[The Alchimist]

Introduction to cannabis tasting

Is it possible to taste marijuana?

Marijuana is probably the known plant species with more organoleptic variations. Its richness in regard to flavours and smells is practically infinite, varying between organic and chemical notes, with sweet, sour, fruity or woody undertones – and many more. The different combinations of the more than 100 terpenes (mainly monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes) that it contains produce flavours and aromas that vary enormously between different plants, providing completely different notes and undertones from one cannabis strain to another. It’s for this reason that marijuana tasting is such an important and exciting activity, in which we get to know better the strains we grow, trying to intensify our senses when smoking them so we get the best of our favourite varieties.

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[The Alchimist]

Humic and fulvic acids for cannabis plants

The use of humic and fulvic acids is becoming increasingly popular among all types of cannabis farmers, who can now take advantage of a healthy, rich and living soil that produces happy plants and therefore abundant harvests. Thanks to this substances, nutrient uptake and management are much more efficient, and root growth is simply spectacular.

Either if you’re using organic soil or hydroponic systems, using humic and fulvic acids is a very easy way to ensure the best possible conditions for the roots of your plants. Indeed, it is especially recommended in hydroponic cultivation since these types of growing media do not contain nutrients nor microbial life. In this way, you get the most out of the nutrient solution that you’ve carefully prepared for your plants.

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[The Alchimist]

Responsible use of pesticides in cannabis cultivation

At this point in the season, when outdoor plants begin flowering and indoor grows are suffering the highest temperatures of the year, it’s common for pests to make their first appearance in our garden, which can be particularly difficult to combat precisely because of the high temperatures, that on most occasions will favour their development and propagation. Our plants are therefore more sensitive than ever to insect pests and, later on and once they have developed buds, to the dreaded fungi.

Because of this, it’s the season of the year where the most insecticides (early summer) and fungicides (late summer) are used, because no grower wants to watch their efforts and dedication be ruined by a pest or disease. However… are we making the best use of pesticides? How can we limit its impact on our health and the environment? This article was born from my own experience during the years that I spent cultivating cannabis outdoors in my garden, when I saw the fauna in it gradually diminish and, fortunately, how I’ve seen its resurgence in recent years thanks to a more responsible use of phytosanitary products.

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[The Alchimist]

Presenting Indizono Ozonisers

Ozone, the cannabis cultivator’s friend

Ozone (O3) is a substance that is a colourless gas at ambient temperature and pressure, giving off an acrid smell; Thanks to its high oxidising power, this gas has a great ability to disinfect and eliminate odours. Nowadays, ozone has many applications in areas as diverse as industry, agriculture, or domestic sanitation, being of particular interest for the indoor cannabis cultivation.

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[The Alchimist]

How to use a Hydraulic Rosin Press

Rosin has become a hugely popular extraction method, not only because it’s really easy to carry out and completely safe, with no risk of explosions or fire, but also because of the purity of the results, giving clean cannabis concentrates produced using only heat and pressure, totally free of solvents, and within the reach of everyone.

With this growth in popularity, the number of purpose-built presses on the market has increased hugely over the last year, with a wide range of different sizes, styles and prices available to the budding extractor, depending on his or her requirements.

In posts over the last few years we’ve shown you how to make rosin from flowers and then from hash using a simple electric hair straightener, a great and inexpensive way to get started in this world of solventless cannabis extractions. But now it’s time to look at how to extract on a larger scale, using a hydraulic press and heated aluminium plates.

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[The Alchimist]

Hashishene, the new terpene of cannabis

Hashish and terpenes

As we already know, terpenes are responsible for the taste and scent of many of the vegetables that produce them. They are a broad class of organic hydrocarbons derived from isoprene (CH2=C(CH3)CH=CH2) which compose the bulk of resins and essential oils of plants, thus providing unique flavours to each individual as a result of terpene combination. They are also called terpenoids when they have undergone an oxidating or molecular re-combination process. As we also know, most cannabis terpenes have properties of great medicinal value.

As the flowering stage progresses, more and more terpenes are secreted inside the trichome heads, so that the terpene profile of the plant changes as it ripens. The same thing happens when drying and curing buds, the process of oxidation and partial decarboxylation to which buds are exposed makes their terpene range to change over time. Some terpenes will degrade faster than others, so the terpene range of the weed – we must remember that we know of more than 100 terpenes in cannabis – will vary unless it is vacuum-sealed and properly stored. This fact explains why the smell and taste of one sample can evolve throughout the drying and curing process.

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[The Alchimist]

Causes of death in cannabis plants during the growth period

The vegetative growth of cannabis plants can be one of the longest periods of cultivation when growing outdoors – or indoors – where in, for example the countries of southern Europe they enjoy a lengthy spring and summer. During the course of this growth phase, problems can arise that may lead to the death of the plant even before the flowering stage begins.

Let’s see what are the most frequent causes of death during the plants’ growth period and what we can do to avoid a premature, unhappy ending.

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[The Alchimist]

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC): The principal cannabinoid in cannabis

What is THC?

• Name: Tetrahydrocannabinol or delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol
• Formula: C21H30O2
• IUPAC Name: Tetrahydro-6,6,9-trimethyl-3-pentyl-6H-dibenzene [b, d] pyran-1-ol
• Molecular weight: 314.45 g / mol
• Boiling point: 157ºC
• Presence at room temperature: crystalline solid at low temperature, viscous when heated
• Not soluble in water, highly soluble in lipids, alcohols and hydrocarbons such as butane

Without a doubt, THC (often called delta-9-THC) is the most widely known cannabinoid of the cannabis plant. Although it is almost completely absent in some – usually hemp – varieties, that barely reach 1%, the drug varieties of cannabis show a high content (up to 30%) of what is the main psychotropic compound produced in the trichomes of the marijuana. Indeed, THC is the most important psychoactive component of cannabis, responsible for the “high” sensation commonly associated with the consumption of this plant and which has made it illegal in most countries of the world.

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[The Alchimist]

Anatomy of the Cannabis plant

When it comes to cannabis, the part of the plant that gets all the attention is naturally the bit we’re all growing for: the flowers. But while it’s easy to be enamoured with the beautiful frosty flowers we shouldn’t overlook the rest, because behind the bud there’s a whole plant, with all its component parts, each playing an essential role in bringing us our precious harvest.

Here at Alchimiaweb we strongly believe that the more we know about our favourite plants, the more success we’ll have cultivating them, and the happier we’ll be with the results! For these reasons here we’re going to take a closer look at the cannabis plant and identify all the different elements of its anatomy to help you get to know this wonderful plant a little bit better.

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[The Alchimist]

Cannabis pesto

Originary from the northwestern part of the country, from one of the smallest regions in Italy (Liguria), this delicious, classic Italian sauce has become a true classic across the planet, especially when mixed with pasta. Let us welcome it today to our Cannabis Kitchen section!

While the main ingredients of the traditional recipe are genoese basil, garlic, pine nuts, salt, parmesan or pecorino cheese and olive oil, there are plenty of variations of this popular sauce, like red pesto (with fresh or dried tomatoes) or using a wide variety of dried fruits which can be either mixed with the pine nuts or used to replace them (it is hard to find them in some places!). Today we invite you to make a delicious dish of pesto pasta with a new and exciting ingredient…you guessed right, cannabis!

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