The Cannabis Connection

Today on The Cannabis Connection show, we welcome compost master/garden gnome/human tractor/animal whisperer/plant conductor/proud papa Daniel of Radicle Herbs & Folk Life Farm.Radicle Herbs cannabis is grown in the ground under the influence of the cosmos. Winner of the Emerald Cup Regenerative Farm Award in 2018, Radicle Herbs is a small-scale, diversified Cannabis farm that cultivates products that have a positive effect on us and the environment. Located in Round Valley, just outside of Covelo in Mendocino County, Radicle Herbs is a perfect location for growing quality cannabis both outdoors and in light dep, producing high-quality flower. Radicle Herbs is Sun+Earth and Dragon Fly Earth Medicine Certified and practices Biodynamic Agriculture. Their passion is to enliven the soil sustainably to create space for plants and animals to express themselves fully and live into their true being. Folk Life Farm is a diversified farm located in Covelo that grows produce, herbs, and animals using no-till regenerative and Biodynamic practices.

Today on The Cannabis Connection show, we welcome Joey Burger, Educator, Consultant, and farmer. We dive deep into planting season best practices, breeding for your native terroir, selecting good washers for the best hash, legendary hash cultivars, jar tech, and pro tips for selecting the Ridge Sesh & Cured Cup happening Saturday, June 7, for the culture.Joey Burger is a Regenerative Cannabis Consultant, Dragonfly Earth Medicine Pure Certified Educator, and Permaculture Teacher with over 30 years practicing in the Emerald Triangle's Cannabis Industry. He works to convert the wasteful and environmentally damaging practices of our current cannabis and food production systems by Hosting Workshops, Community Seed Swap Sesh's, teaching via his Patreon Subscription Community, Breeding Seeds and Consulting with Farmers on embracing Regenerative Practices.

Today on the show, we welcome Jaime Evans, a four-time published Author, Certified Sommelier, and founder of The Herb Somm. Jamie Evans is the founder of The Herb Somm, a culinary-meets-cannabis blog and lifestyle brand focused on the gourmet side of the cannabis industry. She's also a four-time published author, certified sommelier, entrepreneur, and writer specializing in cannabis, infused beverages, wine/spirits, and the cannabis-culinary world.

Nikki Lastreto and Swami Chaitanya are well-known and respected worldwide for their knowledge of mindfully cultivated craft cannabis and spiritual guidance. For many years, they have been growing cannabis in native Mendocino soil under the full sun, moon, and stars in the heart of Northern California's famed Emerald Triangle. Through their commitment to regenerative, responsible farming methods, combined with ancient sacred geometry and practices, they have shared their very special flowers with conscious connoisseurs in search of true inspiration.The Mendo Cup - the first cannabis competition organized by farmers, for farmers! It all started here, in the heart of the Emerald Triangle, in the County of cannabis Mendocino, where some of the best cannabis on the globe is grown. Now is the time to shine a spotlight on our OG farmers who, for decades & generations, have used organic methods to cultivate the finest flowers under full sun, for a full season, with local genetics that produce superior harvests.Sunday, May 4, 2025 • 2:15-8:00 pmWillits Little Lake Grange291 School St., Willits, CAThe Awards Ceremony will be at 4:20 for the Top 5 licensed farmers of full-sun, full-season flowers grown in Mendocino County, plus a special award for the Top Breeder.

Today on the show, host Christopher Carr welcomes Anil Prajapati, Managing Director of Lille Aeske Arthouse. Lille Aeske organizes this festival in collaboration with White Rabbit Ink and The Vinguard. It is the 4th Annual May Day Festival, two days of music, two stages, and camping in a beautiful setting along the Hwy 1 coast at Pie Ranch.

Today, we welcome Ryan Lee, Plant breeder, scientist, and 25-year friend of David Watson, aka Sam the Skunkman. Ryan and I connect while he is in Amsterdam helping the family. The conversation explores the legendary life of a cannabis silverback and hero. Sam the Skunkman lived 15 years in Santa Cruz, down the road from the Haze brothers, and is responsible for providing the foundation to all the seed banks in Amsterdam. His life's work is behind modern cannabis medicines from GW Pharmaceuticals. Ryan, who has also done amazing work in the cannabis genome, research, and industry, takes us on a fantastic voyage of a truly epic individual who was like a Forest Gump of sorts in Cannabis. David Watson lived every day to wake up and be happy, learn something new about cannabis, or teach and make some mischief. 

Al Bundi is known locally as a music MC and artist but has dedicated most of his life to soil and plant science, specifically permaculture, horticulture, and plant breeding. With over 15 years in the cannabis industry, Al is a product of organic permaculture in Agriculture and is taking these approaches to understanding the source of potential benefits for people aned the planet in the vast cannabis genome.

Today on the show, we welcome Chris Cottingham, one of the owners and producers at Santa Cruz Recording Studios, along with legendary producer Jim Wirt. Santa Cruz Recording & Video Production Studios are located on the Westside of Santa Cruz. We explore the Santa Cruz Music Scene over the past 15 years, the role of a producer, and mentoring artists by taking an idea to an album from start to finish.

Today, on The Cannabis Connection Show, we welcome Todd McCormick. We discuss the primary colors of Cannabis and celebrate the life of Sam the Skunkman.Todd McCormick is a former cancer patient who started using cannabis in 1979 under his mother's supervision while undergoing chemotherapy and radiation. Todd overcame the cancer and went on to become a lifetime advocate for medical cannabis. In 1984, Todd started cultivating cannabis and has never stopped. Beginning in 1994, Todd worked with Jack Herer as an editor of The Emperor Wears No Clothes, and after Jack's passing, he released the 12th edition of the book with memorials to Jack. Todd also owns Authentic Genetics and supplies cannabis genetics worldwide at www.AGSeedCo.com

Today, we welcome Marcus "Bubbleman" Richardson to the show to share his story and celebrate the life of Sam the Skunkman. Marcus "Bubbleman" Richardson is an iconic figure in the cannabis world, renowned for his pioneering work in hemp cultivation and hash production. In the early 1990s, Marcus was at the forefront of the hemp movement in Manitoba, Canada, where he helped to reinitiate hemp growing after a 73-year hiatus His journey then took him to British Columbia in 1996, where he became one of the first cultivators for the British Columbia Compassion Club, providing medical cannabis for patients in need.His most notable contribution to cannabis culture came with the founding of Freshheadies Ltd. in 1999, where he introduced the world to "Bubble Bags" - a series of nested bags designed for water-based trichome extraction that revolutionized the production of bubble hash. This innovation popularized bubble hash and established Marcus's nickname, "Bubbleman."Beyond his extraction techniques, Marcus has also been instrumental in education and advocacy through his company, Whistler Technologies, where he has worked on improving industrial cannabis processing methods. His passion for educating the public is further evidenced by his YouTube show, "Hash Church," a platform where he discusses cannabis culture, science, and more with various experts.Marcus's talents extend to macro photography, capturing the beauty of cannabis at a microscopic level, showcasing his work on his website, Bubbleman Brand. His brand and company have become synonymous with quality and innovation in the cannabis industry, reflecting his lifelong commitment to advancing the understanding and appreciation of cannabis.

Born and raised in Santa Cruz, Taylor Reinhold has discovered his passion for painting vibrant murals and crafting captivating logos. His expertise extends across various creative realms, including design, art curation, and the execution of large-scale installations. Tay's imaginative murals grace locations worldwide, from the streets of Brazil and Costa Rica to the landscapes of Tanzania and Thailand. Within the dynamic community of the Made Fresh Crew collective, he collaborates with fellow artisans, constantly innovating and producing original works of art.In addition to his mural work, Tay finds joy in transforming urban objects into art pieces. He often utilizes recycled spray cans, signage, and other overlooked materials as his canvas for painting and silk screening.In September 2021, Reinhold took the helm as Director of Sea Walls Santa Cruz, introducing the PangeaSeed Foundation's esteemed global program, Sea Walls: Artists for Oceans, to the shores of Santa Cruz, California—the initiative aimed to illuminate pressing ocean conservation issues by creating 19 thought-provoking murals.The Sea Walls project came to fruition in just one week, thanks to the collaborative efforts of over twenty-five artists hailing from Santa Cruz and beyond. These expansive artworks are poignant reminders of locally relevant marine environmental challenges, including plastic pollution, ocean acidification, warming seas, biodiversity loss, and environmental justice.The impact of this project reverberates throughout Santa Cruz, reshaping the city's public art landscape and heralding a new era of artistic expression intertwined with advocacy.

Today on the show, we welcome Dan Pomerantz from Rebel Grown. Rebel Grown stands for those who live and preserve the cannabis lifestyle. We are the rebels of the past with a lifelong dedication to our craft. Our passion led us on a journey from the East Coast to the Emerald Triangle to work within the heart of cannabis culture and back to the Northeast to share the experiences we learned, lived, and survived. Now, our seeds and cannabis are created and bred organically. Our patients and patrons are our neighbors, friends, and local community in Southern Humboldt, California, and Vermont's Northeast Kingdom.

Today on the show, we welcome Andy and Pablo, two local musicians and culinary creators. We talk about local Santa Cruz music history, specifically traditional Italian music featuring waltz and mazurka, along with other rare genres of duo string music featuring guitar, mandolin, and banjo. Their new EP, Sounds From Squid Row, is now on Bandcamp. Sounds From Squid Row is a collection of tunes from the 1920s and earlier, Italian string music, and ragtime. It was recorded in Felton, CA, Live to Tape. https://andypablo.bandcamp.com/album/sounds-from-squid-row

Santa Cruz! California has provided funding to document the history of legacy cannabis genetics in select regions of the State. We are honored to have Santa Cruz represented, and now we would love to connect and hear the history hidden due to prohibition. No doubt Prop 64 and Cannabis policy is flawed. Still, this project is one opportunity to document our Santa Cruz Cannabis Community history and place it in the global context of a new legal era. Please consider contacting me or Dr. Dominic Corva & Caleb Chen to continue connecting the dots with people and their plants in Santa Cruz County. Dr. Dominic Corva is a Principal Investigator for People and their Plants, a community-driven study. He is also an Assistant Professor of Sociology and the lead of the Cannabis Studies Program at Cal Poly Humboldt University. His research interests include the regulatory effects of policing illicit drugs, the history and geography of cannabis prohibition and legalization, the political economy of cannabis markets, the cultural geography of cannabis in California, and ethnographies of cannabis criminalization as it pertains to Local Equity Programs in California.Caleb Chen founded The Highest Critic, Kind Budist, and Certified Ganjier. 

Today on The Cannabis Connection, we welcome Joseph Haggard.What do the California State Fair, a state testing resolution and Woody Harrelson have in common? On the show, we explore all this and some special manifestations for 2025. Joseph Haggard is a farmer at Emerald Spirit Botanicals and co-founder of the Farm Cut Co-operative. He was born and raised in Mendocino County where his family has grown cannabis for over 20 years. Emerald Spirit Botanicals breeds cannabis varietals rich in minor cannabinoids using a spiritual scientific breeding approach weaving together art and science in the search for new cannabis medicine. Emerald Spirit Botanicals and Farm Cut has been recognized with 8 Gold Medals at the California State Fair, A Golden Bear Best Sungrown Flower of California, 3 Emerald Cup Regenerative Farm Awards and 6 awards at Emerald Cup. We are honored to produce sun grown cannabis medicine grown using organic and regenerative farming practices. You can find our flower across California in over 60 stores. Learn more at Emeraldspiritbotanicals.com and www.farmcutcannabis.com.

Greg Rose has a long history of fostering software Developer Communities at various large corporations in Silicon Valley. He is currently a Digital Marketing Manager for the New Paradigm Institute, a public policy and law non-profit based in Santa Cruz. The New Paradigm Institute (NPI) is focused on UFO disclosure and transparency. NPI is an initiative of the Romero Institute, which has a 50-year history of seeking justice and holding powerful people and institutions accountable. 

Today on The Cannabis Connection Show, we welcome Jason Ortiz of the Last Prisoner Project. Jason Ortiz is the Director of Strategic Initiatives for the Last Prisoner Project. Jason was arrested for simple cannabis possession at the age of 16 in Norwich, CT, and that experience inspired him to become a cannabis justice advocate. After graduating from the University of Connecticut in Storrs with a degree in Public and Community Engagement, He was one of the founding board Members of the Minority Cannabis Business Association, where he empowered legacy entrepreneurs of color to become policy advocates through the organizing of 5 cannabis policy summits that brought together dozens of stakeholders of color to draft model Social Equity legislation. Last Prisoner Project is a national, nonpartisan not-for-profit that works to end Ameica's discriminatory and counterproductive policy of cannabis criminalization as well as to repair the harms of this unjust and ineffective crusade. 

This week on The Cannabis Connection Show, we welcome local comedy Sherpa DNA! Over the last 18 years, DNA has presented 2000 comedy shows in Santa Cruz and 11 festivals. Over 80% of these shows were free because he believes in building community through laughter. He recently signed to Punch Line Records and will be recording it at The Kuumbwa in March. DNA was Timothy Leary's chauffeur, a 5x mayoral candidate in Chico, had a hit song on radio stations in NorCal in the 90s, is vegan, a journalist, and recently had his series pitched in LA.

Today on The Cannabis Connection Show we welcome our good friend Jason Matthys of Equilibrium Genetics to discuss helping small farmers, cannabis policy, areas to improve for legacy operators, failing corporate cannabis, oral history's of cannabis, Hawaiian cannabis culture and more. Founded in 2012 by Jason Matthys, Equilibrium Genetics is based in Mendocino County, California. All seeds available from Equilibrium Genetics are the product of years of collecting, preserving and hybridizing rare cannabis genetics from across the globe. These hybrid, heirloom, and landrace cannabis seeds are created with the goal of helping people legally access a wide variety of cannabis genetics for generations to come.

Today on The Cannabis Connection we welcome Will Moxham of Woodhouse Blending & Brewing.Woodhouse Blending & Brewing is an evolving project created to bring Santa Cruz more small batch craft beer, and showcase amazing talent and creativity. We want to be a major moving part within our community, and to be a place for everyone to come together and experience all that our beautiful city has to offer! We are a space that celebrates other entrepreneurs and creators - makers in every form from every walk of life.

The Bohemian Chemist was started by Jim Roberts and Brian Adkinson, partners in business and in life. Jim is a second generation cannabis cultivator, operating his family property Sugar Hill Farm and founder of The Bohemian Chemist, a micro-business showcasing sun-grown flower from Mendocino's Anderson Valley. At the farm, Jim has been focusing in on minor cannabinoids and broad cannabinoid profiles as well as preservation work with landrace and heirloom cultivars. He has been collaborating with the science and medical communities on effects as well as therapeutics. A lifelong entrepreneur and legacy farmer, Jim is vested in the economic development of Mendocino County's emerging cannabis marketplace with a focus on building the regions tourism marketshare while being vested in bettering the quality of life for local residents and supporting fellow stakeholders.

Matthew is one of the original farmers of the Lemon Tree Organics. Matthew and his brothers farmed Lemon Tree before the name and brand were created, initially called Lemon Diesel. As Prop 215 evolved into Prop 64, Matthew navigated the switch, jumped through the hoops, and successfully ran a fully licensed farm in the Santa Cruz Mountains called Rasta Cruz Farm. He recently crossed the Lemon Tree with Wedding Cake and created Tree Flip. Matthew crossed the Lemon Tree with a GMO, a Garlic Mushroom. Then, those two cultivars crossed on each other, and Lemon Mash was born. Matthew grows organically in living soil and hand waters and hand trims the cannabis. Love is the first ingredient at the Rasta Cruz Farm.

Daniel Morford comes from a legacy of cannabis breeders and is a third generation ganja farmer with 19 years of experience. Founder of Pride of the Lion Seeds and co-founder with his father of Heartrock Mountain Farm. This family has been saving and breeding seeds for decades in the mountains of Mendocino County. Daniel has published a book of poetry Love Grows and continues to write, farm, raise babies and make seeds. 

Today on the show, we welcome Jacob Beau. This show is for all those wondering how to reach a larger audience and rise from the shadowbans. Born and raised in Santa Cruz, Jacob Beau spent 3 years working on Facebook's paid ads team, gaining deep insights into how the ad algorithm works. He's using that knowledge to run highly effective ad campaigns on Meta, particularly in highly regulated markets. Recognized for his expertise, CEO Weekly even called Jacob the “human cheat code” to social media marketing.

Bleezy and Old E, two brothers from Mendocino, not only cultivate culture in their original music but were awarded 2024 Emerald Cup Best In Show for their Sun Grown Flower "Headies" at the 20th Annual Emerald Cup. Personal Use Flower 1st Place and 3rd Place for Personal Solventless Concentrate. Their work graced the cover of High Times August 2024 issue, and their farm is in full glory this weekend with an exclusive opportunity to learn from these award-winning farmers and underdog fan favorites. In an exclusive interview, we explore these milestones while going behind the genetics and music leading to long overdue recognition for cultural mavericks Mendo Dope.

Today on the show, we welcome Daniel Sheehan and Michael Smith to discuss a special gathering happening September 21 and new developments with UFO disclosure.Daniel Sheehan is an acclaimed civil rights attorney at the forefront of the unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) disclosure and transparency advocacy movement.  In 2023, Danny founded the New Paradigm Institute (NPI) as an initiative of the Romero Institute. NPI's mission is to inform the public of the facts surrounding the UAP phenomenon and to mobilize them to secure full and responsible disclosure of the information about UAP technology and non-human intelligence held in secret from the public and even Congress for over 80 years by the Military Industrial Complex. Several complex cases argued and won before the Supreme Court, including: The Iran Contra Civil LawsuitThe Three Mile Island LitigationThe Nation's first Sanctuary defense caseMichael Smith is the founder of Points Collected LLC a creative marketing and consulting agency located in Santa Cruz, CA with a focus on event curation & Artist / Brand Development. Together they with Heart Tribe Events will host an intimate Intergalactic Gathering of UFO Disclosure & Bass Music featuring Shlump September 21, 2024 at The 418 Project.

Today on the show we welcome Genine Coleman!We discuss documenting the Legacy of California Cannabis.Proposition 64, the California cannabis legalization ballot initiative passed in 2016, created cannabis-specific taxes. A portion of these cannabis tax revenues are used to fund cannabis research initiatives through California's public universities. On April 25th, 2023 the California Department of Cannabis Control awarded $2.7 million dollars to a group of academic researchers, scientists, and community based organizations to develop a multidisciplinary, community-based participatory research (CBPR) study that will identify, document, and help to preserve the history, value, and diversity of California's legacy cannabis genetics and the communities that steward them.Genine Coleman is the founder and Executive Director of Origins Council, a nonprofit education, research and policy advocacy organization that serves some 800 members of California's legacy cannabis growing regions. Origins Council is dedicated to sustainable rural economic development within legacy cannabis producing regions and establishing nationally and internationally recognized, legally defensible, standards-based, geographic indication systems for cannabis. A former grower, Genine has over 20 years of cannabis cultivation experience. In 2012, she stopped cultivating cannabis to take up cannabis patient and policy advocacy. She is the co-founder of the Mendocino Appellations Project, which is now a regionally sponsored project of Origins Council, and serves on the Board of Directors for the 420 Archive which is devoted to collecting, preserving and sharing the history of cannabis culture and prohibition in the United States. Genine is also a founding board member of the Mendocino Cannabis Alliance, formed in 2019. From 2017–2020, she served on the Board of Directors of the California Growers Association.

Today on The Cannabis Connection Show we welcome Grant Palmer ⁠@phenothepuppy⁠ CEO of Canna Cruz Dispensaries. ⁠@thecannacruzcollective⁠ started back in 2008 with locations in Santa Cruz, Watsonville and Salinas. Canna Cruz Salinas ⁠@cannacruzsalinas⁠ won 1st place Best Dispensary Central California for the 20th Anniversary Emerald Cup ⁠@theemeraldcup⁠ last weekend. We will explore his ongoing works in serving the people and cultivating award winning flower.

Today on The Cannabis Connection, we welcome Joel Perez! Joel is the Lead Extractor at Creme De Canna Extracts. He has worked in the industry for over 15 years. Back in 2013, Joel was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, with stage 4 Lymphoma. After multiple biopsies and surgery, Joel underwent a bone marrow transplant.After a relapse, despite years of extreme chemotherapy treatments, Joel had heard of RSO (Rick Simpson Oil) and started taking a gram a day.RSO paired with plant-based diet over a few months led to the best scan Joel's doctor had ever seen over the years with no signs of any cancer. From the death bed to Joel's story, being on the front page of High Times was a miracle.Joel runs a c1d1 extraction booth, which is wired into the fire department and monitored by them. Joel is a father of four boys and runs a hydrocarbon extraction system providing the best extracts and concentrates to the greater cannabis community.

Sleepy John Sandidge and Luigi Oppido host Christopher Carr live in the Santa Cruz Voice talk studio. We discuss the local music community, the industry, old smuggling and cultivation stories, Sleepy John's run-in with the law, and the potential for growing our Canna-Community as a legitimate and intrinsic part of Santa Cruz in the future.

Today on The Cannabis Connection Show we welcome Andy Lopez-The Invisible Gardener who shared “Don't panic it's organic” with the world. The Invisible Gardener grew up in New York, Puerto Rico, Cuba and Miami Florida, where he learned to use organics from his mother, who naturally grew her fruits and vegetables. In 1972, he founded The Invisible Gardener, Inc. to impact the world's environmental problems and educate & provide alternatives to chemical products used in the home and garden. With a common sense approach and endless enthusiasm, he champions Mother Nature's wisdom through educational programs and his books.Themes: Early days as Naval service member trying new cannabis in every port. Sourcing seeds - Red Dragon Thai, Lambsbread, Maui Wowie.10 longitude rule.Smuggling Panama Red - Mobile Alabama -> Porta Limon Costa Rica.Trade secret germinating old seeds.Mother Nature and health.Water holds information.

Christopher Carr interviewed by Rosemary Chalmers live on Santa Cruz Voice covering major themes from Lookout Santa Cruz's recent article "Cannabis industry's sad state prompts changes across Santa Cruz County" by Christopher Neely. We explore local themes of the need for responsive policy in the county, a prevailing negative social stigma in the City of Santa Cruz and how Watsonville is leading the way with implementing reasonable regulations to keep what remaining Santa Cruz County cannabis businesses in operation. All politics are local yet the descheduling of cannabis on a federal level is also top of mind; we cover it all in this concise and to the point coverage.

Welcome Manny Alvarez to the show! We explore regenerative farming, wellness and Manny's experience journeying into the Amazon to heal through ayahuasca ceremony. Manny Alvarez is the highly dedicated and passionate co-founder of Bird Valley Organics, a regenerative farm renowned for its award-winning healing whole plant Full Spectrum Oil (FSO). Manny is committed to educating people about the regenerative agriculture movement. Alongside his partner Terry, they have been creating healing FSO whole plant medicine since 2013, which embodies sustainable practices and holistic health. 

Today on The Cannabis Connection show we welcome Cody and Elise of SierraKind. SierraKind is a high-quality, ethically crafted mixed-light cannabis farm with a low carbon footprint born out of the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, with a perfect growing climate in a fittingly named town, Grass Valley. We use as many natural and organic products as possible, maximizing the sun for sustainable farming, and off-setting our mixed light carbon footprint with solar panels. We grow good so you can smoke and feel good in kind - SierraKind.

Tom Jenkins author of "The Next Run A UC Berkeley Student's Rise To Major 60s Pot Smuggler". Tom starts by smuggling pot hidden in cars, graduates to planes, resorts to waking sacks through the Rio Grande, and ultimately finds himself heading the Colombian end of an operation with a twin-engine cargo plane dropping bales to waiting speedboats off the coast of Florida. At the same time, his Mexican contacts are sending him tons at a time transported in semis past a bribed customs official. Tom's next move stuns the smuggling world.

Today on The Cannabis Connection Show we welcome Alex Halperin! Alex Halperin's work on the weed beat has appeared in Fast Company, Slate, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, California Sunday (R.I.P.) and the Guardian, where he wrote the High Time column, an adult's guide to legalization. He's written the newsletter WeedWeek since July 2015. Its 11,000+ subscribers include many influential figures in the cannabis world. His book The Cannabis Dictionary (Octopus Books, Hachette) was published in March 2020.Before cannabis, Halperin reported on topics including tech, criminal justice, health care and finance for Fortune, The Washington Post Magazine, Mother Jones, The New Yorker and many other publications. The Dirty Secret of California's Legal Weed, an investigation by Paige St. John and Alex Halperin, through WeedWeek . It looks into the presence of dangerous, sometimes banned, pesticides in California's legal weed supply, and how state regulators have been unwilling and/or unable to address them.

Dr. Riley Kirk is a cannabis research scientist and a cannabis educator. She obtained her Ph.D. in pharmaceutical sciences, specializing in natural product chemistry where she studied the traditional and contemporary uses of hundreds of medicinal plants. She has worked as an immunology scientist in the biotech industry, currently is an assistant associate professor at the University of Rhode Island and works in the cannabis industry on the medicinal value of the chemical synergies within the plant. Riley is the co-founder of the cannabis research and education non-profit called the Network of Applied Pharmacognosy (NAP). NAP is using science as advocacy to research and communicate findings that highlight the unique power of natural products. The goal of Riley's work is to unite people in the Cannabis industry, academia, and consumers to further the reach of Cannabis education and reduce harm.

Earth RhythmSanta Cruz-based cultivators. Established in 2018, we are focused on quality, small-batch, Soil-Grown loved-up Cannabis, working with the best genetics and community to provide the best cannabis to the people.Fuego Family FarmsSanta Cruz cannabis cultivators in living soils with the finest genetics. A small collaborative of Santa Cruz cannabis farmers who have grown, bred, loved, and consumed cannabis plants for most of their adult lives. We have meticulously developed a system of cultivation and care that brings each plant to its full potential—featuring exotic cultivars that will blow you away.

Today on the show we welcome Seba Beca of @greenmagicyoga to discuss all things psychedelic, technology and AI, ethics and safety, music + more. Seba (he, him) is a licensed psychotherapist based in Santa Cruz, specializing in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy. Seba has trained with CIIS, Polaris and other medicine communities as well as in Gestalt Therapy and incorporates mindfulness, ecotherapy and somatic awareness practices as a means to support clients and groups heal from trauma, depression and anxiety. Seba is co-founder of Green Magic Yoga, a local yoga studio and psychedelic community focused on the healing power of Cannabis. He is also the executive director of the Santa Cruz Psychedelic Society, a non-profit organization and community of psychonauts interested in exploring and expanding the safe use of psychedelics for mental health and the betterment of well people. They organize Psychedelic First Fridays, Microdosing Hikes and Peer Integration Circles.

Javiera “Javi” Kostner (she/her) is an Advanced Therapeutic Yoga teacher, Mindfulness-Based Psychedelic Therapist & Guide, Breathwork Facilitator and Coach. Specializing in Trauma Recovery Yoga and Mindfulness-Based Somatic practices, and cannabis specialist, Javi is a Ganja Yoga training lead and steward. Her sessions are infused with cannabis, community, relaxing vibes, grounded spirituality, and a touch of Latino spice. Originally from Chile, Javiera is a bilingual cannabis guide, and group facilitator.In 2019, Javi, along with her husband Seba, founded Green Magic Yoga. Their mission is to bring together mindfulness, psychedelic healing, and yoga to foster holistic wellness. Both trained by the Center for Medicinal Mindfulness, noe training leads for Psychedelic Guide Training, they lead monthly Conscious Cannabis circles in the Bay Area and online.Additionally, Javi serves as the Community & Event Coordinator for the Santa Cruz Psychedelic Society, offering Psychedelic Integration, Microdosing Hikes and Psychedelic First Fridays.

Jesse Daniel has been a well respected name within traditional country music fans for years. Known for his relentless work ethic, roaring live shows and true to life songwriting, he has earned his place among the heavy hitters of today's industry. The California native is blazing the trail for a new wave of traditional artists, bringing his kind of country music to stages all over the world. With three full length studio records and a newly released live album, he continues to rival the greats of the genre with his level of creative output. There are many making traditional country music in modern times, but there is no one making it like Daniel; his sound is uniquely his own, while rooted in the tradition of his Bakersfield heroes like Merle Haggard and Buck Owens.His new single titled “Workin' Hard (Day and Night)” is a tip of the hat to Merle and is prominently featured on Netflix as the theme music for comic Dusty Slay's new comedy special “Workin' Man”. Jesse and his band have an extensive US and European tour booked for 2024 and there is no telling where this new year may take him.

This week on The Cannabis Connection show we debut our first local showcase of Santa Cruz restaurants to enjoy starting with Watsonville's traditional Japanese Restaurant Miyuki. We welcome Paul Tashiro on the show to shed light on Japanese culture, traditional dishes and history of Miyuki.Paul Tashiro is the new owner and executive chef of Miyuki Japanese Restaurant, in Watsonville, California. Miyuki has been in business since 1982! Miyuki has generations of families that have been dining at Miyuki since 1982. Miyuki's traditions, its legacy menu, and its entire staff will all remain the same!In 2018, Paul retired from the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office after 31 years of service. He is a local kid raised in Watsonville and currently resides in Las Vegas, NV. His retired journey started out learning how to be a sushi chef at Imura Japanese Restaurant in Watsonville.

Today on the show we welcome ⁠@safaamodir⁠ of ⁠@thebaytals⁠ another installment in our ⁠#santacruz⁠⁠#music⁠⁠#community⁠⁠#showcase⁠. Safaa Modir is a San Jose based musician and leader of the Bay Area Reggae & Ska band The Baytals. As a cannabis enthusiast, he is passionate about the healing potential of the plant for psychological & mental afflictions that he believes are at the roots of humanity's struggles.⁠#roots⁠⁠#music⁠⁠#831⁠⁠#thecannabisconnectionshow⁠⁠#smileygreen⁠⁠#talkradio⁠⁠#theaterofthemind⁠⁠#connection⁠⁠#reason⁠⁠#culture⁠We explore these themes: -Music in the home-Sublime & Santa Cruz - The Baytals -Inception of Ancestree-Know your history-Karma & Dharma-Faith & Love-One Drop Wednesdays-Jams to support Santa Cruz Music Community-Come Together

Today on The Cannabis Connection we showcase our fourth installment celebrating the music community of Santa Cruz with multi-instrumentalist, sound healer and magic maker Justin Mosley!Blessing the world with the healing vibrations of music from a young age, he provides energetic performances with a plethora of instruments: Harp, Flutes, Bass, Piano, Percussion, and more. His life's purpose is cultivating connection and healing for those suffering from trauma, addiction, and who are recovering from drug/alcohol abuse. He offers the healing power of breathwork, movement, and music as medicine, in the form of sound healing as well as soulful live shows with The Lovebyrds.Topics include*New psychedelics in recovery group Monday nights*Plant medicines for recovery*Lovebyrds/New music*Green Magic Yoga

Today on the show we welcome Valerie Corral of WAMM Phytotherapies. @wamm_phytotherapies Also, another strong voice in the local Santa Cruz Cannabis Community Bayley Logan of The Hook. @thehookoutlet Lots to discuss and lots to do in the service of compassion and continuing the legacy and leadership in Santa Cruz Cannabis Community.1:38 - City of Santa Cruz Planning Commission Meeting Outcome5:45 - Bayley Logan Evolution with Cannabis 8:30 - WAMM Phyto & The Hook Partnership12:40 - Relationship of Service15:30 - Energy Exchanges - Labors of Love19:30 - Patients WAMM Serves22:00 - Integration & Stewardship23:20 - Remember where we come from...24:20 - WAMM providing Cannabis on the Steps of City Hall 200226:00 - Mike Corral27:00 - DEA Raid 202230:15 - Trap the FEDS32:30 - Updates "We got this!"33: 10 - Bayley The Hook Next Steps36:45 - Continue down the route of Community42:00 - Back to the Roots44:00 New Infusion of Energy 47:00 "There is now a Dialogue"51:30 Message of Love

This is our 4th installment of our showcase celebrating #santacruz #music this one been in the works for some time big ups @labratofficial LabRat is not just a music producer, he is a sonic architect pushing the boundaries of sound and creativity. With an insatiable curiosity for the uncharted realms of music, LabRat concocts intricate auditory experiments that connect with listeners on an emotional and physical level.Hailing from the vibrant and eclectic underground music scene of Santa Cruz, LabRat's journey began at a young age with his involvement in melodic death metal and jazz bands. He was initially exposed to dubstep while attending his first music festival in 2008, captivated by the electronic sounds a new passion was ignited within. His early days were spent honing his craft in dimly lit studios and experimenting with an array of musical genres, from ambient electronica to pulsating dubstep, and everything in between.Over the years LabRat has cultivated a signature sound - a captivating blend of heavy bass, lush melodies, and meticulously crafted textures woven together with the intention to move people. His productions and live performances possess an uncanny ability to engage audiences at home or on the dancefloor.LabRat's multi-faceted productions weave a narrative that resonate with the human experience. The results of ongoing musical experiments have had overwhelmingly positive results for all participants. See y'all in the Lab!Give thanks to our dear friend Michael Smith for connecting us!

Today on The Cannabis Connection show we welcome our third installment in the Santa Cruz Music Showcase Mak Nova. Mak Nova aka Mak Daddie The Prince, is not your average rapper. She is a true poet; a mystic. Her live and recorded music are often coupled with the words innovative, transformational, and spiritual. She is a sensual, alluring, queer icon.

Today on The Cannabis Connection Show we welcome Eleanor Kuntz and Ryan Harner representing LeafWorks, Candor and Tangled Roots. We will discuss preserving and protecting the work of cannabis breeders. Join us!Tangled RootsTangled Roots Seed Collection is a place where stories intertwine and journeys converge. Tangled Roots is more than just a seed bank, it's a sanctuary of tradition, diversity, and the shared human experience.The Emerald Triagnle's premier seed bank representing brands like Huckleberry Hill Farms, Ridgeline Farms, Canna Country Farms, Hogwash Farms, CALegacy and more.LeafWorksLeafworks is a plant genomics company conducting cutting edge research and developing commercial service for the cannabis and hemp markets.Our promise is to bring an unparalleled combination of scientific rigor and uncompromising ethics to the cannabis industry to protect, educate, and empower those stewarding these plants.CanndorAs a world class industry herbarium, Canndor's mission is to document and preserve records of cannabis plants grown in the industry, in order to establish historical evidence of existence, link plant creators with their creation, and establish broader cultivar standards in partnership with the community that stewarded these plants themselves.

Today on The Cannabis Connection Show, we welcome our second guest and installment into our local music showcase, Herb Daly. HERB DALY, a longtime resident of the beautiful Santa Cruz area, has shared his lifelong love of Jamaican music for almost 5 decades. First visiting Jamaica in 1976, he ended up living there for the better part of a year, meeting and working with many of the island's top artists and musicians, and laying guitar on a number of tracks in the main Kingston recording studios. Since then, he's been an integral part of several seminal reggae ensembles such as the otherwise all-Jamaican Rastafarians, all while raising a family and serving his community. Realizing how crucial the bass is to the Jamaican sound, he switched from guitar to bass and has never looked back. Decades of working with Jamaican and West Indian musicians taught him to “come correct” with their music, and he has been passing on his knowledge and experience to the younger generations of aspiring reggae musicians. 

Alwa Gordon- Inspired by Tupac's lyricism and Mac Dre's “hyphy” party music influence at a young age, Alwa Gordon's sound combines melodic rap flows and catchy melodies with beats that make you want to bounce and move. His music is a collection of songs that encapsulates Alwa's growth over the past few years, with heavy hip-hop lyricism and self produced, independently distributed records that will catch the ears of Drake and J. Cole fans.Mak Nova -Mak Nova is an enigmatic rapper/singer/ performance artist based out of Santa Cruz, CA. Her mission is to use her music and live performances to empower and inspire everyone she comes into contact with. With her fiery delivery, reflective lyrics and soul stirring dance moves, she draws her audiences in and invites them to embody their highest potential.

Daniel Morford lives off grid in the mountains of Northern California near where he was born and raised by his "back to the land" parents. Daniel is a regenerative farmer, author, and father of three. A lover philosophy, meditation, yoga, and the outdoors. His writing reflects these passions of farming, spirit, nature, and his family.twiter @theheartrockpoetinstagram @heartrocks_for_peace1:40 Wim Hoff Method3:23 The Seed Office at the Oak Seed Desk5:20 New Era - Great American Thistle Bowl6:40 Love Grows Book12:21 Constellation Poetry Reading14:30 Self Publishing15:31 Spiritual Path16:20 Mouth of God20:02 Be Love Poetry Reading22:30 Mother & Fathers Love - Divine Love25:01 Entertained Enlightened Liberated27:30 Pure Heart through the cosmos29:01 Raise your vibration30:30 Religion vs. Spirituality33:00 Spirtual practice into action34:20 The Eve Of reading37:40 Love Rising Poem Break44:22 Love Grows Pg 149 48:50 Ancestral Tree