The Canna Curious Podcast: Conversations on Cannabis, Wellness & Women’s Health

This week marks 13 years since I had my last drink. In this deeply personal episode, I share the story I don't often tell - the night that changed everything, why I called AA the following morning, and what life has taught me about alcohol, recovery, identity and healing. I talk about the shame that surrounded my drinking, the challenges of early sobriety, losing friendships, rebuilding my se...

After 59 episodes, I finally invited a man onto the podcast. But not just any man. Paul O'Donoghue from Give n Toke has spent years creating space in the cannabis community, listening more than he talks, and challenging what it means to belong. In this episode we chat about: Why neither of us fit the typical cannabis stereotype Bro culture, belonging and finding your place What women have tau...

What if the biggest rules in your life… were never really yours? This week I'm joined by celebrant, performer, DJ and cannabis advocate Renee to explore the stories we've inherited about love, marriage, cannabis, intimacy and identity—and what happens when we start questioning them. From the Marriage Equality campaign to the stigma surrounding cannabis, we unpack why some conversations s...

For decades, women have been expected to fit into healthcare systems that were never really designed with us in mind. This week I'm sharing the story that made me realise the gap in women's health research isn't just a cannabis problem, it's a women's health problem. From being prescribed Stilnox before anyone understood how differently women metabolised it, to the everyda...

Are you using cannabis intentionally, or just hoping for the best? This week, I'm sharing five cannabis red flags I see every week from chasing higher THC percentages to forgetting that sometimes the body changes, not the medicine. Along the way, we explore curiosity, relationships, discipline, and why questioning assumptions might be one of the most important skills we can develop. This week...

This week on Canna Curious, Kyla de Clifford explores the world of magnesium supplements, including Magnesium Glycinate, Magnesium Citrate and Magnesium L-Threonate, and whether they actually help with sleep, stress and brain fog. We also answer a listener question about medicinal cannabis suppositories, discuss the role of the endocannabinoid system in women's health, endometriosis and pelvi...

What if one of the earliest signs of perimenopause isn't missing periods… but simply feeling like you don't quite feel like yourself anymore? This week on Canna Curious , Kyla sits down with Dr. Shabnam Sarshar — researcher, scientist and passionate advocate for better conversations around women's health and cannabinoid science. From growing up in Iran and unexpectedly moving to Ger...

Everyone talks about THC and CBD… but what about the rest of the plant family? In this episode of Canna Curious, Kyla dives into the world of minor cannabinoids — the tiny compounds quietly hanging around in the background that researchers are becoming increasingly interested in. From CBG (the organised mum of the family) to CBN (the sleep celebrity) and THCV ("diet weed") , we unpack wh...

This episode marks the beginning of a new era for the podcast, one that feels more intimate, reflective, and human. After conversations with an award-winning producer and some unexpectedly confronting feedback from people closest to her, Kyla opens up about why she’s evolving the format of the show. This season will still bring evidence-based education around cannabis, women’s health, hormones and...

In this episode, Kyla sits down with pharmacist-turned-veterinary cannabinoid specialist Emma Delaney to explore the rapidly emerging world of cannabinoid therapies for animals. From chronic pain and anxiety to seizures and palliative care, cannabinoids are increasingly being used in veterinary medicine—but the real insight comes from something deeper: animals don’t have a placebo effect. This con...

What happens when the system you trusted… walks away? In today’s episode, I sit down with Debi Wimberley — a former oncology professional who went on to live with one of the most severe chronic pain conditions imaginable. For years, Debi was prescribed high-dose opioids to manage her pain. Then, almost overnight, that support was removed,  with no real plan, no transition, and no safety net. What...

This episode is a little more personal than usual. Today, I’m sitting down with my daughter, Ruby and we’re having a conversation I’ve been quietly avoiding for a while. Because while I spend my life educating people about the plant… Ruby had an experience that changed her relationship with it completely. We talk about: what it’s like growing up with a parent in this space the stigma that still ex...

In this episode of Canna Curious, Kyla sits down with Grace Ker to explore her deeply personal journey with endometriosis and fibromyalgia,  a story that began at just 13 years old and unfolded into years of chronic pain, medical intervention, and self-advocacy.  Grace shares what it was like to: Be dismissed in early medical appointments Navigate multiple treatments, including hormonal therapies...

Somewhere along the way, the conversation around cannabis got… distorted. Depending on who you listen to, it’s either: dangerous and life-ruining or a cure for everything. And neither of those are helpful. In this episode, I unpack the gap between those extremes and why so many people are still confused, even with more access, more products, and more information than ever before. Because the issue...

This week, we explore a question that seems simple… but isn’t: If hemp can be used as fuel then why aren’t we using it? Particularly during this very planned war and outage of oil with far reaching implications. In this episode, I break down: The history of hemp as an industrial crop Henry Ford’s plant-based car and early biofuel exploration What hemp fuel actually is (biodiesel + ethanol) Whether...

Cannabis research often feels confusing. One study says the plant may help with pain, sleep or inflammation. The next headline warns about risk. So what’s really going on? In this episode of Canna Curious , I unpack why cannabis science has been so difficult to interpret for the past 70 years. From the Nixon-era report that recommended decriminalisation but was ignored… to the discovery of the end...

In this episode of Canna Curious, Kyla sits down with psychiatric nurse Megan Simpson for an honest and deeply human conversation about mental health, stigma, and healing. Megan has spent years working on the front lines of psychiatric care, supporting people through crisis, trauma, and severe mental illness. But behind that professional role was also a personal story — one that includes burnout,...

This week on Canna Curious, I’m reflecting on 48 hours that revealed the tension inside Australia’s medicinal cannabis space. From hosting a candlelit launch centred on women, story and nervous system safety…to having a thoughtful dinner conversation with Professor Kylie O’Brien about the TGA and AHPRA review…to walking the floor at UIC 2026 - one of the country’s major industry conferences. On pa...

In this episode, Kyla sits down with Bee Mohamed for a deep, behind-the-scenes conversation on health policy, patient advocacy, and the realities of building change inside broken systems. Bee shares her journey from working in Parliament House under the Minister for Women, to frontline advocacy work during the rise of prescription medication dependency and overdose, to entering the medicinal canna...

A History of Women in Cannabis - with Melanie Wentzel Before prohibition. Before pharma. Before THC percentages became a marketing strategy. Cannabis lived in women’s hands. In this episode of Canna Curious, Kyla is joined by healthcare strategist, bestselling author of Cannabis Queens , and women’s health advocate Melanie Wentzel to trace the history of cannabis through a female lens. Together, t...

In this episode, Kyla is joined by her friend Jess for a wide-ranging, honest conversation that starts with balance - and quickly reveals how complicated that word really is. What does balance actually look like for women today? How do nervous systems stay regulated in a world of constant immediacy, technology, and responsibility? And where does the plant fit into that picture when used intentiona...

In this episode of Canna Curious , Kyla is joined by her close friend Sandrine for a deeply personal and emotional conversation about their friend Alethea (Leath) — who has been incarcerated for cannabis-related charges for just over a year. This is not a legal analysis or a political debate. It’s a human conversation about friendship, shock, grief, love, anger, and the quiet resilience required w...

In this episode, ’m unpacking why I’ve started to push back on the idea of “responsible use” — at least the way it’s so often applied to women. Because when we really look at it, “responsible” rarely means neutral or supportive. It usually means self-monitoring, self-correcting, and self-blaming — layered on top of bodies that are already expected to manage pain, emotion, cycles, stress, and capac...

Do I Need a T-Break? Tolerance breaks are usually framed like a punishment. Like you’ve done something wrong. Like you need to reset, detox, or start again. But for many women, that framing doesn’t fit real life - or real bodies. In this episode, Kyla takes a slower, more body-led look at tolerance breaks and what they’re actually for. This isn’t about abstinence or discipline. It’s about understa...

Women, Hormones & Cannabis: Why Your Body Changes How the Plant Feels. In this episode, we explore why so many women notice that cannabis feels different depending on where they are in their cycle, throughout perimenopause, or during periods of stress and hormonal change. We unpack what’s actually happening in the body, why this experience is common (and normal), and how women can work with th...