Different Leaf: the Podcast

When we buy our cannabis products at dispensaries, we don't always think about what it takes to get them there. In reality, there's a huge web of workers behind the scenes who each play a part in turning cannabis seeds into the huge range of legal products now on the shelves. In this episode, host Brit Smith visits a farm in Salem, NY, to see where the journey begins for the plants that eventually...

Many of us first tried weed when we were teenagers for the pure joy of being high. But as we age and start facing aches, pains, and more severe health issues, cannabis may play a very different role in our lives as an everyday medicine. Seasoned stoners might know where to start when consuming to treat an ailment. But for new or returning consumers, picking the products that might work best for yo...

There's a serious lack of advertising options for cannabis companies. Marketing on TV, radio, and even in shop windows is largely banned across the US. That means the industry can't easily educate curious customers on what's changed since they were teens seeing 'Reefer Madness' anti-pot government campaigns, and many people, especially our elders, still believe the 100-year-old propaganda that can...

More than 28 million adults in the US smoke tobacco cigarettes, and research suggests those who want to quit make an average of 30 attempts before they successfully stop smoking. With hemp and cannabis now available in packs of filtered pre-rolls in most states, could tobacco users finally have a stepping stone away from nicotine? And is it really better for your health to switch out smoking one p...

New York Fashion Week is one of the most significant events in the world for designers to showcase their collections and set new trends. As cannabis legalization spreads, designers are rethinking what hemp can do for clothing, especially regarding sustainability. Some designers are using their New York shows to make political and social commentary on the state of cannabis legalization. For NYFW sp...

Infused dinner clubs have grown in popularity as the perfect way to connect over cannabinoids and cuisine. In recent years, the speakeasy-style suppers have come above ground, offering more consumers the chance to eat their greens and bond with their communities. In this episode, host Brit Smith talks with Chef "Hawaii" Mike Salman, founder of Chef for Higher in Brooklyn, New York, about what goes...

Since hemp was legalized in 2018, Texans have been able to buy almost all the same products consumers can get in fully legal states; flower, vapes, edibles, drinks, topicals, and tinctures, albeit with very low levels of THC. Like many other states where only hemp is allowed, Texas has seen a rapidly-growing industry CBD industry, several cities have voted to decriminalize, and there are some seri...

It's been ten years since Colorado first legalized adult-use weed. Over that decade, the way journalists and their audiences have related to cannabis has drastically changed. That's largely thanks to a crew of reporters at The Denver Post who, in 2013, launched The Cannabist, the first mainstream media outlet's coverage of cannabis at the very dawn of legalization. And they did it with great journ...

Welcome to spring 2023, and our 100th episode! We're excited to welcome our first guest host, former Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commissioner and social equity champion, and the CEO of the Parabola Center for Law & Policy, Shaleen Title. In this episode, Shaleen finds out what small cannabis companies can learn from her dream guest, Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream and f...

It's the fourth installment of the Queer Cannabis Club, where we highlight a fellow LGBTQ-led company in the cannabis space! In this episode, host Brit Smith talks to Ben Tousley and Mac Malikowski, founders of Buds Digest, a delicious digital magazine out of NYC made by and for gay stoners. Buds launched on 4/20 2021, covering aspects of queer culture like music, comedy, and drag through the lens...

In 1971, Harvard psychiatry professor Dr. Lester Grinspoon was one of the first academics in America to propose that cannabis might be a useful medicine in his book 'Marihuana Reconsidered.' More than 50 years later, Lester's son Dr. Peter Grinspoon has picked up the torch and become one of the world's leading expert voices on medical marijuana. In this episode, host Brit Smith talks to Dr. Peter...

Before marijuana prohibition, the most popular form of consuming cannabis was through a tincture. Pharmacies across the US used to carry bottles of cannabis tincture on their shelves as the go-to medicine for Americans treating pain, nausea, insomnia, and many other common ailments. Even after it was outlawed, making tincture remained one of the most effective ways to use marijuana medicinally, be...

Women have been switching their pharmaceutical meds for marijuana at a much higher rate than men, probably because of how well it works for the long list of issues females face in their lives. People with uteruses say cannabis is an essential pain reliever each month, and it helps to lessen the hot flashes from menopause. Countless women also say it enhances their libidos and sexual experiences. B...

As pet parents, we'll do pretty much anything to help our fur babies feel better and age healthily. Whether they have joint pain, skin issues, anxiety, or more serious illnesses like cancer or epilepsy, there is proof that cannabis and mushroom extracts can improve our pets' health. That's why so many animal lovers are interested in what CBD could do to make life easier for our cats, dogs, birds,...

In Japan cannabis is completely illegal, the government has long demonized the plant, and pot smokers are widely looked down upon socially. At the same time, Japanese health foods have long included hemp seeds, hemp is still being used to make some kimonos and ropes in temples, and all kinds of CBD products have been sold there since 2013, putting Japan on track to be one of the largest CBD econom...

Get ready for a very British conversation about cannabis! It's hard to get a medical marijuana prescription through the National Health Service (NHS.) So, since weed was medically legalized in 2018, thousands of UK residents have been paying to get a prescription from one of 18 private cannabis clinics, which allow for a much longer list of qualifying conditions. Whereas most US states require doc...

In 37 states, three territories, and the District of Columbia, adults with certain conditions can get a medical marijuana card. But not all state medical marijuana programs are created equal. So what is it like to become an MMJ patient in different states? What is access like to doctors, medical marijuana products, homegrow laws, and delivery options? And what should would-be patients know about w...

From oral tinctures to transdermal lotions to cocoa-butter suppositories, infusing cannabis medicine at home allows consumers to figure out their own perfect doses and avoid the high costs of constantly stocking up on pre-made products. Making usable DIY cannabis oil or salve takes some real scientific know-how. It's easy and expensive to mess it up. But if you can master it, you can make and stor...

Parents of kids with certain rare forms of epilepsy have long reported that CBD is the only medicine that helps their child's seizures completely stop. Millions of caregivers are now considering what other uses marijuana could have in pediatric medicine. So what does the scientific research say about the safety of medical cannabis for young people? And how can CBD and even THC impact kids with oth...

Athletes of all levels from weekend warriors to competitive trainers report that marijuana helps significantly with prep, performance, and recovery. So what does the research say about the athletic application of cannabis? And how can amateur and professional athletes safely self-experiment with CBD or THC to soothe their aches and pains? In this episode, host Brit Smith talks to Lindsay Crudele,...

The Winter 2023 season of Different Leaf the podcast drops Friday January 13th, and it's all about medical marijuana. Hear from leading medical experts and advocates around the world, like; Colorado nonprofit Realm of Caring on Pediatric cannabis Leading US cannabis doctor and Harvard Medical instructor Dr. Peter Grinspoon, British cannabis nurse Sophie Hayes, MMJ experiences from patients in New...

The Queer Cannabis Club is the first consortium of cannabis companies led by members of the LGBTQ+ community. Each bonus episode, Different Leaf shines a light on another one of the fascinating queer leaders making waves in the cannabis industry. This episode, host Brit Smith talks to Andrea Brooks, CEO of SAVA, the leading online marketplace for curated cannabis delivery in the San Francisco Bay...

If you're among the millions of couples re-planning a Covid-canceled wedding for 2023, you might also be considering incorporating cannabis into your big day. There are many ways to tastefully involve weed at a wedding, far beyond infused edibles and smoking bars. Think; marijuana bouquets, infused beauty products, and wedding party joint sets. In this episode, host (and bride-to-be) Brit Smith ta...

Whether it's a replacement for alcohol or an addition to it, mixing cannabis cocktails at home is a tasty way to cozy-up for the cold winter months. This episode, we learn how to mix our own apothecary-style cannabis-infused cocktails and mocktails with guest mixologist Warren Bobrow. Best known as the Cocktail Whisperer, Warren is a longtime chef and author of six books, including 'Cannabis Cockt...

Thanks to prohibition and a resulting lack of cannabis research, US medical marijuana patients often have to spend buckets of money on self-experimentation to figure out which cannabis products best help their ailments. That's why Otha Smith III developed Tetragram; the app that helps medical marijuana patients identify specific marijuana products that could work best for them. This episode, Otha...