Book Review: The Cannabis Encyclopedia

World-renowned cultivator and author Jorge Cervantes has done it again with his latest work, “The Cannabis Encyclopedia” a complete guide to growing your own stash, compiled from over 30 years of expert hands-on cultivation experience.

Illustrated with straightforward, step-by-step renderings and instructions, Cervantes’ gardening practices deftly enumerate the ins and outs of cultivating this often-temperamental plant.

Over the past three decades, Cervantes’ expert advice – in the form of books, articles and online videos – has guided millions of growers worldwide to apply simple and effective botany practices to assemble closet, basement, backyard and guerrilla gardens.

Traveling to the marijuana meccas of Holland, British Colombia, California, Oregon, Washington and Spain, Cervantes has included in this work a wide range of cannabis farming techniques for a multitude of tastes and latitudes.

Chapters on the history of medical cannabis, cannabinoid measurement and cannabis varieties provide a firm background for medical patients and caregivers. Sections on concentrates and cooking explore an array of methods to consume cannabis. Throughout the book, each stage of plant growth is detailed and vividly explained, from seedling to vegetative growth and cloning to flowering. Chapters on harvesting, drying and curing give clear instructions for how to preserve the purest cannabinoid potencies and create the best possible overall outcomes.

Essential reading for cannabis hobbyists, veteran gardeners and medical marijuana patients alike, “The Cannabis Encyclopedia” stands up to its name with a comprehensive collection of more than 2,000 full-color images over nearly 600 pages. Packed with tried-and-true growing methods, sections like “How to Germinate Seeds” suggest simple, step-by-step methods for producing consistent seedlings, taking the guesswork out of starting your garden.

The work also features detailed case studies that examine an assortment of growing systems, including two indoor gardens (one lit with LEDs and one with high-pressure sodium lamps), Cervantes’ own personal backyard garden and an expansive plot in Humboldt County, California. Each aspect of cannabis cultivation is studied deeply, including organic practices, use of meters, lights, lamps and electricity, air flow, soil breakdowns, watering, nutrient use and hydroponics, to name a few.

This valuable tome is a rare window into the growing methods of a master breaking down the art and science involved in cannabis cultivation. Cervantes – forever researching, publishing and nurturing discussions with an international community about his favorite plant – has produced in “The Cannabis Encyclopedia” an uncomplicated, thorough and very reliable compendium of everything you need to know about producing top-shelf homegrown green.

Find “The Cannabis Encyclopedia” online here.

What books about cannabis are you enjoying lately? Let us know in the comments below.