Dan Michaels - Green, a field guide to marijuana

PLEASE NOTE: The information contained in this book is presented for educational purposes only. Please check with your local, state, and federal laws regarding possession, consumption, and cultivation of marijuana. If you seek to use marijuana to treat a medical condition, please consult with your physician or a licensed health-care provider first.

Text and illustrations copyright 2014 by Dan Michaels.

Photography copyright 2014 by Erik Christiansen.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission of the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication data is available.

ISBN 978-1-4521-3405-5 (hc)

ISBN 978-1-4521-4095-7 (epub, mobi)

Designed by Pentagram, New York

Chronicle Books LLC
680 Second Street
San Francisco, CA 94131

www.chroniclebooks.com

Marijuana, pot, weed, bud, green call it what you will, but the popularity of cannabis is at an all-time high. We have finally reached the tipping point where the negative myths and stereotypes are being debunked and the positive influences marijuana has on modern medicine, local economies, individual creativity, and our society as a whole can no longer be denied. And although marijuana still remains a source of controversy, there has never been a better time than right now to be a pot smoker.

One of the oldest, most recognized, and versatile plants on earth, cannabis is used for religious, medicinal, industrial, and recreational purposes. It has been cultivated, consumed, and enjoyed by mankind since the beginning of our recorded history. It has affected ancient cultures, languages, and continues to unite the human spirit by transcending gender, race, physical, social, and economic differences. From corporate magnates to blue-collar workers, country musicians to rap artists, hipsters to hippies, and everyone in betweenmarijuana is one of the few things we all share and enjoy together.

Today, we are in the midst of a green revolution where new strains of cannabis are being cultivated to produce desirable characteristics, unique traits, groundbreaking medicinal applications, and off-the-charts potency. And the quality and variety of strains available for the majestic flower of the female cannabis plant is astonishing. This dizzying array of hundreds, if not thousands of cannabis strains can be an experienced tokers dream or leave a novice user dazed and confused.

How do we navigate through this modern marijuana landscape? What are the differences between various cannabis strains? Should we care whether we smoke an indica versus a sativa? What makes all these new hybrid strains so special?

This field guide is here to help demystify this hazy cloud of uncertainty by outfitting you with the tools and knowledge necessary for selecting and enjoying the best buds. You dont need to be a cannabis grower, breeder, or weedophile to understand that characteristics such as appearance, smell, taste, and wide-ranging psychoactive effects all play an important role in the quality of the herb you choose. In order to truly appreciate cannabis, it is essential to understand the unique characteristics each different strain has to offer and how these characteristics are expressed when smoked or consumed.

Ultimately, its feeling the positive psychoactive effects of cannabis that we all desire. These effects are both psychological and physiologicalmind and bodyand can range from relieving pain or stress, to feeling creative or euphoric, to being stoned or high. While these effects are often subjective, influenced by experiences and expectations, we can often anticipate or even predetermine what effects we should expect simply by educating ourselves on what strain we are about to smoke. This knowledge is vital to ensure that both recreational and medical marijuana users have the best experience possible.

Much like drinking alcohol, where the effects we feel vary drastically depending on how much we drink (quantity); who we are drinking with (experience); where we are drinking (surroundings); and what type(s) of alcohol we are drinking (expectation)the same holds true for marijuana strains. Quantity, experience, surroundings, and expectations all play an important role in our overall enjoyment. But in the case of cannabis, quality holds the throne. The difference between smoking a dank sinsemilla or some dry schwag can mean the difference between feeling nice and lifted or feeling bugged out and paranoid.

Thankfully, we are no longer in a time in which we need to settle for any old weed. Cannabis is now in full bloom, a pot paradise where we can pick and choose exactly what we like and dont likethe pungent aroma of a Skunk strain, the spicy fragrance of a Kush strain, the sour taste of a Diesel strain, the smooth smoke of a Haze strain, the energized high of an heirloom Sativa strain, the stoned relaxation of a Landrace Indica strain, and everything in between. The choice is now in our own handsto grind up, smoke, and enjoy.

We hope this field guide will not only provide some enlightenment about this sublime plant, but also act as a small step forward toward legitimizing what has become a source of contention among the misguided and miseducated.

It is high time to start exploring the wonderful world of weed.

In order to truly appreciate and enjoy all the wonderful things marijuana has to offer, we must first lay a healthy foundation of knowledge on which to build our experiences. Lies, propaganda, and misinformation about marijuana have proliferated throughout history and it is only through proper education and the sharing of accurate information that we can start to undo the harm this has caused. Famous scientist and botanist George Washington Carver wisely said, Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom. Hopefully, with the help of the enlightenment provided in this book, we can all continue to spread the truth that has already begun turning this key.

Figuratively, marijuana is earths greatest gift to mankind. Physically, marijuana is a natural body and mindaltering treat. Literally, marijuana is the budding flower of the female cannabis plant.

But what makes marijuana so desirable is that it naturally produces a multitude of diverse chemical compounds called phtyo-cannabinoids. When consumed, these cannabinoids produce a variety of wide-ranging effects on the human mind and body by activating and stimulating our bodys internal cannabinoid receptors. All humans and animals naturally possess these endo-cannabinoids receptors. This complex cannabinoid system is the very reason cannabis has been consumed for both recreational and medicinal purposes by ancient cultures and modern societies alike.

The most well-known cannabinoid is called delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). It is the psychoactive chemical that produces the desirable high or stoned feeling when consumed.

The other primary cannabinoid is known as cannabidiol (CBD). It has been found to be an effective treatment for a wide range of health conditions and thanks to modern scientific research, weve finally been able to quantify and prove these health benefits.