Behind-the-Scenes (BTS) Episodes

Remembering Raphael Mechoulam’s Legacy on Cannabis Science with Mark Scialdone, PhD | BTS 91

In this special episode we get together with chemist and Cannabis science educator Mark Scialdone, PhD to talk about the passing of “the godfather of Cannabis science”, Raphael Mechoulam, PhD. After his passing, many media and news outlets failed to accurately portray Mechoulam’s contributions or his place in the grand story of Cannabis science – so Dr. Scialdone and I decided to try to do our part to set the record straight. Along the way we spin off into talking about a variety of other topics like delta-8-THC synthesis from CBD, common misunderstandings around Cannabis chemistry, why the boiling point of THC is almost always incorrectly reported, and more.

The Quest for the CB3 Receptor and Beyond with Viola Brugnatelli, PhD | BTS 89

Is there a CB3 receptor?

In this episode we catch up with Italian endocannabinoid system researcher and neuropharmacologist Viola Brugnatelli, PhD to discuss her work investigating the activity of orphaned G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) like GPR55, GPR18, GPR92, and others.

We also discuss Viola’s decision to focus her energy on educating the healthcare community and others about the science of Cannabis through her company Cannabiscientia which just published a great resource for health care providers called The Principles of Clinical Cannabinology.

To learn more about Cannabiscientia, visit https://cannabiscientia.com/

#cannabis #cannabinoids #cb3 #ecs #endocannabinoidsystem #cannabiscientia #cannabisscience #cannabinoidpharmacology #medicalcannabis #medicalmarijuana #curiousaboutcannabis

Rewriting the Narrative and Smashing the Stigma with Susie Plascencia MA | BTS 90

What is the power of a story?

In this behind-the-scenes episode we are joined by entrepreneur and storyteller Susie Plascencia to talk about her mission to use storytelling to reduce stigma and help the Latin American community find its place in the Cannabis industry.

Susie is the founder and CEO of NightShift Digital, a boutique PR and social media marketing agency, and NightShift Cannabis, a subsidiary serving clients in cannabis and cannabis-adjacent industries.

In 2020, she co-founded MOTA Glass, a Latina and veteran owned bong brand with the intent of addressing two main issues in the functional glass industry: the mass importing of product which lowers quality and devalues local production, and the continued marginalization of an overworked and underpaid minority workforce. Merry Jane Media named Susie a top “cannabis power player” that same year.

In late 2021, NightShift Cannabis partnered with POSIBL to develop Humo, California’s Mexican American owned cannabis brand centered on the culture and representation of the Latino community. She currently serves as Brand Partner for Humo where she oversees brand development, social media, marketing, and sales.

She is passionate about Latina representation in the cannabis industry and founded Latinas in Cannabis, a nationally-recognized organization that uplifts, celebrates, and connects Latina entrepreneurs, content creators, educators, and advocates.

In 2022, Marijuana Venture included Susie in their 40 Under 40 that highlights rising stars in the industry. She’s a proud Trojan and alumna of the Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism at the University of Southern California where she holds a Master of Arts in Specialized Journalism and Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations.

To learn more about Susie, visit https://susieplascencia.com/

To learn more about Humo Cannabis, visit https://www.gethumo.com/

#cannabis #stigma #latinx #poc #socialequity #medicalcannabis #cannabiscommunity #cannabisindustry #humo #humocannabis #fuego #curiousaboutcannabis

Fighting for a Better Cannabis Industry with Andrew DeAngelo | BTS 88

Is there any hope left for businesses in the Cannabis industry any more?

In this behind-the-scenes conversation we meet up again with Andrew DeAngelo to talk about the current state of the legal Cannabis industry in the United States and abroad, the challenges and opportunities facing businesses today, and where to find hope as a Cannabis business operator amid a sea of bad news that seems to keep pouring out about legal Cannabis markets in places like California. We also drop in on The Last Prisoner Project to get an update on their important work to free prisoners that have been convicted of Cannabis crimes in the United States.

To learn more about Andrew’s work visit https://www.andrewdeangelo.com

To learn more about The Last Prisoner Project visit https://www.lastprisonerproject.org/

#CannabisIndustry #CannabisCommunity #AndrewDeAngelo #CannabisCulture #Cannabis #Hemp #LastPrisonerProject #CannabisEducation #CuriousAboutCannabis

Cannabis and the Convergence of Neurodivergence with Miyabe Shields PhD | BTS 87

Disclaimer: In this episode, we discuss some heavy topics that touch on mental health struggles and suicidal ideation. None of the information in this episode or any other Curious About Cannabis episode should be considered medical advice. All of our content is for educational and entertainment purposes only.

In this raw behind-the-scenes episode I had the chance to catch up with endocannabinoid system researcher and science communicator Miyabe Shields, PhD. We spent much of our time together discussing the convergence of Cannabis, mental health, and neurodivergence – addressing many of the taboos and social stigmas associated with altering consciousness and treating the mind with Cannabis.

This is almost certainly just the beginning of a series of conversations that Miyabe and I will be having as we continue to unpack their fascination with the endocannabinoid system and natural products science – so stay tuned for more!

#Cannabis #CannabisResearch #Neurodiversity #Neurodivergent #Spectrum #Consciousness #CannabisEducation #MedicalCannabis #CannabisForMentalHealth #Psychology #NaturalProducts #CuriousAboutCannabis

CBD, Pain and Opioids: Bringing Translational Research to Cannabis with Maria T Rivera-Garcia PhD | BTS 86

In this behind-the-scenes interview we talk with Dr. Maria T Rivera-Garcia about her research investigating the effects of CBD-rich whole plant extract vapor on pain and opioid reward seeking behavior in female rats in a study titled, “High-CBD Cannabis Vapor Attenuates Opioid Reward and Partially Modulates Nociception in Female Rats”.

While on the surface this may seem like a simple study about how CBD influences opioid use – there is actually a lot more going on here. First of all this study utilized female rodents, which is very uncommon. The vast majority of preclinical rodent research uses male rodents almost exclusively due to reasons we unpack during the episode. This has led to a gross under-representation of sex differences in biomedical research.

Second, Maria and colleagues decided to utilize the vapor of whole plant CBD-rich Cannabis extract rather than using CBD isolate that is often diluted and injected, ultimately leading to results that do not accurately reflect real-world situations.

Together, these two decisions point to a common theme that is woven into this research study – scientists need to focus on doing research that better represents the real world. The results from this study are fascinating, so get your notebook ready and let’s dive in!

Link to the study: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772392522000451

About Maria:

Maria Teresa Rivera-Garcia has a major in psychology and a minor in neuroscience from the National Autonomous University of Mexico, where she started defining her academic interests towards the study of neurobiological mechanisms of addiction. After undergrad, Maria did a Master and a PhD in Neuropharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, her research focused on the neurochemical effects of solvent inhalation and its relation with the development of psychosis. Maria moved to the US in 2016 to pursue her postdoctoral training in the Oregon and Health and Science University, studying sex and age differences in dopaminergic function and how this is related to psychiatric illnesses, including addiction. In 2020, Maria joined Legacy Research Institute to complete her second postdoctoral stay under the guidance of Dr. Adie R. Wilson-Poe, where she studied the pharmacological interaction between opioids and cannabinoids in pain-oriented models. Recently, Maria got accredited as Qualified Mental Health Provider and became a member of the Cascadia Health clinicians team, currently providing services within the Child and Family Program.

#CannabisEducation #CBD #CBDOil #WholePlantExtract #WholePlant #FullSpectrum #BroadSpectrum #Hemp #HempExtract #MedicalCannabis #Addiction #MentalHealth #Opioids #CuriousAboutCannabis

Living Authentically and Casually Baked with Johanna Nuding | BTS 85

Johanna Nuding left everything she knew in her home state of Texas behind to rediscover herself as she lived abroad in a foreign country. Normally equipped with the strong communication skills typical of a marketing professional – for this journey, Jo would have to lose her ability to communicate. After a powerful series of life lessons, Johanna moved from Italy to California to begin a new chapter of life committed to a promise of living authentically. And with that authenticity – came the Casually Baked podcast. In this behind-the-scenes conversation we meet up with Jo to talk about her personal journey with Cannabis and how, upon returning to the United States with a newfound appreciation for the ability to communicate effectively, Johanna set out on a mission to use her skills as a storyteller and media creative to help people navigate the confusing world of Cannabis.

Along with the Casually Baked podcast, Johanna, with the help of a PhD friend, also has a line of Cannabis topicals that are in development and designed to help people with sensitive skin, including eczema, that may have trouble using common Cannabis skincare products on the market.

To learn more about Casually Baked, visit: https://casuallybaked.com/

To learn more about MJ Skin Relief, visit: https://mjskinrelief.com/

Stay curious and take it easy!

Infusing Cannabis Education with Curated Interactive Events with Tamara Anderson of Culinary & Cannabis | BTS 84

In this behind-the-scenes conversation we meet Tamara Anderson, a nurse by day and Cannabis event curator by night. Through a series of seemingly divinely orchestrated life events, Tamara realized that their skills as a nurse and pastry chef were perfectly suited to help people understand the many different ways that Cannabis can be used and how those products can affect the body.

Through personalized curated events ranging from luxurious spa experiences to 5-star chef-cooked infused meals at home – Tamara goes out of their way to ensure that anyone can have the chance to experiment with Cannabis edibles, topicals and other products so that they can figure out what kind of relationship, if any, they want with Cannabis.

In our conversation we discuss the role of experiential learning in Cannabis education and why it is so important for people to gain hands-on experience with Cannabis and Cannabis derived products when trying to learn about them. We also discuss the ways in which Tamara’s curated events have impacted some of their attendees, how Cannabis education affects Cannabis stigma, and more!

Learn more about Culinary and Cannabis at: https://www.culinaryandcannabis.com/

#CannabisEducation #CuriousAboutCannabis #CannabisEdibles #Hemp #CannabisEvents #CannaSpa #CulinaryAndCannabis

Standards: The Final Frontier? ASTM Intl’s Effort to Standardize the Cannabis Industry with Darwin Millard (The Spock of Cannabis) | BTS 83

In this behind-the-scenes conversation I beam aboard the USS Cannabis starship to join “The Spock of Cannabis” Darwin Millard to talk about ASTM International’s efforts to bring the planet together to develop unifying standards for the Cannabis industry. In this conversation we talk about why the development of international quality standards is critical, how ASTM’s collaborative open-door process of standard development is unique compared to how other organizations or government agencies develop standards, and how everyone with any interest in Cannabis has been invited to join the table to lend a voice and help drive the future of the international Cannabis industry.

You can learn more about ASTM International’s Cannabis subcommittee and get involved here: https://www.astm.org/get-involved/technical-committees/committee-d37

You can learn more about Darwin’s work at thespockofcannabis.com

“Live Long and Process!” – The Spock of Cannabis

#CannabisEducation #CannabisQuality #Cannabis #Hemp #CannabisIndustry #HempEducation #GlobalCannabis #GlobalCannabisIndustry #ASTM #ASTMIntl #LiveLongAndProcess #CuriousAboutCannabis

Unraveling the DNA of Cannabis with Oussama Badad of Trilogene Seeds | BTS 82

In this behind-the-scenes episode I chat with Oussama Badad, the lead geneticist for Trilogene Seeds to talk about the science behind Cannabis genetics and gene editing technologies. We discuss common misconceptions around gene editing, how gene editing using tools like CRISPR and RNA interference is different than the genetic modification technologies used to produce GMOs, how gene edited Cannabis plants could affect the Cannabis industry, Trilogene Seeds’ quest to produce THC-free hemp plants, Cannabis tissue culturing, and much more.

Learn more about Trilogene Seeds at trilogeneseeds.com

#CannabisEducation #CannabisGenetics #Cannabis #Hemp #THCFree #CannabisPodcast #CuriousAboutCannabis

Scroll to top