WELCOME TO McGUYVER'S GROWROOM
UPDATED: June 11, 2006
WARNING!
Introduction
GROW GUIDE
History of Cannabis
In the Streets
Pot Science
Don't be a Dumbass
Personal Reasonings
Ways to get Stoned
Ganja FAQs
Links
My Paraphenalia
Current Project
eMail McGuyver!
WARNING
Cannabis consumption can make you EXREMELY HUNGRY!!! It can also impair your judgement and perceptions dangerously. Cannabis can also act as a mild halleucenogen. The consumption of cannabis can significantly alter your perception of the world, though the effects vary quite significantly between individuals. A small percentage of people may develop psychological dependance on cannabis. Cannabis isn't for everyone!
On occasion, cannabis may be laced with just about anything, from heroin to hairspray. It is usually impossible to tell if it is or not. This is one of the risks you take when dealing in the black market, so buy from people that you TRUST! From very personal experience, I know that laced herb can be a horrific experience... Some things just aren't meant to be smoked.
In North America, there are laws about possesion, posseion of paraphenalia (pipes, bongs, etc...) and marketing cannabis. Though there isn't any law about specifically being stoned, you still have to watch out for 'public intoxication' laws! As long as you're in a private residance where all of the marijuana has been used, and all of the paraphenalia has been hidden, no-one can say much of anything.
Now that you've been warned, I want you all to kick back with a fat spliff and enjoy the website. Cheers!
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INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the woderful world of Cannabis Sativa, Cannabis Indica and Cannabis Ruderalis, often generalized as marijuana. Many of your favourite varieties of cannabis are a hybrid of 2 or more of these basic species. Marijuana is a drug that is physically non-addictive and is an excellent appetite enhancer. Marijuana's use as a painkiller in Chinese medicine has been documented as early as 2700 BC!! In rare cases, cannabis is sanctioned for use by hospital patients. The primary active drug is Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), though cannabis can contain up to 57 other active ingredients!
Cannabis Sativa
Sativa is a tall (2-4m) plant with long, thin leaves, native to Africa. Sativa varieties provide a very cerebral intoxication, inducing euphoria, heightened empathy and creativity, increased appetite and a general sense of well-being. Sativa varieties are particularly useful for industrial fibre.
Cannabis Indica
Indica is common in south-central Asia and the Middle Eastern nations, particularly Afghanistan, Kashmire and Pakistan. Indica is a short (1-2m) plant with broad leaves and a musky scent. Indica varieties are more likely to produce a heavier 'couch potato' intoxication , inducing laziness, muscle fatigue, and again, a general sense of well-being. Due to its potency, Indica is the traditional source of hashish.
Cannabis Ruderalis
Only recently debated as a seperate species, Ruderalis is native to eastern European nations, such as Russia and Poland. Cannabis Ruderalis has a significantly lower THC content than Cannabis Indica or Cannabis Sativa, and has little use as a fibre. One interesting point: Unlike Sativa or Indica, Ruderalis does not flower according to a light cycle; it flowers automatically as soon as it matures.
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GROW SITES
Six easy steps to grow your first harvest!
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This is the most advanced growsite I have ever seen!
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A Short History of Cannabis
For thousands of years, Cannabis has been a valuable medicine and textile base for many cultures in the world. It has been cultivated by the Chinese since at least 4000 BC, possibly longer. Cannabis was likely introduced to Europe by the Scythian civilization, as noted by the Greek traveller Herotodus in 500 BC. Though cultivated for medicinal purposes by the Greeks and Romans, its fibres became an important industrial material throughout Europe. Its products form some of the strongest plant textiles available, including hemp rope and canvas cloth. Only since the early 20th century has it been viewed as an illicit narcotic.
In India, cannabis has been used for centuries as a staple medicine. It comes in 3 preparations, in increasing order of potency: Bhang, made from dried seeds, leaves and stems; Ganja, made from female flowers, and Charas or Hashish, which is pure resin.
Cannabis was outlawed in North America in 1925. Propaganda campaigns were the weapon of choice against this 'dangerous' drug. This is what spawned most of the cannabis stereotypes you hear today. Since then, the USA in particular has used strong-arm tactics to conform the rest of the world to its own laws (as usual). Only in recent years has research evidence been considered.
Today, cannabis is slowly gaining respect in the world. Decriminalisation has passed in several countries, and controlled legalisation is being considered in many more, including Canada! The best thing you can do to support change is to be informed. Erowid keeps an archive of technical information on many drugs, and has a large collection of info on cannabis and its effects.
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In the Streets
Marijuana and its derivatives are known by many other names: weed, bud, hash, leaf, ganja, hydro, mary-jane, etc... Many of the derivatives of marijuana have different potencies, as well as different methods of ingestion. However, the cannabis products you will generally find for sale on the black market are dried flower buds, pressed cannabis resin (hashish), or liquefied cannabis resin (hash oil).
There are many different methods of consuming marijuana, these will be thoroughly outlined. Marijuana can cost up to $20 per gram, but this figure reflects marked-up street prices and excellent product in a rural area. An average street price is $5 - $10 per gram of dried flower buds. Marijuana can be purchased by the ounce, pound or kilogram as well. $150-$350 per ounce, depending on availability and variety. THESE ARE CANADIAN DOLLAR VALUES!
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Pot Science
Intoxication by marijuana can be referred to as: baked, blazed, burned, cooked, fried, high, ripped, stoned, toasted, etc. For the purposes of this outlne, we will use the classic slang, 'stoned'.
The primary active ingredient in cannabis is Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol. This is found in the resin glands produced by the plant. The plant produces this resin (in the leaves, stem, and especially the flower buds) as a protection against the hot summer sun. This is why growers try to simulate ideal summer conditions with lots of light, and the perfect balance of temperature and humidity.
Like any other drug, the more you ingest, the more stoned you become. If smoked, one gram of quality cannabis flower buds should be able to get 4 or 5 people quite reasonably stoned. Smoking cannabis is the traditional way to ingest it. Dried cannabis usually burns at a slower rate than dried tobacco, and can be rolled similarly in a cigarette paper. The onset of the effects of smoked cannabis is 1-10 minutes.
Cannabis can be used through cooking: the active cannabinoids (IE the chemicals that get you stoned) will dissolve readily in heated fats and alcohol. Most of the cannabinoids in marijuana are not activated until they reach a certain temperature. If you simply eat uncooked marijuana, you will get stoned, but not as much as you could otherwise. Many people find eating cannabis to be much more pleasant than smoking it. The onset of the effects of eaten cannabis is 45-90 minutes.
When one is stoned, they experience altenate cognitive perspectives, physical well-being, and in some cases, mild halleucenations. Many people (myself included) consider cannabis to be a potent aphrodisiac. The type of intoxication changes with different species of cannabis and the method of ingestion. Each plant has some combination of over 50 different cannabinoids! Some cannabnoids produce effects different from that of THC.
Cannabis ingestion seems to force the mind to rely more heavily on instinctive and practiced activities. You get the munchies. Instinctively, people like to eat lots of high-calorie food. In the natural world, high calorie food is rare, so a primitive human would want to eat it up. Personally, I have very poor night vision, but if I'm really stoned I can see rather well even in extreme darkness. I can't explain that one, except maybe I rely on more than just sight to sense the world, and I just don't realize it. Paranoia, easily explained because humans are naturally defensive animals. We evolved laughter to communicate feelings of relative safety (we really did!). When you're feelin' great, you feel safe, and you laugh your damn ass off.
A stoned person will usually gain an altered perception of reality. A stoned person may get the 'shakes' (muscle spasms), may become extremely paranoid and/or self-conscious (anxiety), and may experience minor halleucenations. Most people find that the overall effects of cannabis are relaxing and pleasant, though the percieved effects can vary greatly between individuals.
The health risks of smoking marijuana are significantly less than that of smoking tobacco. Dried Cannabis flower buds generally contain around 1/3 (33%) of the tar that tobacco contains. A decent water pipe (bong) will effectively remove most harmful chemicals, but also unfortunately, some of the active canabinoids as well. Eating Cannabis (see above) is a very safe and healthy way to enjoy Cannabis!
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Don't be a Dumbass
When one is stoned, they should obey all common sense practices as if they were drunk. No operation of heavy machinery (including cars!), try not to make an ass of yourself in public, and dinner at an expensive French restaurant is probably not a great idea either. One may find that their social graces may be highly impaired!
Remember, when you posess cannabis or paraphenalia, or are stoned in public, YOU ARE IN A POSITION TO GET BUSTED!! In North America, that can mean JAIL TIME or FINES, and nobody wants that (except maybe the DEA)! If you practice responsible use within a private residence, you should be just fine!
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Personal Reasoning
I have been smoking pot since the 8th grade. At first it was just for the thrill of doing something bad, the rush and joy of being high. It made me happy and stupid. Things have changed since then.
Personally, I find that ingesting cannabis causes my thought process to become extremely introverted. I am constantly distracted by my own train of thought, or my own internal dialogue. I overanalyze everything, and this causes paranoia and anxiety. This can cause problems when I'm trying to perfom even simple tasks, like talking to someone. I also find that I sometimes get the shakes, my back gets sore, and I have to go pee alot.
On a more positive note, I find that in the right setting, cannabis can be extremely calming and relaxing. There's nothing better than sitting on the beach smoking pot around a bonfire. Also, I find that cannabis is a potent aphrodesiac, peaking 1-3 hours after smoking.
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There seems to be some debate on the best way to get high. Based on my experiences, here's a short list for the general gist...
And if there's anything else you could ever want to know...
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Links
Your Guide to Marijuana on the Internet
CGI: Cannabis Genetics Index An
excellent source of information!
Overgrow: The internet's largest database on cannabis cultivation!
Erowid.org! The VERY best info site on drugs on the internet!
Smoking With Style: Your guide to marijuana etiquitte
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PICS AND PARAPHENALIA
I have been referred to on many occasions as the "Marijuana McGuyver". I can make a bong or pipe out of anything. Here's a little list of my creations, I'll try and keep it up to date, and I'll get pictures when I can.
MAI-TAI
My very first bong! Definately not the prettiest pipe on the block. Made from a vinegar jar and the top of a bubble gum machine for a bowl, double piped with electrical wire casings. Parts of it were used to make the Melting Pot. DESTROYED
THE SCIENCE PROJECT
My first double-chamber! 2 tall containers, each about 1.5 litres, connected by a maze of tubing. The setup was hot-glued to a grinder wheel for stability. This bong worked wonders, but the poor design was leaky and heavy. DESTROYED
THE MELTING POT
My internal double-chamber bong. The outer chamber was a 4 litre coffee can. Inside was a small peanut butter jar, which worked as a bong within a bong. She worked like a charm, but I neglected to think of what happens when steel tins get wet. Damn rust... DECOMMISSIONED
THE OLD MAN
A small sherlock-holmes style pipe I got from my Dad, it has a little metal cap over the bowl so you don't lose your cherry to the wind. Definately a classy little pipe! STILL IN USE
THE TOWER
An ice cooling tower made from plastic sheeting and a snorkel. For cooling off hot-knife hits. I still haven't got around to using it yet.
VIETNAM
An old-school gas mask converted into a bong. The only problem was the smoke got into your eyes. Poor design on the military's part. I forgot this one at a party, not that I was worried about losing the pipe, but because the mask looked cool. LOST
THOMAS EDISON
Made from a pyrex flask with exactly the same dimensions as a standard light bulb. Hand-held, collapsible, real damn cool. I brought it to a party, got fucked up on E, and forgot it on a tree-stump. Some lucky bastard probably still has it. LOST
ICECAP
Made from a weird-looking pyrex part and wild looping tubes, it had a little place to hold a few ice cubes. My friend's mom didn't even know it was a bong, pretty crazy! It was a cool pipe, but not very effective. LOST
COCO-PUFF
A 3-foot long American Bamboo pipe with 1/2 a coconut for the bowl. Big hits, smooth smoke, all-natural. This was an awesome pipe, until Scott stepped on it. DESTROYED
COCO-PUFF II
The next generation, Coco-Puff II was a 5'3" American Bamboo pipe with the same 1/2 a coconut salvaged from the original. This monster only got one use, and I have never smoked from a pipe quite like it. It was an epic high. Its destruction has a long story behind it... DESTROYED
METALLICA
Hand-crafted from simple metal parts, this standard straight pipe worked pretty well. It could have used a bigger bowl. It was scammed by some little kid at a party, no worries. Hope he got a good stone on. LOST
THE BLOWJOB
So it's a bad name, but well deserved. So-called because of its mouthpiece shotgun, this was the best water bong I ever made. Glass with a long glass swizzle stick on the mouthpiece, she's smooth and creamy. This is the only bong I ever kept. Used so much at Nick and Gair's place it gummed up and had to be tossed. DECOMISSIONED
WOODY
A fairly phallic wooden dugout pipe that I hand-carved from a solid block of pine. Pretty big bowl with a shotgun. Only cool feature is a screw that controls flow from the bowl to the mouthpiece. The pine tastes like ass, but it's functional, and easy to carry around. IN USE
PREPUBESCENT SCHOOLGIRL
Alot like the woody, but with a big head, skeeter bites, and a bored metal bowl. I gave it to Lauren for her 20th birthday, I hope it gets as much love and care that I would give to it. IN USE
THE PORNO PIPE
A shanty pipe made from a juice bottle, a beer cooler, a little hose and some pornographic playing cards. Right tittie's the shotgun control. It's a smokeless, a lung, and a powerhitter all at once. Load up a big joint and two people can toke to their heart's content, simultaniously, individually, or serving eachother powertokes. Honestly the most powerful smoking device that I have ever experienced. DESTROYED
THE PORNO PIPE: MARK II
A redesign of the original porno pipe, this time using a pint bottle. The new model integrates small screens to prevent ash from entering the pipes, and has a more effective shotgun system. DESTROYED
COCO-PUFF III
Finally realising my dream of a solid coconut pipe! I used REAL bamboo and a coconut, with as little glue as possible. More of these to come! DESTROYED
CHAMPAGNE
Made from a champagne flute, a metal pen casing, and the glass funnel from a gooch crucible holder (thanks, chem lab!). IN USE
COCO-PUFF IV
A VERY solid coconut & bamboo pipe! Features ash-collecting coconut with shotgun, for your smoking pleasure. There's still a few minor design flaws, but "Coco-Puff V" will likely be my prototype for a marketable product! IN USE
THE LADYKILLER
A beautiful bong. Made from an enourmous glass vase, copper and vinyl tubing, a clay flowerpot, and a garden hose attachment (see picture above). 4 feet of mouthpiece tubing means that it takes 3 full draws before the smoke even gets to you. After that, just kick back and sip on the sinsemilla, pass it like a hooka!
I probably missed a few that I made and gave as gifts, they don't really count anyway. Anyway I'll try and keep this list up to date.
Current Project
April 5/04
COCO-PUFFS??
I'm going to try and start a small business building coco-puff style pipes. Look for 'em at Evolve Festival 5, August 27-29, 2004: Antigonish,NS!
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