Pubdate: Sat, 26 Nov 2016
Source: Portland Mercury (OR)
Column: Cannabuzz
Copyright: 2016 The Portland Mercury
Contact:  http://www.portlandmercury.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1174
Author: Josh Jardine

GREEN FRIDAY

I ONCE WROTE a column about how cannabis growers shifted their 
operations indoors during the eight-year tenure of a senile president 
who acted in movies with a chimpanzee ["Indica Nation," Cannabuzz, 
Oct 8, 2014]. Ronald Reagan's fervent, jelly bean-fueled belief that 
people would stop enjoying cannabis simply because someone said "no" 
was paired with a full-scale assault on cannabis producers. People 
who had grown outside for years suddenly found helicopters manned by 
officers of the peace wielding semi-automatic weapons circling their 
properties. That served as incentive enough for outdoor growers to 
trade in their greenhouses for grow lights, HVAC systems, and high power bills.

Over the years, people began to talk trash about cannabis produced 
outdoors (also known as "eco-friendly" and "sun-grown"). People 
complained that it wasn't strong enough, that it was too leafy or too harsh.

But is it, really?

True, I've seen some sub-par sun-grown (my preferred term), but no 
worse than some of the horrendous cannabis that's produced indoors as 
well. I've also seen some sun grown that tested in the low-to mid-20s 
range of THC percentages. I've seen outdoor flower that was so tight 
and fragrant and smooth-vaping that I would have sworn it was indoor 
grown. I'm not anti-indoor-far from it-but I'm anti-tarring and 
feathering an entire manner of cannabis production.

Us city dwellers don't always get an opportunity to try the best 
sun-grown cannabis, which is produced in the southern region of our 
fine state. I'd like to rectify this with a new annual event I'm 
calling "Green Friday." (It's a project produced under the banner of 
my company, Oregon's Cannabis Concierge, and the Mercury is my media sponsor.)

On Friday, November 27, AKA "Black Friday," two days after this issue 
hits the streets, you can go into a select number of dispensaries 
around the state and buy a quarter-ounce of sun-grown cannabis for 
$20. Each will be packaged in a glass jar, and come with a 16-page 
color catalog featuring all participating farms. It's a great way to 
try top-shelf cannabis at a bottom-shelf price, but you will be 
limited to purchasing a single quarter-ounce at each dispensary-even 
Oregon Medical Marijuana Program cardholders. You can get info on 
participating dispensaries and farms at greenfridaypdx.com.

Meanwhile, to understand how cannabis is produced down south, consult 
this glossary of sun-grown terms:

OUTDOOR: Like a really, really big room, but without walls or a roof. 
Also, a term for cannabis that was grown outside, without a 
greenhouse, structure, or any light other than that big yellow orb we 
see all too infrequently this time of year. There are no fans, 
air-conditioning, additional CO2, or carbon filters. Don't worry-it's 
the way plants have grown for billions of years. Bob Marley and the 
Wailers smoked cannabis grown exclusively this way, and those cats 
were hiiiiiigh. Have you ever seen photos of the size of their 
spliffs? Or the serene look on Marley's face? I'm sure it's going to 
get you where you need to go.

GREENHOUSE: Cannabis that was grown in a greenhouse, AKA glasshouse. 
(See also: people in, stones.) It was grown in a structure with 
clear/translucent walls to allow in sunlight. Fans and AC can be 
used, and in larger and sturdier structures, supplemental lighting 
may be incorporated.

LIGHT DEP: Short for "light deprivation." When a grower deprives 
plants of light in a greenhouse structure, by covering the walls and 
roof with a tarp or other material that creates perfect darkness. 
This controls the amount of light the plants receive, thus 
controlling when they flower. A well-planned light-dep greenhouse can 
force an earlier flowering during the summer for an extra crop before 
the traditional fall harvest. Science!

ORGANIC: A boner-killing safe word for Monsanto executives. And 
truly, it can mean so many things, but an absence of chemicals, 
pesticides, and genetically modified anything is the generally 
accepted definition. (There are also "veganic" growers, who produce 
flower without using any animal products, a version of organic taken 
in a different direction.) The goal is to avoid using anything you 
wouldn't want in your food.

Happy Thanksgiving, y'all! This year, I'm extra thankful I live in a 
state where I can put together an event like this without going to prison.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom