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BIOACTIVE

Riley D. Kirk, Ph.D.bioactivepodcast.com
Dr. Riley Kirk is a cannabis research scientist and educator. She obtained her Ph.D. in pharmaceutical sciences, specializing in natural product chemistry, studying the traditional and contemporary uses of hundreds of medicinal plants. She is currently an assistant associate professor at the University of Rhode Island, has worked as an immunology scientist in the biotech industry, and works in the cannabis industry studying the chemical complexity of cannabis smoke. Riley is also the co-founder of the cannabis research and education non-profit organization called the Network of Applied Pharmacognosy (NAP). Through NAP and on her podcast, Riley uses science as advocacy to research and communicate findings that highlight the unique power of natural products. The goal of Riley’s work is to unite people in the Cannabis industry, academia, and consumers to further the reach of Cannabis education and reduce harm. Riley is passionate about making Cannabis science accessible through social media channels and alternative media which lead to Bioactive; an educational podcast which disseminates the chemistry and pharmacology of natural products. On this bi-weekly podcast, she covers current news and research surrounding cannabis, psychedelics, toxins, pharmaceuticals & other bioactive substances. Listen for special guests highlighting community stories.
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Episodes

Standardizing the Cannabis Industry with Darwin Millard

How do we standardize an industry that is known as the wild west? It's definitely difficult to implement standards in the cannabis industry but people like todays guest, Darwin Millard are working hard to ensure standards are in place to ensure quality and consistent products are on the legal market. Standards are created to ensure that when you purchase a product there is no mold, pesticides, residual solvent and more. This topic is a little heavy, but very important for any consumer or manufac...

Apr 26, 20241 hr 18 minEp. 35

#NAPTIME Nova Scotia, Canada with Dr. Miyabe Shields

The Network of Applied Pharmacognosy is a reserach non-profit formed by Dr. Miyabe Shields and Dr. Riley Kirk. The goal of the nonprofit is to provide a more nuanced and holistic view of cannabis as medicine and emphazie community data and engagement. On this #NAPTIME Riley and Miyabe head to Nova Scotia, Canada for two speaking events: one geared towards industry professionals and another towards consumers. The two talk about what they discussed during these events as well as shenanigans during...

Apr 12, 20241 hr 34 minEp. 34

The Lost art of Hashish with Madame Cannoli & Kevin McGovern

Kimberly Hooks, CEO of Frenchy Cannoli Brand and Kevin McGovern owner of First Harvest Hemp join Riley to talk about the history of hashish and the process of making quality product. Kimberly carries on the legacy of her late husband Frenchy Cannoli, a notorious hash maker by sharing workshops across the world. Kimberly and Cherryblossom Belle (Frenchy's apprentice) will be teaching a workshop on Saturday April 6th in Westboro, MA. Join Riley and the Hash making legends for an unforgettable expe...

Apr 02, 202452 minEp. 33

Cannabis and End-Of-Life Care with Dr. Rasean Hodge, MD

Where does cannabis play a role in end-of-life care? Today Riley speaks with Dr. Rasean Hodge, MD. Dr. Hodge has worked with a large diversity of patients and is an open consumer of cannabis products. He has suffered from chronic pain and opiate addiction and helps patients learn from professional and lived experience. We talk about the role of cannabis in end-of-life care, and also answer questions from my good friend who is a nurse in a hospice unit and submitted questions from her and the oth...

Mar 29, 20241 hr 38 minEp. 32

Wildlife Biology with Jake!

If there's two things Jake and I love talking about its moose and chaga! This episode we finally dive deep into both subjects. Jake talks about his graduate research with moose in Vermont; radio-collaring our of helicopters, counting ticks, and what to do about the diminishing population in New England. Then I dive into some of the reserach i've conducted with chaga and how to get the most out of this medicinal fungus. Don't miss the big announcement at the 1 hour mark of this episode (no it has...

Mar 21, 20241 hr 15 minEp. 31

The Science Of Smokeability: Insights on Quantifying the Smoking Experience #CRAPTIME

The Science of Smokeability is a collaboration study between Dr. Allison Justice & Ashley Manning from the Cannabis Research Coalition Dr. Miyabe Shields & Dr. Riley Kirk from The Network of Applied Pharmacognosy & Dr. Markus Roggen from Controlled Chemistry The team aims to quantify both the subjective and objective experiences of cannabis smoking using consumer surveys and chemical data. Sign up for Phase 2 of SOS! https://www.cannabisrc.org/event-details/sos-the-science-of-smokabi...

Mar 12, 202439 minEp. 30

Everything you need to know about THCA with Liz Peterson from Canvast Supply Co.

The THCA market is taking the US by storm, but what is it? and how is it legal? Todays guest is Liz Peterson who is the head of operations at Canvast Supply Co. in Nashville, TN and also has a background in organic chemistry. Liz works in the THCA market and knows the ins and outs of the cultivation, marketing, manufacturing, and distribution of THCA products. I believe that THCA products should continue to be available but we should be testing these products before they reach consumer hands. If...

Mar 09, 20241 hr 9 minEp. 29

#NAPTIME Nashville, TN with Dr. Miyabe Shields

This episode is funded by our cannabis reserach and education non-profit called the Network of Applied Pharmacognosy (NAP). If you want to learn more about NAP or donate check out our website with new rebranding (thanks to Rachel Colic): https://www.appliedpharmacognosy.org/ Thank you to the patrons of this episode, you can join the community for as little as $1/month Thank you to our amazing sponsors who are so compatible with each other: DynaVap is a dry herb manual vaporizer: CBG Gurus for th...

Mar 05, 20241 hr 33 minEp. 28

Cannabis and Metabolism with Dr. Jonathan Fields

Dr. Jonathan Fields discusses the connection of cannabis and metabolism. He recently authored a paper in AJEM (American Journal of Endocannabinoid Medicine) discussing the wide range of metabolic effects from cannabis. Nothing in this podcast is medical advice. Join the Bioactive Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cannabichem The science behind the munchies: https://weedmaps.com/learn/cannabis-and-your-body/why-does-weed-make-you-hungry https://www.fatnugsmag.com/daily-nugs/the-science-behind-the-...

Feb 23, 20241 hr 14 minEp. 27

Cannabis Advocacy with Karen O'Keefe

Karen O'Keefe is a lawyer and an advocate for cannabis. Karen works for the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) that aims to change laws across the US associated with Cannabis. Karen has actively been involved in many states journey to legalization. Advocacy work is often donated time, and I want to thank everyone who has contributed their time to the effort of accessible medicine. Join the Bioactive Patreon :) https://www.patreon.com/cannabichem MPP website: https://www.mpp.org/ Youtube videos: outd...

Feb 16, 202457 minEp. 26

Cannabis & Pharmacy with Dr. Codi Peterson

Nothing in this podcast is EVER medical advice, consult your physician before adding or changing your routine. This episode is all about the pharmacists role in the cannabis industry with special guest Dr. Codi Peterson. Dr. Peterson is a researcher and educator in the cannabis industry and works as a clinical pharmacist in California. In this episode we talk about the pharmacists role in the ever changing cannabis industry, CHS, what drugs cannabis is replacing in the world of pharmacy and so m...

Feb 10, 20241 hr 25 minEp. 25

#NAPTIME with Dr. Miyabe Shields

NAPTIME with Dr. Miyabe Shields. Thank you to MCR labs for sponsoring this episode and donating to NAP: https://mcrlabs.com/ Nothing in this podcast is ever medical advice, consult a medical professional for advice about your health needs. Sign up for the Effective Cannabis Newsletter: https://www.effectivenewsletter.com/ecn Take our survey: https://btstudi.es/q/napbaseline/ Learn more about NAP: https://appliedpharmacognosy.org/ Donate to NAP: https://givebutter.com/KEZGuw Learn more about your...

Feb 03, 20241 hr 25 minEp. 24

DMT and the Visual Cortex with Zeus Tipado

Nothing discussed in this podcast is ever medical advice. Zeus Tipado is a Ph.D. candidate researcher at University of Maastricht in the Netherlands. He is studying DMT and trying to understand what is happening in brain, and specifically in the visual cortex. Join the Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/cannabichem Follow Zeus everywhere and read some of his research @Tipado and Tipado.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 26, 20241 hr 25 minEp. 23

Cannabis and Exercise with Dr. Angela Bryan

Nothing discussed in this podcast is EVER medical advice, consult your physician for medical needs. Recent article summarizing Dr. Bryan's reserach: https://www.colorado.edu/today/2024/01/03/study-cannabis-can-make-workouts-more-fun-its-no-performance-enhancer Dr. Bryans research papers: https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/can.2022.0338?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori%3Arid%3Acrossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub++0pubmed Please note... additional research is available behind paywalls but can be...

Jan 20, 202457 minEp. 22

Adaptogens, Poetry, and Navigating Cannabis with Chase Huff

Welcome back to season 3 of Bioactive! As always, nothing discussed in this podcast is medical advice, this is only opinion. Consult your doctor for any significant changes to your health. Today’s episode we talk to industry professional Chase Huff. Chase has worked in the industry as a cultivator, an extractor, in tissue culture, as a consultant and much more. We discuss the volatility of the industry the good and the bad, as well as what products are on the rise. We end this episode talking ab...

Jan 12, 20241 hr 16 minEp. 21

Cheese Science with Madelyn Varela

Nothing in this podcast is medical advice EVER. THE LAST EPISODE OF 2023, JUST IN TIME TO MAKE YOUR HOLIDAY CHARCUTERIE BOARD. Thank you all for listening and your support for this new podcast! If you want to join the patreon for this podcast head to https://www.patreon.com/cannabichem you can join for as little as $1/month. This episode Riley chats with Madelyn Varela, a cheese monger and a previous cheese maker. They discuss the process of making cheese, what microbes are involved, the differe...

Dec 22, 20231 hr 7 minEp. 20

Fiber hemp, narcolepsy, and veteran use with Steven Philpott Jr.

Nothing in this podcast is medical advice, consult your doctor for that. In this episode we learn about some new research with fiber cannabis, veteran use and access to cannabis, narcolepsy, and more with Steven Philpott Jr. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cannabichem Website: https://bioactivepodcast.com/ Contact: Riley@bioactivepodcast.com Request guests: Guests@bioactivepodcast.com Steven's socials: @coachjackpott Cannigma grow guide: https://cannigma.com/cultivation-guide/ Learn more about ...

Dec 19, 20231 hr 33 minEp. 19

#NAPTIME CBG and anxiety, Vegas, and Survey Data with Dr. Miyabe Shields

In this episode Riley and Miyabe dive into the most recent peer reviewed study on CBG and anxiety, our recent trip to Vegas for the largest cannabis event in the US (MJBizcon), and unveil some of the initial data from the cannabis survey. Nothing in this podcast is medical advice, personal and lived experience only. PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW FOR THIS PODCAST ON APPLE OR SPOTIFY. Join the Bioactive patreon for as little as $1/month. https://www.patreon.com/cannabichem Donate to NAP: https://givebutte...

Dec 08, 20231 hr 41 minEp. 18

Poisons and Venoms with Dr. Seth Coleman

Nothing in this podcast is medical advice, personal opinion only. Thank you to the patrons of this podcast for making it possible and everyone who has left a 5 star review. Todays episode dives into the evolutionary biology of poisons and venoms. This has always been one of my special interests for years and I was so excited to find Seth educating on social media about similar topics! You can find and follow Dr. Coleman's content on tiktok @ChuckDarwin If you want to suggest a guest email guests...

Nov 22, 20231 hr 39 minEp. 17

Cannabis and Heart Disease with Dr. Benjamin Caplan

Recent news stories by CNN and other big media companies have began publishing fear-mongering articles about two recent ABSTRACTS that have not been fully published or presented yet. Dr. Benjamin Caplan comes on the podcast to discuss the real risks of cannabis to your cardiovascular health and why media reports like this are damaging to the reputation of the reporters and the industry. Join my Patreon and support this podcast for as little as $1/month: Patreon.com/cannabichem Dr. Caplans's webs...

Nov 10, 202359 minEp. 16

We Launched a Cannabis Research Nonprofit! #NAPTIME w/ Dr. Miyabe Shields

This weeks episode is all about our newly launched Cannabis research nonprofit called the Network of Applied Pharmacognosy (NAP). Miyabe and I co-founded this non-profit to expand the community's voice in scientific research surrounding cannabis and other natural medicines. We currently have 2 studies underway and we just published our first paper on CBG use for anxiety. TODAY we released what we hope to be the largest and more depth cannabis survey that will help guide us towards future studies...

Nov 03, 20231 hr 22 minEp. 15

The Science of Smell with Twinkle Paryani from Abstrax Tech

Weed has an unmistakable and iconic smell. There has been various research that highlights the different molecules responbsible for the smell like volatile sulfur compounds (VSC's) as well as terpenes contributing to the smell. Today I am talking with Twinkle Paryani who is one of the reproach and development scientists at Abstrax to learn more about this research and what it means for consumers. Read more here: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsomega.1c04196 New research has now identified so...

Oct 27, 20231 hr 10 minEp. 14

The Biology & Chemistry of Fall (with Jake)

Fall is our favorite season in New Hampshire. We are almost done with preserving the garden, and we get to witness mother nature preparing for a long cold winter. Animals and plants prepare in different ways, and that is the focus of this episode. Jake is a wildlife biologist and together we discuss: - why leaves fall off trees - why leaves are such bright colors in some places - why hunting season is in the fall - why birds migrate - how to harvest lions mane/bears head tooth & medicinal ap...

Oct 20, 202348 minEp. 13

Gut Inflammation, Women's Health & More with Dr. Mary Clifton

This episode features Dr. Mary Clifton, MD. Dr. Clifton is a physician, a best selling author, a cannabis advocate, a social media educator & more. In this episode Dr. Clifton and Dr. Kirk discuss some aspects of medicinal cannabis including endometriosis, Crohn's Disease (& other inflammatory gut conditions), eating disorders and other topics. Thank you to the amazing Patreon's who asked questions for this episode, and everyone who has subscribed, left comments, shared with family and f...

Oct 06, 20231 hr 23 minEp. 12

Cannabis Mindset with Phil Stille

With any substance we use regularly, wether it be weed, alcohol, nicotine, caffeine or something else it's important to evaluate your relationship with it and make sure its adding value to your life. Todays episode is with Phil Stille who has struggled with his relationship with cannabis in the past and has learned ways to be kinder to himself and to cannabis via changing his mindset. I came across Phil a few months ago on social media and wanted to have a longer conversation to learn about his ...

Sep 29, 20231 hr 20 minEp. 11

Finding and Utilizing Elderberries (Sambucus nigra)

On this episode I am joined by my other half Jake. We have a very dynamic relationship as he studies wildlife biology and I study natural product chemistry. Jake works as a wildlife biologist, and a large portion of his job involves evaluating habitat types... which is relevant for todays episode. We will do many other episodes with Jake in the future. Apart from his day job as a biologist, Jake also is a science communicator and educator. He teaches about the sustainability and renewable resour...

Sep 11, 202346 minEp. 10

Cannabis Cultivation Research with Dr. Allison Justice and Ashley Manning

In this episode Riley talks with Dr. Allison Justice and Ashley Manning at The Hemp Mine/ The Cannabis Research Coalition (CRC). The three discuss some research the team is doing on the dry and cure process for cannabis, where we see research going, and some exciting news for the Hemp Mine. If you are interested in purchasing some products or learning more about these efforts, learn more from their websites and socials linked below. https://thehempmine.com/ https://www.cannabisrc.org/ IG: Cannab...

Sep 01, 20231 hr 1 minEp. 9

Cannabis and Pregnancy with Megan Mbengue

Nothing in this podcast is medical advice, we recommend talking to a physician before starting or stopping any medication or herbal product. Women have been using cannabis during pregnancy for centuries, and continue to do so today. There is evidence that the number of women using cannabis is increasing with increased access and legal infrastructure. In this episode Riley talks with RN, Megan Mbengue about ways to reduce harm to the mother and the baby when using cannabis during pregnancy. They ...

Aug 25, 20231 hr 25 minEp. 8

Naturopathic Medicine with Dr. Josh Corn (ND)

Nothing in this podcast is medical advice, this is information presented as personal opinion. Always contact your personal medical professional(s) before adding/changing your medicine. In this episode Riley talks with Dr. Josh Corn. Josh is a naturopathic doctor living and practicing out of Vermont. Dr. Corn takes an integrative and holistic approach to medicine. We discuss barriers to education about cannabis for medical professionals, access to food and medicine, and how ND's offer insight on ...

Aug 18, 20231 hr 8 minEp. 7

How Cannabis Works in the Body (Introduction to the Endocannabinoid System, ECS)

A deep dive into why THC and Cannabis have SO MANY MEDICINAL BENEFITS. In this episode Riley describes the different components of the endocannabinoid system (ECS) and the reason why we have this system in the body. Learning about the ECS can not only help you understand cannabis better, but its an important subject to learn as humans because this system is so important in the body. This podcast is sponsored by Boveda Humidity Packs, you can purchase Boveda packs at https://bovedainc.com/ Please...

Aug 11, 202326 minEp. 6
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