Vermontijuana - Elevate the State

Our featured interview is with Matt Kovarsky, Washington State Department of Health certified medical cannabis consultant at The Novel Tree dispensary, a medical cannabis dispensary that's been deemed essential and is still open for business in the tech hub of Bellevue, located just east of Seattle. Matt discusses his experience scaling up from eight lights to 100 lights throughout his near-decade of work in the legal cannabis industry in Colorado and Washington, cutting edge developments in medical cannabis at the The Novel Tree, and the experience of serving patients during a quarantine. In our segments, we meet Vermont artisan, Laura Sullivan of Pipe Dream Hempworks, who is making compostable and sustainable hemp face masks, update current events with former NFL players being scolded by the FDA, and update the increasing legislative fallout from COVID19 impacting states in the northeast. The Vermontijuana podcast is brought to you by the Bern Gallery (@berngallery) and www.berngallery.com, open for curbside service in Burlington, Vermont and sponsors of the Pipe Classic. Contact vermontijuana@gmail.com and @vermontijuana for information about advertising and/or guest bookings.

Vermont artist Jesse Miles Snyder is a talented and hilarious painter and podcaster who sat down with host Eli Harrington for an interview to talk about side hustles, (trying) to make it in Vermont as an artist and Millennial, and how he became a literal “culinary smut peddler” on Instagram (@culinarysmutpeddler). In our segments, we also talk about how the Coronavirus, AKA #Covid19 (NOT called the ‘Chinese Virus’) has made us think differently about cannabis events and some common sense realizations about how we socialize in a pandemic world and speak with Meredith Mann, CEO and Cofounder of MagicMannVT, a fellow cannabis events company readjusting to the new normal. Looking at Vermont politics -- as much as they're still happening -- we also reveal and analyze the six legislators who will meet as a Committee of Conference to discuss the final details of S.54, Vermont’s tax-and-regulate cannabis bill. Full Episode available on Spotify, Youtube, and Apple Podcast as well as www.vermontijuana.com. This episode is presented by the Bern Gallery, which is still taking orders online at www.berngallery.com and @berngallery on Instagram. For information about advertising or guests, email vermontijuana@gmail.com or DM @Vermontijuana on your favorite social media account.

Vermont artist Jesse Miles Snyder is a talented and hilarious painter and podcaster who sat down with host Eli Harrington for an interview to talk about side hustles to try and make it in Vermont as an artist and Millennial, and how he became a literal "culinary smut peddler" on Instagram (@culinarysmutpeddler). In our segments, we also talk about how the Coronavirus, AKA #Covid19 (NOT called the 'Chinese Virus') has made us think differently about cannabis events and some common sense realizations about how we socialize in a pandemic world. Looking at Vermont politics, we reveal and analyze the six legislators who will meet as a Committee of Conference to discuss the final details of S.54, Vermont's tax-and-regulate cannabis bill. Full Episode available March 21, 2020 on Spotify, Youtube, and Apple Podcast. This episode is presented by the Bern Gallery, which is still taking orders online at www.berngallery.com and @berngallery on Instagram.

Andrew McEwing is a Navy veteran, retired farmer, and as an unquestioning conservative, spent most of his life as an avid opponent of cannabis. Living in Northern Vermont and coming from a conservative upbringing, Andrew had fought with alcohol addiction, then after a brutal injury, lost his ability to work as a chef and became dependent on opiate pain-killers to function. Never addicted, but in so much pain that Andrew was literally taking a lethal dose of morphine and oxycontin to function and run his beef and chicken farm. Eventually, his AA sponsor, doctor, and wife confronted him to try medical cannabis, a concept which he had previously dismissed as, “just an excuse for the hippies to get high legally'“. In this conversation, Andrew talks about the impact of cannabis on his overall health — down from 150mg to 60mg of morphine — how it’s impacted his relationships with his family, and how he’s found his way into the Vermont cannabis community as a medical grower for himself, and resource for fellow suffering Vermonters. For information about sponsoring the Vermontijuana Podcast, or to suggest a future guest, email vermontijuana@gmail.com or DM @Vermontijuana. Subscribe on iTunes here or Youtube here.

ELEVATE THE STATE. Host Eli Harrington and interviewees will regularly discuss cannabis politics, hemp, medical marijuana, the cannabis industry, and the leaders shaping marijuana legalization and culture in Vermont and around the world. In this episode, we speak to Vermont Attorney General TJ Donovan in advance of his office hosting "Conversation About Cannabis: Lessons From Our Neighbors" at 5:30pm on Thursday, December 5, 2019 at Contois Auditorium at Burlington City Hall featuring a panel of regulators and entrepreneurs from Maine, Massachusetts, and Vermont. Event information on facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/events/423320208366208/ Visit www.vermontijuana.com and follow @Vermontijuana for more news and information, and email eli@yourgreenbridge.com for interview and advertising opportunities.

Heady Vermont hosts speak to cannabis newsmakers, experts, and enthusiasts in Vermont and beyond to discuss the latest news, events, technologies, and cultural shifts happening in the cannabis community. In this episode, host Eli Harrington speaks to Ashley Reynolds, founder of Elmore Mountain Therapeutics (@emtcbd) about her experience winning the $20,000 first prize in the 'Female Founders Start Here Challenge" pitch event hosted at Middlebury College by the Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies (VCET).

For physiological, botanical, and policy reasons, there is presently no biological test that can measure how impaired from cannabis a human being is at a given time. There is no breathalyzer, and blood or hair or saliva tests can only confirm the presence of a molecule. These existing physical tests do not indicate physical coordination, reaction time, concentration So if not a chemical-based test, can you actually tell if someone is “high”? Or if someone is “too high” to safely operate a vehicle? Applying his Harvard Ph.D and 40 years as a Professor of Psychology, Michael Milburn, Ph.D thinks that he has that answer. His unique solution is a smartphone application called, the DRUID App. As Professor Milburn explains during the featured interview, DRUID uses a combination of both mental and physical tasks to measure and compare a user’s results from his/her sober results and actually score your impairment (from any substance, including cannabis). This episode is sponsored by Heady Vermont and by The Weekly Rollup, the newest weekly newsletter feature providing a snapshot of cannabis news and happenings in Vermont, the Northeast, the US, and even overseas. Contact colin@headyvermont.com for information about podcast promotion.

In this episode of the Vermonitjuana Podcast, host Eli Harrington speaks at length with Kamani Jefferson, President of the Massachusetts Recreational Consumer Council and the Cannabis Cultural Association. Listen to Kamani's latest interview on public radio station, WBUR, about how Massachusetts regulations are unfolding here: http://www.wbur.org/news/2017/12/18/wealth-culture-regulations-cannabis You'll also be introduced directly to Kathy Blume, the newest member of the Heady Vermont team and her first original cannabis commentary, "Smoky Ladies" where she espouses her love for the feminine mystique of cannabis and wonders why cannabis language can sometimes be so masculine? The northeast news round up includes the latest from Maine, Massachusetts and New York. This episode of the Vermontijuana podcast is sponsored by "Cannabis in the Capitol" a full day of advocacy, and activism taking place in Montpelier, Vermont on January 9, 2018 and including a Cannabis Education Fair from 4-7pm.

Melissa Etheridge is an iconic figure in music: two-time Grammy-award winner, Academy-Award winner, and immortalized with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Etheridge is also an iconic activist and figure in the LGBTQ communities worldwide for her public advocacy for same-sex rights. After being diagnosed with Breast Cancer in the early 2000's, Etheridge turned to medical cannabis and following her own personal successful experience, she has been using her platform to advocate for medical patients' rights and overall cannabis reforms. In this interview, host Eli Harrington and Melissa Etheridge discussed her work in advocacy, her recent arrest in North Dakota and what it shows about the practical state of cannabis legality and access in different parts of the country. For more, listen to the original Vermontijuana interview with Etheridge from November 2015. Melissa Etheridge will be performing in Burlington on Sunday, December 3, at 8:00pm at the Flynn Theater.

In the latest installment of the Vermontijuana Podcast, presented by Heady Vermont, host Eli Harrington gives a full northeast news update -- including a Vermont CBD and Hemp Farmers' Market retrospective -- and delivers a Veterans' Day tribute and some specific thank you's to the Veterans we know through cannabis advocacy. In the feature interview, Vermontijuana Podcast cohost, Uncle Drew, breaks down the "Vape Dad" lifestyle and how the ability to discreetly use a vaporizer to micro-dose cannabis has helped him manage the stress that comes with being a 'normal' guy with a house, wife, and young kid. There was also some incidental rat bashing and coming of age discussion sprinkled in there as well... This episode of the Vermontijuana Podcast is sponsored by the CannaBiz Pitch Competition, taking place on Tuesday, November 14 at the Black Box Theater at 60 Lake Street in Burlington, Vermont. The reception will start at 6pm and feature Green Empire Brewing "Chill Session" Hemp-hopped beer before the 'Shark Tank' style pitch competition kicks off at 7pm and an aspiring ganjapreneur(s) goes home with a $1000 grant from Heady Vermont and the event sponsors, Merritt & Merritt, and Kind Consulting. More information at http://www.headyvermont.com/cannabizpitch

In this episode of the Vermontijuana Podcast, Host Eli Harrington speaks to Shayne Lynn, Executive Director of Champlain Valley Dispensary (CVD) and Southern Vermont Wellness (SVW), two of Vermont's four licensed medical marijuana dispensaries. The conversation includes Shayne's background in Vermont, his cannabis journey, insights he's gained from operating a regulated cannabis dispensary, and talking about the future of adult use cannabis in Vermont and how dispensaries could start to work more with home growing patients and caregivers in the (very) near future. This episode is sponsored by the CBD & Hemp Farmers Market, presented by Heady Vermont. The event takes place on Sunday, November 5, 2017 at One Main Street in Burlington, Vermont going all day from Noon - 6pm. More information (including 1-2 remaining vendor spots) online here: http://headyvermont.com/heady-vermont-to-host-first-ever-hemp-farmers-market-on-sunday-november-5/cannabis/

Host Eli Harrington is joined by Heady Vermont Publisher, Co-Founder and Managing Editor, Monica Donovan and co-host Uncle Drew aka "VapeDad" as we take a New England Road Trip to the NECANN convention in Portland, Maine and a few stops in undisclosed locations in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Listen as we talk about the NECANN experience in Portland, cannabis conventions in the northeast, our experience on the cannabis grey market in Maine, a Rhode Island patient perspective, and why New England needs to all legalize at once. This episode is sponsored by the CBD & Hemp Farmers' Market, presented by Heady Vermont. This pioneering event takes place in Burlington, VT on Sunday, November 5, 2018 from 12-6pm.

The Pipe Classic isn't just the All-Star Game of Glass, it's the Dunk Contest. In this episode, host Eli Harrington spotlights The Pipe Classic 12 and speaks with Tito Bern, the founder and organizer of The Pipe Classic and the Bern Gallery. We also speak to @bowlpusher and @slumgold - big up to the winners, @crunklestein, @tammyballer, and @puntington. Witness the world premiere of "The Grey Market", our newest segment which focuses on the northeast from the perspective of fellow New England ganjapreneurs who are shaping the laws, culture, and industry. We wrap it up with a preliminary psych evaluation on Uncle Drew, a friend, creative muse, neighbor, #vapedad, and new contributor... This episode is sponsored by The Cannabiz Pitch Competition, presented by Heady Vermont, KIND Consulting, Merritt & Merritt, and Main Street Landing on NOVEMBER 14 where we'll be giving away a $1000 cash prize.

In September, the Vermontijuana Podcast comes back with an updated format, fresh interviews, and much more...in the meantime, host Eli Harrington knocks the dust off with a special unreleased interview from this past June at the Cannabis World Congress and Business Expo (before they got involved with Roger Stone) in New York City. In this quick-hitter, Knalysis Technologies talks about how they're using software technology and feedback from medical cannabis patients to turn data into research and boosting the cannabis industry into the future. This episode sponsored by the Vermont Hemp Festival, Saturday September 9, 2017 at Burke Mountain, presented by Heady Vermont. Discounted tickets available for veterans, students, NEK residents, and Heady Vermont Members at www.headyvermont.com

All is not lost for cannabis reform in Vermont in 2017 as major medical marijuana reforms have officially been signed into law by Governor Phil Scott on Thursday, June 8 via the bill known as S.16. The law will make it considerably easier to become a patient with a new specialist referral program, add more qualifying conditions - including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder - will increase the number of medical marijuana dispensary licenses, allow those license-holders to each open up an additional location and run those dispensaries as for-profit businesses with fewer restrictions. Finally, we interview Kevin, a former Vermont resident who's since left the state to work in the cannabis industry in another New England state. After a severe back injury and years of failed pharmaceutical treatments, Kevin was able to successfully replace opiate and narcotic painkillers with medical marijuana and marijuana infused products.

In the latest installment, host and documented joint-roller Eli Harrington visits the Burlington Farmer's Market on UVM Graduation weekend for a 'man on the street' style interview asking Vermonters (and the tourists who pay the bills) what they think Governor Phil Scott should do with the bill on his desk and if they could ever envision cannabis at the Burlington Farmer's Market. While at the Farmer's Market, we ran into a longtime friend and Burlington business maven, Cynthia Hausman of Cynthia's Spa, an entrepreneur currently researching how she might revitalize and preserve her family's organic farm land with a hemp crop AND who's spa currently offers hemp/cbd treatment options! Finally, we speak to longtime farmer's market vendor and organic farmer (and Lt. Governor) David Zuckerman for a brief discussion of what he's hearing for feedback from constituents and if he could imagine cannabis at a farmer's market in the future.

On Wednesday, May 10, 2017 Vermont made history by becoming the first state to successfully pass a legalization bill via the state legislature (instead of a referendum, as with other states). The bill, S.22, would create a commission to propose a regulation bill for 2018 and by July 1, 2018, eliminate all criminal and civil penalties for possession of up to one ounce of cannabis and home cultivation of up to two immature and four immature plants. HOWEVER, none of this matters if Governor Phil Scott decides to veto the bill, which he may do. In this episode of the Vermontijuana podcast, host Eli Harrington dissects the Governor's latest responses to the cannabis question of "will he or won't he sign or veto the bill?", his philosophical stance on cannabis, and his priority issues for future cannabis regulation.

Host Eli Harrington shares a recap of the New England Cannabis Convention (NECANN) 2017 at their third annual Boston show, this year held April 22-23 at the Hynes Convention Center in the heart of Boston. Listen to Marc Shepard, NECANN President & Co-Founder discuss how he's built New England's largest cannabis trade show and gathering, why and how NECANN is growing exponentially and evolving as an event, and how legal changes in Massachusetts and Maine are shaping the future of New England. Also hear interviews with convention participants themselves, including a chemist who talks about cannabis brain drain into legal states and the University of Vermont's pharmacology course offerings. Also hear from Corey Kupiec, the Vermont representative from the New England Veterans' Alliance (NEVA), who talked about what their organization is doing and the impact of events like NECANN for helping to create regional partnerships.

At the Heady Vermont Cannabis Advocacy Day in Montpelier, host Eli Harrington had the chance to interview Clay, a successful medical marijuana dispensary owner and operator who recently left his established business in Colorado to return to his home state of Vermont to start and raise his family. In the interview, Clay shares his personal cannabis experiences, how he took a calculated risk in Colorado to pursue his passion, why he left, and what he hopes to accomplish back in his home state of Vermont. This episode of the Vermontijuana Podcast is presented by the Vermont Cannabis Week and the Heady Vermont First Anniversary 4/20 Party

Host Eli Harrington takes a look at the last month of legislative maneuvering, where the Vermont legalization bill (170) is at presently, how it might still happen in 2017, and challenges supporters to join Heady Vermont in Montpelier for a lobbying day next week. Includes interviews from Matt Simon of the Marijuana Policy Project and audio testimony from legalization opponent Dr. Jill Rineheart, who told a committee that 'secondhand smoke is definitely a problem' and that 'big marijuana' is somehow behind a bill that would not allow any sales of cannabis...

On Town Meeting Day 2017, Eli Harrington visited two Mad River Valley towns in Central Vermont, Waterbury Center and Moretown, to ask real Vermonters at polling stations engaging in direct democracy what they thought about the legalization discussion overall and asked if they thought their towns might be receptive to a future legal cannabis business.

Episode 8 is the kick off party for the 2017 political sesh where medical reforms, legalization (including homegrow), tax/regulate, and drugged driving are all issues that will be passed around the state house as the post-inauguration dust settles and the 2017 session really gets underway. At 16:00, listen to the full audio from the Vermont Coalition to Regulate Marijuana press conference, held at the Vermont State House on Wednesday, January 25, 2017. The press conference included Lieutenant Governor David Zuckerman, Representative Sam Young, Representative Barbara Rachelson Staff Attorney Jay Diaz of the ACLU of Vermont, and former Representative Suzi Wizowaty on behalf of Vermonters for Criminal Justice Reform, as well as additional members of the Coalition. At 26:45, hear the introduction to the ACLU interview with Staff Attorney Jay Diaz and their opposition to bills like H.24 that would open the door to saliva testing and in their opinion, infringe upon the rights of Vermonters. Finally, at 33:40, we speak to Matthew Tolley, Grassroots Coordinator at the Vermont Coalition to Regulate Marijuana. We discussed the power of dank memes, the most common cannabis conversations with Vermonters, and how to get involved with the coalition (more at www.regulatevermont.org)

In this episode, host Eli Harrington starts with a brief update on the national and regional cannabis scene, including Montreal dispensary raids, a national CBD scare, Massachusetts post-Prohibition, Maine's election recount and the news in Vermont, including some insight into the new Secretary of Commerce. Our feature interview with Eli Atticus Jager is one of the best ones yet--so good that we had to split it into two parts to prevent cranial explosion and inspiration overload. In part two, Eli talks about the surprising reactions to the presidential election at the trim scene, sketchy stories he heard from fellow trimmers, and his plans for a future in the world of cannabis.

After a brief holiday hiatus, Vermontijuana podcast is back and better than ever. In this episode, host Eli Harrington starts with a brief update on the national and regional cannabis scene post-election and looks ahead to Vermont's upcoming legislative session. Our feature interview with Eli Atticus Jager is one of the best ones yet--so good that we had to split it into two parts to prevent cranial explosion and inspiration overload. We originally connected with Eli to talk about his experience as a 'Trimmigrant' who recently spent a few weeks at an unlicensed farm somewhere in northern California working long days trimming buds. He'll be sharing more of his experiences as a contributor to Heady Vermont (www.headyvermont.com) in the near future, but in this episode, we start part one of our interview by introducing Eli Atticus Jager and talking about his life as an artisan in Seattle, why Millennials leave (and maybe return) to Vermont, and his initial impressions of the Trimmigrant lifestyle.

In Episode 5, host Eli Harrington speaks with Dr. Joe McSherry Ph.D, MD, a neurologist and associate professor at the University of Vermont Medical Center and UVM College of Medicine. The discussion includes Dr. McSherry's personal and academic background as a physician who openly advocates for legalization and expanded medical research, as well as insight into how the medical community understands--and misunderstands--marijuana. Finally, they discuss the existing medical program in Vermont, and some tips and strategies for VT residents who need to speak with a medical professional to have their forms signed in order to join the medical marijuana registry.

For nearly 20 years, David Zuckerman has been a champion of cannabis reform efforts in Vermont as a State Rep, Chittenden County Senator and is currently running for the Democratic nomination for the Lieutenant Governor. He's been endorsed by Bernie Sanders 11 times (he's the ONLY candidate Bernie endorsed in a statewide Vermont race), is an organic farmer and a cornerstone of progressive politics in Vermont. Listen as Host Eli Harrington and David Zuckerman discuss grassroots political movements, supporting Bernie before it was cool, and cannabis conversations he's had during his statewide campaign. ELEVATE THE STATE.

In Episode Three, Host Eli Harrington speaks with two longtime VT medical marijuana patients, one of whom is a trained nurse (and soon to be Ph.D. in Ethno-Botany) and treated her cancer with cannabis concentrates. The other, Fran Janik, is an outspoken member of Vermont Home Grow and a longtime patient and cannabis breeder who has been involved with the Vermont Medical program since the beginning. These patients discuss the challenges in supply and demand facing VT medical patients, many of whom are unable to purchase medical-grade cannabis oils at dispensaries due to cost and availability. Join as we discuss the current medical marijuana program, and their suggestions for how some VT patients could benefit from legal reforms in the VT medical program.

Episode 2 - With good reason, the Massachusetts-based startup, CannaKorp, has been gaining a TON of national attention in the press lately for their innovative approach towards vaporization. It's easy to over-simplify the idea of a 'weed in a k-cup', but as you learn, the solution is closer to the plant and was inspired by the personal experience of it's inventor as he became a cannabis convert later in life. Michael Bourque, a brilliant, self-taught inventor in Massachusetts recounts meeting legendary Harvard Psychiatrist, author, and researcher, Dr. Lester Grinspoon and asks him to be his advisor and supporter. For Bourque, the philosophy behind CannaKorp is to allow easier and simpler access to vaporization, using only high-quality ground cannabis that's dosed and packaged right at the grow. And yes, Bourque did learn how to grow in his lab from plant to pod through a rigorous testing process...www.cannakorp.com for more

Episode 1 - Two weeks after the end of the legislative session, Host Eli Harrington discusses Vermont's path forward, speaks with Lt. Governor Candidate Kesha Ram about her cannabis position, and features three interviews from NECANN, including founder Marc Shepard, Operation Green Zone, and Tim & Tommy from Open Market Collective. Also debuted the segment, "ask random people questions about weed" aka man on the street...