Episodes
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What were you doing during the start of the pandemic lock down in 2020? Did you build a puzzle for the first time in year? Did you get reacquainted with how stupid and long and frustrating monopoly is? How about sour dough bread? Did you make your first sour dough? Dr. Igor Kovalchuk and his wife, Dr. Olga Kovalchuk from the University of Lethbridge were locked out of their labs too. Their lock down side project was a little more ambitious. They had been researching hundreds of cannabis extracts to see if these extracts reduced inflammation and might help treat conditions like multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease and rheumatoid arthritis. During this forced pause in their research, they wondered in CBD rich cannabis extracts might be useful against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. You want to hear what they found out.
Dr. Kovalchuk’s preprint article we discussed - In Search of Preventative Strategies: Novel Anti-Inflammatory High-CBD Cannabis Sativa Extracts Modulate ACE2 Expression in COVID-19 Gateway Tissues - Website
Dr. Matthew Elmes critique of Dr. Kovalchuk’s paper - Cannabis & COVID-19: Breaking News or Bogus Science? - Website
(Yes we got a SOCAN membership to use this song all legal and proper like)
Music by:
Nelson Rudiak - Facebook
Additional Music:
Desiree Dorion desireedorion.com
Marc Clement - Facebook
Transcripts, papers and so much more at: reefermed.ca
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The Canadian Medical Cannabis Program has been available for more than two decades, yet the process of obtaining cannabis as medicine remains very cumbersome. In comparison, Recreational Cannabis, seen as a substance of misuse, is easy to acquire. When people express an interest in trying cannabis as a medicine to their health care team, many health practitioners simply direct their patients toward the Rec market knowing (or maybe not) the restrictions the Cannabis Act places on budtenders. Budtenders cannot discuss health conditions with customers.
While many health professionals continue to ignore the highly regulated medicinal cannabis system, a group of entrepreneurs calling themselves Cannabis Coaches, are filling the need. In this episode we learn how certified Cannabis Coach Terese Bowors started a small business educating people about medicinal cannabis. We come to understand how a group of non-regulated health educators are developing their own Standards of Practice.
Terese Bowors - Cannabis Wellness Coach - Website
Terese Bowors- LinkedIn
(Yes we got a SOCAN membership to use this song all legal and proper like)
Music by:
Falling Through by Prophet - Spotify
Additional Music:
Desiree Dorion desireedorion.com
Marc Clement - Facebook
Transcripts, papers and so much more at: reefermed.ca
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Missing episodes?
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Tarris Baptiste was athletically gifted. Tarris was driven. Tarris was on the brink of breaking into the National Football League. And then, it didn’t happen. Ten thousand hours plus spent on becoming an elite football player didn’t matter anymore. Now what? Tarris had a shadow pursuit that paralleled his football career. Sometimes it helped him succeed. Sometimes it got in the way. But now, he shifted his considerable focus to learn more about cannabis. He needed to know the light and the dark of this plant. Tarris sought out experts. He merged their insights with his own lived experience. That was the genesis of his book, Don’t Let it Smoke You. Listen to Tarris talk about how cannabis got in his way, how he overcame his misuse of cannabis, but how he didn’t abandon the plant. Tarris found a way to balance his cannabis use with living a productive life. And now he wants to share that with you.
Tarris Baptiste- LinkedIn
Tarris Baptiste- Instagram
Don’t Let It Smoke You- Book
(Yes we got a SOCAN membership to use this song all legal and proper like)
Music by:
Dave Brubeck – Take Five - YouTube
Additional Music:
Desiree Dorion desireedorion.com
Marc Clement - Facebook
Transcripts, papers and so much more at: reefermed.ca
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Dr. Suzy Pinnick, a family physician specializing in palliative medicine and remote northern medicine, shares her cannabis story with Kirk. In this episode, the two health professionals sit in a casual masked conversation within the warmth of the NIC’s office of a northern nursing station during a deep Covid19 Canadian winter evening. She is quick to say she has very little knowledge of cannabis, yet believes it is important to learn. When she was asked by parents to prescribe cannabis for one of her pediatric palliative care patients, Dr. Pinnick quickly recognized how little she knew. Kirk brings the story to Trevor, how this experienced doctor is willing to learn as she practices; how she learns the art of medicine while applying the formal duties of a doctor.
Dr. Suzy Pinnick- LinkedIn
(Yes we got a SOCAN membership to use this song all legal and proper like)
Music by:
Dinah Washington - What a Difference a Day Makes - YouTube
Additional Music:
Desiree Dorion desireedorion.com
Marc Clement - Facebook
Transcripts, papers and so much more at: reefermed.ca
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Regular users of cannabis will – often self-consciously – admit to having a spiritual relationship with cannabis. Will Johnson, a teacher of Buddhist Dharma since 1972, explains how he is ‘something of an anomaly and outlier when it comes to the use of cannabis.’ In his book “Cannabis in Spiritual Practice: The Ecstasy of Shiva, The Calm of Buddha,” Will applies his understandings with living by The Buddhist’s precepts, as an adult. He believes his positive pathways toward full Embodiment is better achieved when he weaves his dance with Shiva, while enjoying the fruits of Buddha’s Garden. In this episode, Kirk and Trevor conclude Will may be onto something. What if everyone in the world simply took a few deep breathes, passed the chillum, and spontaneously started to dance?
What if…
Will Johnson - Website
Cannabis in Spiritual Practice: The Ecstasy of Shiva, the Calm of Buddha.- Will Johnson - Book
(Yes we got a SOCAN membership to use this song all legal and proper like)
Music by:
Grateful Dead - Dark Star - YouTube
Additional Music:
Desiree Dorion desireedorion.com
Marc Clement - Facebook
Transcripts, papers and so much more at: reefermed.ca
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What is the evidence? Where are the studies? There is no proof that cannabis can treat anything! Well…What if I told you there are lots of studies showing that cannabis has medical benefits? What if there was a study going on right now in Sarnia looking at Cannabis and Dementia in Long Term Care (LTC) homes? Dr. Blake Pearson and his partners in Lambton County are the epitome of “Think Global, Act Local”. They are tackling the pervasive problem of dementia in all LTC homes by seeing if cannabis can improve it in their local LTC system. Their study also measures if cannabis use in Dementia patients can help reduce Care Giver Burnout. This exciting research on the shores of Lake Huron is adding to the growing mountain of cannabis as medicine. We also take a left turn into “Green Washing”, but it is not what you think. Come have a listen.
Pearson Health: pearsonhealth.org
Music by:
Don’t Stop Believin’ –
Journey
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1k8craCGpgs
(Yes we got a SOCAN
membership to use this
song all legal and
proper like)
Additional Music:
Desiree Dorion
desireedorion.com
Marc Clement
marcclementmusic.com
Transcripts, papers and so much more at: reefermed.ca
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If you suffer from headaches, Dr. Carrie Cuttler, Assistant Professor at Washington State University, may offer some insights. This episode explores how migraine sufferers may benefit from cannabis. In her study, this cannabis researcher, uses Strainprint data to track people who use inhale cannabis to treat their migraines. Kirk and Trevor explore her research and also discuss how diminished anandamide levels, an important endocannabinoid, may also contribute to the headache pain. A deficiency in the bliss molecular causes a pain in the …head?
Carrie Cuttler - LinkedIn
Carrie Cuttler - Website
Dr. Cuttler’s Strainprint/Migraine Study
(Yes we got a SOCAN membership to use this song all legal and proper like)
Music by:
Jimmy Zee - website
Jimmy Zee - Facebook
Additional Music:
Desiree Dorion desireedorion.com
Marc Clement - Facebook
Transcripts, papers and so much more at: reefermed.ca
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The 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun for the discovery of microRNA. It’s too bad we at Reefer MEDness don’t know anything about microRNA. But wait…We do! Hilal Kalkan, a post-doc at Laval University, talks to us about how microRNA and cannabinoid receptors are involved in the side effect of a common cholesterol medication. Come dive deep into the molecular workings of the endocannabinoid system with us!
Hilal Kalkan - LinkedIn
Dysfunctional endocannabinoid CB1 receptor expression and signaling contribute to skeletal muscle cell toxicity induced by simvastatin, Hilal Kalkan et al. - Paper in Cell Death and Disease
(Yes we got a SOCAN membership to use this song all legal and proper like)
Music by:
Tuğba Yurt - Benim O -YouTube
Additional Music:
Desiree Dorion desireedorion.com
Marc Clement - Facebook
Transcripts, papers and so much more at: reefermed.ca
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Kirk and Trevor discuss PTSD with Dr. Mike Hart founder of ReadyToGo Clinic. Dr. Hart talks about how PTSD, migraines, IBS and some other conditions are due at least in part to an endocannabinoid deficiency. That means cannabis is an obvious treatment for PTSD. Also hear how cannabis can also be used in sports medicine and about Kirk’s Runners’ High on the Columbia Ice Fields.
Dr. Mike Hart’s Joe Rogan Interview (Episode 1246) - YouTube
Scientific American “The Case of a Woman Who Feels Almost No Pain Leads Scientists to a New Gene Mutation” - March 30/19 - Jacquelyn Corley - Article
Readytogo Clinic - Website
Mike Hart Book - Friendly Fire: Why Vets Are Ditching Pills and Lighting Up to Treat PTSD - Amazon
Benzodiazepines for PTSD: A Systemic Review and Meta-Analysis. Guina et al. Journal of Psychiatric Practice. July 2015- Article
Reductions in Circulating Endocannabinoid Levels in Individuals with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Following Exposure to the World Trade Center Attacks. Matthew N. Hill et al. Psychoneuroendocrinology. Sept 2013. - Article
Clinical Endocannabinoid Deficiency Reconsidered: Current Research Supports the Theory in Migraine, Fibromyalgia, Irritable Bowel, and Other Treatment-Resistant Syndromes. Ethan Russo. Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research. July 2016. - Article
Music by:
Bif Naked - Santa Claus is Coming to Town -YouTube
Additional Music:
Desiree Dorion desireedorion.com
Marc Clement - Facebook
Transcripts, papers and so much more at: reefermed.ca
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Pop quiz! Name a condition that costs $2.5 Billion to the Canadian health care system per year, that causes 1 in 5 sufferers to lose or quit a job at some point during their life because of the disease and that 8 in 10 people with the disease were initially told their pain was normal before diagnosis? Welcome to the under-appreciated suffering of those people who have endometriosis.
Dr. Genester Wilson-King MD FACOG, founder and Medical Director of Victory Rejuvenation Center, is a Board-Certified Obstetrician and Gynecologist with over 25 years of Clinical experience. We would have loved to pick her brain on Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement, Premenstrual Syndrome, breast-feeding and cannabis and so many other topics, but we don’t have a 14 hour podcast. We had Dr. Wilson-King review for us the causes and symptoms of endometriosis, how it is treated and how cannabis fits into the picture. She dropped bomb-shells on us like: Did you know endometriosis can affect such disparate tissues as the lung and the brain? Our brains are still spinning and you should strap in and listen.
Dr. Genester Wilson-King - LinkedIn
Dr. Genester Wilson-King - Website
(Yes we got a SOCAN membership to use this song all legal and proper like)
Music by:
Earth Wind and Fire - Fantasy -YouTube
Additional Music:
Desiree Dorion desireedorion.com
Marc Clement - Facebook
Transcripts, papers and so much more at: reefermed.ca
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Is it the future? Kirk and Trevor delve into the craft cannabis market, again. In this episode, they gather a unique panel of Cannabis enthusiasts, willing to share their views on growing small batches of their best. A British Columbia computer geek turned owner, an Alberta legacy grower gone legit, and a Manitoba seed archivist waiting on a license for his genetics, each speak to what makes their cannabis strains and techniques important to creating a craft cannabis market place. The panel agrees the best fertilizer is the shadow of the gardener and any licensed producer can grow good weed. But, what is their collective agreement, what is the definitive determination of craft cannabis? It may depend on how they treat their flowers at harvest, or possibly the hang-to-dry or lay-to-dry technique. How long do they leave their flower to cure? What if the flower is traveling in plastic to market? Defining craft cannabis may actually mean buying straight from the farmer but, this is not possible yet. Have a listen to how these growers define craft while creating niche markets for their small businesses.
Kieley Beudry - Parkland Flower Website - Twitter
Earl Oliver - Gnomestar Craft Cannabis Twitter-Earl Oliver - Twitter - Gnome Star
Paul Martin - CannaCraft Producers Instagram - Cannacraft
(Yes we got a SOCAN membership to use this song all legal and proper like)
Music by:
Sublime - Smoke Two Joints -YouTube
Additional Music:
Desiree Dorion desireedorion.com
Marc Clement - Facebook
Transcripts, papers and so much more at: reefermed.ca
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VanHoot is now traveling the roads of northern British Columbia. While Michelle is off filling their cupboards and cooler, Kirk and River explore the resale cannabis market in those small communities they visit. Kirk records some of the discussions collecting cannabis stories to better understand cannabis from the budtenders’ perspective. In this episode, we learn: how cannabis is marketed day-to-day, is a part time job for busy people, and is also positively affecting smaller community. At one point Kirk sniffs resale cannabis from Mason Jars envisioning the future farmgate access. When you listen to a Road Story episode, you are transported into the continuing adventures of VanHoot and its occupants.
Five Corners Cannabis - website
Hive Cannaibs - website
Cannabis Corner - website
Happy Trails Cannabis - website
Haida Haze - Instagram
Music by:
Dead Bob - No Tomorrows -YouTube
Additional Music:
Desiree Dorion desireedorion.com
Marc Clement - Facebook
Transcripts, papers and so much more at: reefermed.ca
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On July 23, 1983 at an altitude of 41,000 feet, Air Canada Flight 143 travelling between Montreal and Edmonton ran out of fuel because of confusion between metric and imperial measurements. However, the crew of the Boeing 767 successfully landed the passenger jet in Manitoba’s Interlake in what is now known as the Gimli Glider. That intrepid flight crew applied their years of training and experience to an unprecedented situation to become heroes. Much like when a PhD with international training in biochemistry, genetics and pharmaceutical manufacturing successfully glides into the cannabis space. Meet Dr. Brent Guppy and BioScision Pharma. This wide-ranging conversation covers sexing plants, topicals with microbial contamination, testing cannabis for heavy metals and our new favorite word to try to say five times fast “nanoemulsions”. Did we mention BioScision’s retail line, Hwy 59 Cannabis, has a vape cart named after the famous unpowered Boeing 767 that landed in a certain Icelandic town?
BioScision Pharma: bioscisionpharma.com
BioScison Labs: bioscisionlabs.com
Gimli Glider: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gimli_Glider
Mayday Episode: A Powerless Boeing Falls From The Sky! - Gimli Glider:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8y8JBAr8dZ4
Music by:
Lorn – Acid Rain
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxg4C365LbQ
(Yes we got a SOCAN
membership to use this
song all legal and
proper like)
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Once again, Kirk is on the road collecting stories, and never knowing where a story will take him. This road trip is in British Columbia where infused pre-rolls are the hottest summer blitz. Join Kirk and his dog River as they collect stories from cannabis stores, a vape shop, and while standing in a parking lot. We learn how bud tenders gain knowledge of cannabis: being an exit drug, assisting pregnant women, curing cancer, or just chilling at a town council meeting. You just never know what a Road Story will teach you about cannabis use.
Unity Cannabis - website
Marlee’s Den - website
100% Cannabis - website
Vape Street Campbell River - website
Music by:
Dead Bob - Party of One -YouTube
Additional Music:
Desiree Dorion desireedorion.com
Marc Clement - Facebook
Transcripts, papers and so much more at: reefermed.ca
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You’ve said the word concussion. You might even have had one. But do you really understand them? Did you know a concussion is a minor traumatic brain injury? Dr. Patrick Neary and his team got a grant from the NFL to study if cannabis can help prevent or treat concussions! Dr. Neary explains, you don’t have to actually bang your head to get a concussion. We’ve often said you don’t have to like cannabis to enjoy this podcast. But, if you listen to this episode while rhythmically shaking your mullet forwards and back, we think you’ll elevate your knowledge about both.
Patrick Neary
Website
Website
Website
The Team of NFL Funded Research Collaborators - Google Doc
Sport Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT5) - Website
Music by:
Rod Stewart - Maggie May -YouTube
(Yes we got a SOCAN membership to use this song all legal and proper like)
Additional Music:
Desiree Dorion desireedorion.com
Marc Clement - Facebook
Transcripts, papers and so much more at: reefermed.ca
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Kirk catches up with Ted Smith from the Victoria Cannabis Buyers Club and his organization’s ill-defined existence within a country of legalized cannabis. We hear how Ted’s dreams, for this timeworn cannabis compassion club, are close to fruition yet there lingers potential for a new set of fines and a visit from the Public Health Authority impeding the full potential of this caring organization. In this episode we learn how the clouds preventing Ted from flying high are not simply from his new smoking lounge but rather the various levels of bureaucracy he must manage when putting compassion into action.
The Victoria Cannabis Buyers Club - website
To Support the People of Jasper after the Fire - website
Music by:
Dead Bob - Just Breathe -YouTube
Additional Music:
Desiree Dorion desireedorion.com
Marc Clement - Facebook
Transcripts, papers and so much more at: reefermed.ca
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Most certainly, we have learned Cannabis has benefits but it is not benign. With all medications it is important to understand the risk and benefits. In this episode Trevor and Kirk discuss the cardiovascular effects of chronic cannabis inhalation with an accomplished student of medicine, Dr. Venkat Subramaniam. Although, he admits limited studies are available, his literature review suggests those who start smoking cannabis at a young age, making it a daily indulgence, are at risk of developing cardiovascular disease. He makes it easy by comparing cannabis to donuts; reminding us we must consume in moderation.
Dr. Venkat Subramaniam’s Paper -Website
Cannanaskis -Website
Music by:
OneRepublic - Counting Stars -YouTube
(Yes we got a SOCAN membership to use this song all legal and proper like)
Additional Music:
Desiree Dorion desireedorion.com
Marc Clement - Facebook
Transcripts, papers and so much more at: reefermed.ca
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You’ve got a PhD with lots of lab and testing experience. It should be easy to start a cannabis testing lab, right? Well, not really. Aldwin Anterola found cannabis growers weren’t always interested in finding the accurate amount of cannabinoids like THC in their products, among other problems. So, Aldwin went back to school. The NIH (National Institutes of Health) have an entrepreneurship program to help scientists learn how to bring their skills and products to market. Along the way, Aldwin learned a lot about Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS) and even interviewed our co-host Trevor as part of his NIH entrepreneurship program project.
Aldwin Anterola - LinkedIn
Music by:
Chicago - Feelin’ Stronger Every Day -YouTube
Additional Music:
Desiree Dorion desireedorion.com
Marc Clement - Facebook
Transcripts, papers and so much more at: reefermed.ca
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Ross Rebagliati, Michael Phelps, and Sha’Carri Richardson. Different athletes, different sports, and different eras. Tremendous athletic ability and years of arduous training aren’t all they have in common. Their sporting careers have all been touched by cannabis. Dr. Mark Ware and his colleagues examined cannabis and elite athletes. What they found was captivating and thought provoking. Join Kirk and Trevor in the discussion ranging from WADA to Lausanne, Switzerland to the para-Olympic movement and how cannabis can and should fit into athletics.
Mark Ware - LinkedIn
Music by:
Bob Marley and the Wailers - Coming in From the Cold -YouTube
Additional Music:
Desiree Dorion desireedorion.com
Marc Clement - Facebook
Transcripts, papers and so much more at: reefermed.ca
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Brent Alarie is informed he has COPD, then it was multiple sclerosis. No wait, he receives another diagnosis of blood cancer. These were just a few of the catastrophic verdicts given to describe how his body was betraying him. He needed to create change and prepare for his enviable death. With a new bucket list he started living his best life under the circumstances. A six-year painful journey, of the most insane symptoms and being bounced from one diagnosis to another, finally comes to an end. Brent is told he has chronic Lyme Disease. A new journey begins with learning to live with the on-going symptoms of Lyme and regular pharmaceuticals do not help with the chronic nerve-pain. He was never a drug-guy, but after a friend gave him Cannabis, he finds therapeutic relief. Brent shares how he now balances his life with nutrition and Cannabis. Kirk and Trevor bring their second story on how Cannabis brings relief to people suffering from this Monster sickness in which we call Lyme Disease.
Human Cannabinoid Pharmacokinetics: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2689518/pdf/nihms-118643.pdf
The Monster Inside Me - Lyme Disease Documentary - https://www.themonsterinsideme.com/
Music by:
Wreckin So - https://www.wreckinso.com/
Still Smokin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VRz0jbjy8s
Additional Music:
Desiree Dorion desireedorion.com
Marc Clement - Facebook
Transcripts, papers and so much more at: reefermed.ca
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