Volume 14      

In this Issue
Cannasseur Corner
Celebrate Harvest!
Rick's Pick...
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harborsidehealthcenter.com

UPDATE:
Federal Judge Says We Can Stay Open! 
By Steve DeAngelo, Executive Director, Harborside Health Center

On
behalf of the entire Harborside family, I wish all of our patients, friends, supporters, advisors and helpers, a very Happy New Year. Thank you all for sticking with us through the difficult days of 2012. I'm very happy and pleased to report that the New Year brought us great news when Federal Judge Maria-Elena James ruled that Harborside can stay open and continue selling cannabis, unless and until the feds are able persuade a jury to convict us--which I think would be a very, very long time indeed. Like the next millennium. 

 

The feds, of course, realize this, and that's why they've been doing all they can to deny us our day in court. Those plans ran into a massive monkey-wrench on January 7, when Judge James rejected motions from our Oakland and San Jose landlords to force us to immediately stop dispensing cannabis. Judge James's ruling sets the stage for a jury trial on the underlying civil forfeiture issues about a year from now. Until then, we shall continue to meet the commitment we made over six years ago: to provide our patients with the largest selection of the best cannabis we're able to find, in the safest and most beautiful environment we know how to create. And if that trial ever actually happens, we'll win it just like we've won every hearing up till now. We will never, ever abandon our patients--and we will never, ever stop fighting for justice.

 

Judge James's ruling reaffirms that a small group of deeply determined people, who have the truth on their side, who stand up for what they know is right and never ever quit, can be just as powerful as the most powerful government on Earth. In my close-to-40 years of activism, I cannot ever remember a federal judge making a ruling that allows cannabis sales to continue. It's one more sign that we've reached the tipping point for our movement and that we're winning new supporters every day, from some of the most unlikely places.

 

Thank you, thank you, 
thank you. It's your words, your good wishes, your poems and works of art, handshakes and hugs that give us the strength to confront the feds, to stand up for justice and patients' rights. 

 

The Harborside family couldn't have made it through this year without the continued support and patronage of our patients. We sincerely thank each and every one of you who've offered your kind words and hugs, all of you who've sent us e-mails and tweets and letters, and everybody who expressed support, in all the many different ways our uniquely creative community is capable of. Thank you, thank you, thank you. It's your words, your good wishes, your poems and works of art, handshakes and hugs that give us the strength to confront the feds, to stand up for justice and patients' rights. Every time you come to Harborside, every time you make a purchase, you help provide the resources we need to continue our defense.

 

Our struggle is not over, but it has entered a new phase. Now that Harborside is no longer in danger of closure, we'll be able to pay even more attention to our original mission: establishing the gold standard of best practices for dispensaries, and ensuring that our patients are always able to access the latest improvements and innovations in medical cannabis and patient care

This coming year will bring our patients an expanded selection of super, high-quality, sun-grown cannabis; a new, redesigned website with additional information and exciting features; more free-sample days, book signings and seminars; an always changing and improving selection of cannabis technology; more opportunities to participate in scientific research, and an enhanced effort to provide our staff and patients with the most up-to-date research and information about cannabis.

 

Thanks again for your support. We appreciate every letter, every smile, every purchase. Happy New Year! May it bring health and freedom to us all!

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 CannabisC 

Rick Pfrommer

CANNASSEUR CORNER

By Rick Pfrommer, Director of Education
 
It all starts with a seed...
Amazingly enough, spring planting season is almost upon us. Last fall's harvest is already firmly in the rear-view mirror. We're still enjoying the bounty, as this season was a prolific one. A grower's life isn't easy; while some may be off in Costa Rica or Hawaii, others are preparing their seeds for the spring, when it seems like they just finished trimming!

 

True, old-school growers ALWAYS grow from seed. The belief is that seed-grown cannabis plants are more vigorous. Growing from seed also allows a grower to choose the plants they want, based on observations of them growing, rather than having uniform clones. Many also believe seeds are a more natural method of propagating cannabis.

 

Five years ago, Harborside Health Center (HHC) became the first collective to start actively promoting seeds. At the time, the selection of seed genetics available in the Bay Area was quite small. Occasional packs of Dutch or Californian strains would pop up in dispensaries and then just as quickly disappear. There were very few California-based breeders producing seeds for the commercial market. Legendary breeders DJ Short and BOG (Bushy Old Grower) were the first two to start producing and distributing to HHC. Short's infamous Blueberry--an impressive hybrid containing two types of Thai crossed with an Afghani--as well as BOG's Sour Bubble, and future High Times Cup winner Boggle Gum, were some of the first strains to grace the shelves of HHC. But after initial public interest, these strains struggled to sell. The stage was set for some up-and-coming breeders to make their mark.

 

Creator of such strains as Space Queen and Jack the Ripper, Subcool upped the stakes in the seed game. 

 

TGA Genetic were next to the dance. Many California medical patients are familiar with Subcool's award-winning work. Creator of such strains as Space Queen and Jack the Ripper, Subcool upped the stakes in the seed game. He used professional packaging and high-quality seed. Many of his strains soon became best-sellers. During this period he published two books, Dank: The Quest for the Very Best Marijuana and Dank 2.0, both of which helped boost sales and educate a new generation of growers about the advantages of seed-grown cannabis.

 

Our next popular breeder, Cali Connection, arrived on the scene claiming to have seed versions of previously clone-only strains. When "Swerve" first showed up in my office claiming to have seeds for SFV OG Kush, Tahoe OG, Deadhead OG, and Larry OG, I was skeptical. But Swerve was a young, enterprising breeder who'd cross the OGs with an Afghani male, and then back-crossed them many times to isolate the OGs' distinctive characteristics. I took a chance on these seeds and had them tested. Lo and behold, this was OG in seed form! We started stocking the seeds at HHC, and Cali Connection began winning cannabis cups from California to Amsterdam. A new legend was born. Growers from all over now come in and ask for them by name.

 

Some growers have never grown from seed. Clones have been readily available in the Bay for close to 10 years, making cultivating high-quality cannabis easier than ever. Yet there's something magical about beans. They are one of nature's ways of reproducing herself. It's a rewarding and awe-inspiring experience to watch a tiny seed sprout and then push itself up, first two petals and then the first set of leaves, gaining strength as it grows under the wonderful California sunshine. HHC currently stocks dozens of different seed varieties, offering our patients access to an extensive variety of strains, many of which are not available in clone form. Every cannabis grower should try seeds at least once.  

   

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celebrate harvest

Rick's Product Pick: 

Vaped Pens 

  
Have you tried one of the early crop of personal vaporizers, only to find it too weak and feeble to deliver a satisfying hit? Vape pens of varying quality are becoming increasingly popular. Identical to e-cigarettes, these compact cannabis delivery systems allow you to medicate virtually anywhere. The small amount of vapor, which varies device to device, is virtually undetectable. Finally, cannabis can be consumed (relatively) openly with little or no telltale aroma. 

 

Many varieties and versions of these devices have come through HHC over the years. The current crop--especially the Vaped Luxury Vaporizer (pictured)--are the best we've seen yet. Basically the pens either run on pre-filled oil cartridges, or they have refillable cartridges, or a heating element that concentrates are placed on. A few, including the Atmos, allow for the use of flowers as well. The problem with the early pens was generally the heating element. They weren't powerful enough, which made getting an effective dose difficult. That's all changed now.

Vaped pens_large and mini

The Vaped pen provides a powerful dose of whatever cannabis oil or wax is placed in its refillable chamber. They come in two sizes: a large and a mini. An oil globe attachment is available additionally. The chamber also allows you to place cold water hash directly on its powerful heating element. For those who don't want to smoke oils, this is a great improvement. The vapor issued upon exhale is noticeable, but nothing compared to a burning joint or pipe. This makes pens wonderful for people who can't medicate where they live because of less-compassionate neighbors. They are also great for people who need to medicate often during the day.

 

As I've said many times before, cannabis folks are an ingenious bunch. After 3,000 years of traditional methods of consumption, a powerful new way of enjoying this ancient plant has emerged.   

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In order to keep patients fully informed of the latest research and information about medical cannabis, we may send more e-mail communication

 

Thank you for your support!