly becoming the reality for the organic marijuana movement. No questions, no confusion. Just organic, all-natural, healthy marijuana for everyone.
So how is it all done? Allow us to be your spirit guides on this quest for organic enlightenment.
Soil
Organically growing your plants starts with your medium. In most cases, that’s the soil.
Honest Marijuana grows their buds in soil groomed to provide the plant with what it needs naturally. By feeding the microbial life that feeds the plant we allow symbiotic relationships in the soil seek out exactly what the plant needs. Similar to the Rev’s True Living Organics. True Living Organics has been developed to grow high-quality medical cannabis, but has since then been adopted and is well suit to grow produce as well. Your fruits, vegetables, herbs and even your favorite flowers. With True Living Organics, you let mother nature take its course and allow your plant to do what they’re programmed to do.
Organic farmers can spend years grooming their fields in preparation for their crops. The amount of nutrients in the soil, the water density it can hold, and the quality of irrigation all play very important factors in growing organically.
Every rain, the worms come out and take down organic matter, leaving tiny hills of nutrient-rich castings in its place. Microbes eat these castings turning them into plant available nutrients. These nutrients are the most varied and natural nutrients and are the best way to fertilize your soil. The more varied the materials that go into grooming your soil, the better the quality your marijuana will be.
Light
Growing organically means to use natural sunlight, but due to limitations with location, environment and other factors, that is nearly impossible to do. Artificial sunlight is the next best alternative.
When it comes to selecting the best light bulb, there are many options out there. Honest Marijuana has chosen to use 315 watt ceramic metal halide bulbs throughout the life of the plant. These bulbs utilize the fullest spectrum available in indoor lighting which most closely resembles the sun. By firing these bulbs in different lamps which run at different temperatures, we utilize the correct correlated color temperature to ensure optimal plant growth. By running 315 watt bulbs compared to industry standard 1000 watt Honest Marijuana hopes to ensure a significant energy savings.
Concentrates
There are more ways to consume marijuana these days than you probably realize.
Concentrates are the bread and butter of cannabis farming. From oils to hash, it is marijuana at its most potent. It is where you are going to find the most highly intensive levels of cannabinoids; the good stuff, the THC.
When it comes to different concentrates such as cold water extraction. BHO, alcohol extraction and CO2 extraction, you’re literally condensing your product. It only makes sense that you should want the purest plant.
If you concentrate your cannabis, you’re concentrating whatever nutrients, chemicals or toxins are within the makeup of that plant. When you farm organically, the plants you’re producing are toxin-free, ensuring that the concentrates you make from it are pure and toxin-free.
When ingesting a concentrate, the purer the product, the more effective and safe that product will be. The last thing you should be doing is messing with nature’s makeup when you’re planning to put it inside of your body.
When concentrates are made, it’s used with typically dry material beforehand. Here at Honest Marijuana, we practice fresh freezing instead, leaving the final quality of higher quality.
You need to be able to trust your source when you are consuming concentrates in any form. Whether it’s oils, edibles or otherwise, you have to know where you’re getting stash is form a reliable, professional and trustworthy supplier.
Why Colorado?
So, why base Honest Marijuana out of the stomping grounds of The Rockies?
I suppose the easiest thing to start out with is that Colorado is one of the four states that allows recreational use of marijuana and one of only twenty-three that allows marijuana to be used for medical purposes.
But there is more to this than meets the eye.
Think about the greater implications of the great, mountainous state of Colorado and its recreational marijuana. Colorado is home to a population of people who truly appreciate the beauty that is organic and strive to live by the organic lifestyle.
It’s decked out with the sickest swag stores for your marijuana needs, it has dispensaries everywhere you turn, the best eats for the munchies and skiing in your backyard. After all, your ski game is bound to improve when you have marijuana readily available since exercise has been proven to get better when you smoke.
On top of all of that, Colorado has a great climate for growing weed with it’s crispy cool dampness.
So, what’s stopping you from moving to Colorado and joining us for a smoke?
