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  • It's here! Our final podcast episode before we go on hiatus! In case you missed the big announcement in the fall 2023 issue of Different Leaf Magazine; "We're saying goodbye -- for now."

    This week, host Brit Smith sits down with Different Leaf CEO/Publisher Michael Kusek to talk about
    what his Editor's Note on page 11 announcing the hiatus means for the future of Different Leaf.

    They talk about the changes Michael has seen in the cannabis industry and the publishing industry over the past five years, what the hiatus means for our magazine and podcast, and what readers and listeners can expect when we return in mid-2024.

    Brit also has our annual "high holiday gift guide" with Different Leaf magazine’s merch and more writer John Arvanitis. You can read more about all John's chosen products and experiences in the fall 2023 issues of Different Leaf Magazine, available at DifferentLeaf.com

    Sign up for our newsletter and get any back-issues of Different Leaf Magazine at DifferentLeaf.com
    Get your DL merch now at xDifferentLeaf.com
    Follow us on social media @DifferentLeaf and find host Brit Smith @BritTheBritish

    Thanks to everyone who has worked on this iteration of DL the Podcast, including:

    Editor-in-Chief; Michael Kusek
    Production Manager; Jen Hayes
    Audio Producer; Aleksandra van der Westhuizen
    Head of Audio Production; Gretchen Kuhsel
    Musicial Duo; HomeBody

    See you all in 2024!

  • If you've ever walked into a cannabis dispensary and felt overwhelmed with options, you are not alone. Around 2/3 of cannabis consumers consider THC potency the leading factor when purchasing pot.

    While that doesn't tell us much about the experience we might have, there are plenty of things beyond THC and price that we can consider when picking products at our local pot shop.

    This week, host Brit Smith talks to the staff at Boston's Rooted In dispensary, to learn how professional cannabis purchasers make their selections for the shelves, how cannabis consumers can hone in on their most enjoyable experiences, and how we can try new products without breaking the bank.

    The Rooted In team discusses the range of prices we often see in cannabis flower, the questions curious consumers might want to ask when they get to a dispensary register, and the best ways to test your local cannabis options for cheap or free. Then Brit goes to Botera dispensary in Franklin to try out what she learned about picking the perfect product.

    Follow us on social media @DifferentLeaf and find host Brit Smith @BritTheBritish

    Get your issue of Different Leaf magazine now at DifferentLeaf.com

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  • Between socializing, cooking, traveling, and spending, the holiday season can be a tough time to chill out. And then, of course, some of us have kids to watch, and those kids are also watching us.

    Thankfully, cannabis is a great tool to help adults enjoy the holiday season, even if we’re in charge of children. And this generation of parents is becoming much more open about discussing cannabis with their kids. They use electronic dab-rigs. They wear smoking jackets. They tell their children why they can't touch their medicine.

    In this episode, host Brit Smith sits down with three moms who use marijuana, to talk about the best ways to consume pot during the holidays when there are little ones around.

    Brit hears from cannabis consultant Cara Crabb-Burnham, Bountiful Farms sales manager Amy Fintonis, and massage therapist Kristi about their preferred ways to consume around their kiddos and their advice for parents and guardians who want to take the edge off while staying focused on the family.

    The moms discuss the benefits of concentrates and vaping over smoke, how to talk to young people about why adults might smoke cannabis, use weed during postpartum, and give advice for overcoming the stigma associated with being a parent who uses pot.

    Get your issue of Different Leaf magazine now at DifferentLeaf.com

    Follow us on social media @DifferentLeaf and @BritTheBritish

    Get your Different Leaf hoodie, hat, shirt, and other merch at xDifferentLeaf.com

  • It's the end of the year, the perfect time to indulge in some much-deserved rest and relaxation. And with so many spas now offering CBD-infused facials and massages, we can truly relax to the max this holiday season.

    So does topical CBD actually help our bodies more fully relax?
    Can a cannabis-infused facial benefit skin more than a regular facial does?
    And how else are spas incorporating cannabis to help their guests truly chill?

    To kick off the holidays, host Brit Smith and production manager Jen Hayes hit the road for the Catskill Mountains in upstate New York, to try the nation's first seed-to-spa experience; The Windham Spa (thewindhamspa.com).

    First, Brit and Jen talk with spa owners Antonia and Chris Schreiber about their decision to grow and produce their own CBD-infused massage oil for clients in Windham, NY. They also discuss the long-term benefits of using cannabis-infused skincare and wellness products, and the crossover between spa culture and cannabis culture.

    Then, Brit and Jen experience The Windham Spa's Entourage Package, which includes a selection of infused edibles, a CBD foot soak, a massage with oil made from their hemp plants, and hemp-focused facials made with local products by MASK.

    Get your fall 2023 issue of Different Leaf magazine at DifferentLeaf.com

    Follow us on social media @DifferentLeaf and find host Brit Smith @BritTheBritish

    Stock up on some dope DL merch for the holidays at xDifferentLeaf.com

  • Autism spectrum disorder, or ASD, is a neurodevelopmental disorder that covers a diverse group of conditions. Since it's a spectrum, what it means to be diagnosed with autism varies widely. So do the experiences of autistic people and those who try cannabis and CBD for their health issues.

    In this episode, host Brit Smith talks to two autistic people about their experiences trying cannabis and CBD for common problems for those on the spectrum, like anxiety, focus, masking, sensory processing, and physical discomfort.

    First, Brit speaks with California-based writer Ian Donley, who penned the essay in the back of the fall 2023 issue of Different Leaf magazine, entitled; "I'm Autistic, This is What It's Like Getting High."

    Then, Brit chats with her younger brother, musician Spud Smith, about how cannabis extracts have impacted his ASD-related issues like anxiety and sensory overload, and his symptoms of Tourette's.

    Get the fall 2023 issue of Different Leaf magazine at DifferentLeaf.com or find your nearest seller at DifferentLeaf.com/on-the-newsstand

    Follow us on social media @DifferentLeaf and @BritTheBritish

    Get your DL merch now at xDifferentLeaf.com

  • CBN, CBG, THCV, THCA... beyond the famed cannabinoids THC and CBD, we're seeing a surge of offerings known as minor cannabinoids. More and more people are swearing by these plant's so-called minor molecules to help with issues like sleep, appetite, and energy.

    So what’s the science behind all of it? Why does the plant make these chemicals? How do we extract and use them? And what does the research say about how minor cannabinoids could help better our health?

    In this episode, host Brit Smith speaks with Natalia Lopez, director of cultivation at Thai Stick in Bangkok, one of Thailand’s first cannabis producers. Natalia explains the science behind plant cannabinoid production, how growers get plants to produce specific minor cannabinoids, and what research says about their effects on our bodies to date.

    Brit also talks to John Nathan, CEO of Bay State Extracts, Massachusetts' premier company specializing in minor and rare cannabinoids. John discusses his experience finding minor cannabinoids helpful alongside THC and CBD, how his company sources and manufactures all kinds of rare and minor cannabinoids from CBC to CBN, and what kinds of effects his consumers are reporting.

    Get your fall 2023 issue of Different Leaf the magazine now at DifferentLeaf.com or find your local in-person seller at DifferentLeaf.com/on-the-newsstand

    Follow us on social media @DifferentLeaf and @BritTheBritish

    Check out our dope new merch line at xDifferentLeaf.com

  • One of the staple fall activities of the northeast is to head to an orchard, pick your own apples, and enjoy some apple cider on the farm. Since cannabis has become more popular in drinks, one of the northeast’s best-known apple cider makers, Beak and Skiff, has started incorporating hemp and cannabis into their drink offerings, and it's already helping to change the way people see the plant.

    In this episode, host Brit Smith talks to Eddie Brennan, President of Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards and ayrloom cannabis in Lafayette, NY, about the famed cider company's new cannabis-infused drinks.

    Eddie talks about the century-old fruit farm's history, how the two families have continued to innovate the brand's offerings since the early 1900s, and where cannabis fits into their line now.

    They also discuss the farming angle of adding cannabis plants to the ground, the changes cannabis drinks are bringing to agro-tourism, and how family-run companies like Beak and Skiff adding alcohol alternatives can help reduce the stigma of their new cannabis crop.

    Read more about Beak and Skiff in the new fall 2023 issue of Different Leaf magazine, available at DifferentLeaf.com or on thousands of newsstands; find your local seller at DifferentLeaf.com/on-the-newsstand

    Follow us on social media @DifferentLeaf and @BritTheBritish

    And check out our merch line at xDifferentLeaf.com

  • We’re getting into the spirit of Halloween by discussing how cannabis can guide us through spiritual journeys with our guest Shelley Johnson, better known as social media icon @AGoodWitchOfficial

    A retired occupational therapist in California, Shelley started doing Instagram Live sessions in her purple witches hat during the pandemic to help others feel grounded. She'd spark up, read tarot cards for her followers, and give what she calls her 'old crone advice' about how to live a more intentional, self-directed life. Now in her 70s, Shelley has nearly 2 million followers on Instagram alone, and she reaches them with her witchy wisdom through her daily 4:20 pm smoke and tarot sessions.

    Host Brit Smith talks to Shelley about how cannabis can help in therapeutic and spiritual ways, by allowing us to focus on meditation, think about our thoughts, manifest gratitude, and create art.

    Shelley also discusses how she uses cannabis daily to connect with herself and others, and how we can all more consciously use the plant to access our deeper spiritual selves. She gives us a daily witch-tip for smokers, we learn what tarot is, and we get a stoned tarot reading just for listeners.

    Follow us on social media @DifferentLeaf and @BritTheBritish

    Read our profile of Shelley 'A Good Witch' Johnson on page 32 in the fall issue of Different Leaf magazine, available at DifferentLeaf.com

  • Ready for an Exclusive?! Soon, you'll be able to wear vintage Tommy Hilfiger tennis apparel with our favorite leaf on the lapel, while smoking a matching branded red and white vape.

    American fashion icon Tommy Hilfiger has partnered with Coachella-based cannabis company Green Horizons to revitalize his classic 1970s tennis fashion brand BOAST.

    In 2024, they're launching a BOAST clothing line, including polo shirts, shorts, jerseys, and hats -- all with its famed maple leaf logo, alongside a line of infused pre-rolls, vapes, and gummies made with Green Horizons’ flower. (Readers can get an exclusive first look at the new BOAST cannabis and clothing line in the fall '23 issue of Different Leaf the magazine available at DifferentLeaf.com).

    In this episode, host Brit Smith talks to Los Arias, CEO of Green Horizons, about how his company first connected with Tommy Hilfiger, and what they hope to bring to the world with their upcoming line of classic wearables and weed.

    Los tells Brit how he met his business partner Michael Meade while they were both using cannabis on their cancer journeys and how he connected with Hilfiger's daughter during her own healing journey with Lyme disease.

    They also cover the history of the BOAST apparel brand from 1973 until 2017 when it was acquired by Hilfiger, how Los' friendship with Hilfiger inspired them both to launch BOAST's return with a cannabis and clothing line, and when and where we can expect BOAST products to be available.

    Get your new fall issue of Different Leaf magazine at DifferentLeaf.com or find your local in-person seller at DifferentLeaf.com/on-the-newsstand

    Follow us on social media @DifferentLeaf and @BritTheBritish

    Get your Different Leaf merch now at xDifferentLeaf.com

  • Just a decade into legalization, the science behind cannabis-infused edibles has already come a long way.

    We’ve now got fast-acting edibles, cutting effect times from hours to minutes, made possible by nano-emulsification technology.

    We've got heightened experiences and flavors, thanks to Live resin and rosin-infused foods, which contain extracts from flash-frozen freshly-cut cannabis flower.

    And we now have targeted effects edibles, which specifically help us chill, focus, find energy, or sleep.

    So how do edibles work, and how are they getting faster? How do food scientists maintain taste and texture while adding milligrams of THC? And how are companies using new technologies to give us a range of edible experiences like deeper highs and desirable cannabis flavors?

    In this episode, host Brit Smith talks to Kristi Palmer, co-founder of Kiva Confections, about how companies like hers innovate the edibles in our market. Kristi discusses the kinds of new experiences edible consumers are looking for, the hurdles edible companies typically face in the kitchen when innovating their product lines, and how Kiva's team works across state lines to meet those consumer desires.

    Brit also talks to Breanna Neff, Chief Food Scientist and founder of Brelixi, about how food scientists like her get cannabis edibles to give us those different kinds of highs and faster onsets, all while maintaining the taste and texture. Breanna explains how edibles work in our bodies, the science behind nano-emulsification for fast-onset edibles like her Brelixi drink powder mix, and how targeted effects edibles work to give us certain experiences.

    Read more on the science of infused food in the fall 2023 Edibles issue of Different Leaf magazine, available at DifferentLeaf.com, or find your local retailer at DifferentLeaf.com/on-the-newsstand

    Follow us on social media @DifferentLeaf and find host Brit Smith @BritTheBritish

    Get your Different Leaf merch now at xDifferentLeaf.com

  • Since the pandemic, more than 70,000 restaurants, diners, and cafes in the US have closed. And many places that did manage to reopen didn’t make it long. Another thing that happened during the COVID lockdown; CBD and THC skyrocketed in popularity. Now, cannabis appears to be giving a new lease on life to some formerly-shuttered eateries.

    In this episode, host Brit Smith talks to Chef Andrew LeSturgeon and Will Fleming of Milkweed Cannabis Confections in Burlington, VT about how their infused confectionary line is revitalizing their culinary brand post-pandemic.

    As Chef Andrew explains, their famed fine diner 'Monarch and the Milkweed' closed its doors in 2020, but they were able to keep their line of CBD confectionary 'Milkweed Cannabis Confections' going. Eventually, after months of closure, Andrew and Will saw a silver lining and decided to rethink their mission with their popular cannabis candies at the forefront. Now, they're making their post-pandemic comeback by focusing solely on their CBD and THC line of treats.

    Andrew and Will discuss the experience of closing their restaurant, and how it forced them to pivot and incubate their existing CBD chocolate line. They also talk about the importance of staying true to their roots by continuing to use high-end local ingredients, while infusing it with local organic full-spectrum cannabis for Vermont and Massachusetts consumers.

    Get your issue of Different Leaf magazine at DifferentLeaf.com or find your local in-person seller at DifferentLeaf.com/on-the-newsstand

    Look dope with some Different Leaf merch from xDifferentLeaf.com

    Follow us on social media @DifferentLeaf and find host Brit Smith @BritThe British

    We'll be back in mid-October with our fall podcast season!

  • Yoga and cannabis have a lot in common. Both originated in India thousands of years ago, and both help us focus on our spiritual, philosophical, and physical selves. Whether you're a newbie or a longtime yogi, mixing meditation, stretching and marijuana is not for the faint of heart. Especially since both the cannabis plant and popular yoga practices have developed in intensity over the past few thousand years.

    So how can we safely take part in the historic spiritual practice of stoned yoga without passing out or getting too high? And how can cannabis and yoga enhance our connection with ourselves and the world around us?

    This episode, host Brit Smith chats with Lynsey Tamposi, founder of Maine Ganja Yoga and owner of the Nomad Retreat Center in South Paris, Maine. Lynsey and Brit discuss their histories with cannabis as a tool against substance use disorder, and how yoga alongside cannabis helps with their continued mental and physical health in recovery. Then Lynsey tells us about the history of ganja and yoga, the best postures for beginner yoga-stoners, and the kinds of events she holds at the Nomad Retreat Center.

    Get your Travel & Cannabis issue of Different Leaf magazine at DifferentLeaf.com

    Follow us on social media @DifferentLeaf and @BritTheBritish

    Check out our merch line at xDifferentLeaf.com

  • This week, hear the inspiring story of how cannabis played a role in the life of the ultimate survivor, Ethan Zohn.

    Ethan grew up in Massachusetts and played pro-soccer in Hawaii, Cape Cod and Zimbabwe. In 2003, he won the third season of the reality TV show "Survivor." Ethan took his million-dollar prize and launched a nonprofit to raise money and awareness in the fight against the AIDS epidemic in Africa. He started appearing on a long list of reality competition TV shows, he was hosting a NatGeo travel show, and commentating on soccer on ESPN. Ethan was thriving. Then, in early 2009 at age 35, he was diagnosed with a rare form of blood cancer.

    With the help of underground dealers, Ethan used cannabis to help him deal with the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation. After twice beating cancer, he turned to CBD to help with his mental health and anxiety while in remission. Now a lifelong athlete and cannabis advocate, Ethan uses the plant to prepare, perform and recover from marathons, he's rounding up fellow cancer patients and survivors for a University-backed cannabis study, and he's helping medical marijuana patients find better guidance from doctors online.

    Get your issue of Different Leaf magazine at DifferentLeaf.com

    Find us on social media @DifferentLeaf and find host Brit Smith @BritTheBritish

  • In honor of National Women's Equality Day on August 26th, we're exploring what it takes to make it as one of the very few female CEOs in the legal cannabis and CBD industry.

    Across all US industries, women hold around 30 percent of CEO and C-suite positions. But in the cannabis industry, women only hold 22 percent of C-suite roles and just 8 percent of CEO titles. So how can more women successfully lead in a young, semi-legal industry like cannabis and CBD?

    This episode, host Brit Smith sits down with the so-called 'Dolly Part of hemp,' Franny Tacy, the founder and CEO of Franny’s Farmacy, to find out what it takes to be part of the 8 percent.

    After studying forestry and working in pharmaceuticals, Franny left what she calls the 'unhealthcare industry' and moved into agricultural education and activism, eventually becoming the first female farmer to plant hemp in North Carolina in 75 years. She's since grown from farming her own hemp and running a single CBD store in Asheville, N.C. to developing a high-end hemp product line and seeing Franny's Farmacy franchises in six states. She's continued to innovate with products like her hemp honey and pasta. And she's built meaningful partnerships with everyone from local farmers to celebrities, including fashion designer Christian Siriano, who's about to start selling Franny’s products in his own stores.

    Get your summer issue of Different Leaf magazine at DifferentLeaf.com and find your nearest in-person retailer at Differentleaf.com/on-the-newsstand

    Find us on social media @DifferentLeaf and find host Brit Smith @BritTheBritish

    Check out our new merch line at xDifferentLeaf.com

  • TW: Suicide -- For Veterans in crisis, call 1-800-273-8255 and press 1

    The staff at Veterans Affairs Hospital do the hard work of treating our war veterans. But staff shortages and long wait times mean many vets still don’t get the care they need for the physical and mental issues associated with military life.

    As medical marijuana laws expand, more veterans are seeing MMJ doctors patch the gap in their healthcare needs. A growing number of vets report finding cannabis helps with PTSD, pain, anxiety, depression, and other service-related ailments. But cannabis is still federally illegal, and we're a long way off seeing it prescribed by VA doctors.

    In this episode, host (and veteran spouse) Brit Smith welcomes former Army Staff Sergeant Philip Lafountaine, the head of Retail and Security at 6Bricks dispensary in Springfield, Mass., to talk about how cannabis can help military veterans.

    SSG Lafountaine is a husband and father of three. Just a few years ago, he was a Team Sergeant in the 95th Civil Affairs Brigade (Special Operations: Airborne), with the 1st Special Forces Command in Fort Bragg, N.C. But none of that seemed to shake him. It wasn't until he was leaving the military that he started dealing with severe panic attacks, crippling anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. Like millions of other veterans, Philip found cannabis was the only thing that helped him adjust to civilian life.

    Brit and Philip discuss his military experience, his transition into life after the Army, the medicines and therapies that did and didn't work for him at the VA, and how he found cannabis to be the perfect medicine and community to help him survive suicidal thoughts and deep depression. Now, as part of the leadership team at 6Bricks dispensary in Springfield, he helps to individually guide fellow veterans and other adult cannabis consumers so they can also find the perfect cannabis products to help better their own lives.

    Follow us on social media @DifferentLeaf and @BrittheBritish


    Get your issue of Different Leaf magazine at DifferentLeaf.com


    Check out our mech line at xDifferentLeaf.com

  • Cannabis, comic books, and loud music are all a means of escape. Plus, certain strains really amplify how we experience art, stories, and songs. So it's no surprise that if you’re into comics, fantasy novels, or rock music, research suggests you’re also probably into smoking pot.

    Of course, getting lost in comics and jumping in a mosh pit each requires a different kind of buzz. To help their fans have the ideal experience no matter what they're doing, the iconic fantasy/sci-fi brand Heavy Metal has started pairing its adult comics, graphic novels, and collectible cards with experience-focused cannabis strains, grown by Berkshire Roots in western Massachusetts.

    In this episode, host Brit Smith sits down with Tommy Coriale, President and Head of Studio at Heavy Metal, to chat about the history of Heavy Metal magazine and its super-stoner 80s movie, how they figured out that so many HM fans also love pot, and how cannabis enhances our connection with mind-bending, experimental art as we see in their books.

    They also discuss smoking to enjoy live concerts, how pairing movies and marijuana can help us get lost in a story, and Tommy explains what kinds of futuristic stoner-experiences Heavy Metal has in store with Augmented Reality for fans who smoke their top-notch weed.

    Get your issue of Different Leaf magazine at DifferentLeaf.com

    Follow us on social media @DifferentLeaf and find host Brit Smith @BrittheBritish

  • Chicago, IL; San Francisco, CA; and Portland, OR: Three tourist hotspots known for their cannabis culture. With so many themed dispensaries, cool experiences, and fantastic food in each state, where should canna-curious travelers start when picking what to smoke, see and do in these big cities?

    In this episode, host Brit Smith talks to Different Leaf magazine's cannabis travel writers about the coolest pot shops, lounges, sights, and hidden gems in The Bay, The Windy City, and Portlandia.

    First, writer Hannah Vyosky tells us about Chicago's must-see dispensaries, like Ivy Hall with its Great Gatsby vibe. She covers where visitors can consume weed without getting in trouble and offers up some lesser-known stoner experiences like picnics with the Dorothy and Toto statues in Oz Park, indulging your munchies at the global McDonald’s, and exploring the city's famed Roman bathhouses.

    Then, writer Meena Thiruvengadum takes us on a tour of the essential stoner spots in the thriving hippie city of Portland, Oregon. She discusses the most worthwhile dispensaries like the Electric Lettuce, what to expect on the Portlandia bus tour, how to find the best beaches and hikes around the city, and where to get amazing wake-and-bake food like Gravy's french toast the size of your head.

    Finally, writer Carly Fisher delves into the best stops on the dispensary crawl through San Francisco's Castro District, where the legalization movement first began. She names some favorite consumption lounges, like the Barbary Coast draped in plush dark reds in a nod to the old Victorian era of San Fran. And she highlights the Bay's best outdoor experiences like the Oakland Cannabis Trail to the east and the Redwood forests to the north.

    Read our city guide by Hannah, Meena, and Carly starting on page 36 in the summer 2023 issue of Different Leaf magazine, available at DifferentLeaf.com or at thousands of in-person retailers. Find your local seller at DifferentLeaf.com/on-the-newsstand

    Follow us on social media @DifferentLeaf and find host Brit Smith @BritTheBritish

    Check out our new merch line at xDifferentLeaf.com

  • Before states started legalizing weed shops, most of the legacy growers, transporters, and dealers who got arrested for running the underground cannabis economy were Black and brown entrepreneurial-minded men trying to make a better life for themselves. In states that have adopted cannabis social equity laws, people formerly incarcerated for selling weed before it was cool are now able to get assistance to enter the legal market first.

    So what’s life like now for legacy dealers who can bring legal cannabis shops to their neighborhoods? And what did they have to build and go through to get us cannabis before there was a legal market?

    In this episode, host Brit Smith talks to Coss Marte, a formerly incarcerated New York City drug kingpin who is now the CEO of CONBUD; NYC’s first cannabis dispensaries that will soon be staffed entirely by formerly incarcerated individuals.

    Coss discusses his upbringing in NYC’s lower east side, and how he ran a multi-million dollar drug delivery network that led to his 7-year-stint in New York’s notorious Rikers Island Prison where he continued dealing and endured solitary confinement.

    Coss talks about why he set up CONBODY; a fitness regime that got New Yorkers into shape like they do in prison, what he's done to get back into the cannabis industry now it's legal in his city, and which legacy strains he's bringing back to his neighborhood with his two CONBUD cannabis stores, which are set to open at the end of the summer in the Bronx and the Lower East Side.

    Get your issue of Different Leaf magazine at DifferentLeaf.com or find your local in-person retailer at DifferentLeaf.com/on-the-newsstand

    Follow us on social media @DifferentLeaf and find host Brit Smith @BritTheBritish

    Check out our new merch line at xDifferentLeaf.com

  • Indigenous American tribes have used cannabis and hemp for rope, fabric, medicine, and spiritual use since the mid-1500s. But by the 1800s, they were forcibly separated from the plant by the US federal government, which illegally raided reservation grows, burned crops, and imprisoned growers.

    It wasn't until 2013 when Washington and Colorado legalized medical marijuana that Native American leaders reopened the discussion on tribal sovereignty regarding cannabis legalization. Soon, hundreds of tribal nations voted to allow the resurgence of hemp and cannabis on their reservations. But even a decade later, indigenous people in cannabis still face issues like illegal federal raids, state pushback, and a lack of access to capital.

    In this episode, host Brit Smith talks to leading Native American cannabis advocate Mary Jane Oatman, founder of the National Indigenous Cannabis Coalition and Tribal Hemp and Cannabis (THC) magazine. Mary Jane discusses her family's history with the plant, her community's experience working towards tribal sovereignty, and what she's doing to ensure the soon-to-be nationwide cannabis industry isn’t totally colonized as well.

    Then, Brit talks to Different Leaf writer Santiago Rodiguez-Tarditi about his latest article on the importance of Mary Jane's work for indigenous communities worldwide.

    You can read Santiago's profile on Mary Jane Oatman and her work in the new summer issue of Different Leaf magazine, available at DifferentLeaf.com or find your nearest in-person retailer at DifferentLeaf.com/on-the-newsstand

    Follow us on social media @DifferentLeaf and find host Brit Smith @BritTheBritish

    Check out our new merch line at xDifferentLeaf.com

  • Each summer, indulgent new cannabis, and dining-centric travel experience pop up all over the world. So what's a good place to start if you love to travel, appreciate really good food, and want cannabis to be at the center of your vacation experience?

    In this episode, host Brit Smith delves into the so-called 'Bougiest 4/20 Experience in the US' with Different Leaf magazine's food and cannabis writer Chala June. Chala discusses their latest article for Different Leaf; "Bud and Breakfast," all about the experience of attending Cannescape's overnight dining event in California's Napa Valley, led by Chopped 420 champion Chef Solomon Johnson.

    Chala talks about what it was like to be a part of Chef Johnson’s fine-infused dinner and breakfast, staying overnight at Dr. Wilkinson’s Backyard Resort and Mineral Spring in the heart of wine country, connecting with other like-minded stoners, and taking in the views, the pool, and the spa, all while the cannabis set in.

    They also cover how Chef Solomon involves cannabis when creating and plating foods, how the energy of a dining experience changes when it includes an overnight stay, and what Chala sees as the future for high-end infused dining and travel experiences.

    Get your summer 2023 Travel + Cannabis issue of Different Leaf magazine at differentleaf.com or find your nearest in-person retailer at differentleaf.com/on-the-newsstand -- and read up on Chala's experience with Cannescape and Chef Solomon Johnson on page 46.

    Follow us on social media @DifferentLeaf and @BritTheBritish

    Check out our new merch line at xdifferentleaf.com