While rootling around yesterday for links concerning the Arcelor story, which has a Russian angle because Russians were also trying to take Arcelor over, I came across this story, from Mosnews.com (whatever that is):
Scientists from the Russian city of St. Petersburg have announced they had managed to develop a new, drug-free variant of cannabis which, if grown on industrial level, would cross with wild growing hemp end eventually force it out of existence.
Russia’s Interfax news agency quoted Sergei Grigoryev of the Russian Plant Institute as saying that the amount of psychotropic substance in the new variant of cannabis is practically zero. When the new plant is crossed with the wild growing hemp the amount of psychotropic substance in the latter will gradually become less and less. If Russian hemp is grown on industrial level, it could even force the cannabis that is used for making hashish and marijuana out of existence.
This has got to be the perfect Samizdata news story. It has drugs, scientific progress, lots of US foreign policy angles, massive opportunities to disagree about its truth, implications, etc. It has everything we want.
My pennyworth is that, in the event that there is any truth to this story (which I do not assume), then this may be only the first step in a new drugs war, this time between scientists trying to develop and improve this Just Say No cannabis, and scientists working to strengthen the ability of your real, drug sodden cannabis to resist the attentions of Just Say No cannabis, and if anything to become even more drug sodden. Sort of like red squirrels versus grey squirrels but with gazillions of dollars to back each colour of squirrel against the other colour of squirrel.
Far out, man.
Bah Humbug!
But why would anyone want to create a form of hemp that sterilizes squirrels? Do squirrels even eat hemp?
I’m very confused, and I haven’t been smoking anything at all.
I wonder if age is an hallucinogenic. I certainly hope so.
What ‘veryretired’ said………………amazing!
I like smoked squirrel — best with a tangerine demi glaze
No you smoke the squirrels
Smoking squirrels? Dammit, don’t they read the messages on their packs, the fools!
Damn! purplethink got there by a millisecond.
Something I dont understand is that they seem to be trying to grow one type of grass to “neutralise” the rest.
Well best of luck etc . Most of the UK crop of skunk is hypho-home grown under lights etc.
How you going to cross pollinate all those lofts and basements?
With sneaky squirrels, RAB.
A thought occurs: This should really get to the anti-GM crowd.
As I thought!!
That damn sneeky government-
Always one step ahead!!!
Cannabis and stinging nettles are in the same broad biological family. My (now no longer) secret plan is to genetically modify common stinging nettles to contain large quantities of lovely THC.
My plan stands more chance of success than this Russian one.
I’m confused. The article says the active ingredient in marijuana is “thujone”. I could have sworn that was the active ingredient in absinthe and was not related to THC, which unless my long-ago intensive research program was totally wrong, is what does all the good things hemp could possibly do for a body.
Confusion is part of the human condition but I learned, very early on, the diffrernce between Absinthe & The Weed. One of them gives you a truly ferocious hangover
I really can spell ‘diferennce’ when I try
…………….but I do confess that a large late-night V&T may have something to do with it…..and so to bed, to count smoking squirrels. ‘night.
Let me see if I got this right. Resident Alien is trying to make stinging pot, presumably to stop the squirrels from smoking it. He thinks he’s stands a better chance than the Russians, who are trying to make the weed sterilize the squirrels.
permanent expat is all worried about the squirrels lungs, not realizing that RAB and Purplethink are eating the squirrels, … which is’nt going to work anymore anyway if the Russians or Resident Alien succeed.
Robert Spiers is recollecting the good things you can do to a body with hemp. Bondage? Whatever gets his thujones off, I guess. Or maybe he’s just becoming absinthe-minded.
I must be approaching that hallucinogenic age because this is all beginning to make sense. I think I’ll just sit down, watch a test pattern on the TV, listen to the static at the end of an LP and think about ….. ….. and think about ….. …..
…… ……
….. does anyone have anymore brownies?
mmmmmm, brownies. They taste much better than squirrel, even if it’s stuffed with hemp.
Oh, God, that sounds like one of my ex-wife’s ideas for a special dinner party. With the obligatory green bean, mushroom soup, and french fried onion casserole, of course.
Now the squirrel is definitely sounding better, even if it is a capon.
What were we talking about again?
Veryretired –
If I recall correctly, we were talking about various vegetables and whether it is better to eat or to smoke them, assuming one cannot do both. There was something about squirrels in there, too, but I didn’t quite catch it. Garish pink French-speaking mutant armadillos did not figure in it at all. Hope this helps.
If Russian hemp is grown on industrial level, it could even force the cannabis that is used for making hashish and marijuana out of existence.
Hm. I see MosNews’ correspondent learnt his economics in the Soviet era.
What I want to know is can’t we all just get a bong?
Huh?
Did you say something?
I’ve just woken up……………………wish I hadn’t.
So, should I invest in methamphetamine futures?
veryretired says squirrels sound better with a cape on. Is this, like, a Wagner thing?
I’ve never seen a squirrel in a cape, but I did see one in a bow. I don’t remember how it sounded.
Got any of that bean casserole? Where’s the brownies?
…..
Did I just ask where the brownies are?
Cool.
Jeez bad luck on the former wife Veryretired
a veggie and a lousy cook too
no wonder you needed the marijuana.You can eat vast quantities of grim stuff on the right weed.
Anatole, our chef is really first class
If they wear a cape they’re obviously flying squirrels, in which case it is necessary to watch out for the moose.
And with that obscure reference, I shall return to the scrapbook I retrieved from the attic, “Best Leaves I have known and loved”. I’m on page 13.
Anybody got a match?
“Hey Rocky, watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat!”
Shit man! mine says
Only five leaves left.
There was a Secret Squirrel I seem to remember-
he had a cape or is that Superted
The wonder Welsh Teddy bear?
Dew! I’m peckish!anyone for a Lavabread sandwitch?
Anyway what you do is dry and smoke the tails
You can get an ounce or so out of a big one!
………a sand witch……….now there’s a item that could do with some culinary research.
Mid wins a brownie.
I’d be careful both of you!
You know my ancestory.
The magic of Merlin is just a breath away…
Puff pant wheeze…
Ok I spelt the bleedin word wrong…
Good to have you back Midwesterner.
I guess, RAB, it’s an American thing from a certain generation.
Rocky & Bullwinkle fought the Cold War from Frostbite Falls, Minnesota against such evil villians as Boris Badenov and Natasha Fatale.
Here are some quotes, and more quotes.
Thanks for the brownie VR. Because I really didn’t want to find out how a squirrel tastes. But I imagine they probably just take small bites and chew slowly, like the rest of us.
(Link)
Commercially grown hemp also has negligible levels of THC. This variant could easily be avoided by avid horticulturalists. Controlled pollination, crop isolation, subsequent selection of more active THC bearing individual plants for future generations of plants.
In other words, everything already being done by growers to maximize the potency of their crop will prevent this harebrained idea from ever working.
Well Well! Thank you Midwesterner and Vretired.
I thought I was well up on obscure Americana, but that slipped under the radar.
What era was that? The quality of the lines could have been in the GoonShow.
Ha! But I’ll see your Rocky and Bullwinkle, and raise you Lord Buckley, who was the most obscure and amazing comedian I ever heard.
Can any of you, hand on heart, swear that you had heard, or indeed heard of, Lord Buckley, before you just googled him up to find out what I’m on about ?
The pot is mine then I think!
It may just recoup the losses I suffered on the World Cup penalty shootout. One hesitant tosser I predicted, but England did us proud, they produced THREE!!
That was a triple pay out there, I damn near went bankrupt.!!!
1. People will produce cannabis seeds in controlled conditions that exclude any unwanted pollen.
2. The produced seeds are then used in selected sunny fields hidden amongst the legal hemp, and, of course, harvested before they turn to seeds.
3. Duh(tm).
I vaguely recall seeing Lord Buckley or Lord something or other doing comedic skits on an old TV show back in the early ’60’s I think.
Meanwhile, I’ll call your Buckley and raise you one Screamin’ Lord Sitch. Put that in your Google and smoke it!
What are we playing again?
Five card Tarot, Pentacles wild?
Well I’ll see ya.
There- three Firesign Theatres and a pair of Bill Hicks
Beat that!
Mine I think gents, in a very James Garner way…