Type: Indica/Sativa   Strain Lineage: Granddaddy Purple x Trainwreck

Lab Testing Results: 17.4% THC, 1.5% CBD, 0.0% CBN

Medicinal Uses: Pain, Muscle spasms, Nausea, Appetite, MS, AIDS, Anxiety, Depression, PTSD, Glaucoma, Migraines, Gastrointestinal Issues, Cancer, Epilepsy, Arthritis, Alcoholism, Anorexia.

PCC Report: One of the myriad of complaints that more experienced smokers have is the lack of genetic purity available in today’s medical market. Purity is often sought out for a more discernible effect, a more pronounced energetic boost from a sativa or a heavier more sedative drag from an indica. But what happens when you need both energy and pain relief? For my review today I get a chance to see just that: a beautiful combination of Granddaddy Purple and Trainwreck.

Purple Trainwreck ~ Hybrid ~ Berkeley Patients Care Collective

Purple Trainwreck is one of those strains that at first mention you have to think “what exactly am I getting myself into.”  However have no fear, like many misnomers  in this industry, Trainwreck describes more about the origin of the strain than the effect itself.  Upon examining my first sample a few things stand out: chunky bud structure more typical of a Purple, light purple shading, and a veritable forest of trichomes. It certainly has the looks of a good hybrid, but since they are often bred for weight and trichome production we won’t know the quality until we can really dip in.

As someone who loves to stop and smell the roses, it wasn’t long before my nose found its way in the bag to run Purple Trainwreck through it’s second set of tests.  To my olfactory, this sample smells almost entirely of trainwreck- lemony and pungent, hints of some spice that tickles the nose with just the barest undertone of sweetness.  While I found the Purple to be relatively undetectable in its scent, I am hoping that its effect has not been completely lost in the cross.

Deviating from my normal routine, I decided to sample a small bowl of this out of my bong instead of rolling it into a joint.  Despite not being rolled, I still feel as if I was able to appreciate all the nuances in flavor: spicy initial lemon-zest, with a slight sweetness that develops as you smoke.  Overall an incredibly pleasant experience, it even lacked the throat tickle that can sometimes accompany strains of the Trainwreck family.  The high was a bit of a surprise- initially it had an intense almost immediate mental effect, picking me up so to speak and getting me going; this however tailed off relatively quickly into a more physical stoney contentedness, leaving me a bit more lethargic.  I found the physical sensation to be much more pronounced than a typical Trainwreck, providing me specifically with back and shoulder pain relief. In the end I was pleased by the effect, but found it difficult to manage the precise amount  in order to be more active. For this reason I would recommend Purple Trainwreck for those folks with a relatively high tolerance for cannabis, or those in need of a more balanced sativa-dominant hybrid for pain management.

Over the last few years we have seen the medical cannabis community go through it’s fair share of trends.  Some of these trends are truly medicinally motivated, searching out the very best way for a patient to medicate, and some are because of the nature of our industry and its ability to be tailored to the whim and will of the patient.  One such method is commonly referred to as ‘dabbing’, a way in which to medicate using a hot surface and hash oil.  While many people enjoy the knee-jerk reaction to any sort of ‘drug implementation’, the logic and science behind dabbing make sense: instead of burning organic material i.e. cannabis flowers and inhaling the hot particulate in the form of smoke, you boil the hash oil and inhale the resulting vapor.  What your left with is a faster acting and much stronger effect, allowing you to spend less time medicating and more time living. Regardless of the motivating factor, the result is a market in which providers feel impelled to make purer and more effective medication.

One of these ‘more effective’ medications comes in an older form: hash. While dabbing has been gaining popularity, many providers feel unsure about the solvents used in processing and the safety of the resulting product. For that reason we have seen a large population of folks begin to produce incredibly high-grade cold water hash; so good that many will medicate with it the same way they would any other hashoil.

For this week’s review my boss thought it may be a good idea to reintroduce folks to our high grade Romulan cold water hash – hands down one of the best indica products we have. Deceptive in its packaging, often at a glance it looks more like a small polished brown marble than anything else. Brought close, the oily residue left on the container from where the hash has touched is clearly evident, leaving little doubt as to how ‘melty’ it’s going to be.

Oily residue left by the Romulan hash in the container

Only one way to tell though, and that’s by digging in.

Upon opening the container my nose is regaled with the many elements of Romulan’s scent: hints of yogurt and grapefruit- finished with an underlying note of bitter that tends to sting.  Distinctly Romulan-like in it’s bouquet, exactly what patients need leaving no question as to what the source material may have been.  It’s consistency is one of my favorite aspects: soft and malleable, easy to pad up for a bowl or hot hit, oily enough for a dab. Although Romulan’s look and smell are enticing, it’s heavy indica nature prevents me from sampling any time but in the evening before bed.

Like I have mentioned before, cold water hashes afford you many options on how you would like to medicate, my choice for continuity’s sake is to dab. In this case it means loading up about half a tic-tac size worth of hash, nicely flattened so it has the most surface area available, and seeing how well it will melt on my nail (on most dabbing rigs, as the apparatus is normally called, a titanium nail is the part you heat up with the torch to red hot. You then touch the hash/oil on to the hot nail using a metal instrument; at the same time, you inhale the vapor produced from the mouthpiece).

In this case, as with many cold water hashes, their is a slight residue of trapped particulate left, a dark brown or black ash you can scoop off or blow away after your hit.  Unlike smoking on top of cannabis, smoking hash on it’s own has a tendency to be much less harsh, as well as much more medicating.  For this reason the flavor is very evident: a bright bitter bite like that of some collard greens, finished with a lingering aftertaste of citrus and yogurt.  Although it’s difficult to focus on what the taste is like, because after one hit I have begun sinking into my bed.

As I mentioned before, Romulan is one of our heaviest indica products, able to aide with the strongest of physical ailment as well as the most niggling of insomnias.  An almost immediate physical rush, beginning in the center of your body and emanating outwards, sure to relax muscles and tensions. One of the benefits of Romulan in hash form is the extra strength it has mentally as well as physically: an almost kush-like mental effect, hitting you right between the temples but immediately drooping your eyes to half mast. While these effects sound extreme to some folks who need a more functional experience, for other patients dealing with extreme pain or insomnia hashes and hash oils like our Romulan cold water do the trick.

PCC Romulan Trading Card ~ Number 9

The federal attacks on the medical cannabis community keep coming. Recently, the Department of Justice announced their intention to confiscate two buildings operated by Harborside Health Center in Oakland, CA and in San Jose, CA. This latest attack comes on the heels of other raids, audits, and other intimidation around the state.

U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag has threatened to seize the Oakland property where Harborside Health Center has operated since 2006, as well as its sister shop in San Jose, executive director and co-founder Steve DeAngelo said Wednesday. His employees found court papers announcing asset forfeiture proceedings against Harborside’s landlords taped to the doors at the two locations last Tuesday.

“We are appalled that the federal government wants to drive tens of thousands of patients to the streets to find their medicine,” added National Cannabis Industry Association Executive Director Aaron Smith. “Possibly no dispensary in the nation has been more open about its activities than Harborside. And it has strong support from local officials who understand state law. The Obama administration needs to admit that this action is entirely unjustified, acknowledge that it is inconsistent with its policy of not targeting individuals and organizations acting in compliance with state law, and allow Harborside to continue operating.”

We are going to gather to protest the closing of medical marijuana dispensaries like Berkeley Patients Group, Vapor Room Cooperative & El Camino Wellness Center Collective on MONDAY, JULY 23 at the Fox Theater – Oakland where President Barack Obama will be fundraising.

Join us, Americans for Safe Access, Harborside Health Center, Oaksterdam University, California NORML, and others are calling for a peaceful protest to let the President know we want him to stop the federal attack!
MONDAY, JULY 23 at 12:00pm (gathering at City Hall)
Oakland City Hall
1 Frank H Ogawa Plaza
Oakland, CA 94612

Show your support for Oaksterdam University and Harborside Health Center, victims of these ongoing federal attacks on safe access.

The patients are mad as hell and we’re not gonna take it anymore!

Here’s video made by Steve D’Angelo explaining how complacency is not an option right now. We need to stick together and send a clear message to Obama: Keep your campaign promises to medical cannabis patients! Feds aren’t welcome to interfere in our state enacted laws! This is not a good use of our resources!

There was no one engaging in violence at Harborside, there were no allegations of harm. That the government is concentrating on these sorts of perceived crimes demonstrates misplaced priorities. Especially in light of our economic state ~ we ought to be reallocating resources to deal with real threats to the health and safety of our community, and not on these medical cannabis witch hunts.

This is The War on Drugs, which poses a potentially lethal threat to the very concept of due process and property rights.

RSVP HERE FOR THE FACEBOOK EVENT!!  Harborside has released a statement on their Facebook page with details on how to stay informed:

“Harborside is not in imminent danger of closing. We intend to keep the commitment we made six years ago to provide our patients with safe access to the medicine their doctors have recommended, for as long as we possibly can. We will never abandon you.

Our patients can help by providing their e-mail addresses, which will enable HHC to send you updates, and if necessary action alerts. We are also looking for patients who would like to participate in further activist efforts to keep the doors of Harborside open. Please speak to a receptionist or intake staff if you are would like to volunteer.

PLEASE PROVIDE YOUR EMAIL HERE FOR UPDATES:
http://ow.ly/cb7yz

Steve and Andrew DeAngelo, Dave Wedding Dress, and the management and staff of Harborside Health Center look forward to working with our patients, other dispensaries, activist organizations, and political allies to confront and stop this latest effort by the federal government to frustrate the will of the voters, and deny medicine to those in need. Our fight may be long, but it is just, and in the end we shall be victorious. We look forward to being there with you when that great day comes.”

***

“We’re mad as hell and we’re not going to take it anymore!”

Tell Erik Holder : Be a man of your word!!

This is an important petition and action post ~ please read, and use the links to sign it. I have also included the email forwarded to supporters of Americans for Safe Access by director, Steph Sherer.

On June 7, Eric Holder testified before the House Judiciary Committee that his Justice Department will only undertake enforcement action against medical marijuana organizations operating “out of conformity with state law.” We didn’t believe his statement at the time, but recent events made clear the enormous gap between his words, and the reality facing qualified patients in medical marijuana states.

Just four days after Holder’s testimony, armed federal agents raided El Camino Wellness, a respected — and fully permitted — medical cannabis dispensary in Sacramento, California. In the raid, the federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) took money, medical marijuana, computers, and other personal property. The IRS then seized El Camino’s bank accounts, the same ones used to pay state sales tax.

El Camino Wellness was a non-profit cooperative that served 27,000 patients in the Sacramento area. It was nowhere near a school, and met all state and local guidelines for operation. El Camino Wellness had the support of City Council members, one of whom even wrote to U.S. Attorney Benjamin Wagner, questioning the need to target them and other city-sanctioned facilities.

Because of this federal raid — in direct opposition to the Holder’s recent statement — tens of thousands of patients have lost access to their medicine. 

But the gap between the administration’s tolerant rhetoric and the harsh reality facing patients was made clear only four days after Holder’s testimony. Sacramento, CA dispensary El Camino Wellness was raided – and like many other DEA targets, it had a long history of compliance with local laws.

Patients deserve better than double-speak from our nation’s top law enforcement official. That is why Americans for Safe Access have partnered with the progressive advocacy group Courage Campaign to petition Eric Holder to stop raiding dispensaries in medical cannabis states.

Sign our petition asking the Attorney General to be a man of his word at HolderStopTheRaids.com!

We’ve produced a video telling the story of Eric Holder’s testimony and subsequent raid in Sacramento, and how it impacts patients. Our partnership and video will help explain to new allies why it matters to everyone that the administration’s rhetoric doesn’t match reality. Please share our petition with your friends, and help inform Americans about unjust federal enforcement in medical cannabis states.

Sign our petition, and together we will keep the pressure on Eric Holder – and President Obama – to fulfill their promises to respect state medical marijuana laws.

Sincerely,
Steph Sherer
Executive Director”

For more information >>> check out this Huffington Post article also by Steph Sherer.

Despite all the recent federal crackdowns and the fear mongering they engender, medical cannabis is still at an all time high. We continue to see more strains of better quality and better variety. Which is why I feel fortunate to have such an incredible selection: from Cherry AK and the ever classic Jack Herer, to the crushing new Midnight or the old school Romulan, you should be able to find the right medical cannabis for your own needs. This weeks review is just one more weapon for your arsenal against illness, a powerful sativa dominant hybrid: Sour Grapes.

Brought to us courtesy of the much harried Oaksterdam Nursery, Sour Grapes combines many of the finer aspects of three strains: Purple Elephant x Chemdog x Sour Diesel. The end result is arguably one of the most visually appealing buds I’ve seen in quite some time. From a distance all I can see are large compact nugs, which are light green yet seem to emanate a golden hue. Upon closer examination, it looks more as if the buds have donned their furry winter cloak of trichomes- veritably covering every available spot. While we generally “smoke first” with our eyes, I never let them be my only determinant.

Often my favorite way to pick a strain is by using my nose; I find sense of smell to be a very good indicator for a positive experience with a strain.  The scent of Sour Grapes is one I find familiar, but not easily placed: hints of tartness and pine with an underlying sweet heaviness that can’t help but make you think of grapes.  Albeit not quite as fragrant as some of our heavy hitters, the complexity of Sour Grapes keeps a first time patient guess as to where its effect will truly lie.

After a round of close examination, it is rare I am not ready to sample then and there, and this time is no different. Opting to sample it in my usual joint form, I figured it would be a nice way to start my day in the garden.  The breakdown went more easily than expected: the copious covering of trichomes gives it a gold tinge, a deceptively more dry look, which in fact ended up being nicely cured and did not powder in the grinder as I initially thought it might.  As a result, the roll turned out perfectly well, neither surpassing the easiest rolls nor sufficiently challenging my skills.  Ready to be taken to my back deck, I head outside with my ice water in hand.

While I enjoy just about every aspect of a joint, I find that flavor tends to develop as you smoke.  This is certainly the case in Sour Grapes: starting out light and lemony, the flavor rapidly develops into a syrupy sweet grape with a strong sour presence. As the flavor develops so too does the high: starting with a rapid onset right between your temples, the high is mind expanding and uplifting.

Although not necessarily a source of energy itself, it will not however bog you down or put you to sleep. The physical effect, while present, definitely takes a back seat to the stronger sativa elements, allowing relief from pain without the weariness.  Perhaps not the very first strain I would reach for in the morning, but absolutely wonderful day time medication- specifically for those who desire intensity and pain relief.

Riding into camp on Day 2 after a 107 mile ride. This was my first century ride - ALC 10

Finding a cure for HIV or bringing an end to AIDS might sound impossible but we DO have the power to make the impossible possible. I met so many energetic and strong people whose personal stories inspired, and continue to inspire me to pedal even harder during the ride, and after.

My name is Daniel and I am a new employee or “budtender” at the PCC dispensary. I may even have helped you select a delectable flower or two for your medicine. This year will mark my second year riding in the AIDS/Life Cycle. Last year, my premier ride in ALC 10 combined two of my greatest passions – cycling and riding for a great cause like HIV.

Originally from San Antonio, Texas, I moved to the Bay area in 2005 seeking a new state of consciousness. I found it in my new neighborhood in the Berkeley-Oakland borderlands, and in work with youths as a medical case manager, youth program coordinator and HIV Test Counselor at an HIV Youth clinic in Oakland.  There, I provided education, support, acceptance and compassion to youth recently diagnosed with HIV and assisted them in navigating medical systems and the sometimes tumultuous road of living with a chronic illness.

For those who may not know the AIDS/LIfeCycle is a 7 day, 545-mile long HIV/AIDS awareness and fundraising bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles. This intensive ride through beautiful California delivers a life-changing experience for thousands of participants from all backgrounds and fitness levels united by a common desire to raise awareness about the fight to end HIV/AIDS. Not to mention the necessary challenge of raising funds for HIV/AIDS patient services in the San Francisco and Los Angeles areas.

    From June 3rd to 9th, 2012, TEAM: “¡Sí SE PEDAL!,” A. Daniel Ramos (myself) and Deanna Deolloz will ride in the AIDS/LifeCycle11 along with teammate Sarah Guerra as Roadie.

By integrating a Chicano movement slogan, TEAM: “¡Si SE PEDAL!” aspires to raise awareness among the Latino community and all communities about the rising number of HIV and AIDS diagnoses within Latino US population.  In 2009, Latinos accounted for 20% of HIV infections while representing 16% of the United States population.                                                People of color communities continue to represent a disproportionate percentage of HIV cases and deaths in the United States.

All in all, HIV does NOT discriminate and infects straight and gay people alike, young and old, and people of all ethnicities and classes. Every new case of HIV comes from an old case of HIV.  One in five people who are HIV positive do not know their status and may continue to infect others.  However, research studies indicate once a person has received an HIV diagnosis, their risk behaviors decreased. If we work to provide much needed services to HIV positive individuals, then we will make an impact on HIV transmission.

Compassion, education, testing, and access to medical care are crucial in the fight against HIV. Join us in bringing an end to AIDS. Get tested. Know your HIV status.

If you can, please make a donation today of $10, $20, $50, or more, and fuel my tanks by supporting me and TEAM: “¡Si SE PEDAL!” in achieving our fundraising goal of $10,000.  All donations go directly to HIV medical care, HIV prevention and case management services, and are tax deductible. Just follow this link to my AIDS/LifeCycle donation page. It’s quick and easy!

Muchas gracias! Thank you for your support!

Crossing the finish line in Los Angeles after riding for 7 days, 545 miles from San Francisco to Los Angeles