Online Cannabis Contamination & Potency Survey

[Dave The Nefarious]

Fraz, so you're saying that potency isn't one of the factors that marijuana breeders look for? And what about equipment, are you saying growing technologies have remained stagnant since the 60s ... ?

 

Hmm, actually ... "Thailand haze 'worst in 14 years'"

http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/...reut/index.html

Edited March 13, 2007 by Dave The Nefarious

[Mulcontent]

For those who post before they actually make it to the survey page here is the blurb on their site:

 

" Cannabis On-Line Survey

Cannabis is the most commonly used illicit drug in Australia, but we know surprisingly little about the type and quality of the cannabis used here. Many people believe that cannabis has become much stronger, or more potent, and that it may be contaminated with chemicals. Some people are concerned that stronger/more potent cannabis may be associated with mental health problems, particularly among young people. However, Australian cannabis is rarely tested, and we know little about the views of users and others associated with the cannabis market regarding potency/strength. With your help, this survey aims to gain a better understanding of issues relating to potency and the possible presence of contaminants in Australian cannabis.

 

Along with this survey we will use various other methods to identify, and discuss the implications of, trends in cannabis potency and the presence of contaminants. These include a literature review and interviews with a range of key experts on potency and contamination.

 

With the information we gain, we hope to obtain further funding and conduct an analysis of cannabis seizures to measure potency and screen for any contaminants that this study may identify. "

 

This is what the info is being used for , it's basically going to help the growerand smoker in the end by identifying any dodgy shit we may be using to grow our weed and I am all for that , because I'd like to know for my own health and would love to see some of the stuff sold at Hydro suppliers get tested to see if it really makes you grow tit's or not ....

I will trust a CSIRO test any day before some nutrients salesmans word , agree ?

The cops may get their grubby hands on the info and the Government will twist the figures to suit stupid law changes no doubt if they want .....

Edited March 13, 2007 by Mulcontent

[Frazz]

Yea youre right Dave .. im just ventilating ... about thirty years ago Skunk was all the rage .. and i reckon its still one of the best around today ..

 

[jabez]

There are a couple of reasons why cannabis would be more potent today, firstly the growing tecniques have improved for example separating males, better manicuring of the buds also thanks to Holland we can now grow top quality weed in places that are not tropical. Another reason that I think is majorly over looked is the way we store it, when I see old bust's on documentrys and such they all ways seem to be storing there ganja in paper bags which any smoker would know is a really good way to turn good quality herb shit very quikly.

So unless ziplock bags have the potential to turn a inocent little herb in to a hard drug thats worse than heroin and cocaine ( as Chris Pyne likes to claim) I dont think we have much to worry about, those little howard pawns can continue putting out all those statistics that have no credibilty in scientific terms till they choke, soon labor will be in power and they will either start slowly softening the laws or they will throw it in to the to hard basket and just leave as alone either way I'm happy.

[freddie]

Cannabis should be more potent than years ago but it isn't. Before seed banks there seemed to be more sativa's around; thai sticks, buddha sticks. Stuff imported from all over the world. If you knew where to get it there was fantastic weed around. Gear that would send you on a 4 hour trip after 2 small cones or other stuff that made you laugh uncontrollably. Wish i could find the equivalent now. There was also lots of crap. We used to smoke leaf. I know this is sounding like a "when i was young..." rave. Sorry.

The Dutch changed everything and dont get me wrong they do a great job but i tend to find a lot of the stuff around today a bit bland. Indicas rule. I don't think potency is the only thing the Dutch breed for. They are trying to sell seeds so it helps to have a pretty bud shot with lots of crystals. It seems to be important to have an exotic fruit taste as well. Why, i am not sure. The genetic pool has certainly been stirred but i don't think it has always been for the best. I hate to think about lost genetics that may have been discarded because it didn't have the right look or taste. Maybe i have just been unlucky with the varieties i have tried and grown.

Growing methods have certainly improved along with an understanding of the plant itself and many stupid myths no longer exist.

 

I filled the survey in with no problems and answered honestly. Nothing i said could be used in the wrong way as i don't use pesticides or anything dangerous. I hope the survey wont be used in headlines about pesticide contaminated weed.

[Guest niall]

Guys I urge you to take part and give accurate information. We as cannabis consumers should be leaping at the opportunity to supply the AOD (Alcohol and Other Drug) organisations who are overwhelmingly on the side of common sense and Harm Reduction, with accurate information about the reality of cannabis.

 

This is an opportunity, don't squander it or turn people off it because you're scared and don't know what you're talking about.

[bufo marinus]

Well as much as I am trying to think about this logically, I just can't help but feel angry about it

Fair enough seems like this survey is about getting closer to the truth, but if nobody in power understands cannabis after years of belting us over the heads with bullshit and lies, why come here now asking for directions?

I'm sorry but I just can't get past the humiliation of being locked up, psychiatricaly examined, compulsorily made to undergo drug rehab, years of probation,... and now they want my opinion?

Get Fucked! thats my opinion.

Do a survey on how much trauma being targeted by a bunch of thugs(Drug Squad) does to your mental well being and I'll be the first to sign up

[RobbieGanjaSeed]

I agree with freddie that plenty of most excellent grass was around long before the commonality of seed banks. Before the internet, it was a rare thing to know about the goings on with dutch breeding (on the scale it was actually taking place), but there's been some very thought provoking articles written that give a good arguement to the loss of good smoke due to the commericality of traditional strains. Due to the quartering of these strains by the seed banks who are now "blamed" for maming stronger grass. (imagine that, being "blamed" for that..)

 

I believe in this theory (that the breeding programs have lost great strains, some perhaps far better than what we have today?), for example, due to every business having limited stock space, and in livestock businesses, even more so complicated because the space needed to continue to re-produce the living article is so expanse (animal or plant). Add to that the illegality of this item, and you have a situation where if a certain strain becomes unpopular, then a totally commerical based decision is made to retain or drop the strain from the company's stock. So regardless of if it's the best strain int he world, it would be dropped if it lost popularity.

If G13 isa true story, then is a testimony to this truth. But regardless of G13 true of false, it is something thattakes place all the time.

 

After all, continuing to grow thirty strains of grass that may blow ya socks off, but aren't selling due to pop cultural reasons can't be done. For example, when helicopters became part of the "fight against drugs", indoor growing became all the rage, and I know even now there's a bias against naturally grown weed, but for a good few years there, it was considered almost an insult to offer someone a bag for sale that was grown outside no matter what it was. I'm not saying it was right that bush smoke should have copped such a bad wrap, but I could not give away genuine Mullum Madness seeds 11 years ago, nor genine thai seeds. Could not give them away. no-one was growing outside anymore and indoor/hydro was all anyone wanted. Seeds that couldn't be easil;y grown out in 60 days inside a cupboard were seen as a joke of the old timers.

 

Recently at a bar-b-q at my brother's place at woodford, a fellow grower I've been mates with for years and years; who has grown the same gear for 30 odd years sparked up and everyone for a hundred meters dropped what they were doing and went to investigate. The smell was potent, and familiar of a million parties of the late 70s. they say the sense of smell is the strongest carnal sense we have, and it sure looked that way that night. Just a few tokes each and the first genuine thai I can be sure hasn't been interfered with by genetic engineers, and I was higher than I'd been since I was a kid, and everyone felt the same.

Remeber that kinda stone where time stood still?I thought I had just become tainted with age, but it was just like it felt all those years ago. reminded me of the day I stepped out of my car, left it runing at the lights, because a truck drove past and trigered me into beleieving I couldn't drive. That was a half cone that day, about 1981, but may well ahve been skunk to be true.

 

I'm not saying the new strains are crap, far from it, it's just plain wrong to assume today's grass is automatically "stronger" than yester-year.

 

And be careful fo what you fill in on a survey that you believe can't be manipulated.

 

Last week or so ago, the wowsers released a press-mess that celebrated the "message was getting through" and youth today were smoking less grass than ever. They said youth saw smoking grass as "uncool", etcetc.

 

The survey had every "expert" everywhere shouting with enormous strength that kids today are waking up to the news, grass is dangerous. it isn't cool, and that they see smokers as lazy, over-eaters, not sharp thinkers etc.." This was proven by the honest answers to surverys that "proved the anti-drug messgae was working".

 

I wrote to every news publisher I could to try and correct the thinking as they projected it, but because the fatcs were related as accurate, nothing was going to be changed, and the people that filled in those surveys would have beleived nothing could have been manipulated against their intentions I imagine.

 

The people who colated the results ignored the fact that smoking grass among the kids polled was no longer as popular not only because it was too expensive, but that while in the 70s and 80s (which they were trying to draw comaprrisons to), listening to perter frampton, pink floyd etc was pop. Now dancing all night is, so while smoking grass was projected as being a lazy person's drug, it was really because the kids were preffering speed or eccy to give them the enregy to particpate in today's pop culture.

They see being anything but a size "zero" as uncool, so the survery dealt with over-eating (munchies) and smoking weed. It was projected as a positive that kids saw the danger of eating crap fod with the munchies, but they didn't explore why. That anorexia is a popular trend now is the rage..So an answer that was a warning of the way out youth are damaging their bodies to be superthin, it was seen as great news they weren't eating pixxa or something.

 

In short, the answers were all honestly met, and the people filling in the survey I imagine did not think they were supporting what would ultimately point to them as more intelligent due to anti-drug programs aimed at them. I doubt they thought they were answering anythingt hat would support gov. anti-drug laws.

 

The proper examination of the results would have shown the danger kids now face, and that changing attitudes reported on the survey actually show a scarey reality that kids use speed to control their eating, to party and dance all night, and to be "switched on" all the time, rather than being "stoners". They think mental issues can come from being stoned, try examining someone that's been switched on" for 12 months on speed or something.

 

But yet these terribly dangerous revelations of a new trend in teenage pop culture, indicated by survery on attitudes toward grass, made headline news vindicating the sccess of the anti-drug programs.

I'm very aware of the danger of kids in my area using speed, especially the girls, to control eating, to have confidence in the peers, and to dance all night. Kids as young as 13 and 14 in my area (againmainly girls) using needles to IV speed, who would have answered the survey exactly the way it was, whoch ultimately was used to show what a great job the gov is doing with the youth and the drug scene today.

 

cheers all

rob

[Ozzy420]

Very well put Robbie.

 

I can still rember the 1st time i smoked those 2 strains my self, those were the days, the 1 st time i ever smoked the madness was at a party with about 30 ppl we all passed around a few joints, the party was jumping with in 1/2 hour everyone was wasted sitting back nice and mellow and that is how the party finished every one sitting around toasted, shit that was a good night...

[mull]

Firstly allow us to survey you a tad talon (!)

 

Robbie that was an interesting take there too mate.

Was that study where they used 'smoke and mirrors' to continue the funding for the war on drugs? Wasn't the real finding 1 in every 3 kids now think cannabis is uncool. So it could really be read 2 out of every 3 kids now think cannabis is cool. We failed, we wasted money on propaganda, please give us more taxpayer money to waste.

It reminds me of food products labeled 97% fat free in huge bold writing. Like its some marvellous achievement. I bet far less would sell if the figure read boldly - this product is 3% FAT!

 

Ok..

I'm not right up on internet type security tracking stuff, but read somewhere here not to click links to photobucket an such. They can track your IP and the last site you linked from? Something like that.. I'm not sure. (?) So anyways I always copy the link from the thread, open the browser again and paste it in and go for a look that way.

 

Bare with me here. Its prolly just the noids..

 

So I copied the link talon fella posted and put it in a new opened browser (firefox). It links me to a page on the Faculty of medicine UNSW medicine - and be buggered if I can find the survey in question there!

 

Thought it must be me so I searched and searched, even re-pasted in the link and no good, still not there.

 

Being an interesting thread, I thought ahh well, take the chance and hit the link right from the thread and bingo theres the survey! How come the same copied link goes to a different page...(?)

 

I'm in a data bank now right? (thanks Doug from Weeds for the line)

 

 

Oh yeah and the survey says.................