When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. Formerly secretive pot-growers in the Emerald Triangle are living Hunter Thompson’s famous quip as recent state and local regulations change the cultivation game in California. Despite decades of awkward clandestine cultivation, many growers took scientific approaches. They developed strains, techniques, and materials designed to
- minimize pot’s visibility during cultivation,
- overcome disease and insect pests,
- ensure quality high products, and
- optimize profits.
Now scientific pot growers have stepped out of hiding to form Humboldt DNA, freed from the need to be secret by passage of state regulations (The Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act) and a subsequent Humboldt county ordinance setting provisions for legal cannabis cultivation. This change recently was reported by Cannabis Now magazine in Years of Underground Cannabis Research Ready to Rock the Boat.
Humboldt DNA’s mission “Solving plant disease for cleaner medicine,” and motto “Grow good plants,” define their objective.
Our goal is to make it possible for farmers to grow clean medicine for patients
by eliminating plant diseases in the seed and nursery supply.
Humboldt DNA members’ past accomplishments segue right into the new not-secret world of cultivation. In early illegal marijuana years when growers were transforming California’s Humboldt, Mendocino and Trinity Counties into The Emerald Triangle, pot plants were more robust. Pop a sexed (known female) seedling/clone into the good soil of a hidden spot, protect from wildlife browsers, add water, don’t get caught — voila. Although labor intensive at times, growers still had energy to focus on selecting and breeding plants for specific tastes, looks, and post-consumer results. Many popular strains sold and described by dispensaries and cannabis websites (e.g., kindgreenbuds) trace back to Humboldt, such as Trainwreck.
…very popular among recreational smokers because it is very tasty, and being a sativa, offers a clear-headed, euphoric high [...] admired in the medical marijuana community for its ability to relieve muscle tension. It is perfect after exercising or playing sports, when your muscles cool down and start to stiffen up.
Now, decades later, specialty strains abound, like Blueberry Headband.
… a blended creation brought to us by California’s Emerald Triangle Seeds. This company specializes in taking traditional weed strains and blending them. Blueberry Headband is a hybrid of which is 75% Indica and is a cross between the classic Indica Strain Blueberry and Headband (known to some as Sour Kush).
The description goes on about plant growth habit, best growing conditions and ends with this.
The effects are not overwhelming, giving you the ability to go about your everyday life. It keeps nausea and anxiety well under control. The high of the Blueberry strain is equally euphoric and very long-lasting.
The crossing of the two strains creates a smoke that is both active and is known to leave you content and full of smiles. It is even know to send some into hysterical fits of laughter. Another benefit to patients is that it is a great painkiller and calms the smoker. When smoking this strain you can taste the distinct flavor of the Blueberry as well as smell a light lemon scent from the Sativa dominant Headband.
Let’s stop to admire this for a moment . . . active . . . content . . . full of smiles. We need more of that stuff!
But as the years passed, plants were less vigorous, needed fussier care, and had more susceptibility to insect and disease pests. Growers adapted controls for common pests like aphids, mites, whiteflies and mildew, but also noticed a collection of specific symptoms that didn’t fall into known categories and weren’t amenable to the usual treatments. So they asked around, and were shocked to learn these symptoms spread throughout the Triangle, occurring in many strains, and in both indoor and outdoor cultivation. Plus, it was getting worse, almost twice as bad each consecutive season.
In response to the decline of plant vigor, Humboldt DNA’s founder collected a secret research team comprising PhDs, farmers, industry professionals and others to investigate what they labelled Putative Cannabis Infectious Agents (PCIA). Studies suggest that PCIA is a group of viruses found in seed and pollen, is transmitted to seeds and clones, and spreads via insects such as aphids, mites, thrips, and white flies.
The team looked for fungi, bacteria, oomycetes (such as the Phytophtora water mold that caused the great potato famine in Ireland) and genetic changes called somaclonal variation known from tissue cultures. PCIA is none of these, however, and once in the plant stays there through generations. There’s no immunity and no offspring that doesn’t pick it up from the parent plant. But, the dedicated pot scientists did discover how PICA inhibits plant growth and think they have a solution (but they haven’t told anyone, so don’t ask me). Humboldt DNA told Cannabis Now they “will pull PCIA from cannabis plants and the results will be staggering – we will see a resurgence of genetic vitality that hasn’t been seen for decades.”
Although this research had been secretive, the new state and county regulations combined with City of Arcata’s proposed Medical Marijuana Innovation Zone (MMIZ) promote open cultivation and research. Humboldt DNA plans to establish a laboratory in Arcata’s MMIZ as the first of several county facilities intended to position Humboldt cannabis and its growers as world innovators in medical marijuana.
All this isn’t just to offer a more consistent high among users and consistent high profits for growers. Quality seeds and clones along with reliable cultivation methods that don’t have to be kept hidden also benefit the environment. Pesticide and fertilizer use can decrease due to improved plant vigor and resistance to pests. Growers will harvest more buds per area as losses to diseases and insects lessen. Buds from these crops will have less chemical residue and be safer for users. Plus, cannabis strains’ medical traits can be better assured and recreational users can better tailor their results.
The Emerald Triangle pioneered quality clandestinely-grown cannabis and now intends to pioneer a public status as world-class medical marijuana providers. This effort should easily transition into world-class recreational marijuana, too, as broader legalization occurs in California and throughout the United States.
Legal cannabis can be good medicine for a nation that desperately needs to mellow out, and a population that needs to be reminded we all are connected and in this mess together. Sour Diesel, perhaps, to relieve stress and anxiety. Remember to buy locally and think . . . something or other . . . oh yeah, think globally happy thoughts.
The illegality of cannabis is outrageous, an impediment to full utilization of
a drug which helps produce the serenity and insight, sensitivity and fellowship
so desperately needed in this increasingly mad and dangerous world. Carl Sagan