Canadian Cannabis Update

Yup, these are unprecedented times.  I'm pretty sure that none of us have ever gone through something quite like this pandemic & hopefully it will be the only time in our lives.  While I didn't want to add to the info overload out there, I didn't want to coast along & act like it's not on our minds either.  So I reached out to renowned doctor & medical cannabis advocate Dr. Mike Hart to ask a few questions about self care & what cannabis consumers should consider as this virus slowly reaches our borders. To follow Dr Mike Hart online, find him @drmikehart on social & at his website www.mikehartmd.com

Jodi Mcdonald, President of Keystone Labs joins me to talk about cannabis testing & analytics.  Because Keystone Labs works with small/recreational growers & large licensed producers, Jodi's able to address the things that they're most interested in & why.  We don't cover any COVID-19 topics in this chat & hope that you'll find this refreshing! More interviews will be published this week..  Stay safe.

Leafreport recently published a report called the CBD Market Consumer Research Study that was co-authored by Dr. Degrandpre.  She joined me to talk about the report, which covers over 3500+ products trying to make sense of what is legit & what products are pure marketing mayhem!   If you're new to CBD & curious, this is a perfect way to get some perspective on the massive number of products hitting the market place. Be safe & be smart..  This is a crazy time & the research is just starting to get underway. To read the full report, click here: https://www.leafreport.com/education/the-cbd-market-explained-a-guide-to-become-a-smart-consumer-3159

Long-time Calgary activist & educator Keith Fagin joined me to talk about his life & the role cannabis has played in it.  Keith knew at a very young age, the healing potential of cannabis & that if consumed responsibly the benefit that it could have on society.  Keith believes in a sensible approach to his work in the cannabis space & his work over years has earned the respect of many OG's in the Canadian activist scene.   Recently in the hospital, Keith finally had the time to sit down with me to tell his story.  I hope you enjoy. Follow Keith on Twitter @KF420

Strainprint is a well known & respected ancillary business in the legal cannabis space.  The Strainprint community loyally shares user experiences & information so that patients, consumers & industry players are better able to make sense of products in the marketplace.  Now, Strainprint has partnered up with TruTrace, which is a company that is able to scientifically analyze & verify cultivar & product information on a molecular level, facilitating Strainprint with better focused & more accurate information. CEO Andrew Muroff joined me to talk about the joint venture & to talk about the direction that his company is taking in this unpredictable world of legal cannabis.   Follow Andrew on Twitter @rockstar_inc or check out Strainprint.ca

Paul Pedersen, CEO & Co-Founder of extraction company Nextleaf Solutions talks about his business & why extraction technology is only in it's infancy in Canada & beyond.  As someone who doesn't know a lot of the extraction business model, I asked a lot of basic questions about how it works, so if you're curious but don't know a lot about this area, this interview's for you!  With "Cannabis 2.0" here in Canada, there's no better time to talk about extractions & why they may be the future of cannabis consumption. To follow Paul on social @paul_oils

One of my favourite interviews from 2019, Dr. David L Nathan is an outspoken drug policy reform advocate & psychiatrist.  Dr. Nathan talks at length about the philosophy of drug policy in the US & some of the ways in which the cannabis plant, in particular CBD, may be used (or not used) to treat patients with a wide variety of mental health issues. Make sure you follow Dr. Nathan on Twitter @DavidNathanMD, or just Google him!  Dr. Nathan has amazing content all over the internet!

Revered Lawyer, activist & entrepreneur, Kirk Tousaw talks about his former life as a "Pot Lawyer" & where he's headed today.  Kirk has defended many of Canada's leading cannabis activists for many years & has many stories to share about his experiences.  Kirk was kind enough to talk about some of his cases & do it in a way that is quite revealing & authentic.  It was an honour to produce this conversation & I'm hopeful that Kirk will join me again to tell more of his amazing & often crazy stories!   Follow Kirk on Twitter @kirktousaw or check out his company https://www.greatgardenerfarms.com

Dianna Donnelly is a respected home grower, teacher, blogger & leader when it comes to growing cannabis inside the home & on a small, personal scale.  A natural green thumb, Dianna decided to begin growing her own cannabis when she became a medical user & wasn't happy with the prices or selections offered by large-scale producers.  Dianna tells her story, talks about growing 25 plants in a small apartment & gives some solid perspective on growing & why it is so therapeutic. To find out more about Dianna, check out @finallyinsprired on Twitter, her blogs on the Boveda website or just Google her, she's everywhere! Enjoy!

Today's interview features Barinder Rasode, who is the CEO of Grow Tech Labs & founder of multiple companies in the cannabis space.  Barinder talks about their recently announced partnership with ETC Labs, the first privately funded plant medicine research facility in Canada.  Barinder & I are old friends so there's a fair amount of chat & other insights thrown in for good measure!  I hope you enjoy :) Find Barinder on Twitter @barinderrasode

If you really want to know about what's going on in the Ontario cannabis world, there's no one better to speak with than Abi Roach.  Abi gets you up to speed on what's really going on with government, lotteries & even gives some projections for what to expect in 2020.  As always, Abi is articulate & friendly so I personally just enjoyed hearing what she had to say.  Boil some coffee, sit back & relax.  Abi does not dissapoint! Twitter = @abiroach

If you listen to this podcast, you probably already know what The Business of Cannabis is all about as well.  Jay Rosenthal, Co-Founder of "B of C" joined me to talk about his start up & what it's been like to crack into the cannabis media scene.  Jay gets amazing access to many high level cannabis people, so you may think that it's always been easy but not according to Jay.  This like any other is a business and requires a lot of hard work & hustle.  This is a chance to get to know Jay a little better & to find out what it's like behind the scenes at The Business of Cannabis. Enjoy!

In life, most of us will never step onto a stage as large as a Miss Universe pageant.   Alyssa Boston is Miss Universe Canada & took to the stage wearing a cannabis inspired dress, not because she consumes cannabis but because she believes in legalization.  Alyssa took a big chance at the event & knew that by wearing a dress like she, there was also a chance it could be the difference between winning & losing.  Alyssa joined me to talk about the experience & to explain why she decided to fight the stigma on a World stage!   Follow Alyssa on Twitter @_alyssaboston

Often polarizing, never shy, Jodie Emery joined me for today's conversation to talk about her past, present & future.   I hope that you discover a side to Jodie that you haven't seen before, she seemed to let her guard down for this talk & I was grateful to produce the interview. Enjoy!

Is there such a thing as good vs evil in the world of cannabis?  I reached out to Travis Lane originally to talk about an article that explained why some licensed cannabis shops would like the government to crack down on unlicensed competition.. Makes sense right?  Not according the Travis who explains some of the history behind these stores & why many legal stores are not as pure as they would like consumers to think they are!  Travis is a respected cannabis OG, craft grower, consultant & business person based out of Vancouver Island, BC.  He's a well spoken "old soul" & we covered a lot of ground in this conversation, I hope you enjoy. Follow Travis @beardedgreenley

Andrew & his brother Steve Deangelo have been outspoken & very well respected cannabis activists for many decades.  When the rest of the World was ignoring the cannabis prohibition issue, Andrew & Steven were out fighting to break cannabis stigmas, educate & break down archaic prohibition laws that were quite literally hurting people from all walks of life, all over the World.  Andrew joined me to talk about his life and to discuss his theories & perspective on the plant. He was thoughtful, gracious & very open hearted, they type of qualities that make people great leaders. This was another bucket list interview for me, one I won’t forget & one that I’ll listen to time & time again. I hope you enjoy.. Twitter = @Andrew_DeAngelo

Balance CBD's Co-Founder & Head of R&D Dr. Manpreet Bajwa joined me on today's podcast to talk about CBD & why his company may be able to lead the pack in a sea of competitors.  CBD research & knowledge is no doubt still in it's infancy & Dr. Bajwa talks not only about his company but many of the ways in which CDB is now being administered & for what ailments.  This interview features talk about the CBD business, CDB research & some insights into the potential future of the industry.   www.BalanceCBD.com

Curt Robbins is certainly not a stereotypical stoner.  On the contrary, Curt is one of the most prolific technical writers, lecturers & photographers in the cannabis space.  A lot of people know him & identify with his work through his former pen name Gooey Rabinski.  He kindly tells the story behind that name & why he's transitioned back to Curt Robbins.  Interviewing Curt was truly an honour & his insights were educational & entertaining.  I know you're gonna like this one!  Enjoy :)

Lots of things going down in Mexico these days, one thing's for sure though, they aren't rushing into anything!  Jorge Rubio, the "Official Mexico Correspondent" of this podcast fills us in on what the Mexican government is up to & way federal legalization may still be far away.   To follow Jorge on Twitter @jorgeRU77

Shane, AKA Vape the Bud is a Canadian-based Cannabis reviewer. People like Shane are taking on this work, systematically reviewing everything that comes across their desks so that regular cannabis users like you and I can gain insights on what might be good & what may not be!  Shane tells his story, talks about how he does his reviews & eludes to what his future may hold.  Amazing guy, I really enjoyed this conversation, I hope you do too. @vapethebud