High Times

high times

HIGH IN BACTERIA Many cannabis consumers who’ve engaged in group smoke sessions have occasionally wondered about the potential germs involved in sharing a joint or pipe. LA-based Moose Labs recently conducted a study to find out exactly how unclean these shared smoking implements are. The results… were not great. The study found that cannabis pipes, vapes and joints contain “an astounding level of bacteria.” As you probably guessed, the tests yielded much higher-than-anticipated results. According to Moose Labs, the average bowl contains “almost one and a half times more bacteria than a public toilet seat.” Now, level-headed folks might look at these results and shrug. After all, germs are literally everywhere. As a result, your immune system is well equipped to protect you. But on the other hand, eeewwwwww. The report concluded that…

the diversity of dank

“The questions concerning the origin of a given cultivated plant—how it became cultivated, where its original native land was, where the sources of the development of varieties were found, and where the clues to the wealth of forms could be discovered—are not only of general importance for explaining the historical destiny of people, but also of actual and practical importance for the present agronomical work toward the exploration of varieties for plant breeding.” NIKOLAI VAVILOV THE RUSSIAN PLANT GENETICIST quoted above is considered the godfather of biodiversity. His groundbreaking discoveries in the early part of the 20th century, which included naming the subspecies Cannabis afghanica in the 1920s, pioneered the collection and breeding of crops with immunities to pests and diseases as well as tolerance for harsh growing conditions. Above all,…

high times

EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN ADAM LEVIN PRESIDENT AND CEO KRAIG FOX EDITOR-IN-CHIEF MIKE GIANAKOS ART DIRECTOR FRANK MAX SENIOR CULTIVATION EDITOR DANNY DANKO DIGITAL EDITOR CHLOÉ HARPER GOLD STAFF WRITERS AB HANNA TANJA LADEN COPY EDITORS MATTHEW GRACE MIKE DIPAOLA RESEARCH ADVISOR DR. MITCH EARLEYWINE IMPLEMENTATION SPECIALIST TAYLOR BUSH CHAIRMAN EMERITUS MICHAEL KENNEDY VICE PRESIDENT OF CONTENT JON CAPPETTA ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER MAXX ABRAMOWITZ CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER MATT STANG CONSULTING PUBLISHER MARY C. MCEVOY VICE PRESIDENT OF FINANCE DAVID NEWBERG CHIEF CANNABIS OFFICER NICO ESCONDIDO VICE PRESIDENT OF EVENTS SAMEEN AHMAD DIRECTOR OF EVENTS MARK KAZINEC SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER LEO RECHETNIAK FOUNDING PUBLISHER/EDITOR THOMAS KING FORÇADE 1945–1978 CONTRIBUTORS MIKE ADAMS, ERIK ALTIERI, PAUL ARMENTANO, JEN BERNSTEIN, ERIK BIKSA, SEAN BLACK, JUSTIN CANNABIS, JESSE FAATZ, FRANCESCA GENNARI, ANDRE GROSSMANN, BRIAN JAHN, K OF TRICHOME TECH, KRYSTAL LAUK, MARK MILLER, HARRY RESIN, CHRIS ROBERTS, MICHAEL SIMMONS…

letters

Grow Fan I am a medical marijuana patient of 11 years and I grow my own medicine. I learned everything I know about growing from your magazine. Without you guys and girls I’d be lost. I am forever grateful for every page in your magazine. I am from way up in Northern Ontario, Canada, where it gets -45ºC. But it’s always warm and sunny indoors! Roy Ontario, Canada State Unfair I am a longtime home grower in Massachusetts. Recently I left my career in tech to see if I could make a go in the new, exciting cannabis industry. Well, after eight months of low pay and no [sign] of advancing and making the kind of money I need to survive, I was forced to go back to tech. From talking to a lot of…

contact high

TOP 10 STRAINS OF 2019 Our senior cultivation editor Danny Danko circumnavigates the globe looking for the best weed on Earth, such as this PuTang from Mass Medical Strains. Find out what other varieties earned the right to be listed as our Top 10 Strains of 2019 on page 62. LIGHTING GUIDE With many options to choose from, understanding Indoor grow lighting becomes one of the most important factors to a successful cultivation operation. Learn the different lighting options, as well as the pros and cons of different set ups, so you can choose the best lights for your space. Read more on page 78. HAPPY HOLIDAZE! Cannabis is renowned for bringing people together. So, here’s to celebrating and sharing fine cannabis flowers with friends and family this festive season, from your buds at High…

unintended consequences

WHEN THE GREAT state of Texas legalized hemp production earlier this year, it looked like the cannabidiol (CBD) industry would get a major boost. The Republican-dominated Texas House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved the bill 140 to 3, and the Republican governor, Greg Abbott, promptly signed it into law, which took effect immediately. What these conservative lawmakers did not realize is that their new law would, in effect, decriminalize weed. This is because Texas House Bill 1325 makes a rather fine distinction between non-psychoactive hemp and marijuana with buzzier levels of THC. Since state crime labs aren’t equipped to tell the difference, prosecutors decided to ease up on charging folks with mere possession. The Texas District & County Attorneys Association saw fit to issue an advisory: “The distinction between marijuana and hemp requires…