Cannabis Voices

This episode is to honour and celebrate the legacy of previous guest Michelle Kendall who died last year from ovarian cancer. In her words:"I think the universe gave me lemons. And I didn't just make lemonade. I feel like I've made lemon meringue pie."Michelle is referring to her unwavering determination to use a scientific approach to finding a cure for her cancer using cannabis. As well as making her Schedule 1 documentary highlighting the blockade on research into cannabinoids caused by the completely unjustified schedule 1 classification of the cannabis plant, Michelle and her husband Bruce ploughed their savings into funding research through the Israeli lab of Professor Hinanit Koltai from the Volcani Institute with the view to finding a cure for her cancer.Sadly Michelle passed away in September 2021, too soon to see the publication of the peer reviewed paper based on her initial studies and curiosity which found that combining THC, CBG and CBC showed anticancer properties against ovarian cancer cell lines. Bruce and Hinanit hope this is just the start, and are looking for funding to eventually translate these findings to clinical trials. For anyone interested in finding out more about this work, please contact Bruce through the company he set up with Michelle before her death. https://www.CannaOncResearch.comkendall@CannaOncResearch.com+1 (805) 708-7353You can hear Michelle's previous interview on Cannabis Voices here. Support the show

Many of us have heard about how the anti-tumoral effects of cannabis and anecdotal accounts abound of patients who've successfully treated their cancer with cannabis oil.But combining cannabis and psilocybin is a potentially exciting combination using a two pronged approach: targeting the cancer cells with cannabis while healing the emotional trauma and discord with psilocybin (although psilocybin may have its own anticancer effects).This is the courageous route Nicole DiMonda took when she discovered she had breast cancer: up-titrating to high doses of a full spectrum cannabis extract, abundant in not only THC and CBD but also the acidic cannabinoids, alongside heroic doses and microdosing psilocybin. This until now, has been alongside standard cancer treatments. So far, Nicole's results have far exceeded her physician's expectations, and her case history has been highlighted in a recent paper published in collaboration with Drug Science and Imperial College London.Sadly, Nicole's cancer is terminal but the couple hope they can continue to beat the odds using their cannabis/psilocybin protocol. In the meantime, they continue to spread the word about this unique approach to healing not only the body, but the mind and spirit as well.  If you want to follow Nicole's journey, she can be followed on Instagram or contacted through the CBD brand Grace Health and Wellness she runs with Jaime. Support the show

Today sees the return of Rebekah Shaman and in what might feel like a rather off topic episode for a Cannabis podcast, we will be talking about the benefits of cacao to our mind, body and spirit. I've been enjoying ceremonial grade cacao every morning as a hot chocolate drink for the  last three months, and have experienced some unexpected health benefits: namely improved mood and some pretty impressive metrics for my heart health.  There's some very interesting research looking at how certain flavonoids in cacao and theobromine help to protect our hearts, lower blood pressure and even stave off dementia, plus it helps to buffer us against stress by lowering cortisol. All of which I hope to be sharing in some articles soon.  Many of you know Rebekah through the UK's hemp industry and the British Hemp Alliance, but she has also been importing cacao and holding cacao ceremonies since  2012 when she was told by the spirit of ayahuasca to bring back cacao to the UK and start offering it ceremonially. Head here for more information about Rebekah's Ritual Cacao and for information about her 21 day "Coffee to Cacao Challenge." Support the show

Jane Hinchliffe has a complex collection of illnesses which include complex regional pain syndrome, anxiety, ASD and functional neurological disorder which has meant since being a teen she has been prescribed a host of prescribed medications including strong opiates.For many years Jane sourced cannabis from the legacy market to control her pain and also grew her own, which led her to spending a short spell in prison. So eventually, she decided to go the legal route and is now a medical cannabis patient through a UK clinic.Thanks to cannabis Jane has gone from a zombie like state and in a wheelchair to be a gym enthusiast and fitness fanatic. She is also very active on social media, with many of her posts highlighting the stigma she and most other patients face when medicating, even if they have a prescription.This is a lively interview with some entertaining moments thanks to Jane's colourful and down-to-earth character and funny storytelling.    Resources: Jane's Twitter Jane's YouTube Channel Seed Our Future Guidance for Medical Cannabis UsersSupport the show

In 2018 Rebecca was diagnosed with a rare neuroendocrine cancer which resulted in a sudden removal of her left lung. At that time, she was Director of Business Development with a prominent laboratory equipment supplier serving the cannabis industry in North America. From chronic fatigue or menstrual cramps to cancer-related pain and anxiety she was able to find relief from cannabis. This led to a passionate quest to understand the science and production process more deeply behind cannabis products and medicines. Her strong background in cannabis led to her relocation from the US to the UK to join the AGI International team as Business Development Manager. She has been using her voice to spread awareness through education about the potential benefits of cannabis use for therapeutic purposes.  As a member of PLEA's advisory board, she also attends UK Cannabis Industry Council meetings and participates in Drug Science's Medical Cannabis Working Group. As cannabis continues to grow into a global conversation Rebecca will be at the forefront of the movement championing for education and drug policy reform.Support the show

There's no romantic  origin story of how Alvaro Torres, CEO and Co-founder of Khiron Life Sciences,  a Colombian medical cannabis company, got into the sector.And for this reason, it would be tempting to assume the company was started to make the most of the worldwide cannabis green rush with little concern for patients. It would seem though that at Khiron, Torres and his team strive towards making patients the centre of the business model, whether it's their established clinics in Colombia or their more recent concerns in the UK and Germany. This is a great interview for cannabis industry professionals and patients alike, as it shows how humanity does not have to be lost when creating a successful medical cannabis company. In fact, it might just work in its favour.Useful links:https://khiron.ca/https://khironmed.co.uk/https://zereniaclinic.co.uk/Support the show

Nikki Lawley is a patient advocate, speaker, and founder of Nikki and the Plant. She personally discovered cannabis as medicine after suffering a life-changing injury while working as a pediatric nurse. In October of 2016, Nikki was a 46-year-old woman whose life changed in literally a second.  Going from being a medical professional to becoming a patient was a major adjustment and almost cost this vibrant mother, wife, and career professional to contemplating taking her own life after becoming a victim of the traditional medical system, seeing over 50 doctors, and was on cocktails of drugs that each had more and more side effects. Four months after her injury, Nikki found plant medicine. Nikki and the Plant is a pillar of medical cannabis advocacy and a champion for the importance of sharing patient stories.  She is planning on creating the first product line focusing on cannabis and the science behind why cannabis helps support for her chronic pain, cognitive function, anxiety, and depression.   Nikki is on the Patient Advisory Board for NY State Americans for Safe Access and for Cannabis BPO. Nikki is considered a leading voice in the community, chronicling her journey from being a healthcare provider to a patient to an advocate. She hopes to bring worldwide awareness to invisible illness and disability. She has been a guest on multiple podcasts and shows including “Let's Be Blunt with Montel Williams.” Contact and social media links All Links to podcasts, videos and articles  https://linktr.ee/NikkilawleyWebsite   www.nikkiandtheplant.orgLinked In  https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikki-lawley-aa281517/?trk=people-guest_people_search-cardFacebook https://www.facebook.com/nikki.lawleyFacebook Page https://www.facebook.com/nikkiandtheplantInstagram https://www.instagram.com/nikkiandtheplant/YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8gIjFp_5cCEiwbTHBQXfrw Email nikkilawley1@gmail.comSupport the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/marybiles71)

 Dr. Bonni Goldstein is one of the most well-respected and long-established cannabis doctors in the United States. Prior to cannabis, she worked for fourteen years in pediatric emergency medicine, developed a passion for cannabis when she witnessed how helpful it had been in treating a friend's illness.This inspired her to eventually open Canna-Centers Wellness and Education in California where she specializes in treating children with intractable epilepsy, autism, cancer and other conditions.Bonni is author of the  “Cannabis is Medicine: How Medical Cannabis and CBD are Healing Everything from Anxiety to Chronic Pain” and has carried out two ground-breaking studies researching the use of Cannabis-Responsive biomarkers to document cannabis treatment efficacy, guide clinical decision-making, and improve outcomes in children with autism.In this interview, Bonni shares her true feelings about the resistance universally found amongst pediatric neurologists towards cannabis-based medicines for epilepsy, and is a real masterclass for anyone interested in pediatric cannabis medicine. Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/marybiles71)

Eloise Theisen is a board certified Adult Geriatric Nurse Practitioner and nurse for over twenty years, who since 2014 has been specialising in treating patients with medical cannabis. Eloise is current President of the American Cannabis Nurses Association, CEO of Radicle Health, which offers patient care focussing on cannabinoids, as well as cannabis education for clinicians and industry training and is also Chief Nursing Officer and Board President for Leaf 411, a nonprofit operating a  cannabis-trained nurse  guidance line.A fierce advocate for increasing the involvement of nurses in patient care with medical cannabis and improving health inequalities in cannabis and more generally, Eloise's expertise and passion makes this an episode not to miss.   Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/marybiles71)

Dr. Gordon is double board certified in family medicine and integrative medicine and author of 'The CBD Bible'. Having started her medical career practising in Canada, she is now located in the United Kingdom. As an integrative medicine practitioner in Canada, cannabis was just one treatment option amongst many she called upon to return patients to optimal health. Alongside Professor Mike Barnes, Dani helped set up the Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society, of which she is Vice Chair, and her extensive knowledge has been integral in the training of many new medicinal cannabis prescribers in the UK. She has also just opened up her own integrative practice Feel Clinics specialising in women's health and mental wellbeing where she offers her own particular blend of cannabinoids, other botanicals, functional medicine testing, and evidence based mind/body practices. Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/marybiles71)

Filmmaker Steve Barron has directed some of the most iconic music videos of the 1980s including Michael Jackson's Billie Jean (which we discuss in the podcast), Aha's Take on Me, Human League Don't You Want Me Baby, and The Jam's Going Underground (to name but a few).Steve's also been a pretty successful film and TV director as well, and yet, it's his latest project - constructing a house from the hemp he's grown on his own farm - that he views as his greatest achievement.Steve has been collaborating since the project's early stages with Cambridge University, and together they've come up with some pretty cool innovations on creating construction materials from hemp.Steve hopes that Margent Farm will just be the beginning and the hemp-based technology they've created can eventually be scaled up and be used worldwide as a more sustainable source of building materials. Resources:Margent Farm websiteMetro Article on Steve Follow Steve on Twitter Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/marybiles71)

In November 2019, months before the pandemic struck, Irish chronic pain patient Alicia Maher decided she'd had enough of getting cannabis off the street in order to treat the chronic pain she'd endured for many years. She decided to move to Alicante in Spain, where she could access cannabis semi-legally from the cannabis clubs there.However, now Alicia wants to come home to her friends and family. Only if she does, if she brings her medicine back into the country she risks getting arrested.  Alicia Maher's story is one that shows in all its horror the intransigence of governments around the world in relation to medical cannabis, in particular when it comes to chronic pain. In Ireland, consultants are generally resistant to prescribing medicinal cannabis at all. However, for conditions such as intractable epilepsy, MS and chemotherapy related nausea and vomiting, medical cannabis prescriptions are paid for by the state.Unfortunately at the moment, regulators have found insufficient evidence for the efficacy of medicinal cannabis in chronic pain meaning patients have to fund the treatment themselves.In Alicia's case, despite being one of the lucky few to have found a willing pain consultant, her prescription would cost more than the money she receives every month in disability benefits, making in an unsustainable option.  So for the time being, in order to be able to afford to receive the medicine she needs, she must continue living as a medical cannabis refugee in SpainSupport the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/marybiles71)

In one of the most inspiring interviews of the series so far, I speak to Alisia Ratliff, CEO of Victus Capital Ventures and until very recently Chief Scientific Officer at Jersey Hemp in the UK. We cover many topics including: her lonely journey as a woman of colour into a career in sciencehow the challenges she has faced have only made her more determined to succeedher views on the UK CBD industry from her time at Jersey Hemp why it's so important to redress the wrongs that have been committed to the black and hispanic communities through the criminal justice system for cannabis possession by creating a more diverse and inclusive cannabis sectorMore information on Alisia: LinkedIn Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/marybiles71)

Today we speak to Sam Cannon, who didn't take no for an answer when his hemp-focussed applications to the upcoming Cop26 UN Climate Summit were turned down.Instead he decided to put his passion for hemp and background in music and events to good use, organising an exciting new fringe festival called 'Beyond The Green' at St Lukes in Glasgow on the 5th, 6th and 7th of November. In this episode, we hear how Sam's passion for campaigning for changing the stigma about hemp and cannabis really came to fruition when his 'day job' Djing and touring with Formula E, the motorsport championship for electric cars, ground to a halt in the pandemic.Sam also gives us a whistle stop tour of the potential hemp (or is it cannabis) holds for the planet and the overall health of its human inhabitants, as well as his thoughts on why the government are taking so long to listen to the science surrounding hemp's role in becoming carbon neutral.  For more information about Beyond The Green Fringe Festival head to this website. Information on the line up and ticket details for the Earth Aid event on Saturday 6th November head to this website. And to see a clip from the interview Sam did we me sitting on a log:  YoutubeSupport the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/marybiles71)

Today's episode features Phil Monk, founder of We The Undersigned, a community group  a "united in the shared belief in the most ancient, traditional and fundamental human right to be free to sow the seeds of the highly nutritious herb of the cannabis family, to care for and nurture, then harvest, prepare, medicate, enjoy and share, free from the fear of persecution, prosecution or prison for this fundamental health choice to manage our health, well-being and happiness with natural herbal cannabis."Ex teacher Phil has a host of chronic health conditions including chronic myofascial pain and depression, but finds cannabis not only gives him quality of life, but also a deeper connection with the divine as well as unlocking a level of creativity he never knew he had.ResourcesWe The Undersigned Website The Legal Fund Phil's book: 'The Fight for Rights and Freedom of Choice'  Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/marybiles71)

After more than 20 years  as a director of UK and Australian Stock Exchange quoted companies,  mainly focused on the acquisition, structuring and financing of natural resources deals across Africa, in 2018 Melissa Sturgess turned her attention to medical cannabis.Following a deep dive into the cannabinoid science gained in Israel, she founded UK based, AQSE quoted Ananda Developments Plc to invest in the sector and is its largest shareholder.  Melissa is also the founder of premium CBD brand Montana and was the recipient of the Executive of the Year at the Malta Cannabiz Awards in November 2019.  High on Ananda's list of priorities is growing high quality medical cannabis in the UK using sustainable practices that are line with patients' needs.Melissa is a passionate advocate and mentor for women in business, and has some great advice for anyone, women or men, about raising capital.   Resources:Ananda Developments Montana LinkedIn Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/marybiles71)

Healing leg ulcers and wounds is one of those unsexy areas that rarely get spoken about possibly because most people that have them are elderly and immobile.But as Dr Vincent Maida, a Canadian palliative care physician explains, right now current protocols do for treating these painful and debilitating wounds overall do not have successful outcomes.Dr Maida's work in palliative care over the years exposed him to the therapeutic use of cannabis based medicines, piquing his interest into wondering whether cannabis might also help heal his patients' leg ulcers.Using his own patented formula combining cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids, Dr Maida has published various papers that show in the patient population treated with topical cannabis, they experienced far superior wound healing compared with standard treatment alone.So far, the research has been preliminary and in open label studies, but according to Dr Maida, clinical studies are hopefully in the offing. Resources:Clinical parameters associated with pressure ulcer healing in patients with advanced illnessTopical Medical Cannabis: A New Treatment for Wound Pain-Three Cases of Pyoderma GangrenosumTopical cannabis-based medicines - A novel paradigm and treatment for non-uremic calciphylaxis leg ulcers: An open label trialTopical cannabis-based medicines – A novel adjuvant treatment for venous leg ulcers: An open-label trialhttp://vincentmaida.com/Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/marybiles71)

This week's episode is dedicated to Project Twenty21, the UK medical cannabis registry collecting data on safety and efficacy, while offering the participants subsidised medical cannabis prescriptions.I speak to Anne Katrin Schlag, Head of Research at Drug Science, and overseeing the research side of T21. She explains how the project came about, what it aims to achieve, and what benefits there are for patients. She also discusses some promising preliminary findings from T21 shared in a peer reviewed paper published earlier this year. To get the patient's perspective I speak to Claire Bywalec, who developed fibromyalgia after a riding accident as a child. Claire explains not only how cannabis has transformed her life, but also the process of onboarding with T21 and how it's worked for her.For more information about getting involved with Project Twenty21, head to https://www.drugscience.org.uk/project-twenty21/Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/marybiles71)

Kyle Esplin, a professional musician by trade, discovered CBD and hemp after becoming severely debilitated by post viral fatigue.Where conventional medicine failed, CBD and hemp extracts gradually brought Kyle back to health, so he decided to harness his new found passion and create his own CBD brand, Holistic Highland Hemp.A vocal challenger to  regulations such as Novel Foods and the licensing of hemp farming through the home office, Kyle is chair of the Scottish Hemp Association and is in the process of making a documentary about the UK hemp industry. LinksHolistic Highland HempScottish Hemp AssociationCannabis Industry Council  Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/marybiles71)

Professor Javier Fernández-Ruiz is Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine at the Complutense University of Madrid. He is currently the Principal Investigator of the “Cannabinoids and Neurological Disorders” research group at the Complutense University. Professor Fernandez is also a member of the Editorial Board in the British Journal of Pharmacology. He has authored several papers outlining the therapeutic potential of cannabinoids in degenerative disorders including:Cannabinoids in Neurodegenerative Disorders and Stroke/Brain Trauma: From Preclinical Models to Clinical ApplicationsEndocannabinoids and Neurodegenerative Disorders: Parkinson's Disease, Huntington's Chorea, Alzheimer's Disease, and OthersCannabidiol for neurodegenerative disorders: important new clinical applications for this phytocannabinoid?The biomedical challenge of neurodegenerative disorders: an opportunity for cannabinoid-based therapies to improve on the poor current therapeutic outcomesProspects for cannabinoid therapies in basal ganglia disordersAs Professor Fernandez mentioned in the podcast, he is happy to be contacted by anyone interested in finding out more about his area of research and can be emailed on jjfr@med.ucm.es. (Please remember he is not a medical doctor). Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/marybiles71)

Some of us come to the power of plant medicine relatively late in life (me for example), while others are practically born into an appreciation of their medicinal benefits. Sarah Russo falls into the latter category. As the daughter of respected cannabinoid researcher and neurologist Dr Ethan Russo, since being a child she has shared his fascination with all things botanical. For over a decade, Sarah was involved with pushing for a change in cannabis legislation in the US, and was very much involved in the formative years of Project CBD. Now living in Ibiza, Spain, Sarah's vision of plant medicine extends well beyond the cannabis plant, and is why she has written the graphic novel, Herbs for the Apocalypse: where plants and punk rock collide in a tale of apocalyptic reckoning. Check out the fantastic website that accompanies the book, which seeks to empower us 'by delving deep into the realms of how herbal medicine can heal and bring us closer to our higher collective evolution.'For more information and to find out how to get hold of the graphic novel go to:https://www.herbsfortheapocalypse.com/Instagram/facebook: @herbsforapocalypseTwitter: @herbsapocalypseCheck out Dr Ethan Russo's fantastic podcast episode explaining clinical endocannabinoid deficiencySupport the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/marybiles71)

Dr Evan  Lewis is a Pediatric Neurologist and Clinical Neurophysiologist with expertise in epilepsy, epilepsy surgery, and medical cannabis for the treatment of neurologic disorders. He is the director of the Neurology Centre of Toronto (NCT) which he established in January 2017. At NCT, Evan treats children with a variety of neurological disorders as well as seeing adult patients for concussion, headaches and epilepsy.He is an Assistant Professor with the Department of Pediatrics at the Hospital for Sick Children and the University of Toronto.Evan's interest in medical cannabis began in 2013 while training at Miami Children’s Hospital – one of the major sites for the Epidiolex trials. He has significant clinical experience with medical cannabis in adults and children and is a member of the Canadian Consortium for the Investigation of Cannabinoids (CCIC), Canadian Childhood Cannabinoid Clinical Trials (C4T), and the Cannabinoid Research Initiative of Saskatchewan (CRIS).He is is the Chief Medical Adviser for the Jamaican Medical Cannabis Corporation,  member of the Expert Committee of the Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society (MCCS) in the United Kingdom and sits on the Advisory Councils for Cannabis Patient Advocacy & Support Services (CPASS) and MedCan. With a strong commitment to research, Evan is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Canada and was the Tariff Chair of the Neurology Section for the Ontario Medical Association from 2017 - 2019. He sits on the Editorial Board for the Journal of Child Neurology’s Resident/Fellow Section and is an ad-hoc reviewer for the Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences and Paediatrics & Child Health.  His research and special interests include cannabinoids in the treatment of epilepsy and other neurological conditions and the delivery of novel virtual care models in neurology. Evan has spoken extensively on cannabis in neurologic disorders nationally and internationally.Resources:https://www.dr-lewis.ca/ https://neurologycentretoronto.com/Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/marybiles71)

Justin Kander is the founder of the Cannabis for Cancer Declaration, an initiative that lists medical professionals who support the use of cannabis to treat cancer. He is also the author of Cannabis for the Treatment of Cancer, a free book that deeply analyses the scientific and human evidence showing how cannabis can fight cancer. He has spoken at medical cannabis conferences around the world and continues to advocate for medical cannabis however possible.Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/marybiles71)

Dr Sandra Carrillo, a Colombian born physician living in Panama, is a driving force in cannabis education, not only in Latin America, but across the globe. Before cannabis, Sandra had been an ER doctor as well as specialising in aesthetic and anti-ageing medicine. However, it was when working as a volunteer with children with epilepsy that Sandra was forced introduced to the therapeutic potential cannabis holds.Since then Sandra has been a passionate educator in cannabis medicine, creating a 120 hour educational programme for doctors in Colombia where she practices out of various clinics, as well as participating in educational training in cannabis medicine around the world.Resourceshttp://sandracarrillomd.com/LinkedIn Instagram Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/marybiles71)

Recorded on Earth Day,  this podcast is dedicated to the tremendous potential hemp holds for a more sustainable future for our planet. With all the hype around CBD oil, the fact that hemp  holds so many potential solutions to the environmental crisis we are facing, rarely makes it to mainstream discussion.But as Rebekah Shaman, Managing Director of the British Hemp Alliance shares, CBD really is just the tip of the iceberg of what hemp has to offer.We discuss how growing  hemp is an effective way to sequester carbon from the atmosphere, as well as cleaning up contaminated oil after environmental disasters. Plus there's the hundreds of uses hemp can be put to which include making a biodegradable alternative to plastics. The list of how growing hemp can benefit the environment really does just go on and on. But and there is a but - right now in the UK there are too many barriers preventing farmers from growing hemp, such as attaining licenses from the Home Office and having to destroy the flowers and leaves (which under the Misuse of Drugs Act cannot be harvested). These are some of the issues Rebekah and the British Hemp Alliance are lobbying to change. And with Boris Johnson announcing just this week how the UK will reduce carbon emissions by 78% by 2035, now is the time to fully embrace hemp's potential role in the UK's carbon net zero commitment. ResourcesBritish Hemp Alliance Manifesto CBD Survey www.rebekahshaman.comwww.ritualcacao.co.ukwww.livingshamanically.comSupport the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/marybiles71)

Martin A. Lee is an award winning journalist and author who as well as cannabis has written  about fascism, media fairness, drug policy and the social history of LSD. Most people in the cannabis industry know Martin as the founder of Project CBD, a respected educational cannabis nonprofit that promotes and publicises research into the medical uses of  CBD and other components of the cannabis plant.In this episode, Martin shares how back in 2008, as one of the few journalists  attending the early International Cannabinoid Research Society symposiums, he was fascinated by the preclinical studies showing the  therapeutic potential of CBD in a host of health conditions.However, on returning to California, he realised that  only high THC cannabis was available to patients  with no mention made of CBD.And so began his hunt for CBD-rich cannabis cultivars. His quest was eventually rewarded  with the discovery of about six varietals, which Martin and a small group of other CBD enthusiasts began giving away to patients, dispensaries and growers in California.  And so in 2009 Project CBD was born, without which the Stanley Brothers probably wouldn't have known to grow a CBD-rich strain of cannabis in Colorado,  the world may not have heard about how CBD reduced the seizures of Charlotte Figi, and the current global CBD phenomenon quite possibly would not have been born. ResourcesProject CBDMartin's booksThe Essential Guide to CBDAcid Dreams: The Complete Social History of LSDSmoke Signals: A Social History of Marijuana - Medical, Recreational, and ScientificThe Beast Reawakens Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/marybiles71)

What better way to mark International Women's Day than listening to this inspiring interview with Francesca Brivio, a well known actress and TV presenter from Peru.Francesca decided to use her celebrity to campaign for legal access to medicinal cannabis after going public about how she successfully used cannabis to manage the debilitating symptoms of a rare autoimmune disease. She is President of Cannabis Gotas de Esperanza, a nonprofit association with a mission to educate the public, medical profession and politicians about medicinal cannabis, as well as co-founding CannaHope, a medicinal cannabis clinic in Lima. Francesca has been instrumental in bringing about change to cannabis regulation in Peru and is currently battling with the Ministry of Health to allow patients to grow cannabis at home. Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/marybiles71)

Tom Curran is a prominent medicinal cannabis activist in Ireland, a cause that became close to his heart supporting his partner Marie Fleming through multiple sclerosis. Marie had struggled to manage the excruciating muscle spasms commonly experienced in MS, and when she finally tried cannabis, it was the only thing that brought her relief.At the time, both Tom and Marie were known in Ireland for their battle to change in the law on assisted dying, and it was after Marie's death that Tom publicly spoke about growing Marie's cannabis medicine.Tom is founding member of the Irish Medicinal Cannabis Council and is director of Exit International, an organisation that campaigns for and provides information about assisted dying. ResourcesMarie's book 'An Act of Love' Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/marybiles71)

There are few voices more recognisable across the cannabis-curious world than John Malanca's. With his wife and love of his life Corinne, John fronted the global docuseries, 'The Sacred Plant' that's been seen by over 600,000 people worldwide.Their introduction to the healing powers of the cannabis plant came when Corinne's dad, given just months to live with terminal cancer, made a full recovery after he began taking cannabis oil.The couple went on to start The United Patients Group, a go-to source for medical cannabis education for patients, care-givers and health professionals alike.Tragically in 2017, Corinne herself was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and despite trying everything medicine had to offer, including cannabis, she sadly passed away just 4 months later. Left without his life partner, John threw himself into the second series of the Sacred Plant, but has since stepped away and is now back concentrating on the United Patients Group once more.John speaks honestly and openly about his struggles to deal with the grief following Corinne's death, and how continuing the work they started together has helped him find meaning in the darkest times. John is happy to hear from anyone going through or supporting someone with terminal illness, particularly pancreatic cancer, and he can be contacted through the United Patients Group website or info@UnitedPatientsGroup.com. Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/marybiles71)

Tannine Montgomery is one of those special breeds of super mums you only find in the medical cannabis world.When her first child Indie-Rose developed Dravet syndrome, a rare and untreatable type of epilepsy as a baby, Tannine and her husband decided to do everything within their power to give her the best chance of a happy and healthy life.Like most children with Dravet, pharmaceutical drugs failed to control Indie's seizures, and instead left her with a host of unpleasant side effects.It was when Tannine saw Vera Twomey, speak about how cannabis had helped her daughter Ava who also has Dravet syndrome, that she decided to get Indie an appointment with pediatric neurologist in Holland so that she could legally be prescribed medicinal cannabis. Thankfully, Indie responded well to the Bedrolite CBD rich cannabis oil, which has been so effective in countless other children with epilepsy. However, the family couldn't afford to pay the expensive export costs to legally get her medicine back into the UK, choosing instead to travel themselves to Holland bring it back themselves. Financing Indie's medicine has always been a struggle and is the reason Tannine has started her own CBD business Sweet Pink CBD, selling whole plant CBD products that come fully lab tested and with a personalised level of customer care that only someone like Tannine can provide.This is a great episode for any parent or loved one of a child with Dravet Syndrome or intractable epilepsy as it would be hard to find a more knowledgeable person outside of the medical profession than Tannine.Hers is very much a story of tenacity and determination triumphing over tragedy. For more information about Sweet Pink and Indie Rose, head to the Sweet Pink website or Instagram. Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/marybiles71)

In this fascinating interview, Justin Clarke gives a unique insight into how cannabis helps him cope with the sensory overload and anxiety commonly experienced by people with autism (ASD). When we hear about cannabis and autism, it's often the experiences of parents caring for children with severe ASD that get shared. So it is refreshing to hear from Justin as he describes with great creativity the interior world of a neurodiverse mind. Before trying cannabis, Justin was prescribed antidepressants to manage the depression and anxiety that often going alongside autism, leaving him feeling numb and fatigued.In contrast, cannabis has enabled Justin to fully embrace life and trying new experiences such as stand up and public speaking, which previously would have filled him with horror and dread.I really recommend listening to Justin's first ever stand up routine - and as Justin mentions - it includes a gag about cannabis. Justin's stand upOther resources:Patient-Led Engagement for Access (PLEA)Project Twenty21Drug Science Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/marybiles71)

Happy new year everyone. I'm sure most of us are glad to see the back of a year that was largely dominated by Covid 19.Last year year wasn't all bad for me personally as I wrote and had published my first ever book - 'The CBD Book: The Essential Guide to CBD oil' (Harper Collins).In what is essentially a roadmap for anyone curious about trying CBD, the book is a clear and easy-to-read guide covering everything from how to choose a CBD oil, current research, tips on how to get the most out of your CBD oil and some incredible case studies that really put the potential CBD has for our optimising our health into a real world context.In fact, it's these case studies that inspired me to start this podcast; it's one thing to cut and paste interviews into an article or book, but quite another to hear the true emotion in someone's voice (hence the name of this podcast Cannabis Voices).Many of you will have heard Sharon McEvoy's emotional interview which was one of the first podcast episodes I published and only recently I interviewed Vera Twomey who also features in the book. But as a special treat to welcome in the new year, I've put together a compilation of some incredible other interviews that feature in the book. 1. Emily Wilson who uses CBD to manage the anxiety and PTSD she has experienced while working on a refugee camp in Athens (https://projectelea.org/)2. Eve Roginska with her incredible story of using CBD to come off the steroids she was prescribed for a mystery inflammatory brain condition3. Dan Rodwell who uses CBD to manage both his Crohn's disease symptoms and attributes CBD oil for his miraculous recovery from a rare autoimmune condition Guillan-Barré Syndrome4. Jo Moss, whose chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia only has only improved since using CBD oil. (Jo's Blog - https://www.ajourneythroughthefog.co.uk/ )5. Lin Coxon - diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer, she started using CBD oil while waiting for chemo to start, only to discover that her tumours had shrunk by two thirds. If you want to buy 'The CBD Book,' it's available in hardback and ebook on Amazon and other retailers such as Waterstones, Blackwells and WH Smith. Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/marybiles71)

Doctor Mariano Garcia de Palau es uno de los doctores más reconocidos y especializados en terapias con cannabinoides, por haberse volcado en dar una nueva visión del uso de cannabinoides como tratamiento paliativo y coadyuvante en padecimientos huérfanos en opciones terapéuticas. Graduado de la Universidad de Barcelona en 1979 como médico cirujano y actualmente colegiado en Barcelona.Miembro regular de la I.A.C.M. , vocal del Observatorio Español del Cannabis Medicinal y Director Médico en Kalapa Clinic, Barcelona, Mariano asesora clínicamente sobre tratamientos con cannabinoides.Recursos:Kalapa Clinic Observatorio Español del Cannabis Medicinal Dr Mariano Garcia de Palau is one of the most well respected and specialised doctors in cannabinoid therapy known for presenting a new vision for the use of cannabinoids as a palliative or adjuvant therapy for patients whose illnesses have not responded to standard treatment. He graduated from the University of Barcelona in 1979 as a surgeon and is now a professional member of the college of physicians of Barcelona.He is a regular member of the I.A.C.M. and also of the Spanish Observatory of Medicinal Cannabis, Medical Director at Kalapa Clinics, Barcelona, where he clinically advises on cannabinoid treatments.Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/marybiles71)

Vera Twomey is perhaps one of the most recognisable 'Cannabis Voices' featured in the podcast series so far, thanks to her determined and very public fight with the Irish government to get legal access to medical cannabis for her daughter Ava.Ava has Dravet Syndrome, a rare and catastrophic type of epilepsy that pharmaceutical drugs have no answer for. Before cannabis, Ava was having hundreds of violent seizures a week and was being regularly rushed to hospital. Like many parents of children with epilepsy, Vera came across the stories of children like Charlotte Figi who had found CBD and cannabis could control their seizures where pharmaceutical drugs had failed. And so began her very public battle with the Irish government to get Ava legal access to medical cannabis . Exasperated with the Irish Health Minister's empty promises, Vera took dramatic action. With no preparation (or even a pair of trainers) she decided to walk 200 miles in protest from her home in County Cork the Irish Parliament in Dublin. By now, the whole of Ireland were supporting Ava, and yet the government still refused to grant her a prescription. And so Vera, Ava and the rest of the family moved to Holland where they joined other families living in exile as medical cannabis refugees.Under the care of a Dutch pediatric neurologist, Ava's seizures were successfully controlled by a combination of CBD oil and THC oil.Thankfully, this was enough for the Irish government to give Ava her prescription and the family could finally return home.As anyone who's read her book 'For Ava' will know, Vera does not pull any punches when it comes to expressing her disdain for the treatment she and her family have received from the Irish government. But it's that fury that has got Ava her prescription and changed the hearts and minds of the Irish people towards medical cannabis. Be prepared for tears of emotion, tears of frustration and tears of joy in one of the most moving and inspirational podcasts of the series so far.If you liked this episode, don't forget to rate, review and subscribe to this podcast.ResourcesFor Ava by Vera Twomey Twitter: @veras1Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vera.twomeyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/twomeyvera/Footage from Vera's walk to Dublin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPwu4u3V7RE&t=1980shttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YB_tTRtN4xY&t=57sVera's speech at the Water demonstration Vera's acceptance speech at the Irish People of the Year AwardsSupport the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/marybiles71)

Paul Bregman was a successful radiologist when his bipolar disorder forced him to retire early at 45.His depression and suicidal ideations didn't respond to the medication he was prescribed by his psychiatrist who was at a loss of what to try next.Living in Colorado, cannabis was never far away, so Paul gave it a try having a few puffs in his garage. Just this small amount of cannabis was enough to lift his mood, enabling him to be with his wife and children without his usual irritability. Paul's mental health improved sufficiently for him to practice as a medical cannabis doctor doing evaluations for patients wanting medical cannabis cards.Paul loved his work and he was good at it. After all, he was a card carrying patient himself. However, when he disclosed to the Colorado Medical Board that his improvement was due to medical cannabis, he lost his license to practise. A three year battle costing $50,000 failed to overturn their decision.The implication is that for the Colorado Medical Board at least, a doctor successfully managing their mental illness with cannabis is not fit to practise. Whereas a doctor unsuccessfully controlling their depression and suicidal ideations with prescription medications is. Paul continues to be a passionate mental health and medical cannabis advocate as well as running his own medical cannabis concierge service cannabisresource.infoSupport the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/marybiles71)

Dr Cristina Sánchez, Vice Dean of Research at the School of Biology at the Complutense University in Madrid, is a world renowned molecular biologist specialising in the study of compounds in the cannabis plant as anticancer agents in breast cancer. Cristina has been involved in researching the antitumoral properties of cannabinoids for over twenty years, and played a key role in discovering how THC kills cancer cells while working alongside colleague Professor Manuel Guzmán.These days, while many research groups around the world focussing on isolated or synthetic cannabinoids as potential anticancer drugs, Cristina's group stands out as trying to understand and replicate the experiences of actual patients who are reporting extraordinary results using whole plant cannabis for their cancer.In her paper, 'Appraising the ''entourage effect'': Antitumor action of pure cannabinoid versus a botanical drug preparation in preclinical models of breast cancer,' Sánchez found that in mice at least and across all types of breast cancer, a whole plant cannabis extract was more efficacious and potent than THC alone. As Cristina says: "This is not a hippie fashion or energy from the plant. No, this is science. This is molecules activating and deactivating. So the same thing as for opioids or for any of the drugs that they use."Resources:Appraising the "entourage effect": Antitumor action of a pure cannabinoid versus a botanical drug preparation in preclinical models of breast cancerCannabinoids reduce ErbB2-driven breast cancer progression through Akt inhibitionTherapeutic targeting of HER2-CB 2 R heteromers in HER2-positive breast cancer Activation of the orphan receptor GPR55 by lysophosphatidylinositol promotes metastasis in triple-negative breast cancerTargeting CB2-GPR55 receptor heteromers modulates cancer cell signalingSupport the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/marybiles71)

Clinical Endocannabinoid Deficiency is a term regularly used in the medical cannabis world and refers to a collection of illnesses where low levels of endocannabinoids and their receptors contribute to disease development. So who better to speak to for a deep dive into endocannabinoid deficiency than Dr Ethan Russo, the neurologist and cannabinoid researcher who coined the term and has written three papers on the subject.Ethan shares how he initially came up with the theory, possible causes, which conditions share the cluster of symptoms associated with endocannabinoid deficiency, we discuss how poor endocannabinoid tone may contribute to the development of endometriosis, and how best we can strengthen our endocannabinoid system supplementing with cannabis, but also through non-cannabis routes such as looking after our gut biome and exercise. This episode is a must for doctors, patients and indeed anyone with an interest in deepening their understanding of the endocannabinoid system and how its dysregulation may well lie behind a host of pathologies. References:Clinical endocannabinoid deficiency (CECD): can this concept explain therapeutic benefits of cannabis in migraine, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome and other treatment-resistant conditions? by Ethan RussoClinical Endocannabinoid Deficiency Reconsidered: Current Research Supports the Theory in Migraine, Fibromyalgia, Irritable Bowel, and Other Treatment-Resistant Syndromes by Ethan RussoSupport the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/marybiles71)

Lucy Stafford is no ordinary 20 year old. She's dynamic, intelligent and passionate science student, but growing up, numbed by the increasingly heavy doses of opiates she had received since the age of 12, Lucy believed otherwise.Lucy has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome - a debilitating and extreme painful condition caused by a lack of collagen in connective tissues. Before cannabis, Lucy had resigned herself to a future defined by her disease and the inability of her doctors to manage its symptoms. When Fentanyl, which is fifty times more powerful than heroin, failed to control her pain, Lucy's doctor ran out of options, and in desperation to help his patient attempted to prescribe her Sativex through the NHS. Unfortunately, despite the recent change in the law legalising cannabis based medicines, his request was denied.However, this sowed the seed for Lucy that cannabis might actually help her and she began her own personal journey navigating the illicit cannabis market, eventually getting a legal prescription through a private cannabis clinic.Lucy now gets her cannabis medicine prescription through Project Twenty21, the national registry aiming to get 20,000 medical cannabis patients signed up by the end of 2021.Lucy is also a founding member and patient advocate for PLEA (Patient-led Engagement for Access) and one of the first recipients of the recently launched Cancard - the card scheme started by friend of the show, Carly Barton, that allows to people to verify themselves to police as medicinal cannabis patients.Oh and during lockdown, Lucy has taught herself to walk again (and is regularly walking 5km). Without cannabis, this would never have been possible. Useful links:PLEA Project Twenty21 Cancard The CBD Book: The Essential Guide to CBD OilSupport the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/marybiles71)

80-year-old Tony Bevington is no ordinary retiree. A paramedic in his youth, Tony spent his 50s and 60s volunteering with the VSO teaching agriculture to communities in Papua New Guinea and Botswana.Unfortunately in his 70s, ill health caught up with Tony and he developed kidney disease, glaucoma and arthritis. With his experience in self sufficiency and knowledge of agriculture and medicine, Tony decided to explore growing cannabis to manage his health conditions.Thankfully, since using cannabis medicinally (which he spoke about openly), Tony's kidney disease and glaucoma have both stabilised.Unfortunately, that openness prompted a tip-off to the police who came on two occasions to confiscate Tony's plants.On the 16th November, Tony will be attending magistrate court in Truro, where he faces charges of cultivation and production. If found guilty of production, which implies an intention to supply to others, Tony could lose his house and be sentenced to 14 years in prison.Despite Tony's determination to fight the charge of production, going to court weighs heavily on his shoulders and he is currently experiencing dangerously high levels of stress and anxiety.Tony needs our support and his story must be shared far and wide so that the government is forced to concede that their current stance is not fit for purpose, causing immense distress for the 1.4 million people in the UK who turn to the black market for their cannabis medicine.For more information about Tony's campaign, head to his Facebook Page Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/marybiles71)

Dr Max Alzamora, a physician of over ten years with a background in functional medicine and occupational health, has been prescribing medical cannabis since 2017.Dr Alzamora now runs CannaHope, a busy private practice specialising in treating patients with cannabinoid, is Medical Director at Cann Farm, Advisory Doctor at the NGO Gotas de Esperanza, and Board Member of the Society of Cannabis Clinicians Colombian chapter. I came across Dr Alzamora in a presentation he gave at a Society of Cannabis Clinicians' webinar in which he discussed the case of Glendy, a 16-year-old girl who had been having 10 seizures a day, despite all the pharmaceutical anti-seizure meds she was taking. After trying various CBD oils, Glendy found most relief from her seizures when Dr Alzamora prescribed her a cannabis oil containing CBDA (she now only has 10 seizures a year).At the time, I was researching an article for Project CBD about CBDA, so I took the opportunity to interview Dr Alzamora about Glendy's case history and his use of acidic cannabinoids, as well as his experience in general of treating patients with medical cannabis in Peru.It was a real pleasure to hear just what strides Peru and Latin America are making in integrating medical cannabis into their health systems, where doctors like Dr Alzamora have comparative freedom to think outside of the box when treating patients with cannabinoids. ResourcesGotas de EsperanzaCBDA - The Raw Story (Project CBD)Dr Alzamora's LinkedIn Profile Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/marybiles71)

Professor Mike Barnes and Hannah Deacon are two names that are synonymous with the road to medical cannabis legalisation in the UK. Their paths crossed when Hannah was campaigning for her son Alfie to get legal access to medical cannabis at a time when cannabis remained a schedule 1 drug and its prescription illegal. Thanks to Hannah's tireless campaigning (and Mike's support), Alfie became the first patient in the UK to get a license for medical cannabis, and since then Mike and Hannah have worked together on projects such as the Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society, Maple Tree Consultants and the magazine, Cannabis Health News. In this episode, Mike and Hannah discuss their own personal journeys towards becoming involved with medical cannabis, as well as the need for better education within the medical profession about cannabis and why we must keep patients rather than profit at the heart of the burgeoning UK medical cannabis industry. Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/marybiles71)

Dr Callie Seaman has a unique voice in the cannabis industry. Diagnosed with epilepsy as a teenager, it was Callie's dad who suggested she try cannabis as an alternative to the prescription meds that were wrecking her academic career.This started a life long relationship with cannabis which included Callie working in the local grow shop as a Saturday girl while finishing her degree.And yet, Callie never considered herself a medical cannabis patient and spent most of her life in denial she had epilepsy at all.However, the reality soon dawned on Callie when she stopped smoking cannabis recreationally during her PhD and her seizures came back. Callie went on to be founding director of Aqua Laboratories – a formulator and producer of specialist hydroponic nutrients - and yet she still felt a sense of shame about using cannabis to treat her epilepsy. Thankfully, Callie has now embraced both her epilepsy (now called George) and is a passionate advocate and educator for the medicinal use of cannabis. Check out Callie's social media below to see her video series 'George and I.' Instagram: @dr.callieseamanFacebook: @DrCallieSeamanLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-callieseaman/Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/marybiles71)

In Episode 14 of Cannabis Voices I speak to Dr Wai Liu, Senior Research Fellow at St George's, University of London who after a chance conversation with an oncologist, came to specialise in studying the anticancer effects of the cannabis plant. Not only has Dr Liu's work, which is so far preclinical, highlighted the exciting antitumoral effects of CBD and THC in particular, but is has shown how having an on/off sequence of cannabinoid treatment can increase the compounds' cancer cell killing effects. Dr Liu and his colleagues have also found that depending on the type of cancer, the order of cannabinoids and chemotherapy/radiotherapy may vary in order to achieve maximum cancer cell death. But perhaps the most fascinating insight we discuss, which still remains anecdotal, involves a number of cases where breast cancer patients have self-administered CBD oil in the weeks before starting their cancer treatment. In one striking example (which features in my book 'The CBD Book: The Essential Guide to CBD Oil'), a patient's tumour shrank by two thirds just by taking over the counter CBD oil. With the agreement of her oncology team and while her cancer remained stable, the patient could manage her breast cancer with CBD. This podcast is required listening for anyone wanting to understand the anticancer potential of cannabis from a scientific perspective.Resources:Anticancer effects of phytocannabinoids used with chemotherapy in leukaemia cells can be improved by altering the sequence of their administration, Dr Wai LiuEnhancing the activity of cannabidiol and other cannabinoids in vitro through modifications to drug combinations and treatment schedules, Dr Wai LiuReport of Objective Clinical Responses of Cancer Patients to Pharmaceutical-grade Synthetic Cannabidiol, Julian KenyonSupport the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/marybiles71)

Michelle Kendall is a woman on a mission and with a fire in her belly.Diagnosed with ovarian cancer, Michelle has been successfully using cannabis alongside chemotherapy and surgery to manage her cancer. As a lover of data, Michelle has been meticulously recording the results from her blood tests. Turns out, taking cannabis oil high in THC reduced the cancer markers in her blood and shrunk her tumour, far more than the conventional treatment she was taking. So she began to dig deep into cannabinoid research, in particular how through cannabis she might activate the healing potential of the endocannabinoid system.Michelle was incredulous that we are so far away from cannabis becoming an approved anticancer drug, much in part to the regulatory restrictions on researching the plant. So she decided to make a film about it - and so Schedule 1 - a documentary short about cannabis and cancer - was born.I strongly recommend checking out Michelle's film - available for free here online. You can follow/contact her on twitter: @schedule1movie Resources:Great talk by Dr Dedi Meiri explaining his groundbreaking cannabinoid research for different types of cancer.Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/marybiles71)

Imagine being the doctor responsible for prescribing high CBD/ low THC cannabis to Charlotte Figi at a time when very little was still known about CBD's anti-seizure effects in children. That was Dr Shackelford back in 2012, when he was approached by Charlotte's mother Paige.Rather fortuitously, as Dr Shackelford puts it, he had just read Professor Raphael Mechoulam's 1980 ground breaking paper about the anti-epileptic effects of CBD, and despite serious reservations about prescribing cannabis to a child, he did indeed make the recommendation. And the rest as they say is history.After taking CBD, Charlotte, who had previously had up to 300 grand mal seizures a week, became almost seizure free, and when her story was picked up on the CNN documentary Weed, CBD went global. Being involved with Charlotte's care was indeed a pivotal moment in Dr Shackelford's career, but it has not been the only satisfying one. He has and continues to carry out research into the therapeutic properties of cannabinoids in the USA and Israel, as well as treating patients with medical cannabis in Colorado. And in this episode, he generously shares the fascinating insights he's gained since incorporating cannabis into his practice over ten years ago. Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/marybiles71)

In today's episode of Cannabis Voices, Richard Lanigan shares how despite being given a prognosis of 22 months when his rectal cancer had returned, six years later he's still very much with us, much in part to the cannabis oil he was taking.A chiropractor by profession with a masters in health promotion, Richard talks with great passion and humour about his journey from terminal cancer patient to ebullient good health today. Expect some forthright opinions, occasional strong language, and a host of rip roaring tales along the way. Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/marybiles71)

If you work in the cannabis business, you've probably heard of the endocannabinoid system, you might even talk about it in your marketing materials to explain why customers should buy your products. The sad truth is though, for the vast majority of the population, doctors included, the endocannabinoid system isn't even on their radar.If you're listening today, you may have a cursory knowledge of how the endocannabinoid system works, but even the scientific researchers we so admire would admit much still remains to be learned about its significance to our health and wellbeing. So for any of the endocannabinoid-curious amongst us, this podcast with neuroscientist Dr Greg Gerdeman is essential listening. Greg has been involved with many key discoveries regarding the ECS and for many years taught marine biology college students at Eckerd College in Florida about the ECS and neurobiology. So if like me, you never made it past high school science classes, listening to Greg share his knowledge about the endocannabinoid system, human biology and our evolution as a species is a real privilege normally reserved for undergrad students. Resources:Feeling Corona-Crazy? Give your endocannabinoid system a boost My article for Project CBD featuring Dr Gerdeman's interviewWired to run: exercise-induced endocannabinoid signaling in humans and cursorial mammals with implications for the ‘runner’s high’ (Journal of Experimental Biology, Greg Gerdeman et al)An Analysis of Endocannabinoid Concentrations and Mood Following Singing and Exercise in Healthy Volunteers (Frontiers in Behavioural Neuroscience, Saoirse O'Sullivan et al) The endocannabinoid system and the biology of wellness (video with Greg Gerdeman and Martin A. Lee for Project CBD)Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/marybiles71)

We are living in unprecedented stressful times with levels of uncertainty never experienced in our life times. It's vital we find ways to manage our stress so that it doesn't turn into its close cousins depression and anxiety. That's why today I've chatted to Dr Julie Moltke, a medical doctor with a special interest in stress management, mental health and cannabis medicine.Dr Julie explains in very clear turns how stress affects our bodies and minds - but also describes how we can consciously use techniques such as mindfulness and meditation to calm our nervous systems.Of course, being Cannabis Voices, we discuss how cannabis (and CBD) can help lessen stress and anxiety, through its interaction with the endocannabinoid system.And as a special treat for listeners who make it to the end of the podcast, Dr Julie gives a very relaxing guided meditation, bringing us into the present moment and a state of calm tranquility. Enjoy!ResourcesA Quick Guide To CBD by Dr Julie MoltkeClinical Endocannabinoid Deficiency Reconsidered: Current Research Supports the Theory in Migraine, Fibromyalgia, Irritable Bowel, and Other Treatment-Resistant Syndromes by Dr Ethan Russo5-HT1A receptors are involved in the cannabidiol-induced attenuation of behavioural and cardiovascular responses to acute restraint stress in ratsHeadspace - A meditation app that is a great way to start a meditation practice Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/marybiles71)

Back in November 2018, parents of children with epilepsy in the UK who'd been fighting to get legal access to medical cannabis were celebrating the prospect of finally getting the medicine they needed.Over eighteen months later, thanks to some extremely restrictive guidelines from NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence), very few children have received a prescription through the NHS. Charlie Hughes, who will be three in July is one of these children. Resistant to all anti-epilepsy medication, Charlie's seizures were totally out of control, numbering up to 120 a day. In desperation, Charlie's parents turned to medical cannabis, following the success stories of children like Alfie Dingley who'd found seizure control from medical cannabis products containing CBD and small amounts of THC. A year on from starting with a CBD rich cannabis oil with THC (with a private prescription), Charlie's seizures have reduced by 85% and his cognitive development has also improved. However, this treatment, the only one that has successfully controlled Charlie's seizures, cannot be funded through the NHS who state a lack of evidence and safety concerns related to presence of THC in his medicine. So, dad Matt, is taking his local NHS trust and NICE to the high court for a judicial review, hoping that by shining a light on the inconsistencies and unnecessary rigidity, a shift will result allowing for Charlie and the other children like him in the UK to have their medical cannabis treatment funded by the NHS. ResourcesCharlie's crowd funding pageEnd Our Pain Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/marybiles71)

Episode 7 of Cannabis Voices is dedicated to the memory of George Gannon, the 30-year-old British man who sadly lost his battle to cancer in March this year.Told through the words of his partner, Natalie, she bravely shares their journey through cancer, how the medical profession gave up on George, and how if it were not for Natalie's determination to find alternatives (which included cannabis), George would have died 18 months earlier.I won't lie, Natalie's story makes for hard listening, the pain and grief are still present in her voice. But she is determined to keep George's memory alive. George's story is just one of hundreds of thousands of cancer patients around the world who are hoping cannabis will work where conventional medicine has failed. Many have achieved extraordinary results, but it's a difficult path to take coming with all the dangers associated with sourcing cannabis oil (in high quantities) from the black market. But it's also a story of hope. How in the midst of tragedy, love and community flourish.ResourcesArticle for Project CBD, inspired by George's tumour reduction after taking cannabis oil. Using Cannabis to Treat Cancer The High Street Club Facebook Group Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/marybiles71)

Dr Mike Platt, honorary senior clinical lecturer and senior consultant in pain medicines and anesthetics at Imperial College Healthcare, NHS Trust has been in the 'business of pain' since 1990. However, his well established career as a pain consultant took an unexpected turn when he became clinical director at the Sapphire Clinics catering to patients wishing to access medical cannabis in the UK privately. With very little training on offer to the medical profession in the UK, Dr Platt's knowledge has been gained largely from doctors in Canada, where medical cannabis has been legal since 2001. Since joining Sapphire, he's found prescribing cannabis to be tremendously helpful in alleviating the symptoms of a number of patients, some of which he discusses in this podcast. “What we're finding is in patients that have really complex pain problems, many benefit from cannabis medication,” says Platt. “We don't really understand why, but they do seem to have an extraordinary effect on them. I had one lady with severe Ehlers-Danlos syndrome who within two days just texted the pain clinic and said I've had the first good night sleep in fifteen years. So it's clearly having an effect on these patients, particularly the more complex ones.” Useful Resources:Mike's websiteSapphire ClinicsSapphire Medical FoundationSupport the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/marybiles71)