At the Cow

I witnessed something this weekend that I want to share with you and it looked a lot like Freedom for consenting adults. The 2010 International Cannabis and Hemp Expo is what I am talking about held at the famous Cow Palace. Yes this is the place that Keith Moon of the Who collapses and Evel Kineval once jumped his Harley at. Ngaio Bealum was one of the host and Bob Katzman the CEO of the even and considering the size and scope of this massive undertaking I was pretty impressed. There were some problems with Vendor access but Bob has worked closely with everyone and ask that anyone that had problems please let him know in an e-mail so that each time the event gets better. I arrived early Sunday and my crew had already set up both the VIP tent that we set up to chill with people as well as the indoor Vending Booth that sold TGA gear and both looked stellar. The VIP booth was complete with comfy couches and nice stuffed bean bags thanks to my Cali rep and his amazing wife. I think it was a huge hit only bested by the Hash Bar passing out free hash rips all day that you can see in the picture section I hope Ngiao sets up for all the shots we got. This event has already been heavily covered by the media so I thought I would take a different road and give you guys an in depth look into "The Connoisseurs Cup" judges package. Before we get into that though I wanted to go over the highlights for me and my crew. I have always wanted a bong with my name on it and my good friends J and J knew this and not only got Jill and I custom Delta9 bongs with each of our names sand blasted in but four custom TGA bongs that were used heavily during the two day event. The owner of Delta9 and his glass blowers are super accommodating and even gave us extra straight bowls and nice custom ash catchers. MzJill arrived about 10 am just as the event started looking incredible in a cute outfit she picked up just for the show. Lime green and pink bows I looked over when she walked up and knew I was the luckiest man alive. As I told a fan later Dude she came with genetics and she looks like that ad she's my wife!
While we stayed mainly in the VIP booth in the carded access area. Security was actually very tight and while it was easy to get a recommendation on site I do not think many people slipped in without the proper paper work and it was absolutely adults only. Inside my booth was one of the busiest there and we met so many people and gave bud samples to about 75% of them. Most of these came back and bought something which was not why we did it but it was nice to hear how much everyone enjoyed our work. I'd like to thank J also known as Norstar for all of his amazing indoor and outdoor TGA bud. Not only did he enter his own Hash but he donated heavily to this event helping Bob and even coming up with "The Connoiseurs Cup" name which Bob wants to duplicate at other events in Medicinal states.

In the VIP booth there was also a constant flow of visitors as well and I got to meet Dennis Perone who is in his own way very responsible for this event himself. Then Ed Rosenthal came by and made fun of one of the few rules we had that day and mocked the Red Line the fire marshal had imposed. I had promised the nice guts running the place I would smoke outside and even ask Jorge Cervantes to step outside when we got high together. Yep thats right Jorge came over to the booth and was just the nicest guy from the get go. I was honored when he came back by and spent almost 2 hours talking and toking with Jill and myself. I got a kick from people would come in and ask me questions while Jorge sat only 2 feet away. A few times I let people know this and there jaw would hit the floor as they realized that someone actually famous was sitting right next to them. MzJIll also really liked Jorge the three of us were able to get to know each other and just like me he is just a normal guy even if he does smoke mixed spliffs hehe. I was able to get him to sign an autograph for my little bro Titan I got some great shots of Jorge but I don't want to go spamming my new friend all over the net so those will remain in my private stash along with some more personal shots of Jack. I also got to spend some time with Richard Lee which is always inspiring and he showed me my section in his new catalogue.

Jack Herer was on everyone's minds and I was impressed to see Sensi Seeds present and handing out nice posters of Jack for free. I'd like to think it was a thank you for being associated with Jack so long. I was supposed to speak with Ed but he wanted his own time so I did my best and was pleasantly surprised to find this review of my talk and Q & A:

Subcool
Subcool is a master bud breeder and longtime grower. He and his partner MzJill have developed 15-20 strains, such as Space Queen, Jilly Bean, Jack The Ripper, and Querkle. Subcool is also famous for stirring up the perfect organic-soil mix for pot plants that taste amazing, smell incredible and pack a potent, intoxicating punch. He is a talented photographer and the author of Dank: The Quest for the Very Best Marijuana.

At The International Cannabis and Hemp Exposition, Subcool said that he was only formally schooled through the ninth grade, and that his not a scientist. However he learned, and taught thousands of others along the way, how to organically grow the finest quality cannabis. Subcool said that he's been asked the question, "Subcool, what do you do when your plant is budding and it's full of powdery mildow?" To which he replied, "I throw it away, and I start over and I do it again right."

He stressed that strain genetics are significant, but methodology was of greater importance. Subcool encourages a technique called 'supercropping' which promotes a great yield of buds per plant and the use of worm castings, calling it "the miracle of the earth."

Subcool, who says he has been to prison four times, believes that, "money doesn't have to be the driving force" for cultivating cannabis. After years of experience and giving tips through online forums, Subcool started a seed company called TGA Genetics. He recalled deciding which strain to grow, "A friend would say to me, 'Grow this brother, I promise it will kick ass.'"

During a question and answer session, Subcool said that "feminized seeds are a gimmick being sold to the American public" to which he received a loud applause. Other growing tips for the day were that cannabis plants do best at 72 degrees Fahrenheit and 40 percent humidity. When asked about containers, Subcool recommended pots which hold seven gallons of soil. His final tip was to use the subcool soil mix and let it sit for three months and you will be growing magical Bud.
**www.indybay.org
Everyone in my crew worked their ass off including MzJill who at one time had the booth inside so packed for 4 straight hours I couldn't even get into the counter so I must thank them when we left just 2 hours after the event our areas were clean of trash and cleaned up. Some people left huge messes which is just disrespectful but common with people. It was a great time and a very mellow event you never see problems at weed related events and this one was no different.
Next up The Samples

With a legal card or recommendation this Box was only 300$
Yep anyone that was legal could buy this Judges Box

Lets look inside a bit
I know it's hard to believe but this actually took place
GDP Earwax by 7Stars
Easily the best by appearance only, then you load a bowl and this is damn close to heaven for me. Perfect full melt and almost no residue and the flavor is very nice. It's so much fun too smoke, at least for me because I like bubble so much that you don't really figure out its good until you've smoked a few bowls. By the time you start to feel the first few ultra clean hits your high as bat-shit as Carlin used to say. I have to note that this entry is massive and I am pretty sure much more than they were supposed to enter but I am not complaining but some of the other entry's might complain as that did give this one an unfair advantage. generally GDP does not make good bubble as it's an indica with smaller resin heads but I think this might be CO2 extracted. It is a bit harsh on the throat though but it might be chemically grown weed instead of some residue because it sure taste clean. This was the sample I voted as best in the Hash and Concentrates category.

Someone asked me today on a thread online how you actually judge this much stuff in two days which is a good question. I have judged about 2 dozen events and usually the winner is head and sholders above the rest for me anyway. Many times second and third is a much harder choice as there quality is closer. I have always said that only a small percentage of people grow exceptional weed even though all growers think they're the best and this next sample once again proves this right. You are going to see a large percentage of Grand Daddy Purple crosses featured because the med community seems to really like Indica's and many of the Kushes simply don't taste that great. GDP has a nice taste and is so similar to our Urkle that I am not positive its not the same cutting. These samples did have a bit more of a lavender flavor but that could be method not genetics. This sample not only stood out for presentation but also quality, looks, smell the full package on this GDP X Master Kush. I grew MK back in the day and I can see how these two would work well and boy was this a fun sample! Heavy lavender as I mentioned but also very potent. I am going to guess it was chemically grown though because even though it tasted amazing after 4 bowls each which was the whole sample Jill and I both had scratchy throats. I might be wrong but I can tell you that I smoked a good deal of weed over the weekend and it messed with my repertory system much more than our organic bud does. That can't take away from this sample though which was my favorite in the Cannabis section and the winner of the event.

There hash sample was not nearly as good to me and in these cropped shots you can see the plant matter in the sample. It didn't melt and was pretty harsh but it did have a great diesel smell almost like an oily rag. it was so strong even with this small piece you go totally smell the fumes. It also gave me a nice uplifting buzz that I needed as I was kind of tired after working out today combined with the long weekend but it picked me right up after I chocked through 4 bowls. Yeah I know I am picky but I try and be fair. For basically some soft pressed sift it is pretty decent.

This Indica was also a very nice sample and scored high with both Jill and myself but I just felt the GPD X MK was more potent. This sample actually was a bit smoother to be honest but I still liked the other better. Having a slightly sour smell to go along with the lavender it was pungent but I found the smoke itself a bit flat and lacking the deep rich taste of the other sample. Very slick packaging with biodegradable plastic and a nice container to save. So far my second favorite sample.
Ok more testing
Hey someone has to do it

This sample looks really nice but it is not nearly as good as it looks, in fact it was quite harsh and both Jill and myself could barely hold a hit down. The smell of the bud was nice extremely similar to Urkle but something that was used during the grow really gave it a super harsh taste and created a hot dry smoke. There was also lots of shake in the sample jar which is kinda lame but I know that they need 12 ounces of a strain to enter and that can be hard we missed entering the Lemon 3d because my Cali guys only had 11 ounes. This was also the case with 3 other of TGA strains he was just short of 12 on any one strain so I should cut everyone who entered some slack I guess.

sounds good but man wot a long post lol!

Picked up some JTR on saturday at the Cow Palace. Will be germinating two this week.

Sweet post, Nice meetin ya up there bro! It was damn cool actually meeting you and Jill and getting my copy of Dank signed personally. The event was definitely like nothing I had ever seen before, thats for sure, I had a blast. LOL at you posting that pic of me looking at the bongs all desirous like, lol. Those were some killer deals for some amazing pieces!

I ended up getting a pack of JTR and Vortex, then at harborside I got a JTR clone too, haha

I really wish I could have afforded the judge kit and pass. Thanks for actually selling seeds and providing samples. I don't understand why Cali connection refused to sell seeds or even show samples of the finished product. I wasn't really expecting sensi to sell since they are international and it would be difficult to explain how the seeds got here but cali is local.

It was a ground-breaking event. There has always been unauthorized smoking at these type of events but this is the first time it was officially allowed. I was expecting it to be more geared to growing and being self sufficient but at least the clubs were generous with samples of bud and edibles.

Maybe the best sample of Kush I have ever tasted to be honest but that just means I hated it even more but props to the grower cause this stuff is over powering KUSH! MzJill liked it very much and it was grown to perfection. The sample was kind of broken up but it was all hard budlets covered in resin. Its clear that the 7 Stars crew knows Dank.

I can't say anything good about this sample except it had cute packing and display. Pure Butane extraction and it has a after taste thats not good. Very potent and crossed my eyes but tasted very fuelish and not pure. I don't think it's a good idea to make butane extracts for medical people but it takes less work and I think thats why its common to make BHO. My concern is contaminants like nitrates and what long term use might cause.

Having smoked this strain grown by Chemdawg himself I can speak with authority when I say this is easily as good as any Chem I have smoked. I still find this strain hot to smoke and lacking flavor but it's certainly potent and lots of growers swear by its heavy Indica stone. I thought this sample suffered just a bit by being crammed into this small container which broke up a pretty nice bud but I was still able to get a nice shot so you can see how mature the resin is and how well the sample was grown. I bet this sample placed high in the voting but the Purples took the day

I tested this sample last night and I must fail this one. I am a huge Hash snob though and pretty much rate concentrates by how pure they are and how easily they bubble and melt. This was mostly pressed kief and not very pure. It had a green taste and smoldered on the screen which is a bad sign. I can't speak for the potency as I just couldn't get past the bad taste.

I liked this sample very much but again with this one it was presentation and a minute sample that hurt it's placing higher. The small containers seemed charged with static electricity and the small crumbs had magnetized to the sides and was almost impossible to get out and into a bowl. It was very dry which added to the quality of the sample and had a nice musty merlot flavor. I was able to scrape 3 small bowls off the sides and that was enough to give me a nice body high and reduce some of the pain in my knee. I walked a great deal over the weekend and my rebuilt knee was swollen and sore and this sample really helped ease the pain and help me sleep.

subcool said:

I can't say anything good about this sample except it had cute packing and display. Pure Butane extraction and it has a after taste thats not good. Very potent and crossed my eyes but tasted very fuelish and not pure. I don't think it's a good idea to make butane extracts for medical people but it takes less work and I think thats why its common to make BHO. My concern is contaminants like nitrates and what long term use might cause.

Click to expand...

How do you feel about CO2 extraction?

I have the only co2 samples listed as my fav.
I wish people would read the words heheh

Sub

Sorry, stoner momoent.

This sample was saved till the end for a reason. It was grown by a good friend who is an amazing grower and I knew it would be grown to perfection. The only reason he didn't enter any of the TGA indoor was he was just short of the 12 ounces required to enter of any one strain. His Third Dimension would have got my first place vote for sure. Instead he entered this Green house grown Cheese and he did a primo job on it. His Green house plants are massive so the 12 ounces were no problem, you can see copious resin on the well cured sample and I let MzJill test this one as she is the Cheese lover in our home. When I asked her opinion she commented it tasted just like ours meaning our Indoor Organic so I'd say he did an amazing job!