Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research

CBD and the CB1 Receptor: A Look at Allosteric Modulation with Rob Laprairie, PhD + Liz Thompson, MS | #102

How does CBD affect the CB1 receptor, really?

Rob Laprairie is a cannabinoid researcher out of the University of Saskatchewan who was involved in the discovery of CBD’s allosteric binding activity on the CB1 receptor – leading to a host of speculative theories about how CBD influences the activity of THC. In this conversation, continuing our Train with Mary Jane series, we sit down with Rob and discuss his work studying the CB1 receptor to better understand how CBD and “minor” cannabinoids from Cannabis affect the body. Rob helps break down common misunderstandings about CBD’s effects, explains how our understanding of chemical receptors is evolving, and what the future of cannabinoid research may look like.

“Allosteric and orthosteric pharmacology of cannabidiol and cannabidiol-dimethylheptyl at the type 1 and type 2 cannabinoid receptors”: https://bpspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/bph.14440

Concussions and the Endocannabinoid System with Patrick Neary, PhD and Liz Thompson, PhDc, MSc | #100

Dive into a journey of discovery with our latest episode of the ‘Train With Mary Jane’ mini-series, where we delve deep into the pioneering research funded by the NFL on Cannabis and its potential to revolutionize the treatment of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) in athletes. This episode welcomes the return of clinical physiologist Liz Thompson and introduces a new, distinguished guest, Dr. Patrick Neary, PhD – a researcher in the realm of kinesiology from the University of Regina, Canada, with a passion for unraveling the mysteries of concussions and TBIs.

Join us as we embark on an exploration of Dr. Neary’s experience in concussion research, unlocking the intricate science behind concussions, the profound long-term effects of TBIs, and the promising intersection of TBI treatment with the endocannabinoid system. Discover the potential of cannabinoids in altering the landscape of TBI therapy and much more!

For those eager to learn more about the ‘Train with Mary Jane’ initiative and the NFL’s foray into cannabis research for athlete care, visit Mary Jane Athletics or Train with Mary Jane. Don’t miss this captivating episode that bridges the worlds of sports, science, and hope through the lens of cannabis research.

Train with Mary Jane: Inside the NFL’s Quest to Research Cannabinoids for Athletic Injury with Liz Thompson PhDc, MSc | #99

Elizabeth Thompson is a researcher at the University of Saskatchewan currently working on a project that has started to get international attention – the National Football League’s (NFL) million dollar research project to understand how cannabinoids could impact the health and safety of athletes. In this behind-the-scenes conversation we hear Liz’s story about her personal connection to professional sports, her journey to understand molecular mechanisms of the body, links between the endocannabinoid system and sports injury recovery, and how a moment of inspiration snowballed into the clinical trial now titled “Cannabinoids for Pain Management and Neuroprotection From Concussion” (ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT06204003).

If you are an athlete, athletic trainer or sports healthcare worker, you have an opportunity to contribute to the NFL research project! Visit www.maryjaneathletics.com to complete a survey so that your experience and voice can be represented in this groundbreaking project!

Learn more at:

https://www.maryjaneathletics.com/

https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06204003

https://www.nfl.com/playerhealthandsafety/health-and-wellness/pain-management/nfl-awards-1-million-to-study-impact-of-cannabis-and-cbd-on-pain-management

HHC, THCP, and Beyond with Westley Cruces of Colorado Chromatography

You may have noticed that your local gas station has started selling products marketed like Cannabis products with promises that they are legal ways to get you high without THC. No, we haven’t gone back in time. This isn’t 1999 and no, you’re not reading one of those “legal bud” ads in the back of the High Times magazine. This is 2024 and we are seeing a re-emergence of synthetic cannabinoids, particularly THC analogues, now presumably legal under the guise of the 2018 Farm Bill.

Colorado Chromatography is one of the leading labs responsible for producing and studying these new cannabinoids on the block, like HHC, H4CBD, THCP, and others. In this conversation we sit down with the Chief Science Officer of and co-founder of Colorado Chromatography, Westley Cruces, to talk about their journey learning about these molecules, the results from preliminary safety studies on HHC, evidence of fraud in delta-8 and THCP products, and more!

Learn more about Colorado Chromatography: https://coloradochromatography.com/

Is Acetone Lurking in Your Terpenes? and Other Cannabis Science Musings feat. Jeff Raber, PhD

We kick off 2024 catching up with Dr. Jeff Raber of The Werc Shop to talk about Cannabis quality, Cannabis potency testing fraud, THC inflation, acetone showing up in Cannabis extracts, preparing young scientists for working in the Cannabis industry, the launch of The Werc Shop’s ENTOUR brand and more!

How do we fix the lab testing fraud issue in the Cannabis industry?

Why is acetone showing up in terpene-rich Cannabis samples?

How can young scientists prepare for the brutal realities of working for a startup Cannabis company?

We explore these questions and more in this episode of The Curious About Cannabis Podcast!

Learn more about ENTOUR at www.entourbrand.com

Learn more about The Werc Shop at www.thewercshop.com

Looking Back on Cannabis Research from 2023 | BTS 96

Welcome back! In this episode we will spend some time diving into some of the top several scientific research articles about Cannabis that got my attention in 2023. Also, don’t forget to sign up for the 2024 Curious About Cannabis Master Class before we fill up! As of now we have 7 spots left before we are all full for the year. Don’t miss your chance to attend one of the most epic and rewarding Cannabis education events of the year!

Articles mentioned:

Minor, Nonterpenoid Volatile Compounds Drive the Aroma Differences of Exotic Cannabishttps://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acsomega.3c04496

Selected cannabis terpenes synergize with THC to produce increased CB1 receptor activationhttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006295223001399

Combined non-psychoactive Cannabis components cannabidiol and β-caryophyllene reduce chronic pain via CB1 interaction in a rat spinal cord injury modelhttps://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0282920

Cannabinoformins: Designing Biguanide-Embedded, Orally Available, Peripherally Selective Cannabinoid-1 Receptor Antagonists for Metabolic Syndrome Disordershttps://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c00599

Cannabis: a multifaceted plant with endless potentialshttps://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2023.1200269/full

Photoperiods, Flushing, and the Science of Dense Buds with Michael Alden of Clemson University

12/12 photoperiods for flowering? Flushing for better flower? Eh, you might have been misled.

In this episode we meet Michael Alden, a researcher at Clemson University in South Carolina who has spent several years carefully examining how the Cannabis plant responds to inputs, stress and different cultivation techniques. He shares with us his findings so far regarding the science behind nutrient flushing, why 12/12 flowering photoperiods are not ideal for some plants, how to achieve dense buds without the use of plant growth regulators, and much more!

If you are interested in the science behind Cannabis cultivation – you’ve come to the right place.

#CuriousAboutCannabis #Cannabis #CannabisCultivation #CannabisGrowing #HempCultivation #HempGrowing #Flushing #PGRs #nutes #botany #horticulture #CannabisEducation #HempEducation #CannabisPodcast #CannabisScience

Seeing Through The Smoke: Separating Cannabis Facts from Fiction with Peter Grinspoon, MD | BTS 92

In this behind-the-scenes episode we catch up with physician and medical Cannabis educator Peter Grinspoon, MD to talk about the ways in which Cannabis is misunderstood – both by the anti-Cannabis camps and the pro-Cannabis camps. We talk about the clinical data around medical Cannabis, what issues Cannabis has demonstrated efficacy in treating, the limitations of medical Cannabis and more.

We also spend some time diving into Peter’s background, talking about his late father Lester Grinspoon, MD who authored a landmark book entitled Marihuana Reconsidered which was published in 1971 and paved the way for the medical Cannabis movements that would follow. We also discussed Peter’s brother Danny’s struggle with cancer, which claimed his life at the age of 15, and the role Cannabis played in enhancing Danny’s quality of life before he died. Later in life Peter would struggle with a grueling opiate addiction which he would later go on to write about in his 2016 book Free Refills: A Doctor Confronts His Addiction. Toward the end of the show we talk about what it was like growing up around famed scientist and science communicator Carl Sagan, who was a good friend of the Grinspoon family and also a Cannabis user.

Peter just released a new book entitled Seeing Through The Smoke: A Cannabis Specialist Untangles The Truth About Marijuana available now.

This was a special episode for me, personally, because Peter’s work, the work of his father, and the work of Carl Sagan all had big impacts on how I came to think about Cannabis and science education. I hope you enjoy!

#CannabisEducation #MedicalCannabis #MedicalMarijuana #CannabisIndustry #CannabisCommunity #Cannabinoids #Addiction #CarlSagan #LesterGrinspoon #PeterGrinspoon #Cancer

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

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