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its ability to spread by contact (i.e., "one bad apple spoils
the whole bunch").
  
Five _Mucor_ species have been described on _Cannabis_.  Members of
this genus grow fast and die young.  One of them, _M. hiemalis_,
regrettably bioconcentrates (and cannot metabolize) the herbicide
paraquat from tainted substrates (Domsch et al.).  _Mucor's_ first
cousin, _Rhizopus_, occurs in soil, ripe foodstuffs, and
occasionally on people (especially diabetics).  Grebeniuk isolated
_R. stolonifer_ from hemp stems.  In an inoculation experiment, I
quickly rotted some damp marijuana with a colony of _R.
stolonifer_ found growing on bread.
DIAGNOSIS
Rotting marijuana produces a spectrum of odors, from stale to
musty to moldy.  _P. italicum_ perfumes a lavender bouquet, while
_A. flavus_ smells like a locker room.  _Clostridium_ bacteria
stink like carrion.
  
Infested marijuana often darkens in color and becomes crumbly.
Anaerobic bacteria turn marijuana into brown slime.  Marijuana
undergoing rapid decay may feel warm to touch.  (At this stage
your stash is ready for the compost heap.)  Tufts of fungi are
often visible in mold material.  In marijuana stored in darkness,
strands look white to light grey.  Exposed to light, storage molds
spawn millions of colored spores in velvet clumps.  A slight tap
sends these spores into great billowing clouds.  Generally,
_Rhizopus_ and _Mucor_ produce grey-black spores; _Penicillium_
species are light blue-green; and _Aspergillus_ species are dark
green-black.
  
To check for aflatoxins, inspect your stash under a black light
(in medicalese, a "Wood's Lamp").  Material contaminated with
aflatoxin-producing _A. flavus_ will fluoresce to a green hue
under ultraviolet light.
  
To screen for insects, simply shake samples in a No. 10 steel
sieve.  Of course, not all bugs found in marijuana cause damage.
Some are simply "innocent bystanders" caught during harvesting and
die right away.  Live (and chewing) insects are more suspicious. 
A hand lens is helpful for I.D.
CONTROL
Avoid damaging plants before they completely dry (even while they
are in the ground and growing).  Wounded tissues release exudates
on which fungi feed and establish a foothold.  Lucas says diseased
and nutrient-deficient leaves (as well as old yellow leaves)
produce more exudates than healthy leaves.  Expect more mold
problems in poorly grown plants.
  
The secret to stopping bacteria and mildew is moisture control.
Even grey mold dies if plants are carefully and quickly dried.
Oven-cured pot rots less than air or sweat-cured crops.  Sweat-
cured _Cannabis_ (remember '70's Colombian?) maintains a
"tradition" of _Aspergillus_ contamination.
  
The oven-drying method inevitably leads to a harsh product.  So
most people air-dry by suspending plants upside down with enough
space for circulation.  Drying rooms should be cool and dry,
preferably in uninterrupted darkness.  (Most storage fungi require
light to sporulate and spread.)
  
Living cannabis plants are about 80% water.  Perfectly dried
marijuana contains about 10%-15% water or moisture content (MC).
Material below 10% MC becomes too brittle and disintegrates.
Fungi cannot grow below 15% MC.  Unfortunately, many growers
market their crop *above* 15% MC.  Cannabis, like corn flakes,
is sold by weight, not volume.  Tobacco farmers also allow their
product to gain weight by reabsorbing moisture before sale.
They term this risky business "coming into order."  Recently
purchased products should be redried.  Freezer storage will not
protect damp pot.  Placing lemon or orange peels in stored
marjiuana is discouraged, as they raise the MC above 15%.
Dipping _Penicillium_-infested plants in a solution of baking\
powder will inhibit these acid-loving fungi but the product must
be rapidly redried.
  
Maintaining stored marijuana at 10%-15% MC also discourages
insects.  Insecticides have no application in stored marijuana.
Their residue pose a danger to customers.  Also, water-based
sprays will kill bugs but trigger a fungus infection by raising
the MC.  Fumigants (gas, not sprays or aerosols) contain no
liquid, thus they do not trigger mold infestations.  But they
leave residues in air pockets of fumigated material.  Big buds
are full of air pockets.  Poisons are very useful for
disinfecting drying rooms, but only *after* the crop has been
cleared out.
  
Low temperatures will "freeze" an insect infestation.  However,
with rewarming, many bugs continue their destruction.  Another
drawback to freezing above-15% MC marijuana involves the
aforementioned exacerbation of _Penicillium_.  Heating marijuana
in a 66-93 degree Centigrade oven for 10 minutes will kill
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