Cannabis has been cultivated for 10,000 years. In the last ten years, marijuana has undergone more genetic experimentation and cross-breeding than during the previous 10,000 years.

This widespread interest and remarkable hybrid development did not occur within the agribusiness conglomerates, but was accomplished by thousands of individuals new to any kind of farming. Having started in the last decade with an assortment of imported seeds, clandestine growers now have more practical plant-breeding expertise and proficiency than any other group of farmers.

Robert Connell Clarke--whose sources range from the scientific community to the clandestine cultivators--is an expert on the botany and ecology of Cannabis. In these pages he details:

Structure and characteristics of the plant

How quality is affected by climate and environment

Numerous methods of plant propagation (including cloning)

Identification and desirability of male plants

Special considerations for producing and harvesting sinsemilla

THC production and peak potency

Using seeds of known strains to breed for preferred characteristics--such as high THC with rapid maturation

Developing strains that will continue to produce good plants year after year