It's the fourth installment of the Queer Cannabis Club, where we highlight a fellow LGBTQ-led company in the cannabis space! In this episode, host Brit Smith talks to Ben Tousley and Mac Malikowski, founders of Buds Digest, a delicious digital magazine out of NYC made by and for gay stoners. Buds launched on 4/20 2021, covering aspects of queer culture like music, comedy, and drag through the lens of cannabis. Over the past seven issues, Mac and Ben have sat down for smoke sessions with some of ...
Mar 24, 2023•25 min
In 1971, Harvard psychiatry professor Dr. Lester Grinspoon was one of the first academics in America to propose that cannabis might be a useful medicine in his book 'Marihuana Reconsidered.' More than 50 years later, Lester's son Dr. Peter Grinspoon has picked up the torch and become one of the world's leading expert voices on medical marijuana. In this episode, host Brit Smith talks to Dr. Peter Grinspoon about his forthcoming book “Seeing Through the Smoke: A Cannabis Specialist Untangles the ...
Mar 17, 2023•40 min•Season 4Ep. 10
Before marijuana prohibition, the most popular form of consuming cannabis was through a tincture. Pharmacies across the US used to carry bottles of cannabis tincture on their shelves as the go-to medicine for Americans treating pain, nausea, insomnia, and many other common ailments. Even after it was outlawed, making tincture remained one of the most effective ways to use marijuana medicinally, because tinctures provide consistent doses, potency, and effects. Now we're easing out of the prohibit...
Mar 10, 2023•34 min•Season 4Ep. 9
Women have been switching their pharmaceutical meds for marijuana at a much higher rate than men, probably because of how well it works for the long list of issues females face in their lives. People with uteruses say cannabis is an essential pain reliever each month, and it helps to lessen the hot flashes from menopause. Countless women also say it enhances their libidos and sexual experiences. But then some studies say cannabis is not the best option for those who are pregnant, trying to conce...
Mar 03, 2023•27 min•Season 4Ep. 8
As pet parents, we'll do pretty much anything to help our fur babies feel better and age healthily. Whether they have joint pain, skin issues, anxiety, or more serious illnesses like cancer or epilepsy, there is proof that cannabis and mushroom extracts can improve our pets' health. That's why so many animal lovers are interested in what CBD could do to make life easier for our cats, dogs, birds, and any other mammals we might care for. In this episode, host (and double-dog mama) Brit Smith dive...
Feb 24, 2023•44 min•Season 4Ep. 7
In Japan cannabis is completely illegal, the government has long demonized the plant, and pot smokers are widely looked down upon socially. At the same time, Japanese health foods have long included hemp seeds, hemp is still being used to make some kimonos and ropes in temples, and all kinds of CBD products have been sold there since 2013, putting Japan on track to be one of the largest CBD economies in the world. So how do Japanese CBD brands connect buying a cannabis extract to a culture that ...
Feb 17, 2023•45 min•Season 4Ep. 6
Get ready for a very British conversation about cannabis! It's hard to get a medical marijuana prescription through the National Health Service (NHS.) So, since weed was medically legalized in 2018, thousands of UK residents have been paying to get a prescription from one of 18 private cannabis clinics, which allow for a much longer list of qualifying conditions. Whereas most US states require doctors to make a recommendation for a card that needs to be renewed every year, UK cannabis patients m...
Feb 10, 2023•38 min•Season 4Ep. 5
In 37 states, three territories, and the District of Columbia, adults with certain conditions can get a medical marijuana card. But not all state medical marijuana programs are created equal. So what is it like to become an MMJ patient in different states? What is access like to doctors, medical marijuana products, homegrow laws, and delivery options? And what should would-be patients know about whether getting a medical card is worth it? In this episode, host Brit Smith talks to medical cannabi...
Feb 03, 2023•59 min•Season 4Ep. 4
From oral tinctures to transdermal lotions to cocoa-butter suppositories, infusing cannabis medicine at home allows consumers to figure out their own perfect doses and avoid the high costs of constantly stocking up on pre-made products. Making usable DIY cannabis oil or salve takes some real scientific know-how. It's easy and expensive to mess it up. But if you can master it, you can make and store literally any marijuana product that's helpful for your ailments. So how do we properly extract th...
Jan 27, 2023•39 min•Season 4Ep. 3
Parents of kids with certain rare forms of epilepsy have long reported that CBD is the only medicine that helps their child's seizures completely stop. Millions of caregivers are now considering what other uses marijuana could have in pediatric medicine. So what does the scientific research say about the safety of medical cannabis for young people? And how can CBD and even THC impact kids with otherwise difficult-to-treat issues like epilepsy, PANDAS syndrome, Autism Spectrum Disorder, neuropath...
Jan 20, 2023•28 min•Season 4Ep. 2
Athletes of all levels from weekend warriors to competitive trainers report that marijuana helps significantly with prep, performance, and recovery. So what does the research say about the athletic application of cannabis? And how can amateur and professional athletes safely self-experiment with CBD or THC to soothe their aches and pains? In this episode, host Brit Smith talks to Lindsay Crudele, a former roller derby girl, amateur boxer, and author of the new article “High Performances — A Look...
Jan 13, 2023•31 min•Season 4Ep. 1
The Winter 2023 season of Different Leaf the podcast drops Friday January 13th, and it's all about medical marijuana. Hear from leading medical experts and advocates around the world, like; Colorado nonprofit Realm of Caring on Pediatric cannabis Leading US cannabis doctor and Harvard Medical instructor Dr. Peter Grinspoon, British cannabis nurse Sophie Hayes, MMJ experiences from patients in New Hampshire, Florida, and Texas, The state of cannabis in Japan with Mike Eidlin, Pets and CBD with An...
Jan 11, 2023•3 min
The Queer Cannabis Club is the first consortium of cannabis companies led by members of the LGBTQ+ community. Each bonus episode, Different Leaf shines a light on another one of the fascinating queer leaders making waves in the cannabis industry. This episode, host Brit Smith talks to Andrea Brooks, CEO of SAVA, the leading online marketplace for curated cannabis delivery in the San Francisco Bay Area. Andrea knew her community would prefer a curated cannabis shopping experience, so SAVA was des...
Dec 23, 2022•25 min
If you're among the millions of couples re-planning a Covid-canceled wedding for 2023, you might also be considering incorporating cannabis into your big day. There are many ways to tastefully involve weed at a wedding, far beyond infused edibles and smoking bars. Think; marijuana bouquets, infused beauty products, and wedding party joint sets. In this episode, host (and bride-to-be) Brit Smith talks to journalist Katie Shapiro about her latest article in the fall issue of Different Leaf the mag...
Dec 16, 2022•25 min•Season 3Ep. 10
Whether it's a replacement for alcohol or an addition to it, mixing cannabis cocktails at home is a tasty way to cozy-up for the cold winter months. This episode, we learn how to mix our own apothecary-style cannabis-infused cocktails and mocktails with guest mixologist Warren Bobrow. Best known as the Cocktail Whisperer, Warren is a longtime chef and author of six books, including 'Cannabis Cocktails, Mocktails & Tonics.' He’s the CEO of cannabis drink company Klaus, and he’s created a deli...
Dec 09, 2022•26 min•Season 3Ep. 9
Thanks to prohibition and a resulting lack of cannabis research, US medical marijuana patients often have to spend buckets of money on self-experimentation to figure out which cannabis products best help their ailments. That's why Otha Smith III developed Tetragram; the app that helps medical marijuana patients identify specific marijuana products that could work best for them. This episode, Otha tells host Brit Smith how he started using cannabis in 2006 after a serious car crash that almost le...
Dec 02, 2022•30 min•Season 3Ep. 8
In honor of Danksgiving finally becoming a real thing (did you see the NYT article?) we're revisiting our interview with cannabis journalist Jackie Bryant to discuss the science of edibles, which she wrote about for Different Leaf magazine in the fall of 2021. Host Brit Smith talks to Jackie about the chemical process behind how digested cannabis works in humans, giving us a more physical high than inhaling weed. They discuss why edibles impact people in different ways, whether strains make a di...
Nov 25, 2022•27 min•Season 3Ep. 7
The high holiday season is almost here, friends! This means it's time to plan that gift list, and we're here to help. In this episode, host Brit Smith talks to Different Leaf Magazine's merch+more writer John Arvanitis about the best cannabis-related products from 2022 that will truly take your gift-giving skills to the next level. Get ideas for the coolest pot-themed presents and stocking stuffers items, like microdose marijuana mists (letsrebelle.com/halo), or vape-dosage tracking devices (mod...
Nov 18, 2022•29 min•Season 3Ep. 6
Smoking accessory designers have brought us out of the ages of hand-carved apple pipes and two-liter plastic bottle bongs. Today's marijuana vape and smoking technology is often sleek, high-end, and discreetly delivers consistent doses to the consumer. Designers are even considering how paraphernalia can fit in with our personal style or home décor, while also having a minimal impact on the planet. This episode, host Brit Smith talks to James Choe, CEO of Vessel Brand, a forward-thinking cannabi...
Nov 11, 2022•28 min•Season 3Ep. 5
Can kush be kosher? Of course it can! This episode, we're diving into the long and fascinating history of Jews and cannabis with Eddy Portnoy, historian of Jewish culture and the Director of Exhibitions at the New York City YIVO Institute for Jewish Research. Eddy tells host Brit Smith about the religious, ritual and cultural connections between Judaism and marijuana. They discuss evidence of hash residue at an ancient synagogue, the historic letters written by a Jewish woman asking to buy hashi...
Nov 04, 2022•25 min•Season 3Ep. 4
Happy National Chocolate Day! From cannabis candy bars to dank CBD dripping sauces, there are plenty of yummy infused chocolate options on the legal marijuana market. While they may all taste and feel great, most are packed with sugar and are highly processed. Thankfully, chocolatiers are leaning into a new trend of creating healthier infused treats, some even with the planet in mind. In this episode, host Brit Smith talks to holistic nutritionist and plant-based chef Kyleen Keenan, founder of b...
Oct 28, 2022•26 min•Season 3Ep. 3
Learn how to go from an amateur at-home cook to a cannabis chef superstar with guest Robyn Griggs-Lawrence, author of some of the first mainstream cannabis cookbooks in the US, including 'The Cannabis Kitchen Cookbook' and 'Pot in Pans: A History of Eating Cannabis.' In this episode, Robyn gives us her top tips for beginner weed cooks, like how to properly activate and infuse marijuana into food, accurately dose your homemade edibles, and why it's a good idea to wash your cannabis before cooking...
Oct 21, 2022•28 min•Season 3Ep. 2
It's Hispanic Heritage Month, and we're kicking off our fall season by discussing the connection between the Latinx community and the marijuana plant. This episode, host Brit Smith talks to the founders of CLEO Delta-8 and CBD gummies, Andrea Berrios and Spencer Perron, about what their families in Texas and Minnesota think of the legal options of CBD and Delta-8, and how legal pot companies can do more to connect with Latinx consumers. Andrea and Spencer also discuss their personal histories wi...
Oct 14, 2022•28 min•Season 3Ep. 1
The Annaboto, winner of last year’s Boston University Cannabis Startup competition, is an artificially-intelligent robot that’s making it easy for anyone to grow hydroponic marijuana in their own home with the push of a button. This episode, host Brit Smith continues our story of what it's like to grow cannabis at-home with AI by harvesting, drying, curing and smoking her first Annaboto-grown flower. Then Brit checks in with CEO of Boundless Robotics Carl Palme to talk about the road ahead for T...
Sep 09, 2022•33 min•Season 2Ep. 9
Over the last decade, eighteen US states have implemented their own sets of regulations to form a recreational cannabis industry. Now there's a patchwork of legalization, many farms have failed, product prices are high, and much of legal weed has fallen short of initial expectations. So what is the current economic state of the legal and illegal cannabis markets in the US? Where has state cannabis regulation gone wrong? How could it do better? And why is legal pot so dang expensive?! In this epi...
Sep 02, 2022•37 min•Season 2Ep. 8
From marijuana aficionados to the canna-curious, post-pandemic travelers are flocking to states where they can legally get high. With so many curated infused experiences to try, where should you start with cannabis tourism? In this episode, host Brit Smith gets the top tips on where to try the trendiest new cannabis vacation experiences in and around the US. First, Bobby and April Black from Higher Way Travel Agency discuss some of their favorite cannabis travel experiences like high yoga retrea...
Aug 26, 2022•30 min•Season 2Ep. 7
Host Brit Smith talks to legendary daytime talk show host, decorated Navy veteran, and fierce medical marijuana advocate Montel Williams about his experience as one of the nation's first high-profile proponents of cannabis as medicine. While hosting his Emmy-award winning TV show in the early 2000's, Montel was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. When his doctors advised him to move away from opioids for pain, Montel became one of the first US celebrities to come out publicly as a medical marijua...
Aug 19, 2022•30 min•Season 2Ep. 6
New York City is already a travel hotspot, full of history, culture, food, and entertainment. Thanks to the state's new legalization law passed in early 2022, New York is also on the verge of becoming the east coast's next big cannabis tourism hub. Insiders expect adult-use dispensaries to open by the end of the year, but what about tourists who want to experience NYC's cannabis culture before the stores open? This episode, guest Lulu Tsui, CEO of On The Revel, tells host Brit Smith how NYC resi...
Aug 12, 2022•27 min•Season 2Ep. 5
The south of France is well known for its sun, sand, and amazing food and wine. Now, there's a newly-thriving French CBD industry that cannabis-curious tourists can try on their European vacation. There's even been a boom in CBD vending machines, proving that hemp is popular and accessible in France, but it's not always of the best quality. So how can tourists find and try high-quality hemp (and maybe even a little marijuana) while traveling around France? In this episode, host Brit Smith visits...
Aug 05, 2022•44 min•Season 2Ep. 4
Plenty of tourists enhance their travel experience by bringing cannabis products with them on vacation. Although laws across the US prohibit crossing state lines with pot or toking up in public, that doesn't deter everyone. So how do people anecdotally travel with weed? What does the TSA say about the risks of bringing marijuana into US airports? And what new infused products are discreet enough for consumption while on vacation? This episode, host Brit Smith talks to longtime cannabis tourism j...
Jul 29, 2022•34 min•Season 2Ep. 3
