Give and Toke

This podcast is supported by Azure Health. Visit azurehealth.com.au/giveandtoke to learn more. Remi-Dean Ryan is a long-time industry operator who has worked across almost every layer of the Australian cannabis ecosystem. From cultivation and post-harvest through to pharmacy, genetics, packaging and supply chain, he has seen how the system actually functions from the inside out. Now working with S...

This podcast is proudly supported by Azure Health. Visit azurehealth.com.au/giveandtoke to learn more. Plant Medicine is becoming more accessible in Australia. Understanding it is another story. Kyla de Clifford, founder of Canna Curious, joins Give & Toke as part of a growing movement focused on making cannabis more approachable, more human, and less intimidating. Her work sits in the space b...

A rare strain. A murder. A stoned process server and his dealer somehow becoming action heroes. Episode 4 of Helping or Hurting? revisits Pineapple Express, the 2008 cult classic that pushed cannabis deeper into mainstream Hollywood than ever before. What begins as a stoner comedy quickly becomes a full-scale action film, blending strain culture, paranoia, friendship and absurd violence into one c...

By 1998, cannabis films had changed completely. The fear and hysteria of Reefer Madness was gone. The quiet realism of Dazed and Confused had passed. In its place came Half Baked. Helping or Hurting? is a four-part podcast series from Give & Toke and Exotican examining how cannabis has been portrayed on screen, and whether those portrayals have helped or hindered progress.

In 1936, cannabis was portrayed as a menace to society. By 1993, it was simply part of the furniture. Episode Two of Helping or Hurting? revisits Dazed and Confused, Richard Linklater’s cult classic set on the last day of school in 1976. Far removed from the hysteria of Reefer Madness, this film presents cannabis not as a threat, but as a quiet and unremarkable presence in the lives of American te...

In 1936, a low-budget propaganda film set out to warn the public about the dangers of cannabis. Instead, it became one of the most infamous examples of moral panic ever committed to screen. In this episode, Paul O’Donoghue of Give & Toke is joined by Joel and Bash of Exotican to revisit Reefer Madness, the film that tried to terrify audiences with tales of insanity, violence, and social decay....

Pharmacists don’t usually sit at the centre of conversations about plant medicine, but maybe they should. Jen and Nick Ravenswood are a husband-and-wife team with deep roots in community pharmacy, and the founders of Rays Wellness, a medicinal cannabis dispensary built on patient care, education, and professional standards. Their journey into cannabis didn’t start with hype. It started with a pres...

Tanner Stewart is focused on one of the most challenging and consequential areas in health: how we understand and manage pain. Through Stewart Farms, he’s working to develop plant-powered alternatives that sit alongside conventional approaches, offering people more options in a space long dominated by pharmaceuticals. At the centre of that work is Arctic Heat, a topical wellness line designed with...

Get $10 off accessories with the code ‘CATCHUP’ at giveandtoke.com.au The Catch-Up is a collaboration between Give and Toke and AusCannaReviews with Paul and Christina coming together occasionally to explore what’s happening in Cannabis in Australia and around the world.  In this episode: Unmissable talks: Gabriel Younes on aroma, and Chad Walkaden on Indigenous healthcare (2:30) The TGA Presentat...

Justin Lee is the founder of Ay Papi, a California-based craft cannabis company focused on solventless, single-origin products made in collaboration with regenerative legacy cultivators. Before entering the cannabis industry, Justin worked in entertainment as an actor and producer, and competed as an MMA fighter. His path into cannabis was shaped by firsthand experience with injury, chronic pain,...

Julian Stefanou is the founding partner of West Coast Palms, an Australian medicinal cannabis producer and importer that sits at the intersection of cannabis culture and clinical medicine. With a national footprint across Australia and a growing international outlook, West Coast Palms is now expanding product availability into key global markets including the Netherlands, Thailand and Barcelona, r...

Rachel Payne returns to Give & Toke for a candid and wide-ranging review of cannabis policy in 2025. Rachel reflects on the year’s most significant developments, including Victoria’s long-awaited drug driving reforms, the government’s continued refusal to legalise cannabis despite overwhelming evidence, and what this means for the thousands of Victorians still being arrested each year. We also...

In this episode, Paul is joined by the Interim CEO and Founder of SOMAÍ Pharmaceuticals, Michael Sassano - a man with a track record for global market predictions. Together they look back at 2025, and explore what's in store across the world in 2026. In this episode: Trump Reschedules Cannabis in the US (1:30) Not All Pharmaceuticals are the same (4:30) Regulatory Curveballs across the world -...

Mimi Sener is one of the most respected and quietly influential leaders in the Australian medicinal cannabis industry. Mimi’s journey into cannabis was shaped by lived experience, supporting a partner through cancer and questioning the limits of traditional pharma. Since then, she’s built a career spanning early-stage industry growth, clinical education, consulting and senior leadership, including...

In this special episode of The Catch-Up , Christina and Paul reunite to unpack their recent trip to Thailand. They share insights from their visits to Iridescent Med and the facility cultivating Cookies California genetics, reflect on the world-class standards they witnessed, and express gratitude for the hospitality extended by the teams. Expect thoughtful reflections, genuine appreciation, and e...

This week on Give & Toke, Paul is joined by Angus Murray - a cultivator who’s taken lessons from Vancouver to Victoria and everywhere in between. From his time growing in Canada’s legendary BC cannabis scene to shaping cultivation in Australia, Angus brings a unique perspective on what it takes to deliver consistent, high-quality medicine to patients. Paul and Angus stroll down memory lane in...

Dr Bryce Joynson is a neuro-affirming Specialist GP based on the Gold Coast, with a practice that blends clinical rigour and holistic care. Known for his work across ADHD, autism, hyper-mobility disorders, and medicinal cannabis, Dr Joynson is at the forefront of progressive medicine in Australia. From pioneering Australia's first paediatric cannabis prescribing protocols to developing brain i...

With over a decade of experience spanning both the legacy market and the medical industry, Jessica Peros brings a rare dual perspective to Australia’s evolving cannabis space. In this episode of Give & Toke, Paul sits down with Jessica to talk about her journey from co-founding The Green Room Hydro to creating The Green Room HQ - a space for patient advocacy, industry insight, and community co...

From community pharmacy to cannabis advocacy, Jessica-Li Verschoor is redefining frontline care in the medicinal cannabis space. In this episode of Give & Toke, Paul speaks with the 2025 Cannabiz Awards Industry Newcomer of the Year about her journey into plant medicine at Green Street Dispensary and Plant Pharm in Western Australia. Jessica-Li shares how her pharmacy background shapes her app...

We're Ruth and Paul - the husband and wife duo behind Give & Toke. Join us as we sit down for a candid conversation about cannabis, relationships, and the power of shared purpose. While Paul’s passion for the plant is no surprise to regular listeners, Ruth brings a unique perspective as a non-consumer who’s become an advocate for reform. Her support is rooted in education, empathy, and a deep...

In this powerful episode of Give & Toke, we’re joined by healthcare strategist, author, and global cannabis advocate Melanie Wentzel. From working with governments and peak bodies to rewriting the narrative around women and weed in her groundbreaking book Cannabis Queens, Melanie brings sharp insight and deep heart to the conversation around equitable, person-centred care and the plant that’s chan...

In this episode, we're joined by two industry trailblazers who’ve gone from the frontlines of patient care to the frontlines of cannabis supply. Bashar Al-Humrany (a pharmacist) and Joel Green (a nurse) first crossed paths at Melbourne’s Astrid Dispensary, one of the first dedicated medicinal cannabis dispensaries in the country.  Together, they saw firsthand where the system was helping... an...

In this episode, we sit down with Fiona Patten, former Victorian MP and current Senate candidate for the Legalise Cannabis Party, to discuss her run for the Senate in the lead up to this weekend's federal Australian election, the future of cannabis legalisation in Australia, and why legalising cannabis is not a "single issue". Learn more about the Legalise Cannabis Party: legalisecan...

Sean Maloney is the sole Legal Counsel and Commercial Manager for MediCann Health - an Australian based medicinal cannabis company focussed on improving the quality of life of people in need through the use of affordable, reliable and science backed medicinal cannabis products. With a Bachelor of Economics and a Bachelor of Laws from The University of Western Australia, Sean has worked as a Senior...

Rhys Cohen is a self-confessed “drug nerd” who has held countless cannabis-related roles over the past decade as he has become a trusted voice within the industry. With a Masters in Research and Sociology, Rhys has been a cannabis consultant, editor, advisory board member and today is the Policy Officer at Penington Institute. Penington Institute is an independent drug policy non-profit that is cu...