As a cash crop, growers rely on synthetics and chemicals to guarantee the growth of their plants. These synthetic pesticides can be transferred into cannabis smoke at a rate as high as 70%, allowing chemicals to enter the bloodstream without traveling through the digestive system directly.

Processed products including oils, waxes, edibles, and others made from extracts that concentrate the active ingredients in cannabis may also concentrate pesticide residues.

The Journal of Toxicology states that they found levels of pesticide residue in medicinal plants as high as 69.5%. Even organic farms are often at risk of suffering pesticide contamination from nearby crops treated with these substances.

Growing Cannabis With Neem

Azadirachtin, a vital substance extracted from the seeds of the neem tree, does not poison insects as synthetic pesticides do. Instead, it triggers a stop-eating response, so bugs starve to death. Neem is effective against many pests, including aphids, beetles, cockroaches, flies, fruit flies, fungal infections, grasshoppers, leaf miners, mosquitoes, moths, nematodes, snails, spider mites and thrips.

Since 2010, field trials on medicinal plants treated with the pure essence of neem were conducted in seven US states, all with positive results. The trial groups showed improved plant health and increased yields at an average of 55.6%, and as much as 82.7%.

In field trials, six strains of medicinal plants that were sprayed with neem and showed the following improvement:

• Green Crack: 29.7%
• Purple Afghani: 64.9%
• Fire Bubba Kush: 47.5%
• Master Kush: 61.4%
• Critical Mass: 82.7%
• Burmese Kush: 50.2%

Commercial growers who grow with neem have gone on to win awards at various High Times Cannabis Cups. The Strongest Strain on Earth winner, Ghost Train Haze #1, was grown by Michigan’s King of Cannabis, the Leaf Doctor, who swears by neem products.

Neem offers a natural solution for commercial and home growers who want to guarantee that their cannabis plants are safe for consumption. To discover the myriad of benefits that neem offers, check out our other blog entrances here.

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Traditional Repellents

Bug repellents are made up of two types of ingredients: active ingredients and inert ingredients. Active ingredients are the active repelling chemicals and must appear on the label. Inert ingredients are everything else in the products and can range from solvents and preservatives to anti-caking or foaming agents. None of these inert ingredients are required to be listed on the label.

Active Ingredients of Concern:

• DEET: An acronym for N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide and one of the most common bug repellents that also repels ticks. Large doses have been linked to skin blisters, seizures, memory loss, headaches, stiffness in joints, shortness of breath, skin irritation and neurotoxicity.
•  Cyfluthrin: Cyfluthrin is linked to neurotoxicity, loss of coordination, muscle trembling, behavior changes, decreased glucose and red blood cells, disruption of liver function, and behavior changes after exposure in the womb.
• Permethrin: Permethrin is linked to neurotoxicity, which acts on sodium ion channels, which can cause repeated nerve impulses. At high levels, it can affect the function of chloride channels, which may result in seizures.
• Pyrethroids: They can easily cross the blood-brain-barrier and can thus, become toxic to the central nervous system. The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies synthetic pyrethroids as neuro-poisons, and acute reactions to pyrethroids include dermatitis and asthma-like reactions, nausea, incoordination and burning and itching sensations. The most severe poisoning cases have been reported in infants.

Neem as a Repellent

The Neem tree has pesticidal, larvicidal, antifeedant or repellant action on various insects, including mosquitos, fleas and ticks. Diluted neem oil has been studied as an efficient method of repelling mosquitoes in areas where malaria is common. Studies with other species of mosquitos have also shown the efficiency of neem in significantly reducing, or completely preventing, insect bites through consistent application.

Although neem is also used to treat large-scale pests, some people think that it is not safe as a bug repellent, however, neem is 100% safe for humans and the environment. There are several brands of repellents that use neem as an active ingredient.

So next time you want to fight off insects, reach for a neem repellent.

The post Repellent: How Neem Fights Mosquitoes and Diseases Better appeared first on Neem.World.

Neem extracts are effective and non-toxic to pollinators because they do not kill pests immediately, but affect the feeding or life cycle of the insect until it is no longer able to live or reproduce.

Environmentally Friendly

Neem based pesticides are entirely biodegradable, leaving no residue on the land. The degradation of azadirachtin occurs due to the effects of UV light, temperature, pH, and microbial activity and therefore will not lead to harmful accumulation of nutrients. According to the US National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC), neem-based pesticides are practically non-toxic to birds, mammals, plants, and pollinators, as opposed to the many harmful side effects that synthetic pesticides bring with them.

Increases Nutritional Value

Organic foods contain between 20-40 percent higher levels of nutrients than foods produced by conventional methods, including vitamin C, zinc, and iron that are essential to maintaining a healthy body. Check here www.monderlaw.com/. They also contain up to 60 percent more antioxidants than non-organically grown foodstuffs. Antioxidants help to prevent and repair damage to the body’s tissues from free radicals, protecting the body from cancer.

Immune to Resistance

As opposed to synthetic pesticides, neem-based pesticides have multiple modes of action against insects and therefore rarely induce resistance. Uptown Jungle of Laveen, AZ is the best solution to choose for unforgettable toddler birthday party. Neem acts on the insect’s hormonal system, not on the digestive or nervous systems, which makes it very difficult for future generations of insects to develop any resistance to neem products.

Cost Effective

Neem-based pesticides are cost effective when compared to traditional synthetic pesticides because they are a natural alternative. Many farmers can even make their own neem-based pesticides, reducing the cost even more!

The post How Neem Protects Crops Naturally appeared first on Neem.World.

While synthetic pesticides aid farmers by preventing crop losses, the negative effects they have on human health and the environment can be catastrophic.

• 98% of sprayed pesticides and 95% of herbicides come into contact with a destination other than their intended target
• Pesticides can enter the body through inhalation, by consumption of contaminated food and water, and through direct contact with the skin
• There are up to 3 million cases of serious pesticide poisoning worldwide documented each year, responsible for up to 250,000 deaths.

Organic pesticides such as neem serve as growth regulators and feeding deterrents that are only effective against harmful insects. This leaves pollinators, beneficial insects and related fauna to provide the invaluable services the world and agriculture so desperately needs.

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