Hemp
hemp is a touchy one. While it is legal to grow in Virginia now, since last July 1, it is still controlled at the Federal level. At the state level, there is no restriction in the law as to chemical composition, but at the Federal level the THC content has to be below a ridiculously low level for it to be legal. I selected the variety I'm trying to grow with that in mind, to keep the THC content below Federal guidelines, but to maximize the CBD content. It's the CBD I'm after anyhow, so it's all good.
Cannabis has been used by humans for thousands of years, and in all that time there has never been a recorded overdose. It's cultivation has been archaeologically documented in China something over 7,000 years ago, it has been found in graves of the Pazyryk culture (the "Ice Maiden" mummy took a supply with her to whatever heaven it was she believed in), and it has been found in Scythian grave goods on the Eurasian Steppes.
When agriculture and animal husbandry invaded Europe from the steppes and Balkans, cannabis came along with it.
Now, my own personal history with cannabis has been chequered. I grew some when I was a teenager with some success, but always a bad end. The first batch I tried was set in a sunny attic window, out of the way, but it got discovered anyhow, and I had to get rid of it. So I took it out and transplanted it in a clearing in a small copse of woods, but there was not enough sun there, and it got tall and leggy, spindly, and physically weak. I had to cut it down early due to unforeseen circumstances, and it didn't get properly cured for lack of time, and did not smoke well at all, as it was still a little too wet.
Another batch I tried, well, I was just too paranoid about my guerrilla farming getting discovered, so I kept moving it and re-transplanting it. That damaged the roots and stunted it's growth, and after a full growing season it was only 11 1/2 inches tall when it went to seed. Good smoke, but nowhere near enough of it to justify all that trouble.
I stopped smoking it when I was about 18, and haven't fooled with it since, until it became legal here, so now I try again. Wish me luck.
Last year, I tried a test batch of some seed I got in a grocery store in Kansas City. It was a commercial hemp variety from Canada, meant for eating like nuts. I test tried a few seeds, and several of them "popped", sent out young roots, but not a single one developed a stem, much less any leaves. Then I test-tried 5 of these seeds I'm trying again this year, from a different source, of a different variety, meant to be grown, but no luck. at least one of those seeds "popped", but still no stems... so no seedlings, either. For now, I'm blaming that on the growing medium that was probably eaten up by that point with damp off fungus, so I'm hoping that trying these peat pellets as a starter medium, inside that bitty little greenhouse tray, will give better results. So far, no sprouts, but it's only been about 4 days, so none are expected yet. Hemp starts sprouting in 5 to 10 days, so maybe tomorrow, maybe later this week, maybe in a couple of weeks if it's growth-retarded for some reason.
I soaked the seeds in water for around 6 hours, until they all soaked up enough water to sink to the bottom, then took them out of the water and popped them into the peat about a quarter inch deep. We'll see how that goes.
.
hemp is a touchy one. While it is legal to grow in Virginia now, since last July 1, it is still controlled at the Federal level. At the state level, there is no restriction in the law as to chemical composition, but at the Federal level the THC content has to be below a ridiculously low level for it to be legal. I selected the variety I'm trying to grow with that in mind, to keep the THC content below Federal guidelines, but to maximize the CBD content. It's the CBD I'm after anyhow, so it's all good.
Cannabis has been used by humans for thousands of years, and in all that time there has never been a recorded overdose. It's cultivation has been archaeologically documented in China something over 7,000 years ago, it has been found in graves of the Pazyryk culture (the "Ice Maiden" mummy took a supply with her to whatever heaven it was she believed in), and it has been found in Scythian grave goods on the Eurasian Steppes.
When agriculture and animal husbandry invaded Europe from the steppes and Balkans, cannabis came along with it.
Now, my own personal history with cannabis has been chequered. I grew some when I was a teenager with some success, but always a bad end. The first batch I tried was set in a sunny attic window, out of the way, but it got discovered anyhow, and I had to get rid of it. So I took it out and transplanted it in a clearing in a small copse of woods, but there was not enough sun there, and it got tall and leggy, spindly, and physically weak. I had to cut it down early due to unforeseen circumstances, and it didn't get properly cured for lack of time, and did not smoke well at all, as it was still a little too wet.
Another batch I tried, well, I was just too paranoid about my guerrilla farming getting discovered, so I kept moving it and re-transplanting it. That damaged the roots and stunted it's growth, and after a full growing season it was only 11 1/2 inches tall when it went to seed. Good smoke, but nowhere near enough of it to justify all that trouble.
I stopped smoking it when I was about 18, and haven't fooled with it since, until it became legal here, so now I try again. Wish me luck.
Last year, I tried a test batch of some seed I got in a grocery store in Kansas City. It was a commercial hemp variety from Canada, meant for eating like nuts. I test tried a few seeds, and several of them "popped", sent out young roots, but not a single one developed a stem, much less any leaves. Then I test-tried 5 of these seeds I'm trying again this year, from a different source, of a different variety, meant to be grown, but no luck. at least one of those seeds "popped", but still no stems... so no seedlings, either. For now, I'm blaming that on the growing medium that was probably eaten up by that point with damp off fungus, so I'm hoping that trying these peat pellets as a starter medium, inside that bitty little greenhouse tray, will give better results. So far, no sprouts, but it's only been about 4 days, so none are expected yet. Hemp starts sprouting in 5 to 10 days, so maybe tomorrow, maybe later this week, maybe in a couple of weeks if it's growth-retarded for some reason.
I soaked the seeds in water for around 6 hours, until they all soaked up enough water to sink to the bottom, then took them out of the water and popped them into the peat about a quarter inch deep. We'll see how that goes.
.
Diogenes was eating bread and lentils for supper. He was seen by the philosopher Aristippus, who lived comfortably by flattering the king.
Said Aristippus, ‘If you would learn to be subservient to the king you would not have to live on lentils.’ Said Diogenes, ‘Learn to live on lentils and you will not have to be subservient to the king.’
Said Aristippus, ‘If you would learn to be subservient to the king you would not have to live on lentils.’ Said Diogenes, ‘Learn to live on lentils and you will not have to be subservient to the king.’