Reefer MEDness

Living without alcohol contamination may be an oxymoronic assertion for a licensed producer, specializing in cannabinoids extraction, to make. Typically, alcohol is a common solvent used to extract cannabinoids from cannabis plants. Trevor and Kirk are introduced to a new business in Dauphin. It partners with local hemp farmers to create a cannabis oil. Master Extractor Richard Spatola shares his...

“David Crosby, I read your chart man” is how Kirk starts his long-awaited chat with one of pop-culture’s most notorious Cannabis influencers. In 50-years, David Crosby has had a very public relationship with cannabis, addictions, incarceration, and relationships, which he willingly discusses. With thoughtful understanding that these past behaviours are well reported elsewhere, Kirk digs into curre...

A short intro for the eminent Dr. Ethan Russo is challenging. Ethan Russo is a neurologist who explored the Amazon rain forest in the 90's to explore medicinal plants with aboriginal tribes. He returned to the USA and became interested in medicinal cannabis. He quickly became an expert in the field, and worked as a consultant for GW Pharmaceuticals. Later, as a Senior Medical Advisor for GW, he wa...

The fact marijuana heightens the musical experience is no secret. We know both listeners and players have enhanced their musical experiences through the use of this plant for over 100 years. This episode links cannabis to music through the stories told by acclaimed musicologist John Einarson. We follow a path of early jazz players influencing Canadian singer-song-writer Ian Tyson, who in turn infl...

Did Jesus die on the cross? Was Moses influenced by cannabis when speaking to the Lord? Are Christian Churches embracing Cannabis? First up we meet the founding member of Christian Cannabis, Craig Gross. Once known as the “Porn Pastor,” Gross has a new message for Christian leaders. We learn how cannabis facilitated his personal journey and how he came to a cross roads. Gross once focused on helpi...

In this episode, Kirk and Trevor review “The Cannabis Cancer Connection” by Dr. Joe D. Goldstrich. Dr. Joe is a cardiologist who, in his retirement, became a self-descripted “cannabis oncologist”. He now applies pre-clinical cannabis research and his years of expertise and patient experience to his clinical cannabis practice. In his book, Dr. Joe discusses the “Art” of practicing medicine within a...

With a film credits in Dr. Strangelove, Conan the Barbarian, Coming to America, Field of Dreams and The Hunt for Red October and off-screen credits in many Shakespearean stage roles, two Tony awards, military service, Ranger School and his Ranger Tab, there would be so many conversations to have with James Earl Jones. But over and over, fans just clamored for the catch phrase, “Luke. I am your Fat...

Short introduction to the project

While traveling the Saskatchewan highways, Kirk sees a sign in the ditch directing him to a unique recreational cannabis shop. He takes a hard left to visit a First Nations Reserve looking for a simple and short Road Story. Instead, he finds Montana, a caring individual who manages his reserve’s recreational cannabis store with a harm reductionist approach. This simple short Road Story became an e...

Kirk brings Trevor another batch of Summer Road Stories. Kirk spent time traveling through Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba learning from Bud Tenders. We hear how CBG, the Cannabinoid of the summer, is “a bubble bath for the brain”. Kirk and guests discuss the strategies Bud Tenders use to help people buy their medical cannabis. While sitting in one small town, a long boarder stopped to talk ab...

It is safe to say, Mr. Clayton Moore is a growing concern within the hemp industry of Southwestern United States. As an undergraduate within the Texas A&M Agricultural Soil and Crop Science Department, he has his fingers, hands, and mind buried deeply in growing a better understanding of hemp and cannabis. He is: a leader within a student lead initiative called CHIL, an advocate for decriminal...

We first met Spencer Payson in Episode 75 - Road Stories. When he opened a new store in our hometown of Dauphin Manitoba, Kirk went to say hello. Talking to an owner of a Recreation Cannabis store provides practical insights to how society is changing it perception on cannabis. Sitting in the staff room of his new store, Spencer shares personal and professional stories about his cannabis experienc...

David Traylor has 2 undergrad degrees in Bio-Chemistry and Molecular Biology. He is a former pro lacrosse player. He got involved in BioTech in the 1990's and dealt with the difficulties of getting molecules like erythropoietin to market at scale. From there he got into investment banking. Obviously, with that background, the next step is to do cannabis deals on 6 of the 7 continents! Golden Eagle...

Ryan Kocot was the in-house legal counsel and director of compliance for a multinational cannabis company. He now has his own practice in California, Massachusetts and New York. He helps operators scale into multiple States, do joint ventures, trademark, and other intellectual property license agreements. Listen as Trevor and Ryan discuss the weird and counter-intuitive land of multi-states operat...

Terry O'Regan has spent his career in the pharmaceutical industry. He has worked for several Big Pharma companies including ones that have developed important treatments for neurological diseases like Multiple Sclerosis. Terry had heard there was a class of therapeutics for neurological conditions that pharmaceutical companies weren't working on, cannabinoids. Terry kept hearing from neurologists...

A short intro for the eminent Dr. Ethan Russo is challenging. Ethan Russo is a neurologist who explored the Amazon rain forest in the 90's to explore medicinal plants with aboriginal tribes. He returned to the USA and became interested in medicinal cannabis. He quickly became an expert in the field, and worked as a consultant for GW Pharmaceuticals. Later, as a Senior Medical Advisor for GW, he wa...

We've got another amazing group of attendees from CannMed 23! Joe Thompson   One evening they said dinner was on Lanai Beach. In Manitoba, if you are at a conference and someone says dinner is on Lanai Beach, then Lanai Beach is the name of a room. But in Florida, they actually meant dinner was on a beach. That sounds like a lovely idea, unless it is over 30 C and there is no shade. Thankfully, I...

Ahmed Labied – Morocco - At the opening reception of CannMed 23, there were all these people with green t-shirts that said Morocco. Trevor introduced himself and was told he had to talk to Ahmed Labied. Ahmed explained that in August 2023 there should be the first legal crop of cannabis coming off the field in Morocco and that they’re organizing a cannabis conference in Morocco in November 2023. T...

Canadians are changing their perspective of cannabis. People are using it as medicine and access has never been easier. Why is this bad? Why should anyone care how we access our medicinal cannabis? Canada is one of the few countries with federally legal cannabis. However, Canadians are not all benefiting from the creation of the Cannabis Act. There are barriers doing cannabis clinical research. Ma...

Potheads are too, well, stoned to succeed in tech, right? A medicinal cannabis user couldn’t be a successful serial tech entrepreneur, could they? Well, meet Brian. He is a US Marine Vet who became a successful tech entrepreneur several times over. However, Brian’s military service also left him with PTSD. Brian tried all the standard PTSD treatments and none of them worked for him. Then an ex-mil...

Kieley is in the lead as our most interviewed guest. Kirk still teases Trevor how he blushed back on E34 when Trevor and Kieley talked about cannabis and sexual dysfunction. We talked to her on the Craft Cannabis Panel on E63 and during our trip to Calgary Hemfest in E78. Today we catch up with this cannabis entrepreneur and force of nature. The company she founded, Parkland Flower, is winning awa...

There are very few, if any, reliable methods of measuring cannabis impairment. Road-side sobriety tests done by trained Drug Recognition Experts are very subjective and workplaces are limited with how they assess employees with safety sensitive jobs. Back by video evidence, Gaize offers real-time impairment screening within 6 minutes. This portable AV device is considered accurate, providing objec...

The team gathers in the studio for the first time since pandemic restrictions were lifted. Rene interviews Kirk and Trevor, and gains insights into the creation and growth of this Passion Project. With 100 episodes in the library, the team has lots to review. From suppositories to driving, seizures to criminal records, Parkinson’s to David Crosby, current fans will enjoy reminiscing with the team....

Dr. Rob Sealey returns to the podcast. Back in S3E7 he talked about Cannabis For Kids. Today we drive down the road to the other end of the age spectrum, Cannabis and Seniors. Dr. Sealey is super knowledgeable, but also pithy comment machine! Within this episode he says "you wouldn't go into your local liquor store and say, which bottle of Marlow should I use for my arthritis." He also figures "if...

Kirk and Owen continued discussion moves into a more personal realm as they share their views of the current state of Medical Cannabis industry. Kirk sees a disconnect with federal verses provincial government system management whereas Owen wants more services for individuals needing cannabis as medicine. As he continues his advocacy of medical cannabis, Owen also speaks to current projects to hel...