BTS #55 Nikki Lawley on Cannabis for Traumatic Brain Injury



In this behind-the-scenes conversation we sit down with Nikki Lawley a nurse that was forced into retirement after a traumatic brain injury sustained after a patient pushed her against a wall while refusing an immunization. Although Nikki had sustained a couple of mild brain injuries in the past, this one changed her life forever.

In this conversation Nikki shares her story and how Cannabis has turned out to be a very effective tool in helping her regain quality of life. Nikki is now a passionate medical Cannabis advocate and works to educate others about how Cannabis and cannabinoids can be used as tools to help limit the devastating long-term effects of brain injury or even possibly prevent long-term damage in the first place.

You can learn more about Nikki and her story at www.nikkiandtheplant.org

Stay curious and take it easy!


BTS #54 Jonathan Mintle aka Botanichemist on Solventless Hash and Rosin Making



In this behind-the-scenes conversation we join Jonathan Mintle, aka Botanichemist, to talk about solventless Cannabis extracts. We spent nearly 3 hours going over every bit of nuance that someone might need to understand if they intend on getting into solventless hash or rosin production. We discuss important considerations that affect final product quality, how to evaluate Cannabis resin trichomes in the context of hashmaking, why different sized micron filters matter in hash production, what it takes to make high quality rosin, and a lot more!

This 3 hour conversation was cut for time. Hear the whole conversation at www.patreon.com/CuriousAboutCannabis

Learn more about Botanichemist Consulting at http://botanichemist.com

Hope you enjoy! Stay curious and take it easy!


BTS #53 Reggie Gaudino PhD of Front Range Biosciences on Cannabis Genetics, Functional Cultivars, Landrace Biodiversity



In this behind-the-scenes conversation we join Reggie Gaudino, PhD, the VP or Research and Development for Front Range Biosciences. Reggie has been working with the Cannabis plant for many years, beginning his research at Steep Hill, one of the first Cannabis testing laboratories in the United States. Over the years, Reggie has had the opportunity to study the chemistry, microbiology, and genetics of thousands of Cannabis plants and has gained a few insights along the way.

In our discussion we talk about his work at Front Range Biosciences, common misunderstandings regarding Cannabis genetics, lessons learned from trying to understand the genetic mechanisms behind cannabinoid production, what we know and don’t know about terpene synthase genes, the path toward “functional cultivars” that are formulated for targeted conditions starting at seed, Reggie’s philosophy of science, and much more!

This was a really fun and fascinating conversation. I always say that genetics is one of my weakest subjects when it comes to the natural sciences – so I really enjoy getting to talk to knowledgeable scientists that can help me wrap my mind around these important issues!

Learn more about Front Range Biosciences at www.frontrangebio.com


BTS #52 Bryant Mason of Soil Doctor Consulting on Soil Considerations for Cannabis Cultivation



In this behind-the-scenes conversation we chat with Bryant Mason of Soil Doctor Consulting about the nuances of soil science in the context of Cannabis cultivation. We discussed his background in agriculture and edible landscaping, early lessons learned from cultivating Cannabis, common misconceptions about soil and soil science, unique considerations for soil mixes and amendment applications for Cannabis, and more!

Learn more about Soil Doctor Consulting at: www.soildoctorconsulting.com

Stay curious and take it easy!


BTS #51 Alisia Ratliff on Extraction and Testing Lab Design, Quality and Safety, Sustainability



In this behind-the-scenes episode we sit down with Alisia Ratliff of Victus Capital Ventures to talk all about the development of sustainable and equitable Cannabis extraction and testing laboratories! Alisia shares stories from her journey pivoting into the Cannabis industry after working as a chemist in other industries. We talk about the challenges of building out a Cannabis lab, what it takes for a company to be both sustainable and equitable, and Alisia shares some of the unique issues she has had to deal with as a woman of color in the industry as well as disparities that she and her husband have witnessed first-hand.

Learn more about Victus Capital Ventures: https://victus-cv.com/

About Alisia:

Alisia Ratliff, the CEO of Victus Capital Ventures and licensed project management professional, is a technical conference speaker, esteemed author, and ambitious entrepreneur. Holding a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the University of North Florida and possessing over fourteen years of leadership experience expanding over several industries; Alisia uses a breadth of technical knowledge to guide investors’ company start up endeavors. She effectively manages technical and executive teams cross-departmentally to success while simultaneously overseeing all cannabis business operations including but not limited to supply chain, manufacturing, laboratory operations and product formulation. Alisia’s unique leadership style and perseverance to overcome adversity has defined her professional purpose. She strives to advise her clients on what not to do in the early stages of their project, help them avoid repeating failed business models and implement sustainable business strategies no matter the ever-changing regulatory environment and marketplace.


BTS #50 Notes from Raphael Mechoulam + 50th Episode 3 Hour Celebration!



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.

Stay curious, and take it easy!


BTS #49 David Heldreth Jr. on Cannabis Regulations, The Future of Commercial Cannabinoids, Hunter S Thompson



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/

Stay curious, and take it easy!


BTS #48 Janice Bissex RDN on a Dietician’s Path to Discovering Cannabis



In this behind-the-scenes conversation we speak with Janice Bissex, a registered dietary 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 an advocate as she struggled to “come out” to her community of nutritionists and healthcare professionals about her own experiences with Cannabis.

Today Janice is the CEO of Jannabis Wellness and is also a professor at John Patrick University focused on teaching students about Cannabis product formulation 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/


I Think You’ll Like This… (Curious About Cannabis Updates)



LISTEN TO THE END FOR A SPECIAL OFFER WORTH $75!

Hey everybody, this is Jason with Curious About Cannabis. I wanted to let you know about some new developments here at Curious About Cannabis that I’m super excited about, and I think you will be too.

Our goal here at Curious About Cannabis has always been to develop educational materials and opportunities that accommodate all sorts of learning styles – whether you learn best through podcasts, videos, books, or otherwise. In keeping with this mission, Curious About Cannabis is about to enter its next phase of evolution as we roll out the Curious About Cannabis Learning Center hosted on The Natural Learning Academy at learn.naturaledu.com

To kick off this exciting development, we are launching our Curious About Cannabis Workshop Series, previously only available as an in-person classroom experience, now available in a virtual environment and accessible to anyone with an internet connection and a passion for learning. The workshop series is a twelve week series, broken up into two six week intensive workshops. And when I say intensive – I mean it. These workshops are no joke and are designed for people that are very serious about taking their education to the next level. These workshops give attendees the chance to study Cannabis and cannabinoid science with our lead instructors, which includes myself and the talented biochemist and molecular biologist Dr. Anthony Smith – who you may remember from one of my early episodes of the podcast. We will also be joined by a rotating group of guest educators including experience scientists, clinicians, industry professionals and subject matter experts.

These workshops are designed for small class sizes, often including around ten to twenty students, which allows for us to really dive deep into topics, with each student getting adequate opportunities to ask questions of the lead and guest instructors, gain one-on-one tutoring if needed, and work collaboratively with their peers. The workshops are also designed to engage each student’s unique interests and learning objectives – so no two workshops are exactly the same.

It is my hope that you will walk away from these workshops feeling empowered with the tools and resources you need to confidently continue you education on your own well after the workshop is over.

So with all of that said, go to our website at www.CACPodcast.com/Learn to find more information about our workshops, as well as other educational opportunities that will be coming soon to our learning platform, like our upcoming self-paced courses, resource libraries, and more.

I am so excited to see Curious About Cannabis evolve in this way and I hope that you will join me in spreading the word about our workshops and courses so that we can help spread high-quality Cannabis and cannabinoid science education opportunities to people all over the world. We are only just beginning, and already I am in the process of setting the stage for Curiosu About Cannabis to grow far beyond anything I had ever imagined – and it is only because of your continued support through listening and sharing about the Curious About Cannabis Podcast and the Curious About Cannabis book that this is possible – so THANK YOU. And a very special thanks to our patrons that have been supporting the Curious About Cannabis Podcast through recurring monthly donations to help the podcast remain available to the public for free without advertisers or sponsors. Collectively we have made over 60 hours of content freely available, and I know without a doubt that this would not be possible without your support.

So once again, visit www.CACPodcast.com/Learn to find out more about our workshops and other events that we will have coming soon.

That’s www.CACPodcast.com/Learn

And if you decide to sign up for our workshop, use coupon code “cacws75” for $75 off!

Stay curious, and take it easy!


BTS #47 Tanja Bagar, PhD on Medical Cannabis in Europe, ECS Fascinations, International Collaboration



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!

You can learn more about ICANNA by visiting https://www.institut-icanna.com/en/index.html