The Cannabis Enigma

A common issue that is present in the cannabis market is the inconsistency of products. As an agricultural crop, it can be tricky for suppliers to deliver the same product to consumers time and again, and this is one of the areas that Michael Backes, our guest for today's episode, is tackling through his work at Perfect Blends!In our chat, Michael shares his personal journey into the cannabis space, and how his history of migraines aided him in discovering the powers of medical marijuana. From there, he talks about opening his first dispensary, and the basics of what we currently know about terpenes. We also get to grips with some important terminology, before Michael shares a few tips for healthier cannabis use.One of the simplest and most helpful takeaways from Michael is the usefulness of our noses, and as Michael reminds us, that was all he used to have to help him identify different strains! We finish off this illuminating conversation considering where Perfect is headed next and the importance of regulating the supply chain in the space before we touch in with Debbie Churgai for our AFSA segment.Key Points From This Episode:A few of Perfect's innovative products!Michael's issues with migraines and how this led to him rediscovering cannabis. The dispensary that Michael opened in Eagle Rock in 2006.Michael shares some of his insight and research into what we know about terpenes. Tracing and verifying different famous strains in today's climate.  Michael unpacks the meaning of the terms 'chemovar' and 'cultivar'.  Thoughts on how to treat and care for your cannabis products.Sipping instead of ripping; Michael shares the safest smoking practices.  The challenges of building a better medical cannabis model.  Looking to the short term-term future with Michael and what to expect from Perfect!How Perfect is tackling the issue of consistency with their products.  The need for more care and control over the supply chain in the cannabis space.  Today's AFSA segment featuring a rundown of the organization's mission. Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:CannigmaMichael Backes on InstagramCannabis PharmacyPerfectPick Me Up Infused Mini Preroll 3-packsMJBizConNational Institute on Drug AbuseStorz & BickelAlien LabsEmerald CupDebbie Churgai on LinkedInAmericans for Safe Access

Today on the show we welcome chef Jordan Wagman to talk about the work he is doing to incorporate cannabis into his amazing cooking as a way of advocating for its health benefits. Jordan starts by talking about how his early relationship with cannabis began when he was diagnosed with psoriasis and used it as a way of easing the pain. Years later, after he had become a chef, he made drastic changes to his diet involving the inclusion of cannabis along with the exclusion of refined sugar, and thereafter experienced tremendous health benefits.Now Jordan is on a mission to help others have a similar experience to him and we spend our discussion asking him about how he cooks with cannabis, his favorite recipes, and how the average person can start to build their own amateur cannabis kitchen. Jordan talks about his method for making delicious cannabis-infused emulsifications and the value of using a cannabinoid that you purchased as far as incorporating the right dose. He speaks about his famous fruit leather recipe and why it makes such a good on-the-go snack. He also shares top tips for the best kinds of appliances and methods to use at home so that you can make delicious food using cannabis as an ingredient.After our enlightening conversation with Jordan, we welcome William Dolphin onto the show for our ASA segment, where we discuss the journey to understanding the relationship between cannabis and mental health. William Describes a discrepancy between what doctors say about cannabis and the way it is used, shares case studies that disrupt the perception that it is dangerous for mental health, and speaks about the challenge posed by doctors who are doing their research from within a ‘harm paradigm'. For all this and more, tune in with us today!Key Points From This Episode:Perspectives on cannabis as a source of food.An introduction into Jordan and the work he does with food and cannabis.How Jordan ended up being a cannabis chef.Jordan's struggle with psoriasis which led him to seek sunshine and smoke pot.How Jordan realized the health benefits of cannabis in food and began to advocate for them.How the removal of refined sugar from his diet helped Jordan's health.Jordan's method of preparing for that contains cannabis but not refined sugar.How to start experimenting with making your own edibles a home.The importance of immersing your cannabis product well into your cooking.How important it is to purchase your own cannabinoids.How much easier it is to introduce people to cannabis consumption over food.The must-haves when it comes to building an amateur cannabis kitchen.Jordan's favorite recipe and why he loves his fruit leather so much.Whether it makes a difference what food you consume cannabis with.Perspectives on the new frontier of consumption lounges and cannabis restaurants.William Dolphin joins us for our ASA segment.How different what doctors say about cannabis is from what people who use cannabis experience with it.That cannabis is often associated with mental health disorders although people use it to self-medicate those.New case studies that disrupt perceptions that cannabis causes mental illness.The need for more careful research on how cannabis affects mental health.The need to get away from the harm paradigm that cannabis is studied under. Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:Chef Jordan WagmanChef Jordan Wagman on Twitter

Welcome to another episode of the Cannabis Enigma! We've got something a little different for you today. We'll be talking about how visual storytelling can be used in the cannabis space with Anthony Travagliante. Hear the tale of how Anthony came to work in the cannabis space, telling the stories of cannabis brands and making them accessible to non-users. Find out how he has overcome some of the challenges caused by COVID, what he enjoys most about the industry, and the strides it is making in business. Elana is uniquely positioned to review his services for listeners, having hired Anthony herself, she closes her conversation with him with a shining recommendation.During the second half of our conversation, we are joined by Abbey Roudebush for the ASA segment, who gives us some insight on the newly published State of States Report. Learn what's included in the report, how the dataset is compiled, and who it is intended to educate. Abbey shares why they have totally revamped the scale and metric they once used to calibrate this kind of data and leaves us with the big takeaway that no state is perfect, but some are making strides. Join us to hear all this and more today! Key Points From This Episode:An introduction to today's topic: how visual storytelling can be used in the cannabis space.Meet today's guest, Anthony Travagliante, and how he is connected to our community.Lockdown challenges and how they sparked creativity while shooting.The story of how Anthony came to work in the cannabis space as a storyteller.What he enjoys about the industry and what it is doing in business.How he sees his role in telling the story within the cannabis space.His favorite target audience: the people who wouldn't usually be interested.Some of the biggest challenges he faces with different clients.Who his ideal clients are for web, photo and design, and events, and what he does for them.A plug for his brother Dustin's shop in Brunswick, selling inhalables.Elana Goldberg's positive review of Anthony's services after having hired him.An introduction to the ASA segment of the show with Abbey Roudebush, Director of Government Affairs at Americans for Safe Access.We discuss the State of States Report that came out this week. What the report and assessment consist of.The main audience for the report: policymakers across the country.The individualized recommendations included in the report.How they have totally revamped the scale and metric they once used. How the majority of the states are not doing well on the grading system.Where to find the full report.The big takeaway she wants to share: no state is perfect.Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:Anthony Travagliante on LinkedInAnthony Travagliante on TwitterAnthony Travagliante on InstagramAmericans for Safe AccessState of the StatesTrav Media GroupWebFlowAbbey Roudebush on LinkedInCannigma

In light of Black History Month, we feel it is important and relevant to talk about how minorities in the United States and around the world have been disproportionately affected by drug policy and the war on drugs. Part of our conversation today centers on how we can break down barriers and find ways to build cannabis companies that are minority-owned and uplift them.Joining us for this discussion is Steven Philpott Jr., one of our science reviewers at The Cannigma and a cannabis trichome expert who is getting his master's in Plant Sciences. Steve is also one of the co-founders of the Illinois Minority Growers Association and is heavily involved in social equity and minority issues within the cannabis space. As part of his master's degree, Steve is currently using electron microscopes to take super close-up pictures of trichomes, tiny protrusions on cannabis plants. Tuning in, you'll hear more about what these trichomes are and why they're important. Steve sheds light on his experience in the military and how losing friends to opioid use led him to become interested in cannabis. We also discuss the disparity between what is taught at medical school and what science actually shows us. To hear more about Steven's research, what he hopes it will lead to, his predictions for the future of cannabis, how he is helping those most harmed by the war on drugs, and how you can help too, tune in today!Key Points From This Episode:Some background into how minorities have been disproportionately affected by drug policy and the war on drugs.The upcoming webinar that showcases Black-owned and social equity-focused brands. An introduction to Steven Philpott Jr and his involvement in social equity and minority issues within the cannabis space.Insight into the catalog of trichomes that Steven is currently working on. What trichomes are and why they're important.How Steve's experience with the military led him to become interested in cannabis.  How his experience as a strength conditioning coach for athletes increased his interest in cannabis.  Insight into the research he is currently doing.The disparity between what is taught at medical school and what science actually shows us. What Steve hopes his research may lead to.   The problems with a system driven by THC research and how Steve is doing things differently.The Minority Growers Association and Steve's role in it.The importance of recruiting the people who were most harmed by the war on drugs. What Steve predicts for the future of cannabis. The connection between hemp and fungal networks and some of the other subjects that Steve is interested in.Hear about cannabinoid testing in the Americans for Safe Access segment with Heather Despres. Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:Steven Philpott Jr on LinkedInIllinois Minority Growers Association Harrington Institute  Cleveland School of CannabisHeather Despres Americans for Safe AccessElana GoldbergDr. Codi PetersonThe Cannigma

By now, we've all heard of the concept of using cannabis to treat ailments like cancer, ALS, Parkinson's, seizures, HIV, AIDS, Crohn's, and terminal illnesses, but fortunately, those aren't necessarily what physicians are most commonly confronted with. What then, can be done about things like anxiety, pain, insomnia, fibromyalgia, endometriosis, and other women's health issues? Today we are joined by Dr. Melanie Bone, a physician in Florida practicing cannabis-based medicine. Dr. Bone has an impressive medical background from working as an OBGYN and delivering thousands (literally thousands!) of babies, to doing robotic surgery, and now, helping geriatric patients navigate cannabis medicine. In this episode, we hone in on one particular sphere of interest, and that is the way that Dr. Bone has integrated her OBGYN expertise with her medicinal cannabis practice. We hear about how her son's run-in with cannabis set her forth on her research and ignited her passion, and how Dr. Bone integrates cannabis to alleviate women's health issues. She lists the various women's health issues that can be treated with cannabis, from debilitating menstrual cramps to sexual function, and breaks down the endocannabinoid system and the effects of vaginal suppositories. We find out how women and other estrogen-predominant people react differently to cannabis than men and those with more testosterone, and why microdosing is far more effective for the former. As it turns out, edibles also affect women differently, and Dr. Bone explains the ‘start low and go slow' method that they should be approached with.We move on to dissect Florida's current cannabis market and prescribing model, speculating on the dangers of over-regulation going forward. Dr. Bone fills us in on why she doesn't believe the THC limit model to be of much use, and why she is such a fan of ratio products! Tune in for this informative episode on cannabis and women's health, straight from the source of someone who truly has seen it all!Key points from this episode:The cannabis laws in Florida, where Dr. Melanie Bone is based.Dr. Bone's medical background and how she came to merge cannabis with her OBGYN expertise.The science behind why women react differently to cannabis than men, taking the trans population into consideration.How Dr. Bone integrates cannabis to help with women's health.The various women's health issues that can be treated with cannabis!Dr. Bone breaks down the endocannabinoid system and the effects of vaginal suppositories.Why Dr. Bone takes the “start low and go slow” approach to treatment.The effectiveness of microdosing for women, and the symptoms it can resolve.Why women respond differently to edibles than men and how they should approach them.Dr. Bone dissects Florida's current cannabis market and prescribing model.The government's concerns about diversion in terms of cannabis recreational legalization.The dangers of over-regulation.The medicinal benefits of CBD to THC ratio products.Heather Despres briefly joins us to discuss the work Americans for Safe Access is doing to advance cannabis therapeutics for use and research.Links mentioned in today's episode:CannigmaDr. Melanie BoneDr. Melanie Bone on LinkedInDr. Melanie Bone on TwitterDr. Melanie Bone on InstagramParallel

The decades-long War on Drugs campaign in America has been incredibly successful at spreading harmful rhetoric and shaping people's perception of cannabis use. The resulting prejudice can often discourage folks from seeking out medical cannabis as an option, and can even affect state legislature, forcing patients to overcome unnecessary and prohibitive obstacles in order to receive the treatment they need.Today on the show we welcome Nikki Lawley, a Traumatic Brain Injury Survivor, and founder of NIKKI and the Plant, an advocacy group for medical marijuana use, with a special focus on helping women who have suffered a TBI. We talk with Nikki about her life-altering TBI, her previous prejudices around cannabis use, and how her journey led her to the founding of NIKKI and the Plant. After being prescribed over 60 medications and seeing dozens of healthcare professionals, Nikki finally found relief and a reason to be optimistic when she tried medical cannabis. In our conversation, Nikki shares how difficult it was transitioning from her role as a nurse, and health care provider, to being a patient. She explains how the state legislature in New York prevented her from accessing the medication she needed, as well as how difficult it was navigating the world of medical cannabis and finding a product that reliably worked for her.We delve into Nikki's advocacy work, her approach to addressing people's prejudices, and why she is dedicated to changing the narrative around medical cannabis use. Nikki's story is deeply inspirational, and we are honored to have had her on the show. It's an imported reminder of the real-world impact that medical marijuana and advocacy can have on the lives of everyday individuals!Key points from this episode:An introduction to cannabis use for traumatic brain injuries (TBI).Some of the early evidence on the positive effects that cannabis could have for TBIs.An introduction to Nikki, how she received a TBI, and her difficult journey from nurse to patient.How Nikki found medical cannabis and how it transformed her recovery.Nikki's previous opinion of cannabis and how her worldview was shaped by the "War on Drugs" rhetoric.Nikki's first dispensary experience and why the initial results were so frustrating.Why Nikki's unique digestive system affects her ability to absorb fat-soluble products effectively.Why this hampered the efficacy of the cannabinoid products she was using at the time.How Nikki's friends in Canada, and her support network, helped her persevere in her journey with medical cannabis.The founding of NIKKI and the plant as an advocacy and awareness initiative. How their mission focuses on helping women with TBIs.Why Nikki remains motivated in helping and empowering patients to institute change in the medical industry.How Nikki approaches naysayers and people's prejudice against cannabis use.The Americans for Safe Access segment: the compliance, certification, and training side of ASA's offerings to the industry.Links mentioned in today's episode:NIKKI and the plantNikki Lawley on LinkedInNikki Lawley on InstagramNikki Lawley on FacebookHeather Despres on LinkedInCannigma

Steve DeAngelo is the true definition of a cannabis advocate. From the first time he was introduced to the plant in the 1960's he has dedicated his life's work to its legalization. From his time as one of Washington, DC's largest distributors of underground cannabis, through his creation of three iconic cannabis companies in California, to his current role as an educator and advisor, Steve has a wealth of knowledge and inspiration to share.  As you'll hear in today's episode, there are various ways to legalize cannabis, some that can actually do more harm than good. In Steve's eyes (and now in ours after this conversation with Steve) New York is leading the charge in terms of progressive cannabis legislation, and the rest of the world would do well to take note!Join us today as we take a trip from the very beginnings of the cannabis-human relationship, which began in Central Asia, all the way through to the present, where this wondrous herb is used for everything from chronic pain to sparking creativity. Key points from this episode:Why Elana and Codi are such big fans of today's guest, Steve DeAngelo.Steve's initial motivation for becoming a cannabis activist.A brief rundown of what the first 25 years of Steve's cannabis activism looked like.The disillusioning experience which pushed Steve from Washington, DC to California.Three companies that Steve founded, each the first of its kind in a certain sector of the cannabis industry.What Steve's current role in the cannabis industry looks like.How perceptions around cannabis have changed since Steve became an activist, and the future he sees for the plant.Steve explains the progressive law which has put New York at the frontlines of the Cannabis Freedom Movement.The problem with the way California has handled cannabis legalization.How the corporatization of cannabis impacts those who rely on the plant for medical use.Why Steve believes there is no such thing as recreational cannabis. A brief history of the spirituality that has always been associated with cannabis.Steve shares a regret that he has from the early days of his cannabis activism.An important call to action from Steve.The Americans for Safe Access segment: diving into the microbial world.Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:Steve DeAngelo WebsiteLast Prisoner ProjectHarborsideSteep Hill LaboratoryThe Arcview GroupFlow KanaAmericans for Safe AccessCannigma

Israel is world-renowned for the research and innovation that is taking place there, and unofficial data suggests that around 20% of the Israeli population uses cannabis. Despite this, being in possession of a prescription is the only way that cannabis can be legally consumed. Though hopefully this will not be the case for much longer. Today's guest is Itai Rogel, the Vice President of Business Development at Israeli cannabis company, Bazelet. Bazelet currently has two registered patents, 40 applications out in various stages, and is one of the two largest cannabis companies in Israel.In today's episode you'll hear about some of the unique qualities of the Israeli cannabis market (and Bazelet), why it is such a challenge to legalize cannabis in the country, and the approach to legalization that Itai thinks makes the most sense for his country.  Key points from this episode:Itai shares a picture of what the cannabis market currently looks like in Israel.The forms of cannabis which can be purchased by consumers in Israel.Conditions for which people in Israel are able to receive cannabis prescriptions.Tensions that exist within the Israeli cannabis market.A quality that differentiates Bazelet from other medical cannabis companies.An overview of what Bazelet does, and how it has evolved over the years.The brand Bazelet has developed which is specifically focused on women's health.Itai weighs in on what he thinks the cannabis industry is going to look like in Israel in the future.Unofficial data on cannabis usage in Israel.The angle through which Itai believes cannabis legalization should be approached. Similarities between the Israeli and Australian cannabis markets.Why cannabis should not be subjected to the same level of clinical trials as pharmaceuticals.The Americans for Safe Access segment: focusing on the difference between medical cannabis and adult use cannabis.Links mentioned in today's episode:Bazelet GroupItai Rogel on LinkedInAmericans for Safe AccessCannigma

Anyone who has ever tried to convince someone to change their mind over something they feel strongly about knows that it can be an impossible battle, and the only way to succeed is by taking the long view and embracing gradual change. The same can be said for changing public attitudes towards cannabis. In today's episode, we speak with JM Pedini, Development Director for NORML, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. NORML has been representing responsible consumers since 1970, and through their efforts and activism have seen public opinion change drastically in the past fifty years. By sufficiently moving the needle on public opinion, NORML aims to legalize the responsible use of marijuana by adults, and subsequently ensure access to products that are safe, convenient, and affordable. In our conversation with JM, we discuss their work as Development Director for NORML, how their experiences with cancer led them to NORML, and how NORML supports its affiliate chapters that are doing grassroots work to affect public policy changes both locally and internationally. We discuss the changes that have taken place since NORML was founded, and why advancing public policy is reliant on understanding where your state legislature currently stands and what they're emotionally comfortable with. To hear more of JM's thoughts on the importance of small victories, how to build momentum, and patient rights, tune in today!The Cannabis Enigma podcast is a co-production of The Cannigma and Americans for Safe Access. Elana Goldberg is the executive producer and co-host. Dr. Codi Peterson is co-producer and co-host. This episode was edited by our friends atWe Edit Podcasts. Music by Desca.Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:JM Pedini on LinkedInNORMLVirginia NORMLSubscribe to NORML NewsCannigma

Finding the correct dosage and combination of cannabinoid products for medical treatment is almost universally a long and expensive process of trial and error. And for the most part, patients are undertaking this journey alone and often with little guidance.This week on The Cannabis Enigma Podcast we get together with Otha Smith III, CEO, and Founder at Tetragram, a smart, digital platform that helps users get the most out of medical cannabis. We each have a unique endocannabinoid system, which makes finding the right dosage and combination of products a challenging process. There is also a lack of access to healthcare professionals, and experts in the field, to guide patients through this complicated process. There is still a long way to go in building a model that serves all patients, but in the meantime, Tetragram is providing an essential service for bridging that gap. The app helps patients make sense of their journey by simplifying the information and supplying data-driven insights into their regimen and its effects. It includes a space for journaling, an imperative aspect of improving your experience, as well as tools for determining the chemical profile of the cannabis you're using and how that correlates with your experience with medical cannabis. In our conversation with Otha, we talk about how Tetragram has been able to help its patients, how federal and state laws affect access to medical cannabis and what we can expect of government legislation in the coming years. We delve into how data can further our understanding of different types of cannabis and why standardization is desperately needed in the industry. The Cannabis Enigma podcast is a co-production of The Cannigma and Americans for Safe Access. Elana Goldberg is the executive producer and co-host. Dr. Codi Peterson is co-producer and co-host. This episode was edited by our friends atWe Edit Podcasts. Music by Desca.Links mentioned in this episode:Otha Smith III on LinkedInTetragramTetragram on InstagramTetragram on LinkedInMarijuana VentureMJBizConDebbie Churgai on LinkedInThe Cannigma

The Cannabis Enigma Podcast is wrapping up its first season. After 39 interviews with frontline doctors, researchers, patients, caregivers, practitioners, and expert storytellers, we are taking a summer break as we prepare for season two.For the season finale, hosts Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man and Elana Goldberg each choose three of their favorite interviews that they aired in the first season, discuss why those conversations are important to them, and play a short clip from each one.Listen to each of the full interviews here:No Time for Clinical Trials, with Catherine JacobsonDr. Ethan Russo Says Cannabis Can Be Better YetCBD Nation: Cannabis Science for the Masses, With David JakubovicA Rural Canadian Doctor Prescribes Cannabis for the First Time, With Dr. Tiffany KeenanUsing Cannabis to Treat Autism, With Dr. Orit StolarSo You Think You Know About Cannabis, With Dr. Codi Peterson, PharmDWe hope you enjoyed the first season and we can't wait to start popping back into your feed in a few months!Make sure you're subscribed so that you get a notification when we're back. And follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, or LinkedIn.The Cannabis Enigma podcast is a co-production of The Cannigma and Americans for Safe Access. Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man is the executive producer, editor, and co-host. Elana Goldberg is co-producer and co-host. Music by Desca.

Max Simon was a closeted cannabis user since his teen years. But it wasn't until years later, when he got into the cannabis education business, that he understood the reason he had been so drawn to it all those years was because it was helping his ADHD.“It's an interesting thing to realize that you've tried and experimented with all the ‘accepted therapies' and they've been damaging,” Simon said on The Cannabis Enigma podcast, “and the one that's been most effective and supportive has been the most demonized.”Simon discusses how that process played out, how he found the dose and regimen that works for him, and what exactly cannabis does for him as someone with ADHD.Today, Max Simon is the founder and CEO of Green Flower, a cannabis education company that offers training programs for employees for some of the biggest companies in the industry, online courses for people who want to work in cannabis, and programs in partnerships with 10 colleges and universities across the United States.In this episode, Simon and host Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man discuss how to ensure that medical and adult-use patients have access to the best and latest information out there, how to get them that information in dispensaries, and the role that companies like Green Flower can play.The Cannabis Enigma is a co-production of The Cannigma and Americans for Safe Access. Executive producer, Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man. Music by Desca.

When it comes to regulating and producing medicalized cannabis products, different countries have a variety of approaches. The American field of medicalized cannabis has followed a very different path to Europe. In today's episode, we speak with Stephen Murphy, co-founder and CEO of Prohibition Partners, a cannabis-focused business intelligence and consultancy company. Prohibition Partners LIVE, its flagship conference, will be taking place later this month.In our conversation, we discuss the ways that Europe and North America differ when it comes to cannabis and what we can learn from those differences. In Europe, Murphy explains, cannabis products are held to the same standards of accountability and repeatability as other pharmaceuticals. While these high standards are certainly good practice, it doesn't adequately consider that cannabis is a plant, which means it does not have the same stability as chemical compounds.We discuss the lack of access this results in for patients, the differences between hemp and cannabis with higher levels of THC, and the tremendous proven environmental benefits of growing cannabis and producing hemp that could play a big role in the fight against global warming, which Stephen is eager to discuss in the upcoming Prohibition Partners LIVE conference.Executive producer, Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man. The Cannabis Enigma podcast is a co-production of The Cannigma and Americans for Safe Access. Music by Desca.

What happens when you lock 20 women in a hospital for nearly 100 days and make them smoke two joints each night? Well, if it were up to the Canadian researchers responsible for the experiment, we'd never know.Nearly half a century later, the story of the at times cruel experiment is being told in a new film — ”The Marijuana Conspiracy.”Speaking with The Cannabis Enigma podcast this week are director and producer Craig Pryce and one of the original women who took part in the cannabis-fueled experiment, Doreen Brown.What started out as a fun escape, as Doreen tells it, became anything but after a while. And when she set out to discover what conclusions had been drawn from her participation, she was stonewalled by the researchers and the foundation funding the study.“It was like no one even admitted that that experiment happened,” Brown said.***Links to images of endocannabinoid receptors: The ribbons (and more ribbons)Produced by Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man. The Cannabis Enigma is a co-production of The Cannigma and Americans for Safe Access. Music by Desca.

As both a regulated medicine and something people use for wellness and even recreation, the information gaps that exist for cannabis users are unprecedented.“Any other medication and you're lawfully entitled to speak to a pharmacist,” explains Dr. Cody Peterson, a clinical pharmacist and medical cannabis professional. “The law states, you must be ensured the opportunity to speak with someone like me.” With cannabis, Dr. Peterson, continues, your best source of education is often a budtender with nothing more than a high school education.“I'm here to tell you that there is more going on and there is more to the story of consuming cannabis than just going to someone and saying, ‘I want an indica' and ‘Here, smoke it.'”In this episode with Dr. Peterson, we discuss common mistakes people make when they use cannabis, and why new cannabis technologies and products can get a little too far ahead of the science sometimes. Dr. Peterson also explains why labeling something isolated in a lab as “plant-based” doesn't necessarily mean it's always a good thing.“We're creating our own issues — nature in my experience has done it better than we have, and so that's why I think cannabis botanical needs to be preserved as well,” Dr. Peterson says. “When you start messing around with isolating molecules from a plant, it seems to be when we see more side effects.”Produced by Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man. The Cannabis Enigma is a co-production of The Cannigma and Americans for Safe Access. Music by Desca.

Cannabis is becoming more mainstream and available to nearly one in three Americans, yet most cannabis consumers aren't educated enough to buy the right products for their needs. Apart from poor experiences, this can lead to unhealthy consumption. For Matthew O'Brien, editor and founder of the Four PM newsletter, one of the most important places to start is by setting their expectations properly — primarily that “cannabis affects everyone differently.” In this episode of The Cannabis Enigma podcast, Matthew unpacks how that lack of information negatively impacts the industry.As Matthew explains in the episode, budtenders are often best positioned yet ill-equipped to serve their customers: “I've seen some very crazy conversations occur in cannabis retail stores — we're asking individuals to provide a service which they just have not in any context being provided with the right support to actually provide.”Later in the show, Matthew discusses the potential for cannabinoids to experience a huge upswing as the industry matures. The key question he asks is whether “THC is popular because it's the best cannabinoid? Or is THC popular because of a lack of choice?”Produced by Elana Goldberg and Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man. The Cannabis Enigma is a co-production of The Cannigma and Americans for Safe Access. Music by Desca.

Very few medical cannabis advocates are against the full legalization of the plant for all adults. But sometimes one unintended consequence of adult-use legalization is that the market no longer caters to medical patients.“Medical users, over time, are finding that the products that they want and need — they can no longer find on the shelves, or those products are more expensive,” explains Dr. Ruth Fisher, an economist who specializes in the market dynamics of cannabis. “And so they're kind of getting squeezed out. And I think that that's a real problem.”In this episode of The Cannabis Enigma Podcast, host Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man interviews Dr. Fisher about the various ways medical and adult-use cannabis markets interact. For instance, why is adult-use legalization almost always preceded by medical cannabis legalization?Dr. Fisher, author of the book "The Medical Cannabis Primer," also discusses how the remaining stigmas surrounding cannabis shape many of the dynamics and barriers facing both the medical and recreational markets. The fact that cannabis has been used in secret and behind closed doors for so long contributes to the ongoing perception of danger many people associate with it, she says.“If cannabis were used more openly by people, I think that we wouldn't have a lot of the problems that we're having today,” Dr. Fischer says.At the end of the episode, Debbie Churgai, executive director of Americans for Safe Access, discusses the various ways that military veterans — who could very much benefit from medical cannabis — have difficulty accessing it and the ways that the Veterans Administration can address that issue.Produced by Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man. The Cannabis Enigma is a co-production of The Cannigma and Americans for Safe Access. Music by Desca.

When Mara Gordon started using medical cannabis there wasn't any lab testing — or any way to know how much of each cannabinoid or terpene was in a given strain . There was definitely no way of ensuring that you got the same effect from it consistently.So she drew on her training as a process engineer and decided to start doing it herself.Gordon has been featured in the Netflix documentary, Weed the People, and owns and operates two medical cannabis companies. One of the things she does is collect and analyze data about cannabis products and how patients with different medical conditions respond to them. All of that data is packaged into software doctors can use to manage their patients' medical marijuana treatment.“I know how to collect data. I know how to analyze data. I know how to make incredibly good medicine, but [doctors] have to be the ones managing [their] patients' care,” Gordon says on The Cannabis Enigma Podcast.What's one of the most surprising things she's learned from all of that data? “The lack of correlation between the weight of the patient and the dose,” Gordon says. “That was shocking.”This episode was originally released in December 2019.Produced by Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man and Elana Goldberg, and edited and mixed by Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man. The Cannabis Enigma Podcast is a co-production of Americans for Safe Access and The Cannigma. Music by Desca.

A lot has changed for the cannabis industry in the last 10 years. Yet, one thing we can't seem to shake is the negative stigma that follows it around. In this episode, we speak with a woman who once feared and dismissed cannabis, only to become an activist for it in later life. “I thought it was dangerous,” says Joyce Gerber, “I believed it killed brain cells.” This all changed for Joyce when she and her husband traveled to Denver to experience cannabis under the guidance of industry expert, Goldie from City Sessions. Ever since then, Joyce has enjoyed a different outlook on cannabis, normalized it in her private life, turned it into a second career, and aims to tear down the stigma attached to it for the broader public. “It's not my natural habitat. People think this is some joke. They think it's a bunch of guys on a couch eating Cheetos. Maybe that was my preconception as well. [Now], I'm working in this industry, and every week I'm bringing on a new professional to talk on The Canna Mom Podcast about what they're doing in the industry. It's transformative.”With this mission in mind, Joyce was able to create a successful podcast during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. In her pursuit to share stories of hope and to change the narrative, Joyce has interviewed over 50 inspirational guests and continues to be an advocate for cannabis change.   Produced by Elana Goldberg and Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man. The Cannabis Enigma is a co-production of The Cannigma and Americans for Safe Access. Music by Desca.Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:The Canna Mom Show The Canna Mom Show on FacebookThe Canna Mom Show on InstagramThe Canna Mom Show on LinkedInJoyce Gerber on LinkedInThe CannigmaCity Sessions Dr. Dustin Sulak

Finding the right cannabis product can be a daunting task for anyone, let alone a new medical patient without any guidance.When you walk into a hardware store, pharmacy, or even a liquor store, if you don't know exactly what product will meet your needs there's someone educated enough to point you to the right product and the data to back up that recommendation, says Tyler Dautrich, COO of Releaf."That's not really available in the cannabis industry," he explained on the Cannabis Enigma podcast. "That's where we're trying to fill that need and plug that gap and help individuals inform their purchase decision."The Releaf app allows users to journal and track what cannabis products they are using and what effects they have in order to build an evidence-based treatment regime.Anonymized data also helps scientists better understand the cannabis plant and what products and chemical profiles are most effective for treating different conditions and symptoms.Produced by Elana Goldberg and Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man. Edited and mixed by Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man. Music by Desca. The Cannabis Enigma podcast is a co-production of The Cannigma and Americans for Safe Access.Full transcript will be added soon.

When Kevin Nafte and his wife moved from Northern California's Emerald Triangle to Uruguay, they already knew that they wanted to empower small, family farms to compete in the global cannabis industry. They had seen it work in California, and were determined to bring a similar model to South America.Less than three years later, they have 11 farms in their network and have already exported tons of cannabis to Europe.Speaking on The Cannabis Enigma podcast, Nafte explained the social and environmental vision of his company, YVY Life Sciences, and why he believes that there is a place for small farmers like those in his network in the global cannabis economy.He also explained what cannabis access looks like in the first country to legalize, and his own experience developing cannabis formulations to treat an auto-immune disorder.In the second part of the episode, Andrew Coon, policy coordinator for Americans for Safe Access, explains the significance of two recent political feats: the passage of the MORE Act in the House of Representatives, and the UN decision to reschedule cannabis.Produced, edited, and mixed by Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man. The Cannabis Enigma podcast is a co-production of The Cannigma and Americans for Safe Access. Music by Desca.

“Start low and go slow,” the widespread refrain for finding the right dose of cannabis, is actually only half the phrase, Dr. Dustin Sulak explains on The Cannabis Enigma podcast. “But [people] often leave off the rest of the sentence — it's start low, go slow, and don't be afraid to go all the way."Dr. Sulak, a practicing physician and renowned cannabis educator, gives his recommendations for how to choose a cannabis strain, why we need to get rid of the terms indica and sativa once and for all, and how the way you take your cannabis can have a significant impact on its effects.“When we consume both THC and CBD and it gets into our stomach, mixed with some fat-containing food, that can enhance its absorption by up to four or five times.” Dr. Sulak says. “You might get something much stronger than you bargained for, depending on how close to a meal you had it.”Host Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man and Dr. Sulak also discuss how the opioid epidemic created a perfect storm for medical cannabis to go mainstream, and the sometimes different needs of patient groups — men and women, young and old, etc.In the second part of the episode, Americans for Safe Access Director Debbie Churgai explores the landmark UN vote to reschedule cannabis in a key international treaty this week.The Cannabis Enigma podcast is a co-production of The Cannigma and Americans for Safe Access. Edited, mixed, and produced by Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man, with production assistance from Randy White. Music by Desca.

In some ways, cannabis won the 2020 general elections. Legalization measures won with healthy majorities in five separate states. The Biden-Harris platform was also the most progressive on cannabis than any other major party candidate in history. So what should we expect in the next four years?“It's not going to be as exciting as people hope, unfortunately,” Founder and President of Americans for Safe Access Steph Sherer said on The Cannabis Enigma podcast.It's not likely that Democrats will have full control of the Congress, without which it would be difficult to enact broad reforms.“There's policies they can change, but as far as legalizing medical cannabis, they're going to need Congress to do that,” Sherer explained, and “even with a Democratic senate majority, that still may be a tough haul.”The vast majority of Americans across the political spectrum support legalizing medical cannabis, polls have shown, and the majority of states have followed suit and legalized it. So why is cannabis still a partisan issue in national politics?Most people don't vote for cannabis on the national ticket, Sherer said, which makes pressuring representatives on the federal level a difficult task.There is one idea for a major change that advocacy groups are pushing for, however: the creation of an Office of Medical Cannabis, a federal agency to oversee and coordinate medical cannabis policy among all other federal agencies.The Cannabis Enigma podcast is a co-production of The Cannigma and Americans for Safe Access. Edited, mixed, and produced by Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man. Music by Desca. 

How much do you know about the Endocannabinoid System — the system present in nearly every part of the human body that helps maintain balance, and which the chemicals in cannabis can help regulate?Dr. Rachel Knox explains everything you need to know about the Endocannabinoid System in a special episode brought to you and originally published by The Cannabis Conversation podcast, hosted by Anuj Desai.“In a basic sense, it's this massive neurotransmitter system inside of our bodies,” Dr. Knox explains, “that keeps us in balance, that keeps us healthy. It modulates and controls every physiological system that you can think of in the body.”Dr. Knox discusses the interactions between CBD, THC and other chemicals in the cannabis plant and how they can be used to tailor treatments for different patients, her role in creating an endocannabinoid sub-specialty for other doctors, and how her family of four doctors all wound up in the field of cannabinoid medicine.Check out and subscribe to The Cannabis Conversation. Follow them on Twitter (@TheCannabisCon2) and LinkedInMixed by Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man. Music by Desca. The Cannabis Enigma podcast is a co-production of The Cannigma and Americans for Safe Access.

With so many products and so much conflicting information out there, how is a prospective patient supposed to figure out if CBD is for them? How do they learn to use it? And who is going to sift through all the science?Those are some of the questions that author Mary Biles set out to answer in her new book, “The CBD Book: The Essential Guide to CBD Oil.” [15:10] In an interview on The Cannabis Enigma podcast, Biles discusses with host Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man how aside from explaining the science, it was regular patients' stories that most moved her.“When you read the case studies, these are just ordinary people whose lives are being completely transformed just with the CBD that you buy online or on the high street, it just sort of completed the story really and put it in a real context people can relate to in terms of what the potential is or might be for their health,” she said.[3:15] In the first part of the episode, we discuss the upcoming US elections with Americans for Safe Access Executive Director Debbie Churgai and Interim Policy Director Dustin McDonald.According to Churgai, the future of medical cannabis legalization and access is very much on the line in the 2020 elections. It's not just that one of the presidential candidates is promising to decriminalize and reschedule the plant. Local and congressional elections have a huge influence in ensuring there are allies in the halls of power.And while we know how cannabis can drive voter turnout, is it also a partisan issue? You might be surprised by the answer.This episode was edited, mixed, and produced by Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man. The Cannabis Enigma podcast is a co-production of The Cannigma and Americans for Safe Access. Music by Desca.

When Dr. Joseph Morgan worked in addiction medicine, his clinic wouldn't even admit patients if their primary substance was cannabis. Years later, he developed a treatment protocol to treat opioid addicts with cannabis.“CBD will reduce cravings, whether it's for cigarettes, whether it's for heroin or cocaine. THC has impacts on the endogenous opioid system to get the body to release its own opioids,” Dr. Morgan said in an interview on The Cannabis Enigma podcast. “There's a lot of benefits for using cannabis and THC to treat opioid addiction.”Dr. Morgan has brought cannabis research to a host of unexpected and fascinating areas — including as a possible treatment for chemical warfare exposure. He also found a way to conduct cannabis research that bypasses the impossible restrictions imposed by federal cannabis prohibition in the United States.“Delta-9-THC, the main psychoactive component is actually legal, if it is synthetic,” he explained. Using legal versions of the chemical components of cannabis, he reconstructs the plant's active ingredients in order to study its effects in rodents — and himself.“I also had it prescribed to me as compound pharmacy, starting with dronabinol. The pharmacist wanted to see all the certificates of analysis, and I gave him the original stock bottles...and he said he would be able to do that. And so, I have basically a legal cannabis mimic prescribed to me as a liquid.”Dr. Morgan also explained how one of more notorious side effects of cannabis can actually be a positive aspect for some medical patients.“Short-term memory loss is a negative property when you're having a conversation — you forget what you're talking about — but when it helps you to forget about pain, forget about thinking about pain, and especially in the setting of endometriosis, it's a very positive property,” he said.Dr. Joseph Morgan will be speaking at the CannX Conference on October 26-28, 2020.In the second segment of the episode, Associate Policy Coordinator of Americans for Safe Access, Andrew Coon, discusses the hurdles pediatric cannabis patients and their families face in schools. With so many states declaring the areas around schools “drug free zones,” it makes it very difficult for pediatric cannabis patients to administer their medicine during school hours — a problem that most other medications do not pose.Edited and mixed by Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man. Produced by Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man and Matan Weil. Music by Desca. The Cannabis Enigma podcast is a co-production of The Cannigma and Americans for Safe Access.

The cannabis that most people have access to isn't what it could be. A big part of that is a result of the way the plant has been bred to have high THC levels for the recreational market over the years."For the most part, around the world, we're still dealing with cannabis that is mostly high THC and high myrcene, which is gonna be very sedating, producing what we call colloquially couch lock, where the person feels immobilized," Dr. Ethan Russo explains on The Cannabis Enigma podcast. "So that might be fine for the person that's trying to get to sleep, but it's not at all good for the person that might need to work, or study, and function well in the process, and particularly for chronic pain conditions."Science has made great advances in identifying what chemical properties of a given cannabis chemovar would be beneficial for various diseases and treatments, "but that's a far cry from saying that they would be able to access a chemical variety of cannabis that would be appropriate for their treatment," Russo explains."We really haven't seen the capabilities of cannabis properly harnessed at this point," he adds.Dr. Russo, one of the premier cannabis researchers who is responsible for the theory of clinical endocannabinoid deficiency and has done a great deal of work on proving and harnessing the entourage effect, also discussed different approaches to dosing, and why developing a tolerance can actually be a good thing."The beauty of cannabis is, even though one gets accustomed to the psychoactive effects, the benefits on whatever you're treating remain. In other words, if we have a chronic pain patient and they get benefit from using cannabis, as long as that condition is stable — it's not getting worse — we don't see dose escalation over time, and in fact, there are many people, who have taken cannabis therapeutically for decades that are using the same dose."Dr. Russo will be speaking at the Whole Plant Expo.In the second part of the episode, Dustin McDonald of Americans for Safe Access interviews Sue Lewtin, a medical cannabis patient treating lyme disease, about her journey with the plant. Like so many others, Lewtin explains how her doctors got her started on the path of medical cannabis but that bulk of the work and learning had to be done on her own.Edited and mixed by Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man. Produced by Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man and Matan Weil. Music by Desca. The Cannabis Enigma podcast is a co-production of The Cannigma and Americans for Safe Access.

“The scientific material, which is complicated, if it is presented in a way that one can understand and really appreciate, can be a game changer in terms of shattering stigmas regarding cannabis,” explains David Jacubovic, producer of the new documentary CBD Nation.The film, which was released last week, accomplishes what many have tried and failed to do: shatter the taboos around medical cannabis.“There's nothing that really makes you accept something more than understanding it,” Jacubovic says on The Cannabis Enigma Podcast.In a wide-ranging interview, Jacubovic talks about his decision to put a focus on cannabis and women's health, why so many people are unwilling to look past stereotypes and stigmas about the plant, and gives a behind-the-scenes look at his approach to cracking the cannabis enigma for the masses.In the second part of this episode, Americans for Safe Access Policy Director Dustin McDonald discusses the organization's new report, 2020 State of the States.Produced by Elana Goldberg and Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man. Edited and mixed by Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man. Music by Desca. The Cannabis Engima is a co-production of The Cannigma and Americans for Safe Access.

Marijuana has come a long way since the days of Reefer Madness and when you first learned about it from a DARE officer. But will it ever be treated like wine, with curated tastings available at high class events?That's exactly what Dan Braunstein is trying to accomplish — at least until the coronavirus shut down the idea of social gatherings.His Los Angeles based company, Grassfed, hosts cannabis-themed events that aren't actually about cannabis, where you can sample a flight of different terpene-infused vapes or beverages at the bar.“Cannabis should be, eventually, treated like wine. That's where we are trying to push it,” Braunstein said on The Cannabis Enigma. “Consume with intention, consume because you really like the process of consuming cannabis. Obviously you get all the medicinal effects, but have an intention — don't consume just to get blasted.”Grassfed also goes to nursing homes to introduce elderly residents to modern ways of consuming medical cannabis, helping make the medicine more accessible. Much of the stigma standing in the way of a full-on cultural shift, however, can only happen once smoking is removed from the equation, he says.“Smoking is one of the biggest enemies when it comes to making cannabis more mainstream,” he explained. “When you compare cannabis to alcohol, and there are many ways to compare it, cannabis is a safer substance — safer, healthier, especially if you consume it mindfully and responsibly.”In the second part of the episode [43:25], Americans for Safe Access Director of Policy Dustin McDonald discusses the regulatory situation in California, the problems with the way legalization has played out, and what changes need to be made in order to ensure everyone has real access to medical cannabis.Produced by Elana Goldberg and Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man. Edited and mixed by Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man. Music by Desca. The Cannabis Engima is a co-production of The Cannigma and Americans for Safe Access.

Twelve states will vote on cannabis legalization measures this November. Those ballot measures — and the momentum that has given a majority of Americans legal access to cannabis — don't come out of nowhere. Groups like Americans for Safe Access have played a huge role in the cannabis legalization that has taken place over the past two decades.But legalization isn't the end of the story. Just because it's legal doesn't mean everyone has access. “There's lots of patients that don't even qualify to access cannabis in their state even though there's a medical program,” Executive Director of Americans for Safe Access Debbie Churgai explained on The Cannabis Enigma podcast. From employees subject to drug testing to some minors to geographic restrictions to cost, there are a number of reasons why medical cannabis could be out of reach. “This medicine is not going to be accessible to everyone until insurance can cover it,” Churgai said, and that's something ASA is working on.Ultimately, two things will make federal legalization or descheduling more likely, explained Dustin McDonald, ASA's policy director, education and pressure on elected officials, but more importantly, expanding the map of states that have legal cannabis programs.“As we look at more controversial policy issues, whether it's cannabis, whether it's same sex marriage, the state and local governments tend to be the laboratories of democracy producing a lot of those reforms ahead of broad, full-scale federal action that addresses a more comprehensive top down approach,” McDonald explained.The Cannabis Enigma Podcast is a collaboration between The Cannigma and Americans for Safe Access. This episode was edited, mixed, and produced by Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man. Music by Desca.

“In a perfect world, we'd see cannabis available in pharmacies, just like any other drug or supplement. And if you don't need the pharmacist's help, great — somebody else will,” says cannabis pharmacist Dr. Melani Kane.In some US states, pharmacists are required to be on site at cannabis dispensaries to help with dosing and to watch out for potential drug interactions. And cannabis, CBD in particular, can affect the ways other medications work in your body.For patients, just having a medically knowledgeable resource available can ease some of their anxiety, Dr. Kane says. Explaining what to expect is a huge part of that.“The side effects of THC can be very uncomfortable. They're not life threatening in any way, shape or form — it's definitely the safest drug I've ever dispensed,” Dr. Kane continues. “But if you have that feeling of anxiety or dysphoria, if you're expecting it to make you sleep and it doesn't and you're up all night, I think that can be very discouraging to patients.”Dr. Kane also spoke about the pitfalls of adult use legalization displacing or replacing medical cannabis programs. “The populations that [most] benefit from these medical programs are the very young and the elderly, because you're not going to have a 85 year old going into a dispensary trying to figure out what works for them,” she explains. “And kids can't use adult use programs without that medical permission.”Dr. Kane is the co-founder and executive director of the International Society of Cannabis Pharmacists, which is holding its Clinical Cannabinoid Pharmacy Conference in mid-August 2020, helping to educate medical professionals, particularly pharmacists about cannabis medicine.For 15% off tickets to the conference, use coupon code “Cannigma15.”This episode was edited, produced, and mixed by Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man with production assistance from Matan Weil. Music by Desca.

Katherine Golden voted against cannabis legalization when it was on the ballot in her home state of Colorado. A lot has changed since then.Today she runs a free telephone hotline staffed by fellow nurses trained in cannabis medicine, available to answer anyone's questions about medical cannabis, what CBD does, and anything in between. And there are a lot of questions.“It's all those beginning questions that someone rightfully so doesn't want to pay $100, $200, $300 for a clinician to ask him some of these questions and just be told, ‘Oh yeah, you're right, it's not right for you — or yes, you can use it,” Golden says.Cost and accessibility are behind most of Leaf411's activities, from the free hotline to financial support for pediatric patients to trying to connect low-income patients with reduced-cost programs in their area.“If it was just a prescription that they had to pay a copay or $15 for their tincture bottle or whatever it is,” says Golden, a registered nurse with over 20 years experience, “their tablets and a tincture bottle, gosh, it would be so much easier. That is our struggle — affordability.”While cost is a huge barrier to more people using cannabinoid medicine, and despite a sea change of public attitudes over the past decade, anti-marijuana stigmas are still significant and widespread.One way that people overcome those stigmas is when they get word-of-mouth recommendations or endorsements from people they know and trust. The other is smoking.“If we can get everyone to understand that smoking or inhalation doesn't have to be a part of the equation, we'd have a lot more people calling us right out of the gate,” she says.“That's the stigma we still have to squash with people — thinking about the old ways of using cannabis and just smoking it — and now [we need to communicate] how it's changed to tablets and patches and gels and all kinds of different Western looking medicine that they can be comfortable with.”Edited and produced by Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man. Music by Desca. 

“We have to listen to our patients,” Dr. Kirsten Muller-Vahl repeats several times. It was hearing her patients with Tourette's, ADHD and other neurological conditions tell her how they got relief by self-medicating with cannabis, after all, that drove her to become one of the world's premier cannabinoid researchers.But that type of anecdotal evidence isn't enough. “In the end you always need controlled trials because otherwise you cannot differentiate between pharmacological effects and placebo effects,” she explains.Today, Dr. Muller-Vahl is conducting a broad clinical study on using cannabis to treat Tourette's in Germany.If those controlled clinical trials aren't conducted, “in 10 years, [the skeptics will] ask us where are the studies? You are talking about cannabinoids and their potential in all these different diseases, but there's nothing.”Of course, conducting clinical trials on cannabis is not an easy task. In addition to the question of funding, more practical concerns can stand in the way — for instance, how do you create a placebo to stand in for inhaled cannabis flower? How do you create a placebo version of a joint?This episode was edited by Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man, and was produced by Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man, Elana Goldberg, and Matan Weil. Music by Desca.

For many patients — and if we're being honest, for many doctors as well — getting a medical marijuana recommendation is a one-time affair. It's a box to check and then you're on your own. But it shouldn't be that way — and doesn't have to be.“People need more than just some guidance of ‘try some medical marijuana,'” says Dr. Steven Salzman, medical director for adult medicine at Leafwell, a network of online medical cannabis clinics.Getting that first appointment is easy, of course. For patients in 18 US states, the time it takes from logging onto the Leafwell website to actually speaking with a doctor specializing in cannabis is usually no more than five minutes.But that's not why people come back.“We applied a medical model to medical cannabis, and, essentially, it's really more of integrative cannabis medicine because cannabis was the start of getting patients that solid base so that you could begin to implement lifestyle changes and other things that ultimately led to them being significantly improved,” Dr. Salzman explains, “but you had to improve certain things first so you could get people back on their feet.”➤ Use discount code “CANNBE10” for $10 off your first online appointment.“One of the things we discovered earlier on is that part of the cannabis conversation should be what are your goals of care,” Dr. George Gavrilos,  the company's chief pharmacy officer, adds. “And so for every patient, that's different.”“So, it's not just get a card, try something out,” Gavrilos continues. “It's come back, let's talk about it. What worked? What went well? What didn't go well? What are barriers to care, and what, what can we do to, to sort of overcome those barriers?”Edited and produced by Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man. Music by Desca.

With dozens of countries having legalized medical marijuana and full legalization gaining speed across the globe, it's easy to forget how the war on drugs drove so much foreign policy for so long — and how ravaging it was for mostly impoverished communities in countless countries.That has been overwhelmingly positive — in some ways revolutionary, says Pien Metaal, a Senior Project Officer at the Transnational Institute's Drugs and Democracy program.“[Those changes] have made it possible for patients who are ill to access cannabis as a medicine,” Metaal said on The Cannabis Enigma podcast. “What we still have not seen is these benefits also going to the communities that have been so affected by its prohibition.”Of course, that is not true across the board. Some Caribbean countries “have made a real effort to involve the traditional farmers — to give them licenses, to provide for amnesty that they can become legal producers for a medical market,” turning it into a development opportunity, Metaal explained.In Uruguay, cannabis legalization was framed by the government as a human rights issue — or at least as a clash between international drug treaties and human rights obligations.In Morocco, there are efforts to find ways for traditional growers and manufacturers of hash oil to gain access to medical marijuana or wellness markets in other countries.“The treaties on drugs have forced them to criminalize their citizens because they use a certain substance,” Metaal said. “They have forced [the government] to put them in jail and take some rights away from them because of the fact that they use these drugs. So the balance between drug treaties and human rights is a very delicate one, and has not been taken into account up until now. This is something that is now starting to change.”The problem with that is “there's never been a real scientific evidence-based research on why cannabis should be a prohibited substance. It has been based on a series of assumptions that cannabis would lead to other drugs, but also that it would have effects on the morality of the people who use it” — often with explicit racist motivations and undertones.  What is the prospect of change in the international system's approach to the prohibition of cannabis? As of now, it is still listed as a Schedule I drug, which is usually categorized as having a high level of abuse and no accepted medical use.Even now that global attitudes toward marijuana are changing, “this whole system is [still] based on these assumptions,” Metaal said.Edited, produced, and mixed by Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man with technical assistance from Elana Goldberg. Music by Desca.

When Emily Earlenbaugh was diagnosed with anxiety and chronic pain from fibromyalgia, her doctors put her on prescription medications — and they worked. A few years later, however, those same medications were causing severe side effects. So she tried cannabis.“I would try some type of cannabis that wouldn't work for me. I would try it out and I get much more anxious or I would feel sicker,” Earlenbaugh recalled on The Cannabis Enigma Podcast. “But then other types of cannabis were life changing. I would just take a little puff and instantly my anxiety would melt away. My pain would be gone.” It took her over a year before she found the regimen — of strains, timing, dosing, and delivery methods — that has effectively managed her anxiety and pain for the past decade.Today, she puts that experience to work in order to help patients who are new to cannabis find their own personalized regimen and navigate their way through the rapidly expanding world of medical cannabis.“There's a lot of information out there but there's also a lot of incorrect information out there,” said Earlenbaugh, who is also a writer in the field of medical cannabis.Earlenbaugh also talked about how her meditation and mindfulness practice became intertwined with cannabis, and an integral part of her treatment. [Read her recent article about meditation and cannabis.]“I was able to pay more attention to my emotions and with cannabis it wasn't so scary,” she explained. “It was something that I was then actually able to dive into.”You can learn more about Emily Earlenbaugh's cannabis consulting at her website, mindfulcannabis.com, and her meditation program at karunatraining.com. Follow her on Instagram — @emilyearlenbaugh.Produced, edited, and mixed by Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man. Music by Desca.

Just four years ago, pediatrician Dr. Orit Stolar was dead set against using cannabis to treat the autistic children under her care. “I would say, ‘you're off the wall — this is a dangerous drug, it's illegal.'”Today, she is running one of the only clinical trials in the world looking at how cannabis can help autistic children, and seeing results in her clinic.So what changed?“One kid,” Dr. Stolar explained on The Cannabis Enigma podcast. One of her patients came for a periodic visit vastly improved. “I was very sure it's not something I did, so I asked the mother, ‘what did you do?' And she quietly said, ‘you know, I'm giving him cannabis.'Dr. Stolar stayed up all night that night looking for medical research on cannabis and autism. She couldn't find any, so she set out to create it herself.One of the biggest problems she faces in using cannabis as a treatment, she explained, is that it's extremely difficult to know if the plant, or oil extract in her case, is staying consistent over time.“That's what's happening in my clinic. A family starts and says, wow, this really, really helping my child. And then the next month they say, oh my God, it's gotten really, really bad. And I don't know if it's gotten bad or if it's the bottle that is changing,” she said.Dr. Stolar thanks all of her colleagues on her study: Dr. Dedi Meiri of the Technion, who analyzes the blood, Prof. Ilan Dinstein of Ben-Gurion University and his team, who do the sleep analysis and EEG, her team at Assaf Harofeh — for everything.Edited and mixed by Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man. Produced by Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man, Elana Goldberg, and Matan Weil. Music by Desca.

When Catherine Jacobson's three-year-old son had exhausted all of the treatments available for his rare, life-threatening form of epilepsy, she wasn't about to just give up.“I began hearing stories from families with children with severe epilepsy and that they were treating their kids with cannabis and they were reporting good outcomes,” Dr. Jacobson said on The Cannabis Enigma Podcast. “So of course, I was interested.”Those families, however, were making their own medicines from cannabis and there was no way to guarantee consistency. So she put her PhD in neuroscience to use and set up a laboratory in her garage to make her son a pure CBD extract.Today Jacobson is the vice president of regulatory and medical affairs at Tilray, one of the world's largest medical cannabis companies, after starting its clinical research division.“I was absolutely infuriated to find out that we knew CBD was an anticonvulsant but nobody had developed it for 30 years,” she explained, referencing a 1980 clinical study conducted by medical cannabis pioneer Raphael Mechoulam.“So I had a decision to make,” she said of her decision to pursue a career in cannabis research. “I knew […] that there are other patients out there living with other diseases besides epilepsy who deserve access to quality medical cannabis products now — and they don't have time to wait for clinical development.”Edited and mixed by Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man. Produced by Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man and Elana Goldberg. Music by Desca.

Should you stop smoking and try different methods for taking cannabis because of the coronavirus pandemic? Does cannabis affect your immune system? Can marijuana help relieve the stress and anxiety of isolation caused by COVID-19 public health measures?“We haven't found evidence either way,” Dr. Roni Sharon says on The Cannabis Enigma Podcast about whether cannabis can boost the immune system. “If [cannabis] is relieving your stress or anxiety or treating chronic pain and that makes you stronger,” Dr. Sharon adds, “that's a big immune system booster. We know that stress reduces your immune system and we know that, of course, sleep reduces your immune system.”COVID-19 is still very new and there's a lot we don't know about it, particularly how smoking can affect the virus's damage to your lungs. So while there's no immediate reason to stop smoking medical cannabis, particularly if you're not suffering from a lung illness, it's also not a bad time to try different delivery methods like oil tinctures, Dr. Sharon says. And what about relieving COVID-19 related stress and anxiety, be it from worrying about the future or just being isolated at home? “Human isolation is human isolation, and if marijuana can help you relieve that stress, relieve that anxiety, and it's legal to do so in the state or in the country you're in, I highly encourage it,” Dr. Sharon says.Just make sure not to share joints or vaporizers, be careful about handling cannabis packaging that others have touched, and “just like everything else, it should be done responsibly.”Edited and mixed by Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man. Produced by Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man and Elana Goldberg. Music by Desca. 

When Dr. Vincent Maida first starting recommending medical cannabis to cancer patients over two decades ago, he was viewed as an outcast by many of his colleagues in the medical community.“There was zero [cannabis] curricula when I went to medical school,” Dr. Maida told The Cannabis Enigma Podcast. “And of course, the way medical students are socialized — it's to think in a certain way, and if you try to think outside of those parameters, you're deemed a bit of a heretic.”Fast forward a few years, and Dr. Maida, today an associate professor at the University of Toronto, started to wonder whether cannabis could help solve a problem most of his palliative patients were suffering from: intractable and chronic wounds.As many as 6% of the world population suffers from chronic wounds of one type of another.His company, VinSan Therapeutics, is developing a cannabis-based treatment for those wounds, for which modern medicine doesn't have a cure. “My findings and the results in my Phase I trial have been nothing short of dramatic. I've seen elderly dying patients completely heal wounds,” Dr. Maida said. “People with big gaps in their body regenerate tissues.”Edited by Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man. Produced by Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man, Elana Goldberg, and Matan Weil.

When Alfie Dingley's mother first broached the idea of giving her epileptic son cannabis, their neurologist threatened to call social services.So she got a new doctor, moved her family to the Netherlands, and found a treatment that worked for Alfie's seizures, caused by an extremely rare mutation of epilepsy shared by only nine other boys in the entire world.“He was in hospital every week with hundreds of seizures,” Hannah Deacon explained on The Cannabis Enigma Podcast. After starting the cannabis treatment, Alfie's seizures became less and less frequent.“So we carried on and we got up to a dose of 300 milligrams of CBD and we added in a very small amount of pure THC,” she said. “From when he was put back on the product after we came back to England, he had 10 months with no seizures.”But Alfie's new treatment was illegal in the United Kingdom, forcing his mother to embark on a public campaign to get her son the only medication that was keeping her son out of the hospital.After appearing in the media, meeting the prime minister, and engaging in advocacy work, Hannah ultimately got her son the first-ever authorization for an individual patient to use medical cannabis in the UK.“It's madness. Initially the government said that there was no medicinal value to cannabis and that they wouldn't help me,” Hannah recalled. “And then I'm at the Home Office and I met the prime minister and she said, ‘Okay, you can apply for it.'”Alfie still has a rare form of epilepsy, but with cannabis treatment, his quality of life has improved massively.“He's out of hospital and he's at school most days and he's learning and he's happy and I can work,” Hannah said. “Before, I couldn't do anything. I was a full time [caregiver] watching my child fade away. That's why I feel so strongly about [cannabis] — it's about giving people with chronic illness a better quality of life.”The battle isn't just Alfie's, however, which is why Hannah has become an advocate for better and broader access to medical marijuana in the United Kingdom. The legislation in the UK is good, she explained, but doctors are still afraid to prescribe it and buying medical cannabis is cost prohibitive for many of those who do manage to secure a prescription.“I'm hoping that we'll move forward,” Hannah said. “We won't leave it until it is better for people because I know what it's like to be the parent of a sick child.”Edited by Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man. Produced by Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man, Elana Goldberg, and Matan Weil. Music by Desca. 

When you go to the pharmacy to fill a prescription, the pharmacist checks to see if there could be any adverse drug interactions. Your doctor usually does the same. Do we need to be treating medical marijuana similarly? And who should be responsible?Dr. Roni Sharon speaks about how cannabis interacts with other medications, how he monitors his patients who use medical marijuana for drug interactions, and why treating cannabis like any other medication would solve many of the problems we face today.Host Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man asks Dr. Sharon about whether cannabis interacts with antibiotics, antidepressants like SSRIs, blood pressure medications, and blood thinners.“Just like I start any patient on any medicine, sometimes there has to be dosage adjustments,” Dr. Sharon explains. “That's true for cannabis, just like it's true for another medicines.”Dr. Sharon also discusses dosing, patients who have no choice but to self-medicate because of cannabis prohibition, and his hopes for the future of medical marijuana.“I really hope that one day cannabis is just going to be like any other drug where the pharmacist checks other interactions before you get it,” he says.Produced, edited, and mixed by Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man. Co-hosted by Elana Goldberg. Music by Desca.

When João Gama started practicing law in the cannabis space, working on regulation in the Portuguese and European markets, “to be honest, no one around knew a lot about it other than criminal lawyers that would defend drug dealers.”“So I started and soon I became very immersed in the drug policy debates in Portugal and abroad,” Gama says on The Cannabis Enigma Podcast.Gama breaks down the difference — or lack thereof, depending on whether you're talking law or botany — between hemp and marijuana, what needs to change before patients have access to standardized CBD in Europe, and looks ahead at what the future of global cannabis law looks like.“I believe we are reaching the tipping point where cannabis will be legal in most of the Northern hemisphere at least,” he predicts. “And when that tipping point is achieved, there is no turning back.”Produced by Elana Goldberg and Matan Weil, edited and mixed by Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man. Music by Desca.

When Janosch Kratz first sees a patient about medical cannabis, beyond their medical history, he wants to know how they react to other medications and even alcohol.If someone gets drunk off half a beer, he explains on The Cannabis Enigma Podcast, he's more likely to start them on a lower dose of cannabis. And because cannabis is most often prescribed for chronic conditions, taking it slow and getting it right is more important than immediate relief.“To estimate what kind of patient I have in front of me is one of the most important things to know how I start dosing,” explains Kratz, who has practiced in medical cannabis clinics in Spain, Portugal, and Germany.The difference of prescribing cannabis in different countries, beyond the different regulations and availability of the medicine, often comes down to local culture and stigmas around marijuana in general.“The stigma is there for the doctor, the stigma is there for the patient as well, and a lot of people don't talk about it. They feel kind of guilty by using it. People with other medical drugs like opioids or benzos feel completely normal and the cannabis patient feels like he is doing something wrong,” he adds. “We need to educate them as well so they're comfortable with that treatment.”In the second half of the episode [19:50], Dr. Roni Sharon discusses using cannabis to treat sleep problems. Dr. Sharon explains who is a good candidate for treating sleep issues with cannabis, how he recommends taking it, and why it doesn't work for everyone.Produced by Elana Goldberg and Matan Weil, edited and mixed by Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man. Music by Desca.

When Mara Gordon started using medical cannabis there wasn't any lab testing — or any way to know how much of each cannabinoid or terpenes were in any given strain . There was definitely no way of ensuring that you got the same effect from it consistently.So she drew on her profession as a process engineer and decided to start doing it herself.Gordon has been featured in the Netflix documentary, Weed the People, and owns and operates two medical cannabis companies. One of the things she does is collect and analyze data about cannabis products and how patients with different medical conditions respond to them. All of that data is packaged into software doctors can use to manage their patients' medical marijuana treatment.“I know how to collect data. I know how to analyze data. I know how to make I incredibly good medicine, but [doctors] have to be the ones managing [their] patients' care,” Gordon says on The Cannabis Enigma Podcast.What's one of the most surprising things she's learned from all of that data? “The lack of correlation between the weight of the patient and the dose,” Gordon says. “That was shocking.”At the end of the episode, stick around for a Q&A with Dr. Roni Sharon about using cannabis to treat anxiety and depression.

After nearly 25 years of taking prescription opiates to treat chronic pain caused by a severe car accident, a friend suggested that Michael Miller try cannabis. At the age of 54, he tried marijuana for the first time — and it changed his life.“I literally started crying heavily because I couldn't believe that I was being introduced to my body for the first time in 25 years and that put me on a mission,” Miller says on The Cannabis Enigma Podcast. “I flushed my pills I felt the duty and obligation to help others like me, and to pay it back like he helped me.”Today, Miller is a medical cannabis journalist, investor, businessman, and evangelist. But we wanted to talk to him about his personal story.From how he takes his cannabis during the day and what he uses to sleep at night, to what he does when he travels internationally, to how he first told his children that their father smokes marijuana — Michael Miller's story is one that any prospective medical cannabis patient should hear, and most current users can relate to.“I didn't tell my children for many years because I'm not a victim, and I'm not whining or blaming anybody, but I've learned sometimes you need to have a story to help others because then people will see that it's just Michael, it's not the conference host, it's not a speaker, I'm just a regular guy who has the same pains and ouwies like every other human being."Edited and mixed by Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man. Produced by Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man, Elana Goldberg, and Matan Weil. Music by Desca.

Patients have been using cannabis for much longer than scientists have been seriously studying its medical value and applications. Of course there's no substitute for clinical trials, but that doesn't mean we should dismiss patient experience as merely anecdotal, Tilray's VP of patient research, Philippe Lucas, says.“We have 10 clinical studies either completed or underway, but we're also equally committed to gathering real world evidence,” Lucas explains of his company's dual approach to researching medical cannabis. “Ultimately patients can tell us a lot about what works best for specific conditions or what dosages are most effective.”What does successful cannabis legalization look like? Medical cannabis has been legal in Canada for nearly 20 years and recreational for over a year, and that experience can be of immense value.“I don't want [the rest of the world] to just learn from our successes, they have a lot to learn from our failures,” Lucas says of the lessons Canada's legalization holds for other countries considering a similar path.Make sure to stick around until the end of the episode [33:50], where we sit down with Dr. Roni Sharon to get a physician's perspective on the vaping crisis that has killed at least 47 people. Listen to hear how that has changed some doctors' approach to prescribing cannabis.“It's a big dilemma for us prescribers because it's actually one of the best ways of prescribing cannabis for patients,” Dr. Sharon says.This episode was produced by Elana Goldberg and Matan Weil, edited by Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man, and Yoav Morder was the sound engineer. Music by Desca.

“I deal with very sick patients that have been to multiple doctors and have tried everything that's been approved or everything that's been tried — and I have to offer them hope,” says Dr. Roni Sharon. “Very often I'll offer them medical marijuana.”In this episode of The Cannabis Enigma, we speak with Dr. Roni Sharon, a neurologist specializing in migraines and other head and face pain, about his experience treating patients with medical cannabis. At times, cannabis can be used to stop a migraine once it's started, he says, but it can also work in more holistic ways to prevent them or make them less frequent by treating triggers like anxiety, stress, and insomnia.Dr. Sharon discusses how he doses cannabis with his patients (“start low and go slow”), what strains he recommends, why cannabis may not be right for everyone, and how it can help patients avoid opioids.“The train has left the station. Medical marijuana is here to stay,” Dr. Sharon says. “More and more governments are adapting it. Now it's a matter of regulation and how to institute it into our medical practice.”This episode was produced and edited by Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man, and Yoav Morder was the sound engineer. Music by Desca.

Canadian ER doctor Tiffany Keenan's discovery of medical cannabis started with a documentary on TV, something indicative of how many doctors are still uninformed about medical cannabis and the science behind it. She did more research, and soon began prescribing cannabis to patients in her private practice.Most of her cannabis patients are over 50 and they're not looking to get high, she says. They're looking to relieve pain and prefer CBD-based solutions.“Especially in smaller towns, the word kind of gets out that people are getting relief from this and then they tell their friends,” Dr. Keenan tells The Cannabis Enigma.Treating chronic pain with cannabis, Dr. Keenan explains, means that patients can sometimes stop taking more dangerous medications. “What I've been so encouraged by is that the patient's when they start even just using CBD based preparations, they're able to come off of — many times — opioids.”Even in a country like Canada, where cannabis is legal for both medical and recreational use, many doctors still have a lot to learn, particularly about the endocannabinoid system, Dr. Keenan adds, referring to the body system that interacts with cannabinoids.“In Canada now, even though the medical product is legalized there, still many physicians are uninformed that we have this amazing system that has so many receptors all throughout our body with this great potential to help,” she says.This episode was produced by Michael Omer-Man, Elana Goldberg, and Matan Weil, edited by Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man, and Yoav Morder was the sound engineer. Music by Desca.

There are many case reports and lots of anecdotal evidence of medical cannabis helping children with autism. "We need the evidence," however, says Dr. Adi Aran, a pediatric neurologist who just completed one of the first clinical studies looking at cannabis and autistic children."We took the most severe children who failed any other medications and we tried it," Dr. Aran tells The Cannabis Enigma, describing an earlier, open label study that he conducted. "We saw a substantial improvement in the behavioral problems and also in the social deficits."Dr. Aran's current study is also looking at whether the entourage effect, the combination of various chemicals in the cannabis plant, is more effective than just isolated THC or CBD.What constitutes a successful treatment? For some families the benchmarks are more specific and behavioral, like sleeping five hours straight or less aggressiveness, but success also means improving the quality of life for the entire family.Edited and produced by Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man. Music by Desca.