EPISODES

​In this behind-the-scenes episode we talk with Dr. Jeff Raber of The Werc Shop, a Cannabis and cannabinoid science and technology company that began testing Cannabis products in California back in 2010. Our conversation explores Dr. Raber’s background in biochemistry, the turbulent history of Cannabis testing labs, how Cannabis companies began leveraging Cannabis test results to improve products, impurities found in delta-8 THC products, the future of The Werc Shop and more!
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Learn more about The Werc Shop: https://thewercshop.com/

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The Curious About Cannabis Podcast is produced by Natural Learning Enterprises, a mission driven company focused on enhancing critical thinking skills and public scientific literacy about life and the natural world. If you enjoy Curious About Cannabis, consider checking out some of these other programs by Natural Learning Enterprises:

• Toadstool’s Treasures (www.ToadstoolsTreasures.com)
• GardenWild (www.GardenWild.org)
• Serious About Psychedelics (www.SeriousAboutPsychedelics.com)

Learn more about Natural Learning Enterprises at www.NaturalEDU.com

In this episode we journey beyond Cannabis and the endocannabinoid system into the endocannabinoidome! The endocannabinoidome is a relatively new concept used to describe the vast hundreds of compounds involved in the functioning of endocannabinoids and cannabinoid receptors. Learn about how this concept of the endocannabinoidome was formed, what clinicians think about its discovery, and what we can expect from the future of endocannabinoidome research! Plus hear an often overlooked story about the origin of "the entourage effect" and how the concept has been redefined for popular culture.

Featuring a contribution from Raphael Mechoulam, PhD via email and relevant excerpts from behind-the-scenes episodes:

BTS #5 Ethan Russo, MD
BTS #31 The Doctors Knox
BTS #35 Vincenzo Di Marzo, PhD

Stay curious, and take it easy!

In this behind-the-scenes episode we join Cannabis culture icon Marcus “Bubbleman” Richardson. In the mid 1990s, he was one of the first to receive an industrial hemp license in Canada and began performing research and development with hemp varieties of Cannabis very early in his career. Marcus is also the producer of “bubble bags” and popularized bubble hash in the late 1990s and early 2000s. In 2014 he started a weekly long-form Cannabis show called Hash Church, which had a huge influence on Cannabis culture and the development of Cannabis extraction technology. Marcus is also a photographer and has an extensive library of macro photos of Cannabis trichomes and other curious odds and ends.

In our conversation we talked about the science of hash making, Marcus’ legacy in the Cannabis industry, lessons he has learned, the battle between full spectrum and cannabinoid isolates, and much more!
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Learn more about Marcus’ work at www.bubblemanbrand.com

In this behind-the-scenes episode we join Anna Schwabe, PhD, a geneticist and plant scientist that spent her PhD work examining how and why Cannabis plants exhibit different chemical profiles, smells, and effects. In our conversation we dive into many of these nuances and talk about whether people can distinguish Cannabis varieties consistently by smell, how much variation exists between Cannabis plants labeled as the same strain, and whether there may be some hope after all for the colloquial use of the terms “indica” and “sativa”.
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Learn more about Anna’s work at www.annaschwabe.com

In this episode, we dive into the world of Cannabis extraction science and technology to understand how Cannabis extracts are made, why there are so many different types of extracts, the science behind extraction, and how to make sense of marketing terms like “full spectrum”, “broad spectrum”, or “whole plant”.
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Featuring excerpts from our behind-the-scenes interviews with:

• Marcus “Bubbleman” Richardson (Hash Maker and Cannabis Aficionado)
• Wyeth Callaway, PhD (Organic Chemist)
• Murphy Murri (Extraction Technologist)
• Daniel Hayden, PhD (Molecular Plant Biologist)
• Travis Simpson (Herbal Scientist)

In this behind-the-scenes episode we join renowned endocannabinoid researcher Dr. Vincenzo Di Marzo, who has been studying endocannabinoids since their discovery in the late 1980s and 1990s. Dr. Di Marzo, along with his colleagues, originally proposed the concept of the endocannabinoid system, the entourage effect, and the endocannabinoidome. Currently Dr. Di Marzo is working on studying the relationships between endocannabinoids and the gut microbiome to better understand how cannabinoids may affect health through the gut. In our conversation we discuss Dr. Di Marzo’s fascination with endocannabinoids, how he conceptualizes the endocannabinoidome, common misunderstandings about endocannabinoids, how the concept of the “entourage effect” has evolved away from its original intended meaning, where the future of Cannabis research may be heading, and much more.


This was a career highlight of mine to be able to talk to Vincenzo and I am honored to share this conversation with you. Enjoy!