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Why do we use cookies?

Cookies come in handy when you visit our website. They ensure you stay logged in, that you can shop safely, and that the items you add to your cart stay there before you make a purchase. But cookies also help us. The data they provide allow us to improve our website and enable us to present you with targeted advertisements that are compatible with your interests.

What kind of cookies do we use?

Functional cookies

Functional cookies help our website to function optimally and allow us to personalise certain features.

Preference cookies

Preference cookies allow us to remember information that influences the way our website looks, including your preferred language based on your region.

Analytical cookies

Analytical cookies give us insights into website traffic and customer behaviour, including how many people visit our site, how long they browse for, and which parts of our site they visit.

How can I disable or delete cookies?

Not a fan of cookies? No worries. You can disable them (with the exception of necessary cookies) in your browser settings. However, blocking cookies may impact your browsing experience and prevent you from enjoying all of the technical features of our site.

Privacy Policy - Royal Queen Seeds

To ensure a safe online environment and guarantee adequate data protection, we strictly comply with all legal requirements. In this privacy statement, we provide information about how and for what purpose data is collected, safety measures, storage periods and contact details.


COMPANY NAME: SNORKEL SPAIN, SL (hereinafter ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS)

C/ Vilar d'Abdelà, 5 (nave 1) CP: 08170 de Montornès del Vallès

+34 937 379 846

[email protected]


The present Privacy Policy sets out the terms on which we will treat personal data at ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS; this includes any personal data collected through our website https://www.royalqueenseeds.com/ as well as any other data we process in the course of our business activities.

ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS collects the following personal data for the purposes listed below:

SECTION 1 – PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT

1.1 Account purchases

Account purchases can only be made if you are in possession of a personal account. When you create an account or purchase something from our shop, as part of the buying and selling process we collect the following personal information that you provide to us:

  • First and last name
  • Home and billing address
  • Telephone number
  • Gender
  • IP address
  • Email address
  • Date of birth

This information is required for delivery. In addition, when you browse our shop, we automatically receive the Internet Protocol (IP) address of your computer. Based on this information, we can optimise your online experience and at the same time protect our online environment.

Purpose of data collection

We collect and store account-related data for the following purposes:

(a) to carry out obligations arising from any contracts between you and us, and to provide you with information, products and services that you may request from us;

(b) to set up, manage and communicate with you about your account and your orders;

(c) to conduct market research and analysis;

(d) to confirm your age and identity, and to detect and prevent fraud.

1.2 Newsletters

With your explicit permission, we may send you newsletters about our shop, new products and other updates. We send newsletters based on your explicit consent. In the event that you purchase a product, and in accordance with current regulations, we may send you commercial communications in accordance with the legitimate interest of our company, always about products or services similar to those you have purchased or contracted. In any case, you may exercise your right of opposition through the channels announced in this Privacy Policy. The following information is collected in relation to the newsletter:

  • First & last name
  • Gender

We do not need to know the sex of the person in order to send the newsletter (data minimisation: by law we must ask for data that is strictly necessary to provide the service, and in this case knowing the sex is not necessary to send the newsletter).

  • Email address

Purpose of data collection

The data collected is used to:

(a) personalise our emails, including your name and gender;

(b) provide gender-specific content.

You can withdraw your consent at any time by using the link provided in the newsletter or the contact information provided in section 2.

1.3 Customer service and contact form

In order to provide appropriate support, our customer service employees have access to information related to the account. Consequently, their support will be highly effective and friendly. The data provided in our contact form is used by our CRM provider, SuperOffice. We will only use your details to respond to your message.

SECTION 2 – LEGITIMATE INTEREST

If you have purchased any of our products, please note that we may process your personal data for promotional purposes, based on Royal Queen Seeds' legitimate interest only to offer you products or services from our company and about products or services similar to those you have purchased. You may exercise your right to opt out of future messages by the means set out in this Privacy Policy or through any notification you receive.

2.1 How do you withdraw consent?

If you change your mind, you can withdraw your consent for us to contact you for the purpose of collecting, using, or disclosing your data at any time by reaching out to us at: [email protected].

SECTION 3 – DISCLOSURE

We may disclose your personal information if we are required to do so by law or if you breach our Terms of Service.

SECTION 4 – HOW LONG DO WE KEEP YOUR DATA?

At Royal Queen Seeds, we will not retain your data for longer than is necessary for the purposes described in this Policy. Different retention periods apply for different types of data; however, the longest period we will normally hold any personal data is 10 years.

4.1 Account information

Data relating to the account remains relevant for as long as the consumer is in possession of an account. Therefore, the data remains documented for as long as the account exists. When our customers delete an account, the associated data will be deleted within a reasonable period of time. Requests regarding the inspection or correction of stored personal data or the deletion of an account can be sent to [email protected].

4.2 Newsletters

In the event that you give us your consent to inform you about our products or services, we will keep your data until you express your wish not to receive any further communications from us. However, we regularly (every month) carry out a relevance check. Registered customers (and their personal information) will be deleted whenever customers do not reply to our request. In addition, our newsletter mailing has an opt-out feature. Consumers can withdraw their consent by using this opt-out feature.

SECTION 5 – COOKIES

Cookies are small information files that notify your computer of previous interactions with our website. These cookies are stored on your hard drive, not on our website. Essentially, when you use our website, your computer displays its cookies to us, informing our site that you have visited before. This allows our website to function more quickly and remember aspects related to your previous visits (such as your username), making your experience more convenient. At Royal Queen Seeds, we use two types of cookies: functional and analytical.

5.1 Functional Cookies

Functional cookies are used to enhance your online experience. Among other things, these cookies track what is added to your shopping cart. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

5.2 Analytical Cookies

Analytical cookies are used for research and market analysis. The data collected with these analytical cookies is anonymous, making it unusable for third parties. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

SECTION 5 – THIRD-PARTY SERVICES

Third-party services are required to conduct transactions and provide our services. In general, the third-party providers we use will only collect, use and disclose your information to the extent necessary to enable them to perform the services they provide to us.

However, certain third-party service providers, such as payment gateways and other payment transaction processors, have their own privacy policies regarding the information we must provide to them for your transactions.

We encourage you to read the privacy policies of these providers so that you can understand how these providers will handle your personal information.

In particular, certain suppliers may be located or have facilities located in a different jurisdiction than yours or ours. Therefore, if you choose to proceed with a transaction involving the services of a third party, your information may be subject to the laws of the jurisdiction in which that service provider or its facilities are located.

Once you leave our website or are redirected to a third-party website or application, you are no longer governed by this Privacy Policy or the Terms of Service of our website.

Web analytics service (anonymous data)

On this website we have integrated an element of a web analytics service (with anonymisation functionality). Web analytics can be defined as the gathering, processing and analysis of data about the behaviour of visitors to websites. An analytics service collects, among other things, data about which website a person came from (the so-called referrer), which sub-pages they visited or how often and for how long they visited a sub-page. Web analytics is mainly used for website optimisation and for a cost–benefit analysis of internet advertising.

Courier service

To complete deliveries we use a courier service. This courier service carries out the delivery between our company and the consumer's home. To complete these logistics, the company requires access to the consumer's name and address information.

Mailing service

Royal Queen Seeds uses a third-party mail service provider to send its newsletter. This provider has access to limited account information related to opt-in consent (e.g. email address).

Marketing services

Royal Queen Seeds has the support of a company that specialises in marketing and communication activities. Their access to personal information is very limited and mostly anonymous.

Payment services

At Royal Queen Seeds we use external payment services to handle our transactions (e.g. credit card payments).

SECTION 6 – SECURITY

To protect your personal information, we take reasonable precautions and follow industry standard best practices to ensure that it is not inappropriately lost, misused, accessed, disclosed, altered or destroyed.

If you provide us with your credit card information, the information is encrypted using secure socket layer technology (SSL) and stored using AES-256 encryption. Although no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, we follow all PCI-DSS requirements and implement additional industry standards that are commonly accepted. Information related to the account is protected with a hashing method. This method transforms the information into a generated hash. As a result, confidential information is protected and invisible, even to us. In addition, our databases are exceptionally protected against unauthorised access. For example, access to the database is only possible and permitted via approved IP addresses (e.g. from Royal Queen Seeds headquarters). Other attempts and addresses are rejected at all times.

Furthermore, data is anonymised as much as possible, so it cannot be directly linked to a specific consumer. With this data, however, we may be able to carry out market research and analysis. In addition, the third parties concerned (e.g. mailing service) are examined prior to our collaboration, comply with the GDPR from the EU and receive a processing agreement. Within Royal Queen Seeds, employees are assigned different access permissions. Specific permission provides access only to information that is strictly required to perform a task. Digital security measures are subject to change and must meet high requirements to ensure the safety of online customers. That is why, at Royal Queen Seeds, we appoint a security officer. Regular verification and improvement of security measures (where necessary) are part of the role.

SECTION 7 – CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time, so please check back regularly. Changes and clarifications will be effective immediately upon being published on the Website. If we make substantial changes to this policy, we will notify you here that it has been updated so you will know what information we collect, how we use it and under what circumstances, if any, we use and/or disclose it.

SECTION 8 – YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO:

  • Revoke the consent you have granted;
  • Access personal data;
  • Rectify personal data;
  • Delete personal data;
  • File a complaint or a writ for the protection of your rights before the Spanish Data Protection Agency;
  • Be notified of any security incident that may affect your rights;
  • Limitation of processing;
  • Portability.

How THC And CBD Are Made: Understanding The Cannabinoid Pathway

How THC And CBD Are Made: Understanding The Cannabinoid Pathway

Most growers have one ultimate goal: to produce big, beautiful buds with the highest possible amount of THC or CBD. It's common knowledge that potency peaks at a certain point then gradually diminishes over time. Harvest too early or too late, and all your hard work could be for naught.

But how does cannabis create the most desired cannabinoids? Your plants aren't just relaxing as they bask under all that light. An incredible amount of work is being done at a molecular level. Let's take a closer look at the cannabinoid biosynthetic pathway.


CBGA AND CBGVA: WHERE IT ALL STARTS

Before cannabis plants produce any cannabinoids, they produce a chemical called geranyl pyrophosphate. When that substance binds with olivetolic acid, cannabigerolic acid or CBGA is created. If it binds with divarinolic acid, on the other hand, cannabigerovarinic acid CBGVA is formed.

This is where all future cannabinoids start. Without these building blocks, you'd never have any THC or CBD.

CBGA's molecular structure is C₂₂H₃₂O₄—that's 22 carbon molecules, 32 hydrogen molecules, and 4 oxygen molecules. CBGVA has a similar molecular structure of C₂₀H₂₈O₄, with fewer carbon and hydrogen atoms. Remember those numbers because future cannabinoids will have a very similar formula. They may lose a few atoms, but most of the differences between each cannabinoid are caused by their specific arrangement of atoms.

CBGA AND CBGVA: WHERE IT ALL STARTS

BIOSYNTHESIS CREATES THE ACID FORMS OF THE PRIMARY CANNABINOIDS

When CBGA and CBGVA are combined with specific enzymes (acid-based synthases), they change through biosynthesis into the acid form of one of the three primary cannabinoids: THC, CBD, and CBC. Note that the new molecular formulas are very similar to CBGA and CBGVA, but each new cannabinoid has lost a few hydrogen atoms. All of the carbon and oxygen atoms are still there:

- CBGA + THCA-synthase = THCA or tetrahydrocannabinolic acid
- CBGA + CBDA-synthase = CBDA or cannabidiolic acid
- CBGA + CBCA-synthase = CBCA or cannabichromenic acid

- CBGVA + THCA-synthase = THCVA or tetrahydrocannabivarinic acid
- CBGVA + CBDA-synthase = CBDVA or cannabidivarinic acid
- CBGVA + CBCA-synthase = CBCVA or cannabichromevarinic acid

THCA, CBDA, and CBCA all have the same molecular formula of C₂₂H₃₀O₄. So do THCVA, CBDVA and CBCVA at C₂₀H₂₆O₄. However, the atoms are arranged differently, and that accounts for their different traits.

Even though THCA and THCVA sound a lot like THC, they are still not very psychotropic and won't get you high until they're converted in the next stop in the cannabinoid pathway. At that point, all of these cannabinoids will take on their active form.

BIOSYNTHESIS CREATES THE ACID FORMS OF THE PRIMARY CANNABINOIDS

DECARBOXYLATION CHANGES ACIDS TO ACTIVES

Even if cannabis is cut at peak harvest time, it still contains very few active cannabinoids. At this point, they're still in their acid form at the molecular level. That's why eating raw weed doesn't get you high. It has to be decarboxylated (decarbed) for the cannabinoids to take on their active form.

Curing over time will partially decarb your herb, but heat does a more complete job. This process happens instantly when you're smoking or vaping, but not when making edibles. That's why most recipes recommend that you decarb in the oven first before cooking.

So, what does decarboxylation actually do at the molecular level? It removes one carbon atom and two oxygen atoms from each molecule. That's why "carb" and "oxylate" are part of the word.

For THC, you should heat your dried cannabis in the oven at 120°C for at least 20–30 minutes when cooking or making extracts. If you want to preserve terpenes, heat for a longer time at a lower temperature. For CBD, turn the oven up to 140°C and extend the time to 60–90 minutes.

DECARBOXYLATION CHANGES ACIDS TO ACTIVES

When you're done, these will be your new cannabinoids:

- THC or tetrahydrocannabinol
- CBD or cannabidiol
- CBC or cannabichromene

- THCV or tetrahydrocannabivarin
- CBDV or cannabidivarin
- CBCV or cannabichromevarin

Once again, the molecular formulas are the same, but the structure and arrangement of atoms make the cannabinoids have very different effects. THC, CBD, and CBC's molecular formula is C₂₁H₃₀O₂. THCV, CBDV, and CBCV's is C₁₉H₂₆O₂.

WHAT ABOUT PLAIN OLD CBG?

By the time plants are mature, the vast majority of CBGA is transformed into THCA, CBDA, and CBCA. What little bit is left changes to cannabigerol or CBG (no A or VA) when heat is applied. This makes CBG differ from THC by two additional hydrogen atoms.

It can get confusing, so here's a summary of these three very similar formulas:

- CBGA: C₂₂H₃₂O₄
- THC: C₂₁H₃₀O₂
- CBG: C₂₁H₃₂O₂

Again, these transformations include more than the loss of a few atoms. The rearrangement of the remaining atoms creates completely new, although closely related chemical compositions with very different properties from any other unique cannabinoid.

CBG is an active, minor cannabinoid that hasn't been studied very much to date, but it is believed to have numerous potential health benefits including pain relief and cancer-fighting properties. However, like CBD, it's not noticeably psychotropic and won't give you a traditional high. If you want to try using herb that's high in CBG, harvest about 2–3 weeks before peak ripeness.

DEGRADATION OVER TIME DOES THE REST

Leave cannabinoids to their own devices and they'll change again with time and exposure to the atmosphere. This is called degradation. It can happen while still on the plant if you wait too long to harvest, or with cured weed when it's not stored properly. Degradation weakens even the most potent bud as the active cannabinoids convert over to their less desirable chemical forms.

You can actually see the THC change over to CBN or cannabinol if you look at the trichomes. The degradation happens as the colour goes from milky to amber. CBN has some mild psychoactivity, but the effect is more narcotic than euphoric. If you're looking for a more couchlocking stone, you could experiment by delaying your harvest on a single plant until most of the crystals have changed colour.

The change from THC to CBN only requires the deletion of four hydrogen atoms to take the formula from C₂₁H₃₀O₂ to C₂₁H₂₆O₂. To go from CBD to CBE or cannabielsoin, on the other hand, the formula changes in a different way. The cannabinoid actually picks up an oxygen atom, changing to C₂₁H₃₀O₃.

To make sure your cannabis degrades as slowly as possible, you should control these four conditions:

- Temperature: Store herb at 20°C or less
- Humidity: Keep the relative humidity in your storage area at around 60%
- UV Light: Store your weed in a dark area away from direct sunlight
- Oxygen: Airtight containers that restrict airflow prevent further oxidation

As a plant product, cannabis is, after all, perishable just like other fruits and vegetables. When stored properly, it has a long shelf life. Extracts seem to keep their potency a little longer, but the cannabinoids in your concentrates will eventually degrade as well.

THE CANNABINOID PATHWAY—IN CONCLUSION

Who would have ever guessed cannabis plants were working so hard at a microscopic level? They could be doing even more that we haven't discovered yet. The scientific world is revealing more about these magical plants every day. The only thing we know for certain is that there's much more to learn.