Before I get started, I just want to say thank you for being part of the Garden Mother family. This work is incredibly important to me alongside your health and well being.

I don’t just aim to provide you with the highest quality cannabis, I aim to have a safe and loving environment for you to receive the attention that you need and deserve. I cultivate with your health and also the health of the planet in mind. I do not think that plants being sprayed with poisonous chemicals should be called a medicine, so it is with great care that a garden must be preventatively managed. Thank you for supporting the work and the love that I bring to you.  Katrina – Garden Mother

Cannabinoids

Cannabis has over 700 chemical constituents and like many other plants being studied, we only know what a small percent of those chemical constituents do.

Cannabinoids, are molecules that our receptors respond to. Our bodies produce their own cannabinoids, these are called endocannabinoids. From the cannabis plant we get phytocannabinoids.

Four of the primary cannabinoids produced by cannabis are tetrahydrocannabinol-THC, cannabidiol-CBD, cannabigerol-CBG and cannabichromene-CBC.

CBD- Cannabidiol is now making a comeback, after years of breeders and cultivators tossing out high CBD strains because they lacked the psychoactive compounds associated with getting “high”. New research is showing CBD to have a great range of medicinal attributes and cultivators are now in search of scarce genetics. 

Some cannabinoids are not produced by cannabis in growth, but instead are created in the process of degradation. An example would be Cannabinol-CBN. It is created in the process of THC breaking down from oxidation.

THC starts out as THCA. In order to become THC it must be converted by heat at which point it can become highly psychoactive. This heating process is called decarboxylation.

THC is a potent anti-inflammatory and analgesic. It can reduce symptoms such as intraocular pressure, spasticity and muscle tension to name a few. THC reacts with both the CB1  and the  CB2 receptors.

Aside from cannabinoids, we have terpenoids, and I love to work with terpenes! 

When you take a big whiff of cannabis and you smell lemon, diesel, cheese, fruit or other aromas, you are smelling terpenes. Terpenes interact chemically with cannabinoids to produce specific effects. Those effects range from alert to drowsy and have an impact on different medical needs of patients who find relief with cannabis use. We have identified over 100 different terpenes in the cannabis plant. Here are just a few.

Myrcene 

• Myrcene can be found to compose more than 30% of the essential oil content in the plant.
• Myrcene is is the most commonly found terpene in Cannabis.
• It is found in very high concentrations in hops, aged mangos, bay leaves, and lemongrass. Its odor can range from earthy to spicy.
• Its effects are often pronounced in “indica” varieties where people feel a deep sense of their muscles relaxing.
• Myrcene enhances the effects of sedative drugs.

Limonene 

• Limonene found in high amounts in Cannabis, second to myrcene. 
• Limonene is the main volatile constituent in citrus peel oil, but is also found in Spearmint, Black Spruce and Cypress.
• It is insoluble in water and slightly soluble in glycerine.
• Limonene has been attributed to the antidepressant properties of certain Cannabis varieties.
• It is cerebrally stimulating.

Alpha-pinene and beta-pinene are monoterpenes that are found in pine resin as well as the resin of other conifer species.

• Cannabis varieties with a high pinene content have been shown to aid in short term memory, by inhibiting enzyme activity in the brain.

As we find with herbal constituents, synergy plays a great role in the overall effects of the chemicals present. Just like in cooking, ingredients play a role in the outcome depending on what is mixed together and when.

Cannabis is not all created equally. The same genetics grown in different environments (soil, hydroponics, heat, humidity, cold, nutrients) change the outcome of the finished product. The different percentages of cannabinoids and terpenes found in any given strain, are what make it unique from the rest. These percentages can change from batch to batch with the fluctuations in environmental conditions and timing of harvest. I aim to produce consistent products so that you can rely on the results. You may find you like the effects of certain cannabis varieties freshly cured or maybe you like the effects from a long cure much more. These are personal preferences that you can learn in time with enough organoleptic testing.

Now, as always, I wish you well.

Your loving cultivator and medicine maker,

Katrina – Garden Mother