Um, wow... (Mold/Pest-Related)

This strain recently won 2nd place at the Aspen Cannabis Crown. I feel sorry for anyone who was up there judging, based on these pics. It's either some really severe and weirdly web-like powdery mildew or an equally bad mites problem... what do you experienced grower types think?

I want to make clear that I'm not in the business of disparaging any dispensaries or anyone in general for that matter... I am, however, in the business of spreading information to MMJ patients, especially where safety might be involved. Judge for yourselves if this is something you wouldn't mind smoking (it's a bit hard to capture it well, as retaining focus on something so small and with depth is near-impossible with my microscope)..

Perhaps the bigger worry to MMJ consumers beyond the fact that tainted meds were supposedly good enough to win the Crown (I didn't smoke any of the sample I have for obvious reasons, but it smells great and I could certainly see it placing in a competition) is that from my understanding, the samples competing were supposedly all tested by Full Spectrum for mold and pesticides. If that is true and this strain got through their testing regimen, I don't even know what to say, and I will be uber-paranoid about everything I smoke, tested or not...

Just had to put this out there somewhere... I hesitate to publish the pictures and the info on my blog without giving the dispensary a chance to respond, but at the same time, I worry about anyone who is going there to purchase "prize-winning" Grape Ape and end up with a collapsed lung after the vaporize their purchase and don't kill the spores...

it isn't PM.

Yeah I was thinking mite webs for some of it (the main pics clearly show some kind of web). What would be your guess as to what it is?

Some of it appears to be a type of mold though, as you can see in this shot. Sorry for the quality of that pic, I'll try to find the same spot or some others that look similar and will post more pics... it's a tiny section of a leaf, so it was tough to steady it enough without losing sight of it.

maybe it's the grape syrup ;)

Also, I have two different buds with multiple spots all over them... it's definitely not a case of a nug falling into some of that fake spider web shit they put up on Halloween or some other innocuous piece of fuzz. It's either mite webs or mold, and with the prevalence all over the buds and the area it was generally located (where the fan leaves would connect in between bunches of calyxes), I'd knock mite webs out of contention.

could be food grade mold or webbing from mites hard to tell def not something i'm trying to put in my lungs:jointsmile:

Well since it sounds like you haven't seen any dead mites I'd be more inclined to say mold... and white/fuzzy is usually a good sign of mold!!

WOW is right! Great eye man... so many others have already scrutinized and smoked these nugs without any second thought apparently! I probably would've missed that, but now that you point it out I think it's something to be concerned about...

Cannot believe that it placed so well in a competition with mold! Goes to show how meaningless these competitions really are!

It's a pity, because it's very well-grown otherwise and smells very nice... ha, apparently the people liked it in Aspen. They should've provided 420 Scopes... =/

But yeah, I looked at these nugs for about 40 minutes trying to figure out what it is... definitely looks webby in areas but it's so pervasive and in so many odd nooks (where mold normally grows, where stems are snipped and stumps left between calyx clusters) that mites don't seem likely. No dead mites either, which I've seen on several samples and can spot easily... never seen these 'webs' accompanying those, and spidermite webs normally show up between fan leaves low on the plant, etc. unless the problem is HORRIBLE. I had mites pretty bad in my last grow and never even saw webs except on one plant in veg, much less woven in the crannies of the bud like this.. just weird.

Doesn't look like PM though, I've seen that and it's similar but those webs are something else. Maybe mold and bugs? Haha, wouldn't be surprised at this point.

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Originally Posted by MMJinColorado

This strain recently won 2nd place at the Aspen Cannabis Crown. I feel sorry for anyone who was up there judging, based on these pics. It's either some really severe and weirdly web-like powdery mildew or an equally bad mites problem... what do you experienced grower types think?

I want to make clear that I'm not in the business of disparaging any dispensaries or anyone in general for that matter... I am, however, in the business of spreading information to MMJ patients, especially where safety might be involved. Judge for yourselves if this is something you wouldn't mind smoking (it's a bit hard to capture it well, as retaining focus on something so small and with depth is near-impossible with my microscope)..

Perhaps the bigger worry to MMJ consumers beyond the fact that tainted meds were supposedly good enough to win the Crown (I didn't smoke any of the sample I have for obvious reasons, but it smells great and I could certainly see it placing in a competition) is that from my understanding, the samples competing were supposedly all tested by Full Spectrum for mold and pesticides. If that is true and this strain got through their testing regimen, I don't even know what to say, and I will be uber-paranoid about everything I smoke, tested or not...

Just had to put this out there somewhere... I hesitate to publish the pictures and the info on my blog without giving the dispensary a chance to respond, but at the same time, I worry about anyone who is going there to purchase "prize-winning" Grape Ape and end up with a collapsed lung after the vaporize their purchase and don't kill the spores...

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That is a shame, but it so common with most product out there today, this is what happens when every one is a grower, and on large scale grows without proper attention given to each plant, ya know like a production line, I like to reference this way: What is better, a slow meal prepared for 2-5 people, or a massive meal prepared for 100 people, same food, same prep, but the larger meal will be nowhere as good as the small meal, IMO this applies to a lot of areas, meds being one of them. Also why would anyone in this state patronize a show or event put on by Cali big money disp. or read their magazine (it may be Kush Colorado but it is Cali owned), they are the ones working with Romer who just recently fucked over the patients of Co.

So I say Boycott the the large dispensaries, do not assign a medical center on your paperwork unless you know for a fact they are local long term Coloradans, or find a caregiver who grows multiple strains. It is time we take our state back and boot out the money hungry political liars like Josh Stanley with peace in medicine and the Cali owned Farmacy.

The way the "Crown" was run was a joke. I've known the organizer, Damien, for years. He's a world class Mass drunk who got into the MMJ business to get rich quick. They bought the whole event off an even flakier guy. Samples weren't tested at Full Spec for sure. Hence we didn't participate. I've heard nothing but awful things about how it went. Sorry to anyone who wasted their hard earned cash.

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Originally Posted by MMJinColorado

This strain recently won 2nd place at the Aspen Cannabis Crown. I feel sorry for anyone who was up there judging, based on these pics. It's either some really severe and weirdly web-like powdery mildew or an equally bad mites problem... what do you experienced grower types think?

I want to make clear that I'm not in the business of disparaging any dispensaries or anyone in general for that matter... I am, however, in the business of spreading information to MMJ patients, especially where safety might be involved. Judge for yourselves if this is something you wouldn't mind smoking (it's a bit hard to capture it well, as retaining focus on something so small and with depth is near-impossible with my microscope)..

Perhaps the bigger worry to MMJ consumers beyond the fact that tainted meds were supposedly good enough to win the Crown (I didn't smoke any of the sample I have for obvious reasons, but it smells great and I could certainly see it placing in a competition) is that from my understanding, the samples competing were supposedly all tested by Full Spectrum for mold and pesticides. If that is true and this strain got through their testing regimen, I don't even know what to say, and I will be uber-paranoid about everything I smoke, tested or not...

Just had to put this out there somewhere... I hesitate to publish the pictures and the info on my blog without giving the dispensary a chance to respond, but at the same time, I worry about anyone who is going there to purchase "prize-winning" Grape Ape and end up with a collapsed lung after the vaporize their purchase and don't kill the spores...

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Looks like fungus mycorrhizae to me. May or may not be harmful but should dq the sample.

I do not know where those pictures came from. We did not submit any when we went to the crown. and further more there would be no way we could have won if there was mold or mites. For one a lab tested it for those items. and two There was quite a few judges and someone would have said something. We have some grape ape at our shop right now and if anyone would like to come and check it out please come by.

I can assure you that if I were to have mold or mites there we would have not even entered. Sorry that you guys got ahold of some pics that are saying it is our product.

Mahooka
Mahooka Meds | Providing Patients with Safe, Legal Medicinal Marijuana

Actually I took the pics myself (two separate buds that came out of the same bag, there were spots all over both buds in various places) last night and would be happy to stop by with the sample that I received from an anonymous source who attended the Crown to let you look at it. This is why I was hesitant to post anything about it... I wanted to give you guys a fair shot to respond since I thought I remembered seeing posts from you here.

Anyway, I will come by in the next few days with the sample so you can take a look and see if it is in fact your Grape Ape. Hopefully that will help put this to rest. As far as the comments on the compeition and entering with a moldy product, I suppose it's possible that the mold came after you submitted the samples, but it's all over the place either way. I'll come by soon though, I don't want bad information floating out there if this was simply a sample that went bad after the fact or if it isn't even your Grape Ape. I trust my source though, so I don't think they'd just lie about what the product is (or somehow store it so badly that it gets mold even after it was well cured and dry for the competition... not bloody likely).

I'll emphasize that it was fairly tough to see.. not sure what the lighting conditions were for the Cannabis Crown, but I'd wager that they weren't bright enough to see this mold hiding deep in the crevices of the buds without the aid of a 420 Scope or something along those lines.

(this post made useless by MMJ's post above, he snuck in!)

Dorje113, it does look like mycorrhizae, but doesn't that normally develop in the root system below-ground, and not in the canopy where buds would be forming? Just seems like odd placement for a symbiotic root fungus... that's the best guess so far though, as it does look extermely similar.

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Originally Posted by MMJinColorado

Dorje113, it does look like mycorrhizae, but doesn't that normally develop in the root system below-ground, and not in the canopy where buds would be forming? Just seems like odd placement for a symbiotic root fungus... that's the best guess so far though, as it does look extermely similar.

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It's not necessarily a symbiotic type of fungus, it could (probably did) come from airborne spores that just happened to have good enough conditions in the bud to start growing. There are so many types of mycorrhizae... it could be from any one of a number of types of fungus.

I wouldn't condemn the grower from this evidence though, this is growing plants, not a clean room laboratory. The contamination in the pics could happen to ANYONE without their knowledge unless the grower is inspecting every bud with a magnifying glass.

There is a mold that has hit my crop twice now. Grown outside in Santa Cruz CAlifornia. Has anyone seen the plant stems of the stuff from Colorado? Mine starts with the fuzzy spors on the stem and then creats a black spot on the stems up further, anything above that turns limp and withers.

Last year it hit just before harvest with some of that webbing or mold only visable when the bud is broken open, and inspected. Lost almost 3/4 of the crop last year. In good concience I couldn't put it out there.
I have noticed some spots on a couple of the stems and cut it off. Don't know if that will leave the wound exposed for more infection. Tried sulfer dust, didn't stop it. Just sprayed with vinager on the stems two days ago to try to change the ph to kill it. Haven't seen the result of that application yet.
Anyone have any ideas how to stop it this year.

By the way the same, and I mean the exact same plants from clones:cool: are growing inside and they are pristine, no problems.

That mold among the trichomes in the pics can also arise during storage by over hydrating stored meds or simply storing your meds improperly (yes, even when using canning jars). When most folks look at that they don't even know what they're seeing right there among their trichomes. I don't mean to sound like a dweeb but I occasionally examine stored herb with my "Dino-Lite" digital computer camera just to make sure nothing develops during storage. Mine is USB and magnifies 10-300x. A little overpriced at around $300. Well worth having though if you care about the quality of your meds.

I think lead hit it. Not to call anyone out, but the some of the winning buds found their way into our shop for sale...looked ok but had the "stuff" (since nobody agrees on what kind of powdery mildew it is j/k lol). I pointed it out and he got kinda mad/offended. I think it probably was a good, FRESH med....BUT if you jet pack it still fresh into plastic...I think this is what happens. Hot day+herb in it's 1st week of drying+air sealed plastic+drive from aspen/mts to denver minimum=nasty disaster.

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Originally Posted by MMJinColorado

Also, I have two different buds with multiple spots all over them... it's definitely not a case of a nug falling into some of that fake spider web shit they put up on Halloween or some other innocuous piece of fuzz. It's either mite webs or mold, and with the prevalence all over the buds and the area it was generally located (where the fan leaves would connect in between bunches of calyxes), I'd knock mite webs out of contention.

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Yeah it's hard to see. Looks like some kind of web--but you can look for mites under the leaves of the plant--(if it's your's?) Mites are a real problem in growing--as they adapt very quickly to the sprays used to get rid of them--and become ammune to them. If one has them it's a constant battle.

But if they got on the bud itself--I would consider the mite problem out of control.

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Originally Posted by TheAllDayToker

I think lead hit it. Not to call anyone out, but the some of the winning buds found their way into our shop for sale...looked ok but had the "stuff" (since nobody agrees on what kind of powdery mildew it is j/k lol). I pointed it out and he got kinda mad/offended. I think it probably was a good, FRESH med....BUT if you jet pack it still fresh into plastic...I think this is what happens. Hot day+herb in it's 1st week of drying+air sealed plastic+drive from aspen/mts to denver minimum=nasty disaster.

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Well there ya go!

You think you should be entering shit in competition when it's 1 week out of the ground? FUCK NO!

So sick of dispensaries selling uncured shit! Picked up an 1/8 of shit from a VERY well-renowned dispensary on my way out of town and it was IMPOSSIBLE to smoke in a joint. Ended up having to use a fuckin' aluminum can.... haven't done that for 15 years. But I don't travel with a piece.

I can see mite eggs in the one pic and mite crap on that web in the other. the egg is bigger then the trics and amber toned color...having just fought and won aginst the little pests id recognize them anywhere...lol still smokable tho....vacum them off and enjoy....my mite buds are gone now and I diden say a word to anyone till after it was gone....no one knew the differance....sept a pop now and then bu for all they knew it coulda been a rouge seed.

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Originally Posted by 1nicegrow

I can see mite eggs in the one pic and mite crap on that web in the other. the egg is bigger then the trics and amber toned color...having just fought and won aginst the little pests id recognize them anywhere...lol still smokable tho....vacum them off and enjoy....my mite buds are gone now and I diden say a word to anyone till after it was gone....no one knew the differance....sept a pop now and then bu for all they knew it coulda been a rouge seed.

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Nice to know that there are people selling buds without telling those people there are mites.

That's pretty disgusting.

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Originally Posted by 1nicegrow

I can see mite eggs in the one pic and mite crap on that web in the other. the egg is bigger then the trics and amber toned color...having just fought and won aginst the little pests id recognize them anywhere...lol still smokable tho....vacum them off and enjoy....my mite buds are gone now and I diden say a word to anyone till after it was gone....no one knew the differance....sept a pop now and then bu for all they knew it coulda been a rouge seed.

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wow, i pity your patients if you have any. we are trying to make this a legitimate industry by providing our patients with clean quality meds. if we succeed, growers such as yourself will hopefully be a thing of the past. You should be ashamed, at least tell your customers and let them make the choice!
You are far from legitimate and should stick to craigslist. this forum is for MMJ not your MCW (mite crap weed)

no need to insult...let me clairify...I only grow for privit use...no one else not making money here...but I got the mites from a so called clone provider....a store......even this time around i went looking and went to dispencerys wanting 25 a pop for um...guess what...I carry a x100 loop now and went shopping...one dispencey out of like 3 or 4 of them i went to had eggs on um midew spots and burn...those are who you need to jump on. Im just a hubby who refuses to pay 200 bucks an oz when I can grow it for 40 and oz...who also shared that mite pots not the first choice but can be smoked and cleaned off enough to be used.
just curious...but whats the differance wether you smoke a bud with mites on it or you smoke the hash they made with it or eat the brownies the make from infested weed?....Ive mic ed edibles before and well les just say dont do it unless you can handel the truth of what lagit centers do with buggy weed...what...you think they take the loss....ROFLMAO....usda even allows so many bug parts per million into your store bought food...dispencerys simple make a brownie batch , or hash...so nothing to be ashamed of here...im all about qualiy and if it was somthing i was giving to folks outside my situation now i would of told them.

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Originally Posted by boulderbud5525

wow, i pity your patients if you have any. we are trying to make this a legitimate industry by providing our patients with clean quality meds. if we succeed, growers such as yourself will hopefully be a thing of the past. You should be ashamed, at least tell your customers and let them make the choice!
You are far from legitimate and should stick to craigslist. this forum is for MMJ not your MCW (mite crap weed)

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Originally Posted by 1nicegrow

no need to insult...let me clairify...I only grow for privit use...no one else not making money here...but I got the mites from a so called clone provider....a store......even this time around i went looking and went to dispencerys wanting 25 a pop for um...guess what...I carry a x100 loop now and went shopping...one dispencey out of like 3 or 4 of them i went to had eggs on um midew spots and burn...those are who you need to jump on. Im just a hubby who refuses to pay 200 bucks an oz when I can grow it for 40 and oz...who also shared that mite pots not the first choice but can be smoked and cleaned off enough to be used.
just curious...but whats the differance wether you smoke a bud with mites on it or you smoke the hash they made with it or eat the brownies the make from infested weed?....Ive mic ed edibles before and well les just say dont do it unless you can handel the truth of what lagit centers do with buggy weed...what...you think they take the loss....ROFLMAO....usda even allows so many bug parts per million into your store bought food...dispencerys simple make a brownie batch , or hash...so nothing to be ashamed of here...im all about qualiy and if it was somthing i was giving to folks outside my situation now i would of told them.

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I think the mods here are banhappy, but you are just so off it's laughable. Just. Wow.

You seem to be backtracking on informing people they are smoking infested pot.

It's ridiculous for you to make the claim that all dispensaries operate in the way that you are describing. Unless you have something to back up what you claim, then you are just some unhappy random person on the internet. You're just noise until you bring something to the table.

In my opinion, no one will visit a MMC like Wellspring, Releaf, the Apothecary, etc, and believe that they do anything approaching the behavior you are posting of. It seems like you are a bitter customer of someone selling clones. What happened?

You mention the usda like it regulates edibles for medical marijuana, but that's a pretty ignorant statement. It seems like you are arguing that since food is allowed to have some content of 'bugs', then it's okay to assume that every dispensary has bug problems?

In this industry right now, reputation is everything. It's simply bad business for an MMC to do business with a grower with a bug problem, and I think it's silly for you to argue that.

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Originally Posted by cologrower420

I think the mods here are banhappy, but you are just so off it's laughable. Just. Wow.

You seem to be backtracking on informing people they are smoking infested pot.

It's ridiculous for you to make the claim that all dispensaries operate in the way that you are describing. Unless you have something to back up what you claim, then you are just some unhappy random person on the internet. You're just noise until you bring something to the table.

In my opinion, no one will visit a MMC like Wellspring, Releaf, the Apothecary, etc, and believe that they do anything approaching the behavior you are posting of. It seems like you are a bitter customer of someone selling clones. What happened?

You mention the usda like it regulates edibles for medical marijuana, but that's a pretty ignorant statement. It seems like you are arguing that since food is allowed to have some content of 'bugs', then it's okay to assume that every dispensary has bug problems?

In this industry right now, reputation is everything. It's simply bad business for an MMC to do business with a grower with a bug problem, and I think it's silly for you to argue that.

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I think you nailed it COGRO420. He's bitter from a dispensary burn.

The only point I was trying to make was that problems can slip in for anyone; big shot experienced grower or small time operator. Condemning a grower, set of growers, event, or even maybe an entire industry because something slipped in is sorta lame.

I personally don't get too bent out of shape when I discover the occasional adulterant, cause, you know, that shit kinda happens once in a while.

Now, if yer spreadin the love with egg infested cannabis without even a heads up, well- that rather blows, lol.