Original publication: November 1986.

MORE POT ON THE WAY FOR ’87

JORGE CERVANTES

Whew! The summer marijuana drought is over! The law of supply and demand drove the summertime marijuana price sky high. This scarcity created a run on last year’s harvest of quality outdoor buds. As soon as the pot surfaced on the street, it was sold and smoked. This phenomena is similar to what happens when depositors learn their bank is running out of money; the depositors run to withdraw all of their savings. In this case, the savings go up in smoke.

For the third consecutive year the Campaign Against Marijuana Planting (CAMP) contributed to a lighter harvest and higher marijuana price. CAMP aided local law enforcement agencies in staging marijuana eradication raids all across the United States. As well as harvesting an enormous amount of wild Midwestern fibrous “no high” hemp plants, they confiscated thousands of marijuana plants cultivated by guerilla growers.

Sound bad? Not really. CAMP claims to have harvested a larger percentage of the 1985 marijuana crop than is humanly possible. CAMP releases their own facts and figures and the sad fact is, they believe their own news releases. For example, CAMP claims to have eradicated over 90% of the California marijuana crop. Is it possible to eradicate over 90% of the nation’s most valuable cash crop in the largest agricultural state in the Union? I doubt it.

According to the 1985 “Annual Marijuana Growers Survey” by Sinsemilla Tips Magazine (Vol.5, #4), approximately 11% of the crop was confiscated by the law. As much as 16% might have been stolen by thieves. This actual survey of real growers gives thieves more credit for cheating the growers out of their mature harvest than law enforcement officials. The choice is yours: which set of “facts” sounds more believable to you?

Guerilla growers now raise fewer, more potent plants in well camouflaged patches. These varieties of marijuana produce heavier, more potent yields on more compact plants. Now the harvest of 1986 is coming in. More marijuana will be available this year because there is more of it being grown than last year, just like the year before.

Marijuana imports have slowed to a crawl. One reason: cocaine. This powder is much easier and more profitable to smuggle than marijuana. Cocaine sells for ten times as much and weighs only a fraction as much as marijuana, making it easier to conceal and transport. The penalties are essentially the same for the illegal importers. Consequently, smugglers find cocaine rather than marijuana to be the most profitable contraband.

There is such a glut of cocaine on the US market that the new highly addictive “crack” has won a firm place in the market.

Colombia claims to have eradicated over 85% of its marijuana fields. Nowhere is it ever mentioned that the cocaine traffic has simply replaced the marijuana traffic. This summer, authorities confiscated thousands of pounds of cocaine in Colombia. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) was elated. They waited for an increase in the street price of cocaine to signify the impact of the largest coke bust in history.

To the DEA’s chagrin, there was no change in the supply or price of cocaine in the United States.

Smart domestic growers have seen the writing on the wall. To quote from Newsweek magazine (August 4,1986, p. 16) “A pound of high-grade California sinsemilla, available on the East Coast for $2,000 last year, currently sells for $5,000.” This price seems inflated to me, but I’ve heard numerous rumors from many cities that people are literally begging for more $3,000 pounds!

Look for higher prices in the 1986-87 harvest season. Last year, at the peak of the harvest season, the growers’ rock bottom wholesale price was $1800 per pound, in quantity. This year that base price will probably be in the $2,000 to $2,500 per pound range.

This year, the growers’ answer to CAMP is: “If CAMP is looking for marijuana, let them find marijuana. Let them try to find it all. We will always harvest some of the crop. It is easier to plant hundreds of plants than it is to find and destroy them.”

This year, I believe we will realize an actual 2-10% increase in domestic marijuana production over 1985. However, this harvest will have to supply a much larger demand. The wholesale and retail price will increase. More people will start growing at home, both indoors and outdoors, to help cut expenses and take advantage of the higher market price. Strange: the intent of the DEA and CAMP was to eradicate marijuana. But by their restrictive actions, these agencies are creating artificially high prices and promoting more domestic production.

The ’86 harvest is coming in, and more marijuana will be available this year because more of it is being grown than last year.

Anti-marijuana group’s anti-rescheduling ad campaign targets Trump; DE legal sales launch; Slovenian cannabis bills; GA hemp & medical marijuana study

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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW

The Texas Senate approved a bill to ban consumable hemp products with any amount of THC even though Gov. Greg Abbott (R) recently vetoed similar legislation.

A Texas senator filed legislation to regulate, rather than ban, hemp products—and also introduced a separate bill to legalize recreational marijuana.

Prohibitionist organization Smart Approaches to Marijuana Action is launching a TV ad campaign urging President Donald Trump not to reschedule cannabis—claiming it “harms American public health” and would “give cartels a tax break.”

Slovenian lawmakers filed a bill to legalize recreational marijuana as separate medical cannabis legislation is advancing toward enactment.

Delaware recreational marijuana sales will start on Friday through existing medical cannabis dispensaries, and Gov. Matt Meyer (D) is sharing resources to inform consumers about how the state’s program works.

The Georgia House Blue-Ribbon Study Committee on Georgia’s Medical Marijuana and Hemp Policies held its first hearing, with the chair noting that “there is some blurring in this committee, which happens because of the fact that we’re looking at, really, two different policies.”

/ FEDERAL

Customs and Border Protection tweeted, “Marijuana is a controlled substance under U.S. federal law.  The sale, possession, production, distribution or the facilitation of both medical and recreational marijuana is illegal. Crossing the border or arriving at a U.S. port of entry with marijuana may result in seizure, fines, and/or arrest, and may impact admissibility.”

/ STATES

A North Carolina representative’s hemp company filed a counterclaim against other businesses that alleged it used his political influence to coerce them into a bad deal.

A Pennsylvania senator shared a former Colorado Senate majority leader’s op-ed in support of marijuana legalization.

New York regulators are being sued over allegedly unreasonable delays in processing a company’s marijuana retail license application.

Massachusetts regulators approved draft cannabis cafe rules.

Tennessee regulators filed proposed changes to hemp rules.

Minnesota regulators published updated guidance on cannabis events.

California regulators are extending the deadline for cannabis-related academic research grant proposal submissions.

Missouri regulators sent a newsletter with updates on various cannabis issues.

—
Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments.

Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access.
—

/ LOCAL

A former Jackson’s Gap, Alabama police chief authored an op-ed supporting federal marijuana rescheduling.

/ INTERNATIONAL

The Switzerland National Council’s Social Security and Health Committee approved cannabis legalization legislation.

Australia’s health minister said he is “deeply concerned about unscrupulous and possibly unsafe behaviour by some telehealth medicinal cannabis providers.”

/ SCIENCE & HEALTH

A study found that “CBD demonstrated a good safety and tolerability profile and appeared to be a promising therapeutic option for the management of” drug-resistant epilepsy.

A review concluded that “psilocybin, LSD, and ayahuasca revealed preliminary therapeutic potential for facilitating smoking cessation.”

/ ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS

The Maine Public Health Association is working on legislation to require testing of medical cannabis.

The Boston Globe editorial board is urging the Cannabis Control Commission to move past a “toxic culture” depicted in newly released documents.

/ BUSINESS

Apothecarium workers in Cumberland, Maryland are “reporting serious health symptoms following exposure to paint fumes inside the facility.”

RiverBank and Green Check launched a direct-to-bank integration partnership.

Compass Pathways plc has a new board of directors member.

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Photo courtesy of Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images.

There continues to be a proliferation of overdried cannabis in legal markets caused by factors ranging from poor drying and curing environments and/or practices to purposeful rapid overdrying to minimize bacterial or fungal contamination risk.

When adding these practices to an already flooded market with a slow retail turnover rate, the result is a backlog where freshly harvested cannabis sits in warehouses while older and older harvests get shipped out. And as dried cannabis ages, it inevitably diminishes in quality as terpenes degrade and evaporate.

As a rule of thumb, I consider dried raw cannabis buds to be a perishable item with a shelf life of approximately one year if stored in a cool, dark environment. This can be extended if the sealed containers are stored in a sub-zero freezer until ready for delivery to the point of sale. I have certainly seen incredible cannabis that was over a year old, but it had been properly stored and cared for.

Terpene Frenzy

With the increase of older and/or overdried cannabis, there has been a steady rise in both non-cannabis-derived and cannabis-derived terpenes in multiple forms being produced and distributed to cannabis and hemp growers.

The proliferation of terpene additives is accompanied by gizmos and gadgets designed to facilitate their application to terpene-devoid cannabis buds. These applicators range from plastic sprayers to pressurized chambers designed to deeply infuse the terpenes into the plant material.

It is fairly well-known (and often mentioned on packaging and in marketing materials) that many vape products utilize added terpenes. But their usage is spreading beyond concentrates. I asked one of the largest steam-distilled, cannabis-derived terpene producers who its largest customer was: It was one of the largest greenhouse growers in the state, who infused the terpenes into the cannabis destined for its pre-rolled joints.

Despite the efforts, I am of the opinion that you can’t fix broken, and terpene-devoid cannabis is broken. Why would someone overdry and evaporate existing terpenes, to in turn reapply alternative terpenes? Sounds like a pointless exercise, as terpenes are compounds that work together with a multitude of cannabinoids. It’s this combination that is responsible for the entourage/synergistic effects with the human endocannabinoid system.

Not All Terpenes Are Created Equal

Terpenes are natural aromatic compounds that are responsible for both the aroma and flavor characteristics in cannabis, other plants, animals, beers, and everything in between. As of 2017, more than 560 unique chemical constituents have been identified in cannabis, with more than 100 unique cannabinoids and more than 150 individual terpenes noted.

So, where are terpenes available for use on cannabis sourced from today?

1. Food-grade terpenes: Typically derived from plants and fruits through steam distillation or hydro-distillation. Steam-distilled cannabis-derived terpenes are available for sale but will often lack the vibrancy of the oils collected that were not subjected to heat.
2. CO₂-extracted fractionalized terpenes: CO₂-derived cannabis terpenes pale in comparison to other extraction methods. CO₂ extractors often utilize dried cannabis as their input material, which has minimal terpene content to start with.
3. Thin-film distilled cannabis-derived terpenes: This process utilizes heat, which degrades and converts terpenes.
4. Rosin sauce: Rosin is melted, and cannabinoids and terpenes are separated under vacuum. These terpenes are utilized in rosin vape cartridges.
5. Cannabis-derived hydrocarbon extract: This process yields a sauce separating THCA from the remaining cannabinoids and terpenes. These terpenes are also predominantly utilized in vape carts and sometimes added to flavorless distillates for use in vape carts.

Each of these terpene types contains essential oils to varying degrees.

The term essential oil is a contraction of the original “quintessential oil” derived from the Aristotelian concept that matter is composed of four elements, specifically air, fire, water, and earth. The fifth element, or quintessence, was considered to be the “spirit” or “life force.” Distillation and evaporation were thought to be the processes of removing the spirit or life force from the plant. This is also reflected in modern language when we use the term “spirits” to describe alcoholic beverages.

This analogy may be more fact than metaphor, as headspace measurement technology makes it possible to detect the volatile components of the plant’s “aura.”

Aromatic Complexities

Fresh bud oil is comprised mainly of monoterpenes (92%) with 7% sesquiterpenes and approximately 1% other chemical classes such as simple ketones, esters, and thiols. Not unexpectedly, drying the plant material resulted in an overall reduction in the percentage of the oil recovered. Most of the loss appears to take place during the first week of drying. Drying results in a significantly greater loss of monoterpenes than of sesquiterpenes.

As of yet, it has been nearly impossible to recreate the aromatic potential of the more than 150 known cannabis terpenes using just a few food-grade terpenes. They are predominantly sold as single terpene compositions—pinene, limonene, linalool, etc.

The steam distillation process alone destroys and converts the original terpene composition from the original plant material, meaning these single terpene compositions are not even a true representation of their source. The most aromatic extractions occur at or below ambient temperatures, which prevents thermal degradation.

Even cannabis-derived terpenes have their limitations. CO₂ extraction utilizes dried plant material, where a percentage of terpenes is already lost during drying. Another portion is then lost during CO₂ recovery.

The resulting extract from steam or hydro-distillation is compromised by heat, and a percentage of water-soluble terpenes is lost to the water.

Thin-film distillation also leverages heat, compromising the resulting extract. Additionally, the initial extraction process might isolate only a fraction of the terpenes present in the fresh bud.

Priority Check

Rather than reinfusing a lesser quality essential oil/terpene, which will ultimately result in poor-quality final products, perhaps the efforts could be better spent properly drying and curing the buds with emphasis on terpene preservation and retention. This includes better protocols and infrastructure for long-term storage, as it is likely to take years for stored inventories to normalize.

This way, we might see more cannabis products with well-preserved souls and auras, which would be a refreshing change of pace.