Ancient Bongs Found in Russia

A recent archeological finding in Russia has shed some more light on the historic use of marijuana among the nomadic Scythian people. Two artifacts that were confirmed as bongs and some smaller objects, all composed of solid gold, were found in a burial site in Southern Russian. The bongs were found with a thick residue and were used to smoke a powerful combination of cannabis and opium. They were used by the Scythians who ruled in large areas of Eurasia for a period of over 1,000 years.

The bongs are 24 centuries old

The bongs were found to be approximately 2,400 years old and were very detailed in their designs, featuring pictorial representations of animals and people. They were found in a large grave mound in Southern Russia in the Caucasus Mountains, one of the regions where Scythians lived between 900 BC and 400 AD. The bongs were possibly used during ceremonies and were found in a chamber filled with 7 pounds of other gold artifacts including bracelets and neck and finger rings.

The finding backs up Herodotus’s claim

Ancient Greek writer Herodotus described how Scythians used cannabis in their ceremonial practices, and the finding certainly backs up his claims. He once wrote, “Scythians used a plant to produce smoke that no Grecian vapour-bath can surpass…” Antonn Gass and Andrei Belinski are two historians from the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation who believed that the bongs were “beyond doubt” used to smoke both opium and cannabis at the same time. They may have also been used to brew the mixture together as well.

A once in a decade archeological finding

The finding is considered to be one of the best ever by many archeologists. Gass mentioned, “these are among the finest objects that we know from the region.” The bongs were not revealed to the public until the group had fully searched the burial mound to check for other possibly more valuable artifacts.

Each bong tells a different story with its pictures. One bong shows an older warrior slaying younger warriors and may be a description of the wars that the Scythians fought with neighboring Persia. Another bong depicts mythological creatures including a stag and griffons attacking a horse.

The Scythian people were known to be fearsome warriors, and they were one of the first groups to master mounted warfare. However, they were not the first group to use cannabis, as other evidence has found that it was cultivated as long ago as 8,000 BC or even earlier. Agriculture is thought to have been first developed around 10,000 BC.

First Church of Cannabis: A “Higher” Calling

The first church dedicated to worshiping the social aspect of marijuana use has been launched in Indiana known officially as, “The First Church of Cannabis”. Bill Levin, the church’s founder, insists that the church is not dedicated to worshiping marijuana itself, but the interpersonal connections that are created when the drug is used.

Levin said that the church does not distribute marijuana, however it allows members of the church to smoke inside the location. The church currently does not have a building but is raising funds to open one in the near future. The First Church of Cannabis was created on March 26 after the controversial Religious Freedom Restoration Act was passed in Indiana.

The church was recently approved for tax-exempt status

Levin recently celebrated the church’s approval by the IRS for 501c3 status. The status designates the church as a non-profit organization with the same tax status that traditional churches and places of worship receive.

The approval will allow Levin to obtain donations without federal tax liabilities and he posted his excitement at the news on his church’s Facebook page on May 26^th saying, “Our NOT FOR PROFIT 501 C3 status came in today… WE ARE 100 % a LEGAL CHURCH… All say HALLELUJAH and SMILE REAL BIG!”

Marijuana remains illegal in Indiana

Although the recreational and medical use of marijuana in the state of Indiana is not legal, the appreciation of the drug is. Levin does not believe that he will get into trouble because he is not selling the drug. He recently set up a Go Fund Me page which has received over $15,000 in donations from around the world. He has also received numerous donations from local donors and marijuana enthusiasts.

Levin said that he founded to church in order to test the limits of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, the same act that triggered protests from gay rights groups because of the fear that it would allow businesses to discrimination against homosexuals.

The church is about treating people with kindness

Levin mentioned that the church does not have any spiritual practices, and that it focuses on treating people with kindness and follows some of the basic tenets of other major religions in the world. He said that old scriptures have nothing to do with the church and that he is not affiliated with the Rastafarians, who embrace marijuana usage as a part of their spiritual practices. Levin did mention that he has learned from the religion and that he “borrowed a bit from every religion.”

The first service is planned on July 1^st, 2015 once the law goes into effect at a location that has not yet been announced.

How to Make a Water Pipe from a Dispensary Container in 5 Easy Steps

•  Thick rubber pull down stem (glass bowl)
• Transparent rubber tube (cut 3-4 inches)
• Pop top bottle (dispensary container)
• A knife or sharp object
• Water
• Lighter

Poke Holes

Carefully make two airtight holes in the top lid of the dispensary container no wider than the diameter of the glass bowl stem and rubber tube.

Insert

Once the holes have been made, carefully insert the glass bowl so that the stem touches the bottom of the container and the rubber mouthpiece is only barely inserted into the container. (to allow for proper bubbling)

Pour Water

After the glass bowl and rubber tube have been inserted in the dispensary container, carefully pour water into the dispensary container, no higher than 2-3 inches.

Add Medication

Close the lid of the container and put a small amount of finely ground medication into the glass bowl.

Let Er’ Rip!

Again, make sure that the rubber mouthpiece is only slightly inserted into the top of the container, but allow the bowl’s stem to touch the bottom of the container. Slowly light the bowl of medication while carefully inhaling and enjoy!

Essential Dab Tools

Beginners Guide to Dabbing

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Marijuana Legalization on the Ballot – November 2014

November 2012 was an exciting time for marijuana supporters when Colorado and Washington made history by being the first states to legalize the use and sale of recreational cannabis. As a result, these states have witnessed a staggering transformation to their economies and culture largely due to the rapid growth and prosperity of the marijuana industry.

This November, marijuana supporters will once again get to vote for marijuana legalization. But this time Oregon, Alaska, Washington D.C. and Florida are on the ballot.

Oregon – Recreational Marijuana Legalization

Beginning with the decriminalization of weed in 1973, Oregon has historically had some of the most progressive marijuana laws in the United States. And the time has come again for Oregonians to make one of the biggest decision yet on the legality of marijuana.

Measure 91 will be on the ballot this November, and if passed, will legalize the sale and use of recreational marijuana for adults 21 and over. According to a recent poll, 52% of the population of Oregon supports the legalization of recreational marijuana.

Proponents of marijuana legalization believe that allowing the use of recreational marijuana in Oregon would mean less arrests for petty drug use. Even though marijuana is “decriminalized” in Oregon, there are still at least 12,000 arrests and citations for marijuana each year.

If Measure 91 passes, this could mean millions of dollars in tax revenue which would go to school funding, drug treatment prevention, mental health programs and state and local police. Annual tax revenue is estimated at $16 – $40 million annually.

Alaska: Marijuana Legalization

Alaskans are not newbies when it comes to marijuana. In fact, private use of marijuana has been legal in Alaska for nearly 40 years. And, according to a survey, 18% of Alaskans smoke marijuana but lack legal access to it.

This November Alaskans will be voting on Measure 2. If the measure passes it would allow adults 21 and older to possess up to an ounce of pot and maintain six marijuana plants. The measure would also legalize productions and sales, which would be regulated by the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board.

Support for Measure 2 is currently only around 50%. So whether this measure passes, really depends which side has a stronger campaign. Voter turnout will also be a major factor. If you need some motivation look to Alaska’s biggest advocate, Charlo Greene. The former news reporter that quit her job on live TV while doing a story on the on her own medical marijuana business, the Alaska Cannabis Club.

Washington, DC: Legalization of Marijuana for Personal Use

Our nation’s capital will get to vote on Initiative 71 this November. If it passes, adult citizens, 21 and older, would be allowed to possess up to two ounce of marijuana for personal use, as well as up to six cannabis plants, with a maximum of three mature flowering plants. Initiative 71 would also allow up to an ounce of marijuana to be transferred from one person to another without payment.

Initiative 71, which is currently supported by 65% of the population, is expected to win the majority vote. But that’ll only be the first hurdle. Unlike other states where majority vote wins, every bill passed in the District of Columbia requires the approval of Congress before it can be a law.

Florida: Medical Marijuana Legalization

This year Florida will vote on legalizing marijuana to treat “debilitating medical conditions”, such as cancer, AIDS, glaucoma, and parkinson’s disease. Amendment 2 would require a doctor’s approval before medical marijuana patients could use or possess weed.

Supporters of Amendment 2 will be fighting an uphill battle. For one, 60 percent of voter approval is required, and polls are showing only 48 percent approval so far. Also, marijuana supporters are facing well-funded conservative opposition. A strong voter turnout of marijuana supporters would be needed to rock this vote.

Guide to Marijuana Harvesting: Analyzing Pistils and Trichomes

 

 

So, you’ve managed to grow your own weed, congratulations! You’ve been growing your plant for several weeks now, and you’re anxious to clip what look like decent buds, but how do you really know your plant is ready for harvest?  Well, no worries. All it requires is careful observation. Here are two basic ways of determining the optimum time to harvest marijuana.

1. The Easy Way

The easiest way to determine whether your plant is ready to harvest is to simply look at the plant. In particular, you want to look at the white hairs, or pistils, that cover the plants buds. As the plant matures and the flowering period comes to an end, the white hairs which initially stick out straight begin to darken and curl. You don’t want to start harvesting until more than half the hairs have darkened from white to amber in color. Buds will have their highest level of THC when between 50% -70% of the pistils have darkened. Harvest at this time for more of a psychedelic head high.

You can still harvest your plant when 70%-90% of the pistils have darkened. As your plant matures further, THC breaks down and oxidizes from exposure to air. As this happens the plants chemistry changes, making for a more calming, sleepy, body high.

2. The Precise Way

For a more accurate method of determining the ideal time to harvest, you will need to look at trichomes. In particular, you’ll be looking at the color and clarity of those trichomes. Trichomes are tiny, glandular, outgrowth on the leaves and buds of your plant. They often have stalks and a bulbous head, looking similar to a mushroom. The sticky resinous coating you’ll see on the trichomes is where the THC and other psychoactive components are stored. To get a good look at them you will need to invest in a Jeweler’s loupe/magnifying glass of 30x-60x.

Take a close look at the trichomes with your magnifying glass. Clear colorless trichomes are an indication that your bud is not quite ready yet. When your trichomes are more opaque or milky in appearance then you should start to get excited. But don’t harvest until most of the trichomes are milky. This is when THC is at its peak. For the most potent buds, with the most psychoactive effects, harvest when most of the trichomes are cloudy. Eventually the trichomes will turn amber or gold in color. Some strains will even turn purple or red. If you Harvest when most trichomes have changed from milky white, to one of the colors I have just mentioned, you will get more of narcotic, stoney, body high. However, your plant has past its ideal harvesting period when more than 75% of your trichomes have darkened.

 

To Vape Or Not To Vape? Is Vaping Good Or Bad For Your Health?

Joints vs. Vapes

 

Whether you have been prescribed medical marijuana, use it religiously, or blaze for recreational purposes, we have all been hit with the burning question (pun intended), is it better to smoke marijuana or vaporize it? Although there are many forms of ingesting the medicine such as eating medical marijuana “edibles”, for those who want to avoid eating extra food to get their marijuana fix, inhalation is the preferred method. Smoking marijuana has always been the norm by conventional standards both for recreational and medicinal purposes.

With the latest glance at the daily news, people see images of their favorite celebrity or in some cases politician, smoking a “blunt” on stage or have been caught blazing a “joint” in a picture from their college years. In the last decade however, vaporizing devices have inundated the market and have shifted the culture into being more conscientious about their cardio vascular health by providing safer alternatives to marijuana use.

Vaporizing

Vaporizers come in different shapes and sizes, some of which you can put on your coffee table and others you can carry in your pocket on your way to the movie theater. Numerous methods of vaporizing are available on the market today, ranging in price from $20-$300 depending on caliber of the device and the quality of vapor extracted from the herb.

Although price may be an issue to someone with a low budget, the vaporizing process cuts out up to 95% of smoke toxins from the mist that is inhaled, which can prevent lung harm and potential risk for disease in your later years.Not only are a majority of harmful toxins and chemicals excluded, but 95% of the THC is absorbed in the first few seconds compared to minutes needed to feel the effects of smoked marijuana.

The way vaporizers work is that they only get the cannabis hot enough to release the most important aspects of the plant as vapors. Marijuana begins to combust at about 392 degrees Fahrenheit, where as in most vaporizers, the ideal sweet spot for vaporization occurs at 338 degrees, right below smoke temperature. Users tend to “sip” the vapor through their particular device of choice,  rather than “smoke” the medicine.

Smoking

Smoking is the more prevalent way that marijuana is ingested. Marijuana that is smoked is usually done so by using rolling papers, blunt wraps, pipes, water pipes, or concentrate pipes. Price ranges for most smoking devices can range in a few cents for single joint paper  to a few  hundred dollars for high end pipes.

Most people have the false impression that holding in marijuana smoke will somehow make you feel “higher”. Research has shown that this is in fact not the case, and that users can get just as high by taking “shallow puffs” without jeopardizing the harsh feeling on their lungs.Smoking anything  will eventually if not immediately cause irritation of the lungs which according to most medical marijuana doctors, can be a cause of a more serious lung conditions later on in life.

The major difference between smoking marijuana and vaporizing, is that smoke contains substances other than beneficial ones found in the plant, where as vaporizing reduces these substances drastically. Studies have shown that there are no known risks in the marijuana plant that pose a risk to human health; however, smoking the herb can lead to possible respiratory conditions later in life from the continual irritation of the lung tissue.

 

10 Step Guide On How To Make “Grade A” (Edible) Cannabis Extract Hash Oil

edible marijuana oil concentrate

Step 1 (Preparation): Before starting this sequence, it is very important that you take proper precautions, have the proper supplies and the a decent preparation area.

You will need the following supplies: 1 ounce of super dry marijuana, 1 gallon of high proof alcohol solvent (Everclear works best), medium sized Pyrex mixing bowl, large wooden spoon, straining device (Muslin Bag works best), a separate container to catch strained liquid, double boiler setup, silicon spatula, plastic syringes.

Preparation Area: You must also be sure to have the proper ventilation(open windows/fan), as well as an electric stove (gas stoves are more dangerous with solvent), and a fire extinguisher.

Step 2 (Grind): Place 1 ounce of extremely dry and ground up marijuana (sativa or indica) into a medium sized, Pyrex glass mixing bowl. Make sure you can spare a few inches above the marijuana grind, as liquid will be added soon.

Step 3 (Dissolve): Add Everclear or another high proof alcohol solvent which will cover the marijuana in it’s entirety, with about an inch of additional solvent on top.

(Caution: never use rubbing alcohol as a solvent)

Step 4 (Mix): Slowly mix the Everclear and marijuana together in the bowl for just about 3 minutes. Use a large wooden spoon/large fork to mix the marijuana with the solvent, allowing for the solvent to dissolve resin and oils from the herb.

Step 5 (Strain):  Delicately pour the marijuana solvent mix through a straining device e.g(muslin bag, grain, cheesecloth, Thai filter, steeping bag, etc) into a separate 2 quart mixing bowl or large bowl.The strained concoction should be dark with greenish undertones.

 Step 6 (Repeat): Place marijuana material back into original mixing bowl and repeat steps 2, 3, and 4 in order to remove all oil and resin from the marijuana a second time.

(Caution: repeating the straining process a third time will ruin your batch as the remaining marijuana resin will have little to no benefit.)

Step 7 (Boil): Pour dark green mixture from both washes into the top of a double- boiler. Make sure that the bottom pot of the double-boiler is filled with water before turning on the heat.

(Caution: if you don’t have enough space for all of the mix in the double-boiler you can continue to add the remaining marijuana mix as the level in the double-boiler begins to drop during the evaporation process. )

Step 8 (Evaporate): Begin heating the liquid on high setting until the top pot of the double boiler starts bubbling, then turn the heat off promptly.Allow the heat from the bath of water to heat the top pan until the Everclear or high proof alcohol solvent has evaporated. Once you see that the dark green mixture is bubbling, immediately turn off the heat. This process can take anywhere from 15-25 minutes.

Step 9 (Almost Done): You are done when the liquid has become a thick green substance and no longer bubbles. If the liquid has ceased to bubble but is somewhat runny, you can turn the heat back on low until it starts bubbling again and you are satisfied with consistency.

Step 10 (Cool Down): Use plastic syringes to draw up the remaining which will allow you to create individual portions for future medical use. The semi thick liquid will become thicker once it cools. Be sure to dry the left over oil in a cool, dry place.

 

Super Bowl XLVIII aka Marijuana Bowl, Stoner Bowl, Doobie Bowl

Timing is everything isn’t it?  Just when we voiced our opinion at Dat Dank about the NFL Commissioner’s comments about possible marijuana legalization in the NFL, destiny brought us a Super Bowl featuring the Seattle Seahawks vs. the Denver Broncos.  For those of you who have been keeping up with marijuana legalization, you may have put one and one together and noticed that these two teams represent states that are on the forefront of recreational marijuana legalization.  For those of you wondering why people are calling it the weed bowl, marijuana bowl, stoner bowl, or bong bowl, if you haven’t already heard, Colorado was the first ever state to legalize recreational marijuana regulated by the state government with the state of Washington soon to do the same.

What makes this significant in sports? Well nothing in particular because marijuana is still categorized as a banned substance in the NFL  and any other professional sports for that matter.  But what makes it significant at Dat Dank is the fact that, as  Seattle Pi puts it:  These two states aren’t “the only two states in the union (and two of only three places on the planet) where marijuana is not only legal but have a budding legal system for growing and selling will face each other in the Super Bowl.”  And with the statement made by Roger Goodell (Commissioner of the NFL)  regarding the possible legalization of medical marijuana use among players in the future, the Denver Bronco and the Seattle Seahawks facing off in  the Weed Bowl, er, Super Bowl in New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium couldn’t have come at a better time for marijuana advocates and supporters in the United States.  I’m not complaining but imagine this game was played at Mile High Stadium back in Denver, we would be talking conspiracy as opposed to a high coincidence.

So this year, fill up the Doritos bowl, and pack a fat bowl, cause this game’s gonna be a doobie!

Simple Step-By-Step Guide For Making Premium Shatter BHO

1. Take some good fresh uncut bud that has been dried. An ounce of high quality bud can yield you 3.6g of shatter provided you use about 12oz of butane and wash it twice.
2. Place the bud in an extraction tube that is made of thick glass and is real clean. You don’t want excess contaminants in your batch that will degrade your dabs. You want to also make sure that there are no air pockets inside the tube, and you can eliminate those by using a rod to neatly but not overly pack your bud.
3. On other end of the extraction tube you want to drip your butane through it in a slow yet evenly paced manner. On the opposite end use/attach coffee filters so that the liquid which runs down will have to go through it. The drippings should fall onto a collection dish. Note that you should do the extraction process outside as there is a chance of explosions or bursts of fire if the butane is dripped too fast.
4. Once your butane can is spent remove it and let the excess butane still in the tube make its way down through the filter and into your pan.
5. Next is the evaporation part of the process. Your pan should be filled with this golden brown liquid. Take your collection dish and place it in a larger frying pan filled with hot water and your mixture should begin to bubble. Change the water as needed if it cools and don’t expose it to the hot water for a long time as your product will become dark and degraded. Once the oil stops bubbling you are done and can scrape the product and either smoke it or place them in glass vials.

One of the few places I found with good prices on dabs, wax, and shatter making tools and accessories: http://www.marijuanapackaging.com/smoke-shop-supply/concentrate-tools.html

DISCLAIMER: This is just a guide laying out the steps to how shatter is made using butane.  I am not recommending that any of you try this at home without proper equipment or experience because it could involve in injury as butane is highly flammable and can be explosive.  This is an article meant to inform, not meant to inspire recreational weed smokers to screw around with butane and their leftover stash.