cannabisnews.com: Smoking, Toking College Smoking, Toking College Posted by CN Staff on April 28, 2003 at 07:56:03 PT By Jason Botchford -- Sun Media Source: Edmonton Sun The first mistake the unrefined marijuana sampler invariably makes is thinking the stronger the cannabis, the better. "Everyone comes in here thinking that strong is good and that is absolutely wrong," said a pot tour guide who goes by the name Berry and plies his trade at the Cannabis College in the heart of Amsterdam. German tourist Mich Knect, 23, listens to his instruction carefully. He is told to look for resinous plants with profuse white, crystallized flowering heads. A MORE POTENT POP Berry explains that chemicals are added to hydroponic marijuana during cultivation to cull a more potent pop when smoked. "This is not good," Berry said. "You have to think of it like buying a good bottle of wine. If chemicals were added, the connoisseur would spit it out. Chemical-free is the proper way although no one seems to care anymore. People feel strong is good." The college, which opened in 1997, provides tourists to Amsterdam with "correct, objective information about the cannabis plant" with seminars and tutorials. Admission is free. Knect scribbles some points down about different strains of marijuana he will encounter during his three-day taste tour of Amsterdam. Berry said there are more than 2,000 different types of cannabis in the world which break down into two major categories: indica and sativa. 'STRANGE HOMEWORK' Indica has thick, dense buds, the smell is strong and pungent and the high, Berry said, is a "heavy, stoned one." The sativas have long, thin buds, smell sweet - almost fruity - and after smoking it one will experience a buzz to the body and feel more energized. Knect and two friends are told to smoke one sativa, one indica and one 50/50 crossbreed and report back the following day. The three had been to some of Amsterdam's famed coffee shops before going to college, but were overwhelmed by the choices on the different menus. "That is strange homework," Knect said. "I'm glad they have a place like this because I had no idea what I was doing. The marijuana guys were using words I just didn't understand." Before parting, Berry has some words of warning and asks that Knect be patient while smoking and not try to consume too much at any given time. "Moderation, my friends, is essential," Berry said. Source: Edmonton Sun (CN AB) Author: Jason Botchford -- Sun MediaPublished: Monday, April 28, 2003 Copyright: 2003 Canoe Limited PartnershipContact: letters edm.sunpub.comWebsite: http://www.fyiedmonton.com/htdocs/edmsun.shtmlRelated Articles:Dutch Treat - Winnipeg Sun http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16086.shtmlPot Politics: Let's Get Past The Smokescreen http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16081.shtmlPolice Mellow On Weed http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16077.shtmlO Cannabis - Edmonton Sun http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16075.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #4 posted by 312 on April 28, 2003 at 17:57:37 PT Cannabis College When I went there in september 2002, the cannabis college had burned down six weeks previously, or so I was told. All that was there was the downstairs grow room with five different five month old (nice and big) plants growing and a guy (maybe it was Berry) telling everyone all about them (he sounded like he'd been saying the same thing all day and was slightly sick of it, but that's work for you). It wasn't free; there was a 'donation' required to see the grow room. The actual college bit was probably free, if it hadn't burned down, that is. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by FoM on April 28, 2003 at 11:31:19 PT druid Thank you. That makes sense. Isn't blood meal dangerous? I thought that Mad Cow Disease could be a risk. I heard that a couple years ago somewhere. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by druid on April 28, 2003 at 11:27:30 PT FoM If you are growing cannabis with hydroponics(in water instead of soil) then you use a high concentration of chemicals in the water for plant growth. If you choose to grow your cannabis in the soil then you can go 100% organic in your fertilizers. Stuff like bat guano, blood and bone meal and many other things to get the nitrogen and other elements needed by the plant to grow. People growing with hydroponics tend to use too much chemical fertilizers in their grow and the buds tend to have a chemical taste or won't burn right as in the case of using too much phosphorous. There is a big debate in the cannabis growing world of hydroponic vs soil growing and organic vs chemical fertilizers. If you do tend to use a chemical fertilizer then it is a good idea to use 100% water for the last 2 weeks before harvest. This 'flushes' the system and you can rid the plant of many chemicals that you might not want to ingest with the plant when the time comes. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by FoM on April 28, 2003 at 08:39:36 PT What Chemicals? I hope they don't mean fertilizer. All plants and vegetables need fertilizer. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment