Jason King - The Cannabible

Thanks to: Creator, Jerry Garcia, Triple J Packin, Alan Dronkers & Sensi Seeds, DJ Short, Blue Bird coffee shop, Ed Silver, Rob Clarke, Meghan Keeffe and Annie NelsonThe C*Team, Phil Wood, Greenhouse coffee shop, Cannabis Culture, Woody Harrelson, K at Trichome Technologies, Mila, Todd McCormick, Jack Herer, Dave Frankel, Ras Noah, Janegel, Ross, Mel Frank, Willowmy mentor, Eddy I & Nicki, D&O, and all the others who couldnt be named for obvious reasonsyou know who you are! Mahalo!

ITS 6 A.M. and the sound of roosters awakens me from my restful sleep. The pakaloloHawaiian for crazy weedwe smoked last night was so strong that I still feel stoned. After a breakfast of fresh coconuts and mangoes, I roll up a fatty of Swahilia pure sativa from Africato complete my wake-and-bake ceremony. (Swahili is my favorite morning bud, for it provides a soaring and energetic high that never burns out.) Im in the Puna District of Hawaii, and today I will be climbing to the top of fifty-foot-tall rainforest trees, strapped with forty pounds of fragile camera equipment, to photograph the legendary Puna Blueberry. After hearing of my project, the kind and trusting grower has agreed to take me to the trees to photograph his magnificent crop. After about a mile of hiking through mosquito-infested jungle, we finally reach the location. I am asked to look up and try to spot the plants. A careful scan of the rainforest canopy from below reveals nothing. Exactly my point, says the grower, as he removes his sandals for the climb up. I feel the tree; its wet and very slippery, even for a rainforest. Seems kind of dangerous, wouldnt you say? I ask. No answer. My guide, loaded with four gallons of water, scurries up the wet tree like a cat being chased. I make one last check of my gear, grab a wet branch, and start climbing.

After twenty feet or so, my heart is pounding so hard that I can hear it as I grab yet another branch. The tree is extremely slippery, but through sheer determination to live, not damage my gear, and most importantly, smoke some Blueberry, I make it to the top. Helicopters can be heard in three different directions, so we stay hidden in the canopy for a few minutes. I can already smell the sweet blue fragrance of the fabled Blueberry, one of my favorite strains for many years now. When the coast is clear, we pop our heads up into the canopy to be greeted by ten beautiful ladies soaking up the hot, tropical sunlight. One squeeze reveals that this is the real Blueberry strain, a creation of breeder DJ Short.

Many factors influenced my decision to write this book. First and foremost, I realized that for almost every other plant on earth, there are books documenting the numerous varieties with color photographs and descriptions. Why, I wondered, isnt there a book like this for our favorite plant? I was more disturbed when I considered the diversity of the species in question. Cannabis grows in every imaginable shade of color, with infinite shapes, flavors, aromas, and effects. I have tasted more flavors in marijuana than in food. This amazing plant needed to be seen in all its glory. And urgently, because many of todays Cannabis strains may soon be extinct. Thus I decided to dedicate my life to properly documenting (and sampling) the worlds finest Cannabis strains.