EPISODES

We are halfway to 100 behind-the-scenes episodes! In this episode we celebrate our 50th episode by sharing notes from an email exchange that I had with Dr. Raphael Mechoulam (The Godfather of Cannabis) from late 2020 along with a clip from our 3 Hour 50th Episode Celebration available at our Patreon at patreon.com/CuriousAboutCannabis

Thanks for supporting the podcast and helping us get to 50 episodes! We look forward to bringing you 50 more over the next year.
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Stay curious, and take it easy!

In this behind-the-scenes conversation we sit down with David Heldreth Jr. of Panacea Plant Sciences and Ziese Farms, based out of Washington, USA. Our conversation covered a lot of ground including the past, present and potential future of Cannabis and cannabinoid regulations, what people often misunderstand about rules regarding cannabinoids and other chemical constituents in foods, supplements, and cosmetics, how hemp companies should be preparing for the future of FDA, USDA, and DEA crackdowns, why regulations may be a thing to be celebrated rather than dismissed, what Hunter S. Thompson might have to say about the Cannabis industry, and much more!

This conversation was a long time coming, as David and I have been following each other's work and talking via social media for several years. To learn more about David's work, visit:

http://panaceaplantsciences.net/
https://ziesefarms.com/
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Stay curious, and take it easy!

In this behind-the-scenes conversation we speak with Janice Bissex, a registered dietitian nutritionist and holistic Cannabis practitioner who has dedicated her time lately to helping patients find high-quality and safe cannabinoid products after she discovered the therapeutic potential of Cannabis first-hand. Janice discusses how she wrestled with the stigma around Cannabis on multiple fronts, first as a college student fearful of Cannabis due to a lifetime of Cannabis prohibition propaganda, and then again as she struggled to "come out" to her community of nutritionists and healthcare professionals about her own advocacy.
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Today Janice is the CEO of Jannabis Wellness and is also a professor at John Patrick University focused on teaching students about Cannabis therapy from a nutritional perspective. Janice also recently authored the book Simple Guide to CBD: Fact, Fiction, and a Path Forward to educate consumers on the potential benefits of CBD and cannabis therapy.

Learn more about her work at https://www.jannabiswellness.com/

In this behind-the-scenes conversation we are joined by Tanja Bagar, PhD, the founder and CEO of the International Institute for Cannabinoids, a multi-national research and education cooperative based out of Slovenia. Tanja holds a PhD in Biomedical Sciences and has spent the past several years focused on studying and teaching about cannabinoids throughout Europe. Tanja and I have been collaborating for years as co-authors on conference abstracts, book chapters, etc. Tanja was also one of my early students in the early iterations of my workshop series which I still teach today, so it was great to reconnect on the podcast.

Our conversation explored her experience discovering the therapeutic potential of cannabinoids, how Cannabis regulations vary throughout Europe and the effects that has on research collaboration, why she has become fascinated with the endocannabinoid system, clinical outcomes that ICANNA and their collaborators have seen in patients using cannabinoids, her thoughts about the future of Cannabis research, and much more!
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You can learn more about ICANNA by visiting https://www.institut-icanna.com/en/index.html

​In this behind-the-scenes conversation we join Dedi Meiri PhD, a researcher at the Israel Institute of Technology focused on examining how Cannabis and its chemical constituents may influence cancer and other disease states. His labs have made important discoveries regarding the relevance of "minor" constituents of Cannabis in influencing cancer activity, among many other things. In this 2+ hour conversation we dive deep into Dedi's background, why he finds Cannabis so interesting, what he has learned from his cancer research, methods that his labs have developed for quickly assessing the activity of plant extracts, the future of Cannabis research, and much more!
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Learn more about Dedi's lab at Technion at https://dmeiri.net.technion.ac.il/

In this behind-the-scenes conversation we sit down with Elisabeth Mack, the founder and CEO of Holistic Caring, a company dedicated to providing clinical Cannabis education to patients and clinicians.

After a bicycle accident in early 2015, Elisabeth Mack found relief with high-dose CBD and targeted THC therapies. She used that year to move away from various prescription drugs that she had taken since 1994 for a previous shoulder surgery. The cannabis pain management process was enlightening for her as she dove into research, attended conferences and networked her way through the cannabis industry.

Realizing that nobody was interpreting anything for true medical cannabis patients, she founded Holistic Caring in May 2016 to serve the educational, supportive and logistical needs of patients and began training other nurses to help.
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Learn more about Holistic Caring at www.HolisticCaring.com

In this behind-the-scenes conversation we are joined by another returning guest, Cannabis nurse Janna Champagne. Nurse Janna recently founded Autism Safe Haven, a nonprofit focused on making Cannabis inclusive autism care services available wherever medical Cannabis is legal. In this conversation we focus on the intersection between Cannabis and autism, why current autism care models are often ineffective, how cannabinoids may affect autism symptoms, and more!
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Learn more about Autism Safe Haven at www.autismsafehaven.org 

In this behind-the-scenes conversation we are rejoined with extraction technologist and Cannabis educator Murphy Murri to talk all about CRC aka “Color Remediation Cartridges”. CRC has gained a lot of buzz, both positive and negative, in recent years as extractors experiment with refinement techniques that manipulate the appearance of the extract. The concept of “colorless” Cannabis extracts was largely popularized by The Clear years ago, and now has become commonplace. But what is CRC? And what is happening to these extracts when their color is “remediated”? And does CRC present any risks to consumers or extraction technicians?
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Murphy Murri provides a common sense take on CRC for anyone wanting to wrap their minds around this popular topic.

In this behind-the-scenes interview we sit down with doctor and Cannabis educator, Mary Clifton, MD. Dr. Clifton has become a popular medical Cannabis educator, with tons of videos on YouTube as well as a course that she teaches called The Cannabinoid Protocol. Her focus is strictly on clinical applications of Cannabis and works to help train other clinicians and health care professionals how to understand and use Cannabis and cannabinoid products in targeted ways.

In our discussion we talk about how she discovered the promise of medical Cannabis through two separate hospice experiences with loved ones, what drove her to decide to dedicate her time to learning about and teaching about Cannabis, her thoughts on CBG as the new popular cannabinoid, how Cannabis affects the immune system, Cannabis for anxiety, and much more.

You can learn more about Dr. Clifton and find her educational video library at: www.CBDandCannabisInfo.com

Dr. Clifton and I are working together in a newly formed education and research group called The Institute of Cannabinoid Medicine (TIOCM). Learn more about TIOCM at www.tiocm.org

In this behind-the-scenes interview we sat down with Elise McDonough to talk all things Cannabis edibles! Elise has authored multiple Cannabis cookbooks including Bong Appetit and The Official High Times Cannabis Cookbook. We explore lessons that Elise has learned about cooking with Cannabis, exciting opportunities in the Cannabis edibles market, what the future of Cannabis edibles may look like, her history in the Cannabis industry including her work with WAMM, and much more!

Learn more about Elise’s work at www.elisemcdonough.com
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Stay curious and take it easy!

​In this behind-the-scenes episode we are joined by 1st Lady of the West Coast (FLOTWC), a musician, producer, entrepreneur, and medical Cannabis advocate. In our conversation, 1st Lady shared her incredibly personal and inspirational story of confronting childhood trauma, battling bipolar disorder and depression, and how Cannabis saved her life - inspiring her to start her own line of Cannabis varieties, including Black Girl Magic OG, FLOTWC Kush, and others. We also discuss her career in the music industry, how Cannabis affects her creativity, life lessons that she has learned from a lifetime in the music industry, and much more.

Featured Song: "BGMO" (feat. Rick Ross) by 1st Lady of the West Coast

You can find 1st Lady of the West Coast on Spotify, Apple Music, or wherever else you listen to music.

Enjoy, stay curious and take it easy.
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Disclaimer: None of the content featured on The Curious About Cannabis Podcast is medical advice. Always seek the help of a licensed healthcare professional if you desire to use Cannabis as medicine. 

In this behind-the-scenes interview we are joined by Arno Hazekamp, PhD. Arno is based out of the Netherlands and has been researching Cannabis since 2001. He is probably most famous for proposing the concept of Cannabis chemovars to replace the idea of "strains". His work has primarily focused on examining the chemical constituents of Cannabis and Cannabis products including Cannabis teas, Rick Simpson Oil (RSO), and more. He has also published numerous papers on other topics like Cannabis sterilization via gamma irradiation, review papers on human clinical research around Cannabis, and many more.

Arno shares my passion for science communication and science education, which came through very clearly in this conversation. We discussed many different topics over the course of the two hours including common Cannabis misconceptions, evidence for therapeutic applications of Cannabis, how to think about "strains" and indica/sativa vernacular, the best way to make Cannabis tea, the importance of writing scientific papers with a lay audience in mind, and a whole lot more!

Connecting with Arno was a delight and I look forward to talking to him again in the future. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.
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Learn more about Arno's work at https://hazekamp.info/ 

​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!

In this behind-the-scenes interview we sit down with Sher Ali Butt, the co-founder of CB Therapeutics, a company focused on biosynthesizing cannabinoids and psychedelics using fermentation. We talk about the science behind biosynthetic technology, why they have chosen to focus on psychedelics and cannabinoids, how biosynthesis compares to chemical synthesis techniques for producing compounds, why isolated compounds and complex herbal mixtures both have a place in healthcare, and much more!
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Learn more about CB Therapeutics at www.cbthera.com 

"It's a plant that goes by many names.
Some call it hemp. Some call it marijuana.
Call it what you will - it's Cannabis. And it's got a lot of people curious.

Tune in to the Curious About Cannabis Podcast to join scientist and educator Jason Wilson on a journey to explore critical questions about the world's most controversial plant. Featuring contributions from leading researchers, doctors, and industry veterans alike - prepare to transcend the hype as we discover lasting insights about Cannabis.

​The Curious About Cannabis Podcast is available now at CACPodcast.com or wherever you listen to podcasts."

In this behind-the-scenes episode we are joined with Alice Moon, a PR professional working in the Cannabis industry and diagnosed cannabinoid hyperemesis patient. In our conversation we discuss her entrepreneurial journey within the Cannabis industry that led to her work in public relations, issues facing Cannabis brands, her experience with cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, what she has learned about the disorder since being diagnosed, work that she is doing to try and understand the disorder, how she responds to criticisms from the Cannabis industry, words of advice for those who are worried that they may be suffering from CHS, and more!

To learn more about Alice Moon visit www.alicemoon.la
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To learn more about cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, visit www.cannabinoid-hyperemesis.com

​In this behind-the-scenes episode we sit down with Mark Scialdone PhD, a chemist responsible for inventing a method for producing hydrogenated cannabinoid acids, semi-synthetic cannabinoids that could be effective at battling certain types of cancer. We discuss the history of cannabinoid science, controversy around cannabinoid boiling points, how Mark learned from his research with catnip essential oil hydrogenation and how he adapted the technology for Cannabis essential oil, the importance of balancing science with art, the future of Cannabis research, his role in helping the American Chemical Society's Cannabis Chemistry subdivision get started, and much more.

On August 1st we will finally be releasing the second edition of the Curious About Cannabis book!

Revised and expanded with over 450 pages of content covering nearly all areas of Cannabis and cannabinoid science, the Curious About Cannabis book is sure to be an important resource for both self-taught enthusiasts and Cannabis educators. Dive into hundreds of citations and resources, dozens of activities and puzzles, and hundreds of pages of educational content to help you take your Cannabis education to the next level. You might even catch a few quotes from the Curious About Cannabis Podcast in there as well!

In this behind-the-scenes conversation we speak with The Doctors Knox, aka The Knox Docs, including Drs. Janice, David, Rachel, and Jessica Knox to talk all about the endocannabinoid system and how our understanding of the endocannabinoid system and the endocannabinoidome is revolutionizing healthcare.

This was our first interview with four people at the same time, so it was quite a different experience and allowed for some unique dynamics that I hope you enjoy.
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You can learn more about The Doctors Knox at  https://doctorsknox.com/ 

In this behind-the-scenes interview we talk with Morris Beegle of We Are For Better Alternatives (Colorado Hemp Company, NoCo Hemp Expo, Let's Talk Hemp, and others). In this conversation we talked about the many different uses of the Cannabis plant besides cannabinoid-rich resin production, the challenges of getting hemp alternatives accepted in the market, the future of the industrial use of mushrooms, and much more.

Learn more about WAFBA at:  https://wafba.org/

Stay curious, and take it easy!
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