Kayo: The Sinsemilla Technique (inside America's Homegrown Industry) USA 1982 134pp

Disclaimer: "This text is an attempt to present a reasonable insight into a cultural, agricultural and economic phenomenon. The author, producers and publisher do not advocate breaking the law."

The first two parts of the book are more sociological and political than botanical, stating the pressures of supply and demand on licit and illicit markets, the "guerrilla" mentality of outdoor marijuana growers in the north west USA, and the socio-economic implications of the trade and efforts at suppression. There is a brief discussion on the growth of plants.

The microclimates section discusses the need to regulate the environment in general terms, chapter 4 (elements of growth) stresses the importance of light (including photoperiod), heat, water, soil and nutrients, with information as to mineral content of organic fertilisers, and symptoms of common nutrient deficiencies. There are sections on problems and moderating influences with indoor, greenhouse and outdoor microclimates, and a number of colour photographs of outdoor cannabis plants. This section reads more like investigative journalism than a growers guide.

Section 4 (the cultivation cycle) shows stages of development from seed selection, planting of seeds or cuttings, vegetative growth (environmental conditions and manipulation), flowering and harvest, drying, cleaning and manicuring, packaging and storage. There is a list of colour photographs, some taken with infra-red film, and an index.

Comment: The book deals primarily with the outdoor cultivator, and although there is enough information to allow a novice to attempt to grow cannabis, and the principles involved in doing so, it falls far short of a step-by-step guide. The style is more descriptive than prescriptive, showing how growers produce cannabis, rather than providing a list of instructions enabling the reader to do it himself.