Planted with Sara Payan on Radio Misfits

California cannabis is more than a product. It’s agriculture, culture, history, and community. This week, James Leitz of the California Cannabis Awards joins sara to talk about celebrating craft farmers, breaking stigma, and why quality matters. [Ep 215]

Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Jack Casady joins Sara for a conversation about the early days of cannabis in San Francisco, Jefferson Airplane, creativity, aging, music, and the stories behind an extraordinary life. [Ep 214]

What happens when cannabis policy is driven by science instead of stigma? Sara sits down in Prague with Dr. Pavel Kubů to discuss medical cannabis access, European reform, scientific bias, AI in healthcare, and a hemp innovation with global implications. [Ep 213]

What can Europe teach the rest of the cannabis world? This week on Planted, two live conversations from Cannabis Europa London with Barry Laxer of Cielo Verde and Simone van Breda of the Union of Coffeeshop Retailers. [Ep 212]

What happens when we lose the original genetics that shaped modern cannabis? Sara talks with Aladdin Khalifa of Khalifa Genetics about landraces, biodiversity, preservation, and why cannabis history matters. [Ep 211]

Sara sits down with Robb Harmon, founder of Veterans Cannabis Care, to talk about veteran access, medical cannabis, and the barriers patients still face when trying to get care. [Ep 210]

Sara sits down with cannabis geneticist Dr. Anna Schwabe for a deep dive into cannabis science, genetics, breeding, THC hype, and the disconnect between marketing and reality. [Ep 209]

Sara sits down with journalist Lester Black to explore the legend of Big Sur Holy Weed, cannabis mythology, and the fight to preserve legacy cultivation in California. [Ep 208]

What does US federal cannabis policy mean for the rest of the world? Global strategist Jamie Pearson breaks it down — and why most companies aren’t ready. [Ep 207]

Sara sits down with Ed Wells (Cannatrol) on post-harvest innovation, then Jillian Reddish (GCNC) + economist Beau Whitney break down global market data, pricing trends, and what’s ahead. [Ep 206]

Planted on location at ICBC Berlin! Sara sits down with Chris Ahern, CEO of PAX, to talk about building a global cannabis brand, navigating regulation, and what’s next for innovation in the space. [Ep 205]

Sara sits down with phytochemical researcher Russ Hudson to break down terpenes, flavonoids, and the real science behind cannabis. From street legacy to lab research, this one challenges bro science and dives deep into how plants actually work. Science = normalization [Ep 204]

Sara sits down with cannabis attorney and global policy expert Bob Hoban to break down rescheduling, hemp vs. cannabis, and the evolving global market. From personal stories to supply chains and stigma, this is a deep dive into where the industry is headed next. [Ep 203]

Planted @ the Sunset Social Club! From queer legacy to economic reality, who built this industry and where is it headed? Rich Magaña + Scott Schmidt on visibility, advocacy, & why cannabis has always been queer… plus Beau Whitney on market shifts, taxes, & the real numbers. [Ep 202]

Congresswoman Dina Titus joins Sara to break down the future of cannabis policy- from banking + federal reform to the fight for small businesses and medical access. 70% of Americans support legalization… so what’s holding it back? [Ep 201]

For our 200th episode, Sara sits down with Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, Co-Chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus. From legalization to equity and banking- this is where cannabis policy is headed. “Puff, puff… let’s pass these bills.” [Ep 200]

Sara Payan sits down with ICBC founder Alex Rogers to unpack Germany’s cannabis reforms, Europe’s emerging markets, and why Berlin is now the global crossroads for cannabis. The international cannabis story is just getting started. [Ep 199]

Planted podcast, Sara Payan, Fire King Hash, Jonny Zaglin, Carey Grafmiller, Jordan Watts, MJ Bowl, solventless hash, cannabis concentrates, hash culture, Emerald Triangle farmers, cannabis craft producers [Ep 198]

On location at the Cannabis, Culture & Change conference in West Hollywood, Sara sits down with CA State Treasurer Fiona Ma. They dive into banking access, over-taxation, and what it takes to make California’s cannabis industry sustainable. [Ep 197]

Sara sits down with Heather Pasternak — comedian behind Confessions of a Weed Mom & judge on Cooking on High — to unpack cannabis, comedy & motherhood. Why are wine moms cute, but weed moms controversial? Let’s talk about it. [Ep 196]

Sara talks pre-roll innovation, automation and quality with Shahar Yamay, CEO of Hefestus.[Ep 195]

Sara sits down with Brendan McKee, Co-Founder & COO of Silver Therapeutics, for a thoughtful conversation on cannabis retail with heart—community engagement, compassionate leadership, and why the customer experience truly matters. [Ep 194]

We continue our MJBizCon coverage—recorded live at the Lights Up Las Vegas party Featuring conversations with Terry Mendez of Safe Harbor Financial on cannabis finance & access to capital, plus Dan Herer on culture, legacy & the movement’s evolution. [Ep 193]

Why are cannabis businesses still failing- even as demand grows? Sara  talks 280E, rescheduling, and survival strategies with Darren Gleeman of MBO Ventures. A must-listen from MJBizCon. [Ep 192]

What if we’ve been thinking about cannabis all wrong? Daniel Cook, CEO of @TrueTerpenes, joins Sara for a live MJBizCon conversation on terpene science, sensory language, and the deeper experience of the plant. [Ep 191]