By Jeff Tribe

Cannabis’s rich, pungent, slightly skunky aroma permeated the air as Jason Newton unscrewed and removed the lid from atop a litre-sized jar of dark green dried flower. “This is the stickiest, stinkiest stuff I’ve ever grown,” he smiled, extending the container of his own pure CBD strain for a closer look and appreciative sniff. “And you could smoke a pound of it and never get high.” It is safe to say Canadians’ understanding of cannabis is evolving, just as accurately to add ‘on the fly.’ Its glacial resuscitation back into the medical realm preceded recreational legalization, a jointly highly-anticipated and feared milestone. The massive scope of new or converted production facilities garners the majority of attention as big business and governments alike struggle to catch up to demand in something approaching an orderly fashion. Further away from headlines and hoopla, individuals are also exercising their personal right to cultivate and create, taking a hands-on approach to cannabis’s psychoactive and therapeutic properties. Newton’s own journey of discovery grew out of necessity, driven by the determination to support a close friend’s medical needs in response to diagnosis combining MS, sacroiliac joint pain, and myofascial inflammation. In laymen’s terms, that hat-trick of potential misery translates into constant or chronic pain fluctuating in intensity. On the day of diagnosis, Newton committed to ‘fixing it’, a bold assertion in the face of a daunting spectre. “They laughed,” he recalled. But following an extended run through traditional pharmaceutical options (none of which had proven effective despite costing up to $2,000 monthly) desperation and the suggestion to try nabilone, a synthetic man-made form of cannabis, opened the door to exploration of the natural product. Initial reaction from the patient’s medical support team was universally skeptical. Her doctor, neurologist and specialist all saying ‘no’, with another healthcare professional suggesting it would ‘make them dumb.’ Newton attributes reluctance to more mainstream medical cannabis to a lack of education, fostered by years of illegality and secretive usage. “It’s legal now but that stigma will be around for a while,” he said. “When most people think about cannabis it’s a bunch of hippies getting high; it’s Cheech and Chong. It still can be, but that’s not all there is.” Initially, his friend shared the skepticism, reluctant to be ‘high all the time’, a misunderstanding fostered by lack of knowledge. “I was totally against it in the beginning, but now I see the benefits she says. “It does work, it does work – it helps. “It’s not perfect, but it makes my pain tolerable ­– without it, my bad days would still be bad days,” she adds. In very broad, simplistic terms, differing strains of cannabis contain differing percentages of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), the former responsible for the psychoactive effects (buzz), the latter arguably for pain and inflammation relief and anti-anxiety qualities, although Newton is not alone in believing the two go “hand in hand”. Beyond that, again in very broad, simplistic terms, there are indica and sativa-dominant strains, with indica moreso supporting pain relief and melting into the couch for a long nap while sativa is comparatively uplifting, perhaps encouraging users to contemplate the meaning of life while cutting their lawn. Additionally, terpenes – the aromatic evolution in maraijuana to attract pollinators and repel predators – also contribute to the final combination. Think perhaps of cattle, with both meat and milk-specific breeds. Inside those two distinctions, there are also milk breeds which will, for example, produce greater volume or higher butterfat. Cannabis breeding is a not-unrelated metaphor, additionally complicated by Newton’s assertion different strains and amounts affect different people on a very individual level. Newton’s journey began with his friend’s prescription for medical cannabis and subsequent application to Health Canada for an ACMPR permit, which allows patients to grow their own medical cannabis, or designate someone – in this case Newton who had more horticultural knowledge and expertise – to grow it for them. Post-legalization legislation currently allows cultivation of four plants per household. Newton’s efforts to figure out how to grow, harvest and process medicinal organic cannabis with limited equipment – “something anybody could do at home” – was taken to maintain control from fertigation through finalization. He absorbed as much knowledge as possible through hours of research from countless sources including university studies and practical information gleaned from a global array of farms, large and small. Seeds were purchased through breeders originating in Holland, British Columbia and California based on grower data, reviews and performance history. “They’re not just random seeds,” said Newton, who habitually “researches the crap” out of anything he approaches. He currently uses an organic ‘tea’ to promote plant growth: compost, worm castings, bat guano and blackstrap molasses steeped in water over two days. The mixture helps create a living soil or micro-ecosystem around the roots, fostering nutrient breakdown and uptake. Following harvest, flower (bud) is separated and dried for approximately five to seven days to the point of being dry, but not “snapping”. Newton completes a process he sees as crucial to quality by slow-curing buds in mason jars or large stainless steel containers for several weeks, in order to break down chlorophyll, which he believes results in a smooth, pungent, finished product. “Not drying and curing cannabis properly produces flower that smells of hay and is harsh for smokers,” he explained. In its natural form, cannabis contains CBDA and THCA, components including a carbon molecule which must be decarboxylated or separated in order to create purified and active ingredients. Smoking cannabis separates the carbon molecule through intense heat and instantly makes THC or CBD available for absorption through inhalation, but beyond Newton’s preference for a healthier edible option, the latter can also be controlled more precisely within the therapeutic realm. “You are in control 110 per cent, which you don’t have when you smoke.” Decarboxylation can also be achieved at lower temperatures over a lengthier time period. Given that the process is highly aromatic and cannabis’s pervasive ‘skunk’ can be persistent, Newton heads outside. There, he heats the flower he has broken apart inside a covered pot at 240 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes. He then adds the resultant decarboxylated flower to extra-virgin coconut oil (high in saturated fat which binds well with the resin) inside a crock pot, on low, stirring frequently. He removes flower particles by straining the resultant mixture through cheesecloth and again through a reusable coffee filter with a fine wire mesh (“Any little bits of leaf aren’t going to hurt you”) leaving cannabis-infused coconut oil. After letting the infused oil cool, he utilizes a magnetic stirrer to ensure uniform consistency, prior to filling capsules he purchases at a health food store with disposable three-millimetre pipettes. Newton creates two options: a pure ten-drop (0.25 ML) capsule plus a larger version containing cannabis-infused coconut oil combined with a recipe featuring matcha, kale, spirulina, barley grass, wheatgrass, chlorella, peppermint, acai berry, goji berry, maca root, ginkgo bilboa and an organic fruit and vegetable blend. “And then, like any other medication, it’s put away and locked up.” As a parent, he is focussed on education, particularly cannabis’s reported effects on young minds. “I wouldn’t want my kids high every day; it’s no different than being drunk every day. You know they are going to try it, I just try and educate them on being responsible. When that day comes and they make that decision, I want them to make smart choices.” Newton’s capsules’ effects emerge roughly an hour-and-a-half after ingestion, lasting around five hours. The broad strokes of their creation are comparatively straightforward compared to the exhaustive trial and error required to establish optimal individual blend efficacy through micro-dosing. “So there is relief, but you’re not spending your day high.” Newton maintained meticulous records throughout the process, going in low, so to speak, then gradually moving upward in dosage before levelling off, backing down and making final adjustments. Currently, his capsules contain a blended 50/50 THC/CBD kush, 90 per cent indica THC strain and his own pure CBD variety, mixed at a rate of one ounce of dried flower per cup of coconut oil. Intentionally, the capsules are low dosage, simply taking more as required. “You have to take the time and do the research,” Newton said of the process, noting frustration can develop when things don’t immediately work. “There’s a lot of people who throw in the towel right then and there.” The Ontario Cannabis Store features wide Health Canada-approved variety, including CDB blended or dominant options. But apart from the satisfaction of successfully figuring things out on his own, Newton and his friend appreciate knowing exactly what has gone into Newton’s capsules, and precisely how they were created. “You have complete control over your own medicine – how great is that?” Newton asked rhetorically. The bottom line, however, is that the cannabis has proven effective, providing relief where other more traditional options failed. “There were days I couldn’t get out of bed,” said Newton’s friend. “But once I take one of his pills, I can move and walk. It didn’t take away all the pain, but it was enough, it was tolerable.” “And you weren’t in any opioid zombie state,” Newton added. “You could function.” In conclusion, he does not see a cannabis plant as an aromatic magical wand. Rather he says it offers potential for a variety of medical conditions given individual blend, preparation and dosage. “Thousands of people can’t be wrong when they say they use cannabis for different purposes and it helps them,” Newton summed up. “It all depends on the person. It’s an amazing plant which can help people in so many ways.” ◊