Cannabis is a unique species among life on earth. I was introduced to cannabis at a relatively young age. From that moment, I felt a very special bond to it. Perhaps it was the way it helped open my perception to new ways of thinking and understanding. It also helped me cope with the stress and pressures of life as an adolescent and has continued to enrich my life into adulthood, giving me the ability to think calmly and for myself in today’s fast-paced, intense culture. It has brought me relief, helped me deal with chronic pain from a debilitating injury, and opened a floodgate of inspiration and creativity for me as a musical artist, writer, and person.
More importantly, I have personally seen it save and positively enrich and enhance the lives of many others. I witnessed a cancer patient go from wasting away to gaining needed weight and strength before a surgery with a 50% survival rate because of cannabis. In that case, cannabis also brought relief to the person’s family, as they were able to see their loved one smile again and again. He survived the surgery, only to deal with horrible pain from nerve damage as a result. Again, by providing the right strain and form of ingestion, cannabis provided relief from the erratic painful nerve damage.
I’ve experienced many other heartwarming stories of people who’ve used cannabis in a way that improved their lives. I’m also aware that it’s an intoxicant and can be abused. My belief is that the cannabis industry needs to focus more on education and information to prevent misuse and spread a greater understanding of the benefits of this sacred plant.
My Philosophy
For the last 18 years, I’ve been extensively researching, using, growing, and spreading cannabis. There are times when caring so much about something can be a burden. I once had a conversation with Kevin Jodrey, co-founder of the Ganjier, and I asked him, “Kev, people like you and I who enjoy talking about cannabis all day everyday…are we obsessed? I sometimes think I am, but in a positive way.”
He responded with a story that ended with, “I’m not obsessed with it. I’m possessed by it, and it’s making a difference in people’s lives through us.”
My goals have always been:
- To find and create the highest quality cannabis possible.
- To improve and preserve cannabis genetics.
- To spread and share it, while providing knowledge and education to people from all walks of life.
As humans we all have unique perceptions. I believe that my perception of cannabis is not better but different than many in the industry. I’ve evolved to see the plant in a way that makes me feel connected to it. When I walk into a grow room or outdoor garden, I instinctually notice small details, improvements that could be made to reduce expenses of operations or improve yield or quality. I notice the subtle differences between plants that could benefit from more nutrients to enhance their flavor and density, to how organics can bring out more natural earthy smells than synthetics.
As growers know, when you’re away from your plants for a few days, you really notice the difference in growth and changes to the plants when you get back to the garden. Compared to being around the plants every day, it’s hard to notice those minute, slow motion changes. Cultivation of cannabis is like poker or martial arts—there is always more to learn.
My Purpose in Writing
I’m here to share my experiences and evolution with cannabis as a cultivator, breeder, consultant, and educator. I hope my articles inspire growers to always improve their methods, efficiency, and quality and to have a better understanding of cannabis. I will cover many topics, including:
- Seed breeding and male selection
- Soil and soil mixes
- Indoor and outdoor growing
- Organics
- Sog/scrog
- Large scale
- Personal grows
- Strain selection
- Seed propagation/cloning
- Harvesting
- Processing
- Storage
I hope to discuss all these topics and more in an effort to better our industry.
—Ganja D