Burning crop

Are all these fires gonna effect the cannabis harvest?

—Uppen Schmoke

(Sigh.) Yeah. These fires are heartbreaking. Hundreds of pot farmers in Sonoma, Napa and Mendocino counties have lost their livelihoods. Some will be OK, but many growers don’t have fire insurance, what with cannabis being illegal and whatnot. Not only did growers lose this year’s harvest, many of them lost all of their seed stock and countless rare genetics, not to mention losing their homes. This is an epic tragedy on so many levels. Hezekiah Allen, director of the California Grower’s Association, has stated that more than two dozen CGA members have lost their farms. The CGA has set up a donation page to help farmers rebuild on Youcaring.com. Big ups to all the firefighters, volunteers, first responders and everyone who has lent a hand to help those affected by this tragedy. Undying love and support to those who have lost their homes and their farms. It’s gonna take years to rebuild, but I am sure that the cannabis community is up to the task.

So, I took advantage of the new laws and have grown six beautiful cannabis plants. How do I know when the cannabis is “ripe”? What do I do after that?

—Newt

Woot, woot! Congrats! Way to exercise your freedoms! The more rights you assert, the more rights you have. Back to the weed: Your plant is ready for harvest when most of the “hairs” on the buds have turned red. Also, look at the trichomes (those are the little crystals on the buds). You will probably need a magnifying glass or a jeweler’s loupe. They will start to go from clear to slightly cloudy. Pick them when they are slightly cloudy. Let your buds dry in a dark, dry and cool room with good air circulation. After they have dried for a few days, you are ready to “cure” the buds. Place them in a brown paper bag (I like a brown paper bag, other folks use different methods) that is slightly closed for a week or two at least. Make sure to move the buds around in the bag once or twice a day. After your buds are good, dry and tasty, you will want to store them in an airtight container in a cool, dark spot. Air and light will kill the THC, so keep it in the dark. And check the humidity of your storage spot. If your buds get too dry, the smoke will be kinda harsh. Too moist, and you risk growing mold. Boveda makes good humidity control packets. Now that you have well-grown, well-cured and well-stored cannabis, please invite me over to sample the bounty of your harvest. I will bring snacks.