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By DEAN CHRISTOPHER

Last time we discussed recent concerns — real, exaggerated or politically motivated — about possible contamination of cannabis currently being distributed by local dispensaries. We noted that, as with any other medication, patients should take every precaution to ensure that their cannabis is as pure and uncompromised as possible.

We pointed out potential problem areas (contaminants and weight-producing additives); and what to look for — in you and in the cannabis — as symptoms that your weed may have been tampered with.
But once you have your healthy cannabis, it’s important to keep it healthy to ensure its maximum effectiveness for your own health. Here are a few practical ideas for keeping your marijuana wholesome, fresh and effective longer.

De-bug your medicine.
A little burnt insect never hurt anyone, but smoking bug bodies probably isn’t your idea of fun.

So before storing your supply, check it for insects. Mites and aphids are common pests that infest a wide variety of plants. In the wild, they’re neutralized by natural enemies like flies, praying mantises and ladybugs.

If it’s not convenient for you to pick up a couple ounces of mantises and ladybugs at your local Natural Enemy Mart, you can always try home made nicotine spray.

Seriously. Besides its harmful effects on humans, nicotine is an effective killer of aphids, mites and other little creepie-crawlies.

Soak a couple of cigarettes overnight in a quart of water. Pour the ugly brown sludge into a squirter bottle and spray the leaves and stems until they’re misty. After a few minutes, dry it off. Repeat the process a couple of days later to be sure. (Be sure to blow the plant dry before you try to use it.)

A 20-25% solution of vinegar spray is also unfriendly to mites and aphids. As are a number of prepared household spritzes that contain a substance labeled pyrethrum, another word for “chrysanthemum.” Other folk remedies include a spray of mild Castille soap in plenty of water.

The storage story.
Cannabis — like any other organic plant — deteriorates with age. The THC potency locked up in buds, flowers and leaves declines about 10% a year when stored at room temperature. This is a due to the natural oxidizing of the cells as they break down into cannabinol, nudged along by oxygen and moisture.

The campaign to keep cannabis safe for everyone.
Beyond health concerns for each individual, there is also a community aspect to “safe cannabis.” Listed by the Federal Government as a “Schedule One” controlled substance,cannabis is technically unlawful to cultivate, buy, sell or even to possess.

Most other substances that go into our bodies — pharmaceuticals; herbal and mineral supplements; foodstuffs — are evaluated and approved (or not) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

But, illogical as it may seem, no such watchdog agency yet exists to certify the wholesomeness of medical cannabis. At this writing, there is no national — or even regional — authority to evaluate, monitor and sanction the medication that collectives distribute.

That is gradually changing. A number of websites and community-based watchdog entities promote safe cannabis awareness, and help patients develop healthy treatment protocols.

One such example is the Pasadena, CA-based Clean Green Certification Program, created when the USDA declared cannabis ineligible for Organic Certification.

Founder Chris van Hook is a lawyer, and also a certified “certifier” for the USDA. So Clean Green certification pretty much follows USDA and other internationally-accepted cultivation and distribution guidelines. The organization’s certifiers include other USDA inspectors, working all across California, checking farming and production procedures of cannabis legally grown for therapeutic use, under the California Medical Marijuana Program.

Working under the umbrella of parent organization Medical Cannabis Caregivers, Clean Green also produces videos and other training materials for cannabis cultivators. They work in strict compliance with Federal privacy laws.
Their website (MCCDirectory.org) has details on policies, procedures and qualification criteria. The group also publishes a directory of preferred doctors and collectives.

In the best interests of our readership, The 420 Times intends to continue publicizing the efforts of other organizations and individuals working for public health through medical cannabis.