Is Acetone Lurking in Your Terpenes? and Other Cannabis Science Musings feat. Jeff Raber, PhD
By cacpodcast.comWe 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
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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 Cannabis – https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acsomega.3c04496
Selected cannabis terpenes synergize with THC to produce increased CB1 receptor activation – https://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 model – https://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 Disorders – https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c00599
Cannabis: a multifaceted plant with endless potentials – https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2023.1200269/full
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Cannabis Quality is More Than THC or Terpenes with Adie Rae PhD | BTS #78
What does Cannabis quality mean to you? Is it all about THC? Is it all about the terps?
In this behind-the-scenes episode we caught up with pharmacologist and researcher Dr. Adie Rae from Oregon, USA to talk primarily about the results of her recent publication “The Nose Knows: Aroma, but Not THC Mediates the Subjective Effects of Smoked and Vaporized Cannabis Flower” which revealed that subjective aroma enjoyment correlates more with positive Cannabis experiences than THC or terpene concentrations. We also discussed Dr. Rae’s prior and current research on the interactions between the endocannabinoid system and opioids, the need to re-evaluate how we define “quality” in the Cannabis industry, the importance of organoleptic training for medicinal herbs, and more!
Adie Rae is a neuroscientist known for her extensive expertise on cannabis. She is an Assistant Scientist at Legacy Research Institute, and adjunct faculty at Washington State University. Her human and preclinical research is focused on pain management, addiction, and harm reduction. Adie has published in top academic journals under the surname Wilson-Poe, and she is passionate about the interaction between cannabis and opioids. Adie serves as the Vice-Chair of the Oregon Cannabis Commission, and she is a long-standing member of the International Cannabinoid Research Society. Dr. Rae also co-founded the consulting and technology firm Smart Cannabis. Follow her on Instagram: @dr.adie
You can learn more about Dr. Rae and her work at https://www.smartcannabis.life/
Link to “Nose Knows” study: https://www.mdpi.com/2813-1851/1/2/8
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Sniffing Out the Skunk in Cannabis with TJ Martin of Abstrax Tech | BTS #74
In this behind-the-scenes episode we caught up with TJ Martin of Abstrax Tech to discuss their research into Cannabis extracts and the chemistry that impacts the plant’s aromas and flavors. We talk about their discovery of a family of sulfur compounds in Cannabis that are largely responsible for the skunk smell of Cannabis. We also discussed their prior research into vape pen additives and what kinds of compounds may be emitted from heated vape pen additives.
To learn more about Abstrax Tech, visit www.abstraxtech.com
Abstrax is a flavor and fragrance manufacturer that specializes in cannabis and hop raw materials, terpenes, and aroma compound research to innovate terpene driven product formulations that shape consumer packaged goods. Abstrax specializes in botanical research, ingredient manufacturing and formulation science with a specific focus on terpene research.
T.J. Martin graduated with a B.S. in Chemistry from CSU Polytechnic Pomona. He gained experience with a wide array of analytical techniques and research applications by collaborating with groups in the fields of chemistry, solid state physics, green chemistry, materials science, and polymer science. Currently T.J. is the VP of Research and Development at Abstrax where he creates custom flavor solutions and research fundamental and applied facets of cannabis science via Abstrax Labs.
Research Articles Mention in This Episode:
Identification of a New Family of Prenylated Volatile Sulfur Compounds in Cannabis Revealed by Comprehensive Two-Dimensional Gas Chromatography
Iain W. H. Oswald, Marcos A. Ojeda, Ryan J. Pobanz, Kevin A. Koby, Anthony J. Buchanan, Josh Del Rosso, Mario A. Guzman, and Thomas J. Martin. ACS Omega 2021 6 (47), 31667-31676. http://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.1c04196
Characterization of Vaping Emission Products from Commonly Used Vape Juice Diluents
Huanhuan Jiang, C. M. Sabbir Ahmed, Thomas J. Martin, Alexa Canchola, Iain W. H. Oswald, Jose Andres Garcia, Jin Y. Chen, Kevin A. Koby, Anthony J. Buchanan, Zixu Zhao, Haofei Zhang, Kunpeng Chen, and Ying-Hsuan LinChemical Research in Toxicology 2020 33 (8), 2157-2163. http://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemrestox.0c00174
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BTS #39 Arno Hazekamp PhD on Cannabis Chemovars, Controversies, and the Need for Better Education
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.
Learn more about Arno’s work at https://hazekamp.info/
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BTS #37 Marcus “Bubbleman” Richardson on Bubble Hash, Legacy in Cannabis, Defense of Isolates
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!
Learn more about Marcus’ work at www.bubblemanbrand.com
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BTS #28 Jacqueline von Salm PhD on Cannabis Terpenes, Drugs From Nature, Chemical Ecology
In this behind-the-scenes episode we sit down with organic chemist Jackie von Salm PhD (@terp_queen_phd on Instagram), who was a recent winner of the ElSohly award given to outstanding researchers in the Cannabis space. Her team recently discovered the presence of a terpene common only among certain varieties of Cannabis, which is not tested for currently among most Cannabis testing labs and has largely been excluded from the discussion when talking about categorizing Cannabis varieties by chemical profile. We also discuss the process of discovering natural products suitable for drug development, how chemistry is interconnected with ecology and psychology, what she wants to see from future Cannabis research and much more!
Jackie is a co-founder and CSO of the company Psilera Bioscience which is dedicated to exploring the potential of psychoactive natural products to treat mental health disorders.
Learn more about Psilera Bioscience at www.psilera.com
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BTS #15: Daniel Hayden PhD of Extractioneering on Carbonated Extracts, Spectral Fingerprinting, and the Vilification of THC
In this behind-the-scenes (BTS) interview we sit down with Dr. Daniel Hayden of Extractioneering to talk all about extraction and Cannabis extract quality. In this conversation we discuss misconceptions about hydrocarbon extraction techniques, the meaning of the term “full spectrum”, how Extractioneering makes its carbonated extracts, using spectral fingerprinting to identify the quality of extracts, and much more.
This interview has an accompanying video available on the Curious About Cannabis YouTube Channel.
Learn more about Extractioneering at www.extractioneering.com
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BTS #12 Peggy Anderson of Canna Help You? on Cannabis for Seniors
In this behind-the-scenes (BTS) episode we sit down with Peggy Anderson, the founder of Canna Help You?, a company that provides education to seniors about Cannabis. In this conversation we discuss common reasons why seniors are turning to Cannabis, how to minimize the chance of an uncomfortable Cannabis experience, what to do if a Cannabis experience becomes overwhelming, and much more.
Enjoy, and stay curious!
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BTS #11 Jason Miller DACM on Chinese Medicine, Cannabis, Cancer
In this behind-the-scenes (BTS) episode we speak with Dr. Jason Miller, an expert in traditional Chinese medicine with a focus on the treatment of cancer. In this conversation we explore how Dr. Miller conceptualizes Cannabis in relation to other medicinal plants, historical uses of Cannabis in Chinese medicine, the promise and limitations of Cannabis as a medicine, his experience with Cannabis as a cancer treatment, bridging the worlds of eastern and western medicine, and much more!
Enjoy, and stay curious!
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