British Colombia, Canada Trip

Vancouver, BC is green

Flying into Vancouver, BC for the first time in five years to shoot a “Growing with Jorge” DVD evoked many memories. Chow hound Beagles that equate the fragrance of cannabis with a treat still lurk around the airport. Soon I would learn that old friends Romunan Joe moved up north and Vansterdan had recently been busted. The Pot Block was still located in the same place on Lower Hastings downtown Vancouver. Some of the faces had changed, but many were still the same. Kind Seeds now has a big downtown office. Blunt Brothers was still bustling, and Kind Seeds is remodeling the old bank building across the street into a stoner’s paradise. Marc Emrey’s downtown bookstore/headshop was still the center of much activity. Some of the hydroponic stores met too much competition and closed, those that remain are thriving. The feeling of freedom still rang true in town. This feeling would soon turn cold. Ironically, three major busts happened in the following two weeks. Nearly twenty Hells Angels were arrested on smuggling charges, the first pot smuggling tunnel between Canada and the US was discovered and Marc Emrey, owner of Cannabis Culture magazine and his top staff, Michelle and Greg (Marijuana Man) were arrested at the orders of the DEA for alleged for seed sales, smuggling and money laundering!

An hour after arriving I met up with the HIGH TIMES crew and got to work. We got to work contacting more than a dozen growers to organize the shoot. But first, we tasted some of the local produce to get into form. The next day we were on the road!

1. Reeferman

Reeferman was one of the big winners at the 17th Annual Cannabis Cup with his first place entry of Love Potion #1 in the Sativa category. Reeferman invited us to several of his secret gardens, indoors, outdoors and greenhouses hidden in dense maritime foliage.

The outdoor gardens were very, very interesting. We visited Reeferman in the middle of July when the sun was shining more than 17 hours a day and nights a mere 7 hours long. His plants were in full bloom! How does he do it? Simple, first he finds plants that are prone to early flowering, usually with a lot of Indica genetics. He grows them indoors in containers of soilless mix until they are 2-3 feet tall. He induces flowering with a 12/12 day/night photoperiod. Plants are left in this light regimen for four weeks. They show visible signs of flowering within two weeks, growing their first white pistils. By the end of the month plants are in full flower mode. This is when he moves them outdoors.

He moves the flowering females into a shady place to get used to the harsher outdoor climate. The plants are allowed to “harden-off” over the course of a week and get used to their new environment. After 4-5 days the plants are set in the full sun locations for several hours. By the end of the week the plants receive full sun!

The buds are outrageous! All of the photos in this section are taken during the middle of July and notice they are in full bloom! You can do this too.

This Afghani was flowered indoors for four weeks under a 12/12 day/night photoperiod and set outside in mid summer to finish flowering.

Reeferman’s Skunk!

One of four distinct Afghani strains is in full flower in mid July.

Of course we enjoyed outstanding dry sifted hash made by Chimera owner of Chimera Seeds!

Dark leaves frame this resin-packed PH2 bud.

Afghani x PH2 is grown for head stash near the Reefer Ranch.

Breeders must grow many different plants for selection. Here is a greenhouse full of several hundred such plants.

Imagine how difficult this large plant would be to see from an airplane or helicopter. Countless such plans go undetected every season.

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