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Hacking Cannabis

Ringodoggie

Well-known member
Premium user
For lack of a better term, I call it hacking cannabis. I have been a computer hacker (mostly good boy :) ) for about 35 years and it's kind of how I look at things.

Hacking Cannabis (or hacking anything, really) is not so much about improving your grow (although, that always remains the goal of each task at hand) as it is about learning. When we were hacking DirecTV, it wasn't about getting free TV (I don't even watch TV). It was about learning the new encryption they threw at us every week. Love those math problems LOL It's really just thinking outside the box.

I have been growing since the 70's and just a few years ago started hacking cannabis. With all the new information and all the new innovations in cannabis in recent years, new opportunities arrive every day. With every new open door, there are many closed doors ahead. A good example is the advent of concentrates. Oh, so many ways and means.

In short, some of the experiments I am looking at (or have touched on already) are:

Ultrasonic extraction. I did buy a cheapo heated ultrasonic cleaner and I tried hot water and ice water. Results were inconclusive.

Centrifugal Extraction. OK, this ones a little out there and I have not tried it but I did try it with rosin and I definitely got a separation. Not sure what the layers were so... results were inconclusive..... again. LOL

Changing the Circadian Rhythm of the plants. I did this one and got some pretty amazing results. I had plants run the flowering cycle for only 38 days and they were dark amber ripe. I did have some problems along the way and so I want to go back and do it again.

Using blue light during the critical period to continue photosynthesis and increase yield.

Insect control: Fucking bugs. Top of my list on this one is a motion guided laser cannon that detects, tracks and zaps Spider Mites and Aphids. LMAO

Some studies have been done on ultrasonic pest control. In particular, a study from Kansas State University shows some promise in this method. How about those chipmunk thumpers?

Using blue light to increase predatory mite success during flowering was one that recently came up in one of Skunkman's threads.

Juicing cannabis and using the leaves. I did juice a plant once and got some nasty ass tasting green. LOL I let it sit for a few days and it separated into 3 layers but I was never able to determine what each layer was.

There are a ton of trichs on the fan leaves. And, they mature, way before the trichs on the buds. Way way before. In my case, about 2 weeks into flowering they are dark amber. By 4 weeks, they were black. I did read something recently about the fan leaves containing more CBD than the flowers. I have noticed this on the last 3 or 4 strains I grew.

Exactly WHAT does a cotton filter, filter? I have read a ton on this and everyone has an opinion but no one has any footnotes. I smoke 10-20 joints a day and I would love to filter out some tar. Most technical data is on cigarette filters and they are not made out of cotton (cellulose acetate). I'm talking the basic Raw cotton filters you buy in a 50 pack. No better experiment than one that improves your health. ;)

This is just a few of the ideas I want to dig deeper into.

Most of these experiments will likely NOT result in a better grow. However, I can guarantee that each and every one will provide an opportunity to learn something that you didn't know before. Yeah, I suppose much of the knowledge gained will result (long term) in a more informed grow but, overall, each experiment will generally be referred to as a "failure". However, once in a while when you get lucky and hit a winner, it's an awesome feeling.

So, please don't judge me too harshly if some of the ideas seem outrageous or ridiculous or even derived from ignorance because, like I said, most of them won't work and I understand that.

But, like my good friend Mr Data once said, "The task itself yields it's own rewards".

I would love to hear any input from anyone who has tried any of these ideas.
 
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Mtn. Nectar

Well-known member
Veteran
I've always considered "hacking" as to use someone else's genetic selection/work to enhance/improve an exsisting varietal.........90% of so-called breeders use these methods for shortcuts to their wallet/ego.........
If the 90% would give credit where needed instead of renaming creating greater confusion of orgin it would be .....kinda justified........
but that's the ways of the day....................

ganj on.........
 
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